If you have read my one and only live review of 2021 you might have noticed that I have already been acquainted with Celeste. And during a performance on the Soulcrusher festival I just couldn’t get into the vibe of this post hardcore/sludge/black metal act. And that is a pity since Celeste’s newest spawn “Assassine(s)” is a tough nut to crack. But when finally cracked, it contains some beautiful gems.

Celeste is a band which uses unique features such as a  brooding, dark, gloomy and powerful blackened sound aided with powerful vocals (and lyrics in French). While using quite some rhythm shifts and groove they manage to keep things interesting and fresh without forgetting its gloomy atmosphere.  

In “Assasine(s)” this is also the case. Opener “Des torrents des coups” sets the tone with great guitar riffs and the powerful vocals of Johan Girardeau. “De tes yeux bleus perlés” offers quite some groove and reminds me of a darker variant of Gojira. The result is a thrilling, aggressive and in your face track. Listening to  “Nonchalantes de beauté,” it seems that all the pain of the world is coming together in one track in splendid and mesmerising manner. And that makes the harsh riffs presented on the follow up track “Draguée tout au fond” very aggressive and in your face.

“(A)” opens hauntingly beautiful like an intermezzo and gradually builds up power and momentum with haunting riffs and melodies. And closing track “Le cœur noir charbon” accumulates all of the above in a gloomy, intense seven minute track where melody, groove and blackened riffs collide.

I haven’t dealt with all the songs presented on this album and I am not going to. I don’t want to give any more spoilers about “Assassine(s)” since it is best listened to in solitude; in the dark. This album is a beautiful and intense trip into darkness displaying a mature and very capable Celeste in excellent form. If you are a fan of Amenra, Cult of Luna and Throane among others, Celeste should be more than appreciated. Besides that Celeste managed to gather quite some fans already and is a fitting headliner in venues. Releasing their newest album on Nuclear Blast is a smart and justified move. This album makes me curious about their previous albums and that means something. France again proves that they have a lot to offer in the extreme music genre. Check this one out!   

Rating: 8/10

Release date: 28th January 2022

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Tracklist:

1 Des torrents de coups
2 De tes yeux bleus perlés
3 Nonchalantes de beauté
4 Draguée tout au fond
5 (A)
6 Il a tant rêvé d’elles
7 Elle se répète froidement
8 Le cœur noir charbon