‘A wild crossover between Marduk and The Sex Pistols’. I guess that’s the catch-line you’d read on an advertising sticker if Lunar Deflagration was released by a major label. But it’s not. In fact, this album has been released almost anonymously: there is no contact of any sort for the listener to get in touch with the band.

Nuit Noire has already released a handful of demo tapes and a 7’, which has generated a devoted fanbase. Nuit Noire used to be a duet, Tenebras on guitar and voice and Andy on drums. My recollection of both Nuit Noire gigs I had the luck to attend is really astonishing performances which directly distinguished the band from usual black metal acts thanks to one of the most impressive drummer I’ve ever seen (if you don’t believe me, go ask Dave Rebel) and to the strange sickly charisma of a skinny singer who seems to prefer good old straightforward punk riffs over outdated metal techniques.

Andy has not recorded a single drums track in Lunar Deflagration but the drumming remains black-metal-like most of the time. Even though vocals have changed as well (Tenebras has given up black metal shrieks and sings in a clearer way), I still consider Nuit Noire as a wild crossover between old school black metal and old school punk rock (think ‘Fuck Armageddon this is hell’ by Bad religion). This album sounds like it was recorded in a garage - it was actually recorded in a basement - but its dirty guitar devoid of bass definitely matches the style.

I guess people living in a metal world would depict this singular music in other ways. I’ve heard the term Faeri metal when referring to Nuit Noire, which stands for a sort of black metal much more concerned with night walks in dark forests filled with ghosts and fairies than bloody sacrifices and disembowelments. In this universe, faeries are beneficent and even snatch the hero from its cross in ‘Les fées’, the only song which sound almost like noisy-pop. Nuit Noire being so singular, you can appreciate their music even if you don’t like metal…

-SEB ‘just’ WOOd.

PS: If you want to contact Nuit Noire, send me an e-mail…

/nov 1st 2004/