There are albums that I know I will immediately love without even listening to them and then be blown away by the beauty and the emotion. Such is the case of Drache’s Devenir le rien. This is music that will pierce your soul, a downpour of emotion, bleakness and all those haunting things and feelings that lurk deep inside, just waiting to come out.
Drache is one of Déhà’s projects. He is a Belgian musician, producer and has many projects and releases under his belt. This is his second release under Drache, as we were introduced to it back in 2022 with a split done with Brouillard. The first one, De Mauvais Augure was released back in September of 2022 and it’s Drache’s solo album where he collaborates with Brouillard and CVB on vocals. On Devenit le rien we get to experience more of this one-man band, while collaborating, again, in “La lumière radiant” with CVB and in ”A la gueule” with Brouillard on vocals.
So, let’s dive into the album. This will definitely not be the usual album review, as I have mentioned before, this will be about the emotion it transmits to me, as a listener. From start to finish, it provides beautifully made Atmospheric and Raw Black Metal. The opening track, “A la glorie de rien du tout”, immediately lets you know that you will be captivated and moved by its driving riffs and beautiful atmospheres. My favourite track out of this album, “A la guele” starts unforgivingly, taking you captive to its heaviness and beauty. All while being masterfully played, it provides relentless vocals by Brouillard’s that almost sound like a battlecry. Moments of hypnotic calm and a whispering voice that will barely give you a moment to prepare for the imminent attack “to the face”.
Another track that stands out to me is “Le paradis”. The calm, clean, acoustic sound that will wonderfully trick you into its calm, just to gradually increase the intensity and blow you away. “Les arbustes sont morts” is the closing track of this album, is like a march-like track to bring all into a conclusion, almost like inviting the listener to join in and sing along. The song titles alone give you a glimpse into what this album is about and the darkness within each of them, it gives a glimpse into the theme and the direction Déhà is taking under Drache.
If you’re looking for an amazing album, with intense, raw emotion, beautiful and dark atmospheres in six tracks, this is definitely it. This will be like a heavy rain, a cathartic experience leaving you in awe. Déhà to me, is a master at what he does musically and he proves it once again, with Drache. Give him any genre, any musical style and he will give you something unexpected and beautiful in return. Drache is a raw, unforgiving, dark and beautiful experience. I am really looking forward to the next release.
