I figure that one of the coolest things that can happen to music nerds like us, it to rediscover formerly beloved bands of which one has just lost track amid the sheer universe-size wave of new music one can digest. In my case it is to fall in love with Maudits once again – this time over their great new record In Situ!
A few years ago, we already featured Maudits in a review and one of the band members also gave us a playlist and after that I slowly lost track of the band and did not notice their releases over the past few years – let me tell you, they are also great. However, now I heard about a new record of theirs and the key comparison that got me checking it out was Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and everybody that knows me knows how much I love the Canadians and their work. Hell, there must be some kind of connection between Quebec and France that goes deeper than just the common language and a love for great food. The Southern French masters BRUIT ≤ have shown time and time that they are among the preeminent successors to the throne but do not lose sight of Maudits because this new record shows a band that can pack as much punch, as much delicate structures, as much surprises into a record as the Toulousains or the Québecois. One major difference might be, though, that they do not always take to develop a story arch, the opener of In Situ called ”Leftovers”, is a good example for that – 4:44 minutes packed with good riffs, a bit up-tempo and yet not rushed.
By the way, the opener might also be a hint at the evolution of the record, which originally was planned as an EP but which then slowly developed into a full album; probably it’s good that we do not know which songs cam first, because that would take away a lot from the magic of that thought – the music demanding more space, more elaboration, more care and then rewarding the quartet with a complete record of 45 minutes running time.
Let’s have a closer look at a few of the tracks: ”Fall Over” is the heaviest of the bunch, because it uses a longer, very Post-Metal part which is, nevertheless, always counter-balanced by some great second percussion line in the background and some wonderful melodic guitar droplets before erupting again. This track might really be a perfect example for the term “multi-layeredness”, because there are four or five different guitar lines embedded in the track as well, so seeing how they want to perform this live is a very intriguing idea.
The track ”Carré d´As” is a prime example of the French scene working together: this is one of only two tracks with vocals and those are being delivered by Olivier Lacroix, who was/is? the vocalist for Erlen Meyer, an amazing Blackened Post-Hardcore band from Limoges whose last record Sang et Or was given to us many many moons back, in 2019. Olivier also wrote the lyrics for this dark, wavey track. At first the track sounds like a brooding TripHop track, also because of the great beat and Olivier’s vocal style, but one should notice the trumpet-like line that certainly gives the elongated outro a really melancholic track helping the audience understand the generally innocuous nature of the track.
Before we come to the last track, the amazing ”Lev-Ken”, let’s just note that the other track with vocals is a cover of one of the most famous tracks of the 90s – Portishead’s ”Roads” which is maybe even a tiny bit more melancholic than the original. But now onto ”Lev-Ken”: A track that takes its time, that builds a lot of tension with shifty drumming, another horn-element, some light guitar parts and many moments that feel like a lost recording from the Constellation archives. That in itself might already be a compliment but let’s make it clear: This is one of the very best Post-Rock tracks of 2025! Light and meaningful yet never too much or too loud, not aspiring to a real crescendo peak but rather using ambiance and flair as the key components to keeping the listener on the edge of their seat.
I should apologize for losing track of this great band, but the joy this re-discovery brings might be a good excuse and I want to point out that I will not repeat this mistake again: I am on board for whenever, wherever Maudits set sail!
