Country (for what it’s worth): France
Members: Romain Habrzyk (vocals) & Maxime Beiler (aka Leprince) (strings)
Availability: digipack-CD (100 copies) & digital
Artwork: Macchabée Artworks (Matthias Bonhoure) - very adequate cover-artwork, by the way!!!
Production: Nebiros Studio
Duration: 26:42
Genre: DSBM (Depressive-Suicidal Black Metal) / Atmospheric Black Metal
Introduction: En Finir… is a very young outfit that recorded and released one single thing, until now. It’s an EP called Résigné, which means something like ‘resigned’, like in ‘innocent’ or ‘unspoiled’. That EP is a four-tracker, with French titles and lyrics, being released via French Underground label Malpermesita Records.
Content: The first track, Seul (‘alone’), opens with an acoustic introduction, which immediately sets the tone for almost half an hour of emptiness, desperation, grief and loss. Quite soon things turn little heavier, with a full-bodied, massive symbiosis of different string lines (four- and six-stringed) (¹), majestic drum-patterns (²), and wretched screams (³). (¹) When talking about those bass and electric guitars, well, they are of an elegantly harmonious kind. Floating melodies, captivating soloing and dreamlike tremolo riffing are like the spine behind this composition (and the three others as well, evidently). The rhythm and bass guitars are mixed very prominently through the whole concept, fortifying the melancholic character. The speed is mid-tempo oriented, quite slow yet not exactly doomish. (²) The drums and percussions too strengthen the intumescence of unhappiness with a very own-faced, typifying notion of different, independent yet organically fitting patterns. It’s not just a rumbling rhythm at the background in order to support the eminent guitar-lines; on the contrary, the whole percussionally-beating process / presence expands the general atmosphere of solitude and its grievous awareness. (³) The vocal timbre, then again, is of a harsh, wretched and raspy kind, coming deep from the throat; a throat nurtured with acid and brimstone. At about half of this track, another acoustic intermezzo appears, admittedly short, with (semi) acoustic guitars and semi-whispered spoken vocals. What follows next, quite unexpectedly yet enormous natural in implementation, is an outburst of resentment and wrath, suddenly yet organically fast-paced. Soon things slow down once more, with beautiful soloing towards a grande finale. Well, within this vein, Résigné continues. Je Suis Fatigué (‘I am tired’) (the most torturous piece out of four), Mépris (‘scorn’) (filled with both ire and gloom) and Qu’il En Soit Ainsi (‘so it will be’) too mingle slower yet highly melodious fragments with several faster excerpts, with hypnotizing solos and dual riffage, with a fine equilibrium in between tristesse and dander, with varying vocals (as said: the main vocals are rude and wretched, yet there are whispers, shouts, spoken words and much more), and with a well-proportioned amount of additional acoustic and semi-acoustic injections.
Conclusion: Résigné turns out to be a stunning and promising debut. In contrast to several other bands within this genre, En Finir… lack that sometimes pathetic oh, I am so piteous attitude; luckily this duo blends a saturnine, introvert mood with a fair amount of solemn boldness and confident persuasiveness.