Chaos & Hibernation is not a new album but it compiles both demos done by Canadian act Bâtard, Chaos / Ultra (2011) and Hibernation (2013). It will be released in a limited edition, so you need to hurry up in case you’re interested!
What this trio (with the sweet names Warlock, Hell and Havoc) brings is so-called ‘Cold Electronic Black Metal’. These forty eight minutes of sonic distortion indeed stand far away from the traditional Black Metal scene, though the Black Metal genre still is the basic essence of Bâtard’s existence. Opener Hell Horses, for example is a short introduction that combines Harsh Electronics and industrial Noise. With Tohv-Bohv we have the first ‘real track’, which is a strange mixture of old styled Black / Thrash supremacy with an unusual lead riff, eccentric structures and the addition of some electronic sounds. It’s somewhat bizarre, partly caused as well by the sulphuric screams and the dirty, unpolished production. Next comes Nomade, which also combines different musical currents, especially taken from different electronic, industrial and metallic scenes. And in this trend this compilation goes on. There is even Death Industrial / Minimal Ambient / Digital Noise from time to time (like 666 Bières - I’d like to say: santé), as well as Lounge, Dub-Step and more of this nonsense... Most of the constructions are dissonant and pretty ironically irritating. And the sound, finally, is beneath acceptance, especially when it comes to the songs of the Hibernation-demo - or was it meant to be this way?
This is not an easy-listening album, but if you could appreciate the efforts done, long ago, by Diabolos Rising, Aborym, Metraton, Kali Yuga or this kind of bizarre rituals, this might interest you as well…