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/:: Artist :: Sale Freux ::\
:: Title :: ...elles s'envolèrent... ::
:: Year :: 2026 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Black Metal Source :: CD . ::
:: Label :: Ruralia R.date :: 2026-09-30 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: S.date :: 2026-01-15 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. VBR 286kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 160.0 MiB .
. .
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/sale%20freux
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 01. ...ils rampèrent... 3:19 ::
:: 02. Gloire au corbeau 10:55 ::
:: 03. Dresseuse de crapauds 6:57 ::
:: 04. Dévore la lumière de la lune 9:10 ::
:: 05. Dunkelmond... 4:58 ::
:: 06. ...zu Hellesmond 2:54 ::
:: 07. Quöllgraüsig 13:31 ::
:: 08. Häxehütte 9:08 ::
:: 09. ...elles s'envolèrent... 15:58 ::
:: -------- ::
.. >> 01:16:50 ..
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+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: SALE FREUX has entered its second golden period since 2022 ::
:: and the album *Le corbeau clandestin*. The first period, ::
:: the one that brought the Frenchman to prominence, spans ::
:: from 2012 to 2017, between *L'exil* and *Vindilis*. Dunkel ::
:: wasn't bad afterward, but his activity became harder to ::
:: follow, with a proliferation of splits and compilations ::
:: that muddied the waters for listeners. He gave the ::
:: impression of wandering, almost going in circles. A real ::
:: irony for him, who always managed to draw us into his life ::
:: stories, into his walks among real people, into the heart ::
:: of the real world and its landscapes. Then everything fell ::
:: into place, almost suddenly, in 2022, with the excellent ::
:: *Le corbeau clandestin*. This, in my opinion, marks the ::
:: beginning of their second successful period, which ::
:: continued two years later with *Vol de travers*, and then, ::
:: in early 2026, with *...Elles s'envolèrent...*, the album ::
:: we're discussing here. ::
:: ::
:: However, if I place this album in the same category as the ::
:: previous two, it's solely for its quality and atmosphere, ::
:: as it possesses several distinctive features, starting ::
:: with its lineup. Yes, there is a lineup: Dunkel is ::
:: absolutely not alone, contrary to what the original black ::
:: and white cover might suggest. First, there's a drummer, ::
:: Fafnir. A guitar solo is provided by Raven, and some ::
:: vocals and vocal effects are by Viskr. Two ravens, Iris ::
:: and Strygga, also appear in the booklet for their cawing, ::
:: complete with photos. Finally, the indispensable Ludovic ::
:: Tournier is at the helm, having mastered the album. I ::
:: don't know about you, but mentally, I prefer to imagine ::
:: Dunkel alone. It's probably a complete lack of empathy on ::
:: my part, but I want to see him lost, solitary, lonely, ::
:: resigned, misunderstood. Kudos to him for having multiple ::
:: companions, but this inevitably impacts the listener's ::
:: imagination. ::
:: ::
:: That said, their contributions don't upset the balance. ::
:: SALE FREUX is and will remain Dunkel, and he delivers his ::
:: signature sound once again. The black metal is extremely ::
:: organic, raw, austere, driven by vocals that unsettle ::
:: those who prefer the safety of a more classic growl. ::
:: Dunkel unleashes piercing screams and others more ::
:: plaintive, he croaks and he croaks, he seems possessed, ::
:: extreme. The riffs swirl, the melodies flow, and the ::
:: swamps invade the space. The swamp, in fact, occupies a ::
:: central place on this new album. Instead of recounting his ::
:: very real misadventures once again, Dunkel innovates by ::
:: imagining a world-not so fictional after all-where Earth ::
:: has been devastated and only a ravaged forest remains. A ::
:: raven discovers this universe and guides us on a unique ::
:: initiatory journey, encountering willows, marshes, and ::
:: other forms of life, including a toad, defender of these ::
:: lands. Metaphors abound, and the journey proves to be ::
:: deeper than it initially appears. ::
:: ::
:: The album is thus more complex than usual, with some ::
:: particularly long compositions. Of the nine tracks, three ::
:: exceed ten minutes, something that has rarely happened in ::
:: recent years. On Vol de travers, only one track crossed ::
:: this threshold, and on Le corbeau clandestin, the longest ::
:: didn't exceed seven minutes. The result: ...Elles ::
:: s'envolèrent... runs for 1 hour and 15 minutes. That's a ::
:: bit long because this length ends up diluting the best ::
:: moments. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
\: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/
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\\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO///
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