We like them pig-headed and unhinged over here. Proud from the underground, unknown bands that reach us seemingly from nowhere. Complete with some delicious chaos that we will find difficult to describe and rate correctly.
Sanguine Glacialis have been around the block a few times, obviously. After all, the band started brandishing its wares since 2010 or so. They’re thus not necessarily unknown to the initiated. But they indeed sailed straight past the RMR sentinels with their somewhat confused 2018 piece Hadopelagic.
Yet, their newest piece Maladaptive Daydreaming shook the sleepy old geezers over at the RMR review desk awake real quick. Because now there’s spice in their tune and true refinement in the production. The record roars forth with some mix of Fleshgod Acopalypse and a more agile version of the abject complexities of Exanimis. All of the above sports a melodic and vocal streak that would do Gone in April or Aephanemer credit.1
In other words, Melodic Death Metal with some true progressive parts is on the menu. All of that comes with a penchant for Victorian tableaux and a truly gothic urge at times. But metallic antics aren’t all of it. You’ll suddenly find jazzy parts when there should be none. Or folksy passages and some variété style interludes in the midst of all that mayhem. Classical samples, the haunted piano at odd moments, and the use of some archaic instruments that almost made us label the piece as Folk Metal which it definitely isn’t.
Interestingly, the title of the record – Maladaptive Daydreaming – refers to a real condition of excessively spending time in a person’s very own imaginary world. And the band used this theme as a thread to pump the pressure up further on a variety of sub-conditions and their often dire consequences.2 I daresay, this is a difficult theme that many a band may find too complex to reach success. Yet here, it perfectly fits with the musical bedlam on display.
But back to the musical wares on this record. Those roughly archaic vibes threw us a few times. All of this sounded somewhat familiar to our metal-addled eardrums. And true enough, Sanguine Glacialis greets us from Quebec in Canada which explains their funky French accent once they choose to let loose. Some of that déjà-vu may also stem from the fact that two members of this band hail from Valfreya. Maude Théberge, and Jérémy Racine who – incidentally – already wielded the sticks on the latter’s last record Promised Land. And I would be remiss not to commend him on his tremendous performance on Maladaptive Daydreaming similar to Yanic Bercier of Gone in April.
The vocalist – the aforementioned Maude Théberge – proved to be a real powerhouse. From soprano-esque clear-voice interludes, over vile rasps reminiscent of Marion Bascoul (Aephanemer), to mad howls, she got the goods. And often, Sanguine Glacialis embedded the vocals into some sort of a subdued and somewhat disjointed form of group chanting that perfectly fits the overall mold of the record. Another quirk is the use or rather the non-use of guitars. The songwriting clearly favors the use of keys. In turn, the guitars are mostly relegated to the rhythm section without many soaring riffs or truly amazing solos. The notable exception being THAT solo on Welcome. And whilst that may be yet another facet of an unusual record, this fact probably won’t sit too well with hardcore metalheads.
So, what are the choice cuts on Maladaptive Daydreaming? The second track Immuration immediately got our attention with its picture-perfect prog vibes. Cauchemort proved to be a fucking killer song. And with that, we don’t mean its dark lyrics and ominous connotations. Instead, the sub-theme and its recalls, the balanced yet violent structure of the song, and the abundant use of French for added effect. If you really won’t have time to pull in the full 52 minutes of airtime, this track will get you the essence of this here record. That said, the slightly baroque Paracusia will come in as a close second. Rougher and less refined, this one kinda sounds like a bad dream Dani Filth3 may have had at some time.
Ultimately though, Maladaptive Daydreaming truly is one of those out-of-the-box records. An exquisitely complex album that sternly demands a few listens to get to the bottom of all this. To give you an idea, yours truly got to a whopping 12 listens of this here piece. And this may very well mean that scores of potential fans with less metal passion may suffer from attacks of sensory overload before the airtime’s up for a rewind.
The above critique notwithstanding, Sanguine Glacialis created a delicious and often psychedelic behemoth that dwells in a league of its own. An album that expertly links complexity with true musical mastery to tell a story of the often frightening hidden undercurrents of the human mind. Wild and truly refined, an album for the metal connoisseur. The RMR crew’s truly impressed.
Ed’s note: And – drumroll – the record’s made it onto our 2023 Top Ten list. Congrats!
Record Rating: 9/10 | Label: Self-Released | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 18 August 2023
- Careful with them name-drops. Just sayin’. -Ed.-↩
- Check for more. | Maladaptive daydreaming – Wikipedia.-↩
- You know, the master of everything over at Cradle of Filth.-↩