Trépas – “L’héritage du monde” [Album Review]

Quebecois black metal project Trépas has been a thorn in my side for some time now. Not for their majestic bombast that blends doom-heavy interludes with the frenetic riffing of Swedish second-wave, but for an indefinable quality to their music that has been escaping classification with each repeated listen to their debut album, L’héritage du monde, from Sepulchral Productions.

On first impression, their confrontational delivery comes across as bordering on punk or hardcore, but each subsequent spin reveals new nuances that are less easy to pin down. For example, the acoustic arpeggios of the title track or “Charognes,” married with the early Kvelertak-esque vocal delivery, strengthen a more DSBM-related argument in the line of Nocturnal Depression. But then, those same vocal stylings are just as reminiscent of black-n-roll like Khold or Natetfrost.

Despite this, and after many, many enjoyable playthroughs, the unique characteristic that sets L’héritage du monde apart finally has revealed itself to me. The unfiltered performance Trépas so emphatically deliver may be the sum of many influencing parts, but it translates into one defining trait: L’héritage du monde may be a studio album, but it effectively invokes all the fire, vitriol and passion – not to mention authenticity – of a live performance.

Check out the album’s lead-off single, “Rivages Sombres.”

From the opening strains of “Rivages sombres,” right through the near-death experience (metal, not actual death – although the cathartic effect is similar) of “L’Aube” to the last notes of “Errance” spins a dizzying narrative of celebration, mourning, anger and defeat throughout which you can practically feel the palpable press of the crowd, hear the roars of fellow pit fiends, and wipe the spray of whirlwinded sweat from your eyes, all through the audio player of your choice.

L’héritage du monde is, as a result, an exhausting experience, but one that invokes sense memory beyond the aural making for a more memorable and honest one – and one that leaves a listener eager to repeat it. Trépas have crafted a thing of some wonder here – a unique voice in a sea of homogenous murmurs. Félicitations, mes camarades, je vous salue.

L’héritage du monde Track Listing:

01. Rivages sombres
02. L’aube
03. L’heritage du monde
04. Charognes
05. Trépas
06. Errance

Run Time: 38:38
Release Date: December 5, 2019
Record Label: Sepulchral Productions