Regarde Les Hommes Tomber add a few wrinkles to the blackened sludge milieu with their self titled debut. Mining similar influences as country mates Celeste, they combine the wiry riffing of black metal with atmospheric sludge and a big dose of hardcore to create an album that doesn’t sit neatly within any of the aforementioned categories. Tastes of early Envy and Amenra ride along with the double bass fed grooves of a less angular A Life Once Lost and the sharp riffing of Craft. Though they lack the caustic noise addled vibe of Celeste, it’s a stew that works mighty well, with a nice blend of aggression, atmosphere, and a subtle melodic sense.

RLHT do a great job blending their influences into a cohesive whole. “Wanderer of Eternity” has the most identifiably hardcore influence, while the rest of the songs balance the metallic hardcore leanings with the buzzing riffs and familiar sprinting drums of black metal. “Of Flames, Flesh, and Sin” starts out with wiry guitars threading around each other before transitioning to a bouncy groove with a creeping guitar running in the background. The title track is a short atmospheric interlude of discordant bass and guitar feedback. “A Thousand Years of Servitude” opens with trudging flits of double bass and builds to full on blasting. Closing track “The Fall” is perhaps most representative of their influences, surging from chunky riffing to blasting and steady double bass, and finally breaking down to a slowly fading sludgy outro.

The production is decidedly unblack. Punchy and crisp, it’s thick enough to sound heavy while keeping the blackened riffing sharp. There’s a nice variety in vocal shifts, though they stick within the standard black metal/sludge range of raspy screams and roaring shouts, and the songs are tightly composed. If anything they are perhaps too controlled and they never really capture the caustic unhinged spirit of black metal that Celeste pulls off so nicely. At times the genre grafting may be a bit too straightforward, but, by the same token, the influences meld swimmingly and the combination is thoroughly enjoyable.

They may not satisfy the true kvlt black metal types and the hardcore influence may be off putting for some, but Regarde Les Hommes Tomber has produced a fine debut that’s worth a listen. Given the influences on hand, it should be interesting to see where they take their sound next. For now though, their self titled is impressive and fans of the aforementioned bands and black metal intoned heavy music should find something to enjoy here.

[Visit the band's website]

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