Review by Allan on April 30, 2003.

The Provenance won’t be the first band to pick and choose which styles they like and then blend them all together, and they won’t be the last. Some bands use it as an easy way out, and others make it seem like it’s the difficult way in. It’s only what you make of it, after all. The Provenance succeed it making their second album, “Still At Arms Length,” a good remedy for those looking for another “mishmash of genre’s” type band.

The reason that “Still At Arms Length” is so quality is because The Provenance really know how to blend the styles well so that it almost comes off as a new style (although you know it’s not), and because their composition abilities are top-notch. We all know how unbearable it can be to wade through the muck of and poorly written song, where you’re just about convinced you’ve been listening to short samples of individual songs without any coherence or flow. But, like I said, that’s not a problem for The Provenance.

Amongst The Provenance’s music are a few standout styles. Doom metal is definitely an active participant in this. My Dying Bride immediately comes to mind, when listening to “Still At Arms Length.” Yet The Provenance don’t sound like they were schooled at the My Dying Bride camp completely, and aren’t just a second-rate imitator. Other acts that rise up amongst the name-dropping are Anathema, both old and new, and The Gathering. And to save the most well known reference for last, Opeth. The Provenance is quite big on quiet acoustic passages and lighter moments. Even the song writing strongly stands paralleled to Opeth. The heavy, melodic segments interlaced with the smaller emotional ones.

At the same time, The Provenance manages to not sound exactly like any of the aforementioned bands. It might be due to the excellent job in making all the influences sound cohesive, or it might be The Provenance’s style, and use of other instruments. By style, I mean that The Provenance genuinely have a sound that is their own. Much like I could gather a band together and do a cover of an In The Woods song, but it wouldn’t sound like In The Woods. Also, The Provenance’s use of keys, some flute, and a beautiful female vocalist only help to heighten their position.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a quality band and have enjoyed anything from any of the bands that have been mentioned, then by all means, make “Still At Arms Length” one of your first stops.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 8.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.7 out of 10

Review by Felix on March 26, 2025.

Sacrenoir is a two man band from Canada. Already its name and the album title leave no doubt that this is another formation hailing from the rebellious metropolis called Quebec. Both guys know each other well due to roughly a hundred different projects. The members section informs you where they already met each other. Now they return "like ghosts among ruins", to translate the album title. Is this debut another portion of métal noir québécois? Not really. The dudes have given themselves a raw, nasty production that does not pick up the elegance of Forteresse, the best known band of those where they were (or still are) involved. There is no eloquence, no diplomacy, no compromise, just cold, terrorizing sounds. This technical approach goes hand in hand with the musical one, because sometimes the band catapults us back in time. Especially the "Born For Burning" Bathory-riffing in "Le Puits Du Diable" appears as a trip into the darkest past of a slowly rising genre.

Sacrenoir celebrate a promising start with "Mille Nuits Ont Passé". Without intro, warning or anything else, it leads the listener immediately and rapidly into an uncomfortable surrounding where the dense fog obscures the view. This opening complements the moody artwork very well. Unfortunately already the second track teaches us that we cannot take the high quality of the opener for granted. "Comme Des Revenants Parmi Les Ruines" is not free from (little) weak points; the noisy, somehow aimless "Épuration" underlines this. But the strong numbers form the majority. "Étouffés Par Les Flammes" brings the album back on track with another misty storm of aggression. Relentless guitar work meets diabolically raw vocals and no sun ray shines here. A great song, but don't expect the typical MNQ approach. Already the comparatively short song lengths speak another language and indeed there is no place for endlessly flowing guitar lines. Instead, the duo pours a bucket of hate over the listener and completely forgets to translate the song title into French. Regardless, "The Blade Of Satan" with its dark mercilessness is one of the most furious attacks on the album, even if the snare is occasionally almost drowned out by the thunderstorm of sound.

Although it is a pity that the sacral part at the end of "Aux Portes De L'enfer" does not come into full bloom, this song and "Vers D'autres Mondes" deliver a proper ending of the album. Okay, I may not forget the quasi-title track on the final position, but this ambient piece does not represent the real DNA of Sacrenoir and it is actually not worth mentioning. On the other hand, a little boredom after this pretty brutal and nearly mentally disturbing can do no harm and the same belongs to the entire album. It is no milestone of the genre, but it holds some pieces one should lend an ear. Nevertheless, a new Forteresse album, now almost ten years after "Thèmes pour la rébellion" would probably a more exciting release. Anyway, it is cool that Quebes denies to fall silent.

Rating: 7.4 out of 10

Review by Allan on April 30, 2003.

The Provenance won’t be the first band to pick and choose which styles they like and then blend them all together, and they won’t be the last. Some bands use it as an easy way out, and others make it seem like it’s the difficult way in. It’s only what you make of it, after all. The Provenance succeed it making their second album, “Still At Arms Length,” a good remedy for those looking for another “mishmash of genre’s” type band.

The reason that “Still At Arms Length” is so quality is because The Provenance really know how to blend the styles well so that it almost comes off as a new style (although you know it’s not), and because their composition abilities are top-notch. We all know how unbearable it can be to wade through the muck of and poorly written song, where you’re just about convinced you’ve been listening to short samples of individual songs without any coherence or flow. But, like I said, that’s not a problem for The Provenance.

Amongst The Provenance’s music are a few standout styles. Doom metal is definitely an active participant in this. My Dying Bride immediately comes to mind, when listening to “Still At Arms Length.” Yet The Provenance don’t sound like they were schooled at the My Dying Bride camp completely, and aren’t just a second-rate imitator. Other acts that rise up amongst the name-dropping are Anathema, both old and new, and The Gathering. And to save the most well known reference for last, Opeth. The Provenance is quite big on quiet acoustic passages and lighter moments. Even the song writing strongly stands paralleled to Opeth. The heavy, melodic segments interlaced with the smaller emotional ones.

At the same time, The Provenance manages to not sound exactly like any of the aforementioned bands. It might be due to the excellent job in making all the influences sound cohesive, or it might be The Provenance’s style, and use of other instruments. By style, I mean that The Provenance genuinely have a sound that is their own. Much like I could gather a band together and do a cover of an In The Woods song, but it wouldn’t sound like In The Woods. Also, The Provenance’s use of keys, some flute, and a beautiful female vocalist only help to heighten their position.

Bottom Line: If you’re looking for a quality band and have enjoyed anything from any of the bands that have been mentioned, then by all means, make “Still At Arms Length” one of your first stops.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Originality: 8.5
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.7 out of 10