Review by Fernando on July 13, 2025.

France is a country that’s always been interesting when it comes to black metal, namely because they have 3 very distinct styles they play around with. There’s the raw and vampiric style pioneered by the Black Legions, the more melodic and triumphant style that varies from band to band, and the off-kilter and experimental style made famous by Blut aus Nord and Deathspell Omega. Today, we have a proponent of the second style. Cénotaphe is a relatively young band, but whose members are seasoned veterans of the underground, and after half a decade, they come back with their sophomore record Chimères.

At first glance, Cénotaphe is a fairly straightforward project with a very defined sound and style, it is indeed French black metal, so if you want sorrowful yet epic melodies and a good balance of raw aggression and technical proficiency with a medieval and/or romantic aesthetic, they definitely got you covered, and with a very professional production where the melodies and synths really pop out. While I would definitely count this as a flaw since the band isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary and keeps relatively in line with the overall sound of 21st-century French black metal, this would only be a real issue from person to person. If you’re already a fan of the French style with some interesting elements (I’ll get into that, shortly), then this is an easy recommendation, but if you’re not a fan of this style, or prefer to hear this style with a dirtier more dungeon-like production, then this record is definitely not for you.

The actual strengths of this record are in the little details. I did mention the use of synths, which again, aren’t a big deviation in black metal, but the way they’re used here really enhance the music for the better, the synths are employed as lush textures to complement the guitar melodies, and main composer and instrumentalist Fog does so to great effect and sparingly, knowing exactly when to add these flourishes and when to keep the instrumentation simple and to the point. In that area, Fog also excels with the strings and drums, it’s not uncommon for black metal musicians to be talented or very skilled multi-instrumentalist, but Fog’s greatest strength is his songwriting and how the songs are arranged, each individual song flows in a very distinct way from beginning to end, and they also feel complementary in the context of the album, and the end result is a very dynamic and engaging album that feels consistent but never boring, especially at the mid point where we get a mid-paced dirge before it starts blasting again.

The other half of the group, Khaosgott is also still a stellar vocalist, not only delivering haunting dry screams, but also varies his vocals with clean choirs, even Fog joins in the action, and the overall vocal arrangements are as impactful and memorable as the rest of the instruments. As it stands, while Cénotaphe aren’t revolutionary, they know how to deliver quality French black metal with some extra spice to keep things interesting.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Fernando on July 13, 2025.

France is a country that’s always been interesting when it comes to black metal, namely because they have 3 very distinct styles they play around with. There’s the raw and vampiric style pioneered by the Black Legions, the more melodic and triumphant style that varies from band to band, and the off-kilter and experimental style made famous by Blut aus Nord and Deathspell Omega. Today, we have a proponent of the second style. Cénotaphe is a relatively young band, but whose members are seasoned veterans of the underground, and after half a decade, they come back with their sophomore record Chimères.

At first glance, Cénotaphe is a fairly straightforward project with a very defined sound and style, it is indeed French black metal, so if you want sorrowful yet epic melodies and a good balance of raw aggression and technical proficiency with a medieval and/or romantic aesthetic, they definitely got you covered, and with a very professional production where the melodies and synths really pop out. While I would definitely count this as a flaw since the band isn’t doing anything out of the ordinary and keeps relatively in line with the overall sound of 21st-century French black metal, this would only be a real issue from person to person. If you’re already a fan of the French style with some interesting elements (I’ll get into that, shortly), then this is an easy recommendation, but if you’re not a fan of this style, or prefer to hear this style with a dirtier more dungeon-like production, then this record is definitely not for you.

The actual strengths of this record are in the little details. I did mention the use of synths, which again, aren’t a big deviation in black metal, but the way they’re used here really enhance the music for the better, the synths are employed as lush textures to complement the guitar melodies, and main composer and instrumentalist Fog does so to great effect and sparingly, knowing exactly when to add these flourishes and when to keep the instrumentation simple and to the point. In that area, Fog also excels with the strings and drums, it’s not uncommon for black metal musicians to be talented or very skilled multi-instrumentalist, but Fog’s greatest strength is his songwriting and how the songs are arranged, each individual song flows in a very distinct way from beginning to end, and they also feel complementary in the context of the album, and the end result is a very dynamic and engaging album that feels consistent but never boring, especially at the mid point where we get a mid-paced dirge before it starts blasting again.

The other half of the group, Khaosgott is also still a stellar vocalist, not only delivering haunting dry screams, but also varies his vocals with clean choirs, even Fog joins in the action, and the overall vocal arrangements are as impactful and memorable as the rest of the instruments. As it stands, while Cénotaphe aren’t revolutionary, they know how to deliver quality French black metal with some extra spice to keep things interesting.

Rating: 8 out of 10