There are few concoctions across the world of metal that are as deserving of more love and exploration than the very intense crossing of sludge and post-metal. If you’re even somewhat familiar with both of those sounds, it becomes almost damn near irresistible to think of what such a combination is capable of when put into the hands of musicians who can do it justice for all the ethereal atmospheres and raw intensity that could be contained within any single work. As if to answer the wishes of my very heart, it’s with their debut album that Le Monde Par Le Feu manages to create a work that is precisely what I could’ve ever asked for out of such a majestic marriage of sound.

Made up of a whole half of the sadly ended Oldd Wvrms along with the wondrous addition of the well-accomplished vocals behind Pénitence Onirique, the knowledge of that line-up alone should be enough to draw in the ear of many people for that’s a combination that should immediately be telling of the experience that will unfold once you dive into the depths of Le Monde Par Le Feu. It’s right out of the gate with their debut of “À Néant” that it becomes clear that any expectation we may have had about this brand new band should be met immediately for it’s with the atmospheres, intensity, the intoxicating melodies, and the constant pressure on the very being of the listener even throughout the album’s smallest moments that the very power of this act can be felt to the deepest layers of our soul. This is a work that touches into some primitive aspect of the subconsciousness on a level that feels almost terrifying to realize when it properly registers in your mind what’s happening, but it’s at the same time that it makes the wild performance of “À Néant” feel all the more impressive as we can feel some savagery from the deepest reaches of our instincts while we’re not only treated to everything that this sound should deliver but a unique kind of satisfaction that almost feels wrong for the particular brand of catharsis it provides. Make no mistake, though – what is provided to us in the undeniable entirety of “À Néant” is far from wrong in any form as it’s every moment of its runtime that Le Monde Par Le Feu maximizes the experience to make this a staggering performance by all accounts, and one that I will surely find myself crawling back to for some time.

It would be almost effortless to take a quick glance at this band and call it a reincarnation of Oldd Wvrms for better or for worse, but that would be a true insult upon the very personality and spirit that Le Monde Par Le Feu has clear control over in every possible second of this marvelous debut to make it not only a record that is unquestionably their own but one that absolutely demands to be heard. There’s true power within the confines of “À Néant” the likes of which we simply don’t get often, and I can only pray that we can be exposed to this unbridled glory sooner rather than later for this is an addiction that will not be easy to break.

LISTEN to “À Néant” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Le Monde Par Le Feu on Facebook here.