If you’re a regular reader of this webzine, I’m going to assume you’re familiar with Cauchemar. One of the Great White North’s finest heavy exports of the 21st century, the outfit have crafted three stunning albums of mystical doom metal in the vein of Pagan Altar that I can’t recommend enough. Taking this talent into consideration, it shouldn’t be too surprising that members can go off and embark upon an equally stellar side project, which is exactly what we have before us. Ladies and gentlemen of the metallic interwebs, meet Tonnerre.
While the faces behind Tonnerre are familiar, the music is fresh and new, yet simultaneously drawing from heavily from the well of ’70s hard rock. If you’re like me with a penchant for discovery and an ardent follower of the Day After the Sabbath series, then you’re well aware that this well is endless. It was such a wildly innovative era, one in which seemingly innocent soft rock bands could drop a slab of Sabbathian doom metal amidst radio friendly fare, and nobody batted an eye. I bet you didn’t know Bread could rock that hard, did you? Anyways, Tonnerre captures this spirit precisely on their debut album, La nuit sauvage.
There is most definitely a dark, doomy texture throughout this album that’s comparable to Cauchemar, but not exactly the same. Whereas Cauchemar’s brand of doom emphasizes a short, sharp, metallic shock, Tonnerre’s taps from the arcane vein of Roky Erickson and “black and white” era Blue Öyster Cult. Cuts like “Ceux qui sommeillent”, “La danse u feu”, and “Mouches à feu” would be as welcome at an autumnal bonfire as it would a forest seance, the hypnotic guitar riffs and mesmerizing melodies grabbing the listener with supernatural heft. The hooks are downright stupefying and that warm ’70s production is the figurative cherry on top.
Other songs like the opening title track, “Le grand corbeau”, and “L’aurore” boast a breezy hard rock atmosphere, each cut sounding tailormade to tear up the highway on a motorbike à la Easy Rider. The riffs recall Steppenwolf at their sleaziest, kicking you in the teeth, but not hard enough to the point that you’ll never be able to speak the phrase, “I was born on a pirate ship.” clearly again. And then we’ve got some downright rowdy party rockers like “L’esprit de la forêt” and “La brunante”: A dirty duo that sonically lies somewhere between AC/DC and Status Quo with their simple, straightforward delivery.
By my own admission, I’m a sucker for anything remotely ’70s. I’m even more persuaded when the chops and musicianship are of this caliber. Tonnerre have both qualities and then some, trading in their leather for stonewashed denim and killing it in the process. La nuit sauvage is bound to please heshers, burnouts, and headbangers of all ages, transporting us back to a similar time when Ozzy sang for Sabbath, Dio sang for Rainbow, and the idea of having to choose between the two was ludicrous. “Oh lord yeah!”
8 out of 10
Label: Cruz del Sur Music
Genre: Hard Rock
For fans of: Blue Öyster Cult, Lucifer, Freeways