Phil Tougas’ name is one I’ve heard uttered amidst extreme metal circles for years now, and yet I don’t think I’ve ever consciously sat down and listened to any of his work. I know, I know. Don’t come at me with your pitchforks just yet, tech death nerds! Despite making a name for himself with not one, but two of the most revered tech death acts of the ’10s (First Fragment and Chthe’ilist), and also playing guitar for one of the hottest extreme metal acts of the decade thus far (Worm), my introduction to Tougas comes in the form of his one man black metal project, Zeicrydeus, and their debut full length, La grande hérésie.
Now I know what you’re thinking already: “One man black metal project” and this here webzine mix about as well as Vince Neil and the driver’s seat of a car. However, I am relieved to tell you that Zeicrydeus is FAR more than your typical, run of the mill, screech into a Playskool tape recorder black metal that makes up 99.99% of Bandcamp’s server space. This is a wildly, innovative spin on black metal, drawing less (actually, zero) from the textbook clichés of the Norwegian scene and exclusively from the infernal majesty of my beloved Hellenic black metal scene circa the early ’90s.
Upon first listen to La grande hérésie, it’s easy to draw comparisons to the likes of Rotting Christ, Varathron, and Necromantia, amongst other Greek overlords, as well as those cult obscurities like Mortuary Drape and Root, forever caught between black metal’s first and second wave. The songs are ambitious, the riffs are murky, the atmosphere is unsettling, and the whole package is enshrouded by blatantly ’90s symphonic keys and a drum machine that makes sense. All of this, mind you, handled by Tougas, or as he’s addressed in this latest venture, Foudre Noire.
Much like the Hellenic black metal this album conjures images of, there is far more to Zeicrydeus’ musical palette than just black metal. Tougas, or rather Noire, incorporates no shortage of progressive musicianship, thrashing outbursts, and most prominently, melodies and soloing associated with classic traditional and power metal. Take the intro to “Ten Thousand Spears Atop the Bleeding Mountains”, which sounds straight off an ’80s King Diamond album, or the largely instrumental “Sous L’Ombre Éternelle Des Vestiges D’Heghemnon”, which might just be the best Death or Glory era Running Wild song that never was. Tougas, DAMMIT, Noire bleeds all these elements together with a conviction that far surpasses the musical ability of his peers.
If the rest of Tougas’ output is as compelling as this here offering, I have a lot of digging to do. La grande hérésie is a thrilling journey through the abyss of old school black metal at its most spellbinding. I hate to say it, but considering the overproduced fare from Rotting Christ and Varathron as of late, the masters could take a lesson or two from Zeicrydeus, or at the very least take them out on the road, assuming a live band ever comes to fruition. Hearing these cuts executed live is the type of sensory overload I could use right now!
8 out of 10
Label: Productions TSO
Genre: Black/Heavy Metal
For fans of: Varathron, Rotting Christ, Running Wild
Leave a Reply