Written By Kevin McSweeney
You see, this is the difference between hardcore punk and post-hardcore. NYHC icons Sick of it All* gave us Blood, Sweat and No Tears, whereas Swiss band Impure Wilhelmina, whose eighth album was released on May 22nd via Season of Mist, have given us The Sob!
Le Sanglot in English translates thus, and I can’t help but think that some of the gravitas has been lost in translation.
As one might gather from such a title, it is not anger that is the prevailing emotion on this album – highly unusual for hardcore of any kind!
The album is sung entirely in French, possibly for the first time. If you look through their discography, most of the other albums, including their 2021 magnum opus Antidote, are full of English song titles.
This is not the case here, which takes a lot of pressure off me, as I don’t speak French, so I have an excuse to focus solely on the music.
The use of the French language gives the songs a sense of listlessness, and a kind of ennui that is enhanced by the soulful crooning of Michael Schindl.
There’s a sense of despondency and anguish that permeates their work. These seem like strange emotions for Swiss people to have. Anyone who has ever seen Switzerland will know it is simply one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
On that note, let’s run through the songs before I drive you all into despair.
Impure Wilhelmina Le Sanglot Review
Électricité Noire (Black Electricity) commences with an arpeggiated riff that sounds almost discordant.
The barrage of toms from Mario Togni adds an intensity that is almost at odds with the world-weary resignation conveyed by Michael Schindl’s vocals.
Edouard Nicod’s lead guitar occasionally drifts stylistically from the key like a dissatisfied lover spurning the advances of melody, while Sébastien Dutruel’s bass plods on regardless, holding the whole thing together.
Cent Mille Plaies means a hundred thousand wounds, apparently. I first read it as “Céad Míle Fáilte”, which is a hundred, thousand welcomes in my own mother tongue.
Different thing altogether! I like the hypnotic kind of trippiness that it has about it. It reminds me of late-stage Soundgarden, which is no bad thing.
The delicate vocal harmony on the chorus is beguiling. They have a way of somewhat warping melody, which appeals to me. It’s far harder to do than to play it conventionally.
Abîme translates into English as “Abyss”. It sounds much less ominous in French, doesn’t it? The song reminds me of something like Rain When I Die by Alice in Chains.
It has that same sense of impending doom mitigated by the alluring nature of the melody, plus there’s the big chorus to consider as well. Half way through, it switches from 4/4 to 6/8 time, and sounds not unlike something from Jeff Buckley’s Grace.
Larmes de Joie has a jarring spikiness to it that is offset somewhat by the mournful vocal delivery.
There is a grandeur to the melody that makes it seem as if it were drawn from long-established Swiss or French folk tradition.
At just shy of the three-minute mark, we get a crunching heavy riff that hints at a muscularity that is seldom flexed on this album.
Dévoreur d’étoiles translates into English as “star devourer”. This makes me think of the much-missed pro wrestler Bray Wyatt, AKA The Eater of Worlds, who died tragically young.
Its clean opening riff has something of classical guitar about it, albeit with additional menace. Otherwise, the song is anthemic, with a hint of power ballad about it.
Train Mort (dead train?) is darker and heavier than most of the material on this album, featuring menacing distorted arpeggios, reminiscent of System of a Down’s Aerials.
It also features harsh vocals, which is certainly something of a rarity on this outing. It verges on black metal at times.
Frelon Ivre, which, Google Translate informs me, means “drunken hornet”, because of course it does, is also largely arpeggiated, though it sees the return of the clean vocals, which remain for the rest of the album.
It is characterised by a fragile melody and overarching sense of melancholy. It ventures much more into shoegaze territory with its air of dreamy despondency.
Blanche Réalité (White Reality) starts jangly, like late-20th Century English guitar pop before settling into a 6/8 time shoegaze session.
The guitar solo wails plaintively and presages a tremolo picked section akin to black metal.
It’s like the constituent parts of their fellow French speakers Alcest deconstructed. The vibe of the coda reminds me of Blur’s Beetlebum. I’m not sure why.
Demain J’Abandonne (I’m giving up tomorrow) kinda sounds like it might be referencing that clinic I mentioned earlier in my ramblings, going by the title.
It’s certainly a sombre-sounding piece, with gentle, heartfelt vocals over clean arpeggios. This develops to sound like classical guitar accompanied by an anguished cri de coeur. It’s a beautiful and somber piece of music.
À Jamais Radieuse (Forever Radiant) closes the album. Built around a discordant verse riff straight out of 1990s alternative rock, it brings us to a beautifully melodic payload in the chorus with its harmonised vocals.
The middle section gives us a fine example of that warping of melody I was referencing earlier. I’m not a fan of the way the track peters out over the coda.
Not every closing track has to be Fear of The Dark or Raining Blood, of course, but it was a bit anticlimactic. It’s a shame, really, as it’s a disappointing way to end an album that has been enjoyably erratic.
Some might criticise it for being incoherent, but I appreciate its whimsy. That might be a strange word to describe an album called The Sob, but it’s a slightly strange album reviewed by a slightly strange man, so it’s only to be expected.
Metal Lair awards Le Sanglot by Impure Wilhelmina four devil horns out of five
Order Impure Wilhelmina – Le sanglot Here
Tracklist:
1. Électricité noire
2. Cent mille plaies
3. Abîme
4. Larmes de joie
5. Dévoreur d’étoiles
6. Train mort
7. Frelon ivre
8. Blanche réalité
9. Demain j’abandonne
10. À jamais radieuse
Line-up:
Michael Schindl – Vocals, Guitar
Mario Togni – Drums
Sébastien Dutruel – Bass
Edouard Nicod – Guitar
Production Credits:
Recorded at Kitchen Studio, Geneva, Switzerland.
Produced, engineered & mixed by Yvan Bing at Kitchen Studio, except for track 9,
recorded by Serge Morattel at Rec Studio.
Mastered by Magnus Lindberg at Redmount Studio, Stockholm, Sweden.
Recording Line-up:
Michael Schindl
Mario Togni
Sébastien Dutruel
Edouard Nicod
Guest Musician:
Marion Leclercq (Mütterlein) on the track 6, ‘Train Mort’.
Cover Art:
Giganto
Photography:
Mehdi Benkler
*We at Metal Lair send all of our love and good wishes to Lou Koller in his fight against that horrible disease. Get well soon, Lou.
Impure Wilhelmina Online
About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
Read More From This Author:
The Outfit by Opensight Review: Progressive Rock With Cinematic Flair
Album Review: The Dark Overlords of The Universe by The Ghoulstars
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