MEURTRIÈRES is a band from Lyon, France formed in 2018. They are a traditional Metal five-piece with two guitars, bass, drums and vocals, but with a distinctly Punk influence to the vocals. Fleur sounds more like Paul Di'Anno fronted IRON MAIDEN, rather than the Bruce Dickinson era. "Meurtrières" is their debut EP, released independently on February 10, 2020 and available through Bandcamp.

Kicking off the record is "A La Spatha", a quick-paced rocker with a killer guitar intro. Set in the year 823, this song deals with a girl promised to a man way too early in life. Happily, it appears she got away! Referring again to IRON MAIDEN, the intro to track two, "Alienor" has a "Killers" feel to it. As a long time fan of that album, I really appreciate this nod to a favorite. The tempo and rhythm, riff, even the vocals, evoke old school emotions from me. This is my favorite track on the disc, by far. I love the overall feel of this tune!

"La Fille Du Cerbère" (The Daughter Of Cerebrus) has a choppy little riff for the intro and flows into a similar rhythm that persists through the song. This is the song I really notice the drummer on more. He really shines through on this track. "Rosae Bellum" is another song that gallops along at a killer pace and "La Deferlante" wraps the disc up with a light intro kicking into an awesome riff that takes the listener to the end of the record. I would love for this to be a full-length album.

The vocalist sings in French, but that does not stop the listener from catching the punk angst of the lyrics. The music is closer to traditional <etal with some Punk elements thrown in, but the overall feel is Metal. It is easy to hear the traditional roots in their compositions. The bass and drums pound out a nice rhythm for the guitars to play over. And play they do! This dual guitar attack is very reminiscent of NWOBHM greats like IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST, evoking thoughts of epic guitar duels that enthrall the crowd. Fans of old school should like this.