From the info that came with this record: 'French Epic, Old-school Metal of the highest order! France's MEURTRIÈRES emerge with "Ronde De Nuit", their first full-length. Stocked with seven songs of hard-charging, energetic old-school metal, MEURTRIÈRES shows they are one of French metal's most promising young bands.' The thing is, it is quite accurate, but this band from Lyon in France has got something that people will have to get used to. That would be the voice of Fiona, the singer of the band. She has that kind of undertone of panic that shines through all the time, giving you a feel of unease and/or desperation. She will face the same problem KING DIAMOND faced when people got used to MERCYFUL FATE; you either hate or love her voice. I started off on the former foot, but in time have shifted to the latter one. I feel she is exactly what the very French Old School Heavy Metal music needs. Plus, what is also in her favour, she sings in her mother tongue, which sounds fabulous!

MEURTRIÈRES started life some five years ago, and produced a self-titled EP in 2020, which I am not familiar with. I certainly am with "Ronde De Nuit" though, as I have given it a lot of playing time to make up my mind about what is on offer in the 34 minutes the band is trying to convince me of their abilities. And I have to say, the band is well capable of playing to their heart's content. The enthusiasm and exuberance are hitting you left, right and centre. Plus, like I mentioned in the review if their label mates VISION MASTER, I do love a band that can make me travel back in time musically. And that is exactly what is happening whilst having "Ronde De Nuit" expelling its sounds through the speakers on my PC.

I do have a certain criticism that I need to mention. That is that however much I am enjoying this time travel experience that MEURTRIÈRES is offering me, I have my reservations as well. And they concern the quality of the songs themselves. None of them are bad, and to be honest, opening track "Rubicon" is actually fabulous, but it doesn't keep throughout the whole of "Ronde De Nuit". Sometimes the band is all over the place, not making it easy for me as a listener to see the right connections. The result is that I find myself losing concentration and attention from time to time. It never lasts long, but still, that says to me that if the songs would have been just that little better constructed/written and executed, "Ronde De Nuit" might have been world class. Now it is just very enjoyable. But, as this is only their first full-length album, I am very much looking forward to what they are able to produce in the future.