MOONREICH is a French black metal band that formed in 2008.  'Amer' is their fifth full length album; they have also released three EPs. This is my first experience with them.  When it comes to bands I'm just being introduced to through a review promo, I try to research them as much as I can.  From my understanding, this band has always had an unconventional approach to black metal. That is fine by my own personal standards, as I feel black metal works best when it thinks outside the box to a degree. Although it walks a different path, even a little avant garde at times, the music is still obviously rooted in black metal.  Vocally (and I can only speak for this album as I did not have time to check out their previous releases), they are pretty varied, going from screams, to an almost hardcore shout, to death growls.  I like it and you should too.

I appreciate how well produced the album sounds-a piece of music like this needs decent production so all the details can be heard.  And this album is loaded with that kind of depth, this is one you can listen to many times and get something new out of each subsequent listen. 'Of Swine And Ecstasy,' begins both elegantly and cinematically, a regal hold against the bombastic carnage that soon follows. A main riff and a huge scream pierces the veil and the band is suddenly head first into some rather intense waters. It is all energetic and extreme but at the 5:14, the song gets somewhat melodic but mixed with a classic black metal guitar tone.  The riffs afterwards are well written, leading into another melodic movement that is as cold as a frozen French forest.

The title track is up next and it is blast beat central, the song going so fast, it fits more content in the first forty seconds than some bands do on full songs. The vocals are insane here, throaty screams that push the song to new heights as a stark riff and bass form a rhythm that the drums hold up with a brutal performance.  The guitars sound...sweeping and massive too. The later half of the song is sorrow tinged and filled with desperate energy. 'Where We Sink,' is another banger but the tempo slows down to a beautiful soundscape after the 1:06 mark.  This point, all the way to another round of blackened fury at the 2:06 mark, is one of the most poignant moments on the album.   Another beautiful piece arrives after the three minute mark and I found myself listening to this movement several times before eventually moving on to the rest of the album. The slight use of clean vocals mixed with the harsh ones is very effective here.

'Astral Jaws,' is a bit spacey in the opening seconds and later again near the end.  In between, is brash, unfiltered metal.  The drums are machine gun-like-just a constant pounding in places but more intricate in others.  The vocals are definitely clawing at new heights as the guitars swirl their magic around.  The final track is my favorite: a nearly 14 minute long epic that remains engaging throughout.  The first riffs are deep and powerful, especially the bass.  I love the drums here too, a lot of things going on without sounding messy. The middle part of the song around the 6:48 mark is interesting, tribal vocals and drums.  It sounds like some sort of fever dream induced ritualized dance. The part afterwards is a wall of sound with subtle hints of melody and guitar work.  The vocals here are the best on the album too.

All in all, MOONREICH's 'Amer' is a very captivating extreme metal album with a full, dynamic sound that will provide many hours of listening pleasure..  If you want to get into black metal but think the more traditional elements are not your style, this album will be something you'll want to check out as it does something different within the genre.