Who doesn't like some heavy riff induced violent black metal? That's exactly what OSSUAIRE, out of Montreal, Quebec, bring with their first full length album, "Premiers Chants". The thing that I can appreciate a lot about this album is not only is it the prototypical black metal about the fall of Christianity, but this album is also incredibly raw. The sounds delivered are like black goo spilling from your mouth as you run down the street with an upside-down cross warding off the would-be religious zealots. The opening of "Premiers Chants" begins with the ever- popular church bells, but immediately kicks into blistering blast beats and some heavy guitar riffs. Being a fan of classical music and studying music where it began, I completely love the Gregorian styled chants that accompany the brutality of this track. The same way that the Gregorian-like chants and bells are present in the opening track they find their way to close out the second track, "La Procession des Flagellants".

The first two tracks sort of sound the same to me. Both brutal, both heavy, but not a lot of differentiating in style. It is with the third track, "La Flamme Noire de Ge'henom", where you get to a change in tempo and style. There is a simpler riff going on here that still delivers a theme of violence. I like the drop-off of style that goes right back into the brutality of the track. Gives you a little taste of what OSSUAIRE is capable of, as they deliver an incredibly brutal black metal sound that couples nice with some lighter folky type thematic elements. This folky type theme returns in the fourth track, "Exhortation". A very ambient sounding track with some spoken word added that seems to paint a picture of doom. With light guitar picking and the sound of wind and shores, I felt myself cast right into the story of this track. Almost as if I was being read my last rights before being shoved off a cliff. "Saints Céphalophores" delivers the most coherently styled track in the entire album. From a slower opening that provides a more simplistic song structure that leads into a more thrash metal type sound in the middle of the track, I would say this is the most well-rounded of the songs on "Premiers Chants".

The finality of the album comes to a close with, "La Grande Apostasie". Also, a much more stylistically driven track than the rest of the album. There is some beautiful guitar work done in the first third of the song.  I would say the latter half of the album is where OSSUAIRE hit their stride. Overall, I enjoyed the thematic feel and elements in "Premiers Chants". The beginning of the album isn't exactly anything to write home about, but the latter half of the album definitely offers more in the style department.