It doesn’t happen that often here at METAL TEMPLE that I’m assigned to review a series of albums from one particular band, but here I am with another reissue from the French heavy metal band SORTILÈGE, formed in 1981 from the suburbs of Paris. After changing their name from BLOOD WAVE and taking their musical approach one step further, forging an amalgam of true heavy metal without being influenced by punk rock (like the early TRUST), blues rock (GANAFOUL) or progressive rock (OCEAN) and released their self-titled debut EP in 1983. The album I am reviewing today "Larmes de héros" translated is “tears of heroes”, is their third endeavor and my third review, originally released in 1986 and reissued on November 17, 2023. Guitarist Didier Demajean explains the process behind this recording “Stylistically, it is different from most French metal albums in 1985/86, yes, we had found our own style, we were much more Anglo-Saxon than the other French bands who all had a kind of complex towards English and American legends. The songs are more melodic and were meant to reach a wider audience than just the usual hard core of metal fans.” My first two reviews of SORTILÈGE were less than stellar and maybe a little harsh, so my expectations are a little tainted, but I’m heading into this with an optimistic attitude because I still have one more of their albums to review after this.

With an immediate and noticeably different sound on the first three tracks “La Hargne des Tordus”, "Chasse le Dragon” and ”Le Demier des Travaux d'Hercule” than anywhere off the first two albums I reviewed as they are straight forward, hard rocking songs with clear and crisp vocal delivery blended nicely and this time not overpowering the battering of pummeling riffs forcefully maintained by the solid and steady backbeat of rhythmic bass line and drumming. A very positive and encouraging start to this album. I never fault a metal band for putting one rock ballad on an album, every band has done just that, and if done right it can be an extremely sublime and passionate song, well “Quand un Aveugle Réve” is that ballad and is done right, a masterful combination of intense, moving vocals all brought to the finish line by a soaring and meaty guitar solo delivering a very powerful song, and just because I had to know, the song title translated means “when a blind man dreams”. Keeping the momentum going albeit more of a slower paced, darker motif on the next three songs “Mourir pour une Princesse”, ”La Montagne qui Saigne” and “Marchand d'Hommes” still delivers gritty riffs and sinister vocal labeling and an overall menacing feel. We end on a more traditional classic rock melody and tempo on “Messager” and “La Huitième Couleur de L'arc-en-ciel” nothing over the top, just good old smash mouth, head banging power rock and roll.

I will make this bold comparison between the first two SORTILÈGE albums I reviewed earlier and this one. "Larmes de héros" is the plain jane girl from the neighborhood that nobody paid attention to until she went away to college and came back a stunning beauty. They really found their sound and personality on this album. It is a tough task to review an album with all the lyrics being sung in another language but when the band rocks it out like SORTILÈGE did, they made my task that much easier. “Bien Joue” that’s French for “well done”.