The Foetal Mind

Supreme Cheminement

Hypnotic Dirge Records 2009

Suicidal black doom metal from France is what we find on the debut vein-slicing razor from The Foetal Mind.  The funeral procession begins with the slow trudging notes of Lunar Sleep.  The guitars echo with dismal energy, like a prisoners marching towards rain-soaked extinction and the sampled church bell perfectly frames the morose death march the repetitive riffs instill upon the listener.  Forlorn melodies and sepulchral vocals haunt the structure of No Reprisal.  And utter desolation seeps from every pore of Kill Me.  There is no hope left within the song save the brief flourish of a guitar solo and the angelic choirs portend your demise.   There are some Burzum-ish elements that permeate some tracks (Deshumanisation, True Man) though they are somewhat subdued.  La Corde Rouge however as a hopeful undercurrent flwoing through its melodies, that tempts the listener to pull the razor back from the skin before it gives its kiss of steel.  However the depths of despair once again suffocate you on Peuple De Haine where rhythmic riffing gives birth to some Katatonia-esque riffs at the 2:42 mark.  Suicide Solution is the perfect song-title to paint the emotional imagery for this album and musically lives up to its moniker.  Closing out the album is Vociferation which rises in tempo and intensity to meet the musical malevolence of standard black metal, though the vocals still range from traditional black metal shrieks to clean vocal bellowings.  Supreme Cheminement is filled to overflowing with bleakness and is devoid of any emotional warmth.  Only Sadness, despair and hopelessness find any room to breathe on this album.  Black metal melded with the songwriting qualities of soul-crushing doom is what you'll find on The Foetal Mind's debut.