Barus - Fanges

BARUS - Fanges (AESTHETIC DEATH - CD 2022)

Here is Barus from France with their new recording titled “Fanges”. I had to do quick research about this band, because I didn’t remember if I have ever heard of them before. But their name must have popped up some time ago, because their previous album “Drowned” was released on Memento Mori – and I check most of the stuff, which this Spanish label releases. I don’t have that CD in my collection though – which, after listening to “Fanges” will change soon, I am sure. Yeah, we have here another killer recording coming from the progressive death metal scene from France – almost as good as that Epitaphe’s “II”, which I was impressed so much with recently. Barus is also damn good, I really have to admit that. 

Progressive death metal may often be a real challenge for the listener, but I have to say that the listening session of “Fanges” went very smoothly. I had no problems at all with adapting to Barus musical style, their way of compositions and playing. It's never obvious if you have nearly twenty minutes long songs, you know? But Barus did capture my attention immediately and I was eager to listen to “Fanges” more and more, to discover everything this music has to offer. 

What Barus plays is sort of a combination of post rock / post metal with death metal, I think. Take the title song and you will realize that for the first (nearly) ten minutes of this monolith you listen to instrumental music, which slowly builds the tension, having all those textures typical for post metal and as well as riff style. And finally at its tenth minute a sweet, heavy and crushing riff appears together with some brilliant sounding growls, releasing a proper dose of brutality and overwhelming energy. Often the music has a hypnotizing feel, but this song is so varied that you should predict everything and nothing. There’s nothing obvious. And I think that Barus sounds simply excellent and the way they come up with song structure, all the ideas they have and arrangements are just damn unique. And damn fascinating, too. For even more extreme measures "Châssis de Chair" comes up, a song, which I think is more progressive and psychedelic, again so full of contrasts and dynamics... And it sounds more brutal and rawer too. 

As always when I write about Aesthetic Death Productions and stuff this label puts out, this is not an album for everyone. But I would be surprised if it didn’t get the attention it deserves, because Barus is a worthy band. And “Fanges” is should not be too sophisticated or difficult to even those more die hard death metal fans. And not just death metal fans, as Barus music has the potential to reach much wider number of listeners. But there are just 300 copies of this album, I would be hurry then, as it may be too late soon to get a copy. 

Verdict: 75/100