Review
Philippe Boucher’s relentless blast beats and razor-sharp tremolo picking set a grueling, breakneck pace from the outset of the Quebecois duo’s fifth album. Critics have warmly received Hors Temps as a "satisfyingly melancholic crystallization of their sound" that expertly fuses the icy momentum of second-wave black metal with modern, technical instincts.
Rather than relying on synthesizer pads to craft tension, the band builds atmosphere through raw, layered rhythm guitars and furious tempo shifts. Observers note that while the album benefits from a "focused and painterly sway" across its running time, it still leaves ample room for Louis-Paul Gauvreau’s expressive screaming to add "a human touch to this first wave of tortured sound".
Even as some reviewers caution that the record’s unrelenting structures can occasionally feel "predictable" compared to past efforts, the consensus celebrates its dual nature. By masterfully balancing "sentimental and beauteous strands" with devastating outbursts, the duo successfully pushes the Quebec black metal lineage into stark, uncompromising territory.
