Album Review: Barabbas - La Mort Appelle Tous Les Vivants
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
I do like an album that had a mysterious opening, and ‘La Mort Appelle Tous Les Vivants’ from French doomsters Barabbas certainly has that, as it’s like a call to arms, with the sirens blasting out, across the hypnotic voice, building up the anticipation, and then BOOM, the monstrous sound hits you as the guitars, keyboards, drums and bass all explode into life, and the power of the riff comes through very, very clearly.
Barabbas are an unknown quantity to me, but after the first song ‘Je Suis Mrt Depuis Bien’ I am already a convert, as this is the sort of crushing stoner/doom that I love, as the music is perfectly in sync and the vocals are deep and strong, spitting out the words with evil, venomous intent. The relentless assault continues with second track ‘Le saint Riff Redempteur’ which is almost 8 minutes of epicness, as they hark back to bands like Cathedral and Saint Vitus for inspiration, whilst creating a new fresh sound for doom fans to enjoy.
The record is going to have fans of doom metal salivating as it doesn’t let up at all. The slowed down, bluesy riffs are splattered across the record, and who doesn’t like that, and the drums are pulsating and rhythmic so that the tension that the music creates isn’t allowed to drop. ‘De La Viande’ is a really strong song, and then the final part of ‘Le Cimetiere Des Reves Brises’ is sumptuous, and could well have been written as an ode to all doom bands who have passed before.
The opening to ‘Sous le Signe Du Neant’ is rifftastic and will have people moving about as its so addictive, and evokes memories of Norse gods marching off to war. For me, it is the stand out song on the album, with the keyboards adding so much to the music as it creates an atmospheric tone throughout the performance.
I could go on and on and on about the rest of the album, but I don’t think my words would do it justice as each song is just brilliant and it’s almost like they are telling their own story with their music.
If you have a blackened soul and are looking for the next doom record to enjoy, then you have to look no further than this wonderful effort from Barabbas. They are definitely a name worth remembering and will be one to look out for in the next few years.
