A nice French discovery in 2001, besides Tribe of Circle, was Dernière Volonté. Apart from a few singles, they released this fine debut album on the Hau Ruck! label. At the time I neglected to review it, but it certainly deserves attention. “Le feu sacré” contains some fine orchestral hymns, bombastic, at times militant, but often surprisingly melodic and light. This is perhaps due to the new wave influences I mean to hear. Many songs are driven by the militaristic drums, and enriched by atmospheric synths, loops and classical sounds. The vocals are in French and mostly spoken, but they are used sparsely. War is the main theme.
The opening track direcly brings you in the right mood, a threatening orchestral ouverture. The absolute hit of the album is ‘Der zörn Gottes’, with a powerful drum sound and an infectious melody as the song evolves. ‘Les tambours’ also has a very pleasant melody. Another highlight is the happy one but last track ‘Ami’, with an unexpected 80’s pop feel. The sound of the album is rather minimal, and to my feeling the production could have been more powerful. But definitely a splendid album, with a nice mixture of militant music and calmer and lighter pieces.
