Last month, French black metal enigmas GLORIOR BELLI made their first ever North American appearance at Montreal’s Messe des Morts festival. The ceremony took place at Coop Katacombes on November 25 and 26 and included live rituals from some of black metal’s most esteemed creators.
Commented vocalist/guitarist Julien of the experience: “Thanks to [fest organizer] Martin [Marcotte; Sepulchral Productions] and the rest of the crew, we had the chance to play in front of an enthusiastic audience in Montréal for the first edition of Messe des Morts festival and share the stage with great local acts as well as international bands such as Absu, Inquisition and Angantyr. It sure does feel different than in Europe, for there is a definite hunger for our art and it’s an actual pleasure to bring the fire that we craft in good old Europe to the new continent and share it with the few, the extraordinary.”
GLORIOR BELLI released their fourth full-length, The Great Southern Darkness, earlier this Fall via Metal Blade Records which continues to reap critical adoration from fans and critics alike. Praised Decibel Magazine in an 8/10 review: “GB’s most excellent reputation of delivering mid-tempo, riff-tastic, evil-as-fuck metal has thankfully not been compromised on this fantastic and perfectly produced new disc.” About.com gave the record a 4/5 rating saying: “The sound often parts, battles, becomes noise and then reunites, displaying a very sophisticated technique. The Great Southern Darkness is the fourth good album from a consistent and exciting band. It’s composed with both intelligence and guts, and comes highly recommended,” while Metal Underground gave the record a perfect 5/5 score noting: “Amazing mashup of southern blues and cold black metal.” Ultimate-Guitar.com opined: “…GLORIOR BELLI takes black metal to a new height on their new record with amazing riffs and a vast array of influences,” while MTVIggy.com added: “…great stuff that calls to mind the devilish side of the blues – you know, Robert Johnson at the crossroads and all that. Early factions in black metal may have tried to excise blues elements from their sound, a fact that makes The Great Southern Darkness feel like a long awaited reunion.”
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