Review: Non Serviam – Labyrinthe
It’s times like these I wish I knew French.
The world’s most consistently working black metal collective, and friends ov the bowl Non Serviam are back with a new incredibly heavy EP. The group describe this work as the lead up to their next album, a successor to their excellent Le Cœur Bat from 2021, which the heavy juxtaposition of musical traditions and instruments attests to.
The album consists of 5 tracks, one of them being a fairly short intro track before heading into “La Morsure du sel (Part 1).” The group continues their heavy use of sampling and noise influence here, and as always I’m delighted by the lack of allegiance to any particular genre tropes. There’s a freshness that springs forth when artists feel free to combine and juxtapose sounds and items that from the outside would seem incompatible. This far in the game I’ve become less and less able to expound upon the well-used paths heavy music tends to tread, so the natural interest that grows from Non Serviam’s freedom of composition is nice. It’s rare to come across musicians who show a vested interest in expanding their toolbox in such a way.
There’s a worry with heavy music that albums will tend to get a little bit one-note feeling, and Non Serviam hasn’t ever really given me that feeling. Necessarily this is because each track is its own thing, with its unique timbre and texture. Like any other group, they do begin to show hallmarks of their signature sound, but I never get the feeling that they’re just writing variations of the same song. “L’Apocalypse individuelle” gives some breathing room after the relentless title track, but my first time listening surprised me with the electronic elements, creating an alien feel that furthers as they begin to experiment with rhythm and repetition.
It feels a bit odd to give standout tracks on such a short EP, but the title track and “L’Apocalypse Individuelle” both really hit for me in different ways. The title track is heavy and pounding and anxiety-inducing, which contrasts so well with the weird sort of floating feeling in “L’Apocalypse.” As usual, Non Serviam remains a group who refuses to be put into a box and we’re the better for it.
There isn’t much left to say here other than I will be eagerly awaiting the follow-up album, and you should check this out. If you’re a fan of physical media make sure to run over and grab the digipack, as only 100 were printed.
4.5/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
Labyrinthe is out now on bandcamp.
