Release of the Day: Akitsa - Grand Tyrans

Akitsa's Grands Tyrans covers a lot of territory. It shouldn't be that much of a surprise, though. Outre-Tombe (real name Pierre-Marc Tremblay) is also the brainchild of Contrepoison, Guerre Solitaire, in addition to running the Quebec label Tour-De-Garde. On Grands Tyrans, he uses his background in underground music to his utmost advantage, welding together his interests in the experimental, the electronic, the dark, the visceral, and the strange.

On select tracks, Outre-Tombe incorporates full-on, distortion-less singing. Though a song with more melodic vocals, like "Chimeres," would seem more at home on a deathrock record, it makes sense in reference to the whole. Of course, Tremblay knows this. That's why he'll follow such a song with a straight-up burner like "Noire Bete Ailee" pounding the listener with blast beats, shrieks, and cold riffs.

That's how it succeeds so brilliantly. Grands Tryans gets its strength from its variety, its brutality, and its commitment to fuck with its audience. Where black metal records often become tedious through uniformly-belabored structures, lyrical themes, and vocal style, Akitsa transcends.

Akitsa will also be performing at Berserktown II at the Observatory in Santa Ana, CA.