(Later this month Khaoszophy Productions will release the latest EP from the French black metal band Noirsuaire, a prelude to a debut album that’s currently being recorded. In the following interview, our French contributor Zoltar conversed with Noirsuaire‘s mastermind N. about what inspires the band, how the work is done, and other topics of interest.)
There’s always been a certain, especially perverse flair to French black metal and although the scene hit a wall in the late ’90s and early ’00s once all its precursors like Vlad Tepes or Mutiilation had gone either silent or simply beyond the grave, it’s been more vivid than ever lately, and not just with bands perpetrating a certain local tradition.
Noirsuaire is a good example of a band — or project, depending on how you look at it, as it is basically one man’s doing, the secretive N., helped by a drummer and some external contributors – rooted in the classic European sound of the ’90s yet not solely dedicated to reviving the flickering flame of French black metal as it also is largely in debt to the Finns, mainly Sargeist and Satanic Warmaster.
Yes, from head to toes so to speak, this is pure ’90s black metal alright, down to its extremely coded black and white imagery and staccato riffing, yet with a genuine FOAD attitude that really sets them apart, down to coming up with a short-but-sweet two-track EP of Misfits covers (Death Comes Ripping) simply because they felt like doing it…
To be fair, seemingly out of nowhere, Noirsuaire at first caught our attention by releasing no less than one demo, one single, and four EPs in between 2023 and 2024, although only the aptly titled Black Flame Of Unholy Tradition was properly released in physical forms (CD and tape), the rest being available either in digital or in super-limited and long-sold-out tape format. But it’s truly N.‘s stance and those recordings’ unfiltered viciousness that won the cake.
So with a new lengthy EP (The Wrath Of The Ancient Temples) out this month through Khaoszophy Productions and a proper first long-player in the works, we caught up with this rather secluded individual to shine a (dark) light on one of French black metal’s vilest young sons.
So, is Noirsuaire an extension of the so-called classic early ’90s French BM sound or is it something different altogether?
Noirsuaire is a voluntary and very retro and selfish project. In the sense its music is the only one I’m able to play, write, and materialize quite properly. So you can consider it a legitimate child of the classic French BM sound.
Was it originally meant to be a true solo project – that is, with you doing everything?
Yes, except drums. I write and demo songs using a drum machine. Everything is then sent to Agravh who records his drums parts according to the drum machine lines.
Did you choose this name to underline your French lineage?
Yes and no. I grew up as a teenager in the ’90s and I was a huge fan of the Fighting Fantasy gamebooks series. One of them was about a necromancer on an island, and in the French version, one of the locations was a village called ‘Noirsuaire’, a contraction of ‘Noir Suaire’, French for ‘Black Cerecloth’. And I just loved the name. Some years ago, I found the book again and saw the Noirsuaire name and told myself it would be the perfect name for a black metal project the way I envisioned it. I love how the name sounds and its dark and juvenile roots and meaning.
Did you have past experiences with black metal prior to this?
Nothing really worth being mentioned.
Would you say that in your case, you wanted to play this brand of raw BM as you were attracted as much by this kind of music as you were by its clearly-defined aesthetics?
Yes because one part can’t exist without the other. And also because it’s the only kind of music I’m able to play.
But when we’re talking raw BM, which kind of raw BM? Is it the more primitive Polish version? The early Norwegian wave? Its German variation with its own sense of melody?
Some Polish parts (Veles), Norwegian (Gorgoroth, Darkthrone), but also Swedish (Nastrond, Marduk). And I would add early Enthroned, although most people will probably agree that Noirsuaire is also deeply rooted in the French BM scene of the late ’90s/early 2000s. Noirsuaire is naturally retro. Its music, sound, visuals, and lyrics are nothing new. It’s just perpetrating an old and unholy tradition.
Still, considering Agravh’s background in groove metal or more, so to speak, mainstream BM bands like ACOD, one could be surprised to see someone like him taking part on drums on such a project, innit?
Maybe. But Agravh has a strong culture and knowledge when it comes to Black Metal. Aside from that, he is the best musical partner I could imagine. He knows how to level up the songs I’m writing with his drumming. He has perceived the spirit and sound of Noirsuaire and aside from that, he’s a great individual.
Noirsuaire wasn’t meant to work like a regular band to start. I hate rehearsals, waiting for people arriving late, losing time hearing them bitching about their everyday life, taking endless cigarettes breaks, never switching their phone off, posting on social media ‘rehearsals reports’ stating, “Wow, the last rehearsal was brutal, we are going to destroy everything with our songs“. Seriously, who cares?
How do you explain this massive outburst of creativity since you formed the band back in 2023?
I’m quite prolific when it comes to finding riffs. I have piled a lot of song drafts over the years. But to complete songs, I’m lazy as fuck! The contribution of Agravh is highly motivating and enough to push me to finish songs. So it’s easier now to wrap up songs. I usually play after my work shift on the evening, and when something good enough comes it ends up on the draft pile. But to finish a song, I need a ‘destiny’ for it, be it a demo, an EP, etc. That’s it. Whenever I have an idea, I try to materialize it. I won’t play the ‘it’s my autistic side’ card you see too often these days.
But why release all those songs through various EPs instead of taking your time and focusing on putting together the best ones and fit them into an album?
When a song is finished, I like it to be released. And for a long time, I thought that Noirsuaire was too young as a band to release an album. But the time has come and it’s in the cards now. We’re planning to record ten tracks, two of them being new versions of songs from the first demo plus a new take on ‘The Endless Treasuring Of Ancient Darkness’. We had to face a lot of issues with the recording sessions but we hope to start it soon.
Agravh will record the drums in his home studio and I will handle the rest in my attic once again. I may improve other things as I’d like to have a proper mastering. When it comes to the artwork it will be done by French artist David Thiérrée. His work is stunning and I have been a fan of it since the Warloghe debut album. The whole thing will be mastered by former Aosoth and VI BST at his home studio. As for the label question, there’s already some interest but I’ll look into it once the album is done.
You’re putting out this month a 50-minutes-plus EP The Wrath Of Silent Temples on March 21st. On your social media, you’re talking about a ‘preludum’…
I realized I had two tracks that would not fit on the album, so I took them out, added the two songs from the By The Screams Of Porphyric Seraphs demo tape, remixed them, came up with an intro, and asked my ally Mildrac to write and record an interlude and an outro with a real church organ. For the record, the latter were done in an actual local church.
You do not sound exactly like your average raw, lo-fi, recorded-on-a-shitty-four-tracks type of BM band but you’re no Dimmu Borgir either. Would you say you tried to find a middle ground between those two?
Everything came naturally. Besides, I don’t have the budget to go to a studio and I don’t have a four-tracks tape recorder either. I don’t think Noirsuaire‘s music would sound good using both solutions.
You could have used your French lineage and thus have French lyrics. Yet, you did not. Why?
It’s not entirely right. The last track written for the forthcoming album, ‘Noir Suaire’, has French lyrics, although the rest is in English. Maybe that will change in the future, it’s too early to say.
The songs displayed on your last EP were quite epic, is it going to be the case once again?
Noirsuaire will forever sound raw, melancholic, and epic because, to be honest with you, it’s the only kind of music I’m able to play and write. Never tried to play something else by the way.
https://noirsuaire.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/noirsuaire/