In praise of the Roman God of wine, ecstasy and madness, psychedelic Black Metal band BACCHUS emerge from the French underground to present their intoxicating debut album. Following up their January 2021 self-titled debut EP, the unpretentiously titled „II“ is a hadron collider of emotive trance-like melodies and raw power, as the French trio take the listener on a Dionysian trip over the album’s six tracks.
Composer Sébastien B. narrates: „The writing process was more or less the same as for the first EP. We have a specific system to create – most of the time, Moïse starts by creating sketches with synths and a drum machine. Once he has several demos to show, I then write and record guitars/bass and vocals on the tracks that inspire me the most. At this point, the songs usually bounce back and forth between the three of us, making changes until the result is validated by everyone. After that, Camille takes care of the final steps, rewriting the drums and recording them directly in the studio. He also takes care of re-amping the guitars, as well as mixing and mastering. Finally, and most importantly, BACCHUS is a project entirely managed by us alone!
The lyrics on the new album paint a picture of a real feast of the body, the mind, and the words. We celebrate the God of wine, drunkenness, and debauchery before a Roman mythology backdrop. Some texts and poetry explicitly deal with drunkenness and altered states of mind – these inspire us greatly for our Art. Authors such as Paul Verlaine, Jean Richepin, Baudelaire or Virgil and his work „The Georgics“ are also an important source of inspiration!“
BACCHUS present the opening track of the forthcoming record as a first step into their ecstatic and eerie dance. ‚II.I‚ blends spherical synthesizer sounds, psychedelic guitar melodies and ritualistic chanting to create a truly otherworldly feeling. Using an exhilarating and unique formula, BACCHUS keep the harshness of Black Metal intact while simultaneously propagating the genre’s mystical and elevating potential.
Sébastien B. comments on the first song: „For us, it was always clear that this specific composition would open the new album. It represents the reignition of the project after a break of almost one year. At the same time, it is the very first track that was composed, but also the one that was finished the quickest. Everything went smoothly, almost like the track was writing itself. It is also the one that inspired us the most during the writing process. This song was also composed in a different way than our usual method: starting with a solo drum track recorded by Camille on which Moïse and I added layers of synths and guitars respectively!“
BACCHUS is a project formed by Moïse Mestriaux and Sébastien B. (DYSYLUMN, ABYSSAL VACUUM, OMINOUS SHRINE) with the objective of experimenting with songwriting using electric guitars and bass over a synthesizer base in early 2020. Camille Olivier F.B. (DYSYLUMN, Y I Y) quickly joined the project behind the drums and was then put in charge of sound engineering and production.
Initially inspired by bands like RHINOCERVS, RINGARË, FLUISTERAARS, URFAUST or BLUT AUS NORD, BACCHUS officiates in an atmospheric Black Metal with dark, cavernous and monolithic parts sparingly integrated. It’s a deep, melancholic and dreamlike journey that explores the decadence of Roman mythology.
A first self-titled EP was released at the end of 2020. The debut album will be released via Debemur Morti Productions in 2023.
