Customer Reviews

Libertine Humiliations

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Hi. Misanthrope is one of the best group of heavy extreme music in the world ! The riffs destroy all on their road, gitars make great solo (Ecume des chouans)! The singer have the voice to sing this kind of music .. Tha battery is simply unbelievable, and the bassist sounds better than everyone... Libertine Humilition is areal callto the violence and nothing can prepare you to Misanthrope's one... So, enter in this world of french brutality!

Misanthrope are avant-garde French death metallers. If you hate growly vocals, do not approach. If, however, you consider them, as I do, potentially additive to the music, then that obstacle, at least, is removed.

"Libertine Humiliations" concentrates somewhat less on the orchestral elements than did "Visionnaire" or "1666...Theatre Bizarre." In particular, there is less of the manic piano-keyboard soloing that has been so interesting about their music in the past.

Unfortunately, some of the lyrical themes by now are getting a little tired (666 in relation to various things, Moliere, misanthropes, etc.), and some of the melodies are a bit too obvious ("libertine, libertine, libertine...[down a pitch] humiliations"). Overall, though, Misanthrope remains a unique and interesting band. I would rate this album below "Visionnaire" and above "1666...Theatre Bizarre."

Low 4/high 3.

Misanthrope are at the forefront of the somewhat lackluster French metal scene. Unfortunately I think it is the case that they are one of the few bands with a degree of talent to ever come out of France.

On this album Misanthrope present a chaotic blend of orchestral brilliance and guitar laden, somewhat generic metal/rock. While on one hand, there is the great sounding fabricated orchestra and perfectly timed drumming, it is ruined firstly by the stupid guitar riffs which just sound, well stupid, and the vocals which are just the guy speaking like he has a mouthful of phlegm or is coughing up a hairball.

As you progress further into the album, you begin to realise what could have been. The guitars which sound like something out of an 80's Glam metal band, just do not fit the rest of the music, which is a sort of majestic yet haunting atmosphere. And as I said before, by about the 5th track you are ready to hunt down the vocalist and rip out his vocal chords.

What could have been, is a brilliant hybrid of orchestra and death-rock, something which the band has managed to produce on previous efforts [try "1666...Theatre Bizarre"] . The drumming is tight as anything, very fast and very precise. And the synths which produce the "orchestra" are just awesome, giving an extra something to the music.

I commend the band on their marketing skills, the digipack that this comes in is of the highest order, but again is ruined by the band holding muskets and lighting cigars while wearing sunglasses, which renders them looking totally queer. Misanthrope have talent, and have shown this previously, but this album is neither here nor there, neither excellent nor shocking. With that just extra bit of effort, they can make themselves that much better. "Libertine Humiliations" scores a resounding "ho-hum".