This is the debut album from Ukrainian black metal one-man project While They Sleep.
This is primarily raw, old-school black metal that sits firmly in the grimmest underground layers of hidden worlds. Add a touch of the depressive and atmospheric styles into the mix too and you have 63 minutes of ominous, dark music.
Taking the unpolished second-wave style and mixing it with the more expansive type of stuff that was coming out of the US in the early/mid 00s, this album is a good mix of both. The songs on La Nausee combine elements of these to produce music that feels authentic, sinister and steeped in black metal’s forbidden lore.
The vocals are ghoulish screams and vomited obscenities, seemingly congealed into the music with diseased insistence. They work well as added atmospheric instrumentation rather than a separate focal point as most vocal performances do.
Well-written and well-structured songs mean that La Nausee is a winner for me. These tracks are wrapped in an icy production that really is the right kind of sound for this type of music, and everything on this album is a very satisfying listen.
If you’re into your black metal then it’s easy to enjoy a release like this. The pitch-black delivery of the songs is judged perfectly, and the overall sound is ideal – raw and full of frigid winds, but without being robbed of power or effect.
A very recommended listen.
Wonderbox Metal 