Belle Epoque - Belle Epoque (7'')

Remember this: there are a good and a bad Belle Epoque. The good one should have an accent, because they're French. They're a screamo band from Versailles that broke up in 2006. The bad ones are American. They're a young cookie-cutter alternative/metalcore band from Texas. The logic would be that this review is about the latter, but no, it's about the dead Belle Epoque.

Labels Apes Must Not Kill Apes Records (Switzerland) and Escucha! Records (Mexico) are teaming up to release this posthumous 7'' featuring two unreleased songs (recorded in 2006) from the French act. I won't be long: both tracks are excellent. 'Le chant des muets' is mostly instrumental, in the genre of what Sed Non Satiata still do today, using ever-present driving chords before rising in an emotional climax with torn screams and naturally flowing (on the MP3 version, otherwise you'll obviously have to switch sides) into the second song, 'Le souvenir des vivants'. This one is gorgeous, full of reserve and energy at the same time, in the tradition of what Belle Epoque was: a modest glory. Arpeggios are limpid, lyrics are poignant, assaults are impassioned. Both words and music are conscious and sadly liberated, as the screamo genre is (should be?). Here are two new songs to add to your post-mortem Belle Epoque worship.

That's a pretty present the two labels are offering us, an opportunity to discover two Belle Epoque songs that were worth being put out and an opportunity to own them on plastic for those who already knew them. A symbolic testament for a band absolutely necessary in your screamo history book. For those interested, former Belle Epoque members are now playing in Do You Compute, Revok and Rotten Tofu Adventures.

4/5

Recommanded if you like:
Daïtro, Mihai Edrisch, Gantz
Check also:
Rotten Tofu Adventures, Twisted Drive, Pop China

http://belle.epoque75.free.fr
(Ape Must Not Kill Apes Records/Escucha! Records, 2009)