DERNIERE VOLONTE - Au Travers Des Lauriers

the third full-lenght album by the french masters of military pop, more gloomy than ever before. First released in 2006 comes now re-mastered and with new coverartwork. Vinyl comes in LE250 black and brown vinyl with printed innersleeve and the CD in catchy foldout cover and posterbooklet. Derniere Volonte is an artist that has been evolving over the years, starting from 1998 with the thematic limited cassette release, Obeir et mourir which was an historical snapshot of a particular place in time. However, in the millennium the level of standards were raised with “Le Feu Sacre”, which brought us a stylishly dramatic mix of rhythmic drumming and keyboards, and of course those very French vocals. The environment that formed without relying on the tricks of the trade is what really piqued my interest. The beauty of this particular release lay in its simplicity and originality. “Devant le Miroir” is by far the most polished of Derniere Volonte’s works that time. Overall, this release is a culmination of everything that has come before it, it can be called martial pop at times as well as hinting at neo classical, nothing short of brilliance here. Derniere Volonte has carved out their own particular niche in this particular field of music, gratefull..