You might, as I did, roll your eyes humorously at the recurrence of the “‘v’ as ‘u’” trope in the name Sanctvs, which could suggest overeager posturing, especially once you learn that this is a solo project. But Xavier Berthiaume—the one behind Sanctvs—is no noob; he’s the drummer for both Atramentus and Oriflamme, as well as one half of occult/Kabbalistic black metal act Gevurah. With that introduction, De l’Abîme au Plérôme looks much less suspect, and the chances of its being good increase.1 Berthiaume’s pedigree is indeed instrumental to the record’s quality, and it’s an edge that makes a difference.
De l’Abîme au Plérôme is melodic black metal largely unadorned. Guitars are reverb-free—for the most part—and riffs, percussion, and roars alike coexist in approximately equal audibility. There is little time devoted to the development of atmospheric soundscapes or grand, poignant climaxes; the melodies herein are simple, sempiternally iterated through slight modifications of a theme played through layered strums and tremolos. With endlessly rolling, galloping drums, refrains are minimally expressed, and the effect is of a blur of onward energy, punctuated by hoarse, roaring screams. Reminiscent in this way of countless like acts, but particularly Woe2 (“Sacrifé sur l’autel de la rédemption”), and in the frequent tilt of those roars into a pained kind of wail, Gevurah. Exceptions—mournful and comparatively melodically rich “Thrène pour un monde révolu,” and the unusual sidesteps towards Blut Aus Nord-esque eerieness in the leading air of “Sacrifé sur l’autel…”—only prove the rule. They are folded into the forward momentum and give the overall soundscape the hint of variation that allows it to be, in toto, a singular force.
De l’Abîme au Plérôme by Sanctvs
The album’s power is overt and skilfully demonstrated. Riffs ascend, descend, and persist with malevolence (“Tabula Rasa”), pride (“Rex Hominem,” “Tour d’Ivoire”), or even hope (“Thrène pour…”), their sharpness giving them considerable bite. The rare occasions of layering prominently different guitar lines together are perfected examples of that tried and trve black metal stripped-back break, high strums spidering down amidst the soft crash of cymbals (“Rex Hominem,” “La Lumière de l’Infini”). De l’Abîme… never gets lost in ethereality, focusing on the progression of the next wave of guitars and building drums. This all creates a sense of continuous momentum, and at its best, feels raucously compelling (“Rex Hominem,” “Tour D’Ivoire”). The straightforward nature applies to the overt melody too, outlier “Thrène pour…” rising to an uplifting dénouement that is no less beautiful for being uncomplicated and predictable; in fact, the song is possibly the best of the lot for the way it marries this poignancy with the fire and grit of the remaining material. Echoes of this—in the solos that follow (“Tabula Rasa,” “Tour d’Ivoire”)—elevate their surroundings but don’t reach the same heights. The vocals are the most unusual part of proceedings, since they often transform into higher-pitched, more forceful wails, even at one point a deranged moan à la Dødsengel (“Tabula Rasa”). And the fact that the instrumentation around them remains mostly “still”, in consistent, minimally varied notes and intensity, allows this narration to guide and adorn the rushing compositions nicely.
Yet De l’Abîme is so unindulgent that it treads dangerously close to bland. The moments of melodic/manic coalescence (“Thrène pour…”) and the vicious vocal performance cannot quite hide the fact that an upsettingly high proportion of the runtime seems to be spent in an indistinct blur of similarity, tremolo melodies grey. It is the drums—unsurprisingly—that ultimately come to the rescue, and propel the album into an elevated quality. Though often delegated to the genre’s standard furious charge, Berthiaume takes many chances to shift the rhythmic underbelly to an offbeat, a d-beat, a steady trip, or simply to decorate with flourishing rolls what would otherwise be just an iterated monotony of bass beats. When these accents are combined with the wildest of howls and the most prominent and interesting of melodies, you can see what might have been.
Sanctvs can clearly make very good black metal, and if you’re a purist who prefers their black metal without atmosphere, layers of intrigue, and everything else interesting,3 then this is the album for you. As strong as the performances are, the lack of variety, and often depth, makes De l’Abîme an experience whose impression on you may be fast usurped by something with more character and mystery.
Rating: Mixed
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Osmose Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: January 31st, 2026
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