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CAUCHEMAR
Rosa Mystica

Temple Of Mystery (2022)
Rating: 8/10

Carving great shapes of doom once again, Canadian band Cauchemar emerges from the darkness for its third full-length outing, Rosa Mystica. Brimming with sinister aesthetics, packed full of hefty, driving trad’ doom riffs, and propelled by Annick Giroux’s haunting vocals, this was always going to be a triumphant return.

This time round the band has incorporated a few speedier segments to add spice to the gloopy cauldron. Such haste is evident immediately with opening slice ‘Joyr de colère’ which is nigh on 80s speed metal with its fizzing axe work. Of course, Giroux’s vocal wisps of slightly husked demeanor add levels of control, becoming eerie but levelled commands over the nifty dynamics.

‘Rouge sang’ is as equally archaic with a raw guitar and percussive tone dredged from mid-80s Euro-Goth metal. And that’s where Cauchemar now sits, in that New Wave Of British Heavy Metal-styled citadel of storminess.

The murky chugs of ‘Notre-Dame-sous-Terre’, ‘Volcan’ and the synth-drenched lumbering title cut ensure the listener that the doom is still ever-present, but the combo really comes to life with the edgier assaults such as on ‘Danger de nuit’ where the quartet channels classic Saxon, Judas Priest et al.

Cauchemar really knows how to rock, and they always keep us guessing –just check out the gallop of ‘Le tombeau de l’aube’. But if it’s mystical, simmering occult rock you want, then closing composition ‘La sorcière’ will provide enough of that.

And so after a six year absence the Québec combo has more than made up for it with this rather dastardly heavy metal opus, that explores the worlds which bridge the gap between hard rock and doom metal but with a sprig of the upbeat for good measure.

Neil Arnold

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