Vide is a French one-man black metal project helmed by Hylgaryss (of Dark Sanctuary, Winter Funeral and Le Prochain Hiver).

VIDE

Weird subtleties are the main event here. That might sound obvious for a French atmospheric black metal record, but this genuinely feels different to most black metal you might hear. I mean… children’s choirs?! On paper it shouldn’t work. Yet it absolutely does, and that’s what makes this so interesting.

Vide is a French one-man project helmed by Hylgaryss (of Dark Sanctuary, Winter Funeral and Le Prochain Hiver). It’s released via Antiq Records, the same label that brought us Par le sang versé by Véhémence, so expectations are naturally high.

This is a complex record. It isn’t immediate and it definitely isn’t simple. It needs more than one listen to fully piece together, but that isn’t a negative. It’s not punishing, it’s not soft either, it just carries this constant thread of melancholy running through it. The tracks are long, which I personally love. With ideas this unconventional, the runtime feels necessary. It gives everything space to breathe.

AUX ENFANTS DES RUINES

A gentle chord progression opens Aux enfantes des ruines, melancholic but lifted by crystal-like synths. Then comes the unexpected: a children’s choir. I never thought I’d be writing that in a black metal review, but here we are. It’s handled brilliantly. By the time the organ swells close the track, the tone is set. Bold, slightly strange, and completely captivating.

Hymne Au Vide is where you really start to understand what Vide are about. Expansive, drawn-out passages with distorted guitars layered over cleaner melodic lines before the choir returns. Everything builds toward a fantastic tremolo riff. There’s real control over space here, the vocals sit just above the mix without dominating it. The mood shifts between sinister and reflective, but never feels forced. The choir in the bridge and chorus shouldn’t work, yet it does. The synths quietly steal the show across the album, never front and centre but always perfectly placed.

NOURRIR LA HAINE

A slow-burning, emotional opening gives way to blast beats that sit slightly under the mix of Nourrir La Haine, but they drive the track forward. When the chorus lands and the keys swell, the melancholy deepens before pulling back into a slower section with beautiful lead work over the top. The choir returns under spoken word passages, one of the standout moments of the entire record. Then the tremolo comes back in with real weight. The rhythm and lead guitars complement each other perfectly here. It’s layered and detailed, but never messy.

After the journey of Nourrir La Haine, Messe Des Ruines feels like a necessary exhale. Organ passages, swelling choirs and even subtle bells create a drifting, slightly disorientating atmosphere. The choir rises and falls throughout, changing direction unexpectedly. It feels uneasy but grounded, like walking through fog inside an abandoned cathedral.

MESSE DES RUINES – LE REFUGE

Messe Des Ruines – Le Refuge is a favourite from the album. Clean guitars open, carried by a distorted choral texture that echoes what came before. It captures that classic atmospheric black metal feel but with something fresh running through it. There’s an old school edge in the heavy tremolo and harmonised leads, but it never feels dated. The drumming is smooth and fast without overpowering the track. Around the three-minute mark, the shift is handled expertly and adds even more emotion. Familiar yet different. The ending really shows the musical depth behind this project.

Messe Des Ruines – Testament sees the choir takes on a more unsettling tone, paired with some of the most aggressive guitars on the album. Around three minutes in everything drops into a choral passage that almost comforts you before the tension builds again. The drums get their moment to shine in the bridge before the aggression returns in full force. One of the best moments on the record comes as it pushes toward controlled chaos. The choir fades back and the guitars take control. Broken chords and brief pauses keep you completely engaged.

A CEREMONIAL ENDING

The closing track leans heavily into choral textures again, though not in the same way as the opener. It feels ceremonial, almost sacred in atmosphere, and works as a fitting end. It doesn’t explode into a huge finale. Instead, it leaves you hanging slightly, as if something is still unresolved. Vide’s debut full-length isn’t the easiest listen at first, especially from the opening moments. But once it settles and you let it breathe, the strange beauty of it becomes hard to ignore. There’s real elegance here, intertwined with something darker and quietly sinister.

Antiq Records may well have released something very special with this one. After listening to this album you will definitely press replay straight away!

Vide: Bandcamp

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