Label: Independent
Genre: Black Metal
Length: 17:53
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Now, I'm going to talk about one of my best discoveries from late 2025: a black metal band hailing from France. Those who know me know how much I like the French black metal scene (I would even say that I am more naturally attached to it than to French death metal... anyway). The band is called Murmux, formed in 2023. That same year, they released their first album, Litanies du dragon rouge, followed by the EP Veneficium last November. It was through this recording that I really discovered the band.
Veneficium is a three-track EP with a total running time of 17:53. This is straightforward black metal, with no frills, driven by intense brutality. The guitars are fast, the drums are massive and omnipresent, and the vocals stand out as the dominant element of the EP: powerful, beastly at times, and clearly one of its strengths. Production-wise, it's impeccable and honest for the genre. Everything is perfectly integrated: a dark atmosphere, invasive vocals and a rhythm that never falters. It's exactly what I expect (This is the kind of black metal I like)
The EP opens with The Son of the Dawn, which immediately plunges the listener into a mystical atmosphere. Gradually, the instrumentation sets in, accompanied by strident and ferocious vocals. The composition is raw, and this can be felt from 1:30 onwards, when the drums impose themselves with incisive blasts. An unexpected change of pace occurs at 2:18, before an excellent guitar/vocal performance, particularly at 3:13, which is remarkably powerful. The solo at 3:45 is simply perfect (black metal solos remain my favourite, with their dark and percussive side) and the track concludes with a few melodies and a devastating scream.
Lilith’s Hordes opens with female laughter that will leave no one indifferent, before a scream emerges from the depths. I particularly enjoyed the composition from 1:23 onwards, followed by the arrival of a narrative voice at 1:36, which further reinforces the evil intensity that pervades the EP. At 3:05, a fucking solo kicks in, backed by hammering drums in the background, accentuating this wave of violence. At 4:41, the vocals explode in a scream of impressive force, before a second solo at 5:36, accompanied by total vocal rage, concludes the track.
The last track, Abysme, stands out with a more persistent and elaborate atmosphere, marked by tempo changes and brief melodies. From 2:44 onwards, the rhythm slows down while maintaining a sombre atmosphere, then at 3:13, an even darker, almost ceremonial atmosphere takes hold. This is undoubtedly my favourite track on the EP.
