Montfaucon would be impressive enough if they had completed their debut EP, Renaissance, in the same room, or even the same continent. Formed in Uzbekistan, the duo wrote the skeletons to their songs together. When guitarist/bassist/vocalist Valentin Mayamsin moved to the United States for work, Montfaucon was put on hold before becoming a trans-continental duo.
The death-doom that Montfaucon sets loose on “The last night” is unique — instead of heavy-handed, suffocating atmospherics, the duo cites progressive legends like Opeth and Pink Floyd as influences as well as the black metal sounds of Satyricon, Darkthrone and others.
Further separating the band are the piano melodies that appear throughout “The last night.” They complement the riffs and harsh vocals, the combination of which keeps Montfaucon from veering too far into the crushing heaviness of death-doom or into symphonic piano work.
“It’s one of our most lyrical and melodic songs,” Mayamsin says. “Just like in case of ‘Prisoner’ and our band name, lyrics are inspired by Victor Hugo’s ‘Notre-Dame de Paris’. I was struck by depiction of Medieval execution by hanging and displaying the bodies as warning to other people. It was not allowed for relatives to bury the body according to Christian traditions. The story tells about a poor guy who risked his life to follow religious tradition, to save a soul of a hanged man.”
Renaissance was recorded in San Francisco at Mayamsin’s home studio with the assistance of The Faceless’ guitarist Michael Keene, who helped Mayamsin assemble the proper recording equipment. Dan Swanö (Edge of Sanity, Bloodbath, Katatonia) mixed and mastered the record.
Montfaucon will release Renaissance on February 17. Preorders and the first single, “Prisoner,” are available through their Bandcamp.
