Nuit Noire "Inner Light" CD (Bonustracks)

Recorded on analog 8-track, July 2003 in Toulouse, France. The album was previously distributed privately by the band via dubbed cassettes to close contacts. Later to be released on vinyl through Seedstock Records.

Tracks 9-16: Live recorded during the 5th anniversary show on 18 January 2003.

The quirkiness of the punk-infused black metal style characteristic of Nuit Noire has become increasingly evident, as Tenebras has continued to write and produce music. Inner Light provides the listener with a deviation from chronology, by going back to the relative ‘early days’ of Nuit Noire's existence in 2003 before Lunar Deflagration but after the demos. By the time Lunar Deflagration had rolled out, Nuit Noire had already begun to define its own niche sound, and Inner Light is no exception.
The production is what one can and will probably always be able to expect from Nuit Noire: charming rawness. The muffled guitars spout upbeat riffs that glide on ice, and whilst predominantly black metal-rooted escape the constraints of the genre and come into their own and are so very defining. Supplementing this dance of sorts is a rough-at-the-edges drumming style, including an abundance of frenzied blasts that should be but peculiarly are not out of place. Laid over this are shrieked vocals interspersed with French-accented spoken parts that one could even justify as cute. The result is exceptional but so exceptionally unorthodox. At times, the entire mix reminds me of early Brume d’Automne, including the split with Teutates – fans of these projects may appreciate the mixing of Inner Light.
Inner Light treats the listener to a smoother and warmer play through of staple early tracks like Lutina (from the same-titled EP from 2002), Quand la nuit tombe (from Once upon a Night from 2000), and Can You See the Light? (from the split with Circle of Ouroborus from 2007). Left out here is the sharp edge as found on these tracks from other releases, which is fitting for Nuit Noire considering the aesthetic and lyrical content. Inner Light is definitely enjoyable and a welcome break from the seriousness of black metal whilst simultaneously not coming across as gimmicky. Absolute respect for Tenebras, for what’s clearly genuine and done out of love. There's no room for another Nuit Noire.

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