After "D'une Pierre deux Tombes", a funereal and introspective album released in 2021, Opéra Multi Steel returns with its thirteenth studio album: "Les Passions tristes". The group remains faithful to the sound of the founding instruments that have made it unique since its beginnings. The evolution started on the previous album with the use of more electro rhythms and sequences continues. The pride of place remains given to the vocal melodies, synthetic pads and mechanical backgrounds created by the three musicians and which are a trademark of OMS, sometimes tinged with recorders that sometimes bring a medieval hint. The band therefore evolves with constancy, without however denying its origins. That said, the music, more up-tempo than on the previous album, does not engender a frenzied melancholy. The track "Au grand Jamais with Catherine Marie as lead vocalist will bring back
some memories from a previous side-project of OMS members called “O Quam Tristis”. The artwork shows a painting by French painter Pascal Dagnan-Bouveret (1852-1929) representing "Marguerite au Sabbat" – in reference to the album title and the accompanying video for ‘Le Soleil est parti’ (see below), that uses some extracts from Murnau’s famous
“Faust” movie (1926) on the popular Germanic legend.
Faust sells his soul to the Devil in exchange for a new youth, a life of pleasure, enjoyment and love personified by the innocent, modest and faithful Marguerite. After she had given birth to the child of their union, Faust abandons the unfortunate young woman to her fate... In despair, Marguerite kills her baby and tries to commit suicide… This is the vision the painter has represented here.
Released Early May 23 by Wave Records.
Tracks Listing:
A1. Dites-nous
A2. Tout en Tous
A3. A nos Moments perdus
A4. Tombés à Terre
B1. Au grand Jamais
B2. Le Soleil est parti
B3. Triomphale
B4. Obscur Recueillement
English