AMN Reviews: BRUIT ≤ – The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again (2021; Elusive Sound)

French post-rock / chamber-rock quartet BRUIT ≤ offers four tracks of dense cinematic walls and acoustic interludes on their new release, The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again. Consisting of an atypical lineup – Théophile Antolinos on electric and acoustic guitar, Luc Blanchot on cello, Julien Aoufi on drums, and Clément Libes on bass and violin – the group manages to carve out a niche between rock, classical, and drone that is both unusual and compelling.

Despite the stated instrumentation above, there seems to be a distinct synth, keyboard, or bass pedal presence as well, adding to BRUIT ≤’s over-the-top, thick electric guitar chording. Coupled with cello/violin drones, themes, and motifs, these elements sum to powerful earth-shaking crescendos, with details that can best be appreciated when the volume is high. Even so, there are several passages where Antolinos switches to acoustic and is frequently accompanied by inobtrusive spoken-word lyrics (French or English) when he does. These more introspective moments are largely melancholy and subtly contrapuntal with layered melodies that slowly build to further high points.

The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again will be out digitally on April 2, and shortly thereafter on vinyl. This is a prime example of finely-crafted orchestral rock. BRUIT ≤ nailed it.