The French and Metal have an on-again-off-again relationship. Sometimes it’s right there, traipsing through the flowery fields and holding hands. Other times, it’s making mistake after mistake in a failed relationship from the start. With the classic Heavy Metal vibe of MEURTRIÈRES, it’s the perfect respect for each other. With only an EP to their name, the band consisting of Fiona (vocals), Flo Spector (guitars), Olivier (guitars), Xavier (bass) and Thomas (drums) provide a first full length that hints at early IRON MAIDEN riffs and vocals from Siouxsie and Janis’ lovechild. ‘Rubicon’ opens “Ronde De Nuit” with a sound right out of the ’80s that mixes classic Metal with just a little punkish vocals. Then the MAIDEN riffs kick in on ‘Aucun Homme, Aucun Dogme, Aucune Croix’, which isn’t a bad thing. There’s a breath of fresh air mixing the female vocals with this early style of Metal. Not something we hear often enough. It’s a nice change from the overdone singing, screaming of modern bands by youngsters not sure what style they’re trying to make. Fiona’s voice is a powerful force in ‘Tempête & Naufrage’ in ‘Ronde De Nuit’ as NWOBHM influenced guitars swarm all over ‘Alma Mater’. ‘Chevaleresses Du Chaos’ actually seems to gallop. Yes, gallop. Metal from our youth has risen back to the forefront with this album while carrying it into a new age. ‘La Revenante’ is a solid ending to a very satisfying album. I could just envision a couple of these tracks on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball back in the day… the fog machines roaring as Fiona sings into the night. You want a consistent, headbanging album that’ll bring back your childhood, yet take you into a new world ripe for the plucking? “Ronde De Nuit’ is the album to hear. For more info, check out https://meurtrieres.bandcamp.com, www.facebook.com/gatesofhellrecords