Diable Amoreux- Horns Used for Butting

Artist: Diable Amoreux
CD Title: Horns Used For Butting
Label: Self-released
Reviewer: Matthew Johnson
Date: 10-8-06

Diable Amoreux is a folk act only in the most literal sense; while the project does employ such acoustic instruments as guitars, violins, and pianos, this is noise music nonetheless. Rarely, if ever, has conventional folk music been so abrasive as "The Contemplation Of Gnomes," with its death metal growl layered over dreary apocalyptic guitar, or "Storchy Weather," with its intentionally irritating vocal repetitions, all delivered in a squeaky falsetto that's like nails on a chalkboard. While there are less deliberately confrontational moments on this album, it's rarely tranquil; "In Van Diemen's Land" is more melodic than many of this album's offerings, as is the comparatively subdued low-fi folk of "Mr. Eternity," but there's still more than enough weirdness here, from blurry electronic vocal effects to weird scratching sounds in the background, to turn off all but the most psychedelic of conventional folk music fans. This is more like Current 93's noisier folk phase, but even that was significantly more musical than this album. If you're into rampant experimentalism, Diable Amoreux's use of folk arrangements alongside industrial noise and cheap Casio keyboards might be up your alley, but if you're expecting pretty ballads with your finger-picked guitar, you'd be better off looking at more subdued dark folk artists like In Gowan Ring.

For more information, check out Diable Amoreux at www.geocities.com/diableamoreux.