Album Review: Les Bâtards du Roi – Les Chemins de L’exil

Band: Les Bâtards du Roi
Album: Les Chemins de L’exil
Label: Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions
Release date: October 10th, 2025
Country: France
Format reviewed: High Quality Digital Recording

Album Review: Les Bâtards du Roi – Les Chemins de L’exil via Les Acteurs de L’Ombre Productions by Ioana

Phew… I did not expect this in any way whatsoever…

French Black Metal is a bit of a wildcard for me… it’s either incredible, or it completely misses the mark and leaves me questioning my sanity. That is why I couldn’t help but go into this record with a significant dose of skepticism. It could ended up being something totally off my alley for all I knew, so, I decided to step in cautiously. But as it tends to be the case for most of the records I go into with such a mindset, it ended up completely subverting my expectations, going as far as to proverbially scratch an itch in my brain I didn’t even know was there to begin with. Nevertheless, here goes another win for the French ( and a signal for me to look more into French black metal in general, because that’s a long overdue process – more like borderline embarrassingly long overdue but who cares).

Les Bâtards du Roiis a project that I didn’t come across up until this particular album, but given everything that I’ve heard on this record alone… they’re onto something. And they’re a fairly recent band too, so, one can only imagine what their future material may sound like, when their sophomore full length is this striking. In my view they would have no problem whatsoever in reaching the mastery of bands like Aorlhac or Sühnopfer (for anyone who knows me, you’ll know it’s good if I’m comparing it to Sühnopfer). But nevertheless, let’s leave the presentation for what it is and delve properly into the music. Fair warning however, this one will be long. And I mean long. Grab some popcorn while you’re at it so you don’t lose your sanity.

The album opens up with “La forêt”, a cinematic composition filled with epic melodies driven forward by both the guitars and the orchestral arrangements, mainly comprised out of string instruments and the occasional organ, that add an almost cinematic flair to the whole composition. Simply put, it evokes that feeling of getting fully immersed in a historical fantasy novel. The track itself is fairly diverse, featuring both fast paced and slower, more triumphant sounding parts. Something that one will end up noticing fairly early in the record is that there seems to be this permanent contrast between the more epic, triumphant elements and the grittier, moodier ones that I would say is the main driving force of the album. It is as if there is this ever present tension that builds up as the songs pass, which results in the final tracks being so much more climactic.

“L’âme sans repos” follows with a similarly grand tone, this time however more grounded and less unchained, but just as hard hitting, and even ferocious dare I say. The lead guitar is closely aligned with the vocal performance, as they often mirror eachother, highlighting the more melodic, emotional flairs of the song. The synth and acoustic guitar interlude is surprisingly tasteful and serves as a great opportunity for building interest in the track rather than hindering it, the spoken word sequence also serving as a contrast point for the harsh vocals. Something that fascinates me about this song is that it feels as if it is one note away from unravelling, but it manages to not only hold itself together, but to build upon the foundations of its predecessor, no small feat…

Coming up next there is “Vers l’étoile solitaire”, a seemingly meditative, acoustic based composition that just sprawls out into a short, yet unforgettable piece of music that feels infused with that cinematic mood I was mentioning two paragraphs ago. It is also much more fragmented in terms of structure, to the point where it may come off as chaotic. Do not let that fool you, however, as its charm is undoubtable. Well, at least it had me charmed, I don’t know about others, but again, who cares? It’s powerful, it’s well written, who am I to complain about it.

“Le chevalier au corbeau”, despite being the shortest song, it is without a doubt one of the highlights of the record. It just doesn’t hold back anything. That darkness-triumph contrast I was mentioning earlier is on full display here, a fact emphasized also by the fact that this is the first time on the record when clean vocals are used. And they work incredibly well. They feel almost like whispers in the wind, voices of a past that is barely remembered, but that holds immense strength. They also seem to be placed in dialogue with the harsh vocals, an arrangement that always manages to just get to me. Who are we even trying to fool here, it is incredible every time it happens.

Reaching the halfway point of the album, “Ord Vil Merdos” takes all the strong suits of its predecessor and simply dials them up to a hundred. The chorus of it gave me chills upon first listen, and I thought I was beyond that… seems I have been humbled once again. Here it is also where the band’s use of spoken word parts seems less like a mere interlude element, and more like a cohesive element that ties in with the narrative aspect of the record, aka another reason why I say this album feels like reading a book. And of course, I need to bring up the melodies again… they are simply infectious.

“Le val dormant” opens up with an acoustic guitar part accompanied by clean vocals, that slowly get joined by the harsh ones, resulting in… another instance of me getting chills down my spine (I am noticing a pattern here…). Here is also where I will take a moment to talk about the drawing, because, in my excitement, I have completely forgotten to bring them up. Embarrassing, I know, but still, better late than ever. The drumming is, without a doubt, the base that holds the music together, even when it feels like it may crumble under its own weight. The frequent changes between techniques make it obvious that drummer Daemonicus is a master of his craft and has a great understanding of all the nuances of the music that he is a part of, almost to the point where everything feels like one singular organism. So, credit where credit is due, the drum work on this album is top notch.

“Les chemins de l’exil” is where the triumphant elements of the album start to get infused with that ever present, yet faint layer of melancholy that floats around the record leaving its fragile, but noticeable marks on the compositions. There is a sense of urgency about this track, as it is almost frantic in pacing and execution, at least in the first half. During the second half things seem to settle, even if briefly. Nevertheless, it provides an unexpected shift in tone. Even the riffing is slightly less melodic, incorporating a significant thrash influence, along with the standard elements of the record. An interesting direction nevertheless.

“La chevauchée cadavérique” is not too different in overall approach, but it is much more stable and grounded. It has a march-like cadence which, once again, brings to mind the idea of medieval battles, or, at least, the imagined version of what one may look like. The vocals also seem to be more rhythm driven than melody driven, a stark contrast to the rest of the record and the already established musical dynamics. Out of all tracks I would say this one impressed me the least, and the breakdown could have been skipped, in my view, but it is not a moodkiller by any means. It is simply not really my cup of tea.

The album concludes with its most complex composition, “Sous la couronne de l’éternité”, a fitting conclusion to such a tumultuous tale. There is a significant sense of fulfillment attached to this song, a sort of deserved glorious ending for the protagonist of this artistic universe, while also coming off as an omen for the things that are to come. It provides phenomenal diversity structure wise and melody wise, and it also has some of the most intense moments on the whole record, as well as arguably the pinnacle of the vocal performance. Nevertheless, all of this will come off as empty words for someone who hasn’t heard it for themselves…

Flawless in every regard? Not really. Profoundly charming and promising? Without a doubt. As I said, there is no doubt that we will be hearing more from Les Bâtards du Roi as time goes on, and something tells me that they are in for the long one. That being said, I invite you to pick up a novel, or a sword for that matter, and embark on the journey that this record invites you on. You’ll never know what you can find otherwise. 9/10

Band
Deezer
Facebook
Instagram
Spotify
Youtube

Label
Website
Bandcamp
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
YouTube
Soundcloud

9/10  Epic Storm 
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre**
#WeAreBlessedAltarZine
#TheZineSupportingTheUnderground