The ten tracks of the fifth album by Hangman’s Chair, Banlieue Triste (Spinefarm) clock in at a wee bit over an hour. The title track ‘Banlieue Triste’ opens the album. It was an odd choice. It’s almost three minutes of maudlin slow-moving fare. It gives you no indication of what’s to come. To wit, if I were a casual listener, I’d switch it off and that would do a disservice to the rest of the album. Banlieue Triste, the album, is best described as atmospheric angsty Sludge. The second track ‘Naive’ more encapsulates the overall sound of Banlieue Triste: the music sounds as if it’s in an echo chamber. This production choice enhances the listening experience as it impacts the depth of the music. The listener feels just a tad “off”. There is a constant unnerving expansive feel to every song.

‘Sleep Juice’ is a good example. The choice of production takes a straight-ahead ballad and adds another layer causing the song to seem distorted and disjointed while the listener feels disoriented. The last minute of the song, the tempo slows down and fades out as a jarring tone takes over. It makes you feel like you ’re in a 1970s horror movie.

Conversely, the track ’04 09 16’ is positively jaunty by comparison, it’s catchy and has a chorus you can sing along to. ‘Negative Male Child’ is another stand out track. It’s a languid romp into college radio-friendly pop. In my opinion, it’s the most accessible track on the album.

The last several tracks go back into the gloomy, sludgy domain; slow, plodding, methodical. Hangman’s Chair exquisitely captures the modern Doom/Sludge sound. From their choice of production values to the time signature on the songs to the compositions Banlieue Triste manages to make the hour stretch into a bleak endless eternity.

7.0/10

VICTORIA ANDERSON