ONCE UPON THE END – Archive 200

RELEASE YEAR: 2024

BAND URL: https://onceupontheend.bandcamp.com/

One of the most interesting and innovative melodic death metal bands in recent memory, the French quartet is even uniquely named, Once Upon The End. After one EP and one full length, plus a change of vocalist, they have independently released (yet promoted by Imperative PR) another EP, the fantastic Archive 200²⁰²⁴, likely in preparation of the second full length, a record full of near perfect to perfect songwriting, unique transitions recalling Gothenburg masters of old and newer, while retaining its own identity, highly recommended for all of the above reasons.

Once Upon The End (OUtE) had been founded by Ludovic “Seditious” Lafferayrie (vocals), Paul “Koal” Barraqué-Curié (2016-rhythm guitars), Olivier “Loerk” Moreau (2017-lead guitars) and Olivier “Groly” Bourgain (2017-bass) in 2016, releasing 2 records, Prelude²⁰¹⁹ EP (on Eleventh Angle Music) and the debut full length, The Next Chapter²⁰²¹, before Seditious’ departure in 2022, apparently leaving OUtE without a vocalist for a year until Ophélie “Ezalyr” Gass (2023-clean and harsh vocals strongly evocative of Ex-Arch Enemy’s Angela Gossow) in 2023, which explains the creation of this, Archive 200²⁰²⁴ as a new prelude (no pun intended) to a new chapter in the history of OUtE. Three of four tracks: “Dying Concrete”, “Moon Scavengers” and “The Old Ones” (with slightly changed lyrics), are re-recorded versions of the originals from Prelude²⁰¹⁹ EP but “We Are the Dead” is a brand new track released back at the end of 2023. Initially, the band had a “normal” legible logo with a full name but with the new version of “Dying Concrete” they introduced a compressed “O” inside “U” inside an inverted “T” (with a clear idea of an inverted cross symbolizing rejection of, but likely not hostility toward Christianity if the lyrics are any indication) but resulting in formation of a sideways “E”, forming a unique symbol which is sometimes used alone and sometimes supplemented with a new full logo for clarification.

The lyrics of this short (22:24) record can be described as heavily nihilistic (hello the band’s name) with a strong misanthropic overtones but they are true to the human experience as well. In the excellent opener “Dying Concrete” OUtE makes it clear that “steel replaced grass”, silicon replaces flesh” and there’s a very good chance that “only ashes will remain” and “we are all the embers”, with the Hindu Bhagavad-Gita’s “Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds” recited possibly in relation to the creator of the atomic bomb, Julius Robert Oppenheimer who quoted it after Hiroshima bombing, however, we don’t need the nuclear holocaust to destroy the only planet of our habitation since mother Earth is full of scavengers who “bit the Earth…strangled Mother…from reckless spawns to predators they grew up drinking from her wounds, enclosing her by millions of chains” so “their first prey is nearly down…however they take their time savoring the taste of their bleeding toy…like young sadistic cats they are…shark-toothed creatures eating their own flesh…for illusory wealth (Moon Scavengers), so, naturally, this all has to be concluded by an assertion that “there is no God, there is no Man” although “mankind always seeks the truth endlessly questioning the meaning of life, science somehow explains the game” even if “a tear in the sea is not even close to demonstrate how insignificant we are” and “no truth is found inside our mind” for “we just are, no scheme behind” so we should just stop trying “to explain things” we “can’t understand and “stop pretending there’s a reason we live” as we’re both “strangers to life” and stronger than death” and “what we name reality is nothing but a veil” yet our “beliefs exist to keep us sane” (The Old Ones) – holy cow where’s my Prozac?

Thanfully, with dismal lyrics comes fantastic music, most of which gives off strong The Gallery¹⁹⁹⁵ Dark Tranquility vibes, especially in the insanely catchy (just try to get that melody out of your head!) favorite “Moon Scavengers”, the only perfect track on the album, one I’m persuaded none of the three Gothenburg kings (At The Gates, Dark Tranquility, In Flames) would throw out of their next albums, but the early In Flames-ian and transitionally death doomish Of One Blood²⁰⁰⁰ Shadows Fall-ing “Dying Concrete” and, again, strongly The Gallery-ian “We Are the Dead” (the only brand new track, sadly without available lyrics) aren’t that far behind in quality, which leaves the, again, death doomish closer “The Old Ones” the least engaging song of this five track EP, however, if “We Are the Dead” and the choice of tracks (especially “Moon Scavengers”) to re-record is any indication, the 2nd, yet unnamed and unscheduled, full length is going to be a hell of a record!