Review by Tara on November 29, 2016.

Forteresse, the leaders of "Métal Noir Québécois" have returned to the forefront of ambient black metal with their latest release, Thèmes Pour La Rébellion. It is the Canadian quartets fifth full length release in their ten year life span and their strongest material to date. It follows in the footsteps of previous albums: a masterful and powerful black metal masterpiece engulfed in a swirling wall of biting tremolo, epic atmosphere and ambiance. It has an overall larger sound over past works perhaps due to the production quality and addition of two new band members.

The theme to this album is boldly depicted in its cover art, which features an illustration of Quebec City set ablaze. I'm not that much of a history buff but those of you who are into that sort of thing might find the theme of Quebec's history and present day political structure an added bonus. A fun side fact (but then again, if you know history, this is something you're aware of): Thèmes Pour La Rébellion was released on the date of Quebec's national holiday, Saint Jean Baptiste Day.

Overall, Thèmes Pour La Rébellion is an album that will appeal to a broad range of metal fans and please those who've followed Forteresse over the years. It is powerful and heavy on the atmosphere and melody without sounding cheesy or over-saturated. I've listened to this one over a dozen times at this point and during each listening session have found it to be more enjoyable than previous. A strong contender for Album of the Year.

Rating: 10 out of 10