Review by SzejkElRopa on August 31, 2026.

The two members of the French project Hanternoz sit by a campfire. Unlike others, they don't have corpse paint or other traits that would make them look extraordinary and different from other bands. However, the aforementioned campfire is the key to what the music sounds like. And yeah, another key is the artwork, one of the best I've ever seen, to be honest. It's extremely atmospheric, with a calming feel.

To fully understand what secrets this duo tries to convey through their music, we need to talk about the themes. Each song tells a different story about France and its folklore. For instance, 'La Peste à Limoges' translates to "The plague in Limoges". Or 'Le Diable De Quimper - Corentin' is obviously "The devil of Quimper-Corentin". And what's the best place to tell such stories? You guessed it right - a campfire! Especially the one about the devil. Speaking of actual music, most of the effort is definitely put on the atmosphere, which can be described as mysterious, even quite pleasant, though it rarely stays comfortable for long. The opener - 'Sur Le Chemin Des Fées' - moves at a slow pace for the majority of the time, with melodic, melancholic riffs driving the song. This abruptly changes, however, around the eighth minute, when the brutal yet beautiful avalanche of fast-paced drums as well as desolate keyboards emerges. Nevertheless, most of this song is kept in slow and mid-tempo, embracing the atmospheric approach. I think that the opener resonates the most with the artwork and the title, because it feels like a journey into the night. Things aren't kept as simple further in the album, because 'Le Diable De Quimper - Corentin' is very aggressive compared to the previous song, especially regarding the vehement rasps of the vocalist. Apart from the clean guitar intermezzo and the cleaner vocals at the end, at times the song is even overly hostile for this album. It should have been balanced out as in 'La Lessive Des Trépassés', which features a female guest vocalist. Even though her growls are also brutal, the melodic riffing and great clean vocals compensate for the amount of aggression and strike a perfect balance between it and the atmosphere. Another great moment comes in 'Quand J'ai Tué Le Roi De La Forêt', which carefully and slowly builds atmosphere with eerie melodies, easily mesmerizing the listener. Hanternoz presents a variety of ideas in this album and isn't scared to show them off.

Guitar riffs are very melodic and obviously not technical by any means. Still, they manage to craft the atmosphere very well. Ranging from tremolo-picked earworms in 'Sur Le Chemin Des Fées', to heavier, rhythmic riffs in 'Le Diable De Quimper - Corentin', and melodic ones in 'La Peste à Limoges' as well as 'Quand J'ai Tué Le Roi De La Forêt', there is a choice for everyone, and despite its length, over 56 minutes, it never gets tedious. The leading vocals aren't anything extraordinary for the genre, but they add to the atmosphere, especially in the slower songs, when Hyver howls. Also, Joanna Maeyens's guest appearance in 'La Lessive Des Trépassés' deserves a word of praise. As I mentioned earlier, not only did she provide good growls but also cleaner, folksy (if that's the correct way to describe them) vocals. In this type of album, the drums do not necessarily have the opportunity to stand out, but the way they are played is enough for the type of music Hanternoz plays. The bass guitar is present, for instance in 'Jean-du-Feu', although it doesn't have a prominent role. Lastly, 'Pe Trouz War An Douar' cannot be forgotten because it's a very noteworthy piece of music. It's an instrumental, played on organs and other instruments, and the melody is a traditional Breton Christmas carol. Very unusual pick for black metal, but simultaneously a great, atmospheric interlude in this album.

"A Hed An Noz, A Noz, A Noz" crafts a fantastic, captivating atmosphere, inviting the listener into the dark world of Breton and French legends with high-quality black metal music. I will also say that it is not perfect, because not every song reaches the level set by 'Sur Le Chemin Des Fées', but still, it's a fantastic album for the most part. Maybe more secrets are to be uncovered while listening to this album near the campfire? I'm yet to know it. Whatever the best environment for this type of music is, I can with all honesty give it 8.8/10. Definitely recommended for fans of folklore-themed black metal and fans of an atmospheric approach to black metal.

Rating: 8.8 out of 10