Valve - Apnee 12"

Tracklist:-

1. Lapsit Ex Illis

2. Apnee

3. Odds

4. Une Carcasse Vide De Vie Et De Sens

5. 777

I fondly remember France for it's family holidays and for raiding it's hypermarkets for cheap wine and beer (in later years). Sadly, I didn't know how good it's heavy music scene was then. Now it's a different story. Valve are from the cultural capital of Europe, Paris. It does make you wonder what's wrong the city, when it gives birth to such bands! Anyway, there's not much to go on with this band. It's band members lurk in the shadows and it's hard to find out when they first twitched into life, but after a demo in 2012 they''ve released this LP via several labels.

Valve plays typically dark, sludgy hardcore. It’s got a very loyal following across Europe and to be honest, our mainland cousins are the best at it. Opener Lapsit Ex Illis is an off-kilter, metallic beast. Valve don’t go for instant gratification. They fill their music with an added layer of intelligence and some really subtle nuances that beg for more attention from the listener. Their sound on this recording is gorgeously honest. The drum sound at the start of Apnee makes you feel like you’re in the room with them! On the flipped though, they manage to capture a guitar sound that’s clear and vocals that bury themselves in your synapse through sheer force. Odds begins with a lurching, lengthy passage of sparse guitar and feedback. It’s an instrumental track that eventually gets going with a mix of acoustic and electric guitar, which builds in volume throughout. What follows is their slowest, sludgiest number. Une Carcasse Vide De Vie Et De Sens contains the gnarliest doom this side of Open Tomb, yet still contains lashings of cohesive hardcore. It descends into a collage of noise and raw emotion at the midway point. Definitely a cathartic experience. That release of energy gives way to closing track 777, which is a mammoth wall of noise. Crashing cymbals and screams that hurt even your lungs! Valve is creative without being showy and infectious without being transparent. This is good, very good!

You can stream Apnee here, where it's possible to purchase Apnee via download or on vinyl:-

Valve Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/VALVE.PARIS

The details of the labels involved in this release and links to buy from them are below:-

Wooaaargh Records (vinyl)- http://www.wooaaargh.com
Wooaaargh Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/WOOAAARGH
Poutrage Records (vinyl/tape) - http://www.poutragerecords.org
Poutrage Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/poutragerecords
Fall Into Void Records (vinyl) - http://www.fallintovoidrecs.blogspot.co.uk
Fall Into Void Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/fallintovoidrecs
Old Town Bicyclette (vinyl) - http://www.oldtownbicyclette.org
Old Town Bicyclette Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OldTownBicycletteRecords
Itai Itai Records (vinyl) - http://itaiitairecords.blogspot.co.uk
Itai Itai Records Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Itai-Itai-records
Opposing Music (vinyl) - http://www.opposingmusic.blogspot.fr
Opposing Music Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OpposingMusic
Dingleberry Records (vinyl) - https://www.facebook.com/Dingleberry-records