La Mer - Tetrahedra

Blackened... Butt Rock?

A Scot, French sensibilities, and a Polish record label walked into a bar. Thus came forth Tetrahedra: an avant-garde blend of black’n’roll, synthwave, and Aughts-era angst. I don’t know how I feel about this album, and for that alone, it deserves recognition.

Metal Archives | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube

Upon my first listen, I audibly said “what the fuck” several times, in public. Each time was followed by a shake of the head and a resigned chuckle. While La Mer’s Tetrahedra is certainly not an album for all, it may be the most approachable and unique black’n’roll that I’ve heard in a long time.

The bands’ French name is complemented pretty heavily by the cover art. It’s a post-impressionist portrait called Berenice, painted by Henri Martin - a Frenchmen. The painting itself is inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe story of the same name. However, the artwork’s relation to the themes of the album is lost on me, if there is any.

I won’t mislead you: this album is not for the aver…