Frequently, demos are most interesting as something of a historical archive of a band's progress. They provide a look at the elements that formed the band, but from a musical standpoint, they often come across as unpolished and harsh. Not so with the recent collection of rereleased demos from Alcest and Angmar, Tristesse Hivernale/Aux Funerailles du Monde. The music presented here comes across as surprisingly polished and mature, despite the low production values.

Alcest needs little introduction. A veritable personality cult has built up around Neige, the man behind both this group and the black-metal turned "cold rock" Amesoeurs. The worship that surrounds the man's innovative mixture of black metal and shoegaze, later to become full-on shoegaze in Alcest's full-length, has inspired equal amounts of hatred and backlash amongst the more kvlt members of the metal community. Regardless of where one stands on this debate (I happen to be an admirer), it should be hard to hate this demo, as it is very rooted in the black metal tradition. The demo is full of raw guitar and drum assaults, not to mention shrieks more guttural than on any subsequent recording Neige has done. That said, the four songs all have a strong sense of melody throughout. Beneath the harsh attack lie hints, strong hints, of the melancholy that would later come to dominate his work., most noticeable when the buzz lets up entirely to allow for somber, introspective interludes. The best example of this occurs in "Les Forets de Cristal", which features a tune that haunts me for hours after I've finished listening to the disc. This is not to imply that the standard guitar work lacks depth; the riffs possess equal measures of anger and sorrow. Though this is far from the most instantly accessible of Neige's albums, the ultimate effect proves to be of sad, anguished beauty, reflecting the wintry coldness that inspired the music.

Angmar, on the other hand, is significantly less well-known, having produced only one full-length, Metamorphosis, that, as far as I can tell, has not exactly taken the metal world by storm. Despite this, the group, which also hails from France, manages to hold its own admirably against the strength of the split's first half. The music here is arguably rawer, the melancholy is cut by a sense of aggression lacking in the prior music, a sense accentuated by an edgier guitar tone and the occasional use of death-metal-like growls in addition to typical shrieks. More somber, quiet elements are still present here, but they occur more as bookends, rather than interludes. The production here is worse than that on the first half (which, I'm reasonably sure was remastered, since the guitars seem more audible than in earlier versions that I've heard), with some minor pops appearing in the recording, especially in the third track. They do little, however, to obscure the melodic and often excellent riffs, such as the one that starts "L'Écho de ta Haine". The main fault of the demo is one common to much metal: the songs, most of which are over six minutes, feel a bit too long, especially "Krankheit", an atmospheric piano piece that serves as the outro. In addition, the final track, a rehearsal from their full-length, should be taken as a bonus track, since it disrupts the progression of the music.

On the whole, both demos on this full length would compare well against studio offerings from almost any group. Admittedly, the Alcest is better than the Angmar, but that doesn't mean the latter is bad. Rather, Aux Funerailles du Monde is quite good, though it remains within the realm of more typically melodic black metal. Tristesse Hivernale, on the other hand, takes its melodic nature as far as it can go while staying within the realms of traditional black metal and produces something amazing. Having the two together makes for a truly great split album. Buy it while you can--there have only been 500 cd copies produced.