Release date: 22.05.2026

Label: Gates Of Hell Records

Review

“Introduction” is exactly that: a slow, martial-tinged piece that serves as a sung prologue, easing the listener into the band’s world. There is little more to say.

“Bruocoloaque” is built around brief high-register guitar notes supported by slow, funeral-like bass lines with a distinct gothic flavor. It is interesting to hear one rhythm guitar locking in with the drums while the lead guitar sketches melodies over the top, yet the overall performance feels untidy and sluggish.

And no, we’re not talking about the deliberate slowness of traditional heavy doom, a style mastered by bands such as Candlemass or Cathedral. In those bands, slowness creates density; here, it merely creates inertia. If metal lacks weight, it must rely on other musical elements to generate impact.

That is not the case with Pénitent. The musicians play with a slow, loose approach that often makes them sound disengaged. Tristan’s anguished, mournful vocals and the dramatic pauses never fully reach their intended effect. Even the decision to sing in French, something that could have added a romantic or baroque atmosphere, ends up underused, largely because the band lacks collective conviction. The guitar solos are underdeveloped, the rhythm guitars feel weak, and the bass spends most of its time simply doubling the guitar lines.

The following track, “Demain”, suffers from the same lethargic approach. The gothic influences are obvious, but bands such as Sisters of Mercy or The Cure combined melancholy with groove and drive. Here, too much empty space is left behind. The two guitars rarely move together, often stumbling over one another in their rhythmic phrasing, and although the bass attempts to provide deeper foundations, the song never finds a clear musical thread.

“Élise” opens with a spoken-word atmosphere, but never quite decides whether it wants to embrace doom, gothic rock, or even alternative rock. The drums never seem to understand the language spoken by the guitars; the silences feel forced rather than organic, and even when the riffs finally emerge, the cymbal crashes often sound late, almost detached from the rest of the arrangement. Even so, the song possesses a certain cabaret-like quality that, while not entirely successful, becomes easier to appreciate once the listener understands the intentionally weary and disheveled aesthetic Pénitent are pursuing.

“Maintenance” offers few significant departures from the previous tracks. The guitar tone remains clean, with a crunchy distortion and little saturation. There are several moments where dual-guitar harmonies could have provided a more elegant resolution, yet the band instead opts for contrapuntal passages that frequently sound disorganized.

“Fils de Lucifer” is the closing piece and undoubtedly the album’s strongest moment. Its structures recall the first wave of the NWOBHM, driven by steady, pounding chord progressions in the tradition of bands such as Witchfinder General or Pagan Altar. The bass lines are more carefully crafted, even if they occasionally drift outside the scale without becoming distracting. By this point, it becomes easier to understand that Pénitent deliberately seeks a certain degree of dissonance within its own arrangements.

Conclusion

Pénitent leaves the impression of a band still searching for the best way to translate its ideas into fully realized songs. The imagery is already there: French as an expressive language, a decadent atmosphere, and clear nods to doom, gothic rock, and classic heavy metal. There are also promising moments, particularly on “Fils de Lucifer,” where the songwriting finds a more confident direction.

That potential, however, still requires stronger execution: guitars that interact more naturally, a tighter rhythmic foundation, and arrangements capable of transforming slowness into genuine heaviness. The good ideas are certainly there; what remains is bringing every musical element toward the same destination. If Pénitent manages to achieve that balance, the band has the foundations to develop a far more compelling identity on future releases.

TheNwothm Score: 6/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://penitentteveutivre.bandcamp.com/album/te-veut-ivre

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/penitent.te.veut.ivre

Label: https://www.facebook.com/gatesofhellrecords