Guerre et Paix

VIA DOLORIS is the singular vision of Gildas Le Pape, shaped by solitude, discipline, and an uncompromising sense of craft. Rooted in Nordic black metal tradition yet guided by melody and introspection, the project traces a deeply personal inner journey.

“Guerre et Paix” is an album of tension and balance, where shadow and light coexist in measured dialogue. Across seven expansive compositions, Via Doloris explores the fragile architecture of the human psyche, moving through despair, rupture, and fleeting moments of clarity. The music favours restraint over excess, allowing melody to lead with quiet authority. Guitars unfold in long, expressive arcs, while rhythms remain deliberate and grounded, anchored by the nuanced drumming of Frost (Satyricon, 1349). Shifting between French, English, and Norwegian, each language carrying its own emotional gravity. Folk and pagan echoes surface subtly, lending the album a timeless, almost ritualistic atmosphere.