Show of Bedlam - Roont

SHOW OF BEDLAM - Roont
2012
Choking Hazards Records

I admit I didn't know about Show of Bedlam (SoB) before I saw this "Doom Night" poster, and went to see them live at Cafe Chaos in Montreal. Now, that was a surprise, the band deliver the goods and are probably one of the best doom acts I've seen live in the City that Never Sleeps.

Right off the bat, SoB isn't your typical type of doom (or classical doom). This is a noisy branch bred in pain, born into hardcore, and likely raised around a few crossover acts such as Earache's rosters of the 90's. If we were to try finding SoB's parents, we would probably find it somewhere between the social violence of Today is the Day and the dark personal journey of Rollins Band. One closer comparative could be the mighty Jucifer, with whom it seems that SoB shared a split earlier.

Roont is a full lenght divided into four long tracks, and an interlude. It is one whole uneasy atmosphere, opening up a personal nightmare. Beyond the doom music itself, this direction is crafted by the female touch of singer and frontwoman Paulina Richards, who also participated in the brilliant Masseter alternative project. Throughout her relatively long texts, she is dragging us into an inscape journey where we witness dark interpersonal situations, and find a few shady characters; something also explored by other female-fronted bands such as Otep, Doll, or Social Revolver. With Paulina's very specific tone of voice and variations, Roont is like a black and white vintage horror movie, with a touch of purple despair.

SoB is a four-piece band: vocal, guitar, bass and drum. The tempo of the album is relatively slow, like a hearbeat pounding in your head, alone in the dark of an empty basement, waiting for your captor. There are all sorts of noises, loops and synth effects added to the instruments mentioned above, thus offering a rich backdrop to Roont. The guitar sound is dirty, and the bass - deep down the spectrum - is full of overdrive. The female vocals are saturated and textured with a deep reverb, giving them a nice ghoulish/horror movie texture.

On the cover, there is an appropriately depicted spooky abandoned wooden house, somewhere in a nameless town. On the back of the cover, we see a spiritual summoning session (likely taken from a black and white horror movie). On the inside, we find a 12'' piece of sparkled wax, purple and black.

Roont is definitely making my year's end list as one of the most pleasant discoveries, and probably as one of Choking Hazards Records' best releases to date.

http://showofbedlam.bandcamp.com/
http://chokinghazardrecords.blogspot.ca/

Le Kraken - Exil (EP)

LE KRAKEN - Exil
2012
D7i records/Vendetta Records

It has been almost three years since Le Kraken released their second release and first full lenght album, Exalt. While the music used the same common denominator as many sludge and crust bands, it was a welcoming variation: simple structures, short songs, and French lyrics. I was highly anticipating any follow up to it, and it came under the shape of a 5-songs, 17+ minutes 10'' EP.

At first, Exil sounds like more of the same cool-aid we drank earlier: punk-size songs (2 to 4 minutes average), guitar-oriented structures, atmospheric chords layered over a pounding drum, and a vocal pitch drenched into hardcore. However, after a few listen, we unearth something definitely fresh.

This EP is the opportunity to introduce a new line-up. Bassist Guillaume Chamberland has taken vocals duty, and a new guitar player, Jean-François Dussault Desgroseillers, joined, now forming a four-piece with drummer Louis Guillemette and guitarist Jean-Phillipe Marcil.

Exil is also an opportunity to introduce a new logo, something crucial for a band that has started to tour seriously and that is constantly expanding its audience.

So how does that translate into music? Opening track "Exubérance" kicks in with what we came to know (and like) about Le Kraken: contagious guitar riffs, clever drum patterns, and a range of vocals that makes the music quite accessible. Then, all of a sudden, the drapery falls, and we are left with some sort of Cult of Luna-esque melancholic guitar atmosphere. It is picked up by the other instruments, in a slow and almost doomy atmosphere, bringing the listener somewhere unexpected. "L'assault & l'esquive" displays a similar structure, i.e. riffs and drum patterns change mid-way through the song. Applied to their heavy-but-not-oppressive music, this technique makes the songs breathe, and suithes the mood perfectly. These two songs are followed by "Erratum", a short crusty snack that could have figured on any of Le Kraken's previous releases.

The band clearly crafted their art while sharing the stage with many other bands from the same genre. Centrepiece to the album, the excellent "Arbore essence" is something radically new for Le Kraken. In a progression of guitar textures and a wise alternation of drum patterns, the song brings echos of Alaskan or Textures, among others. Delightful.

Last, but not least, the Exil EP ends with the title track. With a focus on a strong chorus, this one captures the best of the album through variations of atmospheres and tempos, and offers one of the best texts the band has written to date. On that level, this time again all lyrics are sung in French and express personal reflections, or states of mind. The choice of words is better than your average band, but the construction is very raw, unpolished and unfinished, as a note to yourself in the corner of your university notebook.

Aside from the music, the Exil EP is housed in a stunning piece of art. The dramatic picture on the cover is the art of Alexander Mody, who is responsible for designing Vestiges' most striking landscape cover arts in the last years. There are two editions: black wax, and black haze/clear wax. Definitely worth purchasing on vinyl.

In conclusion, Exil is Le Kraken's first step into a new direction, one that is rooted into new alliances. It is laid on strong foundations, but rather than being limited by its past releases, the record tells us that the band is ready for venturing into new paths.

http://lekraken.bandcamp.com/album/exil
http://www.toysofdisharmony.com/

Haggatha - IV

HAGGATHA - IV
2012
Choking Hazards - Blind Date

Vancouver's Haggatha are back with another monster slab. Like its title suggests, this is the 4th release of the band, but only the 2nd full length. Last year, they offered us the excellent III, a 2-song, 8-minutes long 7". They also toured intensively, spreading their dirty sludge all across America and Europe alike. Beside touring and releasing albums, they've also spent time with other projects, as drummer Matt is also a new Bison B.C. member.

What is the result? Well, the Haggatha signature is still recognizable, there is still an Eyehategod influence, and still the same crushing, doomy tempo, with a saturated guitar distortion and minimal 'primal scream' vocals. However, rather than doing Haggatha II part II, they came out with a slightly different formula. On the production level, it's less muddy (especialy in terms of low frequency), and there seems to be a new hierarchy of instruments. On II, guitars were at the forefront of the music; on IV, it's the drum that prevails. In fact, this instrument seems to be leading all way through the new album. It hits a lot harder, and nails the sludgy grooves more closely than before.

The album starts with four songs of average length (between 3 and 6 minutes), and ends with a stunning 18-minutes mastodon. Side A of the vinyl (the four first songs) are more focused than before. They are of average tempo and very catchy. There are no huge variation of tempo (like III) or atmosphere (like II), just a sheer hit on the skull. A case in point, the opening riff of "Precession of the Equinox" easily sticks into your head, while "Codependence", with its lead guitar detour, is probably one of the best crafted song the band ever wrote.

On side B we find something unusual for Haggatha. They dared venturing on the path many doom bands took in recent years, and wrote a very long song, "Epoch". To make it epic and to make it stand out from the rest of their songs, the band very cleverly adopted a minimalistic approach. This works very well, while offering the album something fresh and different.

The artwork is also worthy of mention. Like the music, it bears the same Haggatha theme with the logo on the cover. This time, a bas-relief of it was created and placed in a variety of dirty, earthy textures. The pictures are used inside and outside the beautiful gatefold vinyl, while a very plain 16-pages booklet contains minimal information (10 pages are plain black), such as lyrics and credits.

Simply put, it is my favorite Haggatha album to date.

Get the album on mp3 and vinyl by following these links:
http://haggatha.bandcamp.com/album/haggatha-iv
http://chokinghazardrecords.blogspot.ca/

Indian handcrafts - Civil Disobedience for Losers

INDIAN HANDCRAFTS - Civil Disobedience for Losers
2012
Sargent House

On October 30, 2012, you may have been preparing for trick or tricking, but there is something you might definitely not have been prepared for, and that is Civil Disobedience for Losers, the second full length from a band you probably never heard of, called Indian Handcrafts.

With a space truck as a façade, and a tongue-in-cheek name, you probably already know you are embarking on a very colorful trip. This is stoner rock at its best. Two guys; drum, vocals, guitars and a pedal rack, rocking the boat like hell. They are as prog-rock inspired as Queen of the Stone Age, as furious as The Melvins, and as dirty as Monster Truck. All that, and more: at some point, one can feel a reference to Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine, and other guitar-oriented bands. Indian Handcrafts has this ability to use all of these influences and bring them into something fresh, something new.

There is an excellent variety of subgenres on Civil Disobedience, all equally crafted. We find cocaine rock songs such as opener Bruce Lee, Starcraft, or Worm in My Stomach; and a batch of stoner songs like Zombies, Coming Home or Centauri Teenage Riot; the punkish Terminal Horse; and the heavier The Jerk and Truck Mouth. Despite its many directions, this box of Smarties never feel disoriented, for the grooves are addictive all way through.

As I write these lines, Indian Handcrafts is touring with Red Fang and Black Tusk. With such an excellent line up, there are no reasons not to go see them delivering the goods live.

This very unexpected album from the Barrie, Ontario, duo will end up on a lot of people's year end top ten list, including mine. Highly recommended.

(... And yes, it's also on vinyl.)

http://indianhandcrafts.bandcamp.com/
http://sargenthouse.com/

Infinite Grievance - Funeral Mile

INFINITE GRIEVANCE - Funeral Mile
2012
Indie

Infinite Grievance is a two-piece band from Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in funeral doom, or a very slow form of death metal. You may not have heard of it as the band doesn't tour (in fact, it doesn't play live at all), and its records have not been distributed except in a digital form, by the band. We talk here about the true independant DIY experience.

So what is Funeral Mile? It is the second full length in the band's discography, if we count the 2010 Delusions of Clarity album. Other than that, Infinite Grievance also issued two demos, one split and one compilation, all in 2010.

Funeral Mile has 6 songs, ranging from 3 to 12 minutes, for a total of over 47 minutes of music. The short but excellent "Toska" serves as some kind of intro to the album. It doesn't do much other than offering a general solemn mood to the album, and preparing the grounds for "Drown". This second song is deep and very depressive, and reminds me of the excellent bands Loss and Mourning Congregation. So far, this is good material in the purest tradition of funeral doom, there are no surprises and no deceptions. To change the pace of the album (but not the mood), it is followed by the title track, a repetitive and mechanic song that pushes the listener into a state of vertigo and crushing movement. Strangely enough for a title track, "Funeral Mile" might take more time to digest compared to the other songs. "Fade With Time", is cleverly placed between two 9-minutes songs, and like the narrow passage on the cover artwork, it brings fresh air to the whole heaviness of this album, in a melancholic atmosphere reminiscent of early Anathema or Thergothon. However, the sky darkens again under the shape of "In Mourning They Damn Your Name", another slab of funeral doom in the same vein as the first 2 songs. With oppressive discomfort, it is dragging miserably (in a good way), and constitutes the funeral hymn at the heart of the album. As this track ends, a cold wind from the deep takes over, and serves as a brilliant transition to the last song. "Receding Frost" is an instrumental that sums up the album with a desolate atmosphere.

Musically speaking, Infinite Grievance doesn't bring any new water to the wheel. Although its guitar sound is really heavy, and has the right amount of both sustain and definition, it sounds pretty generic for a funeral doom band. Same with the vocals, bass and drum, which are very standard. For this reason, newcomers to the genre might find it dull and tasteless. On the other hand, funeral doom is a style that has become very traditional over time, and the bands are often described in relation to the cult landmarks of the genre. In this context, I would say that Infinite Grievance's Funeral Mile would compare easily with any roaster of the favourite russian doom label Solitude Productions (Astral Sleep, The Howling Void, Helllight, Funeral, Inborn Suffering, etc). Its strength might not lie in one specific song, and it may not be opening any new grounds, but the band is very competent at producing an excellent album for the genre.

Links to the albums and the band:
http://infinitegrievance.bandcamp.com/album/funeral-mile
http://infinitegrievance.blogspot.ca/
www.facebook.com/IGDOOM

Lebensraum - Lebensraum (EP)

LEBENSRAUM - Lebensraum
2012
Indie

The first thing that caught my attention might have been the beautiful logo and artwork. A DIY enterprise, this CD is housed in a 2-panel digipak, where black and grey are the main ingredients. Here we find the themes of nature and darkness, probably more associated with black metal than any other style. However, the content displays something else.

This is the first EP from Montreal Lebensraum. This 33-minutes cd speaks the doom language with great skills: it uses influences from the late '70s Sabbath riffing to contemporary funeral doom arrangements. As displayed by its cover, the Lebensraum EP is coated with black metal in a degree that I've rarely seen (the only band I'm thinking of might be Lurk). Once we venture through Lebensraum, it gets cold, very cold, and we can barely see the sun peeking through this ominous forest.

So what exactly means Lebensraum? You might have guessed, it's german. It's a concept about "living space" developed in the 19th Century about unification and adding territories or colonies. The idea was further transformed by Hitler to justify the expansion of Nazi Germany, especially on the Eastern front. Pretty dark theme for a blackened doom band.

The journey that we experience going through the Lebensraum EP is a very interesting one. Starting on a funeral doom note, it goes black and then comes back towards more familiar stoner doom territory, all that in 5 songs of uneven length. Breaking it down track by track might be the best way to dissect this piece of blackened art. In a grandiose manner, the EP opens with "This I Doom", an epic 11 min 47 song that presents Lebensraum as a band, music and musicians alike: words are spoken in both death metal style and black metal rasp; the guitars sound is sharp and dry, the lead guitar bringing accents of desolation with very simple notes sustained in the background; the bass guitar adds some interesting and infectious bass routine towards the end of the song, a method of composition that is also used on other tracks; while the drum displays both laid back doom beats and details of unorthodoxy earned from other genres. We all know what the band can deliver when "Scorbutus" kicks in at a more standard pace, bringing the listener further into darkened territories with its catchy riff. The journey takes a left-hand path and the listener meets its maker on the third and central song, "Final Path". Here, Lebensraum takes it time, using long pauses and slow pounding riffs, creating an evil and uneasy atmosphere similar to black metallers Marduk and Blodsrit, before bursting into a trash metal attack. In contrast to this song, the following "An Old Man" looks like the lighter song of the EP, mostly because of the stoner groove, although the vocals stay tuned on the dark side and the drum keeps hitting sadistically. Finally, "Dormant Giant" follows that trend and offers some early Maiden-meets-Sabbath riffs, while the vocals are more distant than on any other song. This is one hell of a song to finish an EP and making a statement that there is room for more to come.

Check it out here: http://lebensraum.bandcamp.com/album/lebensraum

Alaskan - The Weak &the Wounded (vinyl)

ALASKAN - The Weak and the Wounded
2010
Dwyer Records / Treaty Oak Collective / D7i Records / Désordre ordonné / Moment of Collapse Records / Shove Records

This is not a new album, but a release on vinyl of Alaskan's 2nd record, The Weak and the Wounded. While its length sits between an EP and an album (4 songs, about 30 minutes), the quality of its material is strong enough to make it an important step in the band's discography. This was recorded and mixed by Topon Das (Merdarahta, Fuck the Facts, Biipiigwan, Collider, etc), and remastered for vinyl quality.

The Weak and the Wounded was a bit more "hardcore" and more straightforward than the excellent follow up Adversity; Woe. Both music and lyrics are easily enjoyable, and would appeal to anyone interested by post-hardcore and sludge bands such as Buried Inside, Neurosis, Titan and Cult of Luna, to name a few. Its general atmosphere is enhanced with samples taken from the psychological movie Session 9.

Now, about the vinyl release, I should say that this is most welcome. Alaskan's music was made to be pressed on wax. The record was completely redesigned with a new artwork and layout, something simple but effective. The original cover was cleverly used on the rear record label, while lyrics and credits are printed on the back of the jacket. It also comes with beautiful coloured wax, as shown above.

As you might have noticed from the description above, The Weak and the Wounded should have enough distribution for you to be able to find it.

Download and streaming: alaskan.bandcamp.com/album/the-weak-and-the-wounded
Vinyls: http://d7irecords.com/

Monobrow - Bennington Triangle Blues

MONOBROW - Bennington Triangle Blues
2012
Indie

Bennington Triangle is an area in Vermont where a handful of unrelated people mysteriously disappeared over the years, eventually earning the area the nickname "Triangle of Doom". I'm not sure how it relates to Ottawa's Monobrow, but the story is pretty cool and I see it a perfect fit for a voiceless stoner band.

Bennington Triangle Blues is Monobrow's second full length album. Monobrow continues its journey where it left off with the self-titled first record: they present us with a mixture of stoner, retro and modern rock, classic doom, and blues, all certified 100% instrumental. This is delicious to my ears, but I recommend taking your time to devour it.

At some point, I was convinced they came out of a music academy, and I was surprise to learn that they are self-taught. There is a great dose of technicality behind their music, but it never becomes dry. Monobrow has this ability to bring the listener behind their instrument and trip with them, like bluesmen. While certain parts are focussed on one specific instrument, the music in general feels organic as if everything was composed by the 3 guys jamming together.

The mood of Monobrow is very distinct. This is a very lucid kind of stoner music, with a lot of light and a happy vibe that reminds me of Cave In.

If I am to do a breakdown of the songs, I'd say that "Starships, Holodecks and Chicken Soup" starts the album by displaying Monobrow's ability to play with riffs, bringing the listener somewhere it was not prepared to go. This is followed by "This is Herman Nelson", a good song where the band controls various levels of volume and tension. "Store High in Transit / Communing with the Infinite" didn't catch my attention at first, mostly because it is situated between two excellent songs, but after a few listen I can't ignore anymore its trippy-doomy feel. "Grommet" is the ultimate Doom anchor of the album. Tasty, very tasty. After a slow and surprisingly dark song, we see the light returns under the shape of "Mordrake's Revenge", a swing song that will catch everyone's attention live. When I heard the song "City of Angles", I surprised myselft headbanging and thinking for myself "Wow, this is how I like my Black Sabbath". This left turn leads us to "The Radio In Between...", a '70s prog rock track (think Rush) that exemplifies the work of Paul "Yogi" Granger and the Meatlocker Studio, who helped recording the album. Kudos also to Mike Bond for making this album stands out. Back to the track list, the album finishes with "Bennington Triangle Blues", an over 12-minutes song that resume the whole album and dig further into each of the directions explored earlier.

If this music is your cup of tea, you'll be served a pot. As I write these lines, Bennington Triangle Blues is being pressed on vinyl, as all music should be.

Check it out here: monobrowmanband.bandcamp.com/

Titan - Burn

TITAN - Burn
2012
Hypaethral

Here's something I've been looking for for a long time now: a full length from Toronto's Titan. The last EPs Scraps of a Feast (2010) and Colossus (2009) were excellent albums that I keep revisiting from time to time. From my perspective, they were both pointing into a very interesting direction: a sludgy avalanche, where hardcore meets heavy grounds, and slows down a bit to devastate everything in its path.

My expectations for Burn were very high, and my first impressions were that Burn didn't explore any new grounds, nor achieve the same lasting effect as the previous EPs. Therefore I had to give myself more time to absorb the new album.

Obviously, Titan has a lot of experience and knows exactly what they're doing. They've released a few EPs and splits, got distributed through React With Protest overseas and Hypaethral locally, toured a lot, and made a name for themselves on the underground scene. Musically, the band picks up where other bands such as Buried Inside left, and brings the best out of post-hardcore/sludge music.

After listening to Burn for many weeks, my appreciation is two-fold. On the one hand, I keep thinking that the 2012 album doesn't deliver anything that hasn't been offered through Scraps of a Feast or Colossus. It doesn't have much "layers", and everything is in your face, missing that epic monumental edge they flirted with on the previous EPs.

On the other hand, it feels really good to listen to a full length album of Titan. 1 intro and 9 songs very well crafted, no fillers (but no central song either), assembled to make a statement about Titan's credibility on the music scene. In other words, the strong focus throughout the album confirms that Titan is one of today's major act for the genre in Canada.

LPs and digital: http://hypaethralrecords.bandcamp.com/album/burn

Loviatar - Eternal Sons (EP)

LOVIATAR - Eternal Sons EP
2011
Indie

Although I review full albums from time to time, this blog is mostly intended to review EPs, especially canadian bands of the extended doom family. Here is a stellar one that falls right into these criteria.

This EP comes in a carefully assembled cardboard package, along with the lyrics. This CD is limited to 100 copies, but it's my general feeling that it's written "soon on vinyl" all over it. Fingers crossed.

A teaser to a promising album, Eternal Sons has two songs: Eternal Famine (5:50) and Sons of War (6:12). Epic titles for epic songs. Loviatar can't hide its influences from a variety of bands and styles as diverse as post-metal, crust metal and stoner/doom metal alike. The vibe is catchy, overwhelming, rich and addictive. Any High on Fire or Pentagram fan would get on his feet and follow the leader when JD (guitars and vocals) repeats "Arise! Sons of War." And if that style of music ain't your thing, the clean vocals and the excellent production should do the trick.

On that level, this is another production that came out of Pebble Studios (Produced by Bond) AND Yogi's Meatlocker. If that doesn't ring a bell read my Unavowed review below and you'll soon find out that some of the finest treasures come out of this cave.

So who is Loviatar? From a crowd point of view, they've been around and opening for the right bands in Ottawa and Montreal since 2010: Skeletonwitch, Barn Burner, Titan, The Great Sabatini, Blood Ceremony, Iron Man, Revelation, Collider, Alaskan, Red Fang, Mares of Thrace, Biipiigwan, etc... You get it.

Through these shows and the Eternal Sons teaser EP, Loviatar has created some expectations towards a future album. We want more guys.

www.loviatardoom.com

Alaskan / Co-Pilot Split

ALASKAN - CO-PILOT - Split
2012
The Treaty Oak Collective

Here is a delightful split, something to please both eyes and ears. Released on 12'' vinyl, this approx 20-minutes long record presents two bands: Ottawa's Alaskan, and Houston's Co-Pilot.

This fantastic combination of bands is brought to you by The Treaty Oak Collective, a new "micro-label" based in Texas, whose first release happens to be this split.

Alaskan occupies side A. "Euthanize" (9:37) picks up where Alaskan left on their latest album "Adversity; Woe". It's the same sludgy and post-metal band you've come to know, but I feel they wanted to go slightly further on this split. In fact, they incorporated more "atmosphere", this time through a collaboration with Ottawa's The Sun Through A Telescope . It's subtle, but it's adding a lot to the whole progression of the song. My first thought was to compare it to the song structure so characteristic of Envy: it starts with some kind of ambiance, then the instruments slowly incorporate, progress, take a left turn, stop, then burst into a short, but grandiose finale. As it turns out, it works really well with Alaskan's musical ideas, so well that each time I am left complaining that the song could have continued for a few more minutes.

Co-Pilot's song "The Bering Sea" (8:51) displays great post-rock instrumental qualities. It reminds me of Three Steps to the Ocean, A Cold Dead Body, Russian Circles or Toronto's Theyageletters.

The artwork is in the same vein as Vestiges' clean, dramatic, and beautiful artworks. It blends perfectly with the music of both bands.

http://alaskan.bandcamp.com/album/split-w-co-pilot
http://thetreatyoakcollective.bandcamp.com/
Also check out The Sun Through a Telescope here: http://tstat.bandcamp.com/album/orange

Titan - Colossus EP

TITAN - Colossus EP
2009
React With Protest

For all of those metal unbelievers out there, who hesitate before picking up a hardcore album, I present you Colossus, an EP drenched in sludgy heaviness that might just convert you.

Like its mythological reference, Titan's walking the earth with a familiar shape, both heavy and epic. It is a wall of muscular and inhuman aggression, laid back at a steady, monumental pace. It is gigantic, punishing, and decisive.

Toronto Titan plays some crossover between mid-'00s sludge and late '90s hardcore. This EP is heavier and slower (not like doom... just less hardcore) than what else I heard from the band. References to Ottawa's Buried Inside might be a appropriate, although Titan clearly points in a different direction.

If I'd rate this album, I'd give extra points for its overall design. From the photography to the layout, and from the choice of cardboard to the decision to release it on vinyl, it is what I consider a "complete" piece of art.

http://titanslays.bandcamp.com/album/colossus
http://www.myspace.com/titanslays

Tunguska Mammoth - First Chapters EP

TUNGUSKA MAMMOTH - First Chapters EP
2011
Indie

Probably the best canadian stoner/sludge metal EP of 2011, First Chapters is the first offering of Montreal's Tunguska Mammoth. I never heard about those guys before, but they definitely got my attention.

First Chapters is a 3-song, 13+ minutes EP. Because of its duration, I would have called it a demo if it didn't have such a solid production. Recorded in the band's own rehearsal studio, its sound quality is excellent, and without a doubt, it will help the band get a lot of visibility very fast.

Tunguska Mammoth swims in troubled waters between the seas of stoner metal, heavy metal and sludge. It's definitely not old school, although it will appeal to both ol'schoolers and nu'schoolers. In comparison with similar canadian acts such as Bison BC, Buffalo Theory Mtl, or Collider, Tunguska Mammoth has this melodic lead guitar orientation that sets them apart.

It's weird to say, but with such a solid EP, one can only expect the album to come to be a masterpiece. Expectactions are high, guys...

http://tunguskamammoth.bandcamp.com/album/first-chapters

Haggatha - II

HAGGATHA - II
2010
Killbomb / Choking Hazard Records

"First the Earth cooled. Then the dinosaurs came. Then HAGGATHA arrived and shit all over your mind." This description from the bandcamp page is actually pretty accurate. It has its hints of humor, but it speaks about primal sludge.

The musical reference for this Vancouver band could be Eyehategod (Dopesick era), although they brought the tempo down to a degree where it reminds me of the mighty Sleep, with sheer heaviness (aka primal violence) similar to the first steps of Zoroaster (Dog Magic). Good shit all over my mind.

This is the second Haggatha official recording, but the first full length. No surprises, but no flaws. The artwork is nice, and it has been issued on wax (12''). Also available for free streaming and for downloading at a very low price on their bandcamp page.

http://haggatha.bandcamp.com/album/haggatha-ii

Métastase - Lassitude/Décroissance

MÉTASTASE - Lassitude/Décroissance EP
2010
D'Automne Records

Old school funeral doom in the vein of Thergothon. Métastase is a one-man band from Trois-Rivières, Québec.

The EP comes in a 7'' vinyl format and has two songs, quite similar in style and length: Lassitude (3:55) and Décroissance (4:13). As you would expect from any funeral doom band, the music is very simple and ultra slow. It's not lenghty or extreme as such bands as Comatose Vigil or Asunder, nor as polished as Longing for Dawn. In fact, the music has this homestudio demo quality, which fits the mood perfectly. The guitar's computer-processed overdrive sounds a bit like a black metal act (it reminds me of Monarque's early releases), but the general mood and low-end death metal vocals give harmony and layers to the EP.

The lyrics are in French, which give Métastase a local flavor. The lyric sheet is included with the vinyl.

Biipiigwan - God's Hooks

BIIPIIGWAN - God's Hooks
2010
Indie

Who doesn't know about Biipiigwan in Ottawa? This band is one of a kind, being very hard to describe, while being very appealing to many crowds.

Grindcore? Sludge? Probably a bit of both, and a lot of other underground metal influences. Listening to Biipiigwan, you can also hear the influence of local bands such as Buried Inside, Fuck the Facts, or Alaskan. Not surprising since Alaskan's drummer is God's Hooks drummer, and since Fuck the Facts' Topon Das has been recording and mixing the album. Small world.

What gives this band its extra taste is the fact that part of the lyrics/titles are in Ojibway. Biipiigwan puts a lot of effort into its artwork, and God's Hook is no exception with its homemade but exclusive packaging.

Get God's Hooks before it gets you. 26 minutes of thunder and lightning.

http://biipiigwan.bandcamp.com/album/gods-hooks
http://biipiigwan.bigcartel.com/

The Unavowed - War EP

THE UNAVOWED - War (EP)
2010
Indie

The Unavowed is a metal band from Ottawa. They've been around since 2006 or 2007, played many gigs in the Ottawa region, Eastern Ontario and Montreal area. Their first EP, released in 2007, was an old school street trash affair, reminding me of NY hardcore-meets-trash garage bands of the late '80s. Since then, The Unavowed grew in maturity and in originality, and after releasing a digital live EP in 2008, they went on to release one of the best EP releases of 2010.

War is only 4 songs long, but it's definitely one whole ride. The EP starts with "Prepare for War", an epic, pounding song, that sets the tone. Then we have "Crusades", "Death is the Last Enemy" and "The Destruction of Me", 3 mid-pace songs placed back to back to make sure you don't have enough time to catch your breath. When it finally stops, about 14 minutes later, you're left wondering when the cavalry will come to finish you off.

What makes this album great is the whole aesthetic of it. You just have to look at the beautiful artwork to understand that the band went beyond your typical G.I. Joe-metal thing. Whether it was intentional or not, the set and the proximity of the songs give the impression it's all part of the same story. The sound is raw, very raw, especially the guitars, while the bass and drum give this perfect organic texture underneath. Just hear the first few notes of "Prepare for War" to feel how dirty and epic War is when it hits you. As for the vocalist, he has this perfect high pitch that use the best of ol'school trash metal, with the angry tone of a 2010 screamer.

Definitely something to recommend to any fan of High on Fire, although "War" has colors of its own.

The Unavowed has unfortunately decided to call it off in 2011, but the band made sure they offered their masterwork on their website, for free. Make sure you pick it up.

www.theunavowed.com/

Forteresse - Par hauts bois et vastes plaines

FORTERESSE - Par hauts bois et vastes plaines
2009
Sepulchral Productions

Black Metal in Québec has something very unique. A few bands like Monarque, Chasse-Gallerie, Mysothéisme, Neige et Noirceur, Jours Sombres, (...) and Forteresse, have drank from the fountain of Norway Trve Black Metal to create "Métal Noir", a branch of BM with lyrics and themes in the Province of Québec patriotic vein. The least we can say is that they're pretty good at it.

Forteresse is not new around. They started as a studio project, and had a few releases through Sepulchral Productions over the years, "Par hauts bois et vastes plaines" being their third full length. It's black, it's cold, and it's raw. Think early Darkthrone. The reference to Trve Black Metal and Darkthrone-like aesthetic is also present in the artwork. The cover has this "xerox" quality, with a cold landscape picture, and a "Métal Noir Épique Ambiant" statement, printed on thick cardboard to attest the artist's seriousness in his minimalistic approach.

"Par hauts bois et vastes plaines" is somewhat different from their previous efforts. Forteresse has always played minimalistic raw black metal, with blastbeats, repetitive buzzing guitar riffs and tortured vocals lost in the background, plus this great desolated atmosphere ("Ambiant"). On this album, the rythm has taken epic proportions. The aesthetic is still the same, but what makes me believe that the band created a landmark album, is the general tempo of the album. The guitar picking is hard to distinguish, and create this ambiant black metal wall of sound. The general drumming is mostly slow, almost à-la-funeral doom, while adding here and there a few upbeats for intensity. If you heard bands like Arcana Coelestia (Italy), then you will dig Forteresse "Par hauts bois et vastes plaines".

Le Kraken - Exalt

LE KRAKEN - Exalt
2009
Indie (D7i Records/L'oeil du tigre/Vendetta/Dream Come True)

Hailing from Montréal, Québec, Le Kraken is a name to remember. They play sludge, but their form of sludge is something different from what I heard before.

Let me explain. Usually, sludge is something that needs repetition and time. On the one hand, Le Kraken offers repetition, there's no doubt about it: every single song sounds as if it has only 1 or 2 riffs and very little variant. On the other hand, the songs don't have time on their side: the shortest being about 2:00 long, and the longest about 5:00 only! This is where it gets interesting. For the first few spins, one can think that Le Kraken is "just" another band in the genre, and that they haven't developed their riffs to their full potential. However, after many spins, the whole album starts to drill into the skull, and that's when you suddenly get the real sludge effect. Each song sounds suddenly like a part of a whole, and that's when both repetition and time mix harmoniously to make a great piece of art.

10 songs, 33 minutes. The songs are sung in French, but the pitch is more raw than other bands like Aussitôt Mort or Mouth of the Architect. A lyric sheet is included with the vinyl. The LP (shown here) and CD has different artworks, both skilled and a good reflection of what the album is: epic rock.

http://www.lekraken.ca
http://lekraken.bandcamp.com/album/exalt
d7irecords.com

Collider - Untitled EP

COLLIDER - [Untitled EP]
2011
Indie

Collider is not the name of the stage that collapsed during the last Ottawa's Bluesfest, although it could have been. Collider is a sludge band from Ottawa, Canada's national capital.

Think Mastodon, Howl, High on Fire, Black Tusk, Bison BC, Le Kraken... you get the idea. Collider has the groove, the feel, the attitude, the riffs and the sound. Their strenght is that they aren't overworking the riffs, but rather keep playing with it until they twist it into something else. It's simple, but very effective.

Their debut EP is 3-song, 15-minutes long. The production is very good, having been recorded at Audio Valley (Ottawa) and mixed / mastered by Topon Das (Fuck the Facts). You could describe it as a teaser, since it's just long enough to be an excellent draft of what the band can do, and too short to be fully enjoyable. Sludge needs a full swing to be enjoyed, and this EP delivers just the right preliminary to get into it. In other words, it's a promise that something greater is coming.

The artwork is original, but somehow naive (it reminds me of Immortal Souls homemade computer designs). No lyrics included.

Collider know what they do, and they're comfortable at doing it. They aren't reinventing the steel, but they can definitely claim that they master the genre. No further need for another demo or EP, it's evident that they're ready for a full album.

Live, they have many other songs, some more epics and original than on this EP. Considering this band is very creative and solid, and that they opened locally for many leaders of the genre (Bison BC, Red Fang, etc), we can only hope for their debut album as soon as possible.

http://colliderslays.bandcamp.com/album/collider-ep