Omertà is inspired by a legendary French Canadian series of the same name and lives some sort of revival this summer with a quite well done feature for the cinemas. The movie convinces with gripping characters that are portrayed by some of Quebec's best actors which are the charismatic, old and tough Michel Côté who shines as he nearly always does or the cool, dynamic and eternally young Patrick Huard. Next to this, many other famous actors appear in this movie like René Angelil who does a truly convincing job as mafia boss in this flick.

While the acting of the mentioned actors is flawless, I didn't like the performance of Rachelle Lefevre who is one of the main actress. It's not that she played a rather unsympathetic character who happens to be quite arrogant, bullish and naive because this was probably part of the script but she frequently switches from French to English in her over the top performance which is a quite annoying thing. I know that there are a lot of people around Montreal that are bilingual but it's quite uneasy when those people suddenly switch from one language to the other without any reason and don't seem to be rather skilled any of them.

Concerning the story, there are a couple of lengths in the beginning and you already begin to expect your usual crime flick centered around an undercover investigation. By the end, there are more and more surprises though and the story gets as intense as the excellent acting is. Of course, there are a couple of elements that happen to be predictable if you now the genre well but this film definitely doesn't lack of ideas. There are always some lovely surprises here and there and especially the ending is quite courageous. I was very pleased by the great last half hour of the movie while more mainstream orientated cinema fans might be a little bit disappointed of what happens in here. There is a lot of action, murder and treason in the last third of the movie that permanently keeps the tension high and you on the edges of your seat.

In the end, what we have here is one of the best Canadian movies of the year until now. The movie convinces with a more than solid acting as well as a good average story that evolves to a truly addicting movie towards the end. If you care for Canadian movies and French Canadian culture, you should not miss this film. I'm looking forward to watch this movie again and would recommend a purchase for your home cinema which might be more efficient than a walk to the movie theatres.

Six years have passed since the band's quite respectable debut record "Lost In Chaos" that offered a good mixture of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal. Since then, Kingdom Of Salvation recorded several promos and had some minor line-up changes. Now, they are back in full strength with a professional recording that is mostly composed of the last promo tracks. If we take a closer look on the tracks, one realizes that the songs have become much longer than before. While the debut record was based on rather short, energizing and catchy tracks such as "Flames Of Revenge" or "Crusader", this release offers a more progressive vein of the Melodic Death Metal genre and many hints at other Extreme Metal variations.

By listening to this release, one recognizes the time the band put into the longer tracks that are atmospheric and especially a big step forward from a technical point of view. The three shorter tracks fall a little bit off the edge though like the too generic "Triumph Of Deceit" or the fist pumping Thrash Metal neckbreaker "Neverending" that sounds a little bit like a Kreator rehash. Only "I Am War" for which a video clip has been made to support the album is a solid song and mixes technical parts with catchy moments. It's the best choice for a single and this kind of lighter and more accessible track simply feels fresh next to the more challenging material.

Concerning the longer tracks, the opener "We Are The Dead" kicks off with a short and melodic introduction that is some sort of calm before the storm. The good thing about the track is that it has an epic feeling and many melodic mid tempo parts with some Thrash and even Heavy Metal riffs. It's a good choice as an opener as this more laid back but never boring track broadcasts the band's technical abilities. This song is definitely not too challenging as an opener. The song is even quite catchy in the end as the same melodies always come back with slight changes and the simplistic chorus is also gripping enough to stay on your mind. It's not an excellent song because it's a little bit too repetitive and long towards the end and because a truly emotional part is missing throughout the track but it's a more than just well done opener.

The next epic song is called "The Glorious Humanity" and is of course an ironically inspired title as it's rather a song about the evil that men do. It has an addicting slow and somewhat discordant introduction reminding me of the Doom Metal that sounds quite promising. Sadly, the track contains some fast bashing old school Death Metal parts that don't fit to the great opening minutes and destroy the atmosphere the band progressively built up. That's why this epic is the weakest one among the three. Concerning all the five songs I have described in detail, this record would be worth something around seventy-five percent.

But don't worry as the closing title track is a stunning finish and probably even the best song the band has ever released. Kingdom Of Salvation had already published a different version of the track five years ago but since then, the band has analyzed the track over and over again as it seams and experimented with many small changes. This working progress led to the final masterpiece we have here. The song almost touches every intriguing Metal genre the band cares about. The opening is truly atmospheric and has some slight symphonic influences. The beginning is quite slow and shows once again some Doom Metal influences while the overall feeling can even be described as a sort of apocalyptic Gothic Metal. What follows are gripping Thrash Metal parts, truly emotionally performed Death Metal vocals and also calmer parts that give the listener time to digest the track and dig deeper into its magnificiently elaborated structure. This track is simply one of the best epic tracks I have heard in a long time and any fan of the harder metal genres should try this track out. There really isn't much to argue about this song and despite its long running time it has no important lengths. This is the kind of song a band probably just writes once in a career. Just this title track is worth the purchase of the record and easily adds ten points to the final rating.

In the end, I liked "Lost In Chaos" quite a lot because there were many catchy and gripping short tracks to discover that also worked very well on stage. But "Into The Black Horizon" is nevertheless clearly superior to the previous release because it has some very good tracks with "We Are The Dead" and "I Am War" that are as good as the best tracks from the debut and then there is this beast of a killer song at the end of the record. This track is worth a top rating and there is no valuable excuse for you to miss this. That's why my final rating of the second output is higher than the note I gave to the band's first release. I might listen to the first release more often but if I give this new album a spin, I really take the time to focus on it and appreciate its atmosphere. Both albums are quite different as I explained before and they complete each other more than well. This band has plenty of talent and should get more attention in the whole wide world. This kind of bands are the reason why I write all these reviews. I discover something really exciting and the band gets some well deserved promotion. In the end, everybody wins and I hope to hear more of this great material quite soon coming from Kingdom Of Salvation that hail from my German home town Leverkusen which even makes me a very little bit proud.

You like diversified Avant-Garde Metal but think that bands such as Ebonylake, Le Grand Guignol or UneXpect are tough to digest? You like epic Symphonic Metal with some experiments but think that bands such as Nightwish, Rhapsody Of Fire or Therion happen to be too overloaded for you? You like experimental Gothic Metal but bands such as Crematory, Moonspell or Orphanage are a little bit too brutal for your taste?

Well, then this record should be your new bible. The French Akphaezya (they could have chosen a catchier band name but it fits) take influences from multiple genres such and mostly Gothic and Symphonic Metal and add some progressive elements to it. One can for example hear jazz piano parts mixed with blackened gothic moments and haunting classic influences in “Scene II : Σωφροσύνη / Sophrosyne” as well as for example circus music and some danceable folklore moments in the vivid and bass orientated album highlight “Scene 1: Utopia”. One can hear swing and jazz parts again in the brilliant “Scene II : Υβρις / Húbris” and even colourful samba and tango passages in the overall very heavy neckbreaker “Scene II : …The Harsh Verdict”. A couple of calmer tracks like the piano interlude “Trance H.L. 2” help this record to work better and give some time to digest and get deeper into the concept. The running time of a little bit more than fifty minutes is just perfect. It’s not too short like a release coming from Spacemak3r and it’s not too long as a release from Opeth might be.

Each song has multiple influences but in comparison to many other so called Avant-Garde bands, Akphaezya don’t lose themselves in overlong and endless technical passages that seem only to show how extreme they are. No, the songs on this release don’t only fit conceptually together and have a good guiding line. Each single track has its catchy moments and rarely exaggerates on too many changes of style. The musicians in here are in fact truly talented without wanting to show their abilities all the time. The band prefers to focus on the intellectual but never too overwhelming concept of a Classic Greek theater play and on the song writing itself. The smooth flow of this profound album is a clear trademark that makes this young band standout from many others. This release doesn’t try too hard to surprise but rather wants to move the listener. A great example is the chilling “Scene II: Dystopia” with beautiful piano and especially violin melodies and sweet acoustic guitar riffs. This track reminds me of a calm Ayreon ballad but I even think this here is better than the great Dutch master of progressive music and you won’t read this very often coming from me.

Right now, they are only known to experts of the genre but they really have the potential to make it far and please to any open-minded metal fan. And even beyond this, some bits and pieces could even please to fans of other experimental genres such as Progressive Rock or Free Jazz. Each song grows quickly and makes this record to one of the musical highlights of the year. Don’t miss to check this release out. It may sound a little bit unusual at first try but already after a second spin, the catchy tracks will really grow on you. After more than five spins, I’m ready to say Akphaezya are one of the most gifted bands I have ever heard from many points of view. I could not listen to this kind of music all day long but if I do so I really happen to be into this little masterpiece of art. There are not many great bands coming from France but the few ones that I know are more than just great. I highly recommand to check out the releases of this band as well as of The Old Dead Tree if you care for atmospheric, imaginative and progressive metal music. These bands truly are one of a kind.

So this band is called Autumn, their latest release is entitled “Cold Comfort” and these two elements already tell you pretty much about the music you are going to witness on this album. The record is dominated by dark Gothic Metal riffs, mostly melancholic keyboard samples and the talented vocals of Marjan Welman. She makes me think a little bit of the Dutch Floor Jansen of After Forever and now ReVamp and has a charismatic and grounded voice that makes her stand out next to too many high pitched vocalists. Sometimes, she also reminds me of the late Sabine Dünser that was once the voice of Elis from Liechtenstein. As both After Forever and Elis don’t exist anymore, Autumn could maybe take their places one day but they are still far from getting some more attention with this repetitive release. The vocals are indeed quite chilling and warm which creates an interesting contrast with the rather cold, melancholic and sad atmosphere of the release but that’s where the problem is. Musically, this record is too limited and lacks of ideas.

The problem with this release is that it definitely lacks of variation. Differences between the different tracks are only minimal and no song truly stands out for anything special. After a couple of tracks, the recorded quickly gets redundant, especially from a musical point of view. Only the vocals are pretty well done while the rest sounds quite average and too laid back at many moments. The songs are overlong as is the album itself and lack of development. The longest songs are very hard to sit through. Only a couple of not slow but mid paced tracks can grip some needed attention as the bonus track “Changes For The Bitter” with its vivid riffs and keyboard samples that make me think of pipers. This track along side with “Retrospect” that has a beautifully warm chorus and the electronically influenced longing rocker “Black Stars” can be cited as highlights to my ears. “Naeon” is also passable and has some interesting keyboard melodies as well as some faster passages.

Many tracks just need too much time to kick off or show only a ridiculously tiny degree of progression such as the way tame “Alloy” to only cite one example among many others. The band always gets back to the same ideas and even the main melodies happen to sound quite similar. Only great vocals and three to four solid songs can’t save this release from my bitter final verdict.

I would only recommend this release for fans of atmospheric, depressive and slow paced female fronted Gothic Metal. The record has indeed some atmosphere for rainy autumn nights. The sad thing is that the musicians show sometimes that they are not that bad and especially the vocals have a great potential but the band stays way behind the possible and wastes a lot of talent. This album is just floating past me and even after many spins, nothing really remains but emptiness. You should still rather head for the gone idols of this band that are mentioned above.

         Cet été se sont déroulés les Jeux de la trentième Olympiade de l’ère moderne à Londres. Entre le 27 juillet et le 12 août 2012, on pouvait observer de nombreux sports en plein milieu de la ville la plus populeuse d’Europe selon son aire urbaine. Il était particulièrement intéressant que le focus des médias n’était pas trop porté sur les sports populaires, mais aussi sur des événements plus exotiques tels que le canoë, l’escrime ou la plongée. Les coulisses de la ville de Londres étaient particulièrement belles à voir pour les matchs du beach-volley au Horse Guards Parade dans la fameuse Cité de Westminster ou lors des compétitions de cyclisme et de marathon au centre-ville. Certains événements se sont déroulés à l’extérieur de la ville comme les compétitions du vélo de montagne au Hadleigh Farm près d’un château pittoresque, les compétitions de Voile sur les sites de Weymouth ou sur l’Île de Portland ou encore plusieurs matchs de football qui se sont même déroulés en Écosse ou au Pays de Galles.

            Le tableau des médailles a été remporté par les États-Unis devant la République populaire de Chine et le Royaume-Uni qui a surpris avec de très bons résultats comme celui du spécialiste des courses de fond d’origine somalienne Mohamed Farah. Sinon, c’était le spectacle des succès du fameux Jamaïcain Usain Bolt et du nageur américain Michael Phelps qui remportait sa dix-huitième médaille d’or ce qui faisait de lui le sportif le plus titré de l’histoire des Jeux Olympiques. D’un autre côté, son comportement et celui de son coéquipier Ryan Lochte étaient marqués par une certaine arrogance juvénile et insultante pour leurs adversaires ce qui donnait un arrière-goût amer à leurs performances sans failles. En comparaison, les réactions des pays concurrents tels que la France, le Japon et le Royaume-Uni étaient plus modestes. Ces athlètes se présentaient comme une équipe et non comme un groupe d’individus vains.

Malgré le grand enthousiasme tout autour des jeux, il y avait plusieurs controverses. La première avait lieu avant l’ouverture même des jeux lors d’un match de football féminin avec la participation de la République populaire démocratique de Corée, lorsque les organisateurs affichaient le drapeau du pays voisin du sud. Provoquée par cette erreur délicate, l’équipe s’est retirée pendant une heure dans les catacombes. Le Premier ministre anglais David Cameron s’est officiellement excusé par la suite.

Lors de la semi finale dans la compétition féminine de l’escrime, il ne restait qu’une seule seconde à l’affrontement entre la Sud-Coréenne Shin A-Lam et l’Allemande Britta Heidemann. C’était l’égalité entre les deux femmes. Lors d’un match nul, la Coréenne aurait gagné grâce à un numéro de la chance tirée avant l’affrontement. Les deux adversaires marquaient plusieurs touches doubles, mais le chronomètre restait bloqué sur une seconde. S’en suivaient plusieurs reprises jusqu’à ce que l’Allemande marque le point décisif. La Coréenne restait sur la piste pendant une heure en pleurant. Elle refusait de quitter, mais les plaintes de son équipe avaient été rejetées. Déconcentrée par les événements, elle perdait son duel pour la médaille de bronze dans la même soirée.

Dans d’autres événements, l’équipe allemande était désavantagée. Lors de la finale en heptathlon, le jury allait disqualifier Lilli Schwarzkopf qui venait de remporter la médaille d’argent pour avoir franchie une ligne lors de la course de huit cents mètres. Plus tard, le jury se rendait compte qu’il s’était mêlé entre l’Allemande et une participante russe et accordait la médaille à Lilli Schwarzkopf. C’était un peu la même situation dans la finale du lancer du marteau quand le système n’enregistrait pas le dernier essai de l’Allemande Betty Heidler. Après avoir déclaré l’athlète chinoise Zhang Wenxiu comme gagnante de la médaille de bronze, le jury mesurait de nouveau le dernier lancer à la main, changeait d’opinion et accordait la médaille à Heidler.

En dehors des événements sportifs et après avoir publié des commentaires racistes, deux athlètes grecque et suisse ont été expulsés des jeux. L’athlète allemande Nadja Drygalla a été conseillée de quitter les jeux parce que son petit-ami était membre d’un parti d’extrême-droite allemand, qui n’est pourtant pas interdit. L’athlète s’était toujours distancée de tout commentaire raciste et avait déjà dû abandonner sa carrière comme policière à cause de la mauvaise réputation de son petit-ami. Plus tard, les gens ont su que l’association sportive allemande avait été informée depuis longtemps sans agir pour autant et le petit-ami avait déjà quitté le parti controversé.

            Malgré plusieurs incidents négatifs, les Jeux Olympiques étaient des plus passionnantes et donnent le goût de suivre de près les Jeux olympiques d’hiver de 2014 à Sotchi, une ville russe dans le Caucase bordant la mer Noire.