Ladies and gentlemen!

Last weekend, I assisted the home openers of the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL and of the Ottawa 67's in the OHL. This Saturday, I went all the way to Kanata to watch my Ottawa Senators play their first home game of the NHL season against the New York Rangers. It's a pleasure that the fifth season has started again and I'm looking forward to assisting more hockey games in the near future. Today's result was underwhelming but I'm confident the Ottawa Senators will become a competitive team over the next three to five seasons. Patience will be rewarded. Meanwhile, I hope you will enjoy the pictures I have taken today.

Blink-182 is back in the pop punk game with new studio record Nine. After a nasty split and a hopelessly nostalgic coaster entitled California, the expanded deluxe edition of said album was already a step in the right direction with energetic song material with some actual guitar riffs instead of shallow sing-along passages. Nine is on the same level as comeback record Neighborhoods and its overlooked follow-up extended play Dogs Eating Dogs. The main difference is that Nine is less experimental and more streamlined as it finds the right balance between energetic punk rock vibes and catchy pop melodies.

The former style can be witnessed in the short and pitiless ''Generational Divide'' that goes back to the band's roots and offers ninety-four seconds of relentless excitement that makes listeners crave for more. The latter style is represented with songs such as ''Black Rain'' that has an eerie, longing and almost melodramatic touch with reduced instrumental work and haunting vocals. Several songs on the record are right in between both stylistic divides such as catchy yet dynamic opener ''The First Time''. This mixture of genres yet focus on the band's two stylistic inspirations make the record entertaining and fluid from start to finish without any noteworthy fillers.

The record however still has a few imperfections. The heavily processed lead vocals by Matt Skiba sound so as if a robot were singing instead of a human being. Perhaps the band used these sound effects to sound more modern and follow a trend in contemporary pop music but a more natural sound would have added some energy, identity and soul to the record. While the song writing is decent, the record lacks a few obvious hits that would stand the test of time and still be remembered one or two decades from here. Nine is an entertaining ride while it lasts but its replay value and distinctiveness are rather average.

Still, fans of Blink-182 will get the band's strongest release in eight years and should appreciate the vibrant combination of punk rock, pop music and a few alternative rock elements. Nine is an entertaining record that could easily be played at a party as it offers uplifting music for almost every taste. Let's hope the band sharpens its songwriting skills, gets rid of overproduced sound effects and adds more oomph to deliver not only a very good but an excellent record in the future.

Final rating: 80%

Mesdames et Messieurs!

Avant que l'hiver arrive à grands pas, voici quelques photos du magnifique jardin scolaire du Collège Nouvelles Frontières.

In the thirty-fouth year of its career, Russian heavy metal veterans Ария continue to deliver the goods with this excellent new live record that features eighteen songs and a running time of two hours.

Гость из царства теней, which translates to Guest from the Kingdom of Shadows, convinces for multiple reasons. First of all, the sound is raw, energetic and direct and nothing seems to have been polished at all which makes for a vibrant atmosphere.

Secondly, the Moscovian crowd participates enthusiastically which can especially be heard in the rhythmic heavy metal gallop of ''Герой асфальта'' and the melodic anthem ''Улица роз''.

Thirdly, the band performed on a very high level on that night in late April of this year. The drumming is precise and tight. The bass guitar is domineering and vibrant and the stylistics are obviously inspired by legendary genre bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The guitar work is equally outstanding both regarding the energetic riffs and the soulful solos recalling the likes of Accept and Saxon. The band member that really stands out however is the singer. Most metal bands that have parted ways with their most popular singer and brought in a younger replacement have failed miserably. This isn't the case here at all. Even though I admire the two former singers, the third singer to have recorded full length efforts with Aria might be the most versatile singer in band history. He doesn't only perform the new songs in his epic melodic style but also pulls off the classics so vibrantly that they are as good or even better than the original versions. In addition to this, his interactions with the crowd are pleasant and never get redundant. It's not a surprise that this new singer has even been welcomed very well by more traditionalist fans. It's difficult to imagine a better front man for a heavy metal band.

Fourthly, the set list of this concert is an excellent mixture of more recent material, obscure tunes from the middle years and classics from the early years. Instead of playing fan favourites like ''Игра с огнём'', ''Дай жару!'' or ''Кровь за кровь'', the band has introduced a few changes to the set list. The band offers the fast and gritty ''Тореро'' from its underrated debut album for example. The middle years are represented with the atmospheric ''Обман''. The new era also shines with songs like the brilliant heavy metal epic ''Проклятье морей'' which clocks in with twelve and a half minutes but never ever loses steam.

The only reason why this release didn't get a higher rating is that Ария has already released even more energetic live shows with set lists including even more songs that I admire. I can highly recommend В жёлтом круге арены which was recorded and released seven years ago. Instead of only releasing this new record in digital format for the supporters of a crowdfunding campaign, it would have also been amazing to offer a physical version in form of a double-disc to fans from all around the world.

In the end, Гость из царства теней shows a heavy metal band that has never slowed down and is still as convincing today as it was in its early years. Fans of old date and newcomers should like this release alike. It's also an excellent introduction to Russia's most important heavy metal band that should please fans of Accept, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon and Scorpions to only give five excellent references. Pick this vibrant live album up and let's cross our fingers that the band will come back to Canada one day to play more excellent concerts.

Final rating: 90%