Groovy Aardvark - Sévices Rendus (2005) (9/10)

GROOVY AARDVARK have been one of the first and most important Alternative Rock bands in the Canadian underground scene and especially in Quebec. After 19 years of existence, the band finally split up and delivered a couple of farewell concerts as well as this excellent compilation. This release includes the band’s greatest hits in French and in English like “Dérangeant” or “Rowdy Road People” from the amazing “Vacuum” record, probably the band’s greatest strike.

What really rates this release up is the high amount of rare and bonus material. The record includes a traditional folk tale performed on stage with “Dondaine”, three brand new tracks with “Le Coeur Est Une Bombe”, “Ankylose” and “Balivernes”, two lost tracks from the earlier days of the band with “Gift” and “Service” and the two final tracks “Ants Have No Chance” as well as “The Great Race To Zero” are taken from the band’s first important demo recording which was “Kitsh En Squatt” back in 1989. This release is a well filled treasure chest for new and old fans. The great artwork with some notes written by band leader Vincent Peake is also interesting.

Musically, the band varies in a very high range from energizing and noisy Punk tracks like the party opener “Y’A Tu Kelkun” to atmospheric and transcendent acoustic tracks such as the Experimental grower “Amphibiens”. Even Nu and Groove Metal elements can be found on the album in the quite heavy “Ingurgitus”. The most accessible tracks are though without a doubt the band’s greatest hits in French like the catchy “Dérangeant”, the party folk anthem “Boisson D’Avril” and the cool Folk Metal song “Le P’tit Bonheur” that breathes a very rebellious attitude.

The band also collaborated with different musicians that added their talent to many tracks on this record. The legendary Folk singer Yves Lambert can be heard in the joyful and danceable folk Punk anthem “Boisson D’Avril”. Marc Vaillancourt and his crispy Metal voice can be heard in the Félix Leclerc cover “Le P’tit Bonheur” that gets a refreshing and modern face-lifting in this version. Philippe Mius D’Entremont who would later get famous with the band “Les Ékorchés” alongside with Marc Vaillancourt plays the cello in “Balivernes”. Other featured guests perform choirs, Rap passages, violins, flutes and even a hurdy gurdy. My favourite song on the record is the quite unknown “Gift”, a very progressive track with a catchy chorus and somewhat cryptic and romantic lyrics that make you think a lot.

Even though there are so many guest musicians, the thing that really stands out on this release and on any of the band’s other releases is the talent of singer and bass player Vincent Peake. It’s rare to find bands where bass guitars still have something to say and on this record, it has a lot to say and throws in a lot of addicting grooves, sharp rhythms or danceable beats. He’s truly unique on his instrument and it’s a good thing we can still hear him in different bands nowadays such as “GrimSkunk”, “Kosmos” or “Xavier Caféïne”.

In the end, this record is rather rare to find nowadays but anybody who has enough money and patience should definitely get his or her hands on this incredible compilation of one of the most diversified, surprising and entertaining Rock bands from Quebec.

(Online February 23, 2012)