THE TOXICS are a Canadian Blues and Hard Rock underground band from the Saguenay region that opened for VOIVOD a few years ago. Back in the days, I adored the band’s passionate, short and simple tracks that though had some impressing instrumental parts. I wanted to know more about the band but they neither had a true merchandise apart of one shirt nor a real album released. Over the next years, there weren’t much information about the band and they didn’t really play many concerts. At one moment, I was quite sure that they had split up when I stumbled by nostalgic coincidence over a short note on their tiny Facebook site that said that the band had released a self-made record that was available upon request or at one local record store. I entered the store and grabbed this record including thirteen tracks varying between a little bit more than two and a little bit more than five minutes.

At first sight, the cover artwork is well done and intriguing enough but the band missed an occasion to put a booklet inside or at least a picture of the band members or a sticker. This band really doesn’t seem to want to sell their record. That’s quite sad because what we have here is a quite solid release.

The album kicks off with a great Hard Rock track called “Let Me Up” that makes me think of AC/DC or also ZZ TOP, but especially some harder stuff from ZUCCHERO also comes on my mind from a purely instrumental point of view. Most of the following songs are less Hard Rock orientated and vary between Blues Rock and well done Rock ‘n’ Roll. The three musicians are very talented and this record includes many well performed guitar solos, a very strong bass guitar sound and a versatile drumming. The weak point of this band is though the song writing as many tracks just sound alike and can’t stand out. The musical potential is definitely there but the final result sometimes feels a little bit mellow. The record would need a few more experiments in the key of “Every Road Comes to You” for example that is a laid back Blues Rock ballad with some longing Country emotions. The track is quite calm and simple from an instrumental point of view but that’s what it takes to stand out and the song definitely has its certain kind of magic.

In the end, I’m happy to have rediscovered this forgotten underground band and to have purchased this quite rare item. Hard and Blues Rock fans should definitely try their music out as the musicians in here are very versatile and most of the tracks are energizing enough to invite you to listen to this record in one shot.

(Online October 25, 2012)

YOUR LAST WISH is a band that was formed in Montreal in 2003 and that started to get itself a name in the underground Metal scene with their first self-entitled studio record in 2007. After this release, many members though quit the band and only lead guitarist David Gagné remained. Four years later, the band had survived and is now back with a brand new line-up. The most obvious change is that the original singer Martin Lalonde has been replaced by Roxana Bouchard, a young female singer from Quebec with Peruvian roots. The young woman who also works for Apocalypse Productions and who seems to be involved in different underground music projects such as SOCIAL FICTION or VIRULYS varies from higher and almost blackened screams to deeper growls. Personally, I think her technique sounds much more natural and diversified as the style of an Angela Gossow of ARCH ENEMY for example even though they will probably often be compared to them as many critics happen to lack of imagination.

Anyway, this little EP we have here is some sort of a promotional appetizer for the new record “Desolation” that saw the light of day a couple of months ago. The three songs we get in here are not outstanding or innovating but technically diversified and also emotional enough to make me want to try out their full length release and try to see them in concert. The band is definitely a little bit harder than other Melodic Death Metal bands without getting too close to the ordinary Brutal Death Metal genre or an atmospheric interpretation of the Black Metal genre. In fact, this band is already on its way to find its very own style instead of trying to sound popular which is a positive aspect of their musicianship.

“Authistic Mind” kicks the record off in a quite good way. It starts with a short bass dominated introduction before some versatile drums kick in and may even surprise you a little bit. After a few seconds of innovation a rather odd guitar riffs starts that is accompanied by a powerful and long scream and some pitiless vocals that keep the energy of this opener on a high level. Finally, even the guitars join the blistering vocals, the pitiless drumming and the humming bass guitar. Some more melodic and even almost progressive guitar tones take the lead and let us forget the monotonous and even disappointingly misplaced opening riff. That’s where one realizes that the whole band has got some great potential to offer.

The title song “Collision Course” is as good as the opener and confronts fast and hectic passages with a few slower and sometimes even heavier parts. The highly emotional vocals stand out once again but this time the guitars also shine. The track includes a very well done down tuned solo that gets more and more melodic and classic metal orientated towards the end. This progressive transition sounds indeed very intriguing and different from the things I usually happen to hear in this genre.

“Creep” is finally a very technical and brutal Melodic Death Metal track including a couple of intriguing breaks and small but smartly done rhythm changes. Especially the variable vocals make this track once again somewhat interesting and save it from an average song. It’s the weakest song out of the three but still enjoyable to listen to.

In the end, we only get three short tracks on this release but they are enough for me to realize that YOUR LAST WISH are musically talented and that they have a quite outstanding vocalist. The song writing is already quite good but could still improve with a few experiments as all musicians have their shining moments on here. Melodic Death Metal fans should immediately grab this little collector’s item if they can get it and should also try to catch the band up live. Let’s hope that they’ll also make it up to the Saguenay region and elsewhere in the province to spread their name and promote their new release.

(Online October 24, 2012)

Thirty-two years after their foundation, the Japanese Heavy Metal legend LOUDNESS still rocks loud and proud on this twenty-sixth studio album. The band still manages to sound fresh and hungry and some tracks are even heavier than what they have done in their most successful era between the mid-eighties and the early nineties. As there are no ballads on this release, this might even be among the hardest records the band has ever released in its long career. The lyrics of the energizing hymn gMemento Morih precisely explain the attitude of LOUDNESS: "Let me tell you something – tomorrowfs another day – and yesterdayfs away – no matter how fast you run – your life is only once." LOUDNESS really do apply this "Carpe Diem" ideology and deliver one of their best records ever on here.

The only problem is that many of those energizing tracks sound quite similar. We get crunchy and often simplistic mid-tempo riffs, a refreshingly and vividly pumping bass guitar, a tight but mostly unspectacular drumming and angry raspy vocals singing a couple of catchy and simple hooks. The songs are all great of you take them as single tracks but as a whole they turn out to sound a little bit repetitive. As highlights, I might cite first of all the great opener "The Stronger" that takes no prisoners and shows that these guys never get old. Especially "Driving Force" has a perfect title and features an amazing bass guitar break as well as one of the best and most melodic guitar solos on the entire record. The homage to the late Ronnie James Dio in form of "The Voice Of Metal" is an excellent old school Heavy Metal track with some sing along passages and a few Doom Metal influences that also come back in the quite dark and heavy "Who the Hell Cares".

Towards the end of this excellent record, the band even tries out a few more obvious experiments. First of all, there are two instrumentals in form of the mythic and slightly folk influenced "Spirit From The East" that shows us a completely new side of the band and then we also get "Out Of The Space" that sounds indeed a little bit Doom Metal and Ambient influenced and has a slightly transcending or spacey sound. The bonus track "Deep-Six the Law" starts with a great spacey instrumental passage and turns into a bass dominated Doom Metal part before the song gets even heavier and more grounded with really pissed off vocals and a lot of energy. This track happens to be one of the best songs on an absolutely outstanding release.

Shame over you, if you have forgotten LOUDNESS over the years! These guys still rock out and easily beat their Western counterparts these days. If the Mayan prophecy turns out to be true, this band would have at least left planet Earth with one of their best records ever done and a solid dose of energizing and never old fashioned Heavy Metal. It'fs a sad thing these guys are often ignored by Western media and as long as this continues I will try to put them back on your map.

(Online October 23, 2012)

KATATONIA is one of those bands I’ve often stumbled over in diverse reviews, in interviews, or in many talks with other Metal fans around the whole wide world but for no truly valid reason I’ve never managed to give them a try until now. The band is though often compared to some of my favorite acts of all times such as the now split-up French Progressive Gothic Metal band THE OLD DEAD TREE, the dark Horror Metal duo of THE VISION BLEAK, or even the highly diversified Melodic Metal act AMORPHIS. Finally, the band’s brand new release was the perfect occasion for me to try out this Swedish quintet. The cover artwork, the booklet and even the song titles seemed promising enough for an atmospheric and profound release and that’s why I took the risk to buy this album straight away.

I guess this wasn’t the best decision I’ve ever taken. I’m negatively surprised by the faceless and weak production, the similar and unspectacular song structures and the lack of energy. Most tracks are simply keyboard driven and lack of crunching vocals, emotional guitar riffs or any progressive tones. I wouldn’t even call this a Metal record but rather a Depressive Rock release without guts. I thought that this release would grow on me and many fans said that this album would need ten or fifteen spins at least before one would appreciate it but if it takes so long it probably means that you really want it to be good and listen to it often enough to drown your disappointment in floating depression. I gave this album about five spins and gave up. My time is definitely too precious to waste another ten hours on it.

This all sounds quite negative but I’m aware that there are still a couple of good tracks on here. “The One You Are Looking For Is Not Here” is a surprisingly warm and charming half ballad where the guest vocals of THE GATHERING’s new singer Silje Wergeland fit well to those of Jonas Renske. The track though sounds a little bit too much like a more recent KAMELOT duet and the Swedish band should have made something more unique out of this collaboration.

The strongest track on this release comes around with the closing “Dead Letters” in my humble opinion that features some small but efficient electronic samples and distorted vocals as well as a dark and intriguing riff. If you have purchased the limited edition, the song “The Act of Darkening” also happens to be quite decent with interesting drum patterns and a focus on acoustic guitar harmonies that give the song a longing campfire atmosphere.

A few other tracks are acceptable and there isn’t a really true stinker on here, too but the band doesn’t manage to really stay on my mind or leave a deeper impression. I’m not an expert of KATATONIA but this album here is only of an average quality and it didn’t make me want to discover more of this band even though they are so often compared to some of my favorite artists.

(Online October 21, 2012)

Apart of OSTFRONT, UNZUCHT are right now probably the most promoted newcomer of the Neue Deutsche Härte genre that desperately needs some new names and a little bit of innovation. The German band had already recorded a couple of previous EPs but this one got better promoted and put them on the map of the German Gothic and Alternative Rock scene. The four tracks plus two remixes are in fact an appetizer for the full length release “Todsünde 8” that just came out a few weeks ago.

What I like about the band is the good use of melodic vocals instead of the rather martial and stereotypical performances by bands such as MEGAHERZ or RAMMSTEIN in some tracks. Even though the band employs some quite heavy Industrial riffs, the catchy moments clearly dominate thanks to a couple of danceable Darkwave sounds and the addicting vocals. Especially the title track “Deine Zeit läuft ab” won’t soon get out of your mind once you’ve heard it.

The band also shows its musical talent as in “Fleisch” where the sound varies between distorted vocals over quite chaotic beats and more laid back passages with dreamy piano sounds. From a purely technical point of view, this track is definitely the highlight of the EP.

“Laio” then shows a more Gothic Rock orientated touch with some Darkwave elements and could also please to fans of HIM, MONO INC., ROTERFELD, THE 69 EYES or THE RASMUS. During the next festival summer, this track should easily become a new fan favourite.

Finally, the band hymn “Unzucht” is the heaviest track on here and reminds more of a classic Neue Deutsche Härte sound that could also come from EISBRECHER, EMIGRATE or OOMPH!. There are though still some melodic vocals in the pre-chorus that makes this song stand out even though it’s not as unique as the other three ones.

In the end, each track is quite catchy and mixes heavy guitars with danceable Darkwave beats and quite variable vocals that are sometimes too traditional but at other moments melodic and unique enough to give the band an own identity. I would though rather recommend purchasing the full length release that includes the tracks “Deine Zeit läuft ab” and also “Unzucht”. It’s a little bit too expensive to pay ten bucks for two good but not outstanding remixes and only two real non-album tracks even though these happen to be quite solid. Try to download the bonus tracks on here legally and then lose no time and head for the main release “Todsünde 8”.

(Online October 19, 2012)