What could be the point of continuing the series after Jigsaw's spectacular death at the end of the third installment? Many people were skeptical but Saw IV turned out being an unexpected success underlining the franchise's longevity.

This movie convinces with the development of characters formerly perceived as side characters that now become lead charcaters that would not only turn out being important in this particular film but in the entire franchise in general. The two most fascinating characters in this particular film are Officer Daniel Rigg who has become obsessed with stopping Jigsaw's deadly games and Detective Mark Hoffman who is quite the opposite with his rational, factual and cold approach. These two characters complement each other perfectly but also clash quite intriguingly. John Kramer's ex-wife Jill Tuck also has an increasingly important role in this film as she portrays a mysterious woman whose intentions aren't always clear.

The viewers are offered a surprisingly creative plot that cleverly connects with elements from previous installments. This film offers so many clues, details and flashbacks that you have to watch it very carefully and patiently to understand all of its diversified aspects. The movie's conclusion manages once more to come as a complete surprise. The screenwriting of this particular installment might even be the best of the entire franchise.

The film also surprises with an excellent soundtrack that only intensifies its grisly, mysterious and sinister atmosphere. In combination with the precise camera work, the soundtrack accentuates this installment's underlying film noir elements as the viewers follow a gloomy police investigation. The emotional title track was performed by Japanese visual kei veterans X Japan that released their first new single in ten years for this occasion.

Saw IV isn't the greatest film of an excellent franchise but most certainly the most astonishing surprise. All questions seemed to be answered at the end of the intense predecessor but this movie takes the viewers by surprise and can basically be seen as the start of the second season of the franchise that focuses on the events after the serial killer's demise. This movie convinces with an unexpectedly clever plot, profound characters and a strong soundtrack. If you had thought the franchise was finished, better think again and give this outstanding film a chance to blow your mind.

More than thirty-two years after its historical genre-breaking debut record, Northern Haze finally managed to record an unexpected sophomore output. Many things have changed in between these two releases. Original bassist Elijah Kunnuk died of cancer, former singer and guitarist Kolitalik Inukshuk was murdered, the band split up for about ten years, reunited and became a quintet with the addition of not only a new bassist but also a keyboarder, guitarist James Ungalaq took over lead vocals and the quintet recorded ten songs in the dead of winter in Nunavut's capital Iqaluit. One should think that changes and time had a significant impact on the band sound but it turns out they hadn't.

Northern Haze's timeless mixture of blues rock, country rock, hard rock and heavy metal still sounds as warm, motivated and eclectic as it did more than three decades ago. The musicianship has improved slightly and the production sounds clear yet organic this time around but all other trademarks have remained the same as in the group's early years. The guitar riffs are still simple yet efficient. The guitar solos sound emotional rather than skilled. The steady rhythm section forms the solid backbone of the record without being particularly outstanding. The new lead vocalist sounds quite similar to the original singer and convinces with an energetic and melodic approach that blends in perfectly with the multitude of genres covered on this record. The songwriting is fluid, inspired and tight and can generally be described as the band's greatest strength.

The record includes numerous highlights. ''Inuk'' starts the record with a raw opening scream and then flirts with punk rock riffs to evolve into a rhythmic tune that invites to dance and jump around. The track somehow reminds me of energetic Japanese trio Ningen Isu. 

''Angajusakuluk'' shows a completely different side and is deeply rooted in indigenous folk music with appeasing vocals, melodic guitar play and a festive atmosphere that should guarantee this song makes the playlist for any party in the Arctic Circle. This uplifting song could also be a Dropkick Murphys ballad. 

''Tukisi'' starts as melancholic country ballad with expressive vocals that evolves into a dynamic traditional heavy metal tune. It showcases just two of the band's numerous soundscapes in a smooth transition which makes this song the greatest one on this output in my opinion. The transitional song writing makes me think of Blue Öyster Cult.

''Inuusivut II'' goes even further back to the band's own roots as it is the sequel to a song from the band's first album which combines melancholic vocal melodies with energetic hard rock riffs that end the record on a high note. The guitar solo is particularly noteworthy but the drums sound also more adventurous than usual.

It's stunning how Northern Maze managed to keep all the trademarks that made it so unique more than three decades ago and transported them into a completely different era without ever sounding old-fashioned. The Inuit quintet offers timeless rock music that borrows as much from country music as it does from punk rock and heavy blues rock. While metal purists might have trouble appreciating the record's stunning diversity, it's a particularly rewarding release for rock fans around the world since the ten tracks included here have a lot of replay value because they are filled with much creativity without ever missing the point. Northern Haze isn't just a great band because of its historical status but truly an outstanding rock band that is very enjoyable to listen to.

Final rating: 90%

Northern Haze was a quartet of Inuit musicians from the remote hamlet of Igloolik who had collaborated in various bands throughout the seventies before joining forces in Northern Haze. The band finished second in a talent show in Iqaluit but managed to attract enough attention to be given the chance to record its debut record in Ottawa just one year after its foundation. It took roughly another year for this debut album to see the light of day and the band played festivals in Yellowknife and Vancouver to support the release. This album is believed to be the first-ever indigenous-language rock album. The band made its dream come true with the release of this album but members of their community criticized the four young men for mixing traditional Inuit music and tales with contemporary Western music somewhere between heavy metal, hard rock and country music.

The most outstanding element about the album are the melodic vocals that are inspired by a cool rock and roll spirit. The energetic guitar solos vary between blues and hard rock genres and are performed with passion even though the skills are still fairly limited. The rhythm section is the steady backbone of the raw record. The four musicians were supported keyboarder Ed Simm and Randall Prescott on harmonica during the recording sessions and their instruments add even more diversity to an already interesting release.

Highlights on this passionate debut record are the short and heavy opener ''Qailaurit'' inspired by early doom and heavy metal, the vivid ''Puigo'' with its outstanding guitar solo and atmospheric keyboard layers, the only track with English lyrics entitled ''Trust'' that comes around as haunting country ballad with melancholic piano sounds and peaceful acoustic guitar sounds and heartwarming timeless closing country tune ''Uvaguk'' with its beautiful harmonica sounds that could easily play in any pub around the world. Despite the rough production and the northern background of the band, this album has an infectious passion and warmth. 

Metal purists might have some trouble with this record that combines blues rock, country rock, doom metal, hard rock and heavy metal but any rock music enthusiast with an open mind should listen to this historical record that has stood the test of time and still sounds particularly entertaining nowadays. The band didn't have the financial means to record another record for a long period of time and seemed to have fallen apart when their bassist died of cancer and their singer got murdered about a decade ago. The band however reunited with two new members only two years ago and actually released its sophomore record thirty-two years after its first strike. The adventurous rock and roll spirit that led to the band's first genre-breaking output has been rekindled. The rock and roll flame is still burning in the Far North. Let's hope it will never be extinguished.

Final rating: 80%

Listen to the album via Bandcamp: https://northernhaze.bandcamp.com/releases

Ladies and gentlemen!

I have decided to make it a tradition to present my personal awards for the past cinematic year in late January. Here are the movies that have impressed me most in their respective categories between January first 2018 and December thirty-first 2018. 

Best Original Song: Venom by Eminem

Best Original Score: BlacKkKlansman

Best Sound Editing: A Quiet Place

Best Sound Mixing: Bad Times at the El Royale

Best Visual Effects: Alpha

Best Film Editing: BlacKkKlansman

Best Costume Design: Rampant

Best Makeup and Hairstyling: Thugs of Hindostan

Best Cinematography: Roma

Best Animated Feature Film: Isle of Dogs

Best Foreign Language Film: Champion

Best Adapted Screenplay: BlacKkKlansman

Best Original Screenplay: A or B

Best Supporting Actress: Sasaki Miyu in Shoplifters

Best Supporting Actor: Kairi Jyo in Shoplifters

Best Actress: Yalitza Aparicio in Roma

Best Actor: Aamir Khan in Thugs of Hindostan

Best Director: Ren Pengyuan in A or B

Best Picture: Champion

Longhouse is a doom metal trio from Ottawa named after the type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room buildings of the Iroquois tribes. The lyrics also reference the unsettling history of the relationships between Canadian First Nations and white settlers. Title track ''Vanishing'' talks about the cruel fate of numerous vanished First Nations members, particularly women, who still get kidnapped, abused and buried in the woods as we speak. ''No Name, No Marker'' references the abuse that religious institutions made First Nations go through in order to assimilate them, dishonour their cultures and tear their families apart. The process of reconciliation has progressed in Canada over the past few years but the scars remain even after the wounds have healed. Lyrics like these are instructive, meaningful and relevant.

The music is as bleak and desperate as it needs to be in order to express the unspeakable sorrows First Nations all around the world have gone through. Longhouse plays uneasy funeral doom with thunderous guitar riffs, a steady, heavy and almost burdening rhythm section and fierce guttural vocals. The drowning darkness is at times intertwined with sorrowful psychedelic guitar effects. 

The brilliant album closer ''The Vigil'' works best in that regard and is an epic doom metal monster going beyond the ten-minute mark. Longhouse collaborated with genre colleagues Loviatar on this track. Their guitarist Shane Whitbread performs additional guitars and bleak keyboard sounds in the track's haunting finale. Loviatar's singer J.D. Gobeil adds his haunting and psychedelic mantra-like clean vocals that contrast yet harmonize the guttural performance by Josh Cayer perfectly. It's great to see that Ottawa's small but impressive doom metal scene is so tight-knit.

Longhouse's debut record Earth from Water was already gripping but its second output Vanishing is a great leap forward. The drum sound has improved, the song writing has become more ambitious and the vocals sound grittier than before. In addition to this, the lyrics are haunting and inspiring. This album was even nominated for a Juno Award, the Canadian price for outstanding achievements in the record industry. Give this band and especially this particular album a chance.

Final rating: 90%