Ladies and gentlemen,

Here are a few pictures taken on the first day of my short Easter road trip that led me from Gatineau, Quebec to Pembroke, Ontario.

Luskville Falls in Gatineau Park, Quebec.

Look of the Ottawa River in Campbell's Bay, Quebec.

Pont Marchand Mansfield in Mansefield-et-Pontefract, Quebec.

View of Cotnam Island, Ontario.

Diocese of Pembroke and St. Columbkille Cathedral in Pembroke, Ontario.

Pembroke Waterfront Park in the evening in Pembroke, Ontario.

 Pembroke Marina in Pembroke, Ontario.

Ottawa River in Pembroke, Ontario.

Muksrat River in Pembroke, Ontario.

War Memorial in Pembroke, Ontario.

One of thirty historic murals in and around Pembroke, Ontario.

Renfrew County Courthouse and Wesley United Church in Pembroke, Ontario.

Bridges in downtown Pembroke, Ontario.

The young heavy metal quartet Klaymore from Penssylvania claims to be justifiably pissed. Apart of the off-puttingly boring cover artwork, there is no reason for them to be unnecessarily frustrated because their new EP is convincingly great. The band still performs passionately energizing heavy metal that mixes traditional trademarks with a contemporarily juvenile edge. Damn, I need to stop with this writing style. Okay, let's get to the point. The quartet has slightly increased its thrash metal influences and abandoned the few power metal inspired synth sounds of the predecessor on this release. The song writing has become even more concise and professional. The six new songs clock in at less than twenty minutes but they don't include any useless lengths.

The opener "Burn" happens to be my favourite song on this output. The riffs in the verses as well as the fast guitar solo in the bridge are sharp and slightly thrash metal inspired. The bass guitar is audible in the right moments and the drumming is quite tight even though its sound is still a little bit muddy. The chorus is quite catchy but it doesn't mean it's simple. This has somehow become a trademark of the band as their choruses are quite addicting and only need a few spins to get stuck on your mind. The vocals are quite versatile and have sometimes a melodic and strained tone and at other times they successfully try out a few almost screamed and more high-pitched passages. Overall, the vocals sound less nasal and more versatile than before. They recall a juvenile mixture of Rob Halford and James Hetfield in their beginnings. There are also enough creative song writing ideas to make this track one of the very best in the band's career.

This release has a clear guiding line which consists of short up-tempo heavy metal tracks with catchy choruses about complicated relationships garnished with a more fantasy themed tune as album closer. The shortest song on here is "Out of Sight" with a length of only two and a half minutes. Still, the track includes angry verses with tight riffs, a catchy chorus with strong gang shouts and a bridge with a melodic guitar solo. Nothing feels rushed and everything sounds to the point. These guys exactly know what they do and where they want to go with their sound which is quite rare at their young age. This song should be introduced at music schools to show how to write a concise and efficient rock song without any avantgarde-progressive-symphonic gimmicks. I actually like these kinds of gimmicks but they don't fit to this kind of music and Klaymore seem to have understood this.

What I would have liked to hear on this short effort though are one or two songs that sound a little bit different. I obviously don't mean a symphonic death metal song sung in Russian with monk choirs and two classically trained orchestras that hits the ten-minute mark but maybe there could have been an even faster power or thrash metal infused track or a slightly slower and more atmospheric track like "Haunted" or even "Home" on the previous output. The closing "Demons" comes closest to this and opens with a more atmospheric guitar tone and a great dominant bass guitar but quickly turns into another mid-tempo heavy metal song in the key of the previous five tracks. Don't get me wrong, all songs on here are really great but one or two more distinctive tunes would have made an amazing record even more excellent. 

I have recently been introduced to several horribly overrated heavy metal revival bands (namely Battle Beast and Beyond The Black) that simply copy their idols by biased festivals, labels and magazines and let me tell you that it's a true relief to listen to these guys here because they aren't just following a trend but they really breathe, sweat and transmit the soul of heavy metal. This quartet from Penssylvania might not become famous because they don't have a cute female lead singer, their music videos aren't made by Patric Ullaeus who is the James Cameron among the music video directors (which isn't exactly a compliment in my book) and they aren't signed to Nuclear Blast to release their records in five different versions including digipacks with instrumental versions, mediabooks with cheap digital camera photos from some dirty backstages in a 64-page booklet and limited pink vinyls with yellow dots that are only available in Japan. This is handmade music with a concept, heart and soul and those who already like the band will faithfully continue following their career instead of jumping on the bandwagon and find another band. Now, I guess I'm justifiably pissed. Anyway, go and check these sympathetic guys out right away.

"Condoléances" is the third studio record by experimental black metal band Putamen Insula from Montreal that recently announced that this release marks the end of an era or even of the formation in general. On these final six tracks, the band moves further away from its crust punk influences and even from depressive black metal as it is traditionally known. These three eccentric weirdos underline their unique reputation in the scene by breaking completely free as they create something which is incredibly tough to categorize. They may even invent something completely new in the extreme metal genre. 

The charismatic desperate, throaty growls and shrieks are the only remnants of the band's first releases but the album also features occasional occult clean vocal passages. The guitar sound is surprisingly clean and harmonious but not in a catchy or joyous way but in a hypnotizing and longing tone. Occasional doom metal or even distorted drone influences can still be found but all tracks are dominated by mid-tempo passages that could rather be described as depressive rock music. Some melodies even remind me of bands like Katatonia to give you an idea. The guitar tones and vocals are incredibly haunting while the rhythm section is less present but varies still between downing, elegiac and stolid passages and a few rare up-tempo parts that sound monotonous, plodding and slumberous. This is not due to a lack of technical capacities but adds in fact much to the intended depressive atmosphere.

I must point out the opening tune and my favourite track on this release called "Vers les ténèbres" which is a song with a lot of soul. The elegiac and melancholic guitar melody is so intense that it sends shivers down my spine and carries the song alone. The simplistic yet efficient melody simply won't let you go. Some depressive and dull up-tempo breaks add some more depth between the different melodic verses. The vocals are absolutely incredible as they really sound as if they came from a tormented mind which is crying out its malaise in unchained despair. The entire tune is a haunting striptease of a deranged soul and probably one of the very best attempts at creating a soundtrack for emotional negativity.

All elements perfectly complement each other and harmonize better than ever before. Lyrics and vocals, electric guitar, bass guitar as well as drums and percussion create a coherent, emotional and haunting negative atmosphere. This album might have less outstanding tracks than the two predecessors but it works even better as a whole. This is the kind of record to listen to in one shot as the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. "Condoléances" is probably Putamen Insula's least accessible and diversified release. It definitely requests more attention than the previous outputs. After all, it's though the band's most intellectual, profound and structured record. It sounds different from everything the band has done before but it still includes the bleak feeling of pure despair that characterizes the band's entire discography. In the end, the final rating is nothing more than a blurry idea as it's really tough to evaluate this release. Personally, I might prefer the diversity of the previous release which was close to perfection in its own style but I think I do understand this record here as something different that goes beyond the limits of the previous outputs and the genre as a whole. You simply should try it out on your own and open up your mind if you dare.

It would be an irreparable loss for the great black metal scene of the province if the band really decides to call it quits this year but in terms of quality, this courageously genre-breaking and at the same time progressively genre-defining record would be a conciliatory farewell and an eternal milestone of a unique kind of music created by these isolated, misunderstood and overlooked artists. Artistically, this is probably already the most relevant extreme metal release of the year, so make sure to get your hands on this rare masterpiece and show this underground trio some well-deserved appreciation.

Therion’s mastermind Christofer Johnsson wouldn’t be himself if he didn’t try out a few new experiments with each record. The first release of the new millennium marks the addition of the Niemann brothers (consisting of guitarist Kristian [Sorcerer] and bassist Johan [Evergrey, Mind’s Eye]) to the line-up of this eclectic project. Both would go on to stay with the band for the next four records in addition to this release, which brought some stability to an ever-changing project. The third new member on Deggial is drummer Sami Karppinen, who would only stay for two full studio records, but remains connected to the project, as he recently played on a tour and helped out with editing and engineering of the last studio album to date. In addition to these three new band members, a total of twenty-three session musicians and singers from all around the world participated on this release. This album follows the style of Theli and Vovin, even though Christofer Johnsson has progressively modified the sound of the band over these three releases.

Deggial is once again a record where classical music and heavy metal harmoniously collide in nearly equal parts. I would say however that this is the very first time on a Therion album that the classical influences are much more powerful and more important to the song writing than the heavy metal passages. From this point of view, this album is almost a revolution in the symphonic metal genre. Still, there are some important differences between Vovin and Deggial. The guitar play is a little bit more in the foreground on this release. Many tracks come around with appeasing acoustic guitar passages, strong heavy metal inspired riffs, or even psychedelic guitar sounds inspired by classic progressive rock acts. The occasional extreme metal riffs hearkening back to the band’s early days are completely gone. Another difference between this release and its predecessor is that vocal duties are shared by classically trained female and male choirs in equal parts. They either work separately in different passages of a given song or together, mainly in the choruses. Solo singers and more conventional rock and metal vocals only appear in a few exceptional cases on the record. The most interesting exception is Hansi Kürsch’s presence on the powerful “Flesh Of The Gods”. I always liked his unique vocal style, but it rarely works for me in the unnecessarily fast and overloaded tunes of Blind Guardian. In this short and concise mid-tempo track however, his vocals work very well for me. The song doesn’t really fit to the rest of the album but it’s still an amazing track.

Even though most of the songs on here fail to touch me as much as those on Theli or to impress me musically as those on Vovin, Deggial is a great album with several notable highlights. The title track includes very hypnotizing, numbing, and psychedelic guitar play that builds up a strong atmosphere before the airy and uplifting chorus comes in as a sort of relief from this mysterious feeling with its acoustic guitars and elegant choirs. Even from such an eclectic band as Therion, I have never heard anything similar before or after this record. Another instant classic is the album’s epic closer “Via Nocturna” in two parts, which convinces with sacral organ sounds, melancholic string passages, a few uplifting woodwind instruments, and an excellent combination of male and female choirs. This is nearly a contemporary masterpiece of classical music, and the metal side of this tune is only one element among many others. Many tracks, like the elegiac epic “Eternal Return”, which features some solid riffs reminding me of Iron Maiden’s “Mother Russia”, or the laid-back acoustic guitar and string-driven ballad “Ship Of Luna” are quite calm, slow- to mid-paced, and may take more time to grow on the listener than the songs from the two prior albums. It’s this calmer, more classical, and more elegant tone, however, that makes this record truly unique in Therion’s extensive discography.

There are many different editions of this record. Most editions include a powerful cover of Carl Orff’s famous “O Fortuna” from his scenic cantata “Carmina Burana” which was maybe the most important work of classical music made in the twentieth century. A 2001 version of the record by Irond Records is probably the most interesting, and includes an additional bonus track – the enjoyable Scorpions cover “Crying Days” (although some sources wrongfully indicate this song as being “Polar Nights”). Personally, I own the 2004 Mexican digipack version by Scarecrow Records, which includes “O Fortuna” as well as three more tracks taken from “Crowning Of Atlantis”: the studio version of “The Crowning Of Atlantis”, the live rendition of “The Wings Of The Hydra”, and the Accept cover “Seawinds”. No matter which version you may get your hands on, I warmly recommend this release to any symphonic metal fan. This album is another highlight in Therion’s streak of impressive regular studio albums.

Septicflesh was one of the most experimental extreme metal bands in the nineties along with Amorphis, Moonspell and Therion. Before the band adapted its slightly repetitive symphonic death metal sound, they had tried out many interesting experiments and this overlooked and underrated record is one of them. Less than two years ago, almost all old albums of the band were rereleased but this album here didn't get such a treatment for reasons which I ignore. I would suggest true fans to try and get their hands on the limited reissue by Holy Records with three bonus tracks which came out ten years ago and which has become a true collector's item. The additional songs fit well to the regular output as well.

"Revolution DNA" is a logical follow-up to "A Fallen Temple" which had featured a few new tracks, some rerecorded material and a couple of purely symphonic and quite theatrical tunes. The new songs on that album had a clear penchant for gothic metal with a few psychedelic influences. The new album follows this path and recalls bands such as Moonspell, Paradise Lost and even Type 0 Negative. 

"Science" opens with weird space sound effects and some electronic elements before a longing yet heavy riff somewhere between doom metal and melodic gothic metal kicks in. The verses feature almost spoken-word male growls that sound mellower than on the predecessor but which add a new dimension to the band's sound. The pre-chorus and chorus are dominated by melodic and slightly nasal clean male vocals. The refrain is in fact one of the catchiest on the entire album along with the epic and harmonious "Nephilim Sons" and recalls the great "Brotherhood of the Fallen Knights" from the previous output. 

The second track "Chaostar" is more influenced by "The Eldest Cosmonaut" and focuses much more on the dystopian space sounds with a dominant base guitar, weird distorted guitar sounds, the dominant use of electronica and haunting spoken-word growls. The song is confusing at first contact, highly experimental and unpredictably weird but its dark atmosphere and the haunting clean guitar riffs add depth, intellect and soul to the song which would perfectly fit on the soundtrack of an independant science-fiction-horror movie. The elegiac "Last Step to Nowhere" would also be a strong candidate for such a score. 

Early fans of the band should not worry though. Along with melodic gothic metal tracks and experimental space metal sound collages, the band still goes back to its early days with a few meaner, heavier and faster tracks fetauring powerful growls as in the short but efficient "Radioactive" or the almost industrial metal orientated stomper "Dictatorship of the Mediocre".

The mixture of these three styles works amazingly on the album. It sounds coherent and structured yet experimental and refreshingly open-minded. The album has a haunting and almost progressive atmosphere that sucks you in right from the start and never lets you go. It's the kind of album where it's tough to pick any highlights or weaker tracks. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. I highly suggest you to listen to this album in one single shoot to understand its magic and majesty. The record never gets boring over a running time of one hour or even seventy-three minutes if you have the limited reissue. Even though it's hard to compare this album to the compilation-like predecessor, I would call both albums essential releases of the band which are pretty much on the same level. In my opinion, this record might not be the very best gothic metal record ever released but it surely is a solid candidate for the podium and clearly among the ten most interesting releases of its genre.