Ladies and gentlemen,

This is the second out of three parts revisiting the numerous concerts I have attended in Montreal and Ottawa over the past few months. There are many more to come in November with Ghost, In Flames. Sonata Arctica to only name a few. Here we go again. 

Most of the following pictures were shot during a show involving numerous bands at Foufounes Électriques in Montreal. I attended this show with a friend and we had a great time. The line-up consisted mostly of progressive metal bands with some of them being entirely instrumental and featuring some outstanding musicianship. The opening group featured in this picture is called Cenograph. They were one of the very best opening acts I have ever seen. They convinced with numbing, melancholic and melodic compositions reaching lengths around ten minutes without ever getting boring. If you like mellower progressive metal with an intellectual side, go check out their Bandcamp presence: https://cenograph.bandcamp.com/ 

Up next were instrumental progressive metal band Unbeing. This band has released the very best record of 2016 so far called Ceres in my opinion. Just like Spacemak3r a few weeks earlier, this underground group doesn't play a lot of shows, so I couldn't miss out on this opportunity. This band didn't disappoint. The atmosphere of the songs was gripping and found a perfect balance between heavier and liberating parts on one side and mellower and hypnotizing structures on the other side. The group offered a great selection of tracks from all its records so far. The members are all absolutely outstanding musicians and proved it in concert without forgetting to interact sympathetically with the crowd here and there. Overall, the band's slot on this long night was one of the best moments in concert of the year in my book. If you're interested in hearing more of them, please check out my reviews for their first three albums.

Unbeing (2011): http://kluseba.eklablog.com/unbeing-unbeing-2011-diversified-instrumentals-with-a-soul-of-sadness--a47774677

Raptus (2014): http://kluseba.eklablog.com/metro-2014-a-review-of-unbeing-s-raptus-a125900918

Ceres (2016): http://kluseba.eklablog.com/join-the-revolution-a-review-of-unbeing-s-ceres-a126183414

The third band of the night was rather different from the previous two groups. Gone in April are a classic gothic metal band featuring a classically trained female vocalist and a supporting male vocalist adding some harsh parts here and there. In the beginning I thought this band didn't really blend in but I enjoyed the group's show quite a bit because it offered a breath of fresh air that night. Since I'm a gothic metal fan, I appreciated the band's performance that stood out with a strong female main vocalist, some violin play in the mellower tracks and a few slightly progressive structures here and there. I purchased the band's two records so far for a reasonable price after the show and didn't regret it.

Before headliners Kreise, which would offer some alternative metal in the key of System of a Down, hit the stage, one last progressive metal band with some more outstanding musicians would amaze the crowd in Montreal. Cydemind stands out with an overall softer tone supported by melancholic violin parts and a more dominant use of keyboards. The band was able to create a truly dreamy, enchanting and mysterious atmosphere and the crowd responded really well to this. The band was on one level with Cenograph and Unbeing, slightly above Gone in April and clearly above Kreise. This was another great discovery and I also purchased this group's EP after the show.

This picture was taken a few weeks later during a show of international folk metal act Tengger Cavalry at Maverick in downtown Ottawa. The founding member Zhang Tianran is the only remaining member of the original line-up from the People's Republic of China which had come together six years earlier. The band had risen to fame thanks to its unique Mongolian folk metal style and a clever use of social media. Zhang Tianran is now living in the United States of America and has joined forces with four different international musicians. Sadly, only two musicians accompanied him on Tengger Cavalry's tour through North America which resulted in the fact that a lot of instrumental passages came from a tape during the show. I also got the impression that the chemistry between Zhang Tianran on traditional instruments, guitars and vocals and his hired guns Alex Abayev on bass and Jogh Schifris on drums wasn't always the best. After a difficult start, the band got better and better towards the end and the crowd cheered, danced and moshed along to the exotic songs. Even though Tengger Cavalry's performance was far from being the best I have witnessed this year, it was definitely a unique experience to hear this kind of music in concert. The opening groups Black Oak Decline and Incite had been rather forgettable though.

Once again, here are a few videos from the shows I have just described above.

Cenograph:

Unbeing:

Gone in April:

Cydemind:

Kreise:

Ladies and gentlemen,

I have attended numerous concerts over the past two months and before I start losing track of them, I simply wanted to post a few pictures of these shows in Montreal and Ottawa with a couple of comments on each band. I will also write a longer and separate report about the show of Disturbed, Chevelle and Nothing More very soon. Here we go.

This band is called Michael's Laundry and I saw them as an opening act for Spacemak3r at Foufounes Électriques (still the weirdest name for a venue I have ever known) in Montreal. The band plays an entertaining mixture of electronic and industrial rock. Imagine a mellower version of Rob Zombie and you might have a slight idea. The group's performance was solid but not outstanding.

I know this picture isn't particularly great but it was the best I was able to shoot with my old cell phone in a dark venue filled with smoke. The group is called Graveyard Strippers. They play a mixture of industrial and nu metal. While the band performance itself was rather average, they put on a great show with a lot of background dancers, make up and massive posing.

This group is called Porn and they are a tribute band to nu metal pioneers Korn. They mostly played some older material from their idols and did a quite a good job. I'm not a massive Korn fan but the short set of this cover band was performed very well.

Hollow is a symphonic black metal band in the key of Dimmu Borgir and the likes. I don't know if it's a coincidence but this band has a song called ''Cryptic Howling'' while the symphonic black metal band Cryptik Howling from Rouyn-Noranda has a song called ''Hollow'' which was supported by a very cool video clip five years ago:

This video makes me think about this cult scene from the movie Blue Velvet from 1986 by David Lynch who still is one of my favorite directors:

I know, I'm missing the point here. Where was I? Oh, yes, Hollow. Their show was good, why? I bought their latest record Mordrake as well: bleak, intellectual and intense.

This is the reason why my friend Charles and I went to this concert in Montreal: Spacemak3r. We are both massive fans of this group that doesn't play a lot of concerts, so we didn't hesitate when we heard that they would play one of their rare shows in Montreal. It's almost impossible to describe this band accurately but if you want to get a better idea, I would invite you to read my two reviews of their two studio records.

Spacemak3r: http://kluseba.eklablog.com/spacemak3r-spacemak3r-2010-10-10-a58676735

Spacemak3r II: http://kluseba.eklablog.com/poor-alex-lucky-listener-a-review-of-spacemak3r-s-spacemak3r-ii-a117870814 

The band isn't only musically stunning but also visually. Under the slogan ''Space Carnival'' the band put up a haunted circus show reminding me of a mixture of The Rocky Horror Show, Hellraiser and A Nightmare on Elm Street. If you like horror movies and rock music, this one's for you!

The band doesn't only consist of musicians and a singer but also of acrobats who are working with different costumes and objects on and in front of the stage. The whole concept of combing metal music and arts is quite dynamic and entertaining. Even if you didn't like the music, I'm sure anybody would still recognize the group's creative quality performances. It was a pleasure to finally see this group in concert. I would definitely go see them again in the future.

Did you realize that this is a different venue? I hope so! This is at The Brass Monkey in Ottawa. Now Ottawa is a very big city and it took me more than two hours to arrive using public transport. Sometimes, I'm telling myself that I should spend some money on a car. I will think about it for next spring. Anyway, there aren't that many bands that are worth such a long ride but Annihilator definitely are. The thrash metal band from Ottawa has become famous around the world in the past thirty years and is still around with a brand new touring line-up around band leader Jeff Waters. Annihilator's opening act was a dynamic death/thrash metal band called Vantablack Warship from Montreal with members from groups such as Buffalo Theory MTL and Les Ékorchés. I liked the band's energy despite a shy crowd (business as usual in Ottawa I might say) and encouraged them by spending five bucks on their demo which turned out being a really solid one. I hope to hear more from these five lads soon.

Up next were obviously Annihilator and they put up a great show. Despite the new line-up, the chemistry was great. Jeff Waters entertained the crowd with some memorable anecdotes of his long career and he even gave a guitar to someone in the audience chosen by a lottery system. I wish I had won this even though I don't play any instruments. I know I should. I always wanted to learn to play the bagpipes but as a teenager I was busy practicing four sports at the same time and hanging out with friends in shady bars at the weekend. Maybe I could learn it these days but I'm busy working as well as attending concerts and sports events. I know life is full of difficult choices. Anyway, Annihilator played a great and balanced set with many classic tunes such as ''Alison Hell'', ''Set the World on Fire'' and ''Refresh the Demon'' on one side and more recent tracks such as ''Creepin' Again'', ''No Way Out'' and ''Suicide Society'' on the other. I had tons of fun during the show and didn't care about the long ride anymore.

Before I go on with the next bunch of bands and concerts, here are a few nice videos from the shows I have just described.

Michael's Laundry:

Graveyard Strippers:

Porn:

Hollow:

Spacemak3r:

Vantablack Warship:

Annihilator:

If you watch carefully, you can even see me in the two Annihilator videos. If you have found me, congratulations on having no life. I'm just joking. The second part of my concert reviews is going to be uploaded soon. Stay tuned and rock on!

Sebastian Kluth

This picture was taken at the Canadian Museum of Nature in September. I hope the current bad weather front will pass soon, especially since weather really affects my mood.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In case you were wondering what I have been doing since my road trip through Quebec two months ago, I simply wanted to update my blog with a few pictures taken over the past two months. I have spent some quality time with friends in Gatineau, Longueuil, Montreal and Ottawa. We attended concerts, played video games, played mini golf, took short road trips, visited museums, watched movies and went to restaurants. I'm having plenty of fun these days even though I'm feeling a little bit exhausted right now because I have always got a lot of things to do. I will have a week of vacation in about two weeks which will be very welcome and I'm already having some interesting ideas and plans for it right now. 

Have a very nice weekend,

Sebastian Kluth

Me inside a traditional cell of the Ottawa Jail Hostel 

Playing mini golf in Chelsea 

One of my friends at Mackenzie King Estate

Me at Mackenzie King Estate 

Me on a random walk through Old Longueuil

One of my friends in Old Longueuil

Me playing piano in a park in Old Longueuil

The Magnificent Seven is the remake of a remake that neither has the epic intensity of the original ''Seven Samurai'' movie by Kurosawa Akira from 1954 nor the outstanding acting skills portrayed in John Sturges' ''The Magnificent Seven'' from 1960. Still, this new version offers a fast-paced ride involving great actors, gripping action scenes and fitting settings that bring back the spirit of a cool genre that has gone out of vogue over the past four decades to a new generation.

The different characters are introduced in short but fitting ways. They are unique and likable enough to make the audience care about them. Veteran Denzel Washington convinces as cool and clever law enforcer with a mysterious past and plays a strong lead character in his very first western. Chris Pratt convinces as cunning and humorous gambler underlining his status as one of the best young American actors. Vincent d'Onofrio stands out as cranky and quirky trapper and proves once again that he is one of the best choices to play odd and unusual characters. Ethan Hawke does a respectable job as haunted sharpshooter but it would have been interesting to get some more background information about his versatile character. The other actors and actresses are solid but have the problem to portray somewhat stereotypical characters such as the silent Asian killer, the proud Mexican assassin, the courageous Indian practising strange rituals or the brave young widow determined to seek justice and revenge. While the diversity of the cast might attract a larger audience, it feels somewhat forced and definitely unrealistic from a historic point of view.

The first hour is dedicated to the introduction of the seven gunslingers, the mistreated villagers and the pitiless villains in an entertaining way. The second hour is almost entirely based upon the showdown between the gunslingers and the villagers on one side and the villain's private army trying to reconquer the village on the other side. The battle scenes are quite diversified and intense involving numerous gun fights, a very destructive Gatling gun, archery shots, explosions with dynamite, knife throwing, numerous traps and some hand-to-hand combat. Despite its length, the final battle never gets redundant. Some of the fights seem to be unrealistically exaggerated in the beginning but end up being more grounded ad realistic towards the end. Despite its generous rating, there is a lot of violence in these scenes and both sides of the belligerents have a heavy price to pay. It only fits the traditional western genre that both heroes and villains aren't invincible and politically correct but actually swearing, smoking, killing, drinking and dying in this movie. Those who were afraid to get a politically correct contemporary plastic product might be relieved that this film actually respects the original movie and its first remake as well as the style of several western classics from the sixties. 

In the end, there isn't anything wrong with this entertaining movie. Both traditional western aficionados and younger generations should enjoy this fast-paced western with its authentic settings, intriguing characters and furious action scenes. While this revamped version is missing Kurosawa's epic storytelling or the stunning performances by legendary actors such as Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner and Charles Bronson in the first remake, this new interpretation comes surprisingly close to the quality of these two movies and is worth to be watched at your local movie theatre.