Spacemak3r - Spacemak3r (2010) (10/10)

The province of Quebec has always been known for its Experimental and Progressive Metal bands around VOIVOD, OBLIVEON, MARTYR, QUO VADIS, UNEXPECT, AUGURY and more. I’ve always been impressed by the high amount of technically impressive bands coming from that small province and now I even have to add SPACEMAK3R to that list. I guess it’s needless to say that they have once again a very unique artistic approach that makes it hard to compare them to other bands.

The band is in fact some sort of project elaborated by band leader and compositor Michael Gagnon. He created his project with close friends and family members over the years before the release of this first record back in the end of 2010 that definitely didn’t get enough media attention despite the creation of many intriguing video clips that can be found on the band’s website. The project is build up around six musicians and four actors that appear in the colourful video clips and also during the few visually stunning concerts this band has given over the years. That’s why one can talk about a theatrical creation where the visual and lyrical factor is almost as important as the music itself.

The conceptual story around this project is also quite interesting. It tells tales about the schizophrenic mind of a child called Alex. The isolated boy is followed by weird imaginary creatures everywhere he goes: in his sleeping room at night, at a lost playground or even at school. The twelve tracks tell about the unique everyday life of this outsider and the tracks vary from hysteric Metalcore parts up to calm and eerie Gothic Rock soundtrack moments.

Musically, we don’t only get the traditional instruments and some very emotional vocals that perfectly fit to the story. We also get keyboard and string sounds. One musician is even some sort of disc jockey who adds a few weird scratches to the sound which give the record a more modern touch that I would describe as an intriguing mixture of Metalcore, Nu Metal and Industrial Metal moments that are combined with a strong Gothic Rock or Metal feeling plus many atmospheric and progressive parts. The mixture between all these elements is just well balanced and this record will still grip you emotionally, impress you artistically and surprise you musically after many spins.

This record will definitely leave a deep impression on you. If you’re open-minded for all these influences, the impression will be great but some people might find this kind of music too hard to digest. Personally, this release is a true little treasure for me that I happen to enjoy every now and then when I feel like it. Anybody who calls her- or himself open-minded and interested in musical innovation far from established genres should immediately try this release out.

(Online November 5, 2012)