Dans le but de vous en offrir toujours plus, Ondes Chocs reçoit parfois des soumissions de chroniques ou critiques de shows/albums.  Lorsqu’elle conviennent, nous les publions ensuite sour l’onglet « Fan View », une autre manière pour nous de couvrir un peu plus de terrain.  Ce texte du show de relancement de la boutique PROFUSION LE MÉTALSTORE de Montréal jeudi dernier à Montréal nous est offert par Chris Wheeler.  Thanks man! – Lex

Even though Blood Ceremony and Kylesa played Montreal the same night, Profusion Montreal Metal Store hosted its own soirée, at Katacombes, of hidden local and Canadian talents to bring awareness to the new services now offered at the shop.  Including Instrument repair, taking in new and used consignment on various metal items as well as taking in as much Canadian metal band merchandise the store can hold!  I suggest you go check out the shop I guarantee there is stuff you won’t find anywhere!

Bathed in the descending sunlight, the opening band MELLEVON from Montreal, opened the festivities with their own brand of atmospheric metal. Quite groove laden, this young up and coming group have something to offer, but need more time to develop their chops and play live a bit more. Though the inexperience was palpable, songs like « Anti-Christ » show signs of heaviness and potential. Keyboards wash over the listener with ease, but were unfortunately drowned out in the mix. Only when the intensity subsided did they shine through, especially on the incredibly haunting, « My Shadow ».

SKELERIS from Montreal was next on tap and didn’t disappoint. Competent musicians, the guitarists, often fixating on what they were playing, it was up to the front man to get the crowd going. They are a brand of melodic death metal which combined elements of straight forward death metal but with slight tinges of jazz. « Suffocation Through Carnage », slows the pace down before picking up again in a catchy groove riff that could melt faces! Guitar solos abound with confidence during « Subtle Corruption » and last number « Scourge », sees the singer give his all in both death metal grunts and high-pitched vocals. I expect good things to come…

Vernon British Columbia natives, XUL made their way to Katacombs with one intention in mind – to leave a lasting effect. They did. Influenced by the mighty Behemoth and defunct, Dissection, Xul pulled out all the stops in an insanely intense show characterized by a great sound, guitar hooks and energy that would lay waste to most established bands today! Approx. 50 people were in attendance, give or take a few, but there could have been 10,000 people with the amount of electricity in the air! CONFIDENCE was the adjective on display. They tore through « Summon the Swarm » in such a way that Jon Nodtveidt would have smiled in his grave! Long live Blackened Death Metal. Long Live Xul.

At first glance, URIEL from Montreal reminds one of U.S. symphonic metal band, Rain Fell Within, but peppered with black metal. Combine a cellist and an opera singer to a band of metal misfits and you have what could potentially be a very promising live outfit. However, the problems remain. Technically skilled (especially the drummer, who learnt the entire set in two weeks), the musicians can play with the best of them, but factor in the opera singer and there’s definite room for improvement. Song ideas and vocal arrangements are clearly brilliant, but there are moments when one cringes upon hearing the singer’s attempt at hitting the high notes. In between song banter/facial expressions gave the impression that the band were not comfortable/nor satisfied with the performance. Sound problems plagued the cellist for much of the set as hecklers repeatedly shouted, « More cello »! However, what is a band on stage to do when things may not go as planned? Roll with it and that’s exactly what they did!

Chris Wheeler