Trying to find the Turbo Haus, the venue in which TALAMYUS and co. were to play, proved to be quite a challenge as the name is nowhere to be found on the outside building and the steady calvary of fans hadn’t a clue which floor the spectacle was to be held as there are multiple floors and rehearsal spaces. Nevertheless, the venture culminated in a satisfying resolution when patrons finally found their way and shuffled in. A special thanks goes to Benoit St. Jean of TALAMYUS and the bunch at Deathbound Records for the opportunity to participate! I took some pics with my cheapocam so don’t be to critic about them.
Being the first ever live show organized by DEATHBOUND RECORDS owners, Fred Funaro and Olivier Vigeau Paquette, the event was a momentous occasion for showcasing the talents of HANDS OF DESPAIR, a band on the cusp of greatness! Melodic Death/Doom, in the same vein as DAYLIGHT DIES and AGALLOCH, pounded and charismatically enchanted a packed hall and certainly as the group certainly lived up to its name. Clean and growled vocals resonated courtesy of Jeffrey MacDermotte (also of HOLLOW and FROZEN fame) through strong odes to melancholy: “The Departure”, “Reborn”, “Veil”, and “Sleeper”, all of which (save for “The Departure”) shall be featured on their upcoming latest record. With an incredible sound, bass lines danced effortlessly over a warm hum of fuzz, particularly on “Veil” and the emotive tension of the highs and lows (and awe inspiring drumming from Etienne Gallo) brought the crowd to a resounding applause!
Flying in from Winnipeg, Manitoba, NOIRE were met by a slightly quieter welcome but nonetheless an impressed venue. Dissection-esque and highly dark and brooding, NOIRE’s repertoire consisted of intricate twin guitar wizardry, harmonious riffing and an incredible tight performance overall! “Ghosts of Damnation”, “Dark Reverence”, “Where Death Keeps” and new cut, “Tracks of the Hunted” all mesmerized onlookers who remained stoic but cheered wholeheartedly in between songs. A feast for the eyes, the trade off guitar melodies between guitarists, Andrew Lawes and Bob Fitzgerald kept everyone’s focus drawn to the magic, especially on “Faithless”! Not uniquely aggressive or instilling a pit, NOIRE did manage to bring the beauty and obscurity of their lone full-length to an audience that realized just how powerful their material actually is.
The evening’s main attraction, Montreal’s TALAMYUS, fired on all cylinders and brought the awesome might of Valhalla with them in an astounding set! Blazing with confidence, vocalist/guitarist, Benoit St. Jean gloriously “charged into battle” with palpable energy and showmanship raising his guitar victoriously throughout! Ripping through strong classics, “In the Name of Blood”, “The Berserkers”, “Hunger”, and “Disciples of Hypocrisy”, among others, the impeccable sound and intensity just go to show what a truly masterful force TALAMYUS is live. Showy guitar solos revealed the band’s pedigree for outside genres with Nikolai Olekhnovitch’s stylings firmly planting his foot in classic rock/traditional heavy metal areas. Playing a second set, drummer Etienne Gallo’s playing simply defied logic while his performance on “Ravens Call to Annihilation” was an eye opener and just crushed! Not ones to walk away unsatisfied, fans cried out for more once frontman St. Jean announced the last song, so “Pride of the Viking” crashed upon ears and inspired a small pit in which THIS reviewer participated; something I NEVER do, but remains testament to the awesome set these Montreal lads laid down!
Chris
