by Jenny King | Nov 10, 2015 | Critiques, Critiques de Shows
NERVOUS IMPULSE, VAGINAL ADDICTION, & L’HABIT ME SUCE LE MOINE
Bar l’Anti (St. Hyacinthe, QC)
Those who know me and my musical tastes know that I’m a devout worshiper at the altar of Nervous Impulse. On the topic of grind metal in Montreal, there are few groups that come to mind with as much creative clout as these underrated blasting barbarians.
You can imagine my glee when I received an invitation from drummer Yan Chamberland and vokillist Eric Fiset to accompany the quintet to St. Hyacinthe on Saturday to witness their auditory destruction live in concert for the first time. The other dudes in the band are equally awesome and talented. Bassist Félix Bourcier, along with guitarists Bruno Mercier and Francis Cousineau round out the group with speedy riffs, killer cohesion, and a loaded low-end.
Former members of notorious 90s grind gods Obscene Crisis, both Eric and Yan have been bandmates and friends for at least a decade. This tight collaborative environment allows for a subtly organic camaraderie that can’t help but bleed out over the other members of the group, who themselves have an impressive grip on the speed, fury, and aggression redolent in Nervous Impulse’s signature sound.
Eric’s got probably the most unique-sounding vokills in Quebec extreme metal, harnessing the raw brutality of grind, while still keeping a very old school dirtiness to his delivery that sets him apart from more clean-edged vocalists in a similar niche.
We all met up at the band’s jam space on the outskirts of Montreal East to carpool to Bar l’Anti with plenty of time to spare before load in. Energy was high, and there were plenty of laughs and great stories going around. It’s not mandatory for bands to get along in order to create good music, but there is something to be said about mutual respect and its relationship with fostering a cohesive sound and natural flow.
Having not played a show in Montreal since 2012, Nervous Impulse has remained under the radar in Montreal since this year’s release of «Time to Panic», yet has a string of die-hard grind fans in other regions of Quebec, and all across the globe. They’ve got an enormous fan base in Russia, who are no strangers to insanely awesome brutal music. The band is one of those groups that simply requires the right show to put them out there and market them to the jaded masses of our fair city.
That said, there were less people at the show on Saturday than would have been ideal. Bar l’Anti isn’t a huge joint, but is reminiscent to Montreal’s Katacombes on Ontario st.. It’s elongated, and decorated with band flyers for local acts I’d never seen or heard of here on Montreal soil. It’s a really nice venue with a side-facing stage.
Drummondville’s L’Habit me Suce le Moine started off the evening, blaring a straight up, groovy grind style with a variegated vocal. Tons of brees and gutterals to please even the most jaded of audience members. L’Habit me Suce le Moine are self-professed «gay grind», and the spirit of brutal metal reigns supreme for these brutes. I’d like to see them head back to Montreal in the near future to play at a metal show, if it’s not already in their plan! They’ve been to the city before, but mainly at punk gigs. Dave, the singer, is the promoter for GrindYourMind Open Air, an annual grind metal fest taking place in a field at Notre-Dame-du-Bon Conseil.
Montreal’s Vaginal Addiction took the sophomore spot on the bill, a group that I’d become familiar with through their showcase at Obscene Extreme America this past August. They’re a brutal death grind outfit, and the hunger and passion of their craft is already pretty apparent, regardless of a lack of any demos or albums yet available online. That’s an assumption, at least, considering a released disc is required to be eligible for a band page on Metal Archives.
Their eagerness and comfort on stage is palpable. They’re confident, and they’re engaged. I enjoyed watching them play!
Now, to proceed to the final course, Nervous Impulse. There was an almost buzzing in the air, as folks gathered around, waiting for fireworks. I was lucky enough to witness a private jam session about a month ago with a few other people, and I was anticipating the similarities and differences between sound crammed into a tiny jam space, and that which is blasted through a bar’s PA into eager eardrums. I was not disappointed.
Opening with Time to Panic’s «Oil Spill», the sound was crushing from the beginning to absolute end of the set. Eric crushes vocally. He likes to self-deprecate, saying he’s old at 44, and that his voice could give out at any moment. He’s seriously talented, and there’s a reason why people in Quebec know his name, and respect his skill.
Yan is a machine on the drums. You know when a drummer gets into shorts to be more comfortable, that his legs are going faster than his pants will allow. I took advantage of the extra space in the venue to approach the stage and check out for myself the swift and merciless bass drum explosion that erupted from this humble, unassuming dude. Wow!
Bruno, Félix, and now Francis, who joined just a bit after Time to Panic’s release, if memory serves me, were absolutely amazing on stage. They are furious, methodical, and completely consumed when they play.
I’m very curious to see if they won’t get a chance to blast the heads off Montrealers in the near future. It’s only a matter of time. Not time to panic just yet. A huge thank you goes out to Nervous Impulse for this opportunity. I am honoured and humbled to have been a part of it, even in this small way.
9/10 (10 would have been a better audience turn out and participation)
Jenny King
by Jenny King | Oct 21, 2015 | Critiques, Critiques de Shows
Apocalypse Metal hosted an enchanting presentation of atmospheric black metal majority this past Saturday, October 17 at the full-of-potential Alizé concert venue. A band cancellation, recurring feedback noise, and an 11pm show wrap up time could not detract from the overall ambiance of the evening. Alizé is normally home to jam sessions and DJ nights, and more than a few patrons of the occasional metal gig have commented on the high drink prices and slow service. We shall have to see whether this improves, along with the sound system, if more metal shows will take place there.
Locals Frostbite opened up the evening, with their own breed of progressive and melodic black metal. Vocalist Krystal Koffin utilizes a mid-tone black metal vocalization that pairs well with the straightforward, no-nonsense musical influence. There were frequent feedback shrieks in the PA, which was apparently caused by complementing different bands’ gear. Frostbite was well-received by the rapidly-filling audience, and the night was off to a fast-paced start.
Dynfari, hailing from Iceland, filled the penultimate slot on the bill. Having quite a cult following, many who appeared to be present at the gig, these shy, humble fellows sported Behemoth and Alcest shirts, and played a very soulful progression of several albums’ worth of atmospheric, progressive, and arguably post black metal soundscapes that definitely set these boys apart from some of their peers.
Having released three full length albums since 2010, these dudes are seriously committed to and ambitious in their sound, and this is reflected in their live performance. Where opening acts can seem a bit awkward with themselves, and more prone to mishaps, it’s clear that Dynfari are old souls in the metal world despite their recent formation. We were treated with passionate animation on stage, smooth song transitions, and both fast and heavy earlier hits as well as newer, more post metal shoegazer tunes.
For the uninitiated, Negură Bunget might come across in name and character as nothing more than another European black metal band. For the loyal fan base, however, this archetypal Romanian contingent is much more; atmospherically teeming and writhing with Transylvanian folklore, and giving an ever-present nod to its Gypsy musical influences. There is a truly inspired musical aptitude and quality to their music, pre- and post-reformation.
A rather unfortunate split occurred between 2010’s «Maistrit» and «Vîrstele pămîntului», where drummer Negru decided to continue making music under the Negură Bunget moniker, arguably against the wishes and agreement made with former vocalist, guitarist, and keyboardist Hupogrammos and longtime guitarist Sol Faur.
The two went on to form Dordeduh, which is a rather beautiful project that, when placed next to newer Negură Bunget releases, shows which creative elements belonged to each member of the band, and branches off in their own right to become quite an elaborate and intriguing offshoot of what was pre-«Vîrstele pămîntului» collaboration.
Despite these changes in line-up and creative direction, Negură Bunget has remained relevant, poignant, and inspired. 2012 saw the band tour North America in support of the afore-mentioned album with their full new lineup, showcasing their skills at Co-op Katacombes.
In promotion of 2015’s «Tău», the band set off for a North American tour with fellow Romanians Grimegod, and Iceland’s Dynfari. An incestuous tour to say the least, Grimegod is made up of Negură Bunget‘s current vocalist, Tibor Kati, as well as Vartan Garabedian, who lends his percussion talents. Grimegod regrettably couldn’t get their visas arranged in time to cross the border into Canada for this tour, though Tibor was able to get through, presumably through his contract with the headlining outfit.
This most recent performance endeavour highlighted a smaller live band than in 2012 not featuring supplementary percussion or xylophone, and without a live flute, but Negru did utilise his tulnic, or alphorn, which added an ethereal quality and genuineness to the performance that the audio sampling couldn’t.
The supplementary ambiance audio and keyboards were played through the PA, which was a bit of a drawback given the sound system was not clear enough to make out the nuance and subtlety resplendent in the music. There was a very pronounced low end (not a bad thing), but the subsequent white noise washed out the finer details of the ambient sound. It is probably as simple as the music not pairing well with the background audio track. There were some very clear and crisp audio moments, and overall the sound was not the worst imaginable. The overall experience was wholly magical, despite a more sparse stage presence, as well as the collaboration of Dynfari vocalist and guitarists as session players.
We heard several fan favourites spanning the years, including «Dacia hiperboreană» (from the «Vîrstele pămîntului» album), and «Țesarul de lumini» (from 2006’s «Om» album – a true masterpiece). All in all, this was a very intimate, warmly-received show. Each band and the promoter reached out via Facebook post-event to thank Montreal for its reception and gratitude. I wish to express my thank too to the promotor, Apocalypse Metal, that welcomed me to this show. «Tău» is getting more than regular attention in my musical collection after this memorable experience.
Jenny King
by Jenny King | Sep 22, 2013 | Critiques, Critiques de Shows
Anathema is back on tour in support of their newest album « Weather Systems » (2012), as well as their live album « Untouchable » (2013), and orchestral DVD « Universal » (2013). I had the pleasure of sitting down with multi-talented vocalist and musician Vincent Cavanagh prior to this past Monday’s show at Foufounes Électriques to reflect on the band’s 20 year career and evolution.
After a much-anticipated wait since Danny and Vincent Cavanagh graced the stage of Le National in May of 2011 in a mesmerizing acoustic set in support of Steven Wilson’s Blackfield, Anathema swung back into town guns blazing.
“It was a very poignant and beautiful occasion for many different reasons,” commented Vincent, once we’d settled down to chat, “and I think I promised the audience that night that we would return, and thankfully, here we are, (laughs)”.
The current band line up consists of siblings Jamie, Vincent, and Danny Cavanagh, brother and sister duo John and Lee Douglas, and keyboardist Daniel Cardoso. Although on tour as a full band, there was one key member missing from Monday’s line-up.
“Our usual drummer John is dealing with family stuff at home, and so our usual keyboard player switched to drums,” elaborated Vincent by way of explanation. “This guy, Daniel Cardoso, is a multi-talented musician, and is an amazing drummer. So, he switched to drums, and we also have his best friend and musical collaborator of many years, Tobel Lopes on bass as session for this tour. So you still have me, Danny, and Lee, but it’s a stripped-down version of the band, really, and a stripped-down version of the crew, the production, and the whole thing.”
‘Stripped down’ or not, there is no doubting Anathema’s dedication to both their fans and their music. With 11 studio releases under their belt, along with numerous DVDs and singles, the band has seen a transformative shift from a gothic sound in their earlier albums, to atmospheric rock in their more recent endeavours.
Their newest release, live DVD Universal, was recorded with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra in the ancient Roman Theatre of Phillippoplis. Not the average opportunity, assuredly, but also not the average musical ensemble.
« Bulgaria was the top of the list because we first played there in 2010, and people had been waiting a long time to see us. By the time we went there, the reaction was stunning; it was just incredible. So, that was top of the list of places.
« Summer nights, they have concerts with rock bands, and they make a big event out of it with thousands of people, etc. and ‘would we like to play?’ Absolutely! So it was orchestra, ancient Roman theatre, with the perfect audience. Okay, we’re making a film. »
The Montreal show organized by BCI (that we thank for their close collaboration with Ondes Chocs) and most recent North American tour featured French shoegazer black metallers Alcest in the penultimate set slot, and American ambient soundscape aficionados Mamiffer opening the evening.
While I’d been sitting downstairs in Foufs waiting to meet Vincent for my interview, I saw a Facebook posting indicating that Alcest would be playing the headlining shot, since they were delayed somewhere on route to our grand city. Vincent elaborated for me upstairs.
« Fortunately, the most important thing is that everybody’s okay, but in between New York and Cambridge, they were driving in the middle of the night, and a deer crossed the road and hit the side of the van. The van is written off, but everybody in the van was okay. So they had to change vehicles, and it’s been a huge process for them. »
By the end of my interview, I was effervescent with excitement to catch all three bands. I’ve been a fan of Alcest for some years, and Anathema had been aging like a fine wine on my taste buds for over a decade. Mamiffer, however, I walked into blind.
I was absolutely intrigued by singer and mastermind Faith Coloccia’s stage presence from the opening ethereal wafting tunes, and instantly wished I’d given the band a listen or seven on disc before experiencing them live. True, often bands can blow one away in a live setting with or without prior reflection, however having listened to this group post-concert on disc and falling in love, I really think the ghostly melodies would have caressed my sweet spots all the more gently having first witnessed the majesty beforehand. I can’t wait to see them again when the opportunity arises. I wasn’t able to get my hands on a set list, but I’m giving the full catalogue a spin and truly digging it! Just clik this link to get into their world.
Anathema came on to the stage with a roar of applause. The excitement in the room was almost tangible, and there was barely room to stand in Foufs’ already-tight surroundings. I must say though, that although I’ve seen many a show at this venue over the years, I’ve never heard sound quality and resonance at a calibre matching that which I heard that evening. I’m not a sound technician or a musician, but I can affirm from the roots of my soul that this was the best sound I’ve ever heard in this venue.
The band commenced their set with Weather Systems’ “Untouchables 1&2”, and I am not even a little bit embarrassed to say that tears came to my eyes more than once! Vocal duo Vincent and Lee were absolutely mesmerizing. My ears couldn’t even comprehend the beauty of Lee’s feminine vocals. She had the voice of an angel whose toes had dipped into the sultry pools of hell. What a phenomenally romantic and beautiful segway into the evening’s set.
After thunderous applause, we were blessed with “The Gathering of the Clouds” and “Lightning Song”; giving fans about half of Weather Systems in one go. The stage presence alone of this band struck a chord within me that their strings already strummed on my brain.
Let’s just say that I’m a believer, and completely satisfied. Other songs on the set list: “Thin Air” off We’re Here Because We’re Here, as well as “Dreaming Light” from the same 2010 album. Next, we heard “Deep”, a flash from the past on 1999’s Judgement. “A Simple Mistake” took us again to We’re Here…, and Natural Disaster’s eponymous hit brought us back to 2003. We had “Closer” from the same disc as encore, and lastly “Fragile Dreams” from Alternative 4.
With such a large catalogue, I know it’s tough to showcase a bit of everything as well as feature tunes from a band’s newest record, so all in all, I was very pleased with the set list.
Alcest was next, as the afore-mentioned headliner for the Montreal show, given their van accident with American wildlife en route to our vivacious ville. If the band was stressed or upset, you wouldn’t have known it. One might think it would be hard to one-up a legendary band like Anathema, but as far as I could see and tell, no one left after former band’s set, and the sound remained absolutely ear candy-esque throughout Alcest’s set.
The concert was a majestic, magical evening, all in all. The highlight was Anathema for this writer, but Alcest blew me out of the water, and Mamiffer earned a new fan. I look forward to seeing what all three bands produce in the future, and devouring it like the sticky toffee delight it already is.
Note: If anyone has set lists for the other bands, feel free to comment so everyone who couldn’t be there can see! J
Jenny
