Vancouver's Celestial Ruin: Studio Update

So, how many of you out there are familiar with Xandria, ReVamp, and Epica's latest releases?  What do they all have in common?  The answer: producer Joost Van Den Broek.

Who is currently in Vancouver working with the city's premier female-fronted symphonic band, Celestial Ruin?  Answer: Joost Van Den Broek.

Celestial Ruin is in the midst of recording their new release, an EP of five tracks.  I was able to visit the band in the studio on the weekend and get a sneak peak at the production.  Greenhouse Studios has seen some big names over its various incarnations throughout the years, including Bon Jovi, Metallica, and Poison, not to mention a who's who of Canadian artists, like K.D. Lang, Brian Adams, and Nickelback.

I got a tour of the studio once the drum tracks, laid by percussionist Adam Todd, were complete, and I learned all about click tracks and punch ins, isolation booths, and some acoustical stuff.  Drums were laid first, followed by the guitar tracks, performed by Eriz Crux, and now they are in the process of recording bass parts, performed by Mike Dagenais.  Estimated completion of the recording process is this upcoming weekend.

 The songs will be killer, that you can count on.  Also, the band has just signed on with Blackstream/Universal. If you want to follow the progress of Celestial Ruin, please go to their Facebook page, where lots of updates will be, and have been, posted.  They also have a web site.

CD Review: Leah - "Kings and Queens"

Vancouver native Leah McHenry recently released her second full-length album, entitled Kings and Queens.  Leah has a lot of fans, and this album was much anticipated by them.  It was also produced by Timo Somers, the guitarist of Delain, who also did the guitar work on the album.  Released just this month, with a heavy amount of social media promo around it, Kings and Queens is sure to please fans of this musician, but as I am not a fan, I am not impressed.

Since this is a blog and not a publication I need to have any modicum of journalistic integrity around, I will fully admit that I am biased against Leah because she has fucked with friends of mine in the local music community and as a result has a bad reputation.  I will not support her by buying her album, and I didn't even bother to illegally download a torrent of it - I just listened to what was available of it on YouTube.

Timo Somers, on the other hand, is a musician I have a lot of respect for and quite like.  I even got to meet him last Sept. and he was gracious enough to have a photograph taken with me, which I really appreciated.  I am not sure how much production experience he has, but he did obviously put his all into the production of this album.  The overall sound is bombastic, dramatic, heavier, and much more complex than what Leah has produced before.  Also, Timo is a killer guitarist, and that shows very well on Kings and Queens.

My main issues with this album are twofold.  For one, although there is no denying that Leah has a gorgeous voice - even I love it - she lacks technique and projection, and to be honest, range.  I thought she had more range on her previous release, the EP Otherworld. Though beautiful to listen to, her vox turns monotonous after listening to a few songs because she doesn't use the full extent of her range.  And she has very little technique that makes her voice stand out or sound interesting.  Anette Olzon has more technique from what my admittedly uneducated ear can gather when comparing these two womens' styles.

The other issue this album has, again to my untrained ear, is the mix.  There are some songs in which the vocals are very overwhelmed by the music, especially the bass and the drums.  Some songs are just messy with a confusion of competing instruments that create a chaotic listening experience.  "This Present Darkness" is probably the best example; it luckily it has a lyric video, otherwise I wouldn't have understood much of what Leah was singing in it.  By the way, it also has a lot of awkward words in it that sound really off because, kinda like Alanis Morissette, she is trying to fit difficult words into a difficult vocal line, therefore putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable of the word, which is weird.  I'm used to hearing this from bands whose first language is not English - they don't know any better, of course.  In general, too, I found this to be a very "wordy" album, and again, "This Present Darkenss" is a very long & repetitive song that could have used some editing of the lyrics to shorten it down a bit.

The bonus track, "Siúil a Rún", is the only track on the album I can honestly say I loved.  That's probably because I've heard it before as it is a traditional Irish tune that's been performed by all kinds of people.  I recognized it as a song Clannad had covered years ago; I love Clannad.  There are two versions of this song on Kings and Queens, one acoustic and one rock.  Both versions are very nice and I liked them both. Also, Leah does use a bit more of her range in the acoustic version, which was a huge plus.

I think that's about all I can say about this album without agitating myself further.  BTW, what is going on on the album cover?!

Rockin' With Cool Canadian Kids: The HMP Showcase Tour Comes to Vancouver

Earlier this month, on the 4th of June, I was invited to the HMP Recording and Development's showcase tour when it stopped in Vancouver's suburb of New Westminster. This cross Canada tour, which had a western leg and an eastern leg and literally went from one coast to another, showcased some of the talent this young and up-and-coming record label has to offer.  You can read more about HMP here; they are a Vancouver-based company with acts from all over Canada signed to them, with a large variety of music: metal, rock, pop, country, and even hip hop. I was grateful to get on the guest list so I could feast my ears on (mostly) new-to-me music.

There were 10 acts altogether, and New West's Columbia Theatre was abuzz with activity when I arrived and took my seat. Artists were to-ing and fro-ing all over the place, the door to the back stage and green rooms was in constant motion, and there was a big sound check going on, led by rock band JFR's front man, Jean-Francois Roy.

The showcase's co-headliner featured Edmonton industrial metal act KingDoom, which had a special guest playing with them for the western leg of the tour, Chris Vrenna.  Vrenna, if you don't know, was Nine Inch Nails' drummer and also drummer for Marilyn Manson, and he's also a producer, who actually produced KingDoom's new self-titled CD.  Apparently, he's a grammy winner.

The other head liner was Canadian hip hop artist, Poppy Seed.

But the big draw for me personally was seeing a band I've become quite fond of recently, Celestial Ruin, who signed with HMP in the late spring.

But before we get to that, let's go through the line-up and give some link love to the other bands on the night's bill.

The evening was emceed by Fall of Cain mainman Travis Dean, who was charismatic and very enthusiastic as he cruised through the evening introducing everyone.

Draaka Rouge

First up, a metal guitar soloist, Draaka Rouge, who hails from Victoria, BC, and who plays his own unique brand of progressive metal. His guitar playing was extremely impressive; his hand was a constant blur as he shredded it up!  He also had a very cool guitar, it reminded me of a Ferrari, bright red and shiny.

Next up was Vancouver hip hop artist Stray One, from Vancouver suburb, Langley.  AKA Nicholas James Bergeron, he performed a couple of songs (all the sets were very short leading up to the headliners) that were OK as far as I could tell - I am not a hip hop person at all, but I liked his subject matter.

Third was rock artist Joelle, who has a new album out called "Pillar of Stone", and fourth up was another rock act called Burning Daisy, featuring an Irish-born singer named Liz. I really liked this band a lot, be sure to check them out!

At the midway point of the evening, Travis went through costume change to sing for his band, Fall of Cain (their HMP page is here). Hailing from Victoria, this band sits somewhere between hard rock and heavy metal on the musical spectrum, and had lots of great stage presence.  Travis was a great performer and wore these funky steampunk-ish sunglasses.  This is definitely a band to be on the lookout for, they were excellent!

Following Fall of Cain, Jean-Francois got up to perform with his band, the HMP showcases house band, JFR. Based in Edmonton, this is another band to watch out for - they were great live and did a fantastic set.  They even have a music video out for one of their singles, "Take Me As I Am."

The seventh band was a last minute addition to the bill, a Vancouver-based band called Crashing Angels.  OK, this band actually surprised me.  Never heard of them, and when they were doing their set-up, I could tell that they were significantly older than all the other bands playing.  I was a little skeptical, when I saw them, expecting perhaps something more traditional and perhaps blander than what I got, which was an excellent set of hard rock!  Vocalist Dean Marshall Pilkey was purely awesome - he just killed it, and this was one of my favourite performances of the night!  This band has had the same line-up for 11 years, incidentally, and I'm going to have to see if I can catch them live again because I enjoyed them that much.

KingDoom

After a bit of an intermission, the three big bands were up next, starting off with KingDoom, accompanied by Chris Vrenna on a second drum kit. He was the big name "draw" of the night, and indeed the western leg of the tour.  KingDoom live was amazing, not ifs ands or buts. They were tight, intense, and you could tell that they'd worked a lot on their live performance because they looked and sounded very slick and well-produced.  However, I didn't see the point of Chris Vrenna being there behind the second drum kit...he seemed a little extraneous, and he didn't look to me like he had a lot of heart while playing, especially compared to the band's main drummer, Boom-Boom (at least that's what their FB page says his name is).  Apparently KingDoom is popular on the Edmonton scene as their show was sold out in that city (and also of note, that Edmonton show was shown around the world on pay per view).  I really enjoyed KingDoom's set; it was fun and energetic, and I even liked them so much I purchased their CD off iTunes.  It's a pretty good CD, though industrial metal is not exactly my thing, but I enjoyed it a lot.  Singer Lex Justice is an excellent performer with a lot of energy and presence.  As headliner, they played a full set and it totally got the place going.

Larissa Dawn of Celestial Ruin

And then my favourite local metal band, Celestial Ruin was up to play a four song set.  I have previously written about Celestial Ruin for Sonic Cathedral, and you can read about that experience here. As I mention in that piece, CR is definitely a band to see live because their live performances are fantastic. Singer Larissa Dawn was once again resplendent in a gorgeous gown and she gave a very animated and compelling performance.  Their set included their own metal version of Europe's "The Final Countdown" and a song that is not on their debut album, Awakening, called "Sense of Exile". This show featured the band's new guitarist Carlo Sepe, who was just recently hired shortly after the Cirque Nocturna evening I linked to.  He did a great job, considering he'd been with the band less than two months and his first show with the band was on the tour's previous stop in Victoria the night before. The band's set once again had the audience up and headbanging and hopping around, and was a lot of fun. I totally encourage anyone in the Vancouver area to check out Celestial Ruin live if they can; their next gig is at the Media Club in downtown Vancouver on July 14.

Finally, after about three hours of music, the final act was on, and that was the aforementioned co-headliner, Poppy Seed.  As he took the stage, a couple of scantily clad dancers undulated down the two aisles of the theatre and took up spots right up in front of the stage and started dancing away to something obviously choreographed.  As I said, I'm not a hip hop person, and I have to be honest, this was not a good way to end the evening for me.  I didn't enjoy Poppy Seed at all and found him rather slow and boring.  It was late, and I had to skytrain back to my suburban lair, so I ended up leaving during this guy's set.  I feel slightly guilty about it...But I did get to have a last-minute chat with some of Celestial Ruin's members and that was nice.

So overall, this was a great evening of music and entertainment!  Thanks to HMP for inviting me, and thanks to all the bands and artists for a memorable evening.

Metal from Canada: Kobra and the Lotus

I just found this band today via John at Sugar and Spikes Music and Sonic Cathedral.  Originally hailing from Calgary (OMG...there is metal in Calgary???) , Kobra and the Lotus a are female-fronted metal-rock crossover band featuring classically trained Brittany Paige on lead vocals.  One site I read said, "Imagine Lee Aaron fronting Iron Maiden and you get an idea of what this hard rocking quintet is all about."  Without a doubt, Paige has definite pipes, though the four songs I've listened to do not contain any classical vocals.  This band is making some waves, and have toured the UK; they'll be touring Europe this summer in Spain, Belgium, France, and again in the UK.  They have one album out, entitled Out of the Pit and an upcoming CD due to be released in August.

The reference to Lee Aaron is interesting for me.  I was a Lee Aaron fan as a teenager (God...) and Kobra & the Lotus have a very retro-ish feel to their sound, and Brittany reminds me of vocalists like Lee Aaron for sure.  She has also been compared to Doro Pesch.

Here is their new video for the song "Welcome to My Funeral" from the upcoming CD.  Check them out!



Kobra and the Lotus are:

Brittany Paige - Vocals
Chris Swenson - Guitars
Griffin Kissack - Drums
Peter Dimov - Bass
Tim Brown - Guitars

You can find them at these fine locations:

Last.fm - there are three songs there available for free download
Facebook
Official Site
MySpace

Maybe if they come to Vancouver, I'll get a chance to see them, 'cause guess who's moving to Vancouver? :)

It's a British Columbia Thing...

Thanks to Eneas of Knights of the Temple, I came across this Canadian metal outfit from my very own home province of British Columbia, Unleash the Archers. They have recently released their second album, Demons of the Astrowaste, and it was accompanied by this fantastic video.

It might take a true British Columbian (or Pacific Northwesterner if you're from the States) to realize the genius of this video.  The myth of the Sasquatch, AKA Bigfoot, is something we all grow up with here, and I doubt there is a tyke out there who goes camping out in the woods at some point in his or her childhood without wondering if he/she/it is out there lurking in the forest.

Or, it could be just me. 

Right now, I fear bears and cougars when I go hiking and camping out in yonder mountains, so I carry bear spray and a whistle and hope for the best (so far so good). 

Not too far from these parts, over the border, there is a music festival called the Sasquatch Festival, and it's on next weekend, which is an American long weekend (ours is this weekend, lucky me).  Our local big beer company, Kokanee, has successfully used Sasquatch in many an advertising campaign - and even I like those ads (here's a classic from 1985). 

This video is hilarious to me and it gave me a good laugh this weekend, one I really needed. 

CD Review: Borealis's Fall from Grace

Since discovering this Orangeville, Ontario band a couple of years ago via Last.fm, I have been a big fan. Borealis's debut CD, World of Silence was powerful and mature for such a young band, and I felt right away that they had a bright future. The guitar work, vocals, synths - pretty much everything - were all so strong that the world seemed to be their oyster. Long did I await their follow-up, Fall from Grace.

As the saying goes, "ask and you shall receive." Lion Music, Borealis's new label, had an application process for prospective reviewers, so I applied, was accepted, and very soon I was able to download a review copy of FfG courtesy Lion Music's site.

And it was so worth it! Borealis has done it again with an amazing release that belies their youth. Exploding out of the gates, the opening track "Final Hour" impresses right off the bat with a pounding heaviness, and, wouldn't you know it, the echo of a growl in the background! Immediately, I noticed the drumming, performed by Sean Dowell. Drumming isn't something I normally notice much, but for some reason, the drumming in this track - and throughout the entire album - really stuck out for me.

This album gallops along at full throttle (sorry to mix my metaphors) and never rests. It's fast, and I think an improvement in the complexity department over World of Silence - which says a lot. I also felt that the keyboards were, for lack of a better word, integrated more into the tracks than they were in WoS. Matt Marinelli's clean vocals are also a real highlight, as is, again, the superior guitar-work done by Marinelli and Ken Fobert, who, incidentally, has since left the band.

Standout tracks for me are the aforementioned "Finest Hour", "Where We Started", where I can hear a definite Nightwish influence in the guitar parts, "Regeneration", where I also hear an Oceanborn influence and is also one catchy tune, and the slower, acoustically-driven "Watch the World Collapse", which I think shows off the bands sensitivity, emotion, and versatility very well. This is a metal ballad done right.

I only wish the lyrics had been part of the downloads from Lion Music, because one thing I really enjoy about real CDs as opposed to downloads is sitting back and listening while reading along with the lyrics. I also wish there were more than 9 tracks!

I can't say enough great things about this album, and I really hope this launches Borealis into the greatness it deserves. Congratulations you guys - this rocks! Double horns up! \m/ \m/

Borealis's "Fall From Grace" Album Art

I just saw the new album cover for Canadian power metal band, Borealis, new CD, Fall from Grace. Here it is:

The band also has a new web site, which is here.  Additionally, they are playing a gig with Symphony X and Blackguard at the Opera House in Toronto April 27.

Fall from Grace is set for release on May 20.

Metal from Canada: The Whiteboard Project

I just got back from a trip to Vancouver, where I visited with my friend who went to see Ninjaspy in Victoria at the end of February. As I assumed, Ninjaspy was not his cup of tea, and he also did happen to mention that he was the youngest person in the crowd - and he is the same age as I am, which is 36. My friend did say, however, that he kinda of liked the opening band, a Nanaimo, BC, outfit called The Whiteboard Project. I have just listened to their MySpace offerings and I have to say that I am a little impressed! They are slightly -core-ish, but some of their elements have made me look over that little detail!

What I liked in particular was their emphasis on the bass; their sound is very bass-y and bass-centred. There are even bass solos! Marco Heitala take note! I also like their clean vocals. They also have good drumming.

I have a long history with the city of Nanaimo, so I think it's kinda cool that these guys are from there. Here is a video of them playing live, and the song is my favourite of the ones I heard on their MySpace page.

I hope they do some more promo because they have a lot of potential, I think! They don't appear to have an album out and are not on Last.fm, though they are on Facebook, here.

Metal from Canada: NinjaSpy

Always on the lookout for new stuff, and quite randomly tonight I found out about these guys, NinjaSpy. I have a non-metalhead friend (well, most of my friends are non-metalheads) who is going to see this band tomorrow night in Victoria, BC. I had never heard of them until we were talking on the phone tonight & he mentioned he was trecking over to the island on the ferry to take in the show.

You gotta love Last.fm and its tagging system. Ska-core? Wow. That is a new term for me! Here is their Last.fm page so you can check them out for yourself.

So, they originate from good old British Columbia, as does yours truly, have one album out called Pi Nature, and are described as "skankore" or hardcore/ska. Also tagged on Last.fm as hardcore, experimental, and avantgarde. They have signed with a Japanese label.

I wonder what my non-metal friend is going to think of this? :D I'm not a big fan of anything -core, not to mention reggae or ska, so they are not my cup of tea. They look really energetic on stage though, and there are some interesting elements in one of their songs, "Evolution of the Skid", that includes some brass sections.

You can check them out further on their web site here, or on YouTube, here.

Borealis Update

I have posted before about my love for Canadian power metal outfit Borealis. Word was last summer that their new album would be released last fall, and I was disappointed when it was announced there would be a delay. However, the end of the looooooong wait is nigh! Fall from Grace will be released May 20 worldwide, though you lucky guys over in Japan will have it April 13.

The band recently announced that it's signed some record deals, too (they were previously unsigned). They signed a worldwide deal with Finland's Lion Music and a deal with Hydrant Music/EMI Music in Japan. This is excellent news!

On the HR front, guitarist Ken Fobert announced his departure from the band in December, and I have not seen an announcement regarding a replacement yet.

Today, the band released a substatial 6 minute+ teaser for the upcoming release, and it sounds fantastic! I can't wait to hear the whole thing start to finish!

Enjoy, and rock on Borealis! I see great things in your future! \m/

Edit Feb.8: embedding of the video has been disabled, so here is the link.

Today is Canada Day! There will be partying, and I believe I will be downing some margaritas later on today!

In celebration, I thought I'd highlight a few Canadian artists for you.

First we have Anemonia, a Gothic metal outfit from Montreal. Apparently, their singer, Cassiopee, was in the short list to replace Tarja in Nightwish. This is a great song by Anemonia called "Enchanting Melodies of Eternal Night."



Blackguard also hails from Montreal and they are one hard-working band, having toured with Ensiferum and Epica to name a few. James has actually seen them live and he said they put on a great show. While their music isn't exactly my cup of tea, I still admire their work ethic and speed - and they have a female drummer! This is "Scarlet to Snow" from their only CD so far, Profugus Mortis.



Finally, a female fronted power metal band from Quebec City (are you seeing the theme, here? La Belle Province is the metal hub in this country!), Forgotten Tales. Here is "Sanctuary" from their first album, The Promise.

Metal from Canada: Borealis!

OK. About a year or so ago, I was trolling through Metal Archives looking to see what the landscape of Canadian metal was like. A very interesting journey indeed. I didn't like too much of what I heard to be honest. But I came across a few gems, and this band called Borealis, from Orangeville, Ontario, was one of them. After listening to their stuff on MySpace, I decided to order their debut CD, World of Silence. I was so impressed it wasn't even funny!

This is a young band with a bright future, I think. Fronted by the very talented Matt Marinelli, who also plays the guitar on their World of Silence album and with a strong line-up of musicians behind him, I seriously seriously hope these guys are the future of metal in Canada. And, I was so thrilled to see that they have been invited to Prog-Power USA this year - a festival I would DIE to go to, except it's in fucking Atlanta, Georgia - a zillion miles away from my little corner of Boonieland Canada!!! How frustrating! I also see on their web site that they opened for Sonata Arctica! This is very good news indeed!

I can also credit Borealis for helping me find Dawn of Destiny! I was listening to Borealis Radio on Last.fm, when "Lost" by DoD came on, and I was totally wowed. So, this has been a great find in more ways than one!

Here is a sample from Borealis's upcoming album, which according to the comments on YouTube, will be released sometime this fall. I can't wait!




Awesome!!!

Metal from Canada: Savage Blade

I initially wanted to start a Metal from Canada site, similar to Metal from Finland, but once I started looking into it I saw that A) it would be extremely time consuming, and B) it wouldn't be a very busy site. While there are quite a good number of metal bands in Canada, heavy metal is still a sub-culture here; it's nowhere near mainstream at all. Also, the hub of metal in Canada is in the province of Quebec, with a few pockets here and there in other parts of the east, and a smattering of bands, very few and far between, in the west. The more well-known names hailing from Canada, like The Agonist and UnExpect, for instance, I am not super fond of.

But I have found some gems, and lo and behold, even here in The Boondocks, there is decent metal! Let me introduce you to Savage Blade!

I first came across this band in Metal Archives, and when I mentioned them to my brother, a local businessman, he said he knew them because his company had done some work for them. However, I got distracted with little things like life, and it wasn't until a recent trip to the lovely city of Nelson, the hometown of Savage Blade, that I realized I should take some time to look into this band further. As I window shopped along the main street, there were all kinds of posters advertising Savage Blade's new album, We Are the Hammer.

Let me say that Nelson, and The Boondocks in general, is not a heavy metal mecca whatsoever. Nelson itself is known as being the local mecca for "alternative lifestyles," meaning it is a haven for hippies, draft dodgers, artists, pot activists, organic farmers, vegans, Buddhists, yogis, poets & writers - you name it. While Nelson might be the cultural epicentre of The Boondocks, the rest of the area is kind of redneck central. And rednecks are known for their shitty country/pop/rap music, amongst other things.

Given all this, Savage Blade has been an excellent discovery for me. Their vocalist is very skilled, and someone told me he's actually a jazz singer of some note, as well. And their music, classified as power metal with NWOBHM and classic Glam Metal influence, is astoundingly good.

They are streaming their entire album on their web site, so you can take a listen here.

Here are a couple of teasers for you from YouTube.





The bummer is, now that I know about these guys, they don't seem to be putting on any local shows I can attend! This is so typical of living in the boonies!

In all seriousness, Savage Blade has signed a record deal with a German label and, from what I have been told by my source, they are going to be touring Europe. If you are over there and get a chance to check these guys out, please do, and let me know how it goes!

EDIT: SHIT! They are playing in Nelson on April 24 but I have to work!!!!!!! Just my luck!!!!!!!