FOR THOSE ABOOT TO ROCK: A countdown to Canada Day. Scott Miller of Anthesis chooses 7 bands from his personal vinyl collection

By: Scott Miller

For Canada's 150th birthday, I've gathered some of my favourite Canadian noise. It was too hard to choose from all the great Canadian extreme music out there, so I narrowed it down to 7 selections of currently active bands from my personal record collection. 

The Weir  – “Calmness of Resolve” (Sunmask) Calgary, Alberta 

These Rocky Mountain doomsters have captured a unique vibe on this album. For how uneasy this album starts off, I find it's actually a very calming experience overall. 4 tracks totalling over 40 minutes should give you an idea of what's going on here. Tons of mood and ambience with sparse bursts of harsh vocals.

Biipiigwan – “God's Hooks” (Handshake Inc.) Ottawa, Ontario 

This is the first album I heard from these no frills sludge cavemen. Pounding riffs in the vein of mid era Sepultura and early Mastodon dominate this album. How could you go wrong? Musky Rice leads the troop of revolving (top notch) members. You never know who you'll see playing for these guys live. 

Adolyne – “of ash / of shit / of shame” (No List) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 

If noise rock ditched the rule book and binged on 70's prog, more albums like this would happen. Throw in some piano, vocals on the edge of losing control and no fear of lengthy song structures and you've got one unique, noisy album. No doubt that this was put out by the leader of Canadian noise, No List Records. 

Shooting Guns/Hawkeyes – “Brothers of the Nod” (Pre-Rock / Helmet Lady) Saskatoon, Saskatchewan/ Kitchener, Ontario 

Alright, we're getting two birds stoned at once with this one. Both bands bring the instrumental psych rock hard here. Tons of fuzz tones and relatively laid back, almost a jamming feel here that seems to come so naturally from both bands. This is a heavy hitter of desert rock grooves and psychedelics. 

The Great Sabatini – “Dog Years” (Sludgehummer) Montreal, Quebec 

This album sounds like you're actually standing in the room with these four dudes cranking out this sludge. The vocals are mixed low (just how I like it) and there's tons of dirt going on here. When they slow down and throw the POG on the guitars there's a new level of sludgy filth for the drums to pound through. Every band these guys are involved with kill it. Check out Greber& Angles for more heavy noise from these guys. Plus I hear that there's a new TGS album on the horizon. 

Hard Charger – “Bad Omens” (Wasted Time Records) Fredericton, New Brunswick 

Here's some crusty punk n roll to balance out those slow jams. These dudes come back sounding tighter and hungrier after every tour they do, which is a lot. This album makes me want to chug a beer and punch a hole in the wall. 

Napalm Raid – “Mindless Nation” (Rust and Machine) Halifax, Nova Scotia

This is how lo-fi crust punk should be. Injected with black metal and raging full force. The reverb drenched vocals are absolutely perfect in this mix and are my favourite part of this band. They've also got a brand new album out called “Wheel of War”.

ALBUM REVIEW: Anthesis - "The Age of Self"

By: Mark Tremblay

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 09/06/2017

Label: Ancient Temple Recordings|

Hibernation Release

 

This listeners favorite moments of the record consist of riffs, and this record is full of them. Perhaps the most devastating are at the end of “Shattering Into a Sea of Light”; a brain-melter that the listener is never able to fully wrap their head around.

“The Age of Self” CD//CS//DD//LP track lasting:

1. The Path to Enlightenment
2. False Content
3. Where's the Dignity?
4. Empty Vessels
5. Reunion
6. Pension Teeth
7. Abscent
8. Decay.Disgust
9. Shattered Into a Sea of Light
10. Silence is Solace
11. The Following

The Review:

The east coast sludge/grindcore titans return with “The Age of Self”, their first full length album in seven years. In that time between full lengths, the band has released a series of EP’s and splits that has morphed their sound from technical death metal, to a dirtier sounding style of sludge. The album opens with “Path to Enlightenment”; a filthy Eyehategod worship track that sets the tone for the album to come. The album rotates between a myriad of genres; the death metal/grindcore blasts of “False Content” and “Where’s the Dignity”, the sludgy “Empty Vessels” and “Reunion”, and the Cursed style hardcore of “Pension Teeth”. The album book marks well with “The Following”; a black metal tinged sludge track that plays off the same theme as the opening. This album, unlike many this year, feels like a complete work in of itself.

The albums best moments come through by the mixing and mastering of guitarist/ vocalist Scott Miller. All of the instrumentation is blended together seamlessly, and the most impactful moments of the record are able to shine through as needed. This listeners favorite moments consist of riffs, and this record is full of them. Perhaps the most devastating are at the end of “Shattering Into a Sea of Light”; a brain-melter that the listener is never able to fully wrap their head around.

All round then, if you enjoy sludge metal with a wide range of contrast, this album is for you. Pick up the record June 9th.

“The Age of Self” is available digitally to preorder/buy here, cassette hereand CD//LP here

FFO: Today is the Day, Unsane, KEN mode, The Chariot,

Band info: bandcamp|| facebook