Eclipser, Viva Non , and Crasher
Eclipser
Pages // Self Released
For young, up and coming bands, line up changes can make or break them. In the case of Ontario's Eclipser, and their new EP Pages, it’s taken them to great new heights with their sound. Since their 2019 full length, Pathos, they’ve parted ways with their vocalist and bass player, leaving guitarist Ryan Menard to fulfill vocal duties, and making way for their newest member Sebastien Choquette to slap the bass. Ryan’s vocals have opened up the potential for Eclipser's music to be much more emotive and distinguished, while still creating wicked blackened death metal! Line changes were not the only challenge the band was faced during the making of Pages. Like any band who’ve released music in the last couple years, they had a major roadblock in the form of a global pandemic in front of them. Luckily they were able to track the drums before the first wave hit Canada, but after that, they were left to learn how to record from their home. Mastered by Topan Das (Fuck the Facts, Apartment 2 studios) and mixed by Mike Raymond (Reverence Audio) the sonic outcome is crisp yet sinister, much like the cover art done by Misanthropic Art!
The hair raising journey begins with the title track, “Pages". The ominous guitars and steady blast beats paint a picture of a frozen and desolate landscape, and the picture gets even clearer when Ryan Menards pained screams ascend onto the track! With lyrics of trying to reach out and find God, only to realize we are alone, and have no one to turn to, this song strikes the heart with an icy dagger! The cynicism continues with the dread inspiring “Matternaught". This song displays the feeling of loneliness and insignificance in a hauntingly beautiful fashion, with chaotic guitars and spastic drums, and howls of despair! “Carry Your Burden" is up next, with a crushing chorus sprinkled in melody, and doused in disdain! The lyrics seem to praise those who work hard throughout their lives, and condemning the lazy pigs that sit on their fortunes, often gained by stabbing backs on the way to the top. “To Never Wake Again” is a slower jam, but still packs a heavy punch, and a truly beautiful guitar solo that speaks to the soul! The lyrics of this song are quite controversial, almost suggesting an early exit out of life to its listener, as getting old and withering away is not the right way to go out. The EP closer, “Fathomless" makes up for about a third of the runtime on Pages, and it’s the epic ending the EP needs to send us off! The song is about how little we know about the colossal cosmos we live in, and the gods that humans create in their own image. These themes are a great pair with the deranged atmosphere the track puts forth!
With live shows seemingly being just over the horizon, I am beaming with excitement thinking about the day I get to witness songs off of this wicked EP in the flesh! Eclipser have already shared the stage with great talents, and it’s only going to go up from here!
- Justin Olson
Viva Non
We Grow // Negative Gain Productions
Up for review, we have We Grow from Winnipeg's Viva Non. Viva Non describes their music on Bandcamp as ".... an emotive electronic project" and combining "existential lyricism with synth music and punk sensibility." The album opens with the track “Go On,” which keeps you bopping with an irresistible four-on-the-floor bass drum beat that maintains throughout the bulk of the song. The constant melody of the synth gives the song a layered and throbbing sound. The laid-back narration vocal style from singer James Hofer adds an interesting dynamic, reminding this reviewer a little of Cold Cave's Wesley Eisold vocal delivery.
The second track on the record is called “Rise,” the single off of We Grow. Bleak in tone but upbeat in delivery. This song does a great job of balancing cheerful sounds with more subdued energy. I felt almost an early Cut Copy sort of feel from this track. The song's music video is laid back and captures the vibe very well.
Next up, we have the honest and truthful song title, "People Say A Lot Without Substance." This song stuck out to me, and I liked its slower pace, giving the listener more of a chance to feel each element of the music, highly likely leading to some serious bobbing at the Viva Non live show.
Number 5, we got “Better.” Honestly, this song made me feel better. From the very kick-off of the arpeggiator synthesizer, you know you're in store for something fun. It stuck out to me as a bit of a party trick, and I could certainly see this song sticking out at a live show, perhaps encouraging a bit more crowd involvement. The delay on the snare rolls adds a nice air of dissonance, and when the more pronounced hi-hat comes in around 1:40, you know that you'll be on the dance floor all night.
“Grow” closes the album and features some charming sound choices. A delayed harpsichord type sound plays off the relatively present hi-hat and expansive pipe sounds. This song would be a perfect fit on any driving playlist. Where are we heading? It might be too early to say, but if you got Viva Non's Grow On, the destination doesn't matter.
- Earl Donald
Crasher
street cleaning machines of the world // Endless
When I was a child I had these small plastic animal toys. Each animal was segmented in 3 pieces and you could mix and match heads, torsos, and legs; a giraffe body with a monkey's head and a rhino's legs is quite the creature. street cleaning machines of the world from Montreal's Crasher reminded me of these toys (they probably came from a Kinder Surprise now that I think about it - sorry American readers). You have three individuals putting their minds and bodies together to create an album that is equal parts punk, garage rock, and new wave, all without a guitarist. This beautiful monkeygirafferhino is ready to run.
The album ebbs and flows steadily through different sounds while still remaining decidedly punk and decidedly Crasher. Throughout the album, Crasher's vocalist Ash sings with a passion that is at times intimate ("Flicker") and at other times raw rock and roll ("Nice Guise"). Sometimes Ash inflects words in a way that reminds me of Ric Ocasek (sometimes the synth on this album transports me to 'Heartbeat City').
On the topic of Nice Guise, it has this catchy quality that reminds me of early White Stripes - bassist Kai and drummer Ty kick ass throughout the whole album in this garage-rock kind of fashion while Ash lays down the shouts and synths on top.
I have to commend the song writing on this album. There are moments where I was expecting the music to go a certain way and was totally and pleasantly surprised. For example, take "In A Field" at 1 minute and 12 seconds in: the song builds tension for 72 seconds and just when I'm expecting something noisy to 'pop', I am greeted with these sounds that recall a cassette or VHS tape with stretched film. Love it.
This album is a very solid way to spend 60 minutes of your time. I say this while acknowledging that this collection of tunes is only 20 minutes in length - you'll want to play it three times back to back.
- Alex Bennett
