The Stoned Poet

  A World To Forget by Braindown , and my thoughts about their live performance A World to Forget couldn’t have been a better title for their debut album. Seeing them live, it’s a gripping urge to split your head against any formal object or person near you. Your whole life seems suddenly meaningless as you watch clown, bones and ares stomp every last cell of reason left in you. The crowd is ecstatic, Shag’s vocal roar across the stage and into your ears they penetrate to reach your beat-less heart as the show claims every punk in the room. As the show reached its climax, I couldn’t remember who I was, all I had inside was an envy to spew my guts. The thrill, the sweat and madness had broken my recollection of a formal bleak existence. As I opened my eyes one last time to watch these four guy’s mercilessly claim every soul, I remembered that this was just a show, that I wasn’t in hell yet, that the door by which I’d come in wasn’t the gate of hell. Oh shoot I thought, how could I...

  Fractured - Shades Of Despair Single Review Listening to Shades Of Despair’s single Fractured, I realized two things. God am I glad I live in Canada, because when they’ll play it live, you’ll surely be leaving the night with a fractured bone if not skull. Secondly, it reminded me of my high school years listening to Cognizant Castigation by Vulvodynia and damn does it feel good to hear, realising that to this day, I am always shook at the vocal prowess of these singers. Many metal, death metal or any sub genres try to imitate a sound and use it as a template. They’ll target certain cues to align their recording with, hoping the listeners jump right in as they hear those little nods. But most of the time, it simply loses the soul purpose of the genre, because if you don’t end up putting your touch to the music you create, then AI might as well do it for you, especially nowadays. And with this single, Shades Of Despair aren’t afraid of serving a dish slightly altered. The song star...

  3 Strikes You're Out - Bad Objection Album Review Hopping on a burning train, going down the rails, wondering where does it even go? Will it bring you down in the tiers-monde of Mexico where all the thrill and dangers are? Will it lead you to the High Class suburb of Montreal reign by sophisticated sounds or simply out in a field where wheat grows and the sky breathes purple haze?  Those  were the  questions I asked myself, as I pressed play on Spotify to listen to “3 Strikes You’re Out,” recorded by Bad Objection, captured at Ice Box Studio. One thing is sure; the train is fast paced, dazzling and running full steam to wherever the band wished to bring you.  Comprised of 10 action packed tracks, this masterpiece was sung and strummed by Riccardo Ranaldi, the bass foundations were laid down by Chad Baker and the drums were pounded by Pedro. They’re a punk trio, NOFX styled but better; much better. Coming from a man who is more of a Sex Pistols punk type, it ha...