Les Guenilles
We were recently contacted by David from Montreal based Les Guenilles, a band who openly say their sound is not for the faint-hearted. Having already received critical acclaim in Montreal for this and their previous albums, the band are on track to the big time with their album De Marde, produced by Jocelyn Gagnė (of band Les Breastfeeders…..yes really!) and its wall of distorted guitar riffs and raucous, dirty and direct rock.
From the moment the album opens with Richard Blass et son douze, there’s a real sense of urgency flowing through the music, sounding like a cross between indie style music and punk, almost as if the band are determined to create their own sound. There’s elements of hardcore going on here, but I don’t think it quite achieves that level of heaviness, it’s got the power but it’s refined power, it’s crafted into a sound which is not just heavy, it’s intriguing and keeps you guessing as to how the hell they’re going to keep it going! Les balles plus longues que l’gun continues this raucous approach to proceedings, this time moving through the track at a much faster pace and encouraging you to move. I can only imagine the reaction to this track on the live scene but one thing I can be sure of is that it’ll be mental! At only 1m10 in length, this is a short track but it squeezes a hell of a lot into that time!
Moving into Gorgėe d’pisse the sound takes a turn more towards the syncopated side of things, keeping everything working together but allowing the drums the opportunity to alter the sound into something slightly different, something more out there and something which develops the track further. Trenchcoat Scolaire and Combinaison Perdante return us to their more hard hitting approaches though, once again picking up the pace and throwing you into a pit of pure energy combined with distortion. The increase in pace almost seems to hurry the album along a little, picking up the pace and dragging you along for the ride whether you want to go or not! What I found most striking though were the breakdown type moments in Combinaison Perdante, they add a further element of raw power to things and make it a highlight on the album. As if to contrast the fast paced and raw sound though, Lendemain d’speed comes up next and almost seems to relax everything, opening dark and sludgy yet more restrained than before, but this doesn’t last! Kicking into a distorted melee of hammering elements, the whole mix once again takes form and gets those pits forming, creating a sound which is almost disturbing to listen to whilst somehow keeping some sense of form flowing through it all.
El pėre follows on and returns us to the punkier approach of the some of the previous tracks, once again picking up the pace and forming a track which is sure to get people moving. What I really liked here though was the little lead snippets which are faded into the background, they add something further to the depth of the track and turn this into another track which you need to hear from the album. Chien Mort continues this idea of depth, forming a track which could be classed under a solid metal heading but once again adding their own take onto proceedings. The only issue I have with this track is that the vocals are too low in the mix, they can’t match the sheer power of the bassy rhythms which ooze out of this track. This is an issue which seems to continue into Pu capab’ de bander, which is a real shame as these two tracks really stand out as ones to listen to on the album. The music is full of power, but the levels on the vocals need to be brought up a notch just to make sure they’re clear!
Finishing the album with Fuis moė j’te tue there’s a real sense that this is the culmination of the album, a journey which has taken you from hardcore punk style stuff through to this finale which once again harks back to solid metal. More well formed over all as a track, this finishes the album and leaves you wanting to know what’s going to come next, it’s almost a suggestion that the bands sound has been developing and that the next release is going to be something different again.
Les Guenilles aren’t a band for the faint hearted, that’s for sure! There’s areas here which are too far gone even for me, which is a shock when you consider what I listen to, but as a whole the album is one which is going to appeal to a niche market of people, and that should be their aim. I love the sound of the vocals but the key issue at times was being able to hear them, the guitars and bass are too high in the mix which at times drowned them out, but as an issue it’s not the biggest one the band have ever faced I’m sure! This is an album which is going to match the most furious of moods, those moments when you’re ready to kill – and for that reason, it’s one which I quite enjoyed! Could you listen to this everyday….probably , but it’s one of those things that you’ll find new things in each time you hear it so you wouldn’t want to over do it. In summary, this is an album which I suggest you check out and make up your own mind on!
To find out more about Les Guenilles, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls
From the moment the album opens with Richard Blass et son douze, there’s a real sense of urgency flowing through the music, sounding like a cross between indie style music and punk, almost as if the band are determined to create their own sound. There’s elements of hardcore going on here, but I don’t think it quite achieves that level of heaviness, it’s got the power but it’s refined power, it’s crafted into a sound which is not just heavy, it’s intriguing and keeps you guessing as to how the hell they’re going to keep it going! Les balles plus longues que l’gun continues this raucous approach to proceedings, this time moving through the track at a much faster pace and encouraging you to move. I can only imagine the reaction to this track on the live scene but one thing I can be sure of is that it’ll be mental! At only 1m10 in length, this is a short track but it squeezes a hell of a lot into that time!
Moving into Gorgėe d’pisse the sound takes a turn more towards the syncopated side of things, keeping everything working together but allowing the drums the opportunity to alter the sound into something slightly different, something more out there and something which develops the track further. Trenchcoat Scolaire and Combinaison Perdante return us to their more hard hitting approaches though, once again picking up the pace and throwing you into a pit of pure energy combined with distortion. The increase in pace almost seems to hurry the album along a little, picking up the pace and dragging you along for the ride whether you want to go or not! What I found most striking though were the breakdown type moments in Combinaison Perdante, they add a further element of raw power to things and make it a highlight on the album. As if to contrast the fast paced and raw sound though, Lendemain d’speed comes up next and almost seems to relax everything, opening dark and sludgy yet more restrained than before, but this doesn’t last! Kicking into a distorted melee of hammering elements, the whole mix once again takes form and gets those pits forming, creating a sound which is almost disturbing to listen to whilst somehow keeping some sense of form flowing through it all.
El pėre follows on and returns us to the punkier approach of the some of the previous tracks, once again picking up the pace and forming a track which is sure to get people moving. What I really liked here though was the little lead snippets which are faded into the background, they add something further to the depth of the track and turn this into another track which you need to hear from the album. Chien Mort continues this idea of depth, forming a track which could be classed under a solid metal heading but once again adding their own take onto proceedings. The only issue I have with this track is that the vocals are too low in the mix, they can’t match the sheer power of the bassy rhythms which ooze out of this track. This is an issue which seems to continue into Pu capab’ de bander, which is a real shame as these two tracks really stand out as ones to listen to on the album. The music is full of power, but the levels on the vocals need to be brought up a notch just to make sure they’re clear!
Finishing the album with Fuis moė j’te tue there’s a real sense that this is the culmination of the album, a journey which has taken you from hardcore punk style stuff through to this finale which once again harks back to solid metal. More well formed over all as a track, this finishes the album and leaves you wanting to know what’s going to come next, it’s almost a suggestion that the bands sound has been developing and that the next release is going to be something different again.
Les Guenilles aren’t a band for the faint hearted, that’s for sure! There’s areas here which are too far gone even for me, which is a shock when you consider what I listen to, but as a whole the album is one which is going to appeal to a niche market of people, and that should be their aim. I love the sound of the vocals but the key issue at times was being able to hear them, the guitars and bass are too high in the mix which at times drowned them out, but as an issue it’s not the biggest one the band have ever faced I’m sure! This is an album which is going to match the most furious of moods, those moments when you’re ready to kill – and for that reason, it’s one which I quite enjoyed! Could you listen to this everyday….probably , but it’s one of those things that you’ll find new things in each time you hear it so you wouldn’t want to over do it. In summary, this is an album which I suggest you check out and make up your own mind on!
To find out more about Les Guenilles, check out their Facebook page HERE.
Words: Dave Nicholls