ENSIFERUM, FINNTROLL, and ROTTEN SOUND
February 17, 2011
@ the Zoo
By D.C.S. Murray
Last night I lived out a fantasy that I’ve had since I was about sixteen years old, to see Finnish folk-metal act Finntroll perform live. Finntroll play a unique variety of extreme metal blended with traditional Finnish polka music called ‘Humppa’, they sing about the exploits of the troll-king ‘Rivfader’ and they dress up in full troll regalia when they perform live. Combined with the opening band Ensiferum (also Finnish, but these guys dress up and sing about Iron-age warriors instead of Trolls). I was sure that I was headed into a dark and nerdy place that would leave me in desperate need of some D&D afterward. I was definitely surprised.
The show was happening at the Zoo, a venue that I ashamedly had never been to before. Due to an unfortunate scheduling conflict I arrived late, missing the first band, Barren Earth. We entered just as “Rotten Sound” was getting into full-swing. Even though they were by far the least nerdy band there I do have to mention these guys. It was grind music at it’s absolute best; uber-fast and ultra-heavy, ballsy enough to break straight into a D-beat for no reason at all, and mature enough not to be wearing corpse-paint and Mayhem t-shirts. They were the exact opposite reason I was there, nonetheless I enjoyed it immensely and would definitely recommend them to anyone who is bored of entry-level death-metal and fashioncore.
After a short cigarette break and several very confused partial conversations, we found out that Finntroll would be coming on first and playing a shorter set due to the entire band being under the weather. This was about when I noticed it: You would think that a show where three out of the four acts have something or other to do with ancient mythology the crowd would be a rather homogenous group of 18 to 20-something males who all knew each other from Comic-Con, but as I stood staring at the excited faces I saw something very different. Woolen-capped hipster babes sat astride the shoulders of behemoth vikings, and men who looked like my 51-year-old father sporting celtic-knot t-shirts were playing pool with long haired death metal kids. On my way to the bathroom I accidentally bumped into a very-large biker type and almost spilled his beer. Being the spineless whelp I am, apologies began tumbling forth from my mouth. He smiled, let out a hearty-laugh and said the smartest thing I’d heard all night. “Don’t worry about it, Bro. We’re all here for the same thing.” It was true, as I made my way through the crowd and the band began to play my fantasy commenced and everyone in the audience became one.
Guitarist Skrymer was sporting war paint that curled down his face, chest, and back like the gnarled roots of Yggdrasil while vocalist Vreth commanded us to do his bidding from his perch on top of the monitor. Snot poured from the nostrils of these men like fountains and dark bags under their eyes were apparent through the make-up but that only seemed to make them play more intensely. Though their set was only about 45 minutes and consisted of a lot of new material that I was unfamiliar with, every moment of Finntroll’s performance was engrossing. Filled with chunky polka bass beats and some seriously soviet vocal breakdowns, they proved that a little influenza will not stop an army of angry Trolls. I emerged from the mosh-pit drenched with the collective perspiration of what now felt like my family. I was 16 again.
My last surprise of the night came in the form of Ensiferum, the band that was supposed to open for Finntroll. I had earlier dismissed Ensiferum as “uninspired garbage metal that all sounds the same.” I would like to take this moment to apologize to Ensiferum and all of their fans. They were not only fast-loud and loaded with songs about traversing the frozen wasteland (a subject that we’re all too familiar with) but they also have melodies simple enough that anyone in the audience can and are encouraged to sing along with. The musicianship was complex but not masturbatory. Even though the lyrical themes are so specific, the music and the atmosphere of this band seemed to grab everyone in the room, get them blood-drunk and rally them together into a rag-tag army of misfits.
In summation, Rotten Sound gave me something to think about, Finntroll gave me release and Ensiferum gave me a swift kick in the ass that I won’t soon forget.
Solidarity Rockers: Kids on Fire
By Kent Davies
Winnipeg punk-rockers Kids on Fire have accomplished a lot in the few short years they’ve been playing. Comprised of local ska/punk vets Ian Lodewyks (Subcity/ the Barrymores), Steve Hallick (the Resistance/ the Crackdown) and Leif Gobeil (Vibrating Beds/ the Afterbeat), KOF’s infectious sound is a perfect combo of hardcore, street punk and Clash-inspired rock that you can’t help but pay attention to. Since their 2009 self-titled debut, they’ve played to packed audiences and came second in last year’s Uptown reader’s poll for both best new band and best local release. Now they’re set to embark on the rarest of touring opportunities: teaming up with non-profit group Solidarity Rock to play Cuba. Not only will KOF be playing shows across Cuba they’ll be bringing down much-needed instruments and equipment for aspiring Cuban musicians. Stylus recently caught up with KOF before their headlining gig at the 6th annual tribute to Joe Strummer, a benefit for Solidarity Rock. Continue reading “Solidarity Rockers: Kids on Fire”
Dangercat – Out of the Bag
By Riel Lynch
The four of us and the Russian Prince sat down. If you haven’t met him before, I don’ t recommend doing so. After editing out a ton of swears, inaudible slurs, and ridiculous
off-topic stories (all on my behalf), this is what I got.
Stylus: Who are you and what instruments do you play?
Keith Dueck: I’ m Keith Dueck and I play guitar and sing.
Kevin Klassen: Uhhhhhhh…
Ryan Roemer: This is Kevin Klassen and he plays drums. He’s a little drunk. I’m Ryan Roemer and I play the bass. Occasionally I sing when Keith isn’t shooting me the ol’ stink eye.
Stylus: How do you want portray yourselves as a band?
RR: Real nice guys, us in our defining moment, something for our grandchildren to look back at.
KK: I think we could finally make it somewhere.
Stylus: And where would that “somewhere” be?
RR: We’d like to work on getting signed, and we’re recording a full length album in February.
KD: We’re on the cusp of it. We’re working hard to eventually work hard… Actually, we’ve finally made it to where we want. We’re all so comfortable with each other. We can sit down and have a song written in 10 minutes. We don’t take it so seriously, it’s all for fun. I don’t think we sound like anyone out there.
Stylus: What is a Dangercat? Are you guys dangercats?
RR: It’s just a really aggressive style… No, take this one Keith.
KD: To be honest, it’s just a reference from Fubar.
KK: Are you serious?
RR: We are dangercats. Woman is a dangercat. We had to pick something, plus we just liked it.
Stylus: What influences Dangercat musically?
KD: Drugs and alcohol. Nineties rock and pop-punk bands, like Saves the Day, Moves your Life, Hot Water Music, and Blink 182 obviously.
KK: Godsmack. Lamb of God.
RR: A lot of Nine Inch Nails too.
Stylus: Besides those bands, what influences you when writing?
KD: I’m under the influence most of the time. Wait, is my mom going to be reading this?
RR: Drugs and alcohol don’t influence us, it’s just something we do that shows in our music.
Stylus: That’s an influence…
RR: Okay, I was trying to avoid it but, yeah, we like to party!
KD: The song “Go Wolves,” is one I wrote when I was losing my mind on mushrooms.
Stylus: How often do you jam?
RR: Twice a week, but all of our song ideas come between three to eight a.m.
KD: I prefer to write alone on acoustic, then bring it to jam. All together we make it
sound better.
You can download Dangercat’s four-track demo at http://dangercat.bandcamp.com.
Alpha Couple – Doubts are real
By Taylor Burgess
On one of the coldest nights in January, I bussed down to Albert Street to share a cup of tea with Kristel Jax and Mark Wohlgemuth, Alpha Couple and proprietors of Freud’s Bathhouse and Diner. Despite the splash they’ve made with the venue/gallery, and despite the fact that they’re soon leaving the space, they refused answering any questions about it. So instead, we talked about Stalingrad, an album that started when they lived in Toronto a year ago, named after the apartment they lived in that they had nicknamed. Continue reading “Alpha Couple – Doubts are real”
Les Jupes – Myth-making with the middle man
By Michael Elves
Myths are generally written-on-papyrus old; or passed-down-from-your-ancestors old. The notion of myths being modern seems paradoxical, but for Winnipeg band Les Jupes, and principal songwriter Mike Petkau Falk, myth-making is ever present; “I do feel that sometimes we don’t acknowledge the myths that we do have in our lives right now, the ones that our society has created on the one hand, but then also that we don’t purposefully create myths – that the notion of the parable or the notion of stories that also teach is not something that’s on the forefront of modern society’s consciousness really.”
And while Les Jupes’ debut album is entitled Modern Myths, Petkau Falk admits this stab at allegorical writing is “nothing so bold as ‘I’m going to write the modern myth for the modern age,’ these are stories about people dealing with their lives in this age and some of the things that we get hung up on are the thing that are most present in this time.” Continue reading “Les Jupes – Myth-making with the middle man”
Venutres playing in Winnipegggggg!
Surf rockers, hold up those guitar necks! The Ventures are playing in Winnipeg next week, at the McPhillips Street station. Tickets are on sale for only $35 to see the classic guitar-band that wrote the theme to Hawaii Five-O and “Walk Don’t Run.” We will hopefully be sending a writer and photographer to cover all the twang and vibrato of the night.
Live Bait: Magna Musee’s grand entrance
Better late than never, (effing email issues) here a batch of wicked photos from the grand opening of Magna Musee, a gallery located on Ross Ave, deeper into the grey areas of the Exchange. The night included many surprises and performances, some of which were captured by the wonderful Denise McMullin, shown after the jump.
STREETZ gets their hands filthy
We’re not much of the hip-hop heads here at Stylus, but when two independent media personalities are publicly bashing heads and an army is being rallied via Facebook, it’s hard not to notice.
A boycott of STREETZ 104.7 FM is loosely being organized by local hip-hop group Filthy Animals, calling on fans to call or text in to STREETZ to send requests for their music to be acknowledged, and for fans to bombard STREETZ’s Facebook page with their love for the group. Member Jeff Bromley, who has had some notoriety in Winnipeg as host of music news and interview program “Signal to Noise” on Shaw TV, wrote an “essay” detailing why this is all going down. Continue reading “STREETZ gets their hands filthy”
Live Bait: Turn them Off and Shut it Down
THE ABSENT SOUND W/ POP CRIMES
@ Ragpickers’ Viva Libra Theatre
By Victoria King
Walking into Ragpickers sort of feels like walking into a real life version of Rocky Horror Picture Show. While the main floor holds a large assortment of vintage apparel, the rest of the building itself is an amusement park of eclectic art pieces, creaky staircases and an extensive used book collection. The place oozes of interest and unique authenticity. Moreover, seeing a show in the third floor Viva Libra Theatre is like sitting front row beside the speakers at a concert, no matter where you end up in the room. The space is so small, you are bound to leave with some kind of hearing impairment. Oh well. That’s what hearing aids are for.
After Saturday night, I am more than willing to go pick some aural assistance up after Absent Sound blew Ragpickers away for the release of their new EP Turn Them Off. The local experimental/psyche band definitely puts on more than your average show. If you haven’t checked them out before, I’m giving you fair warning that it’s more than just a concert, it’s an experience (fog machines, crazy lights, potentially moving image backgrounds). The show was one of the trippiest (and I use this word sparingly) experiences of my life. Holy mystic river, in three words: it was dope.
The night started off a little bit later than anticipated with Pop Crimes, a four-part experimental rock group and another local find, opening up for Absent Sound. Playing for an audience of no more than 40 people, they killed it. Relying mostly on heavy guitar riffs and some intense drumming, the band seemed to be totally channeling a Mission of Burma kind of vibe. Imagine all your favorite guitar openings, interludes and harmonies: that’s pretty much Pop Crimes.
With a room so small and intimate, it’s no wonder the band seemed to affect the audience so wholly. Absent Sound started up near midnight and the show opened with a steady progression into the opening song. Every note had its place. The fog machine started up, the lights were cued and with that it was more than a concert. The whole show was a full sensory experience. As mentioned before, the Viva Libra theatre is a tiny space. Seriously, it seems like no more than 60 people max at a time before the whole building would just crumble. With that being said, that music literally pulsed throughout the entire space. The whole show was a tight, focused, collective effort. It’s easy to get lost listening to Absent Sound. Also specializing in sound art, their music has a polished rawness to it. The whole show was nuts, right from beginning to end. Once the final song was finished, the lights fell and the audience, unsure whether to expect more, lay silent. Only until lead vocalist and guitarist David Fort clarified with, “That’s it.” Of course, clapping ensued as well as an encore. Not only did the show have the best closing I’d seen, the encore was incredible. Dedicating the song to a recent case of police brutality just outside the city, the tribute was wild. This was one of the coolest shows I’ve seen in a while.
While the EP doesn’t have the fog machine or the light show, Turn Them Off is a great stocking-stuff for any music fan on your Christmas list this year. It’s an epically haunting four-song trance/experimental/rock collection, available for purchase and download on the band’s website, www.theabsentsound.com. You can also check them out at Gio’s on December 21 at Element Sircus, also curated by Absent Sound themselves.