All the Sinners

I discovered this band when my friends and I drove to Quebec to see Dragonforce's first show over here, and they opened. The other bands were lackluster, so I expected little from the other local band. What I got instead was a performance that rivaled any band on the planet. They can play their hearts out, and Sonia can sing her ass off. (She also looks foxy in a pirate outfit.) I was blown away, and as a bonus I got to talk to Martin for a while after the show. He was really friendly, and an excellent guitar player. If this band were born in Germany or Finland they'd be legends right now. It can't be easy to be a power metal band in Cryptopsy country in the frozen north.

This is a really unique album. I know the quick response would be "dah, no, it's power metal!" but while there are plenty of elements you've heard before, I find this band to have a very distinctive sound. That goes more or less without saying, as this band has a female vocalist in Sonia Pineault. She's not an opera deal like Tarja from Nightwish or one of those whispery singers from goth metal bands, she really brings it. She has the perfect voice for this music.

The music operates for the most part at Iron Maiden speed or slightly faster (not approaching Dragonforce tempo or anything like that). There are ballady songs on here as well, but not sappy ones that most power metal bands include, but strong ones that suit the story of the album (which is apparently about some sort of good guy nature-witch). The tracks on this album all stand out, but some like March for Freedom and Magic Fountain will get trapped in your brain forever.

The harmonized vocals are excellent, she has a clear voice with not much of a French-Canadian accent (except on the intro track). I believe the primary background vocalist was from a Quebecois Iron Maiden coverband, and you can tell an excellent singer in his own right.

Pat Vir is a talented bass player and is allowed to actually participate fully in the music unlike most power metal bands where the guy primarily serves to beef up the chords. Fredric Desroches is an excellent keyboard player and is produced well, you couldn't imagine the songs without him but he's not trying to play one-upsmanship with the guitars like some metal keyboardists tend to do. The guitarwork is fantastic, classically inspired and perfectly performed.

The production is clear and well done for an independant release. Good musicians can put out a great album on any budget. It's not tear your nuts off heavy, but it suits the music perfectly. It sounds great. I couldn't reccomend this band enough.