Meurtrier (murderer, in French) is a new Canadian band – they come from Quebec – dedicated to the most shameless speed metal. The formation lines up Tony (voice), Martin (guitar), Fred (drums), Van (low) e Will (guitar). Le Visage du Mal embodies their debut EP and sees the light in physical mode in the form of a cassette for the Swedish label Jawbreaker Records. More specifically, 50 copies were made in white and 150 in the classic black.
The cover of Le Visage du Mal was made by Marie-Pier Lapointe while the graphic layout is the work of Anthony Verreault. Interesting anecdote: one of the most widely circulated photos of the band at a live venue immortalises Tonythe singer, wearing the T-Shirt of In Death of Steve Sylvester of the Death SS. Another curiosity: both side A and side B of the cassette contain the same songs.
There is no other information about the Canadian group but, as always, what matters is the music and Mereutrier along the five tracks included within the product Jawbreaker Records they demonstrate that they know how to do it, at least in terms of expressed attitude.
Good Blood doesn’t lie, one might say. It is no coincidence that the inventors of speed metal come from Ottawa and their greatest followers from Guelph, both in Ontario. Read it Exciter And Razor.
‘Le Visage du Mal‘, the title track, starts in a classic way that couldn’t be more classic, leveraging a riff that has already been heard millions of times but always a winner. The voice of Tony rests on epically evocative coordinates – it recalls, from afar and with the necessary distinctions, never obligatory as in this case, King Diamond And Brian Ross – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t scratch as it should, given the screams it occasionally raises to the sky. THE Meurtrier they are certainly not monsters of sound cleanliness and they reveal some ingenuity especially at the level of the rhythm section but they possess a lot of belief and the thing literally overflows between the grooves – oops… the tape – of the cassette Jawbreaker. Sustained speeds accompanyMalignant Pretresse’speed song in the wild, then it’s time for ‘Ravage‘, another blow without half measures with more than one bite with i Mercyful Fate more violent, which marks the highlight of Le Visage du Mal.
The singing in French gives further charm to the proposal crazy canucksa peculiarity which is particularly evident in ‘Suis-moi‘, an ultra-orthodox HM piece of sublime ignorance with epic impulses not to be underestimated. Closing with a flourish on the notes of the iconoclast’Fatal Ennemi’granitically in line with the rest of the product, in the name of iron and steel coherence.
It has also been written by me on other occasions, but it is worth underlining this time too: as long as groups like i Meurtrier the classic sounds linked to heavy and speed can guarantee a more than rosy future.
Stefano “Steven Rich” Ricetti
Meurtrier live
