The mighty tree of Metal provides yet again folks.The Great Mackintosh did a review last year of a band named Kremlin, and was mighty impressed, and soon after became friends, at least in a social media kind of way, with a bloke by the name of Neutron Cannon. Funny chap indeed to say the least, some kind of French Canadian dude that is half Irish from what I’ve been told, and that makes him almost completely nuts. Anyway…
So this fine fellow shared with me a project he and a few friends have been working on, this being a band going by the name of ‘Paladin’. Needless to say, The Great Mack loves anything to do with armour, weaponry and the whole medieval type of shit, and thus needed to hear more about them asap. They then released a single by the name of “Le Mal dans la Nuit”, and in some sort of double entendre kind of way, the English translation is ‘Evil in the Night’. Knight, Paladin…never mind ha-ha.
And what of it then? Well, fuck me with the rough end of an extremely well sharpened halberd if this isn’t one exceptionally heavy song to introduce yourself with. I haven’t a clue what they are singing about, and I don’t fucking care either, for it is just great to say the least.. This is where I now introduce a certain Mr Louis Thivierge, who is also in another band I will be covering shortly named ‘Survival Instinct’ in which he goes by the name ‘L’Wiff’ and plays guitar. On this one he provides the necessary grunt in a vocal sense, and what a lower end powerhouse he is indeed! Then you have our mate Neutron Cannon on drums (he plays drums and does vocals with Kremlin), and a fellow named William Verreault on guitar (who also plays bass for Survival Instinct), rounded out by a dude named Chuck on the other six string. He is also in torturer, but is not in Survival Instinct. Confused? I fucking am!!
Paladin are a Death/Doom kind of affair. It’s brick shithouse kind of heavy, with layers of screaming solo work appearing every now and then to lighten the mood, if that is at all possible. What you get on the cassette if you can get your filthy muckrakers on it is the single itself “Le Mal dans la Nuit” on side A (side Death apparently) and two classic Autopsy covers – “Twisted Mass of Burnt Decay” and “In The Grip of Winter” on the other side. That being side B, or side Doom in this case. Yes, you can certainly hear some Autopsy influence in their original material too, and some Bolt Thrower, and some other shit too just like you can in any Metal these days, and yes, it’s fucking superb. I don’t know how many of the cassettes are left, I’ve got mine so I’m rather pleased with myself, maybe you should go find one too or miss out and tuff shit to you for doing so. Because I am feeling kind and magnanimous I will provide links below, but only this once. Wouldn’t want you to think The Great Mackintosh has become The Kindly Nice Generous Mackintosh or any such rubbish.
Back to the main single, “Le Mal dans la Nuit” is, as previously stated, one heavy son of a bitch. Production values are kept to a minimum, and for good reason. This is plain and simply as raw as a backside that’s been taken to with a cheese grater. Unapologetically brutal in every sense of the word. If it’s crisp sound and triggered drums you are after (yes, Chevy-dune de fuckface, you need not bother asking them), then I suggest you fuck right off and find somewhere else to play. Coming in at roughly six minutes in length, it is a superb example of all that is good in the worlds of Death and Doom. Rough and ready, with some real class on display in the musical talent department, and well paying its dues to the world of old school classic Metal in no uncertain terms.
You can actually listen to it above, well duh, but I highly recommend you try and track down a copy as well. They are currently working on a full length to be released next year when they are not playing in six gazillion other bands, and The Great Mackintosh is highly fucking excited about the whole thing. Get on it people, regrets are for losers..
Rating – 4/5
Here are some links, go have a look.
https://prcmusic.bandcamp.com/album/paladin-le-mal-dans-la-nuit-single
https://survivalinstinct.bandcamp.com/releases
https://godzovwarproductions.bandcamp.com/album/decimation-of-the-elites
https://www.facebook.com/Paladin1111/?ref=br_rs
https://www.facebook.com/rotten.rancid/
The Metal Wanderlust 