Tonnerre (Thunder in English) is
a supergroup of sorts featuring members from Cauchemar (including lead singer
Annick Giroux), S’cuse, Dur Coeurs, and Ex-Bastardator. They hail from rural
Quebec/Ontario, more specifically from Ripon, Lac-Simon, and Ottawa. They deliver
a unique brand of Mystical Hard Rock with their first outing, La nuit sauvage (The Wild Night). Being
a huge fan of the Doom Metal band Cauchemar, I was eagerly anticipating this release.
There’s also the fact that I love to support fellow Quebec artists, especially
when they sing in French (my first language). Initially slated for an April 5th
release, the LP has been delayed slightly to this coming Friday, April 12th.
The festivities begin with the
title track that’s got a cool classic rock feel. “Le grand corbeau” follows
with its head-bobbing riff; a solid track all-around. “La brunante” is
deeply-rooted in the AC/DC realm and features terrific vocals from Annick. “Ceux
qui sommeillent”, the third and latest single, is another great tune with lyrics
full of imagery. “La danse du feu”, which was the second single, wears its
AC/DC influence on it sleeves. A superb catchy song and a definite highlight of
the record. “Les enfants de la nuit”, the first single, gets my vote for the
catchiest tune on the LP and my personal favourite with its occult theme. “L’esprit
de la forêt”, a faster song, is another strong track with a nature theme. “Les
flambeaux du ciel” is an awesome sing-along song and one of the best on the
album. “Mouches à feu” is the closest-sounding to an AC/DC song on this record,
yet it has its own unique identity. The closing track, “L’aurore”, is a stellar
song with excellent guitar work.
Tonnerre delivers a phenomenal
first record with La nuit sauvage.
Melodic, catchy, and easily accessible to mainstream audiences, there isn’t a
bad song on this LP. With its lyrics steeped in the occult and earthy themes, La nuit sauvage is an immersive sonic experience.
It’ll definitely be a strong contender for my Top Ten Albums of the Year list. Fans
of hard rock, classic rock, AC/DC, Blue Oyster Cult, Francophone music, and of course
Cauchemar will absolutely love this dark and thunderous offering from Tonnerre.
I look forward to seeing them play live here in Quebec on June 22nd.
Here’s hoping this isn’t simply a one-off and that we’ll get many more albums
from them in the years to come. Don’t hesitate to pick this one up ASAP!
Tonnerre on Bandcamp: https://tonnerrehardrock.bandcamp.com/album/la-nuit-sauvage
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