PHAZE 1 – Phaze 1

Have you ever wondered when mankind will stop their reckless destructive rally of the Earth? When will man halt and ponder the beauty seen everyday and smile heartily at one’s fellow man, lending him a hand as a gesture of friendship? Whenever that day was planned to arrive, the process has definitely been set back a few years — we’re entering Phaze 1.

Phaze 1 is a conceptual project fronted by brothers David and Franck Potvin, guitarists of Canadian Thrash Metal band Lyzanxia, and drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Scarve and Soilwork). The material has been generated throughout the last couple of years, in-between the Potvins’ Lyzanxia sessions, before they were finally able to record it last year, and the concept is interesting indeed. Pictured is a new breed of humans, seeking the obliteration of everything unfeeling and unintelligent in the world. This being their creator’s sole purpose, they crave to remain alive while only wreaking havoc and chaos around them — perhaps a parallel to our own escapades across Ye Olde Tellus? (social-minded and thought-provoking {yet cleverly camouflaged} idealism … check.)

The concept album is a phenomenon widely acclaimed through the Metal ranks, though maybe not to such an extent in the Extreme genres as in Progressive and Power Metal. This makes Phaze 1 a very interesting release, and the relatively uncomplicated idea where rage and destruction are key values suits the music well, and vice versa. There are mostly traditional Trash/Metalcore perspectives, e.g., in tracks like “A New Archetype,” “Evolution of a Species,” “Stench of Their Flesh,” and “The Guide,” but also Doom elements like in “Screams of Dying Dogs,” and an overall Black magnificence, perceivable through pompous synth arrangements. The brutal and powerful presentation keeps the listener in a firm grip, making the release as potent of a concept album as any Metal Opera has ever been.

Handling every instrument on the record except drums, David Potvin is the release’s obvious standout figure. His treatment of the strings on both guitar and bass is downright impressive, especially the solos on the former, and his synth programming makes for some interesting additions as well –- present in most of the tracks, but especially “Intensified Elements” shows a resourceful composing process, distinguishable only through dedicated work from an inventive mind. Franck Potvin’s vocals are naturally brutal and aggressive, and while they are mixed somewhat low,this makes for a nice illustration of the frustrated ferocity of the factious forsaken (captured nicely in Alain Trehard’s artwork). Furious feetwork from Dirk Verbeuren added; one should hope that there will be more than one phaze. These guys have what it takes to continue their rampage.