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Thunder Bring Their Legendary 1998 Live Album Back With A Remastered Edition

Eric Alper
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Thunder Bring Their Legendary 1998 Live Album Back With A Remastered Edition

Thunder has made ‘Live’ essential again. The British hard rock institution has released a newly remastered digital edition of their landmark 1998 album, with a physical release following on April 17th in the US. Recorded in 1997, the album captures the band at full force, a raw and unfiltered document of one of rock’s most commanding live acts doing exactly what they do best.

The remaster, handled in 2025 with careful attention to the original recordings, restores the full weight and immediacy of these performances. Danny Bowes commands the stage with that unmistakable voice, Luke Morley delivers the riffs and songwriting that built Thunder’s reputation, and Chris Childs, joining the band just before these shows, locks in as though he had always been there. Alongside the release, Thunder has shared a video for fan-favorite “The Only One,” a fresh visual companion to a performance that still crackles with energy.

HEADLINE: British Hard Rock Legends Thunder Bring Their Legendary 1998 Live Album Back With A Remastered Edition

TAGS: Thunder, Danny Bowes, Luke Morley, Chris Childs,

BLOG POST:

Thunder has made ‘Live’ essential again. The British hard rock institution has released a newly remastered digital edition of their landmark 1998 album, with a physical release following on April 17th in the US. Recorded in 1997, the album captures the band at full force, a raw and unfiltered document of one of rock’s most commanding live acts doing exactly what they do best.

The remaster, handled in 2025 with careful attention to the original recordings, restores the full weight and immediacy of these performances. Danny Bowes commands the stage with that unmistakable voice, Luke Morley delivers the riffs and songwriting that built Thunder’s reputation, and Chris Childs, joining the band just before these shows, locks in as though he had always been there. Alongside the release, Thunder has shared a video for fan-favorite “The Only One,” a fresh visual companion to a performance that still crackles with energy.

Twenty-two core tracks span the band’s catalog, including “Love Walked In,” “Dirty Love,” “Backstreet Symphony,” and “The Only One,” with bonus acoustic and studio recordings rounding out a 31-track set:

Thunder, ‘Live’ (Remastered) Track Listing:

This Forgotten Town (Acoustic)

Welcome To The Party

Higher Ground

Don’t Wait Up

Low Life In High Places

Gimme Some Lovin’

Empty City

Until My Dying Day

A Better Man

Does It Feel Like Love?

Dance To The Music

She’s So Fine

Backstreet Symphony

An Englishman On Holiday

I’ll Be Waiting

Laughing On Judgement Day

Like A Satellite

Moth To The Flame

Living For Today

The Only One

Love Walked In

River Of Pain

Dirty Love

New York, New York

Pilot Of My Dreams

Everybody Wants Her

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Stand Up

The Only One (Studio Version)

Too Bad (Studio Version)

Something About You (The Nomis Session)

Metal Supergroup Metal Allegiance Breaks Eight-Year Silence With “Black Horizon”

Eric Alper
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Metal Supergroup Metal Allegiance Breaks Eight-Year Silence With “Black Horizon”

Metal Allegiance is back. The New York-based metal supergroup has released “Black Horizon,” their first original track since 2018 and the opening shot of a new era for the band. Eight years is a long time, and this song arrives with the weight of that absence fully intact.

“Black Horizon” is a slow-building apocalypse. Alex Skolnick (Testament) opens with roaring riffs that set a desolate scene, while William DuVall (Alice In Chains) delivers ominous, howling vocals that chronicle a desperate flight for survival. Gloomy, minimalistic verses give way to thunderous choruses, with Mark Menghi (King Ultramega) anchoring the low end and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) keeping the dread coiled and ready to detonate. Systems fail, shadows fall, and the doomed cry for salvation. This is heavy music with genuine atmosphere and weight.

The quotes from the band say everything. Menghi reflects, “Who would have thought we’d be here 12 years later with new MA music,” adding that DuVall’s presence “opens up a new era for MA.” Skolnick describes the track as “a gift from the ghost of MA past, salvaged from a stockpile of riffs we’d started long ago but never quite finished.” DuVall calls it an honor, and Portnoy is simply “stoked they finally get to see the light of day.” Metal Allegiance is not revisiting the past. They are building something new from its bones.

Singer-Songwriter Carla Muller Releases Two Complete Albums in One Day: ‘In Between’ and ‘Paper Stars’

Eric Alper
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Singer-Songwriter Carla Muller Releases Two Complete Albums in One Day: ‘In Between’ and ‘Paper Stars’

In an era of strategically spaced singles and algorithm-driven release schedules, Carla Muller is doing something audacious: she’s releasing two complete albums on the same day. ‘In Between’ and ‘Paper Stars’, both out now via Canterbury Music Company, represent a creative floodgate opened—a songwriter unwilling to wait any longer to share the stories she’s been carrying for years. This double release defies conventional music industry wisdom, but for Muller, the decision reflects an artistic urgency that couldn’t be contained by typical rollout strategies. Based in Woolwich, Ontario, Muller spent years balancing family life with a lifelong dream to share her music with the world. It wasn’t until 2020 that she began recording at Canterbury Music Company, working alongside veteran engineers Jeremy Darby and Julian Decorte and collaborating with Canadian heavyweights like Jason Fowler, Mark Lalama, Nathan Hiltz, and Gary Craig. “I write from my heart, for the people I love, and for myself—past and present,” Muller explains.

‘In Between’ opens with “Hold The Door,” a masterclass in narrative songwriting co-written with Scott Metcalfe that captures the lightning-bolt moment Muller’s parents met sixty years ago—a story involving borrowed heels, a wing-tipped automobile, and 1960s chivalry. Anchored by Metcalfe’s piano and coloured with Chris Quinn’s banjo and Drew Jurecka’s violin, the song moves from literal to metaphorical, using the “door” as a symbol for life’s transitions: “The day they first met he drove her home / In her pretty bright blue dress and borrowed heels” and “The wolf’s done kicked it in, so let’s all dance across the floor / ‘Cause we can’t hold the door anymore.” The inspiration came from observing her parents’ six-decade marriage, ultimately becoming a meditation on “a life well-lived” and the realization that the most beautiful moments happen when we stop trying to hold the door against time’s inevitable changes.

‘Paper Stars’ reveals a different dimension of Muller’s emotional landscape. “Too Much To Ask” examines teenage heartbreak through the lens of middle-aged wisdom, written at forty-three about a love that consumed her at sixteen: “All that I ask / Is that you love me for tonight / But all I ever wanted / Was you to love me for all time / Is that too much to ask?” The emotional centrepiece arrives with “Beautiful Day,” a tribute to her friend and musical collaborator Sean Cunnington, who passed away in 2020. The song emerged unexpectedly one morning after Muller feared she might never write again: “I woke up this morning with a song in my head / I just had to call you up to say / I’m on my way, just getting out of bed / And it’s gonna be another beautiful day.”

The dual album release strategy reflects Muller’s unconventional career path and her priorities as an artist. She doesn’t tour, stating: “I would be giving up the very thing I’m always writing about—family, friends and home if I did that. Home is where the magic happens—that’s where the stories flow from. I also need to stay close to my parents, family and my new grandson. I don’t want to miss a single moment.” Rather than spacing releases for maximum commercial impact, she’s chosen to share both bodies of work simultaneously, trusting listeners to engage with the music on their own terms.

The albums showcase Muller’s range as a storyteller, moving seamlessly between generations and emotional registers. ‘In Between’ explores family legacy, resilience, and the passage of time, while ‘Paper Stars’ delves into personal memory, romantic intensity, and creative grief. Together, they present a songwriter at the height of her powers, unafraid to be vulnerable and unwilling to compromise her vision for industry convention.

. Notably, Muller continues her philanthropic commitment, with 50% of proceeds from sales and streams of the track “We’ll Be Alright” directly benefitting the Food Bank of Waterloo Region, and 25% of all CD and vinyl sales of ‘In Between’ also supporting FBWR. In a world that often feels like “nothing would ever be the same again,” Muller’s music argues that as long as we have these stories, we’ll be all right.

Seattle Ambient Artist ATA DUNE Releases Debut Album ‘Tekosa’ Bringing Intensity and Rebellion Back to the Genre

Eric Alper
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0
Seattle Ambient Artist ATA DUNE Releases Debut Album ‘Tekosa’ Bringing Intensity and Rebellion Back to the Genre

Seattle-based electronic producer Ata Dune releases Tekosa, a debut full-length album that reimagines ambient music through the lens of intensity and creative rebellion. Available now via Ata Dune Dot Com, the album marks the culmination of Ata Dune’s journey from passionate listener to bold sonic architect, crafting immersive soundscapes using grooveboxes, synthesizers, and a deliberate rejection of AI-generated music.

Tekosa emerged from Ata Dune’s conviction that ambient music has lost its rebellious spirit. Drawing inspiration from early minimalist pioneers like Terry Riley and Steve Reich—who revolutionized the music world with their experimental approaches—Ata Dune channels that same defiant energy into every track on the album. “At its core ambient music has a spirit of rebellion,” Ata Dune explains in his artist statement. “With Tekosa I aimed at the target of intensity with the same fury of Paul Simonon of The Clash smashing his bass guitar, and while the final result may not have the energy of a punk rock song, every sound I started with for every track on Tekosa resonated inside of me like a great fire being stirred.”

The album showcases Ata Dune’s hands-on approach to production, utilizing hardware instruments including the Tonverk, Digitone 2, and various VST synthesizers to create textured, powerful compositions. This tactile methodology reflects his commitment to organic electronic music creation in an era increasingly dominated by algorithmic composition. Ata Dune’s path to Tekosa began with intense listening—studying song structures and sonic elements across genres before teaching himself production through online resources, using DAWs and samples, eventually expanding into physical synthesizers and grooveboxes.

Ata Dune’s evolution began in 2022 with the release of his debut single “Dechomi,” which earned airplay on BBC Radio’s Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone—a significant validation for an emerging artist working outside traditional music industry pathways. Two additional singles followed, sharpening his understanding of both production and promotion, and building momentum toward the ambitious scope of Tekosa. The album represents not just technical growth, but a philosophical statement about what ambient electronic music can achieve when it embraces power alongside atmosphere.

Each track on Tekosa balances cerebral composition with visceral impact, challenging the perception that ambient music must drift passively in the background. Compositions like “Laleno,” “Eteso,” and “Kusalos” explore different dimensions of Ata Dune’s sound palette. His approach rejects what he describes as the “flimsy drifting tune whose main goal appears to be to squeeze any and all patience out of your being”—instead offering music that demands active engagement and rewards deep listening.

Born and raised in Seattle, Ata Dune’s musical foundation spans all genres and time periods, though he never received formal musical training. This outsider perspective informs Tekosa‘s fresh approach to electronic music, unbound by conservatory conventions or genre gatekeeping. His work exists at the intersection of ambient textures, minimalist principles, and an almost punk rock ethos about creative authenticity. The result is an album that speaks to electronic music enthusiasts seeking substance and innovation in equal measure.

Tekosa is available now on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Bandcamp, and via atadune.com. The album establishes Ata Dune as an important new voice in electronic music—one willing to honor the genre’s experimental roots while pushing its sonic boundaries forward.

Country Rocker BREE TAYLOR Releases New Single And Album “Worship”

Eric Alper
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0
Country Rocker BREE TAYLOR Releases New Single And Album “Worship”

Today, Canadian country-rock powerhouse Bree Taylor announces the arrival of her most ambitious and defiant work to date, the electrifying new single and title track from her upcoming album, “Worship.” Out now, the project marks a triumphant milestone in Taylor’s career, blending country grit with a rock-driven edge and unapologetic storytelling. Recorded at the prestigious Saxman Studios in Nashville, the track features the world-class production of Grady Saxman—famed for his work with Luke Combs and Jelly Roll—resulting in a sassy but strong and confident punch that perfectly encapsulates Taylor’s signature Country sound.

The single “Worship” serves as a sonic manifesto for an artist who has fully stepped into her creative clarity and self-worth. Lyrically, the song is an infectious, female-forward anthem that demands the respect and devotion Taylor knows she brings to every partnership. As she powerfully declares in the chorus: “Know ya gotta Earn it / Cause I know I’m worth it / You gotta worship, worship, worship”. This release represents the final chapter of a transformative period of self-discovery, moving toward a future defined by confidence and a refusal to settle for anything less than excellence.

Taylor’s sophisticated artistic evolution seamlessly weaves her rock and punk roots into the fabric of modern country storytelling. This genre-blurring approach has allowed her to rediscover herself on her own terms, creating a pivotal piece of her journey that resonates with audiences craving grit and honesty. By blending raw energy with heartfelt vulnerability, Taylor is redefining the modern country landscape and proving that resilience and passion can truly defy limits.

Adding to the momentum, Taylor’s rapid rise in the industry is backed by major recognition, including an Established Vocalist MARTY Award and a Civic Award for her contributions to the Arts community. Having recently performed on the national stage at CMA Fest in Nashville and opened for stars like Jade Eagleson and Sawyer Brown, she has cemented her reputation as one of Canada’s most magnetic live performers. Her breakout single “Standing Still” previously surpassed 300,000 Spotify streams and generated over 2 million social video views, signaling a massive and loyal digital audience ready for this next phase.

With the release of “Worship,” Taylor is not only sharing her story but inviting her listeners to find their own strength and value. This project is a deeply personal representation of a seasoned artist poised for the international stage, armed with powerhouse vocals and a relentless drive to inspire.

As she looks ahead to the next phase of her career, Taylor remains a fearless force in country-rock, committed to constant growth and the celebration of authentic, loud, and honest music.

Haitian-Born Montreal-Based Sensation Tamara Weber Redefines Indie Landscape With Genre-Blurring New Album ‘Destinations’

Eric Alper
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0
Haitian-Born Montreal-Based Sensation Tamara Weber Redefines Indie Landscape With Genre-Blurring New Album ‘Destinations’

Haitian-born, Montreal-based singer-songwriter and producer Tamara Weber has officially unveiled her most ambitious project to date, the lush indie-folk-pop-rock album ‘Destinations’. Following a massive rise that included a viral audition viewed over 50 million times, Weber has stepped into a sophisticated new sound that blends polished electronic edges with the raw, acoustic soul that first captured international attention. The 2022 GAMIQ “Revelation of the Year” has traded her early troubadour roots for a cinematic, late-night city vibe that explores identity, heritage, and the superpower of vulnerability.

‘Destinations’ serves as a definitive statement of presence for Weber, a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community and a prominent visible minority who uses her platform to claim her space with unwavering honesty. The album’s emotional core is anchored by a series of powerful singles, including the bright indie-pop anthem “See the World”. While the melody is uplifting, Weber’s lyrics offer a poignant contrast, as she sings: “I wanna see the world through the eyes of a rainbow / Don’t wanna see the world as it goes”.

The album further reveals its depth through the windows-down anthem “Lot of Love,” a driving plea for connection that explores the hard work of staying hopeful. For those seeking an intimate look into Weber’s journey of self-preservation, the ballad “I’m Here” delivers a haunting statement of survival. Over a warm, enveloping melody, Weber repeats the chilling mantra: “I’m alive / I’m alone / I’m here”. This track highlights the quiet struggle between the need for connection and the reality of solitude, reminding listeners they are never truly alone in their feelings.

For fans of her broader artistic range, Weber also offers the French-language single “Tout ce qu’il reste,” a reggae-flavored track born from a creative challenge to incorporate the pan flute. The result is an exotic, soothing atmosphere that invites listeners to slow down and savor rare moments of freedom. Whether singing in English or French, Weber’s instantly recognizable vocal timbre consistently creates a magical, intimate space that makes every listener feel at home.

Weber’s path to ‘Destinations’ has been marked by a relentless drive to evolve. From her early self-taught days in St-Georges de Beauce to captivating coaches on ‘The Voice France’ and ‘La Voix’ Quebec, she has proven herself on global television sets and prestigious festival stages like Granby and Petite Vallée. Her 2025 project of releasing one song per month showcased an artist ready to transcend the folk-pop label for a bright and limitless future.

Currently touring across Quebec with her full band, Tamara Weber is bringing these stories of identity and discovery to life from Montreal to Quebec City. ‘Destinations’ is out now on all platforms, standing as a vibrant, indie-pop journey that proves the destination is only half the story. With a career spanning street music to major stages, Weber continues to move her audience with remarkable emotional depth and a voice that resonates long after the music fades.

Wavelength Announces Melissa Auf der Maur Encore Launch For ‘Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir’ March 22 At The Garrison

Eric Alper
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Wavelength Announces Melissa Auf der Maur Encore Launch For ‘Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir’ March 22 At The Garrison

Encore, encore! Canadian alternative legend Melissa Auf der Maur’s book launch at the AGO sold out so quickly that we had to add a second date: join us for “Nineties Tea Time” with Melissa Auf der Maur. For this music-centric talk at delightfully grungy local music venue The Garrison, Melissa will chat in conversation with Emilie Hanskamp, Toronto music journalist and creator of the influential music discovery channel @emilietheaux. 

Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ‘90s Rock Memoir (Da Capo Press) is a quarter of a century in the making: part rock memoir, part travel diary, part psychedelic scrapbook, Even the Good Girls Will Cry is a behind-the-scenes rock ’n’ roll memoir with a soulful intimacy and mystic undertone. It is a vivid dispatch of her time with Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins, artistically capturing the bygone era of the last analog decade in all its messy, angsty glory.The encore book launch is the coda for a whole weekend of Melissa Auf der Maur at the Wavelength Music Festival + Conference, that will also include a xMAdMx Darkwave DJ set and a curated evening of performance co-presented by Basilica Hudson, her multi-disciplinary art centre and Basilica SoundScape, their annual festival.

About Melissa Auf der Maur:
Melissa Auf der Maur was born and raised in Montreal, Canada with a fine arts education. She is an acclaimed musician, photographer, curator and producer, best known as the former bassist of rock bands Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins. In 2010 she co-founded Basilica Hudson, a multidisciplinary art center in Hudson, NY, where she lives with her family and magic cats. 

About Basilica SoundScape:
Basilica SoundScape — Basilica Hudson’s signature music festival presented in collaboration with The Creative Independent — is proud to present a weekend of music and art within our beautifully reclaimed  post-industrial setting right at the Hudson River’s epic waterfront, presenting some of the world’s most exciting and boundary-pushing performers with a special emphasis on ecstatic noise, poets, and the written word. 

About Wavelength:
Wavelength Music is a non-profit arts platform that presents concerts, festivals, and conversations about music and city-building in the Toronto area. Established in 2000 by a collective of indie musicians, Wavelength supports emerging and under-recognized artists across diverse genres, curates immersive event experiences, and leads transformative research and development projects.

Accessibility:
There is a small lip at the front door (ramp available) but otherwise The Garrison is accessible. Accessible washroom available in the front bar, and washrooms are gender neutral. Feel free to contact us if you need assistance.

Audience Policy

Wavelength respects the rights of each member of our diverse audience and is committed to providing an environment in which everyone can feel safe. Any behaviour which could reasonably be perceived as physically, emotionally, or mentally harmful to individuals at Wavelength events will not be tolerated. This includes: racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, body shaming, ableism, ageism, and all forms of violence.

Wavelength Music Festival + Conference Presents Melissa Auf der Maur

Encore memoir launch for Even the Good Girls Will Cry: A ’90s Rock Memoir

Part of Wavelength Music Festival + Conference 2026

Presented with Sonic Boom, In partnership with TO Live

Sunday March 22, 2026

The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St W, Toronto / 3pm

$19.99 plus taxes and fees via DICE bit.ly/EncoreMAdM

Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet Nominated for 2026 JUNO Award – Jazz Album of the Year

Eric Alper
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0
Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet Nominated for 2026 JUNO Award – Jazz Album of the Year

The Steve Holt Jazz Impact Quintet has received a 2026 JUNO Award nomination for Jazz Album of the Year for their latest release, IMPACT — marking a major milestone for the acclaimed Canadian pianist, composer, and bandleader Steve Holt.

The nomination recognizes IMPACT as one of Canada’s most compelling jazz recordings of the year. The album showcases Holt’s return as a leader and composer, supported by a powerhouse quintet featuring Perry White (saxophone), Kevin Turcotte (trumpet), Duncan Hopkins (bass), and Terry Clarke (drums) — five of the country’s most respected jazz musicians.


Released in 2025, IMPACT has drawn positive critical attention from around the world for its musical depth, high-level ensemble interplay, and Holt’s distinctive compositional voice. Jack Kenny, at All About Jazz (USA) described IMPACT as “An intense album bursting with creativity. FOUR STARS”. Gordon Jack, at Jazz Journal (UK) said “This is Canadian jazz at its finest.” And Thierry De Clemensat, from Paris Move (France) concluded “Impact stands as a vibrant new chapter in Steve Holt’s storied career, rooted in tradition, yet resonating firmly in the now.”

Steve Holt is a two-time JUNO-nominated pianist whose career spans more than four decades. He was McGill University’s first-ever Bachelor of Music program majoring in Jazz Performance and later studied in New York City with legendary pianist Kenny Barron. Holt released his JUNO-nominated debut album The Lion’s Eyes in 1983 and has since performed with jazz greats including Archie Shepp, Larry Coryell, James Moody, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Bob Mover, and Michel Urbaniak.

The JUNO nomination for IMPACT marks Holt’s return to national recognition as a leader and composer and further establishes Steve Holt as a leading force on today’s Canadian jazz stage.

The 2026 JUNO Awards will be presented March 27th in Hamilton Ontario, celebrating excellence in Canadian music across all genres.

The Mandevilles End Four-Year Silence With Electrifying Co-Produced New Single “Every Bit Of Violence”

Eric Alper
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0
The Mandevilles End Four-Year Silence With Electrifying Co-Produced New Single “Every Bit Of Violence”

After a four-year hiatus from the airwaves, the visceral rock and roll force The Mandevilles has officially returned with their brand-new single, “Every Bit Of Violence”. Out now via Snareguy Records, the track marks a high-stakes evolution for the Welland-based outfit, blending the raw energy of rock and roll with a modern, alternative edge. Built on a foundation of grit and cinematic intensity, the single arrives as a powerful reminder of why founding partners Serena Pryne and Nick Lesyk have remained a cornerstone of the Canadian rock scene for over a decade.

The genesis of “Every Bit Of Violence” is as legendary as the sound itself; the song was quite literally written live on stage during a low-key afternoon gig. When an impromptu riff from Lesyk sparked an immediate vocal melody from Pryne, the band mapped out the structure of the track in real-time, capturing the lightning-in-a-bottle moment via phone recordings. This spirit of total spontaneity carried into the studio, where the band—rounded out by guitarist/synthesist Taylor Laslo—collaborated with mixer and co-producer Russ Donohue to refine a sound that Pryne describes as “magical” and “harmonious”.

Lyrically, the track delves into heavy, introspective territory, serving as a visceral release for emotions surrounding mental health and family legacies of self-destruction. Pryne’s powerhouse vocals anchor the track’s weight, offering a sense of communal resilience through the driving melody: “The words ‘Every Bit of Violence’ just came hammering in… it helps to know you’re not the only one”. It is a bold, honest exploration of internal struggles, delivered with the kind of sonic “punch” that the band believes would be right at home in a high-stakes action franchise.

The Mandevilles have spent the last several years subconsciously working toward this definitive sound, which bridges the gap between Americana soul and hard-hitting indie rock. The addition of synth textures and effortless studio layers highlights a creative telepathy that has only deepened during their time away from the spotlight. With bassist Ryan Defoe and drummer Jim Hornak providing a relentless rhythmic backbone, the single stands as the band’s most confident and cohesive statement to date.

Accompanying the release is a newly unveiled lyric video, with an official music video slated for debut in the coming weeks. As they kick off a prolific 2026, The Mandevilles are proving that some things are worth the wait, delivering a track that is as much a personal reckoning as it is an arena-ready anthem. “Every Bit Of Violence” is available now on all major streaming platforms, signaling the return of one of Canada’s most authentic and unapologetic rock voices.

Celogen Confronts Devastation With Colour on New Album ‘Fire Alarm Himitsu!’

Eric Alper
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0
Celogen Confronts Devastation With Colour on New Album ‘Fire Alarm Himitsu!’

Celogen, the solo project of Calgary art-pop tinkerer Dominic Demierre, releases ‘Fire Alarm Himitsu!’ today, an album born from choosing life over ruin. Following a breakdown shortly after his 27th birthday, a year filled with grief, and a failed move, Demierre found himself at a creative and existential crossroads. Yet rather than succumb, he assembled a musical live wire, putting a spotlight on the darkness to see if it can’t ultimately make us laugh. The album represents a warped take on Sondheim-style showtunes filtered through the abstract electronic lens of acts like Justice and Mr. Oizo, featuring a host of friends who bring gutsy interpretations to resoundingly intimate material.

Demierre has spent nearly eight years evolving Celogen, from its 2018 origins as a triple-EP study in funk and new wave, through heartfelt folk, searing industrial, prog rock, and house, creating a style truly his own. Playing all instruments and handling all programming and production from his bedroom – in keeping with studio maestros like Prince and Trent Reznor – he draws on influences ranging from classics like Brian Wilson and Kate Bush, to modern auteurs like Sufjan Stevens, Daft Punk, and St. Vincent. Twin fascinations with jazz harmony and McCartney-esque melody pervade his songwriting, creating curious yet memorable tunes that explore consistent themes of trauma, nostalgia, and healing.

The first single, “Hey Dissolver,” melds an angular nursery rhyme to slippery synths and a pounding rhythm. Demierre sings alongside Victoria Silver and Sasha Bogdanov of chemical warfare, scrutinizing the inexplicable death drive. Demierre created cut-and-paste poetry from lyrics he wrote at eighteen, “a way of interfacing with lost selves, trying to tell them it doesn’t get easier, but it does get more natural.” Sophie Hébert contributes verses midway through, pleading for reconciliation with our own destructive elemental forces. “It’s strange to bring the people you care for into a decaying world,” Demierre reflects, “but watching them open up in front of the mic was tremendously rewarding.”

“The Oracle Bone” features backing vocals by Kue Varo and an absurdist poem recited by Raphaelle TBD on her phone, exemplifying the amateurish approach Demierre deliberately cultivated. “It had to be sincere,” Demierre states; “I wanted nothing to be contrived.” Written during a numb late-winter night, the track channels mounting tension through lyrics that joke darkly about the cyclical nature of cruelty: “Stop all the clocks / halt the flow of time like bile in the kitchen sink / oh, murkiest stain on the porcelain / like the oracle bone touched by Indian ink.” Over distorted drums and a lively horn section, the imagery becomes increasingly surreal – an evil king condemning the innocent, a sibyl being burned alive, a sandstorm tearing down a house filled with creation – building towards the recognition that, finally, “no one is cursed, and no one gives into their doubt.”

“Waif (Polyphasic Sleep)” delivers what is easily Demierre’s angriest writing, with a haunted piano melody, a delicate backup by Carlos Rojo, and an explosive synth solo that took a full day to compose. Written as a direct response to watching close friends being abused and escaping a toxic living situation, the track scathingly depicts an all-too-familiar type of malignant narcissist: “Did you notice your sting is a relative thing / and that mine is alive while yours barely survives / and the thunder protects me directly with the waif at my side?” Demierre sampled his own back catalogue to create the song’s insistent beat, wanting a chaotic-yet-catchy hook, and his performance builds to a scream that is viscerally real.

“Let me make no mistake: ‘Fire Alarm Himitsu!’ comes from taking charge of my own life,” Demierre states. “I needed to work through what it means to be devastated. Even still, I knew I didn’t want to make a dour and gloomy record, and I knew I wanted to look outwards more than inwards. Enough of self-pity; what makes the other tick? How does anyone get past anything?” The result is a tremendously extroverted effort, creating a rallying cry for love and persistence. Despite the despair explored, Demierre insists: “I feel better now. I hope others will, too. I am sure you only get out of the mystery by pursuing the truth.”

‘Fire Alarm Himitsu!’ continues Celogen’s evolution as a deeply personal and emotional body of work. Demierre jokes that with each record you can tell what went wrong and what went right that year, but ‘Fire Alarm Himitsu!’ transforms personal crisis into something colourful, vivacious, and more than a little electrified. It is, in the end, a reaching to touch others via the magic of pop songwriting—proof that no matter one’s wanderlust, the gift of human connection remains paramount.

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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