SELIAS

Selias is a local Toronto band that brings a powerful blend of melodic death metal and groove metal flair — a rare and impressive sound to emerge from Canada. This statement carries real weight, as this niche and demanding style of metal is rarely found in this part of the world and has seldom been performed at this level by North American bands. It’s been a whirlwind experience watching this band perform songs from their debut album Headshot — a performance that left my jaw on the floor from start to finish. Even after multiple shows across Ontario, it was never enough. Each performance made it increasingly clear to me and a few others in the crowd that this band was doing something truly unique, something no one else in the local scene was doing.

The just-released sophomore album Killkarma (via Wormholedeath Records) was poised in my mind to bring not only a new level of this flavour of Canadian metal but also to open many more doors for the band while, at the same time, changing the paradigms of fans of musicians. Steve, the mastermind behind Selias, and the only original founding member, has shed and reduced the band from its original five members down to four members, and with fresh blood in the mix, this album has the potential to unlock a lot more doors for an already very focused and busy band, not only musically but also when it comes to traveling our large country piece by piece.

‘The Day The World Went Away’ is a brief and haunting introduction to the album. It’s the reincarnation of this band and its sound, and sets a precedent for what’s to come. ‘Abducted’ is fast and furious; the melodic strength of the band and this revamped sound hits you at full force right out of the gate. Not only does this song capture you right away, but it leaves you literally paralyzed, where all you can do is bang your head. The layering of vocals here is truly fantastic and not often achieved. Melodic keys set the tone for the song. ‘Bullets’ is a track that plays out like an open prayer to whoever will listen. This is a battlefield, and few get to live to talk about it. Lyrics aside, the guitar work with the open notes left dangling adds a dramatic effect to the song’s haunting ending.

‘888,’ not to be confused with seeing this number in the wild, comes across as a stark reality check to someone or something. Hearing “strong men don’t cry, on their path to greatness” absolutely hit home with me personally. Moments of someone speaking either into a microphone or a radio speaker was a really intense choice to help break up the longest song on the album. ‘Beyond The Switch’ almost feels like horns to start. Just a bit before those distorted guitar notes hit hard, the drums come in to amplify and emphasize the slick guitar work. Lyrically, the song explores betrayal by a friend, something I’m certain most of us can relate to. The instant drum attack on ‘Don’t Tread On Me’ gets the heart pumping, which will definitely translate well to the mosh pit and the moving bodies. The dancing guitar work (from an audio channel perspective) moves from left to right, paying homage to metal from decades past. Some of the best guitar breakdowns can be heard once the vocals come in; it’s short but absolutely packs a punch, and “UNITE! DEFY!” screamed out in gang chants will absolutely translate live. I can foresee the whole crowd participating with horns held high in the air. On that note, there is also one of the longest “BLEGH” I’ve ever heard in a song, which changes not only in octaves but also in screaming styles. Well done, Guillaume.

‘Cautionary Tale’ is a haunting song that significantly slows down the pace of the album. The guitar work on this one is heavy and thick; the drums are crisp, even with the slower cadence. A battle is happening in this song, and it’s well-painted by the lyrics. The atmospheric tones in ‘888’ instantly fill the speakers with powerful acoustic guitar notes. The track piggybacks off ‘888,’ incorporating lyrics from the original song, but presented with a twist: the ending lyrics are lightly spoken in French over the chorus, and then the song concludes with the language dominating over spoken English. ‘To the Finish’ is the slowest song thus far, and a nice break at the midway point through the album, even if repetitive lyrically. ‘Six 6 Sicks’ (absolutely not a play on words) brings the tempo back with a crushing bass drum cadence throughout most of the song, which also makes it the perfect tempo for running. Lyrically, this song evokes a sense of internal struggle and strife, with a dark and ominously motivating tone.

Lyrically, ‘Real Eyes Realize’ offers up a stark reminder that not everything we see in front of us is the truth; the painful screams absolutely emphasize this throughout the proceedings. The guitar work and breakdown in this song will get every headbanging; the outro melody is really appropriate to close this one out. ‘Ravens Call’ is another callback to a song heard earlier, bringing lyrics from ‘Cautionary Tale’, accompanied by an acoustic guitar version that supports this song. However, the lyrics for the middle and end sections differ, providing another nice break from the aggressive music that precedes the album’s conclusion. ‘Flames’ delivers a very impressive vocal output, which I imagine is achieved by multiple vocalists. Guillaume absolutely belts out a performance unlike any other on this track. The violins in the mix should have been much louder; I was really digging those strings. The rapid-fire keys/alarm-style melody that concludes this track was brief but effective.

We conclude with ‘My Time’. I can’t stress enough how utterly perfect a song choice this is to conclude the album. The track takes a slower step with the beats per minute, but the artistry of the instruments is absolutely dialed in. This, combined with the vocal “confession,” makes it the perfect ending to the album. Also included is an acoustic version of a track from their first album. Titled ‘Twisted Path Reimagined,’ it is a haunting reimagining, even if it’s the shortest song on the album lyrically.