Review: “Soliloque” by Maudiir

“It’s not a linear EP; certainly not the same song repeated again and again. Open-minded people, step in. Those who have heard my past EPs will notice ‘Soliloque’ is different than ‘La Part du Diable’, which was also different than ‘Le Temps Peste’. I like to think that the overall production is getting better with every release. I don’t want to repeat myself or focus on some kind of recipe. The overall sound of ‘Soliloque’ is very different from ‘La Part du Diable’; different guitar, bass, and drum sounds. I also used less effect on the vocals, a more in-your-face approach. One song was recorded with a 7-string guitar, I dabbled with some slide guitar on another… Trying new stuff. I particularly like the bass sound that cuts through really well. Being primarily a guitar player, I‘ve really come to enjoy giving a lot of space to the bass guitar in my music. It’s the instrument that I have the most pleasure recording” ~ Maudiir

A one-man Blackened Thrash crusader, Maudiir (ex-Deeply Confused, Tears for the Dead Gods, Trinity Blast) has returned with a third EP in four years in “Soliloque“. Hailing from the darker corners of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the project has been one used as an outlet for observations on obedience and industrialization with corrosive vocals raging on environmental issues layered over riff orientated cuts with big bass grooves. Bringing together elements of Thrash, Black and Progressive Metal in the process, each of his prior offenses has been a clearly defined and separate experience with its own strengths, not reliant on the predecessor to make it listenable.

Surprisingly catchy and adorned by a couple of gloriously virtuoso guitar solo moments, “Toxic Cloud” is the ominous tale of acid rain destroying all that it touches at the dawn of the apocalypse. An interesting place to start a record of this nature, on paper there are moments that shouldn’t fit well together and should sound like a train wreck but instead the abilities of Maudiir to pull the threads together as a multi instrumentalist of the finest order are mind blowing. Hints at a Morbid Angel influence surface in “L’Éloge du Cuivre” (or “The Praise of Copper“), a harshly voiced scathingly delivered flesh ripper which goes all out Death Metal while having a couple of extended face melting solo parts and a gloriously groove laden bass line. Who needs a wrathful God when Maudiir himself can throw lightening bolts at those who would dare cross him? This high voltage, blood an thunder is all that you need and it would be very interesting to hear what he could create in collaboration with someone like Travis Weinand of Whipworm given the opportunity. Maudiir may have described “Soliloque” as non linear but that doesn’t mean the record jumps around, instead each cut fits together like a glove on the hand of a murderer. “Residue” endures that the quality is maintained throughout with another rampaging blood and thunder riff monster. The leads are mesmerising and you’ll struggle not to headbang on the first listen. Switching from English to French for “Regarde au Ciel” (or “Look To The Sky“) is a smooth move, the song coming across like a foreign film for those non speakers. There are moments that reach Annihilator riff levels as Maudiir let’s fly in all directions, his prophecies and warnings of impending Ragnarok driving everything in the darkest possible way. “CH4“, better known as Methane concludes the twenty five minutes with some wholesome slide guitar moments that sound otherworldly and to be honest, the soundtrack to the end of the World has never sounded so good [8.5/10]

Track Listing

1. Toxic Cloud
2. L’Éloge du Cuivre
3. Residue
4. Regarde au Ciel
5. CH4

“Soliloque” by Maudiir is out 7th April 2023 with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.