Artist: First Fragment
Label: Unique Leader Records
Release: 2016
Length: 56:29
Rating: 5/5
Canadian metal has been stepping into the spotlight more and more in recent years, in some cases even outdoing the American or European scene, and there’s no end in sight to the wave of great Canadian bands.
After years of hard graft, Quebec’s First Fragment have finally dropped their long-awaited debut, an hour-long neoclassical technical death metal masterpiece titled »Dasein«.
The band has officially been around since 2007. In the first two years they put together an EP, »The Afterthought Ecstasy« [2010]. They wrote most of the material that ended up on the new record during that period, but without a permanent drummer they couldn’t play live. Then Philippe Boucher joined the crew and they could finally get their music onto stages, which sadly didn’t last long, because Boucher left in 2014 for personal reasons. The real reason was probably that he joined Beyond Creation, who started touring regularly after the release of their debut »The Aura«. First Fragment were once again without a stable lineup, but that didn’t knock them off course. That same year they became the first Canadian band with lyrics exclusively in French to sign with an American label. A few years and one long recording process later, First Fragment finally released their debut via Unique Leader Records on May 20 this year.
The record was produced by guitarist Phil Tougas with help from Mathieu Marcotte and Hugues Deslauriers, while Sam »Stigma« Nelson took care of the artwork. The cover is fascinating at first glance, since it works just as well right side up as upside down, and the shift from warm to cold colors and back captures a sense of general transition, which is exactly the feeling the music itself gives you.
Production-wise, the album is flawless. The sound is crystal clear and every instrument comes through beautifully, helped enormously by the vocals, which vary in tone and pitch to fit the instrumental backdrop so the frequencies never clash.
Musically, Dasein is something truly special. The genre foundation is undoubtedly technical death metal, with very strong neoclassical metal influences, especially on the guitar side, most obvious in the solo sections. There’s no shortage of bass soloing from Vincent Savary either, whose playing is extremely distinct in the overall mix and has really interesting lines throughout. The flamenco influences are fascinating too, standing out most in the two instrumental tracks and tying the album into a coherent whole. What sets First Fragment apart from their genre peers is the fact that all their lyrics are in French.
Vocalist David AB explores the concept of Dasein through complex, deeply personal lyrics. The word is part of the basic terminology of Heidegger’s phenomenological philosophy, and it would translate roughly as »being-there« – being aware of your own existence and cultivating a conscious relationship with the world around you, while also facing the fact that discovering your own being and individuality depends on experiencing the world through others and a shared existence. Understanding Dasein is supposed to help us make sense of existence, which could lead to solutions for all sorts of social and existential problems.
Still, despite the excellent production, the wide range of genre influences and the unique philosophical lyrical concept, the album’s greatest strength is its songwriting. For all its extreme technicality, the album is remarkably easy to listen to and flows beautifully. It holds your attention, and over the course of nearly an hour there’s practically not a weak moment or a dull repetition. The songs are varied, yet every excursion follows the album’s red thread, and the end result is a unique, coherent whole.
It’s surprising that the vast majority of the material for Dasein was written between 2004 and 2010, yet it all sounds far fresher than most modern technical death metal. The songs were written by rhythm guitarist Gabriel Brault-Pilon and virtuoso Philippe Tougas, who really shines in the soloing.
Guests on the album include producer Mathieu Marcotte (Augury, Humanoid), Malcolm Pugh (Inferi, A Loathing Requiem), Collin McGee (Elderoth) and technical metal icon Christian Münzner (Alkaloid, Spawn of Possession, ex. Obscura, ex. Necrophagist). The latter trades a whopping 15 guitar solos with Philippe in the track Mordêtre et Dénaissance. The drums were recorded by Troy Fullerton (Severed Savior), and Samuel Santiago (ex. Gorod) joined the band last year as a permanent member.
Dasein is a record best heard in full, start to finish. It leaves you feeling like you’ve heard something truly unique, and you’ll happily spin it again. You probably won’t have to wait too long for the next one, either, since First Fragment say they’ve got more than 200 songs written.
First Fragment have made an album with the potential to become a cult classic of the genre. Dasein is absolutely worth your time and a serious contender for debut album of the year.
Lineup
Vincent Savary – Bass
David AB – Lead vocals
Troy Fullerton (Severed Savior) – Drums
Phil Tougas – Guitar, vocals, all solos
Gabriel Brault-Pilon – Guitar
Guest musicians:
Christian Muenzner (Spawn Of Possession, Alkaloid, ex. Necrophagist, ex. Obscura)
Mathieu Marcotte (Augury, Humanoid)
Malcolm Pugh (Inferi, A Loathing Requiem, Diskreet)
Collin Mcgee (Elderoth)
Production
Phil Tougas, Mathieu Marcotte, Hugues Deslauriers
Tracklist
1. Le Serment de Tsion
2. Dasein
3. L’Entité
4. Émergence
5. Mordêtre et dénaissance
6. Prélude en sol dièse mineur
7. Archétype
8. Gula
9. Voracité (Apothéose, partie 1)
10. Psychan (Apothéose, partie 2)
11. Evhron
