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At the start of the year I had no idea there is a band called Frontières from the distant but picturesue town of Québec in the French-speaking part of Canada. Now, just as I start counting the days until the end with a fully prepared Best of 2023 chart, I cannot stop thinking about how fantastic their latest album La Trilogie and how much re-arranging it would have cause had it been released just a bit earlier. Nonetheless, the facts remain that in the last 12 months I have witness them drop three truly outstanding EPs that have just merged into a solid full-lenght studio record that easily delivers some of the most uncompromising modern metalcore seen this year across the globe.
La Trilogie is a straight-up masterclass in modern metal making, starting from songwriting and recording all the way to production and marketing. Frontières' release strategy was genious, making the most of the contemporary trends and constantly changing habbits of music consumption and reception, delivering small, easily digestable chunks of the final product that spread like wildfire across reaction channels and independent tastemakers backed with a tasteful portion of memes and poo culture references. Add in a particularly fitting choice of guest features on top of a fresh reordering of the existing songs and new singles at the final tracklist, and you get one of the undeniable breakthroughs of 2023. .
Right from the start, you can expect contemporary metalcore of the highest quality with positive similarities to the likes of Currents, Polaris, Kingdom of Giants, and Silent Planet. Although not unique or rare, for any rising band chosing the right collabs is very important for positioning and visibility, and the appearances of Alpha Wolf, Jon Reeves and Hollow Front here are crucial and fitting to the overal sound and direction. Listing most of those names above gives a bit of a SharpTone feel which also puts the Canadians in a very favourable position if you are a fan of the label. And just like almost all SharpTone products, though La Trilogie is entirely self-produced, it is fresh, modern and forward-thinking with just the right touch of respecting traditions and following legacies.
French bands tend to exude a very unique street swagger and deliver a certain, no-bullshit gritty realism. I am inclined to expand this to the French-speaking world in general as a cultural rather than geographical link, for Frontières certainly share those distincitve characteristics with their European contemporaries like Landmvrks, ten56., Resolve and so on. Their music is authentic and direct, and although the concept might be bit sci-fi-inspired and dystopian in nature, on top of a certain 80's neon aesthetic, underneath lies a very real, self-reflective and honest lyricism. Last but not least, all of this unfolds amidst a modern heavy music scene in Canada that feels re-awakened by the likes of Spiritbox and Brand of Sacrifice and is now bursting with talent determined to make it.
Throughout the year each EP expanded the narative and paved the way to the cohesive and perfectly logical La Trilogie. Back in April, Acte 1: Origins gave us the mammoth of a collab single 'Mirage' and the gallopping 'True Colours'. In the second part Apocalypse, Frontieres dropped another exemplary track 'Falling' with Jon Reeves and turned up the heat with 'Je Me Souviens' and 'Menace'. The final act Désolation was centered around their standout banger 'Nightmares' that shook the metal scene in the Summer and then it all went quiet until last week. Now, just as we approach the end of 2023, we have another solid new offering in 'Au Revoir', a thunderous synth-led collab with Hollow Front in 'Cold Nights' and a debut LP that masterfuly gives a whole new feel and proper frame to all that.
Single by single, EP after EP, with meticulous steps Frontières have unveiled what will surely be remembered as one of the most significant debuts of 2023, if not recent years. There is no doubt we are looking at a future genre favourites with plenty of potential to drop huge metal anthems, get creative with all modern tools at their disposal, as well as delve deeper into metalcore's endless legacy for inspiration. This is a rising band that sounds ready to play in the big leagues and isn't afraid to take the risks necessary to make it there quicker than their peers. In other words, another huge win for Canada!
Frontières - 'La Trilogie'
Country: Canada
Released: 1 December 2023
Label: Independent
Tracklisting:
1. 'Absorb'
2. 'Mirage' (ft. Alpha Wolf)
3. 'Je me souviens'
4. 'Au Revoir'
5. 'First in Line'
6. 'Falling (ft. Jon Reeves)'
7. 'Insomnia' (ft. Felix Larouche)
8. 'Vague Noire'
9. 'Déjà-vu'
10. 'True Colours'
11. 'Nightmares'
12. 'Cold Nights' (ft. Hollow Front)
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