Reviews
Quo Vadis: Day into night
02/11/10 || InquisitorGeneralis
Can you actually mix a progressive style with technical death metal? Can you still be extreme and integrate classical elements? Is everyone in Canada in a death metal band? Is the stuff on top of Poutine made from ground-up baby seals? Will Daemonomania ever clean up the cock-puke (my cock, his puke) that covers his apartment? These questions need to be answered.
Quo Vadis, for those of you who do not know, are a long running melotechdeath band from Quebec who have never broken out into the mainstream as much as fellow Canuck’s Kataklysm, Neuraxis, and Gorguts. “Day into Night” is their best record and really does find a fantastic middle ground between the worlds of melody and technicality. “Dick into Vagina” begins with the solid combo of “Absolution” and the total dominator Dysgenics which is hands down the best song Quo Vadis has ever put to tape. It has great and catchy riffs, an interesting but not too overdone song structure, and some solid musicianship. The great stuff on “Day into Night” sounds like a mash-up of Death’s “Symbolic” and Carcass’ “Swansong”… which is a pretty good fucking thing if you didn’t know.
“Let it burn” is not the most originally named song but it totally kicks ass. The wait, we are not done yet moment at the end of the song is ace. Even the mostly soft instrumental “Dream” is enjoyable. Thankfully, Quo Vadis know where the limit is on the proggy stuff. This is death metal first and foremost and Quo Vadis back’s this all up with an excellent production. The guitars are clear and loud, the vocals are not amp’d up too loud, and the drums sound natural, organic, and just plain good. Check out I believe to see what I am talking about when it comes to progressive elements and production. “On the shores of Ithaka” and “Hunter killer” are also strong tracks. As a cohesive unit Quo Vadis is tight: there are lots of two-guitar harmonies and quality solos throughout the album and the drumming courtesy of Yanic Bercier is especially killer.
If In Flames, The Absence, Dark Tranquility, and Amorphis give you the melody your vagina wants but lack the heaviness your cock needs you need to get “Day into Night” pronto. Again, Canada manages to squirt out another quality death metal band that pushes the envelope just enough to be interesting and unique but manages to avoid the dreaded wankery zone where technicality and skill overshadow the actual songs. “Day into Night” is a great sounding, quality extreme record with only a few filler songs. I would rate this higher than the more recent “Defiant Imagination” so if you have never checked out Quo Vadis, this is where to start.
- Information
- Released: 2000
- Label: Hypnotic Records
- Website: Quo Vadis MySpace
- Band
- Arie Itman: vocals, guitar
- Bart Frydrychowicz: guitars
- Remy Beauchamp: bass
- Yanic Bercier: drums, backing vocals
- Tracklist
- 01. Absolution (Element of the Ensemble III)
- 02. Dysgenics
- 03. Hunter/Killer
- 04. Hunter/Killer: Endgame’
- 05. Let it Burn
- 06. Dream
- 07. On the Shores of Ithaka
- 08. Night of the Roses
- 09. I Believe
- 10. Mute Requiem
- 11. Cadences of Absonance
