format: LP
year: 1985
country: Canada
label: CBC Northern Service Broadcast Recording
#: WRC1-3962
info: -
style: Hard Rock
Side A:
Side B:
I don't think I need to explain why thee kulte NORTHERN HAZE LP was a humungous want for many years...? Eskimo. Metal. For reals.
Well okay, Eskimo Hard Rock might the strictly correct term in this case, but petty pidgeonholing aside, this record is so deeply buried in the dust of the dark side of the moon in the black hole of the twilight zone it's a damn outrage I haven't gotten around writing about it until now. Just have a quick look at some of their companions in the same label series and you'll get a hint of just how weird the very existance of this record is. The burning question then follows: Does the music match the myth?? Not quiiiiiiiite, I'm afraid. In a sentence: Northern Haze sounds like a French amateur garage band. It's probably just me but my stupid brain can't help but interpret the vocals as French for some unfathomable reason. I guess it's the auditory equivalent of "tastes like chicken.."
The actual music's strongest trait would be the extremely fuzzed out, distorted guitars. They sound perfectly broken. The riffing on the other hand is quite generic and repetitive and it's not until about the 3rd track that you start to distinguish some sort of proper, quality songwriting. The fizzing space-keys in "Puigo" are a welcomed addition of flavour and from now on they riff along like the best of 'em, consistently so in the following title track. "Anivunga" opening side B is yet another almost-hit and possibly the heaviest/stompiest of the featured tunes. Unfortunately it also marks an end to the Heavy side of the band, with the 3 remaining tracks being more or less throwaway ballads/pop-rock - maybe w/ the exception of "Inusivut" which carries a few heavier parts towards the end. It's however worth mentioning that both "Trust" and "Uvaguk" are wholly unique to this original release and were excluded on the 2012 reissue, in favour of some more recent but heavier bonus demo-material. Which version you would choose to pursue is thus the ultimate test of your Trve Kollektor-cred*.
Finally, a short note on availability:
A few years ago I might have given this a 6/6 Shovels rating, but thanx to the magic of international record commerce (i.e. discogs) this album does come up for sale just a wee bit too often for that rating, and seldom above the puny €500 mark.
* = "Both!"
is obviously the correct answer.