During the late years of the 70s and the first half of the 80s, Canadian Metal and Rock bands were usual to hear and to see. Names as RUSH, TRIUMPH, VOIVOD, EXCITER, ANVIL and many more were usual for Metalheads and fans of Rock ‘n’ Roll; but from the second half of the 80s on, it seems that things cooled down on Canadian scene (due the lack of new names). But on the late 10 years, things are getting warm again, and here is one good name: from Toronto comes XEPHYR, here with “No Signal”.

Recorded at Atlas Sound Studios and Blacktail Recording (on the hometown of the quartet), the production and sound engineering were done by Mike Defaria, with the assistance on sound engineering of Walid Deyab and Jacob Stellato (the band’s bassist), with the mixing done by Mike and Jacob, and the mastering is a work of Arthur Rizk (the same one who worked previously with CRO-MAGS, KREATOR, SOULFLY, SACRED REICH and others). The idea was to give the album a powerful (yet organic) sonority, and it was accomplished in a very good level, with simple and thunderous instrumental tunes.

Musically, it’s not a sin to say that the band works on a trench into Hard Rock that has influences from acts as ALICE IN CHAINS and SOUNDGARDEN, with a modern and weighty outfit (due the very good sonority of the album), but always sounding catchy and melodic. It’s a melodic and intense guitar-driven music, deep and melancholic in some moments, and sounds as a refreshing blown of wind in a time where many others think about copying what already exists (such words mean that the quartet bears energy and personality). It’s a very good album to be heard, indeed.

“Shot in the Head” (a massive and heavy song filled with weight and melodies with good vocals and backing vocals), “Remember” (with contrasts between melancholic and energetic moments, with good vocals and backing vocals arrangements, and a fine chorus), “Wanted You to Know” (a frantic song based on nasty guitars, but with very good rhythmic work from bass guitar and drums), “Figured You Out” (a lovely and introspective song filled with Country Rock and Blues traces, with fine clean guitars, but with intense moments), “Wrench” (a greasy Hard Rock with modern traces, with nasty vocals’ tunes), “Realignment” (a long song filled with shifts from introspective parts to nasty parts, with remnants of Seattle’s Grunge Rock traces), “Morning Sun-Callahan” (it’s amazing the ability of the quartet to create a solid and melodic instrumental sheath to express heavy melancholic parts, and to contrast them with frantic Rock ‘n’ Roll moments), “Pulse” (that sounds near to something near a more melodic and stripped-off Hard Rock song), and “Insane” is a fine set to start with, but the entire album is truly a very good experience.

For the fans of Hard Rock, Grunge Rock and Rock ‘n’ Roll, “No Signal” is the album you were waiting for. For those who just have a good musical taste and don’t care for labels of genres, XEPHYR is an excellent name to follow.