This new feature is called No Place Like Home. The point of it is to interview bands about their hometowns and why they love where they’re from. When traveling it is always best to have a local to direct you to the spots worth spending your time and hard earned money.
When one of our readers travels to a place that is foreign to them they will have some solid recommendations from an awesome source, one of their favorite bands!
I know I look forward to checking out some of these places and am sure that there are many others who would be interested.
Eventually the intention is to have a full blown travel guide here at B.G.M.!
There is no miscommunication with the artwork for Fange’s newest beast of a record Punir.
You drop the needle and you will be beheaded and disemboweled.
Okay, maybe not literally, but hyperbole is fun. That being said, Fange has created an absolute ripper. Punir gives us seven songs spanning nearly 40 minutes. The result is a rat race experience that is constantly throwing you for loops by shifting time lines and trying to crush you before you get to the cheese.
Fange’s Punir music can be direct and punishing, but leaves enough space for the band to play around and bend their sound while seemingly attempting to create new noises.
The opening track “Ceinturon” sets the tone. It is atmospheric at times, but definitely not calm and meditative. More like when an object comes barreling from space into the atmosphere. Shaking. Rattling. Combusting.
Fange has a unique ability to hook you with some seriously heavy psychedelic chops. A similar trait that draws people to B.G.M. favorite Oranssi Pazuzu. In “Chien De Sang” the listener is pampered with the most brutal deep tissue mind massage. It’s that kind of massage that almost hurts too much to allow them to work the knot all the way out. It gets so intense that despite clenched teeth and not breathing you don’t want them to stop. It hurts so good. Perseverance is rewarded.
Alexandre Jadi goes batshit on “Les Boyaux De La Princesse”. Some of my favorite drumming I have heard in 2019. This is accompanied with eerie tones and powerful yelling creating a sense of empowerment. A feeling that you can dominate anything that you come across.
Punir set the bar pretty high for heavy music in 2019. Fange cannot be put into one category.
Multiple different styles of vocal attacks. Trippy and yet to the point. On one hand it could inspire the listener to move around and be active. Attack the day. On the other hand it can act as hypnotoad from Futurama. Mesmerize the listener damn near to the point of paralysis. Whatever mood you are in you will get something different out of Punir.
Rating: 5/5
Throatruiner is releasing Fange’s beast of a record. If you are in Europe you can buy the record from them HERE. Customers in North America can order through Deathwish over HERE. They’re already sold out of the half eclipse edition for North America but they still have the SUZE version. GO BUY IT!
I want to thank Fange for having Benjamin Moreau (guitars, vocals, noise) take part in No Place Like Home. This is our first international contribution in the series!
Where does Fange call home and how long have you been there?
Rennes (or Roazhon in Breton) is our hometown, this city is the capital of Brittany, the Celtic region of France (north west of the country, also known as Armorica which was part of the old Great Britain in medieval times). This region used to be independent from France til the end of the 15th century (and counted one more county, where I was born); there is a strong regionalism in Brittany, its own culture, myths, language, food and I’m very attached to them. In a bigger picture Brittany is what I call home. I moved in the city in 2006 for my art studies and after playing in few bands (Huata was my other big project) we started Fange in late 2013.
Are there any attractions you would consider touristy that you would also consider a can’t-miss for visitors?
In Rennes itself not that much as it’s mostly a student modern city, except the local “galette saucisse” (a sausage wrapped into a buckwheat pancake) which is a must-taste, the old town is with its timbered houses is quite unmissable. The most interesting sites are located in the country side and along the coastline where you can find a lot of pretty medieval villages, typical granite houses, beautiful shores and of course menhirs, dolmens, tumulus and other antic sites. Also near Rennes is located the famous forest of Brocéliande known in the Arthurian mythology.
If you are hosting friends or family for a weekend, where would you bring people for grub?
There are a lot of festivals in Rennes for music, cinema, art etc so there might be a chance to catch one, otherwise we’d go to the pub or have a walk along the rivers that cross the city.
A key to any hometown is a local watering hole. Any spots that you like to go for drinks? Breweries, dive bars, distilleries…whatever floats your boat.
One verified stereotype of the Bretons is that we do drink a lot. Therefore there are a huge amount of bars in town and even a famous street nicknamed “The thirst alley” where even my parents used to go to get drunk when they were young. But my favorite is definitely “Le Synthi” a beer smoking bar with more than 200 references. A bit small and dirty but cozy and very friendly. This place is like my second home, everyone salutes each other, the owner is a good friend and an amazing character which loves to make general culture quiz every Monday, and once a year a no ending party before the National Day (we played several times at this occasion). Otherwise “The Westport Inn” is the best pub in town, Guinness and Breton breweries, and they serve the best Suze of all. As well the beer and liquor shop “Au Père Bouc” owned by a friend is excellent to pick-up local beers and very elaborated beverages.
Music is life. What music venues should people be checking the calendars for shows to catch?
Rennes was the place to rock in the 80/90’s, the “Mondo Bizarro” is the most iconic venue in town for the punk-rock scene (and the only one remaining), where a bunch of legends played. If you wanna play in Rennes elsewhere than in a bar, you don’t have that many option for an affordable and little venue, otherwise there are “L’Ubu”, “L’étage”, “L’Antipode”, “Le Jardin Moderne” which book different styles of music but frequently host metal-hardcore gigs.
After working up a sweat at a good show are there any late night spots to grab a bite or a night cap?
Here the bars are closing at 1am, instead of 2am in most cities to avoid the mess of night drunks strolling in the streets (a lot of students on Thursday nights used to meet and drink in public places in Rennes back in the days). Only few bars are closing at 3am (I don’t know about the night clubs, never went to a single one). The only ‘night pub’ I like was “Le Tiffany’s” a snooker bar which was an institution but was recently sold… strange place to describe but that was nice to have a pint on the huge covered terrace without any night rates applied. I will definitely miss it !
The morning after can be rough. Where is your go-to for breakfast and/or coffee?
Have a stop to the big “Lices” market on Saturday mornings in the center, buy some delicatessen, cheese, bread and go to Le Gasoline’s crowded terrace, grab a beer and play “Palet” (a popular game in north-west France where you throw cast-iron pucks on a wood board). Or you can chill out in the big “Thabor” park in the old town and check the roses garden. But the best of all might be to drive an hour to the coast, buy some oysters and white wine to enjoy them in Cancale’s port.