Boréal - Progressive metal

Boréal is a Canadian progressive metal band founded in 2018 in the Quebec City area. It is the result of the fusion between two pairs of musicians who had been playing together for fun for a long time : cousins ​​Mathieu Bélair (guitar and vocals) and Kym Desrochers (percussion) ; as well as brothers Maxime (guitar and vocals) and Alexandre Lévesque (bass and screams). The quartet began working on arrangements for the songs previously composed by Mathieu, gradually forging a distinctive sound, drawn from the very diverse influences of each members. In 2020, they began recording their first album, Feary Tales, completely self-produced in a friend's studio. The band members' busy schedules, as well as the pandemic lockdowns greatly delayed the recording process, which spanned almost two years. The mixing stage was just as long for the band, given their total ignorance of the world of music production. The album was finally released on November 26, 2024 on the Bandcamp platform.

Since none of the band members have any musical training, the progressive metal offered by Boréal can be considered minimalist compared to the standards of the genre. Indeed, instead of relying on cerebral compositions, where virtuosity and technique are put forward, their music is rather simple and accessible. However, it is distilled through long pieces with progressive structures. The influence of the Nordic climate and the duality between its extremes is omnipresent : we alternate between soft and brutal passages, between darkness and light. Boréal’s music acts as a medium, allowing the listeners to be transported into their universe, letting them imagine stories and feel emotions.