There are parallel projects that are born, live for a time and then die in relative oblivion. And there is the fusion of singer Mononc’ Serge and the metalheads of Anonymus. Twenty years ago, in the fall of 2003, the first offshoot of this once amazing union appeared: the record The Academy of Slaughterwhose anniversary is marked by a dozen shows, including one at the Francos de Montréal on Saturday.
“There isn’t a show we do with Anonymus where we aren’t asked when we’re doing something again with Mononc’ Serge. This observation by Oscar Souto, from the Quebec metal group, is immediately shared by the subversive singer, who lives the same story each time he goes on stage to play his repertoire. Obviously, the sauce took, and solidly.
The Academy of Slaughter, published in November 2003, “it’s more than the addition of my fans and those of Anonymus”, summarizes Serge Robert, sitting at a table with Souto and Carlos Araya, the drummer of the metal group. To date, some 25,000 physical copies have found takers, not counting digital purchases. A vinyl version has also just been released.
“Frankly, I never expected that, recognizes Mononc’ Serge. I was just thinking that making a metal album would be something more marginal than what I usually do. But there was a kind of curiosity effect, I think. »
Bassist Oscar Souto sees a “symbiosis” between the strengths of each entity of this musical association. “People like the side heavyof our music, then they also like the side heavy lyrics by Mononc’. People connect on that, and then also on the humorous side of it. »
This huge enthusiasm manifested itself when the tickets for the Francos de Montréal concert went on sale, first planned at Club Soda. All tickets sold out in two hours. The organizers quickly transferred the show to the MTelus, and the approximately 2,000 seats were sold the same day.
There is not a show we do with Anonymus where we are not asked when we are doing something again with Mononc’ Serge
Polliwog Vapors
It was in 2001 that the first contacts between Mononc’ Serge and Anonymus took place. At the time, the ex-Coloc was achieving some success with his play Marijuana, which was broadcast by the defunct alternative station COOL FM. The manager of the metal group had proposed to his foals to join forces with the singer for the time of a song during the traveling festival Polliwog. Mononc’ Serge played in the afternoon, and Anonymus was the headliner in Quebec and Montreal.
“We ended the show with Marijuana, then it rose, there. We said to ourselves: something is happening here. The madness, the madness of the world ahead of us, was mind-blowing,” says Carlos Araya. All have the same vivid memory: when they left the stage, behind the scenes, the musicians immediately said to themselves that if their hearts were in it, this union could have a sequel.
We had to wait a bit for the calendars to match, because everyone released a record shortly after. Two or three sessions took place in 2003, but the result was not up to expectations in terms of sound quality and coherence. This is where Serge Robert and Anonymus decided to spend a week at Pierre Rémillard’s Wild studio in Saint-Zénon to re-record everything.
Thus was born The Academy of Slaughtera title that did not refer to Star Academy – although its release date coincided with that of Wilfred LeBouthillier’s first effort -, but which is rather taken from the lyrics of the piece The gates of hellone of the five original pieces of the album, otherwise composed of covers of Mononc’ Serge.
The guys from Anonymus insist that this side project allowed them to “let go loose”, without however being destined to obtain the success of esteem and sales that it finally had. “We toured Canada and the United States,” explains Carlos. In the meantime, me then Oscar, we had gone to do shows with the singer of Anthrax, Joey Belladonna. The thing with Serge, it was like next. »
And in a way, despite the good feedback, the thing remained a sideline, and this, by choice. The two clans decided to make themselves rare, not to cultivate the myth, but so that the meetings would be precious. They got together for a few shows, including satanic easterand for a second disk, barbaric musicpublished in 2008.
For this 20e anniversary, “I think there is a touch of nostalgia”, correctly notes Oscar Souto, who explains that he often collects memories and anecdotes from fans. “People got bored of the project. »
Frankly, I never expected that. I was just thinking that making a metal album would be something more marginal than what I usually do. But there was a kind of curiosity effect, I think.
The show at the MTelus will mainly consist of pieces from The Academy of Slaughter, but the musicians will dig a little elsewhere, also promising the classic surprise of this kind of evening. They also recently released a new piece, Redouble.
The musicians will resume their academician costume on stage, and will set up a decor that is not very minimalist – in the past, they crucified potatoes. All this, in the spirit of the project. “Me, I’m not playing the card, there, of the sincere artist who arrives on stage, then who talks about his family problems and his couple relationships, underlines Mononc’ Serge. We have fun, we let off steam, we have fun. »