Dan Fila

REVIEW: Sven Gali – Bombs and Battlescars (2023)

SVEN GALI –  Bombs and Battlescars (2023 Music In Motion Entertainment)

Look at me, in the eyes! When I say “Sven Gali is back,” I’m meaning it! The Canadian Quintet revitalised themselves with the 3 EP in 2020, and took their time with their next full-length (their first since 1995).  They recruited Coney Hatch bassist/singer Andy Curran for some of the production duties, picked a Triumph song to cover, and hit the road playing well-received shows in 2023.  Bombs and Battlescars is the name of the record.  Of note, the late Dee Cernile is credited with co-writing several tracks, and the album includes some unreleased demos from the before-fore times.  Let’s have a listen.

One thing for certain:  don’t expect Sven Gali to suddenly revert back to the sound of their self-titled debut.  This is a much heavier, more pounding and frankly more satisfying Sven Gali.  Opener “One Gun” slams with a more viscous brutality, but singer Dave Wanless is still the same.  If I wanted to hear the sound of ’92 again, I’d play the original purple platter by Sven (recently reissued on coloured vinyl).  I want the sound that satisfies the “me” of today – and I’m as frustrated as Sven Gali sound on “One Gun”.  The snaky guitar solo is just icing on the cake.  “I’m losin’ faith!” proclaims Wanless, and I believe him.

A steady chunky groove introduces “Coming Home”, a headbanger with a dark Metallica vibe.  Dan Fila and Shawn Minden lay down this beat that just boils.  The lead guitars are like liquid adamantium, but beneath it all churns a volcanic pressure cooker.  This is possibly the highlight of the new songs, a memorable track that demands to be cranked.  Car test it for good measure.  (The band is rounded out by guitarists Andy Frank and Sean Williamson.)

The Triumph cover is, appropriately, third in line.  “Spellbound” suits Sven Gali surprisingly well, but they don’t play it straight.  They’ve thrown the track into the darkest night, but let the chorus light the way.  Guitar textures are added.  This song should make the longtime fans very happy.  It’s Triumph, but presented as heavy as possible.  Listen to Fila annihilate his drums!

Darkness dominates on “Life Inside”, a dusky dirge with some pretty cool guitar work.  The atmospheric “Monster” resists being called a “ballad” but it’s the slowest moment in the journey thus far.  “Monster” just kills, not straightforward or easy to categorize.  It’s moody and doesn’t let up.

“Hang Me Out” is the first of the unreleased demos, and there’s something nostalgic about that.  You can hear an audible shift in sound, and “Hang Me Out” definitely has a mid-90s vibe.  There are twists and turns in the music that bring you right back.  Then the wah-wah pedal comes out for the relentless guitars on “Hogs”.  The funky groove here definitely brews nostalgia, but this track should have been released long ago!  By the end of it, you’ll be shoutin’ “HOGS!”  The 8th track “All” goes for speed and groove while the guitars ring in chaotic perfection.

Finally, a record needle drops and the acoustic guitars come out for the closing ballad and classic in the making:  “Nothing New”.  As much as Sven are known for rocking, some of their big hits were ballads (like “Love Don’t Live Here Anymore”).  “Nothing New” is a lovely, stripped down ballad with sweet melodies and the purity of acoustic music.

Ultimately the demos are just as entertaining as the rest of the album.  They make you wish they’d come out ages ago.

Well done to Sven Gali on Bombs & Battlescars, a blazing comeback with a surprisingly tender ending.

4/5 stars

Get your copy on vinyl & CD, plain or signed!

 

Positivity and Inspiration: Dan Fila on the LeBrain Train

This was a fully loaded episode folks!  Thanks to my co-host John Snow and thanks to special guest Dan Fila…and surprise guest Shawn Minden!

Here are some of the facts/stories/news/scoops ahead:

  • Hooking up with Sven Gali
  • The lowdown on a brand new Sven album
  • New songs coming with the assistance of Mr. Andy Curran [SCOOP!]
  • Maybe even a leaked song title
  • Playing some Maiden and Priest…soon!
  • Dan’s craft, educating, and being a positive influence
  • Dan’s influences and seeing them live
  • Practice practice practice
  • Varga
  • Working with David Bendeth
  • Hypodust
  • An endorsement with Pearl Drums
  • Anvil
  • and of course Neil Peart

Dan, thanks so much for sharing your time and stories.  Hope to talk again soon!

NEXT WEEK:  Max the Axe!

Dan Fila of Sven Gali & Varga rocks the LeBrain Train tonight

The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and John

Episode 86 – Dan Fila

In the early 90s, there were a number of great bands from southern Ontario that rattled my speakers pretty hard.  Two of those bands were Sven Gali and Varga, who had their videos on rotation both on MuchMusic and my VHS collection as well.  Today, one man occupies the drum stool for both bands, and that man is Dan!  Please join my co-host John Snow and I tonight as we welcome Dan Fila to the show.

We’ll be quizzing him on both bands as well his other industrial rock project called Hypodust.  We’ll be talking drums.  We’ll be taking questions.  This is no “Prototype”, this is as real as “Now”!  Join us live tonight!

Friday November 5, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on Facebook: MikeLeBrain and YouTube: Mike LeBrain.

Redrum! A wickedly scary Top 5 Horror Movie show on the LeBrain Train

Big props to the panel tonight:  Eric “Uncle Meat” Litwiller, Rob “Chucky” Daniels and Erik “Velvet Voice” Woods!  Any time we cover movies, I am the luckiest host in the world to be able to lean on Rob and Erik.  I truly believe these two guys are some of the top experts on movie soundtracks in the world.  By extension, they also know movies like the backs of their hands.  This was a truly great show because we had three amazing guests on the panel.  Me, all I could do was tell amusing anecdotes!  (Watch the show and find out what my buddy Bob and I “learned” about women’s clothing from the movie Christine.

This is a show you’ll want to watch from start to finish.  The discussion far exceeded just a simple “top 5” list, with plenty of interesting runners-up scattered through the broadcast.  Go get a beverage and get ready to be inspired to watch a whole bunch of horror movies this weekend!

REMINDER:

November 5 7:00 PM E.S.T.: We are joined by the awesome Dan Fila, drummer of Sven Gali and Varga! Co-hosted by John “2loud2old” Snow. Get ready to be pummelled by a double bass master!

Next week I’ll be on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions for a special episode, and 107.5 Dave Rocks, with Jessie David for The Essential Alice Cooper on October 31!

The Horror! Top Five Scary Flicks on the LeBrain Train

The LeBrain Train: 2000 Words or More with Mike and the Meat Man

Episode 85 – Cinco De List-O: Top 5 Horror Films

Topic courtesy of the Meat Man! It’s Halloween so perfect timing for another movie list: horror movies! And any time we’re talking movies, we better have Rob Daniels and Erik Woods on board!

It’s a really simple subject so we don’t need a lot of explanation here. To read up on my history with horror films, check out Record Store Tales #496: The Horror. It may spoil a couple of my picks so be forewarned!

Friday October 29, 7:00 PM E.S.T. on Facebook: MikeLeBrain and YouTube: Mike LeBrain.

Upcoming shows:

I am very pleased to announce next week’s show:

November 5 7:00 PM E.S.T.: We are joined by the awesome Dan Fila, drummer of Sven Gali and Varga! Freeze, don’t move, this show is gonna be Under the Influence! Co-hosted by John “2loud2old” Snow.

I also have an appearance on Tim’s Vinyl Confessions coming up, and will be be on 107.5 Dave Rocks, with Jessie David and my pick for The Essential Alice Cooper, on October 31!

VHS Archives #106: On the Tour Bus with Varga (1994 Power 30)

Varga were on the cutting edge of combining heavy metal music with the burgeoning industrial scene. Teresa Roncon of the Power 30 caught up with the band in Buffalo, on their bus. Looks like there was a bit of a party going on, but in the back of the bus was a makeshift recording studio where the guys were assembling ideas for album #2.  “Heavy and exploratory” was the promise!

Meet Varga & Ugly Kid Joe’s manager Dennis, and find out just how to get on a tour bus. A little bit of live footage is within, and the always likeable guys request a few tunes.

REVIEW: Sven Gali – 3 (2020)

SVEN GALI – 3 (2020 EP)

Sven Gali have not had an easy ride.  Their debut Sven Gali was just a year too late to make them into the rock heroes they seemed destined to be.  Had it come out in 1991, they would have had a massive hit on their hands.  The second album Inwire (1995) was a reaction to the 90s alterna-metal scene.  The band reunited in 2007, but tragedy struck when cancer killed founding guitarist Dee Cernile in 2012.

Against the odds, Sven Gali persevered and in 2018 added some heavy firepower to the lineup:  Dan Fila and Sean Williamson of Varga.  One by one, they began releasing new tracks.  Now in 2020 we have the first new Sven Gali release in 25 years:  an EP called 3.

Somewhat surprisingly, Sven Gali did not revert back to the hard rock anthemic sound that was the cornerstone of their debut album.  Instead they picked up where they left off on Inwire, with four new songs produced by David Bendeth who also produced their debut.  Incredibly it sounds like they haven’t missed a step.  Even more incredibly, it’s some of their best stuff!  Singer Dave Wanless has lost nothing.  The band is still rounded out by original members:  guitarist Andy Frank and bassist Shawn Minden.

The four songs all share melodic vocal hooks, heavy guitars and aggressive grooves.  With the addition of Fila and Williamson, the band have rebuilt themselves into a beast heavier than before.  Picking a favourite isn’t possible because this EP is not immediate.  Like many favourites that stand the test of time, 3 will take some listens to fully absorb and love.  Fortunately we have a whole summer ahead of us to do that.  The EP has the depth and potential to become a bit of a classic.  Even if Inwire wasn’t your thing, this EP is better.  The songs are more focused, heavier, with more hooks.  The vocal melodies sometimes veer into an old anthemic metal style, like on “Hurt”.  By taking their time, Sven Gali were able to make sure they had four excellent tracks for this release.

Good on Sven Gali for sticking it out, and not resting on their laurels.  Any band can get replacement members and reunite.  Fewer still put out new music, much less on a physical media.  Sven Gali have put together a slammin’ new lineup and a triumphant EP.  You just can’t write this band off.

4/5 stars

REVIEW: Varga – Prototype (1993)

VARGA – Prototype (1993 BMG)

Joe Varga and crew started off as a Toronto-area thrash metal band.  There was a thriving thrash scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and Varga’s contribution were songs like “Mad Scientist” and “Shark Attack”.  They released an indi album (cassette only) called Multiple Wargasms.  As the 90’s progressed, Varga established a prototypical industrial metal direction, something perfectly mundane today, but new for the time.  Like some bizarre cross between thrash metal and ZZ Top, Varga attempted to bridge the gap between machine and man.  They signed to BMG and got David Bendeth to produce them, who had just worked his magic with Sven Gali.

Varga’s major label debut was called Prototype.  As promised, it boasts a mixture of metal and industrial.  Live drums, guitars and bass mix are augmented with samples and loops.  While Varga embraced technology, it didn’t seem fully incorporated into the music.  The songs are, for the most part, metal tracks with samples and effects added for embellishment.  Varga took the unusual step of listing everybody that inspired them in the credits.  Metal outnumbers industrial bands by 12-2.  Pornography had more influence on Varga than Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, according to this!

When it works, it works.  “Greed” is a prime example.  Had it been a typical fast-forward thrash metal song, it still would have been good.  The electronics and looped rhythms turbo-charge the whole thing.  “Freeze Don’t Move” seems built around the loops, and features rapping and a sung chorus.  Hearing it today, I think “Hello, Linkin Park!”  But there was no Linkin Park in 1993.  These two tracks were the singles, and they are easily the best two songs on the album.   Additionally, “Freeze Don’t Move” was remixed and extended by somebody called “KRASH” (all caps).  The original is all you need, but the remix is included as a CD-only bonus track.  (Quaint concept today!)

Prototype chugs along, like a finely tuned streamlined machine.  The musicianship is fine and dandy; Varga did not forsake guitar solos and there are several hot ones to choose from, not to mention diverse moments of instrumental brilliance.  “The Strong”, “Unconscience”, “Thief”, “Self Proclaimed Messiah” and “Wawnah Mère” are pretty good, and “Bring The Hammer Down” is galvanized metallic.  Recommended for metal historians and fans of the industrial metal sound.

4/5 stars

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