By: Croydon DeMello
October 28, 2007

Inspiring, hypnotic and loud is the music that comes from a unique band out of Montreal called Special Ops. This week at the Circus Room in Kitchener, Special Ops delivered a set wild enough to leave a person furiously ecstatic and in spirits that make you want to hear more of this strange but beautiful music.

The band has come a long way with since their first 5 song E.P from 2002 entitled “Better Off.” Since then, they released their first Album “Phase 1: In Search of Madness” and have just recently launched their second album “Phase 2: Amidst the Madness.” Consisting of Abe Froman on Vocals, Akbar Johnson on Guitars/Vocals,  Waldo Thornhill on Bass and Clarence Mcgillacutty on Drums, the four-piece section delivers a monster sound that is a wall of heavy distorted guitars and backed up by a tremendous battery of grooves.

“We came to Toronto and worked with Murray Daigle of MDS Recording Studios”, says Akbar Johnson. “He has worked with Not By Choice, Cauterize, Flatline and new upcoming talent. We wanted his sound on our second album. He even got Liam Kileen (Not By Choice) to come in and play drums on some of the tracks on the album.”

With the advent of the second CD out, Special Ops plans to take the show even further by taking their music outside of Canada. “The tour for our first album had us going from East to West Canada. We’ve now got a lot of response from UK and Europe and would like to play our music there.”

To change the face of new Metal/Rock is a great feat alone, but Special Ops has proven that with hard work and reverence to the music you enjoy making, that the ‘New Music’ is but a natural by-product of the precise chemistry of people who come together and pour into the music their very souls.