From the province of Québec, and yes, still a hotbed of proggy activity what with the likes of Mystery, Huis, Red Sand, Angine de Poitrine, Jacob Roberge and my band Enigmatic Sound Machines, as well as many others, CODE 18 now releases its second album, after the 2020 debut Human Error, which also sits in my collection. Encouraging local prog bands has always been of keen interest to me , also venturing into the rest of the country, as I am a big fan of Ontario residents Rick Miller (whose new album I will be reviewing very soon, so stay tuned) and Ken Baird (Monarch Trail), both long-standing friends of the Prog Rogue.
Led by the incredible keyboardist Johnny Maz of Huis (check out his numerous YouTube tributes to Triumvirat, Genesis, Porcupine Tree, Real Life (Send me an Angel), Alan Parsons Project, Rick Wakeman, A-Ha, The Mission etc..), Ben Plamondon on vocals and JF Rémillard on the guitars, with the added veteran rhythm section of Martin Plante and Bobby St-Louis, all scattered throughout the large province but working well with the wonders of modern technology. Now “Human Error” was a really tasty effort, foretelling of the current ‘conflict’ between two best friends and neighbours (no, not about hockey, but just maybe) but this sucker is a treat that should propel the band to further recognition, and I fully intend to help in the process with this review. I have always despised the neo-prog tag (in fact, all labelling is good only for foodstuffs and medication, IMHO) as the musicianship can easily rival any quality symphonic, fusion, or rock outfit anywhere . ‘It’s not about the close you wear’, sang the Cars! Proof is often found in the structure, as this nearly 69-minute album kicks off with a nice, longer than usual “Prelude” (how quaint!) and ends seven pieces later with a dozen minute epic called “Justice?”, with the previous track “A New Soul” clocking in over14 minutes. We are not in syrupy sing-along “Follow you, Follow me” neo mode. We are talking Code 18! Bon, ca suffit!
The afore mentioned “Prelude” sets off the spark that will shine throughout this release, an ode to insomnia with Sylvain Descoteaux emoting within an orchestral umbrella , a throttling bass keeping the line and JF Rémillard setting the tone for all the magic to come, a bluesy conquest of the senses. The anesthetic is working, as the deep dive into “Polyrhythm” is initiated, a chaotic collision between hard times and soft moments, the ideal foil for Ben to express the turbulence of the world and how it affects our manic life. Edgy, at times serrated like a honed knife, definitely questioning the validity of just holding on. “There is a nice space, just a few pages over, in fact, I think it’s better than this place”, the definition of restful sleep.
Time for a look back at simpler times, when routine was rarely boring as “The Old House” tells the tale of childhood, where innocence held hands with learning from one’s mistakes. Musically, it’s a windswept affair, ticking clocks from Martin Plante, and flickers of liquid guitar, a dreamy soundscape that skillfully navigates the space between each breath and every reminiscence. The orchestral elevation rises to a heightened crescendo, opening up the gate for Rémillard to further introspect, a bucolic symphony unveiled and a colossal finale.
A trio of lengthy instrumentals invades the space, setting the stage for the players to show their considerable. The quirky and serpentine “Alors Je Cherche” has a French language narration, in a very film noir setting as if recalling a Phillip Marlowe/ Sam Spade criminal escapade with romantic underpinnings (long-legged temptress) and as such has all the thrilling trimmings associated with the genre, including well-placed brass exhortations, blaring just above the Peter Gunn-like bass line. Bloody brilliant, “L’Affaire Dumoutier” revisited.
Candidate (and surely winner) for the best song title of 2026 , “The Lovers, the Incompetent and the Asshole” travels first into piano land for a stretch with slick guitar shadings (the two lovers, I presume), before a burly synthesizer flare-up takes the mood into sombre reptile territory, a slithering and bumbling electronic declaration of frivolousness, bashing a few hard drums in the process, a modern ode to Inspector Clouseau, peut-etre? Invariably, with incompetence we get incontinence and the bowel movement gradually appears, with growling stomach spasms, and the inevitability of human stupidity expelling its garbage. The congas and the hammered piano keys, provide a monumental procession of percussive liberation, letting the savage synthesizer unleash its venomous waste. Maybe also candidate for finest instrumental of 2026, qui sait?
The shorter but utterly fragrant “Moving in Peach Nightmare” has a psychedelic connotation that is hard to ignore, swirling patterns of serene sounds, a tick-tock (no, not the app, FFS) somnolence that induces a kind of electro sonic fantasy, the keyboards reminding me of some of Billie Currie (Ultravox) solo work. Love this tracks as well.
Now, closing off an already thrilling album with not one but TWO epic pieces, is as bold a statement one can make and Code 18 pull it off with gusto, bravado and presumably a fair amount of espresso. “A New Soul” owns a running time of over 14 minutes and it’s an absolute corker, perhaps candidate for epic of 2026, ben voyons donc! The tempo and atmosphere are instantly attractive in a cinematographic sense, with wide shots combined with endless detailed inserts, the rhythmic brouhaha exhausting, and the mystery constantly exposed. When the Plamondon vocals finally kick in, the starkness verges on sinister Armageddon, “where nature is gone, ripped from the earth”, and yet, there is still hope from the celestial watchers above, or so it seems. The confrontation between edgy chaos and sustained slumber, resurrects the invariable extremes of sleep versus insomnia, of light and dark, of life and death. Only a new soul can provide any kind of resurrection, the instrumental section has a wicked (I mean evil) St-Louis bass flutter that shuffles the bruising Hammond organ rage along, Plante blasting away on his tectonic kit, Maz now adding synthesizers sorties in order to challenge the delirious Rémillard guitar assaults.
“Justice?” you surely mean injustice! Ending an album on the concepts of Waiting and despair, as well as the endless fight to survive and wondering what in hell (or is it heaven) will be the verdict , is the exact definition of our times. Well, I choose to be positive by filtering out the endless abysmal poison peddling and judgmental opinion scourge that weakens our resolve by promising endless blessings that are never fulfilled. How do we resist, you may ask? Turn off the media tools and turn on the music, that is how! Screw the bad news ,look at the light and set yourself free. A magnificent closer, showcasing the talented crew’s deliverance. A dozen minutes that could be the requiem of our times, whereby we eschew the focus on the problems and start looking at solutions, something the modern world seems reluctant to motivate.
A master stroke of bustling progressive rock that will cause a fair amount of excitement in our global community. Bien joué, les gars!
5 dual spaces