If you ever thought punk was just noise and anger, then Les Vulgaires Machins are here to flip that switch with some serious purpose and hope. These punk rock legends from Granby, Quebec, have been screaming truth to power since 1995, proving that getting fired up about the world’s problems is not just noise—it is a rallying cry for change.
Their newest album, Contempler l’abîme, which roughly means “Contemplating the Abyss,” starts off kind of like a breakup letter to the world. The opening track, “Terminé le fun” (“Fun’s Over”), kicks off with Guillaume Beauregard’s voice sounding like it is coming through an old, crackly radio — almost like a message from a future where everything has gone crazy. He declares, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is the end. It was about time we got here.” Pretty heavy, right?
But do not get it twisted; this is not a band giving up. In fact, Beauregard explains that naming all the dark stuff going on — environmental crashes, cultural break-downs, political chaos — is a way for him to feel connected and not totally alone. It is like saying, “Yeah, the world’s messed up, but we are still here, still talking, still fighting.” And his bandmate Marie-Ève Roy wants their music to be like little cells connecting people—a musical power squad pushing back against cynicism with some serious heart.
Their songs mix punk gnarl with orchestral sweeps, and somewhere between the fast beats and heavy lyrics, you find this fierce hope for a better world. One song, “Om Mani Padme Hum,” throws in some dark humor, wishing for “the end of the future and the end of punk,” which sounds wild… but it also makes you think about how punk keeps shaking things up even when it feels like everything is falling apart.
They have come a long way from playing their first shows as teenagers in Quebec. Over three decades, Les Vulgaires Machins have held onto that raw energy but sharpened their message. Their music is not just a reaction; it is a survival guide for anyone who feels overwhelmed but refuses to give up.
In the end, whether you are a punk fanatic or just someone who loves music with guts, Contempler l’abîme is fresh proof that even when it sounds like the end, it is really about showing the world: we are not alone.