” French horn, keyboards and drums can hold infinite possibilities, as this Montreal trio aptly demonstrates. Pietro Amato (Bell Orchestre, occasionally Arcade Fire), Mathieu Charbonneau and Julien Poissant also juggle duelling melodicas, percussion and an arsenal of effects to create captivating soundscapes and compositions that unexpectedly flowered into dance beats by the set’s conclusion. Can Montreal fit another spellbinding instrumental band inside the city walls? Absolutely.”
– Michael Barclay, Exclaim!
2004 Pop Montreal Festival review

” Thursday night was the first truly packed schedule of the Pop Montreal Festival. The Black Keys, Death From Above 1979, Billy Talent, Despistado, Q And Not U and Les Georges Leningrad were all competing for my attention. I opted instead for torngat, an instrumental three piece that makes more noise than a small army.

They were the one truly breathtaking discovery of Pop Montreal, appropriately confined to a new venue that sprouted overnight above a burnt out textile warehouse. The band’s reputation preceded them in the form of high praise from one of my friends, and I was stunned by their brand of post-rock-cum- chamber pop. Imagine the most joyous moments of the Rachel’s oeuvre fused with the accessibility of Belle & Sebastian’s most spellbinding melodies. In terms of the excitement in the room and the amazed response of the crowd, it was everything Godspeed You Black Emperor used to be, minus the politics and pretense.”
– Mike Baker, Splendidezine.com
2004 Pop Montreal Festival review

“Finger painting on liquid canvas while dancing to the tune of the greatest ants in your pants you ever had…(I wrote this at torngat’s last show as a quartet. If I would write it now, I would add)…in your head while meditating on the beauty of mischeif and complicity.”
-Carlo A. Verdichio 2004