Author Archives: Gustavo Scuderi

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About Gustavo Scuderi

"If I could survive to live one more time I wouldn't be changing a thing at all Done more in my life than some do in ten I'd go back and do it all over again..."

Album Review – Crimson Day / Crimson Day (2023)

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This amazing Melodic Heavy Metal outfit from Finland is back with their third full-length album, showcasing a healthy and exciting evolution in their sound.

Founded in 2013 by bassist Jesse “Kämy” Kämäräinen, Tampere, Finland-based female-fronted Melodic Heavy Metal outfit Crimson Day combines classic Heavy Metal riffs with modern elements, having already performed almost a hundred shows in Finland and abroad since their inception. Now in 2023 the band formed of the aforementioned Jesse Kämäräinen alongside Milka Uusitalo on vocals, Ari Balzar and Janne Rantanen on the guitars, and Juhani Ikonen on drums will attack your senses with their self-titled third full-length opus, following up on their 2018 album At the Mountains of Madness. Not only this is their first album with the stunning Milka on vocals, but it also showcases a healthy change or evolution in their sound, placing them among the best new names of the Finnish (and of the entire Nordic) scene, and being highly recommended for admirers of the music by both Iron Maiden and Within Temptation, Judas Priest and Epica, or Stratovarius and Nightwish, just to illustrate to you how dynamic their music is.

Juhani wastes no time and begins pounding his drums in Release The Beast, while Ari and Janne’s guitars exhale fire, all of course spiced up by the rockin’ vocals by Milka in a lecture in Heavy and Power Metal to kick things off in style. Then their guitar duo is on total fire in The Calling, providing Milka with exactly what she needs to shine with her soaring vocals. Put differently, it can’t get any more metal than this, whereas the song that carries the name of the band, Crimson Day, exhales epicness thanks to its galloping pace, gripping vocal lines and classic riffage, being therefore perfect for raising our horns high in the air. Juhani keeps pounding his drums supported by the thunderous bass by Jesse in The Mortal Undead, with the band investing in darker and heavier sounds (and the final result is a true banger); and it’s time to slow things down a bit with the power ballad Deep To The Dark, showcasing beautiful guitar riffs and solos by Ari and Janne.

Perhaps the song Night To Forget can be called “Dancing Heavy Metal” due to its rockin’ rhythm and vibe, with Milka exploring her vocal range in Hard Rock lands, whereas the metallic bass by Jesse ignites the band’s melodic feast titled Raising The Fury, with the piercing sound of their guitars bringing an overdose of electricity to the overall result. Black As Heavens Above sounds and feels more melodious than its predecessors, also presenting hints of 80’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal while Milka once again steals the show with her passionate vocals; followed by Eternal Night Of The Mind, the second to last song of the album, a solid display of modern-day Heavy Metal that sounds a bit cheesy compared to the rest of the album, albeit still very detailed and enjoyable. And last but not least, let’s bang our heads one final time with Crimson Day in Epilogue / Time To Die, with Ari, Janne and Jesse delivering a scorching stringed attack, putting an epic ending to an epic album, I might say.

Such intense album of classy Heavy Metal made in Finland can be fully appreciated on Spotify, and you can also purchase your favorite copy of it by clicking HERE. Don’t forget to also give Crimson Day a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, staying updated with all of their news and tour dates, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their music and videos. As already mentioned, the band has reached new heights in their career with their new album, with the evolution in their music certainly going to take them places, and with the vocals by Milka positioning the band as one of the strongest name of the genre in their homeland.

Best moments of the album: Release The Beast, The Mortal Undead and Black As Heavens Above.

Worst moments of the album: Eternal Night Of The Mind.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Release The Beast 3:57
2. The Calling 5:22
3. Crimson Day 5:09
4. The Mortal Undead 3:16
5. Deep To The Dark 5:25
6. Night To Forget 3:43
7. Raising The Fury 4:03
8. Black As Heavens Above 4:33
9. Eternal Night Of The Mind 4:23
10. Epilogue / Time To Die 5:06

Band members
Milka Uusitalo – vocals
Ari Balzar – guitars
Janne Rantanen – guitars
Jesse Kämäräinen – bass
Juhani Ikonen – drums

Album Review – Dysease / Era of Decay EP (2023)

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A new Progressive Death Metal entity from Germany is armed with their debut EP, leading us all to a dystopian world that lets us dive into a universe of atrocities, (im)mortality and miseries of our modern-day society.

Formed in 2018 by former members of Iuramentum, Skin Harvest, Morok and Defector in Siegen, a city in Germany in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia, the five-piece Progressive Death Metal act Dysease is dedicated to creating dark and haunting sounds by blending brutal riffs, catchy refrains, and progressive and thrash elements while prioritizing groove and atmosphere to immerse listeners in a dystopian ambiance. Now in 2023 the band formed of René “Wolles” Ax on vocals, Pätrick L. and Rafael G. on the guitars, Dimitri V. on bass, and Lukas Fenster on drums will attack your senses with their debut EP, entitled Era of Decay, leading us all to a dystopian world that lets us dive into a universe of atrocities, (im)mortality and miseries of our modern-day society, all embraced by the first-class, sharp production, mixing and mastering by the band’s own bassist Dimitri V., making the album’s atmosphere and vibe even heavier and more menacing.

A song about the problems in dealing with nature, and the revenge of nature on man, the opening track Unfurl The Plague is a demonic, heavy-as-hell display of Death Metal where René roars deeply nonstop, presenting a serene break before the band returns with their pulverizing sounds, flowing into the interlude Prologue, exhaling melancholy and setting the stage for the infernal Manufractured, based on the 2013 movie Elysium, where a future fictional dystopian world is described, while musically speaking Lukas crushes his drums mercilessly supported by the incendiary riffs by Pätrick and Rafael, being highly recommended for some classic headbanging. Then dedicated to all dictators hungry for power who act against the will of society and are ultimately overthrown, the band brings forth six minutes of Doom Metal-infused obscurity titled Deterrence By Brutality, with Dimitri and Lukas making our skulls tremble with their respective bass and drums, not to mention how demonic the guttural vocals by René sound. Lastly, we’re treated to the menacing The Staring Eye, dealing with the “locked in” syndrome described from the point of view of an affected person, showcasing the always somber riffage by Pätrick and Rafael and, therefore, putting a climatic and absolutely savage ending to the album.

A brand new entity in the world of extreme music, the guys from Dysease are waiting for you on Facebook with news, tour dates and other nice-to-know details about the band, and on YouTube with more of their music and videos. However, in order to properly welcome them to our beautiful underground scene, you should definitely purchase a copy of the album from Apple Music or from Amazon, stream it in full on YouTube and on Spotify, or simply click HERE for all things Dysease. As the band mentions in their amazing debut EP, we’re indeed living in an era of decay, where our society is falling to pieces and everything that’s wrong and evil is taking over the world. Well, at least we have the striking metal music by bands like Dysease to keep us entertained until our inevitable end.

Best moments of the album: Manufractured and The Staring Eye.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Unfurl The Plague 5:39
2. Prologue 0:31
3. Manufractured 5:13
4. Deterrence By Brutality 6:03
5. The Staring Eye 4:25

Band members
René “Wolles” Ax – vocals
Pätrick L. – guitars
Rafael G. – guitars
Dimitri V. – bass
Lukas Fenster – drums

Album Review – Brimstone Gate / Return from the Brimstone Portal (2023)

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This Teutonic army will attack your senses with their debut album, paying tribute to 90’s Black and Death Metal from Norway, Sweden and England while also presenting some modern influences.

Formed in 2020 in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in Hamm, a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, Black/Death Metal horde Brimstone Gate has just unleashed their debut album, entitled Return from the Brimstone Portal, paying tribute to 90’s Black and Death Metal from Norway, Sweden and England while also presenting some modern influences. Recorded by the band’s two founding members Carsten Nachtigall and Michael Gruen, mixed and mastered by Michael “Obelxxx” Elsner, and displaying a classic artwork licenced by iStock and re-worked and designed by Michael Gruen, Return from the Brimstone Portal is recommended for admirers of the music by Belphegor and Zyklon, showcasing all the talent and hard work by Simon Stellmacher (Niflhel) on vocals and bass, and Carsten Nachtigall (Niflhel) and Michael Gruen (Niflhel, Deathstruction) on the guitars and drum programming.

Cinematic, somber and atmospheric from the very first second, Beyond the Gate works as an intro to a horror movie, dragging our souls to the Stygian lair ruled by Brimstone Gate in Return from the Brimstone Portal, exploding into a technical yet visceral form of Death Metal with Simon roaring like a beast, therefore adding an extra dosage of dementia to the overall result; and the guitars by Carsten and Michael bring fire to their music in Voices of the Dead, accompanied by the song’s massive beats in another solid display of German Death Metal. Then spearheaded by the venomous screams by Simon we have Emperor of the Painful Realm, sounding infernal from start to finish to the song’s hammering drums.

The second half of the album begins with another bestial creation by the quintet named Path to Your Liberation, offering Simon’s rumbling bass and the always scorching riffs and solos by Casrten and Michael, and it’s then time for a neck-breaking extravaganza entitled The Void Darkened, displaying the band’s usual savagery spiced up by another demonic drum explosion. There’s no time to breathe as those Teutonic metallers keep darkening the skies with their fusion of Black and Death Metal in Death Arises in the Wind, showcasing more of their piercing, dirty riffs; whereas closing the album it’s time for the six-minute tune Lost Nightsun, sounding bold and austere while led by the deep roars by Simon, albeit a bit too lengthy in the end.

The new opus by Brimstone Gate is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you’re an admirer of extreme music with an epic background story you can purchase a copy of the album (and consequently show all your support to the underground scene) directly from their own BandCamp page. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for tour dates, news and so on, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their incendiary music. Those German metallers are on absolute fire in Return from the Brimstone Portal, the first step in their promising career, and an amazing display of the always entertaining Black and Death Metal scene from one of the meccas of heavy music worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Return from the Brimstone Portal, Emperor of the Painful Realm and Path to Your Liberation.

Worst moments of the album: Lost Nightsun.

Released in 2023 ADG Records

Track listing
1. Beyond the Gate (Intro) 1:33
2. Return from the Brimstone Portal 5:00
3. Voices of the Dead 4:37
4. Emperor of the Painful Realm 4:11
5. Path to Your Liberation 5:26
6. The Void Darkened 5:12
7. Death Arises in the Wind 5:36
8. Lost Nightsun 6:26

Band members
Simon Stellmacher – vocals, bass
Carsten Nachtigall – guitars, drum programming
Michael Gruen – guitars, drum programming

Live lineup
Dominik Zillmann – vocals
Carsten Nachtigall – guitars
Michael Gruen – guitars
Robin Vieler – bass, backing vocals
Daniel Müller – drums

Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 05/13/2023)

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Wacken Metal Battle Canada returned in full force in 2023, leading to an unforgettable night of ass-kicking underground music at Lee’s Palace this Saturday.

INTRODUCTION: THE RETURN OF WACKEN METAL BATTLE CANADA

What a night of first-class underground heavy music in Toronto, my friends! On pause since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wacken Metal Battle Canada finally returned from the ashes like a phoenix screaming for vengeance in 2023, and after over 60 bands participating in the regional rounds for the past few months in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City (and you can always review the rules for participation HERE), it was time this Saturday at Lee’s Palace for the 2023 edition of the Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final with the bands EATEN BY SHARKS, NECHT and STRIGAMPIRE, battling for a spot in the most admired metal festival in the world, the one and only Wacken Open Air in Germany, this summer.

Also featuring guest openers KORROSIVE and guest headliners WHIPLASH, the night was indeed a celebration of underground metal, with guest judges Pedro Almeida (A&P Reacts),  Antonio Almeida (A&P Reacts), Noel Peters (Inertia Entertainment), Tim Henderson (BraveWords), Thorsteinn Kolbeinsson (Wacken Metal Battle Iceland), Sarah Lutz (Looters), Kevin Michaud (Front Row Promotions), Luc Laine (CFLX 95.5 FM – Alerte Metallique), Rae Chatten (Rock’n Roam, Live Nation), Mark Tremblay (Metal on Metal Podcast) and JJ Tartaglia (Wacken Metal Battle Canada) having a lot of “trouble” to decide which one of the three amazing bands that played should head to Wacken and represent Canada in the holy land of metal music.

KORROSIVE (guest openers)

Before the crowd had the pleasure of witnessing the performances by the three finalists, Toronto-based Thrash Metal outfit KORROSIVE hit the stage to properly warm up everyone with their frantic, caustic and insane thrashing music. Having released the excellent album Toxic Apokalypse in 2022, the band formed of frontman Rad Zarei, guitarists Derek Solomos and Jack Neila, bassist Carlos Rodriguez and drummer Kaveh Afshar kicked some serious ass on stage, already inspiring everyone at the venue to ignite some sick mosh pits, until their grand finale with a pulverizing cover version for Venom’s all-time classic Black Metal. I highly recommend you go after their material on Spotify and on BandCamp if you’ve never heard of those guys, because they definitely know how to thrash in great fashion.

Band members
Rad Zarei – vocals
Derek Solomos – guitar
Jack Neila – guitar
Carlos Rodriguez – bass
Kaveh Afshar – drums

STRIGAMPIRE

After a short break it was then time for the first contender of the night, Trois-Rivières, Quebec-based Melodic Black Metal horde STRIGAMPIRE, to show everything they got and, who knows, win the desired Canadian spot at Wacken Open Air this year. Having released their last album in 2018, titled One Fix, Nine Clouds & Six Feet Deep (which means we urgently need a new album by those guys), the band spearheaded by the unstoppable frontman Steve De Cotret delivered an incendiary performance, with pentagrams all over the stage and with Steve running around the venue, screaming in the faces of some of the attendees and so on, putting his heart and soul into his vocals. It was an insane show full of energy and darkness, and if you enjoy the more modern version of Black Metal from the Quebec scene, you should listen to all of their wicked creations on Spotify.

Band members
Steve De Cotret – vocals
Johnny Dead – guitars
William Tousignant – guitars
BadGuy P. – bass
Yannick Laplante – drums 

EATEN BY SHARKS

Right after Strigampire finished their sulfurous show, St. Catharines, Ontario’s own Technical Death Metal/Deathcore entity EATEN BY SHARKS hit the stage for another infernal performance, playing several songs from their 2022 album Eradication including Shallow Water, Kill and Consume, Same Face, Different Mask and Apex Predator. Their frontman Matt Sherriff was absolutely enraged on vocals while his bandmates sounded as heavy as hell throughout their entire set, receiving a very positive feedback from the crowd. They’re definitely another band I’ll be listening to on a regular basis so awesome their tech death is, and if you also love to slam into the circle pit while listening to high quality metal music you should let such demented shark bite your ears on Spotify and on BandCamp.

Band members
Matt Sherriff – vocals
Chris Chaperon – lead guitars
Dan Oko – rhythm guitars
Tyler Abrams – bass
Justin Whitehead – drums 

NECHT

The last of the finalists to perform on Saturday was undoubtedly the most mysterious and atmospheric band of the night, bringing blasphemy and sulfur to Lee’s Palace with their “grim, martial and epic black metal conducted in the name of Our Father, B’ahn, the Ceaseless Warrior,” according to the band itself. I’m talking about Calgary, Alberta-based Ritualistic Black Metal entity NECHT, who put on a solid and entertaining performance for everyone at the venue. Armed with his spear and shield, vocalist Maharg led his horde of uncanny musicians (all wearing some sort of BDSM/Hellraiser-inspired masks) while roaring in the name of evil nonstop, even “baptizing” some of the concert goers with some sort of devilish black paint. Necht are about to release their debut full-length opus anytime soon, but if you can’t wait for that and want to have a good taste of how Stygian their music is, there’s one track already available on BandCamp. GLORY TO THE SUN!

Band members
Maharg – vocals
Zhargor – guitars, bass, backing vocals*
Vlasfimos – drums

*There was actually a fourth member of the band on stage, but I have no idea who he is, nor if he was the guitarist or the bassist.

WHIPLASH (guest headliners)

Before the winner of the 2023 Canadian Wacken Metal Battle was announced, we had the pleasure of witnessing one of the legends of underground Thrash and Speed Metal as the guest headliners of such fun night. I’m talking about Passaic, New Jersey-based Thrash/Speed Metal beast WHIPLASH, spearheaded by the iconic Tony Portaro on vocals and guitars. What an insane performance by the trio, playing tons of amazing underground classics from their almost 40 years of career the likes of Spit on Your Grave, Walk the Plank, Insult to Injury and the demolishing Power Thrashing Death. The mosh pits kept moving fast while Tony barked nonstop on stage (only stopping to have a sip of his beer), with their punk-ish and hardcore attitude showing all the kids present at the venue what old school Thrash Metal is all about. I doubt you know nothing about those guys, but just in case you’re from a different planet you can find all of their frantic creations on Spotify.

Band members
Tony Portaro – vocals, guitars
Dank DeLong – bass
Ron Lipnicki – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

Well, first of all I want to thank my friend Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations for letting us participate in such important event to the Canadian underground scene, Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography for the amazing band shots (except for Whiplash as he had to leave due to a personal matter, so I had to upload my shitty phone photos of the band to the review), and all media partners (Bravewords, Metal-Rules, Absolute Underground, BrokenNeckRadio, V13, Metal Devastation Radio, and internationally syndicated DJ Rich Embury) and promoters (Boonsdale Records, Dungeonworks Productions, The Invisible Orange, Big Nate Productions and ConcertWorks) for believing in Canadian metal.

Back to the music, the winner of such incredible night were the guys from STRIGAMPIRE, who will represent Canada at Wacken Open Air this year! One band to rule them all, right? Congratulations, you guys kicked some serious ass on Saturday! And if you want to know more about the entire event, all previous rounds and so on, you can go to the official Facebook page of Metal Battle Canada for everything regarding the initiative. Good luck to Strigampire at Wacken, although they honestly don’t need luck because they’re amazing and very professional musicians more than ready to rock the holy land of metal in Germany and show everyone in Europe the fury of Canadian Black Metal, and hopefully we’ll have more amazing metal battles in Canada next year with top-of-the-line bands such as Eaten by Sharks, Strigampire and Necht.

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Album Review – Hyl / Where Emptiness Is All (2023)

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A majestic display of Atmospheric Black Metal, bringing the cruel peace of absolute devastation, and invoking the killing quietude of an abandoned world wrapped in the soft death of snow.

Birthed in the creative cauldron that is the mind of multi-instrumentalist Rick Costantino (Schizo, Krigere Wolf), Italy/Poland-based Atmospheric Black Metal horde Hyl is a new entity that captures an atmosphere of utter desolation, of a world bereft of life, being highly recommended for fans of Ruins Of Beverast, Vemod, Mgla and Fuath, just to name a few. Comprised of the aforementioned Rick Costantino (who also goes by his initials R.C.) on the guitars and bass, Shadow (Black Altar, Ofermod) on vocals, and Krzysztof Klingbein (Vader, Belphegor) on drums, the band is releasing their debut effort, titled Where Emptiness Is All, bringing the cruel peace of absolute devastation, and invoking the killing quietude of an abandoned world wrapped in the soft death of snow. Mixed and mastered by Dionisis Dimitrakos at Descent Studio (with vocals mixed by Devo Andersson at Endarker Studio), and displaying a sinister logo by Christophe Szpajdel of Lord of the Logos and a Stygian album art by Elysivm Artwork, the album transpires Black Metal at its most powerful and enthralling, imbued with winter magic and offering a glimpse into a darkness beyond human experience and understanding.

The atmospheric intro Pvrification will beautifully darken the skies, setting the stage for Hyl to crush our senses in Into the Unknown, with the piercing guitars by R.C. embellishing the airwaves while Krzysztof begins hammering his drums in the name of Black Metal, all complemented by the grim, visceral guttural by Shadow. Their blackened attack goes on in the multi-layered, imposing extravaganza titled And Everything Dies, a lecture in Atmospheric Black Metal sounding even more venomous than its predecessor due to the pulverizing drums by Krzysztof; and the atmosphere remains dense, somber and majestic in the title-track Where Emptiness is All, where once again Shadow roars like a demonic entity accompanied by the sharp riffs and rumbling bass by R.C. in another infernal display of Atmospheric Black Metal. Then a dark, menacing intro gradually evolves into an ethereal voyage titled Endless Illusions, with R.C. and Krzysztof blasting melodic yet at the same time sulfurous sounds from their sonic weapons, flowing into the closing tune Under a Watching Sky, which sounds and feels more like an outro than anything else. I personally preferred if it was a regular song, or if it was a little bit shorter in duration, but it’s still a solid way to conclude the album.

Those three extremely talented metallers from Italy and Poland are eager to know what you think of their music, and you can do so by giving them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and of course you can show them your absolute support and admiration by purchasing a copy of Where Emptiness Is All from the Odium Records’ BandCamp page or webstore, succumbing to the darkest and most atmospheric side of extreme music. You’ll certainly have a blast wandering through the Stygian realms explored by Rick Constantino and his henchmen in Where Emptiness Is All, always keeping in mind that there’s no turning back once you let darkness and desolation take over your damned soul.

Best moments of the album: And Everything Dies and Where Emptiness is All.

Worst moments of the album: Under a Watching Sky.

Released in 2023 Odium Records

Track listing
1. Pvrification (Intro) 1:03
2. Into the Unknown 7:41
3. And Everything Dies 6:58
4. Where Emptiness is All 5:12
5. Endless Illusions 7:36
6. Under a Watching Sky 5:03

Band members
Shadow – vocals
Rick Costantino – guitars, bass
Krzysztof Klingbein – drums

Album Review – Ov Sulfur / The Burden ov Faith (2023)

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Behold the debut album by this Las Vegas-based Blackened Deathcore beast, overflowing blasphemy, sulfur and obscurity.

The sound of a musical left-hand path that is nothing short of sonically jarring, lyrically blasphemous and utterly epic in its delivery, Las Vegas, Nevada-based Blackened Deathcore entity Ov Sulfur has just unleashed upon humanity their first full-length opus, entitled The Burden ov Faith, the follow-up to their 2021 debut EP Oblivion. Engineered, mixed and mastered by Josh Schroeder and produced by Morgoth Beatz, the album challenges the genre’s conventions while inviting comparisons to Dimmu Borgir or Behemoth in their prime, with an ominous sense of melody dotting the dark musical landscapes brought into being by frontman Ricky Hoover (Suffokate), guitarist Chase Wilson (Collisions, Sigil), bassist Ding (Efnisien) and drummer Leviathvn (Empyrean Throne, Dawn of Ashes, Deadcheck, Urilia), supported by an array of magnificent guest musicians the likes of Alex Terrible (Slaughter To Prevail) and Howard Jones (Killswitch Engage, Light The Torch).

It’s hell on earth in just a few seconds in the opening tune Stained in Rot, with Ricky already growling like a beast while Leviathvn dictates the song’s demented pace in a lecture in Blackened Deathcore by the quartet; and the band continues to pulverize our ears in Befouler, featuring the aforementioned Alex Terrible on guest vocals, with Ricky’s inhumane roars walking hand in hand with the heavy-as-hell riffage by Chase. Then we have Unraveling, featuring Taylor Barber (Left to Suffer) as a guest vocalist while epic background keys add an extra touch of sulfur to the music. Needless to say, Ding’s bass and Leviathvn’s drums sound infernal from start to finish, which is also the case in Death ov Circumstance, where its wicked lyrics (“The sky above is cloaked in endless dark / Ashes, once life, coat the lungs ov all those in sight / What a foul stench – that ov charred innocence”) spice up an already venomous sonority, or in other words, it’s demonic Deathcore at its finest; whereas hellish barks, piercing riffs and whimsical background orchestrations and sounds will embrace your soul in Earthen.

After the atmospheric, enfolding interlude A Path to Salvation?, the band will crush our senses with the grandiose I, Apostate, where Ricky showcases not only his deep guttural roars, but he also delivers more devilish Black Metal-inspired screeches, sounding perfect for breaking our necks headbanging. Poetic lyrics are darkly screamed by the duo formed of Ricky and guest Howard Jones in Wide Open (“One of us, accept your feelings / One of us, let go of it all / One of us, this is the real truth / One of us, break their control over you”), while Chase, Ding and Leviathvn are merciless armed with their sonic weapons in the most sulfurous of all songs. Their second to last breath of darkness and blasphemy comes in the form of The Inglorious Archetype, with the massive drums by Leviathvn and the visceral roars by Ricky sounding awesome despite the fact that the song loses its punch after a while; and lastly, featuring guests Kyle Medina (Bodysnatcher) and Lindsay Schoolcraft (Cradle of Filth), the title-track The Burden ov Faith is a spot-on depiction of everything the band stands for, with the charming vocals by Lyndsay bringing some peace to our hearts amidst the band’s metallic savagery.

Such incendiary album can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you should purchase your favorite copy of The Burden ov Faith by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on. Ov Sulfur offer us all in their debut opus everything we love in this type of music, sounding absolutely devilish, caustic and blasphemous from start to finish, paving the band’s path to the underworld and, therefore, placing them among one of the new driving forces of the current Deathcore scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Stained in Rot, Death ov Circumstance and Wide Open.

Worst moments of the album: The Inglorious Archetype.

Released in 2023 Century Media

Track listing
1. Stained in Rot 4:14
2. Befouler 3:43
3. Unraveling 4:46
4. Death ov Circumstance 4:33
5. Earthen 5:24
6. A Path to Salvation? 1:13
7. I, Apostate 4:40
8. Wide Open 5:07
9. The Inglorious Archetype 3:46
10. The Burden ov Faith 6:50

Band members
Ricky Hoover – vocals
Chase Wilson – guitars
Ding – bass
Leviathvn – drums

Guest musicians
Alex Terrible – vocals on “Befouler”
Taylor Barber – vocals on “Unraveling”
Howard Jones – vocals on “Wide Open”
Kyle Medina – vocals on “The Burden ov Faith”
Lindsay Schoolcraft – vocals on “The Burden ov Faith”

Album Review – Sovereign Council / World On Fire EP (2023)

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This Canadian Symphonic Metal band is back in action with an exciting new EP, written and composed from a place of love and vulnerability.

From headlining performances as well as supporting slots for some of the biggest bands in the metal since their inception in 2012, Ottawa, Canada-based Symphonic Progressive Metal band Sovereign Council is finally back with a brand new EP titled World On Fire, the follow-up to their 2015 full-length album Laniakea. Produced by the band’s own guitarist Joe Moon, mixed and mastered at Silver Wings Studios, and displaying a classy artwork by Martin Trottier, World On Fire was written and composed “from a place of love and vulnerability” according to the band itself, showcasing all the talent by Lisa Thompson on vocals, Joe Moon and Chris Thompson on the guitars, Shaun Vanhooser on bass and Brandon Schneider on drums, being therefore recommended for fans of Delain, Within Temptation and Lacuna Coil, just to name a few.

Gentle and ethereal keys ignite the title-track World On Fire before Lisa begins declaiming the song’s poetic lyrics (“There’s a part in everyone that is broken / All it takes is one moment / To set you back, and relive the pain / Forever chasing the smoke from the remains of what you thought you were / Now all has fallen”) in a great display of modern-day Symphonic Metal; whereas Joe and Chris extract electricity and epicness from their axes in The Wait supported by the classic bass lines by Shaun, all of course embraced by Lisa’s delicate vocals. Then we have Aberration, highly inspired by the current Symphonic Metal scene but also presenting elements from Groove Metal added to their sonority, with Brandon dictating the pace with his pounding drums accompanied by the rumbling bass by Shaun. Supported by the backing vocals by Joe, Lisa once again distills her serene vocal lines in Breathe You In, with their guitars sounding extremely melodious while at the same time bringing heaviness to their music in a solid depiction of Modern Melodic Metal; and lastly, the band delivers a more visceral, in-your-face sound in Of The Ashes, with Lisa’s vocals walking hand in hand with the drums by Brandon, putting a stylish ending to the album while living up to the legacy of bands like Xandria and Within Temptation.

“This is the first release for us since we decided to alter our lineup and adjust our musical trajectory. We feel that the sound we have created here is still at its core very ‘Sovereign Council’ but has matured and developed into something greater. We are extremely proud of this new sound and cannot wait to see how people respond to it. We have another set of songs nearly completed as well; these new songs continue our new direction and add another new edge as well as a heavier feel. You’ll have to stick around for the next release to find out what that edge is,” commented the band about their new EP, and you can show all your support to them by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing World On Fire from their own BandCamp page, as well as from Apple Music. Furthermore, this is pure Canadian metal music, made entirely by Canadians (under what’s called MAPL), which means if you want to know how the Canadian metal scene is, you should definitely take a listen at the new album by Sovereign Council, a band that proudly carries the flag of heavy music wherever they go and that’s moving towards a very interesting direction with their new release.

Best moments of the album: World On Fire and Of The Ashes.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. World On Fire 4:43
2. The Wait 4:24
3. Aberration 4:00
4. Breathe You In 3:34
5. Of The Ashes 4:13

Band members
Lisa Thompson – lead vocals
Joe Moon – lead guitars, backing vocals
Chris Thompson – rhythm guitars
Shaun Vanhooser – bass
Brandon Schneider – drums

Concert Review – Megadeth (FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton, ON, 05/08/2023)

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The unstoppable MegaDave and his henchmen crushed “the Hammer” in another night of first-class Thrash and Speed Metal.

OPENING ACTS: ONI and Bullet For My Valentine

Known to locals as “the Hammer” or “Hammertown” due to its industrial roots, the city of Hamilton has always been a mandatory stop for countless metal bands form all over the world. Names like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motörhead and so on have played at least once in their careers in such important city for the Canadian industry, and one of the bands that always returns to Hamilton to kick some serious ass is of course our beloved Megadeth. That’s exactly what happened last night at FirstOntario Centre when guests ONI and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, together of course with the one and only MEGADETH, took the Hammer by storm as one of the Canadian stops of their Crush the World Tour 2023, and I must say it was indeed another memorable night of heavy music for the thousands of fans at the venue.

The first band to hit the stage, precisely at 7pm, was Windsor, Ontario-based Progressive Metalcore/Djent act ONI, and although there was still a lot of people outdoors those guys put on an excellent concert, properly warming up the fans of both Bullet For My Valentine and Megadeth with their harsh and clean vocals, thunderous and intricate bass lines, sharp riffs and headbanging drums. Still promoting their 2022 album Loathing Light, the band spearheaded by frontman Jake Oni, who’s by the way a fantastic vocalist capable of switching from demonic growls to stylish clean vocals without any actual effort, put everyone to jump up and down with them during their short and sweet performance, already igniting some fun mosh pits for the delight of lovers of such unique sport. I’m definitely going to take a more detailed listen at their music on Spotify, and you should do the same to get to know more about such interesting band of the current Canadian scene.

Setlist
Alone
Chasing Ecstasy
Silhouette
Cyanide
Heart to Stone
The Lie
Secrets

Band members
Jake Oni – vocals
Brandon White – guitars
Martin Andres – guitars
Johnny DeAngelis – xylosynth
Chase Bryant – bass
Joe Greulich – drums

After ONI finished their solid performance, and after a quick bathroom/beer/merch break, it was time for Welsh Melodic Metalcore icons BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (or just BFMV, if you prefer) to begin their incendiary performance for their several fans at the venue, and I must admit there was a huge chunk of the audience that was there to see BFMV first and Megadeth as a bonus, and not the opposite. Despite not being my cup of tea, I had a good time watching Matthew “Matt” Tuck, Michael “Padge” Paget, Jamie Mathias and Jason Bowld delivering a solid show on stage, mixing their classics with newer songs from their 2021 self-titled album. Songs like Waking the Demon, Knives and the closer Scream Aim Fire worked really well last night while the band had a strong chemistry with the audience during their entire set, and of course although the mosh pits (full of young kids) were not as violent as the ones from Immolation and Obituary the night before, they were still decent enough for a band that lots of people don’t consider metal.

Setlist
Your Betrayal
Waking the Demon
Piece of Me
4 Words (to Choke Upon)
You Want a Battle? (Here’s a War)
Knives
Over It
Shatter
Tears Don’t Fall
Scream Aim Fire

Band members
Matthew “Matt” Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michael “Padge” Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals
Jamie Mathias – bass, backing vocals
Jason Bowld – drums, percussion

MEGADETH

The moment most fans in Hammertown were waiting for finally arrived at 9:15pm, when one of the most important names in the history of heavy music, Mr. Dave Mustaine, supported by his henchmen Kiko Loureiro on the guitars, Steve Di Giorgio on bass and Dirk Verbeuren on drums, collectively known as American Thrash/Speed Metal institution MEGADETH, kicked off their performance overflowing classics, heaviness and speed, all spearheaded by our beloved “MegaDave” as usual. The last time Megadeth played in Hamilton was 11 years ago, during their Gigantour 2012, and one of the bands that night was the unparalleled Motörhead, which is why I think the band’s diehard fans ignored ONI and BFMV yesterday and spent all the time prior to Megadeth outside smoking and having some beers.

Anyway, back to the concert, it was simply electrifying from the very first notes of Hangar 18, with flammable hits the likes of Sweating Bullets, She-Wolf, Trust and Tornado of Souls, plus newer songs like Dystopia, inspiring us all to scream the lyrics together with Dave, banging our heads and raising our horns nonstop, and even venturing inside the sick mosh pits formed in the centre of the floor section. I also loved the fact they played Dread and the Fugitive Mind, a very underrated metal classic in my opinion, and I wish they had kept Angry Again in their setlist, but overall it was a lecture in heavy music by Megadeth, with kudos to Kiko once again for revitalizing the band and bringing so much energy, charisma and intricacy to their studio albums and live performances. In other words, Dave knew exactly what he was doing when he invited one of the best metal guitarists of the past 20 years to be part of the Megadeth family.

However, it was when Dave gave a short speech about how Covid-19 and his cancer delayed the release of the breathtaking The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! (and he received a huge shout and a round of applauses from his fans when he proudly said he beat cancer) before playing the incendiary We’ll Be Back, when Vic Rattlehead joined the band onstage during the hard-hitting classic Peace Sells, plus of course his all-time masterpiece Holy Wars… The Punishment Due, that drove all fans mental at the venue, creating a beautiful connection between the band and the crowd. Needless to say, I don’t care if the play in Hammertown, in Toronto or anywhere else in the area, I’ll be there, and based on Dave’s final words they’ll be back to this part of the world sooner than you can say “Wake up dead! You die!”

Setlist
Prince of Darkness
Hangar 18
Wake Up Dead
Dread and the Fugitive Mind
Sweating Bullets
A Tout Le Monde
She-Wolf
We’ll Be Back
Trust
Conquer or Die!
Dystopia
Tornado of Souls
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
Silent Scorn

Band members
Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar
Kiko Loureiro – lead guitar, backing vocals
Steve Di Giorgio – bass
Dirk Verbeuren – drums

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Concert Review – Obituary (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 05/07/2023)

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The right mindset, the right night in Toronto, with tons of metalheads celebrating the unparalleled Death Metal by one of the pillars of the genre worldwide.

OPENING ACTS: Ingrown, Blood Incantation and Immolation

The city of Toronto had the pleasure of enjoying another ass-kicking celebration of Death Metal last night thanks again to Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment, bringing to the city a fantastic combo of pure heaviness with the bands INGROWN, BLOOD INCANTATION, IMMOLATION and OBITUARY to The Phoenix Concert Theatre. There was a massive line to get into the venue, plus another huge line to get to the merch stands before entering the floor section, which means several people missed the first band of the night, unfortunately. Maybe they could have opened the doors a little earlier, at 6pm or even at 5:30pm, because only 30 minutes between doors and the first band is definitely not enough for getting in, getting some merch, having a beer and chatting with friends. Nothing that would damage the quality of the night, though.

Having said that, a half empty venue was there to enjoy the Hardcore by Boise, Idaho-based act INGROWN precisely at 7pm, including myself and my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, one of the two photographers that were there in time for Ingrown, by the way. Playing several songs from their 2021 album Gun, the trio formed of Calvin Ross Hansen, Alex Marshall and Dave Shaffer didn’t waste too much time talking and simply hammered their instruments nonstop, and despite the lack of mosh pit action due to most fans still trying to enter the venue or grab some merch, it was a solid and freakin’ heavy performance, proving why those American metallers carry the Great Seal of the State of Idaho with them. If you want to know more about their pulverizing Harcore, you can find all of their creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, alright?

Setlist
Waste
Fool
Shell
Chain
Slip Away
Grunt
Snake Stomp
Gun
Hard Time

Band members
Calvin Ross Hansen – vocals, guitars
Alex Marshall – bass
Dave Shaffer – drums 

After a very short break, it was time for Denver, Colorado’s own Sci-Fi Death Metal entity BLOOD INCANTATION to take us on a journey to outer space with their technical and pulverizing Death Metal, spearheaded by the relatively shy while speaking, but utterly demonic while playing, Paul Riedl on vocals and guitars. Paul mentioned it was the band’s first visit to Toronto since 2019, and judging by the reaction of the crowd, who ignited some insane mosh pits while the quartet was flawless on stage, I must say their Torontonian fans have more than missed their live performances for the past few years. Their setlist might have been short, with only five songs in total including the excellent The Giza Power Plant and Slave Species of the Gods, from their 2019 opus Hidden History of the Human Race, but each song had enough elements, energy and complexity to put a huge smile on the faces of everyone at the venue, resulting in a first-class performance by one of the most underrated bands of the current Death Metal scene.

Setlist
Starspawn
Chaoplasm
The Giza Power Plant
Slave Species of the Gods
Hovering Lifeless

Band members
Paul Riedl – vocals, guitars
Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars
Jeff Barrett – bass
Isaac Faulk – drums

Although Obituary were the main attraction of the night, there were countless fans at The Phoenix Concert Theatre eager to see New York’s own Death Metal institution IMMOLATION kicking some ass on stage, blending classics form their amazing career with songs from their most recent album, Acts of God, released last year, including the opener An Act of God, The Age of No Light, Blooded, and the closer Let the Darkness In. Bassist and vocalist Ross Dolan and his henchmen were on fire throughout their entire show, just like when they opened for Cannibal Corpse in the city last November, which obviously inspired the fans to ignite some wicked mosh pits that took the whole floor section at times. The most peculiar moments of their concert were, first, when fans started chanting “Fuck Trudeau!”, but Ross didn’t fall for that and said that was not the place for politics, that we should all leave that shit outside and enjoy their music; and then when Dan Lilker from Nuclear Assault came out on stage before the song Under the Supreme. Why didn’t he stay for the entire song no one knows, and I also think Nuclear Assault could have been part of the night (even if it was just Toronto), but that’s fine. In the end, it was a memorable Death Metal party by Immolation, and I’m sure we’ll see them back in the city really soon (as mentioned by Ross by the end of their performance).

Setlist
Abandoned
An Act of God
The Age of No Light
Harnessing Ruin
Despondent Souls
Blooded
World Agony
Destructive Currents
Providence
Under the Supreme
Let the Darkness In

Band members
Ross Dolan – vocals, bass
Robert Vigna – guitars
Alex Bouks – guitars
Steve Shalaty – drums

OBITUARY

It was already past 9pm when Florida’s Death Metal titans OBITUARY ignited their flawless, pulverizing performance, even more infernal than when they opened for Amon Amarth in Toronto last December, closing the night on a high note as expected. This time properly promoting their demolishing new album Dying of Everything, playing nothing more, nothing less than SIX songs form the album, those being The Wrong Time, Barely Alive, War, Weaponize the Hate, My Will to Live, and the title-track Dying of Everything already as part of the encore, and you know an album is THAT good when the reaction of everyone at The Phoenix Concert Theatre was simply superb, with endless circle pits, some brutal headbanging and everyone raising their horns to one of the pillars of Death Metal worldwide.

Of course the band spearheaded by the iconic John Tardy also played some insane classic the likes of Redneck Stomp and Slowly We Rot, making it absolutely worth it heading to the venue on a rainy Sunday night. I was also impressed with the overall quality of their stage, with the lighting, the smoke and all other elements looking awesome from start to finish, and if you think of the size of the venue that becomes even more insane. That proves how much Obituary (and the other bands, of course) care about their fans, always delivering an electrifying performance no matter what. There wasn’t a lot of talking from John nor any of the other band members, and I’m fine with that because I want to see them kicking ass with their music, which probably happened because of the tight schedule before hitting the curfew at around 11pm. I’m sure Obituary, just like Immolation, will return to Toronto before we can say “Death Metal” based on their happiness after the concert was over, and I’m sure all fans that attended their concert last night can’t wait for that to happen.

Setlist
Snortin’ Whiskey (Pat Travers Band song)
Redneck Stomp
Sentence Day
A Lesson in Vengeance
Visions in My Head
The Wrong Time
Barely Alive
Slow Death
Find the Arise
Weaponize the Hate
My Will to Live
Chopped in Half
Turned Inside Out

Encore:
War
Dying of Everything
I’m in Pain
Slowly We Rot
Cat Scratch Fever (Ted Nugent song)

Band members
John Tardy – vocals
Kenny Andrews – lead guitars
Trevor Peres – rhythm guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Donald Tardy – drums

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Album Review – Overkill / Scorched (2023)

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One of the pillars of old school Thrash Metal will scorch the earth to the sound of their breathtaking new album.

Recorded at Gear Recording Studio, SKH Recording Studios, JRod Productions and The Recording Company, mixed by Colin Richardson and Chris Clancy at Audioworks Productions, mastered by Maor Appelbaum, and displaying a sick cover art by Travis Smith of Seempieces Design Studio, the breathtaking Scorched, the twentieth studio album by American Thrash Metal masters Overkill, might have had its official release postponed on numerous occasions, but the wait was absolutely worth it. The follow-up to their 2019 album The Wings of War (marking the longest gap between studio albums for the band) is a lecture in old school thrash by frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer, bassist D.D. Verni and drummer Jason Bittner, placing it among the best metal albums of the year without a shadow of a doubt.

Strident, piercing guitar ignite the thrashing title-track Scorched, with Bobby attacking our ears with his raspy voice and the song’s wicked lyrics (“Way down deep in the fire / Way down deep in the flame / Way down deep in the hole I dug / Way down Deep in the pain / I’m a flash in your atmosphere / Atomic wind blowing into your night / Crash and burn, let me make it clear / And give ’em just a little light”) in a beyond fantastic start to the album, and Dave and Derek rev up the band’s furious engine with their sick riffage in the circle pit feast titled Goin’ Home, supported by the classic drums by Jason. The Surgeon is another ass-kicking Thrash Metal extravaganza spearheaded by the band’s guitar duo while Bobby’s grim vocals add a considerable share of insanity to the music; whereas Twist of the Wick, one of the most demented songs of the album, will inspire you to crush your damned skull into the mosh pit to the frantic beats by Jason and the rumbling bass by D.D. Needless to say, it should sound superb if played live. And Jason dictates the pace in the neck-breaking tune Wicked Place, sounding utterly groovy while maintaining the band’s heaviness intact.

It’s then time for another visceral, thrashing creation by Overkill titled Won’t Be Comin Back, where Bobby is in total sync with the guitars by Dave and Derek, resulting in an old school Thrash Metal beast overflowing energy and rage, with Jason’s drums being once again spot-on. The ominous bass by D.D. darkens the atmosphere in Fever, being quickly joined by the introspective vocals by Bobby and a lovely Blues-ish vibe; followed by Harder They Fall, offering our ears more of the band’s acid lyrics (“Ice water flowing through his veins / Rumor has it that it comes and goes in waves / The face of fear, baby, he’s your man / With evil inside the heart, he does the best he can / The best he can”) while the music is a flawless, demolishing Thrash Metal feast showcasing all the band’s passion for heavy music, and I’m sure this will become a fan-favorite during their live concerts. Overkill keep the circle pit moving majestically with Know Her Name, an ass-kicking Thrash Metal attack led by Bobby’s evil roars while D.D. and Jason are on fire with their thunderous kitchen, making it impossible not to bang your head like a maniac to such electrifying song; and their last explosion of thrashing sounds, titled Bag o’ Bones, brings forward the band’s characteristic heaviness, rebelliousness and creativity, with Dave, Derek and D.D. adding sheer groove to the music armed with their axes, also showcasing a classic chorus with amazing backing vocals.

This beast of an album, a serious contender for album of the year by the way, is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but as I know you’re a true diehard thrasher you can purchase it from Overkill’s own BandCamp page, or by clicking HERE or HERE. You can also find more details about the band, their tour dates, plans for the future and other nice-to-know details on Facebook and on Instagram, that of course if you don’t follow them already. In a nutshell, Overkill will scorch the earth, scorch our brains, scorch the good and scorch the bad armed with their thrilling new album, setting fire to the entire scene once again, just as we all expect from one of the pillars of our beloved old school Thrash Metal.

Best moments of the album: Scorched, The Surgeon, Twist of the Wick, Harder They Fall and Know Her Name.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Scorched 6:13
2. Goin’ Home 4:31
3. The Surgeon 5:33
4. Twist of the Wick 5:34
5. Wicked Place 5:00
6. Won’t Be Comin Back 4:30
7. Fever 5:33
8. Harder They Fall 4:23
9. Know Her Name 5:11
10. Bag o’ Bones 4:37

Band members
Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth – vocals
Dave Linsk – lead guitars
Derek Tailer – rhythm guitars
D.D. Verni – bass
Jason Bittner – drums

Guest musician
Michael Romeo – orchestrations