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Concert Review – Cannibal Corpse & Mayhem (Rebel, Toronto, ON, 09/27/2023)

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An unforgettable night of mayhem, blood and chaos for all metalheads in Toronto, courtesy of two of the most important names in the history of extreme music.

***Review by Kevin Ibbitson, with photos by Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography***

OPENING ACTS: Blood Incantation and Gorguts

The line up of CANNIBAL CORPSE, MAYHEM (the one true), GORGUTS and BLOOD INCANTATION steamrolled through Rebel on Wednesday evening on their North American Tour 2023, wreaking havok in their wake and leaving many fans satiated by the experience. The crowd got their money’s worth. It was my First time seeing these bands and honestly it was one of the best shows I’ve been to this year. Thanks Gus! The crowd was enthusiastic and bustling with energy. The pit was nuts the whole show and there was constant crowd surfing.

I’ve gotta say that the staff and security were friendly and welcoming (especially the guy in the box office who helped out with my review ticket situation). The line to get in wasn’t too crazy unlike the Parking lots. Traffic is always a bitch in this city but my brother and I avoided Lakeshore and took the back way down Lesley St. to Unwin Ave., then up Cherry St. to Polson St.. Easy as pie. Once in the venue I met some of the other media in attendance (Pedro From A&P Reacts, Jason and Kim from The Metal Pit). Such awesome people, it was great meeting them all. After grabbing a cold one I went and got settled in a decent spot foregoing my usual habit of hitting the merch stand early as the lines were crazy long.

The Lights went low and first up Was Denver Colorado’s own BLOOD INCANTATION with a short but fantastic three song set of their spacy/psychedelic brand of death metal. The pit instantly went into action as soon as the music started and soon after the crowd surfing began creating a fun atmosphere that was contagious. I wish they played a little bit longer but they gained a new fan out of me in the process. After their set I noticed the lines for merch were significantly shorter so I decided to queue up. How could I not cop a shirt or two?

Setlist
Inner Paths (to Outer Space)
Awakening From the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul)
Obliquity of the Ecliptic

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

While Standing in line, Sherbrooke Quebec’s resident Tech Death lords GORGUTS layed down a phenomenal set, whipping the crowd into a frenzy but alas, I was stuck in line but fret not, I was still able to enjoy the band from afar as the speaker set-up at Rebel is pretty decent as well as having TV monitors at every bar so I was still able to gauge their performance and the crowd’s reaction. Got an awesome shirt out of it and was glad they were still accepting cash because after all I’m still a f**king caveman apparently. Gorguts rules!

Setlist
Rottenatomy
Disincarnated
Bodily Corrupted
Orphans of Sickness
Obscura

Band members
Luc Lemay – vocals, guitars
Kevin Hufnagel – guitars
Colin Marston – bass
Patrice Hamelin – drums

MAYHEM

I met up with my brother Keith (photographer @lowereastsidephotography) out on the patio during the intermission. The moon was almost full, the air was cool and calm, setting up the vibe for the next band. A band that many in the crowd came to see, one of the original pioneers of the Norwegian black metal scene, the one true MAYHEM. The crowd packed it in even tighter, I couldn’t get anywhere near the pit so I had to hang back and enjoy it from a distance. Mayhem proceeded to absolutely kill it and the fans were just eating it up. The crowd surfing was absolutely nuts, even Mayhem’s bassist Necrobutcher pointed to a crowd surfer with a liberty spiked mohawk as he was jettisoned towards the stage. The band feeding off of the crowd’s energy as the crowd was feeding off theirs. After the first three songs, Keith met up with me to show me his selfie he got with George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher at the side of the stage (lucky f**ker). We decided to check out more merch while Mayhem was destroying it on stage and to our surprise Luc Lemay (guitarist and lead vocalist) of Gorguts was running his own merch stand. We were greeted with a handshake and a thank you from Luc for coming to the show which was nice. Luc was one of the most friendly and down to earth people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. So nice in fact that when the internet went down he accepted whatever cash we had on hand (we had half of what they were worth) for a signed limited edition picture disc of the album ” The Erosion Of Sanity” and a shirt. He totally didn’t have to do that at all and we appreciated the hell out of that. Such an awesome dude. Mayhem finishes their extra long set, everyone was ecstatic at this point, having an incredible night.

Setlist
Worthless Abominations Destroyed
Crystalized Pain in Deconstruction
Malum
My Death
Voces Ab Alta
Freezing Moon
Life Eternal
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Silvester Anfang
Deathcrush
Carnage
Pure Fucking Armageddon

Band members
Attila Csihar – vocals
Teloch – guitars
Ghul – guitars
Necrobutcher – bass
Hellhammer – drums

CANNIBAL CORPSE

Finally it was time for a band that I have always wanted to see but never had the time or money but as luck would have it an opportunity arose thanks to Gustavo Scuderi of The Headbanging Moose for hooking me up with a review ticket, taking his place as he is out west having a great time seeing his lifelong favorite band Iron Maiden. Currently promoting their amazing new album Chaos Horrific, American death metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE is a band that is best heard live. Did I say heard? I meant felt. Cannibal Corpse is a band that is felt not heard. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher’s gutturals are as concussive as a mac truck doing dentistry. At times I was at the back of the venue and the vocals were like a kick in the gut. What can I say other than Cannibal Corpse absolutely f**king rules!!! And I loved every second of it. The pit was absolutely insane and, in fact, the crowd was one of the best I’ve ever been in. Such an amazing atmosphere to be a part of. George’s crowd control and banter is always legendary and he is certainly one of the best frontmen in metal. I love watching the security guards reactions during George’s intro to “I Cum Blood”. I don’t have to tell you that everyone fails his headbanging challenge, I mean how can you even compete with that neck? You must “RESPECT THE NECK”. Props to the soundboard technicians. Great sound all night and I didn’t even have to use my ear protection. I left the show completely satisfied and I can’t wait to see them and any one of the other bands the next time they come to town. They all left me wanting more. Great show 10/10!

Setlist
Scourge of Iron
Blood Blind
Disfigured
Evisceration Plague
Inhumane Harvest
Death Walking Terror
Chaos Horrific
I Cum Blood
Summoned for Sacrifice
Pounded Into Dust
Disposal of the Body
Pit of Zombies
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Rob Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Alex Webster – bass guitar
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

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Concert Review – Jinjer (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 09/15/2023)

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The ambassadors of Ukrainian Progressive and Groove Metal took the city of Toronto by storm on an electrifying and sold out night of first-class music.

OPENING ACT: Monuments

Despite the insane traffic to get in and out of Toronto due to countless accidents, the endless construction in the city and so on, I was able to make it just in time (and by that I mean just a minute or so before Monuments kicked off the night) for the feast of Metalcore, Djent, Progressive and Groove Metal by MONUMENTS and JINJER at The Phoenix Concert Theatre during their North American Tour 2023 this Friday in Toronto. The concert had been sold out for weeks already, warning all concert goers that it was going to be a hot and packed night for fans of both bands; however, I think everyone at the venue was not just ready for that, but highly prepared for the heat and eager for some action inside the circle pit, and as it was a Friday night let’s say that any worries about working or going to school the next day were left outside the venue, generating a fun and intense energy inside The Phoenix Concert Theatre.

It was close to 7:30pm when London, UK-based Progressive Metal/Djent act MONUMENTS hit the stage for a breathtaking performance, receiving a truly wild reaction form the crowd with tons of horns and fists in the air, with everyone jumping up and down together with the band, and above all that, with an incendiary circle pit taking a good chunk of the floor section for the delight of all Torontonians who love a mosh pit more than they love their own families. Still promoting their 2022 album In Stasis, the band formed of the extremely talented Andy Cizek on vocals, John Browne on the guitars, Werner Erkelens on bass, and Mike Malyan on drums was on absolute fire from start to finish, setting the bar really high for Jinjer. All songs played by the quartet, including their newest ones Cardinal Red, False Providence, Opiate and Lavos, sounded fantastic live, and I’m sure after Friday their fanbase will only grow bigger and stronger in Toronto. If you want to know more about the music by Monuments, go enjoy all of their creations on Spotify, and whenever they visit your hometown during one of their tours, get ready for a wild Djent ride with those UK guys.

Setlist
Cardinal Red
I, the Destroyer
Degenerate
False Providence
Opiate
Nefarious
Lavos
I, the Creator

Band members
Andy Cizek – vocals
John Browne – guitars
Werner Erkelens – bass
Mike Malyan – drums, samples

JINJER

Although Ukraine’s own Metalcore/Djent/Progressive/Groove Metal institution JINJER was supposed to have started their flawless performance at 9:10pm, they ended up hitting the stage 10 minutes earlier than that, most probably because the team setting up the stage for them worked faster than expected. That means the break between bands to check the merch stand, to grab a beer, go to the washroom or chat with your friends was slightly shorter than we thought, but that wasn’t an issue at all because everyone at the venue was more than eager to see the stunning Tatiana “Tati Booyakah” Shmaylyuk and her henchmen kicking some ass on stage in an incendiary display of heaviness, groove and passion for heavy music. Furthermore, it is a true pleasure seeing a band like Jinjer becoming such a big name in the scene, as last time I saw them back in 2018 opening for Cradle of Filth they were “just” an opening band.

Jinjer haven’t released anything new yet after their 2021 album Wallflowers, but it was crystal clear that their fans were there on Friday for some fun it didn’t matter what the setlist was going to be. Well, let’s say we had the utmost pleasure of enjoying live pretty much all of their already classic songs including Perennial, Ape, Teacher, Teacher!, Who Is Gonna Be the One (my favorite of the entire concert), Call Me a Symbol, and Judgement (& Punishment), among many others. Needless to say, Tatiana stole the show with her incredible clean vocals and demonic harsh growls, her hypnotizing dance moves, and her undeniable charisma, creating a powerful connection with all Jinjer fans at the venue. Of course, her performance wouldn’t have been so compelling without the support of her bandmates Roman Ibramhalilov on the guitars, Eugene Kostyuk on bass, and Vlad Ulasevich on drums, who are by the way sounding A LOT tighter, better, heavier and more precise than the last time I saw them live.

Fortunately, I had the support once again from my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography to take proper photos of the whole night, as it was nearly impossible to get close to the stage due to the rowdy crowd at The Phoenix Concert Theatre, plus of course the fact that the circle pit was massive and simply walking through it was not an option. As the band played their closing song, the infuriated Sit Stay Roll Over, that task got absolutely impossible, ending their blazing performance on a high note and leaving all attendees eager for another night of Jinjer awesomeness in the city in a not-so-distant future (not to mention the fact the show ended around 10:30pm, giving everyone plenty of time to catch any type of public transportation available back home, go for some drinks, or just stay near the venue for some quality chat with their friends). Moreover, I’m sure whenever Tatiana and the boys return to the city it will be a sold out concert once again, because when a band like Jinjer keeps putting their hearts and souls into the making of their music, that beautiful energy flows into the minds of their fans, strengthening their ties and helping guide the band to stardom, just like what happened this Friday in Toronto. Or as Tatiana herself would say… Booyah!

Setlist
Perennial
Ape
Copycat
Teacher, Teacher!
Who Is Gonna Be the One
I Speak Astronomy
Call Me a Symbol
Vortex
Home Back
Pisces
Dead Hands Feel No Pain
Judgement (& Punishment)
Sleep of the Righteous
As I Boil Ice

Encore:
Sit Stay Roll Over

Band members
Tatiana Shmaylyuk – vocals
Roman Ibramhalilov – guitar
Eugene Kostyuk – bass
Vlad Ulasevich – drums

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Concert Review – UADA (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 09/13/2023)

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An atmospheric (and long) night of extreme music spearheaded by the best Melodic Black Metal band of the current scene beautifully darkened the skies of Toronto and the hearts of the metalheads in the city.

OPENING ACTS: A Flock Named Murder, Unreqvited, Cloak and Ghost Bath

There have been countless rock and metal concerts in Toronto since the end of the European summer festivals, and that’s having its toll on the attendance of those concerts as no one has enough time and money to support all those bands when they bring their live performances to the city. That was the case last night when A FLOCK NAMED MURDER, UNREQVITED, CLOAK, GHOST BATH and the mighty UADA took the cozy Lee’s Palace by storm on a night of darkness, blasphemy, deep emotions and truly atmospheric heavy music during their Crepuscule North America 2023. Well, although the show wasn’t even close to be sold out, there were till several brave headbangers at the venue to support those incredible bands, and let’s always keep in mind that we’re talking about the underground of the underground, with zero support from the regular media.

Shortly after the doors at the venue opened at 7pm, Toronto, Ontario-based Black/Death/Post-Metal act A FLOCK NAMED MURDER kicked off the night’s black mass with their short but extremely powerful set, spearheaded by the band’s vocalist and guitarist Ryan Mueller. Having released to date the 2018 album An Appointed Time and the 2022 single Garden of Embers, which I’m pretty sure they played last night (and once again, it’s so hard to keep track of any setlist from almost all underground bands), the quartet put on a solid performance for the crowd, already inspiring some decent headbanging among the attendees. Their music is great and deserves a listen without a shadow of a doubt, and you can do so by visiting their BandCamp page or also by going to Spotify. Needless to say, if they ever play in your city, don’t miss the chance to witness this up-and-coming extreme music horde from Toronto.

Band members
Ryan Mueller – vocals, guitars
Mike Binns – guitars
Mike Wandy – bass
Cam Mueller – drums

Some people (including myself) were a little worried with the number of bands playing last night, as no one knew for sure what time the night was going to end. However, the quality of the music played by all groups was fantastic, which was also the case for the Stygian performance by  Ottawa, Ontario-based Atmospheric Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze/Ambient act UNREQVITED. Although Unreqvited is the solo project of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist William Melsness (also known as 鬼, which means “ghost” in Chinese), the band’s live lineup is formed of William alongside guitarist Victor Forest, bassist Robin Parsons and drummer Alec Curren, and let me tell you that those four guys kicked some serious ass on stage, resulting in a very pleasant surprise for anyone who was not familiar with their music. By the way, Victor and Robin had a fantastic onstage performance, mesmerizing the crowd with their somber sounds. I like to say that the type of music played by Unreqvited is a lot more emotional than heavy or obscure, and you can sense all that by enjoying their 2021 album Beautiful Ghosts and their 2022 single Perpetual Green of the Willow Groves, both available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Needless to say, I hope I can see Unreqvited live again sooner than later.

Band members
William Melsness (鬼) – vocals, guitars
Victor Forest – guitars
Robin Parsons – bass
Alec Curren – drums

It was getting late for a Wednesday night, but who cares? After a quick break it was time for Atlanta, Georgia’s own Black Metal/Black N’ Roll horde CLOAK to bring the energy and fire of their new album Black Flame Eternal to the stage of Lee’s Palace in the most metallic of all concerts of the night. Scott Taysom, Max Brigham, Billy Robinson and Sean Bruneau took no prisoners in their quest for extreme music, blasting our ears with several devilish and frantic tunes including the incendiary Seven Thunders and Black Flame Eternal, inspiring the crowd to raise their horns in the name of evil nonstop, and proving why they’re one of the must-see names of the current Black Metal scene. Just like what said about the previous bands, you can find their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, and if UADA are visiting your city make sure you get to the show early to catch the pulverizing concert by the guys from Cloak.

Band members
Scott Taysom – vocals, guitars
Max Brigham – guitars
Billy Robinson – bass
Sean Bruneau – drums

I think it was already past 10pm when Minot, North Dakota-based Depressive/Post-Black Metal entity GHOST BATH began their sinister and neck-breaking concert. Still promoting their 2021 album Self Loather, the band led by the charismatic vocalist and guitarist Nameless darkened the atmosphere at Lee’s Palace considerably, with their three-guitar attack formed of Nameless together with Tim Church and John Olivier sounding absolutely amazing from start to finish. Apparently they had a few minor sound issues in the beginning of their performance, which might explain the delay in their concert to start, but nothing that would bring any harm their onstage blackened party. All of their albums, including of course their latest offering, are available on BandCamp and on Spotify, so do not waste a single second and go check their insane creations, getting ready to praise darkness and melancholy whenever Ghost Bath invade your damned city.

Band members
Nameless – vocals, guitars
Tim Church – guitars
John Olivier – guitars
Josh Jaye – bass
Chris Piette – drums

UADA

What happens when a concert that was supposed to have started at 10:45pm, which is already late, has a 40-minute delay? Exactly, people start to get back to their homes because of several reasons like catching the last subway or train home, or having to wake up really early to work or go to school. That was basically the main issue with the flawless and beyond atmospheric performance by Portland, Oregon-based Melodic Black Metal titans UADA, resulting in some gaps in the floor section that didn’t look nice, but that didn’t change the fact UADA were fantastic on stage either. Having released their new masterpiece Crepuscule Natura just the Friday before the concert, such uncanny horde formed of vocalist and guitarist Jake Superchi, guitarist Kevin Bedra, bassist Nate Verschoor and drummer Trevor McClain was on absolute fire from start to finish, making everyone who could stay until the very end of their concert extremely happy and satisfied.

The smoke, the dim lights, and the band’s dark and menacing outfits that make it impossible to see their faces (plus of course the incense and the stunning setup of their merch table) are crucial elements of their live performances, and although photographers like my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography don’t really like that type of ambience as it gets tough to take clear photos, in the end everything works perfectly and has a reason to be there. From the very first notes of the explosive The Purging Fire, UADA already showed everything they got and their deep passion for dark music. After such hypnotizing start, they had a microphone issue during Snakes & Vultures that seemed to have driven Jake a little upset (which is totally understandable), but the crowd knew it wasn’t the band’s fault at all and enjoyed the song to the fullest even with that minor incident.

The title-track to their 2020 album, the breathtaking Djinn, might be my favorite UADA song to date, and seeing it being played live again (after seeing them opening for Rotting Christ earlier this year) was a thing of beauty, this time sounding and feeling even more powerful, followed by the also imposing and multi-layered In the Absence of Matter. However, it was when they played their two new songs The Dark (Winter) and Retraversing the Void that things got even more majestic, with the quartet playing those songs to perfection and inspiring everyone at the venue to bang their heads nonstop together with them, just to show how powerful their new album is. And finally, closing their cryptic performance they offered our avid ears their already classics Cult of a Dying Sun and Black Autumn, White Spring, putting an epic finale to a night that was extremely long, but at the same time extremely enjoyable. I can’t wait to see UADA again live, hopefully not so late at night due to my other commitments, but to be honest, who cares? Seeing what’s in my humble opinion the best and most innovative band of the current Melodic Black Metal scene kicking ass on stage is worth the effort, and may those mysterious guys return to Toronto for another metallic assault sooner than we can say “UADA”!

Setlist
The Purging Fire
Snakes & Vultures
Djinn
In the Absence of Matter
The Dark (Winter)
Retraversing the Void
Cult of a Dying Sun
Black Autumn, White Spring

Band members
Jake Superchi – vocals, rhythm guitars
Kevin Bedra – lead guitars
Nate Verschoor – bass
Trevor McClain – drums

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Concert Review – Hatebreed (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 09/05/2023)

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The city of Toronto let the hate flow through its veins and destroyed everything together with the American juggernauts of Hardcore on a beyond hot and fun night.

OPENING ACTS: Jesus Piece, Vein.FM and Terror

What’s the best thing to do when you’re in the middle of a heat wave, with temperatures over +40oC and a scorching sun to burn you alive? Attending a metal concert, of course! And the city of Toronto had the pleasure of hosting the bands JESUS PIECE, VEIN.FM, TERROR and HATEBREED at The Danforth Music Hall this Tuesday during the Rise of Brutality 20th Anniversary Tour 2023, where Hatebreed are celebrating 20 years of their classic album The Rise of Brutality. I honestly thought that the venue was going to feel like a sauna, because that was the case when Kreator and Sepultura played there a few months ago, but apparently the organizers knew that the heat was way too strong outdoors and decided to crank up the AC to the lowest temperature possible, making it quite comfortable inside for all of the concert goers. You probably saved some lives by doing that! Good job!

As traffic wasn’t too crazy yesterday, all fans had a lot of time to enjoy a few beers and buy some merch between the doors opening at 6pm and the first band of the night, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based Hardcore/Metalcore/Sludge Metal act JESUS PIECE, kicking off their concert at 7pm. Spearheaded by the unstoppable frontman  Aaron Heard, the band put on a very entertaining concert from start to finish, blending songs from their new album …So Unknown with their older material, already inspiring the crowd to create a massive circle pit where most kids looked like they were squirrels who had a few cans of Red Bull, moving around like rabid creatures. I just couldn’t catch the names of the songs, mainly because whenever Aaron was talking to the crowd his mic sounded a little muffled, but if you’re curious to know more about such explosive band you can find all of their wicked creations on Spotify.

Band members
Aaron Heard – vocals
David Updike – guitars
John DiStefano – guitars
Anthony Marinaro – bass, backing vocals
Luis Aponte – drums

That mosh pit madness, with everyone following the lesson taught by the mighty Exodus in the classic “Toxic Waltz”, that being “so don’t be a dunce and dance like a runt, just throw your elbows with good friendly violent fun”, continued during the concert by Boston, Massachusetts-based Hardcore Punk/Metalcore outfit VEIN.FM. Having released the album This World Is Going To Ruin You last year, the band formed of Anthony DiDio on vocals, Jeremy Martin on the guitars, Jon Lhaubouet on bass and Matt Wood on drums showed no mercy for our souls, crushing their instruments nonstop and, therefore, inviting the crowd to keep moving wildly as if each person in the pit was fighting some sort of “invisible man”. It was a fun and vibrant show that definitely warmed up all Hatebreed fans at the venue, and if you want to enjoy the music by such talented band at home, in your car, at work, at school, at the gym or anywhere else, you can find those guys on BandCamp and on Spotify. Once again it was impossible to catch the names of the songs played, but that’s just a minor detail as their live performance was awesome.

Band members
Anthony DiDio – vocals
Jeremy Martin – guitar, backing vocals
Jon Lhaubouet – bass, backing vocals
Matt Wood – drums

Quickly after Vein.FM finished their show, it was time for Los Angeles, California’s own Hardcore legends TERROR to burn down The Danforth Music Hall with another insane performance, turning the floor section into a massive circle pit where the kids were once again moving like crazy creatures. Frontman Scott Vogel was the main responsible person for that mosh pit madness, as he kept asking the crowd to keep moving around, to keep doing some sick crowd surfing and so on, and let’s say his requests were promptly answered by everyone inside the pit. Playing songs from their latest album, their 2022 beast Pain into Power, including the amazing title-track, plus some of their old school material, those Californians showed Toronto everything they got, and the temperature inside the venue went up considerably due to all the action going on while Terror continued to distill their flammable Hardcore on stage. I’ve already place in another concert review the links to where you can stream their music, but as they’re really cool guys here we go again with the links to their BandCamp and Spotify, and if they ever visit your hometown, don’t think twice and go join the band to unleash some first-class Hardcore terror, alright?

Band members
Scott Vogel – vocals
Martin Stewart – guitar
Jordan Posner – guitar
Chris Linkovich – bass
Nick Jett – drums

HATEBREED

The break between Terror and Bridgeport, Connecticut-based Hardcore Punk/Metalcore titans HATEBREED was a little longer than the previous ones for obvious reasons, allowing everyone at the venue to go buy some merch (in case they hadn’t done so already), grab a few beers, smoke a cigarette and have a quality chat with their friends, and all those things energized the crowd to the point that the iconic Jamey Jasta kept repeating how much he loves Toronto, being visibly impressed with the rowdy reaction during each song from their amazing setlist. Playing songs form their entire discography, including the classics Last Breath (dedicated to the memory of the deceased The Black Dahlia Murder frontman Trevor Strnad), Driven by Suffering, Tear It Down, Straight to Your Face, Doomsayer, and Confide in No One, the band put on an electrifying show that pleased all fans of their unique fusion of Hardcore with Thrash Metal, Punk Rock and other heavy styles.

My only complaint (and of Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, as well as all other photographers at the venue) was the dim lighting used for all four bands, which is becoming something quite common in most shows not only in Toronto, but everywhere. It’s getting tough to see the bands on stage with clarity, but of course, it’s nothing that would stop the fans from enjoying the shows. Well, it is what it is, and when you have a band like Hatebreed on stage let’s admit we must be really aware of our surroundings due to all the mosh pit action going on, leaving us with not a lot of time to actually pay attention to the stage, right? Jokes aside, it was a true pleasure seeing Wayne Lozinak and Frank Novinec kicking some ass with their guitars while Chris Beattie and Matt Byrne made the venue shake with their insanely heavy kitchen, keeping everyone more than entertained until the very end, with lots of fists and horns in the air, lots of screaming, and the endless insanity inside the circle pit led by the demented vocals by Jamey. Now it’s just a matter of waiting for Hatebreed to return to Canadian lands to destroy everything once again, and I bet everyone who attended their concert last night will be there again to celebrate their undisputed Hardcore music.

Setlist
Tear It Down
Straight to Your Face
Destroy Everything
A Lesson Lived Is a Lesson Learned
Empty Promises
To the Threshold
Live for This
Voice of Contention
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
Beholder of Justice
This Is Now
Perseverance
Driven by Suffering
Confide in No One
Last Breath (Dedicated to Trevor Strnad)
Doomsayer
Smash Your Enemies
Another Day Another Vendetta
I Will Be Heard

Band members
Jamey Jasta – vocals
Wayne Lozinak – lead guitar, backing vocals
Frank Novinec – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Chris Beattie – bass
Matt Byrne – drums

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Concert Review – Kamelot (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 08/22/2023)

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A memorable night of Symphonic and Power Metal in the city of Toronto where the women from all bands stole the show with their undeniable talent, energy, beauty and charisma.

OPENING ACTS: Xandria and Battle Beast

I’m sorry, all guys from the three bands that kicked some as last night at The Opera House in Toronto during the Awaken the World Tour 2023 with the bands XANDRIA, BATTLE BEAST and KAMELOT, but the girls absolutely stole the show. On a very pleasant summer night in the city, Ambre Vourvahis of Xandria, Noora Louhimo of Battle Beast, and Melissa Bonny of Ad Infinitum ( who’s taking care of the female vocals for Kamelot during this North American tour) were flawless on stage, exhaling talent, charisma and passion for heavy music, gaining nothing but respect and admiration from the crowd who turned the venue into a “metal sauna”. It was a very special night for me as it was my first time ever watching all three bands live (plus Melissa!), and they didn’t disappoint this extreme music fan here at all; quite the contrary, I only have good things to say about all bands and musicians responsible for a very special night in Toronto.

Precisely at 7pm, Bielefeld, Germany-based Symphonic Metal outfit XANDRIA kicked off the night’s metal ceremony with a short but extremely powerful and vibrant performance spearheaded by the Greek goddess Ambre Vourvahis, who was clearly very excited for playing in Toronto for the first time in her career, and visibly emotional for the warm and wild reception received from her Torontonian fans to the point she didn’t even know anymore if yesterday was Tuesday (something that made everyone laugh together with her, of course). Ambre was amazing not only during their setlist formed mainly of songs from their excellent new album The Wonders Still Awaiting, those being You Will Never Be Our God, Reborn and Ghosts (my favorite of their setlist, by the way), plus the fan-favorites Nightfall and Valentine, inspiring everyone at The Opera House to raise their horns, screams and dance together with her. It was a little weird seeing Xandria on stage without a bass player, as apparently Tim Schwarz had some issues to get his visa to Canada in time for the show (and I’ll never understand why our government gives a hard time to hardworking musicians to grant them their visas, while at the same time they easily allow a bunch of garbage into the country), but the four members who were there put on their hearts and souls into their performance, and I bet we’ll see Xandria in Canadian lands soon based on the total sync and endless energy flowing between the band and the crowd.

Setlist
You Will Never Be Our God
Reborn
Nightfall
Ghosts
Valentine

Band members
Ambre Vourvahis – vocals
Marco Heubaum – guitars
Rob Klawonn – guitars
Dimitrio Gatsios – drums

Right after a quick break, Finland’s own Heavy/Power Metal torchbearers BATTLE BEAST started their lecture in what can be labeled as “Dance Metal” for the delight of all fans at the venue, making everyone extremely happy (and I was beyond happy for finally seeing them live after an over 10-year wait) due to the level of electricity and power crafted by the band on stage. Still promoting their 2022 album Circus of Doom, those Finnish rockers put on a breathtaking show, with songs like Straight to the Heart, Wings of Light and Eden making everyone at the venue dance even if they didn’t want to. And what can I say about the incendiary performance by Noora Louhimo on vocals? That woman is a beast live, showcasing not only a flawless, jaw-dropping vocal performance, but her onstage presence, moves and charisma are way beyond awesome, and at least for me there’s no other woman in metal, rock or pop music capable of uniting all those qualities at the same time like her. Well, of course Noora’s striking performance is only that good because of the support she gets form her bandmates, in special bassist Eero Sipilä and drummer Pyry Vikki, and the result was a mesmerizing show that made every single person inside (and maybe some outside the venue) to keep their fists and horns high in the air nonstop. Thank you, Battle Beast! And please get back to Toronto soon for another “metal party of our lives”, like Noora herself said.

Setlist
Circus of Doom
Straight to the Heart
Eye of the Storm
Where Angels Fear to Fly
Wings of Light
Eden
Master of Illusion
King for a Day

Band members
Noora Louhimo – vocals
Joona Björkroth – guitars, backing vocals
Juuso Soinio – rhythm guitars
Eero Sipilä – bass, backing vocals
Janne Björkroth – keyboards, orchestrations, backing vocals
Pyry Vikki – drums

KAMELOT

There was a minor delay in the start of the atmospheric and cinematic show by Tampa, Florida’s own Progressive/Melodic Power Metal masters KAMELOT, but nothing that would take away the excitement from a jam packed venue. Blending songs from their newest album The Awakening, including Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem), One More Flag in the Ground and NightSky, with some of their classics such as March of Mephisto and Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife), the band created back in 1987 by guitarist Thomas Youngblood was on fire throughout their entire set, inviting the crowd on a metal journey full of epic guitar solos, whimsical keys, and the classy vocals by Swedish frontman Tommy Karevik (who’s by the way married to Canada’s own Kobra Paige, the awesome frontwoman for Kobra and the Lotus), driving their loyal fans to ecstasy with each and every song played. There was even time for an excerpt of Queen’s classic “We Will Rock You” during one of the songs, led by Tommy, a tribute to Canada’s institution Rush during Alex Landenburg’s drum solo when he played part of the all-time hit “Tom Sawyer”, and a touching tribute by Tommy to everyone we lost due to the pandemic in the past few years.

As aforementioned, just like what happened in the past with several amazing vocalists the likes of Simone Simons, Charlotte Wessels, Elize Ryd, Alissa White-Gluz, Floor Jansen and Noora Louhimo, the female vocals on this tour were masterfully done by Melissa Bonny, known for her work with Ad Infinitum, The Dark Side of the Moon, Evenmore and Rage of Light, and let me tell you that the band couldn’t have chosen a better vocalist for the task as Melissa is simply fantastic with both her clean vocals and harsh growls. As a matter of fact, it was clear how much the crowd at The Opera House loved Melissa when she delivered her enraged roars in her stylish attire, turning the temperature up considerably during the show. I’m a huge fan of female growlers, and of course I was stunned every time she was a she-demon incarnate on stage. If you know nothing or have never heart of Melissa before, I highly recommend you go after all of her work because she’s by far one of the most talented singers of the new generation.

After the last few notes from Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy), the crowd kept screaming as loud as possible to thank Kamelot for their awesome performance, while the band couldn’t hide the huge smile on their faces for another truly successful concert. They promised they’ll return to Toronto sooner than later, and let’s be honest, as Tommy is married to Kobra Paige, why not having a Kamelot plus Kobra and the Lotus tour in Toronto and other Canadian cities in the near future? I’m sure all fans would love to see Tommy and Kobra singing together on stage, right? And speaking about females vocalists touring with Kamelot, after the concert was over my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography (responsible for all the amazing photos of this review) and I had the utmost pleasure of meeting Melissa in person (thanks to my friend Pedro, of A&P Reacts), and I must says she’s a really down-to-earth, humble and sympathetic person, apart of course form being a sensational vocalist and performer. Needless to say, she needs to return to Canada as soon as possible, but next time with Ad Infinitum to show the Canadian metallers everything she’s capable of. To be honest, all bands need to return to the city for a lot more concerts, and I’m sure that will happen really soon because Toronto needs more Melissa Bonny, more Xandria, more Battle Beast, and more Kamelot without a shadow of a doubt.

Setlist
Overture
Veil of Elysium
Rule the World
Opus of the Night (Ghost Requiem)
Insomnia
When the Lights Are Down
Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)
New Babylon
Karma
Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)
Song for Jolee
NightSky
Drum Solo
March of Mephisto
Keyboard Solo
Forever

Encore:
Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)
One More Flag in the Ground
Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)

Band members
Tommy Karevik – vocals
Melissa Bonny – vocals
Thomas Youngblood – guitars
Sean Tibbetts – bass
Oliver Palotai – keyboards, orchestrations
Alex Landenburg – drums

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Concert Review – Gojira & Mastodon (Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, 08/16/2023)

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The two biggest monsters of the current metal scene worldwide crushed Toronto to pieces in another night of first-class, breathtaking heavy music.

OPENING ACT: Lorna Shore

What a perfect night of progressiveness, heaviness, electricity and rage in Toronto yesterday at the Budweiser Stage, courtesy of LORNA SHORE, GOJIRA and MASTODON and their breathtaking The Mega Monsters Tour 2023. The whole event was absolutely brilliant from start to finish thanks to the energy and focus all three bands put on their performances, making it one of the best concerts in the city this year hands down. Almost all attendees didn’t seem to care about the huge lines formed around 4pm outside the venue to try to get a place in the pit, because after Live Nation moved the concert from the Echo Beach to the Budweiser Stage it became a “first come, first serve” adventure, where you would basically test your luck and see if you got a place on the floor section, or a seat in the 200 level. Fortunately I was able to get to the pit (as I told my friends, I need a T-shirt saying “I HATE SEATS”), which quickly lightened up my mood and made the whole thing even more enjoyable for me.

Before the actual concert started, more precisely right after the gates opened at 6pm, I had a chance to watch the pre-show at the “Corona Tropical Oasis” (which was basically some sort of a small ravine with a gazebo, where the drums where placed, right beside the merch stands) with an Iron Maiden cover band named Piece of Maiden, and I gotta say they did a solid job playing several classic the likes of Revelations, The Trooper, Hallowed Be Thy Name and Phantom of the Opera. My only advice to those guys is that they desperately need to get better attires or costumes for their performances to look more professional, because they just looked like a bunch of friends jamming some Maiden songs together. In the end, I personally think that was a nice add-on to the entire event, allowing whoever was already inside the venue to headbang to some classics while having a beer, a hot dog, or waiting in line to buy some merch.

Finally, at 7pm sharp, I was able to witness for the first time ever the pulverizing Progressive and Symphonic Deathcore by New Jersey’s own LORNA SHORE, and they didn’t disappoint at all; quite the contrary, I’m now an even bigger fan of the band, as they brought all the energy from their 2022 masterpiece Pain Remains to the stage in great fashion. The first three songs, those being Sun//Eater, Cursed to Die and Into the Earth, were already superb, with Will Ramos sounding inhumane with his roars and screeches for our total delight. There was a guest vocalist in one of the songs that looked like their own stage photographer, but I have zero idea of who that guy really was. Any thoughts? Anyway, it was when they played their unparalleled Pain Remains Trilogy comprised of Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames, Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear and Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire, that they crushed everyone’s souls mercilessly, putting a beyond climatic ending to their flawless performance. If you have never listened to such dark and melancholic trilogy, I highly recommend you go search for it on any streaming platform, and please listen to it while at the same time you follow the lyrics. Hopefully, the mighty Lorna Shore will return to Toronto for another demolishing concert in the near future, and based on the smiles on the faces of all band members I’m sure they’ll take the city by storm again with their amazing music sooner than we can imagine.

Setlist
Sun//Eater
Cursed to Die
Into the Earth
Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames
Pain Remains II: After All I’ve Done, I’ll Disappear
Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire

Band members
Will Ramos – vocals
Adam De Micco – guitar
Andrew O’Connor – guitar
Michael Yager – bass
Austin Archey – drums

GOJIRA

Shortly after 8pm, when the skies were already a lot darker than during Lorna Shore, New York-based French Progressive/Groove Metal institution GOJIRA hit the stage for another electrifying concert, as expected from one of the most technical, hard working and professional bands out there. Joe Duplantier, Christian Andreu, Jean-Michel Labadie and Mario Duplantier put on a jaw-dropping performance, playing songs from all of their amazing albums such as the demolishing Ocean Planet, Backbone, Stranded, Flying Whales (with of course some inflatable whales flying around the floor section, as usual) and Silvera, this one inspiring every single person at the venue to bang their heads nonstop like maniacs. Not only that, the songs from their latest album Fortitude also worked really well live, in special Amazonia, which is now for me one of the most amazing songs to witness live, and The Chant, where Joe got some help from the over 10,000 fans at the Budweiser Stage to sing along with him the song’s beautiful “Aaaaah ah ah ah ahhhhh… ah ah ah ahhhhh…” in one of the coolest moments of their entire set. He even mentioned Toronto was a lot better than Detroit during that song, which made us fans all very proud of our pipes.

Speaking about Joe, the man was on fire throughout the entire show, building a strong and honest connection with the crowd, and even acknowledging a fan at the front row that was already on her seventh concert this tour, I guess, showing how much the band cares about their fans. His brother Mario was also bestial during the entire show, smashing his drums with so much passion, precision and strength that it’s extremely easy to be mesmerized by his performance and “forget” about the rest of the band. During his awesome drum solo he even raised some funny signs that said “I CAN’T HEAR YOU” and “FUCK YEAH” to play with the crowd, showing how a drum solo should be done to avoid becoming the popular “bathroom break”. He’s one of the best drummers in the world right now, no doubt about that, but he’s so humble and down to earth that sometimes I think he’s underrated for not being more vocal like many other drummers who are not even close to him in terms of heaviness, dexterity and energy. As expected from Gojira, their stage was also a brilliant add-on to their music, with all the lights, fire, background videos and so on adding an extra touch of epicness to their concert. Other bands like Iron Maiden, who only rely on backdrop banners or flags, should be inspired by Gojira and modernize their stage with videos like that, as those helped to tell the story from each song majestically. Every single time I see Gojira live I get stunned, and it couldn’t have been any different last night for me and for all 10,000 people at the venue. Put differently, Gojira are perfect live, offering a unique visual and sonic experience for anyone who loves good music.

Setlist
Ocean Planet
Backbone
Stranded
Flying Whales
The Cell
The Art of Dying
Drum Solo
Grind
Another World
Silvera
Amazonia
The Chant
The Gift of Guilt

Band members
Joe Duplantier – vocals, guitar
Christian Andreu – guitar
Jean-Michel Labadie – bass
Mario Duplantier – drums

MASTODON

After another quick break, where everyone had a chance to go to the bathroom, grab another beer, smoke a cigarette or simply chat with friends that were seated in different levels or sections of the venue, Atlanta, Georgia-based Progressive Metal/Rock titans MASTODON began their monstrous concert at around 9:45pm, and maybe due to that late start (as a lot of people still had to wake up early to work today) the floor section was a lot less busy than during Lorna Shore and Gojira. That doesn’t mean the fans didn’t have a good time and that the mosh pits didn’t keep moving frantically; it’s just that there was a little more room to breathe (which for me was a good thing in the end). Due to their longer setlist, Troy Sanders, Brent Hinds, Bill Kelliher and Brann Dailor (plus guest keyboardist João Nogueira, of bands like Dol Guldur, Stone Giant and The Claypool Lennon Delirium) didn’t spend too much time talking. It was crushing song after crushing song, demanding a lot of headbanging, horns in the air and nonstop screaming from their fans. In other words, their show required a lot of cardio, I might say.

As mentioned, their setlist was long and comprehensive, including several classics, newer songs and some surprises from all their discography, such as the high-octane opener The Wolf Is Loose, the pounding Crystal Skull and Megalodon, and more contemporary songs from their 2017 album Emperor of Sand and their 2021 opus Hushed and Grim, those being Andromeda, Sultan’s Curse, Pushing the Tides, More Than I Could Chew, and my favorite of their set, the groovy and fun Steambreather. Brent and Bill were insane armed with their axes during this song, as well as Brann on drums, another one of the best drummers in the world right now who’s also a very nice guy off stage. The pyro and the videos also enhanced their performance, like what happened with Gojira, and as you can see in the awesome photos taken by my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, those extra features once again showed how modernizing your stage can bring tons of benefits to your band.

The last batch of songs from their setlist was beyond thunderous, starting with Circle of Cysquatch, where a giant and very colourful “whatever-monster-that-is” entered the stage just like Eddie with Iron Maiden or Vic Rattlehead with Megadeth, captivatign the eyes of the entire crowd, followed by Crusher Destroyer and their biggest hit of all, Blood and Thunder, generating a nice circle pit with a small “island” in the middle. Brann even took some time after their concert was over to thank the fans in Toronto for being amazing as usual, to throw some drumsticks to the crowd, and to say how much he loves the circle pits in the city, saying we have the craziest mosh pits of all (and I fully agree with him). I don’t know about you, but I’m already waiting for those two mega-monsters Gojira and Mastodon to kick some serious ass in Toronto again, and based on the reactions from both bands we’ll certainly see them smashing us all like insects really soon with their incendiary music.

Setlist
The Wolf Is Loose
Crystal Skull
Megalodon
Andromeda
Divinations
Sultan’s Curse
Fallen Torches
Pushing the Tides
More Than I Could Chew
Aqua Dementia
Steambreather
Iron Tusk
March of the Fire Ants
Mother Puncher
Circle of Cysquatch
Crusher Destroyer
Blood and Thunder

Band members
Troy Sanders – vocals, bass
Brent Hinds – vocals, guitars
Bill Kelliher – guitars, backing vocals
Brann Dailor – vocals, drums

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Concert Review – Pantera (Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, 08/08/2023)

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The best band to ever arise from Texas took the city of Toronto by storm on Saturday with their undisputed metal music in a memorable night for their fans, for their brothers, and for their legacy.

OPENING ACTS: Child Bite and Lamb of God

If I’m not mistaken, the last time Pantera visited the city of Toronto was on February 9, 1999 at the SkyDome (currently known as Rogers Centre) during their World Domination Tour, as one of the guest openers for Black Sabbath. Having said that, you can imagine how desperate for more Pantera the Torontonian metalheads were until this Saturday when CHILD BITE, LAMB OF GOD and PANTERA took the Budweiser Stage by storm on a beyond emotional night, one of them being my good friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, and as I couldn’t be there mainly due to the ticket prices, Keith took care of both the photos (although not with a photo pass, but just as a regular fan) and the review. As a matter of fact, the ticket prices for this show were so ridiculous that you could find CHEAPER tickets at resale websites such as TickPick and StubHub than at the official Live Nation website, just to give you an idea of how insane things are these days.

Anyway, as the lines were absurdly huge according to Keith, he couldn’t get inside the venue to watch the opener at 7pm, Detroit, Michigan-based Hardcore Punk/Metal outfit CHILD BITE. They were a weird choice taking into account the type of music played by Lamb of God and Pantera, and as each date of the tour seems to have a different opener (each band being responsible for opening the night in four or five different cities), I wonder if it was a combination of friendship with the guys from Pantera, the geography/location of the band, and their availability. Anyway, their latest album was released back in 2019 and is titled Blow Off the Omens, and if you love the fusion of Hardcore and Punk Rock you can find it on Spotify and on BandCamp in case you want to give their music a try.

Setlist
Smog & Viscera
Swan Song of a Boiled Dog
Glazed in a Skeletal Maze
Disposable Hysteria
Ancestral Ooze
Erect for Dystopia
Blow Off The Omens

Band members
Shawn Knight – vocals
Jeremy Waun – guitar
Sean Clancy – bass
Jeff Porter – drums

After a quick break, more precisely at 7:50pm, it was time for one of the coolest bands to witness live, Richmond, Virginia’s iconic Groove Metal institution LAMB OF GOD, to kick some serious ass once again at the Budweiser Stage, this time promoting their 2022 beast Omens. I feel terrible for missing Mr. Randy Blythe and his crew this time, but it is what it is. Well, Keith said they didn’t disappoint at all (as expected), blending classics the likes of Memento Mori (one of the best songs ever to properly kick off any concert), Walk With Me in Hell and Now You’ve Got Something to Die For, with new songs such as Ditch and Omens, igniting some serious mosh pits in the general admission area. Randy took some time to interact with the crowd, remembering when that famous fan Chris LaRocque got kicked out of the venue and tried to get back swimming when they opened for the mighty Slayer (or maybe I should say SLAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYEEEEEEEERRRRR!) in 2018. That was a memorable night, just like this Saturday, and next time Lamb of God comes to Toronto I’ll make sure I’ll be there no matter what.

Setlist
Memento Mori
Walk With Me in Hell
Resurrection Man
Now You’ve Got Something to Die For
Ditch
Omens
Ruin
Contractor
Laid to Rest
Redneck

Band members
D. Randall “Randy” Blythe – vocals
Mark Morton – guitar
Willie Adler – guitar
John Campbell – bass
Art Cruz – drums

PANTERA

Finally, after 24 years, the best band ever to arise from Texas, Thrash/Groove Metal monsters PANTERA, hit the stage at 9:15pm for the delight of everyone who attended the concert, and according to Keith, who saw them for the first time ever this Saturday, they were absolutely perfect. I guess I don’t need to say that EVERYONE on this fuckin’ planet would want to see their classic formation on stage with Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul, which is something impossible for obvious reasons (to be honest, I think everyone would be extremely happy if both were still alive, it doesn’t matter if they would be playing with Pantera or not, just because they deserved to be still alive), but Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown alongside Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante are proudly living up to the legacy of the band.

Playing classics from all of their albums, from A New Level and Mouth for War to 5 Minutes Alone and This Love, from Fucking Hostile and Cemetery Gates to Cowboys From Hell, and to the surprise of many ending their concert with Revolution Is My Name and Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit, both from their last album ever Reinventing the Steel, released back in 2000, which I remember got mixed reactions when it was launched, Pantera were on absolute fire, receiving an amazing feedback from the crowd (which according to Keith’s brother was “goddamn electric”) who was singling along all the lyrics together with them. They even played their classic cover version for Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan, and when they set their fans on fire with the all-time headbanging classic Walk, they even invited the guys from Child Bite to join them on backing vocals on stage. I don’t know exactly how the mosh pits were during the entire concert, but I bet they were simply insane, surely making Dimebag and Vinnie very proud and happy wherever they are.

Keith said that Phil mentioned the absolute respect the band has for the city of Toronto, saying the fans here made them feel extremely welcome and that they were stunned by the fact the show was sold out (although as I said there were plenty of scalpers “dying” with tickets in their hands because they were too greedy to drive their prices down). One curios thing about Phil was that at the same time he said that Saturday night was most probably the last time they would be in Toronto because they’re not touring anymore after this tour is done, by the end of the concert he also said Pantera would come to Toronto again. Which Phil Anselmo should we trust, right? Hopefully the right Phil is the one that said that the band will return to Toronto, although we have no idea when, and whenever that happens let’s also hope for lower, more affordable ticket prices so many other fans who couldn’t attend the concert for economic reasons can finally see the legacy of Pantera live on stage.

Setlist
Regular People (Conceit)
In Heaven (Lady in the Radiator Song) (Peter Ivers & David Lynch song)
A New Level
Mouth for War
Strength Beyond Strength
Becoming (with “Throes of Rejection” outro)
I’m Broken (with “By Demons Be Driven” outro)
Suicide Note Pt. II
5 Minutes Alone
This Love
Fucking Hostile
Cemetery Gates
Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath cover)
Walk
Domination / Hollow
Cowboys From Hell

Encore:
Slaughtered
Revolution Is My Name

Encore 2:
Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit
How Soon Is Now? (The Smiths song)

Band members
Philip Anselmo – vocals
Zakk Wylde – guitars
Rex Brown – bass
Charlie Benante – drums

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Concert Review – Godsmack (Budweiser Stage, Toronto, ON, 08/08/2023)

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After a (very) long wait, Alternative Rock and Metal giants Godsmack were finally back in Toronto for another memorable night of first-class music, bugs, tequila, and a huge amount of fire.

OPENING ACTS: Mix Master Mike and Staind

As I like to say, there’s only one day of the week that is worse than Monday for concerts, and that’s Tuesday. And guess what? Tuesday was the day chosen by GODSMACK with guests MIX MASTER MIKE and STAIND to visit the city of Toronto during their North American tour this summer, literally setting the Budweiser Stage on fire. Well, the weather was perfect, friends and family (and a beautiful service dog wearing headphones due to the loud music!) were all together celebrating music and life, there was plenty of food and drinks for everyone, and it’s still summer, so I believe we can forget it’s a Tuesday and enjoy some first-class music like it’s Friday or Saturday night, right?

The doors opened really early for a weekday, more specifically at 5pm, which in the end was good because that avoided huge lines and people hushing to get to the concert, and gave everyone plenty of time for some drinks and to take a look at the merch stands. Due to the fact Nothing More were not able to join Godsmack on this tour as one of the openers as originally planed, San Francisco, California’s own MIX MASTER MIKE (aka Michael Schwartz, known for his work with The Beatie Boys) accepted the challenge to replace a rock band with his fusion of Hip Hop and Rap Rock, hitting the stage at 6:30pm with his turntables, a lot of energy, and delivering a solid performance with his own twist of classics by The Beastie Boys, Aerosmith, Rush and Queen, among others. Would it have been better if the opener was a proper rock band instead of a DJ? Maybe, but no one can say Mix Master Mike didn’t put on quite a show on stage last night.

Then at around 7:25pm it was time for Springfield, Massachusetts-based Alternative Rock/Metal act STAIND to put everyone to dance with songs from their entire discography since their inception in 1995. The band formed of vocalist and guitarist Aaron Lewis, guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April and drummer Sal Giancarelli will release a new album on September 15 this year named Confessions Of The Fallen, including in their setlist the first single of the album, the opener Lowest in Me, which was well-received by their fans; however, the crowd was obviously waiting for their classics, and of course they didn’t disappoint, including in their setlist the hits So Far Away, It’s Been Awhile, and the closing song Mudshovel. The music by Staind is too mellow for me personally (as I’m a lot more into extreme music, as you might know), but I can’t complain at all about their performance, and I’m sure their diehard fans were also very satisfied with what those guys did on stage yesterday.

Setlist
Lowest in Me
Not Again
Just Go
Eyes Wide Open
Fade
Something to Remind You
Right Here
Outside
Wannabe
So Far Away
For You
It’s Been Awhile
Mudshovel

Band members
Aaron Lewis – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Mike Mushok – lead guitar
Johnny April – bass, backing vocals
Sal Giancarelli – drums

GODSMACK

Finally, after 17 long years, Boston, Massachusetts’ Alternative Rock and Metal titans GODSMACK were back in Toronto (as they had only played in Ottawa and Hamilton in the province of Ontario since 2006), and although they were supposed to have hit the stage at around 9:10pm, it wasn’t until maybe 9:30pm that Sully Erna, Tony Rombola, Robbie Merrill and Shannon Larkin began their breathtaking, incendiary concert. In addition, due to the length of their performance I saw a lot of people leaving the concert before the end to be able to catch the last trains, buses and streetcars home, or simply because they had to wake up really early today to work. That wasn’t a big issue, of course, but maybe next time we have a concert on a Tuesday night in the city the bands can make sure their concerts end by 11pm at the latest.

Back to the concert, Godsmack kicked some serious ass from start to finish, blending songs form all of their amazing albums with their newest beast Lighting Up the Sky. From the very first beats of the opener When Legends Rise to the epic I Stand Alone, it was an avalanche of riffs, horns in the air, screams, and a lot of interaction between Sully and the crowd, making the Toronto show feel very personal and, therefore, making Sully feel at home and extremely comfortable while chatting with the fans in between songs. There was also a lot of fire, specially when they played my favorite song of their setlist, the high-octane 1000hp, and according to my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, responsible for all the amazing photos of this review, those flames made the pit feel like a true BBQ.

Cryin’ Like a Bitch!! And You and I also worked extremely well last night, and before playing the classic Something Different the unstoppable Sully took a lot of time to talk to the crowd about how awesome it was to be back to Toronto, “complained” about the bugs and mosquitoes (even joking by asking if the Canadian mosquitoes were poisonous, and having a shot of tequila to clean his palate after swallowing a bug), and asked all the men at the venue, specially the ones who like to work out at the gym, to put their ladies on their shoulders to enjoy the song from a much better spot. After that it was a nonstop rock and metal party by Godsmack, from the dark and sexy sounds of Voodoo to the beautiful message from the song Bulletproof. And in the middle of all that, there was time for Sully and Shannon to stun us all with their famous Batalla de Los Tambores, a fuckin’ awesome “duel” full of groove where they also played some snippets of classic by AC/DC, Aerosmith and Metallica for the delight of all fans present at the Budweiser Stage, followed by a heavy and electrifying cover version for one of the biggest hits by The Beatles, the excellent Come Together.

However, the most memorable moment for me and for several of the fans at the venue happened when Sully sat down at his piano for the superb ballad Under Your Scars and talked a little about their work with The Scars Foundation, dedicating the song to all those we’ve lost to suicide, depression and all types of mental illnesses, and also to our rock and metal fallen brothers like Chris Cornell, Chester Bennington, Dimebag Darrell and Eddie Van Halen. I saw some people crying after the song was over, most probably because the theme made them remember some dark moment of their lives, showing how music is extremely important for all of us and how we should always search for help whenever we feel anything in our lives is not right. Godsmack will keep sending that beautiful message everywhere they go with this tour (and all of their upcoming tours), including London, Ontario on October 19 (which is less than two hours from Toronto, so why not?), and may they keep bringing joy, hope and strength to anyone in need with their breathtaking Rock N’ Roll.

Setlist
When Legends Rise
1000hp
Cryin’ Like a Bitch!!
You and I
Something Different
What About Me
Awake
Surrender
Voodoo
Batalla de Los Tambores
Come Together (The Beatles cover)
Whatever

Encore:
Under Your Scars
Bulletproof
I Stand Alone

Band members
Sully Erna – vocals, guitar
Tony Rombola – lead guitar
Robbie Merrill – bass
Shannon Larkin – drums

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Edit: A few days after the review was published, a guy named Barry contacted us to inform Emma is the name of his service dog, and that she will be 2 years old in October. She has already been on a plane, she’s met the Maple Leafs, and will be going to The Smashing Pumpkins, 50 Cent and then Wu-Tang Clan this year. Barry suffers from mental health issues, but Emma has made his life a lot better! She is his princess and allows him to have a second chance at life! Way to go, Barry and Emma! Oh, and here are some amazing pics of the duo for all of you! 🙂

Concert Review – Volbeat (RBC Echo Beach, Toronto, ON, 07/12/2023)

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A perfect summer night in Toronto always demands a good dosage of first-class Rock N’ Roll, and Volbeat provided their fans in the city with exactly what they needed to enjoy it to the fullest.

OPENING ACT: Halestorm

I’ll start this review by saying that the city of Toronto definitely needs more open air concerts and festivals during the summer. It’s such a great vibe and feeling, and everyone always has an amazing time. It’s hard to understand why there are very few rock and metal concerts like that in the city. Well, last night at the RBC Echo Beach that great atmosphere happened once again when HALESTORM and VOLBEAT kicked some serious ass with the first concert of their brand new Servant of the Road World Tour 2023, and all the action going on and off stage turned it into a memorable night for everyone who were desperate for some good old Rock N’ Roll and Heavy Metal (as most bands seem to be playing at the famous European festivals at the moment, completely ignoring Toronto and the rest of Canada right now).

The weather was beyond perfect, we all had a nice view of the CN Tower in the background, and shortly after 7pm Lzzy Hale and her henchmen, collectively known as Red Lion, Pennsylvania, United States-based Hard Rock/Rock N’ Roll outfit HALESTORM, hit the stage for a very energetic and fun performance, beautifully warming up the crowd for the main attraction of the night, Volbeat. Currently promoting their 2022 album Back from the Dead, the quartet put on a flawless show playing songs from their entire career, with songs like I Miss the Misery and the closing one The Steeple inspiring everyone at the RBC Echo Beach to raise their horns together with the band. Lzzy has some respectful pipes, we all must admit that, as the girl can powerfully sing and scream without any effort, but let’s say it was her brother Arejay who stole the show with a spot-on drum solo, even using some giant drumsticks that looked like baseball bats. In other words, when Halestorm take your city by storm, you better be there to witness one of the best bands of the current Rock N’ Roll scene.

Setlist
I Miss the Misery
Love Bites (So Do I)
I Get Off
Wicked Ways
Freak Like Me
Familiar Taste of Poison
Takes My Life
Drum Solo
Back From the Dead
Mayhem
The Steeple

Band members
Lzzy Hale – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano
Joe Hottinger – lead guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Josh Smith – bass, keyboards, piano, backing vocals
Arejay Hale – drums, backing vocals

VOLBEAT

It was around 9pm when Copenhagen, Denmark’s own Heavy Metal/Rock N’ Roll institution VOLBEAT kicked off their Servant of the Road World Tour 2023 in North America with a beyond fun and thrilling performance. By the way, it was their first performance in the city since 2019 when they played alongside Behemoth, Gojira and Slipknot, and it was more than clear how eagerly all fans had been waiting to see Volbeat live again. In addition, if you follow the band you probably know that with the departure of longtime guitarist Rob Caggiano in the beginning of June the whole tour almost had to be cancelled, but thanks to the talented Danish guitarist Flemming C. Lund (of bands like Temple of Scorn and The Arcane Order), who stepped in and learned all songs in just a few weeks, the band will be able to follow their schedule without any issues. Kudos to Flemming for being so professional, skillful, charismatic, and also for sporting a nice The Number of the Beast shirt on his first-ever concert with Volbeat! UP THE IRONS, FLEMMING!

Back to the concert itself, Volbeat ignited their breathtaking performance with the classic The Devil’s Bleeding Crown, winning the hearts of the fans right away and making it extremely easy for them to keep the energy level truly high until the very end, blending classics the likes of Seal the Deal and Lola Montez with the new songs from their 2021 album Servant of the Mind, those being Temple of Ekur, Shotgun Blues, The Devil Rages On, Becoming and Wait a Minute My Girl, and by the way all sounded amazing live and inspired the crowd to start some sick and frantic circle pits. As I always say, all metalheads in Toronto love circle pits, period. The song Black Rose, featuring the one and only Danko Jones as a guest vocalist, and Hallelujah Goat, one of my favorite Volbeat songs of all time, also helped to elevate the level of adrenaline on and off stage, proving Volbeat are a band who was born to play live.

I must admit the circle pit action was a little scary due to the type of floor at the RBC Echo Beach, which is not sand in case you’re curious to know, but pure, hard and rough cement, and every single time someone fell to the floor the word “merthiolate” would come to my mind. Fortunately, nothing truly serious happened, and all the kids and veterans who bravely entered the pit had some memorable moments inside of it. Well, not everyone, as Kevin, brother of my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, was hit by surprise and had his nose broken and swollen, requiring first-aid attention from the Live Nation medical staff. We can’t say it wasn’t a memorable moment for him, right? Jokes aside, I’m sure he’ll recover quickly and get back in action inside the pit at any future concert in the city.

The encore by Michael Poulsen and his henchmen was awesome as expected, starting with the classic Fallen, which he always dedicates to his deceased father Jørn Poulsen, followed by the aforementioned Wait a Minute My Girl, For Evigt (which Michael mentioned is about enjoying our lives), and of course ending with Still Counting, where Michael asked everyone at the RBC Echo Beach to sing its lyrics along with him. After all was said and done, everyone had a big smile on their faces due to the stunning performance by Volbeat, but due to the preparations for the Honda Indy in Toronto this weekend most fans had to find some extra inner fuel for a very long walk to the parking lots as we couldn’t simply cross through the BMO Field like countless times before. That wasn’t entirely bad or boring because the view of the city and the lake were fantastic, and of course I guess everyone was still singing one of the songs from Volbeat inside their heads to conclude another excellent Wednesday of summer in Toronto.

Setlist
The Devil’s Bleeding Crown
Temple of Ekur
Seal the Deal
Lola Montez
Die to Live
Ring of Fire
Sad Man’s Tongue
Shotgun Blues
Mary Ann’s Place
Black Rose
Hallelujah Goat
The Devil Rages On
Becoming

Encore:
Fallen
Wait a Minute My Girl
For Evigt
Still Counting

Band members
Michael Poulsen – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Flemming C. Lund – lead guitar, backing vocals
Kaspar Boye Larsen – bass, backing vocals
Jon Larsen – drums

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Concert Review – Fall of Earth (The Rockpile, Toronto, ON, 06/18/2023)

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A young and rising band from Edmonton kicked some ass armed with their Progressive Death Metal and Metalcore where rock will never die in Toronto last night.

INTRODUCTION: Where rock will never die…

It doesn’t mater if it’s a brand new Heavy Metal band no one knows about, a cover band of classic Rock N’ Roll or Industrial Metal, or a rock and metal karaoke night, the old school venue The Rockpile will always receive everyone with open arms, keeping the fires of rock music burning no matter what. Although it’s promoted as being in Toronto, it’s actually located in Etobicoke, an administrative district and former city within Toronto, a bit far from downtown but just a 15-minute walk from the Kipling subway station. Just don’t walk for THREE HOURS to get there like a very nice photographer named Cord Allman who was there last night. Take the subway or drive to the venue, enjoy the shows, their beer (for a very decent price), and have a good time with all the nice people who are always there.

Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography and I were there for FALL OF EARTH, a young and rising metal band from Edmonton, Alberta, but The Rockpile also had other attractions as part of their Father’s Day celebration, those being AL REILLY’S CATALYST performing classics from Led Zeppelin, at 7:30pm, and PERFECT STRANGERS, a famous Canadian cover band founded in 1989 in the city of Brampton, Ontario that pays homage to  one of the greatest bands of all time, Deep Purple, playing from Smoke On The Water to Highway Star, and so on. Both tribute bands were awesome, and if you’re in the area and wants to experience the true Canadian rock scene, go check The Rockpile’s schedule for several other bands like those, and even some wrestling events, which is awesome in my opinion!

FALL OF EARTH

As mentioned, right after Al Reilly’s Catalyst and before Perfect Strangers, more specifically at 8:30pm, it was time for Edmonton, Alberta-based Progressive Death Metal/Metalcore outfit FALL OF EARTH to hit the stage with their enraged but very melodic music, putting a pin on Toronto (for the second time this month) as part of their Eastern Canada tour to promote their brand new album From the Ashes, which will soon be reviewed by The Headbanging Moose. Formed in 2019 by Alex Rye on vocals, Brody Bauer on the guitars, Aaron Winklmeier on bass, and Brendan Meilleur on drums, the band plays a fusion of the music by Mastodon, Gojira, Trivium, Whitechapel and so on, with lots of Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Technical Death Metal, Metalcore and Deathcore influences and nuances as well, and if they’re playing in your city anytime soon don’t miss the chance to watch one of the most promising names from the Canadian Prairies.

Despite the small audience, those four guys put their hearts and souls into their performance, and I can imagine how amazing it would have been with more people at the venue and some circle pits. All songs from their setlist, from both their 2020 self-titled debut album and from From the Ashes, worked really well live, like for example the title-track From the Ashes where Alex was screaming at the top of his lungs (and he can also deliver some classy clean vocals, by the way), and the lack of some mosh pit action didn’t mean the people present at the venue didn’t enjoy their concert; quite the contrary, everyone had a very good time watching those kids kicking ass on stage, banging their heads and clapping their hands all the time, and I’m sure word-of-mouth will attract a lot more people to their next concert in Toronto when they do another big Canadian tour this fall already with a second guitarist, which will surely add even more depth to their live music.

If you’re curious to know more about their music, you can enjoy all of their creations on Spotify and watch their official videos on YouTube (and click HERE for all things Fall of Earth), showing your support to another up-and-coming metal act from Edmonton. After the show I had the pleasure to chat with Alex, Brody, Aaron and Brendan, and their passion for heavy music is just as great as their talent on stage. They’re huge fans of bands like Gojira, Trivium, Megadeth, Whitechapel, and other metal giants, and it’s nice to see them crafting high-quality new music by mixing their influences with their own twist. Keep an eye on Fall of Earth because those guys are going places, and who knows, maybe we’ll already see them touring the United States or playing at some amazing European summer festivals in 2024. and last but not least, thanks a lot to Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations for inviting us to the event, and to Kristen Cholak and Paul Husband of The Next Level Entertainment Consulting Inc. for supporting such promising band of the Canadian scene.

Band members
Alex Rye – vocals
Brody Bauer – guitars
Aaron Winklmeier – bass
Brendan Meilleur – drums

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