One of the new names of the Métal Noir Québécois scene returns with their sophomore opus, a 35-minute assault of aggressive, up-tempo Black Metal infused with melodic, doomy passages.
Forged in the fires of the stunning Quebec City back in 2016, the devilish five-piece horde Beholder, another amazing exponent of the current Métal Noir Québécois scene, is set to release their sophomore album, entitled Dualisme, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Arcane Subreptice and a huge improvement on their already solid foundations. Mastered by Patrick McDowall and displaying a sinister artwork by Khaos Diktator Design, Dualisme is a 35-minute assault of aggressive, up-tempo Black Metal with melodic, doomy passages which deeply contribute to its overall atmosphere, all masterfully crafted by Dan Mécréant on vocals, Pier-Luc Lavoie and Alex Bouchard on the guitars, Kéven Tremblay on bass, and Michel Murray on drums. “Both music and lyrics are influenced by orthodox black metal from the 90’s, with topics mainly dealing with luciferianism, history and occult philosophy. It has been a contemplative process from the writing to the recording. We feel like we reached a mature piece of art and feel extremely confident about it,” commented the band about their newborn beast.
The caustic guitars by Pier-Luc and Alex darken the skies before their bandmates come ripping in Le vassal de la profanation, a visceral Black Metal attack where the vocals by Dan will haunt your putrid soul for all eternity, followed by the title-track Dualisme, living up to the legacy of Métal Noir Québécois, sounding caustic from start to finish while Michel’s beats alternate between sheer savagery and more cadenced, somber moments; and Michel hammers his drums in a nice Motörhead-style in Vers le pandæmonium while the music evolves into a sinister form of Black Metal led by the once again sick riffage by Pier-Luc and Alex. After such disturbing sonority, it’s then time for Kéven to smash his bass and kick off the even darker Géomancie, where their blast beats walk hand in hand with their wicked, malignant riffs, resulting in a full-bodied aria of extreme music
The second half of the album begins with two and a half minutes of modern-day Black Metal titled Hexenaat, again showcasing the demonic gnarls by Dan while his bandmates keep delivering endless evil through their sonic weapons, and get ready for a hurricane of blackened sounds titled Despotisme ecclésiastique, where all band members are on absolute fire, blasting their trademark Black Metal magic for our total delight. The band then offers our putrid ears the venomous Résurgence de l’obscurantisme, the second to last explosion of infernal Black Metal made in Quebec from the album, with once again their guitar duo sounding evil armed with their axes, always supported by the classic, rumbling bass by Kéven, flowing into Credo fractal, a phantasmagorical outro by Montreal-based artist Thisquietarmy that sounds and feels truly haunting, even cinematic at times, but that goes on for way too long reducing the level of energy and evil crafted by all previous songs.
Beholder are definitely a force to reckon hailing from the Quebec scene, and if you want to join their horde of the occult you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of Dualisme from their own BandCamp page, from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page, or from Sound Cave as a digipak CD or as a crystal clear vinyl. Raw and visceral, Dualisme showcases an excellent fusion of Métal Noir Québécois with 90’s Black Metal, and I bet you’re also going to have a great time listening to this sulfurous album.
Best moments of the album:Le vassal de la profanation, Géomancie and Despotisme ecclésiastique.
Worst moments of the album:Credo fractal.
Released in 2024 Avantgarde Music
Track listing 1. Le vassal de la profanation 4:22
2. Dualisme 5:51
3. Vers le pandæmonium 4:45
4. Géomancie 3:34
5. Hexenaat 2:34
6. Despotisme ecclésiastique 5:26
7. Résurgence de l’obscurantisme 3:49
8. Credo fractal 5:00
Band members Dan Mécréant – vocals
Pier-Luc Lavoie – guitars
Alex Bouchard – guitars
Kéven Tremblay – bass
Michel Murray – drums
Guest musician Thisquietarmy – everything on “Credo fractal”
Let’s fly higher than the sky in this exclusive interview with Mr. Peter “Peavy” Wagner, the mastermind behind German Power Metal institution Rage, where he talks about his first-ever tour in Canada, the band’s 40 years on the road, their upcoming new album, and more.
Peter “Peavy” Wagner (Rage)
The Headbanging Moose: Thanks a lot for your time, Peavy! My first question will be very straightforward, and I bet it’s exactly what every Rage fan in Canada wants to know. How excited was the band to visit Canada for the first time ever, how was the planning of this mini-tour, and why did the band take so long to come to Canada? Also, why didn’t you play in the US this time?
Peter “Peavy” Wagner: Well, we liked it very much, thanx to the fans for a great time. I don´t know why it took so long to do that, that’s a question for our bookers and the Canadian promoters. Touring the US is very difficult and immensely expensive nowadays, just the working permissions cost a fortune, that makes businesswise not really sense for us…
THM: It’s always a pleasure seeing an amazing band like Rage celebrating 40 years on the road, and of course your setlist during your current festive tour is beyond fantastic. You mentioned during your show in Toronto that you had to choose the setlist from over 100 songs, so what was the process or idea behind the final setlist on this tour?
Peavy: We simply tried to bring material from the different time Eras and from the most popular albums. Of course its hard to satisfy everyone, I just hope we found a good mix…
THM: Since the band’s inception in 1984, Rage have got used to playing in giant European festivals like Hellfest and Wacken Open Air, but also in smaller venues like Lee’s Palace in Toronto. How does it feel to play in small venues as compared to festivals? What are the things you love the most about those more intimate places?
Peavy: The most important thing about gigs is the exchange of that amazing energy, no matter what situation you play. It felt great to have such enthusiastic fans, they gave us a fantastic time!
Rage @ Lee’s Palace
THM: You also mentioned during the show in Toronto you’ve known your amazing drummer Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos since he was a little kid. Could you tell us more about that friendship, and how he finally ended up becoming the drummer for Rage?
Peavy: Lucky was 15 when he started to take drum lessons with Rage’s drummer Chris Efthimiadis in 1988, later he became his drum technician, he toured with us through the world for some years, we always kept our friendship alive. When I needed help to rebuild the band in 2015 I asked him, firstly for management support, later also to be the band’s drummer.
THM: I honestly can’t wait to listen to your upcoming album Afterlifelines, which as far as I know is going to be a double album where the first half is made up of more direct metal songs, while the second half has some orchestrations involved. What details could you tell us about the album, and once it’s released, are you going to replace any songs from your current setlist with new ones like you replaced From the Cradle to the Grave with Under a Black Crown this year?
Peavy: Yes, it´s 21 new titles in about 94 minutes of music, we span a line between heavy stuff to some epic and orchestrated longtrack, finding a climax to the end of the album. Surely we will integrate more new stuff to our future setlists.
Rage Afterlifelines BandCamp
THM: I love the fact that the lyrics to all Rage songs have a deeper meaning, like for example End of All Days and Back in Time. What can we expect in the lyrics from Afterlifelines? Are you going to talk about any specific topics in the album, will there be a concept behind any of the parts of the album, or is it going to be a more straightforward Rage release this time?
Peavy: There’s a red line going through all the songs. On our last release “Resurrection Day” I told the story of mankind’s cultural evolution from stone age to now, causing several problems we have to face today. On “Afterlifelines” I continue the story as a fictional, dystopic view in the future of the next hundred years. Still I believe that man has the abilities to solve those problems, so it must not come like in that story.
THM: What are your best memories from this short but sweet Canadian tour? Are there any new Canadian bands and artists you just got to know, and what are your top Canadian bands of all time?
Peavy: Yes, we had really good supporting bands this time! Thanx to all. My all time faves from Canada are of course Rush, I love their music since my teenage days. Also there’s of course a lot of other great bands, like for example Annihilator…
THM: You’ve been playing with only one guitarist for quite some time, maybe since Unity was released back in 2002. Why have you decided to “get rid” of a second guitar in the band’s formation, and do you think one day you’ll get back to having four band members with a second guitarist added to the band?
Peavy: Actually Stefan Weber is not really out of the band. Due to some serious personal problems he is taking a break from working with us for some time. The door is open for him to join in again, as soon as he’s ready…
THM: What does the future hold for Rage? I mean, you have a killer new album out soon, you’ve been kicking ass on stages worldwide for the past 40 years and so on, but what’s next for the band after reaching such an important milestone in your career?
Peavy: Besides of continuous touring an Festival Appearances this year we will release a band biography, that´s planned for October this year.
Rage
THM: Let’s play a fun game before the end of the interview called “The Time Capsule”. Please list 10 songs from 10 different bands or artists to be saved in a time capsule for all future generations, and let us know why you selected those.
Peavy: 1. Toccata and Fugue in D minor/J.S.Bach, 2. Free Will/Rush, 3. I Saw Her Standing There/The Beatles, 4. Ace of Spades/Motörhead, 5. Temple of the King/Rainbow, 6. You Really Got Me/The Kinks, 7. Prophet´s Song/Queen, 8. Blue Suede Shoes/Elvis Presley, 9. Ballad of Easy Rider/The Byrds, 10. Speed King/Deep Purple. Because I like those!
THM: Thank you very, very much again for the interview, Peavy! Please feel free to send your final thoughts and considerations to our readers, and of course, your final message to all Canadian fans who attended your concerts in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City!
Peavy: Thanx to all of the fans for their true support! See you again, Metal forever!
This French two-headed Black Metal beast returns with its sophomore album, sounding utterly experimental, dissonant and austere from start to finish.
Forged in the fires of Paris, France inspired by old school titans the likes of Darkthrone and Marduk, among others, with the goal to return to the origins of a primary, anxiety-inducing, angry and hateful Black Metal, the two-headed beast known as Anthropovore is back from the underworld with their sophomore offering, beautifully titled Parthénogenèse, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Boogeyman. The album title is French for “parthenogenesis”, or “virgin birth”, a form of reproduction in which an egg can develop into an embryo without being fertilized by a sperm, and that weird concept is translated into the most experimental, dissonant and austere music you can think of thanks to the amazing job done by the band’s duo comprised of Simon Perrin (Demande à la Poussière, Muertissima, MUD, WeedBringer) on vocals, lead and rhythm guitars, bass, drone and machine sounds, and Stéphane Prados (Muertissima) on lead guitars and harsh screams, supported by the more-than-special guest vocals by Adsagsona (aka Adèle Adsa, the talented frontwoman of French Black Metal horde Hule).
Notre père, or “our father”, starts with a narration in French before their dirty riffs and low-tuned bass fill out every single space in the air, with Simon and Stéphane making an amazing duet with their clean vocals and demonic roars, flowing in a disturbing and devilish way until the very last second. Their wicked experimentations go on in Transmigre-moi (“transmigrate to me”), another sulfurous fusion of traditional Black Metal with Atmospheric and Experimental Black Metal, sounding dissonant and furious, with the mechanized sounds generated by Simon being infernal; whereas a demented start evolves into a feast of blackened, caustic sounds in Castigo, a Portuguese/Spanish word that means “punishment”, where Simon and Stéphane deliver sheer aggressiveness through their axes while also blasting sick vociferations in the name of darkness. And the title-track Parthénogenèse offers more of their idiosyncratic, devilish sounds where the guitars and bass feel utterly demonic while the duo keeps blasting endless obscurity through their visceral growls, followed by Souffrir, or “to suffer”, another explosion of Experimental Black Metal by the duo with all background noises and sounds adding an extra touch of insanity to the overall result.
They keep hammering our cranial skulls and decimating our damned souls in Mal dedans (“bad inside”), again showcasing their characteristic harsh roars, machine-like drums, and a reverberating sense of despair; then investing in a more brutal and thunderous sound, they will smash us all in Ternir, or “to tarnish”, offering their most demonic vocals, sounding almost like the screeches of an evil goblin, while the instrumental pieces generate a darkly disturbing atmosphere. Déconstruit (“deconstructed”) keeps the album at an insane level of animosity and rage by blending elements from Industrial Metal with their core Black Metal essence, while rumbling bass lines and massive beats set the tone in the heavy-as-hell Mangez-moi, or “eat me”, the duo’s second to last spawn of evil in the album, where they once again burst their lungs screaming like demonic creatures. Finally, Anthropovore kill whoever is still alive with the violent and grim Better Off Alive, ending the album on a high note to the sound of their inhumane harsh roars, caustic riffs and mechanized background sounds.
Such dissonant, devilish album is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you can add it to your demonic collection by purchasing it directly from the band’s own BandCamp page or from the France Black Death Grind webstore, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube for more of their wicked music. Parthénogenèse exhales pure evil, hatred and darkness just the way we like it in Black Metal, strengthening the band’s name in the scene and inspiring them to keep blasting sheer obscurity for many years to come, always trying new experimentations while staying true to their roots, something really hard to do nowadays but that those French metallers are learning how to master, I might say.
Best moments of the album:Transmigre-moi, Parthénogenèse and Ternir.
One of the torchbearers of Symphonic Power Metal worldwide returned to Toronto after five long years with more of their striking music, swords, goblins, hammers, and HOOTS!
It was a beyond pleasant night in Toronto yesterday with temperatures above the two digits, something VERY uncommon for this time of the year but perfect for enjoying some high-quality Power Metal at The Phoenix Concert Theatre (which by the way desperately needs better parking nearby), courtesy of AMMO, TWILIGHT FORCE and GLORYHAMMER during their most excellent The Red, White & Hoots North American Tour 2024, and the Torontonian fans of all three bands answered their call and joined them in the battlefield for a night of soaring vocals, shredding, orcs, goblins, swords, hammers, princess and princesses, and of course my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I couldn’t be left out of that metallic party in a land far, far away, right?
Well, to be fair, due to other commitments I couldn’t get to the venue in time to see Toronto’s own Heavy Metal act AMMO, but some people told me they were really good and put on a very entertaining warmup for Twilight Force and Gloryhammer. I checked online and it looks like there have been some significant changes to their lineup since their 2019 EP Taking the Throne, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, which means we can expect new music from those guys in a not-so-distant future. Sorry, AMMO, for not catching you live last night opening for Twilight Force and Gloryhammer, but I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to see you guys kicking ass on stage in the coming months.
Setlist
Into Death
Street Metal Werewolves
Doomsayer
Taking the Throne
Empire
Too Metal for Metal
Band members
Alex Zdarvkovic – vocals
Brett Hexx – guitars, backing vocals
Matt Lewis – guitars
Necro Hippie – bass
Struan Robertson – drums
It was around 8pm when Sweden’s iconic Symphonic Power Metal unity TWILIGHT FORCE hit the stage for a fantastic performance, I would say just as electrifying as Gloryhammer, with all band members being on absolute fire throughout the entire show and in sync with the crowd, leading each person at the venue into magical battles with dragons (and there was actually a “floating” dragon released over the crowd during Dragonborn) and other mystical creatures. Having released the album At the Heart of Wintervale last year, Twilight Force was unfortunately missing their lead singer Allyon due to unforeseen issues with his family back home, but that doesn’t mean their show was boring; quite the contrary, Long Island, New York-born (but currently residing in Sweden) vocalist Kristin Starkey, of Italian Melodic Heavy/Power Metal act Temperance, and who’s been doing backing vocals for Twilight Force since 2023, did all the vocals last night and, oh boy, she was incredible. What an amazing voice she has, plus of course her charisma and onstage theatricals, making us even “forget” she’s not the actual vocalist for the band. Sword yielding songs like Dragonborn, Thundersword, and the closing one The Power of the Ancient Force, inspired all fans to raise their fists in the air and enjoy an ass-kicking performance by Twilight Force, and I’m sure soon we’ll see those guys headlining concerts in the city thanks to the more-than-warm reception from their Torontonian fans (and if you want to know more about their music, go check them on BandCamp and on Spotify).
Setlist
Dawn of the Dragonstar
Twilight Force
Dragonborn
Thundersword
Sunlight Knight
Flight of the Sapphire Dragon
Sunlight Knight
At the Heart of Wintervale
The Power of the Ancient Force
Band members Kristin Starkey – vocals
Lynd – lead & acoustic guitars, lute
Aerendir – rhythm guitars
Born – bass
Blackwald – keyboards, piano, violin, harpsichord
De’Azsh – drums
Finally, five years after their last concert in Toronto, Scotland’s own Symphonic Power Metal brigade GLORYHAMMER returned to Canadian battlefields armed with their 2023 opus Return To The Kingdom Of Fife, and if there’s one word that could define their show, that word has to be HOOTS! It was a fusion of Heavy and Power Metal with symphonic elements, beer, goblins, hammers and other fantasy elements by Angus McFife II, Ser Proletius, The Hootsman, Zargothrax and Ralathor, putting a huge smile on the faces of everyone who attended the show last night. Blending songs from all of their albums with new ones like Wasteland Warrior Hoots Patrol and Fife Eternal, which are extremely catchy and perfect for live concerts, the band kicked some ass and slayed some goblins for our total delight.
Of course, some of the most anticipated songs of their setlist didn’t disappoint at all, including the amazing battle hymns Gloryhammer, Hootsforce and The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee, with Angus McFife II (aka Sozos Michael) proving why he was chosen to become the band’s frontman with not only an amazing vocal performance, but also being very charismatic and leading the crowd with his requests for fists in the air while holding the Gloryhammer high. Also, I was impressed with the fact that there were even mosh pits during Gloryhammer’s performance, because that’s not the type of music you expect mosh pits. Well, it’s Toronto, so mosh pits can happen anytime. Furthermore, when you have a concert where a goblin appears on stage playing the saxophone, that means ANYTHING can happen, and I bet everyone at the venue can’t wait for Gloryhammer to visit Toronto again in the near future with more swords, hammers, and HOOTS!
Setlist Incoming Transmission Holy Flaming Hammer of Unholy Cosmic Frost
Gloryhammer
The Land of Unicorns
Fly Away
Angus McFife
Questlords of Inverness, Ride to the Galactic Fortress! Also Sprach Zarathustra Wasteland Warrior Hoots Patrol
Fife Eternal
Masters of the Galaxy
Sword Lord of the Goblin Horde
The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)
Keeper of the Celestial Flame of Abernethy
Universe on Fire
Hootsforce
The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee The National Anthem of Unst
Band members
Angus McFife II (Sozos Michael) – vocals
Ser Proletius, Grand Master of the Deathknights of Crail (Paul Templing) – guitars
The Hootsman, Astral Demigod of Unst (James Cartwright) – bass
Zargothrax, Dark Emperor of Dundee (Michael Barber) – keyboards
Ralathor, the Mysterious Submarine Commander of Cowdenbeath (Ben Turk) – drums
One of the must-see bands of the current Death Metal and Deathcore scene worldwide opens their demonic vault of horrors to bring brutality, gore and evil to our damned souls.
Since their unholy inception in 1995, Belgian Death Metal/Grindcore miscreants Aborted have been one of the pioneers of the genre and have annihilated friend and foe with relentless intensity and an uncompromising mix of flawless technicality and raw emotion. Now in 2024 the band currently formed of frontman Sven De Caluwé, guitarists Daníel Máni Konráðsson and Ian Jekelis, and drummer Ken Bedene, plus bassist Stefano Franceschini (who left the band in 2023) and guest musician Spencer Creaghan on synthesizers, returns with a worthy follow-up to their 2021 album ManiaCult, a sonic beast entitled Vault of Horrors. Produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio Studio, and displaying a sick artwork by Dan Goldsworthy (who has already worked with titans the likes of Corpsegrinder, Accept, Alestorm, Cradle of Filth, Gloryhammer, and many more), Aborted’s twelfth studio album dives deep into the vaults of VHS cassettes and stories that have been haunting us all for decades, with each song paying tribute to a horror cult classic ranging from obligatory cuts such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (to be found on Death Cult) or Halloween (The Shape Of Hate) to the more recent The Mist (to be discovered on Malevolent Haze), and with each one of its ten ferocious, gut-wrenching Death Metal slashers featuring a very special guest vocalist to add an extra touch of brutality and gore to Aborted’s trademark sound.
Featuring guest vocalist Ben Duerr (of Shadow Of Intent), the opener Dreadbringer offers our putrid ears sick lyrics (“Awake, bringing forth this disease / Multiply to dominate, your soul I’ll penetrate / Corrupt, contaminate, and imitate, eradicate / Your path leads right through us with no way to circumvent it”) and endless savagery in a beautiful fusion of Death Metal and Deathcore, followed by Condemned to Rot, with guest vocalist Francesco Paoli (of Fleshgod Apocalypse) barking like a beast, another lesson in brutality by Aborted with the insane drums by Ken bringing sheer aggression to the music; and featuring guest vocalist Johnny Ciardullo (of AngelMaker), Brotherhood of Sleep leans towards modern-day Deathcore, where Sven and Johnny make a demented vocal duet while Daníel and Ian keep slashing their axes in the name of violence. Then get ready to break your neck headbanging like a maniac to Death Cult, where Sven and guest vocalist Alex Erian (of Despised Icon) roar manically while the rest of the band doesn’t leave a single space left in the air with their first-class, inhumane instrumental parts; whereas Hellbound is another explosion of violence where the band’s Technical Death Metal side is boosted by the sick vocals by guest Matt McGachy (of Cryptopsy).
The pulverizing Insect Politics, featuring guest vocalist Jason Evans (of Ingested), might have less than two minutes in duration, but the music is as infernal and intense as its predecessors, resulting in a fantastic tune for hammering our skulls into the circle pit; and Aborted show no mercy for our putrid souls in The Golgothan, offering more of their trademark violence and dexterity, with Sven once again leading his horde with his deep, visceral growls supported this time by guest vocalist Hal Microutsicos (of Blasphemous and Engulf). There’s no time to breathe as The Shape of Hate is another blast of dementia and Death Metal by the band, where guest vocalist Oliver Rae Aleron (of Archspire) offers his trademark rap-like guttural, making the whole song even more insane and vibrant; and there’s still time for another thunderous, inhumane tune titled Naturom Demonto, featuring guest vocalist David Simonich (of Signs of the Swarm), with the rumbling bass by Stefano and the blast beats by Ken making the earth tremble. Of course the album wasn’t going to be complete without a massive dosage of sulfur, courtesy of guest vocalist Ricky Hoover (of Ov Sulfur) in Malevolent Haze, another feast of slashing riffs, crazy drums and demonic vociferations to end the album on a beyond violent and Stygian note.
In a nutshell, with this deadly alliance, Vault of Horrors is an epic journey where listeners are thrust into a world of intense brutality, characterized by lightning-fast guitar riffs, intricate, pummeling drum patterns and monstrous vocals that leave no room for respite. “As usual, the guest vocalists were all chosen out of friends, people we’ve known for years or got to know in the last years, toured with, or have a connection with. Hal from Engulf was also picked since I did a guest spot on their record and loved his vocals. The guys from Ingested, Carcosa, Ov Sulfur were people that we toured with last year. We also go way back with Archspire, Despised Icon, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Cryptopsy. Being able to collaborate with all these great artists is such a privilege and made the process all the more exhilarating since each of them bring their own flavour to the mix. The enthusiasm of everyone involved definitely shines through to the final product and adds yet another layer of depth to the listening experience of the album,” commented Sven, and if you want to show Aborted your utmost support and admiration you can check out what the band is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, stream more of their music on Spotify, and of course purchase the imposing Vault of Horrors by clicking HERE or HERE. In other words, let’s see if you have what it takes to face the brutality, gore and evil found inside the vault of horrors by one of the leaders of the current extreme music scene worldwide.
Best moments of the album:Brotherhood of Sleep, Death Cult, Insect Politics and The Shape of Hate.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 Nuclear Blast
Track listing 1. Dreadbringer 5:30
2. Condemned to Rot 2:56
3. Brotherhood of Sleep 3:55
4. Death Cult 3:40
5. Hellbound 4:47
6. Insect Politics 1:44
7. The Golgothan 4:19
8. The Shape of Hate 4:17
9. Naturom Demonto 4:03
10. Malevolent Haze 4:53
Band members Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Daníel Máni Konráðsson – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums
Guest musicians Ben Duerr – vocals on “Dreadbringer”
Francesco Paoli – vocals on “Condemned to Rot”
Johnny Ciardullo – vocals on “Brotherhood of Sleep”
Matt McGachy – vocals on “Hellbound”
Jason Evans – vocals on “Insect Politics”
Hal Microutsicos – vocals on “The Golgothan”
Oliver Rae Aleron – vocals on “The Shape of Hate”
David Simonich – vocals on “Naturom Demonto”
Ricky Hoover – vocals on “Malevolent Haze”
Alex Erian – vocals on “Death Cult”
Spencer Creaghan – synthesizers
Nothing can stand in the way of the Metal Gods as they raise the invincible shield of Heavy Metal.
Faster than a bullet, the unstoppable Judas Priest are back in action stronger than ever, raising the invincible shield in the name of Heavy Metal in their nineteenth studio opus, the masterpiece titled Invincible Shield, the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2018 album Firepower. Produced by Andy Sneap at Backstage Recording Studios, and displaying an incendiary artwork by Mark Wilkinson (Marillion, Fish, Iron Maiden), Invincible Shield offers the listener 11 breathtaking tracks of pure, unfiltered Heavy Metal (or 14 if you go for the deluxe edition of the album) masterfully brought into being by the Metal God Rob Halford on vocals, Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner on the guitars, Ian Hill on bass, and Scott Travis on drums, positioning it as a must-listen for any fan of heavy music, and as the most serious contender for album of the year. Well, to be honest, it will be the album of the year, and yes, Invincible Shield is THAT good.
Panic Attack, the first single released back in October, kicks off the album on a high and metallic note, with Halford sounding tight as ever with his high-pitched, soaring screams while always supported by the crisp and incendiary instrumental pieces from his bandmates. Then we have the pulverizing The Serpent and the King, and I honestly don’t know how a 72-year-old vocalist can still deliver these pure metal lyrics with such a high level of power (“Idols to their worlds / Manifesting anger, / Conjurers of evil times! / We can sense the danger! / They claim every soul, / Show you who’s the leader! / Bow before iconoclasts, / Creators of disaster!”), resulting in a lecture in classic Judas Priest offering us all endless heaviness, fire, epicness, speed and fury; whereas the title-track Invincible Shield takes us back to their Ram It Down, Painkiller and Defenders of the Faith times, or in other words, it’s another flawless blast of razor-edged riffs and solos by Glenn and Richie, while Scott hammers his drums as usual for our total delight. Devil in Disguise is an imposing, heavy-as-hell metal hymn where Halford keeps distilling his unparalleled vocals while Ian and Scott make sure the earth trembles with their massive bass and drums, respectively; and the party has no time to end as their rockin’ vein pulses harder than ever in Gates of Hell, where Richie sounds majestic on the guitars as usual (as well as throughout the entire album), followed by Crown of Horns, another one of the singles released prior to the album launch, a more cadenced Hard Rock composition focusing on the melodic vocals by Rob.
Their metallic engine keeps roaring loud in As God Is My Witness, where Scott takes the lead with his classic beats accompanied by the slashing riffage by Glenn and Richie, and I would definitely love to see them playing this one live, whereas in Trial by Fire the band offers more of their darkly poetic lyrics (“Burden of guilt / Branded a liar / Falsely accused / Trial by firе / Committed no crime / In my innocence / I have endured / Trial by fire”) amidst a somber, headbanging sound perfect for their live performances. It’s then time for Ian to smash his bass in Escape from Reality, generating a reverberating atmosphere before Rob comes ripping in a song that reminds me of his time with the awesome Fight. In Sons of Thunder the name of the song says it all, blasting our ears with a Heavy Metal extravaganza led by Richie and Glenn’s blazing riffs while Rob continues to hypnotize us all with his purely metal vocals, sounding like a song taken directly from the 80’s; and closing the regular version of the album we have the horn-raising tune Giants in the Sky, again presenting their trademark riffs and beats, therefore providing Rob with everything he needs to shine on vocals. And if you’re a true metalmaniac and go for the deluxe edition of the album you’ll be treated to three amazing bonus tracks (also released on a bonus 7″ EP sold separately and included in promotional bundles), with all three songs being great and making the extra investment in the special edition totally worth it, with an honorable mention to Fight of Your Life for being the most emotional of those.
Judas Priest Invincible Shield The Complete Bundle
This flawless hurricane of Heavy Metal is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you can purchase your favorite copy of it and put a huge smile on the faces of the Metal Gods by clicking HERE (including the insane Invisible Shield The Complete Bundle). Also, don’t forget to follow the Metal Gods on Facebook and on Instagram for all things Judas Priest, including their unmatched live concerts, which is something every decent person on earth should experience at least once in their lives. Nothing can stand in the way of Judas Priest as they raise the invincible shield of Heavy Metal in their brilliant new album, a masterpiece that in my humble opinion is their best effort since Painkiller, and an album that will surely reverberate to all four corners of the earth, spreading some Heavy Metal magic for the absolute delight of us all, mere mortal metalheads, as we praise the Metal Gods for all eternity.
Best moments of the album:The Serpent and the King, Invincible Shield, Gates of Hell, As God Is My Witness and Sons of Thunder.
Worst moments of the album: None, of course.
Released in 2024 Sony Music
Track listing 1. Panic Attack 5:25
2. The Serpent and the King 4:19
3. Invincible Shield 6:21
4. Devil in Disguise 4:44
5. Gates of Hell 4:37
6. Crown of Horns 5:45
7. As God Is My Witness 4:35
8. Trial by Fire 4:21
9. Escape from Reality 4:24
10. Sons of Thunder 2:58
11. Giants in the Sky 5:03
Deluxe Edition / 7” bonus tracks 12.Fight of Your Life 4:15
13.Vicious Circle 3:00
14.The Lodger 3:46
Band members
Rob Halford – vocals
Glenn Tipton – guitar
Richie Faulkner – guitar
Ian Hill – bass guitar
Scott Travis – drums
One of the pillars of German Power Metal took the city of Toronto by storm for the first time ever to celebrate their headbanging, hellraising 40 years of career.
Monday night was simply perfect in Toronto, with no snow or rain, lots of sunshine with temperatures above +10oC, very little traffic, and of course a lecture in Heavy and Power Metal at Lee’s Palace as C.O.P. UK and RAGE kicked off the Canadian leg of their 40 Years in RAGE – 4 Decades of Heavy Metal Tour 2024, celebrating four decades of one of the most important bands to ever arise from the German Power Metal scene. Brought to Canada by Lucky Bob Music Agency, it’s somehow weird that Rage are only playing in Canada and not in the US (which is why there was even a guy from Michigan who drove eight hours to see the show here in Toronto), and I don’t know exactly how the promotion of the tour was done because the crowd was much smaller than expected. Maybe because it was a Monday, the worst day in the world for anything as Garfield would say, or maybe tons of fans had zero idea Rage was playing in the city for the first time ever (and I saw some comments online from fans in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec complaining about the lack of information about the tour). Anyway, the concert was fantastic, as well as the sick photos taken this time by my friend Ryan Miles Leblanc.
After a HUGE delay for the doors to open due to some technical difficulties, as apparently they didn’t have an adapter to convert something from EU to Canada, Sheffield, England-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act C.O.P. UK, or Crimes Of Passion if you prefer, hit the stage at around 9:30pm for a solid performance to warm up the fans at the venue for Rage. Formed in 2005, the band led by the charismatic vocalist Dale Radcliffe distilled a traditional blend of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock with hints of Glam and Hair Metal, with songs like Love Is To Die For and Catch Me If You Can sounding amazing live, plus their electrifying cover version for Journey’s classic Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), which in Dale’s words, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know them, everyone loves a little bit of Journey. I was impressed with the band and just wish they had more releases available for streaming everywhere, because for example on Spotify you can only find their 2018 EP Keep on Moving. Their music is awesome and they deserve more attention from all of us metalheads not only in Canada, but anywhere where good music is appreciated.
Setlist
The Core
My Blood
Love Is To Die For
Body & Soul
Stranger Than Fiction
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Journey cover)
Catch Me If You Can
God Made Me Your Angel
Band members
Dale Radcliffe – vocals
Jean Bormann – guitars
Henning Wanner – keyboards
Scott Jordan – bass
Kev Tonge – drums
It was already 10:30pm, which is really late for any show to start in Toronto by the way, when German Power Metal titans RAGE kicked off their flawless performance on stage, obviously led by the iconic Peter “Peavy” Wagner on vocals and bass, supported by Jean Bormann on the guitars (and yes, he’s the same guitarist from C.O.P. UK, but I think he was just supporting C.O.P. UK as his main band is Rage), and Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos on drums. And let me say it was a dream come true for all Torontonian fans of the band who attended the concert because their celebration of 40 years indeed included songs from their entire and vast career, kicking things of with the excellent Resurrection Day and going through all of their albums, with songs like Solitary Man, Black in Mind, Back in Time and My Way inspiring everyone for some good headbanging and fist raising. I personally think Peavy’s microphone was a bit low, but even so it was amazing to see his raspy, loud vocals permeating the air at Lee’s Palace Monday night.
One of my favorite songs of the night, and probably also of most fans at the venue, was undoubtedly End of All Days, and it was visible how some dudes in the crowd were having the time of their lives while the trio kept kicking some serious ass on stage during such masterpiece. My only “complaint” about their setlist was not seeing the darkly beautiful “From the Cradle to the Grave” live, as it was replaced with their new song Under a Black Crown (from their upcoming album Afterlifelines, to be released on March 29 this year), but the new song is also amazing, you know what I mean? Well, Peavy even mentioned during the show that they had over 100 songs to create their setlist (all available on Spotify, by the way), a tough job for them, but a pleasure for all of us when the setlist comes together. An when you end a concert with the pulverizing Don’t Fear the Winter and the all-time classic Higher Than the Sky, you know how happy your fans will be. Hopefully the lower-than-expected attendance won’t stop Rage form coming back to Toronto in the near future, because after seeing what Peavy and the boys are capable of Monday night, I must say the city of Toronto needs another blast of their Teutonic Power Metal.
Setlist Memento Vitae (Overture) Resurrection Day
Great Old Ones
Solitary Man
Nevermore
Black in Mind
Refuge
Back in Time
Shadow Out of Time
My Way
End of All Days
A New Land
Encore:
Under a Black Crown
Don’t Fear the Winter
Higher Than the Sky Tomorrow’s Yesterday (Instrumental)
Band members
Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass
Jean Bormann – guitars
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos – drums
Putting a foot back into the roots of the band’s inception, these American veterans return to the battlefield with their striking fourth full-length opus, turning the failure of all into first-class Thrash and Groove Metal.
Putting a foot back into the roots of the band’s inception, New Orleans, Louisiana’s own Thrash Metal veterans Exhorder return to the battlefield with their striking fourth full-length opus, titled Defectum Omnium, the Latin phrase for “the failure of all”. Produced by the band itself, mixed by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by Travis Smith of Seempieces Design Studio, the album is highly recommended for fans of Dark Angel, Nuclear Assault, Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, Machine Head, and Pantera, among others, with the band currently formed of Kyle Thomas on vocals and guitars, Jason Viebrooks on bass, and Sasha Horn on drums now being joined by former Cannibal Corpse heavyweight guitarist Pat O’Brien, just to give their sound an even edgier and more austere taste.
Let’s slam into the pit like true metalmaniacs to the sound of Wrath of Prophecies, a Pantera-infused onrush of thrashing sounds led by the piercing riffs by Kyle and Pat, kicking things off in an amazing way, followed by Under the Gaslight, a more cadenced, Groove Metal-ish tune by Exhorder recommend for some vigorous headbanging to the massive beats by Sasha and the always visceral roars by Kyle. Forever and Beyond Despair offers us then absolutely acid lyrics (“Designs of murder ending all / Last call, then curfew comes / Take your meds and go / The gods bring on the wars / Send the troops, let ’em burn / The girls will work butter churns, all pregnant with babes”) amidst a fusion of Thrash Metal, Hardcore and Punk Rock, whereas letting their Southern Metal vein pulse harder than ever we face The Tale of Unsound Minds, with Jason and Sasha delivering sheer heaviness and groove through their devilish kitchen. After that we have Divide and Conquer, another Thrash and Groove Metal feast by the quartet where their riffs and solos sound striking, meaning it should work really well if played live; and an eerie intro quickly explodes into the venomous Year of the Goat, a slamming tune that will invite us all into the circle pit to the rumbling bass by Jason.
After a slower yet still heavy-as-hell start, the band will will hammer your heads mercilessly in Taken by Flames, offering modern-day Thrash Metal overflowing rage and insanity, all led by the boisterous beats by Sasha; and get ready for over seven minutes of darkness in the form of Defectum Omnium / Stolen Hope, starting in a hypnotic way before the band comes ripping with a venomous mid-tempo attack, with the riffage by Kyle and Pat penetrating deep inside our damned souls. It’s then time for some pure American hatred flowing from all instruments in Three Stages of Truth / Lacing the Well, with their riffs, bass jabs and blast beats generating the perfect ambience for some wild circle pits and crowd surfing; followed by Sedition, bringing forward three minutes of savagery and brutality blasted by the quartet, once again offering our avid ears an overdose of dirty riffs, raspy vocals and demolishing drums, and they keep destroying our cranial skulls with their visceral Thrash Metal in Desensitized, where the enraged growls by Kyle walk hand I hand with the unstoppable beats by Sasha. Last but not least, they present another shot of their hybrid of Southern Rock with Thrash and Groove Metal in Your Six, feeling sluggish, dirty and inebriate until the very last second.
Exhorder are not in a good mood throughout the entire Defectum Omnium, and of course that’s an amazing thing when it comes to violent and frantic Thrash Metal. Hence, don’t forget to start following those American thrashers on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, to stream more of their wicked music on YouTube and on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase a copy of the incendiary Defectum Omnium by clinking HERE or HERE. The entire world as we know it has failed miserably, and that’s exactly what Exhorder needed as fuel for their fulminating new album, keeping the fires of heavy music burning bright while our rotten society comes to its inevitable end.
Best moments of the album:Wrath of Prophecies, Year of the Goat and Three Stages of Truth / Lacing the Well.
Worst moments of the album:Under the Gaslight.
Released in 2024 Nuclear Blast
Track listing 1. Wrath of Prophecies 4:14
2. Under the Gaslight 4:21
3. Forever and Beyond Despair 3:03
4. The Tale of Unsound Minds 5:01
5. Divide and Conquer 2:38
6. Year of the Goat 3:27
7. Taken by Flames 5:19
8. Defectum Omnium / Stolen Hope 7:13
9. Three Stages of Truth / Lacing the Well 6:46
10. Sedition 2:56
11. Desensitized 4:59
12. Your Six 4:28
Band members Kyle Thomas – vocals, guitars
Pat O’Brien – guitars
Jason Viebrooks – bass
Sasha Horn – drums
Guest musicians Rick Wartell – guitars
Bruce Franklin – guitars
Life is flesh on bone convulsing above the ground.
It’s time to spread absolute fuckin’ evil all over the world here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multi-talented metal lady of this month of March, and trust me, as soon as you know more about her, about her music and her art as a photographer, you’ll get addicted to everything surrounding her, musically and visually speaking. Owner of a fantastic voice, placing her among the best female growlers of the new generation, she’s the frontwoman for one of the rising forces of the metal scene in her homeland Portugal, inspiring us to raise our horns anytime she hits the stage with her incredible charisma, her looks, and of course her she-demon roars. Her name is Beatriz Mariano, the mastermind behind Portuguese Blackened Death Metal horde Okkultist and a fantastic freelance visual artist, and she’s ready to drink your blood and reap your soul to the sound of her devilish, furious creations. Having said all that, are you ready to face our demonic diva in this humble tribute to her music and her art?
Born on September 9, 1994 in the charming and always cozy Portuguese capital Lisbon, Beatriz has lived and breathed music since she was a little kid. “I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun! If this makes sense,” commented our talented growler in one of her interviews, complementing by saying what her family thought about it when she founded Okkultist. “When I told my family I was in a band they were accepting. They don’t understand the music though. When I first asked ‘do you wanna listen to it’ the first reaction I got was a fat ‘no’. But as long as I’m happy, they’re supportive.” In addition, her passion for the occult also started at a very early stage of her life. “I’ve been in love with the horror, occult and macabre aesthetic since a very early age. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ‘Courage, the Cowardly Dog’. I was hypnotized by the first horror movie I ever saw. I just fell in love. It just felt right. It was a calling.”
It was back in 2016 when Beatriz founded her infernal sonic cult Okkultist together with guitarist Leander Sandmeier (Toxic Room, Toxikull), making sure they were bringing into being something truly evil. “I remember us all sitting down and just saying ‘this shit has to sound evil. It had to bring people chills to their spine. Let’s make them hallucinate about Satan when our shit plays.’ We wanted a pit to hell to open up as soon as you started playing our album.” Currently formed of Beatriz and Leander alongside bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra (Aramaic, Godiva, Heavenwood), Okkultist released their debut EP titled Eye of the Beholder, in 2017, followed by the full-length albums Reinventing Evil, in 2019, and more recently O.M.E.N., in 2023, all available for streaming on Spotify or on any other streaming platform. One interesting fact about their two full-length albums is that both were released under the label Alma Mater Records, whose founder and owner is the iconic Fernado Ribeiro of Moonspell. “It started when Fernando and I were discussing some visual ideas and then I presented him to this project I was involved in, and he immediately sounded interested in us, even though we only had a few demos out,” said Beatriz about her partnership with Fernando.
Apart from being a sensational vocalist and performer, as aforementioned Beatriz is also an extremely talented visual artist who loves to focus on the most obscure side of music and arts in her work in general. For instance, she was responsible for the photography of the 2014 demo Hellbreaker – Demo XXIV and of the 2014 full-length album Midnight Steel, both by Portuguese Heavy Metal squad Midnight Priest; for the design and layout of Okkultist’s 2023 album O.M.E.N.; and for the photography of the 2016 album Black Sheep, by Portuguese Heavy/Speed Metal band Toxikull; and you can take a look at her entire portfolio by visiting her official Facebook page or her Instagram, or click HERE to get access to all links related to our amazing artist. “Actually, photography is my main activity. And not the band. I am in complete control over the band’s visuals. It just made sense. I first started working with self-portraiture when I was 15. I’m 25 now. And when I first suggested it to the band they immediately accepted it, also because they enjoy my work. There wasn’t even a question. I just took over,” she commented in an interview four years ago, as she’s now 29, about her life as a photographer and as a musician at the same time, but in my humble opinion I believe today Okkultist became her main activity (or maybe she’s able to magically handle both, who knows).
Her life as a photographer definitely deserves a more detailed look due to everything that impacts her as an artist, her creative process and so on. “I’m constantly researching visuals. Anything! From movies to pictures, comics, illustrations, nature. Even sounds and textures. I’m especially attracted to the experimental field,” she said when asked about her inspirations as a photographer. Furthermore, she mentioned that she works with both pre-arranged shootings, when she already has an idea and concept in mind, and more spontaneous photography. “Usually when it comes to editing, I always end up picking the pictures where the model is not posing. Those are the most beautiful and appealing shots to me, and will certainly turn out to be the best and more impactful images.” Also, although she doesn’t think there must be a story behind each picture, she ended up admitting that almost everything that she does has a meaning, a story or a concept involved. Her opinion about having to study photography or not to be a successful photographer also goes in line with her passion for what’s more spontaneous. “To be really honest, the best way to learn is through experience. Schools, classes, or whatever, will never be able to teach you something that only you can go through. You will only get the full experience by doing it, and getting to it, and that’s the most fulfilling and complete way to learn! I’ve done that since I was a teen, and things like that can never be taught. Sure, studies can give you a hand in it, but no one will ever be able to ‘teach’ you something that only you can live and absorb pure and raw knowledge from! I’ve learnt that way, and with all the memories and living experiences it’s more than useful, it’s priceless!”
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An admirer of both analogue and digital photography, which according to Beatriz herself is necessary to go through the full photographic experience, she used to work with a really nice gear containing a 7D, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which she used the most, plus of course Photoshop, but I’m sure right now she might have advanced to an even better gear and maybe an updated software. She’s always been passionate for photography, pictures and filming, but it was when she was in high school and one of her teachers, named Ana Paula Xavier, assigned a project using photography and Photoshop to her class that things changed, becoming an obsession for Beatriz, and she couldn’t let go off the cameras ever since, being highly inspired by French photographer and grand couturier Hedi Slimane, therefore helping her find her own artistic identity. And regarding her idols and influences in general, not only in photography, Beatriz considers herself a very weird person, quoting Beetlejuice to describe herself (“I myself am strange and unusual”). She loves everything around creativity, being able to express herself through something she can make with her own hands, and of course being a Heavy Metal fanatic with an unusual and bizarre taste. For instance, she’s a diehard fan of horror, mentioning Clive Barker, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento as some of her inspirations, but of course she said she’s the type of person that enjoys building their own stuff.
As already mentioned a few times, Beatriz is an amazing vocalist, delivering sheer malignancy and evil through her harsh growls in the best Black and Death Metal style. She used to be a lot more active on her official YouTube channel and on Vimeo before going all-in with Okkultist, but you can still enjoy a lot of amazing videos, cover songs and so on featuring our Portuguese she-wolf. For example, you can enjoy her covers for Summer Wine, by Lee Hazlewood, Texas Sun, by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Scavenger Of Human Sorrow, by Death, as well as countless videos about fashion, make up, music and so on, including an amazing one called Creepy Nun/Valak Inspired Halloween Make Up where she teaches how to make the perfect make up inspired by the mysterious nun character from The Conjuring universe.
Beatriz also mentioned once that she would love to travel the world with Okkultist and blast some “evil fucking music” everywhere, although she knows it’s really tough for any smaller band to tour financially speaking. “We are doing the best we can to tour. But as a small band that barely makes any profit, it makes it extremely difficult for us to finance big projects. But things are on the move!” I believe right now if you want to experience the fantastic music and performance by Okkultist you have to visit their homeland Portugal, which might not be a big country, but I’m sure you’ll get fascinated with its strong heavy music scene. “Portugal is really small, so you can imagine the size of our community, but we’re tight. I see a lot of support from bands to bands, from fans to bands, from everyone,” commented Beatriz, who truly loves her country for its beauty, proudly saying some of the most beautiful places in the world are in Portugal, while on the other hand she thinks the Portuguese music industry doesn’t have the slightest idea of how many great artists Portugal has, with those artists being crushed because the local industry will only give you your due value if you’re coming from another country. “I could go on and on and on about this, but I should probably shut up now. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”
Last but definitely not least, our beloved diva of darkness is also a tattoo aficionada (or aficionado, as I never know if this term has male and female forms), and she loves to talk about all the amazing ink she has all over her body. “My favorite tattoo has to be the Pinhead portrait. Hellraiser is my favorite movie, Doug Bradley as Pinhead was my ultimate man crush as a teen. No joke. It was also done by my favorite tattoo artist Hollie Pryce Jones. She did it in a 12-hour sitting, with a one-hour break total. She’s a killer artist, and an amazing human being. Love that girl to death,” commented Beatriz about her all-time favorite ink, but life is not all roses and flowers when it comes to tattoos. She mentioned that any tattoos on her hands are the most painful without any doubt, and that her least favorite tattoo are the three coffin nails on her right wrist, albeit not due to the quality of it. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is beautiful and done by an amazing talented artist called Bela Hilário, but the placement I picked is fucking dumb. Blocks the whole arm now that I’m trying to build a sleeve.” Having a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon prism on the back done by Pedro Santos, she said she’s certainly getting the Okkultist symbol tattooed somewhere in the future (if she hasn’t done so already); and that her list of favorite tattoo artists include Hollie Pryce Jones, Maksym Yakubchyk, Anrijs Straume, Felix Seele and Diogo Nunes. You should definitely check the work of those five amazing artists online, and who knows, maybe get inked with them just like Beatriz. Just be aware that it’s not going to look as good on you as on our screaming diva, of course.
“I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun!” – Beatriz Mariano
Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, the new opus by this american lone wolf offers the listener 25 minutes of blasphemy and depravity that live up to the legacy of Black, Thrash and Speed Metal.
Slaying the metal and punk underground with its own highly addictive brand of lust, filth and sleaze dating back to the band’s inception in 2003, Cleveland, Ohio-based Black/Speed Metal one-man cult Midnight, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Athenar (aka Jamie Walters), is back with its sixth full-length offering, titled Hellish Expectations, following up on the critically acclaimed album Let There Be Witchery, released in 2022. Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Hellish Expectations offers the listener 25 minutes of blasphemy and depravity split into ten infuriated, austere compositions that live up to the legacy of Black, Thrash and Speed Metal, setting fire to the underground scene while Athenar continues to worship Satan armed with his always irreligious and impure sounds.
Get ready to be crushed like an insect by the Punk Rock-infused Speed Metal by Midnight in Expect Total Hell, with Athenar delivering classic 80’s raspy vocals and electrifying riffs nonstop, followed by Gash Scrape, another harsh and visceral creation by Midnight that will surely ignite some fun mosh pits, with Athenar kicking some ass on drums while he keeps roaring and vociferating like a maniac for our total delight. Masked and Deadly keeps the album at a high level of animosity, although not as dynamic as the previous songs; whereas in Slave to the Blade we face a Motörhead-inspired sound that will drag us all into the pit while Athenar sounds ruthless on the guitars and bass, delivering striking riffs and rumbling bass lines throughout the entire song. And let’s keep banging our heads and raising our horns to that sweet trademark depravity from the 80’s in Dungeon Lust, with Athenar once again taking us back in time with his dirty guitars and inebriate vocals.
It’s pedal to the metal as Athenar and his Midnight will attack our senses in Nuclear Savior, again showcasing an amazing fusion of Hardcore and Punk Rock with Blackened Speed Metal, all spiced up by a thrilling guitar solo, and he continues his descent into the pits of hell with the blasphemous and frantic Deliver Us to Devil, with his Speed Metal riffage adding an extra touch of dementia to the overall result, resulting in what’s undoubtedly one of the best songs of the album. Then investing in a heavier headbanging sound, let’s break our necks to the raging Mercyless Slaughtor, where his Black Metal vein pulses stronger than ever; and once again inspired by the dirty Rock N’ Roll blasted by the iconic Lemmy and his crew we have Doom Death Desire, excellent for some beer drinking while Athenar hammers his drums in the name of evil, while F.O.A.L. offers one last explosion of raw, rebellious sounds by our multi-talented lone wolf, with its Speed Metal riffs walking hand in hand with the massive Punk Rock drums.
“It’s a knuckle dragger with a fat cutoff. Pure testosterone meat. Probably the most concise and straight to the point Midnight album to date, and all written in a weekend. The album was written on pure reaction upon leaving the studio after listening to raw tracks from the previous album Let There Be Witchery. The final mix of that album was good, but at the time of laying it down in the studio, I didn’t like what I was hearing and demanded a new leviathan of an album to be written that weekend,” commented the unstoppable Athenar about Hellish Expectations, which is by the way available from Midnight’s own BandCamp page or from the Metal Blade Records webstore, and don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram (because Midnight might be a one-man band in the studio, but Athenar surely summons some wicked musicians to join him on stage for some depraved concerts), and to stream his sick creations on Spotify and on all other streaming services. It’s always midnight in the land of Black and Speed Metal, and I’m sure you’re more than ready to raise your horns nonstop in the name of sheer blasphemy to the sound of this precious gem of the underground.
Best moments of the album:Slave to the Blade, Nuclear Savior and Deliver Us to Devil.
Worst moments of the album:Masked and Deadly.
Released in 2024 Metal Blade Records
Track listing 1. Expect Total Hell 3:29
2. Gash Scrape 2:18
3. Masked and Deadly 2:50
4. Slave to the Blade 1:51
5. Dungeon Lust 2:13
6. Nuclear Savior 2:38
7. Deliver Us to Devil 2:23
8. Mercyless Slaughtor 2:45
9. Doom Death Desire 2:16
10. F.O.A.L. 2:48
Forged in the fires of the stunning Quebec City back in 2016, the devilish five-piece horde Beholder, another amazing exponent of the current Métal Noir Québécois scene, is set to release their sophomore album, entitled Dualisme, the follow-up to their 2022 debut Arcane Subreptice and a huge improvement on their already solid foundations. Mastered by Patrick McDowall and displaying a sinister artwork by Khaos Diktator Design, Dualisme is a 35-minute assault of aggressive, up-tempo Black Metal with melodic, doomy passages which deeply contribute to its overall atmosphere, all masterfully crafted by Dan Mécréant on vocals, Pier-Luc Lavoie and Alex Bouchard on the guitars, Kéven Tremblay on bass, and Michel Murray on drums. “Both music and lyrics are influenced by orthodox black metal from the 90’s, with topics mainly dealing with luciferianism, history and occult philosophy. It has been a contemplative process from the writing to the recording. We feel like we reached a mature piece of art and feel extremely confident about it,” commented the band about their newborn beast.
Beholder are definitely a force to reckon hailing from the Quebec scene, and if you want to join their horde of the occult you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream more of their music on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of Dualisme from their own BandCamp page, from the Avantgarde Music’s BandCamp page, or from Sound Cave as a digipak CD or as a crystal clear vinyl. Raw and visceral, Dualisme showcases an excellent fusion of Métal Noir Québécois with 90’s Black Metal, and I bet you’re also going to have a great time listening to this sulfurous album.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 