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Album Review – Thunderor / Bleed For It (2026)

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Toronto’s own arena-rock Heavy Metal trio returns with their ambitious sophomore album, igniting the next chapter of their high‑flying saga.

Hailing from Toronto, Canada, Heavy Meta/Hard Rock power trio Thunderor ignites the next chapter of their high‑flying saga with the release of their sophomore opus, entitled Bleed For It, following up on their critically acclaimed 2022 debut Fire It Up. Produced by the band’s own JJ Tartaglia, mixed by Chris Snow, mastered by Kristian Montano, and featuring guest musicians Oscar Anesetti on bass, Anthony Pannozzo on keyboards, and Colin Grant on the fiddler, the new album by the aforementioned JJ Tartaglia on vocals, drums and keyboards alongside Jonny Nesta on the guitars, and Brycen Gunn on bass serves as the official soundtrack to “Thunderor The Musical”, the band’s ambitious rock opera production that debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2025. Its artwork captures scenes from the stage show, setting the mood for a sweeping tale of adventure, danger, and heart. Set in an alternate 1992, the story follows Bowen, a washed‑up musician and biker, who finds renewed purpose through romance and one last grasp at glory.

The trio wastes no time and kicks off their rockin’ adventure with Pump Up the Volume, bringing forward JJ’s trademark soaring vocals and classic beats and fills, followed by the title-track Bleed For It, another round of their striking fusion of 70’s and 80’s Hard Rock, with Jonny stealing the spotlight with his electrifying riffs and solos. As a huge fan of live concerts I simply love the title of the song Take Me to the Show, offering us all more of their killer Rock N’ Roll sounds. The band then fires a Thrash and Speed Metal-infused tune titled Get ‘Em Counted, inspiring us to start a nice mosh pit to the nonstop beats by JJ, and get ready to prance around the fire pit together with Thunderor in Cape Breton Home, featuring guest Colin Grant on the fiddler, also presenting pure Hard Rock flowing from Jonny’s axe.

In Streets of Fire we see Thunderor again deliver a high-octane amalgamation of rock and metal, setting fire to the atmosphere to the crushing drums by JJ and Oscar’s rumbling bass, sounding as upbeat as it is heavy. One Chance is another song that sounds as if was taken from a classic album from the 80’s, showcasing those awesome soulful riffs we all love so much; and we then face the cinematic interlude DreamQuest, which also feels it’s from a movie or TV show from the 80’s, before their quest comes to an end with In the Fire O’ the Heat, where they also bring to our avid ears elements from Progressive Rock and Metal (exactly what a Rock Opera needs to become truly fun). Not only that, JJ’s vocals and Jonny’s guitars are in total sync, keeping the energy flowing majestically until the song’s horns raising finale.

With improved vocals, bigger choruses, and a cinematic concept, Bleed For It promises to be the band’s most ambitious and emotionally charged release yet, recommended for fans of The Darkness, Skull Fist, Ghost, and Night Flight Orchestra. If you crave escape, adventure, romance, and danger, the band invites you to ride with them into the storm, and you can do so by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, sby streaming their music on Spotify, and of course by purchasing the album from BandCamp, from Boonsdale Records (Canada and worldwide), from Cruz del Sur Music (Europe), or simply by clicking HERE. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to bleed together with Thunderor to the sound of their newborn electrifying album?

Best moments of the album: Bleed For It, Get ‘Em Counted and Streets of Fire.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Boonsdale Records

Track listing
1. Pump Up the Volume 3:42
2. Bleed For It 4:04
3. Take Me to the Show 4:09
4. Get ‘Em Counted 3:19
5. Cape Breton Home 3:33
6. Streets of Fire 4:16
7. One Chance 3:40
8. DreamQuest 1:29
9. In the Fire O’ the Heat 4:19

Band members
JJ Tartaglia – vocals, drums, keyboards
Jonny Nesta – guitars
Brycen Gunn – bass

Guest musicians
Oscar Anesetti – bass on “Take Me to the Show”, “Get ‘Em Counted”, “Cape Breton Home”, “Streets of Fire” and “One Chance”
Anthony Pannozzo – additional keyboards on “Take Me to the Show”, “Get ‘Em Counted” and “One Chance”
Colin Grant – fiddler on “Cape Breton Home”

Concert Review – Anvil (El Mocambo, Toronto, ON, 04/06/2024)

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And Toronto had a night of incendiary old school Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll, courtesy of the most iconic metal band in the history of Canada.

OPENING ACTS: Devilwitch and Buffalo Bill

On a chilly but very pleasant Saturday night in Toronto, the city’s own Heavy Metal legends ANVIL returned for a night of classic heavy music at the old school venue El Mocambo, with supporting acts DEVILWITCH and BUFFALO BILL, inside their excellent main room curiously named “Under the Neon Palms”. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there as usual to cover the whole night, and I gotta say that even after 40 years on the road the most iconic Canadian metal band of all time still sounds sharp, heavy and melodic, proving why they are a must-listen for anyone worldwide who considers him or herself a true metalhead.

Although due to traffic I had to miss the first couple of songs by the opener of the night, Toronto-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act DEVILWITCH, as soon as I stepped into the venue they started playing the very first notes from Iron Maiden’s all-time classic Hallowed Be Thy Name, which of course won my heart instantly. Born and raised in Toronto, Mike Carbone (aka Ceebz) is an independent artist with a deep love for all things creative, especially musical composition and live Rock N’ Roll performances, and that passion was definitely translated to the stage Saturday night with a tight and inspired band supporting Ceebz (and I’m sorry, but I have no idea who those fantastic musicians are*), properly warming up a very good crowd for the upcoming bands. There’s some original stuff by Devilwitch on BandCamp and on Spotify; however, when Ceebz and his henchmen play live, they surely add some amazing covers to their setlist, including the aforementioned Hallowed Be Thy Name, Deep Purple’s Highway Star and, closing their show, a beautiful version for Ozzy Osbourne’s Mama, I’m Coming Home, dedicated to the memory of the undisputed, most badass, biggest metal fan in the history of Toronto, Walter Froeberich (RIP), with the back screen showing a sweet photo of Ceebz together with Walter. Simply amazing, and I’m sure if one day you have the chance to see Devilwitch live, you’ll love it.

Band members
Mike Carbone – vocals, guitars
Evil Tim – 7-string bass
Anthony Pannozzo – keyboards
Aaronik – drums

*Edit: Thanks to Keith and to Ceebz himself, I was able to get the band’s full lineup. Next time I promise I’ll do an even deeper research before publishing the reviews.

After a short break where everyone at El Mocambo (and I literally mean everyone) went for some drinks, another Torontonian attraction, Hard Rock trio BUFFALO BILL, began blasting our ears with an overdose of classic beer drinking, hell raising, Blues-infused Rock N’ Roll. Formed of Jorge Sousa on vocals and guitars, Will Shannon on bass, and Jeff Mastronardi on drums, the trio didn’t waste a single second and delivered the sheer power of the riff on stage, playing some amazing songs which, despite not knowing the name of any, sounded killer live, plus the fact they played everything at top volume. Well, as Manowar said one day, all men play on ten, right? You can listen to some of their creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, and keep an eye on their live concerts because they’re certainly a band that drives the energy of any venue up through the roof, always in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll. And after Devilwitch and Buffalo Bill finalized their incendiary warmup, we were all more than ready for some “metal on metal”.

Band members
Jorge Sousa – vocals, guitars
Will Shannon – bass
Jeff Mastronardi – drums

ANVIL

As the stage was ready to be hammered by the one and only Canadian Heavy Metal institution ANVIL, you could sense a different feeling in the air, something absolutely old school, fun and vibrant, taking us back in time to the glory of the 80’s. And the whole concert by the iconic Steve “Lips” Kudlow on vocals and guitars, Chris “Chirst” Robertson on bass, and Robb Reiner on drums was majestic, playing songs from their early days like Oooh Baby, from their 1981 debut Hard ‘n’ Heavy, and 666, from their 1982 masterpiece Metal on Metal, to present day tunes like Take a Lesson, from their 2022 opus Impact Is Imminent, all available on Spotify, by the way. Well, they kicked off the show with Lips getting down from the stage into the floor section during March of the Crabs, playing his guitar in the middle of the crowd (and right by my side, which was awesome), a very cool touch to their show proving how much they love playing live to their fans.

A few other songs stood out among their ass-kicking setlist, inspiring all concert goers for some vigorous headbanging and horns raising. For instance, before playing Legal at Last, Lips talked about the legalization of marijuana being the only good thing Justin Trudeau did for Canada. Do you agree with that? There was also a very nice story about one of his interactions with the unparalleled Lemmy Kilmister (RIP) during a Motörhead and Anvil tour back in the 80’s, and while Lips was telling the whole story (and sorry, you’ll have to see Anvil live if you want to know all details), I kept thinking how cool it must have been to tour with a brilliant gentleman like Lemmy. Also, during the amazing Mothra, Lips got a vibrator out of his back pocket and used it to play his guitar in three different ways, something only a band like Anvil can provide us with in Christ’s own words. And what can I say about the breathtaking On Fire? By far one of the best songs of the night, I must say.

In addition to the mesmerizing performance by Lips, I must say their bassist Christ was also insane on stage, with his crazy looks and wicked facial expressions, plus of course his first-class bass playing technique, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces. And let’s not forget the stone crusher Robb Reiner on drums, who delivered a soulful, powerful drum solo for our total delight, also pounding his drums nonstop during all songs, of course. The trio’s undeniable talent and energy made my favorite Anvil song, Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll, sound even more electrifying live, not to mention I think Lips should have renamed it “Bad-Ass Rock N’ Roll” and dedicated it to an unknown piece of shit who was farting his rotten soul out of his body during the entire night. Seriously, that guy or girl must have eaten an explosive burrito full of tainted refried beans and overloaded with rancid bell peppers, because his or her ass was definitely putrid. I told Keith I was about to call 911 because that person needed to go to ER to check if he or she was still alive. Anyway, back to the concert, of course an Anvil party is not complete without their all-time hit Metal on Metal, which again ended with Lips on the floor section (and again by my side) playing his guitar to his loyal fans, and after that he stayed among us to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” together with us while the house DJ played it. Really, Lips is one of the coolest dudes in heavy music, period. And whenever Anvil take your city by storm, you know what to do.

Setlist
March of the Crabs
666
Oooh Baby
Legal at Last
Take a Lesson
Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll
Winged Assassins
Free as the Wind
On Fire
Forged in Fire
Mothra
Bitch in the Box
Swing Thing
Ghost Shadow
Metal on Metal

Band members
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – vocals, guitars
Chris “Chirst” Robertson – bass
Robb Reiner – drums

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