Tag Archives: d.d. verni

Concert Review – King Diamond (Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, Mississauga, ON, 11/03/2024)

Posted on by
Reply

The city of Mississauga became a huge hospital full of metal freaks as the iconic King Diamond delivered a memorable performance full of melody, darkness and insanity.

OPENING ACTS: Night Demon and Overkill

If you live in the GTA and love Heavy Metal form the bottom of your blackened heart, I believe you were at the amazing Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto this Sunday for a night of pure heaviness thanks to NIGHT DEMON, OVERKILL and KING DIAMOND during their Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920 Tour 2024. Unfortunately this time we don’t have the awesome photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, only my crappy mobile ones, but that won’t stop me from reviewing such a memorable concert. However, before talking about the music, let me tell you how incredible the venue is. It was my first time ever at the resort and casino, and not only the place is absolutely stunning, clean and neat, but you also get free parking there, plus tons of excellent food and drink options. The theatre itself, where the show happened, is also perfect for theatrical performances like the one by King Diamond, and I would simply love if almost all metal concerts I go to happened there instead of any other venue in Toronto.

After filling my tank up with a nice combo at Mary Brown’s Chicken (while other fans were trying their luck in the casino), it was time for the openers,  Ventura, California’s own Heavy Metal brigade NIGHT DEMON, to deliver one of the most electrifying performances I’ve ever seen in my life for an opening band. Jarvis Leatherby, Armand John Anthony and Brian Wilson sounded even heavier and more thrilling than when they opened for Blind Guardian in the city a few months ago, blasting sheer awesomeness in the form of songs like Outsider, The Howling Man and Night Demon, with a fun circle pit moving fast in the middle of the floor section during their entire show. Jarvis even left the stage to play his bass right in the middle of the crowd, more specifically right in front of me (and I don’t have a photo of that for obvious reason), being the perfect depiction of true Rock N’  Roll. I’m becoming a huge fan of those guys, and hopefully soon Toronto will get a headlining concert by one of the coolest bands hailing from the current Californian scene.

Setlist
Night of the Demon (Demon song)
Prelude
Outsider
Screams in the Night
Obsidian
The Howling Man
Ritual
The Chalice
Night Demon
Lookin’ Out for No. 1 (UFO song)

Band members
Jarvis Leatherby – vocals, bass
Armand John Anthony – guitars
Brian Wilson – drums

All fans at the venue needed a lot of cardio this Sunday night as right after the devastating performance by Night Demon, we had the utmost pleasure of enjoying a slab of pure and violent Thrash Metal made in New York by the iconic OVERKILL, a breathtaking concert not recommended for the lighthearted. The unstoppable frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth alongside guitarists Dave Linsk and Derek Tailer, plus guest bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (as the awesome D.D. Verni had shoulder surgery earlier this year and unfortunately was forced to sit out of the current tour) and their new live drummer Jeramie Kling (a beast known for his work with bands like Inhuman Condition and Ribspreader), were ruthless during their entire performance, way shorter than I wanted it to be but as incendiary and brutal as any of their full concerts, melting our faces with new songs like Scorched and The Surgeon (from their beautiful 2023 album Scorched) and classic including Bring Me the Night and Ironbound. The show ended with the fun Fuck You, originally recorded by The Subhumans, with Bobby even joking about the Habs to the Toronto crowd, leaving us all eager for more of the thrashing anthems by the green, mean machine in the city in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
Scorched
Rotten to the Core
Bring Me the Night
Hello From the Gutter
The Surgeon
Ironbound
Elimination
Fuck You (The Subhumans cover)

Band members
Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth – vocals
Dave Linsk – lead guitars
Derek Tailer – rhythm guitars
Christian Olde Wolbers – bass
Jeramie Kling – drums

KING DIAMOND

As the night was getting colder and darker (but only outdoors, because the inside of the casino was amazing), Denmark’s own Heavy Metal entity KING DIAMOND kicked off his fully theatrical and mesmerizing mass for the delight of all admirers of his sensational career. It was only my second time seeing him live, the first being almost 30 years ago, and it’s impressive how he still sounds so heavy, evil and sharp after so many decades. His vocals in the first three songs Arrival, A Mansion in Darkness and Halloween (my favorite of the night, by the way) were insane, sending shivers down our spines in the name of our good old Heavy Metal. Add to that the flawless riffs and solos by Andy LaRocque, and there you have the perfect recipe for a true Halloween party even after Halloween was over.

In addition, the support of the multi-talented, gorgeous MYRKVR (aka Amalie Bruun) on vocals, plus the superb performance by the breathtaking JODI CACHIA who was spot-on with her dance moves and wicked expressions, only made the whole night even more exciting. She definitely deserves our full recognition for bringing so much energy to King Diamond’s already killer performance (and check the WHO section on her website to see what shirt she’s wearing, just to prove how badass she is). She was incredible every time she appeared on stage, period. And what to say about the energy flowing from Sleepless Nights, The Invisible Guests, or the closing song Abigail? King Diamond and his far-reaching falsetto screams are a thing of beauty, something that makes his shows truly unique, and if you’ve never seen him live don’t miss the chance if he ever visits your hometown. After the band’s stellar show some fans even got back to the casino for some post-concert fun, and I gotta say if I didn’t have to wake up so early the next morning I would have joined them for sure. Or maybe I should say I would have joined “Them”.

Setlist
Funeral
Arrival
A Mansion in Darkness
Halloween
Voodoo
“Them”
Spider Lilly
Two Little Girls
Sleepless Nights
Out From the Asylum
Welcome Home
The Invisible Guests
The Candle
Masquerade of Madness
Eye of the Witch
Burn
Electro Therapy

Encore:
Abigail
Insanity

Band members
King Diamond – vocals
Andy LaRocque – guitars
Mike Wead – guitars
Pontus Egberg – bass
Matt Thompson – drums
Myrkur – additional vocals, organ

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Overkill / Scorched (2023)

Posted on by
3

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

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

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

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

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

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

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Nuclear Blast

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

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

Guest musician
Michael Romeo – orchestrations