Tag Archives: deathcore

Album Review – Crypts of Despair / We Belong In The Grave (2025)

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Lithuania’s most infernal band is back with their third album, offering more of the their fierce, ruthless and ball-bustingly fusion of Dissonant, Blackened and Brutal Death Metal.

Four years after their demolishing sophomore opus All Light Swallowed, Kaunas, Lithuania’s own Death Metal beast Crypts of Despair returns with their third full-length installment, entitled We Belong In The Grave. Mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson, and displaying a funereal, grim artwork by Vainius “Anomaly” Česnauska, the new album by a now five-piece band formed of Jonas Kanevičius on vocals, Dovydas Auglys and Tautvydas Kartanas on the guitars, Simonas Jurkevičius on bass, and Henri Mäll on drums offers more of the their fierce, ruthless and ball-bustingly fusion of Dissonant, Blackened and Brutal Death Metal, being highly recommended for fans of Ulcerate, Replicant, Obscureviolence, Dead Congregation, and Saevus Finis, among several others.

The album kicks off with a beyond cryptic intro in We Belong In The Grave before Henri and Jonas decimate our ears ruthlessly armed with their demented drums and visceral roars, respectively, and after such a boisterous start it’s time to get even heavier and darker in Terminal Dais, with the riffage by Dovydas and Tautvydas sounding absolutely demolishing. Their brutality keeps flowing in Obliteration Of The Impure, where the band invites us all to headbang like demonic beasts nonstop; and their furious blend of Death Metal will hit us hard in the head in Expulsion To Purgatory, spearheaded by the vile, deep guttural by Jonas. Then we face Undisillusioned, which carries a poetic name for an unrelenting, no shenanigans Death Metal onrush by the best metal band ever from Lithuania. Needless to say, it will sound majestic during their live performances.

Seizures starts in a more obscure, atmospheric way thanks to the sluggish beats by Henri, while also presenting hints of Deathcore and Doom Metal added to its core essence. It’s absolutely heavy, despite never really taking off; and the band gets back on track in Precipitous, crushing our damned souls with their ruthless sounds, with Jonas barking like a rabid beast accompanied by the metallic riffs by Dovydas and Tautvydas. There’s still time for more heaviness and violence in the form of Gaze Of The Adversary, with Simonas blasting his bass alongside Henri and his pounding beats, all spiced up by Jonas’ deep gnarls and a beyond grim atmosphere, before the album ends with the epic instrumental outro Burial Of The World, dragging us all to absolute darkness together with the band for all eternity.

In a nutshell, We Belong In The Grave is a bold step ahead for Crypts of Despair, maintaining the band’s high standards while updating the sound for maximum impact and utter devastation, and you can put your damned hands on such an amazing album of extreme music made in Lithuania by purchasing it from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ Bandcamp, main store, US store, or EU store. Don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, and to click HERE for all things Crypts of Despair, including their tour dates. As we all belong in the grave, Crypts of Despair definitely belong amongst the cream of the European Death Metal elite based on the high quality of the music found in their new album, carving their name in the scene worldwide and, consequently, leaving us eager for more Lithuanian brutality in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Terminal Dais, Undisillusioned and Gaze Of The Adversary.

Worst moments of the album: Seizures.

Released in 2025 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. We Belong In The Grave 5:05
2. Terminal Dais 4:29
3. Obliteration Of The Impure 4:24
4. Expulsion To Purgatory 4:19
5. Undisillusioned 3:48
6. Seizures 4:07
7. Precipitous 3:11
8. Gaze Of The Adversary 3:11
9. Burial Of The World 2:07

Band members
Jonas Kanevičius – vocals
Dovydas Auglys – guitars
Tautvydas Kartanas – guitars
Simonas Jurkevičius – bass
Henri Mäll – drums

Concert Review – Aborted (The Axis Club, Toronto, ON, 02/25/2025)

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The night the earth shook in Toronto, courtesy of four of the heaviest bands of the current Death Metal scene worldwide.

OPENING ACTS: NecroticGoreBeast, PeelingFlesh and Ingested

In all seriousness, I think an earthquake hit Toronto this Tuesday night when NECROTICGOREBEAST, PEELINGFLESH, INGESTED and ABORTED took the city by storm with their ruthless, infernal Terrifying North America Tour 2025 at an almost sold out The Axis Club, another ass-kicking event brought to us metalheads by the iconic Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. As a matter of fact, the original plan was to have the formidable Stabbing as the first band on the bill during the entire tour, but unfortunately they couldn’t make it (for reasons beyond my knowledge). Their replacement for most of the tour is Extermination Dismemberment, while in Toronto (and in the other Canadian dates) we got the demented Canadian squad known as NecroticGoreBeast. I would love to have seen Stabbing AND Extermination Dismemberment AND NecroticGoreBeast together with PeelingFlesh, Ingested and Aborted, turning it into a massive festival of sheer brutality, but it is what it is and I can’t complain at all about any of the bands on the bill; quite the contrary, all four bands destroyed us all, and once again I have no idea how photographers like Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi manage to take photos in the middle of an endless mosh pit when there’s no barrier nor any security to protect them.

Precisely one hour after the doors opened to the crowd, Montreal, Quebec’s own Slam/Brutal Death Metal outfit NECROTICGOREBEAST kicked off the festivities with an overdose of heaviness and brutality, basing their setlist on their demolishing 2023 opus Repugnant (available on Spotify or on any other streaming service). The Axis Club in Toronto is commonly known as a nightclub, which means their sound system can go absolutely wild on bass, and that’s exactly what happened during the entire night starting with NecroticGoreBeast. The whole place was trembling as if there was an earthquake going on, and the crowd was going mental inside the pit. Vocalist John Mayer was bestial armed with his mic, and as after the night was over I could see several fans wearing the band’s hoodie it was a clear a sign the city loved their live performance, which means it won’t take long for them to return to Toronto.

Band members
John Mayer – vocals
Michael Chamberland – guitars
Alexandre Brochu – bass
JP Bouchard – drums

It was when the clock hit 7:45pm that the city of Toronto felt the strongest seismic activity of the entire night. I’m talking about the demented performance by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Slam/Brutal Death Metal/Hardcore creature PEELINGFLESH, who looked like their mission was to demolish the entire venue with one of the heaviest shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Their frontman Damonteal Harris is simply amazing, perfectly leading his henchmen and the crowd with his sick pig squeals, fry vocals, and “gangsta” dance moves, driving the entire venue wild during their undisputed performance. The songs played from their 2024 album The G Code, those being The Fuckening, Shoot 2 Kill and Perc 3000, all available on Spotify by the way, sounded even heavier and more demonic live, all boosted by the beyond thunderous kitchen by Austin Hirom and Joe Pelleter. In other words, if PeelingFlesh ever play in your city or town, do not miss the chance of seeing one of the heaviest bands of the current slam scene worldwide. They are absolutely fantastic live.

Setlist
Nefarious Moongrass
The Fuckening
Mr Nasty Time
12 Gauge Autopsy
Matar a palos
Midnight
Intro
Shoot 2 Kill
Perc 3000
F.F.W.A.S
Outro

Band members
Damonteal Harris – vocals
Mychal Soto – guitars
Jason Parrish – guitars
Austin Hirom – bass
Joe Pelleter – drums

Basically almost any band in the world who had to play after PeelingFlesh would have had a hard time topping their sick performance, but of course when the band in question is Manchester, UK’s own Slam/Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore icons INGESTED you can expect at least the same level of savagery and gore. After the unexpected departure of frontman Jason Evans late 2024, Josh Davies, vocalist of UK Deathcore band Malice and former vocalist of fellow UK Deathcore band Monasteries, became the man responsible for the band’s vocal duties, and he did a pretty good job live in Toronto. The only two things that bothered me regarding their concert were the lack of any songs from their 2024 album The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams, and the fact that although it had been announced that touring musicians Andrew Virrueta and Thomas O’Malley had joined the band as full-time band members, they simply weren’t there.

Yes, it was only Josh plus guitarist Sean Hynes and drummer Lyn Jeffs, which looked weird, but their heaviness was there intact. Their new single Altar of Flesh (available on BandCamp and on Spotify) sounded demented live, inspiring all concert goers to bang their heads nonstop, plus all circle pits, crowd surfing, and a massive wall of death, proving Ingested are still alive and kicking even after such an impactul change in their line up with the new frontman. I’m sure they would have sounded even more imposing and vile with Andrew and Thomas, but they were absolutely professional and put their hearts and souls into the show even being two men down. Let’s see what the future holds for Ingested with their (most probably) upcoming full album with Josh on vocals, and hopefully that will guarantee another wild concert in Toronto in the coming months.

Setlist
Titanomachy
Endgame
Altar of Flesh
Impending Dominance
Invidious
Contorted Perception
Copremesis
Skinned and Fucked

Band members
Josh Davies – vocals
Sean Hynes – guitars, backing vocals
Lyn Jeffs – drums

ABORTED

Then after another short break, with most concert goers fighting for a spot at the smoking area outside (and holy shit, young people are smoking way too much these days), the main attraction of the night, Belgian horror-inspired Death Metal masters ABORTED, took the stage for another slab of sheer violence and heaviness, also making the venue shake and tremble as if the roof was going to collapse. It’s also very weird they no longer have a bassist playing live with them, with the last one being Stefano Franceschini back in 2023, but they also managed to cover the lack of bass with a lower, darker sound of one of the guitars. And what to say about their setlist? The new songs from their 2024 masterpiece Vault of Horrors sounded insane alongside their old classics, in special Brotherhood of Sleep, Death Cult and The Shape of Hate, all of course available on Spotify. Needless to say, the one and only Sven De Caluwé was a beast onstage, roaring, screaming, hitting his head with his own hands, making faces, and inspiring everyone for some wild action inside the pit.

I think Sven had a lot of time with the guys from Archspire during their last tour together to discuss different jokes, games and so on to make their concerts even more captivating, because it felt like a standup comedy show at times, including doing jumping jacks in the middle of one of the songs, and a “fart competition” between two fans, with the winner being a beautiful lady that was surely going wild in the pit, as she had gone up to the stage crowd surfing maybe twice before that specific game. After the band destroyed us all with the closing songs The Saw and the Carnage Done and Hecatomb, although everyone was extremely happy with what Aborted had just offered us all, it felt like their setlist could have been a little longer, with maybe two or three extra songs added at least. Well, maybe their goal was to leave us eager for more Aborted live in the city in the near future, because those guys love to be onstage in the name of Death Metal, and the demented reaction by the fans during their entire show proves they’re more than welcome to return to Toronto anytime they want.

Setlist
Dreadbringer
Retrogore
Brotherhood of Sleep
The Origin of Disease
Infinite Terror
Deep Red
From a Tepid Whiff
Death Cult
The Shape of Hate
Insect Politics
The Saw and the Carnage Done
Hecatomb

Band members
Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Daníel Máni Konráðsson – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Ken Bedene – drums

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Album Review – Hållbar / Nemesis (2025)

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Behold this excellent album of “Contemporary Black Metal” made in Poland, reminding us all that sometimes we are our own worst enemies.

Forged in the fires of Warsaw, Poland in 2023, Melodic Black/Death Metal horde Hållbar, a Swedish word that translates to “durable” or “sustainable” in English, is ready to crush our souls with their first full-length album, simply titled Nemesis. Self-recorded at Okrutnik Studio, mixed and mastered by Filip “Heinrich” Hałucha at Heinrich House Studio, and with artwork and design by Dariusz Barabaś from Seeg Design and Bartosz Rybitwa, the debut opus by Gosia Marczak on vocals, Przemysław Janusz Gracel and Jakub Bałdyga on the guitars, Bartosz Wietnam Mitura on bass and Sebastian Kredek Cieciera on drums brings to our avid ears a crossover between Black Metal and Melodic Death Metal with Deathcore-like female screams, or in other words, a unique belnd that the band likes to call as “Contemporary Black Metal”.

The cryptic, eerie intro Ambiguous Loss will darken our minds before the band comes ripping in Mental Apraxia, with Sebastian hammering his drums manically, offering Gosia all she needs to bark and roar like a true she-demon; and the guitars by Przemysław and Jakub exhale heaviness and sound as sharp as a knife in Face to the Ground, presenting a great fusion of Melodic Death and Black Metal. The title-track Nemesis brings forward obscure lyrics barked by Gosia (“You’re the hero of your personal myth / You’re an obdurate cancer running through my veins / You’re the buffalo with predator’s teeth / Nemesis! Oh! / Show me everything it is worth to die for / Nemesis! / Show me everything you just want to die for / Let them free!”), whereas Bartosz and Sebastian make the earth tremble with their metallic kitchen in the venomous Love/Hate Language.

After such a hurricane of blackened sounds, we face a more introspective, serene start in Fears, with Gosia gnarling deeply before all explodes into a headbanging extravaganza led by the massive drums by Sebastian, resulting in maybe the most Black Metal of all songs. The band continues to pave their darkened path in Voodoo Doll, another excellent option for some vigorous headbanging with the riffs by Przemysław and Jakub transpiring sulfur; and there’s no time to breathe as their caustic fusion of Death and Black Metal keeps penetrating deep inside our souls in Aposiopesis, while Gosia blasts an overdose of harsh roars in Tormentor, supported by the thunderous sounds crafted by her bandmates. Puppet String, the second to last song of the album, again ventures through darker lands, sounding perfect for some mosh pit action, whereas lastly we have Possibilities, a solid tune that puts a visceral yet melodic ending to the album.

“Nemesis is a tale of unprocessed experiences and emotions that, difficult and aggravating at first, eventually teach important lessons – stories of mental illness, codependency, perfectionism, patterns of unreflective behavior and loneliness. Nemesis is about each of us, because we are sometimes our own worst enemies,” commented Gosia about the band’s debut offering, and you can join the band in that never-ending fight against our inner demons by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to their YouTube channel, by streaming their music on Spotify, and by grabbing a copy of Nemesis from BandCamp or from DistroKid. We’re definitely our worst enemies in life, which is why we have high quality bands like Hållbar among us, to give us strength through their music to continue moving forward no matter what.

Best moments of the album: Face to the Ground, Fears and Aposiopesis.

Worst moments of the album: Tormentor.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Ambiguous Loss 0:41
2. Mental Apraxia 3:54
3. Face to the Ground 3:19
4. Nemesis 3:10
5. Love/Hate Language 3:47
6. Fears 3:33
7. Voodoo Doll 4:45
8. Aposiopesis 3:29
9. Tormentor 3:24
10. Puppet String 4:05
11. Possibilities 3:51

Band members
Gosia Marczak – vocals
Przemysław Janusz Gracel – guitar
Jakub Bałdyga – guitar
Bartosz Wietnam Mitura – bass
Sebastian Kredek Cieciera – drums

Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #1 (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, 01/25/2025)

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The iconic Hard Luck Bar in Toronto became a “metal ring” where four brave bands started wrestling for the undisputed prize of playing at the greatest metal festival in the world this summer.

INTRODUCTION: ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?

It was time to set this bitterly cold winter on fire in Toronto this Saturday with this year’s edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada, starting with Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #1 with the bands PURVEYOR OF CHAOS, UNKLE SKURVEY, ISCHEMIC and PILLARS OF AUTUMN at Hard Luck Bar, the first step for each one of those four bands to win the coveted slot at Wacken Open Air taking place from July 30 to August 2 this year in Wacken, Germany, plus $1,000 CAD towards expenses, and VIP camping at the festival. Not only that, they also have the opportunity to win monetary and gear prizes at the international Wacken Metal Battle. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such an important night for the underground metal scene in Toronto, and of course enjoy the music by those four amazing bands.

As a matter of fact, this year I was invited by the one and only JJ Tartaglia, responsible for Wacken Metal Battle Canada, and the vocalist and drummer for Heavy Metal/Hard Rock band Thunderor, to be one of the guest judges alongside Claus Nader (Futhark Records), Andrew Craig (Zombitrol Productions) and Ryan Hofing (Crimson Shadows). It was a true honor being chosen to evaluate the future of heavy music in Toronto, and I hope I did a good job to the point I get invited to this unique event more times this year and in all future editions of Wacken Metal Battle Canada. Having said all that, are you ready to rumble?

PURVEYOR OF CHAOS

The first band of the night was Heavy Metal/Hard Rock quartet PURVEYOR OF CHAOS, who hit the stage at 9pm armed with their heavy riffs and the soaring vocals by frontman Maxel Black. Playing songs form their 2022 self-titled album, which is by the way available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band did a good job onstage and put everyone to bang their heads and raise their horns in the name of classic heavy music, and I’m sure if they refine their sound a bit, maybe by adding a second guitarist to their lineup and making the sound of their drums clearer, they’ll have a much better overall performance during their future live shows.

Band members
Maxel Black – vocals
Bulldog Bess Ross – guitars
Tenbears – bass
Fast Eddie – drums

UNKLE SKURVEY

Right after a quick break, Heavy Metal/Hardcore outfit UNKLE SKURVEY delivered a fun and vibrant performance to a very decent crowd at Hard Luck Bar, sometimes sounding like a Thrash Metal band, sometimes like a System of a Down cover band, which was a bit confusing but in the end worked relatively well. The songs Covid Mosh, World War 3, and Next Generation, all available on Spotify, sounded great live, with frontman Ché Cleland’s energy and facial expressions adding an extra touch of insanity to their show. I personally think if they focus on the sound from the song Next Generation in their future releases, and add a second guitarist to the band, they’ll definitely go places.

Band members
Ché Cleland – vocals
Doug Noel – guitars
Stephen ‘Stiv’ Scott – bass
Sean Mollison – drums

ISCHEMIC

The third band of the night was most definitely the heaviest of all, blasting a dark and deep fusion of Blackened Death and Doom Metal not recommended for the lighthearted. I’m talking about the five-headed beast known by the name of ISCHEMIC, spearheaded by the talented growler Isabelle Tazbir, who melted our faces with their undisputed heaviness and obscurity. Having released the album Condemned to the Breaking Wheel in 2024, which you can purchase or stream on BandCamp and on Spotify, their performance was beyond fantastic, proving Isabelle and her henchmen are more than ready for bigger stages worldwide.

Band members
Isabelle Tazbir – vocals
Adam Korchok – guitars
Jon Radic – guitars
Lyndon Quadros – bass
Mrudul Kamble – drums

PILLARS OF AUTUMN

Last but certainly not least, it was time for Technical/Symphonic Deathcore act PILLARS OF AUTUMN to deliver a massive, electrifying, technical and very professional performance to the crowd at Hard Luck Bar, with all songs, in special their new single Crestfallen Emissary, sounding amazing live. I highly recommend you go check their music out on BandCamp and on Spotify, paying very good attention to the demented fry screams by Nick Young and the insane bass lines by Kevin Chan Kin Fung, as those two guys sounded brilliant during their set this Saturday night in Toronto.

Band members
Nick Young – vocals
Devon Groat – guitars
Carl Pike – guitars
Kevin Chan Kin Fung – bass
Doug Noel – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

…the Blackened Death and Doom Metal creature ISCHEMIC! Congratulations for the win! They now move on to the Ontario Final on March 21 at Rivoli in Toronto, and if you want to know more about the whole competition, the next rounds across Canada and so on go to the official Facebook page of Wacken Metal Battle Canada. Also, thanks to all media partners and promoters, including Bravewords.com, Metal-Rules.com, Metal Devastation Radio, Boonsdale Records, Asher Media Relations, and many others, for keeping the fires of underground music in Canada burning brighter than a thousand suns. I’m sure Ischemic will have another killer performance during the Ontario Final in March, and who knows, maybe they’ll be the ones to “rule them all” and venture through the sacred lands of Wacken Open Air in Germany this summer, proudly representing Canada at the greatest stage of all.

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Album Review – No Kings Allowed / A New Era (2024)

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Known for pushing the edges of modern metal music, this six-piece Symphonic Metalcore act is back stronger than ever with their sophomore album.

Mystery. Masks. Pure energy. That’s what Belgium and The Netherlands-based Symphonic Metalcore outfit No Kings Allowed is all about, and they’re back stronger than ever with a brand new album, titled A New Era, less than a year after the release of their debut effort Dethroned. Known for pushing the edges of modern metal music, this six-piece band currently formed of White and Gold on vocals, Red and Green on the guitars, Blue on bass, and Orange on drums isn’t just sticking to one style this time, uniting Metalcore, brutal Deathcore breakdowns, Hardcore energy, haunting opera-style vocals, and even a heartfelt ballad, creating something that’s way more than just a Metalcore album, drawing inspiration from bands like Slipknot, Sleep Token and Parkway Drive for both their enigmatic stage presence and artistic freedom.

The ominous intro Future’s Prelude sets the stage for this uncanny ensemble to shine in Prophecy, with Red and Green already slashing their axes furiously, inspiring us all to headbang nonstop, not to mention the vocal duo formed of White and Gold sounds in absolute sync. It’s then pedal to the metal in the rebellious Metalcore tune Stand Up, with all background symphonic elements adding an extra touch of insanity to their music; and investing in a more Avenged Sevenfold-inspired sound, the sextet offers us all Enemy Within, with the clean vocals by White overflowing passion and despair. In the title-track A New Era we have guest vocalist Valerie de Kempe of  Worlds Beyond, who makes an interesting vocal team with White and Gold by bringing her own touch of finesse to their music, whereas Lion Eyes lives up to the legacy of modern-day American Metalcore, with the striking guitar lines by Red and Green piercing our minds in great fashion.

After the futuristic interlude Extinct by Design, we’re treated to some Metalcore madness in the form of Laws of Extinction, Pt. 1, with the entire band hammering their sonic weapons nonstop led by the pounding drums by Orange. Their Metalcore feast continues in Laws of Extinction, Pt. 2, a bit too modern but still heavy-as-hell; whereas back to a more violent mode we have Violence, hence the name of the song, with Blue and Orange’s kitchen sounding beyond thunderous. Garden of Eden sounds darker and more symphonic than its predecessors, with its guttural parts giving it an extra kick; and let’s head into the battlefield together with No Kings Allowed in Rise Up, blending elements form Deathcore into their Metalcore essence while also displaying the always venomous roars by White and Gold. Despite its melodious guitar lines, I was expecting more from a song with such a powerful name like World War Now, but it’s still a decent composition by the band. On the other hand, in Scourge of the North they sound more Deathcore than ever, with their deep vociferations and hammering beats elevating the song’s aggression considerably; and Valerie de Kempe returns in At Every End, once again crafting a vocal paradox with White and Gold while Red and Green continue to deliver electrifying riffs until the very last second.

The entire A New Era is self-made, being produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by the band itself, as they wanted the sound to be raw and real, capturing their vision within the music. Hence, go check what they’re up to on Facebook and on Instagram, as sooner than you can expect you’ll be able to see those guys live on stages all over the world, stream their unique music on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of A New Era from their own BandCamp page, or click HERE for all things No Kings Allowed. Those uncanny, masked musicians are definitely going places armed with their new album, and they’re waiting for you to join them as they keep reaching new heights in the world of heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Stand Up, Lion Eyes, Violence and Rise Up.

Worst moments of the album: Laws of Extinction, Pt. 2 and World War Now.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Future’s Prelude 1:10
2. Prophecy 4:09
3. Stand Up 3:18
4. Enemy Within 4:19
5. A New Era 3:52
6. Lion Eyes 3:22
7. Extinct by Design 1:20
8. Laws of Extinction, Pt. 1 3:47
9. Laws of Extinction, Pt. 2 3:34
10. Violence 3:41
11. Garden of Eden 3:42
12. Rise Up 5:05
13. World War Now 3:17
14. Scourge of the North 3:49
15. At Every End 4:28

Band members
White – harsh and clean vocals
Gold – harsh vocals
Red – guitar
Green – guitar
Blue – bass
Orange – drums

Guest musicians
Valerie de Kempe – vocals on “A New Era” and “At Every End”

Concert Review – The Black Dahlia Murder & Dying Fetus (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 11/06/2024)

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***Review by Kevin Ibbitson and photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

OPENING ACTS: Vomit Forth, Angelmaker and Spite

On Wednesday November the 6th legions of local headbangers amassed in front of The Phoenix Concert Theatre located at 410 Sherbourne St. Toronto, Ontario for an exhilarating evening of sonic punishment and brutality brought to us by our good friend Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment with one of the best line ups I have seen this year consisting of headliners THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER (Michigan) and DYING FETUS (Maryland), supported by the bands SPITE (Bay Area, California), ANGELMAKER (North Vancouver, B.C.) and VOMIT FORTH (Connecticut), during their Beg to Serve 2024 Tour stop in the city.

VOMIT FORTH opened the show with some hardcore brutal death metal rife with brutal breakdowns whipping us metalheads into a frenzy, inciting a whirlwind of feet and fists inside some pretty gnarly circle pits, and from there on the crowd was on fire for the rest of the show. 8/10

ANGELMAKER was up next and they absolutely fucking killed it with an amazing set that impressed me tremendously. It was my first time seeing them live and I think they might be one of my favourite bands now. These guys should be headlining shows for sure. The crowd was mad with bloodlust during their set and everything ratcheted up a few notches with some of the craziest crowd surfing I have ever seen. Bodies were flying all over the place literally! And it was fun as fuck to see too. AngelMaker’s vocalists were so mind-blowing and the band sounded so friggin’ good. Seriously it was an epic set.10/10

SPITE had some mighty big shoes to fill and did not disappoint. They put on an amazingly brutal show and held their own among the giants amongst them, keeping the energy going, stoking the flames of the behemoth engine that we call a crowd. The crowd was absolutely nuts that night! Non-stop action on our side of the barrier. 9/10

DYING FETUS

Marylands’ brutal tech death juggernauts DYING FETUS were up next and slew us with a blistering set full of old school death metal chugging and brutal slams. Fetus’ sound quality was top notch and holy shit what a band! Trey Williams drumming was killer and Sean Beasley was beastly on the bass guitar. John Gallagher was on fire with the riffage and solos on guitar. Vocally, both John and Sean were on point. Dying Fetus are one of the G.O.A.T.s of the genre, an absolutely tremendous trio of a band. Sometimes old is gold. 10/10

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER finished off the show providing the killing stroke on the slaughter-room floor so to speak. The crowd got even crazier and one brave soul even dove head first with reckless abandon off the stage, trusting that the rest of the crowd would catch him and thankfully they did. Even before Dahlia got on the stage fans were crowd surfing in anticipation. To call it crowd surfing is a bit of a misnomer, it was more akin to midget-tossing (pardon the expression). The Black Dahlia Murder did not disappoint and put on a fantastic set full of old and new material which satisfied the crowd. Brian Eschbach brought some much needed levity to the evening with some of his crowd banter referring to Doug Ford taking him on a cocaine fueled bar-hop and seance to talk to his brother Rob. It was a nice surprise to see when I got home that The Black Dahlia Murder live streamed their set on YouTube, so I watched it again. It’s now a couple days later as I’m writing this and Nocturnal is still playing in my head. This was seriously one of the best shows of the year for me personally and I along with the crowd had an amazing time. Great show. 10/10

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Concert Review – Carnifex (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 10/22/2024)

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Metalheads from all parts of Toronto enjoyed a killer Tuesday night in the city, celebrating the brutality and energy of Death Metal and Deathcore blasted by five incredible bands.

OPENING ACTS: Heavy//Hitter, Organectomy, Mental Cruelty and Cryptopsy

What a wild night of love, friendship and collective tree hugs brought to the city of Toronto by HEAVY/HITTER, ORGANECTOMY, MENTAL CRUELTY, CRYPTOPSY and CARNIFEX during their Necromanteum Part II USA and Canada Tour 2024 at The Opera House, setting the circle pits on fire throughout the entire event. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to witness such a moshing party blasted by those five amazing bands, and although I had to miss Orlando, Florida’s own Deathcore unit HEAVY//HITTER due to work, as the whole show was a very early one with doors opening at 5pm and Heavy//Hitter hitting the stage already at 6pm, I highly recommend you go after their music as it’s freakin’ heavy and hits you in the face mercilessly, just like what the name of the band says. You can find their music on Spotify and BandCamp, and get ready for their brand new EP Moments of Misery out this November 8.

Setlist
(Unknown) (unreleased)
Paved in Blood
(Unknown) (unreleased)
Waste Of Life
No Mercy, No Remorse
Heaven’s Gate
Wall of Wax

Band members
Austin Hayes – vocals
Dane Loeprich – guitar
Chris Perez – bass
Josh Archeval – drums

However, I was lucky enough to get to The Opera House just in time for New Zealand’s heaviest band of all time, the demented Christchurch-based Brutal Death Metal squad ORGANECTOMY, who led by the infuriated, unstoppable frontman Alex Paul (and sporting shirts of their idols Cryptopsy, by the way) put on a fantastic show, crushing our damned souls and demanding us all to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. I’m a fan of all of their albums, I had seen them live once, but I must say their new songs Plague Mouth, Corpsethrone and Tracheal Hanging (all available on Spotify, by the way) sounded absolutely insane live, and I can’t wait for their next full-length album whenever they’re thinking about releasing it. After their show I went to their merch booth and got a very cool, high-quality beanie for a very decent price, and had a chance to chat a little with Alex about his music and his stunning country (as I was there recently on my Maiden quest in Australia and New Zealand). He’s a really nice guy, an extremely talented growler, and a hardworking musician, putting his heart and soul into his onstage performance. Having said that, don’t waste a single second and go check the music by one of the best bands ever hailing from New Zealand, and get ready to be smashed like an insect if you have a chance to see those ruthless metallers live.

Setlist
Concrete
The Third Mutation
Corpsethrone
Plague Mouth
Tracheal Hanging
Terror Form
Entropic Decay

Band members
Alex Paul – vocals
Sam McRobert – guitars
Matthew Bolch – guitars
Tyler Jordan – bass, backing vocals
Levi Sheehan – drums

The other band that I was utterly eager to see live again was Karlsruhe, Germany-based Symphonic Deathcore beasts  MENTAL CRUELTY, and let’s say their show this Tuesday night was way more explosive and fun than the first time I saw them at Hard Luck Bar, despite the fact the setlist was pretty much the same based on their most recent opus, the masterpiece Zwielicht (available on Spotify and on BandCamp). The band kicked some serious ass during their entire set, with their frontman Lukas Nicolai stealing the show with not only a flawless vocal performance, but his interaction with the crowd was amazing as well, with him getting on top of the barricade to sing together with the crowd and with a nice show of flashlights during Zwielicht, right before they blasted our minds with their best song to date, Symphony of a Dying Star. I also had a chance to talk to Lukas about Mental Cruelty, about the fact I keep trying to convince my German friends to listen to their music, and got a nice patch from those guys. Needless to say, the next time Mental Cruelty takes the city of Toronto by storm, I’ll certainly be there.

Setlist
Midtvinter
Obsessis a Daemonio
King ov Fire
Forgotten Kings
Nordlys
Zwielicht
Symphony of a Dying Star

Band members
Lukas Nicolai – vocals
Nahuel Lozano – guitars
Marvin Kessler – guitars
Viktor Dick – bass
Danny Straßer – drums

After a very quick intermission, it was time for the iconic Montreal, Quebec-based  Brutal/Technical Death Metal institution CRYPTOPSY (aka the “Kings of Hallmark Romantic Christmas Movies”) to simply destroy anyone who dared to face them inside the circle pit. What a bestial show by Matt McGachy, Christian Donaldson, Olivier Pinard and Flo Mounier, sounding one hundred percent heavy, enraged and evil from start to finish, with songs like Slit Your Guts, Crown of Horns, Open Face Surgery and Flayed the Swine (this one from their amazing 2023 album As Gomorrah Burns, available on Spotify and on BandCamp) demolishing our souls and melting our faces, all while Matt kept roaring like a demonic creature and headbanging in the best Corpsegrinder stile. Hell yeah, Canada has its own Corpsegrinder, ladies and gentlemen! Flo was also infernal behind his drums, proving why he’s one of the best of the entire genre, and his dexterity, fury and passion for heavy music inspired the fans to keep the circle pit moving absurdly fast. I honestly don’t know how I was able to catch one of the guitar pics thrown by Christian because the floor section was nonstop madness, but I can’t wait to see them again live and, who knows, grab something else like a drumstick next time.

Setlist
Slit Your Guts
Crown of Horns
Graves of the Fathers
Sire of Sin
Open Face Surgery
In Abeyance
Flayed the Swine
Phobophile

Band members
Matt McGachy – vocals
Christian Donaldson – guitars
Olivier Pinard – bass
Flo Mounier – drums

CARNIFEX

The last attraction of the night was also the one most fans at The Opera House (a mix of very young fans and way older metalheads, but still young at heart) were waiting for, and they didn’t disappoint the crowd at all, bringing forth a massive display of heaviness and hatred on stage. I’m talking about San Diego, California-based Deathcore masters CARNIFEX, who armed with their pulverizing 2023 album Necromanteum, available on Spotify, sounded insane on stage and, therefore, fueled some of the sickest mosh pits of the night. Vocalist Scott Ian Lewis didn’t stop screaming, barking and roaring, and I honestly don’t know how he can do that night in, night out without losing his voice, bringing even more fury to already furious songs the likes of Torn in Two, Graveside Confessions, Hell Chose Me and Heaven and Hell All at Once. It was total chaos until the very last second of Drown Me in Blood, and I must say I was very happy the show ended before 10:30pm as I had enough time to get back home and have a decent night of sleep. To be fair, if their show had been longer I wouldn’t have complained at all, because you know, first comes heavy music, then the superficial stuff like sleeping, eating and working, right?

Setlist
Torn in Two
Graveside Confessions
Dark Days
Necromanteum
Slit Wrist Savior
Crowned in Everblack
Lie to My Face
Hell Chose Me
Heaven and Hell All at Once
Dark Heart Ceremony
Hatred and Slaughter
Drown Me in Blood

Band members
Scott Ian Lewis – vocals
Cory Arford – guitars
Neal Tiemann – guitars
Fred Calderon – bass
Shawn Cameron – drums

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Album Review – Dragoncorpse / The Fall of House Abbarath EP (2024)

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This international Powercore army is back into the battlefield armed with a brand new EP, taking their already innovative, energetic sound to a whole new level.

Back into the battlefield and armed with a brand new EP entitled The Fall of House Abbarath, International Symphonic Deathcore/Power Metal dynamos Dragoncorpse took their already innovative, energetic sound, plus all feedback gathered from the release of their 2023 debut EP, The Drakketh Saga, to heart and used it to refine their approach in their new release. Produced by the band itself alongside Matt Schmidt, who was also responsible for all mixing and mastering, and displaying a killer artwork by Avellustration, the new EP by Mardy Leith on vocals, Kris Chayer on the guitars, Noah Nikolas Laidlaw on bass, Justin Gogan on drums, and Mark Marin on all orchestrations takes place in the space between “Sunlover” and “Blood And Stones” (both songs from The Drakketh Saga), offering a heavy yet very melodic sound perfect for admirers of the music by Dragonforce, 3 Inches of Blood, Nekrogoblikon, Lorna Shore and Brand of Sacrifice, among others.

An Introduction To [HEROISM] is a wicked spoken track that introduces the listener to Dragoncorpse’s realm of dragons, warriors and battles, exploding into the heavy and epic Welcome Home, where Mardy delivers his Deathcore-infused vocals supported by the riffs by Kris and the whimsical orchestrations by Mark, followed by I Live… AGAIN!, even more infuriated and heavier than the previous song, with the pulverizing beats by Justin inviting us all to head into the battlefield together with the band, showcasing a great balance between harsh screams and Power Metal clean vocals. A Quest For Truth starts in a weird dancing way, almost sounding pop, but quickly morphing into another Power Metal attack by Dragoncorpse with all background keys and visceral gnarling enhancing its punch. Then featuring guest vocals by Lauren Coleman we have Whisper on the Wind, a dark and enfolding ballad (if we can call it this way) that soothes our souls before their last metal aria titled Fear and Hunger, showcasing a venomous riff and bass attack by Kris and Noah while Justin keeps hammering his drums in the name of heavy music (and dragons).

“For new fans, I believe we’ve added more elements of deathcore and power metal while adding more excitement into the music for an authentic listening experience like no other band,” Noah explains. “We put a lot of emphasis on the atmosphere of the music,” adds Justin. “Throughout the entire EP there is a medieval theming that resonates in the music that keeps the tracks feeling refreshing and fun. With the addition of Mark on keys/orchestration, he brought with him a completely different approach to songwriting that I am sure fans are going to appreciate!” Hence, if you want to experience all that sonic madness brought into being by this multinational entity from Australia, Canada and the United States, you can purchase The Fall of House Abbarath from their own BandCamp, from the Shattered Earth Records webstore as a CD or as a vinyl, as well as by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, and to stream more of their music on Spotify, letting their Powercore invade your ears as you prepare to march into battle to fight dragons and, of course, to raise your horns to one of the most unique bands of the current scene.

Best moments of the album: I Live… AGAIN! and Fear and Hunger.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Shattered Earth Records

Track listing
1. An Introduction To [HEROISM] 3:22
2. Welcome Home 3:15
3. I Live… AGAIN! 3:55
4. A Quest For Truth 4:38
5. Whisper on the Wind 3:49
6. Fear and Hunger 3:59

Band members
Mardy Leith – vocals
Kris Chayer – guitars
Noah Nikolas Laidlaw – bass
Justin Gogan – drums
Mark Marin – orchestration

Guest musicians
Nick Miller – guitars on “I Live… AGAIN!”
Lauren Coleman – vocals on “Whisper on the Wind”

Concert Review – Fleshgod Apocalypse & Shadow of Intent (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 09/19/2024)

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***Review by Kevin Ibbitson, with photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

On Thursday September 19th, 2024, Toronto metalheads were treated to a hell of a show at The Opera House with The Black Opera Across North America Tour 2024 which consisted of five incredibly killer bands ranging from across the U.S.A, United Kingdom and Italy, in another amazing event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Disembodied Tyrant, The Zenith Passage and Shadow of Intent (U.S.A), Ingested (U.K) and Fleshgod Apocalypse (Italy). Having never seen any of these bands live myself yet, I was pretty excited for the experience. Before the show started I was invited to the side entrance where my photographer and brother Keith (of Metal Paparazzi) was chatting with Ingested lead vocalist Jason Evans. I was stoked at meeting him and was welcomed with a warm and friendly handshake. Jason was very humble and genuinely a great guy. We chatted a bit about England and where my family originated from and a bit about Premiere League Football until he had to get back inside. I was super glad to have met him and couldn’t wait to see Ingested rip up the stage.

The Opera House doors opened at 5:30 pm and the fans filed their way inside. Passing all the merch booths on my way in I couldn’t help lamenting the fact that I was financially tapped out from three previous shows earlier in the week and not being able to snag a couple of band shirts. I made my way to as close to the stage as I could get. Just a little off to the left side of the stage and hunkered down for the first band, Disembodied Tyrant. Not much is known about these guys other than that they will be big one day based off their recent collaboration with fellow band Synestia on their epic EP The Poetic Edda and Other EP’s The Divine Stigmata and Eclipse Pt.1 respectively. All killer by the way! The set started out a little bit slow as folks were still making their way in and the floor was only just over a quarter filled up. It took about two songs in for the floor to fill up and a mosh pit ensued. Disembodied Tyrant played a short set full of atmospheric symphonic deathcore riffs, astonishing drumming and the ghoulish vocals of singer-songwriter/producer/guitarist Blake Mullens. Mullens is a massive talent and I eagerly await anything he does next. Now that Disembodied Tyrant warmed up the blood of the masses it was time for Los Angeles’ own tech death masters The Zenith Passage to Fuck shit up.

The Zenith Passage took to the stage about 6:45pm without lead vocalist Derek Rydquist, but replacement vocalist/voice artist James Dorton (of Black Crown Initiate) filled in without missing a beat. It was almost as if he was always meant to be in the band. They put on a filthy display of talent with technical guitar shredding, nasty drumming and deep guttural vocals. The circle pits growing ever larger as The Zenith Passage played on inciting more and more insanity. Crowd surfing was off the chain. I was able to get to the front of the stage by then so I was able to take some decent pics with my phone. I had an absolute blast with these guys and I’m sure the crowd did too.

At 7:30pm Manchester England’s Ingested appeared from the fog and proceeded to break skulls. I was so excited to see them finally as my brother Keith has seen them before and told me they were awesome live. He wasn’t lying! Jason Evans was phenomenal, a truly great front man and he had the crowd in the palm of his hands. He made me find an energy inside myself that I didn’t know that I had when he ordered us to crouch down low and jump on his command. The crowd was bouncing around in a frenzy after that. The crowd surfing became even more intense and pits even gnarlier. They crushed us with every slamming breakdown and the crowd erupted with sickening glee every time Jason Evans barked out a staccato pig squeal. Ingested, who have recently released the excellent The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams, finished their set on a high note leaving us craving more sonic punishment. That was soon to come in the form of a shadow.

Now that the crowd was fattened up for the kill, Shadow of Intent was up next and took the initiative, bashing our heads in with an epic, brutal, punishing set. They didn’t hold anything back and just fucking killed it. To say that this band is good live is an understatement. They were so fucking tight. It truly was an honour to see them destroy. Ben Duerr’s vocals were so thick and nasty over Bryce Butler’s sick drumming. Those breakdowns were massive and absolutely disgusting. The pandemonium got out of hand at the end of their set as things got rougher and rougher in the pits until it spilled out into the front of the crowd. Nothing serious, just two guys shoving each other and it got squashed pretty quick as security broke it up super fast. The Opera House security had a busy shift that night with all the crazy crowd surfing and I got to hand it to them as they were friendly and professional while keeping the peace. As far as I know no grudges were held and everybody got prepared for the final act.

It took a while for the stage crew to set up as they have extensive stage props that add to the atmosphere and aesthetic of Fleshgod Apocalypse. What a perfect setting for an operatic theatrical experience than an opera house. Fleshgod Apocalypse, promoting their recent masterpiece Opera, look like they spill right out of a page from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and I dig it. The show kicked off with a flag waving operatic intro from Veronica Bordacchini and then right into some blood curdling death metal. Fleshgod is such a unique band that blends opera, symphonics with brutal death metal and add a little piano in there as well. Every member of this band is multi-talented and they put on quite a show. The connection they have with their fans is incredible. The crowd would intuitively burst into fist-pumping chants without any verbal cues. The band and crowd were both loving it. Fleshgod Apocalypse closed off the show with a bit of levity performing their cover of Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee) which felt perfect. All in all this was a great show. I went in not knowing what to expect and left as a fan of every single band. Shout out to all the metalheads there, you were great. Keep it up Toronto!

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Concert Review – Signs of the Swarm (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 09/01/2024)

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Simply relax and enjoy an evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with five amazing bands in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing.

***Review and photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

OPENING ACTS: A Wake In Providence, 156/Silence, Ov Sulfur and Cane Hill

An evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with even better weather than the last few concerts we have been to. Fall weather is much cooler and makes for a great comfortable concert without the hot humid stench of sweat . The smell of crisp air filled with pumpkin spice from every store along Bloor Street in Toronto is great and with that the venues are cooler in terms of air quality inside, making it a perfect time to take some awesome death and metalcore bands.

Lee’s Palace is the venue tonight where five amazing bands have come together to whip us up in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing. First band of the night is  A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE, aka AWIP, who has recently release the album I Write To You, My Darling Decay. Hailing from NYC this band is spearheaded by vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarist Dandre Tyre, bassist Anthony Adipietro, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny. I am not familiar with this band as its my first time hearing them and let me be honest I was not a fan of early deathcore but this band has got me listening to them. Awesome performance great music and a ton of groovy bass and drumming.

Our first short intermission while they switch up bands gives us time to check out the merch tables and gets some drinks from the bar, or just simply go outside and enjoy a smoke or the now legal weed. Next up is 156/SILENCE. Hailing from The Steel City of Pittsburgh, in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, this metalcore band consists of vocalist and bassist Mike Ernst, guitarist Jimmy Howell, drummer Zac Dranka and vocalist Aleks Pihl. They have a great sound and are tight, great stage presence and can get the crowd hyped up.

Another line change is happening and outside I go to chat with friends and other photographers, plus chatting to the promoter Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. I always enjoy chatting to Noel about his business and bringing the best bands to our city. The third band of the night was OV SULFUR. Hailing from my favorite place in the world, Sin City Las Vegas, Nevada, This band has been to Toronto this year three times and I’ve captured them every time  The first time I saw them was at the Phoenix Concert Theatre when they opened for some huge bands and they had me hooked. The band consists of vocalist Ricky Hoover, guitarist Chase Wilson, bassist Ding and drummer Leviathan. This deathcore band has a ton of energy and powerful delivery of sound, they will knock you into another dimension if not careful in the circle pits. If you have never seen this band I don’t know what you’re waiting for, get to a venue and see for yourself.

Another short break and CANE HILL was up; this band hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. This metalcore institution consists of Elijah Witt on vocals, James Barnett on the guitar, Ryan Henriques on bass and Devin Clark on drums. This quartet is also new in my listening experience and they are awesome to see live. Elijah is a great frontman delivering guttural and soft vocals while getting the crowd all horny, and by that I mean he was asking the crowd if they were horny or alive. I think the crowd spent a lot of energy on the first three bands and when he said that the crowd came alive again with circle pits and crowd surfers.

SIGNS OF THE SWARM

The last break of the night was much needed as the venue was getting hot from the near sold out venue. It was time for the headliner, another band from The Steel City area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SIGNS OF THE SWARM. This deathcore band is made up of vocalist David Simonich, drummer Bobby Crow, bassist Michael Cassese and guitarist Carl Schulz. They have five studio albums with the release of their fifth album Amongst the Low & Empty. This band gets better and better every time I have seen them and it’s been two times this year. Their performance on and off the stage is top notch, friendly people with great showmanship, and if you ever get a chance to see them live do it. Also, if you see them hanging out during their tour, strike up a conversation.

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