Tag Archives: deathcore

Album Review – Devine Defilement / Ruthless (2025)

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This ruthless Icelandic crew returns in full force with their third opus, stripped down of the melodic parts for more favorable “slam worship”, speed and brutality.

When you think of Scandinavia, let’s say that slamming and brutality aren’t the first things to come to mind. That’s until the Reykjavík-based Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore slam crew of Devine Defilement spewed onto the Icelandic scene in late 2016, drawing inspiration from a variety of Death Metal sub-genres and having concocted a brutal cocktail of groove, slams, blasts and ferocity that has made them a force to be reckoned with. Now in 2025 such an insane horde formed of Freyr Hreinsson and Ingólfur Ólafsson on vocals, Guðmundur Hermann Lárusson and Sigurjón Óli Gunnarsson on the guitars, Arek Alenjikov on bass, and Stefán Friðriksson on drums returns in full force with Ruthless, their third full-length offering, following up on their 2024 beast Age of Atrocities. Mixed and mastered by Floor VK at GLDCHN Studios, Ruthless is stripped down of the melodic parts for more favorable “slam worship”, speed and brutality, focusing more on the groove and amplifying what makes the crowd move, with its lyrics about murderers, neglect, suicide, cannibalism, and violence being tailored for fans of Ingested, Vulvodynia, Whitechapel, and Pathology, among countless others.

Human Sewer is a beyond bestial and devastating way to kick off the album, with Stefán’s stone crushing drums inviting us all to slam into the pit like a bunch of headbanging bastards, followed by Abusement Park, the perfect fusion of Brutal Death Metal and Deathcore, with the demented guttural by both Freyr and Ingólfur sounding utterly inhumane. Then the Cannibal Corpse-inspired riffage by Guðmundur and Sigurjón match perfectly with all haunting background sounds in Terror Tales, whereas massive blast beats and a striking guitar solo ignite the also ruthless Excreted Entity, with their monstrous dual vocal attack melting our faces mercilessly. Internal Delusions of the Torn Mind carries a very Death Metal name for what’s perhaps the most Death Metal of all songs, with Stefán demolishing everything and everyone that crosses his path on drums, while Pulverised Secretions is simply pulverizing from start to finish, with Freyr and Ingólfur unleashing their deepest, most infuriated growls of the album.

The two-part song “Anthropophagic Apocalypse” kicks off in full force with Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 1 Collapse, a slab of sheer brutality by this Icelandic squad spearheaded by the cryptic riffs blasted by their unrelating guitar duo, whereas Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 Lord of Flesh is another demonic onrush of Brutal Death Metal with symphonic elements, elevating the album’s reach and punch to a whole new level. Get ready to have your head smashed in the curb to the sound of Curbstomp the Predator, perfect for some “no holds barred” action inside the pit; and the infernal, metallic bass by Arek and the unstoppable beats and fills by Stefán will make the earth tremble in Draco Dominus, followed by the beautifully titled Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam, starting with a TV ad-like intro for some sort of “action figures” before all hell breaks loose to the demented vociferations by the band’s two-headed vocal beast. Lastly, the album ends on a dark and mysterious note with Beyond the Veil of Death, offering over five minutes of melodic yet hard hitting Brutal Death Metal with lots of Deathcore nuances.

The guys from Devine Defilement are eagerly waiting to consume your putrid body on Facebook and on Instagram, and you can obviously stream all of their vicious, demented creations on Spotify, and purchase a copy of the unrelenting Ruthless from BandCamp, from Time to Kill Records, or simply click HERE for all things Devine Defilement. There’s no better word to describe the music found in Ruthless than its own title. It’s a ruthless album, a putrid Death Metal and Deathcore attack made in Iceland, and once you’re caught inside their gory mosh pit, you’ll never see the light of day again.

Best moments of the album: Abusement Park, Internal Delusions of the Torn Mind, Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 Lord of Flesh and Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam.

Worst moments of the album: Draco Dominus.

Released in 2025 Time To Kill Records

Track listing
1. Human Sewer 3:46
2. Abusement Park 2:46
3. Terror Tales 3:09
4. Excreted Entity 4:10
5. Internal Delusions of the Torn Mind 2:54
6. Pulverised Secretions 3:51
7. Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 1 Collapse 5:08
8. Anthropophagic Apocalypse Pt. 2 Lord of Flesh 3:36
9. Curbstomp the Predator 2:10
10. Draco Dominus 2:27
11. Bio-Organic Liquid-Slam 2:45
12. Beyond the Veil of Death 5:49

Band members
Freyr Hreinsson – vocals
Ingólfur Ólafsson – vocals
Guðmundur Hermann Lárusson – guitar
Sigurjón Óli Gunnarsson – guitar
Arek Alenjikov – bass, backing vocals
Stefán Friðriksson – drums

Concert Review – Arch Enemy (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, 05/09/2025)

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The classy Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto became a huge circle pit this Friday night in a celebration of pure fuckin’ metal.

OPENING ACTS: Thrown Into Exile, Baest and Fit For An Autopsy

Only two days after absolute chaos and carnage in Toronto, the city was ready for another round of insanely heavy and vibrant music this Friday night, courtesy of THROWN INTO EXILE, BAEST, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and ARCH ENEMY during their North American Blood Dynasty 2025 Tour at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, another ass-kicking event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. This time I was able to arrive to the venue in time to enjoy all bands together with my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, and as expected it was indeed a celebration of pure fuckin’ metal with four fantastic bands that truly deserve our total respect, admiration and support for making the world of Heavy Metal a much better (and heavier) place. The venue selected for this concert was also excellent in my opinion, because not only it is a well structured one, but its location is also very convenient for anyone driving or taking public transportation, making our lives a lot easier and, therefore, saving our energy for the circle pits. And hell yeah, there were plenty of circle pits for our vulgar delectation.

Los Angeles, California-based Metalcore outfit THROWN INTO EXILE kicked off the festivities around 6:30pm, already setting fire to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with their pounding, unfriendly sounds. I must say the venue was way too empty for Thrown Into Exile, which makes me wonder if most people were still stuck at work, traffic, or some type of appointment, but that didn’t stop Evan, Mario, Austin Monzon, Javier Quinto and Tom Tierney from bringing forth an amazing performance, jumping up and down and headbanging nonstop alongside the crowd. You can check all of their sick creations on Spotify, including their latest EP Passageways (which was the base of their setlist, by the way), and whenever they schedule a show in your city don’t miss the chance of seeing those LA bastards live, because they kick some serious ass.

Setlist
The Forsaken
Caskets Beyond Creation
Desolation
Eternal Nothingness
You’ve Fallen so Far

Band members
Evan – vocals
Mario – guitars
Austin Monzon – guitars
Javier Quinto – bass
Tom Tierney – drums

After the short and sweet display of savagery by Thrown Into Exile, it was time for the also short and sweet explosion of pure heaviness by Denmark’s own Death Metal creature BAEST, who sounded ruthless and brutal onstage just the way we like it in old school Death Metal. Spearheaded by the iconic frontman Simon Olsen, the band nailed it with their infernal performance, with their new songs Colossus and Misfortunate Son, from their upcoming album Colossal (to be released on August 15) sounding amazing live. Furthermore, it was Simon’s birthday that night, which means that not only he got a happy birthday and a cake onstage, but he decided to celebrate it by getting offstage during Necro Sapiens and singing it in the middle of the circle pit, showing how much he loves what he does and his admiration for fans of extreme music. Go check those guys on Spotify because they’re phenomenal, one of the must-see bands in the current Death Metal scene, and I honestly can’t wait to see them again live in Toronto playing a much bigger setlist, pretty please.

Setlist
Genesis
Colossus
Misfortunate Son
Gargoyles
Necro Sapiens

Band members
Simon Olsen – vocals
Lasse Revsbech – guitars
Svend Karlsson – guitars
Mattias Melchiorsen – bass
Sebastian Abildsten – drums

The venue only got truly busier when New Jersey’s cult Deathcore brigade FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY hit the stage for an absolute insane performance, with the circle pits getting so wild to the point a guy right beside me, who was about to enter the circle pit, stopped, looked at me, said “nope, too fast and too dangerous”, turned his back and gave up joining the action. The band spearheaded by the demented Joe Badolato was on fire from start to finish, with songs like Warfare and The Sea of Tragic Beasts, plus the new one Savior of None / Ashes of All, from their 2024 album The Nothing That Is (available on Spotify), inspiring an already packed venue to keep running like maniacs inside the pit. This is the type of show that requires fans who have floor tickets to be extremely fit. Maybe not “fit for an autopsy” per se, but you better work out, do some cardio and so, otherwise the name of the band will make total sense if you’re out of shape and try to venture inside their wicked circle pits.

Setlist
Lower Purpose
Red Horizon
Warfare
Hostage
Pandora
The Sea of Tragic Beasts
Savior of None / Ashes of All
Far From Heaven

Band members
Joe Badolato – lead vocals
Pat Sheridan – guitars, backing vocals
Tim Howley – guitars
Will Putney – guitars
Peter “Blue” Spinazola – bass
Josean Orta – drums

ARCH ENEMY

Ticket prices in Toronto are way too expensive these days, with the exception being the show this Friday, in special when you have as the main attraction of the night the one and only Swedish Melodic Death Metal machine ARCH ENEMY. I’m not joking, it was a very, very cheap concert for the quality of all bands on the bill, and if you’ve never seen Arch Enemy live, well, they’re one of the most professional and electrifying bands you can think of, making every penny invested beyond worth it. Having recently released the excellent Blood Dynasty (also available on Spotify), such an amazing band currently formed of the stunning Alissa White-Gluz on vocals, Michael Amott and Joey Concepcion on the guitars, Sharlee D’Angelo on bass, and Daniel Erlandsson on drums was flawless with their mix of new songs the likes of Dream Stealer and Liars & Thieves, and undisputed classics including Ravenous, My Apocalypse and Dead Bury Their Dead, one of the heaviest songs of the night and, therefore, one of my favorites.

All fans at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre were having a superb time together with Arch Enemy, with the circle pit going absolute mental, plus tons of crowd surfers giving a lot of work to security, while the band kept blasting their slab of melody and brutality. The only song I think could have been replaced in their setlist was Avalanche, but overall it was a near perfect selection of songs, with the closing tune Nemesis making me and several other fans lose our voices screaming. There were some giant balloons at the end of the show that gave it a very festive touch, proving extreme music brings happiness to our hearts, and not the opposite like non-metalheads like to “vomit” out there. Let’s see when the band returns to Canada if they’ll deliver the same amount of energy onstage, or even more, and whenever that happens I’ll certainly be there, because when Michael Amott takes your city by storm with his phenomenal riffs and solos accompanied by his spectacular crew, that’s definitely a no-brainer for anyone who loves good quality music.

Setlist
Deceiver, Deceiver
Ravenous
Dream Stealer
Blood Dynasty
War Eternal
My Apocalypse
A Million Suns
Liars & Thieves
The Eagle Flies Alone
First Day in Hell
Saturnine
As the Pages Burn
Sunset Over the Empire
Dead Bury Their Dead
We Will Rise

Encore:
Avalanche
Nemesis
Fields of Desolation

Band members
Alissa White-Gluz – vocals
Michael Amott – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joey Concepcion – lead guitars, backing vocals
Sharlee D’Angelo – bass
Daniel Erlandsson – drums

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Metal Chick of the Month – Valis Volkova

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I plan to polymerise your flesh and bone… With fire and void to best serve me!

Our metal lady of this month of May will definitely burn your hearts. She is an English singer, keyboardist, actress, and model, combining her stunning looks, undeniable charisma and a powerful voice to provide us with a unique sensorial experience. Better known as the vocalist and keyboardist for London, England-based Symphonic Deathcore outfit She Must Burn, she might be one of the most talented classically trained vocalists and performing artists of the current metal scene worldwide, always showcasing her deep passion for heavy music and for all things dark. Her name is Portia Valis Volkova (born Portia Victoria Graham-Jones), or simply Valis Volkova, and once you get to know more about her and her music, you’ll certainly get addicted to her Stygian and hypnotizing universe.

Born on September 22, 1993 in Liverpool, the hometown of The Beatles and a port city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England, Valis trained as an opera singer at The Royal Northern College of Music from the age of 12, later joining the Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Company, where she appeared on BBC Songs of Praise and Aled Jones MBE’s New Horizons album, released in 2005. After finishing her studies at the RNCM, she trained in musical theatre at The Elliott-Clarke Performing Arts, where she developed her acting and dance skills. She diversified her knowledge by studying popular music performance and music business at BIMM University in 2021. Valis excels in creating her own backing vocals and layered choral harmonies, blending classical and popular vocal techniques to shape her distinctive sound. She thrives on collaboration, offering guest vocals and songwriting services for artists spanning rock, metal, synth wave, and goth genres.

Known for her solo performances worldwide, Valis then joined Symphonic Deathcore sensation She Must Burn back in 2017. She Must Burn had been formed a few years before that, back in 2014, having released the EPs Under the Shadows (2014) and She Must Burn (2015), plus the full-length album Grimoire (2017), before the addition of Valis to their lineup. Delivering a lethal blast of Deathcore, Symphonic, Gothic, and Black Metal that invokes names like Cradle of Filth, Bleeding Through and Make Them Suffer, the band currently formed of Valis on vocals and keyboards alongside vocalist Kyle Lamb, guitarists James Threadwell and Jack Higgs, bassist Frankie Keating, and drummer Steve Padley released back in 2022 their sophomore opus Umbra Mortis, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, earning a nomination for “album of the year” and securing a spot in the Top 50 metal albums of 2022 by Metal Hammer UK readers.

The paradox between Kyle’s harsh growls and Valis’ clean vocals really stands out in the music by She Must Burn, bringing a more than welcome balance to their music and, therefore, adding extra layers to their core sound, turning the band into a must-listen for fans of the violence of Deathcore with the finesse of classical and symphonic music, as you can enjoy in the stunning videos for the songs Incantation, Misery Eternal, Eulogy, and Of Blood & Bone, plus you can also watch an Interview with She Must Burn for Rockflesh at Tech Fest 2023 to know more about Valis and the band backstage. A band that Valis was part of is called Dead Dolls, also known as Glamorous Ghouls, UK’s original rock and metal-goes-vintage vocal duo formed of Valis and Katja Macabre until 2024. “This project is in addition to She Must Burn and is a completely separate project. I’m a firm believer that we all need multiple channels to stream our creativity in different ways,” commented Valis, who joined the project back in 2022. Unfortunately we won’t see Valis singing together with Katja anymore, but back in 2022 they released two excellent videos for the songs I’m Not Okay, by My Chemical Romance, and Misery Business by Paramore, which will certainly warm up your darkened hearts and souls.

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Valis is also an accomplished actress, working regularly in theatre, TV and film, performing on stages all over the world including Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Adelaide Cabaret Festival and The Hippodrome in London’s West End, and having already made cameo appearances in television and film, including seasons 5 and 6 of HBO’s Game of Thrones, season 2 of Hulu’s The Great, and the 2022 indie thriller film Graphic Desires. Furthermore, she was only 17 years old when she played the role of Ariel in a touring production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest back in 2011, saying that Ariel has always been a “dream role” of hers since she was a little girl, and she’s also featured in the music videos for the songs The Hand is Quicker Than The Eye, by Inferno; Loops, by Amber States; So Automatic, by Jupiter In Velvet; Fun Gun, by Chemia; and Dirty Little Secret, by Massive Wagons.

Not only that, she was also featured in the stage play of The Swell Mob, playing Madame Vestris, at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in in 2019 in South Australia; and in Magic Mike Live, playing ‘closer performer’ at The Hippodrome in Leicester Square, in London, UK, from October 2018 to October 2019. She also won the public vote and the title “Miss Popularity – London” after competing in Miss England 2019, fundraising for Beauty With A Purpose, and placed 3rd runner up in Miss Cheshire 2019 (a regional heat for Miss Great Britain), despite living in London at the time, and can be found in several magazines including the cover of Olympus Magazine (UK) in May and in December 2015, Liverpool Echo (UK) in April 2015, Scratch (UK) in November 2013, and Casting Magazine Paris (France) in September 2013.

Lastly, Valis was also crowdsourcing a few years ago to fund an alien horror movie called The Spawning, to be filmed in Liverpool (and later released in 2017), teaming up with her partner, Simon Riley. Simon, who’s from St Helens, wrote and directed the movie, while Valis produced and had a small role in it. “We want to create a genuinely frightening and original full-length horror feature film,” commented Valis during the crowdfunding campaign. “Everyone on the team is a huge horror fan, but few of us can remember a recent horror film that actually left us wanting to hide under our bed covers at night with the lights on! We want to change that and make a film that really gets under your skin and leaves you terrified and shaken to the core.” I still have to find a way to watch the movie, but one thing is certain even before doing that, and that’s the undeniable talent of a woman who’s not only an amazing musician, but also a great performer and artist, always sharing her passion for heavy music and the dark arts with us fans and, therefore, making the world a much better and more exciting place to live.

Valis Volkova’s Official Facebook page
Valis Volkova’s Official Instagram
She Must Burn’s Official Facebook page
She Must Burn’s Official Instagram
She Must Burn’s Official YouTube channel

““I’m a firm believer that we all need multiple channels to stream our creativity in different ways.” – Valis Volkova

Concert Review – Warbringer & Allegaeon (The Garrison, Toronto, ON, 03/31/2025)

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The unstoppable Allegaeon and Warbringer joined forces to take the city of Toronto by storm in another breathtaking night of the best of the underground.

OPENING ACTS: Summoning the Lich and Skeletal Remains

Only two days after the humongous metal attack by Meshuggah, Cannibal Corpse and Carcass, it was time to pay a visit to The Garrison on a Monday night for a wild feast of the best of the underground with the bands SUMMONING THE LICH, SKELETAL REMAINS, ALLEGAEON and WARBRINGER during their The Vortex Of Violence Tour 2025, another awesome event brought to Toronto by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Any concert on a Monday night doesn’t have the same appeal as a weekend concert at a casino, of course, but that doesn’t mean that the four bands on the bill didn’t kick some serious ass, proving why they’re the future of extreme music worldwide. And as weird as this might sound, getting to Toronto on a Monday night is actually easier than on any other day of the week, maybe because it’s not a chosen day for entertainment or because a lot of people take the day off or simply work from home, making traffic a lot more manageable than usual. I was very excited to see all bands live for the first time, in special Allegaeon, one of the best bands of the current scene, and I wasn’t disappointed at all with their performances; quite the contrary, I’m more than happy I decided to spend a cold Monday night in Toronto enjoying their undisputed heavy music. Furthermore, Keith couldn’t make it to the show, unfortunately, but our friend Afrida Nawar was more than happy to help us with the photos this time (soon to be added to this review, I promise!).

The doors at the venue opened at 6:30pm, and just 30 minutes after that the first attraction of the night, St. Louis, Missouri-based Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore act SUMMONING THE LICH, kicked off the festivities with a beyond energetic and vibrant performance according to some friends already at the venue (as I had to miss them due to a private appointment). Having recently released the album Under the Reviled Throne, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band set the stage at The Garrison on fire, and if some brutality in the form of music is your cup of tea, you must listen to this band and go see them live. Well, next time they come to Toronto, I’ll try my best to be there in time to witness their visceral performance.

Setlist
My Horrors Unending
Descend
Demon of the Snow
The Nightmare Begins
Return to the Soil
Reviled Crystal Wielders
The Forest Feast

Band members
David Bruno – vocals
Muck – guitars
Ryan Felps – guitars
John Flynn – bass
TJ Chilton – drums

I made it to the venue with plenty of time to see the performance by California’s own Death Metal horde SKELETAL REMAINS; however, their vocalist Chris Monroy didn’t. Apparently he wasn’t allowed to cross the US-Canada border for a reason beyond my knowledge, and what we got from the other three band members was a feast of instrumental Death Metal that despite sounding a bit weird without the vocal parts, was also totally devastating. Playing songs from their latest opus Fragments of the Ageless, available on Spotify or any other streaming platform, plus of course some of their older material, the trio put on their hearts and souls into their concert, doing everything they could to entertain us even without their vocalist, and in the end they got a huge positive reaction from fans who recognized all their effort and passion for heavy music. The show must go on, and Skeletal Remains did exactly that.

Setlist
Void of Despair
Beyond Cremation
Relentless Appetite
To Conquer the Devout
Devouring Mortality
…Evocation (The Rebirth)
Unmerciful

Band members
Chris Monroy – vocals, guitars*
Mike De La O – guitars
Brian Rush – bass
Pierce Williams – drums

*Chris couldn’t make it to the show in Toronto as he had his entry in Canada denied.

ALLEGAEON

It was getting close to 9pm when the band I wanted to see the most hit the stage for a flawless performance, proving why they’re the best band in the world to mix Melodic and Technical Death Metal in a beyond exciting manner. I’m talking about Fort Collins, Colorado-based outfit ALLEGAEON, who were simply demolishing with their blend of dexterity, violence and heaviness, spearheaded by their returning charismatic frontman Ezra Haynes. Their concert was phenomenal, and I think they deserved to have played at a bigger venue like Lee’s Palace or even The Opera House, but of course they made sure their performance was memorable even with the limited space onstage. Blending old school material with two songs of their brand new album album The Ossuary Lens (available on BandCamp and on Spotify), those being The Swarm (the best song of the night in my humble opinion) and Driftwood, the band sounded tight, ruthless and electrifying from start to finish, and again I hope they get a bigger venue next time they headline a concert in Toronto, because their music demands more space, as well as a bigger audience to go wild inside the circle pit while they shred like there’s no tomorrow.

Setlist
All Hail Science
The God Particle
To Carry My Grief Through Torpor and Silence
The Swarm
Terrathaw and the Quake
Driftwood
Dyson Sphere
Of Beasts and Worms
Proponent for Sentience III – The Extermination
Parthenogenesis
1.618
Behold (God I Am)

Band members
Ezra Haynes – vocals
Greg Burgess – guitars
Michael Stancel – guitars, backing vocals
Brandon Michael – bass, backing vocals
Jeff Saltzman – drums

WARBRINGER

And last but definitely not least, it was already past 10pm when Ventura, California-based Thrash Metal brigade WARBRINGER brought total war to the stage with one of the most electrifying, visceral and fun performances of the year in the city. All of their songs sounded amazing, in special the new metal hymn The Sword And The Cross, from their brand new album Wrath and Ruin (already available on BandCamp and on Spotify), with their lunatic frontman John Kevill even yielding a sword onstage (although he was missing the cross, right?), and of course the hard hitting Total War, which closed their show on a high note. The circle pits were insane, the crowd surfing was pure madness, and the band was having an amazing time to the point even John himself went crowd surfing and played a little “jungle gym” with the venue’s lighting equipment attached to the roof, leaving all concert goers absolutely happy and ready for more Warbringer in a not-so-distant future. Again, hopefully at a bigger venue, because just as Allegaeon, Warbringer are undoubtedly one of the best bands of the current metal scene worldwide.

Setlist
Severed Reality
A Better World
The Black Hand Reaches Out
Woe to the Vanquished
Crushed Beneath the Tracks
Firepower Kills
The Sword And The Cross
Through a Glass, Darkly
Hunter-Seeker
Remain Violent

Encore:
Total War

Band members
John Kevill – vocals
Adam Carroll – guitars
Chase Becker – guitars
Chase Bryant – bass
Carlos Cruz – drums

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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