Tag Archives: doom metal

Concert Review – Dark Tranquillity & Amorphis (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 10/01/2024)

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And everyone enjoyed a very melodic, heavy, fun and sold out night of Nordic metal music in the city of Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Fires In The Distance

One day after a beyond wild night with Hatebreed, Toronto hosted another brilliant metal extravaganza with DARK TRANQUILLITY and AMORPHIS, plus very special guests FIRES IN THE DISTANCE, at the always cozy The Opera House, again organized by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. And let me tell you that I wasn’t expecting the venue to be so jam packed on a Tuesday night, proving once again how passionate the fans in the city are about heavy music. Seriously, I think someone forgot to stop selling tickets after the venue’s maximum capacity was reached, because it was really hard to move around the venue and to get downstairs to the floor section to enjoy the shows, with a lot of people just standing close to the bar at the back, behind the sound table. Even raising our horns or clapping our hands in the pit was difficult, but of course, nothing that would have made the night less enjoyable.

One major problem before the show was the insane traffic to get to the city, plus the fact there were absolutely no parking spots available anywhere near the venue, and because of that I sadly missed the show by Newington, Connecticut-based Melodic Doom/Death Metal act FIRES IN THE DISTANCE. I was dying to see those guys live as both their albums, Echoes from Deep November (2020) and Air Not Meant for Us (2023), both available on Spotify, are a thing of beauty and I’m sure their songs sounded even more powerful on stage. At least my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there to take some crazy photos of their concert, and I promise next time they visit Toronto I’ll skip work if needed to get to their show on time.

Setlist
Harbinger
Wisdom of the Falling Leaves
Crumbling Pillars of a Tranquil Mind
Idiopathic Despair

Band members
Craig Breitsprecher – bass, vocals
Kristian Grimaldi – guitars, vocals
Yegor Savonin – guitars, keyboards
Jordan Rippe – drums

AMORPHIS

I was just able to get inside the venue around 15 minutes before the first headliner of the night, Helsinki, Finland’s own Melodic Heavy Metal/Rock institution AMORPHIS, kicked off their ultra melodic, vibrant and colorful show, and I say colorful because the way they set up their stage was very appealing to my eyes. Also, the talented frontman Tomi Joutsen and his henchmen did a very good job in blending their new material that’s clearly more inclined to Progressive Rock, like the songs Northwards, On the Dark Waters, The Moon and The Wolf, from their 2022 album Halo, with old classic including the always stunning Doom Metal aria My Kantele, and that fusion of past and present was really well received by all fans that were almost smashed on the floor section. The entire band sounded sharp and spot-on, and their connection with the crowd was also fantastic during the whole show.

Setlist
Northwards
On the Dark Waters
Sky Is Mine
The Moon
The Castaway
Silver Bride
The Wolf
Wrong Direction
My Kantele
Magic and Mayhem
Black Winter Day
House of Sleep
The Bee

Band members
Tomi Joutsen – lead vocals
Esa Holopainen – lead guitar
Tomi Koivusaari – rhythm guitar
Olli-Pekka Laine – bass
Santeri Kallio – keyboards
Jan Rechberger – drums

DARK TRANQUILLITY

As a lot of people left the pit to grab some merch, a beer or go outside for a smoke, I could then find a spot on the floor section to enjoy the other headliner, the unstoppable Gothenburg, Sweden-based Melodic Death Metal entity DARK TRANQUILLITY, and fortunately I had my concert earplugs with me because those guys were maybe too loud for such a small venue. The multi-talented, iconic, awesome Mikael Stanne alongside his band of first-class musicians also did a beautiful job mixing songs from their excellent new album Endtime Signals, like Shivers and Voids and Not Nothing, with their older material, and all songs sounded so electrifying the circle pit formed in the middle of the floor section looked like one from a pure Death Metal show, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces including of course Mikael, who was visibly touched by the beyond warm reaction from the sold-out venue. Everyone was singing along with the band, raising their fists, headbanging, and so on, fueling those Swedish rockers to keep hammering our heads with their top-notch metal music until the very end of the night, and after all was said and done it was visible on their faces that it won’t take long for the mighty Dark Tranquillity to take the city of Toronto by storm again.

Setlist
Shivers and Voids
Hours Passed in Exile
Forward Momentum
Unforgivable
Atoma
The Last Imagination
Nothing to No One
Wayward Eyes
One Thought
Cathode Ray Sunshine
Not Nothing
Empty Me
Phantom Days
Lost to Apathy
Misery’s Crown

Band members
Mikael Stanne – vocals
Johan Reinholdz – guitars
Christian Jansson – bass
Martin Brändström – keyboards
Joakim Strandberg-Nilsson – drums

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Album Review – Barathrum / Überkill (2024)

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Behold this beast of an album by one of Finland’s very first Black Metal bands that proves why they are eternal.

Formed in the distant year of 1991 in the land of ice and snow, Helsinki, Finland-based Black/Doom Metal horde Barathrum needs no introduction, remaining as one of Finland’s very first Black Metal bands and, more importantly, one of the longest-running. Now seven years after the release of their 2017 beast Fanatiko, the band comprised of Demonos Sova on vocals, Ruttokieli on lead guitars, Nuklear Tormentörr on bass, and Vendetta on drums returns in full force with their tenth studio album, the highly anticipated metal attack titled Überkill. A no shenanigans, in-your-face blast of extreme music, Überkill proves that the Finns are, above all, a very great Heavy Metal band, just one that’s jet-black, ass-kicking, and bass-driven as fuck. Simple-yet-sublime pleasures, now and forever. Again, Barathrum are eternal!

Death by Steel is absolutely dark and evil from the very first second, with the dirty riffs by Ruttokieli infesting the atmosphere before Demonos Sova attacks with his demonic gnarls; and blending the obscurity of Black Metal with Hardcore and Rock N’ Roll, the band offers the headbanging Mountain of Bones, led by the classic drumming by Vendetta, whereas a wicked intro gradually morphs into the harsh, metallic feast titled Spark Plugs of Purgatory, again with Demonos Sova crushing our damned souls with his goblin-like vociferations. More of their infernal Punk Rock-infused riffs will penetrate deep inside your dirty mind in Black Magick Rites, while Nuklear Tormentörr and Vendetta craft a rumbling base with their respective bass and drums, and investing in a much darker sound we have Ritual Murder, with Nuklear Tormentörr hammering his bass manically until the music evolves into an absolute chaotic vibe perfect for slamming into the pit.

White Red Black and Pale is another rock and metal extravaganza by those Finnish blasphemers led by the venomous gnarls by Demonos Sova, sounding slow, steady and evil from start to finish, followed by Denial of God, a beautiful name for another impious tune by Barathrum, offering our putrid ears an overdose of harsh sounds while Vendetta pounds his drums in the name of old school Black and Thrash Metal. It’s then time for seven minutes of sheer obscurity and blasphemy in the form of Dark Sorceress, where the cryptic, ritualistic vocals by Demonos Sova match flawlessly with the Doom Metal-inspired sounds blasted by his bandmates, and closing the album we’re treated to the venomous sounds of the title-track Überkill, oozing Barathrum from the very first second, with Ruttokieli stealing the spotlight armed with his wicked, scorching riffs.

Evil has many forms as people like to say, and after listening to Überkill you’ll quickly realize Barathrum are definitely one of the manifestations of everything that’s immoral, sinful and blasphemous. That means they more than nailed it with Überkill, and if you want to join one of the most important hordes in the history of Finnish Black Metal you can start following the band on Facebook, stream their hellish creations on Spotify or any other streaming service, and above all that, purchase their incendiary new spawn from their own BandCamp page or from the KVLT shop. Überkill is the perfect example as to why Barathrum are still alive and kicking (and therefore haunting our damned souls) after so many decades, and I bet those devilish creatures will keep on decimating us all with their undisputed extreme music for many years to come with amazing albums like their newborn beast.

Best moments of the album: Spark Plugs of Purgatory, Ritual Murder and Überkill.

Worst moments of the album: White Red Black and Pale.

Released in 2024 Hammer of Hate

Track listing
1. Death by Steel 4:32
2. Mountain of Bones 4:33
3. Spark Plugs of Purgatory 4:00
4. Black Magick Rites 3:22
5. Ritual Murder 3:44
6. White Red Black and Pale 4:24
7. Denial of God 3:45
8. Dark Sorceress 7:06
9. Überkill 4:59

Band members
Demonos Sova – vocals
Ruttokieli – lead guitars, backing vocals
Nuklear Tormentörr – bass
Vendetta – drums

Guest musicians
Grimharm – bass, backing vocals (live)
Naz – guitars (live)

Album Review – Hell Is Other People / Moirae (2024)

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This Canadian entity will show you that hell is other people with their excellent newborn spawn of Black Metal, imbibing influences from several of its related subgenres.

Hailing from Windsor, a city in Ontario, Canada, across the Detroit River from the US city of Detroit, Post-Black Metal outfit Hell is Other People (by the way, “Hell Is Other People” is a quote from Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit) has elegantly and passionately crafted a brilliant Black Metal album, titled Moirae (which means “goddesses of fate or destiny” in Greek), that imbibes influences from several of its related subgenres such as Atmospheric Black Metal, Post-Black Metal and even DSBM in parts, forming a cohesive, expressive and all-encompassing sound that the band is comfortable in carrying throughout. Displaying a stunning cover art by Adam Burke of Nightjar Illustration, the new album by Nathan Ferreira on vocals and bass, Nathan Boots and Nicholas Luck on the guitars, and James Ditty on drums is a beautifully tempered opus with a remarkable range of expression that comes across as genuine and heartfelt, being recommended for fans of Agalloch, Altar of Plagues, Winterfylleth, White Ward, and Drudkh.

The dark, caustic riffs by Nathan Boots and Nicholas walk hand in hand with the sluggish Doom Metal beats by James in the title-track Moirae, while the vocals by Nathan Ferreira exhale pure Atmospheric Black Metal, sounding anguished and grim. Moreover, it’s impressive how they sound devilish while at the same time so elegant and delicate throughout the entire song. Fates keeps the ambience as somber and pensive as possible, with the hammering drums by James dictating the pace while Nathan Ferreira continues to roar and gnarl in a great fusion of Black Metal with Post-Metal, followed by Degrade, offering us all almost eight minutes of breathtaking, deep and meaningful music that will tear your soul apart to the minimalist yet sharp and austere riffage by the band’s guitar duo, starting in a serene manner before the band attacks once again with their visceral Post-Black Metal, building an instant bridge with the also venomous Loss, where Nathan’s enraged growls are nicely boosted by the intricate yet demented drumming by James while their guitars continue to exhale the harshest and most piercing sounds found in contemporary extreme music. And all comes to a climatic and epic conclusion in Atropos, offering our damned ears an overdose of heaviness and atmospheric elements, with James kicking our asses on drums, while Nathan Boots and Nicholas continue to cut our skin deep with their razor-edged axes, with all layers, breaks, passages and variations turning it into a must-listen for admirers of the genre.

If you want to put your damned, dirty hands on the excellent Moirae, you can find the album available from the band’s own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ BandCamp page, main store, US store, or EU store in different formats and as part of some very special bundles, and don’t forget to also give those talented Canadian musicians a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping an eye on the announcements of their live concerts, to stream their music on Spotify, and to stay updated with all things Hell Is Other People by clicking HERE. In the end, after listening to Moirae, you’ll finally realize that hell is indeed other people, and that the Post-Black Metal by this amazing Canadian band is perfect for representing all that darkness and melancholy found inside each one of us.

Best moments of the album: Moirae and Atropos.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Moirae 6:58
2. Fates 6:43
3. Degrade 7:48
4. Loss 8:45
5. Atropos 13:28

Band members
Nathan Ferreira – vocals, bass
Nathan Boots – guitars
Nicholas Luck – guitars
James Ditty – drums

Album Review – Oceans of Slumber / Where Gods Fear to Speak (2024)

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One of the must-see names of the Progressive Rock and Metal scene returns with their sixth full-length album, sounding like a dystopian western or a post-apocalyptic survival movie.

More than a decade has passed since the release of Aetherial, the debut album by Houston, Texas-based Progressive Metal/Rock band Oceans Of Slumber, and a lot has changed since then for this “Dark Cinematic Metal” outfit. After recruiting Cammie Gilbert (now Gilbert-Beverly) in 2014, the crew’s trajectory took a natural, upward tilt, fueled by the hugely positive response received by second album, Winter, released in 2016. Monuments to a restless creative spirit, the band’s third, fourth and fifth albums, The Banished Heart (2018), Oceans Of Slumber (2020) and Starlight and Ash (2022), raised the stakes ever higher. Recorded at Estudios Audiovision, produced, mixed and engineered by Joel Hamilton at Studio G, mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering, and displaying a classy artwork by Giannis Nakos of Remedy Art Design, their sixth full-length opus, titled Where Gods Fear to Speak, sees the band exploring new heights, therefore sounding even tighter and more compelling than before, proving why vocalist Cammie Beverly, guitarists Alex Davis and Chris Kritikos, bassist Semir Ozerkan and drummer Dobber Beverly have become a reference in the style.

The album kicks off with the darkly embracing title-track Where Gods Fear to Speak, where the heaviness in the guitars by Alex and Chris make a stunning paradox with the powerful vocals by Cammie, blending Progressive and Groove Metal with the obscurity and heaviness of Doom Metal, followed by Run From the Light, featuring guest vocals by the one and only Mikael Stanne of Swedish melodeath legends Dark Tranquillity, another avalanche of intricate guitar lines, harsh and clean vocals, and the always groovy beats by Dobber, sounding like several songs in one. Then a smooth intro boosted by minimalist background synths evolves into a beautiful ballad titled Don’t Come Back From Hell Empty Handed, where Cammie obviously steal the spotlight with a phenomenal vocal performance, whereas Wish is another solid tune by the band showcasing the always massive beats by Dobbie supported by the classic bass lines by Semir. And Cammie will steal your heart in the captivating tune Poem of Ecstasy, presenting the band’s trademark hybrid of Progressive Rock and Metal in a beyond thrilling way.

The Given Dream presents hints of R&B added to the band’s core rock essence, feeling very delicate yet profound and somber, with once again all background elements sounding beautifully haunting; while I Will Break the Pride of Your Will is even more experimental and progressive than its predecessors, with Alex and Chris taking the lead with their stylish riffs. In Prayer we face the dark and evil harsh roars by the iconic frontman Fernando Ribeiro of Moonspell clashing in great fashion with Cammie’s embracing, delicate vocals, with all acoustic elements making the song even more detailed and complete, followed by The Impermanence of Fate, showcasing another jaw-dropping vocal performance by Cammie to the classy sound of the piano by Dobber, who also hammers his drums, exploding into sheer savagery while sounding like classic Death Metal in a multi-layered and bold aria of heavy music. And lastly, we have their stunning rendition of Wicked Game, originally recorded by Chris Isaak in the 1989 album Heart Shaped World (check the original version HERE), a more than gorgeous icing on the cake to close the album on a perfect note.

“This album is a dystopian western or a post-apocalyptic survival movie, somewhere between The Handmaid’s Tale, The Dark Tower and Cormac McCarthy,” states Dobber. “The whole idea is that Where The Gods Fear To Speak is a movie, and we’ve written the soundtrack. If the world was taken over, like in movie The Book Of Eli, and Gary Oldman had found the Bible and the true power of it, and he was wielding the power of the lord over everybody, those people that were maybe just into their traditional spiritualism or people that were not religious at all, they would be the defectors, so the record is written from the viewpoint of the defectors. The ending credits are our version of ‘Wicked Game’ by Chris Isaak. We wanted to take it back to when the music in movies set the tone for everything.” Hence, if you want to join Oceans of Slumber in this thrilling cinematic ride, you can follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, listen to all of their beautiful albums on Spotify, and of course purchase their new album by clicking HERE or HERE. Where Gods Fear To Speak proves that Oceans Of Slumber will not let the occasional setback put them off their creative stride, and I personally can’t wait to see what’s next to one of the must-see names of the progressive scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Where Gods Fear to Speak, Poem of Ecstasy, The Impermanence of Fate and of course Wicked Game.

Worst moments of the album: I Will Break the Pride of Your Will.

Released in 2024 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Where Gods Fear to Speak 6:25
2. Run From the Light 5:15
3. Don’t Come Back From Hell Empty Handed 8:28
4. Wish 3:53
5. Poem of Ecstasy 6:33
6. The Given Dream 3:36
7. I Will Break the Pride of Your Will 5:27
8. Prayer 5:03
9. The Impermanence of Fate 6:20
10. Wicked Game (Chris Isaak cover) 5:26

Band members
Cammie Beverly – vocals
Alex Davis – guitars
Chris Kritikos – guitars, synths
Semir Ozerkan – bass
Dobber Beverly – drums, piano

Guest musicians
Mikael Stanne – vocals on “Run From The Light”
Fernando Ribeiro – vocals on “Prayer”

Album Review – Blighted Eye / Agony’s Bespoke (2024)

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Behold this monumental, hour-long work of Progressive and Blackened Death Metal made in the United States, heavily inspired by the 2018 Australian film The Nightingale.

A monumental, hour-long work of Progressive and Blackened Death Metal, the breathtaking Agony’s Bespoke, the brand new album by Seattle, Washington-based outfit Blighted Eye, marks a new height for the band’s growing skills of songwriting and storytelling. Mixed and mastered by Alex Sedin at Ghostalgy Prods, and displaying a stunning artwork by Caelan Stokkerman, the new opus by Kyle Chapman on vocals and guitars, Christopher Jones also on the guitars, Ben Gassman on bass, and John Devos on drums is heavily inspired by the 2018 Australian film The Nightingale, telling a similarly tragic story. Highlighting the transformative power of violence and the ultimate futility of revenge, the album seeks to explore the lasting emotional and psychological impact of trauma, being highly recommended for fans of Opeth, Swallow the Sun, and Dissection.

Cryptic, melodious sounds arise from the underworld in the opening track Tragoedia, with the deep vociferations by Kyle walking hand in hand with the pounding drums by John, also presenting delicate yet visceral riffs for our total delight, and flowing into the just as demonic and grim The Wounding, with Kyle and Christopher extracting sulfurous riffs from their axes supported by the menacing bass by Ben. In Enmity invites us all to bang our heads in total darkness together with the band in a well-balanced fusion of Melodic and Progressive Death Metal tailored for admirers of the genre, with Kyle roaring with endless anger until the very end; whereas serene, embracing sounds kick off the beautiful Howls From Beyond the Mist, with their caustic riffs, harsh gnarls and crushing drums sounding amazing. Then investing in a more direct, visceral Black Metal sonority the band will pulverize us all in A Feast for Worms, spearheaded by the classic drumming by John and the always sharp growls by Kyle.

Pallid brings to our avid ears almost nine minutes of heavy, sluggish and somber sounds, presenting elements from Doom Metal in the guitars by Kyle and Christopher, and even stronger vibes in John’s drums; and after the short and sweet interlude Nightingale, the band brings forth a Melodic Black and Death Metal feast titled A Reverent Stillness, where all instruments sound thunderous and visceral and with their guitars, bass and drums once again offering Kyle everything he needs to haunt our souls with his devilish roars. Finally, like the soundtrack to a Stygian horror movie we have the title-track Agony’s Bespoke, presenting the band’s trademark heaviness intertwined with grim passages. Moreover, the guitar work by Kyle and Christopher is once again superb, sounding heavy and very melodic at the same time, with endless progressiveness flowing from the bass lines by Ben while at the seven minute mark it all morphs into an overdose of epicness, putting a classy ending to the album.

Just like in the 2018 movie that inspired the album, power, violence, revenge and trauma are the main ingredients in the music by Blighted Eye in Agony’s Bespoke, and you can get to know more about the band and how they turned all that darkness into amazing metal music on Facebook and on Instagram, listen to more of their ruthless creations on YouTube and on Spotify, and grab a copy of their caustic new album from the Beyond The Top Records’ BandCamp or webstore. As you listen to the album from start to finish, you’ll clearly witness how a tragic story can become so compelling through the power of heavy music, inspiring Blighted Eye to keep crushing our souls for many years to come with their meaningful and extremely heavy creations.

Best moments of the album: Tragoedia, A Feast for Worms and Agony’s Bespoke.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Beyond The Top Records

Track listing
1. Tragoedia 7:22
2. The Wounding 5:59
3. In Enmity 7:05
4. Howls From Beyond the Mist 7:03
5. A Feast for Worms 6:13
6. Pallid 8:48
7. Nightingale 1:05
8. A Reverent Stillness 6:18
9. Agony’s Bespoke 11:06

Band members
Kyle Chapman – vocals, guitars
Christopher Jones – guitars
Ben Gassman – bass
John Devos – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Corinne Cardinal

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We are ready to die, Corinne!

Sons of Odin, can you hear the call of our metal lady of this month of September? If your answer is yes, then I’m sure you’ll have a very good time here on The Headbanging Moose with our humble tribute to Corinne Cardinal, also known as Korrinn or Crook, a multi-talented singer, voice actor and vocal coach who’s making a name for herself in the Canadian scene as the frontwoman for Montreal, Quebec-based Melodic Black/Folk Metal horde Valfreya, proudly waving the flag of Québécois metal high in the sky wherever she goes and hypnotizing us all with both her clean and guttural vocals. She takes no prisoners in her quest for heavy music, leading Valfreya into glory ride, and of course you’re more than invited to stand side by side with Corinne and her henchmen in the battlefield after knowing a little bit more about her life and career.

Born on August 20, 1986 in the charming city of Montreal, Quebec, in Canada, Corinne is not just the founder, main composer and vocalist of Valfreya, but she’s also a voice actor for La Fabrique de Monstres (or The Monster Factory), and a singer for the Growlers Choir, just like one of our most recent metal ladies Maude Théberge, showing how united the Québécois scene is. Not only that, she has also studied classical singing and instrumental composition, does graphic design, and of course she applies all those elements to her work with Valfreya. Her talent seems to be infinite, which translates into first-class heavy music when a new Valfreya album is unleashed upon humanity for our total delight.

After exploring choir singing during her formative years, Corinne, who’s a mezzo-soprano, undertook her studies by enrolling at Cégep Saint-Laurent and obtained her college degree in classical singing in 2007, perfecting her instrument with many teachers between 2007 to 2015 like Cécile Gendron, Mark Pedrotti, Christine Lemelin and Colette Boky, and pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UQAM in music (artistic performance concentration) in 2015. During her studies there, she developed a varied lyric repertoire and sings in more than eight different languages (Russian, Czech, German, Italian, Latin, Catalan, French and English), obtaining her diploma in December 2018. Finally, in 2020 she obtained her Estill Voice Training certificates one and two, and if you have no idea what that means, this course pertains to parts of the anatomy singers can exercise conscious control on to modify their sound.

After founding Valfreya back in 2009, merging the metal genre with classical and folk, Corinne started to develop different vocal techniques, matching guttural singing with opera and pop, which culminated with her joining the aforementioned Growlers Choir back in 2019, plus collaborations with many artists as a performer or composer the likes of Léa Dupuis, Augury, and Jeff Marcoux. That expertise also opened several doors to vocal acting out of specialized fields into voices for creatures and monsters in video games and film, including Resident Evil 7 (Capcom), Helix Season 1 (Syfy), Soul Blade (Namco, Project Soul), Rainbow Six Siege: Operation Chimera (Ubisoft), Tomb Raider: Shadow of the Tomb (Eidos Montréal), and Guardians of the Galaxy (Eidos), and also led to her founding in 2019 La Fabrique de Monstres alongside Sébastien Croteau and Jeffrey MacDermott, working in the sound design of hundreds of monsters and creatures over twenty or so video games, films and television series.

Corinne started studying for her musicologist’s master’s degree at Université de Montréal in 2020, wishing to analyze vocal techniques in metal music, precisely to identify the process of vocal production permitting control on specific structures of the vocal apparatus linked to guttural metal singing, with her ultimate goal being to produce the first pedagogical treaty on metal singing in English and French. In addition, Corinne is also a member of diverse research groups such as OICRM and ACTOR Project, and one of the rare vocal coaches who’s able to teach metal singing (both growl and fry) in Quebec.

As already mentioned, Corinne founded Melodic Black/Folk Metal horde Valfreya back in February 2009 in Montreal, with the band’s name being influenced by one of the names of Óðinn, Valföður (Old Icelandic for “Father of the Slain”) and Freyja, the Vanic deity, sister of Freyr. Valfreya deals with themes such as Norse mythology, Pagan gods, life, death, and legends, having released their debut EP First Chronicles in 2010, followed by their first full-length album Path to Eternity in 2012, the EP Acoustic Chronicles in 2013, and the full-length albums Promised Land, in 2017, and more recently Dawn of Reckoning, earlier this year, not to mention the band was also feature in the 2011 Galy Records compilation Trois-Rivières Metalfest 11 with the song Deity’s Grace. The band currently formed of our metallic diva Corinne on vocals together with Graz’zt and Erik on the guitars, Abhor on bass, Dommar on drums, and Eva Doucet De Leon on the violin has already played hundreds of concerts across Canada and the United States, and if you want to enjoy their amazing music you can find all of their releases on BandCamp, on Spotify, or by clicking HERE.

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Corinne is much more than just the band’s frontwoman, having also been responsible for the music, lyrics, arrangements, artwork and layout in their 2012 album Path to Eternity, the artwork, layout, cover art and lyrics in their 2017 album Promised Land, and the layout in their most recent album Dawn of Reckoning. Hence, if you want to have an absolute blast with Corinne and her Valfreya, apart from the aforementioned sources like BandCamp and Spotify, you can enjoy their official videos on YouTube for the songs Le Périple, The Rise, Odin’s Fury, Confront Immensity, Ocean’s Assault, and My Everlasting Star, as well as several unofficial footage of the band kicking some ass live.

Besides her career with Valfreya, Corinne also played keyboards and did backing vocals between 2008 and 2010 for a Montreal, Quebec-based Melodic Black Metal band named Vehemal, albeit she didn’t record anything official with the band; and did the live vocals with Canadian Progressive/Experimental Death Metal band Bookakee a few years ago. She can also be seen as a guest musician for a few interesting bands in the past few years, as for example doing additional vocals in the song Impending Apocalypse, from the 2020 EP Repaying Evil with Evil, by Canadian Death/Thrash Metal/Deathcore musician Jeff Marcoux; vocals in the 2017 single La pluie noire, by Canadian Black/Doom Metal band Lacrimae Mortalium; and more recently additional vocals in the songs Welcome, Immuration and Resilience, from the 2023 album Maladaptive Daydreaming, by Canadian Melodic Death/Gothic Metal band Sanguine Glacialis. Moreover, she was also responsible for the layout in the 2012 EP Deviated Inner Spectrum, by Canadian Technical/Melodic Death Metal act Pronostic, under the curious moniker of “Crapule”.

Lastly, as pretty much any metal lady hailing from Canada, Corinne is crazy for animals, having several pets from different species. For instance, in one of her interviews during the pandemic, she said she had at that time three fishes named Super Nova, Galaxy and Comet, five rats named Wicca, Gandalf the White, Zelda, Bouda and Titite (which means Tiny-tiny), and also a cat named Saroumine. As you might have already notice, the inspirations she takes for the music by Valfreya also have an impact on the names of her pets, which in my opinion is simply awesome. She mentioned she enjoys taking her rats to places like stores, parties, family reunions, chilling with friends, and so on, also saying that especially during the pandemic all of her pets brought a lot of joy and comfort as she couldn’t live in an empty house. She also said that all of her pets don’t seem to care about the fact she practices her music at home, and that whenever she’s on tour with Valfreya, it’s either her boyfriend or her sister who usually takes care of them for her. If you want to know more about such an amazing musician and animal lover, you can visit her own website (including a look at her impressive resume), and stay tuned for all news about Valfreya, because if by any chance they take your city by storm, don’t waste a single second and go check the powerful vocals by one of the most talented women of the current Canadian metal scene.

Corinne Cardinal’s Official Facebook page
Corinne Cardinal’s Official Instagram
Corinne Cardinal’s Official YouTube channel
Valfreya’s Official Facebook page
Valfreya’s Official Instagram
Valfreya’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – Gaerea / Coma (2024)

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One of the torchbearers of present-day Black Metal arises yet again from the underworld, erupting with intensity, casting forth black ashes over the world with their superb new album.

Behind black shrouds of obscurity and desolation, the performers of Porto, Portugal-based Black Metal entity Gaerea deliver their odes in cascading maelstroms of aggression and beauty, having rapidly distinguished themselves from the thousands of bands toiling away in the underground. Now in 2024, just two years since Mirage was released, Gaerea are back in action, erupting with intensity, casting forth black ashes over the world yet again with their new album, titled Coma. Recorded by Miguel Tereso at Redbox Studios, mixed and mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Studios, and displaying a cryptic artwork by Nathan Lorenzana, the stunning new album by those faceless and nameless ghouls beautifully helps the band emerge from the underground scene, ascending towards a permanently lasting position at the head of the table.

The opening track The Poet’s Ballet already presents Gaerea’s undisputed ability to blend the smoothest, most serene sounds with the harsh and devilish essence of Black Metal, with the song’s Atmospheric Black Metal start suddenly exploding into sheer madness and agony; then investing in a more contemporary Melodic Black Metal sonority we’re treated to Hope Shatters, sending shivers down our spines to its darkly vociferations of the song’s poetic lyrics (“In the heart of the jungle / Where shadows dance and bleed / A beautiful chaotic melody / Where depravity finds its seed”), and they continue to slash their axes in Suspended, supported by classic drums in another feast of Portuguese Black Metal magic. World Ablaze brings to the table more of their cryptic, eerie lyrics (“To be set free, at the end of his days / Into a world ablaze / With wonder in his eyes, he takes a deep breath / For a fleeting moment, a dance with life’s depth”) while the music exhales pure Gaerea, followed by the title-track Coma, a song that will pierce your rotten soul to the sound of infernal roars, bass and drums in a lecture in Black Metal.

In Wilted Flower the band once again delivers a multi-layered, gripping overdose of Atmospheric and Melodic Black Metal, with those mysterious entities extracting piercing riffs from their guitars for our total delight, keeping the album enfolding and mesmerizing, whereas those Portuguese creatures bring forward another burst of melancholy and darkness entitled Reborn, with the band’s strident riffs matching perfectly with their rhythmic beats, also offering moments of violence and insanity in paradox with its more ethereal passages. And one of the torchbearers of present-day Black Metal keeps delivering their unique blend of classic extreme music with tons of experimentations in the six-minute aria Shapeshifter, with its Doom Metal elements enhancing its obscure vibe; while the second to last blast of Stygian sounds by Gaerea comes in the form of Unknown, starting in a serene yet heavy manner to classic bass lines, resulting in one of the songs that should sound amazing if played live. Finally, closing such captivating album of Black Metal we’re treated to Kingdom of Thorns, with their intricate drums and stylish riffage turning it into a must-listen aria for admirers of the genre.

Within Coma’s ten tracks lies an individual narrative, each with its own tale to unveil. Collectively, they blend nuances of aggression, tranquility, solitude, and fervor, and you can experience all that by following Gaerea on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, by streaming their unparalleled discography on Spotify, and obviously by clicking HERE and purchasing your favorite version of their amazing new album. Because Coma is indeed an emotional gateway to a dark Black Metal scene, a guide to salvation, pain, despair and letting go, moving up, into the blackness that is above, as Gaerea are the answer, the only answer.

Best moments of the album: Hope Shatters, Coma, Reborn and Kingdom of Thorns.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. The Poet’s Ballet 7:39
2. Hope Shatters 4:05
3. Suspended 5:02
4. World Ablaze 3:29
5. Coma 5:19
6. Wilted Flower 5:50
7. Reborn 3:51
8. Shapeshifter 6:24
9. Unknown 4:24
10. Kingdom of Thorns 4:45

Band members
*Information not available*

Album Review – Ignobleth / Voidspawn Sacrifice EP (2024)

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This young and restless Italian Black Metal trio is ready to wage war upon us armed with their violent debut offering.

Born from the need to bring to mortals the truest war spirit, Northern Italy-based Black/Death Metal horde Ignobleth, whose young members are only 16 and 17 years old, merges fast and frenetic riffs and blast beats to slow and macabre sections in order to create a sinister and obscure atmosphere. Now in 2024 it’s time for vocalist and bassist Bloodlord Ixiataaga, guitarist Nex VII, and drummer Kommander Baal to crush our damned souls with their debut EP Voidspawn Sacrifice, offering us all 15 minutes of what they like to label as “War Metal” in a fun and vibrant album nicely recorded at Atomic Arts Studios and co-produced with Sulphur Music.

The ominous intro Golgotha VII will take you to the Stygian world ruled by Ignobleth, darkening your putrid souls before they attack you with Bestial Witchery, a venomous Black Metal extravaganza that sounds taken from the glory of the 80’s and 90’s, although the band members were all born in the 2000’s, and where Bloodlord Ixiataaga’s gruesome vocals sound demonic while always accompanied by the ruthless riffs by Nex VII. Then adding elements of Doom Metal to their already infernal sonority it’s time for the cryptic, sulfurous Omen Of A Nuclear Spell, with Kommander Baal taking the lead with his sluggish and heavy-as-hell beats. Lastly, back to a more visceral, demented sound, the band brings forth the Black Metal onrush Wrathful Eradication, inviting us all to worship Satan while slamming into the circle pit to their solid fusion of Black and Death Metal, spearheaded by the guttural roars by Bloodlord Ixiataaga.

The infernal trio formed of Bloodlord Ixiataaga, Nex VII and Kommander Baal is waiting for you in their Stygian lair on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can get more details about their underground black masses (also known as live performances), and you can definitely put your dirty hands on Voidspawn Sacrifice by purchasing it from the Masked Dead Records’ BandCamp or webstore. It’s really cool to see fresh young blood crafting high quality Black Metal, paving a great future ahead of the band and the genre, and may those talented Italian musicians keep waging war with more of their caustic music in the form of several thrilling albums like their debut EP in the coming years.

Best moments of the album: Bestial Witchery.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music

Track listing
1. Golgotha VII (Intro) 1:25
2. Bestial Witchery 4:30
3. Omen Of A Nuclear Spell 5:44
4. Wrathful Eradication 3:43

Band members
Bloodlord Ixiataaga – vocals, bass
Nex VII – guitars
Kommander Baal – drums

Album Review – Phaëthon / Wielder of the Steel (2024)

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An up-and-coming UK Epic Heavy Metal band strikes with their debut album, an eight-song herald of metal reverence and majesty delving into the profound impact of narratives on humankind – be it of gods, superstitions, or outright lies.

Formed in 2020 in London, England with the distinct goal of delivering ripping old school Heavy Metal of the epic persuasion, the incendiary outfit Phaëthon emerged on the metal underground with their 2020 debut EP Sacrifice Doth Call. Now in 2024, the band formed of vocalist Vrath, guitarist Decado, bassist Aees and drummer Oskarath brings forth monumental classic metal on their first full-length, Wielder of the Steel, a masterclass in metal glory. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Tom Dring at The Arch Recording Studio, and displaying a stunning artwork by German artist Scheinlichter (aka Stefan Bleyl), Wielder of the Steel is an eight-song herald of metal reverence and majesty that will no doubt appeal to fans of Manowar, Mercyful Fate, Bathory and Cirith Ungol, delving into the profound impact of narratives on humankind – be it of gods, superstitions, or outright lies – extending beyond the confines of Greek mythology.

Soldiers, grab your swords, shields and hammers and head into the battlefield to the sound of Eternal Hammerer, where the riffs by Vrath and Decado will inspire you to bang your heads nonstop in an old school Heavy Metal party with a beautiful epic vibe, flowing into the six-minute aria Vanguard of the Emperor, led by the galloping bass and drums by Aees and Oskarath, respectively, therefore resulting in the perfect soundtrack for a violent battle against all evil. Then leaning towards classic Heavy Metal taken directly from the 80’s we have For the Greater Good of Evil, where Vrath delivers solid, deep vocal lines while his bandmates craft an electrifying sound tailored for raising our horns in the air; whereas Tolls of Perdition is a more cadenced, grim creation by the quartet which lacks more energy, although its Doom Metal elements sound heavy and vile.

Back to a more vibrant sonority, the band offers another warrior-like metal hymn titled Blasphemers, with the soaring vocals by Vrath matching perfectly with all riffage, bass lines, beats and fills. In other words, no one can stand still to its power and electricity; and their Epic Heavy Metal attack goes on in the headbanging tune Forgotten Gods, where Oskarath once again takes the lead with his pounding drums. After that, old school riffs and tribal beats ignite the second to last song, titled Phaëthon Must Fall, with Vrath leading his metal brigade with his inspiring vocals in another song that sounds like it was taken directly from the glory of the 80’s. And last but not least, let’s embark on a 10-minute metal journey in the title-track Wielder of the Steel, starting in a serene, soothing manner to the passionate vocals by Vrath, gradually evolving into a galloping onrush of traditional Heavy Metal where Aees and Oskarath sound amazing with their groovy kitchen.

Weaving a sonic and narrative journey through eras of valor and conflict, empires lost to time, and epic tales of defiance and ambition, all laying bare the eternal juxtaposition between mankind’s hubris and his indomitable spirit, Wielder of the Steel is a must-have for admirers of the style, and you can purchase your copy of the album on BandCamp or from the Cruz Del Sur webstore as a CD, a black LP, or a transparent blue MLT 100 LP. Also, don’t forget to join the band and their epic battles on Facebook and on Instagram, keeping up to date with all things Phaëthon. Those UK metallers are wielding the steel in the name of Epic Heavy Metal in their first full-length album, and you’re more than invited to fight side by side with them to the sound of their inspiring creations.

Best moments of the album: Eternal Hammerer, For the Greater Good of Evil and Blasphemers.

Worst moments of the album: Tolls of Perdition.

Released in 2024 Gates of Hell Records

Track listing
1. Eternal Hammerer 3:31
2. Vanguard of the Emperor 6:15
3. For the Greater Good of Evil 3:34
4. Tolls of Perdition 7:08
5. Blasphemers 4:08
6. Forgotten Gods 4:34
7. Phaëthon Must Fall 4:02
8. Wielder of the Steel 9:45

Band members
Vrath – vocals, guitar
Decado – guitar
Aees – bass
Oskarath – drums

Album Review – Gutvoid / Breathing Obelisk EP (2024)

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One of the best still-young Death Metal entities from Canada challenges you to stand before their Breathing Obelisk.

Since their formation in 2019, the ascent of Toronto, Canada’s Death Metal entity Gutvoid has been nothing if not meteoric. From their 2019 debut EP Astral Bestiary to their 2022 full-length opus Durance of Lightless Horizons, the band churned forth a world-eating metal of death that duly devoured the listener whole. Currently formed of Brendan Dean on vocals and guitars, Daniel Bonofiglio also on the guitars, Justin Boehm on bass, and D.W. Lee on drums, the band is unleashing upon us their brand new 31-minute EP Breathing Obelisk, a grim and visceral creature embraced by the otherworldly artwork by Marcio Blasphemator that will surely cement their status as one of the best still-young Death Metal entities around.

Those four demented metallers transport us to their Stygian realm with their minimalist notes in Swamp Consumed, gradually evolving into a darkened Death Metal entity to the visceral roars by Brendan and the hammering drums by D.W. Lee, presenting elements from Doom Metal and Blackened Doom embedded in their core (and evil) essence, whereas For We Are Many, the first single of the album (which they played live with Tomb Mold and Horrendous in Toronto), is a lecture in Progressive Death Metal sounding dissonant, intricate and disturbing, with Brendan and Daniel making an amazing guitar duo while Justin supports them with his menacing bass (not to mention it’s easy to sense elements from Brendan’s Fathomless Ritual in the riffs). Let’s then embark on one more cryptic, grim voyage together with Gutvoid in When The Living Dome Opens, again presenting their trademark vociferations, low-tuned, groovy bass lines and pounding drums, sounding dark and evil until the very end; and the last song of the EP, entitled Shodar, offers us all seven minutes of solid, melodic and visceral Death Metal led by the strident riffs by Brendan and Daniel, an awesome headbanging feast by the quartet where Brendan continues to deeply gnarl like a demonic entity.

After all is said and done, Gutvoid challenge you to stand before their Breathing Obelisk, and you can do that by following them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, by listening to their wicked music on Spotify, and by purchasing a copy of their new EP from Blood Harvest’s BandCamp page or webstore as a CD, a MLP or a cassette. In other words, do you think you have what it takes to face Gutvoid’s menacing and caustic Breathing Obelisk?

Best moments of the album: For We Are Many and Shodar.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Blood Harvest

Track listing
1. Swamp Consumed 9:50
2. For We Are Many 5:51
3. When The Living Dome Opens 7:20
4. Shodar 7:03

Band members
Brendan Dean – vocals, guitars
Daniel Bonofiglio – guitars
Justin Boehm – bass
D.W. Lee – drums