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Album Review – Shadow of Intent / Imperium Delirium (2025)

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These American Symphonic Deathcore masters are back with their majestic fifth opus, expanding their signature blend with new industrial and atmospheric textures.

Since their formation in 2014, Connecticut’s own Shadow of Intent have garnered a reputation for crafting mind-blowingly melodic, technical, prog-tinged Symphonic Deathcore. Widely acknowledged as one of the forerunners of the current Deathcore renaissance, the band currently formed of Ben Duerr on vocals, Chris Wiseman on the guitars and samples, Andrew Monias on bass, and Bryce Butler on drums is back in action with their fifth studio opus, entitled Imperium Delirium, following up on their 2022 album Elegy. Produced, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio, with additional mixing by Mike Low, and displaying a sinister artwork by Dan Seagrave, Imperium Delirium expands the band’s signature blend of symphonic grandeur, blackened melody, and Deathcore precision with new industrial and atmospheric textures, being highly recommended for fans of Whitechapel, The Black Dahlia Murder, Lorna Shore, and Cattle Decapitation, among others.

Prepare to Die is utterly imposing and symphonic from the very first moments, quickly morphing into a Deathcore beast where Ben’s deep, enraged guttural walk hand in hand with the killer drumming by Bryce, followed by Flying the Black Flag, one of the first singles of the album, showcasing darkly poetic lyrics (“A subterfuge emerges from the confusion / Corrupting patterns, piercing the timeline / A trail left emblazoned with no regard / They fly the black flag high”) amidst an infernal sonority. Infinity of Horrors offers us all another explosion of ferocity and symphonic elements, with the guitars and samples by Chris generating a thrilling, cinematic wall of sounds, whereas Mechanical Chaos is one of the most technical and complex of all songs, with Bryce sounding like a stone crusher on drums for our total delight. There’s not a single space left empty in the air in They Murdered Sleep, a massive Deathcore extravaganza where Chris sounds once again infernal armed with his axe and samples; and Ben roars and vociferates deeply like a wild beast in The Facets of Propaganda, enhancing the song’s already demented heaviness to a whole new level.

Then featuring guest vocals by the one and only George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher of the mighty Cannibal Corpse, Feeding the Meatgrinder presents more of the band’s wicked words (“Violent attrition / Salivating for the kill / Brutality is to be redefined / They aim to dominate / Hordes metastasize a vengeance indiscriminate / Disregard for human life is in the nature of the business”) while the music is ruthless Deathcore at its finest; while Vehement Draconian Vengeance carries a stylish name for another blast of Deathcore by the band, where Chris and Andrew generate a Stygian ambience with their respective riffs and bass lines. Beholding the Sickness of Civilization is a neck-breaking, downtempo tune by Shadow of Intent where all background elements give it a haunting vibe, followed by Apocalypse Canvas, a fun and vibrant instrumental composition by the quartet where the guitar lines by Chris and the rumbling, intricate bass by Andrew sound insanely gripping. Their Symphonic Deathcore onrush goes on in full force in No Matter the Cost, with Ben roaring like a demented creature while Chris slashes his sonic weapons nonstop, and the title-track Imperium Delirium is undoubtedly the most complete, detailed and incendiary of all songs, spearheaded by Bryce’s phenomenal drumming. Put differently, it’s epic, apocalyptic and absurdly engaging until the very end.

A scathing anti-imperialist statement, tackling war, propaganda, and the machinery of modern violence with nihilistic clarity, Imperium Delirium cements the band’s name as one of the most important forces in the history of Deathcore worldwide, and if you’re from another dimension and don’t know anything about Shadow of Intent, you can find the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, stream their music on any available service like Spotify, and of course show them your total support by purchasing their new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Imperium Delirium likely refers to the concept of an “empire in delirium,” describing an empire or ruling power experiencing a state of madness, chaos, or a loss of control. That’s exactly what our decaying society is experiencing nowadays pretty much in every single part of the world, and the music brought forth by Shadow of Intent in their new album certainly represents that chaotic situation to perfection, showing that although our world might be coming to an end, at least let’s go down in style listening to some first-class Deathcore.

Best moments of the album: Flying the Black Flag, Infinity of Horrors, Feeding the Meatgrinder and Imperium Delirium.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Independent/Blood Blast Distribution

Track listing
1. Prepare to Die 4:00
2. Flying the Black Flag 3:57
3. Infinity of Horrors 4:13
4. Mechanical Chaos 3:50
5. They Murdered Sleep 4:01
6. The Facets of Propaganda 5:19
7. Feeding the Meatgrinder 4:03
8. Vehement Draconian Vengeance 3:54
9. Beholding the Sickness of Civilization 4:30
10. Apocalypse Canvas 5:08
11. No Matter the Cost 4:16
12. Imperium Delirium 7:34

Band members
Ben Duerr – vocals
Chris Wiseman – guitars, samples, backing vocals
Andrew Monias – bass
Bryce Butler – drums

Guest musician
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals on “Feeding the Meatgrinder”
Francesco Ferrini – additional keyboards

Concert Review – Meshuggah (Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, Mississauga, ON, 03/29/2025)

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A night to remember of sheer heaviness and brutality with three of the most must-see bands in the history of heavy music, at the best and most entertaining venue you can think of.

OPENING ACTS: Carcass and Cannibal Corpse

An amazing theater, several good friends, free parking, free pop and coffee inside the casino, no work the next day as it was a weekend, a vast selection of food options, and three of the most must-see bands in the history of extreme music. Apart from the shitty weather, with freezing rain and ice storms in parts of Ontario, Saturday night was perfect for countless metalheads at the fantastic Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, when the ruthless CARCASS, CANNIBAL CORPSE and MESHUGGAH took the venue by storm with their undisputed North American Tour 2025, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I wouldn’t miss it not even if the biggest snow storm ever had devastated the city that same day. My only complaint is that I couldn’t find the food truck (or tent) by Slayer Burger before the doors opened, and it was pouring after the show so I didn’t even dare to go outside to purchase one. Well, I wasn’t able to try their new Meshuggah’s Burger, but that’s fine. Next time I attend a concert near one of their locations I’ll definitely grab it, or another one of their exclusive burgers, because they kick some serious ass.

There was a huge line already forming way before the doors opened at 6pm, which made me a little worried if I would be able to buy a Cannibal Corpse shirt before the show started at 7pm, but the merch team was awesome and I had over 30 minutes to simply chill before the first attraction of the night hit the stage, the mighty CARCASS. They only played for a little bit over 30 minutes, but what a devastating concert by those Melodic Death Metal and Grindcore masters, or as some people like to label their music these days, “Death N’ Roll” masters. Despite their short setlist, they played some of the best songs from their most recent album Torn Arteries and Surgical Steel, plus of course my all-time favorite Carcass songs No Love lost and Heartwork, both from their 1993 masterpiece Heartwork. Let’s say it was a beyond phenomenal warmup for the upcoming attractions, courtesy of Jeff Walker, Bill Steer, Nippy Blackford and Daniel Wilding, and if Carcass ever visit your city armed with their venomous music, you know what to do.

Setlist
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (Intro)
Unfit for Human Consumption
Buried Dreams
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
No Love Lost
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
Tools of the Trade
Carneous Cacoffiny (Outro)

Band members
Jeff Walker – vocals, bass
Bill Steer – guitars, backing vocals
Nippy Blackford – guitars
Daniel Wilding – drums

After a quick break, it was time for my favorite Death Metal band of all time to do what they do best, which is get onstage and “crush their enemies, see them driven before them, and to hear the lamentations of their women.” I’m talking about the one and only American institution CANNIBAL CORPSE, who precisely at 7.55pm kicked off their pulverizing show with the neck breaking Scourge of Iron, followed by Blood Blind (from their 2023 album Chaos Horrific), Inhumane Harvest and Evisceration Plague. And what do those songs have in common, you might ask? They’re not played at the speed of light, but that doesn’t make them less infuriated; quite the contrary, it’s their heaviness that counts, in special Evisceration Plague, which is always a pleasure to enjoy live. All that plus the gruesome roars and insane headbanging by Mr. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, and the flawless, jaw dropping bass playing by Mr. Alex Webster, turn their shows into memorable experiences even for nonbelievers.

As the venue is quite wide, it was not too hard to stay away from the mosh pits in case you didn’t want to experience some brutal action, or if you couldn’t because of an injury, for example, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t headbang like a beast to masterpieces like Unleashing the Bloodthirsty (and I’m so happy they’re playing this song even in this shorter than usual setlist), Stripped, Raped and Strangled and Hammer Smashed Face. And of course, participating in another “headbanging contest” against Corpsegrinder (and therefore failing miserably) during I Cum Blood is one of the coolest things one can ever do at a metal concert. The mighty corpse killed it once again, leaving all concert goers absolutely stunned, and next time they come to the city it better be as headliners because we need more of their first-class Death Metal.

Setlist
Scourge of Iron
Blood Blind
Inhumane Harvest
Evisceration Plague
Death Walking Terror
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Summoned for Sacrifice
I Cum Blood
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Rob Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Alex Webster – bass guitar
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

MESHUGGAH

Last but definitely not least, the main attraction of the night, Sweden’s own Technical Groove/Thrash Metal/Djent entity MESHUGGAH, kicked off their festivities at around 9:15pm for the delight of their diehard fans that have taken the entire venue. I forgot to mention it was a sold out event, just to give you an idea of how much Toronto loves Meshuggah, and they put on a striking, hypnotizing concert that definitely lived up to their legacy. Playing songs from all of their albums, including their most recent ones Immutable and The Violent Sleep of Reason, and their classic ObZen, the band spearheaded by Jens Kidman offered a well-balances blend of harsh vocals, rumbling bass lines, pounding drums, and a massive feast of lighting that made the whole concert even more impactful.

All fans were going wild, with some headbanging, jumping up and down, or raising their fists like there was no tomorrow, and the band seeing that made sure they kept kicking ass onstage. When it was time for the encore, with their hits Bleed and Demiurge, the synchronicity between the band and their fans was absolutely fantastic, proving why they’re one of the most beloved bands in Toronto in present-day metal. After the show was over, a huge amount of fans stayed at the casino to try their luck, who knows, maybe some would even recover the money spent on tickets, merch or drinks, and I love the fact that there’s that option at the casino, so you don’t need to rush home nor anything like that. I mean, you can savor the post-concert adrenaline still at the venue, spend some extra time with your friends and family, grab a bite, and start thinking of your next metal show. And if it is at the Great Canadian Resort Toronto, that’s a no-brainer. Simply buy your tickets, and go enjoy some high quality music at the best venue in the entire GTA, or maybe I should say in the entire province of Ontario.

Setlist
Careless Whisper (George Michael song)
Intro (Atmospheric soundscape)
Broken Cog
Violent Sleep of Reason
Rational Gaze
Combustion
Kaleidoscope
God He Sees in Mirrors
Lethargica
Born in Dissonance
Dancers to a Discordant System
Swarm
Future Breed Machine

Encore:
Bleed
Demiurge
Boombastic (Shaggy song)

Band members
Jens Kidman – vocals
Fredrik Thordendal – guitars
Mårten Hagström – guitars
Dick Lövgren – bass
Tomas Haake – drums

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Concert Review – Cannibal Corpse & Mayhem (Rebel, Toronto, ON, 09/27/2023)

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An unforgettable night of mayhem, blood and chaos for all metalheads in Toronto, courtesy of two of the most important names in the history of extreme music.

***Review by Kevin Ibbitson, with photos by Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography***

OPENING ACTS: Blood Incantation and Gorguts

The line up of CANNIBAL CORPSE, MAYHEM (the one true), GORGUTS and BLOOD INCANTATION steamrolled through Rebel on Wednesday evening on their North American Tour 2023, wreaking havok in their wake and leaving many fans satiated by the experience. The crowd got their money’s worth. It was my First time seeing these bands and honestly it was one of the best shows I’ve been to this year. Thanks Gus! The crowd was enthusiastic and bustling with energy. The pit was nuts the whole show and there was constant crowd surfing.

I’ve gotta say that the staff and security were friendly and welcoming (especially the guy in the box office who helped out with my review ticket situation). The line to get in wasn’t too crazy unlike the Parking lots. Traffic is always a bitch in this city but my brother and I avoided Lakeshore and took the back way down Lesley St. to Unwin Ave., then up Cherry St. to Polson St.. Easy as pie. Once in the venue I met some of the other media in attendance (Pedro From A&P Reacts, Jason and Kim from The Metal Pit). Such awesome people, it was great meeting them all. After grabbing a cold one I went and got settled in a decent spot foregoing my usual habit of hitting the merch stand early as the lines were crazy long.

The Lights went low and first up Was Denver Colorado’s own BLOOD INCANTATION with a short but fantastic three song set of their spacy/psychedelic brand of death metal. The pit instantly went into action as soon as the music started and soon after the crowd surfing began creating a fun atmosphere that was contagious. I wish they played a little bit longer but they gained a new fan out of me in the process. After their set I noticed the lines for merch were significantly shorter so I decided to queue up. How could I not cop a shirt or two?

Setlist
Inner Paths (to Outer Space)
Awakening From the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Our Reality (Mirror of the Soul)
Obliquity of the Ecliptic

Band members
Paul Riedl – vocals, guitars
Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars
Jeff Barrett – bass
Isaac Faulk – drums

While Standing in line, Sherbrooke Quebec’s resident Tech Death lords GORGUTS layed down a phenomenal set, whipping the crowd into a frenzy but alas, I was stuck in line but fret not, I was still able to enjoy the band from afar as the speaker set-up at Rebel is pretty decent as well as having TV monitors at every bar so I was still able to gauge their performance and the crowd’s reaction. Got an awesome shirt out of it and was glad they were still accepting cash because after all I’m still a f**king caveman apparently. Gorguts rules!

Setlist
Rottenatomy
Disincarnated
Bodily Corrupted
Orphans of Sickness
Obscura

Band members
Luc Lemay – vocals, guitars
Kevin Hufnagel – guitars
Colin Marston – bass
Patrice Hamelin – drums

MAYHEM

I met up with my brother Keith (photographer @lowereastsidephotography) out on the patio during the intermission. The moon was almost full, the air was cool and calm, setting up the vibe for the next band. A band that many in the crowd came to see, one of the original pioneers of the Norwegian black metal scene, the one true MAYHEM. The crowd packed it in even tighter, I couldn’t get anywhere near the pit so I had to hang back and enjoy it from a distance. Mayhem proceeded to absolutely kill it and the fans were just eating it up. The crowd surfing was absolutely nuts, even Mayhem’s bassist Necrobutcher pointed to a crowd surfer with a liberty spiked mohawk as he was jettisoned towards the stage. The band feeding off of the crowd’s energy as the crowd was feeding off theirs. After the first three songs, Keith met up with me to show me his selfie he got with George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher at the side of the stage (lucky f**ker). We decided to check out more merch while Mayhem was destroying it on stage and to our surprise Luc Lemay (guitarist and lead vocalist) of Gorguts was running his own merch stand. We were greeted with a handshake and a thank you from Luc for coming to the show which was nice. Luc was one of the most friendly and down to earth people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. So nice in fact that when the internet went down he accepted whatever cash we had on hand (we had half of what they were worth) for a signed limited edition picture disc of the album ” The Erosion Of Sanity” and a shirt. He totally didn’t have to do that at all and we appreciated the hell out of that. Such an awesome dude. Mayhem finishes their extra long set, everyone was ecstatic at this point, having an incredible night.

Setlist
Worthless Abominations Destroyed
Crystalized Pain in Deconstruction
Malum
My Death
Voces Ab Alta
Freezing Moon
Life Eternal
De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas
Silvester Anfang
Deathcrush
Carnage
Pure Fucking Armageddon

Band members
Attila Csihar – vocals
Teloch – guitars
Ghul – guitars
Necrobutcher – bass
Hellhammer – drums

CANNIBAL CORPSE

Finally it was time for a band that I have always wanted to see but never had the time or money but as luck would have it an opportunity arose thanks to Gustavo Scuderi of The Headbanging Moose for hooking me up with a review ticket, taking his place as he is out west having a great time seeing his lifelong favorite band Iron Maiden. Currently promoting their amazing new album Chaos Horrific, American death metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE is a band that is best heard live. Did I say heard? I meant felt. Cannibal Corpse is a band that is felt not heard. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher’s gutturals are as concussive as a mac truck doing dentistry. At times I was at the back of the venue and the vocals were like a kick in the gut. What can I say other than Cannibal Corpse absolutely f**king rules!!! And I loved every second of it. The pit was absolutely insane and, in fact, the crowd was one of the best I’ve ever been in. Such an amazing atmosphere to be a part of. George’s crowd control and banter is always legendary and he is certainly one of the best frontmen in metal. I love watching the security guards reactions during George’s intro to “I Cum Blood”. I don’t have to tell you that everyone fails his headbanging challenge, I mean how can you even compete with that neck? You must “RESPECT THE NECK”. Props to the soundboard technicians. Great sound all night and I didn’t even have to use my ear protection. I left the show completely satisfied and I can’t wait to see them and any one of the other bands the next time they come to town. They all left me wanting more. Great show 10/10!

Setlist
Scourge of Iron
Blood Blind
Disfigured
Evisceration Plague
Inhumane Harvest
Death Walking Terror
Chaos Horrific
I Cum Blood
Summoned for Sacrifice
Pounded Into Dust
Disposal of the Body
Pit of Zombies
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Rob Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Alex Webster – bass guitar
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

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Album Review – Cannibal Corpse / Chaos Horrific (2023)

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The mighty Corpse is back with another pulverizing album of old school, undisputed Death Metal, blasting gore, blood and violence throughout 39 minutes of pure and intense chaos.

Two years after the incendiary Violence Unimagined, American Death Metal legends Cannibal Corpse are back with their equally monstrous sixteenth studio album, titled Chaos Horrific, continuing to build their legacy in the history of heavy music. Produced by the band’s own Erik Rutan at Mana Recording Studios, and displaying another sick and gory artwork by longtime collaborator Vince Locke, the new album by frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, guitarists Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan, bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz was written shortly after the conclusion of the Violence Unimagined sessions (due to the pandemic keeping them off tour), and although echoes of that album exist in Chaos Horrific, it is a whole new beast of its own. “To me this album feels sort of like a continuation of Violence Unimagined. The style is quite similar, but individually none of the songs on Chaos Horrific sound like songs on Violence Unimagined,” said Alex. “It’s a full-on death metal album, Cannibal Corpse style.”

And Alex begins his undisputed bass attack in the visceral opening tune Overlords of Violence, where the band already crushes us mercilessly with their old school Death Metal, offering pure, unfiltered Cannibal Corpse for the masses, followed by Frenzied Feeding, another massive assault by the quintet with the guitars by Rob and Erik sounding extremely dirty, vile and evil, while our buddy Corpsegrinder proves why he’s the ultimate Death Metal growler. “One person is randomly selected to die. Thirteen people are randomly selected to kill this person by violently removing pieces of his body until he breathes no more,” commented Paul about Summoned for Sacrifice, a neck-breaking, demonic tune that will work amazingly if played live; whereas Blood Blind “is about mass mutilations to reset the human race in a genocide that was embraced by the masses,” also according to Paul, showcasing classic, evil lyrics roared by Corpsegrinder (“Seas of gore as far as the eye can see / Saturating the vision / Eternal hate this is not a fallacy / Contaminate all that lives / Subjugate the mind / Blood blind”).

The wicked guitar lines by the band’s unstoppable axe duo ignite the circle pit feast Vengeful Invasion, another great tune for headbanging nonstop together with Corpsegrinder, sounding extremely technical yet still bringing forward the band’s trademark gore and heaviness, whereas the title-track Chaos Horrific couldn’t have sounded more Cannibal Corpse than that, presenting their past, present and future sonority, with Paul kicking some serious ass behind his drums supported by the always demented bass by Alex. They show no sign of slowing down in the brutal, thunderous Fracture and Refracture, bringing forward more of their Death Metal riffage, rumbling bass lines and crushing beats in a beyond thrilling manner, followed by Pitchfork Impalement, offering us all three minutes of insanity and violence led by the inhumane growls by Corpsegrinder while Paul hammers his drums with endless fury. After that, get ready to be pulverized inside the mosh pit to the sound of Pestilential Rictus, a groovy, ruthless display of Death Metal where Rob and Erik are superb with their metallic riffs and solos. And lastly, if you’re still alive there’s time for one final sonic carnage titled Drain You Empty, where the band invests in a deep, obscure sound not recommended for the lighthearted, overflowing their brutality until the very last second.

Cannibal Corpse Chaos Horrific Boxset

If there’s one thing that we all love about Cannibal Corpse is their ability to reinvent themselves with every new album without forgetting about their old school Death Metal roots, which is exactly what we see in the excellent Chaos Horrific. Hence, don’t forget to give the guys from the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their vast and amazing catalogue on Spotify, to catch the kings of Death Metal live on tour now promoting their sick new album, and above all that, to purchase a copy of it from their own webstore, from the Metal Blade Records webstore, from Kingsroadmerch.com (especially the fantastic Chaos Horrific Box Set, limited to 1500 copies and including a dried blood vinyl, a 24-page 12” booklet, a puzzle, a poster, an enamel pin and an art print), or simply click HERE for all things Cannibal Corpse. Let’s support this undisputed Death Metal institution to keep blasting chaos through their music for many decades to come, spreading blood, gore, filth, violence, and all other horrific things that makes us metalheads always proud of the mighty Corpse!

Best moments of the album: Overlords of Violence, Chaos Horrific, Fracture and Refracture and Pestilential Rictus.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Metal Blade Records

Track listing
1. Overlords of Violence 3:08
2. Frenzied Feeding 3:33
3. Summoned for Sacrifice 4:05
4. Blood Blind 4:34
5. Vengeful Invasion 4:44
6. Chaos Horrific 3:33
7. Fracture and Refracture 3:37
8. Pitchfork Impalement 3:17
9. Pestilential Rictus 4:13
10. Drain You Empty 4:36

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Rob Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Alex Webster – bass guitar
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

Concert Review – Cannibal Corpse (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 11/06/2022)

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And there we had another fantastic night of sheer brutality and blasphemy in Toronto spearheaded by the Corpse. 

OPENING ACTS: Black Anvil, Immolation and Dark Funeral

What a fantastic night of sheer brutality and blasphemy at The Danforth Music Hall yesterday in Toronto! If you’re a diehard fan of Death and Black Metal you must attend one of the concerts of the North American Tour 2022 this fall with the bands BLACK ANVIL, IMMOLATION, DARK FUNERAL and the unstoppable, unparalleled CANNIBAL FUCKIN’ CORPSE, with the sold out night yesterday in Toronto proving how strong extreme music still is even with all the bad music that’s dumped onto us everyday by the “specialized” media. The weather was perfect and the line to get into the venue started to form really early, maybe even before 4pm, showing it was going to be indeed an unforgettable night to all 1,500 fans who were lucky enough to get a ticket.

The first band to hit the stage was New York-based Black/Thrash Metal outfit BLACK ANVIL, but I had to miss the first few minutes of their setlist due to the massive line to buy merch. Unfortunately, the never-ending merch lines seem to be the new norm as that has happened in every single concert I’ve been to after the end of the pandemic, which makes me wonder if the fans are willing to spend a lot of extra money with shirts and other merch fearing that a new pandemic might hit anytime, or that the organizers have no clue what they’re doing and can’t put together a decent way to serve all fans that want to buy some merch. Anyway, back to the music, as soon as I was able to get into the main hall I could enjoy Black Anvil’s straightforward, no shenanigans performance, with their drummer stealing the spotlight with a solid performance. They’ve just released a new album this Friday, entitled Regenesis, which was basically everything they played last night, so if you know nothing about them and are attending one of their concerts opening for Cannibal Corpse you must listen to their new opus. Well, you should listen to it even if you’re not attending any concert, as those guys are great.

Setlist
The Gates of Brass
In Two
The Bet
29
8-Bit Terror
Grant Us His Love
Castrum Doloris

Band members
P.D. – vocals, bass
Sos – guitars
Travis Bacon – guitars
R.G. – drums

After a very short break (and the main reason for that is because all four bands had to finish their concerts by 11pm at the latest due to the neighborhood where the venue is located), it was then time for American Death Metal masters IMMOLATION to crush our souls with their extremely aggressive and technical creations, blending songs from their newest album Acts of God, such as the title-track An Act of God, Shed the Light and the closing song Apostle, with old school stuff including one song from their 1991 debut album Dawn of Possession, the fulminating Burial Ground, which ignited one of the most ravenous mosh pits of their infernal performance. Vocalist and bassist Ross Dolan was on fire throughout their entire set, while his bandmates made sure the electricity kept flowing between the band and the crowd. I’m sure it won’t take long for Immolation to return to Toronto,  and whenever that happens I’m sure I’ll be there to slam into the pit once again to the sound of their visceral music.

Setlist
Abandoned
An Act of God
The Age of No Light
Swarm of Terror
Noose of Thorns
The Distorting Light
Overtures of the Wicked
Burial Ground
Shed the Light
Of Martyrs and Men
When Halos Burn
Apostle

Band members
Ross Dolan – vocals, bass
Robert Vigna – guitars
Alex Bouks – guitars
Steve Shalaty – drums

Of course I was at The Danforth Music Hall last night mainly to see the headliners Cannibal Corpse, but I was also very excited to witness the scorching Black Metal by Sweden’s own DARK FUNERAL for the very first time live, and let me tell you it was indeed a unique experience as the band spearheaded by the talented frontman Heljarmadr delivered endless obscurity and blasphemy to their avid fans. Promoting their awesome new opus We Are The Apocalypse, Dark Funeral fired a great fusion of their early days and more contemporary creations, with songs the likes of Leviathan, The Secrets of the Black Arts and Let the Devil In receiving a huge roar back from the crowd showing all their admiration for the band. It was also funny seeing Heljarmadr asking every single fan at the venue to scream “HAIL SATAN!” together with him, and I can’t imagine what the girls at the bar and the guys from security felt during such inspirational moments. The top moments of their performance for me were the neck-breaking, evil tune My Funeral, and the closing song Where Shadows Forever Reign, turning Toronto into the worldwide Black Metal capital for one night and, therefore, guaranteeing Dark Funeral will return to the city to darken the skies once again with their undisputed Black Metal in the near future.

Setlist
Unchain My Soul
Hail Murder
Leviathan
My Funeral
The Secrets of the Black Arts
Open the Gates
When I’m Gone
Nail Them to the Cross
Let the Devil In
Where Shadows Forever Reign

Band members
Heljarmadr – vocals
Lord Ahriman – guitars
Chaq Mol – guitars
Adra Melek – bass
Jalomaah – drums

CANNIBAL CORPSE

And finally there they were, three years after their hammering performance at The Opera House back in 2019 (which was by the way my last concert before the world went to shit with the pandemic), Buffalo, New York’s one and only Death Metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE took the city of Toronto by storm once again with their rage, speed, heaviness, precision and groove, driving the entire floor section mental and, consequently, igniting a massive circle pit that lasted for their entire performance. Frontman George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (armed with his monstrous neck and his beyond cool T-shirt “Respect the Neck”), guitarists Rob Barrett and Erik Rutan, the bass phenom Alex Webster, and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz were in absolute sync from start to finish, turning up the eat at the venue to the point you would sweat even if you were not moving at all.

What I love about Cannibal Corpse is that their setlists are always a journey through all of their phases, mixing classics the likes of Unleashing the Bloodthirsty and Stripped, Raped and Strangled with newer stuff such as Kill or Become and Inhumane Harvest, this one form their most recent album Violence Unimagined. Corpsegrinder had the crowd in his bloody hands instantly, delivering not only a savage vocal performance but also interacting in a very fun way with all fans, either by throwing bottles of water to them or by challenging everyone to try to beat him in a headbanging duel during I Cum Blood (and of course, we all failed miserably as Corpsegrinder himself predicted). Another fun moment with Corpsegrinder was before Fucked With a Knife, when he dedicated it to all women and instead of hearing guys cheering that, he actually listened to A LOT of women screaming at the venue. He commented on that by saying there are usually only 20 women in their concerts, which is already a lot in his opinion, and when he asked the ladies to scream again they were even louder. Well, after such nice moment, the circle pit kept moving ferociously to Fucked With a Knife, as expected.

Every single time I write anything about Cannnibal Corpse I need to say how much I admire Mr. Alex Webster and his wicked bass lines, and yesterday in Toronto he proved once again why he’s the best bass player of the entire Death Metal universe. That man is a beast on bass, and the best part is that you can actually listen to each and every note coming from his bass clearly. And while Mr. Webster was demolishing our ears with his bass during masterpieces the likes of Devoured by Vermin, A Skull Full of Maggots and Hammer Smashed Face, the rowdy crowd in Toronto kept having a very good time inside the circle pit in the name of first-class metal music. It’s so nice to be a fan of a band like Cannibal Corpse, as not only all of their albums are amazing, but their live performances are a thing of beauty. There should be a law for the band to play here at least once a month, but as that’s not possible I’m happy if they kept releasing ass-kicking albums and keep coming back to Toronto every couple of years. LONG LIVE THE CORPSE!

Setlist
Scourge of Iron
The Time to Kill Is Now
Inhumane Harvest
Code of the Slashers
Fucked With a Knife
The Wretched Spawn
Gutted
Kill or Become
I Cum Blood
Evisceration Plague
Death Walking Terror
Condemnation Contagion
Necrogenic Resurrection
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Devoured by Vermin
A Skull Full of Maggots
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Rob Barrett – lead and rhythm guitar
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Alex Webster – bass guitar
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

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Album Review – Corpsegrinder / Corpsegrinder (2022)

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Long live the Corpse… GRINDER!

Co-produced by Nick Bellmore (Dee Snider, Toxic Holocaust, Kingdom Of Sorrow) and Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed), and released through Jamey’s new label Perseverance Media Group, Corpsegrinder is the debut solo project by Florida, United States-based unrelenting vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, commonly known as the ruthless frontman for Death Metal behemoths Cannibal Corpse. Featuring the aforementioned Corpsegrinder on vocals, Charlie Bellmore (Dee Snider, Toxic Holocaust) on the guitars and bass, and Nick Bellmore on drums, as well as a special guest appearance by guitarist Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal), Corpsegrinder offers our avid ears a 10-song effort that is chock-full of Death Metal and Hardcore Thrash, plus Corpsegrinder’s signature guttural vocals. Put differently, if you enjoyed Cannibal Corpse’s 2021 opus Violence Unimagined, you’re in for a treat to the fulminating music found in Corpsegrinder.

Featuring Erik Rutan on the guitars, Acid Vat is a pulverizing Death Metal tune with Groove Metal nuances and gruesome, austere lyrics masterfully barked by Corpsegrinder (“Silence was your promise / Trust was given not earned / No allegiance shown / Not a man of your word / In this game you failed / Where the stakes were your life / Sworn to secrecy until the price was too high”), whereas Charlie begins hammering his guitar and bass in the awesome Bottom Dweller, accompanied by the pounding beats by Nick in another awesome onrush of old school Death Metal that could have easily featured in any of the more recent Cannibal Corpse albums. Nick takes the lead with his stone crusher drums in On Wings of Carnage while Corpsegrinder continues to haunt our damned souls armed with his inhumane guttural growls; and putting the pedal to the metal the trio fires the insane All Souls Get Torn, a Brutal Slammin’ Death Metal feast that will please all diehard fans of Corpsegrinder’s other bands and projects, not to mention how demented the riffs and solos by Charlie sound. Following such high-octane song, the rumbling bass by Charlie will make your head tremble in the devilish tune titled Death Is The Only Key, perfect for breaking your neck headbanging together with Corpsegrinder (but don’t forget to respect the neck, of course).

Their shot at a more modern version of Groove Metal comes in the form of the infernal Crimson Proof, with Corpsegrinder once again barking the song’s grim words (“Bring on the bloodshed / I see from crest to crest / All the dead lay strewn / Countless souls sent to their doom / All I leave is crimson proof”), and you better get ready to be smashed like an insignificant insect by Corpsegrinder and his henchmen in the absolutely acid Devourer Of Souls, exhaling brutality and hatred in the form of Death Metal. Then it’s time for more groove and violence in Defined By Your Demise, with Charlie and Nick being in total sync from start to finish, therefore offering Corpsegrinder a visceral, neck-breaking atmosphere tailored for his trademark growling, followed by Master Of The Longest Night, their second to last blast of animosity and darkness which begins with the razor-edged riffage by Charlie and a deep roar by Corpsegrinder, evolving into a dark, massive Death Metal attack. And last but not least, Corpsegrinder will demolish our senses once again with the short and demonic Vaguely Human, with Nick showing no mercy for his drums while Charlie extracts sheer electricity and fury from his axe.

You can “sit down, relax and enjoy a soothing cup of tea” to the sound of Corpsegrinder’s debut solo effort by streaming it in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you consider yourself a true servant of extreme music you can purchase the album from his own BandCamp page or from the Martyr Hardcore Metal Online Store in different formats such as the CD + sticker + button bundle, the CD + longsleeve shirt bundle, and the cassette + sticker bundle, as well as from Apple Music. So don’t forget to follow Corpsegrinder on Instagram, to keep headbanging to his wicked music, and above all that, do not dare to try to be a “good” guy and disrespect the motherfuckin’ neck, because if you do so you’ll have to deal with the consequences in the hands of Mr. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, alright?

Best moments of the album: Bottom Dweller, All Souls Get Torn and Crimson Proof.

Worst moments of the album: On Wings of Carnage.

Released in 2022 Perseverance Media Group

Track listing
1. Acid Vat 3:09
2. Bottom Dweller
3. On Wings of Carnage 3:45
4. All Souls Get Torn
5. Death Is The Only Key
6. Crimson Proof
7. Devourer Of Souls
8. Defined By Your Demise
9. Master Of The Longest Night
10. Vaguely Human

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Charlie Bellmore – guitars, bass
Nick Bellmore – drums

Guest musicians
Erik Rutan – guitars on “Acid Vat”

Concert Review – Cannibal Corpse (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 11/15/2019)

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Over 30 years of evisceration, torture, mutilation, killing, blood and cannibalism in an awesome night of first-class Death Metal in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Perdition Temple and Thy Art Is Murder

I can’t describe in words how happy I am whenever a metal concert is scheduled for a Friday or Saturday night in Toronto, especially when the music in question is old school Death Metal. I mean, we need at least one full day to recover from all the insanity going on in the circle pits, right? And that’s probably why all fans at The Opera House this Friday, November 15 went the extra mile in terms of energy, rage and madness, slamming like it was their last night on earth to the sound of Perdition Temple, Thy Art Is Murder and my favorite Death Metal band of all time, the almighty Cannibal Corpse, pulverizing everything and everyone that crossed their path on a cold but fantastic night in Toronto.

It took forever for the concerts to start, probably because of the huge line that was formed at the door, with security even doing the checks while people were still in line and not right at the entrance. That was an indication that The Opera House was going to be jam packed (and it actually was), and after tons of non-metal songs played by the house DJ for a reason beyond my understanding (well, at least when he played Toto’s classic Africa some metalheads had a good time singing it), the first attraction of the night, Tampa, Florida-based Black/Death Metal horde PERDITION TEMPLE, finally hit the stage and began their short but solid setlist. Formed in 2009 by guitarist Gene Palubicki (from old school cult act Angelcorpse), the trio comprised of Gene together with bassist and vocalist Alex Blume and drummer Ronnie Parmer played a well-balanced setlist including songs from all of their releases, with songs like To Bleed at War, The Tempter’s Victorious and Goddess in Death already igniting some decent circle pits in the floor section. I personally enjoyed their performance a lot, and if you’re curious to know how the music by those Ameircan metallers sounds, simply check their official BandCamp page and, who knows, you might end up adding one of their albums to your devilish collection.

Setlist
The Tempter’s Victorious
Plague Camp
Testament to Annihilation
To Bleed at War
Goddess In Death

Band members
Alex Blume – vocals, bass
Gene Palubicki – guitars, vocals
Ronnie Parmer – drums

After a short break where most fans went either to the bar to grab some cold beer or to the bathroom to make room for more beer,  it was time for Sydney, Australia-based Deathcore outfit THY ART IS MURDER to show Toronto what they got, giving a lesson in slamming with their heavy-as-hell and politicized compositions. Comprised of vocalist Chris “CJ” McMahon, guitarists Sean Delander and Andy Marsh, bassist Kevin Butler and drummer Jesse Beahler, this excellent Deathcore unity from Down Under blasted a demolishing setlist including songs from their newest album Human Target, such as Make America Hate Again and New Gods, which by the way I thought sounded amazing live, with older hits like Reign of Darkness, Fur and Claw and Puppet Master, driving the fans nuts while crushing their skulls inside the humongous mosh pit that dominated the entire floor section as soon as the band began their show. I must say CJ McMahon is not only an extremely talented vocalist, delivering his trademark deep, guttural growls and his inhuman screeches, but he’s also a very charismatic and humble guy, making it visible to everyone at the venue how happy and impressed he was with the reception by his Torontonians fans. After all was said and done, I was able to confirm Thy Art Is Murder is indeed one of the best bands hailing from the current metal scene in Australia, both in studio and when on stage, and after witnessing them live for the first time ever I can’t wait to see when those guys will get back to Toronto for another round of their unrelenting Deathcore.

Setlist
Death Squad Anthem
Make America Hate Again
Fur and Claw
Slaves Beyond Death
Holy War
No Absolution
Human Target
The Son of Misery
New Gods
Reign of Darkness
Puppet Master

Band members
Chris “CJ” McMahon – vocals
Andy Marsh – lead guitar
Sean Delander – rhythm guitar
Kevin Butler – bass
Jesse Beahler – drums

CANNIBAL CORPSE

The wait for the one and only Death Metal institution CANNIBAL CORPSE was finally over when it was getting close to 9:30pm, and from the very first note of the opening track Code of the Slashers, from their latest opus Red Before Black, released in 2017, until the closing moments from their gruesome all-time classic Hammer Smashed Face, it was pure Armageddon in the form of ass-kicking Death Metal. The unstoppable vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher (I still don’t know how he can headbang like a beast for so long), guitarists Rob Barret and Erik Rutan (the lead singer and guitarist for Hate Eternal who is filling in on guitar during this tour due to the arrest of guitarist Pat O’Brien), the phenomenal bassist Alex Webster, and the precise drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz set The Opera House on fire with their visceral and absolutely perfect Death Metal, playing “horror classics” from almost all of their albums (which you can find on sale from their own BandCamp page), including my favorite Cannibal Corpse song of all time, Devoured by Vermin, from their 1996 album Vile, and the sensational Kill or Become, from their 2014 album A Skeletal Domain, where you could see several fans “firing up their chainsaws” together with Corpsegrinder. It was so insane I could barely take my phone out for some decent pictures.

Every single time I watch Alex Webster live I get more and more impressed with his technique, feeling and groove, proving why he’s in my opinion the best extreme music bassist of all time. As a matter of fact, how many Death, Thrash and Black Metal bands have bassists that you can actually listen to in detail while performing live? Not only that, but the band’s setlist was also impressive as already mentioned, and that’s probably one of the reasons why Alex and the guys were so brutal and awesome on stage this Friday. Songs like Red Before Black, Gutted, Make Them Suffer and Stripped, Raped and Strangled were the catalyst of some of the most demented circle pits you can imagine, while Scourge of Iron and the demonic Evisceration Plague were perfect for breaking our necks headbanging like maniacs. Another thing that was really entertaining during the band’s flawless performance were all the jokes by Corpsegrinder, showing that behind that brutal headbanging beast there’s a very kind and fun guy. When he offered “NOTHING” from the bottom of his heart to the fans we could see how excited he was with the warm and violent reception from the crowd. And what to say about his personal intro in I Cum Blood, where he dared the fans to try to headbang like him (and, of course, we would all fail miserably in his own words)? That’s what I call a frontman, my friends, never letting the energy go down and always reminding us why the band has been on the road alive and kicking since 1988. When the show was over, you could see many, many fans dripping wet of their own (and others’) sweat and beer leaving the venue without a jacket when the temperature was around -5oC, mostly due to the adrenaline still flowing through their veins, and you know what? That’s when you know there was a damn good Death Metal night in Toronto, obviously spearheaded by our beloved Cannibal Fuckin’ Corpse.

Setlist
Code of the Slashers
Only One Will Die
Red Before Black
Scourge of Iron
Staring Through the Eyes of the Dead
The Wretched Spawn
Devoured by Vermin
Unleashing the Bloodthirsty
Gutted
Kill or Become
A Skull Full of Maggots
Evisceration Plague
Firestorm Vengeance
Death Walking Terror
I Cum Blood
Make Them Suffer
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Erik Rutan – lead guitar
Rob Barrett – rhythm guitar
Alex Webster – bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

Album Review – Cannibal Corpse / Red Before Black (2017)

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Always loyal to their foundations and sounding rawer and more aggressive than ever, here comes the most hardworking act in Death Metal with another first-class onslaught of sheer brutality.

If there’s a band in extreme music that not only remains loyal to their foundations, but that also keeps delivering excellence with each and every album release, that band are American death metallers Cannibal Corpse. This Buffalo-based Death Metal institution never disappoints, always providing us fans everything we crave in extreme music, playing their music almost to perfection while maintaining a high level of rawness and aggressiveness in their sonority at all times, which is exactly the case in Red Before Black, the fourteenth studio album in their vile, ruthless and gory career. Having said that, do you have what it takes to face another brutal installment by the Corpse?

Released three years after the good A Skeletal Domain and featuring a slashing artwork by American comic book artist Vince Locke, Red Before Black not only proves why Cannibal Corpse are still alive and kicking after almost 40 years on the road, fighting against all odds and always going against anything that can be considered mainstream, but it also shows that there’s no sign of the band slowing down or venturing through less violent fields. Quite the contrary, it seems that the Corpse is thirstier for guts, entrails and blood than ever.  “We always try to make our music aggressive, but where an album like ‘A Skeletal Domain’ was definitely aggressive, it has a targeted refinement that the new album doesn’t. ‘Red Before Black’ is as well executed as anything we’ve done, but it has a rawness to it that we haven’t had in a long time,” asserted bassist Alex Webster.

Raw and putrid sounds impregnate our ears from the very first second in Only One Will Die, with the guitars by Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett sounding pulverizing while George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher barks manically as usual, showing why he’s one of the most respected and consistent growlers still in action. Furthermore, its lyrics reek of traditional Cannibal Corpse (“Both of us will throttle / Strangling with rage / Both consumed by madness, revenge has us enslaved / Both are badly wounded / And struggle to survive / Both are fighting to the death but only one will die”). Brutality keeps flowing from all instruments in the fantastic title-track Red Before Black, where the competent old school drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz maintains the pace at a frantic level while Corpsegrinder vociferates the song’s lancinating name ferociously. And those guys never get tired of blasting sheer Death Metal to our metallic ears, delivering violence and bloodshed from start to finish in this ominous circle pit-generator Code of the Slashers, with their always demonic guitar solos enhancing the song’s electricity to the limit; whereas Shedding My Human Skin is mid-tempo slashing tune where guitars penetrate deep inside our mind while Alex and Paul keep punching us in the head ruthlessly. The song loses its taste a bit after a while, though, but it’s still a decent creation by our beloved Corpse.

Get ready to be massacred by Corpsegrinder and his henchmen in Remaimed (let’s see if you can survive this hurricane of Death Metal), with all instruments played with extreme violence, in special the bass by Alex who once again proves why he’s in my humble opinion the best Extreme Metal bassist of all time; followed by Firestorm Vengeance, a heavy-as-hell metal tempest ignited by putrid, raw riffs that grow in intensity until all hell breaks loose, led by the unstoppable Paul on drums. Put differently, if you’re getting to know Cannibal Corpse at this point in your life, this is a very good sample of their more contemporary sound. Heads Shoveled Off is perfect for banging your head like Corpsegrinder himself, while Paul keeps demolishing his drums and the guitar duo Pat and Rob shows no mercy by cutting our ears with their sharp-edged strings, not to mention the song’s slashing words (“Back in Nam he killed a man / A shovel was used to cut his head off / Now forever changed lust to decapitate / Chop at the neck to keep the skull intact / Going insane / Come back deranged”), and displaying hints of progressiveness but still maintaining the band’s crude sonority, Corpus Delicti is another great job done by Rob and Pat with their axes, delivering amazing riffs and solos nonstop.

Red Before Black Collectors Bundle

In Scavenger Consuming Death we have the pleasure to witness Mr. Webster doing what he does best, shaking the foundations of the earth with his devilish bass lines, also presenting a fantastic chorus to follow along with Corpsegrinder, as well as visceral guitar solos and a thrilling pace. In other words, it can’t get any more Cannibal Corpse than this. The crude, primeval sonority found in In the Midst of Ruin, a beyond perfect tune for some carnage inside the circle pit, takes us back to the band’s early days, with Alex Webster firing bestial, rumbling tunes from his bass; while Destroyed Without a Trace, the second to last tune in Red Before Black, is filled with the band’s trademark harmony and aggressiveness (and a Corpsegrinder sounding more enraged than you can imagine), with all breaks and changes from slower, heavier moments to sheer devastation making it a great choice for their live concerts. Lastly, closing this crushing record we have more of the band’s old school Death Metal in Hideous Ichor, which despite being slightly below the rest of the album in terms of quality, it’s still very enjoyable if you’re a longtime fan of the band.

Metal Blade Records kind of surprised us all by uploading the full album on their YouTube channel, but of course in case you’re also a “Corpse addict” like myself you’re certainly going to buy your favorite version of the album at their webstore, like the Red Before Black Collectors Bundle, including among a ton of pretty cool stuff a bonus CD named “Blood Covered”, featuring Cannibal Corpse turning some metal classic by Accept, Metallica, Kreator, Possessed and other bands into their own infernal sound. Red Before Black exhales pure Cannibal Corpse, and it will surely maintain this fantastic Death Metal horde relevant in the minds of old school metal fans, it will show newcomers to the world of heavy music how Death Metal should always be played, and last but not least, it will keep haunting the souls of those who are not brave enough to face the most hardworking band in the history of extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Only One Will Die, Red Before Black, Heads Shoveled Off and Scavenger Consuming Death.

Worst moments of the album: Shedding My Human Skin and Hideous Ichor.

Released in 2017 Metal Blade Records

Track listing 
1. Only One Will Die 3:24
2. Red Before Black 3:12
3. Code of the Slashers 4:45
4. Shedding My Human Skin 3:28
5. Remaimed 4:13
6. Firestorm Vengeance 3:43
7. Heads Shoveled Off 3:37
8. Corpus Delicti 3:29
9. Scavenger Consuming Death 4:33
10. In the Midst of Ruin 3:25
11. Destroyed Without a Trace 4:01
12. Hideous Ichor 4:33

Limited edition bonus disc “Blood Covered”
13. Sacrifice (Sacrifice cover) 3:04
14. Confessions (Possessed cover) 2:58
15. No Remorse (Metallica cover) 6:16
16. Demon’s Night (Accept cover) 4:17
17. Bethany Home (A Place to Die) (The Accused cover) 3:20
18. Endless Pain (Kreator cover) 3:11
19. Behind Bars (Razor cover) 2:20

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Pat O’Brien – guitar
Rob Barrett – guitar
Alex Webster – bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums

Guest musician
Erik Rutan – backing vocals on “Only One Will Die”, lead guitar on “In the Midst of Ruin”

Album Review – Ektomorf / Aggressor (2015)

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When you listen to this awesome album by one of the best Hungarian metal acts of all time, you’ll definitely become an aggressor.

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ektomorf_aggressorLast year, when I reviewed the excellent album Retribution, by Hungarian metallers Ektomorf, I said they were a promising band who were undoubtedly going to grow a lot in the following years due to the passion and energy they always invest into their furious mix of Groove and Thrash Metal. Well, it actually took a lot less than expect for them to reach a whole new level of savagery and become a pleasant reality in the world of heavy music, because the 46 minutes of groove and brutality found in their brand new album, entitled Aggressor, kick fuckin’ ass beyond dispute.

In addition, if you listen to Retribution and Aggressor in a row (a highly recommended activity if you’re at the gym, by the way), you’ll easily notice their evolution as musicians, in special frontman Zoltán “Zoli” Farkas who improved his hostile vocals considerably, therefore providing additional layers of fury to his band’s musicality. Not only that, their lyrics continue to be as violent as hell, totally no holds barred, which together with a more complex songwriting offer the listener one of the best Groove Metal albums of the year in my opinion.

The ominous and primeval Intro sets the tone for the massacre straightforwardly entitled I, where you can clearly see how they stepped up their aggressiveness, cohesiveness and technique if compared to most of their old songs. This is one of those tunes that will make your blood boil in a good way, pumping you up for whatever task you’re about to take on. And the title-track Aggressor is even better, making it hard not to break your fuckin’ neck to those insanely heavy riffs. Can you imagine the level of craziness this tune will cause during their live performances? Besides, the groovy bass lines by Szabolcs “Szabi” Murvai are what give the song its balance and punch, enhancing the overall quality of this great composition. In the dark Holocaust, composed “in the memory of the 6 million victims”, Ektomorf raise the flag of “never forgive, never forget” in Auschwitz, inspired by the music by Sepultura and the horrors his people suffered. If you don’t know, Zoli has European Roma/Gypsy roots, who were also massacred by the Nazi, perfectly depicted by this brutal Groove Metal tune with puncturing guitar lines and solos.

Move On gets closer to what they did in Retribution, delivering American Alternative Metal with extra doses of violence. It’s one of those songs drummer Róbert Jaksa might love playing, pounding his drums violently while the rest of the band extracts the fiercest sounds from their instruments, especially guitarist Tamás “Tomi” Schrottner; while Evil By Nature, featuring the iconic George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, is a flawless mix of the Groove/Thrash Metal by Ektomorf with the unparalleled Death Metal by Cannibal Corpse. Everyone knows I love the growls by Corpsegrinder, and I have to say they matched perfectly with Ektomorf’s musicality. In other words, this is an amazing vocal duo, like two beasts screaming against the rest of the world, with the lyrics being spot-on showing what the human being truly is (“Hate runs through your veins / Insanity in the unspoken words / Deaf from the screams of the devil / Hungry for blood / Hungry for death”). Furthermore, take a read at Zoli’s comments on how the vocals by Corpsegrinder were recorded, giving the song an even more visceral vibe: “We are friends with the Cannibal Corpse guys since a long time. Last year in November I spoke to George (Fisher) about doing a song together. The recent Budapest show of Cannibal Corpse then was the perfect opportunity to meet and record his parts. So I took small home recording studio gear with me and recorded vocals with George in the dressing room before their show. It was fun and turned out killer! The song’s title is “Evil By Nature” and you can be sure that it will smash your face!”

ektomorf 2015Getting back to a more traditional approach, in You Can’t Get More they keep thriving with their unique Eastern European metallic groove. At this point of the album it’s undeniable how Zoli has grown as a singer and a musician, showing you don’t need to stop screaming to evolve in your career, don’t you agree? And I’m not sure if you’ve noticed this already but all songs in Aggressor are connected, enhancing the album’s flow and effectiveness, which is the case in Emotionless World, where they add elements of Melodic Death Metal to the music in a sinister ambience crafted by its sick guitar riffs, and despite its chorus not being purely screamed it ends up working pretty well. Eastside showcases an acoustic intro before it gets as belligerent as possible, with its chorus being fueled by hints of Slipknot. It’s yet another awesome composition inspired by the most obscure periods of the Hungarian history, with Zoli and Tomi doing an amazing job firing sheer darkness through their guitars.

Scars is perhaps the most generic of all songs, lacking more creativity to get to the same level of awesomeness as the other songs, whereas Damned Nation is a beautiful display of how modern Groove Metal should be. Moreover, Zoli bursts his lungs out vociferating the song’s name during the chorus of this boisterous chant made for banging our heads nonstop. The next tune, You Lost, sounds extracted from their previous album Retribution, containing lots of similar elements such as groovy bass lines, rhythmic beats and a solid shift from guttural to clean vocals and vice-versa, followed by the simple but effective You’re Not For Me, which focuses on the screams by Zoli and of course the band’s traditional heaviness. Fans of the band will love this nice blend of a fast sounding and a more rhythmic and aggressive chorus that goes on until the song darkly fades away, being replaced by the purely acoustic track Memento, a melancholic tribute to their roots and to their culture, and maybe a smoother version of the “never forgive, never forget” message as you can see by the name of the song.

In summary, what are you waiting for to connect to Ektomorf on Facebook and to purchase Aggressor at the official AFM Recods webstore (I would personally go for the superb Limited Fanbox edition) or on iTunes? If there’s one lesson Ektomorf can teach all of us, it’s for sure the fact that whenever we listen to their primitive and robust metal music, we become true aggressors.

Best moments of the album: I, Aggressor, Evil By Nature and Eastside.

Worst moments of the album: Scars.

Released in 2015 AFM Records

Track listing
1. Intro 0:45
2. I 3:49
3. Aggressor 2:35
4. Holocaust 3:56
5. Move On 3:04
6. Evil By Nature (feat. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher) 4:23
7. You Can’t Get More 3:22
8. Emotionless World 3:26
9. Eastside 4:17
10. Scars 3:42
11. Damned Nation 2:39
12. You Lost 2:56
13. You’re Not For Me 4:50
14. Memento 3:03

Band members
Zoltán “Zoli” Farkas – vocals, guitar
Tamás “Tomi” Schrottner – guitar
Szabolcs “Szabi” Murvai – bass
Róbert Jaksa – drums

Guest musician
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – additional vocals on “Evil By Nature”

Concert Review – Cannibal Corpse & Behemoth (Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2015)

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If you want to live in the bitter cold of Toronto, you have to kill or become.

OPENING ACTS: Tribulation and Aeon

cannibal corpse_behemoth_winter tour 2015If you live in Toronto or anywhere nearby you know how bitterly cold the past couple of months have been. For instance, I personally don’t remember when we had temperatures above the freezing mark (or even above -5°C) for the last time, and it looks like February 2015 is about to become the coldest month in the history of Toronto. Well, nothing better than a hotter-than-hell extreme music night to warm up the hearts of lots of headbangers in the city, right? The venue chosen for this awesome gathering was the always welcoming Phoenix Concert Theatre, where friends wearing the T-shirts of their favorite extreme bands and even a group of girls with their well-crafted corpsepaint were able to enjoy some beers together, headbang like motherfuckers and especially slam into the circle pits.

The bands chosen to liven this mini-festival up were the excellent Swedish Death Metal bands TRIBULATION and AEON, both raising the flag of Scandinavian metal really high with their ferocious performances. If you truly love extreme music but have never heard of either Tribulation or Aeon, I kindly ask you to please go check these two bands: you’ll be surprised with how good they are. The first band was Tribulation, playing a very technical and progressive Death Metal permeated with elements from Black and Doom Metal and singing about darkness, horror, vampires, death and all other of those “beautiful” themes. In case you want to know more about this great Swedish band, my suggestions are the songs Beyond the Horror, Rånda and When the Sky Is Black With Devils, masterfully executed by this four-piece act in front of an avid Torontonian crowd.

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Aeon @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2015

After a short break it was time for Aeon to deliver their infernal music, blasting everyone’s ears and necks with each and every song played. Lead singer Tommy Dahlström is a beast on vocals (and you can easily notice he’s a huge fan of Cannibal Corpse by his stage performance), perfectly vociferating the violent lyrics of all songs of their brutal setlist, with highlights to the opening song Satanic Victory and also to the amazing Kill Them All and Blessed by the Priest. In addition, how can I describe the performance of drummer Emil Wiksten? That guy is like an unbelievable human stone crusher behind his drums so fast and precise he is, which added a lot of power and fury to the band’s performance. As I said, go after the music by Tribulation and Aeon as quick as the blast beats by Emil!

BEHEMOTH

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Behemoth @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2015

It was around 8:45pm when the iconic Nergal and his horde of darkness hit the stage with an incredible concert, both in terms of their ominous music and their unique theatrical performance, and it’s amazing how they were capable of delivering so much content in such a limited space. Still promoting their most recent album, the impeccable The Satanist, which even after one year of its release it continues to astonish me, Polish Black/Death Metal masters BEHEMOTH proved why they’re one of the most influential and portentous groups in the world of extreme music.

Although they didn’t play the best song of The Satanist in my opinion, “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel”, the songs selected from the album were just as superb live, with highlights to Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer and Ben Sahar. Older classics also helped keep the audience mesmerized by their obscurity, such as Chant for Eschaton 2000 and Slaves Shall Serve. However, I believe almost everybody will agree with me when I say they simply kicked all possible asses with the already classic O Father O Satan O Sun!, a song that live sounds even more grandiose than its studio version, augmented by the band’s special satanic attire worn during its execution. This might sound stupid for a lot of people, but Behemoth performing this song at the Oscars would have been beyond spectacular. Unfortunately, the world and all mere mortals that live in it don’t seem ready for Behemoth yet.

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Behemoth @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2015

Also, it’s undeniable that Nergal is a true Extreme Metal leader and he’s passionate about what he does, and consequently he had almost all eyes staring at him during the whole concert, but the other band members are also wonderful and skillful musicians who help Nergal achieve the level of excellence he has in his mind for the band. Who didn’t enjoy the performance by bassist Orion, who looked like an even more devilish version of Gene Simmons’ stage persona The Demon? And what about the dark riffs by Seth or the rhythmic drumming by Inferno? What an awesome band, and if you missed them this time, may Lucifer have mercy on your soul. Or not.

Setlist
1. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
2. Conquer All
3. Ben Sahar
4. Decade of Therion
5. Messe Noire
6. Ov Fire and the Void
7. At the Left Hand ov God
8. Slaves Shall Serve
9. Chant for Eschaton 2000
10. O Father O Satan O Sun!

Band members
Adam “Nergal” Darski – lead vocals, guitars
Tomasz “Orion” Wróblewski – bass guitar
Patryk Dominik “Seth” Sztyber – guitars
Zbigniew Robert “Inferno” Promiński – drums and percussion

CANNIBAL CORPSE

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Cannibal Corpse @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2015

In order to properly close the night and pulverize anyone or anything that was still alive after Behemoth, Death Metal titans CANNIBAL CORPSE arose from the crypts of hell to transform the entire venue into their own “skeletal domain”, obviously promoting their most recent album, the visceral A Skeletal Domain. If there’s one thing that I love about Cannibal Corpse is the fact that they’re a band that always moves forward, despite having a solid past which they could live on forever like many classic bands do. All their latest albums are brutally superb, and technically speaking they’re getting better and better year after year.

Their setlist was an awesome mix of old classics and newer songs, including almost one track from each one of their albums, from Eaten Back to Life (1990) to last year’s A Skeletal Domain. Mosh pits and pure headbanging erupted with classics such as A Skull Full of Maggots, Demented Aggression, Make Them Suffer and The Wretched Spawn, while the selected songs from their new album for this tour, in special the great Sadistic Embodiment and the steamroller Kill or Become, intensified even more the hurricane that was happening on the “dance” floor.

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Cannibal Corpse @ Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2015

Moreover, anything I say about the band members will just be pure repetition of common sense: they are all really talented musicians that love Death Metal above all things (well, Corpsegrinder said he loves pussy above all things), and that translates into pure electricity when they’re performing on the stage. You can barely see Alex Webster’s face, but he’s there delivering the most intricate bass lines you can find in extreme music, while Pat O’Brien and Rob Barrett keep firing their evil riffs and Paul Mazurkiewicz his nonstop beats. And as I always say, Mr. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher is the face of Cannibal Corpse and the one to give life (or death) to the band’s gory lyrics while headbanging like a fuckin’ chopper in a way only he is capable of. Besides, seeing him scratching himself with one of Paul’s drumsticks due to an incontrollable itch in the middle of his back, and you know he’s not a small guy, was priceless.

When Cannibal Corpse played their last two songs, the unparalleled classics Hammer Smashed Face and Devoured by Vermin (my top Cannibal Corpse song of all time), they turned the whole venue into a fuckin’ monstrous mosh pit with absolutely no place to hide, showcasing how awesome those songs are. But do you think anyone in the audience complained about it? There were so many smiles and so much sweat everywhere when the show was over I’m pretty sure the fans of the Corpse cannot wait for them to storm Toronto once again and heat up our chilly winter with their perfect Death Metal. Fire up the chainsaw!

Setlist
1. Scourge of Iron
2. Demented Aggression
3. Evisceration Plague
4. Stripped, Raped and Strangled
5. Kill or Become
6. Sadistic Embodiment
7. Icepick Lobotomy
8. The Wretched Spawn
9. Pounded into Dust
10. I Cum Blood
11. Make Them Suffer
12. A Skull Full of Maggots
13. Hammer Smashed Face
14. Devoured by Vermin

Band members
George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher – vocals
Pat O’Brien – guitar
Rob Barrett – guitar
Alex Webster – bass
Paul Mazurkiewicz – drums