Tag Archives: heavy metal

Metal Chick of the Month – Jamie Lee Cussigh

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Beware the blade, all Hail the Sacrifice!

As the days get shorter and the nights grow darker and colder, our metal lady of the month of November at The Headbanging Moose definitely had to represent all the heaviness that fills the air in preparation for the coming winter. She’s the epitome of underground heavy music, lending her raw and intuitive bass sound to amazing bands like Sacrifizer and Triumph of Death, always with a badass attitude, while at the same time also venturing through non-extreme lands like with her Coldwave project named Letten 94. Her name is Jamie Lee Cussigh, also known as SlaughterWytch or Dolorès, depending on which band she’s working on at a specific point in time, and she will kick your ass mercilessly with her more than thunderous bass lines.

Half Bulgarian and half Italian, but born in Switzerland (where she currently resides), Jamie nurtures a deep passion for all things heavy music from a very young age. “I started to listen to metal very young, around 11 or 12 years old and the first album I discovered and bought was the Kill Em All by Metallica. I started to play bass at 13.” Also a private music teacher, either online or in person, Jamie went to Conservatoire de Musique de Neuchâtel, in Switzerland, where she perfect her skills as a musician, which is probably one of the reasons why she can fluctuate between styles without any effort, always sounding sharp and in sync with the rest of the band she’s working with.

Her main band or project since 2019 has been undoubtedly Zurich, Switzerland-based Speed/Thrash/Black Metal entity Triumph of Death, Tom Gabriel Fischer aka Tom G Warrior’s personal tribute to his iconic band Hellhammer, with the name of the band being inspired by the infamous title-track of Hellhammer’s 1983 cult demo. The vast body of Hellhammer’s work remained unperformed for years, with Tom’s other bands Triptykon and Celtic Frost only playing a couple of songs here and there, until the inception of Triumph Of Death. Currently formed of the aforementioned Tom Gabriel Warrior on vocals and guitar, our diva Jamie Lee Cussigh on bass, André Mathieu also on the guitar, and Tim Iso Wey on drums, the band has already has played a number of highly acclaimed concerts, such as Hellfest (France), Wacken Open Air (Germany), Party.San (Germany), Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Psycho Las Vegas (USA), Merry Christless (Poland), Inferno Festival (Norway), Maryland Deathfest (USA), UK Deathfest, and Mexico Metal Fest, among others.

“I was lucky to be contacted by Tom Gabriel Fischer and he gave me this big chance and opportunity. I also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to him. He’s a beautiful person and I’m very thankful to him,” commented Jamie, who also mentioned the release of new material when she joined the project. “It’s a long-term and permanent project. We will release live material (Hellhammer music) and likely eventually even a studio album with our own material in the style of Hellhammer.” Well, after that interview the promise of releasing live material has already become a reality with the release of the amazing live album Resurrection of the Flesh by the end of 2023, recorded during three festival performances in 2023 in Houston (United States), Munich (Germany) and Barroselas (Portugal). Some of the songs became official videos on their official YouTube channel, including the excellent Decapitator and Massacra, but the band also offers live footage from other festivals in their channel like the songs Massacra, Visions of Mortality, Aggressor and The Third of The Storms (Evoked Damnation), from their 2022 concert at Maryland Deathfest, and you can also click HERE to grab your favorite version of their live album.

Apart form Triumph of Death, Jamie can be found as the bassist for a fantastic French Blackened Speed/Thrash Metal band named Sacrifizer, in this case under the moniker SlaughterWytch, having joined the band a little after their inception back in 2017, and having already recorded with them the 2019 EP La Mort Triomphante, and more recently the full-length album Le Diamant de Lucifer, back in 2022, and both can be appreciated in full on Spotify. According to the band, they were “created after a midnight ritual”, and our dauntless SlaughterWytch alongside Sexumer on vocals, NightReaper and H.K.A. on the guitars, and Lethal on drums continues to pave a path of destruction with their only goal being “to spread the mighty words of our lord Lucifer.” I highly recommend a detailed listen at both their 2019 EP and their 2022 album, as both are ass-kicking beasts of blackened thrash, as you can easily see in this incendiary live version of Le Diamant de Lucifer.

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However, don’t think that Jamie is simply blasting the heaviest of sounds all the time with her bass, or that she only loves heavy music, as she has also been part of a very interesting Coldwave project called Letten 94 since 2019, going by the name of Dolorès in this case. “Letten 94 is a project we created with a friend, Freddy Van Ballast. I’m on vocals, bass and soon guitar and he plays synthesizers, samplers, drum machines etc.,” commented Jamie. This Swiss Coldwave duo takes a mental image of Letten (as the disused Letten station in Zurich was the largest open drugs scene in Europe in 1994), and more widely of Europe in the aftermath of the fall of the Berlin Wall, as a starting point to try to create electronic music which is sometimes aggressive and syncopated, sometimes dark and mysterious.

Letten 94 is a band that plays music for its own sake, carrying no political message, therefore having a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination, such as discrimination based on gender, ability, or age. This includes all political ideologies that are extremist, totalitarian and/or oppose fundamental human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Hence, you can enjoy Letten 94’s music in their official video for Empty Landscapes, listen to their other songs on Spotify, or click HERE for all things Letten 94. She was also involved with a French Black Metal horde named Myrkvid, playing bass with the band between 2019 and 2020, although she didn’t record anything with them. “The vocalist and guitarist, Myrk, is a friend of mine since a long time ago and he needed a new bass player. I played with them for a year but I decided to leave the band,” she commented, and you can also find her as the bassist for a band named Trauma, again with very few information about her involvement with the band available online, including zero details on when she started playing with them, or if she’s still with them.

As you might have noticed, Jamie has a lot of different influences in music. “At the very beginning of my teenage years I started with Thrash and Speed, and then I discovered Extreme Metal around 14 years old. I’m mostly on Black/Thrash, Black, some old school Death Metal sometimes and some Heavy/Speed but besides Metal I’m a fan of coldwave and post-punk music and it’s also a part of my inspirations. Jazz music too.” Moreover, when asked to list her top five albums of all time, she said that it’s tough to mention only five albums because she loves a lot more than that, but she would try to list some that struck her. Those albums are Blood Fire Death, by Bathory, Envoy of Lucifer, bu Nifelheim; Sister, by In Solitude; Black Metal, by Venom; and Dawnrazor, by Fields of the Nephilim.

In addition, she mentioned a very interesting list of newer bands she enjoys, including Division Speed, Hällas, Flagellant, Whoredom Rife, Blaze of Perdition, Denouncement Pyre, Drab Majesty, Lebanon Hanover, Condor, Hellripper, Antichrist, In Solitude, Saqra’s Cult, Tryptikon, Tragediens Trone, Riot City, Ultra Silvam, Beastmilk, Heresi, Tribulation, Matterhorn, Satan Satyrs, Vulture, Quintessenz, Whiskey Ritual, Warmoon Lord, Midnight and Nocturnal Graves, also saying that live she really enjoys to see Aura Noir, Satan Satyrs, Venom and Midnight. When asked about new or mainstream metal, she said she doesn’t like those labels, as she believes what really matters is to play with (and for) passion before anything else. “When this is the case, everyone who plays with his guts and works hard deserves his success.” And guess what’s the definition of true metal music for Jamie? “You feel it or not!”

Jamie Lee Cussigh’s Official Facebook page
Jamie Lee Cussigh’s Official Instagram
Triumph of Death’s Official Facebook page
Triumph of Death’s Official Instagram
Triumph of Death’s Official YouTube channel
Sacrifizer’s Official Facebook page
Sacrifizer’s Official Instagram
Sacrifizer’s Official YouTube channel

Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Bell Centre, Montreal, QC, 10/30/2024)

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La bête a détruit Montréal lors d’une incroyable soirée de pur Heavy Metal, peu importe que ce soit en anglais ou en français.

INTRO: No for IMFC Meetup… but yes for FTTB, Pt. II

Although I don’t think there was an official Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup in Montreal on Tuesday night, as most fans seem to have attended the Habs game instead, The Future Past Tour 2024 stop in the city by THE HU and IRON MAIDEN at Bell Centre was absolutely amazing from start to finish, with the rowdy Montreal crowd giving a hard time to security and to everyone who endured FTTB – First to the Barrier the entire day, including myself. In addition, we couldn’t have asked for a better weather in the city the day of the show, as miraculously it wasn’t cold at all; quite the contrary, the temperatures were above the +17oC mark (I think it even went past the +20oC at some point), making our lives a lot easier than of the folks who had to brave -2oC and snow in Quebec City a couple of days before. and of course, althoguh the headline of this review is in French, the review will be in English, in the best montreal style possible, ça va?

OPENING ACT: The Hu

Also, for our total delight, we had Mongolian Folk Metal brigade THE HU opening the show in Montreal (instead of the horrible DJ from Toronto), and let me tell you that those Mongolian warriors put on a great live show, if you’re curious to see them live one day. Spearheaded by the trio formed of Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar, Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts and Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal, armed with their beautiful morin khuurs (also known as the horsehead fiddle, a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument), and playing songs from their excellent albums The Gereg and Rumble of Thunder, all also featured in their 2024 live album Live at Glastonbury, those Mongolians kicked some serious ass, with songs like TATAR Warrior, Wolf Totem and This Is Mongol sounding absolutely heavy and tight on stage. I guess most people at the venue enjoyed their set, of course even without being able to sing a single song along with them, but in the case of The Hu it’s all about the power of their music, their theatricals, and their Mongolian heritage. And seriously, they were shredding those stunning morin khuurs! I truly want one of those!

Setlist
Gereg
Bosoo
Tuurugdul
TATAR Warrior
Grey Hun
Black Thunder
Yuve Yuve Yu
Wolf Totem
This Is Mongol

Band members
Galbadrakh “Gala” Tsendbaatar – morin khuur, throat singing
Nyamjantsan “Jaya” Galsanjamts – tumur hhuur, tsuur, throat singing
Enkhsaikhan “Enkush” Batjargal – morin khuur, throat singing
Temuulen “Temka” Naranbaatar – tovshuur, backing vocals
Unumunkh “Ono” Maralkhuu – percussion, tumur hhuur, backing vocals
Jambaldorj “Jamba” Ayush – guitars, backing vocals
Nyamdavaa “Davaa” Byambaa – bass, backing vocals
Odbayar “Odko” Gantumur – drums

IRON MAIDEN

It was then finally time for another killer round at the barrier together with the one and only IRON MAIDEN, once again melting our faces with their Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu-based setlist, and add to that the rowdier than usual crowd in Montreal and there you have the recipe for a warlike, incendiary metal concert. If you ever do FTTB, be warned that trying to stay on Dave and Adrian’s side because they throw more picks also means having to endure a lot more pushing, sweat, disrespectful people who arrive five minutes before the show but somehow believe the band members are their friends and they’re special, so they need to be at the barrier at all costs, and so on. That’s why I chose the other side of the stage for a less rowdy experience, which doesn’t mean there weren’t tons of circle pits, crowd surfers and some fist fights around us. Yes, FTTB can be a small war when the boys start their show. In my case, there was this middle-aged dude right behind me trying to hold the barrier with both hands, and I understand he was trying to do that to stay safe because of all the pushing, but it looked like a metal version of Jack and Rose form the movie Titanic at times.

I honestly don’t know how I managed to take decent photos of the show because it was total anarchy close to the stage, to the point several fans had to be taken out because they were not feeling OK at all, with a couple of them even passing out during the show. And speaking of photographers, why were there so many in Montreal, but basically none in Toronto apart from Tom Pandi? I mean, I really miss having the photos by Keith Ibbitson on the Toronto review, but I guess it is what it is. Anyway, back to the show, although the setlist was the exact same of the entire tour, as well as Bruce’s jokes, at least this time he told all of those jokes in French (just like in Quebec City), which was good for me so I could practice my French as I knew exactly what he was going to say; not only that, the band sounded amazing just like in Toronto, and I will say it again that these two Canadian shows I attended were like a return to form by Nicko at least for me, compared to his performance in Australia. He even threw one of his drumsticks directly to me as if he was like “here, my friend… this is for you to see that Nicko is still alive and kicking!” I loved it!

It was once again a true pleasure witnessing the boys blasting amazing tunes like Caught Somewhere in Time, Stranger in a Strange Land, The Prisoner and Alexander the Great to their avid Iron Maiden family, and not even the absolute mayhem caused by the fans in the floor section during Hell on Earth, The Trooper and Wasted Years could make the entire night less special. I know some people believe a show is only cool with some wild pushing, but I personally think you have to respect whoever arrives before you, and also pay attention to who’s around you because smaller people can get really hurt in some cases. Well, when the show was over and we were all covered in sweat (our own and from others too), holding our beloved prizes, and taking the famous flag photo, I was already thinking about the next tour, or when I’ll be able to see them next, because the boys undoubtedly love Canada and they’ll surely come back in the coming years for more Iron Maiden madness in the Great White North.

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Album Review – Unwanted Guest / Bonedead (2024)

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Guitarist Dave Fox and his Unwanted Guest return with another round of first-class rock and metal music, a true labour of love reflecting his personal and musical journey thus far.

The multi-talented Sheffield, England-based Dave Fox, lead guitarist of UK’s own Heavy Metal band Seventh Son, has recently re-emerged from the old school metal scene with a fresh take on 90’s Hard Rock, Progressive and Alternative Metal under the moniker Unwanted Guest, releasing in 2022 his critically acclaimed debut solo album Grave Metallum, which climbed to number 10 on the Amazon New Release Metal Charts. Following his successful debut, Dave has devoted nearly two years and 1,000 hours to writing, recording, and producing 12 new tracks for the second Unwanted Guest album, entitled Bonedead, a true labour of love reflecting his personal and musical journey thus far. On his new album, Dave once again performs all vocals and instrumental duties, showcasing his versatility as a seasoned rock guitarist and producer, giving the whole album a very personal and honest vibe.

Bonedead begins with Mary Had a Little Lamb, which according to Dave himself “is a very personal song lyrically and discusses the degeneration of elder family members. For some people, death is more preferable than being kept alive and suffering.” Musically speaking, it’s an exciting rockin’ tune where Dave slashes his guitar mercilessly while delivering melodious vocal lines, followed by Six Degrees of Saturation, exploring the concept of an abandoned playlist, sat on someone’s device, that may contain a masterpiece that no one will ever hear. “It is destined to remain digital dust, even more so when millions of bands are uploading song after song each day – most of which fall by the wayside – hardly ever being heard. What chance do these small artists ever have?”, said Dave, delivering another blast of modern-day Hard Rock showcasing classic riffs, bass lines and pounding drums. Then eerie background sounds add a welcome dose of insanity to The Alchemist, sounding like a Rock N’ Roll version of Deep Purple; and Dave enhances the heaviness of his riffs in Dead End, blasting a great fusion of Alternative Rock and Metal with classic Hard Rock in the vein of Velvet Revolver. It’s then time for Dave to invest in a more melodic vibe in the ballad Beneath the Broken Shell, with hints of Southern Rock in its riffs and beats; whereas Imposter Syndrome, a behavioral health phenomenon described as self-doubt of intellect, skills, or accomplishments among high-achieving individuals, offers tons of groove flowing from the bass guitar while all riffs and keys bring endless electricity to the music.

The second half of the album starts in a Velvet Revolver/Alter Bridge vibe with I’m Just a Guy, where Dave showcases all his passion for the riff while his vocals also sound as striking and melodic as they can be, followed by Show Yourself, another banger by Dave and his Unwanted Guest perfect for hitting the highway or simply enjoy it at home while having a cold beer, with the whole song exhaling pure Rock N’ Roll, in special Dave’s stylish riffs. He definitely knows how to blend classic rock music with the modern sound of the 90’s and 2000’s, which is exactly what we’ll get in Kindred State of Mind, flowing into the also rockin’ tune Future Skeleton, where he fires his classic riffs and beats from start to finish. It’s not amongst the strongest songs of the album, but it’s still very enjoyable, of course. His guitar lines sound heavier and more piercing in Funeral in My Brain, again nicely complementing his bass and drums, therefore supporting his vocal lines in great fashion; and lastly, it’s pedal to the metal in the flammable extravaganza titled Wrap Me Up, a striking conclusion to an album that reeks of our beloved Rock N’ Roll.

Bonedead can be appreciated in its entirety on Spotify, and you can also grab a copy of it from the project’s own BandCamp page, keeping Mr. Dave Fox very happy and motivated to continue his rockin’ journey and to bring to our avid ears more of his classy creations. You can also start following him on Facebook for news and other nice-to-know information about his Unwanted Guest, and also subscribe to his YouTube channel for more of his music. Both his debut Grave Metallum and his newborn spawn Bonedead are excellent albums that certainly deserve a listen by anyone who loves rock and metal music, and as mentioned, the more personal the albums by Dave and his Unwanted Guest sound and feel, the more thrilling his musical creations will be for all of us, proving again there’s nothing better than rock and metal music that is true to the heart as the soundtrack to our lives.

Best moments of the album: Six Degrees of Saturation, Imposter Syndrome and Show Yourself.

Worst moments of the album: Future Skeleton.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Mary Had a Little Lamb 4:09
2. Six Degrees of Saturation 3:58
3. The Alchemist 3:53
4. Dead End 4:52
5. Beneath the Broken Shell 3:34
6. Imposter Syndrome 3:37
7. I’m Just a Guy 3:57
8. Show Yourself 4:05
9. Kindred State of Mind 3:29
10. Future Skeleton 3:23
11. Funeral in My Brain 3:26
12. Wrap Me Up 2:48

Band members
Dave Fox – vocals, all instruments

Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, 10/26/2024)

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A perfect weekend in Toronto can only happen to the sound of the one and only Iron Maiden.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. I

This weekend in Toronto might have been the most Iron Maiden weekend ever in the city, when the Dental Floss Salesmen From Montana, also known as IRON MAIDEN, finally brought to the 6 their undisputed The Future Past World Tour 2024 at Scotiabank Arena, in this case without THE HU for reasons beyond anyone’s control, but that didn’t stop all Maidenmaniacs at the show from having the time of their lives. A day before that it was time for a very nice and sweet Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup at The Loose Moose, where around 25-30 IMFC members had a great time talking about music and life, having some good quality food and some amazing beers, and proving once again why the IMFC is like the perfect family we’ve always asked for.

IMFC Meetup @ The Loose Moose

Then on Saturday it was time for the (in)famous FTTB – First to the Barrier experience, with some of the winners lining up so early to the point whoever arrived there after 8am would already be number 15 or higher. Well, it is what it is, I mean, if you have nothing better to do, why not showing up early, right? In Australia, for example, I didn’t even put my name for FTTB, as I knew I was going to be doing tourist stuff until close to show time, but in Toronto and on a Saturday it was perfect for me to get there a little earlier. The whole FTTB day went smoothly and we all had a great time spending the day with some old friends and some new faces, and not even the dropping temperatures were capable of taking our excitement away for the show that was about to come. The only bummer was that because The Hu couldn’t make it in time for the show, we had to spend almost three hours at the barrier after getting into the venue without nothing to do, but no one seemed to care about that in the end.

OPENING ACT: Instead of The Hu, we got…

…a so-called “metal DJ” that no one asked for. Seriously, Mongolian Folk Metal squad THE HU might be the most unique opening act for Iron Maiden in years, but instead we got a random DJ who despite trying his best, couldn’t read the room and make two crucial changes to his “performance”. The first was to simply turn the volume down a bit, or at least the bass, because it got way too noisy and no one could hear their own thoughts during those 45 excruciating minutes; and second and most important, although I’m a fan of Industrial, Thrash and Speed Metal, those are definitely NOT the styles you should play to an Iron Maiden crowd. Some of the songs played were OK, like Metallica’s “Motorbreath”, but overall it was way too noisy and convoluted for the average Maiden fan. At least I checked and The Hu made it to Quebec City, so I’ll be very happy to see them live this Wednesday in Montreal instead of another random DJ that apparently knows nothing about the audience at a Maiden show.

IRON MAIDEN

Everyone at the barrier asked why IRON MAIDEN couldn’t have started their show a little bit earlier then, maybe adding two or three songs to their setlist in honor of the deceased Paul Di’Anno (RIP legend!), but of course it’s not that easy to change the whole event like that (in special when the setlist is a fusion of Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu, period), as I know some people already have their plans in place to get to the venue just in time for Maiden. Anyway, it was 8:50pm when, as in all other cities of this tour, UFO’s Doctor Doctor started playing in the PAs followed by the end titles for the movie Blade Runner, setting the tone for the indomitable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain to kick the city of Toronto hard in the ass with a flawless and very energetic performance.

And although the entire setlist was the exact same from the entire tour, it’s always a different show, as you have to pay attention to the nuances of all the action going on on and off stage. For instance, Bruce screwed up big time the first or second verse of Caught Somewhere in Time, Nicko sounded way better (and looked way happier) than in Australia, which has nothing to do with Australia itself but most probably to his very effective physiotherapy to get in better shape, and the overall quality of the sound was also fantastic compared to other previous concerts in the city. I’m also very proud of the Toronto fans, because the crowd was electrified, singing all songs, screaming, raising their horns and so on, while at the same time being very respectful to everyone around them. Pushing, smashing others, trying to get to the front row no matter what are not a synonym to a nice show, and not fun at all, and Toronto proved a show can be absolutely thrilling without the need of that disrespectful behavior. Thank you, Toronto!

The highlights of the setlist this Saturday were undoubtedly The Writing on the Wall, The Prisoner, and pretty much everything from Alexander the Great until the very last notes of Wasted Years, proving they don’t need to play “the classics” (whatever that means, because all of their songs are classics as soon as they’re launched) to win their fans right away. A new song like Hell on Earth sounded absolutely brilliant, and it felt like it was a classic from the 80’s, just to confirm that bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, KISS and so on don’t just create music, but they create TIMELESS music. I didn’t catch any drumstick, guitar picks or wristbands like some of my buddies, but I’ll forever hold the memories of that amazing Saturday night in my mind and in my heart. And now, off to Montreal for more, of course!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Beyond the Gates (Bergen, Norway, 07/31/2024-08/03/2024)

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***Review and photos by Mathis Backe***

A metalhead can’t ask for a more fitting experience than four days of extreme metal in the city that is responsible for birthing one of the most notorious and exciting sub-genres, black metal. Bergen, Norway is home to some of the most relevant and awe-inspiring artists, bands and figures such as Enslaved, Gorogorth/Gaahl, Burzum/Varg Vikernes, Immortal/Abbath put this city on the map as it relates to their contributions. It makes perfect sense, then, that this same city is host to the Beyond The Gates Festival, which features many of the Nordic bands that have helped shape black metal, plus a whole selection of other artists and experiences. The 2024 edition proved to be one of the best yet.

DAY ONE

Mayhem @ Beyond the Gates 2024

The day started with Trondheim’s Whoredom Rife who are one of the most exciting bands to come out of Norway in quite some time. They hit the stage with the ferocity of a tsunami and destroyed with a raw, vicious black metal assault. Next up was Polish black metallers Manbryne. As a relatively new entry into the space (having formed in 2017) this five-piece delivered a set like a band with a few decades under their bullet-adorned belts. Next up was American black/death/thrash gods, Black Anvil. If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to catch these guys live, you’ll already know that they truly give it their all. A fantastic band that showcases both their many years of experience and utter exuberance when they hit that stage. The mighty Mayhem hit the larger of two stages at USF Verftet (the venue that hosted the first two days of the festival) with a set that celebrated the band’s 40th anniversary. There is no better place for this to happen, as Bergen is the same city that the band recorded their legendary debut album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The guys hit the stage and plowed through decades worth of material, which included a couple of tracks from their now-classic debut, Deathcrush (even inviting two former members to the stage to perform these tracks). Ending off the night was Bergen resident and legendary black metal figure, Gaahl, and his newly-revamped Trelldom. For this unfamiliar, Trelldom sprung to life in the 90s, prior to Gaahl joining Gorgorth, and released a few now-legendary albums. They were short-lived, but have recently reformed, releasing a brand new album of experimental music with some tinges of black metal. Their set tonight comprised mostly new material, but they also threw in a few goodies for longtime fans.

DAY TWO

Behemoth @ Beyond the Gates 2024

Waking to a beautiful day in Bergen, we were ready to hit the streets and make our way over to the venue to catch the first two bands of the day: Prague’s Cult Of Fire and Sweden’s Portrait. Both bands put on spectacular, albeit very different, sets. Cult Of Fire are the Buddhists of metal and, as such, their set and theatrics reflect this perfectly. Portrait’s brand of classic heavy metal was a nice change of pace from all the extremity we had witnessed thus far. Next up was the classic lineup of Venom (not to be confused with Venom Inc.) which features original member, Cronos. The larger venue, Hallen, was packed to the gills for this set which featured all the classics fans have grown to love over the last five decades. It was a highly-energized set which included many fan sing-alongs. Switzerland cosmic black metallers, Darkspace, then put on what can only be described as a trip into the outer reaches of the universe punctuated by their brand of hypnosis-inducing black metal. Incredible stuff from a band that does not often play live. Definitely a rare treat. Ending the night were Behemoth and Death SS. Having seen Nergal and crew many times, tonight was probably one of the best performances yet. The festival spared no expense with the pyro and stage props, which allowed the guys to truly capitalize on their already larger-than-life presence. The final act of the night, Death SS, are a band that have existed since the late 70s. Not being too familiar with their material, I was pleasantly surprised by their super high-energy set and the quality of songs that they delivered, which ranged from classic heavy metal all the way to stuff on the more extreme end of things. A very interesting and fun to catch on the live front, if you ever get the chance.

DAY THREE

Enslaved @ Beyond the Gates 2024

With the first two days in the history books, we move to the second of two venues, the famed Grieghallen, for the final two days. If you are familiar with Grieghallen, you would know that the venue was the very same place that many of the legendary Norwegian black metallers recorded their early work. The first band of the evening was Norwegian avant-garde black metal, Dødheimsgard. Frontman, Vicotnik, and his merry band of minstrels, carnivalized their way through an incredible set of vertigo-inducing tracks. Next up was Norway’s Djevel, the band that features one Bard Faust behind the drums (formerly of Emperor). These guys are the gatekeepers of True Norwegian Black Metal, and their set proved as much. There are no frills or gimmicks. It was just straight-up second wave-inspired black metal from start to finish. One of the best performances of the festival thus far. Hometown heroes, Enslaved, are one band that have played many of the previous editions of the festival. Each year, the band tackles one of their classic, early albums. This year, they played through the entirety of their ’95 album, Frost. As such, the stage was adorned with jutting icicles which further enhanced the overall performance. At this point, Enslaved can do no wrong. Let’s hope they are back again next year. The last band of the night, Satyricon, were the only band to play two sets. This first set, comprised material from their entire catalog, with focus on some of their more well-known songs. Satyr and crew did an excellent job of vetting songs that would appeal to fans of different eras of the band. Additionally, the festival hosted a retrospective exhibit of Satyricon’s entire career. Incredible stuff.

DAY FOUR

Blood Fire Death @ Beyond the Gates 2024

Heading into the final day, the sunshine of the previous three days gave way to more inclement, wet weather. Fittingly, the rain of the day perfectly suited the first two bands, Vemod and Vreid, respectively. Both bands delivered stunning sets of Norwegian black metal in the realm of the more atmospheric. Vreid, which features former members of the highly-regarded Windir, were definitely a fan favorite. They even invited the brother of former Windir frontman, Valfar (who tragically passed away a number of years ago), up on the stage as a guest vocalist to honor his brother with a Windir song. Satyricon then charged onto the stage for the second set of the festival with another collection of songs that spanned their entire catalog. This time, there was more focus on later era tracks, which, as a fan of this era, was a welcomed treat. Lastly, the performance that everyone was waiting for: Blood Fire Death, a tribute to Bathory. There can be no better festival to host something like this, as each and every band that performed over the last four days owes something to the legendary Bathory. Each song of the performance featured various members of bands that performed throughout the fest to give their own spin on these songs, with many of the songs featuring a different vocalist. The entire spectacle was overwhelming and will go down in history as one of the pivotal performances of Beyond The Gates.

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Album Review – Grand Magus / Sunraven (2024)

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After a very long wait, Sweden’s own Heavy and Doom Metal institution is back with a new collection of battle hymns inspired by the tale of Beowulf and Grendel.

In their over 20 years of career, Stockholm, Sweden’s own Heavy/Doom Metal institution Grand Magus has been eternalized in the music history and looks back on a treasury full of all-time Heavy Metal anthems. Now in 2024 the band formed of Janne “JB” Christoffersson on vocals and guitars, Mats “Fox” Skinner on bass, and Ludwig “Ludde” Witt on drums is back with a new blast of memorable battle hymns entitled Sunraven, a concept album about Beowulf and Grendel, a worthy follow-up to their 2019 album Wolf God, and a lecture in heavy doom that will certainly feature among the best metal albums of the year on any list that worships the power of the mighty riff.

And the riffs by Janne sound beautifully heavy and doomed in Skybound, setting the tone in a lesson in Epic Doom Metal by the trio, with the deep, passionate vocals by Janne adding even more epicness to the overall result. Yes, I guess I’ll overuse the word “epic” on this review as you might have already notice. Then investing in a more direct Doom Metal sound we have The Wheel of Pain, with the pounding drums by Ludwig and the low-tuned bass by Mats bringing sheer heaviness to the music, followed by the title-track Sunraven, where the trio keeps delivering sonic awesomeness with their crisp, sharp riffs and blasting beats sounding majestic. It’s time to darken the skies with the melodic and heavy Winter Storms, as cold as it’s vibrant and grim, in line with their Swedish roots and loyal to their foundations; whereas The Black Lake is perhaps the most Black Sabbath-ish song of the entire album (and even of their entire career), to the point we can imagine the almighty Dio singing it. Needless to say, Janne is once again spot-on with his vocals and riffs.

The second half of the album begins with the utterly epic, electrifying Hour of the Wolf, with the guitars by Janne and the rumbling kitchen by Mats and Ludwig inviting us all to head into the battlefield together with Grand Magus, followed by Grendel, another blast of their classic fusion of Heavy, Epic and Doom Metal, offering more of their trademark riffs and beats as well as the low-tuned bass by Mats. To Heorot sounds utterly stunning form start to finish, inspiring us all to raise our fists in the air to the classic vocals by Janne while Ludwig hammers his drums in great fashion, sounding also perfect for some vigorous headbanging in the name of doom; and the power of the riff is also outstanding in the closing tune The End Belongs to You, putting a classy ending to the album and leaving us all more than eager for more (as the album has only 35 minutes of music in total).

I would have simply loved if the album had an extra 10 or 15 minutes of music, mainly because we’ve all been waiting for a new Grand Magus opus for quite some time, but let’s say the band kept Sunraven tight and sharp from start to finish  without sounding cheesy, tiresome or anything like that, which means it might have only 35 minutes in duration, but those are damn intense 35 minutes for our total delight. Hence, don’t forget to stream the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, and above all that, to grab a copy of the hammering Sunraven by clicking HERE. “The album is about Beowulf and Grendel. In essence, Sunraven is Beowulf, and that’s my own invention,” Janne explains. “But some of the songs are written about and from the perspective of Beowulf, and some of the songs are written about and from the perspective of Grendel, the monster he faces in Denmark. That kind of steered me and carried me through the lyrical process this time. I’ve never done anything like this before. I’ve always been fascinated by that tale. These myths and legends are about all the basic things that we sing about – life, death, glory, dishonour, love, hate, overcoming difficulties, facing impossible opposition and so on.” In other words, what can sound more Heavy Metal than such a strong tale, right? And of course, only Grand Magus could bring all that to life with so much passion, epicness and glory.

Best moments of the album: Skybound, Sunraven, Hour of the Wolf and To Heorot.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Nuclear Blast

Track listing
1. Skybound 3:28
2. The Wheel of Pain 3:23
3. Sunraven 3:37
4. Winter Storms 5:15
5. The Black Lake 5:34
6. Hour of the Wolf 4:03
7. Grendel 3:32
8. To Heorot 3:00
9. The End Belongs to You 3:21

Band members
Janne “JB” Christoffersson – lead vocals, guitars
Mats “Fox” Skinner – bass, backing vocals
Ludwig “Ludde” Witt – drums

Concert Review – Skeletal Remains & Bewitcher (The Rockpile, Toronto, ON, 10/10/2024)

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Two of the most demonic bands of the current American scene fragmented the city of Toronto to a small but very active crowd.

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

OPENING ACT: Dominant Species, Phobophilic and Witch Vomit

Unfortunately, due to the show by Nervosa at the exact same day and time at Hard Luck Bar, I had to miss DOMINANT SPECIES, PHOBOPHILIC, WITCH VOMIT, SKELETAL REMAINS and BEWITCHER during their Toronto stop of their Fragmenting North America 2024 Tour at The Rockpile, but my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there to cover the show and take some amazing shots of all bands involved. It’s frustrating when you go from a period of almost zero shows like July and August to an avalanche of concerts happening all at once like this September and October in the city, which in my opinion is nastily hurting the attendance of all shows, in special the underground ones, because it’s just humanly impossible to go see all bands under those circumstances.

The first band of the night, DOMINANT SPECIES, is a Toronto based Heavy Metal and Hardcore band that’s part of Reel Wolf Productions. This band is quite new in the scene but it is gaining some traction here in Toronto. As a matter of fact, their singer is actually the owner of Reel Wolf Productions, a small video production company used for rap and metal bands, so if you’re curious to know more about the band and the company you can visit their official website. They say they play “grimy brutal riffs with hip hop fusion”, and according to Keith that’s exactly what they delivered at The Rockpile.

Then hailing from North Dakota, PHOBOPHILIC are a Death Metal band with two demos, an EP, a split and a 2022 full-length album titled Enveloping Absurdity already under their belts. Although vocalist and guitarist Aaron Dudgeon is no longer with them, that didn’t stop the band from moving forward as a three-headed beast formed of Christian Alm on bass, Vincent Tweten on drums, and Josh Poer on vocals and guitars, plus lead guitarist Miles McIntosh during their live concerts, and they surely put on an energetic show with their no shenanigans Death Metal. And after that it was time for the third opener of the night, Portland, Oregon-based Death Metal act WITCH VOMIT, formed in 2012 by vocalist and guitarist Temper and drummer Filth. Witch Vomit play dark Death Metal in the American tradition with elements of Scandinavian evil and ancient Doom Metal, and that combination of styles created a truly demonic vibe when they hit the stage at The Rockpile for the delight of all fans present at the venue.

SKELETAL REMAINS

Founded in 2011 under the name Anthropophagy, Whittier, California’s own Death Metal squad SKELETAL REMAINS was one of the headliners of the night, kicking some ass with their share of brutality and speed. The band led by founding members Chris Monroy (guitars and vocals) and Mike De La O (guitars) was phenomenal on stage, and despite the smaller than expected crowd their whole performance was insane. Their new album Fragments of the Ageless, released in the beginning of 2024, is an amazing piece of Death Metal that’s definitely worth a listen if you haven’t done so already, and the songs from that album sounded even more fun live, like for example Void of Despair and Relentless Appetite. I’m sure they’ll soon return to Toronto and to a much bigger crowd if all logistics and promotion are done properly next time.

BEWITCHER

The second headliner of the night, Portland, Oregon-based Black/Speed Metal horde BEWITCHER, also has a new album out, Spell Shock, released only a couple of weeks ago. Formed of A. Magus on bass and backing vocals, M. Von Bewitcher on vocals and guitars, and A. Hunter on drums, the band kicked ass at The Rockpile for a crowd of less than 100 people, and just like Skeletal Remains they didn’t care about that small attendance at all, keeping the fires of the underground burning nonstop during their pulverizing set. Their new songs Starfire Maelstrom and Spell Shock worked really well with their classics Satanic Magick Attack and Bewitcher, and again, just like what was said about Skeletal Remains, I’m sure next time they visit Toronto they’ll play to a much bigger audience.

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Metal Chick of the Month – Becky Baldwin

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Play this shit loud and together we’ll scream!

Our metal lady of this very special month of October is not called Melissa, she won’t break the oath, and she’s definitely not an uninvited guest. What she will certainly do is kick your damned ass mercilessly to the sound of her rumbling bass, as she was born to sin in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll. Her name is Rebecca Baldwin, better known as Becky Baldwin, the unstoppable bass player for British Heavy/Thrash Metal act Fury, for the iconic Danish Heavy Metal coven Mercyful Fate, for British Punk Rock band Hands Off Gretel, and of course one of the most famous members of the IMFC, or the Iron Maiden Fan Club. Having said that, get ready to bang your heads and raise your horns together with one of the most badass bass players of the current metal scene worldwide while The Headbanging Moose celebrates 11 years of existence.

Born on April 6, 1991 in Trowbridge, the county town of Wiltshire, England, Becky used to play the piano when she was a child, later picking up the bass as a teenager and beginning to perform with bands at school. In 2009, she moved from Trowbridge to Bristol to study at BIMM Music Institute and became closely involved in the local music scene. Moreover, she holds a BA Honours degree in Professional Musicianship, and now lives in the birthplace of Heavy Metal, Birmingham, a major city in England’s West Midlands region, where metal titans like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Napalm Death saw the light of day. An energetic live performer and an efficient recording musician who specializes in fingerstyle bass guitar playing, Becky has performed approximately 100 gigs per year since 2012 all over Europe and into the United States, offering her skills for a wide variety of bands including covers and original bands from genres ranging from metal to folk, urban, funk, pop, jazz and more.

At the end of 2017, following a tour where she filled in on bass, Becky joined Worcester, England-based Heavy/Thrash Metal maniacs Fury, having recorded with the band so far the albums The Grand Prize, in 2020, followed by a 2021 live album titled The Grand Prize… Live, and more recently the album Born to Sin, in 2022, as well as several singles including an acoustic version of Dragon’s Song, in 2023, and a re-recording of the song Prince of Darkness, from their 2014 debut The Lightning Dream, earlier this year. Those albums and singles can be found on Spotify or any other streaming platform, and you can also enjoy their official videos on YouTube for the songs Prince of Darkness, If You Get to Hell First, Hell of a Night, and Nowhere To Be Seen, among others. Currently formed of Becky on bass alongside vocalist Nyah Ifill, vocalist and guitarists Julian Jenkins, guitarist Tom Atkinson, and drummer Tom Fenn, the band is always taking stages by storm live as you can see in their official tour page, keeping the spirit of Heavy Metal alive whenever they hit the road.

It was back in 2022, more specifically during Bloodstock, when Becky was waiting to see Mercyful Fate live for the first time in her life, that she was called backstage to meet the band, when she was told that they needed a fill-in bass player for an upcoming North American tour, and that they had seen her bass covers she posts online and thought she would be a good fit for the job. “I had been a fan of Mercyful Fate since my teens, so watching them live, meeting them, and being offered a temporary job with them all in the same day was pretty insane! The tour was unbelievable, definitely a period of time I’m very grateful for!” After that experience playing live with the band in 2022, Mercyful Fate recently announced earlier in 2024 they have officially recruited Becky as a permanent member, making her the first woman to hold the position in the band’s history. “I guess the idea was floating around for a while, but it’s quite recent still, the news that I was going to be permanent in Mercyful Fate,” mentioned Becky in one of her interviews.

Becky also said she’s confident about injecting her own flavor into the basslines for their upcoming album. “I think the songwriting is still gonna be very much King Diamond and Hank Shermann kind of heading up most of that, but definitely writing bass lines. I’ve studied all of Timi’s bass lines very meticulously now, and so I really feel like I can bring some of that into the new bass lines for the next record.” Hence, if you want to take a look at Becky’s playthroughs of classics by Mercyful Fate, you can find on her YouTube channel her videos for Curse of the Pharaohs, A Dangerous Meeting, Black Funeral, Melissa, and Come to the Sabbath, among others, as well as this interview with The Metal Voice where she discusses how she joined the band.

As mentioned, Becky is also the bassist for UK’s own Punk Rock band Hands Off Gretel, and although the band has been on some sort of hiatus since 2021, I believe we can except news from those girls and guys anytime soon, and if you want to enjoy their music while waiting for something new from the band you can check their official YouTube channel, including their fun video for the song S.A.S.S. Apart from Hands Off Gretel, you can find recordings of Becky with her past bands or as a guest musician, some as an online collaborator. For instance, she was part of a Bristol-based Power Metal band named Control the Storm between 2010 and 2016, having recorded with them their 2011 demo and the 2015 album Beast Inside; played bass for a Cardiff, Wales-based Heavy Metal band named Triaxis from 2014 to 2018, recording with them the 2015 album Zero Hour; and played bass with the bands Dorja, from 2015 to 2019, IDestroy, from 2014 to 2018, and Metro 13, between 2013 and 2014 (and you can find lots of videos of Becky playing with those bands on the media page of her official website). In addition, she also played bass live with a band named Proscenium, in 2016, she can be found as a guest bassist for Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse, or simply Warhorse, having recorded with them the songs Warhorse, Get Get Ready, Go, Stop the War, Here Comes the Night, and Forever Bound, all from their 2024 album Warhorse, and she has also recorded sessions for Total Guitar magazine and the Rockschool exam board (now renamed RSL Awards).

As a renowned member of the IMFC – Iron Maiden Fan Club, Becky was featured on a segment of the website called “Fan of the Week”, where she discussed a little about her passion for the boys. “My family home started getting music channels and Maiden were one of the first classic metal bands I came across. Their music videos for Number of the Beast, Run To The Hills and Can I Play With Madness were on regular rotations on my favourite channels and shows. A few years later I met a friend at school who was a huge fan and showed me more of the back catalogue,” commented Becky, who also said that she saw them live for the first time when she was only 15, in December 2006 on the A Matter of Life and Death tour in Cardiff. “I loved the show, I had never seen visuals and energy on stage like Maiden have. But as a first timer at a Maiden concert I had wished they would play the classics that I had wanted to see for years. Now, I would love to watch them play a full A Matter of Life and Death concert! I guess everyone wants to see their favourites live some time, and when you’re young it’s hard to time it right for your first gig experience!”

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A fan of the band since 2003, with her first album being Fear of the Dark and her favorite song being The Clansman, Becky has already seen them live a few times, including Sonisphere UK in 2010, Hellfest France in 2014, Download UK 2022, and The Future Past Tour in Birmingham this year. Furthermore, she seems to know exactly what makes Iron Maiden so special. “I think it’s the story telling, the history and interesting lyrical subjects that set them apart from every other great metal band. There are loads of bands with equally talented musicians, but something about this formation of people just works. They have a knack for making the lyrics fascinating as well as memorable, and the music catchy enough make you want to join in. And the bass is really loud and has fun parts, which does a lot for me!” Not only that, Becky and her Fury have also played at the Cart & Horses, the birthplace of the band. ” Playing the Cart & Horses ‘The Birthplace of Iron Maiden’ is always a special one for us. It’s a lovely bar full of cool memorabilia, and I love that they have made the basement a dedicated space for live rock music – the area really needed it. The show was completely sold out, and despite some sound issues, everyone seemed to have a great time. I hope the place gets more support as a venue, from both the public and continued support from Maiden themselves!”

A proud endorser of D’Addario Strings, Neural DSP modelers, Darkglass Amps and Alperious Pickguards, Becky owns some really cool equipment, including a Rickenbacker 4003, a Rickenbacker 4001, a Fender Deluxe Jazz V (5 string), a Danelectro Longhorn, a Neural DSP Quad Cortex, a Darkglass AO900 Head + DG212N Cabinet, and D’addario NYXL Strings. “I have six basses altogether, my favourite is my 1977 Rickenbacker 4001, customized with a Seymour Duncan pick up. A lot of people think it’s wrong to modify vintage instruments, but I love that bass and enjoy making it unique in any way that I can.”

She obviously loves Steve Harris, saying he is an iconic bassist and songwriter, and that as a metalhead it’s impossible to escape his influence. “Maiden is one of few bands of their style to keep their bass mixed audibly, and for that I salute them! For a new bass player it can be so hard to figure out what you’re supposed to do, how to play a song when you can’t really hear much. Not a problem for Maiden! Steve certainly influenced my heavy plucking finger style, and I love the chords he does to accent some beats, which most finger style players would avoid. And of course, the occasional bass solo is the icing on the cake!” And if you want to witness her passion for the boys, you can watch this amazing bass playthrough of the classic The Number of the Beast on her YouTube channel, where she uses a Rickenbacker 4001 fitted with Seymour Duncan pickups, strings from ‪D’Addario (NYXL. Gauge 45-105), ​Microtubes X Ultra, and a scratchplate by Alperious Pickguards.

Becky also teaches bass playing and has a few tutorials on YouTube and on her Patreon, saying she has a few online students doing live Zoom lessons. “I love teaching Maiden basslines, recently I was teaching a student Powerslave which is one of my favourites to play,” said our talented metalhead, who’s also a co-founder of a specialist private tuition company called Bristol Rock Centre, which runs a teaching and rehearsal studio in Mangotsfield, leading workshops with that company. Not only that, she has also aided exam board Rockschool in the writing and proofing of tuition and exam books including Let’s Rock Bass, the Popular Music Theory collection and the 2014 Vocal syllabus, also leading workshops with Rockschool, and having given lectures at BIMM Bristol, ACM Birmingham and Access Creative College. Furthermore, she has received tuition from top musicians such as Stuart Clayton (Carl Palmer Band), Damon Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller) and Jim Barr (Portishead, Get The Blessing).

And last but not least, for a number of years Becky was an active member of the Musician’s Union Wales & South West England Regional Committee and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, representing female musicians. As you can see, Becky has been living and breathing music for her entire life, always ready to rock and to support new musicians, and with her undeniable talent and charisma she’s definitely going to become one of the references in bass playing in the world of heavy music really soon. In other words, let’s keep enjoying the thunderous bass by Becky (and you can also support her by purchasing her merch on Big Cartel, or by clicking HERE to know more about her career and her music), and may she keep spreading her wings to all four corners of the earth with Fury, Mercyful Fate, or any other band that’s lucky enough to have her as their bassist.

Becky Baldwin’s Official Facebook page
Becky Baldwin’s Official Instagram
Becky Baldwin’s Official YouTube channel
Becky Baldwin’s Official X
Fury’s Official Facebook page
Fury’s Official Instagram
Fury’s Official YouTube channel
Fury’s Official X
Mercyful Fate’s Official Facebook page
Mercyful Fate’s Official Instagram
Mercyful Fate’s Official YouTube channel
Mercyful Fate’s Official X

Concert Review – Lord of the Lost (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 09/18/2024)

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And Lord of the Lost dragged us all to hell on their second electrifying concert in Canadian lands this Wednesday night in Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Julien-K

A few hours after the more-than-epic show by LORD OF THE LOST in Montreal, it was time to drive back to Toronto for round two at  The Opera House, again featuring JULIEN-K as the opener, as part of the band’s US + Canada 2024 tour. At first I thought The Opera House was bigger than the Beanfield Theatre in Montreal, but after searching for both online I found out that the difference in capacity is only of 25 people (The Opera House can fit 950 people, while the Beanfield Theatre fits 925). Maybe the fact that the floor section at The Opera House is bigger gives that impression, I don’t know, but what really matters is that LOTL were once again stunned by their Canadian fans, this time by a loud and vibrant Toronto crowd, who might not have been as rowdy as the fans in Montreal, but still VERY loud. And what’s even better is that I was joined in Toronto by my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, which is the reason why the photos are way better than my crappy mobile ones from Montreal.

As I was able to watch more of the show by Los Angeles, California’s own Electronic Rock act JULIEN-K in Toronto, I can confirm what I said in the review for Montreal, that they were an amazing opener for LOTL and that everyone inside The Opera House had a great time during their show. Their closing song, a cover version for Blue Monday, by New Order, sounded fantastic, some sort of tribute to their previous band Orgy who blew up in popularity for covering that same track. As mentioned in the review for Montreal, you can listen to more of the music by Julien-K on BandCamp and on Spotify, getting your electronic vein pulsing strong to the sound of one of the torchbearers of the style in the American scene.

Setlist
Futura
Deep Beat Overground
Fractured
All That Glitters
Your Tears Mean Nothing
The Hydra
Undo Everything
Stronger Without You
Blue Monday (New Order cover)

Band members
Ryan Shuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Amir Derakh – lead guitar, samples, keyboards, synthesizers, bass
Galen Waling – drums

LORD OF THE LOST

If you’re feelin’ down depressed and lonely, I know a place where we can go, and no, that’s not 22 Acacia Avenue, but any concert by LORD OF THE LOST, like the awesome one in Toronto this Wednesday night. I honestly don’t know how bands like LOTL can play with so much energy night after night and never get tired, liked what they did playing in Montreal this Tuesday night, and in Toronto exactly 24 hours after. The band was as sharp and electrifying as the night before, kicking some ass on the beautiful stage at The Opera House on another sold out (or almost sold out) show, and once again that adrenaline kept flowing from the band to their fans and back, turning the venue into another amazing rock and metal party.

The setlist was the same as the one in Montreal, which means the Toronto crowd had the same fuel to have a great time together with the band, and the energy blasted by Chris & Co. on stage was just as amazing as well. As a band that continues to evolve and explore new horizons, the newer songs from their 2022 album Blood & Glitter were the ones with the loudest reactions from the crowd, which as mentioned was not as wild as Montreal not because of the band, but simply due to the nature of fans in Toronto, always a bit calmer than their Québécois friends. The dancing, fist pumping, jumping around and screaming were all there, of course, and the band loved every single second of their time interacting with their “new” fans, because they might have played countless times already in their homeland Germany, but their happiness playing in Canada was the same as the one form a band that’s just starting their career. Yes, they were that happy and excited.

Closer to the end of the show, Chris mentioned that it was really insane to be playing in Canada, something unimaginable to any of them a few years ago, and that they’ll surely return to Canadian lands sooner than later (also mentioning the fact that getting their visas to Canada is way easier and cheaper than to the United States). I trust Chris one hundred percent when he says they’ll come back, because that was by far one of the wildest couple of shows I’ve seen in the past few years, with the deep connection built between the band and their fans in Montreal and Toronto being a thing of beauty. Who knows, maybe LOTL are going to be the next big thing in Canada, playing at bigger venues, attracting more and more people to their shows, and if that happens they absolutely deserve it, as they’re not only one of the most talented and innovative bands of the current scene, but they’re also really nice guys who are just starting to discover how fun Canada is and how passionate the fans here can be. In other words, see you soon, LOTL!

Setlist
The Curtain Falls
The Future of a Past Life
Dry the Rain
Loreley
Destruction Manual
For They Know Not What They Do
Raining Stars
Sex on Legs
Six Feet Underground
Born With a Broken Heart
Die Tomorrow
Black Halo
Forevermore
Drag Me to Hell
Blood for Blood
Unstoppable (Sia cover)
Shock to the System (Billy Idol cover)
Blood & Glitter
One Last Song

Band members
Chris “The Lord” Harms – lead vocals, guitars, cello
Pi “π” Stoffers – guitars, backing vocals
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Klaas “Class Grenayde” Helmecke – bass, backing vocals
Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann – piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars, theremin
Niklas Kahl – drums

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Concert Review – Lord of the Lost (Beanfield Theatre, Montreal, QC, 09/17/2024)

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When the curtain fell in Montreal, no one was left alone by Lord of the Lost in one of the most memorable concerts in their entire career this Tuesday night.

OPENING ACT: Julien-K

As Billy Idol would say, It was a night, Montreal, burning bright, oh what a night at Théâtre Beanfield (or Beanfield Theatre) when German Dark Rock/Heavy Metal band LORD OF THE LOST, supported by JULIEN-K, played for the first time ever in Canadian lands this Tuesday night as part of their US + Canada 2024 tour, and based on the reaction of the crowd during their entire show I’m sure it wasn’t the last time we saw those guys in the Great White North. I must say the venue was also amazing. It was my first time there and I can’t wait to travel all the way to Montreal to see more of my favorite bands playing there. Not only that, the weather in Montreal was also beyond perfect, around +25oC and sunny, turning the whole day into a memorable experience for both the fans and the band.

I’ll be honest and say I didn’t see much of the concert by Los Angeles, California-based Electronic Rock act JULIEN-K (due to other commitments prior to the show), which began as a side project for electronic music created by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from Orgy, alongside Anthony ‘Fu’ Valcic, and that sounds a lot like a fusion of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Ministry and Marilyn Manson, but I guess everyone at the venue enjoyed a lot their performance. They recently released the albums Harmonic Disruptor, in 2020, and Unauthorized Live In Europe, in 2021, and if you’re curious to know more about them you can find their music on BandCamp and on Spotify. I personally believe they were a great choice to open for Lord of the Lost, properly warming up all fans at the venue for the main attraction of the night, and even if electronic music is not my cup of tea I need to say they’re really good in what they do.

Setlist
Futura
Deep Beat Overground
Fractured
All That Glitters
Your Tears Mean Nothing
The Hydra
Undo Everything
Stronger Without You
Blue Monday (New Order cover)

Band members
Ryan Shuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Amir Derakh – lead guitar, samples, keyboards, synthesizers, bass
Galen Waling – drums

LORD OF THE LOST

It might have taken years for LORD OF THE LOST to finally pay a visit to Canada, but the wait was absolutely worth it as Chris Harms and his henchmen simply destroyed the Beanfield Theatre with a flawless performance overflowing electricity, heaviness and passion, putting every single person at the venue to jump up and down, dance, raise their horns and fists and scream out loud together with the band. Their setlist was amazing, showcasing a great balance between all of their old material with their latest released Blood & Glitter (2022) and Weapons of Mass Seduction (2023). The first few songs, including The Curtain Falls, Dry the Rain and Loreley, already gave us a very good taste of how awesome the whole night was going to be, and the louder the reaction of the fans was, the better the band was on stage and vice-versa.

A few songs sounded utterly powerful in Montreal, like Six Feet Underground, Die Tomorrow, Drag Me to Hell, and Blood for Blood, where by the way Chris invited everyone at the venue to do the “one-person mosh pit” (which is basically jumping and spinning around alone), and let me tell you that all fans loved that moment, with huge smiles on everyone’s faces. Pi Stoffers and Niklas Kahl were ruthless armed with their respective guitars and drums, adding a humongous dosage of heaviness to the band’s music, therefore sounding even heavier than in the studio, (something I personally loved as a fan of extreme music), and that translated into a lot of headbanging, dancing and clapping from the audience for the total delectation of the band. To be fair, the whole band was spot-on, precise and on fire, playing all songs to perfection, with the ending of the show including their cover versions for Sia’s Unstoppable and Billy Idol’s Shock to the System (the biggest surprise of the night for me), plus of course their classics Blood & Glitter and One Last Song, being the icing on the cake to their breathtaking show.

All band members were visibly very emotional during and after the show, with Chris repeating several times it was a dream come true for them to be in Canada, and that they didn’t expect such a big turnout on a Tuesday night in a country they had never played before. He also said Canada is the 40th country they’ve ever played at now, and that they will surely return in a not-so-distant future. I’m sure all fans who attended their concert can’t wait for another round of LOTL madness in the city, and I’ll make sure I find some time in my busy agenda to see them again in Montreal because that show was definitely mind blowing. There was “round 2” in Toronto the next day after a six-hour drive back home, but that will be covered in a separate review. For now, all I can say is that LOTL are Montreal, and Montreal is LOTL.

Setlist
The Curtain Falls
The Future of a Past Life
Dry the Rain
Loreley
Destruction Manual
For They Know Not What They Do
Raining Stars
Sex on Legs
Six Feet Underground
Born With a Broken Heart
Die Tomorrow
Black Halo
Forevermore
Drag Me to Hell
Blood for Blood
Unstoppable (Sia cover)
Shock to the System (Billy Idol cover)
Blood & Glitter
One Last Song

Band members
Chris “The Lord” Harms – lead vocals, guitars, cello
Pi “π” Stoffers – guitars, backing vocals
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Klaas “Class Grenayde” Helmecke – bass, backing vocals
Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann – piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars, theremin
Niklas Kahl – drums

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