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Concert Review – Machine Head (History, Toronto, ON, 04/28/2025)

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Monday nights are always boring, except when you have four of the must-see bands of the current metal scene worldwide kicking some serious ass in the city.

OPENING ACTS: Unearth, Lacuna Coil and In Flames

What a night of modern and electrifying heavy music at the always amazing History this Monday during the North American Tour 2025 spearheaded by MACHINE HEAD, with special guests UNEARTH, LACUNA COIL and IN FLAMES, and despite the insane traffic in the city and the fact it was a Monday night, we can say it was a nearly sold out event where every single person at the venue had a phenomenal time, including Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I, of course. History is also a great venue for concerts because not only there are plenty of restaurants in the neighborhood, but they also have a few food options inside, like pizza for example, something not common at most venues in Toronto. This means that if you’re running late to any concert but you need to eat something beforehand, you don’t need to waste any second searching for food outside the venue. Simply get inside, and enjoy a slice of pizza while watching your favorite bands playing.

The doors opening at 5pm, when most people were still at work, plus the first band of the night, Boston, Massachusetts-based Metalcore outfit UNEARTH, kicking off their show already at the early time of 6pm, was kind of a bummer as a lot of people ended up missing their show, including myself, and I was very disappointed with that because their 2023 album The Wretched; The Ruinous is a real banger and I was eager to see them playing some of those not-so-new tunes live alongside some older meterial (although their short onstage time didn’t allow them to play their regular full setlist, of course). Well, Keith said they were beyond ruthless onstage led by their rabid frontman Trevor Phipps, already igniting some sick mosh pits in the floor section, and if you also missed those guys live on Monday at least we can enjoy their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, and patiently wait for the next time they pay a visit to Toronto. Hopefully at a later time slot.

Setlist
The Power of Love (Huey Lewis and the News song)
My Will Be Done
This Lying World
The Wretched; The Ruinous
Giles
Incinerate
Black Hearts Now Reign

Band members
Trevor Phipps – vocals
Buz McGrath – guitars
Peter Layman – guitars
Chris O’Toole – bass
Mike Justian – drums

Luckily, I made it just in time for the superb performance by Italian Alternative Rock/Metal icons LACUNA COIL, more specifically three minutes before they took the stage by storm with their endless charisma, undeniable talent, and highly addictive, catchy tunes, most of them from their brand new album Sleepless Empire (available on all streaming services like Spotify), including the excellent Hosting the Shadow, Gravity, I Wish You Were Dead, and Oxygen. Damn, those tunes sounded amazing live. The beyond stunning diva Cristina Scabbia (she looks younger than ever, by the way) and the enigmatic, sinister Andrea Ferro drove fans wild during their set, making a more-than-dynamic duo onstage for the delight of everyone who enjoys this type of “Beauty and the Beast” vocal attack. As usual, the duo was effectively supported by their bandmates Daniele Salomone, Marco Coti Zelati and Richard Meiz, enhancing the band’s energy and punch and, therefore, inspiring everyone to raise their horns and sing all songs along with Cristina and Andrea. Lacuna Coil are a must-see band of the current scene, and I can’t wait to see them again in the near future. Needless to say, next time they deserve their own headlining tour, so we can enjoy a lot more of their hypnotizing creations.

Setlist
Intro
Layers of Time
Reckless
Hosting the Shadow
Gravity
Our Truth
Blood, Tears, Dust
I Wish You Were Dead
Oxygen
Never Dawn

Band members
Cristina Scabbia – vocals
Andrea Ferro – vocals
Daniele Salomone – guitars
Marco Coti Zelati – bass, keyboards
Richard Meiz – drums

It was already past 8pm when Sweden’s own Melodic Groove Metal/Metalcore/Alternative Rock titans IN FLAMES began their incendiary performance at History (pun intended), already melting our faces with one of their most electrifying songs ever, Cloud Connected. Frontman Anders Fridén and his henchmen, including the fantastic axeman Chris Broderick, showed no mercy for our souls, delivering hit after hit, with the newer songs from their 2023 album Foregone (also available on Spotify), like In the Dark and Meet Your Maker, blending perfectly with their classics and, consequently, igniting some insane circle pits that were nicely acknowledged by Anders. Not only that, he was also on fire with his dark Swedish humor, making an even stronger connection with the crowd. For instance, he noticed one fan was singing ALL songs perfectly at the barrier, so he said he should not screw up any song otherwise that fan would catch his error. The ending with I Am Above and My Sweet Shadow was epic, and I must say their concert this Monday night might have been their best in the city to date. In Flames certainly love Toronto, and we love them back, which means it won’t take long for the band to kick our asses again with another unrelenting concert in the near future.

Setlist
Cloud Connected
Take This Life
Deliver Us
In the Dark
Voices
Coerced Coexistence
Bullet Ride
Trigger
Meet Your Maker
State of Slow Decay
The Mirror’s Truth
I Am Above
My Sweet Shadow

Band members
Anders Fridén – vocals
Björn Gelotte – guitars
Chris Broderick – guitars
Liam Wilson – bass
Tanner Wayne – drums

MACHINE HEAD

Finally, after an avalanche of first-class heavy music from different parts of the world, the main attraction of the night, Oakland, California’s own Groove/Thrash Metal brigade MACHINE HEAD kicked off their electrifying concert to finish destroying anyone who dared to face some wild mosh pits during the execution of their hard hitting tunes. Robb Flynn, Reece Scruggs, Jared MacEachern and Matt Alston were unstoppable onstage, kindly asking every single fan to keep their phones in their pockets and simply have an amazing time with them, banging their heads, slamming into the pit, having a beer and raising their fists in the air. Blending classics the likes of Locust and Bulldozer with several songs form their new opus Unatoned (also spelled UNATØNED, and of course available on Spotify), released this past Friday April 25, such as ØUTSIDER and BØNESCRAPER, the band put on a phenomenal concert that made a boring Monday night feel like a metallic party on a Saturday.

They’ve been on the road since 1991, but their passion for heavy music is so strong it felt like they were just newcomers full of energy and ready to kick our asses. The circle pit action was intense, Robb kept throwing beer to the fans and having a lot of fun interacting with everyone, including a little kid at the back of the balcony section (showing he’s a guy that pays attention to EVERYONE who attends a Machine Head concert), and the background screen, lighting and smoke added an extra touch of insanity to their show. In the end, after they played the classic Halo, they stayed a little longer throwing countless guitar picks and drumsticks to the crowd, who was brave enough to stay at the venue until the very end, already past 11pm on a Monday night. I guess even if they had stayed there until 2 or 3am the fans would have also been there to support them, because this is how superb heavy music is done. Played live, played loud, and with a beautiful connection between the artist and their fans. Thank you, Machine Head, and rest assured whenever you return to Toronto, we’ll all be there for you.

Setlist
Diary of a Madman (Ozzy Osbourne song)
In Comes the Flood
Imperium
Ten Ton Hammer
CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE
Now We Die
Catharsis
NØT LØNG FØR THIS WØRLD
ØUTSIDER
Locust
BØNESCRAPER
Declaration
Bulldozer
From This Day
Davidian

Encore:
Halo

Band members
Robb Flynn – vocals, guitars
Reece Scruggs – guitars
Jared MacEachern – bass, backing vocals
Matt Alston – drums, percussion

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Concert Review – W.A.S.P. (History, Toronto, ON, 11/11/2024)

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Countless fans in Toronto had the pleasure of witnessing a once in a lifetime explosion of classic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock by one of the most iconic bands of all time.

OPENING ACT: Armored Saint

If you love first-class live music played to perfection, then you must join W.A.S.P., with support of ARMORED SAINT, during their Album One Alive World Tour 2024, just like what happened at the beyond excellent History this Monday night in Toronto. Seriously, both bands were absolutely flawless during their incendiary shows, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to witness those giants (as the word “dinosaurs” seems a bit to old for them) of heavy music. It was quite chilly in Toronto, and of course really dark, but that didn’t stop countless lovers of our good old Rock N’ Roll to take the venue by storm on the worst day of the week for anything, and to have a great time together with the bands.

Precisely at 8pm, Los Angeles, California’s own Heavy Metal/Hard Rock juggernaut ARMORED SAINT kicked off their electrifying, classic and perfect performance in Toronto, blending old school songs the likes of Can U Deliver and Reign of Fire with a new tune from their 2020 album Punching the Sky, the excellent End of the Attention Span. John Bush was phenomenal as usual, delivering his striking vocals for the delight of the crowd, and even getting down to the floor section to sing one of the songs close to the soundboard. Seriously, his voice hasn’t aged at all. What a vocalist! And what to say about Joey Vera on bass, or the Sandoval Brothers? In other words, if you’ve never seen Armored Saint live, don’t miss the chance because those guys are simply superb on stage.

Setlist
End of the Attention Span
Delirious Nomad
The Pillar
March of the Saint
Aftermath
Book of Blood
Win Hands Down
Can U Deliver
Reign of Fire

Band members
John Bush – vocals
Phil Sandoval – guitars
Jeff Duncan – guitars
Joey Vera – bass
Gonzo Sandoval – drums

W.A.S.P.

After a short break (where I desperately went for a pizza, as I was starving), it was time for one of the most iconic bands to ever arise from Los Angeles, California, Heavy Metal/Hard Rock legends W.A.S.P., to melt our faces with one of the most hypnotizing performances of the year in Toronto. Blackie Lawless (or maybe I should call him “Blackie Flawless” after Monday), Doug Blair, Mike Duda and Aquiles Priester took no prisoners in their quest for old school heavy music, kicking some serious ass with the full play of their 1984 self-titled cult album (referred to as “Album One” by Blackie himself), plus a bunch of other classics during the encore.

Blackie even mentioned that when they started thinking about playing the whole album on this tour, one of the managers he consulted with said the idea was terrific, but only if they played all songs in the same order of the album. Blackie said that was insane as they had never opened a W.A.S.P. show with I Wanna Be Somebody, but in the end that’s exactly what they did, and the fans in Toronto embraced the whole idea with tons of love, respect and admiration for Blackie and his crew. It was a “once in a lifetime” concert for everyone at History, as Blackie said they’ll never do that again, and song after song you could see the joy and energy flowing from fans of all ages. I mean, who can stand still and not start dancing and headbanging to On Your Knees or Tormentor, right?

The background of the stage was also a thing of beauty, playing the official videos of all songs being played live by the band, connecting their past, present and future in a compelling way, and of course things only got rowdier and more fun during the encore with songs like I Don’t Need No Doctor, Wild Child and Blind in Texas inspiring all of their Torontonian fans to sing along the lyrics with Blackie. As already said, this was a unique opportunity to see the band playing their debut album live from start to finish, and I guess none of the fans at History this Monday night will ever forget the awesome experience of witnessing that blast of classic rock and metal live by one of the most important bands in the history of music. Who knows, maybe we’ll see them playing other albums in full in the future, but until then I’m sure Toronto will keep the electricity of such a stunning live rendition of “Album One” flowing through their veins.

Setlist
The End (The Doors song)
W.A.S.P. Medley
W.A.S.P. Album One Alive
I Wanna Be Somebody
L.O.V.E. Machine
The Flame
B.A.D.
School Daze
Hellion
Sleeping (in the Fire)
On Your Knees
Tormentor
The Torture Never Stops

Encore:
The Big Welcome
Inside the Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It
The Real Me (The Who cover)
Forever Free / The Headless Children
Wild Child
Blind in Texas
Riders on the Storm (The Doors song)

Band members
Blackie Lawless – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Doug Blair – guitars
Mike Duda – bass, backing vocals
Aquiles Priester – drums

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Concert Review – Kreator & Testament (History, Toronto, ON, 10/03/2024)

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The city of Toronto had the ultimate pleasure of hosting a lesson in insanity, circle pits and walls of death by three of the most iconic Thrash Metal bands of all time.

OPENING ACT: Possessed

The third night of the week with a massive metal concert including several amazing bands was simply exhausting, but in a very good way, of course. After all mosh pits faced on Monday and on Tuesday, this Thursday night in Toronto was reserved for a lesson in insanity, circle pits and walls of death by the iconic metal giants POSSESSED, KREATOR and TESTAMENT, during their Toronto stop of their undisputed Klash of the Titans North America 2024 Tour, another event brilliantly organized by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were at History to cover such a pulverizing show, but of course due to the ridiculous traffic at the QEW I missed San Francisco, California’s own Death/Thrash Metal legends POSSESSED. I’m getting truly frustrated every single time I need to drive downtown for concerts because the QEW is getting worse and worse day after day, and by the time I get to the venues my energy is drained.

Well, Keith said they simply destroyed everything and everyone on stage, igniting some sick mosh pits right from the beginning, and I can imagine how amazing it was as they closed their set with the classic Death Metal, from their 1985 cult album Seven Churches. After their show, the band’s frontman Jeff Becerra spent a lot of time (and I mean A LOT) at their merch booth chatting with each and every fan that wanted to meet him in person. I always say things like that are what make some bands special, and Jeff and his Possessed are definitely in the hearts of their Torontonian fans forever not only due to their first-class, undisputed heavy music, but also by showing everyone how human, humble and polite they are, and I’ll make a promise to myself that next time Possessed take the city of Toronto by storm, I’ll do whatever it takes to be there in time to see them kicking ass on stage.

Setlist
Pentagram
Ritual
Tribulation
Graven
The Exorcist
Demon
Death Metal
Swing of the Axe

Band members
Jeff Becerra – vocals
Daniel Gonzalez – guitars
Claudeous Creamer – guitars
Robert Cardenas – bass, backing vocals
Chris Aguirre II – drums

KREATOR

I might have missed the mighty Possessed, but fortunately I made it in time for German Thrash Metal steamroller KREATOR, who were absolutely ruthless throughout their entire show. The setlist this Thursday was not very different from their 2023 show in Toronto alongside Sepultura, but who cares? It was an avalanche of massive, high-octane thrashing hymns for the delight of all fans of one of the most important metal bands in history. It was total madness right from the very first seconds of their now classic song Hate Über Alles, from their 2022 album Hate Über Alles, driving fans wild inside the nonstop circle pit that took most of the floor section at History. There were several walls of death as well, all led by the one and only Mille Petrozza, who seems to feed from the action happening inside the pit to play better and better as the concert progresses.

Also, I gotta say that playing Enemy of God, 666 – World Divided and Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite) in sequence, and closing the show with Violent Revolution and Pleasure to Kill, is definitely not for the lighthearted. It’s a very demanding show, and only the strongest of the strong can survive over one hour of pure Teutonic thrash. Not only that, their stage was also darkly beautiful, with the giant demons on both sides plus the one behind the drums (needless to say, I would love to have one of those) giving the whole show an even more demonic vibe, which could clearly be seen during their blasphemous hymn Satan Is Real. Kreator are one of those bands I would go see live every week or even every day if I could, because they always deliver, never sounding tired of bored, therefore bringing absolute chaos to our damned hearts.

Setlist
Run to the Hills
Sergio Corbucci Is Dead
Hate Über Alles
Phobia
Enemy of God
666 – World Divided
Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)
Hail to the Hordes
Betrayer
Satan Is Real
Mars Mantra
Phantom Antichrist
Strongest of the Strong
Terrible Certainty
The Patriarch
Violent Revolution
Pleasure to Kill
Apocalypticon
Satan Is Real (Maria Nicolaides country version)

Band members
Miland “Mille” Petrozza – vocals, guitar
Sami Yli-Sirniö – guitar
Frédéric Leclercq – bass
Jürgen “Ventor” Reil – drums

TESTAMENT

It was getting relatively late, already close to 10pm (and I was exhausted from a very busy week), but that didn’t mean all fans at History didn’t have any energy left for the melodic massacre blasted by Oakland, California’s undisputed thrash titans TESTAMENT. I honestly though my favorite drummer of all time Dave Lombardo was still with the band (and maybe I should have researched it better prior to the show), but to my surprise the drums are now in the hands of Chris Dovas, of bands like Unflesh and Evulsion (and you should definitely listen to both, as they’re insane). Now I can say he’s the perfect replacement for titans like Gene Hoglan and Dave Lombardo, simply smashing his drums nonstop and, consequently, giving more fuel for the fans to keep running around inside the circle pit. In addition, their entire setlist was comprised of songs form their old school classics The Legacy (1987) and The New Order (1988), just to give you an idea of how heavy, fast and electrifying the whole concert was.

Songs like The New Order, Trial by Fire, Alone in the Dark, and in special Disciples of the Watch and Into the Pit were phenomenal, with Chuck Billy barking in our faces nonstop and demanding we didn’t stop moshing not even for a single second. I was mesmerized as usual by Alex Skolnick on the guitar, because amidst such a hurricane of heavy and fast-paced tunes, he kept delivering clean, stunning solos in all songs. He’s by far one of the best metal guitarists out there, and his unique, striking technique brings endless beauty and energy to Testament’s violence. In the end, we were all extremely satisfied (and tired, of course) with an overdose of classic Thrash Metal by all three bands, and as Chuck Billy said, I can’t wait for their return to the city already with a new (and most probably incendiary) album in hands.

Setlist
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
Eerie Inhabitants
The New Order
Apocalyptic City
Raging Waters
The Preacher
The Haunting
Trial by Fire
Drum Solo
First Strike Is Deadly
A Day of Reckoning
Alone in the Dark
Do or Die
Disciples of the Watch
Over the Wall
Into the Pit
Foreplay

Band members
Chuck Billy – vocals
Eric Peterson – guitar
Alex Skolnick – guitar
Steve Di Giorgio – bass
Chris Dovas – drums

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Concert Review – Kittie (History, Toronto, ON, 07/12/2024)

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Kittie’s first show in Toronto in ten years was an amazing celebration of the legacy of the band, of diversity, and obviously of our good old heavy music.

OPENING ACTS: Dear Evangeline and Vile Creature

I really want to understand what the hell is going on with traffic in the city of Toronto and surroundings. I left my place yesterday with plenty of time to get to History to see DEAR EVANGELINE, VILE CREATURE and KITTIE kick off their Fire Tour 2024, but due to all construction, rain and whatever else, it took me over two hours to get to the venue. Due to that driving nightmare, I missed the entire performance by Brampton, Ontario’s own Hardcore/Sludge Metal newcomers DEAR EVANGELINE, which was a real bummer as I was eager to see those girls live. At least we can all enjoy their self-titled EP on Spotify, and also click HERE to know more about such a promising Canadian band.

Another bummer was the fact that my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi didn’t get a photo pass due to some bullshit about “high demand for passes”, or something like that, but I was there as I had a ticket and I think I saw only ONE photographer apart from the band’s own, so I guess either the organizers didn’t want any external photographers taking pictures of the event (which makes no sense at all, as you want people to see those photos and get inspired to attend future shows, right?), or all of the ones who got the limited passes “didn’t attend the show”, if you know what I mean. Anyway, the photos in this review are a piece of shit because of that reason, and I almost though about not reviewing the show; however, I think Kittie still deserve a nice review because they kicked ass on stage on Friday.

At least I was there in time for St. Catharines, Ontario’s Sludge/Drone/Doom Metal beast VILE CREATURE, a non-binary duo who explores themes of veganism, LGBTQ, animal rights, and anti-oppression in their music, and let me tell you it was a dark and extremely heavy performance by vocalist Vic, vocalist and guitarist KW, and a special guest drummer who I knew nothing about. I have no idea about their setlist, but I’m pretty sure they played a few songs from their latest albums Cast of Static and Smoke (2018) and Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! (2020), both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and all songs sounded insane. One of the best moments of the show was when KW took a few minutes to talk about how much he loves Kittie, that it was Kittie who inspired him to play heavy music after years not knowing where he belonged as a gay guy, and that he sports his Kittie shirt from the very first Vile Creature live concert. It was a very emotional moment for sure, and seeing KW and his Vile Creature kicking ass right before his favorite band of all time was truly inspirational.

Band members
Vic – vocals
KW – guitars, vocals

KITTIE

The fact that both opening bands had short setlists allowed London, Ontario’s Alternative/Groove Metal powerhouse KITTIE to kick off their musical extravaganza relatively early, at around 9pm, giving a feeling of a matinee to the whole event as they wouldn’t play past 11pm for sure. That would have been a good thing if traffic back home wasn’t another nightmare, but I won’t complain about it again. Let’s focus on the show, and what a show it was! Morgan Lander, Tara McLeod, Ivana “Ivy” Jenkins (holy shit, Ivy was insane during the whole show!) and Mercedes Lander were on absolute fire throughout their entire set, which makes total sense as their new album Fire in indeed an incendiary one. Needless to say, their 22-song setlist inspired everyone at the venue to slam into the circle pit and to have a wild time with all crowd surfing going on, making the girls from Kittie really proud of their local fans in their first show in Toronto in ten years.

Blending some of the most electrifying songs of their new album the likes of Fire, We Are Shadows and Eyes Wide Open with classic including Cut Throat, Spit, Funeral for Yesterday and Brackish, the quartet sounded tight, focused and mesmerizing, and when we thought the show was over after the heavy-as-hell We Are the Lamb, the band got back and kicked us hard in the head with a special encore with the songs One Foot in the Grave and Do You Think I’m a Whore, a nice surprise that caught everyone off guard and that turned up the heat inside the venue through the roof. Having said all that, keep an eye on their tour dates by clicking HERE, stream all of their amazing albums, including their new beast Fire, on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and don’t miss the chance to see those four Canadian girls live whenever they take your city by storm. I just wish I had better photos of the band to show you, of course, but you can’t win ’em all, right?

Setlist
Fire
I’ve Failed You
Cut Throat
No Name
Spit
What I Always Wanted
Sorrow I Know
Look So Pretty
Ugly
We Are Shadows
Into the Darkness
Eyes Wide Open
Severed
Funeral for Yesterday
In Winter
Vultures
Charlotte
Mouthful of Poison
Brackish
We Are the Lamb

Encore:
One Foot in the Grave
Do You Think I’m a Whore

Band members
Morgan Lander – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Tara McLeod – lead guitar
Ivana “Ivy” Jenkins – bass
Mercedes Lander – drums, backing vocals

Concert Review – Helloween (History, Toronto, ON, 05/23/2023)

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The most beloved pumpkins in the universe finally returned to Toronto after a decade for a flawless night of old school, thrilling Heavy Metal, fists in the air and, believe it or not, a lot of mosh pits.

OPENING ACT: Hammerfall

What a night, my friends! What a night! History was made at History (pun intended) last night when HAMMERFALL and the almighty and unparalleled metal institution HELLOWEEN took the city of Toronto by storm with the US and Canada leg of their United Forces Tour 2023, a dream come true for the thousands of fans who were brave enough to leave the comfort of their homes on a Tuesday night (the second worst day for concerts, only behind Monday) knowing they would be absolutely exhausted today for work or school. The weather was simply perfect, as it wasn’t neither too hot nor too cold, plus of course the fact that History is an awesome venue for a night of old school metal music. Kudos to the security team for being so helpful and polite, including letting me use the bathroom inside, get back out, and then enter with my friend, and kudos also to Embrace Presents for making a dream come true for me personally (and I’ll talk more about that later).

The line for the merch stands was absolutely insane, concentrating perhaps more people than the crowd that was already positioning themselves for the opening act on the floor section, Sweden’s own Heavy/Power Metal horde HAMMERFALL, but as soon as the clock hit 7pm sharp and their concert started I think a good chunk of the fans waiting to buy merch abandoned their spots in line to enjoy the concert (and they made the right decision, of course). Although their latest albums are not something we can call “exciting” or “masterpieces” compared to their early discography, when Joacim Cans, Oscar Dronjak and crew hit the stage they showed Toronto everything they got with a solid setlist, playing songs from their 2022 album Hammer of Dawn as well as classics the likes of The Metal Age, Let the Hammer Fall and Hearts on Fire. The entire band was visibly happy to be in the city playing their music to an avid Torontonian crowd, making us all forget that it was Tuesday night, therefore looking more like a Friday night of fun and metal.

One of the funniest moments was when Joacim was introducing the song Let the Hammer Fall, saying that whenever he said “let the hammer…”, the fans should shout “FALL!”, but apparently a few fans were either sleeping or too slow to understand such “difficult” instructions, making Joacim point to the name of the band at the back of the stage and joke about it, something in the lines of “not sure if you noticed, but our name is Hammer… FALL!” Also, it looked like every single song with the word “hammer” on the title or on the chorus was the cue for Oscar to sport his hammer-shaped guitar, like in Hammer of Dawn and Hammer High. I have no idea if that guitar is good or bad, I mean, how much it impacts his playing skills, but it looked really cool specially when he raised it high in the sky like the hammer of Thor. That was basically a good depiction of the level of energy flowing throughout their set, sounding and feeling as electric as Mjölnir, and leaving their diehard fans avid for maybe a headlining tour in Canadian lands in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
Brotherhood
Any Means Necessary
The Metal Age
Hammer of Dawn
Blood Bound
Last Man Standing
Hero’s Return / On the Edge of Honour / Riders of the Storm / Crimson Thunder (Crimson Thunder 20th Anniversary medley)
Let the Hammer Fall
(We Make) Sweden Rock
Hammer High
Hearts on Fire

Band members
Joacim Cans – vocals
Oscar Dronjak – guitars, backing vocals
Pontus Norgren – guitars, backing vocals
Fredrik Larsson – bass
David Wallin – drums

HELLOWEEN

When I said last night’s concert was a dream come true for me, I wasn’t joking. Finally, after over 30 years being a diehard fan of German Power Metal masters HELLOWEEN, I was able to witness the band live with Michael Kiske on vocals, plus of course the awesome Andi Deris and Kai Hansen, but it was Mr. Kiske who stole the show with his unique voice. None of you have any idea of how much I used to listen to Helloween in my teens (and I keep doing that until today, of course), and how much I dreamed of seeing them live with Kiske. As soon as they hit the beautiful stage at History with their new 12-minute classic Skyfall, from their 2021 self-titled masterpiece, I was already voiceless for screaming the song’s lyrics together with them. By the way, talking about new Helloween songs, during the hard-hitting Mass Pollution, the one and only Mr. Andi Deris, who’s by far one of the most entertaining frontmen in the history of metal music (and owner of a breathtaking voice), made a joke saying he wouldn’t have to translate one of the lines of the song to ask us all in Toronto to “make some noise”, generating some good laughs form the mesmerized crowd and, obviously, a lot of noise for the delight of the entire band.

Although this was my first time seeing them with the three vocalists from all of their phases, I think it’s during this United Forces Tour that they started “breaking” their setlist in three different acts; the first one with Skyfall as an intro to the entire band and all vocalists; then from the majestic Eagle Fly Free (thank you, Kiske, for such flawless performance during that classic!) until the old school Heavy Metal (Is the Law), Kiske, Deris and Hansen would take turns singing the songs; and finally, from then on they joined forces by singing all remaining songs together. I personally think that was an amazing way to entertain their fans during the entire show, keeping things fresh and vibrant until the very last second. Moreover, one of the nicest moments of their set was when they played the fast and metallic Save Us, not only providing us with one more unforgettable vocal performance by Kiske, but also igniting some sick mosh pits on the floor section. Yes, you read it correctly, mosh pits at a Helloween concert! That’s something you can only see in Canada, I guess! Not only that, Kai Hansen was also responsible for keeping the mosh pits moving well with his medley of old school German Heavy Metal anthems, including Metal Invaders, Ride the Sky, and especially Heavy Metal (Is the Law), and if you’re familiar with those songs you know how furious a circle pit can get while they’re being played, right? Thank you, Kai Hansen, for being so metal!

After such fantastic journey back to the band’s early days, it was time for a serene moment with Forever and One (Neverland), where Kiske and Deris sat down, explained in a funny way that the song was written by Deris for his “beloved ex-wife”, and delivered a passionate and very emotional vocal duet, followed by a soulful solo by Sascha Gerstner. However, that moment of peace didn’t last for too long as right after that it was time for the band to crush us all with their new hit Best Time, an inspiring song that put most of the fans (including myself) to dance so cool it is! And what can I say about the following songs, Dr. Stein and How Many Tears? I personally consider How Many Tears one of the best and most metal songs of all time, and seeing the entire band playing it live to perfection was priceless. And although Michael Weikath, Markus Grosskopf and Dani Löble didn’t talk much during their entire set, they did speak through their instruments, with How Many Tears being the ultimate display of their dexterity, feeling and passion for heavy music. Do I need to say that song ignited some more wicked mosh pits?

The show was almost over, but not before Andi Deris got his famous top hat for their David Lee Roth-like classic Perfect Gentleman, followed by 13 minutes of pure metal awesomeness with Keeper of the Seven Keys. Damn, that was superb! And their coup de grâce came in the form of nothing more, nothing less than I Want Out, a genre-defining masterpiece that became even more thrilling with all the black and orange giant balloons thrown to the crowd. Try imagining mosh pits going on during such classic with those balloons flying around the venue. That’s how perfect the night was, got it? I was exhausted after all was said and done, but at the same time I was ready for more Helloween in Toronto (or anywhere else in the world), and hopefully it won’t take another decade for one of my beloved bands to return to the city. Toronto loves you, Michael Kiske! Toronto loves you, Andi Deris! Toronto loves you, Kai Hansen! Toronto loves you, Michael Weikath! Toronto loves you, Sascha Gerstner! Toronto loves you, Markus Grosskopf! And Toronto loves you, Dani Löble! Please come back to the city for more as soon as possible! You’ve got the POWER to return! You are divine!

Setlist
Halloween (Snippet / Intro)
Orbit
Skyfall
Eagle Fly Free
Mass Pollution
Future World
Power
Save Us
Walls of Jericho
Metal Invaders / Victim of Fate / Gorgar / Ride the Sky
Heavy Metal (Is the Law)
Forever and One (Neverland)
Guitar Solo (Sascha Gerstner)
Best Time
Dr. Stein
How Many Tears

Encore:
Perfect Gentleman
Keeper of the Seven Keys

Encore 2:
I Want Out
For the Love of a Princess (James Horner song)

Band members
Michael Kiske – vocals
Andi Deris – vocals
Kai Hansen – guitars, vocals
Michael Weikath – guitars
Sascha Gerstner – guitars
Markus Grosskopf – bass
Dani Löble – drums

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Concert Review – Amon Amarth (History, Toronto, ON, 12/02/2022)

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A beautiful night where all Vikings of Toronto put their backs into the oar and rowed in the name of heavy music together with the one and only Amon Amarth. 

OPENING ACTS: Cattle Decapitation, Obituary and Carcass

The last concert of 2022 (at least for me) couldn’t have been any better, as Toronto had the pleasure of hosting The Great Heathen Tour 2022 at this amazing new venue called History, which was by the way inaugurated in November 2021 and belongs to Toronto’s own rapper Drake, with the bands CATTLE DECAPITATION, OBITUARY, CARCASS and the unstoppable heathen horde AMON AMARTH. The venue is in a nice area of the city, near the beaches, with plenty of parking options and decent places to eat nearby such as The Burger’s Priest, making the whole experience a lot more enjoyable than going to a concert at Rebel, for example.

And everything was so well-organized, from the line to get into the venue to the merch booths, bars and coat check, that between the doors opening at 5:30pm and the first concert I had time to do all that and still had 15-20min left before American Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore outfit CATTLE DECAPITATION hit the stage at 6:30pm sharp with their vicious sonic attack. Still promoting their 2019 album Death Atlas, the band spearheaded by frontman Travis Ryan needed less than a minute to inspire the crowd to create a massive circle pit in the middle of the floor section, and that circle pit went on and on until the very end of their concert (and of the entire night, I might say). Moreover, although their setlist was extremely short, it was solid enough to put a smile on the faces of their diehard fans, with the pulverizing Bring Back the Plague being the icing on the cake of their great performance.

Setlist
Anthropogenic: End Transmission
The Geocide
Vulturous
The Great Dying Pt. II
Finish Them
We Eat Our Young
Time’s Cruel Curtain
Bring Back the Plague

Band members
Travis Ryan – vocals
Josh Elmore – lead guitars
Belisario Dimuzio – rhythm guitars
Olivier Pinard – bass
David McGraw – drums

If you’re familiar with the laws, rules and regulations in Toronto you know that most concerts must finish by 11pm depending on the neighborhood where the venue is located, so you can imagine that with four amazing bands like the ones from last night there weren’t any huge breaks in between bands. That being said, I had time to grab a quick beer before one of the biggest Death Metal institutions of all time, the unstoppable OBITUARY, began their insane performance led by the iconic vocalist John Tardy and the crushing drums by his younger brother Donald Tardy. It was again a short but precise and infernal performance by those American death metallers, blending their old school stuff the likes of I’m in Pain with a brand new song from their upcoming 2023 album Dying of Everything, the demolishing The Wrong Time, and by the reaction of the crowd to each and every song played by Obituary we know they’ll keep moving forward no matter what for many years to come. Needless to say, I can’t wait for Dying of Everything next year.

Setlist
Snortin’ Whiskey (Pat Travers Band song)
Redneck Stomp
Sentence Day
A Lesson in Vengeance
Visions in My Head
Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)
The Wrong Time
I’m in Pain
Don’t Care

Band members
John Tardy – vocals
Kenny Andrews – lead guitars
Trevor Peres – rhythm guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Donald Tardy – drums

Another short break, another beer, and then it was finally time for my first ever face-to-face meeting with England’s own Melodic Death Metal/Death ‘n’ Roll trailblazers CARCASS, one of the very few bands I’ve always been a fan of but that I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing live. Still promoting their fantastic 2021 album Torn Arteries, Jeff Walker, Bill Steer, Tom Draper and Daniel Wilding put on a marvelous show for the delight of all fans at the venue, igniting some sick mosh pits to the sound of Incarnated Solvent Abuse, This Mortal Coil, Genital Grinder, and my favorite Carcass song of all time, Heartwork. Hopefully, Carcass will keep delivering amazing material such as Torn Arteries in the coming years, which means more world tours of course, because Toronto loves Carcass and we’re eager to see them again in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue (Intro)
Buried Dreams
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
Under the Scalpel Blade
This Mortal Coil
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B)
Genital Grinder
The Scythe’s Remorseless Swing
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
Carneous Cacoffiny (Outro)

Band members
Jeff Walker – vocals, bass
Bill Steer – guitars, backing vocals
Tom Draper – guitars
Daniel Wilding – drums

AMON AMARTH

At long last, just like what happened with Cannibal Corpse, the unparalleled Swedish Melodic Death Metal horde AMON AMARTH was finally able to return to Canada after three years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the wait was beyond worth it as their concert yesterday in Toronto was superb to say the least. Those Swedish Vikings kicked some serious ass from the very first second of the classic Guardians of Asgaard (and yes, they’re starting their shows this tour already with a bang), with frontman Johan Hegg being on fire with his deep roars and a very respectful beard. All songs form their 2022 album The Great Heathen Army sounded fantastic live, in special the title-track The Great Heathen Army, adding an extra taste to their incendiary setlist full of classic songs including Destroyer of the Universe and Shield Wall.

The most memorable moment for all fans at the venue was undoubtedly when the band played their new hit Put Your Back Into the Oar, when halfway through it the whole floor section sat down and began rowing like in a Viking ship. That was amazing, really, really fun, proving Amon Amarth are one of those bands that know exactly how to captivate their audiences and interact with each and every fan in the most exciting way possible. If you’re attending one of their upcoming concerts, don’t forget to join the rowing. Their music is awesome, their stage is getting better and better with each tour, but the rowing is something so unique I think it should be mandatory for anyone who purchases a ticket to participate. I can’t wait for the next time Amon Amarth takes the city of Toronto by storm, and I’ll surely be there to put my back into the oar again! ROW! ROW! ROW!

It’s always great to enjoy a night of heavy music in Toronto, to share a few beers with your friends, and to see several familiar faces in the crowd. However, there was one of those familiar faces missing, and it was THE MOST familiar face of the Toronto metal scene. Our beloved super metal fan Walter Froeberich passed away on November 26 after trying to get help for nearly ten days for a serious abdominal pain, but he was allegedly sent home with just some antibiotics and, sadly, died at home in the end. His closest friends organized a protest in front of St. Joseph’s Hospital today demanding justice for Walter, and I really hope something is done to make sure that type of situation doesn’t ever happen again with anyone else in Toronto. I didn’t formally know Walter, but I’ve shared the pit with him many, many times and I’ll miss him in all future concerts in the city. When Amon Amarth played the excellent Raise Your Horns, I raised my horns for Walter, and I’m sure one day I’ll say hello to him in person when we meet in Valhalla again.

Setlist
Run to the Hills (Iron Maiden song)
Guardians of Asgaard
Raven’s Flight
Deceiver of the Gods
Oden Owns You All
The Pursuit of Vikings
The Great Heathen Army
Get in the Ring
Destroyer of the Universe
Put Your Back Into the Oar
Cry of the Black Birds
The Way of Vikings
First Kill
Shield Wall
Raise Your Horns

Encore:
Twilight of the Thunder God

Band members
Johan Hegg – vocals
Olavi Mikkonen – lead guitar
Johan Söderberg – rhythm guitar
Ted Lundström – bass
Jocke Wallgren – drums

Album Review – Valknacht / Le Sacrifice D’Ymir (2014)

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There are Vikings in Canada, and they play extraordinary heavy music.

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coverWhat if someone told you there’s a band from Canada that merges the extremely rich Norse mythology, constantly present in the Melodic Death Metal from Amon Amarth, with the more extreme sonority and obscure atmosphere from Black Metal in a very powerful and engaging way? Fortunately that band indeed exists: it goes by the robust name of Valknacht, and in order to make things even more unique their new album, the excellent Le Sacrifice D’Ymir, is entirely sung in Canadian French.

This Heathen Black Metal band from Quebec (or “Black Métal Païen Québecois”, as they would prefer) started back in 2005 and has already released three full-length albums: When the Might of the Storm Becomes Mine (2009), Chants de Guerre (2011), and now Le Sacrifice D’Ymir (2014), with the latest being in my opinion their strongest work so far. Moreover, although I’m not an expert in Canadian French, it’s easy to notice the presence of very interesting themes such as mythology, history and paganism in their lyrics and compositions, making the whole experience of listening to Valknacht even more enjoyable.

For instance, the name of the album, “The Sacrifice Of Ymir” in English, seems to be inspired by Ymir, father of the race of giants in Norse mythology and the grandfather of Odin, King of the Gods. “In Norse mythology, Ymir is the primordial giant and the progenitor of the race of frost giants. He was created from the melting ice of Niflheim, when it came in contact with the hot air from Muspell.”, according to the Encyclopedia Mythica. Honestly, it’s been quite a while since I saw such an original and appealing album name for the last time. But of course, not only the album name is good: each and every song from Le Sacrifice D’Ymir is a boisterous sonic storm that will please any headbanger that enjoys heavy riffs and a dense atmosphere together with an awesome lyrical content.

Le Sacrifice D’Ymir begins with the intro Normandnorum Ira, which opens the album at a high note and sounds as if it was tailored for an epic movie, followed by the perfect soundtrack for any battle La Bataille De Maldon, an excellent mix of Amon Amarth and Bathory with awesome vocals and damn heavy riffs and drums in its almost 10 minutes of awesomeness. And the Nordic battle rages on with Chants De Guerre, a Heavy Metal storm with a strong chorus that makes it one of the best of the entire album without any doubt.

valknachtThe next track, Sur Les Ruines De Rome, has a very dark and powerful atmosphere, and the addition of some folk elements (such as the flute) works really well when mixed with lead singer Thorleïf’s potent vocal range, which goes from sharp piercing vocals to totally gruesome guttural. And pay attention to the female vocals towards the end of the song, they’re pretty interesting too. Then comes what might be soon considered Valknacht’s biggest masterpiece: Le Sacrifice D’Ymir is a fast tune with an amazing intro and over 10 minutes of pure sonic massacre. It’s impossible not to love the riffs and the whole journey this song takes you through, and as soon as it’s over you’ll probably go back to listen to it again and again.

Furthermore, the epic side of the band continues to dominate their compositions in the last part of the album, with over 20 minutes of music in only three songs: De Murmures Et De Givre is more Folk and Black Metal than all other songs, albeit not as good; while Que Le Sang Constelle Mes Mains kicks off with a nice folk intro before turning into an extremely heavy song with massive riffs and drums. By the way, one interesting detail about this track are its rhythmic variations throughout the entire song, including nice acoustic passages and atmospheric keyboards. And finally we have Le Carmin Des Anges, a very Black Metal tune with an amazing riff in the beginning that remains as heavy as hell until the very end, closing the album in a very powerful way.

All band members did a wondrous job in this album, with highlights to the excellent lead singer Thorleïf and the monstrous drummer Matoleos. Not only that, the album art representing the sacrifice of Ymir is so professional and nicely done it could easily be mistaken with an actual painting at any vernissage, as even non-Heavy Metal fans would certainly appreciate it. The album is available for purchase HERE and HERE. By the way, you can also find an awesome limited edition available through the second link, which consists of a limited digipack (DVD size) hand numbered to 250 that includes the same booklet as the CD version and some extras.

To sum up, Le Sacrifice D’Ymir is a very good album that is here to prove to all of us that “la belle province” of Quebec has a lot more to offer than just smoked meat, poutine, Céline Dion and the Montreal Canadiens, and it will surely make not only the band members, but all “Québecois” metalheads and other Heavy Metal fans across the rest of Canada, very proud of their music.

Best moments of the album: La Bataille De Maldon, Chants De Guerre and Le Sacrifice D’Ymir.

Worst moments of the album: De Murmures Et De Givre.

Released in 2014 PRC Music

Track listing
1. Normandnorum Ira (Intro) 3:07
2. La Bataille De Maldon 9:32
3. Chants De Guerre 6:45
4. Sur Les Ruines De Rome 8:37
5. Le Sacrifice D’Ymir 10:07
6. De Murmures Et De Givre 7:17
7. Que Le Sang Constelle Mes Mains 7:24
8. Le Carmin Des Anges 4:56

Band members
Thorleïf – vocals
Dörv – guitars
Froidure – guitars
Siger – bass
Matoleos – drums