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Concert Review – Opeth (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, 10/14/2024)

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There’s nothing better than a night of Progressive Rock and Metal to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Tribulation

There’s nothing better than celebrating Thanksgiving in Canada than with an ass-kicking metal concert, don’t you agree? That’s exactly what we got in Toronto this Monday when OPETH and TRIBULATION paid a visit to the city during their North American Tour 2024 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, in another event organized by the awesome Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. And if you think the venue was empty due to one of the biggest holidays in Canada, you’re absolutely wrong, as fans simply took the venue by storm in a sold out (or almost sold out) night of sheer progressiveness and heaviness. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such a unique display of heavy music made in Sweden, and I guess both bands will surely return to Toronto sooner than later with a new show as not only both have new albums coming out in the next few weeks, but the reception of the crowd to them was also fantastic during the whole night.

Precisely at 7:30pm, Stockholm’s own Death/Gothic Metal outfit TRIBULATION hit the stage for a dynamic and diverse performance, and I say diverse because their sound has evolved and changed so much through the years it feels like every song is a different band playing on stage, plus the fact each band member looks like they belong to a different music style. That doesn’t mean the show was bad or boring; quite the contrary, the quartet was on fire during their entire show, with their new songs Tainted Skies, Hungry Waters and Saturn Coming Down, from their new album Sub Rosa in Aeternum (to be released on November 1) sounding really strong and vibrant live. I personally prefer their older material when they were more inclined to Death Metal, but any of their phases work really well on stage, and the crowd’s reaction to each song played proved that. Now let’s wait and see what their new album will bring to us all, and next time they visit Toronto I’m sure a lot of people that were at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to see only Opeth will feel more than excited to see Tribulation headlining a concert in the city.

Setlist
Tainted Skies
Nightbound
Suspiria de Profundis
Hungry Waters
Saturn Coming Down
Strange Gateways Beckon
Melancholia

Band members
Johannes Andersson – vocals, bass
Adam Zaars – guitars
Joseph Tholl – guitars
Oscar Leander – drums

OPETH

As Stockholm’s iconic Progressive Death Metal/Rock institution OPETH was scheduled to start their performance at 8:45pm, I honestly thought the show was going to end earlier than most shows in the city, maybe even earlier than 10:30pm, but when the band in question is Opeth you can rest assured they’ll provide you with a long and detailed concert, to the point I only got back home close to midnight. The charismatic Mikael Åkerfeldt and his henchmen did a fantastic job on stage not only with their unique blend of progressiveness and heavy music, but also with the bonus “stand up comedy show” by Mikael in between songs. Seriously, the guy was on fire, and as I love that type of dark humor that only made the concert even more fun for my personal taste.

Their new songs §1 and §3, of their upcoming new album The Last Will and Testament (to be released on November 22), plus classics the likes of Ghost of Perdition, Sorceress and Deliverance, drove their fans crazy during their entire set, and as mentioned, Mikael’s jokes about only getting the munchies and eating an entire package of ham and one of cheese after trying marijuana for the first time, or saying that they’re not a pop band to accept requests for songs unless it’s the next song in their setlist, put an even bigger smile on the faces of everyone at the venue. I’m not a diehard Opeth fan but I believe there’s a recurring joke with the song “You Suffer”, by Napalm Death, and Opeth ended up playing it four or five times demanding us to “sing” its lyrics along with them. If you know that specific song, you can imagine how funny that was.

This was my third time only seeing Opeth, the latest one being my first (or second) show after the pandemic was over, when they played alongside Mastodon, and I don’t know why, maybe because I was more prepared this time, Opeth sounded way cooler to me, putting on a very entertaining and vibrant show exactly the way their Torontonian fans were asking for. The sound quality was excellent, the visuals were stunning, and the band sounded sharp and tight from start to finish. Having said that, I won’t be surprised if they visit Toronto again next year with a full tour focused on their new album due to the amazing reception from all fans this Monday, and I’m sure the venue will be pretty much sold out again as Opeth are becoming one of the most beloved bands by metalheads (and even non-metalheads) from Toronto and surroundings.

Setlist
§1
The Leper Affinity
The Grand Conjuration
The Devil’s Orchard
Eternal Rains Will Come
In My Time of Need
Face of Melinda
Heir Apparent
§3
Ghost of Perdition

Encore:
Sorceress
Deliverance

Band members
Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, guitars, cittra, mellotron, percussion
Martín Méndez – bass, backing vocals
Fredrik Åkesson – guitars, backing vocals
Joakim Svalberg – keyboards, Hammond organ, mellotron, piano, synthesizers, backing vocals
Waltteri Väyrynen – drums, percussion, backing vocals

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

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

OPENING ACT: Fires In The Distance

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

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

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

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

AMORPHIS

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

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

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

DARK TRANQUILLITY

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

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

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

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Concert Review – Hatebreed: 30th Anniversary Tour (Rebel, Toronto, ON, 09/30/2024)

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One of the torchbearers of Hardcore worldwide celebrated 30 years of existence on an electrifying night of endless mosh pits in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Crypta, Harms Way and Carcass

Do you know what Monday night means in Toronto? It means mosh pit night, which was exactly what we all got during the amazing HATEBREED: 30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR with HATEBREED, CARCASS, HARMS WAY and CRYPTA, another insane event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. The venue chosen for such a fun night of extreme music was Rebel, which despite being too far from everything in the city (plus the ridiculous parking cost of over $30), provides fans with an amazing view of the lake and the city, and this Monday night the weather was just perfect for some nice photos of the sunset. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover the entire party, and let me tell you that although I did not enter any mosh pits due to work commitments on Tuesday (yes, I’m getting old), I got tired just by seeing the nonstop action inside the pit during the performances of all bands.

The first band of the night was by far my favorite, and they kicked some serious ass to a half empty venue (due to the time the show started, not because of the quality of the band, of course) without caring at all about all those empty spaces. I’m talking about Fernanda Lira, Tainá Bergamaschi, Jéssica di Falchi and Luana Dametto, collectively known as São Paulo, Brazil-based Death/Thrash Metal brigade CRYPTA, and let me tell you that those girls sounded absolutely ruthless, heavy, evil and vibrant during their short but sensational performance. It was their first time ever playing in Canada, and their excitement was visible not only on their faces, but also on their playing, as they sounded extremely tight and visceral until the very last second. Almost all songs played, including the excellent The Other Side of Anger, Lord of Ruins and The Outsider, were from their 2023 beast Shades of Sorrow, plus the closing song from their 2021 debut Echoes of the Soul, the violent From the Ashes, my favorite of the night (and you can listen to all of them on Spotify, by the way). I was simply dying to meet the girls at their merch booth after their show, but for some reason they didn’t show up there. Well, maybe next time, because I’m sure they’ll return to Toronto sooner than later to spread their evil and aggressive sounds to us avid fans.

Setlist
The Aftermath
The Other Side of Anger
Lord of Ruins
The Outsider
Trial of Traitors
From the Ashes
The Closure

Band members
Fernanda Lira – vocals, bass
Tainá Bergamaschi – guitars
Jéssica di Falchi – guitars
Luana Dametto – drums

The good thing about Rebel is that their outdoor area is a thing of beauty, where you can have a beer, smoke a cigarette or a joint, chat with friends and enjoy the view of Toronto at night, and because of that I missed the first few seconds of the concert by Chicago, Illinois’s own Hardcore Punk outfit HARMS WAY. Spearheaded by the charismatic and unstoppable frontman James Pligge, the band delivered an overdose of aggression and fury to the crowd, igniting some sick mosh pits while all band members didn’t stop jumping around the stage. Blending songs form their 2023 album Common Suffering, like Sadist Guilt and Devour, with older songs (all available on Spotify as well), the band kept the energy built by Crypta flowing in great fashion, and although I knew almost nothing about those guys before I must say their live concerts are surely wild. After their gig was over, James himself went to the band’s merch booth and had an amazing interaction with anyone who waited in line to talk to him, even if it was just to say hi and not buy anything. That was very humble of him, and I’m sure there are a lot of new Harms Way fans in Toronto after such a powerful performance by the band in the city.

Setlist
Sadist Guilt
Human Carrying Capacity
Terrorizer
Become a Machine
Hollow Cry
Devour
Call My Name
Infestation

Band members
James Pligge – lead vocals
Bo Lueders – guitars
Nick Gauthier – guitars
Casey Soyk – bass
Christopher Mills – drums

Another quick bathroom/beer/smoke/chat break, and there they were again to pulverize our souls with their piercing fusion of Melodic Death Metal and Grindcore. Hailing from Liverpool, they might be four lads like The Beatles, but let’s say their music is considerably heavier. This was my third (or fourth, I don’t actually remember anymore) time seeing the mighty CARCASS live, the last one being their headlining show in Toronto in 2023, and their energy Monday night was just as insane as all previous times. The band only stopped a little to ask the crowd to sing happy birthday to guitarist Nippy Blackford, but apart form that it was nonstop circle pit action to tons of classics like Buried Dreams, Incarnated Solvent Abuse, Genital Grinder and Exhume to Consume, with Jeff Walker and Bill Steer sounding so savage as if they were in their early 20’s. My two favorite songs of the night were obviously No Love Lost and Heartwork, which are also my two top Carcass songs ever, and I guess most fans also loved the fact they played both on the same night. It was actually my first time seeing No Love Lost live, and I simply loved it. How long is it going to take for Carcass to get back to Toronto?

Setlist
Buried Dreams
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
No Love Lost
Death Certificate
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B)
Genital Grinder
Exhume to Consume
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
Carneous Cacoffiny (Outro)

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

HATEBREED

And last but not least, think of the wildest mosh pit you’ve ever been to, and multiply that by 30. Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Hardcore Punk/Metalcore legends HATEBREED might be the ones celebrating 30 years of existence, but that demented mosh pit feast was their gift to their loyal Torontonian fans during their undisputed performance. As a matter of fact, just before the show started they played a really cool video with lots of celebrities congratulating the band for their 30th anniversary, including Ice-T, Gary Holt, Scott Ian, Brawn Stroman, CM Punk, and many more, showing how much the world loves Hatebreed. I think CM Punk said something in the lines of “whenever I’m tired, I drink coffee and listen to some Hatebreed.”

Jamey Jasta and his crew were even more demented than in 2023 when they demolished The Danforth Music Hall, fueling some of the fastest and wildest circle pits in the history of Hardcore. Their setlist was comprised of killer song after killer song, including Tear It Down, This Is Now, my favorite of their show Destroy Everything, As Diehard as They Come, and many, many more, and their fans, both old and new, were having the time of their lives while trying to survive inside the circle pit. It was so crazy that one of the security girls, one with curly hair (if she ever reads this review), was stunned by all the action going on during the concert. I have no idea what type of music she likes, but one thing I know for sure, and that’s she had zero idea of how crazy a Hatebreed concert can be. Maybe she’ll start listening to them, attend one of their concerts as a fan, and slam into the pit in the coming years, right?

Jamey mentioned several times they were impressed with both the amount of fans and their energy on a Monday night (but hey, Jamey, that’s how passionate the Toronto fans are when it comes to heavy music), and that sonic madness continued until the very last second without a single moment of peace for the delight of everyone at the venue. Were we all exhausted the following morning when we had to wake up early to go to work? Of course, but who cares? When Hatebreed call, we must all go to war inside the mosh pit together with one of the trailblazers of Hardcore. Thank you, Hatebreed, and here’s a toast to another 30 years of first-class Hardcore madness!

Setlist
Hatebreed 30th Anniversary Celebrity Intro
Tear It Down
A Call for Blood
This Is Now
Destroy Everything
Empty Promises
To the Threshold
Live for This
Before Dishonor
As Diehard as They Come
Ghosts of War (Slayer cover)
Everyone Bleeds Now
Betrayed by Life
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
Last Breath
Driven by Suffering
Perseverance
Seven Enemies
Proven
I Will Be Heard

Band members
Jamey Jasta – vocals
Wayne Lozinak – lead guitar, backing vocals
Frank Novinec – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Chris Beattie – bass
Matt Byrne – drums

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Concert Review – Fleshgod Apocalypse & Shadow of Intent (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 09/19/2024)

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***Review by Kevin Ibbitson, with photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

On Thursday September 19th, 2024, Toronto metalheads were treated to a hell of a show at The Opera House with The Black Opera Across North America Tour 2024 which consisted of five incredibly killer bands ranging from across the U.S.A, United Kingdom and Italy, in another amazing event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Disembodied Tyrant, The Zenith Passage and Shadow of Intent (U.S.A), Ingested (U.K) and Fleshgod Apocalypse (Italy). Having never seen any of these bands live myself yet, I was pretty excited for the experience. Before the show started I was invited to the side entrance where my photographer and brother Keith (of Metal Paparazzi) was chatting with Ingested lead vocalist Jason Evans. I was stoked at meeting him and was welcomed with a warm and friendly handshake. Jason was very humble and genuinely a great guy. We chatted a bit about England and where my family originated from and a bit about Premiere League Football until he had to get back inside. I was super glad to have met him and couldn’t wait to see Ingested rip up the stage.

The Opera House doors opened at 5:30 pm and the fans filed their way inside. Passing all the merch booths on my way in I couldn’t help lamenting the fact that I was financially tapped out from three previous shows earlier in the week and not being able to snag a couple of band shirts. I made my way to as close to the stage as I could get. Just a little off to the left side of the stage and hunkered down for the first band, Disembodied Tyrant. Not much is known about these guys other than that they will be big one day based off their recent collaboration with fellow band Synestia on their epic EP The Poetic Edda and Other EP’s The Divine Stigmata and Eclipse Pt.1 respectively. All killer by the way! The set started out a little bit slow as folks were still making their way in and the floor was only just over a quarter filled up. It took about two songs in for the floor to fill up and a mosh pit ensued. Disembodied Tyrant played a short set full of atmospheric symphonic deathcore riffs, astonishing drumming and the ghoulish vocals of singer-songwriter/producer/guitarist Blake Mullens. Mullens is a massive talent and I eagerly await anything he does next. Now that Disembodied Tyrant warmed up the blood of the masses it was time for Los Angeles’ own tech death masters The Zenith Passage to Fuck shit up.

The Zenith Passage took to the stage about 6:45pm without lead vocalist Derek Rydquist, but replacement vocalist/voice artist James Dorton (of Black Crown Initiate) filled in without missing a beat. It was almost as if he was always meant to be in the band. They put on a filthy display of talent with technical guitar shredding, nasty drumming and deep guttural vocals. The circle pits growing ever larger as The Zenith Passage played on inciting more and more insanity. Crowd surfing was off the chain. I was able to get to the front of the stage by then so I was able to take some decent pics with my phone. I had an absolute blast with these guys and I’m sure the crowd did too.

At 7:30pm Manchester England’s Ingested appeared from the fog and proceeded to break skulls. I was so excited to see them finally as my brother Keith has seen them before and told me they were awesome live. He wasn’t lying! Jason Evans was phenomenal, a truly great front man and he had the crowd in the palm of his hands. He made me find an energy inside myself that I didn’t know that I had when he ordered us to crouch down low and jump on his command. The crowd was bouncing around in a frenzy after that. The crowd surfing became even more intense and pits even gnarlier. They crushed us with every slamming breakdown and the crowd erupted with sickening glee every time Jason Evans barked out a staccato pig squeal. Ingested, who have recently released the excellent The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams, finished their set on a high note leaving us craving more sonic punishment. That was soon to come in the form of a shadow.

Now that the crowd was fattened up for the kill, Shadow of Intent was up next and took the initiative, bashing our heads in with an epic, brutal, punishing set. They didn’t hold anything back and just fucking killed it. To say that this band is good live is an understatement. They were so fucking tight. It truly was an honour to see them destroy. Ben Duerr’s vocals were so thick and nasty over Bryce Butler’s sick drumming. Those breakdowns were massive and absolutely disgusting. The pandemonium got out of hand at the end of their set as things got rougher and rougher in the pits until it spilled out into the front of the crowd. Nothing serious, just two guys shoving each other and it got squashed pretty quick as security broke it up super fast. The Opera House security had a busy shift that night with all the crazy crowd surfing and I got to hand it to them as they were friendly and professional while keeping the peace. As far as I know no grudges were held and everybody got prepared for the final act.

It took a while for the stage crew to set up as they have extensive stage props that add to the atmosphere and aesthetic of Fleshgod Apocalypse. What a perfect setting for an operatic theatrical experience than an opera house. Fleshgod Apocalypse, promoting their recent masterpiece Opera, look like they spill right out of a page from Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles and I dig it. The show kicked off with a flag waving operatic intro from Veronica Bordacchini and then right into some blood curdling death metal. Fleshgod is such a unique band that blends opera, symphonics with brutal death metal and add a little piano in there as well. Every member of this band is multi-talented and they put on quite a show. The connection they have with their fans is incredible. The crowd would intuitively burst into fist-pumping chants without any verbal cues. The band and crowd were both loving it. Fleshgod Apocalypse closed off the show with a bit of levity performing their cover of Eiffel 65’s Blue (Da Ba Dee) which felt perfect. All in all this was a great show. I went in not knowing what to expect and left as a fan of every single band. Shout out to all the metalheads there, you were great. Keep it up Toronto!

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Concert Review – Signs of the Swarm (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 09/01/2024)

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Simply relax and enjoy an evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with five amazing bands in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing.

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

OPENING ACTS: A Wake In Providence, 156/Silence, Ov Sulfur and Cane Hill

An evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with even better weather than the last few concerts we have been to. Fall weather is much cooler and makes for a great comfortable concert without the hot humid stench of sweat . The smell of crisp air filled with pumpkin spice from every store along Bloor Street in Toronto is great and with that the venues are cooler in terms of air quality inside, making it a perfect time to take some awesome death and metalcore bands.

Lee’s Palace is the venue tonight where five amazing bands have come together to whip us up in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing. First band of the night is  A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE, aka AWIP, who has recently release the album I Write To You, My Darling Decay. Hailing from NYC this band is spearheaded by vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarist Dandre Tyre, bassist Anthony Adipietro, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny. I am not familiar with this band as its my first time hearing them and let me be honest I was not a fan of early deathcore but this band has got me listening to them. Awesome performance great music and a ton of groovy bass and drumming.

Our first short intermission while they switch up bands gives us time to check out the merch tables and gets some drinks from the bar, or just simply go outside and enjoy a smoke or the now legal weed. Next up is 156/SILENCE. Hailing from The Steel City of Pittsburgh, in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, this metalcore band consists of vocalist and bassist Mike Ernst, guitarist Jimmy Howell, drummer Zac Dranka and vocalist Aleks Pihl. They have a great sound and are tight, great stage presence and can get the crowd hyped up.

Another line change is happening and outside I go to chat with friends and other photographers, plus chatting to the promoter Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. I always enjoy chatting to Noel about his business and bringing the best bands to our city. The third band of the night was OV SULFUR. Hailing from my favorite place in the world, Sin City Las Vegas, Nevada, This band has been to Toronto this year three times and I’ve captured them every time  The first time I saw them was at the Phoenix Concert Theatre when they opened for some huge bands and they had me hooked. The band consists of vocalist Ricky Hoover, guitarist Chase Wilson, bassist Ding and drummer Leviathan. This deathcore band has a ton of energy and powerful delivery of sound, they will knock you into another dimension if not careful in the circle pits. If you have never seen this band I don’t know what you’re waiting for, get to a venue and see for yourself.

Another short break and CANE HILL was up; this band hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. This metalcore institution consists of Elijah Witt on vocals, James Barnett on the guitar, Ryan Henriques on bass and Devin Clark on drums. This quartet is also new in my listening experience and they are awesome to see live. Elijah is a great frontman delivering guttural and soft vocals while getting the crowd all horny, and by that I mean he was asking the crowd if they were horny or alive. I think the crowd spent a lot of energy on the first three bands and when he said that the crowd came alive again with circle pits and crowd surfers.

SIGNS OF THE SWARM

The last break of the night was much needed as the venue was getting hot from the near sold out venue. It was time for the headliner, another band from The Steel City area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SIGNS OF THE SWARM. This deathcore band is made up of vocalist David Simonich, drummer Bobby Crow, bassist Michael Cassese and guitarist Carl Schulz. They have five studio albums with the release of their fifth album Amongst the Low & Empty. This band gets better and better every time I have seen them and it’s been two times this year. Their performance on and off the stage is top notch, friendly people with great showmanship, and if you ever get a chance to see them live do it. Also, if you see them hanging out during their tour, strike up a conversation.

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Concert Review – Archspire (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 06/08/2024)

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A night of horror, brutality, circle pits, walls of death, fun games like Twister and the “shoey”, and a lot more in Toronto, courtesy of the fastest and most technical brigade in the history of Canada.

OPENING ACTS: Alluvial, Carcosa and Aborted

It was a beyond wild and fun night at The Phoenix Concert Theatre this Saturday when ALLUVIAL, CARCOSA, ABORTED and ARCHSPIRE took the city of Toronto by storm with their fulminating Everything’s F#*!@d Tour 2024, another extremely successful event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment, and I say wild and fun because that’s exactly what the four bands offered to us all, blasting our heads with their sick, infernal music, while at the same time demanding nonstop action inside the circle pit. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were patiently awaiting for this concert as we love the music of all four bands, and I must say I couldn’t be happier with everything we got during the event’s four hours of brutal, thrilling and captivating heavy music. Not even the (brutally) bad traffic to get to Toronto made me less excited about the show, and if you know how horrible traffic has been to get to and back from the city lately, especially when there’s rain involved, you know the show was fantastic to the point you don’t even remember the problems to get there, right?

The first band to hit the stage precisely at 7:30pm was Atlanta, Georgia’s Deathcore/Djent outfit ALLUVIAL, who have recently released a great new EP titled Death Is but a Door, the follow-up to their 2021 album Sarcoma. Let’s say their setlist was a mix of those two albums, and although I have no idea of the names of all songs I’m pretty sure they played Bog Dweller and Fogbelt, two songs perfect to ignite some intense mosh pits with whoever was already at the floor section (instead of stuck in a huge line at the way too hot merch area). Their frontman Kevin Muller was a beast during their whole set, and after that fans had a chance to meet him and the other guys at their merch table, which was a very nice touch by the band to create a stronger connection with their fanbase. If you want to know more about Alluvial, go check their BandCamp and Spotify for all of their music, and don’t miss the chance to see them live as they’re insane onstage.

Band members
Kevin Muller – vocals
Wes Hauch – guitars
Tim Walker – bass
Zach Dean – drums

As I wanted so bad an Archspire “Stay Tech” pin plus a patch, I was stupid enough to face the sauna-like merch line right after Alluvial and had to miss the beginning of the concert by Vancouver, British Columbia-based Deathcore/Djent act CARCOSA, but that was OK as I still had plenty to enjoy from their infernal setlist as all bands had a lot of playing time, including the openers. Still promoting their 2021 album Anthology, the band formed of Johnny Ciardullo, Andrew Baena, Cooper Lagace, Laptop and Travis Regnier crushed the souls of everyone at the already packed venue with their heavy-as-hell music and intense energy onstage, and you know how good a band is when a renowned musician like Aborted’s Sven De Caluwé sports a Carcosa shirt during their set. Hence, don’t forget to buy and stream Carcosa’s music on BandCamp and on Spotify, because those Canadian dudes are freakin’ awesome.

Band members
Johnny Ciardullo – vocals
Andrew Baena – guitar
Cooper Lagace – guitar
Laptop – bass
Travis Regnier – drums

After another short and sweet break, Belgium’s own Death Metal/Grindcore masters ABORTED opened up their Vault of Horrors and kicked off one of the most pulverizing, demented and frantic concerts of the past few years in Toronto. It was absolute chaos and madness thanks to guitarist Ian Jekelis, bassist Stefano Franceschini, drummer Ken Bedene, and of course, one of the most demented frontmen of all time, the unparalleled beast Sven De Caluwé. That man was on fire throughout their entire set, hitting his head with his hands, jumping up and down nonstop, making crazy faces, pretending to be firing a machine gun when Ken was blasting his drums manically, and so on, which translated into an overdose of violence, gore and mosh pits to the delight of all fans of the band in the city.

The opener Retrogore was beyond pulverizing to say the least, followed by an avalanche of old school Aborted and new songs from their bestial 2024 album Vault of Horrors (available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way), including the fantastic Dreadbringer, Brotherhood of Sleep, and Death Cult. By the way, I told my friend who’s not very familiar with Aborted that someone was going to die during Death Cult so heavy and insane it is, and that almost happened as one guy stayed on the ground for a while to the point several fans inside the pit asked the band to stop playing to check if he was OK. The guy was apparently fine, but I have no idea if he had any sort of concussion that would manifest during the next few days. As I said, Death Cult almost resulted in a real death inside the pit. There was still time for more brutal action with the demolishing tunes Insect Politics, Threading on Vermillion Deception and The Saw and the Carnage Done, leaving everyone in awe and more than ready for more Aborted and their world renowned walls of death in Toronto in the near future.

Setlist
Retrogore
Bathos
Dreadbringer
Condemned to Rot
Brotherhood of Sleep
Death Cult
Insect Politics
Threading on Vermillion Deception
The Saw and the Carnage Done

Band members
Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums

ARCHSPIRE

After seeing Vancouver, British Columbia’s own Extreme Technical Death Metal brigade ARCHSPIRE kicking some serious ass live in Sydney, Australia last year, I was beyond eager to witness what they could do in Toronto, and this Saturday night they proved why they’re one of the must-see names of the extreme music scene worldwide with their ruthless aggression, undisputed technique, and a really nice sense of humor. Just to give you an example of all that together, when a concert starts with a narration saying things like “after the invention of the horse” you know it’s going to be brutal and fun. Just the idea of someone “inventing” the horse is already a good joke to kick things off.

And as soon as the unstoppable Oliver Rae Aleron on vocals, Dean Lamb and Tobi Morelli on the guitars, Jared Smith on bass and Spencer Prewett on drums began their beyond fast, pulverizing and insane concert, it was total madness inside the pit until the very last second. Their last record to date might still be the 2021 opus Bleed the Future, but honestly all songs from that album and from Relentless Mutation (which are the only two albums they currently play in their concerts, “ignoring” for some unknown reason the also great The Lucid Collective, from 2014, and All Shall Align, from 2011) sounded killer live, and you can enjoy both in full on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way. They kicked off the show with the inhumane Bleed the Future to give all concert goers an idea of what their Extreme Technical Death Metal means, and continued their feast of technical insanity with already classic songs like Acrid Canon, Remote Tumour Seeker and Golden Mouth of Ruin, all played to perfection and at the speed of light (or maybe even faster than that).

An Archspire concert is not complete without some good jokes, and the band didn’t’ disappoint at all with a selection of nonsense that added a very nice touch to their already flawless concert. We got the Twister game inside the pit which ended with an infernal wall of death, a sweet tradition already in their concerts, and the also sick “shoey”, which is something Oliver said they learned in Australia. If you don’t know what that is, it’s simply drinking beer from your own shoe as fast as you can, with the winner getting a custom shirt made by the band. The Toronto one had something written about the Maple Leafs that I honestly didn’t get, but it was really cool and the guy who won it put it on right away, as he was really excited of being onstage with the band. And what to say about their introduction to all bands from this tour, saying Aborted only accepted their invitation to play with them (because they needed a big band to seel tickets, as they couldn’t do it by themselves) after they sucked their dicks? This one might sound childish for some people, but it was a good one as well.

Perhaps the most absurd and hilarious moment of the show was when Oliver explained why they had two Christmas trees onstage. Yes, that was their stage stuff, really weird, right? It all made sense when Oliver said that they got some “lab results” and their guitarist Tobi was “not gonna make it to next Christmas”, so they decided to celebrate Christmas with him during this tour. Yes, Christmas IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE, and they even brough to stage what they called “Summer Santa” to throw picks to the crowd and give Tobi a dildo to complete his guitar, because according to Oliver that was the same guitar he got from his mom when he was a kid living with his poor Italian family, all in the same room. That was mental, but what was even more mental was the ending of the show with the infuriated, fast-as-a-shark song Involuntary Doppelgänger, and my favorite of all, Drone Corpse Aviator. I have no idea how Oliver can sing so fast like that, nor how Spencer can sound like a stone crusher without making too much effort behind his drums, nor how the other guys manage to play their guitars and bass at an insane speed without making any errors, but I know for sure that Archspire are by far one of the coolest bands of the entire Canadian scene, and I can’t wait to see them live again in the near future. And until then, we must all… STAY TECH!

Setlist
Bleed the Future
Abandon the Linear
Reverie on the Onyx
Acrid Canon
Remote Tumour Seeker
Golden Mouth of Ruin
Drain of Incarnation
Involuntary Doppelgänger
Drone Corpse Aviator

Band members
Oliver Rae Aleron – vocals
Dean Lamb – guitars
Tobi Morelli – guitars
Jared Smith – bass
Spencer Prewett – drums

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Concert Review – 1349 (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 05/20/2024)

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A night of undisputed Black Metal with four incredible bands in Toronto, spearheaded by one of the most devilish and professional hordes hailing from Norway.

OPENING ACTS: Spirit Possession, Antichrist Siege Machine and Spectral Wound

What a night of pure “friendship” and “tree hugging” in Toronto, my friends! Let’s say that in order to properly celebrate Victoria Day in Canada this Monday, Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment organized a night of undisputed Black Metal at Lee’s Palace with SPIRIT POSSESSION, ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE, SPECTRAL WOUND, and of course, the main attraction of the night, the devilish 1349. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to enjoy such an amazing feast of obscurity and evil at an almost sold out venue, driving the heat up inside it considerably, but fortunately they’ve recently installed new air conditioning machines in strategic points of the venue to cool things down a bit for us, avid metalheads.

It didn’t take long after the doors opened at 7pm for the first band of the night to start distilling their demonic creations. I’m talking about Portland, Oregon-based Black Metal duo SPIRIT POSSESSION, who put on an infernal show to properly warm us all up for the upcoming attractions, and let me tell you that their drummer, simply called “A.”, definitely knowns how to hammer her drums mercilessly, while vocalist and guitarist “S.” is phenomenal armed with his stringed axe, playing it like if he was playing bass (an instrument that’s not part of their music, by the way), extracting sheer evil and insanity from each riff played. Everyone who was already at Lee’s Palace loved every second of their sick concert, despite the annoying dim red light, and if you want to enjoy some of their creations you can find all of their albums, like their 2023 opus Of the Sign…, on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Setlist
Orthodox Weapons
Deity of Knives and Pointed Apparitions
Enter the Golden Sign
Swallowing Throne
Second Possession
Spirit Possession

Band members
S. – vocals, guitars
A. – drums

After a quick break, it was time for one of the most pulverizing duos of the current extreme music scene to crush our damned souls with their infuriated music. They go by the charming name of ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE, and if you know nothing about this Blackened Death Metal duo from Richmond, Virginia formed of SB on vocals and drums, and RZ on the guitars and backing vocals (and yes, it was the second band of the night without a bassist), I highly recommend you go after their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their chaotic, infernal new album Vengeance of Eternal Fire. Their set in Toronto was beyond brutal, igniting some intense mosh pits during their whole performance, and leaving all of us eager for another visit of those two demented beats to the city in the near future. Seriously, their music is awesome.

Setlist
Son of Man
Piled Swine
Purifying Blade
Led by Fire
Unleashed Hostility
Prey Upon Them
Vanquishing Spirit
Sisera
Chaos Insignia
Vacant Cross

Band members
SB – vocals, drums
RZ – guitars, backing vocals

Although 1349 were the main band of the night, a lot of people went to Lee’s Palace on Monday to witness the black mass conducted by Montreal, Quebec’s own Black Metal horde SPECTRAL WOUND, by far one of the most important names of the current Métal Noir Québécois scene. Having released the excellent album A Diabolic Thirst back in 2021 (which can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way), the band spearheaded by the iconic Jonah crushed us like insects with their venomous Black Metal, again inspiring all concert goers for some demented circle pits until the very last second. The light was way too dim and it was also a bit foggy, which sucks, but nothing that would make their concert less entertaining, of course.

Setlist
Black Satanic Glamour
Soul Destroying Black Debauchery
Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal
Frigid and Spellbound
Fevers & Suffering
Imperial Thanatosis
Imperial Saison Noire

Band members
Jonah – vocals
Patrick – guitars
A.A. – guitars
Sam – bass, backing vocals
Illusory – drums 

1349

A lot of people, including myself, went outside to get some fresh air (as it was a relatively warm night in Toronto) and almost missed the beginning of the hellish performance by Oslo, Norway-based Black Metal entity 1349 (just as an extra detail to you, 1349 was the year the Black Death came to Norway, wiping out 2/3 of the population and ending the Golden Age of Norway), a true celebration of old school, classic Black Metal for an avid crowd in the city. Playing songs from all albums of their vast career, including some excellent hymns from their 2019 album The Infernal Pathway like the closing ones Dødskamp and Abyssos Antithesis, plus their amazing new single Ash of Ages from their upcoming 2024 album, the band comprised of Ravn on lead vocals, Archaon on the guitars, Seidemann on bass, and Dominator on drums was absolutely on fire during their demonic (but maybe a little bit too short) set, driving their fans wild inside the unstoppable circle pits.

Also, I need to say a few words about this short, weird, middle-aged Indian dude that looked completely out of this dimension, as it didn’t matter what the hell he was doing, he looked nuts. The guy was so insane to the point that when 1349 finished playing their very FIRST song, he said with a sinister smile “two more, two more…”, when the band was clearly going to play at least ten more songs. What the hell was he seeing on stage, right? Not to mention he was always hiding behind someone, making the sign of the cross before having his beer, pointing to the band’s guitarist with a maniacal grim like as if he was saying “I know what you’re doing” as if the guitarist was there looking at him, and so on. Some guys behind me were also distracted by the Indian dude. What a unique metalhead!

After all was said and done, all fans of Black Metal in Toronto were more than happy with the high quality of the music presented by all four bands, making it a very successful event in the city and, consequently, leaving us all more than eager for another 1349 concert in Toronto, supported by another batch of very talented underground bands, sooner than you can say “Black Metal”. Hopefully they’ll return soon, and everyone who was at Lee’s Palace, including our beloved, crazy Indian guy, will be there to raise their horns up high and scream in full force together with one of the most professional bands hailing form Norway without a shadow of a doubt, and even better if it’s with proper lighting so not only their fans can enjoy the visual part of show as well, but also the photographers like Keith. Hail Satan, my friends!

Setlist
Sculptor of Flesh
Slaves
Through Eyes of Stone
Chasing Dragons
Ash of Ages
I Am Abomination
Striding the Chasm
Golem
Atomic Chapel
Dødskamp
Abyssos Antithesis

Band members
Ravn – lead vocals
Archaon – guitars, backing vocals
Seidemann – bass, backing vocals
Dominator – drums

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Concert Review – Abbath (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 05/12/2024)

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Despite a ridiculously small crowd, the iconic Abbath and his horde didn’t care at all about that and put on a fantastic performance in a celebration of pure Black Metal in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Final Gasp, Black Anvil and Imperial Triumphant

It was a very weird night at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on Sunday, when FINAL GASP, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, BLACK ANVIL and ABBATH presented their Dread Reaver North America 2024 to maybe less than 200 people (at a venue that supports close to 1,500 people), and I knew something was odd when I got to the venue and, to my total surprise, the parking lot in front of it was absolutely empty, when it’s usually full hours before any concert there. Based on what other people told me, the reasons for that very small crowd were of course Mother’s Day, the show being on a Sunday, and above all that, the fact that Abbath played the night before in Kitchener, which is only one hour from Toronto, so no one from any of the neighboring cities decided to come to Toronto as they could enjoy the same show on a much more pleasant Saturday night. It’s known that Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment tried to move the show to Lee’s Palace, but that was already booked for something else. There wasn’t even a barrier for the photographers, so Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and the others like Kim and Miles simply had to share the floor section with the crowd. It was very weird, but it is what it is, and in the end all four bands kicked ass on stage which is what really matters.

From when the doors opened at 6pm until Boston, Massachusetts-based Gothic Metal/Deathrock band FINAL GASP hit the stage, I don’t think there were even 30 people at the venue, but the band didn’t care about the low attendance and put on a great show, blasting sheer heaviness from their instruments nonstop. I have zero idea of which songs they played, but I know that their 2023 album Mourning Moon is really good, and that everyone should take a nice listen at it on BandCamp or on Spotify. It’s a real bummer that the whole night was a flop in terms of attendance because bands like Final Gasp are very entertaining live, so hopefully they’ll come back to Toronto supporting another metal giant in the coming months, and this time with a decent crowd to bang their heads together with the band.

Band members
Jake Murphy – vocals
James Forsythe – guitars
Peter Micanovic – guitars
Sean Rose – bass
Eric Lester – drums

After a short and very quiet break, New York’s own Black/Thrash Metal beast BLACK ANVIL kicked off their infernal set to a bigger but still ridiculously small crowd, and just like Final Gasp the guys from Black Anvil were extremely professional and put their hearts and souls into their performance without caring at all if there were 10 or 2,000 people in the audience. There were zero mosh pits again, which was very odd, but the show must go on, right? Anyway, their drummer R.G. is a demented beast and it’s worth every penny of the ticket price alone, and hopefully one day he’ll get the recognition he deserves for being so great behind his drums. P.D. was also infernal on vocals and bass, leading his demonic horde in great fashion and getting a very warm feedback form the crowd. Go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, like their 2022 album Regenesis, because their music is amazing and perfect for some vigorous headbanging.

Band members
P.D. – vocals, bass
Sos – guitars
Alex Volonino – guitars
R.G. – drums

Another short and silent break, and it was then time for the most unique attraction of the night, New York-based Avant-garde/Technical Black/Death Metal entity IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, to blast our faces with an extremely heavy, cryptic and chaotic performance, again sounding very energetic and professional even in front of the night’s tiny crowd. Still promoting their 2022 album Spirit of Ecstasy, the trio formed of Zachary Ezrin on vocals and guitars, Steven Blanco on bass and backing vocals, and Kenny Grohowski on drums showed no mercy for our souls with a dissonant, mesmerizing and way too foggy show, stunning us all and getting us really pumped for Abbath. Steven even hit the floor section with his bass, playing in the middle of the 100 something fans at the venue, making their whole concert more intimate and gripping. Hence, if you know nothing about those mysterious creatures, don’t forget to check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll have a good time listening to their eerie creations.

Band members
Zachary Ezrin – vocals, guitars
Steven Blanco – bass, backing vocals
Kenny Grohowski – drums 

ABBATH

As already mentioned, due to the Saturday gig in Kitchener, most fans who were supposed to be in Toronto on Sunday to see Bergen, Norway’s own Black Metal institution ABBATH didn’t come to Sunday’s show, but the brave ones who managed to be at the venue were treated to a very special and intimate concert by Abbath and his horde, and let me tell you that it was infernal, heavy and bold from start to finish. The whole band played all songs from their setlist to perfection, and the mix of songs from Abbath’s three solo albums, those being his self-titled debut, Outstrider, and Dread Reaver, such as To War!, Hecate, Ashes of the Damned, and my favorite of the night, Winterbane, with some Immortal and I songs like In My Kingdom Cold, Warriors, and One by One, turned the night into a true celebration of classic Black Metal. No mosh pits either, which was even more ridiculous, but there wasn’t much we could do about that.

My only complaint about their show was the excessive smoke during all songs, to the point we couldn’t see anything from Abbath’s attire or makeup. Why does he wear all that if the fans can’t see shit due to the smoke? Well, at least the music as phenomenal, which is what truly matters in the end. Speaking of Abbath, the guy was a beast onstage, showing that his rehab was more than successful and that he still has a lot of fuel to burn in the coming years or even decades for our absolute delight. It was a beyond memorable show, even for a ridiculous crowd, but I’m sure Abbath will return to Toronto soon, and next time the scheduling and logistics will be better managed so he can see what the fans in Toronto can do when he’s playing his visceral Black Metal onstage.

Setlist
To War!
Acid Haze
Dream Cull
Hecate
Ashes of the Damned
Dread Reaver
In My Kingdom Cold (Immortal cover)
Beyond the North Waves (Immortal cover)
Nebular Ravens Winter (Immortal cover)
Warriors (I cover)
Battalions (I cover)
The Artifex
One by One (Immortal cover)
Winterbane
All Shall Fall (Immortal cover)

Band members
Abbath – vocals, guitars
Ole André Farstad – lead and acoustic guitars
Andreas Salbu – bass
Ukri Suvilehto – drums

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