2024)

Posted on February 22, 2024 by Gustavo Scuderi

Two of the must-see names of the current Deathcore scene worldwide took the city of Toronto by storm for an unforgettable night of cruelty, light and sulfur.

OPENING ACTS: Beguiler and Ghost Bath

Not sure if it’s global warming or just pure luck, but the weather last night in Toronto was pretty much in the low teens with clear skies, as opposed to the absolute cold and endless snow we were supposed to endure this time of the year, and I guess that was one of the main reasons why the (very) small but cozy Hard Luck Bar was jam-packed for a night of top-of-the-line Deathcore with the bands BEGUILER, GHOST BATH, MENTAL CRUELTY and OV SULFUR during their Beyond The Eternal Tour 2024, another sensational event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. On a side note, once again Belarusian Brutal Death Metal masters Extermination Dismemberment were not allowed to enter Canada for a reason beyond our comprehension, being replaced with Beguiler in Toronto, and as much as I enjoyed Beguiler I think this bullshit has to end and all Torontonian fans should have the pleasure of seeing Extermination Dismemberment kicking ass live in the city.

That doesn’t mean that the concert by Oshawa, Ontario, Canada’s own Deathcore act BEGUILER was boring or tiresome; quite the contrary, about 30 minutes or so after the doors at the Hard Luck Bar opened they began their fulminating performance, already inspiring everyone at the venue to slam into the circle pit spearheaded by their frontman Jacob Cooledge. The guy was growling like a beast, bursting his lungs in anger throughout their entire setlist, and that added an extra spice to the already ruthless sound crafted by his bandmates Scott Thoms, Gord Cameron and Nathan McDonald. What a great warmup that was, and if you’re curious to know more about their music you can find all of their releases on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their 2022 EP Etterath, and don’t forget to keep an eye on their social media for their tour dates because watching Beguiler live is definitely worth it.

Band members
Jacob Cooledge – vocals
Scott Thoms – guitar
Gord Cameron – bass
Nathan McDonald – drums

Due to the amount of bands playing last night the concert by Beguiler was relatively short, which was also the case with Minot, North Dakota, United States-based Depressive/Post-Black Metal entity GHOST BATH, who started their harsh, dark and sinister performance a little after 8pm. This is the second time I saw those guys live, and they were as tight and grim as when they opened for UADA last year, with once again the band’s mastermind Nameless stealing the spotlight with his undeniable talent, charisma and obscurity. I must say I wasn’t sure how the crowd would react to Ghost Bath taking into account they were the only non-Deathcore band of all, but everyone at the venue had an amazing time during their show, and as I said on the review for their concert when they opened for UADA simply go check their discography on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their 2021 album Self Loather, because their music is brilliantly dark.

Band members
Nameless – vocals, guitars
Tim Church – guitars
John Olivier – guitars
Josh Jaye – bass
Chris Piette – drums

MENTAL CRUELTY

I was then close to 9pm when one of the main attractions of the night, and I dare to say the most anticipated of all bands due to the wild reaction from the crowd, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-based Symphonic Deathcore outfit MENTAL CRUELTY hit the stage for an unforgettable concert, kicking things off with the amazing duo Midtvinter / Obsessis a Daemonio, from their 2023 masterpiece Zwielicht, and blending older songs such as King ov Fire and Ultima Hypocrita with tons of songs from their latest album, including the breathtaking Forgotten Kings, Nordlys and Mortal Shells, driving all concert-goers crazy inside the wild mosh pits while the band led by frontman Lukas Nicolai was on absolute fire on stage. Their guitar duo formed of Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler was fantastic during their entire set, delivering sharp, piercing riffs and solos for our total delight and, therefore, adding even more fuel to the already incendiary mosh pits.

It was by far one of the coolest underground concerts form the past few years, and the excitement on the faces of all band members made the night even more special for all of us at the venue. Before closing their awesome setlist with my favorite song of their entire discography, Zwielicht / Symphony of a Dying Star, Lukas asked us all to turn on the flashlights of our phones, hold them high in the air and start waving our arms, “blinding” him with all the light, an amazing moment that will stay registered in the memories of the band and of everyone who attended the show last night. After their concert was over, the guys from Mental Cruelty went straight to their merch booth and stayed there for the rest of the night, chatting with fans, taking photos, of course selling their merch, and having a great time in Canadian lands. Needless to say, I can’t wait for the band to return to Toronto in a not-so-distant future to shine their Deathcore-infused light upon us all once again.

Band members
Lukas Nicolai – vocals
Nahuel Lozano – guitars
Marvin Kessler – guitars
Viktor Dick – bass
Danny Straßer – drums

OV SULFUR

After another quick bathroom/beer/smoke/chat break, it was then time for Las Vegas, Nevada, United States-based Deathcore powerhouse OV SULFUR to begin their irreligious, blasphemous and demented performance, increasing the violence inside the circle pit as frontman Ricky Hoover kept roaring and screaming nonstop on stage. Although the band only has two releases in their discography, those being their 2021 debut EP Oblivion and their 2023 full-length opus The Burden ov Faith, that was more than enough to generate a solid setlist full of aggression, neck-breaking passages, visceral growls, strident riffs and blast beats, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces while the temperature kept going up inside the venue.

Some of the songs played by Ricky and his henchmen stood out from their setlist, including Doomhead, Wide Open, and the most special one for Ricky himself, Earthen, which he dedicated to everyone who has lost a loved person in their lives just like Ricky has recently lost his 16-year-old nephew (who tragically died of cancer). That was a very emotional moment of the concert showing that even when the music is extremely heavy and brutal, there’s still place for deep feelings. The only “issue” with the whole night for me was the fact that Ov Sulfur and Mental Cruelty didn’t share the stage for their amazing collaborative single Hivemind, which for some reason I was very positive that they would play for us. Anyway, I don’t think most fans cared about that minor detail and slammed into the circle pit like beasts until the very last second, and once again I feel sorry for my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and all other photographers for having to brave the mosh pits to take photos of the bands, plus the fact that the red light at the Hard Luck Bar is horrible for any type of picture. Hopefully next time we see Ov Sulfur in the city it will be at a venue with better lighting and a higher stage, but even if they play again at the Hard Luck Bar I’m sure all of us will be there to bang our heads together with one of the must-see names of the current Deathcore scene worldwide.

Band members
Ricky Hoover – vocals
Chase Wilson – guitars
Tre Purdue – guitars
Ding – bass
Leviathvn – drums

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Concert Review – Vader (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 02/11/2024)

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Gustavo Scuderi

A wild night of pulverizing Death and Thrash Metal in Toronto, spearheaded by the most iconic metal band to ever arise from the Polish scene.

OPENING ACTS: Inhuman Condition and Origin

The best thing about a show being scheduled on the same night as Super Bowl is that traffic is pretty much nonexistent, turning the lives of all metalheads who don’t really care about American football a lot easier when it comes to getting to the venue in time to see all bands playing. That’s exactly what happened last night in Toronto at the always cozy Lee’s Palace, when the fantastic bands INHUMAN CONDITION, ORIGIN and VADER brought to the city a true celebration of extreme music during their 40 Years of the Apocalypse Anniversary Tour 2024, another incredible event organized by the unstoppable Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. As usual, my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (as well as other photographers) were there to register some wild moments of all three bands, but honestly I don’t know how they managed to stay alive and keep their cameras intact during the sick circle pits going on the entire night.

The first band to hit the stage was Tampa, Florida’s own Death/Thrash Metal beasts INHUMAN CONDITION, who were by far one of the best and most electrifying opening acts I’ve seen at any concert in the city in the past few years. Spearheaded by the incendiary frontman Jeramie Kling, the band put on a beyond entertaining show, playing songs from all of their albums including their 2022 release Fearsick and their 2023 EP Panic Prayer, with songs like Panic Prayer, Euphoriphobia and I’m Now the Monster inspiring all concert goers to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. As expected, the two songs that generated the wildest mosh pits were Godzilla and Tyrantula, with everyone at the venue, including the band, acting like wild beasts on stage and in the floor section. Jeramie also had some words of wisdom to share with everyone last night; first of all, he said that a true metal concert needs three things, those being the headbangers, the circle pits, and the crowd surfers, and of course bodies started flying around as soon as he mentioned that. Also, that everything we’ve ever heard about Florida, all rumors and so on, are all true, which was quite funny as it’s usually people outside of Florida who make fun of the state. Well, one thing I know for sure, and that’s that heavy music in Florida is phenomenal, with bands like Inhuman Condition showing everything they got on stage anywhere they go, and if you know nothing about those guys, go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll love to get caught in their mosh.

Setlist
Recycled Hate
Panic Prayer
Euphoriphobia
The Neck Step
I’m Now the Monster
Killing Pace
Civilized Holocaust
Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
Tyrantula

Band members
Jeramie Kling – vocals
Taylor Nordberg – guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Colton Zietler – drums

After a quick break, it was time for Kansas City-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal veterans ORIGIN to keep the circle pits moving frantically to the sound of their vicious, intricate and demolishing creations. Having released the album Chaosmos back in 2022, the band formed of vocalist Jason Keyser (and by the way, if you haven’t listened to it yet, go check the album Inferno by his brand new project Arborescence of Wrath as it’s a killer album), guitarist Paul Ryan, bassist Mike Flores (one of the best bass players I’ve seen in a while), and drummer John Longstreth showed absolutely no mercy for our necks and souls during their demented performance, blending Technical and Brutal Death Metal with nuances of Grindcore just to make things even more infuriated. The band was ruthless, savage and beyond technical, sounding absolutely insane with songs like Chaosmos, Panoptical and The Aftermath driving everyone at the venue simply insane inside the pit. Jason also had some words to say to the crowd before playing the song Decolonizer, where he showed his pure old school vein by demanding everyone to not take any pictures or record any videos of the song, but simply to go nuts inside the circle pit and collect bruises and black eyes as the memories of that moment (although they kept checking their phones due to Kansas City Chiefs being one of the teams playing the Super Bowl). Needless to say, it was intense, as well as the wall of death he organized before even playing one of the songs, trying to make their show as 90’s-inspired as possible. Origin are one of the coolest bands of the underground scene, and in case you still don’t know them go check their infernal music on Spotify, and don’t miss their live concerts whenever they take your depraved city by storm.

Setlist
Expulsion of Fury
Chaosmos
Accident and Error
Panoptical
Saligia
Decolonizer
Portal
The Aftermath
Unattainable Zero

Band members
Jason Keyser – vocals
Paul Ryan – guitars, backing vocals
Mike Flores – bass, backing vocals
John Longstreth – drums

VADER

It was getting late (and cold) in Toronto, but nothing that could stop Poland’s own Death/Thrash Metal institution VADER to crush everything and everyone that dared to cross their path at Lee’s Palace last night. The band formed of the iconic Peter on vocals and guitars, Spider also on the guitars, Hal on bass, and Michał Andrzejczyk on drums was flawless throughout their entire set, celebrating 40 years of existence for the delight of all lovers of extreme music in Toronto. Their setlist was a thing of beauty, including songs from their 1992 cult album The Ultimate Incantation, like Vicious Circle, Dark Age and The Crucified Ones, plus several other classics like Black to the Blind, while closing their setlist with a newer song, Shock and Awe, from their latest opus Solitude in Madness, released in 2020, and the response from the fans in Toronto was brilliant, with the circle pits moving majestically until the very last second of their performance.

It’s impressive how they can still sound to tight, vicious and heavy after so many decades on the road, showing their utmost passion for Death and Thrash Metal, and of course as we all know how much they love to play for us, that inspired us to send our love back to them by headbanging nonstop, raising our horns, and getting wild in the pit. The only “issue” was that their official photographer doesn’t seem to be a big fan of crowd surfing, but that was fine as all crowd surfers quickly learned that show was not the best place to practice such metallic art. Anyway, apart from that, and from the same two guys that almost got into a fight with each other countless time (please, be adults and behave next time, alright?), everyone had an amazing time together with those Polish metallers, and hopefully we’ll also have the pleasure of hosting in Toronto the celebration of their 45^th, 50^th, 55^th and so on anniversaries, keeping the fires of Death and Thrash Metal burning forever in the city.

Setlist
Macbeth (Laibach song)
Decapitated Saints
The Wrath
Chaos
Vicious Circle
Dark Age
The Crucified Ones
Silent Empire
Sothis
Black to the Blind
Carnal
Wings
Cold Demons
Epitaph
Dark Transmission
Para Bellum
This Is the War
Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)
Never Say My Name
Come and See My Sacrifice
Triumph of Death
Shock and Awe
The Imperial March (John Williams song)

Band members
Peter – vocals, guitars
Spider – guitars
Hal – bass
Michał Andrzejczyk – drums

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Concert Review – Cattle Decapitation (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 12/02/2023)

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

As we’re all going to die one day, why not enjoying our time left on earth with some first-class Death Metal like what the unparalleled Cattle Decapitation offered us this Saturday night in Toronto?

OPENING ACTS: Castrator, Sanguisugabogg and Immolation

Before I start the actual review of the show, I gotta say that although I don’t have anything against Christmas, I do nurture a deep hatred for the Christmas market known as The Distillery Winter Village that happens this time of the year in Toronto. Because of that, it took me almost two hours to get to The Opera House last night to see CASTRATOR, SANGUISUGABOGG and IMMOLATION during their demented The Terrasitic Infestation Tour 2023, brought to the city by the always awesome Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment, and I had to skip some quality time with my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (and some other nice ladies and gents) and simply rush to the venue (after parking way too far from it, of course). And before I forget, the concert was absolutely SOLD OUT, so you can all imagine how demonic the atmosphere was indoors on Saturday, right?

Anyway, at least I made it in time for the opening act of the night, the ruthless New York-based Death Metal entity CASTRATOR, who hit the stage of The Opera House at 7pm sharp and pulverized our senses for intense 30 minutes of Old School Death Metal. I have no idea why their guitarist Kimberly Orellana isn’t playing this tour, but fortunately for all fans of first-class extreme music the awesome Long Island, New York guitarist Kurtis Layne stepped up and made their whole tour possible. Playing seven demolishing songs from their top-notch debut full-length Defiled in Oblivion, released in 2022 (and available for a full listen on BandCamp and on Spotify, or click HERE for all things Castrator), including the fantastic tunes Inquisition Sins and the closer Dawa of Yousafzai, the band formed of the unstoppable growler Clarissa Badini, bassist Robin Mazen, drummer Carolina Perez, and the aforementioned Kurtis Layne on the guitar was vicious form start to finish, igniting some of the wildest mosh pits I’ve ever seen for an opening act in my life. Clarissa was insane on vocals, roaring and headbanging like a maniac nonstop, therefore having the crowd in the palm of her hands all the time. She’s one of the best growlers of the new generation, and I highly recommended seeing Castrator live whenever they take your damned city by storm. When she was announcing the last song of the night, the audience demanded more, and she laughed and said “c’mon guys, we’re just the opener”. Well, hopefully one day we’ll see Castrator as the headliners in Toronto, because we all loved their wicked Death Metal attack, turning several of us (including myself) into a fanboy of the band.

Setlist
Tormented by Atrocities
Forsaken and Deprived
Inquisition Sins
Tyrant’s Verdict
Befoul My Existence
Sinister Mind
Dawa of Yousafzai

Band members
Clarissa Badini – vocals
Kurtis Layne – guitars
Robin Mazen – bass
Carolina Perez – drums

That circle pit madness initiated by Castrator kept moving frantically during the demented 30-minute onrush of Brutal Death Metal by Columbus, Ohio-based horde SANGUISUGABOGG (by the way, the band’s name is a combination of “sanguisuga”, which is Latin for “leech”, and “bog”, a British English slang for “toilet”), demanding a high level of stamina and fitness form everyone who dared to brave the floor section. Playing songs mostly from their latest album Homicidal Ecstasy, such as Black Market Vasectomy and Face Ripped Off, plus the closer Dead as Shit, from their 2021 debut Tortured Whole (all available on Spotify), the band that has one of the most unreadable logos ever and that’s spearheaded by this massive dude named Devin Swank kicked some serious ass on stage, demanding the crowd to keep moving inside the circle pit like crazy, even throwing a football to the fans for some sort of twisted football or even rugby madness. Kudos also to drummer Cody Davidson, who kept hammering our heads with his infernal beats just the way we like it in Brutal Death Metal, and next time the band comes to Toronto I’ll make sure I’m there for some quality slamming.

Setlist
Black Market Vasectomy
Face Ripped Off
Pissed
A Lesson in Savagery
Permanently Fucked
Mortal Admonishment
Dead as Shit

Band members
Devin Swank – vocals
Ced Davis – guitars
Drew Arnold – guitars
Cody Davidson – drums

I don’t think there’s anything I can say about Death Metal institution IMMOLATION at this point that hasn’t been said before. After seeing them quite a few times already, I’m always impressed with the heaviness, the charisma, the vibe and the dexterity those New York death metallers bring to the stage, putting their hearts and souls into each of their shows. Ross Dolan and his henchmen were on fire as usual throughout their entire set, making The Opera House tremble with their thunderous Death Metal for the delight of all concert goers. Furthermore, I have to say Robert Vigna might be one of the most underrated guitarists in heavy music, as not only he’s amazing in the studio, but when he’s on stage his axe sounds even more menacing, piercing and striking, adding an extra touch of heaviness to the band’s performance. As mentioned in other reviews of their previous live concerts, the new songs form Acts of God, those being The Age of No Light and An Act of God, matched perfectly with their older material, proving once again the music by one of the torchbearers of Old School Death Metal is simply timeless. In a nutshell, it was a fulminating headbanging party not recommended for the lighthearted, and I’m sure we’ll see those guys back in Toronto sooner than we can say “Death Metal”.

Setlist
And the Flames Wept
All That Awaits Us
The Age of No Light
Dawn of Possession
Once Ordained
When the Jackals Come
Christ’s Cage
Abandoned
An Act of God
Higher Coward
Epiphany

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

CATTLE DECAPITATION

It was close to 10pm when the main attraction of the night, San Diego, California’s own Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore titans CATTLE DECAPITATION, took the stage of The Opera House by storm with one of the most infuriated and captivating concerts they’ve ever done in Toronto, and the fact they were the headliners this time helped boost their energy and impact considerably. One of the best details of their setlist was that they played several songs form their masterpiece Terrasite, by far one of the best albums of 2023, including the infernal songs Terrasitic Adaptation, We Eat Our Young, Scourge of the Offspring, The Storm Upstairs, Solastalgia, and A Photic Doom, and the reaction form each fan at the venue to those new tunes was superb.

The entire band was on total freakin’ sync during their demonic set, but let’s say that two guys ended up stealing the spotlight, drummer David McGraw and obviously their iconic frontman Travis Ryan. David sounded infuriated behind his drums, and you know that when the band’s drummer is insane, the mosh pits also are, enhancing the speed, the fury and the madness going on inside such. Not only that, as the concert was on a Saturday I guess all kids inside the circle pit didn’t have to worry about school or work the next day, and they went mental to the point it was impossible to keep up with their pace. The other name of the night was as mentioned Travis, one of the best, most charismatic frontmen in the history of extreme music, who not only was insane as usual with both his deep guttural and his trademark goblin screeches, but he was also having a lot of fun with the crowd, even using a Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat top hat (and yes, someone brought it to the concert for a reason beyond my understanding) to wipe up his ass while the audience was laughing a lot of the scene. In other words, Travis is awesome, period.

Most of us were curious to know why there was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling during the band’s performance, and fortunately I have a secret source who explained to me the reason for that. During their sound check, one of the band’s guitarists was checking his sound by playing a slow song (we believe it was “Endless Love”, originally recorded as a duet by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross in 1981), and when the lighting tech turned the disco ball on, Travis saw that and said they had to use it during their set. Well, I personally think that was an AWESOME idea, making their Toronto gig truly unique, with the light coming form the disco ball matching perfectly with their savage music. Everyone loved it, and the city is more than ready for another round of the caustic music by Cattle Decapitation anytime they want to return to the city, if possible with the disco ball back, of course. And lastly, I just want to say one thing about the band’s merch. One of the stickers sold at their merch stand had their classic phrase “We’re All Gonna Die. Have a Nice Day.”, and let’s say that’s exactly how we should face our lives, having a great time at metal concerts with our friends and family like this Saturday at The Opera Hose until our inevitable end. Thank you, Cattle Decapitation. You guys are the best!

Setlist
Terrasitic Adaptation
We Eat Our Young
Scourge of the Offspring
Dead Set on Suicide
The Storm Upstairs
Bring Back the Plague
Finish Them
Solastalgia
A Photic Doom
Vulturous
Time’s Cruel Curtain
Pacific Grim

Encore:
Kingdom of Tyrants

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

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Concert Review – Lucifer & Coven (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 11/24/2023)

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

How to warm up a chilly night in Toronto? Simply bring to the city a huge dosage of darkness, witchcraft, doom and the occult, courtesy of the iconic rock legends Coven and Lucifer.

OPENING ACT: Early Moods

If you were searching for a place to get warm this Friday in Toronto, which was a chilly one (although not too cold compared to other parts of the country), then Lee’s Palace was the place to be, offering you a high dosage of darkness, witchcraft, doom and the occult, courtesy of EARLY MOODS, COVEN and LUCIFER during their The Satanic Panic Tour 2023, brought to the city by the always amazing Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. My buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to celebrate all three bands, all delivering memorable performances to the crowd, resulting in a very entertaining night that put a huge smile on the faces of all attendees who have succumbed to the darkest side of music a long time ago.

The first band to hit the stage, precisely at 8pm, was Los Angeles, California-based Doom Metal newcomers EARLY MOODS, and I must say I was truly impressed by the high quality of the music crafted by those guys. Spearheaded by frontman Alberto Alcaraz, owner of a very powerful voice by the way, the band played a short but awesome setlist comprised of five songs from their 2022 self-titled debut album (available on their own BandCamp page as well as on Spotify), inspiring all concert goers to follow the band with some nice, nonstop headbanging. Of course, as a guy coming from the always warm Los Angeles, Alberto had to mention the fact the band was definitely not used to the cold weather in Toronto on Friday, but of course we all made sure the temperature inside Lee’s Palace was warm enough for such talented doomers, and if you want to know more about them simply click HERE and enjoy their first-class Doom Metal.

Setlist
Return to Salem’s Gate
Live to Suffer
The Last Hour
A Sinner’s Past
Damnation

Band members
Alberto Alcaraz – vocals
Eddie Andrade – guitars
Oscar Hernandez – guitars
Elix Feliciano – bass
Chris Flores – drums

COVEN

After a quick break, and with the floor section of Lee’s Palace getting a lot busier with several fans wanting to be as close to the stage as possible, it was time for Chicago, Illinois’s own Satanic/Occult Rock institution COVEN to darken the skies and deliver a stunning show for all fans eager for the mesmerizing vocals by the band’s iconic frontwoman Esther “Jinx” Dawson, who kicked off the band’s black mass by leaving a coffin with a cryptic mask, a very nice touch to their show. Blending songs from their 1969 cult debut Witchcraft Destroys Minds & Reaps Souls with songs form their 1974 classic Blood On The Snow and their latest effort Jinx, released in 2013, it was a wild and fun journey back in time alongside Jinx and her henchmen Alex Kercheval on keyboards, Chris Wild on the guitars, Zayne Hutchison on bass, and Colin Oakley on drums, all undoubtedly born several years (or decades) after Jinx had already started rocking the world with her witchcraft-infused rock music.

As the great frontwoman and person that she is, Jinx made sure she properly introduced each member of the band to show everyone she’s not a solo artist, and that introduction to the boys was actually quite entertaining when she said for example that she met bassist Zayne Hutchison at a graveyard and simply “offered him a gig”. That’s how anyone should treat their band members, I must say. Back to the music, it was crystal clear that songs like Black Sabbath, the closing tune Blood on the Snow, and in special the fan-favorite Wicked Woman, were the most anticipated of their fantastic setlist, inspiring all fans to dance, headbang and raise their horns until the very last second. Jinx and her Coven are a brilliant act that’s worth every single penny to witness live, and hopefully we’ll see more of the trailblazers of Occult Rock sooner than later here in Toronto.

Setlist
Prelude / Satanic Mass
Out of Luck
Black Sabbath
Coven in Charing Cross
Wicked Woman
Black Swan
The Crematory
Epitaph
For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Blood on the Snow

Band members
Esther “Jinx” Dawson – vocals
Alex Kercheval – guitars
Chris Wild – guitars
Zayne Hutchison – bass
Colin Oakley – drums

LUCIFER

It was already part 10pm when the main attraction of the night, Stockholm, Sweden-based Heavy/Doom Metal/Rock masters LUCIFER, delivered one of the coolest and most melodic performances the city of Toronto has seen in the past few years. From the very first notes of Ghosts to the last seconds of Reaper on Your Heels, the band formed of frontwoman Johanna Platow Andersson (aka Johanna Claudia Sadonis or Johanna Sadonis), guitarists Linus Björklund, Martin Nordin, and bassist Harald Göthblad, plus guest drummer Chad Walls of bands like Dislimb, The Living Fields and Postulated (as their drummer Nicke Andersson was apparently busy with his other band The Hellacopters in Europe), kicked some serious ass, playing all of their songs to perfection and, consequently, fully captivating the minds and the hearts of all fans at the venue.

My favorite songs from their relatively short setlist were by far Crucifix (I Burn for You) and Bring Me His Head, both from their 2021 highly acclaimed album Lucifer IV, plus their newest single A Coffin Has No Silver Lining, from their upcoming 2024 album Lucifer V (to be released in January), showing that we can expect another beast of an album by those Swedish rockers next year. Hence, you can enjoy all songs from their beautiful setlist on Spotify, and click HERE for all things Lucifer. Last but not least, just like what happens with almost all non-Canadian bands that come to Canada, the wonderful Johanna (and let me say it was nearly impossible NOT to focus on her during the entire show, because she’s simply perfect) told a quick story about when the band was crossing the border form the US to Canada. Not only Johanna said that she was still in her pajamas when the tour manager woke the entire band up right when they were about to cross the border, but she also said that the immigration officer at the border asked them the name of the band. She made a very funny face and said “Ahn… Lucifer…”, proving that’s not an easy name for a band to carry due to all bullshit most religious figures impose on our society. Well, in the end the band made it to Canada, kicked our asses in Toronto, and hopefully when Lucifer V is released we’ll experience another night of blasphemy, doom, witchcraft and the enchanting music by Lucifer in the city.

Setlist
The Funeral Pyre
Ghosts
Midnight Phantom
Wild Hearses
Crucifix (I Burn for You)
Leather Demon
A Coffin Has No Silver Lining
Mausoleum
Bring Me His Head

Encore:
California Son
Reaper on Your Heels

Band members
Johanna Platow Andersson – vocals
Linus Björklund – lead guitars
Martin Nordin – rhythm guitars
Harald Göthblad – bass
Nicke Andersson – drums

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Concert Review – Ingested (The Velvet Underground, Toronto, ON, 06/02/2023)

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

The “slam tour of the year” beautifully crushed the “slam capital of the world” to pieces on a hot and humid night thanks to five of the best bands of the current extreme music scene.

OPENING ACTS: Mendacity, Organectomy, Vomit Forth and Devourment

A night of nonstop brutal slammin’ death metal. That pretty much summarizes what happened at The Velvet Underground this past Friday in Toronto, when MENDACITY, ORGANECTOMY, VOMIT FORTH, DEVOURMENT and INGESTED brought to the city the ruthless, venomous Ingesting North America 2023 – The Slam Tour Of The Year, another beautiful event organized by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. By the way, he was explaining to my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography that the guys from Belarusian Death Metal horde Extermination Dismemberment couldn’t get their Canadian visas ready on time and, therefore, couldn’t make it to the concert in Toronto. However, all five bands demanded the fans to raise their horns for those Belarusian slammers, showing how united the scene is and will always be.

And although there was no Extermination Dismemberment it was still a night to remember, with Innisfil, Ontario-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal trio MENDACITY kicking off the event at around 7:30pm, and they more than nailed it with their fusion of technical and progressive sounds with the brutality of Death Metal. Kyle Lam was fantastic on bass, and I just wish the sound of it was a little bit higher so we could all enjoy his rumbling lines better, while Jason and Jeff Burt were crushing their respective guitars and drums. There weren’t any mosh pits as the crowd was still very small when they started, but they got some great feedback form the audience with lots of horns in the air, shouts and claps, and if you’re curious to know how technical and brutal they sound at the same time, you can find their music on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Band members
Jason Burt – vocals, guitars
Kyle Lam – bass, backing vocals
Jeff Burt – drums, backing vocals

After a really short break, more precisely at 8:05pm, Christchurch, New Zealand-based Slam/Brutal Death Metal unity ORGANECTOMY began their pulverizing performance, and I must say they were in my opinion the most impressive of all bands. I didn’t know anything about those guys before the show, and now I’m listening to their music nonstop on Spotify. Frontman Alex Paul was vicious throughout their entire set, inspiring everyone at the venue to slam into the pit, to jump up and down, to do some sick crowd-surfing and so on, to a point that there were only two options for all attendees, which were either being slamming into the pit, or being outside the venue. Their 2022 album Nail Below Nail is freakin’ amazing, and the songs played live from that album such as Concrete, the title-track Nail Below Nail, The Third Mutation, Entranced by Calamity and Coerced Through Submersion sounded insane live! I really hope those guys return to Toronto soon, because their live shows are infernal, and based on the reaction of the band itself to all the action going on inside the pit they’ll surely carry Toronto inside their hearts until their next visit to the city.

Setlist
Impale the Bitch
Terror Form
Entrapped Savagery
Concrete
Nail Below Nail
The Third Mutation
Entranced by Calamity
Severed From Humanity
Coerced Through Submersion

Band members
Alex Paul – vocals
Sam McRobert – guitars
Matthew Bolch – guitars
Tyler Jordan – bass, backing vocals
Levi Sheehan – drums

After such demolishing performance by Organectomy, it was time for Connecticut, United States-based Death Metal horde VOMIT FORTH to turn The Velvet Underground into a cauldron of blood to the delight of all lovers of some brutal slamming. Their frontman Kane Gelaznik looks like a younger version of the almighty George “Corpsegrinder” Fischer, having the same looks, clothes, and even his headbanging and vocals, and that was already enough for me to enjoy their concert to the fullest. Of course the rest of the band was also on fire, in special Nick Herrmann with his sick blast beats, and the songs form their 2022 album Seething Malevolence, those being Eucharist Intact, Carnivorous Incantation, Unrecognizable, Severely Wounded, Predatory Savior and Pain Tolerance drove the audience crazy inside the endless circle pit, including a nice a wall of death. You can enjoy all their sick creations on Spotify or you can click HERE for all things Vomit Forth, and if they have a concert scheduled in your city, don’t think twice and go slam together with those awesome death metallers.

Setlist
Eucharist Intact
Carnivorous Incantation
Unclaimed Cadaver
Rotting Wool
Unrecognizable
Untitled
Severely Wounded
Predatory Savior
Pain Tolerance

Band members
Kane Gelaznik – vocals
Ricky Brayall – guitars
Tyler Bidwell – bass
Nick Herrmann – drums

It was already past 9:30pm when one of the highly anticipated bands of the night, Dallas, Texas-based Slam/Brutal Death Metal institution DEVOURMENT, hit the stage with one of the heaviest concerts you’ll see anywhere. Still promoting their 2019 album Obscene Majesty, the band formed of frontman Ruben Rosas, guitarist Chris Andrews, bassist Dave Spencer and drummer Brad Fincher was ruthless from start to finish, inspiring obviously the crowd to slam into the pit like maniacs and to crush their skulls into a sick wall of death to the sound of songs such as A Virulent Strain of Retaliation, Fucked to Death and Devour the Damned. I just think the lights for those guys were way too red and low, making it almost impossible to see them (and impossible for Keith to take proper pictures of them, by the way), but their brutality was there, stronger and heavier than ever. Their last song, the visceral Babykiller, was the icing on the cake on their flawless and demonic show, leaving all fans eager for more Devourment in Toronto in a not-so-distant future.

Setlist
A Virulent Strain of Retaliation
Fucked to Death
Postmortal Coprophagia
Choking on Bile
Self Disembowelment
Narcissistic Paraphilia
Devour the Damned
Babykiller

Band members
Ruben Rosas – vocals
Chris Andrews – guitars
Dave Spencer – bass
Brad Fincher – drums

INGESTED

Finally, as the clock hit 10:35pm, Manchester, England’s own Slam/Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore institution INGESTED began the destruction of The Velvet Underground with one of the most electrifying performances of the past few months in the city. Spearheaded by their lunatic frontman Jay Evans, and promoting their 2022 album Ashes Lie Still, the band delivered an incendiary performance for an avid crowd eager for some intense circle pits, crowd-surfing and walls of death, and let’s say they got everything they asked for from those UK metallers. There were bodies being carried around nonstop in a lecture in crowd-surfing, with one guy maybe going from the front of the stage all the way to the back, showing how happy the fans were with Ingested’s visceral music.

Their new songs like Shadows in Time and Echoes of Hate sounded even heavier and more caustic live, not to mention of course their demented grand finale with Skinned and Fucked. Jay and his henchmen were absolutely impressed with all the action going on inside the pit, opening a huge smile every single time they saw how excited their Torontonian fans could get while slamming into the pit. Speaking about Jay, that gentle and very polite guy selling their own merch and the stand turned into a monster on stage, with his demonic, piercing eyes, sick grim and demonic vocals setting fire to the concert while the rest of the band was merciless armed with their respective sonic weapons. The Velvet Underground might be a small venue, but the energy flowing from Ingested’s concert on Friday was the equivalent to any arena shows, and I’m sure those guys will return to Canadian lands for another wicked performance sooner than we can say “SLAM!”

Setlist
Rebirth
No Half Measures
The List
Shadows in Time
I, Despoiler
Impending Dominance
Invidious
Echoes of Hate
Copremesis
Skinned and Fucked

Band members
Jay Evans – vocals
Sean Hynes – guitars, backing vocals
Andrew Virrueta – guitars
Thomas O’Malley – bass
Lyn Jeffs – drums

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Concert Review – Dark Funeral (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 05/27/2023)

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

The Decibel Magazine Tour 2023 brought another night of blasphemy, rage and heaviness to Toronto, spearheaded by one of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal.

OPENING ACTS: Blackbraid, 200 Stab Wounds and Cattle Decapitation

If there’s one thing that the Toronto metal scene has specialized in, that’s undoubtedly mosh pits, and it doesn’t matter which concert we’re talking about. Add to that the perfect weather on Saturday and four insanely heavy bands, and there you have the perfect recipe for nonstop action on the floor section. The venue chosen for such metallic celebration was The Phoenix Concert Theatre, and the bands featured in that night of rage and blasphemy were BLACKBRAID, 200 STAB WOUNDS, CATTLE DECAPITATION and DARK FUNERAL, as part of The Decibel Magazine Tour 2023. My only complaint was that the line to get in was ridiculous, and between the doors opening at 6pm and the first band starting at 7pm, there wasn’t much time to do anything like buying merch, having a beer, or simply getting into the venue. I myself just got in at 6:55pm, and I was there as soon as the clock hit 6pm.

Fortunately, I just made it for the openers, Adirondack Mountains, New York-based Atmospheric Black Metal horde BLACKBRAID, and I must say I’m beyond happy to have arrived in time for such intense and unique performance. The solo project of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Sgah’gahsowáh (pronounced “SKA-Gah-SoW-Ah”, a Mohawk name meaning “the witch hawk”), supported by touring musicians Y. E. and an unknown musician on the guitars, another unknown guy on bass, and Johnny Violence on drums, the band simply nailed it with their fusion of Atmospheric Black Metal with elements of traditional indigenous music, such as the Native American flute, generating a mesmerizing and ominous atmosphere that captivated everyone already at the venue. They might have played only four songs from both their 2022 debut Blackbraid I and their upcoming sophomore album Blackbraid II (to be released in the beginning of July), but as they’re all long songs let’s say the fans had plenty of time to enjoy their unique music, and of course, ignite some decent mosh pits. If you’re curious to know more about their music, you can find their creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, and I really hope Sgah’gahsowáh and his henchmen return to Toronto sooner than later because they’re awesome.

Setlist
The Spirit Returns
The River of Time Flows Through Me
Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon
Barefoot Ghost Dance on Blood Soaked Soil

Band members
Sgah’gahsowáh – vocals
Y. E. – guitars
Unknown – guitars
Unknown – bass
Johnny Violence – drums

After a really short break (and I think maybe there shouldn’t be so many bands on the lineup so fans can at least try to buy some merch and go for a bathroom stop without missing any of the action on stage), it was time for Cleveland, Ohio-based Death Metal marauders 200 STAB WOUNDS to give their Torontonian fans all the fuel they needed to slam into some sick mosh pits like true headbanging bastards, delivering a pulverizing concert that left everyone at the venue absolutely on fire. Playing songs form all of their albums, with a bigger focus on their 2021 album Slave to the Scalpel plus the two songs form their brand new EP Masters of Morbidity, the band spearheaded by vocalist and guitarist Steve Buhl was ruthless from start to finish, praising their Torontonian fans for always showing everything they got inside the circle pits, and saying that Toronto is one of their favorite places to play. I guess you know why, right? And if you’re also a lover of some good old mosh pits, you can enjoy the music by this fantastic band on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Setlist
Phallic Filth (Intro)
Fatal Reality
Skin Milk
Tow Rope Around the Throat
Drilling Your Head
Itty Bitty Pieces
Masters of Morbidity
Phallic Filth
Release the Stench
Stifling Stew
She Was Already Dead

Band members
Steve Buhl – vocals, guitars
Raymond Macdonald – guitars
Ezra Cook – bass
Owen Pooley – drums

As the temperature kept rising inside The Phoenix Concert Theatre, American Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore masters CATTLE DECAPITATION hit the stage with another pulverizing performance, proving why they’re one of the most admired bands of the genre worldwide. I strongly believe Travis Ryan, Josh Elmore, Belisario Dimuzio, Olivier Pinard and David McGraw love Toronto as much as the Torontonian metalheads love them, because the synergy was incredible, and the mosh pits even more. Blending classics with new songs from their 2023 masterpiece Terrasite (to be reviewed soon here at The Headbanging Moose), those being the fantastic We Eat Our Young, Scourge of the Offspring and A Photic Doom, the band fired a flawless concert overflowing heaviness, dexterity and feeling, putting a smile on the faces of everyone at the venue, including the band. I don’t think Travis was expecting such powerful reception from their fans in the city, but let’s be honest, when the music is great like what Cattle Decapitation have to offer us, of course the concerts will be incendiary! I can’t even describe how insane the mosh pits were throughout their entire set, to a point the entire floor section became one massive, unstoppable circle pit. It was superb, to say the least! Thank you, Cattle Decapitation!

Setlist
Intro (Jurassic Park theme)
The Carbon Stampede
We Eat Our Young
Scourge of the Offspring
Bring Back the Plague
The Great Dying, Pt. 1
Finish Them
Lifestalker
A Photic Doom
Kingdom of Tyrants

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

DARK FUNERAL

The night was getting darker and the temperature inside the venue even higher, setting the stage for another sulfurous performance by the one and only Swedish Black Metal institution DARK FUNERAL to conclude the night on a high and devilish note. It was great to see them as the headliners this time, instead of “just” an opener as it happened last year when they played alongside Cannibal Corpse, and based on the reception of the fans this Saturday we’ll surely see Dark Funeral headlining more impious nights in the city in a not-so-distant future.

Still promoting their amazing 2022 album We Are The Apocalypse, the horde formed of Heljarmadr on vocals, Lord Ahriman and Chaq Mol on the guitars, Adra Melek on bass and Jalomaah on drums was demonic from the very first notes of Nosferatu until the climatic Where Shadows Forever Reign, proving why they’re one of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal. I have to admit if there was a little less smoke the fans would have been able to see the band better on stage, but of course I’m pretty sure that was part of their plan, to look and sound as dark and evil as possible, and with the iconic Heljarmadr as their frontman the whole stage smoke and lightning made total sense.

Their setlist was an ode to blasphemy, including precious gems the likes of Vobiscum Satanas, My Funeral and Nail Them to the Cross, with Heljarmadr demanding a huge HAIL SATAN! from the crowd while the mosh pits kept moving like the fires of the pits of the underworld. The setlist could have been slightly longer, though, but nothing that could harm such beautiful performance by Dark Funeral. And if you think slow songs are not Black Metal, simply witness Dark Funeral playing When I’m Gone and Let the Devil In live, and you’ll feel absolute darkness taking over your damned soul. Thanks a million to Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment and to Metal Blade Records for bringing such venomous tour to Toronto, and thanks also to metal photographer Kim Baarda for letting us use her fantastic photos (as my buddy Keith could not make it to the concert this time). May Dark Funeral return to the city soon for another impressive concert and, of course, HAIL SATAN!

Setlist
Nosferatu
Hail Murder
My Funeral
In the Sign of the Horns
Vobiscum Satanas
Goddess of Sodomy
The Secrets of the Black Arts
When I’m Gone
Unchain My Soul
Temple of Ahriman
Nail Them to the Cross
Let the Devil In
Where Shadows Forever Reign

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

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Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 05/13/2023)

Posted on May 15, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

Wacken Metal Battle Canada returned in full force in 2023, leading to an unforgettable night of ass-kicking underground music at Lee’s Palace this Saturday.

INTRODUCTION: THE RETURN OF WACKEN METAL BATTLE CANADA

What a night of first-class underground heavy music in Toronto, my friends! On pause since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wacken Metal Battle Canada finally returned from the ashes like a phoenix screaming for vengeance in 2023, and after over 60 bands participating in the regional rounds for the past few months in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City (and you can always review the rules for participation HERE), it was time this Saturday at Lee’s Palace for the 2023 edition of the Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final with the bands EATEN BY SHARKS, NECHT and STRIGAMPIRE, battling for a spot in the most admired metal festival in the world, the one and only Wacken Open Air in Germany, this summer.

Also featuring guest openers KORROSIVE and guest headliners WHIPLASH, the night was indeed a celebration of underground metal, with guest judges Pedro Almeida (A&P Reacts), Antonio Almeida (A&P Reacts), Noel Peters (Inertia Entertainment), Tim Henderson (BraveWords), Thorsteinn Kolbeinsson (Wacken Metal Battle Iceland), Sarah Lutz (Looters), Kevin Michaud (Front Row Promotions), Luc Laine (CFLX 95.5 FM – Alerte Metallique), Rae Chatten (Rock’n Roam, Live Nation), Mark Tremblay (Metal on Metal Podcast) and JJ Tartaglia (Wacken Metal Battle Canada) having a lot of “trouble” to decide which one of the three amazing bands that played should head to Wacken and represent Canada in the holy land of metal music.

KORROSIVE (guest openers)

Before the crowd had the pleasure of witnessing the performances by the three finalists, Toronto-based Thrash Metal outfit KORROSIVE hit the stage to properly warm up everyone with their frantic, caustic and insane thrashing music. Having released the excellent album Toxic Apokalypse in 2022, the band formed of frontman Rad Zarei, guitarists Derek Solomos and Jack Neila, bassist Carlos Rodriguez and drummer Kaveh Afshar kicked some serious ass on stage, already inspiring everyone at the venue to ignite some sick mosh pits, until their grand finale with a pulverizing cover version for Venom’s all-time classic Black Metal. I highly recommend you go after their material on Spotify and on BandCamp if you’ve never heard of those guys, because they definitely know how to thrash in great fashion.

Band members
Rad Zarei – vocals
Derek Solomos – guitar
Jack Neila – guitar
Carlos Rodriguez – bass
Kaveh Afshar – drums

STRIGAMPIRE

After a short break it was then time for the first contender of the night, Trois-Rivières, Quebec-based Melodic Black Metal horde STRIGAMPIRE, to show everything they got and, who knows, win the desired Canadian spot at Wacken Open Air this year. Having released their last album in 2018, titled One Fix, Nine Clouds & Six Feet Deep (which means we urgently need a new album by those guys), the band spearheaded by the unstoppable frontman Steve De Cotret delivered an incendiary performance, with pentagrams all over the stage and with Steve running around the venue, screaming in the faces of some of the attendees and so on, putting his heart and soul into his vocals. It was an insane show full of energy and darkness, and if you enjoy the more modern version of Black Metal from the Quebec scene, you should listen to all of their wicked creations on Spotify.

Band members
Steve De Cotret – vocals
Johnny Dead – guitars
William Tousignant – guitars
BadGuy P. – bass
Yannick Laplante – drums

EATEN BY SHARKS

Right after Strigampire finished their sulfurous show, St. Catharines, Ontario’s own Technical Death Metal/Deathcore entity EATEN BY SHARKS hit the stage for another infernal performance, playing several songs from their 2022 album Eradication including Shallow Water, Kill and Consume, Same Face, Different Mask and Apex Predator. Their frontman Matt Sherriff was absolutely enraged on vocals while his bandmates sounded as heavy as hell throughout their entire set, receiving a very positive feedback from the crowd. They’re definitely another band I’ll be listening to on a regular basis so awesome their tech death is, and if you also love to slam into the circle pit while listening to high quality metal music you should let such demented shark bite your ears on Spotify and on BandCamp.

Band members
Matt Sherriff – vocals
Chris Chaperon – lead guitars
Dan Oko – rhythm guitars
Tyler Abrams – bass
Justin Whitehead – drums

NECHT

The last of the finalists to perform on Saturday was undoubtedly the most mysterious and atmospheric band of the night, bringing blasphemy and sulfur to Lee’s Palace with their “grim, martial and epic black metal conducted in the name of Our Father, B’ahn, the Ceaseless Warrior,” according to the band itself. I’m talking about Calgary, Alberta-based Ritualistic Black Metal entity NECHT, who put on a solid and entertaining performance for everyone at the venue. Armed with his spear and shield, vocalist Maharg led his horde of uncanny musicians (all wearing some sort of BDSM/Hellraiser-inspired masks) while roaring in the name of evil nonstop, even “baptizing” some of the concert goers with some sort of devilish black paint. Necht are about to release their debut full-length opus anytime soon, but if you can’t wait for that and want to have a good taste of how Stygian their music is, there’s one track already available on BandCamp. GLORY TO THE SUN!

Band members
Maharg – vocals
Zhargor – guitars, bass, backing vocals*
Vlasfimos – drums

*There was actually a fourth member of the band on stage, but I have no idea who he is, nor if he was the guitarist or the bassist.

WHIPLASH (guest headliners)

Before the winner of the 2023 Canadian Wacken Metal Battle was announced, we had the pleasure of witnessing one of the legends of underground Thrash and Speed Metal as the guest headliners of such fun night. I’m talking about Passaic, New Jersey-based Thrash/Speed Metal beast WHIPLASH, spearheaded by the iconic Tony Portaro on vocals and guitars. What an insane performance by the trio, playing tons of amazing underground classics from their almost 40 years of career the likes of Spit on Your Grave, Walk the Plank, Insult to Injury and the demolishing Power Thrashing Death. The mosh pits kept moving fast while Tony barked nonstop on stage (only stopping to have a sip of his beer), with their punk-ish and hardcore attitude showing all the kids present at the venue what old school Thrash Metal is all about. I doubt you know nothing about those guys, but just in case you’re from a different planet you can find all of their frantic creations on Spotify.

Band members
Tony Portaro – vocals, guitars
Dank DeLong – bass
Ron Lipnicki – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

Well, first of all I want to thank my friend Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations for letting us participate in such important event to the Canadian underground scene, Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography for the amazing band shots (except for Whiplash as he had to leave due to a personal matter, so I had to upload my shitty phone photos of the band to the review), and all media partners (Bravewords, Metal-Rules, Absolute Underground, BrokenNeckRadio, V13, Metal Devastation Radio, and internationally syndicated DJ Rich Embury) and promoters (Boonsdale Records, Dungeonworks Productions, The Invisible Orange, Big Nate Productions and ConcertWorks) for believing in Canadian metal.

Back to the music, the winner of such incredible night were the guys from STRIGAMPIRE, who will represent Canada at Wacken Open Air this year! One band to rule them all, right? Congratulations, you guys kicked some serious ass on Saturday! And if you want to know more about the entire event, all previous rounds and so on, you can go to the official Facebook page of Metal Battle Canada for everything regarding the initiative. Good luck to Strigampire at Wacken, although they honestly don’t need luck because they’re amazing and very professional musicians more than ready to rock the holy land of metal in Germany and show everyone in Europe the fury of Canadian Black Metal, and hopefully we’ll have more amazing metal battles in Canada next year with top-of-the-line bands such as Eaten by Sharks, Strigampire and Necht.

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Concert Review – The Black Dahlia Murder (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 04/21/2023)

Posted on April 23, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

A celebration of the life and contribution to the heavy music scene by the deceased Trevor Strnad on a special night in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Phobophilic, Fuming Mouth, Frozen Soul and Terror

Do you know those events called “celebration of life”, a time when people come together to celebrate the unique personality and achievements of the deceased without the more formal and traditional funeral service? Maybe that’s exactly how we can call The Verminous Remnant Tour 2023 with the bands PHOBOPHILIC, FUMING MOUTH, FROZEN SOUL, TERROR and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, celebrating the life of Trevor Strnad (RIP), the iconic frontman for The Black Dahlia Murder who passed away on May 11, 2022. All bands have some sort of connection with Trevor, as he was a huge supporter of the underground and did A LOT to those bands and to heavy music in general during his amazing life, and fortunately several fans of heavy music in Toronto had the pleasure of taking part in that celebration this Friday at The Phoenix Concert Theatre.

After the doors opened at 6pm and fans had their special time to purchase some merch, grab a beer and chat with friends, Fargo, North Dakota-based Death Metal band PHOBOPHILIC kicked off the celebration at 7pm with a short and sweet performance promoting their 2022 album Enveloping Absurdity, getting all concert goers into the mood to start all the pit action, sounding not just great but also engaging a lot with the crowd. If you know nothing about the band go check their stuff on BandCamp or on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll enjoy their straightforward, ass-kicking Death Metal, and who knows, maybe you’ll be caught in a mosh whenever those four metallers storm your city with their undisputed heaviness.

Band members
Aaron Dudgeon – vocals, guitars
Josh Poer – guitars
Christian Alm – bass
Vincent Tweten – drums

It was around 7:40pm when the second band of the night, Milford, Massachusetts’s own Death Metal/Crust outfit FUMING MOUTH, hit the stage with their fast, thrashing and heavy music, again getting a nice mosh pit going, blending songs from their 2020 EP Beyond the Tomb, such as the title-track Beyond the Tomb and Master of Extremity, with others form their 2019 album The Grand Descent, like Out of the Shadows and Visions of Purgatory. Needless to say, they also dedicated their performance to Trevor, which of course got a warm answer from the audience. Hence, if you haven’t ever heard of this band either, you should go to BandCamp or Spotify and bathe in their demolishing creations.

Band members
Mark Whelan – vocals, guitars
Andrew Budwey – guitars
James Davis – drums

After another short break, it was time for Fort Worth, Texas-based Death Metal horde FROZEN SOUL to smash the cranial skulls of all fans at the venue with another amazing performance. Playing songs from their 2021 album Crypt of Ice, including Encased in Ice, Arctic Stranglehold and Crypt of Ice, as well as the new tunes Death and Glory and Arsenal of War, from their upcoming 2023 album Glacial Domination, Frozen Soul delivered their trademark fusion of Death Metal with heavy doom and fast thrash elements, having the house turn the lights all blue, and the reaction from the crowd was nothing but a huge mosh pit. Their lead singer Chad Green even asked the fans to do push ups, and they didn’t disappoint at all, so if you’re searching for a heavy soundtrack for your push ups at the gym you know what to do, right? Simply visit BandCamp or Spotify, and voilà!

Setlist
Encased in Ice
Merciless
Beat to Dust
Morbid Effigy
Death and Glory
Arsenal of War
Arctic Stranglehold
Crypt of Ice

Band members
Chad Green – vocals
Chris Bonner – guitars
Michael Munday – guitars
Samantha Mobley – bass
Matt Dennard – drums

One more memorable show was provided to all fans at the venue by Los Angeles, California-based Hardcore act TERROR, delivering their fast-paced creations highly inspired by the fantastic LA thrash scene from the 80’s and 90’s. Right after they started their concert at around 9pm the entire floor section turned into a massive circle pit, keeping the security guys busy and even photographers like my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography, who helped the staff in between taking shots to steer the crowd surfers out of the pit. Alex and Liam (and their front stage crew) did an amazing job holding it down and making sure everyone was safe, by the way. Terror released a short but fulminating album in 2022 titled Pain into Power (available on BandCamp and on Spotify), with songs like the title-track Pain Into Power, Can’t Help but Hate and Boundless Contempt being part of their setlist for the delight of all fans at The Phoenix Concert Theatre.

Setlist
Pain Into Power
Overcome
Stick Tight
Spit My Rage
Betrayer
Lowest of the Low
Can’t Help but Hate
Boundless Contempt
The 25th Hour
One With the Underdogs
Keep Your Mouth Shut
Keepers of the Faith

Band members
Scott Vogel – vocals
Martin Stewart – guitar
Jordan Posner – guitar
Chris Linkovich – bass
Nick Jett – drums

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

It was a little past 10pm when the main attraction of the night, Detroit, Michigan’s Melodic Death Metal institution THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, began their infernal performance, and everyone at the venue was blown away by their heavy and catchy sounds as expected. Now fronted by Brian Eschbach, who used to be the band’s guitarist until the death of Trevor, the band named their current tour after their 2020 album Verminous, adding the word “remnant” to it for obvious reasons, with songs like the title-track Verminous and Sunless Empire, mixed with their older material including Everything Went Black, I Will Return and Deathmask Divine, driving all fans crazy.

The crowd chanted Trevor’s name between songs during their entire performance, an emotional gesture in honor of the great Trevor, whose lyrics, onstage presence and contributions to the metal scene will always be missed. As aforementioned, what he did for all openers that are part of this tour was amazing, helping all bands get signed. He was a voice of reason to the labels, said one concert goer, and the response from all fans to The Black Dahlia Murder during their entire performance only proved how much everyone will always love Trevor and his music. Thanks once again to Noel Peters from Inertia Entertainment for organizing such incredible night for metal fans in Toronto, and of course for allowing all Torontonian fans to celebrate the life of the one and only Trevor Strnad.

Setlist
Verminous
What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
Kings of the Nightworld
Sunless Empire
Carbonized in Cruciform
Child of Night
Statutory Ape
On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood
Everything Went Black
Nightbringers
Miasma
Unhallowed
Funeral Thirst
I Will Return
Deathmask Divine

Band members
Brian Eschbach – vocals
Ryan Knight – guitars
Brandon Ellis – guitars
Max Lavelle -bass
Alan Cassidy – drums

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Concert Review – Enslaved & Insomnium (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 04/08/2023)

Posted on April 10, 2023 by Gustavo Scuderi

Two of the most important bands in the history of Nordic metal turned up the heat this weekend in Toronto with their unparalleled music and hypnotic performances.

OPENING ACT: Black Anvil

There’s nothing better than uniting two Nordic bands in Toronto (and we all know how Finland, Norway and Canada can get really, really cold) to celebrate the end of another freakin’ winter, and that’s exactly what hundreds of fans were able to witness at the always cozy The Opera House this Saturday when INSOMNIUM and ENSLAVED, with the support of BLACK ANVIL, kicked some serious ass with their very melodic, folk, and obviously heavy-as-hell music. The weather was good enough (for Canadian standards) for several people to only wear T-shirts, including myself, and I must say that was a wise decision as things started to get pretty warm inside the venue right after the doors opened. And on a side note, if you’re attending any concert at The Opera House or just visiting the neighborhood, a new Slayer Burger location (and I still think they should be called “SLAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEERRRRR Burger” for obvious reasons) opened on February 12 right beside the venue, offering a great option to fill up your personal tank before heading into any mosh pits.

It was 7:30pm when the opening act, New York, United States-based Black/Thrash Metal act BLACK ANVIL kicked off the night with their vicious music, with vocalist and bassist P.D. and drummer R.G. stealing the spotlight with another blasphemous performance, and I say “another” because I already had the pleasure of seeing them opening for the mighty Cannibal Corpse in November also here in Toronto. Still promoting their 2022 opus Regenesis, the quartet did a very solid job on stage, with their newest song NYC Nightmares being the highlight of their performance for me. Perhaps the only “issue” with their show was the fact that their music is considerably different from the main attractions, and at least I felt there was a lack of circle pits during their entire set. The fans still raised their horns for the band and clapped their hands in approval after each song was played, but as I said maybe the night was too eclectic for a band like Black Anvil.

INSOMNIUM

Then after a quick break, more specifically at around 8:30pm, Finland’s own Melodic Death Metal institution INSOMNIUM hit the stage with a flawless performance, blending songs from all of their previous albums with the stunning creations form their brand new opus Anno 1696. Spearheaded by the iconic vocalist and bassist Niilo Sevänen, the band started their show with five superb songs in a row, those being 1696, White Christ, While We Sleep, Godforsaken and Lilian, embellishing the airwaves and putting the entire crowd in a metallic trance and showing how strong their newest album is. Insomnium have always been one of the pillars of Nordic Melodic Death Metal since their inception back in 1997, always releasing amazing albums, but it feels like they’ve perfect their sound even more with Anno 1696, and the reactions of the fans in Toronto to their new songs was the ultimate proof of that.

One thing I must say about Insomnium, in special when talking about their live performances, is how awesome their guitars are nowadays with Markus Vanhala (the heart and soul of another Finnish Melodic Death Metal beast, the excellent Omnium Gatherum) and Jani Liimatainen, who’s in a much better position these days compared to his time with Sonata Arctica or Altaria, sounding sharp, crisp and extremely melodious for the absolute delight of all fans who were at The Opera House. I have no idea why their third guitarist Ville Friman missed the show, and I’m sure it would have been even more amazing if he had played as well, but Markus and Jani nailed it from start to finish even without their bandmate. Another new song that sounded thrilling live was The Witch Hunter, again proving their latest release is a beast of an album, and closing their performance with the not-so-old song Heart Like a Grave was one more attestation those Finnish metallers are always moving forward in their career. It was my first time seeing Insomnium live despite being a fan of the band for a long time, and I’ll make sure I don’t miss any of their future shows in Toronto from now on after such pleasant night in the city.

Setlist
1696
White Christ
While We Sleep
Godforsaken
Lilian
And Bells They Toll
The Witch Hunter
Valediction
Mortal Share
Heart Like a Grave

Band members
Niilo Sevänen – lead vocals, bass
Markus Vanhala – guitars
Jani Liimatainen – guitars, clean vocals
Markus Hirvonen – drums

ENSLAVED

It was a little past 10pm when the main attraction of the night, Norway’s Progressive Black/Viking Metal horde ENSLAVED, took the city of Toronto by storm led by their charismatic vocalist and bassist Grutle Kjellson, putting a huge smile on the faces of everyone at The Opera House, and inspiring part of the crowd to head into the battlefield (aka mosh pits) for the delight of the band. The start of their performance with the songs Jettegryta and Homebound, from their 2020 album Utgard, plus the fact they played Kingdom, Forest Dweller and Heimdal, from their 2023 album Heimdal, therefore making for half of their setlist, also shows that Enslanved, just like Insomnium, are forward-thinking musicians who respect their past but are not trapped in it, and their diehard fans more than love that based on their reaction to their entire performance.

Enslaved were also one man down, as their guitarist Ivar Bjørnson was absent from the concert in Toronto (and from their entire North American tour “due to immediate family issues that needed to be taken care of” as per a statement from the band on their official Facebook page), but Grutle made sure Ivar received some positive vibes from us Torontonians who screamed his name when prompted by the band. Furthermore, their other guitarist Arve Isdal was on fire, shredding his guitar nonstop and filling all empty spaces left by Ivar, in special in the amazing tune Return to Yggdrasil. Add to that the intense, multi-layered background sounds by Håkon Vinje and Iver Sandøy, and there you have the perfect recipe for a fulminating Norwegian attack. When they closed the night with Allfǫðr Oðinn, everyone at The Opera House was beyond happy and mesmerized, and I’m sure that will inspired Enslaved to return to the city sooner than we can say any of the names of their songs in Norwegian. Ad of course, thanks a lot to Noel Peters from Inertia Entertainment for putting together such enjoyable night of first-class metal music, and thanks once again to my friend Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography for the amazing shots! SKÅL!

Setlist
Jettegryta
Homebound
Return to Yggdrasil
Kingdom
Forest Dweller
The Dead Stare
Isa
Havenless
Heimdal
Allfǫðr Oðinn

Band members
Grutle Kjellson – vocals, bass
Arve Isdal – lead guitars
Håkon Vinje – keyboards, clean vocals
Iver Sandøy – drums, clean vocals

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Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016)

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Gustavo Scuderi

One Canadian Band to rule them all, One Canadian Band to find them. One Canadian Band to bring them all, and in Wacken Open Air bind them.

INTRODUCTION: ONE BAND TO RULE THEM ALL!

If you were at the charming The Opera House in Toronto this Saturday, June 11, you were able to witness the future of Canadian Metal in pursuit of a sacred placed among the Gods of Metal at the 2016 edition of Wacken Open Air, which will be held during the first week of August this year. Five amazing bands made in Canada showcased all their skills and passion for heavy music during the final and decisive round of the fourth annual edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada, but only one of them secured a spot in the most important metal festival in the world. Do you want to know which band was crowned the kings of the night?

This year, guest judges Noel Peters (Inertia Entertainment), Sarah Lutz (Metal Blade Canada), Darryl Hurs (Indie Week), Chris Gonda (PureGrainAudio.com), Tim Henderson (Bravewords.com), Andrew Epstein (Zombitrol Productions) and Glenn Fricker (Spectre Media Group) had the difficult mission to decide who would play at Wacken Open Air this August, but before I get into more details, let me say it’s impressive how well organized Wacken Metal Battle is in Canada, it doesn’t matter the city or the qualifying round. With over 100 independent Canadian metal bands from the cities of Toronto, Hamilton, London, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, and after 27 qualifying rounds, 9 semi-finals and the national final this Saturday, all we can say in a huge THANK YOU to everyone involved in this awesome project, with a special thanks to my friend Jon Asher (Asher Media Relations) for letting me be part of this. And now, let’s get ready to rumble!

DISTORTHEAD

DistortHead @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016

The first group to hit the stage, at around 8pm, was Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore band DistortHead, from Montreal, Quebec, who were obviously the Quebec Final winners this year. With all band members elegantly wearing lumberjack shirts, DistortHead fired a good mix of modern and groovy metal music the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder and Suicide Silence with the more ferocious sound of old school Death Metal, which translated into a solid and unstoppable performance by this talented quintet. Lead singer Phil Ranger led his troop during the entire setlist, demanding some furious circle pits from the fans at the venue and, as any proud Québécois, made good usage of “Bill 101” to teach the audience how to curse in French. If brutal Melodic Death Metal is your cup of tea, go check their BandCamp page, where you can enjoy their 2014 album Invasive Species in its entirety.

Band members
Phil Ranger – vocals
Vincent Rousseau – guitar
Alex Guindon – guitar
Felix Bourcier – bass, backing vocals
Max Arseneau – drums

PYRAMID THEOREM

Pyramid Theorem @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016

In my opinion, one of the best things in any Wacken Metal Battle round is the variety of sounds you can listen to within a short span of time, getting truly paradoxical at times, but as awesome as usual. That was confirmed when Progressive Hard Rock act Pyramid Theorem began their psychedelic and electrifying performance. Those Torontonians, who were the Ontario Final 2/2 winners, sounded so professional, polished and in sync it’s hard to believe they do not have an agreement with a record label yet. Take a listen at the excellent tunes Outlaw for Good and Drive and you’ll see what I’m talking about. The crowd was excited during the whole show, mainly due to the thrilling performance by the dynamic duo Christian Di Mambro (vocals and bass) Sam Ermellini (guitar and vocals), who didn’t stop interacting with the audience for a single second while at the same time displaying their refined techniques on stage. Some of the guitar solos by Sam were simply outstanding.

Band members
Christian Di Mambro – vocals, bass
Sam Ermellini – guitar, vocals
Stephan Di Mambro – synths, guitar, vocals
Vic Dee – drums, percussion

THE MOUNTAIN MAN

The Mountain Man @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016

Fans of the relentless music by icons such as Lamb of God, Whitechapel, Gojira and Pantera definitely had an awesome time during the performance by Vancouver-based five-piece act The Mountain Man, who blasted a nice fusion of Melodic Death Metal and Groove Metal, proving why the band was the B.C. Final winner. The whole festival seemed to be turning into “the night of the frontmen”, with lead singer Parker Lane keeping up with the vocalists from both previous bands with his unique screams and endless energy on stage. We have to give a round of applause to those guys, coming all the way from the other side of the country, paying all expenses from their own pockets, and still having enough strength to kill on stage. If you want to know more about their music, you can listen to their debut EP entitled Bloodlust at their BandCamp page, and if by any chance the band members themselves read this, please send us the EP for a detailed review.

Band members
Parker Lane – vocals
Tyson Tambellini – guitar
Jordan Orr – guitar
Tevyn Pacey – bass
Ryan McCreedy – drums

PROFANER

Profaner @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016

After a quick break and another cold beer, it was time for Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band Profaner to distill their acid metal music upon the audience. Hailing from the city of Hamilton, around 70km southwest of Toronto, the Ontario 1/2 Final winners didn’t waste time and started kicking ass on stage from the very first notes of the opening song of their setlist. If you visit their BandCamp page, you’ll be able to listen to a few songs they played this Saturday, such as the awesome Marked For Death, and see how good and violent those guys are. Guided by the uncontrollable frontman Anthony “Tooty” Tuttolomondo, Profaner showed everyone at the venue how old school brutal music is done, with the blazing riffs by guitarists Jason Crook and Pat Rogers, together with the boisterous drumming by Craig Piggot, being the recipe for success in heavy music. I loved their music and charisma, and so did the vast majority of the fans at The Opera House. A good sign of the band’s future, don’t you agree?

Band members
Anthony “Tooty” Tuttolomondo – vocals
Jason Crook – guitar, backing vocals
Pat Rogers – guitar
Rusty – bass
Craig Piggot – drums

TALES OF THE TOMB

Tales Of The Tomb @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016

There was still a lot more to come Saturday night, even with the clock getting closer to (or past) midnight, with the unique Psychological Horror/Death/Murder Metal brutally fired by Edmontonian metallers Tales Of The Tomb, who stood tall as the Prairie Final winner band. With lead singer Connor Adams, guitarist Corey Skerlak and bassist Bryn Herbert growling like possessed beats, Tales of The Tomb crushed the audience with their music inspired by icons such as Dying Fetus and Bloodbath, and the dark and gory vibe of classic slasher films. Those guys unleashed hell upon The Opera House, playing songs from their debut EP named Volume One: Morpras, as you can listen to at their BandCamp page. Nonstop violence is always fun in extreme music, and in the case of Tales Of The Tomb that enjoyment is multiplied by a thousand due to their demonic screeches and bestial riffs. In other words, a highly recommended band for fans of vicious Extreme Metal.

Band members
Connor Adams – vocals
Tres Thomas – guitar
Corey Skerlak – guitar, vocals
Bryn Herbert – bass, vocals
John Thomson – drums

SPECIAL GUEST HEADLINERS: CRIMSON SHADOWS

Crimson Shadows @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 06/11/2016

And before that incredible night of Canadian Metal was over, we were treated to the Epic Death/Power Metal by special guest headliners Crimson Shadows, winners of the first edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada in 2013, and also crowned the Metal Battle international winners at Wacken Open Air that same year. Well, the epic devastation crafted by these talented Torontonians, mixing the speed and intricacy of Dragonforce and Rhapsody with the vileness and heaviness of Children of Bodom, sounded even more potent on stage, with highlights to the excellent performance of newcomer Paul “Ablaze” Zinay with his harsh screams, and especially Mr. Greg Rounding with his fantastic riffs, solos and clean vocals. If you know nothing about Crimson Shadows, I suggest you take a listen at the high-end battle hymns Rise to Power and Braving the Storm, which were played to perfection during their electrifying concert. I believe that whenever Rise to Power is played, if you do not start singing it together with Crimson Shadows, raising your fists in the air, drinking a pint of beer and getting ready to die in the battlefield, you’re not a honorable warrior.

Band members
Paul “Ablaze” Zinay – vocals
Ryan Hofing – guitar
Greg Rounding – guitar, vocals
Alex Snape – bass
Cory Hofing – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

Profaner – 2016 Wacken Metal Battle Canada Winner

…everyone that attended the event this Saturday, especially the bands and the amazing crew that helped that metal celebration become true! Unfortunately, only one band could win the tournament and head to Wacken Open Air in August, but all five bands were simply amazing and deserve our humble recognition for keeping the fire of Canadian Metal alive. Congratulations to runner-ups DistortHead, who won a bunch of cool stuff from PureGrainAudio.com and Los Cabos Drumsticks that will be very beneficial to their career, and in special to the 2016 Wacken Metal Battle Canada winners PROFANER! YOU GUYS KICK ASS!

As previously mentioned, Crimson Shadows went to Wacken Open Air and won the international battle in 2013, and in 2015 Vesperia (who were there on Saturday to pass the crown to Profaner) re-lived that success by once again bringing the first place from Germany to Canada. Now it’s time for Profaner to show to the craziest metal fans in the entire world who will attend the festival in August how awesome Canadian Metal is. If you want to have a good overview of what happens to all independent bands while at Wacken Open Air, I recommend you watch the movie Wacken 3D – Louder Than Hell, from 2014. But that’s just in case you’re not going to join Profaner in their thrilling quest in Teutonic lands, of course.

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THE HEADBANGING MOOSE

PURE F****N' METAL!

Tag Archives: inertia entertainment

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