Tag Archives: melodic death metal

Album Review – …And Oceans / The Regeneration Itinerary (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

These iconic Finnish extremists are back with their seventh studio opus, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.

Chaos chameleons. Nocturnal shapeshifters. The skyward trajectory of idiosyncratic Finnish extremists …And Oceans has been serpentine and sublime, appealing to diehard fans of bands the likes of Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Samael with their unique blend of Experimental, Industrial, Electronic and Symphonic Black Metal. Recorded at Inka Studio and at SoundSpiral Audio, produced and engineered by Juho Räihä at SoundSpiral Audio, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio, and displaying a visually stunning artwork by Adrien Bousson, The Regeneration Itinerary is the seventh studio album by this unstoppable band currently formed of Mathias Lillmåns on vocals, Teemu Saari and Timo Kontio on the guitars, Pyry Hanski on bass, Antti Simonen on keyboards, and Kauko Kuusisalo on drums, a flamboyant distillation of the group’s grand nocturnal art assimilating all their hopes, dreams and influences into an uncompromising document of ravenous intent.

Otherworldly, cryptic sounds suddenly explode into a hybrid of Experimental and Symphonic Black Metal entitled Inertiae, with Mathias’ deep roars matching perfectly with the striking keys by Antti, followed by Förnyelse i Tre Akter, or “renewal in three acts” from Swedish, even darker than the previous song thanks to the visceral riffage by Teemu and Timo while Kauko shows no mercy for his drums, delivering his own blend of Black and Death Metal violence. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics carries a poetic name for a hard hitting creation by …And Oceans, where their caustic riffs will pierce your mind in great fashion, while their experimental and symphonic sides clash beautifully in The Form and the Formless, once again led by the massive beats and fills by Kauko. Prophetical Mercury Implement showcases massive Stygian lyrics (“Injecting the mirrorlike waters / Feeling it flowing within / Floating on its waves / Observing how it unfolds / Now, / I am the medium / I am the stream”) amidst a beyond enfolding and atmospheric sonority, whereas in The Fire in Which We Burn we face an overdose of heaviness, sulfur and darkness blasted by the band in the best Behemoth style, spearheaded by the inhumane roars by Mathias.

The Ways of Sulphur lives up to the legacy of Industrial Black Metal, with Antti stealing the show with his phantasmagorical keys; and I Am Coin, I Am Two offers a more introspective sound inspired by Melodic Black, Death and Doom Metal, while still presenting their trademark ferocity. Then back to a more visceral mode we have Towards the Absence of Light, with their riffs and the bass lines by Pyry being boosted by Antti’s whimsical keys. The last song of the regular edition, The Terminal Filter, brings to us all another humongous dosage of Black Metal infused with experimental and industrial nuances, resulting in an epic ending to the album, and if you go for the deluxe edition of the album (a digipak with extended 20-page booklet + exclusive gold coloured metal coin symbolizing an adviser through opposites + 2 exclusive bronze coloured acrylic coaters symbolizing the coming together of opposites in clamshell box with alternative cover, hand-numbered and limited to 500 copies worldwide) you’ll get two bonus tracks, Copper Blood, Titanium Scars and The Discord Static, both sounding absolutely insane and worth every single penny invested in it.

…And Oceans The Regeneration Itinerary Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition

Exploring the interplay between darkness and light, chaos and order, spiritual and material realms, with each song embodying an experience for the mind and body, finally navigating a passage to the present moment, The Regeneration Itinerary is definitely the band’s most experimental album to date. “The new album can be seen as a synthesis of our entire back catalogue,” suggests frontman Mathias Lillmåns. “But there are new levels of extremity, too, ones that we’ve never reached before. These songs simply demanded harsher vocals. The riffs commanded it, and who am I to disobey?” Hence, you can get to know more about …And Oceans, their new album, tour dates, plans for the future, and support them by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their music on Spotify, and by purchasing their awesome new album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. In the end, those Finnish metallers will keep pushing their own boundaries, experimenting with new sounds and nuances and, therefore, delivering more striking albums like The Regeneration Itinerary in the coming years, proving why they’ve become a reference and a force to be reckoned with in the extreme music scene worldwide.

Best moments of the album: Förnyelse i Tre Akter, The Fire in Which We Burn and Towards the Absence of Light.

Worst moments of the album: I Am Coin, I Am Two.

Released in 2025 Season of Mist

Track listing
1. Inertiae 4:30
2. Förnyelse i Tre Akter 5:07
3. Chromium Lungs, Bronze Optics 4:29
4. The Form and the Formless 3:32
5. Prophetical Mercury Implement 6:57
6. The Fire in Which We Burn 3:04
7. The Ways of Sulphur 4:17
8. I Am Coin, I Am Two 4:25
9. Towards the Absence of Light 4:49
10. The Terminal Filter 5:22

Digibox + Digital Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
11. Copper Blood, Titanium Scars 4:14
12. The Discord Static 3:35

Band members
Mathias Lillmåns – vocals
Teemu Saari – guitar
Timo Kontio – guitar
Pyry Hanski – bass
Antti Simonen – keyboards
Kauko Kuusisalo – drums

Concert Review – Arch Enemy (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, 05/09/2025)

Posted on by
Reply

The classy Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto became a huge circle pit this Friday night in a celebration of pure fuckin’ metal.

OPENING ACTS: Thrown Into Exile, Baest and Fit For An Autopsy

Only two days after absolute chaos and carnage in Toronto, the city was ready for another round of insanely heavy and vibrant music this Friday night, courtesy of THROWN INTO EXILE, BAEST, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and ARCH ENEMY during their North American Blood Dynasty 2025 Tour at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, another ass-kicking event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. This time I was able to arrive to the venue in time to enjoy all bands together with my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, and as expected it was indeed a celebration of pure fuckin’ metal with four fantastic bands that truly deserve our total respect, admiration and support for making the world of Heavy Metal a much better (and heavier) place. The venue selected for this concert was also excellent in my opinion, because not only it is a well structured one, but its location is also very convenient for anyone driving or taking public transportation, making our lives a lot easier and, therefore, saving our energy for the circle pits. And hell yeah, there were plenty of circle pits for our vulgar delectation.

Los Angeles, California-based Metalcore outfit THROWN INTO EXILE kicked off the festivities around 6:30pm, already setting fire to the stage at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with their pounding, unfriendly sounds. I must say the venue was way too empty for Thrown Into Exile, which makes me wonder if most people were still stuck at work, traffic, or some type of appointment, but that didn’t stop Evan, Mario, Austin Monzon, Javier Quinto and Tom Tierney from bringing forth an amazing performance, jumping up and down and headbanging nonstop alongside the crowd. You can check all of their sick creations on Spotify, including their latest EP Passageways (which was the base of their setlist, by the way), and whenever they schedule a show in your city don’t miss the chance of seeing those LA bastards live, because they kick some serious ass.

Setlist
The Forsaken
Caskets Beyond Creation
Desolation
Eternal Nothingness
You’ve Fallen so Far

Band members
Evan – vocals
Mario – guitars
Austin Monzon – guitars
Javier Quinto – bass
Tom Tierney – drums

After the short and sweet display of savagery by Thrown Into Exile, it was time for the also short and sweet explosion of pure heaviness by Denmark’s own Death Metal creature BAEST, who sounded ruthless and brutal onstage just the way we like it in old school Death Metal. Spearheaded by the iconic frontman Simon Olsen, the band nailed it with their infernal performance, with their new songs Colossus and Misfortunate Son, from their upcoming album Colossal (to be released on August 15) sounding amazing live. Furthermore, it was Simon’s birthday that night, which means that not only he got a happy birthday and a cake onstage, but he decided to celebrate it by getting offstage during Necro Sapiens and singing it in the middle of the circle pit, showing how much he loves what he does and his admiration for fans of extreme music. Go check those guys on Spotify because they’re phenomenal, one of the must-see bands in the current Death Metal scene, and I honestly can’t wait to see them again live in Toronto playing a much bigger setlist, pretty please.

Setlist
Genesis
Colossus
Misfortunate Son
Gargoyles
Necro Sapiens

Band members
Simon Olsen – vocals
Lasse Revsbech – guitars
Svend Karlsson – guitars
Mattias Melchiorsen – bass
Sebastian Abildsten – drums

The venue only got truly busier when New Jersey’s cult Deathcore brigade FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY hit the stage for an absolute insane performance, with the circle pits getting so wild to the point a guy right beside me, who was about to enter the circle pit, stopped, looked at me, said “nope, too fast and too dangerous”, turned his back and gave up joining the action. The band spearheaded by the demented Joe Badolato was on fire from start to finish, with songs like Warfare and The Sea of Tragic Beasts, plus the new one Savior of None / Ashes of All, from their 2024 album The Nothing That Is (available on Spotify), inspiring an already packed venue to keep running like maniacs inside the pit. This is the type of show that requires fans who have floor tickets to be extremely fit. Maybe not “fit for an autopsy” per se, but you better work out, do some cardio and so, otherwise the name of the band will make total sense if you’re out of shape and try to venture inside their wicked circle pits.

Setlist
Lower Purpose
Red Horizon
Warfare
Hostage
Pandora
The Sea of Tragic Beasts
Savior of None / Ashes of All
Far From Heaven

Band members
Joe Badolato – lead vocals
Pat Sheridan – guitars, backing vocals
Tim Howley – guitars
Will Putney – guitars
Peter “Blue” Spinazola – bass
Josean Orta – drums

ARCH ENEMY

Ticket prices in Toronto are way too expensive these days, with the exception being the show this Friday, in special when you have as the main attraction of the night the one and only Swedish Melodic Death Metal machine ARCH ENEMY. I’m not joking, it was a very, very cheap concert for the quality of all bands on the bill, and if you’ve never seen Arch Enemy live, well, they’re one of the most professional and electrifying bands you can think of, making every penny invested beyond worth it. Having recently released the excellent Blood Dynasty (also available on Spotify), such an amazing band currently formed of the stunning Alissa White-Gluz on vocals, Michael Amott and Joey Concepcion on the guitars, Sharlee D’Angelo on bass, and Daniel Erlandsson on drums was flawless with their mix of new songs the likes of Dream Stealer and Liars & Thieves, and undisputed classics including Ravenous, My Apocalypse and Dead Bury Their Dead, one of the heaviest songs of the night and, therefore, one of my favorites.

All fans at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre were having a superb time together with Arch Enemy, with the circle pit going absolute mental, plus tons of crowd surfers giving a lot of work to security, while the band kept blasting their slab of melody and brutality. The only song I think could have been replaced in their setlist was Avalanche, but overall it was a near perfect selection of songs, with the closing tune Nemesis making me and several other fans lose our voices screaming. There were some giant balloons at the end of the show that gave it a very festive touch, proving extreme music brings happiness to our hearts, and not the opposite like non-metalheads like to “vomit” out there. Let’s see when the band returns to Canada if they’ll deliver the same amount of energy onstage, or even more, and whenever that happens I’ll certainly be there, because when Michael Amott takes your city by storm with his phenomenal riffs and solos accompanied by his spectacular crew, that’s definitely a no-brainer for anyone who loves good quality music.

Setlist
Deceiver, Deceiver
Ravenous
Dream Stealer
Blood Dynasty
War Eternal
My Apocalypse
A Million Suns
Liars & Thieves
The Eagle Flies Alone
First Day in Hell
Saturnine
As the Pages Burn
Sunset Over the Empire
Dead Bury Their Dead
We Will Rise

Encore:
Avalanche
Nemesis
Fields of Desolation

Band members
Alissa White-Gluz – vocals
Michael Amott – lead guitars, backing vocals
Joey Concepcion – lead guitars, backing vocals
Sharlee D’Angelo – bass
Daniel Erlandsson – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Concert Review – Trivium & Bullet For My Valentine (Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto, Mississauga, ON, 05/04/2025)

Posted on by
Reply

A wild, fun and emotional night of heavy music in celebration of the 20th anniversary of two of the most important albums in the history of Metalcore.

OPENING ACTS: Bleed From Within and August Burns Red

What a wild, fun and emotional night at the fantastic Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto this Sunday, when BLEED FROM WITHIN, AUGUST BURNS RED, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and TRIVIUM attacked us all with their undisputed The Poisoned Ascendancy Tour 2025, celebrating 20 years of the landmark albums The Poison, by Bullet For My Valentine, and Ascendancy, by Trivium. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there from the very first second of the shows, as it’s a much easier drive for me than trying to get to Toronto (which will be a massive headache this Wednesday for Chaos & Carnage, but I’ll leave my rant for the next concert review), and seeing the venue jam packed already before the first band of the night kicked off the festivities was simply awesome, sending us a sign that it was going to be a beyond electrifying event.

Precisely at 6:30pm, Glasgow, Scotland’s own Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore machine BLEED FROM WITHIN started their short but extremely  frantic and furious performance, led by the venomous roars by frontman Scott Kennedy. They only played five songs, two from their excellent latest album Zenith (available on Spotify), those being the opener God Complex and the last song In Place Of Your Halo, and I must say those two were by far their heaviest ones, already igniting some sick mosh pits in the vast but packed floor section. I’m a new-ish fan of the band and I’ll certainly go see them live in Toronto anytime they return to the city, and I guess a lot of people at the casino this Sunday will also be there, because those guys kick some serious ass onstage and deserve to have their own headlining tour in North America in the coming years.

Setlist
God Complex
Levitate
I Am Damnation
The End of All We Know
In Place Of Your Halo

Band members
Scott Kennedy – lead vocals
Steven Jones – guitars, clean vocals
Craig Gowans – guitars
Davie Provan – bass
Ali Richardson – drums

After a quick break (and a delicious Slayer Burger, as those guys had a food truck at the venue just like what happened when Meshuggah played there a few weeks ago), Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Metalcore unit AUGUST BURNS RED began their also heavy and furious concert in a very peculiar way, with a cover version for System Of A Down’s classic Chop Suey!, and that was already enough to inspire all fans to go mental inside the circle pit. Also, although they were not officially celebrating 20 years of their album Thrill Seeker (not playing it in full like BFMV and Trivium with their respective The Poison and Ascendancy), it’s really cool to see the band still alive and kicking decades later with endless energy onstage, and you can stream all of their albums on Spotify it doesn’t matter if your prepping for an upcoming ABR concert, or if you missed their last concert in your city, because they play high quality heavy music and they’re a fantastic band both in the studio and live. And by the way, get ready for A LOT of crowd surfing, because their frontman Jake Luhrs loves that and kept demanding all concert goers to practice such a unique sport during their entire show.

Setlist
Chop Suey!
Paramount
Composure
Defender
Bloodletter
Vengeance
Exhumed
Marianas Trench
White Washed

Band members
Jake Luhrs – lead vocals
John Benjamin “JB” Brubaker – lead guitar
Brent Rambler – rhythm guitar
Dustin Davidson – bass, backing vocals
Matt Greiner – drums, piano

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

After two first-class openers, it was time for one of the headliners of the night to stun us all with their unique blend of Melodic Metalcore. I’m talking about Bridgend, Wales-based icons BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, who put on a very emotional and energetic concert playing in full their biggest classic The Poison (and you can find the regular version and the 20th anniversary one on Spotify, by the way). When I say it was an emotional show for all BFMV fans at the venue, who were singing, screaming, raising their horns, headbanging, slamming into the pit and crowd surfing nonstop together with the band, it’s because if you think about it, most fans are in their 30s and when the album was released they were all teenagers starting to deal with their darkest emotions, with failure, loss and so on, and the music by BFMV truly helped them survive those dark days.

All songs were played to perfection by Matthew “Matt” Tuck (who was sporting a classy Cradle of Filth “The Principle of Evil Made Flesh” shirt, which is really cool as I had no idea he was a fan of Suffolk’s finest metal band of all time), Michael “Padge” Paget, Jamie Mathias and Jason Bowld, driving fans wild to classics the likes of Tears Don’t Fall, Hit the Floor and The Poison. Some fans around me were singing every single word of every single song, showing their utmost love to one of the most influential bands (if not the most) in the history of Metalcore. Their encore with Knives and Waking the Demon, already after The Poison was over, was also insane, and I was impressed with the amount of energy all fans demonstrated during their entire set. They sounded a lot better than when they opened for Megadeth a few years ago, and I’m sure it won’t take long for them to return to Toronto after their striking show this Sunday with another blast of Metalcore for the total delight of their loyal fanbase.

Setlist
The Poison
“The Poison” Intro
Her Voice Resides
4 Words (to Choke Upon)
Tears Don’t Fall
Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)
Hit the Floor
All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)
Hand of Blood
Room 409
The Poison
10 Years Today
Cries in Vain
The End

Encore:
Knives
Waking the Demon

Band members
Matthew “Matt” Tuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Michael “Padge” Paget – lead guitar, backing vocals
Jamie Mathias – bass, backing vocals
Jason Bowld – drums, percussion

TRIVIUM

It was already past 9:45pm when the band I wanted to see the most, Orlando, Florida’s own Thrash/Heavy Metal/Metalcore beast TRIVIUM, transported us all to the world of Ascendancy (and you can also choose between the regular and the special edition of the album on Spotify), delivering sheer heaviness and energy to an avid crowd ready for more action inside the circle pit. The shirtless Matt Heafy, who has so many body tattoos that he doesn’t look shirtless to be honest, alongside Corey Beaulieu (sporting another classy shirt, by Savatage), Paolo Gregoletto (showing his love for Metallica with a “Ride the Lightning” shirt) and Alex Bent were flawless in taking to the stage at the casino the entire Ascendancy, a proper celebration of 20 years of such an influential and awesome album, which of course translated into pure madness among the fans.

Rain, Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr, A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation (my favorite of the night), Like Light to the Flies, Dying in Your Arms, The Deceived, Suffocating Sight and all other songs form the album sounded incredible onstage, plus of course the giant Ascendancy monster in the back giving the whole show an even more professional and cool look. Matt didn’t stop interacting with the fans not even for a single second, making his trademark faces nonstop, jumping up and down with the crowd, kindly requesting some sick mosh pits and walls of death, and showing all his love for Toronto. Furthermore, the encore with Capsizing the Sea and In Waves was monumental, with the entire venue screaming and jumping like maniacs together with Trivium. It was simply beautiful. Were we better or louder than Montreal? I honestly have no idea, but oh boy, we were LOUD, and I guess that was more than enough to inspire the band to return to the city in a not-so-distant future. Needless to say, I’ll be there for more Trivium insanity.

Setlist
Ascendancy
The End of Everything
Rain
Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
Drowned and Torn Asunder
Ascendancy
Drum Solo
A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation
Like Light to the Flies
Dying in Your Arms
The Deceived
Suffocating Sight
Departure
Declaration

Encore:
Capsizing the Sea
In Waves

Band members
Matt Heafy – lead vocals, guitar
Corey Beaulieu – guitar, backing vocals
Paolo Gregoletto – bass guitar, backing vocals
Alex Bent – drums, percussion

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Wurmian / Immemorial Shrine (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Enter the shrine of first-class Melodic Death and Doom Metal crafted by this one-man project from France, and let the echoes from his debut album guide you on a brooding and immersive journey through sorrow, introspection, and existential desolation.

Founded in 2024 by Antoine Scholtès, the mastermind behind Atmospheric Black Metal project Inherits The Void, Clermont-Ferrand, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France-based act Wurmian emerges with a mission to resurrect the essence of classic Melodic Death and Doom Metal. Drawing inspiration from the melancholic and introspective tones of bands like October Tide, Horrified, and Edge of Sanity, the project’s debut offering, titled Immemorial Shrine, embraces the duality of soaring melodies and crushing heaviness. Mastered by Simon Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio, and displaying a classic logo by Dipayandas Art and a stunning, doomed artwork by Silvana Massa, Immemorial Shrine is a somber odyssey into solitude and decay, a brooding and immersive journey through sorrow, introspection, and existential desolation, turning it into a compelling listen for fans of both classic and modern death and doom.

Antoine begins embellishing the airwaves with his melodious guitar lines in Aeon Afterglows, reminding me of both old school and contemporary Paradise Lost with a harsher twist; whereas in the title-track Immemorial Shrine he showcases all his passion for Black and Death Metal without forgetting to add a good share of Doom and Gothic Metal to his sound, and the final result is simply beautiful. His Melodic Doom Metal attack goes on in Haven, with his guttural vocals and pounding drums being perfect for some sick headbanging, and our lone wolf speeds things up in Spires of Sorrow, offering a rawer, more direct Death Metal attack led by his classic beats and fills. Then back to a more pensive, melancholic sonority, Antoine roars with tons of anguish in Yearning Unseen, also delivering piercing, sharp riffs, followed by Sleeping Giants, another stunning composition by this multi-talented French musician that overflows Atmospheric Black and Death Metal for our total delight. And the closing song of the album, The Everflowing Stream, is another lecture in Doom Metal, with Antoine enhancing the acidity of his riffs and the depth of his Stygian roars for our vulgar delectation.

In the end, prepare to embark on a melancholic odyssey that echoes the spirit of the 90’s Death and Doom Metal while forging a path into the present in Immemorial Shrine, already available in full on YouTube and on Spotify. Hence, don’t forget to follow the project on Facebook and on Instagram for news, and maybe some live performances in the future in case Antoine assembles a live band for his shows, and above all, to purchase  Immemorial Shrine from  Wurmian’s own BandCamp or from the Pest Records’ BandCamp, or simply by clicking HERE. After all is said and done, simply enter the shrine of first-class Melodic Death and Doom Metal crafted by Wurmian. Let the echoes guide you.

Best moments of the album: Immemorial Shrine, Haven and Sleeping Giants.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Pest Records

Track listing
1. Aeon Afterglows 4:55
2. Immemorial Shrine 4:54
3. Haven 6:33
4. Spires of Sorrow 4:36
5. Yearning Unseen 5:27
6. Sleeping Giants 5:21
7. The Everflowing Stream 7:19

Band members
Antoine Scholtès – vocals, all instruments

Album Review – Serenity in Murder / Timeless Reverie (2025)

Posted on by
1

Japan’s own Melodic Death Metal beast returns with their stunning fifth opus, exploring the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

Having carved their place in the Melodic Death Metal scene worldwide for almost 15 years, Tokyo, Japan-based Symphonic/Melodic Black/Death Metal outfit Serenity In Murder continues to push boundaries in 2025 with their latest masterpiece, entitled Timeless Reverie, their fifth studio album and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2021 opus Reborn, further refining their signature blend of raw aggression and symphonic beauty. Navigating a dark and emotional landscape, taking listeners on a journey through themes of time, destiny, inner turmoil and personal revolution, the new album by frontwoman Ayumu, guitarists Freddy and Ryuji, bassist Yu-ri and drummer Allen seamlessly weaves complex melodies, atmospheric symphonic elements, and crushing heaviness, exploring the fragility of life, the complexities of human emotions and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

The band needs less than two seconds to already crush our souls in God Forsaken, as imposing, complex and heavy as it can be, led by the masterful drumming by Allen while all symphonic elements take its epicness to a whole new level; flowing into the also melodic yet visceral Matrix, reminding me of the sounds blasted by Soilwork, Children of Bodom and In Flames but with the band’s own technical Japanese twist. Freddy and Ryuji are on fire in Blue Roses Gracefully Fall, blasting sheer electricity through their lancinating riffs while once again the background orchestrations sound majestic, and it’s pedal to the metal in the melodeath feast entitled And the World Awake, where their guitars transpire heaviness supported by the rumbling kitchen by Yu-ri and Allen. Allen keeps hammering his drums nonstop in Never Defiled, while Ayumu roars and gnarls like a true she-demon for our total delight.

A Dance of Sorrow lives up to the legacy of Scandinavian Melodic Death Metal, with Ayumu once again stealing the spotlight with her piercing screams, whereas the band sets fire to the atmosphere in The Flames Ablaze, where the riffs and solos by Freddy and Ryuji will electrify your mind in great fashion. Revolt definitely sounds more modern than its predecessors, yet still raw and violent, with its vocal lines alternating between Melodic Death Metal and Metalcore, followed by the serene interlude Past: Timeless Reverie, bringing peace to our hearts before their new version of the song Noticed This Is the Betrayal, originally released in the 2015 album The Highest of Dystopia, sounding sharp and infuriated just the way we like it in melodeath, with Ayumu bursting her lungs by barking rabidly until the very end. Lastly, we have Hope: Timeless Reverie, a lengthy outro that despite sounding detailed and cinematic, takes away a tiny bit of the album’s punch due to its duration. It might have worked better if shorter or if it had vocals, but nothing to worry about as it’s still a good song.

After all is said and done, Timeless Reverie, which is by the way available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, showcases a band at the peak of their creativity and form, hopefully expanding their reach beyond their homeland and letting them spread their wings over other parts of the world like North America and Europe. Timeless Reverie is undoubtedly one of the precious gems of heavy music in 2025, and if you want to know more about the band and their music, you can find them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, and of course purchase a copy from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. The paradox between light and darkness (and no, I’m not talking about “Olbers’ paradox” in astronomy) seems to be a constant in heavy music, but few bands are capable of translating it into first-class, captivating music like what Serenity In Murder has to offer in their new album, turning it into a must-listen for anyone, and I mean anyone, who enjoys good music anywhere in the world.

Best moments of the album: God Forsaken, And the World Awake, Never Defiled and The Flames Ablaze.

Worst moments of the album: Hope: Timeless Reverie.

Released in 2025 Apostasy Records

Track listing
1. God Forsaken 4:13
2. Matrix 3:46
3. Blue Roses Gracefully Fall 4:08
4. And the World Awake 3:34
5. Never Defiled 4:40
6. A Dance of Sorrow 3:48
7. The Flames Ablaze 3:06
8. Revolt 3:18
9. Past: Timeless Reverie 1:25
10. Noticed This Is the Betrayal 3:28
11. Hope: Timeless Reverie 6:04

Band members
Ayumu – vocals
Freddy – guitars, clean vocals
Ryuji – guitars
Yu-ri – bass
Allen – drums

Album Review – Damon Systema / Ate (2025)

Posted on by
Reply

Behold the debut offering by this Hellenic Melodic Dark Metal beast, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek cycle of Hybris, Ate, Nemesis, and Tisis.

A Melodic Dark Metal band formed in 2009 in Athens, Greece by guitarist Akis Pastras, but that remained dormant until 2020, Damon Systema are unleashing upon humanity their first ever sonic offering, simply titled Ate. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Akis Pastras at 3rDi Lab-Station, mastered by George Nerantzis, and displaying a stunning artwork by Okim Tulal, the debut album by Ruby Bouziotis and Nick Vlachakis on vocals, Akis Pastras on the guitars and bass, and The Goat on drums offers a striking fusion of Progressive Death, Doom and Heavy Metal, drawing inspiration from the ancient Greek cycle of Hybris, Ate, Nemesis, and Tisis, exploring the timeless themes of pride, calamity, divine punishment, and ultimate reckoning, being highly recommended for fans of The Agonist, Arch Enemy, Aephanemer, Aversed, and Dark Oath, among others.

The sinister guitars lines by Akis kick off the eight minute extravaganza titled Moirae, a song about the inescapable grip of destiny, with the harsh roars by Nick creating a visceral paradox with Ruby’s hypnotizing clean vocals. Then The Goat takes the lead with his pounding drums in Lady Discordia, an incendiary, headbanging metal feast mirroring the strife and turmoil sown by the goddess of discord, where Ruby shines once again with her striking vocals; followed by Harvest of Tears, which channels the lament of Aeschylus’ The Persians, with devastating crescendos capturing the weight of loss and where once again Akis slashes his stringed axe in great fashion, offering a flammable fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Doom and Gothic Metal elements.

Akis then brings the groove armed with his bass in the title-track Ate, embodying the blinding madness inflicted by the goddess herself, flowing smoothly until its dark and piercing finale. Ruby then presents her deepest, most penetrating vocal lines in Adrasteia, an epic journey into Nemesis’ unyielding grip, supported by the massive beats by The Goat and a razor-edged guitar solo by Akis, before all comes to an end with Poenas Dare, delivering the crushing reckoning of Tisis, a punishing yet cathartic conclusion that resonates with the eternal struggle for atonement. Musically speaking, it’s the perfect Melodic Dark Metal tune to conclude the album, with the entire band sounding tight and on fire, with Nick screaming with tons of anger and hatred in his blackened heart, being complemented by another mesmerizing performance by Ruby while Akis continues to deliver sheer adrenaline through his riffs.

In summary, brace yourself for an odyssey of crushing riffs, haunting melodies, and timeless allegory in Ate, bridging the ancient and the modern, the mythological and the visceral, creating a sonic experience that lingers long after the final note fades. Those amazing Greek musicians are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more of their fusion of extreme music and Greek mythology, and you can grab your copy of the excellent Ate from the Theogonia Records’ webstore or BandCamp. Or in other words, simply face your inner calamity, embrace Ate, and let the powerful music by another fantastic Hellenic metal band penetrate deep inside your darkened soul.

Best moments of the album: Lady Discordia, Ate and Poenas Dare.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Theogonia Records

Track listing
1. Moirae 8:16
2. Lady Discordia 6:25
3. Harvest of Tears 6:55
4. Ate 7:14
5. Adrasteia 8:22
6. Poenas Dare 7:25

Band members
Ruby Bouziotis – vocals
Nick Vlachakis – vocals
Akis Pastras – guitars, bass
The Goat – drums

Concert Review – Warbringer & Allegaeon (The Garrison, Toronto, ON, 03/31/2025)

Posted on by
Reply

The unstoppable Allegaeon and Warbringer joined forces to take the city of Toronto by storm in another breathtaking night of the best of the underground.

OPENING ACTS: Summoning the Lich and Skeletal Remains

Only two days after the humongous metal attack by Meshuggah, Cannibal Corpse and Carcass, it was time to pay a visit to The Garrison on a Monday night for a wild feast of the best of the underground with the bands SUMMONING THE LICH, SKELETAL REMAINS, ALLEGAEON and WARBRINGER during their The Vortex Of Violence Tour 2025, another awesome event brought to Toronto by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Any concert on a Monday night doesn’t have the same appeal as a weekend concert at a casino, of course, but that doesn’t mean that the four bands on the bill didn’t kick some serious ass, proving why they’re the future of extreme music worldwide. And as weird as this might sound, getting to Toronto on a Monday night is actually easier than on any other day of the week, maybe because it’s not a chosen day for entertainment or because a lot of people take the day off or simply work from home, making traffic a lot more manageable than usual. I was very excited to see all bands live for the first time, in special Allegaeon, one of the best bands of the current scene, and I wasn’t disappointed at all with their performances; quite the contrary, I’m more than happy I decided to spend a cold Monday night in Toronto enjoying their undisputed heavy music. Furthermore, Keith couldn’t make it to the show, unfortunately, but our friend Afrida Nawar was more than happy to help us with the photos this time (soon to be added to this review, I promise!).

The doors at the venue opened at 6:30pm, and just 30 minutes after that the first attraction of the night, St. Louis, Missouri-based Melodic Death Metal/Deathcore act SUMMONING THE LICH, kicked off the festivities with a beyond energetic and vibrant performance according to some friends already at the venue (as I had to miss them due to a private appointment). Having recently released the album Under the Reviled Throne, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band set the stage at The Garrison on fire, and if some brutality in the form of music is your cup of tea, you must listen to this band and go see them live. Well, next time they come to Toronto, I’ll try my best to be there in time to witness their visceral performance.

Setlist
My Horrors Unending
Descend
Demon of the Snow
The Nightmare Begins
Return to the Soil
Reviled Crystal Wielders
The Forest Feast

Band members
David Bruno – vocals
Muck – guitars
Ryan Felps – guitars
John Flynn – bass
TJ Chilton – drums

I made it to the venue with plenty of time to see the performance by California’s own Death Metal horde SKELETAL REMAINS; however, their vocalist Chris Monroy didn’t. Apparently he wasn’t allowed to cross the US-Canada border for a reason beyond my knowledge, and what we got from the other three band members was a feast of instrumental Death Metal that despite sounding a bit weird without the vocal parts, was also totally devastating. Playing songs from their latest opus Fragments of the Ageless, available on Spotify or any other streaming platform, plus of course some of their older material, the trio put on their hearts and souls into their concert, doing everything they could to entertain us even without their vocalist, and in the end they got a huge positive reaction from fans who recognized all their effort and passion for heavy music. The show must go on, and Skeletal Remains did exactly that.

Setlist
Void of Despair
Beyond Cremation
Relentless Appetite
To Conquer the Devout
Devouring Mortality
…Evocation (The Rebirth)
Unmerciful

Band members
Chris Monroy – vocals, guitars*
Mike De La O – guitars
Brian Rush – bass
Pierce Williams – drums

*Chris couldn’t make it to the show in Toronto as he had his entry in Canada denied.

ALLEGAEON

It was getting close to 9pm when the band I wanted to see the most hit the stage for a flawless performance, proving why they’re the best band in the world to mix Melodic and Technical Death Metal in a beyond exciting manner. I’m talking about Fort Collins, Colorado-based outfit ALLEGAEON, who were simply demolishing with their blend of dexterity, violence and heaviness, spearheaded by their returning charismatic frontman Ezra Haynes. Their concert was phenomenal, and I think they deserved to have played at a bigger venue like Lee’s Palace or even The Opera House, but of course they made sure their performance was memorable even with the limited space onstage. Blending old school material with two songs of their brand new album album The Ossuary Lens (available on BandCamp and on Spotify), those being The Swarm (the best song of the night in my humble opinion) and Driftwood, the band sounded tight, ruthless and electrifying from start to finish, and again I hope they get a bigger venue next time they headline a concert in Toronto, because their music demands more space, as well as a bigger audience to go wild inside the circle pit while they shred like there’s no tomorrow.

Setlist
All Hail Science
The God Particle
To Carry My Grief Through Torpor and Silence
The Swarm
Terrathaw and the Quake
Driftwood
Dyson Sphere
Of Beasts and Worms
Proponent for Sentience III – The Extermination
Parthenogenesis
1.618
Behold (God I Am)

Band members
Ezra Haynes – vocals
Greg Burgess – guitars
Michael Stancel – guitars, backing vocals
Brandon Michael – bass, backing vocals
Jeff Saltzman – drums

WARBRINGER

And last but definitely not least, it was already past 10pm when Ventura, California-based Thrash Metal brigade WARBRINGER brought total war to the stage with one of the most electrifying, visceral and fun performances of the year in the city. All of their songs sounded amazing, in special the new metal hymn The Sword And The Cross, from their brand new album Wrath and Ruin (already available on BandCamp and on Spotify), with their lunatic frontman John Kevill even yielding a sword onstage (although he was missing the cross, right?), and of course the hard hitting Total War, which closed their show on a high note. The circle pits were insane, the crowd surfing was pure madness, and the band was having an amazing time to the point even John himself went crowd surfing and played a little “jungle gym” with the venue’s lighting equipment attached to the roof, leaving all concert goers absolutely happy and ready for more Warbringer in a not-so-distant future. Again, hopefully at a bigger venue, because just as Allegaeon, Warbringer are undoubtedly one of the best bands of the current metal scene worldwide.

Setlist
Severed Reality
A Better World
The Black Hand Reaches Out
Woe to the Vanquished
Crushed Beneath the Tracks
Firepower Kills
The Sword And The Cross
Through a Glass, Darkly
Hunter-Seeker
Remain Violent

Encore:
Total War

Band members
John Kevill – vocals
Adam Carroll – guitars
Chase Becker – guitars
Chase Bryant – bass
Carlos Cruz – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Vermilia

Posted on by
Reply

Vastaan kulkee kuu kasvot kutsuen…

Miten teillä menee, rakkaat metallipäät? If you have no idea what this means, maybe we could ask our metal lady of the month of April here on The Headbanging Moose to help us with the translation, as not only it’s in her mother tongue, but she also uses this language in one hundred percent of her lyrics. Not only that, she’s more than just a singer, being responsible for all instruments in her one-woman Black Metal project. Owner of a mesmerizing voice, she will stun us all with her undisputed fusion of Pagan Black Metal with Nordic and Scandinavian melodies, offering us all beautiful lyrics in the form of poems about life, death and nature in her native language. Her name is Julia Mattila, usually referred to as her alter-ego Vermilia, a very creative woman and a free soul from the land of ice and snow who has a vision and a deep passion for music inside her head, always ready to let everything out in the form of her unique sounds.

Born and raised in Hämeenlinna, a city in Finland and the regional capital of Kanta-Häme, located in the southern interior of the country and on the shores of Lake Vanajavesi, Vermilia has been crafting music basically since she was born, having done everything from classical music to folk singing to metal and everything between that. She grew up in a very musical family, which means making music has always been very natural to her. Moreover, she is also an audio engineer, always listening to different genres to find new ideas for her own sound and production, therefore keeping her music as fresh and unique as possible with each album released.

Her one-woman project Vermilia was founded back in 2017, blending Pagan Black Metal with Scandinavian and Nordic melodies, clean, harsh and melancholic vocal harmonies, and lyrics in the form of poems about life, death and nature, always singing in her mother tongue Finnish, and always responsible for not only all vocal duties (including some amazing harsh growls), but also for all instruments (including even shaman drums), graphics and videos, recording, producing, mixing and mastering of all of her albums, plus all the artworks and photography. Shortly after forming Vermilia, she released her debut album Kätkyt (which means “cradle” in English), in 2018, which ended up being one of the most best selling metal albums on BandCamp during the weekend of its pre-release announcement, receiving a huge amount of praise from a variety of critics, magazines and webzines, and of course from fans from all over the world.

Right after the enormous success of Kätkyt, she released on March 1, 2019 her cover version for a Finnish classic song called Täällä Pohjantähden Alla, originally released by Petri Laaksonen in 1994 (and you can check the original version HERE). Vermilia’s atmospheric version became a huge success on Spotify, jumping straight to number #1 of the most viral songs in Finland on the official Spotify charts. After such a wild feedback from music lovers from all four corners of the earth, it was more than natural for Vermilia to keep her momentum going with the 2020 four-track EP Keskeneräisiä Tarinoita, which translates as “unfinished stories”, also getting tons of positive feedback from all types of metal and non-metal fans.

Then after reaching almost two million streams on Spotify, it was time for Vermilia to unleash upon humanity her highly anticipated sophomore opus, entitled Ruska, or “autumn foliage”, the process of leaves turning to various shades of yellow, orange, red and brown as the trees get ready for winter. The evolution in her music was beyond clear in Ruska, with her always evolving blend of Atmospheric, Pagan and Black Metal getting more personal, tighter and more compelling, culminating now in 2025 with the release of her strongest album to date, the breathtaking Karsikko, an expression that represents a set of markings made on a tree somewhere between a deceased person’s home and the burial site in the Finnic religion, which was believed to prevent the individual’s spirit from coming back. Her visuals are also a crucial part of her music, and you can savor that in all of her official videos on YouTube, including Veresi, Kansojen Kaipuu, Marras, Tuonen Joki, Hautavajo, Ruska, Hauras, Kuollut, Kaunis, and Äiti Maa. All of them are definitely worth a watch, and all of her albums are certainly worth purchasing from BandCamp, and you can also click HERE for all things Vermilia, including her mesmerizing live performances.

Apart from Vermilia, you can find our she-wolf (under her name Julia Mattila) as part of the bands Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä and Seele, and as the vocalist for a now defunct project named The Passion of Our Souls. As a matter of fact, Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä and The Passion of Our Souls are basically the same band, with the main difference being the type of music they play. In Duo Julia Mattila & Samuli T. Mäkelä, it looks like Julia and Samuli play (or used to play, who knows) cover songs in a sort of folk style, while in The Passion of Our Souls the style was a fusion of Melodic Death Metal with Metalcore with nuances of symphonic and gothic music, having released back in 2015 their first and only record, the EP Soulmates, as you can see in the song Give Me Your Soul.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Her other band, named Seele, is an Alternative Rock/Electronic Pop band from Finland with whom Vermilia released the album Jos Vain Kaiken Jättäisin (which means “If Only I Left Everything” in English), in 2016, but that was it. Furthermore, you can also find her doing backing vocals on the song Peikonmieli, from the 2017 album Saatto, and vocals on the song Ikarus, from the 2019 album Valo, both released by the now defunct Finnish Melodic Black/Gothic Metal band Mustan Kuun Lapset, another band from Finland that always used their mother tongue to keep their connection to their roots intact and always present in their music.

In regards to Vermilia’s idols and influences, she always mentions in her interviews that her biggest inspirations are nature, sadness, darkness, autumn rain and mythology. “Everything I compose or write happens without bigger plans. I just let the creativity fly and move forward with the feelings I have in that moment,” she commented, complementing by saying that musically speaking she’s influenced by Atmospheric and Pagan Black Metal, as well as by folk music, which in her opinion represents freedom of art and freedom of mind. Furthermore, although her music is sometimes compared to Myrkur, Ulver and Moonsorrow, all bands she respects and admires, she mentioned she still thinks that their music is different from Vermilia, saying that any similarities might come from her subconscious or something like that.

As mentioned before, Vermilia is a skilled singer who can do both clean and harsh vocals, and she commented already in an interview how much her vocals have evolved with time. “I have studied different vocal techniques, which has helped me find all my voices. I love using my voice in many ways, and it’s my favourite instrument.” On a side note, when playing live of course she ends up needing support from other musicians to be able to bring her creations to life. “I do every single vocal by myself. There is no other vocalists on the album. But for example in the live shows I can’t do all at the same time, so there needs to be some compromises, like someone to double the growls in some parts of the songs when I do the clean vocals.” Furthermore, she also has a very good explanation for singing pretty much all the time in Finnish. “The Finnish language is very rich and there are so many metaphors in my lyrics that it’s kind of hard to translate these songs. I have done some lyrics in English in the past before Vermilia, but I am a so much better writer in Finnish so at this point I will keep doing this in Finnish because it fits perfectly to this, but you know, never say never.”

Vermilia also has a strong opinion about all the discrimination and disrespect towards women, both in the music industry and in everyday life. “I think we are going in a better direction, but we are still very far away from a solution for this.” In addition, she also thinks the new wave of women in Black Metal and other styles of extreme music is awesome, showing a lot of respect for bands like Myrkur and Sylvaine. “I think it is awesome that women are rising and doing their own music in their own way.” And of course, as she was born in Finland, a country considered by many as the epicenter of the best heavy music on the planet, she had some nice words to say about her homeland. “I love Finnish music in many genres, not just metal. I guess it’s so cold and dark here that we have to be creative and keep our brains warm by doing metal. For me Finland is a calming place where my mind is clear and my soul is resting. We have so many forests and lakes that you really don’t have to see other people if you don’t want to. Peace of nature is inspirational. I love to write and compose here.”

There are also countless interviews and videos online with Vermilia, like this nice one for a podcast from Latvia named Metālkāsts LV, where she talks about why she decided to fly solo in her career, her songwriting ritual, the importance of writing and singing in her native Finnish language, her favorite season of the year, and more, showing she’s not just a very talented musician, but also a very down to earth woman who will keep working hard and releasing new albums for our total delight, always following her passion for music, always inspired by nature, and always remaining true to her Finnish roots. And do you know her motto? Well, that’s a very simple yet powerful one that all of us should carry inside our hearts. “Be thankful for what you have right now, and don’t take anything for granted.”

Vermilia’s Official Facebook page
Vermilia’s Official Instagram
Vermilia’s Official YouTube channel

“I love Finnish music in many genres, not just metal. I guess it’s so cold and dark here that we have to be creative and keep our brains warm by doing metal. For me Finland is a calming place where my mind is clear and my soul is resting. We have so many forests and lakes that you really don’t have to see other people if you don’t want to. Peace of nature is inspirational. I love to write and compose here.” – Vermilia

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

OPENING ACTS: Carcass and Cannibal Corpse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MESHUGGAH

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

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

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

Encore:
Bleed
Demiurge
Boombastic (Shaggy song)

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Allegaeon / The Ossuary Lens (2025)

Posted on by
2

World domination awaits to the sound of the striking new beast by one of the must-see bands of the current Technical and Melodic Death Metal scene worldwide.

Never allowing themselves to stagnate, preferring to thrive on chaos, change and evolution, Fort Collins, Colorado-based Technical/Melodic Death Metal beast Allegaeon is back with their seventh studio opus, entitled The Ossuary Lens, the follow-up to their 2022 album Damnum, and their first with original vocalist Ezra Haynes since his 2015 departure following the Elements of the Infinite album. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered once again by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio, the new album by the aforementioned Ezra Haynes on vocals, Greg Burgess and Michael Stancel on the guitars, Brandon Michael on bass, and Jeff Saltzman on drums might not be a concept album in the traditional sense, but there is an overarching theme to it, a representation of several different viewpoints of death, with its science-based lyrics sounding as challenging as the progressive musicianship, resulting in a set of songs that simply slay.

A serene, melancholic intro titled Refraction sets the tone for the reinvigorated Allegaeon to attack like a demented beast in Chaos Theory, where Ezra returns in full force to the band armed with his demonic roars while Jeff also showcases all his technique and rage behind his drums. In Driftwood the band blasts dark, violent words (“Blindsided, in a shell of silence, alone / Decided, motive breach the eyelids, then sewn / Reminded, death walks beside us, inside us / In hindsight it was the path of a nihilist and pawn”) amidst a beyond Progressive Death Metal sound; followed by the epic and imposing Dies Irae, with all background elements matching perfectly with the visceral riffage by Greg and Michael in an overdose of Melodic Death Metal. And The Swarm is a beautiful and violent depiction of the band’s core essence, with the inhumane screams by Ezra being boosted by the thunderous bass and drums by Brandon and Jeff.

If the first five songs of the album were an overdose of aggression, their technical and rabid feast continues majestically with Carried by Delusion, with Jeff once again stealing the spotlight with his unstoppable beats and fills. Then featuring guest acoustic guitars by world renowned musician Adrian Bellue, who brings an extra touch of finesse to the band’s demented sounds, we have Dark Matter Dynamics, where Greg and Michael’s shredding riffs and solos are a thing of beauty; and the band speeds things up considerably while letting their Technical Death Metal vein arise in Imperial, led by the melodic yet piercing guitars by Greg and Michael. Wake Circling Above is a seven-minute song that starts in a more introspective manner with a Stygian background atmosphere before evolving into a complex display of Technical and Melodic Death Metal, where Ezra screams manically to the caustic riffs, bass lines and beats by his bandmates; and lastly, the closing tune, entitled Scythe, is another sonic beast, an epic, climatic composition where Jeff’s thunderous beats are nicely complemented by the song’s Stygian ambience.

“I think in the beginning we were a little more stripped down,” commented guitarist Greg Burgess. “Very guitar-forward, focused melodeath. Over time, I think more technical, symphonic and progressive elements creeped in. Finally, where we are today is all of that combined, added with more ambient elements.” In summary, The Ossuary Lens is an accomplished album that sees a rejuvenated band at the peak of its powers, and you can enjoy their undisputed dexterity and passion for heavy music by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, by streaming their solid discography on Spotify, and by purchasing their excellent new opus from BandCamp or from Metal Blade Records by clicking HERE or HERE. In the end, world domination awaits to the sound of the newborn spawn by Allegaeon, one of the must-see bands of the current scene, always ready to kick our asses and melt our faces with their first-class, undisputed “melotech”.

Best moments of the album: Dies Irae, The Swarm, Dark Matter Dynamics and Wake Circling Above.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Metal Blade Records

Track listing
1. Refraction 0:59
2. Chaos Theory 4:32
3. Driftwood 4:28
4. Dies Irae 3:48
5. The Swarm 3:28
6. Carried by Delusion 4:49
7. Dark Matter Dynamics 6:03
8. Imperial 4:08
9. Wake Circling Above 6:55
10. Scythe 5:40

Band members
Ezra Haynes – vocals
Greg Burgess – guitars
Michael Stancel – guitars, backing vocals
Brandon Michael – bass, backing vocals
Jeff Saltzman – drums

Guest musician
Adrian Bellue – acoustic guitar on “Dark Matter Dynamics”