Album Review – Phenomy / Phantasmagoria (2025)

This unrelenting Lebanese outfit is back with their their distinctive fusion of Melodic Thrash, Groove, and Heavy Metal in their fourth studio album.

Formed in 2014 in Beirut, Lebanon, the unrelenting Thrash Metal squad known as Phenomy is ready to kill armed with their their distinctive fusion of Melodic Thrash, Groove, and Heavy Metal in their new offering, titled Phantasmagoria, the fourth studio album in their career, and the follow-up to their 2022 opus Syndicate of Pain. Produced, mixed and mastered by Jaroslav Celujko and Loïc El Haddad at Jaro Sound, recorded at Ontune Studio (vocals and bass), at Grotesque Productions (guitars), and at Sound Pressure Studios (drums), and displaying a modern yet dark artwork by Stefan Koidl, the new album by vocalist and guitarist Sam Felfy, guitarist Loïc El Haddad, bassist Peter Aoun, and drummer Rudy Bejjani sees the band take a solid step further in their career, positioning them as a driving force hailing from the Lebanese metal community.

The cinematic intro Prologue invites us to Phenomy’s dark and venomous realm in Hush, where they put the pedal to the metal and fire a striking fusion of Melodic Death, Thrash and Groove Metal led by the thunderous drums by Rudy. Then the bass by Peter sounds utterly metallic in Sins Of The Father, featuring vocalists Ricardo A. Haila and Léa Wardini, while Loïc keeps firing his trademark thrashing riffs. Shellshock Paradise starts in a melancholic vibe before evolving into a dark ballad by the band led by Sam’s deep, anguished vocals, whereas Gambit brings hints of the music from their homeland mixed with traditional Groove Metal, with the riffs and solos by Sam and Loïc exhaling passion. Then in Mad Man’s Waltz they tried to sound too much like Avatar, but the final result is not compelling nor vibrant at all.

Back to a much heavier, more exciting sound we face Swallow The Fear, with their riffs and beats walking hand in hand with the Machine Head-like vocals by Sam, and it’s time to jump up and down with the quartet in the Groove Metal extravaganza Sacrilège, once again showcasing nuances of the music form their own country, in special in its riffs. Phantasmagoria is another song with a cryptic intro that evolves into a progressive version of their Groove Metal, all embraced by Rudy’s classic drumming, followed by the seven-minute instrumental piece A Dream Within A Dream, and although I’m not a big fan of long instrumental songs, this one is quite entertaining. There’s still time for the sinister interlude Abel and The Frail, where the serene vocals by Sam warm up our hearts and souls before I, Witness concludes the album on a high and violent mode, undoubtedly the most thrilling song of all, with Sam’s guttural matching perfectly with the hurricane of sounds blasted by Loïc, Peter and Rudy.

Exploring themes ranging from personal struggles to societal and existential conflicts, Phenomy are on absolute fire throughout their newborn spawn, bringing their trademark heaviness, groove and melodic sounds to our avid ears in great fashion. Hence, you can get to know more about those talented metallers by following them on Facebook and on Instagram, including their live performances, stream all of their albums on any available platform such as Spotify, and of course grab a copy of the album from the Art Gates Records webstore as a CD + shirt bundle or as a CD + shirt + hoodie bundle or you can also click HERE. Phantasmagoria is undoubtedly the band’s strongest effort to date, and based on the quality of the music found in it I believe it won’t take long for such an excellent band to strike us once again with an incendiary album number five.

Best moments of the album: Sins Of The Father, Swallow The Fear and I, Witness.

Worst moments of the album: Mad Man’s Waltz.

Released in 2025 Art Gates Records

Track listing
1. Prologue 1:12
2. Hush 3:23
3. Sins Of The Father 4:20
4. Shellshock Paradise 4:57
5. Gambit 7:18
6. Mad Man’s Waltz 3:28
7. Swallow The Fear 4:42
8. Sacrilège 3:54
9. Phantasmagoria 4:46
10. A Dream Within A Dream 7:11
11. Abel and The Frail 3:55
12. I, Witness 4:35

Band members
Sam Felfy – vocals, guitar
Loïc El Haddad – guitar
Peter Aoun – bass
Rudy Bejjani – drums

Guest musicians
Ricardo A. Haila – vocals on “Sins Of The Father”
Léa Wardini – vocals on “Sins Of The Father”

Metal Chick of the Month – Luciana Catananti

Demons from the war now lives… Rain down explosions upon us… Terror in the air!

As we’re heading to the end of another hot and humid summer, let’s keep the temperatures as warm as possible with our metal lady of this month of September, and you better be prepared as she will breathe fire into your damned soul with her scorching guttural. She’s the unrelenting frontwoman for an amazing Italian Technical Death Metal band named Mechanical God Creation, and since mid-2024 she has also become a vocalist for a ruthless Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow. As you can see, she takes no prisoners in her quest for extreme music, and I’m sure you’ll have an absolute blast listening to the amazing music crafted by her bands. Her name is Luciana Catananti, a talented she-wolf that will kick your ass mercilessly, keeping the fires of Death and Black Metal burning brighter than a thousand suns in her beautiful homeland.

Born on May 2, 1985 in Bergamo, an Italian city northeast of Milan, in the Lombardy region, Luciana was part of a band named Art of Mutilation when she lived in the UK, and also a member of a band called The Anger back then, but there isn’t much information about The Anger anywhere. Well, at least we know that Art of Mutilation was a Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band based in Birkenhead, England in its early days, then moving to Wrexham, Wales, and the band lasted between 2002 and 2011 before splitting up. Luciana was only part of the band in the year of 2005, having recorded with them the demo Mortality that same year. The demo had only three songs, those being Eviscerated, Blackened Sculpture, and Cabal, and as you can see by the only two songs available on YouTube, Luciana and the boys were a really promising band (which unfortunately is no more), and her vocals were already ruthless.

It was then in 2006 in the charming Italian city of Milan when Luciana founded Mechanical God Creation alongside guitarist Simo, and quickly adding bassist Andrea “Veon” Marini, guitarist Andrea “Runza” Galdi, and drummer Mattia Jay “Jambra” Giambini to their lineup; however, as all four already left the band after a few years, she remains as the only member of the original lineup. Their music also morphed from Melodic Death Metal the likes of Arch Enemy in their early days, hence the name of the band (taken from their 2005 masterpiece Doomsday Machine), to a more visceral, brutal and infernal form of Technical Death Metal, even adding hints of modern-day Death Metal and Progressive Death Metal to their core sound, as you can se in the evolution of their music from their 2007 demo …and the Battle Becomes War, to their 2010 debut Cell XIII, followed by their 2013 sophomore Artifact of Annihilation, and finally their 2019 album The New Chapter, all available for streaming in most streaming services like BandCamp, YouTube and Spotify, except for their demo, and you can also enjoy a lot of official videos like Terror In The Air and I Am The Godless Man, and lots of cool live footage including Walking Dead live in Russia in 2014, on their official YouTube channel.

Although Mechanical God Creation haven’t released any new material since 2019, we can also enjoy our dauntless growler as the new frontwoman for an Italian Black Metal band named Stormcrow since July 2024, under the moniker Vexa (maybe taken from a half-troll from Dungeons & Dragons, who knows). Playing what they like to label as “Alpine Black Metal”, the band currently formed of our beloved Luciana, or if you prefer, Vexa on vocals alongside Vastis also on vocals, Astaroth and Tohrus on the guitars, Zedar on bass, and Wraith on drums has been making a name for themselves since 1997, having already released the demo Hell on Earth (2000), the EP Wounded Skies (2004), and the full-length albums Disposition to Tyranny (2012), Face the Giant (2019), and more recently Path to Ascension (2024), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Furthermore, although Luciana has only been playing live with the band for now, with no participation in any of the band’s albums, not only you should still listen to all of their discography as their music is awesome, but it will also give you a very good taste of what Luciana has to offer when hitting the stages together with her new horde (and stay tuned as their 2026 European dates are coming soon).

Apart from Mechanical God Creation, Stormcrow, The Anger, and Art of Mutilation, you can also find Luciana as a guest vocalist for the song Urban Massacre, from the 2019 album 1996, by an Italian Death Metal/Grindcore band named Abbinormal. It’s a one-minute song, which might be very short for us metalheads eager for more of Luciana’s vocals, but enough already to show how violent she can sound. She has also recently contributed with her powerful vocals to a track titled Portals, on the new album by legendary Dutch Death Metal band Pestilence that should see the light of day sometime still in 2025 (or maybe only in 2026). In addition, you can also find on YouTube a cover version for Lamb of God’s Walk With Me In Hell by Luciana alongside Italian guitarist and bassist Francesca Mancini, of bands like Chaos Rising, Necrosy, and Sudden Death, and let me tell you that such an incredible female duo kicked some serious ass with their rendition of one of the best songs by Randy Blythe and his crew.

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Highly influenced by bands the likes of Morbid Angel, Behemoth, Cannibal Corpse and Deicide, just to name a few, Luciana enjoys writing caustic, harsh lyrics that reflect the daily reality and the problems we all face in the time we’re living that is so full of very important and sudden changes from the cultural, political and technological point of view. Moreover, apart from heavy music, Luciana also enjoys listening to bands and artists like David Bowie, Adele, Coldplay, and Amy Winehouse, showing her eclectic music taste, and when asked which was her first ever live concert and the very first album she bought, she mentioned the always controversial Marilyn Manson (saying it was a great show and that he is a good frontman, but also pointing out she doesn’t listen to him anymore), and probably a Metallica album as far as she remembers.

Having already played at some of the biggest festivals in Europe with heavy music giants including Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Megadeth, Graveworm, Meshuggah, and Amon Amarth,  just to name a few, Luciana also mentioned in one of her interviews that she really enjoys a festival in Slovenia named Metalcamp, saying that although it’s not as big as Wacken Open Air, it’s a very nice festival in the midst of nature. I really wish both Mechanical God Creation and Stormcrow would cross the pond and come play a few shows in Canada and in the United States, but I understand it’s not easy nowadays to tour the world due to the high touring costs. Well, maybe I can catch them at an European festival next year, right?

Despite being a proud Italian, while at the same time of course having her own constructive feedback about the current political and social landscapes in her homeland, Luciana is not very involved with the Italian underground scene. She mentioned in one of her interviews that she obviously knows bands like Fleshgod Apocalypse are proudly carrying the Italian flag everywhere they go, and she feels very happy for them despite not being a true fan of their music.

Currently working in the A&R (Artists and Repertoire) department of WormHoleDeath and Epictronic, Luciana mentioned in an interview that one of her biggest mistakes in music was having stopped to play the piano after years playing it, as it certainly helped her to feel calm. However, if you think she enjoys movies that would also make her calm down and relax, you’ve got another thing coming as her favorite flicks are horror movies with zombies or exorcisms, with her favorite one being the classic Dawn of the Dead. Maybe one day we’ll see Luciana joining the cast of a horror movie, playing some sort of she-demon, screaming at our faces, and sending shivers down the spines of the lighthearted. Because she’s a true extreme music diva, and she will show no mercy for your soul armed with her phenomenal vocals and badass attitude.

Luciana Catananti’s Official Facebook page
Luciana Catananti’s Official Instagram
Mechanical God Creation’s Official Facebook page
Mechanical God Creation’s Official Instagram
Mechanical God Creation’s Official YouTube channel
Stormcrow’s Official Facebook page
Stormcrow’s Official Instagram
Stormcrow’s Official YouTube channel

Album Review – The Spirit / Songs Against Humanity (2024)

This ruthless German duo brings forth a compilation of songs against humanity in their newborn Blackened Death Metal beast.

Formed in Saarbrücken in 2015, The Spirit have emerged from the depths of the German Extreme Metal void to breathe new life into the Black and Death Metal genre. Now in 2024 the duo formed of Matthias Trautes on vocals and stringed weapons, and Manuel Steitz on drums attacks again with their fourth full-length installment, titled Songs Against Humanity. Mixed by V. Santura (Triptykon) at Woodshed Studio, and displaying a grim artwork by Eliran Kantor, Songs Against Humanity is a Blackened Death Metal beast highly recommended for fans of Harakiri For The Sky, Dissection, Satyricon, UADA, Hypocrisy and Kataklysm, among others, circling around an astronomic leitmotif in its lyrics and concepts while mixing a misanthropic view on the world with cosmic metaphors and the call to see our often narrow-minded and egocentric existence in the larger context of our whole universe.

It’s absolute chaos and hatred from the very first notes in Against Humanity, with Manuel taking the lead with his Thrash Metal-inspired drumming while Matthias roars like a beast in the name of extreme music, followed by Room 101, presenting psychological lyrics barked by Matthias (“Suppressing the words of sanity / As we lost our way towards utopia / Instead evolved into a dystopian nightmare / When technological progress / Gave rise to the indoctrination of the human mind”) amidst a melodic yet visceral sound. And the duo continues to venture through the realms of Melodic Death, Thrash and Black Metal in Cosmic Rain and Human Dust, sounding ruthless until the very end, with Matthias’ riffs feeling absolutely caustic.

Spectres of Terror is another explosion of austere, infernal words barked by Matthias (“A grotesque embrace / Of an impending misery / When the past and sense / Are displaced by ideology / Madness and insanity / A grim bane you invoked”), whereas Death is my Salvation offers a more introspective, progressive side of the band, with Matthias slashing his axe manically accompanied by the always venomous beats and fills by Manuel. Then we’re treated to Nothingness Forever, which begins in a serene, grim manner before evolving into a straightforward Black Metal aria led by the crushing drums by Manuel. Finally, we have the extended outro Orbiting Sol IV, which despite being a solid tune, it ends up taking away some of the electricity from the album due to its length.

You can take a very nice and detailed listen at the scorching Songs Against Humanity in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course show your support to one of the heaviest duos of the current German scene by purchasing a copy of their new album by clicking HERE or HERE. Don’t forget to also start following them on Facebook and on Instagram for news and tour dates, as they do play live (with the support of guitarist Stanley Robertson and bassist Linus Klausenitzer), having an absolute blast to the sound of their sharp and vile fusion of Black and Death Metal. Matthias and Manuel are bringing forth a compilation of songs against humanity in their newborn beast, and there’s nothing better than their first-class Blackened Death Metal to show how putrid, corrupt and evil the entire humanity can be.

Best moments of the album: Against Humanity, Cosmic Rain and Human Dust and Nothingness Forever.

Worst moments of the album: Orbiting Sol IV.

Released in 2024 AOP Records

Track listing
1. Against Humanity 8:06
2. Room 101 4:15
3. Cosmic Rain and Human Dust 4:55
4. Spectres of Terror 5:39
5. Death is my Salvation 8:33
6. Nothingness Forever 5:46
7. Orbiting Sol IV 3:34

Band members
Matthias Trautes – vocals, guitars, bass
Manuel Steitz – drums

Guest musicians
Stanley Robertson – guitars (live)
Linus Klausenitzer – bass (live)

Album Review – Rifftera / Coda EP (2024)

This striking melodeath band from Finland is back with an amazing four-track EP that’s a straight continuation to their previous albums.

A straight continuation to their 2015 debut Pitch Black and their 2019 album  Across the Acheron, the short and sweet Coda is the brand new four-song EP by Finnish Melodic Death/Thrash Metal Rifftera, offering more of their mixture of melodeath and thrash as their foundation, in which the combination of tasty riffs and catchy melodies are added on. Produced, engineered, recorded and mixed by Janne Hietala, with additional recording by Mikko Kuoppamaa, mastered by Sami Koivisto at Biotech Audio Solutions, and displaying a futuristic artwork by Greek graphic designer Leon, the new EP by vocalists and guitarists Janne Hietala and Mikko Kuoppamaa, keyboardist Antti Pöntinen, bassist Jupe Karhu, and drummer Ville Härkönen consists of three electrifying original songs, plus a very special cover version for an all-time metal classic, keeping the band alive and kicking in the metal scene while they (most probably) work on their upcoming third full-length album.

And just like their previous creations, the opening track Carved in Skin presents a cinematic and dystopian atmosphere before Janne and Mikko begin their guitar and vocal attack for our total delight, showcasing an amazing balance between their caustic riffs and the whimsical keys by Antti while Ville shows no mercy for his drums. Quicksand then offers a striking, headbanging blend of their trademark Melodic Death and Thrash Metal, this time with the clean vocals by Janne and Mikko bringing a touch of finesse to their heavy and piercing sounds. Not only that, once again the keys by Antti sound truly embracing amidst the rumbling kitchen by Jupe and Ville. No Turning Back, the third original song of the EP, is just as exciting as its predecessors, sounding utterly heavy and hammering thanks to Ville, resulting in another great candidate to feature on their live performances. And lastly, we’re treated to their killer cover version for Iron Maiden’s Moonchild, which was originally released in their 1988 masterpiece Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and the band was not only capable of keeping the core essence of the original song intact but also of adding their own Melodic Death Metal twist to it, with the final result sounding simply fantastic.

“Over the years we have been discussing the possibility of recording a cover song. Some of us have been listening to a lot of Iron Maiden and Moonchild has popped out as a song that has the right atmosphere and is fun to play. Of course, there’s a difference compared to our own songs – less brutality and more 80’s & well, Maiden-feel, but the result fits into Coda surprisingly well. Our vocal abilities are pretty damn far from Bruce Dickinson’s, but it was a good challenge to handle Iron Maiden song in our way. We actually might have even learned something in the process,” commented Janne, and you can experience all that, plus of course enjoy their awesome original songs from Coda, by streaming the EP in full on Spotify, and by purchasing it from this location. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram, hopefully catching them on tour, and to keep waving the flag of Melodic Death and Thrash Metal together with one of the most electrifying bands of the current Finnish scene, always banging your heads to awesome releases like their newborn Coda.

Best moments of the album: Quicksand and Moonchild.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Inverse Records

Track listing
1. Carved in Skin 5:36
2. Quicksand 5:35
3. No Turning Back 6:32
4. Moonchild (Iron Maiden cover) 5:15

Band members
Janne Hietala – harsh & clean vocals, guitars
Mikko Kuoppamaa – clean vocals, guitars
Antti Pöntinen – keyboards
Jupe Karhu – bass
Ville Härkönen – drums

Concert Review – Nervosa (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, 10/10/2024)

Five excellent bands of the current Thrash and Death Metal scene led by the all-female beast Nervosa brought the Great American Jailbreak to Toronto on a night of pure underground madness.

OPENING ACTS: Prospects, Duskwalker, Hatriot and Lich King

Just one day after the incredible Sepultura concert in Toronto, it was time to head back into the battlefield (aka circle pit) for THE GREAT AMERICAN JAILBREAK TOUR 2024 with NERVOSA, LICH KING, HATRIOTDUSKWALKER and PROSPECTS, who despite having the fierce “competition” of Skeletal Remains and Bewitcher at the exact same date and time at The Rockpile, put on an amazing show to a small but unstoppable crowd at Hard Luck Bar. In addition, all those shows happening at the same time in the city forced Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I to divide and conquer, but while he was covering the show at The Rockpile I fortunately had the support of the amazing metal photographer Afrida Nawar, which is why you’re seeing some classy photos of the night instead of my terrible mobile ones. Once again due to work commitments I missed the show by Toronto’s own Progressive Metal band PROSPECTS, and again I have no idea which songs they played, but if you’re curious about their music you can find them on Spotify and on BandCamp. Spoiler alert, they’re awesome.

Band members
Robert Medeiros – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Jerry Zhang – guitar
Matthew Lothian – bass
Anthony Zicari – drums

As mentioned, the venue wasn’t even half full when Niagara Falls-based Thrash/Death Metal act DUSKWALKER kicked off their frantic, heavy-as-hell and devilish show, with their frontman Joey Scaringi roaring nonstop and with a lot of passion as if he was playing in front of a sold out arena with 20,000 fans watching him. Well, those guys simply love the underground from the bottom of their hearts, which is more than explicit in their new album Underground Forever (available in full on Spotify), and that energy translated into a small but most excellent mosh pit during their entire set. The title-track for their new album, Underground Forever, sounded amazing live, with the band demanding us all to raise our fists and horns in the name of our beloved underground scene. Duskwalker are a killer crew, and I can’t wait to see what they can do in front of a bigger audience, opening for a band like Exodus or Death Angel, for example.

Setlist
Crippled at the Core
Shadowcreeper
The Loss
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Vanquisher
Underground Forever
The Crawling Tongue

Band members
Joey Scaringi – vocals
John Robinson – guitars
John Neadow – bass
Cale Costello – drums

Speaking of Exodus, the third band of the night was formed of brothers Cody and Nick Souza, sons of the legendary Exodus frontman Steve “Zetro” Souza, plus Kosta V. and Miguel Esparza on the guitars, collectively known as California’s Melodic Death/Thrash Metal beast HATRIOT, and holy shit, what an amazing performance by one of the most hardworking bands of the current American scene. Playing basically songs form their 2022 album The Vale of Shadows (available on Spotify), with Horns & Halos, Clemency Denied and Hymn for the Wicked sounding absolutely demented, plus the excellent new song Forest of Illusion, the entire band sounded ruthless on stage, with Cody not only blasting inhumane screams (like an even more demonic version of his amazing father), but also showing how much the entire band loves the underground, just like Duskwalker, thanking us all for another unforgettable night in Canada for them. Those boys are an incredible live act, and if you have a chance to see them live don’t think twice and simply go for it, getting ready for an intense night of mosh pits, blast beats and crazy screams.

Setlist
Horns & Halos
Delete
Forest of Illusion
Clemency Denied
Ethereal Nightmare
Hymn for the Wicked

Band members
Cody Souza – vocals, bass
Kosta V. – guitars
Miguel Esparza – guitars
Nick Souza – drums

Another quick break and it was time for Amherst, Massachusetts-based Thrash Metal/Crossover brigade LICH KING to show us all why they’re considered one of the precious gems of the underground scene, a cult band that always delivers an endless amount of adrenaline on stage for the lovers of our gold old Thrash Metal. In 2015, original vocalist Tom Martin stopped performing with the band, remaining a “shadowy puppetmaster”, writing the band’s material and running things; in addition, their last official release dates way back to 2017, the excellent The Omniclasm (available on both Spotify and BandCamp), which means there’s nothing new from those guys since then. Do you think that means their show was weak or lame? Quite the contrary, it was total anarchy led by their unstoppable frontman Zach Smith, and the band also had the support of Cody Souza of Hatriot on bass as their bassist Mike Dreher could not join the band here in Toronto. Everyone at the pub simply loved each and every second of their show, leaving us all eager for more Lich King in the near future, and more than pumped for the main attraction of the night.

Setlist
All Hail
Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast
In the End, Devastation
Lich King V: Stalemate
Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short
Waste
Combat Mosh
We Came to Conquer

Band members
Zach Smith – vocals
Nick Timney – lead guitars
Joe Nickerson – rhythm guitars
Cody Souza – bass
Brian Westbrook – drums

NERVOSA

A lot has changed for the beyond talented and hardworking Prika Amaral and her Thrash/Death Metal creature NERVOSA since the last time they played in Toronto opening for Destruction in 2022. Now with a completely different lineup, including Prika being now responsible not only for the guitars, but also for the vocal duties, the now half-Brazilian, half-Greek band formed of Prika alongside Helena Kotina on the guitars, Hel Pyre on bass and Gabriela Abud on drums sounds even more infuriate than before, which can easily be seen in their 2023 album Jailbreak, available on Spotify and on BandCamp. As a matter of fact, due to personal reasons, Hel Pyre could not join the band on this North American tour, being replaced (at least in Toronto) by the beautiful Natalie Nova, vocalist for Los Angeles, California-based Heavy/Groove Metal band Beyond the Roots, who by the way spent pretty much the entire time the opening bands were playing together with fans at the floor section, dancing, headbanging and enjoying some good underground heavy music nonstop.

And Prika, Helena, Natalie and Gabriela simply destroyed on stage, sounding amazing from the first notes of Seed of Death until the very last seconds of Endless Ambition. There were mosh pits, horns being raised everywhere, fans screaming the lyrics together with the band, and so on, with things getting even more serious during true bangers like Death!, Kill the Silence, Kill or Die, and my two favorite songs of the night, Jailbreak and Guided by Evil. Prika promised the band will return to Toronto sooner than later, and I really hope next time they get a much bigger crowd because they definitely deserve it. After their electrifying show was over, I had the pleasure of briefly chatting with Prika, who was very humble and thanked me (an everyone else) for attending the show and supporting Nervosa. To be fair, I was the one who wanted to thank her and the girls for such an awesome night, and despite being tired for back to back shows with amazing bands the likes of Obituary and Sepultura on one night and Nervosa on the next, a good dosage of Death and Thrash Metal like what the girls provided us with this Thursday night is exactly what we all needed to regain our strength and keep headbanging nonstop in the name of live music.

Setlist
Seed of Death
Behind the Wall
Death!
Nail the Coffin
Kill the Silence
Perpetual Chaos
Venomous
Ungrateful
Masked Betrayer
Under Ruins
Kill or Die
Jailbreak
Guided by Evil
Endless Ambition

Band members
Prika Amaral – vocals, guitars
Helena Kotina – guitars
Natalie Nova – bass
Gabriela Abud – drums

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Concert Review – Hyperia (Rivoli, Toronto, ON, 07/07/2024)

A fantastic heat wave of Canadian underground metal hit the city of Toronto this Sunday night with three of the most must-see bands of the current scene.

OPENING ACTS: Invicta and Thunderor

The heat is on in Toronto, and together with it comes an overdose of the Canadian underground like what happened last night at Rivoli when TUNDEROR, INVICTA and HYPERIA kicked off Hyperia’s sensational Constricting Canada/Europe Tour 2024, and I believe it’s the first time ever this thrilling band from Vancouver, British Columbia is touring not only Eastern Canada, but also venturing through European lands. Needless to say, Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to celebrate the music and professional growth of Hyperia, proving Canadian metal is alive and kicking, with band’s like Hyperia, Invicta and Thunderor being more than ready to take over the world.

I must confess it was a little late for the doors at Rivoli to open, only at 8:30pm on a Sunday, but nobody seemed to care about that late start, and a little after 9pm Kitchener, Ontario-based Melodic Death/Thrash Metal outfit INVICTA kicked off the metallic ceremony with a fast-paced, heavy-as-hell performance, inviting all concert goers for some vigorous headbanging. The band spearheaded by the talented vocalist and guitarist Kyle Edissi, who also plays the guitar for Heathen on their live shows, delivered the goods, playing songs from their two album Halls of Extinction and Triumph and Torment (both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way) for the delight of the small but excited crowd that attended the show. Those guys should definitely be opening for renowned acts like At The Gates, Sylosis, Arch Enemy and so on during their future tours in Canada, and I’m sure once more people get exposed to Invicta’s first-class heavy music, they will go places.

Band members
Kyle Edissi – vocals, guitars
Jonah Kay – guitars, backing vocals
Steven Rowlands – bass, backing vocals
Reef Hassanien – drums, percussion

The show must go on, and after a short break where everyone could enjoy good quality beer for a very decent price (which doesn’t happen very often at concerts, as you might know), Toronto’s own Heavy Metal trio THUNDEROR began their melodic and incendiary concert based on their 2022 debut Fire It Up, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, including Fire It Up, Dangerous Times, Thunderor and On the Run, putting everyone to dance and have a very good time in the name of Rock N’ Roll. Guitarist Johnny Nesta and bassist Brycen Gunn were obviously amazing, but it was the band’s mastermind JJ Tartaglia (of bands like Skull Fist and Final Trigger) who truly impressed me the most. How can he sing and play drums at the same time, and sound so good in both? He has indeed become a staple of the Canadian underground scene, and if you have a chance to see him playing live, please go for it, because he’s a great person and a superb musician that deserves all our recognition.

Band members
JJ Tartaglia – vocals, drums, keyboards
Johnny Nesta – guitars
Brycen Gunn – bass

HYPERIA

I’ve been a fan of Melodic Thrash/Death Metal machine HYPERIA since day one, having already reviewed all of their albums, those being Insanitorium (2020), Silhouettes of Horror (2022) and The Serpent’s Cycle (2023), but I honestly had no idea if I would ever be able to see them live as touring from one coast of Canada to the other is extremely pricey these days. Well, to my total surprise and sheer happiness, yesterday I had a fantastic time witnessing frontwoman Marlee Ryley, guitarists Colin Ryley and Skyler Mills, bassist Jon Power, and drummer Aaron Bell kicking some serious ass on stage in preparation for their more-than-deserved debut European tour starting on July 14 at Masters of rock in the Czech Republic. It was wild, intense, and above all that, as metal as it could be, putting a huge smile on everyone who was brave enough to stay at the venue until (very) late on a Sunday night, completely ignoring the fact the next day would be an always boring Monday.

Most of their setlist was based on their newest album The Serpent’s Cycle, with songs like The Serpent’s Cycle, Trapped in Time and my favorite of the night, Automatic Thrash Machine, sounding killer live, and the band was so relaxed and having a good time that Marlee herself went down to the floor/pit to have a good time with the fans more than once, with Jon also joining the crowd during the last song of their set, the excellent Pleonexia, and that translated into a very warm and vibrant reaction form the crowd. All of their wicked creations are available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and if you’re in Europe and have a chance to catch Hyperia live in the coming weeks, don’t miss the chance to see one of the coolest names of the current Canadian scene. I would love to see them on July 21 at the famous Carts & Horses, the birthplace of Iron Maiden, because they definitely deserve to reach new heights with their undisputed thrash, and hopefully when they return from Europe I’ll have another chance to see them here in Toronto in a not-so-distant future.

Band members
Marlee Ryley – vocals
Colin Ryley – guitars
Skyler Mills – guitars
Jon Power – bass
Aaron Bell – drums

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Concert Review – Symphony X (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 05/24/2024)

The city of Toronto had the pleasure of witnessing one of the most technical, progressive and vibrant metal concerts of the year this Friday night, courtesy of two old school bands who nurture a deep passion for heavy music.

OPENING ACT: Heathen

Friday was not only one of the best days of the year in terms of weather, but the city of Toronto also had the utmost pleasure of hosting one of the most technical, progressive and vibrant metal concerts of the year thanks to the stellar performance by HEATHEN and SYMPHONY X during their North American Tour 2024 at the cozy, well-located and pretty much sold out The Opera House, and I’m pretty sure all fans who were at the venue had a relaxing morning the day after with huge smiles on their faces as both bands kicked some serious ass on stage. My buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi also had a great time taking his amazing shots during the entire night, as the lighting was near perfect and there was no smoke to “disturb” his practice, which was also great for the crowd as we could perfectly witness the superb performances by each and every musician from both bands on stage, shredding their instruments with their beyond refined techniques and an absolute passion for heavy music.

The opening band, or maybe I should say the more-than-special guests, were San Francisco, California-based Technical Speed/Thrash Metal veterans HEATHEN, who were insanely heavy and flawless on stage during their breathtaking performance, properly warming up all fans for the main attraction of the night. Those guys are so good in what they do to the point that you could close your eyes and it would feel like you were listening to the studio versions of their songs, just to illustrate how precise all band members were in Toronto. I dare to say the most excited of all musicians was definitely Kitchener, Ontario’s own Kyle Edissi (vocalist and guitarist for Canadian Melodic Thrash Metal band Invicta, who has been playing live with Heathen since 2022), as it was his first time ever playing at a venue he had already been to countless times as a regular fan to see some of his favorite bands. It was a dream come true for him, no doubt about that, helping his bandmates David R. White (what a voice, my friends!), Kragen Lum, Jason Mirza and Ryan Idris hammer our heads with infuriated songs the likes of Opiate of the Masses, The Blight and Breaking the Silence. I only wish there were a few mosh pits to make things even more fun, but the show was simply awesome and I highly recommend you go see Heathen live if you haven’t done so already in your life.

Setlist
Rock Bottom (UFO song)
Intro
Dying Season
Opiate of the Masses
Empire of the Blind
The Blight
Breaking the Silence
Hypnotized

Band members
David R. White – vocals
Kragen Lum – guitars
Kyle Edissi – guitars
Jason Mirza – bass
Ryan Idris – drums

SYMPHONY X

After a short and sweet break, the band everyone was waiting for hit the stage for one of the most tight and precise performances of the year for the delight of all concert goers. I’m talking about Middletown, New Jersey’s Progressive Power Metal institution SYMPHONY X, and let me tell you that the band formed of the iconic Russell Allen on vocals, Michael Romeo on the guitars, Mike LePond on bass, Michael Pinnella on the keyboards and Jason Rullo on drums redefined the meaning of “perfection” at The Opera House this Friday. What a sensational show by those veterans, who by the way sounded like they were in their early twenties in terms of energy and onstage presence, proving once again how heavy music can keep us a lot younger for a much longer time, right?

Although those guys haven’t released anything new since their excellent 2015 album Underworld, their entire setlist felt very modern and fresh, with songs like Serpent’s Kiss, To Hell and Back and Evolution (The Grand Design) driving their fans wild to the point we got some sick mosh pits in the middle of the floor section, something that made Mr. Russell Allen and his crew very happy and entertained. I guess they weren’t expecting that level of action during a Progressive Metal concert. And speaking about Russell, the man was on fire throughout their entire set, not only delivering his trademark, stunning vocal lines, but also dancing nonstop, having a few beers and interacting more than any other metal vocalist in the world with each and every fan at the venue, an amazing way of Russell and the band to say how much they love their fanbase. Needless to say, when the band hit the encore with the classics Paradise Lost, Run With the Devil and Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies), it was pure madness, leaving everyone eager for more Symphony X in the city in the near future. Well, they said they’re (finally) working on new material after almost a decade, so I guess we can expect to see them embellishing the Torontonian airwaves again really soon with another majestic live concert.

Setlist
Iconoclast
Nevermore
Inferno (Unleash the Fire)
Serpent’s Kiss
Without You
To Hell and Back
Dehumanized
Evolution (The Grand Design)
Sea of Lies

Encore:
Keyboard Solo
Paradise Lost
Run With the Devil
Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies)
The Throne Room (John Williams song)

Band members
Russell Allen – vocals
Michael Romeo – guitars
Mike LePond – bass
Michael Pinnella – keyboards
Jason Rullo – drums

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Metal Chick of the Month – Marlene Muñoz, Elizabeth Castillo & Caro Saturni

Ruling the night of women’s rites with their dark lullabies!

I think the month of May needs an extra kick, and there’s nothing better than some first-class Mexican spices to turn up the heat considerably, right? That’s exactly why we’re not going to have only one metal lady this month, nor even two. We’re going to feast your eyes and ears with nothing more, nothing less that THREE metal ladies hailing from Mexico, a country known for the passion their metalheads nurture for all types of heavy music. Our three breathtaking metal divas are vocalist Marlene Muñoz, bassist Elizabeth Castillo, and guitarist Caro Saturni, who together with drummer Nicolás Garza form the ruthless Death Metal squad known as Spit On Your Grave, and I’m sure you’ll have a very good time knowing a bit about this triumvirate of absolute female power in Heavy Metal.

Before talking about each one of our chosen metal ladies, let’s do a quick introduction on their amazing band Spit On Your Grave. Formed in 2012 in Monterrey, the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, Spit on Your Grave are a no shenanigans, visceral Death Metal entity with three full-length albums and one EP released to date, always dealing with topics such as madness, serial killers, death and isolation, among others, having already shared the stage with metal titans the likes of Carcass, Sepultura, Nervosa, Cattle Decapitation, Cannibal Corpse, Brujeria and Dark Tranquility, just to name a few. All the information you need about the band is available HERE, and don’t forget to also stream their creations on Spotify, on YouTube, and other streaming services.

Furthermore, although we’re paying our humble tribute to the three girls that are currently part of the band (there are other women who are former members of Spit On Your Grave, but those might be our metal ladies in the future as part of their current bands), only Elizabeth is featured in all of their albums. As a matter of fact, she’s the only remaining member of the original formation of the band, and therefore she deserves to be the first one we’re going to talk about here on The Headbanging Moose. It’s all about seniority, right? But before that, how about a short and sweet overview of each of the albums released by Spit On Your Grave?

Released in 2014, their debut full-length album Existential Murderer consists of ten tracks that refer to raw old school Death Metal, basing its lyrics on situations of revenge, perversions, death, and only Elizabeth from our three metal ladies played in that album as aforementioned, while vocals and guitars were done by two other great female musicians, Zitlalic Gómez and Cecilia Cárdenas, respectively. Then in 2015 the band introduced a more melodic sound to their core essence with the EP Unblessed, the watershed that led the band to a variety of events and concerts making their way to the big stages with international bands, showcasing the same lineup from their 2014 album.

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In 2018, after a few lineup changes, those being newcomers Kharen Guardiola on vocals, Aldo Guerra on drums, and one of our metal ladies Caro Saturni (aka Carolina Ampersand) on the guitar, the band released their sophomore opus The Night Of The Women’s Rites, incorporating a more melodic sound where guitar solos stand out, while the album’s lyrics talk about goddesses and female deities from different cultures that somehow changed the course of history, including for example The Whore Queen (Cleopatra), Aphrodite and Cihuacóatl (these three song also released in 2018 as a single named Cihuacóatl), showing the courage, personality, attitude and the leadership of those women.

In between The Night Of The Women’s Rites and their newest opus Arkanum, the band released the single Ixik Uh in June 2022, which actually serves as a connection link between The Night Of The Women’s Rites and Arkanum, talking about an ancient Mayan ritual to Ixchel, a Mayan deity known as the Goddess of the Moon, in addition to fertility, childbirth, pregnancy, medicine, rain, womanly crafts, and war. The single was already recorded by the current lineup, including not only Elizabeth but also Marlene and Caro, making it the first ever song to feature all of our three metal ladies of the month.

And lastly, on the second week of April, Spit On Your Grave returned with their third studio album, the pulverizing Arkanum, a conceptual album that tells the process of a mental detox, which draws thematically on mystical elements, and with each track inspired by a different tarot card.“It talks about an internal struggle to restore your inner self,” the band said, “where your demons surface, and everything you believed in is questioned. That moment when you realize that for years you have followed someone else’s lead. You’ve had enough and decide to leave everything behind. It’s about losing yourself by being influenced by someone else and the struggle to wake up from that reality. Centering the lyrics in this inner fight with yourself, involving depression, anxiety, mistrust, feeling unfairly judged by everyone and having no help around.” Moreover, there’s a nice interview (in Spanish) to a YouTube channel called The Chill Dude On A Couch, where they talk about the album.

Elizabeth Castillo

Having said all that about the band’s discography, it’s time to focus on each of their amazing women, starting with the remaining founding member of the band, Elizabeth Castillo. Born and raised in Mexico, she’s not only the bassist for Spit On Your Grave, having recorded all of their albums, EP and singles, as already mentioned, but she’s also responsible for the bass duties with Mexican Black/Doom Metal band Hagel since their reactivation in 2014, having recorded with them the album Veneration of the Black Light back in 2021, featuring some insane songs such as Decalogue of Misery. Not only that, you can also find Elizabeth in a distinct folk band named Sandunga, playing traditional Mexican and Latin American music while also dealing with the Mexican folklore; however, Elizabeth is not the bassist for Sandunga, but their guitarist, and she also plays an instrument called “requinto jarocho” or “guitarra de son”, a four- or five-stringed instrument that has originated from Veracruz, Mexico, played usually with a special pick. If you want to know more about the band, simply click HERE, and don’t forget to also enjoy their official video for the song Maclovia, as it’s an amazing song outside of the metal realm. and how about watching her blast her bass in great fashion in the official YouTube channel for Spit On Your Grave, playing the classic Hammer Smashed Face, by the almighty Cannibal Corpse? That’s a really cool video, my friends!

Caro Saturni

The next metal lady of this month of May is the band’s guitarist Caro Saturni. Born on January 18, 1996 in Mexico, she joined Spit On Your Grave back in 2016 and released with the band so far their 2018 album The Night of Women’s Rites (as Caro Ampersand) and their 2024 album Arkanum (already as Caro Saturni), becoming the lead guitarist of the band, and you can check all her dexterity in a video from the band’s official YouTube channel where she plays the song Adjusting the Sun, by Hypocrisy. She’s also the guitarist for an all-female rock and metal band from Monterrey named Sister Sinyster, and although there isn’t much online about the band (as they just started in November 2023), you can enjoy this recent interview to Metalhead Inter Radio, and keep an eye on their Instagram for news as I’m sure we’ll hear a lot about those girls soon.

Marlene Muñoz

And last but definitely not least, we get to the she-wolf Marlene Muñoz, who joined Spit On Your Grave back in 2020 and has recorded with them so far their breathtaking new album Arkanum. Her harsh screams and guttural gnarls are fantastic, adding an insane dosage of brutality to the band’s core Death Metal, therefore elevating the band’s status in the local Mexican scene as well as worldwide. Apart from Spit On Your Grave, you can find Marlene as the vocalist for a Monterrey-based Melodic/Progressive Thrash Metal band called Judgment since 2019, having released with them a self-titled three-track single back in 2019, plus a standalone song named All I Have, in 2022, and let me tell you that all four songs released so far are amazing, leaving us eager for a full-length album by those Mexican metallers in the near future.

In summary, fi you’re looking for some fresh metal music with a powerful feminine touch, you must check the creations by all bands featuring Marlene Muñoz, Elizabeth Castillo and Caro Saturni, because those three multi-talented women definitely put their hearts and souls into making high quality music for us fans, and if you’re near them in Monterrey keep an eye on their social media because you don’t want to miss the metal attack provided by their bands live, in special the fulminating Spit On Your Grave. Hopefully the band will keep growing and reaching new horizons, playing all across the US and Canada, participating in multiple European festivals, bringing their music to places like Brazil, Japan, Australia and so on, because they play ass-kicking Death Metal, and we always need ass-kicking Death Metal with a feminine touch to make our lives way better, right?

Elizabeth Castillo’s Official Instagram
Caro Saturni’s Official Instagram
Marlene Muñoz’s Official Instagram
Spit On Your Grave’s Official Facebook page
Spit On Your Grave’s Official Instagram
Spit On Your Grave’s Official YouTube channel
Spit On Your Grave’s Official TikTok
Spit On Your Grave’s Spotify
Spit On Your Grave’s Linktree

Album Review – Hyperia / The Serpent’s Cycle (2023)

One of the driving forces of the current underground Canadian scene returns with another demented album of caustic, unrelenting Thrash Metal.

Known for their wailing vocals, shredding guitars, and fast, heavy drums, Vancouver, British Columbia-based Melodic Death/Thrash Metal outfit Hyperia is back in action with a newborn beast titled The Serpent’s Cycle, following up on their highly acclaimed albums Insanitorium (2020) and Silhouettes of Horror (2022). Mixed by the band’s own guitarist Colin Ryley at Singularity Sound Studios, mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios, and displaying a sinister artwork by Caitlin Delaplace, The Serpent’s Cycle has a wide variety of riffs throughout its 11 demented songs, ones that will remind listeners of the 80’s and also ones that usher in the new era of modern thrash, showcasing all the talent, hard work and passion for heavy music by Marlee Ryley on vocals, the aforementioned Colin Ryley on the guitars, Jon Power on bass, and Ryan Idris on drums.

A sinister intro sets the tone in Ego Trip, exploding into sheer madness led by the sick vocals by Marlee, declaiming the song’s acid words rabidly (“Chest is tight / Hard to breath / Tick like a bomb, don’t wanna explode / You got me in a choke hold”), followed by Automatic Thrash Machine, a wild, metallic ride by Hyperia where the frantic riffage by Colin and the classic beats by Ryan will drag you to a fun, unstoppable circle pit in the name of our good old Thrash Metal. More of the band’s insane thrashing sounds is offered to us all in Prophet of Deceit, where Marlee sounds absolutely demented on vocals while her bandmates keep the music as melodic and heavy as it can be, whereas Psychosomatic is another excellent tune crafted by Hyperia where the riffs and solos by Colin together with the rumbling bass by Jon will punch you hard in the head mercilessly. And even more frantic, caustic and demented than its predecessors, the title-track The Serpent’s Cycle is a lecture in modern-day Melodic Thrash Metal where Marlee continues to roar like a she-beast while Ryan steals the show with his ruthless and very technical drumming.

There’s no time to breathe as the quartet continues their thrashing extravaganza in Trapped in Time, again showcasing their trademark wicked screams, sharp riffs and thunderous bass and drums, whereas Marlee takes her insanity to a whole new level in Spirit Bandit, an explosion of old school Thrash Metal that will please all fans of the genre. Eye for an Eye brings forward another round of their acid lyrics (“A flicker of a person / A victim of arson / Sudden movement of a chair / But nothing’s there”) amidst a neck-breaking sound led by the pounding drums by Ryan, followed by Binge & Surge, offering us all a solid display of Thrash Metal with a strong melodic vein (albeit not as exciting as the rest of the album). Deathbringer, the last original song of the album, will darken the skies in the name of pure evil and hatred, and it’s impressive how the band added elements from Black Metal to their sound, in special the demonic riffs by Colin, resulting in a beyond heavy and thunderous tune. Lastly, we’re treated to Hyperia’s rendition of Heart’s classic Crazy On You (check the original version HERE, from their 1975 album Dreamboat Annie), and their version keeps the core essence of the original intact while adding their own thrashing twist to it.

It’s a real pleasure witnessing the evolution of Hyperia through the years, carving their names in the Canadian scene and becoming one of the driving forces of the current Thrash Metal environment, with The Serpent’s Cycle definitely taking the band to new heights. Hence, don’t forget to check what the band is up to on Facebook and on Instagram, to subscribe to their YouTube channel and to stream all of their amazing albums on Spotify, and above all that, to purchase their sick new album directly from their BandCamp page. Having said all that, it’s time to join the thrashing feast by Hyperia in The Serpent’s Cycle, and you better get ready because their circle pit has no date or time to end.

Best moments of the album: Automatic Thrash Machine, The Serpent’s Cycle, Spirit Bandit and Deathbringer.

Worst moments of the album: Binge & Surge.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Ego Trip 4:41
2. Automatic Thrash Machine 4:02
3. Prophet of Deceit 4:16
4. Psychosomatic 4:29
5. The Serpent’s Cycle 5:04
6. Trapped in Time 3:58
7. Spirit Bandit 4:04
8. Eye for an Eye  4:47
9. Binge & Surge 3:44
10. Deathbringer 5:31
11. Crazy On You (Heart cover) 5:03

Band members
Marlee Ryley – vocals
Colin Ryley – guitars
Jon Power – bass
Ryan Idris – drums

Album Review – The Last Prophecy / Hate Is My Mentor EP (2023)

A young, rising Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band from Finland will kick you in the head to the sound of their new EP, sounding faster, heavier and more ferocious than ever.

A young, rising Melodic Death/Thrash Metal band formed in early 2021 in Espoo, Finland, the four-piece act known as The Last Prophecy has been connecting the best bits of Thrash Metal and Melodeath since their inception, crafting their own sound while also honoring their main influences including In Flames and Children Of Bodom. Now in 2023 the quartet formed of Joakim Haahtela on vocals and guitars, Petteri Karinen also on the guitars, Saku Kivirinne on bass, and Henri Toropainen on drums unleashed upon us a 25-minute EP titled Hate Is My Mentor, sounding faster, heavier and more ferocious than ever, with the mixing and mastering by the band’s own Petteri and Henri and the artwork by @dodolokstrom bringing an extra touch of insanity to the album, therefore positioning the band as one of the must-see new names of the current Finnish scene.

The guitars by Joakim and Petteri bring the noise to the opening tune Deranged, slashing our ears in great fashion in the name of Melodic Death Metal supported by the pounding drums by Henri; whereas Dead Forever is even groovier and heavier thanks to the rumbling kitchen blasted by Saku and Henri, or in other words, it’s an amazing option to slam into the pit while Joakim vociferates rabidly. Then drinking from the same fountain as Scandinavian giants the likes of Soilwork, In Flames and Arch Enemy (while also adding their own Death Metal twist to the overall result), we have Dark Sky of the Dawn, where another amazing guitar job by Joakim and Petteri keeps the song’s energy level truly high; followed by the title-track Hate Is My Mentor, which beings in a serene manner before evolving into another classy Melodic Death Metal feast, showcasing dark lyrics (“Restless soul in darkness / Waiting for salvation / World’s turning its back / Sing the song of death / While holding your breath / Aid is never here / It’s a one-way path / Light has passed away / This is the last day”) amidst a neck-breaking sonority. Finally, closing the EP the quartet offers us all Course of War, again delivering their usual incendiary riffage while Henri dictates the pace with his intricate and hammering drums.

Such fun and vibrant EP is available in its entirety on Youtube and on Spotify, and of course if you want to show the guys from The Last Prophecy how much you enjoy their music you can give them a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and purchase a copy of Hate Is My Mentor from Apple Music or by clicking HERE. The EP already gives the listener a very good idea of how exciting the music by The Last Prophecy is, and now those Finnish metallers have the mission of delivering an even bolder, faster and heavier full-length album in the near future. Well, I’m sure they’ll get there even if it’s hard to beat the quality of the songs from Hate Is My Mentor, don’t you agree?

Best moments of the album: Dead Forever and Dark Sky of the Dawn.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Independent

Track listing
1. Deranged 3:52
2. Dead Forever 5:56
3. Dark Sky of the Dawn 3:42
4. Hate Is My Mentor 6:13
5. Course of War 5:34

Band members
Joakim Haahtela – vocals, guitars
Petteri Karinen – guitars
Saku Kivirinne – bass
Henri Toropainen – drums