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Event Review – AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up (Steam Whistle Brewing, Toronto, ON, 09/15/2026 – 09/16/2026)

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Not even one of the strongest storms in the history of Toronto could stop fans from all over the world to get powered up by the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up store.

INTRODUCTION: For those about to rock, go check the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up store!

Free and open to all fans, the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up will open in every city on AC/DC’s 2026 North American stadium tour, giving fans one more way to be part of the PWR/UP Tour as it rolls through each town. Unfortunately, the Toronto concert scheduled for September 16 at Rogers Stadium had to be cancelled due to the severe damage done to the venue by an otherworldly storm that crushed the city to pieces on September 2, but that didn’t stop AC/DC to make an “appearance” in Toronto in the form of the pop up store on September 15 and 16. The location chosen for the special event was the excellent Steam Whistle Brewing, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, Blair Burch and I were invited to be part of such a unique experience for fans of our good old Rock N’ Roll. Since the shows and pop up store are still happening in Winnipeg, New York, and Philadelphia, you know what to do. For those about to rock alongside AC/DC, we salute you!

AC/DC PWR/UP POP UP

Named after their 2020 album PWRϟUP, which reached #1 in 21 countries, the PWR/UP Tour began with the band’s long-awaited return to the stage at Power Trip in California in 2023, and has since sold out dozens of stadiums across four continents. As the massive tour entered its final leg in North America, the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up was created to give fans of one of the biggest bands in the history of Rock N’ Roll a place to gather before show day, and be part of the high voltage energy surrounding the tour. There’s merch you won’t find at the concert. Fans can shop unique collectibles, tour apparel, light-up horns, and other pop-up merchandise. Fans can get up close to AC/DC history. Each location will also feature AC/DC-themed food and drink, iconic props, custom visuals, interactive photo moments, ticket giveaways, PWR/UP Fan Preview events, and the opportunity to enter to win a guitar signed by Angus Young.

There were local fans at the Toronto pop up, superfans who have been following the band all across the world during this tour (similar to what fans of bands like Iron Maiden do), casual rock listeners who got attracted to the store for obvious reasons (who doesn’t want to spend some bucks on high quality merch, right?), and so on. Everybody was having a great time at this supercharged social outing in Toronto, and not even the fact the show was canceled in the city was capable of making the whole event less enjoyable. As special guests, we even received an awesome gift bag with some cool items like the AC/DC High Voltage shirt, which I’ll surely sport on special occasions like one of the upcoming rock and metal concerts in the city. Also, I was told the members of AC/DC themselves were at the pop up store this Wednesday, giving autographs, taking photos, and so on, which means if you’re lucky enough you might also see the guys at the pop up store in your city.

Let’s hope that AC/DC do not call it quits anytime soon, and keep on rockin’ our world like they’ve always done for many decades. We need them back in Toronto for a killer concert, and please, Mother Nature, let those rock giants bring joy to us Torontonian rockers ate least one more time in the coming years. And of course, if or when that happens, I hope the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up will also come together with the concert and tour, because that’s what fans of titans like AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Guns N’ Roses and so many other iconic bands want, to not only see their idols kicking some serious ass onstage, but to also turn the days before and after the show into an immersive experience, bringing the sheer power of rock and metal music to our hearts for more than just the few hours of the actual concerts. It’s a long way to the top if you wanna Rock N’ Roll, but a band like AC/DC has mastered that art to perfection, and the AC/DC PWR/UP Pop Up surely brings that energy to us fans and connects us even more with our rock idols.

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Concert Review – Revocation (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 09/12/2026)

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A feast of absolute raging Death Metal turned up the heat even more on an already hot night in the city of Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Weeping, Fuming Mouth and Defeated Sanity

We’re lucky the weather is still quite warm in Toronto now that the summer is “unofficially” over (when kids get back to school, parents consider the summer as over, and will sport sweaters and jackets even when the temperature is above +25oC and sunny), and even luckier to host the awesome 20 Years of Torment 2026 Tour with WEEPING, FUMING MOUTH, DEFEATED SANITY, and the guys celebrating those 20 years of pure metal magic, REVOCATION, another great event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. The cozy Lee’s Palace was the place chosen for such a nice gathering, and I was actually surprised it wasn’t too hot inside the venue during the entire night. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi is still recovering from his injury and surgery, which means our friend Blair Burch once again helped us with his sharp photography skills to make this review of the concert as incendiary as the bands onstage. Also, traffic to get to Toronto has become a true nightmare no matter what time or day of the week, but fortunately as the first band was only scheduled to play after 7:30pm there was plenty of time to get to the venue before the celebrations started.

It was around 7:40pm when New Jersey’s own Death Metal/Hardcore/Powerviolence quartet WEEPING kicked off their insane performance, melting our faces mercilessly with their scorching heaviness and undisputed technique. Having released the album Spiritual Barbarism back in 2024, plus a new single titled When You Beg now in 2026, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band formed of Theo Vlahos on vocals and guitars, Thomas Deabreu also on the guitars, Anthony Izworski on bass (who’s also the bassist for Fuming Mouth, by the way), and Jon Lievano on drums crushed our damned souls with a no shenanigans concert, kicking some serious ass onstage and, therefore, inspiring everyone on the floor section to already go mental inside the circle pit. Those guys are simply insane, and if you know nothing about them, go check their music asap and keep an eye on their tour dates, because if they ever take your city by storm, you know what to do.

Band members
Theo Vlahos – vocals, guitars
Thomas Deabreu – guitars
Anthony Izworski – bass, backing vocals
Jon Lievano – drums

Perhaps the most anticipated attraction of the night, besides obviously Revocation, was Milford, Massachusetts-based Death Metal/Metalcore/Hardcore outfit FUMING MOUTH, who are becoming a fan-favorite in Toronto when it comes to violence and heaviness. Mark Whelan, Patrick Merson, Anthony Izworski and Jay Weinberg made sure no one was left alive with an overdose of venomous roars, crushing riffs, thunderous bass lines, and demented beats and fills. Of course, the fact that their 2026 album The Ringing Bell (available on both BandCamp and on Spotify) is insane made their task a lot easier, as the crowd was eager to witness some of those new songs live, like Cheat Death, Self‐Exhumed, and Finally Fearless. It was really nice to see Mark explaining what Fuming Mouth means, this evil entity that will kill everyone, saying to several people in the crowd “You will die! You will die! You will die!” and, therefore, creating this fun connection between the band and the fans. We will all die eventually, and if we have the live music by Fuming Mouth to entertain us during our last moments, we’ll surely die happy metalheads.

Setlist
Cheat Death
A Blaze of Nihilism
Hidden in the Moor
Self‐Exhumed
I’ll Find You
Respect Mortality
Visions of Purgatory
Finally Fearless

Band members
Mark Whelan – vocals, guitars
Patrick Merson – guitars
Anthony Izworski – bass
Jay Weinberg – drums

After a short break, German-American squad DEFEATED SANITY kicked off their onrush of demonic, visceral and grim fusion of Technical and Brutal Death Metal, making the foundations of Lee’s Palace tremble so heavy they sounded. Having released the album Chronicles of Lunacy in 2024, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, frontman Josh Welshman alongside the extremely talented guitarist Vaughn Stoffey, the incredible bassist Jacob Schmidt, and the ruthless drummer Lille Gruber were insane onstage, with the circle pit getting out of control due to the extreme violence blasted by all band members. I honestly do not remember a kitchen so technical yet demolishing like the one crafted by Jacob and Lille, and if you enjoy extreme music with a strong technical vibe, go check the music by Defeated Sanity because those guys are amazing both in the studio and live.

Setlist
Introitus
Consumed by Repugnance
Verblendung
Liquifying Cerebral Hemispheres
Accelerating the Rot
Martyrium
The Bell
Dislimbing the Ostracized

Band members
Josh Welshman – vocals
Vaughn Stoffey – guitars
Jacob Schmidt – bass
Lille Gruber – drums

REVOCATION

After three opening bands that were all 10 out of 10, the crowd was more than warmed up for the lecture in Technical Death and Thrash Metal by Boston, Massachusetts-based crew REVOCATION, who might be celebrating 20 years of existence, but the ones receiving all the presents were us fans with each and every song played by those first-class musicians. It doesn’t matter if it was a late start, already close to 10:30pm, because the entire venue was burning with the blend of classics and new songs from their 2025 album New Gods, New Masters, which you can listen in full on Spotify. David Davidson, Harry Lannon, Ash Pearson and Alex Weber proved why they’ve become one of the most important bands of the current tech death scene with an impeccable performance, kicking our asses hard until the very end.

Songs like Nihilistic Violence, Chaos of Forms, Dismantle the Dictator, Summon the Spawn, and Bound by Desire were all played to perfection by those four extremely talented musicians, and the result was of course an intense circle pit that was dragging everyone into it in celebration of our good old Death Metal. There’s this very small Asian girl that’s rockin’ in every single show in Toronto, and of course she was there Saturday night. No idea how she can handle so much alcohol and how she can venture inside those demented circle pits due to her tiny stature and very low weight, but one thing I can say is that she knows how to party, and that’s exactly what Revocation wanted us all to do. They simply asked Toronto to party with them after 20 years kicking ass with their unique heavy music, and we partied hard. Needless to say, I don’t think it will take long for us to see such a phenomenal band in the city again, and we’ll all be there yet again to raise our fists and horns while they melt our faces with their killer tunes.

Setlist
Nihilistic Violence
Scorched Earth Policy
Fracked
Confines of Infinity
The All Seeing
Data Corpse
Chaos of Forms
Of Unworldly Origin
Dismantle the Dictator
Summon the Spawn
Only the Spineless Survive
Bound by Desire

Band members
David Davidson – vocals, guitars
Harry Lannon – guitars
Ash Pearson – drums
Alex Weber – bass

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Concert Review – Dimmu Borgir (History, Toronto, ON, 08/10/2026)

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The Grand Serpent of Black Metal took the city of Toronto by storm on a scorching Monday night.

OPENING ACT: Hulder

It was another hot and humid Monday night this summer in Toronto when the mighty DIMMU BORGIR, supported by the up-and-coming entity HULDER, took the city by storm with an overdose of obscure and blasphemous Black Metal at the excellent History during the band’s Grand Serpent Rising North America 2026. Unfortunately, my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi got seriously injured and won’t be able to take any more photos of concerts until at least the end of the year, but he introduced me to his friend Blair Burch, who’s also a metal photographer, and as you can see from the photos in this review Blair is also a badass. The lowest point, though, was the absence of Hypocrisy from the lineup due to issues with their visas to get into North America (or maybe it was just Canada, as no one knows the actual details), plus the fact we could have gotten Suffocation instead like in some US cities, which of course didn’t happen, but Hulder and Dimmu Borgir made sure they played louder than hell to make up for the cancelation of the tour of one of the trailblazers of our beloved Death Metal.

It was 7:30pm when Washington, United States-based Black Metal cult HULDER kicked off their dark, occult and scorching presentation (and I’m glad I was able to make it just in time for their show because Monday night traffic has been slightly lighter during the summer). Having released the magnificent Verbolgen just last Friday (available on both BandCamp and on Spotify), the band formed of the uncanny vocalist and guitarist Hulder and the ruthless bassist Necreon, with the support of live musicians Keld on the lead guitars, and Vapula on drums, put on a fantastic show for everyone already at the venue, playing songs from all of their albums, including some absolute bangers like View From Nemeton, Verses in Oath, and …And We Shall Sing. Hulder is impressive onstage, “hiding” her face behind her long hair, corpse paint and smoke, and letting the music speak on her behalf. I love that type of atmospheric and sinister vibe from bands like Hulder, and I honestly can’t wait to see the band kicking ass live again in Toronto in the not-so-distant future. My only complaint is that Hulder could have easily played for another 20 minutes or so due to the absence of Hypocrisy, which would allow her to melt our faces with another selection of Black Metal lullabies, but it is what it is. I can’t complain about it at all. We finally got Hulder in Toronto, and that was a magnificent debut.

Setlist
A Beacon From Darkened Skies
View From Nemeton
Sylvan Awakening
Hearken the End
Verses in Oath
Veil of Penitence
Drie Raven
…And We Shall Sing

Band members
Hulder – vocals, guitar
Necreon – bass, vocals
Keld – lead guitar
Vapula – drums

DIMMU BORGIR

Finally, eight years after their last visit to Toronto, the indomitable Shagrath and his henchmen Damage (who also plays with Shagrath in Chrome Division), Silenoz, Victor Brandt, Gerlioz and Daray, collectively known as Oslo, Norway’s own Symphonic Black Metal masters DIMMU BORGIR, returned to the city for another devilish performance, this time promoting their brand new offering Grand Serpent Rising, available on both BandCamp and Spotify. Their concert was absolutely venomous, just like a serpent, blending new songs the likes of Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel, As Seen in the Unseen, and Ascent with old school material such as Mourning Palace, Stormblåst, Reptile (one of my favorites of their setlist), and The Serpentine Offering. As you can see, there was a considerable share of blasphemy, blood and venom for each and every person in the crowd, no doubt about that.

The overall sound was EXTREMELY loud to the point it was hurting a bit even for people wearing noise protection earplugs (including myself), but I guess no one really cared about it as long as we could watch the band kicking ass onstage. Shagrath’s vocals continue to impress, as they sound just as harsh and infuriated as in his early days (therefore bringing even more adrenaline to their live shows), Damage was a beast bleeding a lot from his new tattoo on his right arm as he kept shredding his guitar (and there’s nothing more Black Metal than that), but it was Gerlioz on keyboards who stole the show, at least for me. He looks like a demonic hybrid of Rammstein’s Christian “Flake” Lorenz and Depeche Mode’s Andy Fletcher (RIP) in the best way possible, keeping the atmosphere as vibrant, dense and theatrical with his keys. All band members sounded solid and electrifying, but let’s say Gerlioz was the man in Toronto.

As the show was getting closer to its inevitable end, the band unleashed hell upon us all mere mortals with two of their biggest classics, Gateways and the breathtaking Progenies of the Great Apocalypse (definitely the highest moment of the whole night), resulting in a wild reaction by the fans in the mosh pit, increasing the temperature (even more) inside the venue, and leaving the gates of the underworld open wide for Dimmu Borgir to crush Toronto to pieces again in the near future. Hopefully it’s not going to take another eight years for those Norwegian serpents to invade our city with their demolishing concert, be it with a brand new album, a “best of” tour, or playing an entire classic album. As long as we get Dimmu Borgir again in Toronto, we will be very happy metalheads.

Setlist
Ulvgjeld & Blodsodel
Mourning Palace
Kings of the Carnival Creation
Council of Wolves and Snakes
As Seen in the Unseen
Ascent
Stormblåst
Reptile
The Insight and the Catharsis
The Serpentine Offering
Puritania
Gateways
Progenies of the Great Apocalypse
Perfection or Vanity

Band members
Shagrath (Stian Tomt Thoresen) – vocals
Damage (Kjell Karlsen) – lead guitar
Silenoz (Sven Atle Kopperud) – rhythm guitar
Victor Brandt – bass
Gerlioz (Geir Bratland) – keyboards
Daray (Dariusz Brzozowski) – drums

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Concert Review – Raider, Napoleon & Abysmal Whore (Monarch Tavern, Toronto, ON, 07/10/2026)

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Several metalheads in Toronto raised their golden horns to three of the must-see names of the local scene on a warm and fun Friday night in the city.

INTRODUCTION: Golden Horns Fest 3 & Belgian Jasper’s Birthday Bash!

I’m not going to write another massive complaint about the hideous Toronto traffic any day of the week. I’m just going to say it took me over one hour and thirty minutes to drive for around 30km last Friday. Yes, it was insane. Anyway, let’s talk about music, as one of Toronto’s coolest metalheads, our buddy Jasper De Man, also known as Belgian Jasper, the host of Loud & Clear, not only celebrated his birthday on Friday July 10 at the cozy Monarch Tavern, with performances by three of the must-see metal bands or the current Canadian rock and metal scene, those being RAIDER, NAPOLEON, and ABYSMAL WHORE, but he also announced the winners of the third edition of the Golden Horns Awards. This year’s winners were Abysmal Whore for Best Toronto Band, Russell Allen for Metal Warrior Award, Alissa White-Gluz for Best Interview, Helloween for Best Live Show, Afra Catharina for Best Photo International, and Afrida Nawar and Isabelle for Best Photo Canada. By the way, Afrida was once again uber nice and helped us with some photos as Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was not feeling well and couldn’t attend the event. Thanks again, Afrida!

ABYSMAL WHORE

After a short delay due to some technical difficulties at the venue, it was time for total devastation with Toronto-based Death Metal brigade ABYSMAL WHORE, and if you don’t know these girls and guys, go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify as they’re awesome. Formed of the indomitable Marta Chilina on vocals and guitar, Nava Amin also on the guitar, Andrew Phillips on bass, and Korrosive’s own Kaveh Afshar on drums, the band played basically songs from their 2024 demo Sadistic Urge, and I must say they sounded a lot better live than in the studio, delivering a dirtier and more aggressive rendition of their songs. I really want to see a full album by such a promising band of the Canadian scene, because they definitely know how to craft high quality music, and they surely show their passion for the extreme through their music and when they’re kicking ass onstage.

Band members
Marta Chilina – vocals, guitar
Nava Amin – guitar
Andrew Phillips – bass
Kaveh Afshar – drums

NAPOLEON

After a short break it was time for Alternative Punk/Post-Hardcore four-piece NAPOLEON to set the house on fire with their beyond electrifying performance, igniting some fun mosh pits and putting a smile on everyone’s faces with their energy and charisma. Playing a very vibrant set including songs like Buried In The Garden Of Eden, Haunting Me, Lord and Savior, and I Better Run (all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way), frontman Jon Elmaleh and his henchmen Tommy Whyte on the guitar, Camilo Martinez on bass (who kept playing like a true badass even after one of the chords simply decided it didn’t want to be part of his bass anymore), and Eitan Garazi on drums didn’t stop kicking ass not even for a single second, and if you’re in Toronto looking for some action inside the pit, keep an eye on their tour dates. Those guys are fantastic live.

Band members
Jon Elmaleh – vocals
Tommy Whyte – guitar
Camilo Martinez – bass
Eitan Garazi – drums

RAIDER

The last attraction of the night was Kitchener/Waterloo’s own Thrash/Death Metal machine RAIDER, and those guys never fool around when it comes to delivering pure, unfiltered sonic devastation to their avid fans. Having released the album Trial by Chaos in 2023 (available on both BandCamp and Spotify), the band formed of Gabe Rosa on vocals and  lead guitars, Bennett Smith on vocals and guitars, Aaron Tanner on bass, and Angus Pike on drums showed no mercy for our souls with an incendiary performance, blasting the heaviest and fastest sounds you can think of. They kept shredding their guitars, screaming and pounding their drums nonstop, almost setting fire to the venue, and there wasn’t a single song in their setlist that didn’t transpire extreme aggression. I think it’s about time those guys release a new album, and of course, they should book more shows in the city. They were the icing on the cake on a night of first-class Canadian metal, and if they ever take your city by storm, you know what to do. Thank you, Jasper, for bringing those three bands together for us! It was a great celebration, even with Belgium losing such a tough match against Spain that same day. Well, bring it on, World Cup 2030!

Band members
Gabe Rosa – vocals, lead guitars
Bennett Smith – vocals, guitars
Aaron Tanner – bass
Angus Pike – drums

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Concert Review – Sepultura (London Music Hall, London, ON, 05/02/2026)

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The Canadian city of London witnessed for the very first (and last) time ever the undisputed power of “Sepultura do Brasil” on an unforgettable night of first-class heavy music.

OPENING ACTS: Tribal Gaze, Biohazard and Exodus

After back to back nights of pure heavy music with bands like Archspire, Amon Amarth and Dethklok kicking my ass in Toronto on Thursday and Friday, it was time for a nice drive to the city of London for night number 3 of absolute metal magic to enjoy TRIBAL GAZE, BIOHAZARD, EXODUS and SEPULTURA take the cozy London Music Hall by storm this Saturday night as part of their Celebrating Life Through Death Final North American Tour 2026, another killer event organized by our local hero Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there with me to register such a great celebration of Thrash, Death and Groove Metal, as well as some first-class Hardcore, and I guess because the show was on a Saturday, and due to the size of the bands playing, it was scheduled for an early start, with doors opening at 5:30pm and the first band hitting the stage at 6:30pm. Fortunately, as mentioned, it was on a Saturday, so it was just a matter of planning the drive beforehand to get there in time to enjoy all attractions (and brave the long merch line if you were up to that), and believe me, they were all absolutely worth the ticket.

The opening slot of this tour was given to Texan Death Metal outfit TRIBAL GAZE, and just like when I saw them opening for Cattle Decapitation they were ruthless onstage. Once again playing songs exclusively from their 2025 sophomore Inveighing Brilliance, available on both BandCamp and Spotify, including the venomous Twitching on the Cross, Guarding the Illusion, and Beyond Recognition, the band formed of McKenna Holland on vocals, Quintin Stauts and Ian Kilmer on the guitars, Zachary Denton on bass, and Cesar De Los Santos on drums inspired everyone already at the venue to start a sick circle pit, properly warming up the crowd for the other attractions of the night. Those guys are very young and looked extremely excited for opening for some of their metal heroes, as I’m sure they grew up listening to Sepultura, Exodus and Biohazard, so their level of energy onstage was insanely high. As I always say, new bands like Tribal Gaze need our support to keep metal alive, which means if they ever play in your city, you know what to do.

Setlist
Emptying the Nest
Smiling From Their Chariots
To the Spoils of Faith
The Irreversible Sequence
Twitching on the Cross
Guarding the Illusion
Beyond Recognition

Band members
McKenna Holland – vocals
Quintin Stauts – guitars
Ian Kilmer – guitars
Zachary Denton – bass
Cesar De Los Santos – drums

After Tribal Gaze finished their unrelenting performance, we were treated to the incendiary Hardcore by Brooklyn, New York’s most famous squad, the indomitable BIOHAZARD. It was only my second time in life seeing those guys live, the first back in the late 90’s when they were one of the must-see bands on MTV, and I must say they looked a lot sharper and more infuriated this Saturday night. Evan Seinfeld is in fantastic shape, way better than his early days or when he was one of the prisoners in the revolutionary TV series Oz, and if I ever have a chance to talk to him in person I’ll certainly ask him for some health tips as he looks awesome. Billy Graziadei, Bobby Hambel and Danny Schuler were also on fire, and their short but sweet setlist, blending classics with new songs from their 2025 album Divided We Fall (all available on Spotify), was heavy, flammable, violent and fun from start to finish, igniting a demonic circle pit that turned up the heat considerably at the venue. Biohazard still got it, no doubt about it, and I’m happy I was able to see those legends live again after almost 30 years.

Setlist
Urban Discipline
Shades of Grey
Fuck the System
Wrong Side of the Tracks
Tales From the Hard Side
Forsaken
Punishment

Band members
Evan Seinfeld – vocals, bass
Billy Graziadei – vocals, rhythm guitar
Bobby Hambel – lead guitar
Danny Schuler – drums

Then it was time for another blast of absolute thrashing madness onstage with the mighty Thrash Metal titans EXODUS, who after the return of the furious Rob Dukes are sounding even heavier than before. I saw them opening for Megadeth also in London in February, when they kicked off their tour to promote their new album Goliath (also available on Spotify), but this time opening for Sepultura sounded a lot heavier (and louder, as the sound at the London Concert Hall was turned up to 11). The setlist wasn’t too different from last time, but the fact they added the magnificent Deathamphetamine to it made their show more violent and vibrant. It’s always a pleasure seeing Gary Holt, Lee Altus, Jack Gibson and Tom Hunting onstage, as well as the aforementioned Rob Dukes, of course, but the show was so intense we all had to share our attention with the hurricane happening inside the circle pit. Well, when the last three songs of a setlist are A Lesson in Violence, The Toxic Waltz, and Strike of the Beast, you know you can’t simply stand and watch the show. You need to get into the action, and the fans in London understood the message maybe even more than what anyone could have predicted. Yes, it was a true lesson in violence, and we must thank the one and only Exodus for such a fun time.

Setlist
We Will Rock You (Queen song)
3111
Bonded by Blood
Deathamphetamine
Blacklist
Goliath
A Lesson in Violence
The Toxic Waltz
Strike of the Beast

Band members
Rob Dukes – vocals
Gary Holt – guitar
Lee Altus – guitar
Jack Gibson – bass
Tom Hunting – drums

SEPULTURA

It was already past 9pm when the main band of the night, Brazilian Thrash/Groove Metal institution SEPULTURA, kicked off their very first, and most probably their very last (as this is supposed to be their farewell tour), concert in the city of London, and the fans made sure it was an unforgettable night for Derrick Green, Andreas Kisser, Paulo Jr., and Greyson Nekrutman, as the crowd was rowdy and wild during their entire setlist, even when they played slower or newer songs like The Place (from their brand new EP The Cloud of Unknowing, already available in any platform such as Spotify) and Agony of Defeat. The crowd got louder of course during their classics from the 90’s, but the synchronicity between Sepultura and the fans in London was a thing of beauty during the entire concert.

Speaking of classics, I simply loved the fact they kicked off the show with Beneath the Remains and Inner Self, two of my all-time favorite Sepultura songs, and the quartet sounded utterly heavy during those masterpieces. The action inside the pit got out of control, the fans began smashing each other on the front rows to the point some people had to move to the back to be able to breathe and enjoy the rest of the show, and the fact they kept playing heavy and visceral tunes the likes of Attitude, Choke and Escape to the Void turned the venue into a cauldron of violence. The excellent tribal hymn Kaiowas brought some moments of peace to London, but of course all hell broke loose again once they played in a row the majestic Orgasmatron, Territory, Refuse/Resist and Arise. It was way crazier than their show in Toronto in 2024, I must admit.

Then after a quick drum solo by the ultra talented Greyson Nekrutman, who fells absolutely at home with Sepultura, the band put everyone to jump up and down, dance, slam into the pit, and therefore have the time of their lives with Ratamahatta, and of course with one of the best metal songs of all time, the incendiary Roots Bloody Roots. If that was indeed the first and last time Sepultura played in London, let’s say they did a phenomenal job, carving their place in the hearts of a lot of newcomers to their Sepulnation as countless fans were seeing them live for the very first time ever. I’ve seen them live already way too many times to remember, but I’ll never forget the energy in London. I had a long drive back home by myself in the middle of the night, but the adrenaline from the show was still flowing through my veins, making the drive a lot easier. Thank you for your music, Sepultura do Brasil, and if you want to somehow “cancel” your retirement and go back to London for another killer show, we will all be there for you.

Setlist
War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Polícia (Titãs song)
Beneath the Remains
Inner Self
Desperate Cry
Kairos
Means to an End
Attitude
Choke
The Place
Escape to the Void
Kaiowas
Dead Embryonic Cells
Agony of Defeat
Orgasmatron
Territory
Refuse/Resist
Arise
Drum Solo
Ratamahatta
Roots Bloody Roots

Band members
Derrick Green – lead vocals
Andreas Kisser – guitars, backing vocals
Paulo Jr. – bass
Greyson Nekrutman – drums

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Concert Review – UADA & Mortiis (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 04/24/2026)

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The city of Toronto was taken by storm by the Witches of Dystopia this Friday night in a celebration of darkness, spirituality and witchcraft.

OPENING ACTS: Wraith Knight and Jerome Reuter’s Rome

After a Heavy Metal night on Thursday with the Burning Witches, it was time to join the Witches of Dystopia on Friday night as WRAITH NIGHT, JEROME REUTER’S ROME, MORTIIS and UADA took the city of Toronto by storm with their The Witches of Dystopia Tour MMXXVI, another massive event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. The venue chosen for such a unique experience was Lee’s Palace (and it looks like it’s the only place UADA play in the city, by the way, as it was their third time there out of three shows), and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to enjoy such a dark celebration encompassing countless music styles, from Black Metal and Dungeon Synth to Darkwave and Melodic Black Metal. It was a night of ups and downs as expected when you have so many different styles billed together, but that’s fine. You only need to open your mind and let the music flow through your soul, it doesn’t matter if it’s heavy as hell, or smooth and atmospheric.

It was 7:30pm, only 30 minutes after the doors were open, when Camas, Washington-based Black Metal/Ambient/Dungeon Synth entity WRAITH KNIGHT ignited the festivities with its fusion of dark music and fantasy. The project is basically Nick Superchi (the brother of UADA’s own frontman Jake Superchi, with whom he has also co-founded Dark Forest Productions) on synthesizers, and you can enjoy its two album Deep in the Dungeons of the Dragonlord, from 2022, and Of Arcane Magic & Forbidden Knowledge: The Necromantical Passage, from 2026, on BandCamp and on Spotify. It was a bit weird seeing just one guy on the corner of the stage playing synths for 30 minutes, but it is what it is. Nick hasn’t joined this tour in vain, and all would make sense after UADA hit the stage later that night.

Band members
Nick Superchi – synthesizers

Then after a short break it was time for another one-man project to entertain everyone who beats traffic and was already at Lee’s Palace, Luxembourg’s own Neofolk act JEROME REUTER’S ROME. And again, it was only one guy onstage, this time playing an acoustic set on the guitar. Known for his time with Street Punk band The Skinflicks, and for his collaborations with Nergal in his Dark Folk/Blues project Me And That Man, Jerome is now putting a lot of focus and effort on Rome, and if you enjoy Neofolk you can go check his music on Spotify. I would have preferred a regular Black Metal band instead, fully electrified and loud, but again, nothing that could make the night less enjoyable.

Band members
Jerome Reuter – vocals, guitar

MORTIIS

The first main attraction of the night was Oslo, Norway-based Darkwave/Dungeon Synth/Electronic/Industrial Rock entity MORTIIS, and yes, all of those music genres and subgenres can be applied to the most famous troll in the music industry. I don’t know if he was the best option to tour alongside such a heavy band like UADA, but the crowd seemed to be enjoying his electronic music more than what I expected. Basing his setlist on his 2001 cult album The Smell of Rain, plus the new song Ghosts of Europa, from his upcoming album of the same name (to be released on June 21), all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, Mortiis and his henchmen Ashes on the guitar, and Jon Siren on drums put a lot of people to dance at Lee’s Palace, including Mortiis himself onstage, of course.

The only thing that REALLY bothered me during his entire concert was the excessive use of backing tracks, in special all keyboards and synths. I read somewhere that the reason for such was to maintain the atmospheric complexity of his studio recordings that cannot be fully replicated by a standard live band (and it also gave Mortiis more freedom to move around the stage, I must admit that), but when over 90% of the instrumental is based on keyboards and synths, that gets truly annoying. No idea what was going on inside the minds of the fans at the venue, as the ones dancing didn’t seem to care about it, while others were simply not moving at all. When Smell the Witch was over, I noticed some people leaving the floor section. Maybe they were there just for Mortiis, maybe they were afraid of being caught in a mosh during UADA, which proves again the lineup for this tour was very weird. It worked, but it was still weird.

Setlist
Ghosts of Europa
Marshland
You Put a Hex on Me
Mental Maelstrom
Spirit in a Vacuum
Monolith
Parasite God
Tundra
Demons Are Back
Doppelganger
Smell the Witch

Band members
Mortiis – vocals
Ashes – guitars
Jon Siren – drums

UADA

Finally when the clock was about to hit 11pm it was time for one of the best, if not THE best, Melodic Black Metal band of the current scene, Portland, Oregon’s own UADA, to crush our damned souls with another spiritual, hypnotizing and absolutely dark performance, almost three years after their demolishing 2023 concert at the same venue, but this time their concert was absolutely unique, playing in full their 2016 debut Devoid of Light (available on any platform like BandCamp and Spotify), in celebration of the album’s 10th anniversary, plus songs from Symphonic Black/Death Metal band Ceremonial Castings, formed by brothers Jake “Lord Serpent” Superchi and Nick “OldNick” Superchi, celebrating 30 years of the band. It was a very bold move as I’m not sure if everyone at the venue knew Ceremonial Castings, but the final result was majestic to say the least.

When Jake Superchi, Rob Shaffer, Nate Verschoor and Pierce Williams hit the stage and kicked off their venomous feast of Black Metal with the excellent Natus Eclipsim, followed by the massive title-track Devoid of Light, the heaviness and loudness at Lee’s Palace were turned up to 11, inspiring everyone to raise their horns, bang their heads nonstop, and slam into the circle pit, all while joining the band on their spiritual journey. As a huge fan of all UADA albums, it was a pleasure seeing Devoid of Light in full (and I think this was the 10th album played in full by different bands in the city in the past year or so, a very cool trend if you ask me), with Black Autumn, White Spring being the icing on the cake as usual. Superb performance by this must-see band from the metal underworld.

Then after the instrumental interlude comprised of The Wanderer, from their 2018 masterpiece Cult of a Dying Sun, Nick Superchi of Wraith Knight joined the band onstage for a special set based on the “Bewitching Black Metal” crafted by Ceremonial Castings. With its lyrics based on the art of black magic, witchcraft and rituals, the band seems to have been resurrected by Jake and Nick in 2020, and I must say I’m really happy they decided to bring such an amazing project back from the dead. The songs chosen for their special ceremony were Immortal Black Art, Into the Black Forest of Witchery, Barbaric Is The Beast, Come Forth Damnation, Damned Be Those of the Craft, and Midnight Deathcult Phenomena, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and I highly recommend you go after the music by Ceremonial Castings as it’s simply phenomenal. All fans loved every single second of the show, and I bet whoever was not familiar with Ceremonial Castings was certainly impressed with their killer music. In addition, they ended their set with an incendiary version of Emperor’s all-time classic I Am the Black Wizards. Do I need to say more?

There was only one issue with UADA’s classy performance involving one of the girls at the concert, but I guess both the girl and Jake regret their actions this Friday night. The same girl who went onstage to do splits at the Incantation concert (opening for Belphegor) earlier this year thought it was a good idea to do the same at UADA, but she clearly didn’t have a clue of what a UADA concert means. It’s not Thrash Metal, it’s not Death Metal, sometimes not even Black Metal. It’s a spiritual event, and the stage is sacred ground for the band. After doing her splits, Jake simply booted her out of the stage, and although her fall wasn’t that harsh, it was still a considerable fall. Jake apologized to her after the show, of course. I guess he was in his usual trance onstage and didn’t think properly before kicking her in the ass, but that also shows you cannot simply go to a concert and do whatever you want, like invading the stage, because depending on the band that’s not cool at all. In the end, it didn’t really matter, because UADA were beauifully insane, and I can’t wait to see them live again sooner than later. Without anyone going onstage to do splits, please.

Setlist
Devoid of Light (10-Year Anniversary)
Natus Eclipsim
Devoid of Light
S.N.M.
Our Pale Departure
Black Autumn, White Spring

Interlude:
The Wanderer

Ceremonial Castings (30-Year Anniversary)
Immortal Black Art
Into the Black Forest of Witchery
Barbaric Is The Beast
Come Forth Damnation
Damned Be Those of the Craft
Midnight Deathcult Phenomena

Encore:
I Am the Black Wizards (Emperor cover)

Band members
Jake Superchi – vocals, rhythm guitars
Rob Shaffer – lead guitars
Nate Verschoor – bass
Pierce Williams – drums

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Concert Review – Burning Witches (The Garrison, Toronto, ON, 04/23/2026)

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Metalheads in Toronto were finally locked in the dark tower of Heavy Metal ruled by the phenomenal Witches of the North on their first ever concert in the city.

OPENING ACTS: AMMO and Thunderor

For the first time ever in their already solid career, the indomitable BURNING WITCHES, with the support of THUNDEROR and AMMO, took the city of Toronto by storm with their undisputed blend of Heavy and Power Metal during their Canadian Tour 2026, brought to the city by Boonsdale Records. I initially thought The Garrison might have been too small for these three amazing bands, but due to the fact Dark Tranquillity were playing in the city at the exact same time, the attendance for Burning Witches wasn’t exceptional. It feels like that’s the norm in Toronto in April and May, and then in September and Ocober, with countless concerts night after night, then huge draughts in the summer and winter. Well, Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to worship our beloved Witches of the North, bringing to our metallic hearts an overdose of metal awesomeness (louder than an atom bomb, by the way), and I’m sure after such an amazing show they’ll quickly return to Toronto in the near future for another ass-kicking concert.

In order to properly introduce the first band of the night, I have a question for you. Are you too metal for metal? That’s exactly what Toronto’s own Heavy Metal brigade AMMO delivered to us all this Thursday night, playing their already classic hymn Too Metal for Metal, plus songs from their 2019 EP Taking the Throne, and their 2025 single Mortis Rex, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. With guitarist Brett Williams now also taking care of their vocal duties, the quartet kicked some serious ass onstage, properly warming up the crowd for the upcoming attractions. Kudos also to the iconic bassist Necro Hippie for blasting his bass nonstop, adding an extra layer of heaviness to the band’s core sound. I think their first full-length album is long overdue, we definitely need that, as those guys know how to add the word “METAL” to any stage, and if you ever have a chance to see them live, do not miss it.

Setlist
Mortis Rex
Far From Here
Street Metal Werewolves
Heart of Sin
Empire
Too Metal for Metal

Band members
Brett Williams – vocals, guitars
Matt Lewis – guitars
Necro Hippie – bass
Struan Robertson – drums

After a short break, it was time for Toronto’s Heavy Meta/Hard Rock heroes THUNDEROR to bring the arena-rock anthems from their 2022 album Fire It Up and their brand new offering Bleed for It to life at The Garrison, both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and I’m always going to say it’s truly impressive how the band’s mastermind JJ Tartaglia is capable of singing, playing drums, and even playing keyboards at the same time. Well, we can all do that, but of course let’s say the quality of the sound in that case will be below hideous, right? Jokes aside, and back to the concert, it felt like being taken back to the glory of the 80’s during their set, with songs like Fire It Up, Get ‘Em Counted, and in special Cape Breton Home, featuring the awesome guest fiddler Zoe S., inspiring us to headbanging and raise our horns together with JJ and his crew. If you don’t know Thunderor yet, don’t waste your time and go check their music, and if possible, go see them live. It’s time to pump up the volume, my friends!

Setlist
Fire It Up
One Chance
Pump Up The Volume
Get ‘Em Counted
Cape Breton Home
Dangerous Times
Thunderor
How We Roll

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

BURNING WITCHES

After a long wait of over ten years, Switzerland’s unparalleled Heavy/Power Metal brigade BURNING WITCHES finally toured Canada, or at least a few selected Canadian cities including Toronto, and the excitement on the faces of all fans at The Garrison was crystal clear with their first chance ever to see those talented ladies kicking some serious ass live. Having released the excellent Inquisition in 2025 (available on both BandCamp and Spotify, just like all of their other albums), the band formed of the air raid siren Laura Guldemond (what an incredible voice!), the virtuosi Romana Kalkuhl and Courtney Cox on the guitars, the thunderous Jeanine Grob on bass, and the unstoppable Lala Frischknecht on drums delivered a fantastic mix of their entire discography for the total delight of all concert goers, leaving us all eager for more after all was said and done.

Lots of vocalists use a variety of corrective and creative effects on their microphones during their live performances, such as reverb or delay, but not Laura. Her voice is unbelievable, absurdly powerful and piercing, adding even more electricity to their already thrilling songs like Dance With the Devil, The Dark Tower (my favorite of the night), Inquisition, and the beautiful ballad Release Me. It’s truly a thing of beauty, but of course her bandmates make sure there’s endless heaviness for her to shine on vocals. Romana and Courtney didn’t stop shredding their axes, while Jeanine and Lala made the whole venue tremble. It was insanely loud. Fans were having a phenomenal time, raising their fists, chanting all songs with the girls, and even igniting some mosh pits during their faster songs.

After their coup-de-grace with the classics Hexenhammer, Wings of Steel, The Witch of the North, and Burning Witches, as it was their last show of the tour (before getting a flight to Germany the following morning to play at a festival basically that same day), we were all expecting a surprise like “Holy Diver”, but that’s fine. We understand how exhausting their flight back could be, and besides, we already got to see them playing their biggest classics live in the city for the first time, right? After the show, some of the girls spent a few minutes outdoors chatting with fans. I had the pleasure of talking for a bit with Courtney and Jeanine, and I must say they’re not just extremely talented musicians, but super nice ladies who make the world a much better place with their music and charisma. I really hope this wasn’t their first and only show in Toronto, as they need to return to the city to play at a bigger venue (and not on the same day as a major player like Dark Tranquillity), so that more people get exposed to their stunning Heavy Metal. As a huge fan of the band, I can’t wait to get locked in a dark tower in Toronto once again by the most talented witches of heavy music.

Setlist
Sanguini Hominum
Soul Eater
Shame
Dance With the Devil
Maiden of Steel
The Dark Tower
Sea of Lies
Inquisition
Release Me
Black Widow
Evil Witch
Lucid Nightmare
Dungeon of Infamy
The Witch Circle
Hexenhammer
Wings of Steel
The Witch of the North
Burning Witches
Malus Maga

Band members
Laura Guldemond – vocals
Romana Kalkuhl – guitars
Courtney Cox – guitars
Jeanine Grob – bass
Lala Frischknecht – drums

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Concert Review – Helloween (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, 04/19/2026)

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The city of Toronto witnessed a majestic celebration of 40 years of absolute Heavy Metal magic by the most beloved pumpkins in the history of mankind.

OPENING ACT: Beast in Black

First and foremost, I have to start this review by thanking Mr. Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment for bringing one of my childhood heroes back to Toronto. Secondly, although the crowd was not as rowdy nor loud as in Montreal the night before (and yes, I drove all the way from Toronto to Montreal for the show, and back), the cozy Queen Elizabeth Theatre was on fire for the unparalleled HELLOWEEN, supported by BEAST IN BLACK, for their must-see 40th Anniversary North American Tour 2026. My buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was also there to witness one of the most important bands in the history of Heavy Metal, and his shots of the concert will give you a very good idea of how bright, vibrant, well-produced and engaging the whole evening was. As a fanboy, it was a dream come true to finally se back to back concerts by my beloved pumpkins, something I had only been able to do before in my life with Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer and Megadeth, and I need to say this amazing “HelloWeekend” will forever stay in my mind and in my heart as one of my most cherished metal memories.

Before the mighty Helloween hit the stage, the opening slot was given to Helsinki, Finland-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock brigade BEAST IN BLACK. Formed in 2015 by Anton Kabanen after he left Battle Beast, and having already released the albums Berserker, From Hell with Love,Dark Connection, and the EP Power of the Beast, plus the 2025 single Enter the Behelit, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band put on a great show to warmup the crowd in Toronto (as well as in Montreal, by the way), proving why they’ve been gaining more and more fans in Canadian lands. Songs like Power of the Beast, Enter the Behelit and No Surrender worked really well live, with frontman Yannis Papadopoulos keeping the audience entertained the entire time, but the fact that Anton Kabanen himself stayed in Finland to finish their upcoming album, therefore missing their entire North American tour, was really weird and made their sound feel a bit thinner than usual. Well, priorities are priorities, and I’m sure Anton didn’t want to miss the tour at all, but you never know what surprises or challenges life will present to you, right?

Setlist
Power of the Beast
Hardcore
Sweet True Lies
Born Again
From Hell With Love
Enter the Behelit
Die by the Blade
One Night in Tokyo
Blind and Frozen
No Surrender

Band members
Yannis Papadopoulos – vocals
Daniel Freyberg – guitars
Máté Molnár – bass
Atte Palokangas – drums

HELLOWEEN

It was precisely 8:45pm on a very chilly night in Toronto (after a sunny and warm Saturday in Montreal, which is why you can never trust the weather in April in Canada) when the indomitable metal invaders Michael Kiske, Andi Deris, Kai Hansen, Michael Weikath, Sascha Gerstner, Markus Grosskopf and Dani Löble, collectively known as the Pumpkins United of HELLOWEEN, hit the stage of the Queen Elizabeth Theatre to celebrate 40 years of their undisputed, unparalleled career, proving to us all that Heavy Metal is the law, and it will always be. Their sound, stage and overall production were impeccable, with the big screen behind the stage adding a lot of taste to all songs, in special to the ones preceded by “The Keeper.” Not only that, their setlist was also a thing of beauty, a journey through all of their phases, from their 1985 masterpiece  Walls of Jericho, to their 2025 opus Giants & Monsters (and of course, you can stream them all on Spotify), showing it is possible to celebrate decades of music without forgetting or ignoring any period of their career. We got the usual classics, epic, long songs, new songs, and even some very welcome deep cuts. I think that, if they were allowed, they would have easily played for another hour.

There are no words that can be used to describe how amazing it is to watch Michael Kiske and Andi Deris sharing the vocal duties on basically all songs, plus of course Kai Hansen delivering his pure Heavy Metal power on Ride the Sky and Heavy Metal (Is the Law). In all seriousness, I don’t think there’s any other band in the world, of any music genre, with three phenomenal vocalists and frontmen like Helloween nowadays. I love the fact they sing each other’s songs without any bad blood; quite the contrary, it feels like they’re loving doing that, and of course us fans are the actual winners in this case as all songs sounded absolutely incredible. Just like in Montreal, I think I saw a few people crying every single time Kiske delivered his hypnotizing vocals, taking us all back in time like in the all-time classics March of Time and Future World, while also presenting us with the new masterpiece Universe (Gravity for Hearts), by far the best song of the new album both in the studio and live. What a stunning tune with magical lyrics, definitely reaching deep inside the hearts of us metalheads.

Deris was his usual one-man show, the “perfect gentleman” that keeps our eyes glued to the stage it doesn’t matter if he’s “just” singing or interacting with the other guys, always putting a smile on our faces, while Hansen, Weikath, Gerstner, Grosskopf and Löble kept their engine running flawlessly like one of those perfect German sports cars. That’s the reason why deep cuts like We Burn, Hey Lord! and Hell Was Made in Heaven work so well on this tour. Furthermore, the acoustic part of the show was also a nice touch to it, just like in 2023, with Kiske and Deris once again mesmerizing us all with their unique voices. In the Middle of a Heartbeat (preceded by a snippet of the classic “Yesterday”, by The Beatles) sounded excellent, inspiring all fans to sing it along with them, and having the beautiful A Tale That Wasn’t Right played half acoustic, half fully plugged was also amazing.

The show was already reaching the two-hour mark when the band decided to simply destroy our senses with an overdose of awesomeness that reminded us all why they’ve been on the road for so many decades, always strong, always metal. I guess the 13-minute work-of-art Halloween was by far the favorite of all fans in Toronto and Montreal, with simply everyone singing and screaming it at the top of their lungs. It was a collective catharsis of pure heavy music, and when it was over I wish they simply could start playing it again. The triumvirate of metal madness formed of Eagle Fly Free, Power and Dr. Stein, plus the outro to Keeper of the Seven Keys (and again, I wish they had played it in full), sounded beyond marvelous, and when the show was over you could see in everyone’s faces the crowd still had a lot of energy left for more, as well as the band, but unfortunately as you all know time marches on without us all. It never stops, and hopefully Helloween will never stop either. Needless to say, I’m already waiting for another pumpkin invasion in Toronto and Canada in general because, as you might have noticed, everyday is Helloween.

Setlist
Let Me Entertain (Robbie Williams song)
Interlude
March of Time
The Keeper
The King for a 1000 Years
Future World
This Is Tokyo
We Burn
The Keeper
Ride the Sky
Into the Sun
Hey Lord!
Universe (Gravity for Hearts)
Hell Was Made in Heaven
Drum Solo
I Want Out
In the Middle of a Heartbeat
A Tale That Wasn’t Right
A Little Is a Little Too Much
Heavy Metal (Is the Law)
The Keeper
Halloween

Encore:
Invitation
Eagle Fly Free
Power
Dr. Stein
Keeper of the Seven Keys (Outro)

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

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Concert Review – Lamb of God (Great Canadian Toronto, Mississauga, ON, 03/20/2026)

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Metalheads from all over the GTA walked with Lamb of God in hell once again on a fantastic Friday night of pure heavy music.

OPENING ACTS: Sanguisugabogg, Fit For An Autopsy and Kublai Khan Tx

After a full day of rain in Toronto and vicinities, the weather finally settled down closer to the evening, and it was only slightly cold (for Canadian standards, of course, as it was still very cold for anyone else) when the almighty LAMB OF GOD took the always welcoming Great Canadian Toronto by storm with their undisputed North America 2026 Tour, featuring the more than special guests SANGUISUGABOGG, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and KUBLAI KHAN TX, on a night of pure adrenaline and a celebration of heavy music. It was a true honor for Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I to cover such an amazing night, and as the show at the casino was one hundred percent SOLD OUT, you can imagine how much fun everyone who attended the show had inside the massive circle pits formed during all four concerts.

It was around 7pm when Columbus, Ohio’s own Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore entity SANGUISUGABOGG kicked off the party with their vicious attack. Having released the excellent Hideous Aftermath in 2025, available on both BandCamp and Spotify, the band formed of the unstoppable frontman Devin Swank, guitarist Drew Arnold, bassist Ced Davis, and drummer Cody Davidson put on a phenomenal performance onstage, already inspiring the crowd to headbang and slam like true metalmaniacs until the very last second. What a wild kickoff, with the very romantic songs Face Ripped Off and Dead as Shit making the entire casino shake. I’m sure Sanguisugabogg will return to Toronto with their undisputed violence sooner than you can say their name, spell their name, or read their logo. Any of these work.

Setlist
Rotted Entanglement
Face Ripped Off
Felony Abuse of a Corpse
Abhorrent Contraception
Dead as Shit

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

The bar was set super high with Sanguisugabogg, but of course nothing that New Jersey’s own Death Metal/Deathcore beast FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY couldn’t take care of armed with their venomous and melodic brutality. Frontman Joe Badolato was having an amazing time onstage “managing” the vicious circle pit going, and the crowd roared back at him during their incendiary performance. Playing songs from their already solid discography (available on Spotify), including some killer tunes from their latest opus The Nothing That Is, from 2024, those being Lower Purpose, Hostage, and Savior of None / Ashes of All, the band delivered everything their fans were expecting and more, with the intense crowd surfing getting to a point I lost count of how many of the “banana boys” crossed my path after letting their peels being touched by all fans inside the pit. Maybe I should say the entire venue went bananas during Fit For An Autopsy, right?

Setlist
Lower Purpose
It Comes for You
The Wretch
Black Mammoth
Hostage
Savior of None / Ashes of All
Warfare
Pandora
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

Although I’m familiar with the music by Texan Metalcore ensemble KUBLAI KHAN TX, I didn’t know they were so famous and loved by the Toronto fans. Every single person in the room was having an amazing time during their performance, singing all songs along with the band led by the charismatic Matt Honeycutt. The guy didn’t stop a single second onstage, and that obviously translated into a lot of action inside the pit. In addition, it’s impressive how heavy their kitchen formed of bassist Eric English and drummer Isaac Lamb sounds, in special the utterly thunderous bass by Eric. The guy was making my chest tremble with his jabs. If you know nothing about those talented and humble guys, you can check their ass-kicking music on Spotify, like their 2024 album Exhibition of Prowess, but get ready as they will smash your cranial skull mercilessly.

Setlist
Darwinism
Supreme Ruler
Low Tech
Antpile
Boomslang
The Hammer
The Mountain of Corsicana
Antpile 2
Self-Destruct
Mud
Swan Song
Theory of Mind

Band members
Matt Honeycutt – vocals
Nicholas Adams – guitar, backing vocals
Eric English – bass, backing vocals
Isaac Lamb – drums

LAMB OF GOD

At long last, it was time to walk with Richmond, Virginia’s own Groove Metal masters LAMB OF GOD in hell during their absolutely heavy, vibrant and flammable performance. Having released the phenomenal Into Oblivion just a week before the show (available on Spotify and also on the special Into Oblivion website), the band fronted by the iconic D. Randall “Randy” Blythe showed no mercy for our necks and bodies with another killer performance in Canadian lands. It’s so cool how Lamb of God moved from a small venue like The Opera House when they first played in Toronto years and years ago, to selling out such a massive venue like the casino. To be fair, that’s expected when the music in question is so good, catchy and electrifying.

Randy was on fire during their entire show, as well as his bandmates, with Mark Morton and Willie Adler showing why they’re two of the best metal guitarists of the current scene. John Campbell and his trademark headbanging were also excellent, not to mention Art Cruz delivered a striking drum solo for our total delight. Before the show, he hid a few drumsticks around the venue for fans to try to find them, an initiative that I personally considered very cool (despite the fact I couldn’t find any of them). All that talent made their already amazing songs like Ruin, Laid to Rest and 11th Hour sound even stronger live, driving fans wild during their entire set, and maybe because it was a Friday night at a venue with no curfew we were also treated to a classic that hadn’t been played before Friday, the awesome Omerta.

Their new songs also sounded incredible, in special the infuriated Parasocial Christ, making the circle pit move even faster. There were some tunes that were screamed by the entire crowd together with the band, like 512, Walk With Me in Hell, and Memento Mori, three of my favorite Lamb of God songs, and you can imagine how happy I was seeing so many fans from all ages having such a great time with Randy and his henchmen. And as the icing on the cake, we could all scream, raise our fists, headbanging and jump up and down together with the boys during their metal masterpiece Redneck, putting a beyond epic and climatic ending to the show.

I wish I could have stayed longer at the casino after the show to eat something and maybe even try my luck, but the lines to get into the casino were insane. I’m not complaining, as I love the fact a metal concert can make a casino so busy and vibrant, and I can’t wait to enjoy one of the best venues in the GTA again in a few weeks. Anyway, back to the concert, it’s more than obvious that it won’t take long for Lamb of God to return to the city as they’re undoubtedly one of Toronto’s favorite metal acts. I dare to say they’re THE favorite metal band of a huge chunk of the new-ish generation of metalheads, and as Randy himself said in a recent interview, just like he wants to keep playing with Lamb of God until his last breath, we also want to headbang with Lamb of God until ours.

Setlist
Ruin
Laid to Rest
Blood Junkie
Into Oblivion
Resurrection Man
Grace
Desolation
512
Walk With Me in Hell
Parasocial Christ
Omerta
11th Hour

Encore:
Memento Mori
Sepsis
Redneck

Band members
D. Randall “Randy” Blythe – vocals
Mark Morton – guitar
Willie Adler – guitar
John Campbell – bass
Art Cruz – drums

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Concert Review – Orbit Culture (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 03/03/2026)

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Fans in Toronto witnessed a night of absolute heaviness and electricity at a jam packed The Opera House together with some of the must-see bands of the current scene.

OPENING ACTS: Atlas and Ov Sulfur

Temperatures are finally starting to rise in Toronto after one of the coldest and harshest winters in decades, and this Tuesday the mighty ORBIT CULTURE, supported by guests OV SULFUR and ATLAS, brought the heat to the cozy The Opera House during their North America 2026 tour. The venue was absolutely packed, and if I’m not mistaken my sources told me the whole event was around 16 tickets of being absolutely sold out, so we’re talking about almost 900 people taking every single space at the venue with no room for much movement. Not only that, Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi had to “fight” for space with other 11 photographers also covering the event in a tight area (with five security guys, by the way), and the merch line went from the bar next to the entrance all the way to the floor section. I have no idea when exactly merch became more important than the show itself, as I’m tired of seeing lots of people missing one or more attractions just to grab a shirt. Anyway, it is what it is. Event shirts are super cool, and buying them is extremely helpful for the musicians, so maybe we could all find a better or faster way for the merch line to move as we want to keep supporting all bands.

The first attraction of the night was Tampere, Finland-based Metalcore band ATLAS, often stylized in all caps, who self-describe their sound as “Northcore,” which is basically a mix of heavy, melodic Metalcore with atmospheric, immersive soundscapes. Having recently released the album Sunder, available on Spotify or any other streaming service, the band formed of vocalist Patrik Nuorteva, vocalist and bassist Leevi Luoto, guitarists Kevin Apostol and Tuomas Kurikka, and drummer Aku Karjalainen put on a solid performance for an already packed venue, working as a more-than-effective warmup for Ov Sulfur and Orbit Culture. Well, as I like to say, wake me up when a metal band from Finland sounds boring or tiresome onstage. They always kick ass, ATLAS included, and I’m sure we’ll hear a lot more from those guys in the near future.

Setlist
Sermon of the Dying Light
Tower
Coven of Two
Anodyne
I Whisper Your Name Like a Curse
Uni
Ukko
Salt and Sulfur
Outro

Band members
Patrik Nuorteva – vocals
Leevi Luoto – vocals, bass
Kevin Apostol – guitar
Tuomas Kurikka – guitar
Aku Karjalainen – drums

The whole place was already swarming with fans when Las Vegas, Nevada’s own Blackened Deathcore beast OV SULFUR hit the stage with their pulverizing performance, making The Opera House tremble to their undisputed heaviness. Spearheaded by the unstoppable frontman Ricky Hoover, the band has just started touring to promote their fresh out of the oven album Endless (available on BandCamp and on Spotify), and let me tell you that the new songs from the album worked extremely well live. Ricky and his henchmen Christian Becker and Chase Wilson on the guitars, Josh Bearden on bass, and Leviathvn on drums were on fire from start to finish; however, the fact the venue was jam packed made it a bit hard for fans to start any circle pits. There was a lot of headbanging and horns raising, of course, and the lights also helped turn their show into a multi-sensorial experience. It’s really nice to see Ov Sulfur hitting bigger stages every single time they visit Toronto, not only because they’re awesome, but also because Toronto loves that type of Deathcore, blending sheer savagery with tons of different emotions.

Setlist
Endless//Godless
Seed
Stained in Rot
Befouler
Death Ov Circumstance
Wither
Forlorn
Vast Eternal
Evermore

Band members
Ricky Hoover – vocals
Christian Becker – guitars
Chase Wilson – guitars
Josh Bearden – bass
Leviathvn – drums

ORBIT CULTURE

Another quick break (while countless fans were still braving the massive merch lines), and it was time for Eksjö, Sweden-based Melodic Death/Groove Metal titans ORBIT CULTURE to crush our souls with their breathtaking performance. Having recently released the excellent Death Above Life, which you can find on BandCamp and on Spotify, the indomitable Niklas Karlsson, Richard Hansson, Fredrik Lennartsson and Christopher Wallerstedt put a huge smile on the faces of their avid Toronto fans, with absolutely no room to breathe during their entire concert. Songs like Death Above Life, Bloodhound, Hydra and While We Serve sounded insane onstage, and after the closing song Vultures of North was over the happiness on everyone’s faces was outstanding. This was not only the band’s first ever headlining concert in the city, but by far their strongest and most dynamic one as well, proving they’re becoming a reference in the style and, therefore, gaining more and more attention from fans worldwide. I doubt it will take long for those Swedish rockers to return to Toronto, and I bet next time their concert will be even bigger, heavier and more electrifying.

Setlist
Death Above Life
The Storm
The Tales of War
North Star of Nija
Saw
From the Inside
Bloodhound
The Shadowing
Open Eye
While We Serve
Hydra
Vultures of North

Band members
Niklas Karlsson – vocals, guitars
Richard Hansson – lead guitars
Fredrik Lennartsson – bass
Christopher Wallerstedt – drums

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