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Concert Review – TÝR (Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON, 04/03/2024)

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A pleasant (and rainy) night full of pirates, trolls and battle ballads for the delight of all fans of Folk Metal in the city of Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: The Dread Crew Of Oddwood, Aether Realm and Trollfest

Rain or shine, the Toronto metalheads are always there to support their favorite bands, which is exactly what happened this (very) rainy Wednesday night at the Horseshoe Tavern when THE DREAD CREW OF ODDWOOD, AETHER REALM, TROLLFEST and TÝR offered a folk feast full of pirates, trolls, goblins, orcs, beer mead and other whimsical creatures and objects during their Battle Ballads North American Tour 2024, a fantastic event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Of course, Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I couldn’t be left out of that party, and I must say I had an absolute blast seeing all those four bands for the first time ever in my life.

The first band to hit the stage was a “Pirate Folk Metal” crew beautifully named THE DREAD CREW OF ODDWOOD, which is in fact an acoustic pirate band, referred to by the band as “Heavy Mahogany”, from San Diego, California, United States, and they put on a very entertaining show for all concert goers who were already at the venue. Playing songs from all of their albums, including their brand new album Rust & Glory, those American privateers kicked some ass and turned up the heat inside the Horseshoe Tavern, therefore properly warming up the fans for the upcoming bands. If you’re curious to know more about their pirate music, go check their crazy tunes on BandCamp and on Spotify, including amazing songs that were part of their setlist like Give Me Your Beer and Giant Fucking Demon Crab, and let’s be honest, it can’t get any more pirate than this, right?

Setlist
Dead Man’s Medley
Leather Ship
Side Quest
Give Me Your Beer
Raise Your Pints
Binged and Purged
Giant Fucking Demon Crab
The Dread Crew of Oddwood
Lawful Evil

Band members
Wolfbeard O’Brady – accordion, whistles, vocals
Smithy Crow – bass, orchestral strings, vocals
Stark Cordwain – Irish bouzouki, whistles, vocals
Deckard Cordwain – mandolin, ukulele, vocals
Pete – drums

Then after a short break it was time for Greenville, North Carolina, United States-based Melodic Death/Folk Metal act AETHER REALM to bring an overdose of heavy music to the venue, which was getting packed by the minute. Playing heavy and fast songs from all of their albums including songs from their latest effort, titled Redneck Vikings from Hell, released in 2020, plus a brand new single named Should I?, the band inspired the fans to get into a sweet mosh pit, which obviously raised the temperature inside the venue considerably. I highly recommend you go after their music by streaming and/or buying their albums on BandCamp and on Spotify (or click HERE for all things Aether Realm), and don’t miss a chance to see the band live whenever they take your city by storm.

Setlist
Slave to the Riff
The Tower
Cycle
The Magician
Should I?
Swampwitch
She’s Back
Guardian
TMHC
The Sun, the Moon, the Star

Band members
Vincent Jones – vocals, bass, orchestrations
Heinrich Arnold – guitars, vocals
Donny Burbage – guitars
Tyler Gresham – drums

Sporting the weirdest and coolest costumes you can think of, and by that I mean pink flamingo costumes, Oslo, Norway’s own Folk Metal army TROLLFEST were absolutely perfect from start to finish, driving their fans crazy throughout their fantastic set and generating a huge mosh pit, including tons of beer-drinking, horns-raising tunes from their entire catalogue (which features albums with stunning names such as Flamingo Overlord), like Dance Like a Pink Flamingo and All Drinks on Me. The band spearheaded by frontman Trollmannen is a must-see for anyone who enjoys a wild fusion of heavy music, beer, trolls and flamingoes, and you can enjoy all that on BandCamp and on Spotify, or on any other streaming platform, and if you’re planning to go watch them live get ready for one of the wildest rides you’ll ever experience at a metal concert.

Setlist
Kjettaren mot strømmen
Happy Heroes
Dance Like a Pink Flamingo
Steel Sarah
Twenty Miles an Hour
Professor Otto
Renkespill
Piña Colada
Kaptein Kaos
Flamongous
Byttingenes Byttehandel
All Drinks on Me
Espen Bin Askeladden
Hevlette

Band members
Trollmannen – vocals
Mr. Seidel – guitars
Fabio Grimdrap – guitars
Böesse Basshöl Nybazist – bass
Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow – drums
Drekka Dag – saxophone
Fjernkontrollet – accordion, keyboards
Trollbank – bouzouki

TÝR

Finally, after three amazing bands, it was then time for the main attraction of the night to kick some serious ass and close the entire event on a high and brilliant note. Denmark/Faroe Islands’ Progressive/Folk Metal institution TÝR didn’t care about the small size of the stage and simply killed it, delivering a beyond fun setlist for their avid fans with songs like By the Sword in My Hand and Hail to the Hammer, plus the brand new songs Dragons Never Die and Hammered, from their upcoming new studio album Battle Ballads (to be released on April 14), sounding insane live. As mentioned for all other bands, you can have a very good time enjoying all of their creations on different streaming platforms like BandCamp and Spotify, and of course don’t miss their concerts if they ever hit your city because they’re an amazing live band, and of course Toronto is waiting with arms wide open for another explosion of TÝR in the city in the near future.

Setlist
By the Sword in My Hand
Dragons Never Die
Mare of My Night
Tróndur í Gøtu
Valkyrja
Ragnars Kvæði
Hammered
The Lay of Thrym
By the Light of the Northern Star
Hail to the Hammer
Regin Smiður
Axes
Blood of Heroes

Encore:
Sinklars vísa
Hold the Heathen Hammer High

Band members
Heri Joensen – vocals, guitars
Hans Hammer – guitars
Gunnar Thomsen – bass, backing vocals
Tadeusz Rieckmann – drums

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Concert Review – Ültra Raptör, The Scepter & AMMO (Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON, 03/28/2024)

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A celebration of Canadian Heavy and Speed Metal offered by three of the must-see names of the current scene, setting one of the most iconic venues in Toronto on fire for our total delight.

OPENING ACTS: Ültra Raptör and The Scepter

What a night at the Bovine Sex Club this Thursday with the bands THE SCEPTER, ÜLTRA RAPTÖR and AMMO, celebrating the strength, quality and energy of Canadian Heavy and Speed Metal before the Easter long weekend during their Supersonic Steel Tour 2024. As a matter of fact, if the Friday before Easter is called “Good Friday”, then the whole night at the Bovine could have been named “Awesome Thursday”, a night of classic heavy music debauchery and shred from across Ontario and Quebec. The main reason my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were invited to cover such an amazing event was due to our coverage of AMMO when they opened for Gloryhammer two weeks before at The Phoenix Concert Theatre, and I’m extremely happy the guys from AMMO invited us for their show on Thursday as I had to miss them opening for Gloryhammer because of work and traffic that day.

Also, I honestly didn’t think that the venue was going to be so jampacked Thursday night, not because of the quality of the bands, but because it was the night before the Easter long weekend as already mentioned, when most people have travel plans to meet their families in other cities, provinces, or even countries. Well, let’s say everyone who attended the gig on Thursday IS family, the united and healthy metal family of Toronto, and when Quebec City, Quebec-based Heavy/Speed Metal outfit ÜLTRA RAPTÖR began their incendiary concert, blending songs from their 2018 self-titled EP and their 2021 album Tyrants the likes of Missile (Metal Warrior), Gale Runner and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, plus a brand new song titled Fossilized, from their upcoming album (to be released later this year), it was total anarchy, chaos, and mosh pits, with all fans at the venue having an amazing time while the band delivered fire and electricity (and dinosaurs) on stage. You can check more of their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, and please go see them live whenever you have a chance because they’re simply awesome (for instance, their drummer also plays with the fantastic Métal Noir Québécois horde Délétère), and as a bonus they have some ass-kicking merch for a very, very reasonable price. Merci pour ce concert incroyable, Ültra Raptör!

Setlist
Missile (Metal Warrior)
Highways of Ice
Under the Claw
Nightslasher
Gale Runner
Fossilized
The Quest for Relics
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Caustic Shower

Band members
Phil T. Lung – vocals
Criss Raptör – guitars
Zoltan Saurus – guitars
Dick Van Heuß – bass
Tony Bronco – drums

Then after a beer, bathroom and chat break (and by the way, the house DJ did a superb job playing what was probably his own 90’s mixtape, blowing the house speakers with classics from Sepultura, Slayer, Anthrax, White Zombie and several other metal giants), it was time for Ottawa, Ontario’s own Heavy/Speed Metal act THE SCEPTER to deliver another breathtaking show for the total delight of everyone at the venue. The ONLY issue with their performance was that I couldn’t get the name of any of the songs played*, except for the amazing Shadows in the Tower, available on BandCamp and on Spotify. There was another song about drinking, but I have no idea how it is actually called (maybe just “Drink”, but I’m not sure). Apart form that, it was another incendiary feast of heavy music, with frontman Jesse Harvey having a stellar performance as well as guitarists Josh and Morgan, again igniting some fun circle pits and inspiring everyone to raise their horns and headbang together with the band. Hopefully they’ll get back to Toronto in the near future for another blast of Heavy and Speed Metal, and next time I promise I’ll get their setlist.

*Update: Thanks to Keith, we now have their setlist! Hell yeah!

Setlist
Riding Out
Road to Mayhem
Where Art Thou?
Dunes
Taarakian Blood
Drink On
Protector of the Skies
Shadows in the Tower

Band members
Jesse Harvey – vocals
Josh – guitars
Morgan – guitars
Stew – bass
John – drums

AMMO

No one at the Bovine seemed to care about the late start to the shows, as the main attraction of the night, Toronto, Ontario’s unstoppable Heavy Metal warriors AMMO kicked off their shredding feast when it was already close to midnight. Spearheaded by frontman Alex Zdarvkovic, and showcasing the flammable guitar duo formed of Brett Hexx and Matt Lewis, AMMO put on another fantastic show as the icing on the cake for the night, with songs like Street Metal Werewolves and Taking the Throne sounding amazing live. I don’t remember exactly when, but Toronto’s own super fan William Yum threw a pack of cheese curds on stage, and the band not only laughed about it, but they actually ate the cheese. Anyway, back to the music, which is what really matters, the last two songs of their setlist were simply flawless, starting with the metallic hymn Too Metal for Metal, which chorus was sung I full force by almost everyone at the venue, followed by their rendition of Manowar’s classic Hail and Kill, and apart of course from the cover song you can enjoy all of their awesome creations on BandCamp and on Spotify. As I mentioned before, I’m extremely happy I was able to see AMMO live after missing them opening for Gloryhammer, and I believe everyone who attended the show is eager for another killer show by those amazing musicians sooner than you can say “too metal for metal”.

Setlist
Into Death
Street Metal Werewolves
Doomsayer
Taking the Throne
Empire
Too Metal for Metal
Hail and Kill (Manowar cover)

Band members
Alex Zdarvkovic – vocals
Brett Hexx – guitars, backing vocals
Matt Lewis – guitars
Necro Hippie – bass
Struan Robertson – drums

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Concert Review – Alestorm (The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, 03/22/2024)

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In a winter-like night of spring in Toronto, countless fans braved a ruthless snowstorm to enjoy the incendiary concert by the most famous pirates of the metal scene worldwide.

OPENING ACTS: Glyph and Elvenking

Unfortunately due to a heavy snowstorm that hammered the city of Toronto on Friday night (it looks like we moved from a spring-like winter to a winter-like spring, which is a real bummer), I wasn’t able to make it to The Concert Hall to enjoy the start of the Tour of the Dead Marauder 2024, with the bands GLYPH, ELVENKING and ALESTORM, another amazing event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Not only that, this was the first ever event Noel held at The Concert Hall, which according to my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi is a fantastic venue for metal concerts. Huge stage, amazing lighting and sound, and the wrap around the upper balcony has a wicked view with one bar. Hopefully I’ll be able to see other bands playing at The Concert Hall, because I’m really curious to see how it is now. Anyway, as mentioned Keith was able to make it to the show, so not only he was responsible for the photos, but he also had to send me some words about each of the bands that played Friday night. I’ll add some information about the bands to the review as well, just to make it more detailed, and I hope you crazy metalheads enjoy the reading.

“Toronto is in its 4th day of spring and old man winter thought it would be nice for a snowstorm. However, the fans of the band Alestorm didn’t care. They stood outside for more than an hour in the blustery wind and snow to get inside a warm and newly renovated The Concert  Hall, where Noel Peters and his company Inertia Entertainment put on their first show. The bands Glyph, Elvenking and headliners Alestorm kicked some ass and let all their fans enjoy some much needed moshing,” said Keith about the entire night. The doors opened at 7pm and the first band of the night, GLYPH (a Power Metal featuring members of Gatekeeper, Greyhawk, Hjelvik, and Ravenous) went on shortly after, leaving Keith scrambling to get his camera ready and fight his way through the already packed venue. I believe they played the songs Honor, Power, Glory, A Storm of Crimson Fire and When The World Was Young during their set, and maybe a few others, but these three definitely deserve a listen. Moreover, Glyph will release their new album Honor. Power. Glory. this Friday March 29, so don’t be a fool and get ready to rock with such an amazing band by purchasing it or streaming it on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Band members
R. A. Voltaire – vocals
Rob Steinway – guitars
Darin Wall – bass
Jeff Black – keyboards
Ryan Yancey – drums

Right after Glyph finished warming up the crowd, it was time for Italian Melodic Power/Folk Metal entity ELVENKING to take the city of Toronto by storm (and fortunately not a snowstorm) with their hypnotizing concert, blending songs from their vast catalogue (as the band has been kicking ass all over the world for 27 years already) with their most recent effort, the 2023 album Reader of the Runes – Rapture. In addition, Elvenking are not your regular band, as their lineup includes mystical creatures represented by frontman Damna, guitarist and keyboardist Aydan, guitarist HeadMatt, bassist Jakob, drummer Symohn, and the iconic violinist Lethien, who definitely adds an extra touch of magic to their live performances. Keith said their concert was insane, driving their fans crazy and eager for more Elvenking in the city in the near future, and I honestly can’t wait for that as long as there isn’t a boring snowstorm blocking all roads, of course.

Setlist
Rapture
The Hanging Tree
Draugen’s Maelstrom
Pagan Revolution
Silverseal
Moonbeam Stone Circle
To Oak Woods Bestowed
Pagan Purity
Bride of Night
The One We Shall Follow
The Wanderer
The Divided Heart
Elvenlegions
She Lives at Dawn

Band members
Damna – lead vocals
Aydan – guitars, harsh and backing vocals, keyboards
HeadMatt – guitars
Jakob – bass
Lethien – violin
Symohn – drums

ALESTORM

Finally, after a quick break, the main attraction of the night took the stage for a memorable performance. The one day Scottish but now multinational Folk/Power Metal privateers ALESTORM kicked some serious ass according to Keith, with a jam packed venue making the night even more special. Having released that same Friday their new EP Voyage of the Dead Marauder (which is really cool, by the way), the band formed of Christopher Bowes, Máté Bodor, Gareth Murdock (and if you don’t know his Black Metal band Imperial Demonic, I highly recommend listening to their 2023 debut EP Beneath the Crimson Eclipse), Elliot Vernon, and Peter Alcorn was on fire during their entire set, playing classics like Keelhauled, Drink and Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship as well as the new songs The Last Saskatchewan Pirate and Voyage of the Dead Marauder, leaving a sold out The Concert Hall eager for another killer show by those metallic pirates in a not-so-distant future. “The crowd barrier broke and me and the security held it up during the third song for Alestorm. They had to fix it on the fly,” said Keith who, despite having a corrupt memory card and losing most of his over 200 Alestorm photos, made sure I got a very special (or maybe I should say divine) photo taken by our amazing brother and photographer Ryan Miles Leblanc. “There was a special appearance by the lord Jesus Christ who graciously moshed and crowd surfed,” said Keith in a message to me. Well, who would say that Jesus would be a fan of pirate metal, right? YAAAAAARRRR!

Setlist
Keelhauled
No Grave but the Sea
The Sunk’n Norwegian
Alestorm
Under Blackened Banners
Hangover (Taio Cruz cover)
The Last Saskatchewan Pirate
Wenches & Mead
Magellan’s Expedition
Mexico
Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Big Ship Little Ship
Nancy the Tavern Wench
P.A.R.T.Y.
1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
Shit Boat (No Fans)

Encore:
Drink
Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship
Fucked With an Anchor

Band members
Christopher Bowes – vocals, keyboards
Máté Bodor – guitars
Gareth Murdock – bass
Elliot Vernon – keyboards, backing vocals
Peter Alcorn – drums

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Concert Review – Gloryhammer (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 03/12/2024)

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One of the torchbearers of Symphonic Power Metal worldwide returned to Toronto after five long years with more of their striking music, swords, goblins, hammers, and HOOTS!

OPENING ACTS: AMMO and Twilight Force

It was a beyond pleasant night in Toronto yesterday with temperatures above the two digits, something VERY uncommon for this time of the year but perfect for enjoying some high-quality Power Metal at The Phoenix Concert Theatre (which by the way desperately needs better parking nearby), courtesy of AMMO, TWILIGHT FORCE and GLORYHAMMER during their most excellent The Red, White & Hoots North American Tour 2024, and the Torontonian fans of all three bands answered their call and joined them in the battlefield for a night of soaring vocals, shredding, orcs, goblins, swords, hammers, princess and princesses, and of course my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I couldn’t be left out of that metallic party in a land far, far away, right?

Well, to be fair, due to other commitments I couldn’t get to the venue in time to see Toronto’s own Heavy Metal act AMMO, but some people told me they were really good and put on a very entertaining warmup for Twilight Force and Gloryhammer. I checked online and it looks like there have been some significant changes to their lineup since their 2019 EP Taking the Throne, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, which means we can expect new music from those guys in a not-so-distant future. Sorry, AMMO, for not catching you live last night opening for Twilight Force and Gloryhammer, but I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to see you guys kicking ass on stage in the coming months.

Setlist
Into Death
Street Metal Werewolves
Doomsayer
Taking the Throne
Empire
Too Metal for Metal

Band members
Alex Zdarvkovic – vocals
Brett Hexx – guitars, backing vocals
Matt Lewis – guitars
Necro Hippie – bass
Struan Robertson – drums

It was around 8pm when Sweden’s iconic Symphonic Power Metal unity TWILIGHT FORCE hit the stage for a fantastic performance, I would say just as electrifying as Gloryhammer, with all band members being on absolute fire throughout the entire show and in sync with the crowd, leading each person at the venue into magical battles with dragons (and there was actually a “floating” dragon released over the crowd during Dragonborn) and other mystical creatures. Having released the album At the Heart of Wintervale last year, Twilight Force was unfortunately missing their lead singer Allyon due to unforeseen issues with his family back home, but that doesn’t mean their show was boring; quite the contrary, Long Island, New York-born (but currently residing in Sweden) vocalist Kristin Starkey, of Italian Melodic Heavy/Power Metal act Temperance, and who’s been doing backing vocals for Twilight Force since 2023, did all the vocals last night and, oh boy, she was incredible. What an amazing voice she has, plus of course her charisma and onstage theatricals, making us even “forget” she’s not the actual vocalist for the band. Sword yielding songs like Dragonborn, Thundersword, and the closing one The Power of the Ancient Force, inspired all fans to raise their fists in the air and enjoy an ass-kicking performance by Twilight Force, and I’m sure soon we’ll see those guys headlining concerts in the city thanks to the more-than-warm reception from their Torontonian fans (and if you want to know more about their music, go check them on BandCamp and on Spotify).

Setlist
Dawn of the Dragonstar
Twilight Force
Dragonborn
Thundersword
Sunlight Knight
Flight of the Sapphire Dragon
Sunlight Knight
At the Heart of Wintervale
The Power of the Ancient Force

Band members
Kristin Starkey – vocals
Lynd – lead & acoustic guitars, lute
Aerendir – rhythm guitars
Born – bass
Blackwald – keyboards, piano, violin, harpsichord
De’Azsh – drums

GLORYHAMMER

Finally, five years after their last concert in Toronto, Scotland’s own Symphonic Power Metal brigade GLORYHAMMER returned to Canadian battlefields armed with their 2023 opus Return To The Kingdom Of Fife, and if there’s one word that could define their show, that word has to be HOOTS! It was a fusion of Heavy and Power Metal with symphonic elements, beer, goblins, hammers and other fantasy elements by Angus McFife II, Ser Proletius, The Hootsman, Zargothrax and Ralathor, putting a huge smile on the faces of everyone who attended the show last night. Blending songs from all of their albums with new ones like Wasteland Warrior Hoots Patrol and Fife Eternal, which are extremely catchy and perfect for live concerts, the band kicked some ass and slayed some goblins for our total delight.

Of course, some of the most anticipated songs of their setlist didn’t disappoint at all, including the amazing battle hymns Gloryhammer, Hootsforce and The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee, with Angus McFife II (aka Sozos Michael) proving why he was chosen to become the band’s frontman with not only an amazing vocal performance, but also being very charismatic and leading the crowd with his requests for fists in the air while holding the Gloryhammer high. Also, I was impressed with the fact that there were even mosh pits during Gloryhammer’s performance, because that’s not the type of music you expect mosh pits. Well, it’s Toronto, so mosh pits can happen anytime. Furthermore, when you have a concert where a goblin appears on stage playing the saxophone, that means ANYTHING can happen, and I bet everyone at the venue can’t wait for Gloryhammer to visit Toronto again in the near future with more swords, hammers, and HOOTS!

Setlist
Incoming Transmission
Holy Flaming Hammer of Unholy Cosmic Frost
Gloryhammer
The Land of Unicorns
Fly Away
Angus McFife
Questlords of Inverness, Ride to the Galactic Fortress!
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Wasteland Warrior Hoots Patrol
Fife Eternal
Masters of the Galaxy
Sword Lord of the Goblin Horde
The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)
Keeper of the Celestial Flame of Abernethy
Universe on Fire
Hootsforce
The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee
The National Anthem of Unst

Band members
Angus McFife II (Sozos Michael) – vocals
Ser Proletius, Grand Master of the Deathknights of Crail (Paul Templing) – guitars
The Hootsman, Astral Demigod of Unst (James Cartwright) – bass
Zargothrax, Dark Emperor of Dundee (Michael Barber) – keyboards
Ralathor, the Mysterious Submarine Commander of Cowdenbeath (Ben Turk) – drums

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

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

OPENING ACTS: Inhuman Condition and Origin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

VADER

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

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

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

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

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The Year In Review – Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2023

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“Whatever your age may be, when you go to a heavy metal gig, you’re a teenager again.” – Rob Halford

I believe that quote from the Metal God himself perfectly represents the year of 2023 for most of us metalheads, including of course myself and my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi as we’ve been to countless metal gigs this year (and you can see detailed reviews with amazing professional photos for each one of them HERE), keeping our inner fires burning during such difficult times for the entire world. A never-ending economic crisis that’s dragging tons and tons of people to poverty everywhere, the Russo-Ukrainian War that persists for almost two years now, the extremely sad and inhumane Gaza–Israel conflict, all environmental disasters that in the end are all mankind’s fault, and so on. On the heavy music side, we witnessed the final concert ever by KISS, the end of great bands like The Agonist and Betraying the Martyrs, and the deaths of Sebastian Marino (former guitarist of Overkill and Anvil), Michael “Majk Moti” Kupper (former guitarist of Running Wild), Jon Kennedy (former bassist of Cradle of Filth and former vocalist of Hecate Enthroned), Hiroshi “Heath” Morie (bassist of X Japan), Charlie Dominici (former vocalist of Dream Theater), and several other talented musicians.

Despite all those losses, it was a very good year for heavy music, as bands kept fighting for rock and metal no matter what, putting on fantastic albums and memorable tours for us fans, with some already voicing their dissatisfaction against Live Nation and Ticketmaster for their sky-rocketing ticket prices, shady fees, and an obscure ticket reselling “mafia” running in the background that inflates those prices even more. In 2024 we’ll surely (and hopefully) see more of this insurgence against their ticket monopoly, and while we wait for that let’s enjoy The Headbanging Moose’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2023, excluding EP’s, best of’s and live albums, offering our avid ears the perfect soundtrack to every single moment in our lives, even if that moment is the apocalypse.

1. UADA – Crepuscule Natura (REVIEW)
One of the rising stars of the current Melodic Black Metal scene returns with their majestic fourth album, unleashing upon us five sonic vessels.
Best song of the album: Retraversing the Void

2. Cattle Decapitation – Terrasite (REVIEW)
Fear the devourer of earth in the form of the brand new and absolutely majestic album by California’s own Deathgrind masters.
Best song of the album: We Eat Our Young

3. Overkill – Scorched (REVIEW)
One of the pillars of old school Thrash Metal will scorch the earth to the sound of their breathtaking new album.
Best song of the album: The Surgeon

4. Hellripper – Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (REVIEW)
Behold this infernal storm of Blackened Thrash Metal by a one-man army deeply rooted in his Scottish origins.
Best song of the album: Goat Vomit Nightmare

5. Viscera – Carcinogenesis (REVIEW)
UK’s own Technical Death Metal/Deathcore monster returns with their striking sophomore album.
Best song of the album: Sungazer

6. Cannibal Corpse – Chaos Horrific (REVIEW)
The mighty Corpse is back with another pulverizing album of old school, undisputed Death Metal, blasting gore, blood and violence.
Best song of the album: Chaos Horrific

7. Primal Fear – Code Red (REVIEW)
German Power Metal masters are back with their thirteenth opus, a hard-hitting metal lesson and living proof of the healing power of music.
Best song of the album: Play a Song

8. Werewolves – My Enemies Look and Sound like Me (REVIEW)
The most savage Blackened Death Metal band from Australia returns to the battlefield in full force with an even more demented offering.
Best song of the album: I Hate Therefore I Am

9. Vomitory – All Heads Are Gonna Roll (REVIEW)
All heads are gonna roll to the sound of the infuriated new album by one of the most important bands in the history of Death Metal.
Best song of the album: Raped, Strangled, Sodomized, Dead

10. Marduk – Memento Mori (REVIEW)
One of the pillars of Swedish Black Metal is back with a devilish new album, reminding us that we all must die.
Best song of the album: Blood of the Funeral

And here we have the runner-ups, completing the top 20 for the year:

11. Angelus Apatrida – Aftermath (REVIEW)
12. Immortal – War Against All (REVIEW)
13. Blackbraid – Blackbraid II (REVIEW)
14. 4ARM – Pathway to Oblivion (REVIEW)
15. When Plagues Collide – An Unbiblical Paradigm (REVIEW)
16. Hrothgar – Rise of Ragnarök (REVIEW)
17. Mystic Prophecy – Hellriot  (REVIEW)
18. Tsjuder – Helvegr (REVIEW)
19. Hyperia – The Serpent’s Cycle (REVIEW)
20. Sarcoptes – Prayers to Oblivion (REVIEW)

In addition to all that, let’s bang our heads with our Top 10 EP’s of 2023 to prove once and for all that not all great albums of the year have to be so long. The EP’s from this list are simply awesome, showcasing the band’s talent and their ability to sound epic even if the music lasts for only a few minutes.

1. Imperial Demonic – Beneath the Crimson Eclipse (REVIEW)
2. Spectral Lore – 11 Days (REVIEW)
3. Admire the Grim – Rogue Five (REVIEW)
4. Saint Vermin – Together as None (REVIEW)
5. Lost Brethren – Dimensional Rift (REVIEW)
6. Cryptosis – The Silent Call (REVIEW)
7. Nemesism – Nemesism (REVIEW)
8. Decompose To Ashes – In The Eternal Silence (REVIEW)
9. Dysease – Era of Decay (REVIEW)
10. Throat Locust – Dragged Through Glass (REVIEW)

Do you agree with our list? What are your top 10 albums of 2023? Also, don’t forget to tune in every Tuesday at 10pm BRT on Rádio Coringão to enjoy the best of classic and underground metal with Jorge Diaz and his Timão Metal, and every Thursday at 8pm UTC+2 on Midnight Madness Metal e-Radio for the best of underground metal with The Headbanging Moose Show! And if you lost some of our latest special editions of The Headbanging Moose Show, including our Top 20 Underground Albums of 2023 – Parts I and II, go to our Mixcloud page and there you have hours and hours of the best of the independent scene, sounds good?

Metal Xmas and a Headbanging New Year! See you in 2024!

And before I go, I need to talk once again about Savage Lands, a nonprofit featuring members of Megadeth, Sepultura, Obituary and other legends of metal to support forests in Costa Rica, who released an amazing single titled The Last Howl back in November. The Last Howl is a howling tribute to the howler monkey, which are endangered in Costa Rica. The song features Savage Lands co-founders Sylvain Demercastel and Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), as well as support from John Tardy (Obituary), Andreas Kisser (Sepultura), Poun (Black Bomb A) and Etienne Treton (Black Bomb A). 100% of the song royalties will help fund nature sanctuaries, establish green zones and other land preservation projects in Costa Rica. Having said that, why don’t you go and make a nice donation to the cause, and learn more about Savage Lands on their official website? I’m sure Sylvain and Dirk, plus everyone else involved in this magnificent project, will love to receive that Christmas gift from you!

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

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

OPENING ACTS: Castrator, Sanguisugabogg and Immolation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

CATTLE DECAPITATION

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

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

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

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

Encore:
Kingdom of Tyrants

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

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Concert Review – Imminence (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 11/30/2023)

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A feast of top-of-the-line Metalcore made in the United States and Sweden warmed up the hearts of all Torontonian fans on a cold and windy night in the city.

***Review by Keith Ibbitson, with photos by Ryan Miles Leblanc***

OPENING ACT: Until I Wake

The streets of Toronto were cold and windy on the night of November 30, but The Opera House had their doors open early to welcome around 300 Metalcore fans inside to keep them warm, have some cold beverages and listen to great music, courtesy of the opener UNTIL I WAKE, our close neighbours hailing from Buffalo, New York, in the United States, and Swedish metalcore monsters IMMINENCE.

UNTIL I WAKE started off the evening at 7:50pm. It was the band’s first time in Toronto and they did not disappoint. Their raw energy, blistering rhythm and powerful lyrics started the crowd off into a head banging frenzy. One interesting fact about Until I Wake is that they had a guest vocalist as they are trying to find a new singer. Well, I personally chatted with some of the band members after their set and asked who he was, but all they could tell me is that they would like him to be the new frontman for them. Such mysterious guest singer put in his work last night, jumping off the stage and onto the barrier to interact with concert goers, and he even joined them in the center of it all to start a huge circle pit before getting back on the stage. If you want to know more about the band and their music, simply click HERE and also listen to their discography on BandCamp and on Spotify, including the recently released deluxe edition of their 2022 album Inside My Head.

Setlist
For the Record
Sinking Under
Cold
Octane
Forsaken
Fool’s Paradise
Hope Ur Happy
Legacy
Inside My Head

Band members
Unknown – vocals
August Lee Geitner – guitar
Ryan Ridley – bass
Alex Curtin – drums

IMMINENCE

After a short break, more precisely at 9pm, Sweden’s own IMMINENCE got on the stage and things heated up, with bodies being jammed so tight together the heat in the building was humid and sweaty. Imminence is a band known for their unique hard rock sound and melodic electric violin, which I thought would sound weird but wow, I was pleasantly surprised as I have never seen them before. They played a one hour and fifteen minute set, and the crowd at The Opera House sang along with the band every song from what I could see. The love the fans have for the band is outstanding. In addition, Imminence’s sound guys did an absolutely stellar job, making them sound like it’s right from the album and their own lighting tech simply nailed the strobe and color bars as well. You can also click HERE for all things Imminence, and stream all of their metallic creations on Spotify, including their new singles Come Hell or High Water, Desolation, Death by a Thousand Cuts and Heaven Shall Burn, all part of their current setlist.

Setlist
Paralyzed
Ghost
Erase
The Sickness
This Is Goodbye
Come Hell or High Water
Desolation
Surrender
Death by a Thousand Cuts
Alleviate
Saturated Soul
Infectious
Chasing Shadows
∞
Heaven in Hiding
Heaven Shall Burn
Temptation

Band members
Eddie Berg – lead vocals, violin
Harald Barrett – lead guitar, backing vocals
Alex Arnoldsson – rhythm guitar
Peter Hanström – drums
Christian Höijer – bass

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

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

OPENING ACT: Early Moods

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

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

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

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

COVEN

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

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

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

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

LUCIFER

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

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

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

Encore:
California Son
Reaper on Your Heels

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

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