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Concert Review – Lord of the Lost & The Birthday Massacre (The Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, ON, 01/27/2026)

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***Review and photos by Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi***

OPENING ACT: Wednesday 13

Not even the worst snow storm of the past 180 years in Toronto (with over 50cm of snow falling within hours) was capable of stopping LORD OF THE LOST and THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE, with very special guests WEDNESDAY 13, to bring their Dark Winter Tour US + Canada 2026 to The Danforth Music Hall this Tuesday night. Well, the concert was rescheduled from Monday to Tuesday, and because of that I couldn’t make it to the show, plus the city is still a big fuckin’ mess with the snow blocking pretty much all parking lots, sidewalks and even some roads, but fortunately our buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there not only to take some amazing photos of the show, but to also take care of the review this time. Even if I was able to attend the show I would have missed the first two bands, so it was going to be Keith anyway.

The Danforth Music Hall didn’t just host a concert on a cold Wednesday night – it became a gothic metal sanctuary, and Lord of the Lost stood at the altar, ready to convert anyone who walked through the doors. Before the headliners even hit the stage, the night was already stacked with atmosphere. Having released the album Mid Death Crisis in 2025 (available on any platform like BandCamp and Spotify), Wednesday 13 (aka Joseph Poole) and his henchmen, collectively known as United States-based Heavy Metal/Horror Punk outfit WEDNESDAY 13, came out swinging, bringing horror-punk swagger and full-throttle attitude. There’s something timeless about watching a crowd bounce, shout, and throw horns to songs that feel like they crawled straight out of a midnight movie marathon. It was raw, loud, and unapologetically fun – exactly the kind of chaos a metal crowd thrives on. It was the kind of opener that doesn’t warm a room up – it haunts it into readiness.

Setlist
When the Devil Commands
Rotting Away
197666 (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover)
In Misery
Summertime Suicide (Murderdolls cover)
Haunt Me
I Walked With a Zombie
Bad Things
I Love to Say Fuck (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover)

Band members
Wednesday 13 (Joseph Poole) – lead vocals
Roman Surman – lead guitar
Jack Tankersley – rhythm guitar
Ashes – guitars
Troy Doebbler – bass
Mike Dupke – drums

THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE

After a quick break, one of the co-headliners of the tour, London, Ontario’s own Electronic Rock/Darkwave ensemble THE BIRTHDAY MASSACRE, kept the energy flowing onstage with a highly entertaining performance as well, bringing the Canadian pride to The Danforth Music Hall. Spearheaded by frontwoman Sara “Chibi” Taylor, and armed with their 2025 new album Pathways (available on both BandCamp and Spotify, as well as on any other streaming platform), the band set the tone with their signature blend of darkwave shimmer and industrial edge, bathing the crowd in glowing synths and shadowy melodies that felt both nostalgic and futuristic. By the time the lights finally dropped for Lord of the Lost, the room was primed and restless.

Setlist
Counterpane
Blue
Stars and Satellites
Superstition
The Vanishing Game
One
Sleep Tonight
All of Nothing
Dead
Crush
Destroyer
Video Kid
Happy Birthday
In the Dark
Pins and Needles
Red Stars

Band members
Sara “Chibi” Taylor – lead vocals
Michael Falcore – lead guitar, programming
Michael Rainbow – rhythm guitar, programming, backing vocals
Brett Carruthers – bass, backing vocals
Owen Mackinder – keyboards, keytar
Philip Elliott – drums

LORD OF THE LOST

And last but certainly not least, Hamburg, Germany’s own LORD OF THE LOST returned to Toronto after two long years with their fusion of Neue Deutsche Härte, Gothic Rock and Metal, Industrial Rock and Metal, and even Glam Rock and Metal for the delight of everyone who braved the nasty roads of the city this Tuesday night. Blending songs form their entire discography with their latest albums Opvs Noir Vol. 1 and Opvs Noir Vol. 1, both released in 2025 (and stay tuned for Opvs Noir Vol. 3 in 2026, plus you can check their full discography on BandCamp and on Spotify), Chris “The Lord” Harms, Pi “π” Stoffers, Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler, Klaas “Class Grenayde” Helmecke, Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann, and Niklas Kahl were phenomenal as expected, deliveribg exactly what their fans were waiting for.

Chris Harms stepped onto the stage like a ringmaster for the beautifully damned, dressed in a way that blurred the line between metal frontman and dark cabaret icon. From the first note, the band didn’t just play – they commanded. This wasn’t a run-through of a setlist. It was a full production, a carefully crafted ritual of sound, light, and emotion. Musically, the band delivered a powerful balance of industrial grit, gothic atmosphere, and modern metal punch. Guitars cut through with cold precision while the rhythm section drove everything forward like a mechanical heartbeat. Harms’ vocals moved effortlessly between commanding growls and soaring, emotional cleans, giving the songs a depth that hit as hard in the chest as it did in the ears.

From behind the lens, what stood out most was the connection. This wasn’t a passive crowd. Fans reached toward the stage, screamed every word back, and locked eyes with the band like they were part of the show itself. Faces flashed in red and white strobes, sweat and smiles catching the light in moments you can’t plan – only capture. The Danforth Music Hall proved to be the perfect setting: intimate enough to feel personal, but big enough to let the spectacle breathe. The lighting turned the stage into a shifting cathedral of shadow, steel, and romance – a visual extension of Lord of the Lost’s dark, theatrical identity and a dream scenario for any concert photographer chasing that one perfect frame. By the final song, voices were wrecked, the floor was soaked in sweat, and nobody in the room wanted it to end. Lord of the Lost didn’t just leave Toronto entertained – they left it marked. This was metal as theater. Metal as a community. Metal as something you carry with you long after the house lights come back on.

Setlist
Bazaar Bizarre
I Will Die in It
Drag Me to Hell
Prison
Raining Stars
Loreley
Priest
On This Rock I Will Build My Church
I Hate People (with Wednesday 13)
Blood for Blood
Damage
Light Can Only Shine in the Darkness
Blood & Glitter
The Look (Roxette cover)
The Things We Do for Love
Heaven is a Place on Earth

Band members
Chris “The Lord” Harms – lead vocals, guitars, cello
Pi “π” Stoffers – guitars, backing vocals
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Klaas “Class Grenayde” Helmecke – bass, backing vocals
Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann – piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars, theremin
Niklas Kahl – drums

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Concert Review – Lord of the Lost (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 09/18/2024)

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And Lord of the Lost dragged us all to hell on their second electrifying concert in Canadian lands this Wednesday night in Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Julien-K

A few hours after the more-than-epic show by LORD OF THE LOST in Montreal, it was time to drive back to Toronto for round two at  The Opera House, again featuring JULIEN-K as the opener, as part of the band’s US + Canada 2024 tour. At first I thought The Opera House was bigger than the Beanfield Theatre in Montreal, but after searching for both online I found out that the difference in capacity is only of 25 people (The Opera House can fit 950 people, while the Beanfield Theatre fits 925). Maybe the fact that the floor section at The Opera House is bigger gives that impression, I don’t know, but what really matters is that LOTL were once again stunned by their Canadian fans, this time by a loud and vibrant Toronto crowd, who might not have been as rowdy as the fans in Montreal, but still VERY loud. And what’s even better is that I was joined in Toronto by my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi, which is the reason why the photos are way better than my crappy mobile ones from Montreal.

As I was able to watch more of the show by Los Angeles, California’s own Electronic Rock act JULIEN-K in Toronto, I can confirm what I said in the review for Montreal, that they were an amazing opener for LOTL and that everyone inside The Opera House had a great time during their show. Their closing song, a cover version for Blue Monday, by New Order, sounded fantastic, some sort of tribute to their previous band Orgy who blew up in popularity for covering that same track. As mentioned in the review for Montreal, you can listen to more of the music by Julien-K on BandCamp and on Spotify, getting your electronic vein pulsing strong to the sound of one of the torchbearers of the style in the American scene.

Setlist
Futura
Deep Beat Overground
Fractured
All That Glitters
Your Tears Mean Nothing
The Hydra
Undo Everything
Stronger Without You
Blue Monday (New Order cover)

Band members
Ryan Shuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Amir Derakh – lead guitar, samples, keyboards, synthesizers, bass
Galen Waling – drums

LORD OF THE LOST

If you’re feelin’ down depressed and lonely, I know a place where we can go, and no, that’s not 22 Acacia Avenue, but any concert by LORD OF THE LOST, like the awesome one in Toronto this Wednesday night. I honestly don’t know how bands like LOTL can play with so much energy night after night and never get tired, liked what they did playing in Montreal this Tuesday night, and in Toronto exactly 24 hours after. The band was as sharp and electrifying as the night before, kicking some ass on the beautiful stage at The Opera House on another sold out (or almost sold out) show, and once again that adrenaline kept flowing from the band to their fans and back, turning the venue into another amazing rock and metal party.

The setlist was the same as the one in Montreal, which means the Toronto crowd had the same fuel to have a great time together with the band, and the energy blasted by Chris & Co. on stage was just as amazing as well. As a band that continues to evolve and explore new horizons, the newer songs from their 2022 album Blood & Glitter were the ones with the loudest reactions from the crowd, which as mentioned was not as wild as Montreal not because of the band, but simply due to the nature of fans in Toronto, always a bit calmer than their Québécois friends. The dancing, fist pumping, jumping around and screaming were all there, of course, and the band loved every single second of their time interacting with their “new” fans, because they might have played countless times already in their homeland Germany, but their happiness playing in Canada was the same as the one form a band that’s just starting their career. Yes, they were that happy and excited.

Closer to the end of the show, Chris mentioned that it was really insane to be playing in Canada, something unimaginable to any of them a few years ago, and that they’ll surely return to Canadian lands sooner than later (also mentioning the fact that getting their visas to Canada is way easier and cheaper than to the United States). I trust Chris one hundred percent when he says they’ll come back, because that was by far one of the wildest couple of shows I’ve seen in the past few years, with the deep connection built between the band and their fans in Montreal and Toronto being a thing of beauty. Who knows, maybe LOTL are going to be the next big thing in Canada, playing at bigger venues, attracting more and more people to their shows, and if that happens they absolutely deserve it, as they’re not only one of the most talented and innovative bands of the current scene, but they’re also really nice guys who are just starting to discover how fun Canada is and how passionate the fans here can be. In other words, see you soon, LOTL!

Setlist
The Curtain Falls
The Future of a Past Life
Dry the Rain
Loreley
Destruction Manual
For They Know Not What They Do
Raining Stars
Sex on Legs
Six Feet Underground
Born With a Broken Heart
Die Tomorrow
Black Halo
Forevermore
Drag Me to Hell
Blood for Blood
Unstoppable (Sia cover)
Shock to the System (Billy Idol cover)
Blood & Glitter
One Last Song

Band members
Chris “The Lord” Harms – lead vocals, guitars, cello
Pi “π” Stoffers – guitars, backing vocals
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Klaas “Class Grenayde” Helmecke – bass, backing vocals
Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann – piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars, theremin
Niklas Kahl – drums

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Concert Review – Lord of the Lost (Beanfield Theatre, Montreal, QC, 09/17/2024)

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When the curtain fell in Montreal, no one was left alone by Lord of the Lost in one of the most memorable concerts in their entire career this Tuesday night.

OPENING ACT: Julien-K

As Billy Idol would say, It was a night, Montreal, burning bright, oh what a night at Théâtre Beanfield (or Beanfield Theatre) when German Dark Rock/Heavy Metal band LORD OF THE LOST, supported by JULIEN-K, played for the first time ever in Canadian lands this Tuesday night as part of their US + Canada 2024 tour, and based on the reaction of the crowd during their entire show I’m sure it wasn’t the last time we saw those guys in the Great White North. I must say the venue was also amazing. It was my first time there and I can’t wait to travel all the way to Montreal to see more of my favorite bands playing there. Not only that, the weather in Montreal was also beyond perfect, around +25oC and sunny, turning the whole day into a memorable experience for both the fans and the band.

I’ll be honest and say I didn’t see much of the concert by Los Angeles, California-based Electronic Rock act JULIEN-K (due to other commitments prior to the show), which began as a side project for electronic music created by Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck from Orgy, alongside Anthony ‘Fu’ Valcic, and that sounds a lot like a fusion of Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Ministry and Marilyn Manson, but I guess everyone at the venue enjoyed a lot their performance. They recently released the albums Harmonic Disruptor, in 2020, and Unauthorized Live In Europe, in 2021, and if you’re curious to know more about them you can find their music on BandCamp and on Spotify. I personally believe they were a great choice to open for Lord of the Lost, properly warming up all fans at the venue for the main attraction of the night, and even if electronic music is not my cup of tea I need to say they’re really good in what they do.

Setlist
Futura
Deep Beat Overground
Fractured
All That Glitters
Your Tears Mean Nothing
The Hydra
Undo Everything
Stronger Without You
Blue Monday (New Order cover)

Band members
Ryan Shuck – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards
Amir Derakh – lead guitar, samples, keyboards, synthesizers, bass
Galen Waling – drums

LORD OF THE LOST

It might have taken years for LORD OF THE LOST to finally pay a visit to Canada, but the wait was absolutely worth it as Chris Harms and his henchmen simply destroyed the Beanfield Theatre with a flawless performance overflowing electricity, heaviness and passion, putting every single person at the venue to jump up and down, dance, raise their horns and fists and scream out loud together with the band. Their setlist was amazing, showcasing a great balance between all of their old material with their latest released Blood & Glitter (2022) and Weapons of Mass Seduction (2023). The first few songs, including The Curtain Falls, Dry the Rain and Loreley, already gave us a very good taste of how awesome the whole night was going to be, and the louder the reaction of the fans was, the better the band was on stage and vice-versa.

A few songs sounded utterly powerful in Montreal, like Six Feet Underground, Die Tomorrow, Drag Me to Hell, and Blood for Blood, where by the way Chris invited everyone at the venue to do the “one-person mosh pit” (which is basically jumping and spinning around alone), and let me tell you that all fans loved that moment, with huge smiles on everyone’s faces. Pi Stoffers and Niklas Kahl were ruthless armed with their respective guitars and drums, adding a humongous dosage of heaviness to the band’s music, therefore sounding even heavier than in the studio, (something I personally loved as a fan of extreme music), and that translated into a lot of headbanging, dancing and clapping from the audience for the total delectation of the band. To be fair, the whole band was spot-on, precise and on fire, playing all songs to perfection, with the ending of the show including their cover versions for Sia’s Unstoppable and Billy Idol’s Shock to the System (the biggest surprise of the night for me), plus of course their classics Blood & Glitter and One Last Song, being the icing on the cake to their breathtaking show.

All band members were visibly very emotional during and after the show, with Chris repeating several times it was a dream come true for them to be in Canada, and that they didn’t expect such a big turnout on a Tuesday night in a country they had never played before. He also said Canada is the 40th country they’ve ever played at now, and that they will surely return in a not-so-distant future. I’m sure all fans who attended their concert can’t wait for another round of LOTL madness in the city, and I’ll make sure I find some time in my busy agenda to see them again in Montreal because that show was definitely mind blowing. There was “round 2” in Toronto the next day after a six-hour drive back home, but that will be covered in a separate review. For now, all I can say is that LOTL are Montreal, and Montreal is LOTL.

Setlist
The Curtain Falls
The Future of a Past Life
Dry the Rain
Loreley
Destruction Manual
For They Know Not What They Do
Raining Stars
Sex on Legs
Six Feet Underground
Born With a Broken Heart
Die Tomorrow
Black Halo
Forevermore
Drag Me to Hell
Blood for Blood
Unstoppable (Sia cover)
Shock to the System (Billy Idol cover)
Blood & Glitter
One Last Song

Band members
Chris “The Lord” Harms – lead vocals, guitars, cello
Pi “π” Stoffers – guitars, backing vocals
Benjamin “Benji” Mundigler – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Klaas “Class Grenayde” Helmecke – bass, backing vocals
Gerrit “Gared Dirge” Heinemann – piano, keyboards, percussion, guitars, theremin
Niklas Kahl – drums

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