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Concert Review – Septicflesh (The Velvet Underground, Toronto, ON, 02/24/2025)

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

OPENING ACTS: Stormruler and Vltimas

On a Monday night in what has been a complete shitshow of city incompetence with regards to snow removal, Toronto’s metal denizens were treated to a great night at The Velvet Underground with the titans of Greek extreme metal SEPTICFLESH along with friends VLTIMAS and STORMRULER in support for the Modern Primitive in North America Tour 2025. Toronto being their first stop on the  Canadian leg of the tour. Originally this show was supposed to be at The Concert Hall on Yonge Street but ticket sales were not as strong as were anticipated and so a change in venue had to take place as The Concert Hall would have been too large of a venue for the smaller crowd. Quite a shame if you ask me because it is a superior venue, but this dark cloud had a silver lining, if anything, it just made the show at The Velvet Underground feel more intimate.

The weather was finally a bit more cooperative with milder temperatures but the city’s mismanagement of snow removal this year has been such a joke and sidewalks were still inundated with snow and garbage and other such messiness that walking the streets had become such an ordeal for most people. Lining up for the show was a bit of a challenge because there was barely enough room for pedestrians to get by but we all made the best of it. Finally security let us inside at around 7pm and as soon as we had got in the first thing we all noticed was that the merch was priced in American dollars which was a little odd all things considering. It didn’t bother me much though, I was way too excited to see  Septicflesh for any of that shit to bother me. The place filled up nicely and I made sure that I got close to the stage because the sight lines at the Velvet Underground are shit if you are short like me. The crowd was eagerly waiting for the show to begin. St. louis Missouri’s STORMRULER kicked off the show with a blistering 5 song set of  delicious melodic black metal complete with some solos for desert. Stormruler are filling in for Ex Deo as they are no longer on the tour because of unforeseen circumstances. It was my first time seeing them and I found them to be quite entertaining. I would definitely check them out if or when they visit us again.

Setlist
Sacred Rites & Black Magic
Reign of The Wicked Duke
In The Eye Of The Mirror
Ten Heralds, Ten Desolations
Internal Fulmination Of The Grand Deceivers

Band members
Jason Asberry – vocals, guitars
Nick Burks – guitars
Dalton Moore – bass
Jesse Schobel – drums

Up next was the extreme metal powerhouse that is VLTIMAS. They are a kind of supergroup consisting of ex Morbid Angel Frontman David Vincent (USA) on vocals, ex Mayhem and current Aura Noire guitarist Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen (NOR), Canada’s own Flo Mounier of Cryptopsy on drums, Dutch Bassist Ype TWS (ex-Dodecahedron) and Portugal’s Joao Duarte of the band Corpus Christii on guitar as well. Vltimas proceeded to tear the roof off with a brutal onslaught of extremity and I was surprised that the pits of hell didn’t open up in the middle of the floor. These guys are so polished and professional that they had the crowd instantly energized. The house was about 85% full but it felt like more than that. Everyone was waiting for Septicflesh to get on before they let loose in the pit. Vltimas absolutely killed it! 10/10!

Setlist
Epic
Something Wicked Marches In
Invictus
Mephisto Manifesto
Exercitus Irae
Last Ones Alive Win Nothing
Scorcher
Diabolus Est Sanguis
Everlasting

Band members
David Vincent – vocals
Rune “Blasphemer” Eriksen – guitars
Joao Duarte – guitars
Ype TWS – bass
Flo Mounier – drums

SEPTICFLESH

The crowd was thoroughly rabid when the mighty SEPTICFLESH got on stage. The circle pit was instantaneous and the crowd never let up. Neuromancer was the second song they played and it blew the lid off the place. It was epic! definitely a crowd favourite as well as my own personal favourite song of theirs. I swear that riff lives in my head. The crowd was beside themselves with utter joy and satisfaction and you could tell that this band has a special connection with their fans, almost personal. This was my first time seeing them live and I fucking loved every second of it. Septicflesh belted out banger after banger the whole entire set. They are such an incredible band to see live! 10/10, would love to see them again! Overall it turned out to be a great night and a hell of a good show.

Setlist
The Vampire From Nazareth
Neuromancer
Pyramid God
Heirophant
Portrait Of A Headless Man
Coming Storm
Martyr
We, The Gods
A Desert Throne
Virtues Of The Beast
Communion
The Collector
Anubis
Dark Art

Band members
Spiros Antoniou – harsh vocals, bass
Sotiris Vayenas – guitars, clean vocals
Christos Antoniou – guitars, orchestrations, samples
Psychon – guitars
Kerim “Krimh” Lechner – drums

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Event Review – An Evening with Randy Blythe (The Red Room at The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, 02/26/2025)

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An unforgettable evening in Toronto with one of the most iconic musicians of the current metal scene, exploring resilience, transformation, and the beauty found in life’s darkest moments.

INTRODUCTION: An evening at the nice and cozy “The Red Room”

If you ever have a chance to attend any type of event at The Red Room at The Concert Hall, in Toronto, located on the north-west corner of Davenport Road and Yonge Street in the beautiful community of Yorkville, don’t even think twice and be there to enjoy not only the event, but the room itself. That’s by far one of the nicest places for an intimate interaction with any artist, which was exactly what happened this Wednesday night when the one and only Randy Blythe, best known as the powerhouse frontman of the Grammy-nominated metal band Lamb of God, took the small but charming stage at The Red Room for his absolutely entertaining An Evening with Randy Blythe – Just Beyond The Light Spoken Word Book Tour + Q&A (ending with a meet & greet and book signing if you purchased a special type of ticket that included a copy of the book, by the way), organized by the unstoppable Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Seriously, I don’t think the metal scene in Toronto would be one tenth of what it is today without the intense hard work and deep passion for heavy music by Mr. Peters through the years. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were lucky enough to be invited for such an incredible event in the almost sold out 200-seat room, and if I had enough time and money I would certainly attend the other dates of Randy’s spoken tour, because the man is simply awesome.

AN EVENING WITH RANDY BLYTHE

Stepping into the spotlight in a new and deeply personal way, Mr. David Randall Blythe has recently embarked on a spoken word tour to celebrate the release of his latest book, Just Beyond the Light: Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head, a gripping exploration of resilience, transformation, and the beauty found in life’s darkest moments, with Randy bringing pages and excerpts from the book to life, plus reflections on the themes that inspire his work, inviting the audience to experience an intimate evening of reflection, raw honesty, and the stories that shaped his journey. As a huge fan of Lamb of God it was a bit weird seeing Randy in a completely different environment like that, I mean, without his band, without all the screaming, without all the pyro from their concerts, and without some wild mosh pits happening while the band kicks some ass onstage, but I must admit the man was born for that type of spoken tour. He was absolutely captivating from the very first second until the very last question of the Q&A, once again proving how talented he is and his importance not only to heavy music, but to our lives in general.

I don’t know how to talk about the entire event without giving any spoilers, and believe me, if I could I would simply reproduce here pretty much everything he talked about, from politics to alcoholism, from being on tour to his favorite hobbies and activities, his personal view on the current state of the world, and so on, but I’ll try to be as succinct as possible without ruining the experience for anyone attending his upcoming events. And no, don’t expect him to talk about his horrifying incident in 2012 in the Czech Republic. If you want to know all details about that, simply go read his 2015 book, Dark Days: A Memoir. Anyway, back to An Evening with Randy Blythe – Just Beyond The Light Spoken Word Book Tour + Q&A, just to give you an idea of how awesome the whole event was, if I’m not mistaken Randy was onstage for over two hours talking about his new book and his life journey, always interacting with the crowd, always with a smile on his face, and without looking tired at all, not even during the Q&A session and the book signing. The man loves what he does, and that was clear during the entire night.

Just Beyond the Light: Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head

It will surely be a lot different seeing Randy onstage with Lamb of God now after this distinguished event, and of course after reading Just Beyond the Light: Making Peace with the Wars Inside Our Head, just like what happened after reading Rob Halford’s autobiography Confess. Your view of the artist changes completely, as you learn about his flaws, his losses, his battles and so on, making them more human to our eyes (in a very good way, of course). I can’t wait for the next time Lamb of God takes the city of Toronto by storm with their infuriated live concert, and next time I’ll see more than just a vocalist onstage, but a hardworking man who, just like anyone else, has been fighting his inner demons and the wars inside his head since the beginning, with his music transpiring his darkness and struggles while at the same time bringing a lot of joy and happiness to us metalheads. Thank you, Mr. David Randall Blythe, for an unforgettable night in Toronto, and you’re more than welcome to return anytime you want to mesmerize us once again with your powerful words.

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Concert Review – Swallow The Sun (The Velvet Underground, Toronto, ON, 02/21/2025)

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A night of sheer doom, darkness and melancholy in the form of first-class heavy music took the skies of Toronto this Friday night.

OPENING ACTS: Snakes Of Russia, Ghost Bath and Harakiri For The Sky

A few days after the heaviest snow storm the city of Toronto has seen for quite some time, The Velvet Underground hosted the Shining Over North America Tour 2025 with the bands SNAKES OF RUSSIA, GHOST BATH, HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY and SWALLOW THE SUN, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such an amazing event. Well, unfortunately due to the insane traffic to get to Toronto AND also inside the city, it was impossible for several concert goers to arrive in time for the performance by United States-based Darkwave/Electronic/Ambient act SNAKES OF RUSSIA, including Keith and I. I honestly have no idea how the show was, if the crowd enjoyed it or not, as while Snakes of Russia was playing I was desperately trying to find a parking lot where most spots were not taken by huge snow banks. At least before the show I had some time to listen to their 2023 album True Surrender, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and although it’s not my cup of tea I must admit it’s a really cool album for fans of the darkest side of electronic music.

Band members
Joseph Holiday – vocals, all instruments

When I weas finally able to get inside the venue, American Depressive/Post-Black Metal entity GHOST BATH had already started their setlist, but at least in this case I had plenty of time to enjoy their harsh and sinister performance, led by the visceral, anguished screams by vocalist and guitarist Nameless. One of the main issues with The Velvet Underground, if not their biggest issue, is the fact the stage is way too low, almost as if it doesn’t really exist, and it’s really tough to see the bands performing there unless you’re two feet from the “stage”. Add to that a few pillars in the middle of the venue, and there you have the perfect atmosphere to mainly listen to the music played without seeing anything. Furthermore, Keith couldn’t make it in time for Ghost Bath, and as my mobile pictures of the show are beyond nasty, there isn’t anything to show about them on this review. You can still enjoy their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, like their 2021 album Self Loather, and I highly recommend seeing those guys live if you enjoy such a caustic type of Black Metal.

Band members
Nameless – vocals, guitars
Caleb Cheslock – guitars
Liam Frith – guitars
Josh Jaye – bass
Alec Martin – drums

Then after all that hassle to get to Toronto, the shitty traffic, the excruciating task of finding a parking spot, and so on, I was already getting very tired and ready to go back home to relax a little, but fortunately Austria’s own Post-Black Metal masters HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY hit the stage for the most electrifying performance of the night, waking me up and inspiring me to headbang and raise my horns nonstop to their fantastic music. Playing mostly songs from their 2021 album Mӕre and their newborn masterpiece Scorched Earth, the band led by frontman J.J. and guitarist M.S. kicked some serious ass on stage, investing all of their energy into each song played, and with minimal talk in between songs. I simply loved seeing them live for the first time, and songs like With Autumn I’ll Surrender, Without You I’m Just a Sad Song, Fire, Walk With Me, and Sing for the Damage We’ve Done (all available on Spotify) sounded flawless, superb and touching, and the reaction from every single person to their classy performance was a thing of beauty, which clearly indicated it won’t take long for one of the best bands of the current metal scene worldwide to return to Toronto soon.

Setlist
Keep Me Longing
With Autumn I’ll Surrender
Fire, Walk With Me
Without You I’m Just a Sad Song
Sing for the Damage We’ve Done
Calling the Rain

Band members
J.J. – vocals
M.S. – guitars
Marrok – guitars, backing vocals
P.G. – bass
Kerim “Krimh” Lechner – drums

SWALLOW THE SUN

The name of the band says it all. After a quick break, it was time for the darkest show of the night, courtesy of Finland’s Melodic Doom/Death Metal titans SWALLOW THE SUN, and it was indeed a dark, pensive, doomed and visceral concert. Vocalist Mikko Kotamaki and his henchmen were on fire during their entire set, blending their old material with their newest albums Moonflowers (2021) and Shining (2024), with the sequence of Woven Into Sorrow, Charcoal Sky, MelancHoly, New Moon and Night Will Forgive Us sounding and feeling as heavy and obscure as possible. The encore was just as doomed, with November Dust and Swallow (Horror, Part 1), and their diehard fans were having an amazing time with their scorching riffs, pounding drums and visceral energy. It was a somewhat late show for most of us, but in the end it was a fantastic night of contemporary heavy music, and I’ll surely be there anytime Swallow The Sun are back in town with their undisputed doom.

Setlist
Velvet Chains
Innocence Was Long Forgotten
What I Have Become
Firelights
Under the Moon & Sun
Woven Into Sorrow
Charcoal Sky
New Moon
MelancHoly
Night Will Forgive Us
Plague of Butterflies: Pt. I: Losing the Sunsets

Encore:
November Dust
Swallow (Horror, Part 1)

Band members
Mikko Kotamaki – vocals
Juha Raivio – guitars, keyboards
Juho Raiha – guitars
Matti Honkonen – bass
Juuso Raatkainen – drums

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Concert Review – Decapitated (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/13/2025)

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It doesn’t matter how much snow there is in Toronto, the metalheads in the city will always be there for a night of sheer violence with bands like Decapitated and Incantation.

OPENING ACTS: Exmortus, Darkest Hour and Incantation

After the massive snow storm that hit the city of Toronto and most of the province on Ontario from Wednesday night until Thursday morning, bringing an endless amount of snow to the streets and, therefore, turning any commute into a true nightmare, I thought all roads would be clear Thursday evening when Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I headed to The Phoenix Concert Theatre for a night of sheer brutality offered by EXMORTUS, DARKEST HOUR, INCANTATION and DECAPITATED during their Nihility Across North America Tour 2025, another killer event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Unfortunately, my predictions about the roads being clear of snow were wrong (although I was right about traffic being light that evening due to people staying home instead of going to work that day), and Toronto was still a huge freakin’ mess when I got to the show, but in the end no one seemed to care about the gargantuan snow banks blocking every single sidewalk and some streets, as the crowd at the venue was really good for a night when the best thing to do was staying home.

Less than half an hour after the doors opened, Whittier, California’s own Technical Thrash/Death Metal beast EXMORTUS kicked off the festivities with a frantic, very technical and absolutely fun performance, igniting some of the coolest and wildest circle pits of the entire night. Spearheaded by the talented vocalist and guitarist Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez, the band played a short but powerful set including songs form their latest opus Necrophony, available by the way on Spotify, and the reaction form the fans already at the venue was superb. Those guys are simply amazing live, playing all songs to perfection, and I guess it won’t take long for Torontonians to see them again in the city, and hopefully next time they’ll be the headliners and play a full set for our total delight.

Setlist
Oathbreaker
Feast of Flesh
Storm of Strings
Warrior of the Night
Let Us Roam
Metal Is King

Band members
Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez – vocals, guitars
Chase Becker – guitars
Brice Snyder – bass
Adrian Aguilar – drums

After a very short break, Washington, D.C.-based Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore act DARKEST HOUR hit the sage at the Phoenix Concert Theatre for a very energetic show, thanks in part to the breathtaking performances by guitarists Mike Schleibaum and Nico Santora, who didn’t stop shredding their axes, headbanging, running and jumping around the stage, not even for a single second. Currently promoting their 2024 album Perpetual | Terminal, available on both BandCamp and on Spotify, the quintet was eager to get more action from the crowd, which seemed a bit tired most probably due to an entire day of shoveling and braving snow banks across the city. That doesn’t mean we didn’t get some sick mosh pits during their show, and of course every single time frontman John Henry asked people to move inside the pit, he was promptly answered with some nice action by the crowd.

Setlist
Societal Bile
The Sadist Nation
Stand and Receive Your Judgment
The Flesh & The Flowers of Death
Rapture in Exile
Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)
Tranquil
Amor Fati
Convalescence
With a Thousand Words to Say but One
Goddess of War, Give Me Something to Die For

Band members
John Henry – vocals
Mike Schleibaum – guitars
Nico Santora – guitars
Aaron Deal – bass
Travis Orbin – drums

I guess fans were also saving some energy for the ruthless performance by Johnstown, Pennsylvania’s own Death Metal veterans INCANTATION, who after a considerable delay started playing their 1994 cult album Mortal Throne Of Nazarene in full, just like in all other stops from their current tour. And let me tell you, the live rendition of such a classic album of Death Metal with Doom Metal influences sounded utterly evil, heavy and demented onstage, with the bass by Chuck Sherwood making our heads tremble during their entire show. The iconic John McEntee sounded as infernal as usual on vocals, inspiring us all for some brutal headbanging and, therefore, reminding us all why Incantation have been a staple of the extreme music scene worldwide for so many decades. It was just my second time seeing those guys live, and hopefully not the last one, as I’m sure Incantation love Toronto as much as we love their music.

Setlist
Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Demonic Incarnate
Emaciated Holy Figure
Iconoclasm of Catholicism
Essence Ablaze
Nocturnal Dominium
The Ibex Moon
Blissful Bloodshower
Abolishment of Immaculate Serenity

Band members
John McEntee – vocals, guitars
Luke Shively – guitars
Chuck Sherwood – bass
Kyle Severn – drums

DECAPITATED

Last but not least, it was time to turn up the volume to 11 with the infuriated performance by the main band of the night, Poland’s unrelenting Technical Death/Groove Metal horde DECAPITATED, and when I say it was loud, it’s because it was LOUD. Performing their 2002 classic album Nihility in full, plus a few other songs as part of the encore, the band now fronted by vocalist Eemeli Bodde (who by the way contributed vocals for the track “Flooding Secrations”, performed by a fictional band called Impaled Rektum from the 2018 Finnish movie Heavy Trip), Decapitated crushed our damn minds, souls and bodies with endless heaviness and violence, inspiring all mosh pit lovers to have a very good time inside the hurricane formed in the middle of the floor section. My only complaint is that the show started late, after 10pm, and some fans had to leave before the end because they had to take public transportation home, or simply because they were absolutely tired. As I said, the snow storm drained a lot of our energy during the day, but of course there’s always some left when the band in question is as infernal and vibrant as Decapitated.

Setlist
Nihility
Perfect Dehumanisation (The Answer?)
Eternity Too Short
Mother War
Nihility (Anti-Human Manifesto)
Names
Spheres of Madness
Babylon’s Pride
Symmetry of Zero
Suffer the Children (Napalm Death cover)

Encore:
From the Nothingness With Love
Cancer Culture
Kill the Cult
Hello Death
Iconoclast

Band members
Eemeli Bodde – vocals
Wacław Vogg Kiełtyka – guitars
Paweł Pavlo Pasek – bass
James Stewart – drums

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Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #1 (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, 01/25/2025)

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The iconic Hard Luck Bar in Toronto became a “metal ring” where four brave bands started wrestling for the undisputed prize of playing at the greatest metal festival in the world this summer.

INTRODUCTION: ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?

It was time to set this bitterly cold winter on fire in Toronto this Saturday with this year’s edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada, starting with Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #1 with the bands PURVEYOR OF CHAOS, UNKLE SKURVEY, ISCHEMIC and PILLARS OF AUTUMN at Hard Luck Bar, the first step for each one of those four bands to win the coveted slot at Wacken Open Air taking place from July 30 to August 2 this year in Wacken, Germany, plus $1,000 CAD towards expenses, and VIP camping at the festival. Not only that, they also have the opportunity to win monetary and gear prizes at the international Wacken Metal Battle. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such an important night for the underground metal scene in Toronto, and of course enjoy the music by those four amazing bands.

As a matter of fact, this year I was invited by the one and only JJ Tartaglia, responsible for Wacken Metal Battle Canada, and the vocalist and drummer for Heavy Metal/Hard Rock band Thunderor, to be one of the guest judges alongside Claus Nader (Futhark Records), Andrew Craig (Zombitrol Productions) and Ryan Hofing (Crimson Shadows). It was a true honor being chosen to evaluate the future of heavy music in Toronto, and I hope I did a good job to the point I get invited to this unique event more times this year and in all future editions of Wacken Metal Battle Canada. Having said all that, are you ready to rumble?

PURVEYOR OF CHAOS

The first band of the night was Heavy Metal/Hard Rock quartet PURVEYOR OF CHAOS, who hit the stage at 9pm armed with their heavy riffs and the soaring vocals by frontman Maxel Black. Playing songs form their 2022 self-titled album, which is by the way available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band did a good job onstage and put everyone to bang their heads and raise their horns in the name of classic heavy music, and I’m sure if they refine their sound a bit, maybe by adding a second guitarist to their lineup and making the sound of their drums clearer, they’ll have a much better overall performance during their future live shows.

Band members
Maxel Black – vocals
Bulldog Bess Ross – guitars
Tenbears – bass
Fast Eddie – drums

UNKLE SKURVEY

Right after a quick break, Heavy Metal/Hardcore outfit UNKLE SKURVEY delivered a fun and vibrant performance to a very decent crowd at Hard Luck Bar, sometimes sounding like a Thrash Metal band, sometimes like a System of a Down cover band, which was a bit confusing but in the end worked relatively well. The songs Covid Mosh, World War 3, and Next Generation, all available on Spotify, sounded great live, with frontman Ché Cleland’s energy and facial expressions adding an extra touch of insanity to their show. I personally think if they focus on the sound from the song Next Generation in their future releases, and add a second guitarist to the band, they’ll definitely go places.

Band members
Ché Cleland – vocals
Doug Noel – guitars
Stephen ‘Stiv’ Scott – bass
Sean Mollison – drums

ISCHEMIC

The third band of the night was most definitely the heaviest of all, blasting a dark and deep fusion of Blackened Death and Doom Metal not recommended for the lighthearted. I’m talking about the five-headed beast known by the name of ISCHEMIC, spearheaded by the talented growler Isabelle Tazbir, who melted our faces with their undisputed heaviness and obscurity. Having released the album Condemned to the Breaking Wheel in 2024, which you can purchase or stream on BandCamp and on Spotify, their performance was beyond fantastic, proving Isabelle and her henchmen are more than ready for bigger stages worldwide.

Band members
Isabelle Tazbir – vocals
Adam Korchok – guitars
Jon Radic – guitars
Lyndon Quadros – bass
Mrudul Kamble – drums

PILLARS OF AUTUMN

Last but certainly not least, it was time for Technical/Symphonic Deathcore act PILLARS OF AUTUMN to deliver a massive, electrifying, technical and very professional performance to the crowd at Hard Luck Bar, with all songs, in special their new single Crestfallen Emissary, sounding amazing live. I highly recommend you go check their music out on BandCamp and on Spotify, paying very good attention to the demented fry screams by Nick Young and the insane bass lines by Kevin Chan Kin Fung, as those two guys sounded brilliant during their set this Saturday night in Toronto.

Band members
Nick Young – vocals
Devon Groat – guitars
Carl Pike – guitars
Kevin Chan Kin Fung – bass
Doug Noel – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

…the Blackened Death and Doom Metal creature ISCHEMIC! Congratulations for the win! They now move on to the Ontario Final on March 21 at Rivoli in Toronto, and if you want to know more about the whole competition, the next rounds across Canada and so on go to the official Facebook page of Wacken Metal Battle Canada. Also, thanks to all media partners and promoters, including Bravewords.com, Metal-Rules.com, Metal Devastation Radio, Boonsdale Records, Asher Media Relations, and many others, for keeping the fires of underground music in Canada burning brighter than a thousand suns. I’m sure Ischemic will have another killer performance during the Ontario Final in March, and who knows, maybe they’ll be the ones to “rule them all” and venture through the sacred lands of Wacken Open Air in Germany this summer, proudly representing Canada at the greatest stage of all.

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Album Review – Unreqvited / A Pathway To The Moon (2025)

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One of the most respected Post-Black Metal acts in Canada returns with its eighth studio album, emerging as a new creature with luminous, polychromatic wings and ready to soar into stellar space.

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist 鬼 (Ghost), the mastermind behind Ottawa, Ontario’s own Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze/Ambient entity Unreqvited, has a penchant for beautiful musical creations that reveal their claws and fangs only at closer inspection after spending some time on them. This solo project is firmly rooted in Blackgaze sonic soil but has also out sent tendrils into Ambient, Post-Rock, Post-Black Metal, and other related stylistic strata, with its seventh studio album, titled A Pathway to the Moon, taking an impressive evolutionary leap. Recorded by 鬼 at Unreqvited Studio, mixed by Benjamin V. Cooligan at New Alchemy Audio, mastered by Bogdan Makarov at NƎkkomix, and with cover artwork by Bérénice (Noirs Dessins) and layout by Irrwisch Artdesign, A Pathway to the Moon emerges as a new creature with luminous, polychromatic wings and ready to soar into stellar space; yet still it bears claws and fangs, being therefore highly recommended for fans of Alcest, Harakiri For The Sky, Deafheaven and Heretoir, among others.

The soothing, ethereal intro Overture I: Disintegrate will transport the listener to Unreqvited’s emotional journey starting with The Antimatter, offering ten minutes of beautiful yet dark passages blending the venomous side of classic Black Metal with the more modern nuances of Post-Metal, while the vocals by our lone wolf 鬼 exhale despair and obscurity. The other single released, titled The Starforger, begins in a calming, enfolding manner to the minimalist guitars by 鬼 while his vocalizations also bring melancholy and peace to our hearts; followed by Void Essence / Frozen Tears, a beautifully dark composition by Unreqvited that will surely take you to the stars to the sound of its melodious guitars and stylish piano notes. Into the Starlit Beyond sounds and feels even more spiritual and pensive than its predecessors, perhaps a bit too much albeit sounding very comforting, whereas Celestial Sleep brings forward two minutes of first-class Blackgaze, with 鬼 thoroughly putting together elements from several types of music, flowing into Departure: Everlasting Dream, a beyond atmospheric track that puts a charming yet somber conclusion to the album.

In a nutshell, A Pathway to the Moon takes Unreqvited closer to a traditional rock and metal album based on its songs than ever before – yet it is also the soundtrack of a most beautiful sonic journey, and you can join our mysterious lone wolf in his musical voyage by following the project on Facebook and on Instagram, by subscribing to its YouTube channel, and of course by purchasing the album from BandCamp or by clicking HERE, available as a stunning 36-page hardcover CD-artbook including a cover version for Cornfield Chase by Hans Zimmer (from the 2014 movie Interstellar) as a bonus track, as a black vinyl LP, and as a limited ash-grey marbled vinyl LP. Having said all that, it’s time to let the luminous creature known as Unreqvited soar high to the sound of its striking new album, elevating Canadian Blackgaze to new and exciting heights.

Best moments of the album: The Antimatter, The Starforger and Void Essence / Frozen Tears.

Worst moments of the album: Into the Starlit Beyond.

Released in 2025 Prophecy Productions

Track listing
1. Overture I: Disintegrate 2:19
2. The Antimatter 10:34
3. The Starforger 8:04
4. Void Essence / Frozen Tears 9:08
5. Into the Starlit Beyond 5:23
6. Celestial Sleep 1:49
7. Departure: Everlasting Dream 5:48

CD-artbook bonus track
8. Conrfield Chase 2:07

Band members
鬼 (Ghost) – vocals, all instruments

Guest musicians
Benjamin V. Cooligan – guitar solos on “The Antimatter” and “Into the Starlit Beyond”
Jamie Turton – additional orchestration on “Overture: I Disintegrate”, “Frozen Tears” and “Cornfield Chase”

Album Review – The Sun Through a Telescope / Warm, Grey Day (2025)

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Ottawa, Canada’s own Drone, Doom and Sludge Metal lone wolf will crush our senses with his new offering, capturing the rawness of the BBC Radio One and Peel Sessions in his distinctive sound.

Incorporating elements of Post-Metal, Doom Metal, Post-Rock, Doomgaze, Psychedelic, and Ambient in his music, Ottawa, Canada-based lone wolf Leigh Newton (aka Lee Neutron) and his Drone/Doom/Sludge Metal beast The Sun Through a Telescope strike again with a brand new offering, titled Warm, Grey Day, the thirteenth release (and fourth full-length album) in the project’s already solid career. Written, recorded and mixed by Leigh himself at G-West Studios, and mastered by Topon Das at Apartment 2 Studios, Warm, Grey Day captures the rawness of the BBC Radio One and Peel Sessions, which Leigh was listening to a lot during the writing and recording of the album, being therefore recommended for fans of Godflesh, Jesu, Oranssi Pazuzu, Zeal & Ardor, and Sumac, among many others.

The album kicks off with the 12-minute experimental tune Eyes Lambent, arising from the underworld like a devilish creature, feeling like a sonic mantra where Leigh delivers minimalist, haunting sounds from his instruments before all hell breaks loose in a feast of Drone and Doom Metal. Then Leigh and his sharp riffs ignite the sluggish Fantastic Waste, overflowing melancholy and obscurity to Leigh’s harsh vociferations; followed by Pathways I, presenting eight minutes of a space and time voyage in the form of Doomgaze, with Leigh experimenting with countless sounds in the background, flowing into the harsh Pathways II, a grim fusion of Drone, Doom and Sludge Metal, with Leigh hammering his drums while also gnarling nonstop.

We’re then treated to two and a half minutes of distorted yet melodious sounds in The Mercy, working as an interlude before we face Yellow Darkyard, the second song of the album that surpasses the 12-minute mark, sounding very emotional with a striking, passionate vocal performance by Leigh, who also does an amazing job on the guitars and drums, adding an extra touch of heaviness to the overall result and ending on a high and caustic note. In Green (Again) our lone wolf offers a lighter version of his project, almost like an acoustic track with his guitars exhaling hope and peace, before the album ends with the pure Ambient track Grey, putting a whimsical conclusion to such a diverse and interesting album.

It’s been a while since our last review of any release by The Sun Through a Telescope, with the lats one being the project’s 2017 album Black Hole Smile, and I must say it’s a pleasure to get in touch once again with such a talented musician and his unique take on the genre, always pushing the boundaries and always experimenting with new sounds and techniques. Hence, if you want to give Leigh a shout you can find him on Facebook, and of course purchase a copy of Warm, Grey Day from BandCamp (with a limited run of 20 cassettes available), which is also available on all streaming services like Spotify. I don’t think it will take long for us to hear again from Leigh and his The Sun Through a Telescope as the guy seems to be unstoppable, and as long as he keeps delivering to our avid ears high quality noise like what’s found in Warm, Grey Day we’ll be more than happy with that.

Best moments of the album: Fantastic Waste, Pathways II and Yellow Darkyard.

Worst moments of the album: The Mercy.

Released in 2025 Independent

Track listing
1. Eyes Lambent 12:21
2. Fantastic Waste 6:16
3. Pathways I 8:04
4. Pathways II 5:31
5. The Mercy 2:33
6. Yellow Darkyard 12:11
7. Green (Again) 3:25
8. Grey 5:01

Band members
Leigh Newton – vocals, guitars, bass, drums, programming, samples

Concert Review – Blood Incantation (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 11/30/2024)

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The mighty Blood incantation blasted our minds with the full play of their newborn masterpiece in a night to remember in Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Midwife

The cozy Lee’s Palace might fit only around 500 people, but that’s by far one of my favorite venues in Toronto precisely due to that, as every show there becomes very intimate, with a much stronger connection between the bands and the crowd. That’s exactly what we got this Saturday night with the pulverizing, brilliant and unique performance by BLOOD INCANTATION (supported by MIDWIFE) during their Absolute Elsewhere Tour North America 2024, one of the most successful events brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. And let me tell you I felt sorry for my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi as due to the fact this was a sold out show, it was really rough for him (and for all other photographers) to brave the wild circle pits while trying to take some good shots of the band. It was insane, the place was jam packed, and Blood Incantation simply killed it onstage in one of the most memorable concerts of the year, and the perfect one to conclude my own 2024 “world tour”.

Before that, the task to open the night and warm up the crowd for Blood Incantation was given to MIDWIFE, which is basically a one-woman project by American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer Madeline Elizabeth Johnston, who describes her music as “heaven metal”. Having released this year the album No Depression In Heaven (available on BandCamp and on Spotify), she delivered a very delicate, weird and soft presentation to an already completely full Lee’s Palace, and although I would have enjoyed the show a lot more if it was a regular metal band instead of Midwife, let’s say she did a decent job overall, and the crowd applauded her effort and showed a lot of respect for her for facing around 500 metalheads only armed with her guitar and her gentle, frail vocals. The music by Midwife is not my cup of tea, but I would recommend anyone to listen to her music at least once to try to understand and feel the message in it.

Setlist
Colorado
Vanessa
2018
Killdozer
S.W.I.M.
No Depression in Heaven

Band members
Madeline Elizabeth Johnston – vocals, guitars

BLOOD INCANTATION

It was already past 10pm, which is by the way a late time for a headliner to kick off a concert in Toronto (but hey, it was a Saturday, so who cares?), when Denver, Colorado’s own Progressive Death Metal entity BLOOD INCANTATION hit the stage for an absolutely mesmerizing and incendiary performance, playing in full their newborn spawn Absolute Elsewhere, a masterpiece of extreme music that will surely feature among the best albums of the year in countless lists all over the world, and also available in full on BandCamp and on Spotify. The beyond talented Paul Riedl, Morris Kolontyrsky, Jeff Barrett and Isaac Faulk, plus guest musician Nicklas Malmqvist on synths, put on an electrifying show for their avid Torontonian fans, and the energy flowing from the band and the crowd during the entire show was a thing of beauty.

The small floor section was so full I decided to leave halfway through their set to find a better spot to watch them kick some serious ass from a different spot with more space to move (which was almost nonexistent, by the way). The insane mosh pits were moving frantically while Blood Incantation played both songs from the album, The Stargate and The Message (each one split into three parts, as you might know), to perfection, and outside of “the eye of the storm” all other fans were simply having the time of their lives to each note blasted by the band. I can’t decide which part of the show was the best, but let’s say the last part of their new album, when they were playing The Message [Tablet III], was one of the most epic moments of the year in Toronto.

There was still time for two more songs after Absolute Elsewhere, Inner Paths (to Outer Space) and Obliquity of the Ecliptic, both also flawless, and after all was said and done I had the chance to briefly chat with the amazing Paul Riedl, thanking him for their superb concert, and of course for the breathtaking Absolute Elsewhere. He’s such a nice, humble and cool guy, and we must all be thankful for having him in the metal community. We need more Paul Riedls not only in music, but in life in general, no doubt about that. I told him I can’t wait to see Blood incantation live again in Toronto, and I’m sure based on the wild reaction form the crowd that we’ll see one of the best bands of the current scene coming from outer space to take the city by storm again sooner than we can say “stargate”.

Setlist
Absolute Elsewhere
The Stargate [Tablet I]
The Stargate [Tablet II]
The Stargate [Tablet III]
The Message [Tablet I]
The Message [Tablet II]
The Message [Tablet III]

Inner Paths (to Outer Space)

Encore:
Obliquity of the Ecliptic

Band members
Paul Riedl – vocals, guitars
Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars
Jeff Barrett – bass
Isaac Faulk – drums, gong
Nicklas Malmqvist – synthetizers

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Concert Review – Zeal & Ardor (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 11/28/2024)

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Fans in Toronto had the pleasure of enjoying a very diverse and dark night of heavy music on a cold and chilly Thursday in the city.

OPENING ACTS: Zetra and Gaerea

Traffic to get to Toronto and to leave the city any day of the week is brutal, but Thursday nights seem to be the worst of all. It took me forever to arrive at The Opera House this Thursday night to enjoy the concerts by ZETRA, GAEREA and ZEAL & ARDOR during their North American Tour 2024, to the point I completely missed the show by London, England-based Synth Rock duo ZETRA. Not only that, the way back home was even worse as two lanes of the QEW were closed due to construction, which turned my usual 25-minute drive into a 1h40min nightmare, but I’ll stop my rant here and focus on the music, which is what really matters. Fortunately, my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there to enjoy their show and take some killer photos of them, and of course you can listen to their self-titled 2024 album on BandCamp and on Spotify. I’m not sure if they were the right choice to open the night, as some fans considered their show a bit weird for their taste, but I can’t say much as I wasn’t there.

Setlist
Sacrifice
Starfall
Shatter the Mountain
Suffer Eternally
Gaia
The Angel Cries

Band members
Adam – vocals, guitars
Jordan – vocals, synthesizers

It was not even 8pm when Porto, Portugal’s own Black Metal creature GAEREA kicked off their stunning performance, and even with the huge delay due to traffic and the hassle of finding a parking spot I made it to the venue exactly two seconds before they began their show. And what a show that was, my friends! Those uncanny black metallers sounded brilliant during their short but extremely captivating and hypnotizing set, with their theatricals, especially the moves by their ultra talented and charismatic lead singer, certainly converting several Zeal & Ardor fans to the Gaerea cult. The entire band was on fire, and the reaction of the crowd, including some intense mosh pits, made their whole show even more memorable.

It was my third time seeing Gaerea live, and I don’t know if it was the fact that this was by far the best venue they played in, if the songs from their newborn spawn Coma like The Poet’s Ballet, Hope Shatters and World Ablaze (all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way) are among the best they’ve ever created, or if it was a combination of both, but this was by far their best ever presentation in the city of Toronto. The crowd was in total sync with the band, and you could notice everyone headbanging nonstop, some with their eyes closed to simply let their music do the entire job. I honestly hope Gaerea return to Toronto in a not-so-distant future as a headliner, because they definitely deserve a lot more time to kick some ass onstage with their unique music.

Setlist
The Poet’s Ballet
Hope Shatters
Unknown
World Ablaze
Wilted Flower
Laude

Band members
*Information not available*

ZEAL & ARDOR

I’m going to be honest with all of you and confess that I had pretty much zero idea of what ZEAL & ARDOR was before this show, and not even listening to their 2024 album GREIF helped me identify their genre or style. Although they’re labeled by some as an Avantgarde Metal band that mixes sounds of African-American spirituals with Black Metal, once they hit the stage the task of identifying what the hell they were playing got even worse, as each song sounded completely different form the other, sometimes sounding like a Gospel band, sometimes like an Experimental Rock one, and even showing elements from Djent in their music (and you can check all that on BandCamp and on Spotify). Don’t get me wrong, Manuel Gagneux and his crew did a great job and the reaction from their fans was fantastic, but for me personally it was a weird combination of different sounds from start to finish.

When they played their heavier songs, like Feed the Machine, it felt more like a metal concert, but then there were some weird songs like Devil Is Fine in their setlist that were a bit boring in the end. One thing that worked really well onstage was the presence of backing vocalists Denis Wagner and Marc Obrist, who not only added depth to all songs, but the fact they kept dancing, headbanging and interacting with the crowd the whole time inspired the band’s most diehard fans to jump up and down and scream even louder. As I said, it was a phenomenal concert for fans of the band, but for me Gaerea stole the night with their much heavier and sinister performance. Well, I’m a Black Metal enthusiast, so maybe my opinion shouldn’t count, right? Anyway, I wouldn’t mind seeing Zeal & Ardor again live as those guys are excellent musicians, mainly bassist Lukas Kurmann who’s indeed a metallic beast, and you should give them a try too as their uncompromised blend of styles might be exactly what you’re looking for if you’re thinking about exploring new lands in music.

Setlist
the Bird, the Lion and the Wildkin
Wake of a Nation
Götterdämmerung
Ship on Fire
Erase
Gravedigger’s Chant
Tuskegee
Blood in the River
Kilonova
Run
Golden Liar
Sugarcoat
Death to the Holy
to my ilk
Feed the Machine
Devil Is Fine
Trust No One
I Caught You
Clawing out

Band members
Manuel Gagneux – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, programming
Tiziano Volante – rhythm guitar, lead guitar
Lukas Kurmann – bass
Marco Von Allmen – drums
Denis Wagner – backing vocals
Marc Obrist – backing vocals

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Concert Review – Exodus (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 11/19/2024)

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

OPENING ACTS: Dead Heat, Candy and Havok

Here I am Filling in for my man Gus, Who couldn’t make it out tonight due to other obligations and I’m sorry to say that I am quite happy to do it. Gus… you missed an absolute banger of a show brother! Traffic is such a fucking bitch in this city, I was worried my brother Keith and I were going to be late for the opening of the doors of the Phoenix Concert Theatre in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It was a cool damp Tuesday evening and people were driving like the usual idiots they are and we had to make a couple of detours along the way. Luckily we made it in time and found a parking spot thankfully. We found some friends in line and proceeded into the venue to check in at the box office. Keith and I split up to get to our usual spots as he was the photographer this evening and I made my way to the front barrier beside our good friend Scott Herod whom I had the pleasure of rocking out beside in the same spot for the Black Dahlia Murder show this past remembrance day. Scott and I were both bewildered to the fact that Security was criminally understaffed with only two men working the barrier. Those boys had their work cut out for them tonight and their efforts were to be applauded. Injuries and all, these two security guards put in the work and did a fantastic job.

The show got started at 7 p.m. with Oxnard, California’s DEAD HEAT. Despite their enthusiasm and talent, their set fell a little flat for me through no fault of their own due to poor sound quality and slight technical issues. It is important to note that the venue at this time was about a quarter full so crowd participation was at a minimum. So it was a bit of a rough opening but they put in a noble effort and I appreciated that. Next up was the experimental hardcore band CANDY out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and they fell flat as well for the same reasons. We could barely hear the vocalist, the drums were not mic’d up very well and the bass overpowered the guitar. Also Candy’s style of ending their songs abruptly was a bit confusing for us in the crowd as we couldn’t gauge if the song ended or was about to launch into a fat breakdown, so the band missed out on our feedback and response. Technical issues ruined their mojo a bit and it showed. Not so sweet for Candy sadly, no knock against them.

As my spirits were down, Denver Colorado thrash lords HAVOK turned my frown upside down and absolutely blew my fucking face off with a blistering set that had the crowd going totally bonkers. If Havok was the only band on this bill I would have left the show an insanely happy man. Oh my gawd! The energy in the building was incredible. Security had its hands full with endless waves of crowd surfers. The venue was almost full and by this point the pits were massive. We were having the time of our lives, loving every minute of it. Havok’s sound engineer was on point and the quality of it was on another planet compared to the opening bands. The gulf between them was enormous. David Sanchez’s vocals and riff shredding was absolutely killer as well as the solos of Reese Scruggs. Pete Webber destroyed it on the drums and the stand-out was the stand-in bass player Kaden Hunsacker (guitar tech/road manager) was incredible. If you had never seen them before you would never know that he was not their actual bassist. Havok alone was worth the price of admission. 11/10

EXODUS

Now with everybody in attendance positively buzzing with energy, we couldn’t contain ourselves when EXODUS hit the stage. The Bay Area thrash legends blessed us with a show for the ages. This was one of the most fun shows I have ever been to in my life and this arguably had to be the best show of the year. I have never seen so much crowd-surfing at a show ever. Non-stop action in the pit as well as countless waves of surfers. Seriously the crowd was insane. Toronto made me so proud that night and it was an honour to be among them. Gary Holt was on fire and Lee Altus was phenomenal on lead guitar. Jack Gibson held everything down with his stellar bass playing and Tom Hunting was pulverizing on the drums. Vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza was electric and remarked that whenever they visit Canada, the crowds are always insane. He also gave a shout out to the two brave security guards handling all of the surfers coming over the barrier. The crowd was rowdy and rambunctious but kept it fun too without any animosity towards each other.

Everyone in attendance was there for a good time and were all on the same page, to let loose and boy did we do that. I think that we gave Montreal a run for their money. Steve also pointed out that next year will be the 40th anniversary of their seminal record, 1985’s Bonded By Blood and that they will be coming back to Toronto for that tour. I’m definitely saving up for that show. Exodus are legends for a reason, they totally kick fucking ass live and they sounded fucking incredible! At the end of the show, I turned around to observe everyone’s faces and they contained the look of pure satisfaction as I’m sure mine did as well. Personally I can’t wait until next year and I will be counting the days. What a killer show with killer bands. 11/10

Setlist
The Last Act of Defiance
Blood In, Blood Out
Fabulous Disaster
And Then There Were None
Body Harvest
Prescribing Horror
The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
Brain Dead
Deathamphetamine
Blacklist
Metal Command
War Is My Shepherd
The Toxic Waltz
Strike of the Beast
No Ordinary Love (Sade song)

Band members
Steve “Zetro” Souza – vocals
Gary Holt – guitar
Lee Altus – guitar
Jack Gibson – bass
Tom Hunting – drums

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