Tag Archives: ontario

Concert Review – Anvil (El Mocambo, Toronto, ON, 04/06/2024)

Posted on by
Reply

And Toronto had a night of incendiary old school Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll, courtesy of the most iconic metal band in the history of Canada.

OPENING ACTS: Devilwitch and Buffalo Bill

On a chilly but very pleasant Saturday night in Toronto, the city’s own Heavy Metal legends ANVIL returned for a night of classic heavy music at the old school venue El Mocambo, with supporting acts DEVILWITCH and BUFFALO BILL, inside their excellent main room curiously named “Under the Neon Palms”. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there as usual to cover the whole night, and I gotta say that even after 40 years on the road the most iconic Canadian metal band of all time still sounds sharp, heavy and melodic, proving why they are a must-listen for anyone worldwide who considers him or herself a true metalhead.

Although due to traffic I had to miss the first couple of songs by the opener of the night, Toronto-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act DEVILWITCH, as soon as I stepped into the venue they started playing the very first notes from Iron Maiden’s all-time classic Hallowed Be Thy Name, which of course won my heart instantly. Born and raised in Toronto, Mike Carbone (aka Ceebz) is an independent artist with a deep love for all things creative, especially musical composition and live Rock N’ Roll performances, and that passion was definitely translated to the stage Saturday night with a tight and inspired band supporting Ceebz (and I’m sorry, but I have no idea who those fantastic musicians are*), properly warming up a very good crowd for the upcoming bands. There’s some original stuff by Devilwitch on BandCamp and on Spotify; however, when Ceebz and his henchmen play live, they surely add some amazing covers to their setlist, including the aforementioned Hallowed Be Thy Name, Deep Purple’s Highway Star and, closing their show, a beautiful version for Ozzy Osbourne’s Mama, I’m Coming Home, dedicated to the memory of the undisputed, most badass, biggest metal fan in the history of Toronto, Walter Froeberich (RIP), with the back screen showing a sweet photo of Ceebz together with Walter. Simply amazing, and I’m sure if one day you have the chance to see Devilwitch live, you’ll love it.

Band members
Mike Carbone – vocals, guitars
Evil Tim – 7-string bass
Anthony Pannozzo – keyboards
Aaronik – drums

*Edit: Thanks to Keith and to Ceebz himself, I was able to get the band’s full lineup. Next time I promise I’ll do an even deeper research before publishing the reviews.

After a short break where everyone at El Mocambo (and I literally mean everyone) went for some drinks, another Torontonian attraction, Hard Rock trio BUFFALO BILL, began blasting our ears with an overdose of classic beer drinking, hell raising, Blues-infused Rock N’ Roll. Formed of Jorge Sousa on vocals and guitars, Will Shannon on bass, and Jeff Mastronardi on drums, the trio didn’t waste a single second and delivered the sheer power of the riff on stage, playing some amazing songs which, despite not knowing the name of any, sounded killer live, plus the fact they played everything at top volume. Well, as Manowar said one day, all men play on ten, right? You can listen to some of their creations on BandCamp and on Spotify, and keep an eye on their live concerts because they’re certainly a band that drives the energy of any venue up through the roof, always in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll. And after Devilwitch and Buffalo Bill finalized their incendiary warmup, we were all more than ready for some “metal on metal”.

Band members
Jorge Sousa – vocals, guitars
Will Shannon – bass
Jeff Mastronardi – drums

ANVIL

As the stage was ready to be hammered by the one and only Canadian Heavy Metal institution ANVIL, you could sense a different feeling in the air, something absolutely old school, fun and vibrant, taking us back in time to the glory of the 80’s. And the whole concert by the iconic Steve “Lips” Kudlow on vocals and guitars, Chris “Chirst” Robertson on bass, and Robb Reiner on drums was majestic, playing songs from their early days like Oooh Baby, from their 1981 debut Hard ‘n’ Heavy, and 666, from their 1982 masterpiece Metal on Metal, to present day tunes like Take a Lesson, from their 2022 opus Impact Is Imminent, all available on Spotify, by the way. Well, they kicked off the show with Lips getting down from the stage into the floor section during March of the Crabs, playing his guitar in the middle of the crowd (and right by my side, which was awesome), a very cool touch to their show proving how much they love playing live to their fans.

A few other songs stood out among their ass-kicking setlist, inspiring all concert goers for some vigorous headbanging and horns raising. For instance, before playing Legal at Last, Lips talked about the legalization of marijuana being the only good thing Justin Trudeau did for Canada. Do you agree with that? There was also a very nice story about one of his interactions with the unparalleled Lemmy Kilmister (RIP) during a Motörhead and Anvil tour back in the 80’s, and while Lips was telling the whole story (and sorry, you’ll have to see Anvil live if you want to know all details), I kept thinking how cool it must have been to tour with a brilliant gentleman like Lemmy. Also, during the amazing Mothra, Lips got a vibrator out of his back pocket and used it to play his guitar in three different ways, something only a band like Anvil can provide us with in Christ’s own words. And what can I say about the breathtaking On Fire? By far one of the best songs of the night, I must say.

In addition to the mesmerizing performance by Lips, I must say their bassist Christ was also insane on stage, with his crazy looks and wicked facial expressions, plus of course his first-class bass playing technique, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces. And let’s not forget the stone crusher Robb Reiner on drums, who delivered a soulful, powerful drum solo for our total delight, also pounding his drums nonstop during all songs, of course. The trio’s undeniable talent and energy made my favorite Anvil song, Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll, sound even more electrifying live, not to mention I think Lips should have renamed it “Bad-Ass Rock N’ Roll” and dedicated it to an unknown piece of shit who was farting his rotten soul out of his body during the entire night. Seriously, that guy or girl must have eaten an explosive burrito full of tainted refried beans and overloaded with rancid bell peppers, because his or her ass was definitely putrid. I told Keith I was about to call 911 because that person needed to go to ER to check if he or she was still alive. Anyway, back to the concert, of course an Anvil party is not complete without their all-time hit Metal on Metal, which again ended with Lips on the floor section (and again by my side) playing his guitar to his loyal fans, and after that he stayed among us to sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” together with us while the house DJ played it. Really, Lips is one of the coolest dudes in heavy music, period. And whenever Anvil take your city by storm, you know what to do.

Setlist
March of the Crabs
666
Oooh Baby
Legal at Last
Take a Lesson
Badass Rock ‘n’ Roll
Winged Assassins
Free as the Wind
On Fire
Forged in Fire
Mothra
Bitch in the Box
Swing Thing
Ghost Shadow
Metal on Metal

Band members
Steve “Lips” Kudlow – vocals, guitars
Chris “Chirst” Robertson – bass
Robb Reiner – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Posted on by
Reply

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Posted on by
1

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Concert Review – Rage (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 03/04/2024)

Posted on by
4

One of the pillars of German Power Metal took the city of Toronto by storm for the first time ever to celebrate their headbanging, hellraising 40 years of career.

OPENING ACT: C.O.P. UK

Monday night was simply perfect in Toronto, with no snow or rain, lots of sunshine with temperatures above +10oC, very little traffic, and of course a lecture in Heavy and Power Metal at Lee’s Palace as C.O.P. UK and RAGE kicked off the Canadian leg of their 40 Years in RAGE – 4 Decades of Heavy Metal Tour 2024, celebrating four decades of one of the most important bands to ever arise from the German Power Metal scene. Brought to Canada by Lucky Bob Music Agency, it’s somehow weird that Rage are only playing in Canada and not in the US (which is why there was even a guy from Michigan who drove eight hours to see the show here in Toronto), and I don’t know exactly how the promotion of the tour was done because the crowd was much smaller than expected. Maybe because it was a Monday, the worst day in the world for anything as Garfield would say, or maybe tons of fans had zero idea Rage was playing in the city for the first time ever (and I saw some comments online from fans in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec complaining about the lack of information about the tour). Anyway, the concert was fantastic, as well as the sick photos taken this time by my friend Ryan Miles Leblanc.

After a HUGE delay for the doors to open due to some technical difficulties, as apparently they didn’t have an adapter to convert something from EU to Canada, Sheffield, England-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act C.O.P. UK, or Crimes Of Passion if you prefer, hit the stage at around 9:30pm for a solid performance to warm up the fans at the venue for Rage. Formed in 2005, the band led by the charismatic vocalist Dale Radcliffe distilled a traditional blend of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock with hints of Glam and Hair Metal, with songs like Love Is To Die For and Catch Me If You Can sounding amazing live, plus their electrifying cover version for Journey’s classic Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), which in Dale’s words, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know them, everyone loves a little bit of Journey. I was impressed with the band and just wish they had more releases available for streaming everywhere, because for example on Spotify you can only find their 2018 EP Keep on Moving. Their music is awesome and they deserve more attention from all of us metalheads not only in Canada, but anywhere where good music is appreciated.

Setlist
The Core
My Blood
Love Is To Die For
Body & Soul
Stranger Than Fiction
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Journey cover)
Catch Me If You Can
God Made Me Your Angel

Band members
Dale Radcliffe – vocals
Jean Bormann – guitars
Henning Wanner – keyboards
Scott Jordan – bass
Kev Tonge – drums

RAGE

It was already 10:30pm, which is really late for any show to start in Toronto by the way, when German Power Metal titans RAGE kicked off their flawless performance on stage, obviously led by the iconic Peter “Peavy” Wagner on vocals and bass, supported by Jean Bormann on the guitars (and yes, he’s the same guitarist from C.O.P. UK, but I think he was just supporting C.O.P. UK as his main band is Rage), and Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos on drums. And let me say it was a dream come true for all Torontonian fans of the band who attended the concert because their celebration of 40 years indeed included songs from their entire and vast career, kicking things of with the excellent Resurrection Day and going through all of their albums, with songs like Solitary Man, Black in Mind, Back in Time and My Way inspiring everyone for some good headbanging and fist raising. I personally think Peavy’s microphone was a bit low, but even so it was amazing to see his raspy, loud vocals permeating the air at Lee’s Palace Monday night.

One of my favorite songs of the night, and probably also of most fans at the venue, was undoubtedly End of All Days, and it was visible how some dudes in the crowd were having the time of their lives while the trio kept kicking some serious ass on stage during such masterpiece. My only “complaint” about their setlist was not seeing the darkly beautiful “From the Cradle to the Grave” live, as it was replaced with their new song Under a Black Crown (from their upcoming album Afterlifelines, to be released on March 29 this year), but the new song is also amazing, you know what I mean? Well, Peavy even mentioned during the show that they had over 100 songs to create their setlist (all available on Spotify, by the way), a tough job for them, but a pleasure for all of us when the setlist comes together. An when you end a concert with the pulverizing Don’t Fear the Winter and the all-time classic Higher Than the Sky, you know how happy your fans will be. Hopefully the lower-than-expected attendance won’t stop Rage form coming back to Toronto in the near future, because after seeing what Peavy and the boys are capable of Monday night, I must say the city of Toronto needs another blast of their Teutonic Power Metal.

Setlist
Memento Vitae (Overture)
Resurrection Day
Great Old Ones
Solitary Man
Nevermore
Black in Mind
Refuge
Back in Time
Shadow Out of Time
My Way
End of All Days
A New Land

Encore:
Under a Black Crown
Don’t Fear the Winter
Higher Than the Sky
Tomorrow’s Yesterday (Instrumental)

Band members
Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass
Jean Bormann – guitars
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Concert Review – Ov Sulfur & Mental Cruelty (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, 02/21/2024)

Posted on by
Reply

Two of the must-see names of the current Deathcore scene worldwide took the city of Toronto by storm for an unforgettable night of cruelty, light and sulfur.

OPENING ACTS: Beguiler and Ghost Bath

Not sure if it’s global warming or just pure luck, but the weather last night in Toronto was pretty much in the low teens with clear skies, as opposed to the absolute cold and endless snow we were supposed to endure this time of the year, and I guess that was one of the main reasons why the (very) small but cozy Hard Luck Bar was jam-packed for a night of top-of-the-line Deathcore with the bands BEGUILER, GHOST BATH, MENTAL CRUELTY and OV SULFUR during their Beyond The Eternal Tour 2024, another sensational event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. On a side note, once again Belarusian Brutal Death Metal masters Extermination Dismemberment were not allowed to enter Canada for a reason beyond our comprehension, being replaced with Beguiler in Toronto, and as much as I enjoyed Beguiler I think this bullshit has to end and all Torontonian fans should have the pleasure of seeing Extermination Dismemberment kicking ass live in the city.

That doesn’t mean that the concert by Oshawa, Ontario, Canada’s own Deathcore act BEGUILER was boring or tiresome; quite the contrary, about 30 minutes or so after the doors at the Hard Luck Bar opened they began their fulminating performance, already inspiring everyone at the venue to slam into the circle pit spearheaded by their frontman Jacob Cooledge. The guy was growling like a beast, bursting his lungs in anger throughout their entire setlist, and that added an extra spice to the already ruthless sound crafted by his bandmates Scott Thoms, Gord Cameron and Nathan McDonald. What a great warmup that was, and if you’re curious to know more about their music you can find all of their releases on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their 2022 EP Etterath, and don’t forget to keep an eye on their social media for their tour dates because watching Beguiler live is definitely worth it.

Band members
Jacob Cooledge – vocals
Scott Thoms – guitar
Gord Cameron – bass
Nathan McDonald – drums

Due to the amount of bands playing last night the concert by Beguiler was relatively short, which was also the case with Minot, North Dakota, United States-based Depressive/Post-Black Metal entity GHOST BATH, who started their harsh, dark and sinister performance a little after 8pm. This is the second time I saw those guys live, and they were as tight and grim as when they opened for UADA last year, with once again the band’s mastermind Nameless stealing the spotlight with his undeniable talent, charisma and obscurity. I must say I wasn’t sure how the crowd would react to Ghost Bath taking into account they were the only non-Deathcore band of all, but everyone at the venue had an amazing time during their show, and as I said on the review for their concert when they opened for UADA simply go check their discography on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their 2021 album Self Loather, because their music is brilliantly dark.

Band members
Nameless – vocals, guitars
Tim Church – guitars
John Olivier – guitars
Josh Jaye – bass
Chris Piette – drums

MENTAL CRUELTY

I was then close to 9pm when one of the main attractions of the night, and I dare to say the most anticipated of all bands due to the wild reaction from the crowd, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-based Symphonic Deathcore outfit MENTAL CRUELTY hit the stage for an unforgettable concert, kicking things off with the amazing duo Midtvinter / Obsessis a Daemonio, from their 2023 masterpiece Zwielicht, and blending older songs such as King ov Fire and Ultima Hypocrita with tons of songs from their latest album, including the breathtaking Forgotten Kings, Nordlys and Mortal Shells, driving all concert-goers crazy inside the wild mosh pits while the band led by frontman Lukas Nicolai was on absolute fire on stage. Their guitar duo formed of Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler was fantastic during their entire set, delivering sharp, piercing riffs and solos for our total delight and, therefore, adding even more fuel to the already incendiary mosh pits.

It was by far one of the coolest underground concerts form the past few years, and the excitement on the faces of all band members made the night even more special for all of us at the venue. Before closing their awesome setlist with my favorite song of their entire discography, Zwielicht / Symphony of a Dying Star, Lukas asked us all to turn on the flashlights of our phones, hold them high in the air and start waving our arms, “blinding” him with all the light, an amazing moment that will stay registered in the memories of the band and of everyone who attended the show last night. After their concert was over, the guys from Mental Cruelty went straight to their merch booth and stayed there for the rest of the night, chatting with fans, taking photos, of course selling their merch, and having a great time in Canadian lands. Needless to say, I can’t wait for the band to return to Toronto in a not-so-distant future to shine their Deathcore-infused light upon us all once again.

Band members
Lukas Nicolai – vocals
Nahuel Lozano – guitars
Marvin Kessler – guitars
Viktor Dick – bass
Danny Straßer – drums

OV SULFUR

After another quick bathroom/beer/smoke/chat break, it was then time for Las Vegas, Nevada, United States-based Deathcore powerhouse OV SULFUR to begin their irreligious, blasphemous and demented performance, increasing the violence inside the circle pit as frontman Ricky Hoover kept roaring and screaming nonstop on stage. Although the band only has two releases in their discography, those being their 2021 debut EP Oblivion and their 2023 full-length opus The Burden ov Faith, that was more than enough to generate a solid setlist full of aggression, neck-breaking passages, visceral growls, strident riffs and blast beats, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces while the temperature kept going up inside the venue.

Some of the songs played by Ricky and his henchmen stood out from their setlist, including Doomhead, Wide Open, and the most special one for Ricky himself, Earthen, which he dedicated to everyone who has lost a loved person in their lives just like Ricky has recently lost his 16-year-old nephew (who tragically died of cancer). That was a very emotional moment of the concert showing that even when the music is extremely heavy and brutal, there’s still place for deep feelings. The only “issue” with the whole night for me was the fact that Ov Sulfur and Mental Cruelty didn’t share the stage for their amazing collaborative single Hivemind, which for some reason I was very positive that they would play for us. Anyway, I don’t think most fans cared about that minor detail and slammed into the circle pit like beasts until the very last second, and once again I feel sorry for my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and all other photographers for having to brave the mosh pits to take photos of the bands, plus the fact that the red light at the Hard Luck Bar is horrible for any type of picture. Hopefully next time we see Ov Sulfur in the city it will be at a venue with better lighting and a higher stage, but even if they play again at the Hard Luck Bar I’m sure all of us will be there to bang our heads together with one of the must-see names of the current Deathcore scene worldwide.

Band members
Ricky Hoover – vocals
Chase Wilson – guitars
Tre Purdue – guitars
Ding – bass
Leviathvn – drums

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

Posted on by
2

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Album Review – Lutharo / Chasing Euphoria (2024)

Posted on by
2

One of the must-see names of the current Canadian scene is back with their breathtaking sophomore album, sounding as destructive and violent as it is soaring and captivating.

Bringing forth their signature mixture of traditional Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Thrash Metal and more, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada-based Melodic Death Metal outfit Lutharo returns with their sophomore opus (and strongest effort to date), titled Chasing Euphoria, following up on their critically acclaimed 2021 debut Hiraeth. Recorded by drummer Cory Hofing at Coho Studio, with additional recording by Thomas Ireland and mixing and mastering by Lasse Lammert of LSD Studio, and showcasing a stunning artwork by Swedish artist Niklas Sundin, Chasing Euphoria is as destructive and violent as it is soaring and captivating, inspiring us all for some vigorous headbanging, boisterous pits and chanting singalongs together with frontwoman Krista Shipperbottom, guitarist Victor Bucur, bassist Chris Pacey and the aforementioned drummer Cory Hofing.

The epic, cinematic intro Gates of Enchantment will set the stage for Krista and the boys to crush our souls in Reaper’s Call, presenting an amazing guitar job by Victor that sets fire to their music in the name of Melodic Death Metal, therefore resulting in a beyond thrilling start to the album. Their violent yet very melodious sounds keep hammering our cranial skulls in Ruthless Bloodline, with Cory dictating the song’s galloping pace with his heavy beats accompanied by the metallic bass by Chris; and get ready for another blast of sick riffs, thunderous bass and unstoppable drums in Time to Rise, with Krista once again showcasing all her vocal range with both her clean vocals and she-demon roars. In Born to Ride we’re treated to pure metal lyrics roared by Krista (“We’re striking the lights out stately / Let the banners fly / Sights never guided me before just stifled my might / Short circuited odds and judgment / With victory to taste / When the blind leads the blind, / You’re at the edge of a blade”) amidst a beyond exciting and incendiary sound perfect for hitting the highway, followed by Bonded to the Blade, a good song albeit not as dynamic as the rest of the album. Victor continues to deliver sheer adrenaline through his riffs and solos, though.

The title-track Chasing Euphoria will bring to our avid ears more of the band’s modern-day, electrifying Melodic Death Metal, with the soaring vocals by Krista walking hand in hand with the massive wall of sounds crafted by her bandmates; and the band then enhances their epicness to a whole new level in Creating a King, offering more of their crystal clear, visceral melodeath with Cory pounding his drums mercilessly from start to finish, resulting in the perfect song for some sick headbanging. There’s no sign of the band slowing down at all, as Strong Enough to Fall is another feast of Canadian Melodic Death Metal with the striking riffs and solos by Victor sounding venomous, enfolding us all in a Heavy Metal embrace. A futuristic start quickly evolves into a straightforward Melodic Death Metal attack by Lutharo in Paradise or Parasite, where Krista keeps delivering her trademark hypnotizing vocal lines while Chris and Cory build a strong base boosted by the song’s background orchestral elements; whereas the doomed bass by Chris ignites the closing tune of the album, titled Freedom of the Night, offering the listener seven minutes of fast-paced riffs and beats and the always sharp yet charming vocals by Krista, or in other words, it’s a more introspective creation by the band putting a climatic finale to their metallic feast.

Lutharo Chasing Euphoria Ultimate Bundle

Lutharo are definitely going places armed with Chasing Euphoria (both figuratively and literally speaking, as they’re gearing up for a massive tour across the United States and Canada), and if you want to show such awesome band from the current Canadian metal scene your utmost support, you can start following them on Facebook and on Instagram, always keeping an eye on their tour dates, subscribe to their YouTube channel and stream more of their breathtaking music on Spotify, and above all that, grab a copy of Chasing Euphoria from their own official website (including the more-than-special Chasing Euphoria ultimate bundle, featuring the album on limited edition pink and blue marble vinyl, a limited edition signed photo, an album T-shirt, a “Time To Rise” patch, a battle flag, and limited edition guitar picks), or you can also find your favorite version of the album by clicking HERE or HERE. Lutharo are definitely going to make a lot of noise worldwide armed with their new album, a cacophony of all that is metal, always chasing euphoria and inspiring us to bang our heads nonstop to the music by one of the best bands of the contemporary Canadian scene.

Best moments of the album: Reaper’s Call, Born to Ride, Creating a King and Paradise or Parasite.

Worst moments of the album: Bonded to the Blade.

Released in 2024 Atomic Fire Records

Track listing
1. Gates of Enchantment 1:13
2. Reaper’s Call 4:00
3. Ruthless Bloodline 4:12
4. Time to Rise 4:21
5. Born to Ride 3:52
6. Bonded to the Blade 4:33
7. Chasing Euphoria 4:31
8. Creating a King 4:08
9. Strong Enough to Fall 4:56
10. Paradise or Parasite 5:07
11. Freedom of the Night 6:45

Band members
Krista Shipperbottom – vocals
Victor Bucur – guitars, backing vocals
Chris Pacey – bass
Cory Hofing – drums

Guest musician
Jeff Wilson – guitars (Live)

Album Review – Fathomless Ritual / Hymns For The Lesser Gods (2024)

Posted on by
2

Behold this one-man project from Canada and his striking debut opus, offering us all a technical and brutal form of Death Metal for sacrifices and caverns fully dedicated to the prehistoric gods.

With manic glee, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada-based Technical/Brutal Death/Doom Metal creature Fathomless Ritual recreates the maddening, unhinged kind of Death Metal created by the likes of Demilich, Chthe’ilist, Dead and Dripping, and Mortiferum, among others, and give its own ugly, grime-ridden twist to it, which is exactly what you’re going to get in the project’s debut opus Hymns For The Lesser Gods. Displaying a stunning artwork and gouache paintings by renowned Brazilian artist Marcio Blasphemator, Hymns For The Lesser Gods offers a darker, murkier, cavernous sound, being labeled as “Death Metal for sacrifices and caverns”, but all the same has a denser quality and a sense of modern urgency about it which livens up the proceedings, with the project’s sole member Brendan Dean (or simply B. Dean), of bands like Gutvoid, Fumes and Pukewraith, making a conscientious effort to make the sound more extreme and relevant in his own way without attempting to dethrone the gods.

Pure insanity and heaviness flow from all instruments from the very first second in Hecatomb for an Unending Madness, where Brendan’s deep, inhumane gnarls add an extra touch of obscurity to the music, also showcasing infernal, demented riffs not recommended for the lighthearted; and our lone wolf keeps hammering all of his instruments in Exiled to the Lower Catacombs, resulting in a Neanderthalic, grim Death Metal attack with the bass sounds reverberating deep inside our heads. Those drums keep pounding our cranial skulls in Gorge of the Nameless, not to mention the acid electricity exhaling from Brendan’s riffs and bass, feeling like he’s dragging us deeper and deeper into his Stygian lair. Then get ready for six minutes of demented groove in the form of Grafted to the Chambers of Mirth, where Brendan follows his own “Cavern Death Metal” formula in great fashion, blasting his stringed axes mercilessly while also barking like a demonic entity.

There’s no limit to the level of insanity and darkness blasted by Brendan and his Fathomless Ritual, resulting in another onrush of brutal, dense and headbanging sounds titled Wielding the Bone Wand, while our ears keep being invaded by his devilish roars. And Brendan shows no sign of slowing down; quite the contrary, he keeps slashing his stringed axe like a beast in Cosmic Reflections from the Basin of Blood, another solid creation venturing through the realms of Experimental Death Metal. It’s then pedal to the metal as Brenda’s Death Metal attack will leave you absolutely disoriented in Gelatinous Being of Countless Forms, where the song’s demented but very intricate drums walk hand in hand with his devilish gnarls and rumbling bass punches, and Gifts for Aranaktu is one final onrush of demonic, ruthless metal sounds that will hit us hard in the face. Furthermore, it’s truly impressive how Brendan managed to keep his guitar and bass work so vibrant throughout the entire album without sounding repetitive or stale.

Be prepared to sacrifice yourself and win the favour of the forgotten ones with Hymns For The Lesser Gods, an album that should delight any fan of underground Death Metal, and that you can purchase from Fathomless Ritual’s own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ webstore as an 8-panel digipak in the US or in Europe, and as a very special CD + shirt combo also in Europe. Don’t forget to also give Brendan and his Fathomless Ritual a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, because not only he’s embellishing our lives with an album chock-full of riffs and jangly hooks with escalating song structures culminating in cranial implosions, but it’s also a fierce and pulverizing tribute to the prehistoric gods, all embraced by that murky, twisted and engrossing form of Death Metal we all love so much.

Best moments of the album: Exiled to the Lower Catacombs, Grafted to the Chambers of Mirth and Gelatinous Being of Countless Forms.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. Hecatomb for an Unending Madness 2:32
2. Exiled to the Lower Catacombs 4:55
3. Gorge of the Nameless 4:15
4. Grafted to the Chambers of Mirth 6:11
5. Wielding the Bone Wand 4:45
6. Cosmic Reflections from the Basin of Blood 4:01
7. Gelatinous Being of Countless Forms 4:58
8. Gifts for Aranaktu 6:54

Band members
Brendan Dean – vocals, guitars, bass, drum programming