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Concert Review – Blind Guardian (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, 11/29/2025)

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And the bards brought to Toronto another unforgettable night of first-class, undisputed Heavy Metal.

OPENING ACTS: Seven Kingdoms and Ensiferum

What an unforgettable night of first-class, undisputed Heavy Metal this Saturday in Toronto at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, courtesy of the most ass-kicking bards in history, the unstoppable BLIND GUARDIAN, supported by SEVEN KINGDOMS and ENSIFERUM, during their must-see Somewhere Far Beyond North American Tour 2025. I need to personally thank Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment for bringing the bards back to the city less than two years after their phenomenal concert at Rebel in 2024, and I must say this time the entire show was even better, more powerful, and more exciting. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were lucky enough the be there to cover such a metallic party, and judging by the reaction of the crowd during the entire night, all metalheads in Toronto will keep talking about the three bands for a long time, wishing they could go back in time to experience everything all over again, and again, and again.

Deland, Florida’s own Power Metal brigade SEVEN KINGDOMS kicked off the festivities around 7:20pm with a highly energetic performance led by frontwoman Sabrina Valentine, properly warming us up for the upcoming attractions of the night. Blending songs from their already solid discography, including their 2022 album Zenith (available on Spotify), the band whose name was taken from The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros in George R. R. Martin’s epic fantasy novel series A Song of Ice and Fire did exactly that during their short but sweet performance, setting fire to the atmosphere with their classic blend of Heavy and Power Metal (although I have no idea why they don’t have a bassist). Camden Cruz was absolutely phenomenal armed with his axe, kudos to Kevin Byrd for sporting a classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles shirt (and if you don’t like the TMNT, you’re not a good person), and as the icing on the cake, or maybe I should say on their cheeseburger, we got the indomitable Krista Shipperbottom, former frontwoman for Canadian melodeath band Lutharo, as the night’s cheeseburger. Yes, we definitely need more Seven Kingsdoms and more cheeseburgers in Toronto soon.

Setlist
Diamond Handed
A Silent Remedy
The Serpent and the Lotus
Valonqar
Wilted Pieces
Through These Waves
In the Walls

Band members
Sabrina Valentine – vocals
Kevin Byrd – guitars
Camden Cruz – guitars
Colton Zietler – drums

After a short break (and certainly not enough to brave the endless line for merch for all bands) it was time for Helsinki, Finland’s Epic Folk Metal warriors ENSIFERUM to bring a true winter storm to the stage with songs from all of their albums, including of course their latest one Winter Storm, released in 2024, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify. Petri Lindroos, Markus Toivonen, Sami Hinkka, Pekka Montin, and Janne Parviainen put on a fantastic show for an already packed venue, yielding their sonic weapons in great fashion for the delight of everyone inside the considerable circle pit that was moving frantically in the middle of the floor section. Their maniacal bassist Sami Hinkka didn’t stop screaming, running around the stage, jumping up and down, headbanging, and of course hammering his bass not even for a single second, and it was beautiful witnessing that extreme energy flowing from him into the hearts of all fans at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. What a great performer, my friends. And of course, with a name like that, which if you don’t know is Latin for “sword bearer,” the top moments of their concert were the fighting songs Guardians of Fate, Into Battle, and the classic In My Sword I Trust, turning the venue into a true battlefield. Please return to Toronto as soon as you can, Ensiferum, because you guys rock.

Setlist
Aurora
Winter Storm Vigilantes
Way of the Warrior
Andromeda
Fatherland
Heathen Horde
Guardians of Fate
Into Battle
In My Sword I Trust

Band members
Petri Lindroos – harsh vocals, guitars
Markus Toivonen – guitars, backing vocals
Sami Hinkka – bass, clean and backing vocals
Pekka Montin – keyboards, clean and backing vocals
Janne Parviainen – drums

BLIND GUARDIAN

I honestly have no idea why Teutonic Power Metal masters BLIND GUARDIAN decided to do this Somewhere Far Beyond North American Tour only in 2025, as they already celebrated 30 years of the album Somewhere Far Beyond back in 2022, having even released in 2024 a live album of that tour recorded at Rock Hard Festival in June 2022, but who am I to complain about that, right? Quite the opposite, it was a dream come true watching the iconic Hansi Kürsch & Co. deliver a flawless live rendition of one of their classic albums, plus of course a bunch of other superb songs. The first part of the set itself was already worth the price of the ticket, as Into the Storm, Blood of the Elves, Nightfall, and Violent Shadows are killer metal tunes, with all fans already losing their voices screaming those songs together with the bards.

Hansi was in an excellent mood, showing once again he’s not just a phenomenal vocalist, but also a great frontman and entertainer, keeping the audience engaged and hypnotized form start to finish. After they started playing Somewhere Far Beyond, with Time What Is Time and Journey Through the Dark sounding incredible, Hansi joked about the fact he was surprised that they said in 2024 they would return soon, and they actually did. The crowd was on cloud 9 with each and every word pronounced by Hansi, but it was of course when they played The Bard’s Song – In the Forest, and The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit, another majestic moment of the show, that the whole venue turned into a true celebration of heavy music and bards. One of those moments in the life of a person that confirms we all made the right choice in becoming metalheads.

And then came the encore. But it wasn’t just an encore. It was THE encore, one of the best I’ve ever experienced in my life. When the crowd started chanting “Majesty! Majesty!” I had on idea the band was actually going to answer our call. Hansi even joked about it saying that we were not allowed to ask for what we wanted to hear, but we were lucky that was exactly what they were going to play anyway. It was beyond orgasmic seeing them playing Majesty live. I pretty much lost my voice screaming. Then came the biggest surprise of the night for me, Lord of the Rings, and then I lost the rest of my voice. Simply incredible. I don’t know how I was still able to scream with the band during the epic Valhalla and Mirror Mirror, and when we all thought the show was over, the band fired upon us the also breathtaking Lost in the Twilight Hall. What an epic conclusion to a concert full of mosh pits, fists and horns in the air, ad the certainty that the bards will return to Toronto again, hopefully sooner than later for the “surprise” of Hansi and his henchmen themselves. Thank you once again, Blind Guardian. I’m a very happy man.

Setlist
War of Wrath
Into the Storm
Blood of the Elves
Nightfall
Violent Shadows

Somewhere Far Beyond
Time What Is Time
Journey Through the Dark
Black Chamber
Theatre of Pain
The Quest for Tanelorn
Ashes to Ashes
The Bard’s Song – In the Forest
The Bard’s Song – The Hobbit
The Piper’s Calling
Somewhere Far Beyond

Encore:
Majesty
Lord of the Rings
Valhalla
Mirror Mirror
Lost in the Twilight Hall
Sacred Worlds (Orchestral outro)

Band members
Hansi Kürsch – vocals
André Olbrich – lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars
Marcus Siepen – rhythm and acoustic guitars
Johan van Stratum – bass, backing vocals
Kenneth Berger – keyboards, backing vocals
Frederik Ehmke – drums

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Concert Review – Korpiklaani & Ensiferum (The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, 03/03/2025)

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

OPENING ACTS: NiNi and Trollfest

KORPIKLAANI and ENSIFERUM are two of my favourite bands and it’s been way too long since I seen them last, like over a decade ago. So you could imagine that it was time for me to add new merch to my growing collection during their Folkfest Of The North Tour 2025 concert in Toronto at The Concert Hall, brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. To be honest, I have also out grown my current tees and I was looking forward to replacing them. My brother Keith and I arrived early to get a good spot in line to facilitate the process of procuring said merch as soon as the doors opened. My brother Keith, who is the photographer for the Headbanging Moose, had with him two exquisite poster-sized photos of Korpiklaani’s lead singer Jonne Järvelä from the last time they played Toronto, hoping to get them autographed at the meet and greet for V.I.P. ticket holders even though we didn’t have meet and greet tickets. We did have a volunteer in the front of the line who was willing to do it for us and we accepted the opportunity with much appreciation. Right at that exact moment Korpiklaani just happened to be walking by and my brother showed him the photos of which got Jonne enthusiastic approval. That being said, the doors opened a little later than expected but the process of entry went smoothly so off to the merch stand I went. I was about fifth or sixth in line and was happier than a pig in shit when Korpiklaani’s tour manager told me that they had plenty in my size. The problem was that merch wasn’t fully set up yet and so we all had to wait twenty minutes before we got served but to my great disappointment, when it was my turn, they couldn’t find anything in my size (3XL). As you could imagine I felt dejected and super disappointed that I had wasted 20 minutes in line for nothing and that I would not be able to get a good spot against the barrier at the front of the stage but luckily I found a decent spot to the left of the stage. My attitude for the opening act was a bit downcast as I was still stewing about the merch debacle.

Taiwanese musician NINI and her band took the stage to open the show and they proceeded to entertain us with their blend of traditional Chinese folk instruments fused with modern metal. Normally I would be totally into that sort of thing but it took me a while to get into it, no fault of theirs, they were great by the way. Nini was colourfully dressed in her traditional silk costume and looked absolutely adorable as she shredded out a short set complete with her rendition of duelling banjos and flight of the bumblebees. Nini is superbly talented in traditional Chinese instruments as well as playing modern guitars and the band was quite impressive as well. they closed their set with a cover of Brittany Spears “Hit Me Baby One More Time”. I noticed that the band was without a bassist and that could have made an even greater impression on me. My brother Keith picked up a Nini Patch for me to help cheer me up. 8/10

Band members
NiNi – Ruan, Liuqin, San Xian, ukulele, Irish banjo, DaoYu
Jesse Venom – vocals
Taylor Bellemare – guitars
Emilio Vergo – drums

If the Patch didn’t cheer me up, Norway’s TROLLFEST sure as hell did. It was my first experience with them and brother these guys are a hoot. As soon as they came strutting onto the stage in their pink flamingo costumes and blacklight face paint I knew we were in for a good time and instantly my mood picked up and was fist pumping and clapping along side everyone in unison. Trollfest can really get a crowd going if you know what I mean. Their show demands crowd participation and I was all in on it loving every second of it. I didn’t participate in the conga line as I didn’t want to lose my position but it looked like everyone was having a blast. My thighs are still hurting though from all of the couching and jumping up and down (I’m so out of shape) and I had a fist bump moment with one of their guitarists whom after their set handed me a set list, which was cool as fuck. It felt like Trollfest played a full set. I definitely want to see them again the next time they come back to Toronto, they were awesome and I had an amazing time seeing them do their thing. 10/10

Setlist
Dance Like A Pink Flamingo
Flamongous
Essenfest
Ave Maria (Charles Gounod cover)
Twenty Miles An Hour
Kaptein Kaos
Illsint
Renkespill
Pina Colada
Kjettaren Mot Stromen
All Drinks On Me
Espin Bin Askeladden
Helvettes Hunden Garm

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

ENSIFERUM

Now I was pumped for seeing one of my absolute favourite bands, Finnish Folk Metal giants ENSIFERUM. I fell in love with this band back in the early 2000’s and I listen to them almost everyday. Like I stated before it has been a long time since I seen this band and talking about, the Opera House was the last place I seen them back when co-headliners Hypocrisy couldn’t make it across the border so Ensiferum played two full sets when they absolutely didn’t have to and that made them legends to me. Ensiferum kills it every fucking time I see them and Monday night was no exception. Although they didn’t play all the songs I wanted them to play (Iron, Token of time, Blood Is The Price Of Glory), The set list they chose to play was stellar none the less and they did play my absolute favourite song which is Treacherous Gods. My back was getting crushed as the crowd got pretty rowdy during their set and had some pretty good crowd surfing to boot. Sami Hinkka is an absolute wildman on the bass and is always full of infectous energy. Sami and I had a little Arnie and Carl weathers hand shake moment while Sami was running along the barrier hyping up the crowd with high fives, but when he got to me we clasped hands. Petri Lindroos and Markus Toivonen are absolute shredders on the guitar and Janne Parvianen destroys on the drums as well. Pekka Montin’s soaring vocals have been a great addition the the band’s sound since 2020. Ensiferum played a full set also and I can’t wait to see them again in the near future. As soon as their set was over my brother Keith informed me that he was over at the merch table and they found 3XL shirts for me so I left my spot to go support the bands by buying some sorely needed band tees. 10/10! I fucking love Ensiferum!

Setlist
Aurora
Fatherland
Twilight Tavern
Treacherous Gods
Winterstorm Vigilantes
Lai Lai Hei
The Howl
Run From The Crushing Tide
Andromeda
Leniret Coram Tempestate
Victorious
Wanderer
Rum, Women, Victory
In My Sword I Trust
Two Of Spades

Band members
Petri Lindroos – harsh vocals, guitars
Markus Toivonen – guitars, backing vocals
Sami Hinkka – clean vocals, bass
Pekka Montin – clean vocals, keyboards
Janne Parviainen – drums

KORPIKLAANI

I had to watch KORPIKLAANI kick ass from the back of the venue from then on until I went upstairs to the upper level and realized that the view up there was pretty good and the sound was a little better too. I was elated having added three new shirts to my collection and sat back and enjoyed Korpiklaani from upstairs. They sounded great up there and I had a great time. While folks were busy having a great time on the floor, the folks upstairs were doing the same. What I love so much about folk metal is that it has a more festive feeling. You don’t get bogged down with more serious attitudes that other genres of metal bring with them. I find folk metal more light-hearted and care-free than other genres. Don’t get me wrong about other genres as I’m sure everyone is at those shows to have fun too but some people take things too seriously sometimes and that’s okay but I just love the vibe that folk metal brings. Korpiklaani definitely brings that fun atmosphere with them wherever they go. They put on a great show that night and treated us to a pretty awesome drum solo during Metsamies which had the crowd roaring with approval. Korpiklaani are one of if not the best bands to see in the folk metal scene and I highly recommend that you should check them out if you have never seen them before. They are always so much fun. They finished off the night with their classic drinking anthem “Vodka” which was a perfect coda to cap off the end of the night. 10/10! Korpiklaani does it once again!

Setlist
Rankarumpu
A Man With A Plan
Saunaan
Happy Little Boozer
Levan Polkka
Rauta
Aita
Oraakkelit
Kalmisto
Pixies Dance
Levaluhta
Gotta Go Home (Bony M. Cover)
Iron Fist (Motörhead Cover)
Viima
Metsamies
Sahti
Tequila
Vodka

Band members
Jonne Järvelä – vocals, acoustic guitar
Kalle “Cane” Savijärvi – guitar
Jarkko Aaltonen – bass
Sami Perttula – accordion
Olli Vänskä – violin
Samuli Mikkonen – drums, percussion

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Album Review – Judas Avenger / Judas Avenger EP (2015)

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Judas Avenger is rising faster than a bullet, to kill with power and play Heavy Metal louder than hell.

Rating5

JA EP coverForged in the cold fires of Finland from the alliance of the bands Dark Avenger (tribute to Manowar) and Judas Rising (tribute to Judas Priest), Finnish Heavy/Power Metal warriors Judas Avenger do not aim at revolutionizing heavy music, but keeping the flame of true Heavy Metal burning bright through the years. In other words, don’t expect to find the next step in the evolution of music when you take a listen at their self-titled debut EP, Judas Avenger, but instead a solid and entertaining tribute to the golden years of heavy music with the addition of the band’s own talent, passion, energy and determination. As cheesy as this might sound, the band’s loyalty to the purest form of Heavy Metal is what makes their music so exciting and, consequently, worth listening.

And although the main influences of Judas Avenger are obviously the iconic Judas Priest and Manowar, this five-piece army of immortals from Finland also drinks from the metallic fountains of Savatage, Death, Iron Maiden, Megadeth and tons of other unique metal heroes, adding some extra layers of complexity to their music. Moreover, I guess I don’t need to mention the fact that, as most bands from Finland (and the whole Scandinavia), they have a titanic focus on the melody and harmony of their compositions, sounding at the same time polished and aggressive exactly as the Gods of Heavy Metal expect from any real heavy squad claiming for a place among them at the Halls of Valhalla.

If you’re not familiar with Judas Avenger yet (and I believe you’re not), you might think Manowar are back to their prime when you start listening to the opening track, the excellent Judas Avenger. However, it’s not a new Manowar tune despite Pekka Montin sounding exactly like Eric Adams during most of the song, but a mighty tribute to the Metal Warriors with its instrumental parts being slightly more inclined to what Judas Priest used to do in Defenders of the Faith and Painkiller. In addition, the band’s own touch comes in the form of the progressiveness, breaks and variations found throughout the entire song, keeping them away from being labeled as “just a cover band”.

JA_band_promoAnd what would happen if the classics Painkiller and Ride the Dragon were merged into one song? The result would definitely be similar to Hell Nation, where guitarists Ville Viertola and Joni Kuuri, together with bassist Tommi Lempää, go to war with their galloping riffs and bass lines, while drummer Tomi Lahtinen keeps the energy level high with his beats and fills. Pekka showcases a wide vocal range that would make both Eric Adams and Rob Halford proud, but in my opinion what really stands out in this kick-ass tune are the elements from other classic bands such as Iced Earth and Savatage that you can feel while listening to it. The following track, Empire of Dust, is probably the most original song by Judas Avenger, offering the listener catchy riffs and raspier vocals inspired by old school Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll. This melodic tune is indeed an exciting ode to all things metal, including even some piano passages a la Joey DeMaio, not to mention that it will surely sound amazing when played to a live crowd.

It’s good to see Judas Avenger focus on the music itself rather than on long boring speeches or on endless wind and rain noises (got it?), resulting in amazing tunes such as Dying Wish, a rock ballad with a beautiful and imposing acoustic intro that gets heavier and heavier as the music evolves, and Night of the Banshee, a journey back to the 80’s when we metalheads were sitting on top of the world. And before I forget, kudos to Pekka for an outstanding performance with his high-pitched screams and to the other band members for their powerful backing vocals, especially during the song’s awesome chorus.

Divine Darkness, the last and the longest of all tracks, is also their most progressive and obscure chant, with its harsher vocals enhanced by a violent atmosphere and displaying clear influences from Savatage, Dream Theater and even Death Metal, increasing the song’s electricity until it fades to a melancholic ending. Thus, the guitar solos by Ville and Joni make me wonder how much those guys love guitar heroes such as Chuck Schuldiner, Glenn Tipton and Alex Skolnick. If you also want to have an answer for that or simply know more about Judas Avenger, you can contact them through their Facebook page, listen to their music at their SoundCloud page, and evidently buy their EP at their BandCamp page. Because in the end we all know that the Gods made Heavy Metal, and they saw that it was good. They said to play it louder than hell, and Judas Avenger promised that they would.

Best moments of the album: Judas Avenger and Empire of Dust.

Worst moments of the album: The Mighty Thor said there are no bad moments in this EP.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Judas Avenger 5:35
2. Hell Nation 4:28
3. Empire of Dust 5:22
4. Dying Wish 4:15
5. Night of the Banshee 5:47
6. Divine Darkness 6:17

Band members
Pekka Montin – vocals
Ville Viertola – guitar
Joni Kuuri – guitar
Tommi Lempää – bass
Tomi Lahtinen – drums

https://youtu.be/pZs7dKPoTrc