The city of Toronto had the pleasure of witnessing one of the most technical, progressive and vibrant metal concerts of the year this Friday night, courtesy of two old school bands who nurture a deep passion for heavy music.
Friday was not only one of the best days of the year in terms of weather, but the city of Toronto also had the utmost pleasure of hosting one of the most technical, progressive and vibrant metal concerts of the year thanks to the stellar performance by HEATHEN and SYMPHONY X during their North American Tour 2024 at the cozy, well-located and pretty much sold out The Opera House, and I’m pretty sure all fans who were at the venue had a relaxing morning the day after with huge smiles on their faces as both bands kicked some serious ass on stage. My buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi also had a great time taking his amazing shots during the entire night, as the lighting was near perfect and there was no smoke to “disturb” his practice, which was also great for the crowd as we could perfectly witness the superb performances by each and every musician from both bands on stage, shredding their instruments with their beyond refined techniques and an absolute passion for heavy music.
The opening band, or maybe I should say the more-than-special guests, were San Francisco, California-based Technical Speed/Thrash Metal veterans HEATHEN, who were insanely heavy and flawless on stage during their breathtaking performance, properly warming up all fans for the main attraction of the night. Those guys are so good in what they do to the point that you could close your eyes and it would feel like you were listening to the studio versions of their songs, just to illustrate how precise all band members were in Toronto. I dare to say the most excited of all musicians was definitely Kitchener, Ontario’s own Kyle Edissi (vocalist and guitarist for Canadian Melodic Thrash Metal band Invicta, who has been playing live with Heathen since 2022), as it was his first time ever playing at a venue he had already been to countless times as a regular fan to see some of his favorite bands. It was a dream come true for him, no doubt about that, helping his bandmates David R. White (what a voice, my friends!), Kragen Lum, Jason Mirza and Ryan Idris hammer our heads with infuriated songs the likes of Opiate of the Masses, The Blight and Breaking the Silence. I only wish there were a few mosh pits to make things even more fun, but the show was simply awesome and I highly recommend you go see Heathen live if you haven’t done so already in your life.
Setlist Rock Bottom (UFO song) Intro
Dying Season
Opiate of the Masses
Empire of the Blind
The Blight
Breaking the Silence
Hypnotized
Band members
David R. White – vocals
Kragen Lum – guitars
Kyle Edissi – guitars
Jason Mirza – bass
Ryan Idris – drums
After a short and sweet break, the band everyone was waiting for hit the stage for one of the most tight and precise performances of the year for the delight of all concert goers. I’m talking about Middletown, New Jersey’s Progressive Power Metal institution SYMPHONY X, and let me tell you that the band formed of the iconic Russell Allen on vocals, Michael Romeo on the guitars, Mike LePond on bass, Michael Pinnella on the keyboards and Jason Rullo on drums redefined the meaning of “perfection” at The Opera House this Friday. What a sensational show by those veterans, who by the way sounded like they were in their early twenties in terms of energy and onstage presence, proving once again how heavy music can keep us a lot younger for a much longer time, right?
Although those guys haven’t released anything new since their excellent 2015 album Underworld, their entire setlist felt very modern and fresh, with songs like Serpent’s Kiss, To Hell and Back and Evolution (The Grand Design) driving their fans wild to the point we got some sick mosh pits in the middle of the floor section, something that made Mr. Russell Allen and his crew very happy and entertained. I guess they weren’t expecting that level of action during a Progressive Metal concert. And speaking about Russell, the man was on fire throughout their entire set, not only delivering his trademark, stunning vocal lines, but also dancing nonstop, having a few beers and interacting more than any other metal vocalist in the world with each and every fan at the venue, an amazing way of Russell and the band to say how much they love their fanbase. Needless to say, when the band hit the encore with the classics Paradise Lost, Run With the Devil and Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies), it was pure madness, leaving everyone eager for more Symphony X in the city in the near future. Well, they said they’re (finally) working on new material after almost a decade, so I guess we can expect to see them embellishing the Torontonian airwaves again really soon with another majestic live concert.
Setlist Iconoclast
Nevermore
Inferno (Unleash the Fire)
Serpent’s Kiss
Without You
To Hell and Back
Dehumanized
Evolution (The Grand Design)
Sea of Lies
Encore:
Keyboard Solo
Paradise Lost
Run With the Devil
Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies) The Throne Room (John Williams song)
Band members Russell Allen – vocals
Michael Romeo – guitars
Mike LePond – bass
Michael Pinnella – keyboards
Jason Rullo – drums
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.
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
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
One of the pillars of German Power Metal strikes again with an intense and unforgettable musical experience in the form of a double album presenting their broad artistic range, from hard, fast and thrashy to anthemic, symphonic and lavish.
In addition to a new band biography to celebrate their 40th anniversary, to be released in October, the year of 2024 sees German Power Metal legends Rage unleash a majestic 94-minute double-album titled Afterlifelines, the 26th opus in their impressive career consisting of regular recordings by the trio on the first album, ‘Afterlife’, while a classical orchestra performs the second album, ‘Lifelines’. Produced by Rage at their own Lucky Bob Studio, mixed and mastered by Manuel Cohnen, and displaying a striking artwork by Karim König, the new album by the iconic Peter “Peavy” Wagner on vocals and bass, Jean Bormann on the guitars, and Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos on drums is an intense and unforgettable musical experience blending Heavy, Speed and Power Metal with orchestral elements, presenting Rage’s broad artistic range, from hard, fast and thrashy to anthemic, symphonic and lavish.
A melancholic, cinematic intro titled In The Beginning kicks off the first album ‘Afterlife’, setting the stage for the trio to crush our souls with the metalized End Of Illusions, with Jean shredding his axe in great fashion while Lucky hammers his drums nonstop, offering Peavy exactly what he needs to roar like a beast; followed by the first single of the album, Under A Black Crown, which sounds like classic Rage (and sounded even more incendiary when they played it live at Lee’s Palace here in Toronto on March 4, by the way), with their melodic riffs and rumbling bass matching perfectly with Peavy’s boisterous vocal lines. Sean doesn’t stop slashing his strings in the title-track Afterlife, another headbanging tune by Rage that will inspire all fans to raise their fists together with the band, whereas Dead Man’s Eyes couldn’t have sounded more Rage than it already does, with Peavy sounding awesome with his potent voice as usual while Lucky keeps blasting his drums in the name of Power and Thrash Metal; and they keep delivering sheer heaviness and melody in Mortal, with the song’s pounding drums and dark riffage being perfect for some evil headbanging.
Toxic Waves is a more generic song that albeit sounding well crafted and harmonious, doesn’t add much power to the rest of the album; then get ready for a hurricane of Teutonic Power Metal titled Waterwar, offering classic Rage with hints of Thrash and Speed Metal for our total delight, spearheaded by the visceral roars by the one and only Peavy. It’s pedal to the metal with another fast-tempo tune titled Justice Will Be Mine, where the trio keeps the speed and energy levels truly high in a breathtaking ode to Power Metal; and those three fantastic musicians don’t show any mercy for our necks in the also rockin’ feast titled Shadow World, where Sean steals the spotlight with his sick riffs and solos. Finally, following a similar pattern as the previous song, Life Among The Ruins is a straightforward Rage extravaganza where Lucky once again sounds thunderous on drums, as well as Peavy armed with his metallic bass, putting a beautiful ending to the first album.
It’s time to switch gears to ‘Lifelines’, starting with the symphonic yet extremely heavy Cold Desire, reminding me of some of Rage’s old songs where they played together with the Lingua Mortis orchestra, followed by Root Of Our Evil, another striking fusion of the band’s raw, unfiltered Heavy Metal with background orchestrations where Peavy is on fire with both his raspy vocals and rumbling bass, resulting in a true metal hymn. In Curse The Night the orchestrations sound even more imposing, adding an extra touch of epicness to Rage’s sonority, whereas more of the trio’s galloping sounds is offered to our avid ears in One World, albeit not as exciting and feeling bland at times. They continue to blend the savagery of old school Power Metal with the melody of Heavy Metal in It’s All Too Much, a guitar-infused feast led obviously by Jean.
Dying To Live offers a smoother side of Rage, with Peavy hypnotizing us all with his passionate vocals supported by the whimsical, enfolding sounds crafted by Jean and Lucky; and an epic start gradually evolves into a fusion of orchestral music and Rage’s trademark Power Metal sounds in The Flood, perfect for singing along with Peavy, who delivers deep, intense vocals during the entire song. Be prepared to be dragged into Rage’s lair for all eternity to the sound of the nine-minute aria Lifelines, a multi-layered, bold creation by Peavy and the boys overflowing deep emotions amidst a powerful sound full of classic riffs, pounding drums and killer vocal lines. Moreover, this is another Lingua Mortis-like composition where metal meets classic in a stunning way, while the cinematic Interlude offers longtime fans of the band some “Easter eggs” from their old orchestral creations such as “From the Cradle to the Grave”, preparing us all for one last musical voyage titled In The End, an introspective, climatic song that closes the album on a high note with Jean kicking ass with his riffs and solos, while Peavy once again declaims the song’s lyrics with endless passion.
RAGE Afterlifelines Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset
Two weeks after the arrival of the album, Rage will embark on a major European tour starting April 13, with shows and festival appearances in Japan and European countries and regions such as Germany, Austria, Greece, Poland, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Spain and Scandinavia, meaning 2024 is set to be a real Rage year. Hence, don’t forget to follow one of the pillars of German Heavy and Power Metal on Facebook and on Instagram to keep track of all of their upcoming shows, stream all of their amazing albums on Spotify, and above all that, grab a copy of Afterlifelines by clicking HERE, including the limited edition deluxe boxset containing tons of amazing items such as a nine-track bonus CD titled “Live At Summer Breeze 2023”. There’s no better way to celebrate 40 incredible years on the road than with over 90 minutes of kick-ass Heavy Metal like what Rage have to offer us all in Afterlifelines, and if it’s not too much to ask, I really wish the band keeps embellishing the airwaves with their powerful music for at least another 40 years.
Best moments of the album: From ‘Afterlife’, the songs End Of Illusions, Under A Black Crown and Waterwar, while from ‘Lifelines’, the songs Cold Desire, Root Of Our Evil and Lifelines.
Worst moments of the album: Both albums are amazing, but maybe the songs Toxic Waves and One World sound and feel a little tiresome compared to all others.
Released in 2024 Steamhammer/SPV
Track listing CD 1 Afterlife 1. In The Beginning 1:31
2. End Of Illusions 3:48
3. Under A Black Crown 4:00
4. Afterlife 3:45
5. Dead Man’s Eyes 3:24
6. Mortal 4:04
7. Toxic Waves 3:36
8. Waterwar 3:42
9. Justice Will Be Mine 4:35
10. Shadow World 3:22
11. Life Among The Ruins 4:06
CD 2 Lifelines 1. Cold Desire 3:59
2. Root Of Our Evil 4:02
3. Curse The Night 3:34
4. One World 4:24
5. It’s All Too Much 5:11
6. Dying To Live 4:51
7. The Flood 3:56
8. Lifelines 9:54
9. Interlude 2:43
10. In The End 3:23
CD 3 “Live At Summer Breeze 2023” Limited Edition Deluxe Boxset Exclusive 1. Resurrection Day
2. Solitary Man
3. End Of All Days
4. Great Old Ones
5. Straight To Hell
6. Nevermore
7. Refuge
8. Higher Than The Sky
9. Don’t Fear The Winter
Band members Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass
Jean Bormann – guitars
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos – drums
Guest musician Marco Grasshoff – string quartet arrangements, orchestrations, strings, wind instruments, piano
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.
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
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
Life is flesh on bone convulsing above the ground.
It’s time to spread absolute fuckin’ evil all over the world here at The Headbanging Moose, courtesy of our multi-talented metal lady of this month of March, and trust me, as soon as you know more about her, about her music and her art as a photographer, you’ll get addicted to everything surrounding her, musically and visually speaking. Owner of a fantastic voice, placing her among the best female growlers of the new generation, she’s the frontwoman for one of the rising forces of the metal scene in her homeland Portugal, inspiring us to raise our horns anytime she hits the stage with her incredible charisma, her looks, and of course her she-demon roars. Her name is Beatriz Mariano, the mastermind behind Portuguese Blackened Death Metal horde Okkultist and a fantastic freelance visual artist, and she’s ready to drink your blood and reap your soul to the sound of her devilish, furious creations. Having said all that, are you ready to face our demonic diva in this humble tribute to her music and her art?
Born on September 9, 1994 in the charming and always cozy Portuguese capital Lisbon, Beatriz has lived and breathed music since she was a little kid. “I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun! If this makes sense,” commented our talented growler in one of her interviews, complementing by saying what her family thought about it when she founded Okkultist. “When I told my family I was in a band they were accepting. They don’t understand the music though. When I first asked ‘do you wanna listen to it’ the first reaction I got was a fat ‘no’. But as long as I’m happy, they’re supportive.” In addition, her passion for the occult also started at a very early stage of her life. “I’ve been in love with the horror, occult and macabre aesthetic since a very early age. My favorite cartoon as a kid was ‘Courage, the Cowardly Dog’. I was hypnotized by the first horror movie I ever saw. I just fell in love. It just felt right. It was a calling.”
It was back in 2016 when Beatriz founded her infernal sonic cult Okkultist together with guitarist Leander Sandmeier (Toxic Room, Toxikull), making sure they were bringing into being something truly evil. “I remember us all sitting down and just saying ‘this shit has to sound evil. It had to bring people chills to their spine. Let’s make them hallucinate about Satan when our shit plays.’ We wanted a pit to hell to open up as soon as you started playing our album.” Currently formed of Beatriz and Leander alongside bassist David J. Rodrigues and drummer Eduardo Sinatra (Aramaic, Godiva, Heavenwood), Okkultist released their debut EP titled Eye of the Beholder, in 2017, followed by the full-length albums Reinventing Evil, in 2019, and more recently O.M.E.N., in 2023, all available for streaming on Spotify or on any other streaming platform. One interesting fact about their two full-length albums is that both were released under the label Alma Mater Records, whose founder and owner is the iconic Fernado Ribeiro of Moonspell. “It started when Fernando and I were discussing some visual ideas and then I presented him to this project I was involved in, and he immediately sounded interested in us, even though we only had a few demos out,” said Beatriz about her partnership with Fernando.
Apart from being a sensational vocalist and performer, as aforementioned Beatriz is also an extremely talented visual artist who loves to focus on the most obscure side of music and arts in her work in general. For instance, she was responsible for the photography of the 2014 demo Hellbreaker – Demo XXIV and of the 2014 full-length album Midnight Steel, both by Portuguese Heavy Metal squad Midnight Priest; for the design and layout of Okkultist’s 2023 album O.M.E.N.; and for the photography of the 2016 album Black Sheep, by Portuguese Heavy/Speed Metal band Toxikull; and you can take a look at her entire portfolio by visiting her official Facebook page or her Instagram, or click HERE to get access to all links related to our amazing artist. “Actually, photography is my main activity. And not the band. I am in complete control over the band’s visuals. It just made sense. I first started working with self-portraiture when I was 15. I’m 25 now. And when I first suggested it to the band they immediately accepted it, also because they enjoy my work. There wasn’t even a question. I just took over,” she commented in an interview four years ago, as she’s now 29, about her life as a photographer and as a musician at the same time, but in my humble opinion I believe today Okkultist became her main activity (or maybe she’s able to magically handle both, who knows).
Her life as a photographer definitely deserves a more detailed look due to everything that impacts her as an artist, her creative process and so on. “I’m constantly researching visuals. Anything! From movies to pictures, comics, illustrations, nature. Even sounds and textures. I’m especially attracted to the experimental field,” she said when asked about her inspirations as a photographer. Furthermore, she mentioned that she works with both pre-arranged shootings, when she already has an idea and concept in mind, and more spontaneous photography. “Usually when it comes to editing, I always end up picking the pictures where the model is not posing. Those are the most beautiful and appealing shots to me, and will certainly turn out to be the best and more impactful images.” Also, although she doesn’t think there must be a story behind each picture, she ended up admitting that almost everything that she does has a meaning, a story or a concept involved. Her opinion about having to study photography or not to be a successful photographer also goes in line with her passion for what’s more spontaneous. “To be really honest, the best way to learn is through experience. Schools, classes, or whatever, will never be able to teach you something that only you can go through. You will only get the full experience by doing it, and getting to it, and that’s the most fulfilling and complete way to learn! I’ve done that since I was a teen, and things like that can never be taught. Sure, studies can give you a hand in it, but no one will ever be able to ‘teach’ you something that only you can live and absorb pure and raw knowledge from! I’ve learnt that way, and with all the memories and living experiences it’s more than useful, it’s priceless!”
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An admirer of both analogue and digital photography, which according to Beatriz herself is necessary to go through the full photographic experience, she used to work with a really nice gear containing a 7D, and a 50mm f/1.4 lens, which she used the most, plus of course Photoshop, but I’m sure right now she might have advanced to an even better gear and maybe an updated software. She’s always been passionate for photography, pictures and filming, but it was when she was in high school and one of her teachers, named Ana Paula Xavier, assigned a project using photography and Photoshop to her class that things changed, becoming an obsession for Beatriz, and she couldn’t let go off the cameras ever since, being highly inspired by French photographer and grand couturier Hedi Slimane, therefore helping her find her own artistic identity. And regarding her idols and influences in general, not only in photography, Beatriz considers herself a very weird person, quoting Beetlejuice to describe herself (“I myself am strange and unusual”). She loves everything around creativity, being able to express herself through something she can make with her own hands, and of course being a Heavy Metal fanatic with an unusual and bizarre taste. For instance, she’s a diehard fan of horror, mentioning Clive Barker, Lucio Fulci and Dario Argento as some of her inspirations, but of course she said she’s the type of person that enjoys building their own stuff.
As already mentioned a few times, Beatriz is an amazing vocalist, delivering sheer malignancy and evil through her harsh growls in the best Black and Death Metal style. She used to be a lot more active on her official YouTube channel and on Vimeo before going all-in with Okkultist, but you can still enjoy a lot of amazing videos, cover songs and so on featuring our Portuguese she-wolf. For example, you can enjoy her covers for Summer Wine, by Lee Hazlewood, Texas Sun, by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges, and Scavenger Of Human Sorrow, by Death, as well as countless videos about fashion, make up, music and so on, including an amazing one called Creepy Nun/Valak Inspired Halloween Make Up where she teaches how to make the perfect make up inspired by the mysterious nun character from The Conjuring universe.
Beatriz also mentioned once that she would love to travel the world with Okkultist and blast some “evil fucking music” everywhere, although she knows it’s really tough for any smaller band to tour financially speaking. “We are doing the best we can to tour. But as a small band that barely makes any profit, it makes it extremely difficult for us to finance big projects. But things are on the move!” I believe right now if you want to experience the fantastic music and performance by Okkultist you have to visit their homeland Portugal, which might not be a big country, but I’m sure you’ll get fascinated with its strong heavy music scene. “Portugal is really small, so you can imagine the size of our community, but we’re tight. I see a lot of support from bands to bands, from fans to bands, from everyone,” commented Beatriz, who truly loves her country for its beauty, proudly saying some of the most beautiful places in the world are in Portugal, while on the other hand she thinks the Portuguese music industry doesn’t have the slightest idea of how many great artists Portugal has, with those artists being crushed because the local industry will only give you your due value if you’re coming from another country. “I could go on and on and on about this, but I should probably shut up now. It’s sad, but it’s the truth.”
Last but definitely not least, our beloved diva of darkness is also a tattoo aficionada (or aficionado, as I never know if this term has male and female forms), and she loves to talk about all the amazing ink she has all over her body. “My favorite tattoo has to be the Pinhead portrait. Hellraiser is my favorite movie, Doug Bradley as Pinhead was my ultimate man crush as a teen. No joke. It was also done by my favorite tattoo artist Hollie Pryce Jones. She did it in a 12-hour sitting, with a one-hour break total. She’s a killer artist, and an amazing human being. Love that girl to death,” commented Beatriz about her all-time favorite ink, but life is not all roses and flowers when it comes to tattoos. She mentioned that any tattoos on her hands are the most painful without any doubt, and that her least favorite tattoo are the three coffin nails on her right wrist, albeit not due to the quality of it. “Don’t get me wrong, the tattoo is beautiful and done by an amazing talented artist called Bela Hilário, but the placement I picked is fucking dumb. Blocks the whole arm now that I’m trying to build a sleeve.” Having a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon prism on the back done by Pedro Santos, she said she’s certainly getting the Okkultist symbol tattooed somewhere in the future (if she hasn’t done so already); and that her list of favorite tattoo artists include Hollie Pryce Jones, Maksym Yakubchyk, Anrijs Straume, Felix Seele and Diogo Nunes. You should definitely check the work of those five amazing artists online, and who knows, maybe get inked with them just like Beatriz. Just be aware that it’s not going to look as good on you as on our screaming diva, of course.
“I’ve learned a few instruments, and I’ve always been into singing. There wasn’t really a time when I wanted to become a singer, because I never actually saw it as something I wanted to do full-time. I’ve always sung for fun!” – Beatriz Mariano
Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, the new opus by this american lone wolf offers the listener 25 minutes of blasphemy and depravity that live up to the legacy of Black, Thrash and Speed Metal.
Slaying the metal and punk underground with its own highly addictive brand of lust, filth and sleaze dating back to the band’s inception in 2003, Cleveland, Ohio-based Black/Speed Metal one-man cult Midnight, the brainchild of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Athenar (aka Jamie Walters), is back with its sixth full-length offering, titled Hellish Expectations, following up on the critically acclaimed album Let There Be Witchery, released in 2022. Filthy, belligerent and obnoxious, Hellish Expectations offers the listener 25 minutes of blasphemy and depravity split into ten infuriated, austere compositions that live up to the legacy of Black, Thrash and Speed Metal, setting fire to the underground scene while Athenar continues to worship Satan armed with his always irreligious and impure sounds.
Get ready to be crushed like an insect by the Punk Rock-infused Speed Metal by Midnight in Expect Total Hell, with Athenar delivering classic 80’s raspy vocals and electrifying riffs nonstop, followed by Gash Scrape, another harsh and visceral creation by Midnight that will surely ignite some fun mosh pits, with Athenar kicking some ass on drums while he keeps roaring and vociferating like a maniac for our total delight. Masked and Deadly keeps the album at a high level of animosity, although not as dynamic as the previous songs; whereas in Slave to the Blade we face a Motörhead-inspired sound that will drag us all into the pit while Athenar sounds ruthless on the guitars and bass, delivering striking riffs and rumbling bass lines throughout the entire song. And let’s keep banging our heads and raising our horns to that sweet trademark depravity from the 80’s in Dungeon Lust, with Athenar once again taking us back in time with his dirty guitars and inebriate vocals.
It’s pedal to the metal as Athenar and his Midnight will attack our senses in Nuclear Savior, again showcasing an amazing fusion of Hardcore and Punk Rock with Blackened Speed Metal, all spiced up by a thrilling guitar solo, and he continues his descent into the pits of hell with the blasphemous and frantic Deliver Us to Devil, with his Speed Metal riffage adding an extra touch of dementia to the overall result, resulting in what’s undoubtedly one of the best songs of the album. Then investing in a heavier headbanging sound, let’s break our necks to the raging Mercyless Slaughtor, where his Black Metal vein pulses stronger than ever; and once again inspired by the dirty Rock N’ Roll blasted by the iconic Lemmy and his crew we have Doom Death Desire, excellent for some beer drinking while Athenar hammers his drums in the name of evil, while F.O.A.L. offers one last explosion of raw, rebellious sounds by our multi-talented lone wolf, with its Speed Metal riffs walking hand in hand with the massive Punk Rock drums.
“It’s a knuckle dragger with a fat cutoff. Pure testosterone meat. Probably the most concise and straight to the point Midnight album to date, and all written in a weekend. The album was written on pure reaction upon leaving the studio after listening to raw tracks from the previous album Let There Be Witchery. The final mix of that album was good, but at the time of laying it down in the studio, I didn’t like what I was hearing and demanded a new leviathan of an album to be written that weekend,” commented the unstoppable Athenar about Hellish Expectations, which is by the way available from Midnight’s own BandCamp page or from the Metal Blade Records webstore, and don’t forget to also start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram (because Midnight might be a one-man band in the studio, but Athenar surely summons some wicked musicians to join him on stage for some depraved concerts), and to stream his sick creations on Spotify and on all other streaming services. It’s always midnight in the land of Black and Speed Metal, and I’m sure you’re more than ready to raise your horns nonstop in the name of sheer blasphemy to the sound of this precious gem of the underground.
Best moments of the album:Slave to the Blade, Nuclear Savior and Deliver Us to Devil.
Worst moments of the album:Masked and Deadly.
Released in 2024 Metal Blade Records
Track listing 1. Expect Total Hell 3:29
2. Gash Scrape 2:18
3. Masked and Deadly 2:50
4. Slave to the Blade 1:51
5. Dungeon Lust 2:13
6. Nuclear Savior 2:38
7. Deliver Us to Devil 2:23
8. Mercyless Slaughtor 2:45
9. Doom Death Desire 2:16
10. F.O.A.L. 2:48
This Texas-based three-piece Black and Thrash Metal outfit is ready to kill armed with their incendiary sophomore opus, inspired by true crime and 80’s slasher films.
Following the release of their critically-acclaimed 2021 debut album Aces Wild and an impressive 11-date UK tour, Austin, Texas-based three-piece Black/Thrash Metal horde Sadistic Force returned to Texas to work on their upcoming sophomore opus, titled Midnight Assassin. Recorded by J. Petri at Come and Track It, mixed by Noah Buchanan at Mercinary Studios, mastered by Joel Grind, and featuring a sick cover art by Timbul Cahyono, Midnight Assassin is an album positively dripping with sinister undertones brought into being by founder James Oliver on vocals and guitars (who fully immersed himself in the writing process, devouring countless hours of true crime and 80’s slasher films for inspiration), Blaine Dismukes on bass and backing vocals, and Jose Alcaraz on drums, being highly recommended for admirers of the darkest and most sulfurous side of Thrash and Speed Metal.
Composed and recorded by Long Island, New York-based Thrash Metal entity Electrocutioner, The Unseen Force is a cryptic intro that sets the stage for Sadistic Force to crush us all in Corpsewood Curse, with the razor-edged riffs by James together with the rumbling bass by Blaine inspiring us all to slam into the pit in the name of pure evil in a lecture in Blackened Thrash Metal. And the band shows no mercy for our souls with the demonic Speed Metal hymn Speeding Black Leather Hell, where Jose dictates the song’s thrashing pace and James delivers his raspy, dirty roars nonstop; whereas the title-track Midnight Assassin will put you to bang your head together with those American metallers, with the growls by James walking hand in hand with his own striking riffage. Then Jose kicks off the Motörhead-infused chant Nuremburg Nights, showcasing the band’s trademark guitars lines, rumbling bass and classic Thrash Metal drums.
There’s no sign of slowing down as they keep attacking our senses with their fusion of Black and Speed Metal in The Butcher’s Apron, a very technical yet extremely devilish creation by the trio highly recommended for some fun action inside the circle pit; and Blaine will smash your head with his metallic bass in Marked for Death, another song perfect for some vigorous headbanging spearheaded by the classic beats by Jose, sounding a lot more melodic than the other songs from the album. Their Rock N’ Roll vein arises in Campaign of Sin, with the guitar lines by James sounding sharp and incendiary in this fun mid-tempo tune, once again presenting a vibrant Motörhead taste that will certainly compel you to raise your horns, whereas closing this insane album of Thrash Metal we have Howl of the Horde, a hurricane of harsh roars, visceral riffs and crushing beats that will inspire even non-fans of this type of music to slam into the circle pit.
“Midnight Assassin is a record steeped in blood and terror,” said the band’s mastermind James Oliver. This comes as no surprise considering the source material with songs inspired by serial killers, stalkers and necrophiliacs, transporting the listeners into a dark and twisted sonic arena that exposes the harsh realities of human depravity and violence. Hence, don’t forget to follow those Thrash Metal slashers on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates and so on, to stream more of their demented creations on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course to purchase a copy of Midnight Assassin from the band’s own BandCamp page or from the Goat Throne Records’ BandCamp page (or you can click HERE for all things Sadistic Force). Do you have what it takes to survive the Black and Thrash Metal attack by Sadistic Force in their new album? If your answer is yes, just get into the pit and enjoy such excellent opus by this up-and-coming trio from Texas, but get ready because, as you know, there will be blood.
Best moments of the album:Corpsewood Curse, Speeding Black Leather Hell and Howl of the Horde.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2023 Goat Throne Records
Track listing 1. The Unseen Force 0:31
2. Corpsewood Curse 6:03
3. Speeding Black Leather Hell 4:57
4. Midnight Assassin 5:19
5. Nuremburg Nights 4:33
6. The Butcher’s Apron 4:49
7. Marked for Death 5:52
8. Campaign of Sin 3:34
9. Howl of the Horde 5:02
Band members James Oliver – vocals, guitars
Blaine Dismukes – bass, backing vocals
Jose Alcaraz – drums, additional vocals
Guest musicians
Evelyn Albarran, Chris Hall, Austin Harris & Marcello Murphy – additional vocals
Electrocutioner – everything on “The Unseen Force”
German’s own Heavy and Power Metal division is ready to unleash hell with their incendiary twelfth studio album.
Formed initially as a side project in the already distant year of 2000 in Bad Grönenbach, Germany by Progressive Metal band Valley’s Eve bandmates R.D. Liapakis and Martin Albrecht, the unrelenting Heavy and Power Metal outfit Mystic Prophecy has been on a roll since their inception, having released already 12 studio albums (plus their 2021 EP Hail to the King), including their newborn spawn titled Hellriot, following up on their highly acclaimed effort Metal Division. Produced by the band’s own frontman R.D. Liapakis (aka Roberto Dimitri Liapakis, who’s by the way the band’s only remaining founding member), mixed and mastered by Henrik Udd at Studio Fredman, and displaying a beyond metalized artwork by Dušan Marković, Hellriot is an ode to all things metal masterfully brought into being by the aforementioned R.D. Liapakis together with guitarists Evan K and Markus Pohl, bassist Joey Roxx, and drummer Hanno Kerstan, positioning it as one of the top Heavy and Powerl Metal albums of 2023 without a shadow of a doubt.
The incendiary riffs by Evan and Markus will put you to bang your head like a true metalhead in the breathtaking title-track Hellriot, while R.D. beautifully declaims the song’s tribute-to-the-legends lyrics (“We are the legion of the damned / We let the dragons fly together till the end / Screaming for vengeance, the number of the beast / With the devil by our side the dogs of hell unleashed”) in a lecture in classic Heavy Metal with Thrash and Speed Metal nuances, followed by Unholy Hell, darker and heavier than its predecessor, with Joey shining armed with her bass while Hanno pounds his drums nonstop in the name of darkness. Then we have Demons Of The Night, bringing forward a galloping rhythm inspired by the music by Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, sounding absolutely solid and entertaining, and led by the scorching guitars by Evan and Markus. In Metal Attack the name of the song says it all, offering us all a vibrant onrush of Power Metal full of metallic bass punches, fierce riffs and hammering drums, whereas Paranoia is slightly below the rest of the album in terms of energy (not to mention all background effects sound out of place) despite its decent backing vocals and drums. And back to their more traditional Heavy and Power Metal mode we face Revenge And Fire, a headbanging feast where R.D. once again kicks some serious ass on vocals supported by the fiery music blasted by his bandmates.
After that, the low-tuned, menacing bass by Joey kicks off the beyond exciting Rising With The Storm, a lesson in old school Heavy Metal that will certainly put you to dance, with R.D.’s vocals being nicely complemented by the song’s spot-on backing vocals. In Road To Babylon the band presents poetic words are declaimed by R.D. (“One man is born to conquer the world / The signs of his faith are falling / One man in the name of gods / Hail to the king all nations are calling / With fire and steel he sends his warning / The Persian king Darius is falling”) while the rest of the band crafts a dark yet very melodious sound, resulting in an amazing creation by those Teutonic metallers, and things get even better in Azrael, one of the best songs of the album, paying homage to the angel of death with Joey being on fire not only armed with her rumbling bass but also with her powerful backing vocals. In other words, it’s impossible to stand still to this horn-raising hymn, which is also the case in Cross The Line, a beautiful fusion of Heavy and Power Metal with modern-day Hard Rock by Mystic Prophecy presenting some striking solos by Evan and the hammering drums by Hanno, while R.D. invites us all to sing along the song’s stylish lyrics together with the band. Finally, closing this flammable album of heavy music we have World On Fire, where once again we’ll feel the urge to start dancing, banging our heads and raising our fists in the air nonstop. The world might be coming to an end, but at least it will be to the sound of this stylish metal tune.
This fantastic explosion of classic German Power Metal can be appreciated in all of its glory on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course in order to support such amazing band from the European scene you can purchase a copy of Hellriot by clicking HERE, and catch the band live in your city by clicking HERE. Furthermore, R.D. Liapakis and his crew are also waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with news, more of their music and other nice-to-know details about them, inviting you to join their metallic army in their quest for heavy music. Mystic Prophecy are unleashing hell with their new album, and may their inner fire keep burning bright for decades to come with more superb releases like this one.
Best moments of the album:Hellriot, Rising With The Storm, Azrael and Cross The Line.
Worst moments of the album:Paranoia.
Released in 2023 ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records
Track listing 1. Hellriot 3:21
2. Unholy Hell 3:32
3. Demons Of The Night 3:15
4. Metal Attack 4:13
5. Paranoia 3:45
6. Revenge And Fire 3:31
7. Rising With The Storm 4:13
8. Road To Babylon 4:09
9. Azrael 3:30
10. Cross The Line 4:00
11. World On Fire 4:04
Band members R.D. Liapakis – vocals
Evan K – lead guitars
Markus Pohl – rhythm guitars
Joey Roxx – bass
Hanno Kerstan – drums
All hell is breaking loose to the sound of the fifteenth studio album by one of the most iconic bands from the UK scene, offering ten crisp, visceral metal classics fused with riffs, twists, turns and chaos.
Prepare yourself for a metal rampage the likes of which you haven’t enjoyed in many a year, as New Wave of British Heavy Metal stalwarts Raven have just delivered the electric mayhem of All Hell’s Breaking Loose, their fifteenth studio album offering ten crisp, visceral metal classics, each fused with riffs, twists, turns, chaos and more hooks than all the Hellraiser movies combined. Formed of the Newscatle, England iconic brothers John Gallagher on lead vocals and bass and Mark Gallagher on the guitars, alongside American drummer extraordinaire Mike Heller, Raven are giving permission for everyone to remember exactly what it’s like to lose yourself in the healing aural waters of supreme metal music in their new album, resplendent in sweat-soaked denim and leather.
Medieval is an uncompromised, in-your-face metal attack by the trio where Mike proves why he’s been the perfect drummer for Raven since joining the band in 2018, resulting in a classic and ass-kicking fusion of Heavy and Speed Metal to properly kick things off, whereas Mike dictates the pace in Surf the Tsunami, with Mark delivering sheer electricity through his riffs and, therefore, providing John with everything he needs to distill his trademark vocals. Turn of the Screw is a lot groovier than its predecessors thanks to the great job done by John on bass, while Mark keeps blasting his fiery riffs nonstop, and it’s old school Raven for the masses in the title-track All Hell’s Breaking Loose, with John and Mark being in total sync armed with their stringed weapons, resulting in a fantastic option for igniting some fun mosh pits during their live performances. And those veterans show no sign of slowing down in The Far Side, another fast and thrilling creation with Mike stealing the spotlight with his intricate drumming.
They keep pressing the gas pedal hard in Desperate Measures, another one that should sound amazing if played live, showcasing their signature riffs and raspy vocals, whereas one more round of their frantic Speed Metal comes in the form of Victory’s Call, with the trio blasting first-class heavy music spearheaded by the razor-edged riffs by Mark while also showcasing spot-on beats and backing vocals. Edge of a Nightmare is a fun and vibrant Rock N’ Roll party by those veterans where we’re all invited to simply enjoy the wicked vocals by John and slam into the circle pit like true metalheads, followed by Invasion, the second to last song of the album, offering more of their solid Heavy Metal albeit not as electrifying as the rest of the album. Finally, one final explosion of Heavy and Speed Metal will hit you hard in the head in Go for the Gold, where Mike takes the lead with his furious drums accompanied by the rumbling bass by John.
“You got three guys with very strong, passionate, opinions, and when those are brought together, it’s a case of ‘iron sharpens iron’,” commented Mark about the energy around the band and how that impacts their creative process, with John adding “we’re very hard on ourselves, it had to be ‘all killer, no filler’. Absolutely every single part of every song had to make sense, had to mean something, and had to be there for a purpose.” Hence, if you want to experience the undisputed energy and heaviness blasted by Raven in All Hell’s Breaking Loose, you can stream the album in full on YouTube and on Spotify, and of course purchase a copy of the album by clicking HERE or HERE, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, for news, tour dates, and more of their breathtaking Heavy Metal. Having said all that, what are you waiting for to hit play and let all hell break loose together with one of the most iconic metal bands from the UK scene?
Best moments of the album:Medieval, All Hell’s Breaking Loose and Victory’s Call.
Worst moments of the album:Invasion.
Released in 2023 Silver Lining Music
Track listing 1. Medieval 4:24
2. Surf the Tsunami 3:27
3. Turn of the Screw 3:21
4. All Hell’s Breaking Loose 3:48
5. The Far Side 4:13
6. Desperate Measures 3:13
7. Victory’s Call 3:15
8. Edge of a Nightmare 3:16
9. Invasion 4:52
10. Go for the Gold 3:32
Japanese Edition bonus tracks 11. Gimme A Lie 3:00
12. Rotten 3:03
Band members
John Gallagher – lead vocals, bass, 12-string bass
Mark Gallagher – guitars, backing vocals
Mike Heller – drums
Wacken Metal Battle Canada returned in full force in 2023, leading to an unforgettable night of ass-kicking underground music at Lee’s Palace this Saturday.
INTRODUCTION: THE RETURN OF WACKEN METAL BATTLE CANADA
What a night of first-class underground heavy music in Toronto, my friends! On pause since 2019 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Wacken Metal Battle Canada finally returned from the ashes like a phoenix screaming for vengeance in 2023, and after over 60 bands participating in the regional rounds for the past few months in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City (and you can always review the rules for participation HERE), it was time this Saturday at Lee’s Palace for the 2023 edition of the Wacken Metal Battle Canada Final with the bands EATEN BY SHARKS, NECHT and STRIGAMPIRE, battling for a spot in the most admired metal festival in the world, the one and only Wacken Open Air in Germany, this summer.
Also featuring guest openers KORROSIVE and guest headliners WHIPLASH, the night was indeed a celebration of underground metal, with guest judges Pedro Almeida (A&P Reacts), Antonio Almeida (A&P Reacts), Noel Peters (Inertia Entertainment), Tim Henderson (BraveWords), Thorsteinn Kolbeinsson (Wacken Metal Battle Iceland), Sarah Lutz (Looters), Kevin Michaud (Front Row Promotions), Luc Laine (CFLX 95.5 FM – Alerte Metallique), Rae Chatten (Rock’n Roam, Live Nation), Mark Tremblay (Metal on Metal Podcast) and JJ Tartaglia (Wacken Metal Battle Canada) having a lot of “trouble” to decide which one of the three amazing bands that played should head to Wacken and represent Canada in the holy land of metal music.
Before the crowd had the pleasure of witnessing the performances by the three finalists, Toronto-based Thrash Metal outfit KORROSIVE hit the stage to properly warm up everyone with their frantic, caustic and insane thrashing music. Having released the excellent album Toxic Apokalypse in 2022, the band formed of frontman Rad Zarei, guitarists Derek Solomos and Jack Neila, bassist Carlos Rodriguez and drummer Kaveh Afshar kicked some serious ass on stage, already inspiring everyone at the venue to ignite some sick mosh pits, until their grand finale with a pulverizing cover version for Venom’s all-time classic Black Metal. I highly recommend you go after their material on Spotify and on BandCamp if you’ve never heard of those guys, because they definitely know how to thrash in great fashion.
Band members Rad Zarei – vocals
Derek Solomos – guitar
Jack Neila – guitar
Carlos Rodriguez – bass
Kaveh Afshar – drums
After a short break it was then time for the first contender of the night, Trois-Rivières, Quebec-based Melodic Black Metal horde STRIGAMPIRE, to show everything they got and, who knows, win the desired Canadian spot at Wacken Open Air this year. Having released their last album in 2018, titled One Fix, Nine Clouds & Six Feet Deep (which means we urgently need a new album by those guys), the band spearheaded by the unstoppable frontman Steve De Cotret delivered an incendiary performance, with pentagrams all over the stage and with Steve running around the venue, screaming in the faces of some of the attendees and so on, putting his heart and soul into his vocals. It was an insane show full of energy and darkness, and if you enjoy the more modern version of Black Metal from the Quebec scene, you should listen to all of their wicked creations on Spotify.
Band members Steve De Cotret – vocals
Johnny Dead – guitars
William Tousignant – guitars
BadGuy P. – bass
Yannick Laplante – drums
Right after Strigampire finished their sulfurous show, St. Catharines, Ontario’s own Technical Death Metal/Deathcore entity EATEN BY SHARKS hit the stage for another infernal performance, playing several songs from their 2022 album Eradication including Shallow Water, Kill and Consume, Same Face, Different Mask and Apex Predator. Their frontman Matt Sherriff was absolutely enraged on vocals while his bandmates sounded as heavy as hell throughout their entire set, receiving a very positive feedback from the crowd. They’re definitely another band I’ll be listening to on a regular basis so awesome their tech death is, and if you also love to slam into the circle pit while listening to high quality metal music you should let such demented shark bite your ears on Spotify and on BandCamp.
Band members Matt Sherriff – vocals
Chris Chaperon – lead guitars
Dan Oko – rhythm guitars
Tyler Abrams – bass
Justin Whitehead – drums
The last of the finalists to perform on Saturday was undoubtedly the most mysterious and atmospheric band of the night, bringing blasphemy and sulfur to Lee’s Palace with their “grim, martial and epic black metal conducted in the name of Our Father, B’ahn, the Ceaseless Warrior,” according to the band itself. I’m talking about Calgary, Alberta-based Ritualistic Black Metal entity NECHT, who put on a solid and entertaining performance for everyone at the venue. Armed with his spear and shield, vocalist Maharg led his horde of uncanny musicians (all wearing some sort of BDSM/Hellraiser-inspired masks) while roaring in the name of evil nonstop, even “baptizing” some of the concert goers with some sort of devilish black paint. Necht are about to release their debut full-length opus anytime soon, but if you can’t wait for that and want to have a good taste of how Stygian their music is, there’s one track already available on BandCamp. GLORY TO THE SUN!
Band members Maharg – vocals
Zhargor – guitars, bass, backing vocals*
Vlasfimos – drums
*There was actually a fourth member of the band on stage, but I have no idea who he is, nor if he was the guitarist or the bassist.
Before the winner of the 2023 Canadian Wacken Metal Battle was announced, we had the pleasure of witnessing one of the legends of underground Thrash and Speed Metal as the guest headliners of such fun night. I’m talking about Passaic, New Jersey-based Thrash/Speed Metal beast WHIPLASH, spearheaded by the iconic Tony Portaro on vocals and guitars. What an insane performance by the trio, playing tons of amazing underground classics from their almost 40 years of career the likes of Spit on Your Grave, Walk the Plank, Insult to Injury and the demolishing Power Thrashing Death. The mosh pits kept moving fast while Tony barked nonstop on stage (only stopping to have a sip of his beer), with their punk-ish and hardcore attitude showing all the kids present at the venue what old school Thrash Metal is all about. I doubt you know nothing about those guys, but just in case you’re from a different planet you can find all of their frantic creations on Spotify.
Band members Tony Portaro – vocals, guitars
Dank DeLong – bass
Ron Lipnicki – drums
AND THE WINNER IS…
Well, first of all I want to thank my friend Jon Asher of Asher Media Relations for letting us participate in such important event to the Canadian underground scene, Keith Ibbitson of Lower Eastside Photography for the amazing band shots (except for Whiplash as he had to leave due to a personal matter, so I had to upload my shitty phone photos of the band to the review), and all media partners (Bravewords, Metal-Rules, Absolute Underground, BrokenNeckRadio, V13, Metal Devastation Radio, and internationally syndicated DJ Rich Embury) and promoters (Boonsdale Records, Dungeonworks Productions, The Invisible Orange, Big Nate Productions and ConcertWorks) for believing in Canadian metal.
Back to the music, the winner of such incredible night were the guys from STRIGAMPIRE, who will represent Canada at Wacken Open Air this year! One band to rule them all, right? Congratulations, you guys kicked some serious ass on Saturday! And if you want to know more about the entire event, all previous rounds and so on, you can go to the official Facebook page of Metal Battle Canada for everything regarding the initiative. Good luck to Strigampire at Wacken, although they honestly don’t need luck because they’re amazing and very professional musicians more than ready to rock the holy land of metal in Germany and show everyone in Europe the fury of Canadian Black Metal, and hopefully we’ll have more amazing metal battles in Canada next year with top-of-the-line bands such as Eaten by Sharks, Strigampire and Necht.
Friday was not only one of the best days of the year in terms of weather, but the city of Toronto also had the utmost pleasure of hosting one of the most technical, progressive and vibrant metal concerts of the year thanks to the stellar performance by HEATHEN and SYMPHONY X during their North American Tour 2024 at the cozy, well-located and pretty much sold out The Opera House, and I’m pretty sure all fans who were at the venue had a relaxing morning the day after with huge smiles on their faces as both bands kicked some serious ass on stage. My buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi also had a great time taking his amazing shots during the entire night, as the lighting was near perfect and there was no smoke to “disturb” his practice, which was also great for the crowd as we could perfectly witness the superb performances by each and every musician from both bands on stage, shredding their instruments with their beyond refined techniques and an absolute passion for heavy music.
The opening band, or maybe I should say the more-than-special guests, were San Francisco, California-based Technical Speed/Thrash Metal veterans HEATHEN, who were insanely heavy and flawless on stage during their breathtaking performance, properly warming up all fans for the main attraction of the night. Those guys are so good in what they do to the point that you could close your eyes and it would feel like you were listening to the studio versions of their songs, just to illustrate how precise all band members were in Toronto. I dare to say the most excited of all musicians was definitely Kitchener, Ontario’s own Kyle Edissi (vocalist and guitarist for Canadian Melodic Thrash Metal band Invicta, who has been playing live with Heathen since 2022), as it was his first time ever playing at a venue he had already been to countless times as a regular fan to see some of his favorite bands. It was a dream come true for him, no doubt about that, helping his bandmates David R. White (what a voice, my friends!), Kragen Lum, Jason Mirza and Ryan Idris hammer our heads with infuriated songs the likes of Opiate of the Masses, The Blight and Breaking the Silence. I only wish there were a few mosh pits to make things even more fun, but the show was simply awesome and I highly recommend you go see Heathen live if you haven’t done so already in your life.
After a short and sweet break, the band everyone was waiting for hit the stage for one of the most tight and precise performances of the year for the delight of all concert goers. I’m talking about Middletown, New Jersey’s Progressive Power Metal institution SYMPHONY X, and let me tell you that the band formed of the iconic Russell Allen on vocals, Michael Romeo on the guitars, Mike LePond on bass, Michael Pinnella on the keyboards and Jason Rullo on drums redefined the meaning of “perfection” at The Opera House this Friday. What a sensational show by those veterans, who by the way sounded like they were in their early twenties in terms of energy and onstage presence, proving once again how heavy music can keep us a lot younger for a much longer time, right?
Although those guys haven’t released anything new since their excellent 2015 album Underworld, their entire setlist felt very modern and fresh, with songs like Serpent’s Kiss, To Hell and Back and Evolution (The Grand Design) driving their fans wild to the point we got some sick mosh pits in the middle of the floor section, something that made Mr. Russell Allen and his crew very happy and entertained. I guess they weren’t expecting that level of action during a Progressive Metal concert. And speaking about Russell, the man was on fire throughout their entire set, not only delivering his trademark, stunning vocal lines, but also dancing nonstop, having a few beers and interacting more than any other metal vocalist in the world with each and every fan at the venue, an amazing way of Russell and the band to say how much they love their fanbase. Needless to say, when the band hit the encore with the classics Paradise Lost, Run With the Devil and Set the World on Fire (The Lie of Lies), it was pure madness, leaving everyone eager for more Symphony X in the city in the near future. Well, they said they’re (finally) working on new material after almost a decade, so I guess we can expect to see them embellishing the Torontonian airwaves again really soon with another majestic live concert.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 