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Concert Review – Cattle Decapitation (The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, 12/06/2025)

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And Toronto partied like it was 1349 together with the mighty Cattle Decapitation on a emotional, memorable and heavy-as-hell night of extreme music.

OPENING ACTS: Grindmother, Tribal Gaze, Frozen Soul and Aborted

After seeing four albums played in full in the past couple of weeks, those being Rivers of Nihil (by Rivers of Nihil), Citadel and Exul (by Ne Obliviscaris), and Somewhere Far Beyond (by Blind Guardian), it was time for another absolute blast with album number five this Saturday, when the indomitable CATTLE DECAPITATION, with the support of GRINDMOTHER, TRIBAL GAZE, FROZEN SOUL and ABORTED, took the stage of The Concert Hall in Toronto with their No Fear For Tomorrow North American Tour 2025 to melt our faces with the full play of their 2019 bestial opus Death Atlas. That was maybe one of the heaviest and most emotional events brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment this year, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to be part of such a phenomenal celebration of extreme music by some of the best bands of the current scene worldwide.

As it was a Saturday I managed to get to the venue just in time for the farewell concert by the mighty GRINDMOTHER, a 77-year old retired social worker from Canada whose footage from a rehearsal in 2016 went viral, having played over 50 times live with her bands across Germany, Japan, Canada and the United States (and you can enjoy all of her songs on BandCamp, by the way). In July 2025, she announced her retirement due to dementia, kicking ass on the stages in Montreal on Friday and in Toronto on Saturday as her way to say “thank you” and “au revoir” to all Canadians who have supported her through the years. In Toronto she had the phenomenal support of the she-wolf Chelsea Marrow of Blackened Death Metal beast Visitant (who I had the pleasure of chatting with for a brief moment) and of the electrifying Elizabeth Selfish of Crossover Hardcore act BRAT, adding even more adrenaline to a very emotional goodbye from the stages. I’m sure her son Rayny Forster, who plays bass with her live, is immensely proud of his mom, a strong and relentless woman who proved once again there’s no age limit when it comes to heavy music. It was an excellent warmup for the other bands of the night, and hopefully Grindmother can now enjoy her retirement in great fashion together with her family while listening to some ass-kicking Extreme Metal. Thank you for your music and for your passion for Heavy Metal, Grindmother!

Band members
Grindmother – vocals
Chelsea Marrow – vocals
Elizabeth Selfish – vocals
Topon Das – guitar
Rayny Forster – bass
Mathieu “Vil” Vilandré – drums

After a quick break it was time for Texas-based Death Metal brigade TRIBAL GAZE to ignite some wild mosh pits in the floor section with their short but extremely violent and heavy performance. Led by the charismatic frontman McKenna Holland, the band has just released the excellent Inveighing Brilliance, available on both BandCamp and on Spotify, which was basically what they played during their entire set. Songs like Smiling From Their Chariots and Emptying the Nest sounded inhumane live, with drummer Cesar De Los Santos dictating the pace of his own band and of the entire crowd, who went mental inside the pit and slammed like there’s no tomorrow. I’m sure we’ll hear more from those talented guys in a not-so-distant future, and I can’t wait to see one of their concerts again as they definitely know how to make our good old Death Metal sound incredible live.

Setlist
Smiling From Their Chariots
Emptying the Nest
To the Spoils of Faith
The Irreversible Sequence
Godless Voyage
Twitching on the Cross
Beyond Recognition

Band members
McKenna Holland – vocals
Quintin Stauts – guitars
Ian Kilmer – guitars
Zachary Denton – bass
Cesar De Los Santos – drums

The next attraction of the night is one of those bands you know they’ll quickly become a reference in the genre. I’m talking about Fort Worth, Texas’ own abominable men (and woman) FROZEN SOUL, bringing absolute chaos, frost and heaviness to the stage with their ruthless blend of old school Death Metal. Playing songs from their two awesome albums Crypt of Ice, form 2021, and Glacial Domination, from 2023 (both available on BandCamp and on Spotify), plus a few new killer tunes like Skinned by the Wind and Invoke War, from their upcoming yet-to-be-titled 2026 album, the band led by the unstoppable Chad Green on vocals (who also gave an emotional speech by dedicating one of the songs to his deceased younger brother, therefore showing a lot of heart) put everyone to slam, stage dive, crowd surf, and even do some push ups during their incredible performance, leaving us completely disoriented after all was said and done. One thing I must say about their concert is that the sound quality was superb, allowing the bass by the fantastic Samantha Mobley to punch us hard in the head for our total delight. Needless to say, she’ll (very) soon be one of our metal ladies of the month. I’m now desperate to listen to their upcoming album, because based on what we were able to witness this Saturday, it’s going to be a real banger. Hell yeah, winter is coming again, courtesy of one of the must-see names of the current Death Metal scene.

Setlist
Skinned by the Wind
Beat to Dust
Chaos Will Reign
Morbid Effigy
Merciless
Absolute Zero
Arsenal of War
Invoke War
Crypt of Ice

Band members
Chad Green – vocals
Chris Bonner – guitars
Michael Munday – guitars
Samantha Mobley – bass
Matt Dennard – drums

After everyone had a short break for having another beer, checking the merch stands, going to the washroom, or simply recovering their energies from the chaotic show by Frozen Soul, it was time to “get do da choppa!” together with the unparalleled Belgian Death Metal machine ABORTED, and oh boy, what an apocalyptic performance it was. Sven De Caluwé was not only on fire with his demented guttural, but he was also in his best comedian mode, impersonating the best action hero of all time, the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger, multiple times, making jokes with his own mother, and asking fans to do some jumping jacks during one of the songs (after pushups and jumping jacks, I was wondering if Cattle Decapitation were going to ask us to do some abs later). What an amazing frontman, and let’s say their setlist helped him a lot, with several songs form their 2024 masterpiece Vault of Horrors, including Dreadbringer, The Shape of Hate and Death Cult, plus classics the likes of Retrogore and The Saw and the Carnage Done, all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, setting fire to the atmosphere just like what happened during their headlining concert in Toronto in February. The icing on the cake happened when Darude’s pop hit Sandstorm was played over the speakers and Sven invited everyone to dance with him, showing we metalheads are not just anger, hatred and darkness. We can also dance. See you at the party, Sven!

Setlist
Dreadbringer
Retrogore
Brotherhood of Sleep
The Origin of Disease
Infinite Terror
The Shape of Hate
Death Cult
Insect Politics
Threading on Vermillion Deception / The Saw and the Carnage Done
Sandstorm (Darude song)

Band members
Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Daníel Máni Konráðsson – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
????? – bass
Kévin Paradis – drums
Siebe Hermans – drums

CATTLE DECAPITATION

We witnessed an emotional farewell, had fun with two of of the new-ish names in Death Metal, and became part of a Belgian death cult this Saturday night. Was that enough for us avid metalheads? Of course not, because we still wanted to party like it was 1349 together with the almighty Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore creature CATTLE DECAPITATION, playing in full their 2019 opus Death Atlas, plus three songs form their 2023 killer album Terrasite, both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and both paying “homage” to the putrid, gory and visceral downfall of the human race. It was pure Armageddon on stage, and of course that transpired to the floor section where the mosh pits were simply insane.

Anything I say about Travis Ryan at this point of his career is not enough to represent his importance, talent and passion in extreme music. The guy is unstoppable, ruthless, and his goblin screeches are one of those things you must experience live at least once in your miserable life. Songs like Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts, Vulturous, the phenomenal Bring Back the Plague, Death Atlas, and the humanity-is-doomed trio formed of A Photic Doom, We Eat Our Young and Scourge of the Offspring sounded brilliant live once again, and as Travis himself said they’ll be back in April or May I’m wondering if next time we’ll have Terrasite played in its entirety. I love when bands play their albums in full live, as I believe any album is meant to be listened in full without skipping any songs, so let’s wait and see what they’ll bring to the city in the coming months. I’ll be there for sure, because when Cattle Decapitation invites you to party (like it’s 1349), no is definitely NOT an answer.

Setlist
Death Atlas
Anthropogenic: End Transmission
The Geocide
Be Still Our Bleeding Hearts
Vulturous
The Great Dying, Pt 1
One Day Closer to the End of the World
Bring Back the Plague
Absolute Destitute
The Great Dying, Pt. 2
Finish Them
With All Disrespect
Time’s Cruel Curtain
The Unerasable Past
Death Atlas

Encore:
A Photic Doom
We Eat Our Young
Scourge of the Offspring

Band members
Travis Ryan – vocals
Josh Elmore – lead guitars
Belisario Dimuzio – rhythm guitars
Diego Soria – bass
David McGraw – drums

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Album Review – Coffin Feeder / Big Trouble (2025)

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This Belgian Death Metal and Deathcore supergroup will crush their enemies armed with their debut opus, see them driven before them, and hear the lamentation of their women.

Formed in 2021 in Waregem, a municipality and city located in the Belgian province of West Flanders, Death Metal/Deathcore beast Coffin Feeder has just spewed upon humanity their first ever full-length album, titled Big Trouble, the follow-up to their 2022 EPs Stereo Homicide and Over the Top. Recorded by Lander Cluyse and Jeroen Camerlynck, mixed and mastered by Dave Otero at Flatline Audio Studio, and displaying a marvelous artwork that pays homage to all action movies from the 80’s and 90’s we all love so much, the new offering by frontman Sven de Caluwé (Aborted), guitarists Jeroen Camerlynck and Bart Govers (Fleddy Melculy), bassist Jan Hallaert (Leng Tch’e, Motormouth), and drummer Siebe Hermans (Reverse the Sun, When Plagues Collide) goes above and beyond with their fusion of extreme music and action flicks, resulting in 12 tracks of ultimate brutality that will surely inspire you to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women.

Not sure if the intro There Will Be Trouble was inspired by Big Trouble in Little China or by a quote from Robocop, but anyway it’s a very cool and cinematic warmup for the pulverizing Porkchop Express, featuring guest vocalist Julien Truchan of Benighted, with their slamming feast being led by the hammering drums by Siebe in the best Brutal Death Metal style imaginable. Then featuring guest vocals by Ben Duerr of Shadow of Intent, If It Bleeds, inspired by one of the most famous quotes from the 1984 cult movie Predator, is absolutely mental, with Sven sounding inhumane on vocals in this newborn masterpiece of violence and bloodshed. Conan couldn’t have been left out of the party, and the song in his honor, The Destroyer, will crush your spinal cord to the ruthless riffage by Jeroen and Bart (because they know what’s best in life); whereas the rumbling bass by Jan will make your head tremble in Love at First Death, accompanied by the always demented beats and fills by Siebe. And Plain Zero, with guest vocals by Mark Hunter of Chimaira, is a song that will pulverize your frail body mercilessly, with all vocals and instruments exhaling sheer violence and hatred.

Sven continues to bark like a demonic creature in Obey, offering more of the band’s trademark ferocity, with Jan and Siebe once again crafting utterly thunderous sounds through their infernal kitchen. Then it’s time to bang our heads like rabid maniacs in Get to the Party, with the entire band inviting our “beloved” Richter to a brutal slamming feast made in Belgium; followed by Let Off Some Steam, a lecture in Death Metal infused with Deathcore and endless dementia, with Sven once again bursting his lungs by roaring like an evil beast. Needless to say, Bennett must be proud of the boys from Coffin Feeder. H.I.S.S. is by far the least exciting of all songs, never really taking off despite its strong atmosphere, whereas A Good Day to Die offers another blast of venomous riffs and bass lines by Jeroen, Bart and Jan, bringing nuances of Groove Metal and Djent added to their core essence, not to mention its epic background elements. There’s time for one last dive into the circle pit to the sound of The Wrong Arm of the Law, offering a ruthless slab of Deathcore where Sven and Siebe are in absolute sync with their respective roars and beats.

In a nutshell, if you love a good amount of brutality played to perfection, infused with endless adrenaline, and paying homage to all movies that helped put the word “action” in Hollywood the likes of Predator, Commando, and Cobra, you must give a listen to the infuriated Big Trouble, available for purchase from the Listenable Records’ BandCamp or by clicking on these links for the physical or digital edition of the album. You can also “get to da choppa” and start following this demonic supergroup on Facebook and on Instagram, subscribe to their YouTube channel, and stream their bestial creations on Spotify. If it bleeds, we can kill it. And if it’s a ruthless fusion of Death Metal and Deathcore like what they have to offer us in Big Trouble, then we can slam.

Best moments of the album: If It Bleeds, Plain Zero, Let Off Some Steam and The Wrong Arm of the Law.

Worst moments of the album: H.I.S.S.

Released in 2025 Listenable Records

Track listing
1. There Will Be Trouble 0:56
2. Porkchop Express 2:57
3. If It Bleeds 3:10
4. The Destroyer 3:02
5. Love at First Death 3:18
6. Plain Zero 3:29
7. Obey 2:32
8. Get to the Party 3:25
9. Let Off Some Steam 3:48
10. H.I.S.S. 1:44
11. A Good Day to Die 3:28
12. The Wrong Arm of the Law 3:22

Band members
Sven de Caluwé – vocals
Jeroen Camerlynck – guitars, backing vocals
Bart Govers – guitars, backing vocals
Jan Hallaert – bass
Siebe Hermans – drums

Guest musicians
Mark Hunter – vocals on “Plain Zero”
Julien Truchan – vocals on “Porkchop Express”
Ben Duerr – vocals on “If It Bleeds”

Concert Review – Aborted (The Axis Club, Toronto, ON, 02/25/2025)

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The night the earth shook in Toronto, courtesy of four of the heaviest bands of the current Death Metal scene worldwide.

OPENING ACTS: NecroticGoreBeast, PeelingFlesh and Ingested

In all seriousness, I think an earthquake hit Toronto this Tuesday night when NECROTICGOREBEAST, PEELINGFLESH, INGESTED and ABORTED took the city by storm with their ruthless, infernal Terrifying North America Tour 2025 at an almost sold out The Axis Club, another ass-kicking event brought to us metalheads by the iconic Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. As a matter of fact, the original plan was to have the formidable Stabbing as the first band on the bill during the entire tour, but unfortunately they couldn’t make it (for reasons beyond my knowledge). Their replacement for most of the tour is Extermination Dismemberment, while in Toronto (and in the other Canadian dates) we got the demented Canadian squad known as NecroticGoreBeast. I would love to have seen Stabbing AND Extermination Dismemberment AND NecroticGoreBeast together with PeelingFlesh, Ingested and Aborted, turning it into a massive festival of sheer brutality, but it is what it is and I can’t complain at all about any of the bands on the bill; quite the contrary, all four bands destroyed us all, and once again I have no idea how photographers like Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi manage to take photos in the middle of an endless mosh pit when there’s no barrier nor any security to protect them.

Precisely one hour after the doors opened to the crowd, Montreal, Quebec’s own Slam/Brutal Death Metal outfit NECROTICGOREBEAST kicked off the festivities with an overdose of heaviness and brutality, basing their setlist on their demolishing 2023 opus Repugnant (available on Spotify or on any other streaming service). The Axis Club in Toronto is commonly known as a nightclub, which means their sound system can go absolutely wild on bass, and that’s exactly what happened during the entire night starting with NecroticGoreBeast. The whole place was trembling as if there was an earthquake going on, and the crowd was going mental inside the pit. Vocalist John Mayer was bestial armed with his mic, and as after the night was over I could see several fans wearing the band’s hoodie it was a clear a sign the city loved their live performance, which means it won’t take long for them to return to Toronto.

Band members
John Mayer – vocals
Michael Chamberland – guitars
Alexandre Brochu – bass
JP Bouchard – drums

It was when the clock hit 7:45pm that the city of Toronto felt the strongest seismic activity of the entire night. I’m talking about the demented performance by Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Slam/Brutal Death Metal/Hardcore creature PEELINGFLESH, who looked like their mission was to demolish the entire venue with one of the heaviest shows I’ve ever seen in my life. Their frontman Damonteal Harris is simply amazing, perfectly leading his henchmen and the crowd with his sick pig squeals, fry vocals, and “gangsta” dance moves, driving the entire venue wild during their undisputed performance. The songs played from their 2024 album The G Code, those being The Fuckening, Shoot 2 Kill and Perc 3000, all available on Spotify by the way, sounded even heavier and more demonic live, all boosted by the beyond thunderous kitchen by Austin Hirom and Joe Pelleter. In other words, if PeelingFlesh ever play in your city or town, do not miss the chance of seeing one of the heaviest bands of the current slam scene worldwide. They are absolutely fantastic live.

Setlist
Nefarious Moongrass
The Fuckening
Mr Nasty Time
12 Gauge Autopsy
Matar a palos
Midnight
Intro
Shoot 2 Kill
Perc 3000
F.F.W.A.S
Outro

Band members
Damonteal Harris – vocals
Mychal Soto – guitars
Jason Parrish – guitars
Austin Hirom – bass
Joe Pelleter – drums

Basically almost any band in the world who had to play after PeelingFlesh would have had a hard time topping their sick performance, but of course when the band in question is Manchester, UK’s own Slam/Brutal Death Metal/Deathcore icons INGESTED you can expect at least the same level of savagery and gore. After the unexpected departure of frontman Jason Evans late 2024, Josh Davies, vocalist of UK Deathcore band Malice and former vocalist of fellow UK Deathcore band Monasteries, became the man responsible for the band’s vocal duties, and he did a pretty good job live in Toronto. The only two things that bothered me regarding their concert were the lack of any songs from their 2024 album The Tide of Death and Fractured Dreams, and the fact that although it had been announced that touring musicians Andrew Virrueta and Thomas O’Malley had joined the band as full-time band members, they simply weren’t there.

Yes, it was only Josh plus guitarist Sean Hynes and drummer Lyn Jeffs, which looked weird, but their heaviness was there intact. Their new single Altar of Flesh (available on BandCamp and on Spotify) sounded demented live, inspiring all concert goers to bang their heads nonstop, plus all circle pits, crowd surfing, and a massive wall of death, proving Ingested are still alive and kicking even after such an impactul change in their line up with the new frontman. I’m sure they would have sounded even more imposing and vile with Andrew and Thomas, but they were absolutely professional and put their hearts and souls into the show even being two men down. Let’s see what the future holds for Ingested with their (most probably) upcoming full album with Josh on vocals, and hopefully that will guarantee another wild concert in Toronto in the coming months.

Setlist
Titanomachy
Endgame
Altar of Flesh
Impending Dominance
Invidious
Contorted Perception
Copremesis
Skinned and Fucked

Band members
Josh Davies – vocals
Sean Hynes – guitars, backing vocals
Lyn Jeffs – drums

ABORTED

Then after another short break, with most concert goers fighting for a spot at the smoking area outside (and holy shit, young people are smoking way too much these days), the main attraction of the night, Belgian horror-inspired Death Metal masters ABORTED, took the stage for another slab of sheer violence and heaviness, also making the venue shake and tremble as if the roof was going to collapse. It’s also very weird they no longer have a bassist playing live with them, with the last one being Stefano Franceschini back in 2023, but they also managed to cover the lack of bass with a lower, darker sound of one of the guitars. And what to say about their setlist? The new songs from their 2024 masterpiece Vault of Horrors sounded insane alongside their old classics, in special Brotherhood of Sleep, Death Cult and The Shape of Hate, all of course available on Spotify. Needless to say, the one and only Sven De Caluwé was a beast onstage, roaring, screaming, hitting his head with his own hands, making faces, and inspiring everyone for some wild action inside the pit.

I think Sven had a lot of time with the guys from Archspire during their last tour together to discuss different jokes, games and so on to make their concerts even more captivating, because it felt like a standup comedy show at times, including doing jumping jacks in the middle of one of the songs, and a “fart competition” between two fans, with the winner being a beautiful lady that was surely going wild in the pit, as she had gone up to the stage crowd surfing maybe twice before that specific game. After the band destroyed us all with the closing songs The Saw and the Carnage Done and Hecatomb, although everyone was extremely happy with what Aborted had just offered us all, it felt like their setlist could have been a little longer, with maybe two or three extra songs added at least. Well, maybe their goal was to leave us eager for more Aborted live in the city in the near future, because those guys love to be onstage in the name of Death Metal, and the demented reaction by the fans during their entire show proves they’re more than welcome to return to Toronto anytime they want.

Setlist
Dreadbringer
Retrogore
Brotherhood of Sleep
The Origin of Disease
Infinite Terror
Deep Red
From a Tepid Whiff
Death Cult
The Shape of Hate
Insect Politics
The Saw and the Carnage Done
Hecatomb

Band members
Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Daníel Máni Konráðsson – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Ken Bedene – drums

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Concert Review – Archspire (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 06/08/2024)

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A night of horror, brutality, circle pits, walls of death, fun games like Twister and the “shoey”, and a lot more in Toronto, courtesy of the fastest and most technical brigade in the history of Canada.

OPENING ACTS: Alluvial, Carcosa and Aborted

It was a beyond wild and fun night at The Phoenix Concert Theatre this Saturday when ALLUVIAL, CARCOSA, ABORTED and ARCHSPIRE took the city of Toronto by storm with their fulminating Everything’s F#*!@d Tour 2024, another extremely successful event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment, and I say wild and fun because that’s exactly what the four bands offered to us all, blasting our heads with their sick, infernal music, while at the same time demanding nonstop action inside the circle pit. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were patiently awaiting for this concert as we love the music of all four bands, and I must say I couldn’t be happier with everything we got during the event’s four hours of brutal, thrilling and captivating heavy music. Not even the (brutally) bad traffic to get to Toronto made me less excited about the show, and if you know how horrible traffic has been to get to and back from the city lately, especially when there’s rain involved, you know the show was fantastic to the point you don’t even remember the problems to get there, right?

The first band to hit the stage precisely at 7:30pm was Atlanta, Georgia’s Deathcore/Djent outfit ALLUVIAL, who have recently released a great new EP titled Death Is but a Door, the follow-up to their 2021 album Sarcoma. Let’s say their setlist was a mix of those two albums, and although I have no idea of the names of all songs I’m pretty sure they played Bog Dweller and Fogbelt, two songs perfect to ignite some intense mosh pits with whoever was already at the floor section (instead of stuck in a huge line at the way too hot merch area). Their frontman Kevin Muller was a beast during their whole set, and after that fans had a chance to meet him and the other guys at their merch table, which was a very nice touch by the band to create a stronger connection with their fanbase. If you want to know more about Alluvial, go check their BandCamp and Spotify for all of their music, and don’t miss the chance to see them live as they’re insane onstage.

Band members
Kevin Muller – vocals
Wes Hauch – guitars
Tim Walker – bass
Zach Dean – drums

As I wanted so bad an Archspire “Stay Tech” pin plus a patch, I was stupid enough to face the sauna-like merch line right after Alluvial and had to miss the beginning of the concert by Vancouver, British Columbia-based Deathcore/Djent act CARCOSA, but that was OK as I still had plenty to enjoy from their infernal setlist as all bands had a lot of playing time, including the openers. Still promoting their 2021 album Anthology, the band formed of Johnny Ciardullo, Andrew Baena, Cooper Lagace, Laptop and Travis Regnier crushed the souls of everyone at the already packed venue with their heavy-as-hell music and intense energy onstage, and you know how good a band is when a renowned musician like Aborted’s Sven De Caluwé sports a Carcosa shirt during their set. Hence, don’t forget to buy and stream Carcosa’s music on BandCamp and on Spotify, because those Canadian dudes are freakin’ awesome.

Band members
Johnny Ciardullo – vocals
Andrew Baena – guitar
Cooper Lagace – guitar
Laptop – bass
Travis Regnier – drums

After another short and sweet break, Belgium’s own Death Metal/Grindcore masters ABORTED opened up their Vault of Horrors and kicked off one of the most pulverizing, demented and frantic concerts of the past few years in Toronto. It was absolute chaos and madness thanks to guitarist Ian Jekelis, bassist Stefano Franceschini, drummer Ken Bedene, and of course, one of the most demented frontmen of all time, the unparalleled beast Sven De Caluwé. That man was on fire throughout their entire set, hitting his head with his hands, jumping up and down nonstop, making crazy faces, pretending to be firing a machine gun when Ken was blasting his drums manically, and so on, which translated into an overdose of violence, gore and mosh pits to the delight of all fans of the band in the city.

The opener Retrogore was beyond pulverizing to say the least, followed by an avalanche of old school Aborted and new songs from their bestial 2024 album Vault of Horrors (available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way), including the fantastic Dreadbringer, Brotherhood of Sleep, and Death Cult. By the way, I told my friend who’s not very familiar with Aborted that someone was going to die during Death Cult so heavy and insane it is, and that almost happened as one guy stayed on the ground for a while to the point several fans inside the pit asked the band to stop playing to check if he was OK. The guy was apparently fine, but I have no idea if he had any sort of concussion that would manifest during the next few days. As I said, Death Cult almost resulted in a real death inside the pit. There was still time for more brutal action with the demolishing tunes Insect Politics, Threading on Vermillion Deception and The Saw and the Carnage Done, leaving everyone in awe and more than ready for more Aborted and their world renowned walls of death in Toronto in the near future.

Setlist
Retrogore
Bathos
Dreadbringer
Condemned to Rot
Brotherhood of Sleep
Death Cult
Insect Politics
Threading on Vermillion Deception
The Saw and the Carnage Done

Band members
Sven De Caluwé – vocals
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums

ARCHSPIRE

After seeing Vancouver, British Columbia’s own Extreme Technical Death Metal brigade ARCHSPIRE kicking some serious ass live in Sydney, Australia last year, I was beyond eager to witness what they could do in Toronto, and this Saturday night they proved why they’re one of the must-see names of the extreme music scene worldwide with their ruthless aggression, undisputed technique, and a really nice sense of humor. Just to give you an example of all that together, when a concert starts with a narration saying things like “after the invention of the horse” you know it’s going to be brutal and fun. Just the idea of someone “inventing” the horse is already a good joke to kick things off.

And as soon as the unstoppable Oliver Rae Aleron on vocals, Dean Lamb and Tobi Morelli on the guitars, Jared Smith on bass and Spencer Prewett on drums began their beyond fast, pulverizing and insane concert, it was total madness inside the pit until the very last second. Their last record to date might still be the 2021 opus Bleed the Future, but honestly all songs from that album and from Relentless Mutation (which are the only two albums they currently play in their concerts, “ignoring” for some unknown reason the also great The Lucid Collective, from 2014, and All Shall Align, from 2011) sounded killer live, and you can enjoy both in full on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way. They kicked off the show with the inhumane Bleed the Future to give all concert goers an idea of what their Extreme Technical Death Metal means, and continued their feast of technical insanity with already classic songs like Acrid Canon, Remote Tumour Seeker and Golden Mouth of Ruin, all played to perfection and at the speed of light (or maybe even faster than that).

An Archspire concert is not complete without some good jokes, and the band didn’t’ disappoint at all with a selection of nonsense that added a very nice touch to their already flawless concert. We got the Twister game inside the pit which ended with an infernal wall of death, a sweet tradition already in their concerts, and the also sick “shoey”, which is something Oliver said they learned in Australia. If you don’t know what that is, it’s simply drinking beer from your own shoe as fast as you can, with the winner getting a custom shirt made by the band. The Toronto one had something written about the Maple Leafs that I honestly didn’t get, but it was really cool and the guy who won it put it on right away, as he was really excited of being onstage with the band. And what to say about their introduction to all bands from this tour, saying Aborted only accepted their invitation to play with them (because they needed a big band to seel tickets, as they couldn’t do it by themselves) after they sucked their dicks? This one might sound childish for some people, but it was a good one as well.

Perhaps the most absurd and hilarious moment of the show was when Oliver explained why they had two Christmas trees onstage. Yes, that was their stage stuff, really weird, right? It all made sense when Oliver said that they got some “lab results” and their guitarist Tobi was “not gonna make it to next Christmas”, so they decided to celebrate Christmas with him during this tour. Yes, Christmas IN THE MIDDLE OF JUNE, and they even brough to stage what they called “Summer Santa” to throw picks to the crowd and give Tobi a dildo to complete his guitar, because according to Oliver that was the same guitar he got from his mom when he was a kid living with his poor Italian family, all in the same room. That was mental, but what was even more mental was the ending of the show with the infuriated, fast-as-a-shark song Involuntary Doppelgänger, and my favorite of all, Drone Corpse Aviator. I have no idea how Oliver can sing so fast like that, nor how Spencer can sound like a stone crusher without making too much effort behind his drums, nor how the other guys manage to play their guitars and bass at an insane speed without making any errors, but I know for sure that Archspire are by far one of the coolest bands of the entire Canadian scene, and I can’t wait to see them live again in the near future. And until then, we must all… STAY TECH!

Setlist
Bleed the Future
Abandon the Linear
Reverie on the Onyx
Acrid Canon
Remote Tumour Seeker
Golden Mouth of Ruin
Drain of Incarnation
Involuntary Doppelgänger
Drone Corpse Aviator

Band members
Oliver Rae Aleron – vocals
Dean Lamb – guitars
Tobi Morelli – guitars
Jared Smith – bass
Spencer Prewett – drums

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Album Review – Eternal Storm / A Giant Bound to Fall (2024)

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A boundless, always-evolving Spanish Progressive and Melodic Death Metal outfit returns with their hugely ambitious yet still passionate and heartfelt sophomore album, a giant step ahead for the band and for the entire style.

Following up on the release of their 2019 debut album Come the Tide, which was a shockingly accomplished, poignant and evocative album which many still regard to be one of the highlights in the style, Spanish Progressive/Melodic Death Metal outfit Eternal Storm returns to the battlefield four years later with their sophomore opus, titled A Giant Bound to Fall, a worthy effort that doesn’t betray their sound nor dilute it. Produced by the band itself, recorded at The Empty Hall Studio (vocals, guitars, bass) and at Sadman Studio (drums), re-amped, mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound, and displaying a sinister artwork by Leoncio Harmr (with logo by Christophe Szpajdel of Lord of the Logos), the album is far more nuanced, multifaceted and even feels darker than their debut installment, all masterfully brought into being by Daniel R. Flys on lead vocals, guitars, keyboards and bass, Jaime Torres on the guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass and fretless bass, and Daniel Maganto on bass, additional guitars and additional vocals, plus guest musicians Gabriel Valcázar (Wormed, Ernia) on drums and percussion, and Jaboto Fernández (Nexus 6, TodoMal) on additional keyboards and synths, being recommended for fans of Be’lakor, Dyssebeia, Insomnium, and Dark Tranquillity.

Guest Roberto Bustabad (Varunian, Ovakner, Rvinas) brings some noise and additional synths to the opening tune An Abyss of Unreason, starting in an ethereal manner as the drums by Gabriel arise from the underworld, exploding into a dissonant and experimental hybrid of Black and Death Metal where Daniel R. Flys roars manically nonstop, offering us all endless progressiveness and multiple layers of unique sounds and tones in a true aria of darkness. Then featuring guest vocalist Sven de Caluwé (Aborted), A Dim Illusion is another melodious yet visceral and somber creation by the band, a more progressive version of the music by Insomnium highly recommended for some vigorous headbanging to the piercing riffage by Daniel R. Flys and Jaime; and after such intense and bold tune it’s time for a soothing, serene sonority in There was a Wall, bringing forward elements from modern-day Doom Metal, in special in the sluggish beats by Gabriel, while Daniel R. Flys, Jaime and Daniel Maganto extract sheer groove and feeling form their stringed axes. Their mesmerizing feast goes on in Last Refuge, featuring guests Kheryon on additional vocals and Paul R. Flys on violin, a ten-minute journey through the realms of Progressive and Melodic Death Metal showcasing another amazing job done by all band members, with Daniel R. Flys once again leading his horde with his anguished screams.

It’s then time for a gentle, enfolding interlude titled Eclipse, generating a delicate atmosphere to the sound of minimalist guitar lines (albeit going on for a bit too long, but nothing that takes away its vibe), setting the tone for Lone Tree Domain, with guest Eloi Boucherie (Vidres a la Sang, White Stones) on additional vocals, an even more intricate, detailed and visceral creation by Eternal Storm, with their guitar riffs getting boosted by the rumbling bass by Daniel Maganto, sounding beautiful and impactful at the same time. The trio keeps embellishing the airwaves with their complex yet captivating sounds in The Sleepers, featuring Dan Swanö on additional vocals, a Progressive Death Metal aria alternating between deep, enraged moments and atmospheric passages, exploding into the infernal The Void, a lecture in Death Metal infused with progressive, technical and blackened elements tailored for admirers of the genre, with the superb drumming by Gabriel enhancing the song’s punch while Daniel R. Flys roars like a beast, always accompanied by the thunderous bass by Daniel Maganto. Lastly, we’re treated to the title-track A Giant Bound to Fall, featuring Sergi “Bobby” Verdeguer (Persefone) on additional vocals, beginning in a futuristic, whimsical vibe while also offering more of the band’s harsh and demolishing sounds, bringing peace and hope to our damned hearts and, therefore, putting a stunning finale to the album.

A Giant Bound to Fall is a giant step ahead in the logical direction, for the band and for the entire style. There is little doubt that this hugely ambitious and more importantly still passionate and heartfelt album will go down as another towering landmark in the genre, and if you want to show Eternal Storm all your support you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, on YouTube and on any other streaming platform, and above all that, purchase a copy of the album from their own BandCamp page, as well as from the Transcending Obscurity Records’ webstore as a CD (in the US and Europe) or as a very special CD + shirt combo (also in the US and Europe). The storm of Progressive and Melodic Death Metal available in the new album by such talented band from Spain definitely deserves a detailed listen by all of us, and I can’t wait to see what’s next in their boundless and always evolving career.

Best moments of the album: An Abyss of Unreason, Last Refuge and The Void.

Worst moments of the album: Eclipse.

Released in 2024 Transcending Obscurity Records

Track listing
1. An Abyss of Unreason 13:35
2. A Dim Illusion 7:18
3. There was a Wall 5:07
4. Last Refuge 10:00
5. Eclipse 4:06
6. Lone Tree Domain 9:27
7. The Sleepers 6:27
8. The Void 6:27
9. A Giant Bound to Fall 6:46

Band members
Daniel R. Flys – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass
Jaime Torres – guitars, vocals, keyboards, bass, fretless bass
Daniel Maganto – bass, additional guitars, additional vocals

Guest musicians
Gabriel Valcázar – drums, percussion (session)
Jaboto Fernández – additional keyboards and synts
Roberto Bustabad – noise and additional synths on “An Abyss of Unreason”
Sven de Caluwé – additional vocals on “A Dim Illusion”
Kheryon – additional vocals on “Last Refuge”
Paul R. Flys – violin on “Last Refuge”
Eloi Boucherie – additional vocals on “Lone Tree Domain”
Dan Swanö – additional vocals on “The Sleepers”
Sergi “Bobby” Verdeguer – additional vocals on “A Giant Bound to Fall”

Album Review – Engulf / The Dying Planet Weeps (2024)

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A one-man studio Death Metal act drawing influence from all dark corners of the extreme music realm returns with his massive and savage debut full-length album.

A one-man studio Death Metal act drawing influence from all dark corners of the extreme music realm, New Jersey, United States-based entity Engulf is back with its catchy riffs, gnarly vocals and brutish yet dark vibes in the project’s massive and savage debut full-length album, titled The Dying Planet Weeps. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Kelly, mastered for vinyl by Carlo Altobelli at Toxic Basement Studio, displaying an otherwordly artwork by Pär Olofsson (with additional artwork by Chris Kiesling of Misanthropic-Art, and logo by Steve Crow of Malevolent Icons), and featuring an array of very special guest musicians, the album is the perfect follow-up to the three story-driven EP’s released between 2017 and 2019, showcasing all the talent and passion for heavy music by the project’s mastermind, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Hal Microutsicos.

Eerie, cryptic sounds permeate the air in the opening tune Withered Suns Collapse until all explodes into a Technical Death Metal attack by our lone wolf, where he not only extracts sheer violence from his riffage, but his guttural roars also bring endless insanity to the song. Then featuring guest vocals by Kevin Muller (of Alluvial), Bellows from the Aether offers more of Hal’s groovy and dissonant Death Metal, supported by the rumbling bass by session musician Giacomo Gastaldi (of Darkend); and Hal keeps hammering his instruments in The Nefarious Hive, featuring guest vocals by the one and only Sven de Caluwé (of Aborted), who delivers his deep, inhumane growls as expected, making a devilish vocal duo with Hal. After such inspiring metal attack, Ominous Grandeur brings elements from Doom and Black Metal to Engulf’s already demonic sonority, resulting in over five minutes of insanity and heaviness where the bass by Giacomo sounds absolutely rumbling until the very end.

The second half of the album will hit you hard in the head with its even heavier and more venomous sounds, starting with Lunar Scourge, a brutal and evil attack of Death Metal by Hal with its blast beats and sick riffage inviting us all to join Engulf in pitch black darkness, whereas Plagued Oblivion, featuring a guest guitar solo by Pat Bonvin (of Near Death Condition), reminds me of some of the wicked creations by Death Metal veterans Unleashed, also presenting some sick elements from Black Metal in its riffs. Then featuring guest vocals by Enrico “H.” Di Lorenzo (of Hideous Divinity) and a guest guitar solo by Chris Kelly, Earthbore is a six-minute journey through the realms of cryptic and savage Death Metal, starting in a serene manner before morphing into a Dissonant Death Metal extravaganza led by the wicked riffs by Hal, flowing into the title-track The Dying Planet Weeps, an extended instrumental outro that follows the same pattern of the previous song, but that takes away a bit of the album’s energy due to its length.

The multi-talented Hal Microutsicos and his demented beast Engulf are waiting for you on Facebook and on Instagram with more nice-to-know details about the entire project, and you can also stream his wicked creations on Spotify and on several other streaming services. Furthermore, in order to show Engulf your utmost support, you can purchase a copy of The Dying Planet Weeps by clicking HERE (physical version) or HERE (digital version), inspiring Hal to keep crafting first-class Death Metal for years to come. The Dying Planet Weeps will surely please most fans of all types of Death Metal due to its versatility and dynamism, once again proving how important one-man or one-woman bands are to the continuity of the underground scene.

Best moments of the album: Bellows from the Aether, The Nefarious Hive and Earthbore.

Worst moments of the album: The Dying Planet Weeps.

Released in 2024 Everlasting Spew Records

Track listing
1. Withered Suns Collapse 5:51
2. Bellows from the Aether 3:31
3. The Nefarious Hive 3:38
4. Ominous Grandeur 5:19
5. Lunar Scourge 4:28
6. Plagued Oblivion 4:45
7. Earthbore 6:11
8. The Dying Planet Weeps 2:19

Band members
Hal Microutsicos – vocals, all instruments, drum programming

Guest musicians
Giacomo Gastaldi – bass (session)
Kevin Muller – vocals on “Bellows from the Aether”
Sven de Caluwé – vocals on “The Nefarious Hive”
Pat Bonvin – guitar solo on “Plagued Oblivion”
Enrico “H.” Di Lorenzo – vocals on “Earthbore”
Chris Kelly – guitar solo on “Earthbore”

Album Review – When Plagues Collide / An Unbiblical Paradigm (2023)

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Belgium’s own Symphonic Deathcore institution returns with an even more impressive and bold opus that will certainly reach deep inside your blackened heart and soul.

Five years after the release of their excellent debut full-length album Tutor of the Dying, Zaventem, Belgium-based Symphonic Deathcore beast When Plagues Collide is back with an even more impressive and bold album, their sophomore effort titled An Unbiblical Paradigm, highly recommended for admirers of the music by Shadow Of Intent, Lorna Shore and Thy Art Is Murder, among others. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Yarne Heylen at Project Zero Studio, the new album by vocalist Wouter Dergez, guitarists Santy Van der Mieren and Joris Dergez, bassist Joshua Kinsbergen and drummer Siebe Hermans continues to showcase a focused and sharp band venturing through the realms of Melodic Death Metal, Symphonic Black Metal and Metalcore just like in Tutor of the Dying, but this time the quintet took up their music a notch, delivering an even stronger and more electrifying work that will certainly reach deep inside your blackened heart and soul.

An atmospheric start gradually evolves into a Symphonic Deathcore attack titled Converted Into Cipher, with Siebe hammering his drums mercilessly while Wouter roars and screams like a demonic beast, or in other words, it’s indeed a fantastic tune to kick things off; and things get even heavier and more infernal in Death In Progress, featuring guest vocals by Sven de Caluwé (Aborted, Coffin Feeder, Bent Sea), with Santy and Joris kicking some serious ass armed with their axes in the name of first-class Deathcore. God Complex is absolutely epic, imposing and majestic from start to finish, with the deep guttural by Wouter sounding truly inhumane in paradox with the song’s background keys, not to mention how thunderous the kitchen crafted by Joshua and Siebe is, whereas in The Glutton we face wicked lyrics barked by Wouter (“In the absence of daylight / We lay dying in the palm of the promised land / Where failure meets hate and mercilessness / Dominated by the sick and the cold / These barren grounds were always welcoming the nomads we are / An eternity of dying is nothing -Death is our womb”) amidst a furious Symphonic Deathcore madness.

Then the band’s stringed trio formed of Santy, Joris and Joshua will make your head tremble with their venomous riffs and bass lines in Monopoly Of Violence while Siebe keeps pounding his drums nonstop, followed by the demented The Grand Mouth Of Hell, most probably their darkest creation to date, showcasing all of their talent, rage and passion for extreme music spearheaded by the hellish gnarls by Wouter and the always piercing riffage by Santy and Joris. In Devourer Of Memories the band offers us all another round of their acid words (“This inexorable wind collects the lives of the lost and the wandering / Spreading sorrow and despondency / Whilst offering salvation through the breath of extinction / Reaching out her cold hands to deliver and ensure the loss of our cherished and beloved”) spiced up by their sick, heavy-as-hell sound, while ending the album we have the melancholic and atmospheric outro In Alle Stilte (or “in complete silence” from Dutch), with its delicate background sounds walking hand in hand with the words declaimed by Wouter.

The talented and hard working guys from When Plagues Collide are waiting for you with their undisputed Symphonic Deathcore on Facebook and on Instagram, and you can also stream all of their creations on Spotify. Furthermore, above all that, don’t forget to purchase a copy of the breathtaking An Unbiblical Paradigm from Apple Music, or click HERE for all things When Plagues Collide. It’s simply amazing to witness the growth of When Plagues Collide from their previous effort Tutor of the Dying to the sensational An Unbiblical Paradigm, positioning those Belgian metallers as one of the references in Symphonic Deathcore worldwide and, consequently, giving us several reasons to keep banging our heads and raising our horns to their first-class music.

Best moments of the album: Death In Progress, God Complex and The Grand Mouth Of Hell.

Worst moments of the album: I think In Alle Stilte could have been placed before Devourer Of Memories, which would have given the album a much more climatic ending.

Released in 2023 Necktwister/Sonic Rendezvous

Track listing
1. Converted Into Cipher 3:52
2. Death In Progress 5:03
3. God Complex 3:25
4. The Glutton 3:38
5. Monopoly Of Violence 4:23
6. The Grand Mouth Of Hell 4:33
7. Devourer Of Memories 4:39
8. In Alle Stilte 2:46

Band members
Wouter Dergez – vocals
Santy Van der Mieren – guitar
Joris Dergez – guitar
Joshua Kinsbergen – bass
Siebe Hermans – drums

Guest musician
Sven de Caluwé – additional vocals on “Death In Progress”

Album Review – Aborted / La Grande Mascarade EP (2020)

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Belgium’s own Death Metal trailblazers return with a three-track EP that will take you on a frantic journey through the realms of brutality and violence.

Forged in the fires of Waereghem, a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders, in the distant year of 1995, but currently featuring members from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States, the unrelenting Brutal Death Metal trailblazers Aborted have just released a pummeling new three-track EP entitled La Grande Mascarade, containing two brand new tracks plus one previously unreleased song from the recording sessions of their 2018 album TerrorVision. Produced, mixed and mastered by Kristian ‘Kohle’ Kohlmannslehner at Kohlekeller Studio and featuring  a cadaverous artwork by Mitchell Nolte, La Grande Mascarade will take you on an 11-minute infernal journey through the realms of Death Metal and Grindcore ruled by Aborted, showcasing all the talent and fury exhaled by frontman Sven De Caluwe and his henchmen Harrison Patuto and Ian Jekelis on the guitars, Stefano Franceschini on bass and Ken Bedene on drums, leaving us all eager for more of their extreme sounds in a not-so-distant future.

And otherworldly voices kick off the brutal and visceral opening tune Gloom and the Art of Tribulation, exploding into a feast of modern-day Death Metal infused with Deathcore and Grindcore elements where Sven roars and barks like a true beast while Harrison and Ian are venomous with their riffs. Needless to say, this will undoubtedly be a fantastic addition to their live performances, not to mention the impact of its psychological lyrics on our minds (“Trauma sets in / Mesmerized by the hell I created / Swallowed whole by the darkness that lives within me / Architect of my spiritual undoing / Lover to misery”). Following such beautiful start they offer more of their trademark progressiveness and rage in another grim and cryptic song titled Serpent of Depravity, with Ken’s intricate and fulminating beats being perfectly complemented by the scorching riffs fired by the band’s guitar duo in a hybrid of Groove and Progressive Death Metal. And lastly, we’re treated to Funereal Malediction, a pure, hellish Death Metal and Grindcore devastation where Stefano and Ken make the foundations of the earth tremble with their respective weapons while Sven sounds absolutely berserk and demented on vocals. This amazing composition couldn’t have sounds more infernal than what it already does, with the complexity of their riffage and drums being beyond amazing and, therefore, resulting in a vile conclusion to the album.

This short but very entertaining (and obviously demolishing) display of Brutal Death Metal can be appreciated in its entirety on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course, as we’re all living through such difficult times, we metalheads must stay together and provide the bands we love our true support by purchasing their music and merch, which in the case of Aborted can be done by clicking HERE or HERE. Also, don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram (in case you don’t do that already), letting them know how much you enjoy their sonic devastation and inspiring them to provide us more and more albums and EP’s like La Grande Mascarade, keeping the fires of extreme music burning and, consequently, keeping us all with a huge smile on our faces (and a lot of pain in our necks due to some brutal headbanging).

Best moments of the album: Funereal Malediction.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Gloom and the Art of Tribulation 4:38
2. Serpent of Depravity 3:21
3. Funereal Malediction 3:50

Band members
Sven De Caluwe – vocals
Harrison Patuto – guitar
Ian Jekelis – guitar
Stefano Franceschini – bass
Ken Bedene – drums