This Canadian horde is offering us all the Songs of the Dead in their new opus, a fusion of ripping Thrash Metal and abrasive Black Metal.
Formed in 2011 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, the unrelenting Blackened Thrash Metal horde known as Torrefy has just unleashed upon humanity their fourth full-length beast, titled Necronomisongs, following up on their 2020 album Life Is Bad. Recorded by Torrefy and Cody Baresich at Circle A Studios, mixed by Cody Baresich, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, and displaying a cadaverous artwork by Blackstory, the new album by John Ferguson on vocals, Adam Henry and Ben Gerencser on the guitars, Simon Smith on bass, and Daniel Laughy on drums brings to our avid ears ripping Thrash Metal and abrasive Black Metal as its prime elements, yet the band’s self-described unorthodox approach to composition has paid big dividends, as the album slashes, burns, and genre-bends with unhinged ferocity, all without sacrificing an ounce of memorability.
Of Wind and Worm offers a ruthless attack from the very first second, with a demonic roar by John already welcoming everyone to the band’s thrashing extravaganza while the wicked solos by Adam bring an extra dosage of fury to their sound. Adam and Ben put the pedal to the metal in Street Reaper, with the support of the rumbling bass and drums by Simon and Daniel, respectively, resulting in a sulfurous display of Thrash Metal by the band, followed by Corpseback Rider, portraying a beautiful name for a heavy and grim creation by Torrefy, with the deep gnarls by John sounding inhumane. And Arachnomancer starts in an eerie way, kinda jazzy to the low-tuned bass by Simon, exploding into a Skeletonwitch-like sound to the massive, venomous beats by Daniel.
Back to a more infernal sonority, the band will crush our damned souls to pieces in Enslaved New World, a true Blackened Thrash Metal beast where John’s demented vociferations are nicely supported by the riff, bass and drum hurricane crafted by his bandmates, whereas Nature Vs Torture is another song with a very peculiar name surpassing the six-minute mark, with the strident and piercing riffs by Adam and Ben sounding absolutely thrashy and vile. Those guys certainly know how to name their songs in a fun way, which is the case with Apex Shredatorr, and the song’s epic, somber intro once again evolves into a metallic party by the band, showcasing their love for the riff and sheer violence. And last but not least, the band ventures through more melodic lands in Total Perspective Vortex without forgetting their usual rage and heaviness, and the final result is perfect for some action inside the pit with Daniel dictating the pace with his intricate beats and fills.
You can join the dark side of Thrash Metal by listening to Necronomisongs in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram to stay updated with all of their news and tour dates, and of course, by purchasing their sulfurous new opus from their own BandCamp page, from the Witches Brew webstore, or by clicking HERE. The Necronomicon might be the Book of the Dead, but let’s say Torrefy are bringing to our putrid ears the Songs of the Dead with their caustic new album, and you better be ready because once you start listening to it, you’ll begin your one-way descent into the underworld.
Best moments of the album:Of Wind and Worm, Enslaved New World and Total Perspective Vortex.
Worst moments of the album:Arachnomancer.
Released in 2024 Witches Brew
Track listing 1. Of Wind and Worm 5:34
2. Street Reaper 4:18
3. Corpseback Rider 4:38
4. Arachnomancer 5:49
5. Enslaved New World 5:48
6. Nature Vs Torture 6:20
7. Apex Shredatorr 6:06
8. Total Perspective Vortex 6:25
Band members John Ferguson – vocals
Adam Henry – lead guitar
Ben Gerencser – rhythm guitar
Simon Smith – bass
Daniel Laughy – drums
Five excellent bands of the current Thrash and Death Metal scene led by the all-female beast Nervosa brought the Great American Jailbreak to Toronto on a night of pure underground madness.
Just one day after the incredible Sepultura concert in Toronto, it was time to head back into the battlefield (aka circle pit) for THE GREAT AMERICAN JAILBREAK TOUR 2024 with NERVOSA, LICH KING, HATRIOT, DUSKWALKER and PROSPECTS, who despite having the fierce “competition” of Skeletal Remains and Bewitcher at the exact same date and time at The Rockpile, put on an amazing show to a small but unstoppable crowd at Hard Luck Bar. In addition, all those shows happening at the same time in the city forced Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I to divide and conquer, but while he was covering the show at The Rockpile I fortunately had the support of the amazing metal photographer Afrida Nawar, which is why you’re seeing some classy photos of the night instead of my terrible mobile ones. Once again due to work commitments I missed the show by Toronto’s own Progressive Metal band PROSPECTS, and again I have no idea which songs they played, but if you’re curious about their music you can find them on Spotify and on BandCamp. Spoiler alert, they’re awesome.
Band members Robert Medeiros – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Jerry Zhang – guitar
Matthew Lothian – bass
Anthony Zicari – drums
As mentioned, the venue wasn’t even half full when Niagara Falls-based Thrash/Death Metal act DUSKWALKER kicked off their frantic, heavy-as-hell and devilish show, with their frontman Joey Scaringi roaring nonstop and with a lot of passion as if he was playing in front of a sold out arena with 20,000 fans watching him. Well, those guys simply love the underground from the bottom of their hearts, which is more than explicit in their new album Underground Forever (available in full on Spotify), and that energy translated into a small but most excellent mosh pit during their entire set. The title-track for their new album, Underground Forever, sounded amazing live, with the band demanding us all to raise our fists and horns in the name of our beloved underground scene. Duskwalker are a killer crew, and I can’t wait to see what they can do in front of a bigger audience, opening for a band like Exodus or Death Angel, for example.
Setlist Crippled at the Core
Shadowcreeper
The Loss
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’
Vanquisher
Underground Forever
The Crawling Tongue
Band members Joey Scaringi – vocals
John Robinson – guitars
John Neadow – bass
Cale Costello – drums
Speaking of Exodus, the third band of the night was formed of brothers Cody and Nick Souza, sons of the legendary Exodus frontman Steve “Zetro” Souza, plus Kosta V. and Miguel Esparza on the guitars, collectively known as California’s Melodic Death/Thrash Metal beast HATRIOT, and holy shit, what an amazing performance by one of the most hardworking bands of the current American scene. Playing basically songs form their 2022 album The Vale of Shadows (available on Spotify), with Horns & Halos, Clemency Denied and Hymn for the Wicked sounding absolutely demented, plus the excellent new song Forest of Illusion, the entire band sounded ruthless on stage, with Cody not only blasting inhumane screams (like an even more demonic version of his amazing father), but also showing how much the entire band loves the underground, just like Duskwalker, thanking us all for another unforgettable night in Canada for them. Those boys are an incredible live act, and if you have a chance to see them live don’t think twice and simply go for it, getting ready for an intense night of mosh pits, blast beats and crazy screams.
Setlist Horns & Halos
Delete
Forest of Illusion
Clemency Denied
Ethereal Nightmare
Hymn for the Wicked
Band members Cody Souza – vocals, bass
Kosta V. – guitars
Miguel Esparza – guitars
Nick Souza – drums
Another quick break and it was time for Amherst, Massachusetts-based Thrash Metal/Crossover brigade LICH KING to show us all why they’re considered one of the precious gems of the underground scene, a cult band that always delivers an endless amount of adrenaline on stage for the lovers of our gold old Thrash Metal. In 2015, original vocalist Tom Martin stopped performing with the band, remaining a “shadowy puppetmaster”, writing the band’s material and running things; in addition, their last official release dates way back to 2017, the excellent The Omniclasm (available on both Spotify and BandCamp), which means there’s nothing new from those guys since then. Do you think that means their show was weak or lame? Quite the contrary, it was total anarchy led by their unstoppable frontman Zach Smith, and the band also had the support of Cody Souza of Hatriot on bass as their bassist Mike Dreher could not join the band here in Toronto. Everyone at the pub simply loved each and every second of their show, leaving us all eager for more Lich King in the near future, and more than pumped for the main attraction of the night.
Setlist All Hail
Attack of the Wrath of the War of the Death of the Strike of the Sword of the Blood of the Beast
In the End, Devastation
Lich King V: Stalemate
Crossover Songs Are Too Damn Short
Waste
Combat Mosh
We Came to Conquer
Band members Zach Smith – vocals
Nick Timney – lead guitars
Joe Nickerson – rhythm guitars
Cody Souza – bass
Brian Westbrook – drums
A lot has changed for the beyond talented and hardworking Prika Amaral and her Thrash/Death Metal creature NERVOSA since the last time they played in Toronto opening for Destruction in 2022. Now with a completely different lineup, including Prika being now responsible not only for the guitars, but also for the vocal duties, the now half-Brazilian, half-Greek band formed of Prika alongside Helena Kotina on the guitars, Hel Pyre on bass and Gabriela Abud on drums sounds even more infuriate than before, which can easily be seen in their 2023 album Jailbreak, available on Spotify and on BandCamp. As a matter of fact, due to personal reasons, Hel Pyre could not join the band on this North American tour, being replaced (at least in Toronto) by the beautiful Natalie Nova, vocalist for Los Angeles, California-based Heavy/Groove Metal band Beyond the Roots, who by the way spent pretty much the entire time the opening bands were playing together with fans at the floor section, dancing, headbanging and enjoying some good underground heavy music nonstop.
And Prika, Helena, Natalie and Gabriela simply destroyed on stage, sounding amazing from the first notes of Seed of Death until the very last seconds of Endless Ambition. There were mosh pits, horns being raised everywhere, fans screaming the lyrics together with the band, and so on, with things getting even more serious during true bangers like Death!, Kill the Silence, Kill or Die, and my two favorite songs of the night, Jailbreak and Guided by Evil. Prika promised the band will return to Toronto sooner than later, and I really hope next time they get a much bigger crowd because they definitely deserve it. After their electrifying show was over, I had the pleasure of briefly chatting with Prika, who was very humble and thanked me (an everyone else) for attending the show and supporting Nervosa. To be fair, I was the one who wanted to thank her and the girls for such an awesome night, and despite being tired for back to back shows with amazing bands the likes of Obituary and Sepultura on one night and Nervosa on the next, a good dosage of Death and Thrash Metal like what the girls provided us with this Thursday night is exactly what we all needed to regain our strength and keep headbanging nonstop in the name of live music.
Setlist Seed of Death
Behind the Wall
Death!
Nail the Coffin
Kill the Silence
Perpetual Chaos
Venomous
Ungrateful
Masked Betrayer
Under Ruins
Kill or Die
Jailbreak
Guided by Evil
Endless Ambition
Band members Prika Amaral – vocals, guitars
Helena Kotina – guitars
Natalie Nova – bass
Gabriela Abud – drums
I personally do not trust any farewell tours, because let’s be honest, all bands that scheduled farewell tours kept touring for years and years after that, and some are still touring. Anyway, if this was the last time the city of Toronto ever saw Brazilian metal titans SEPULTURA on stage, alongside OBITUARY, AGNOSTIC FRONT and HARVEST during their CELEBRATING LIFE THROUGH DEATH NORTH AMERICAN FAREWELL TOUR 2024 at Rebel, let’s say they’re going down in style, as it was an amazing night celebrating their impressive 40 years of career. I just have zero idea if the concert by Minneapolis, Minnesota-based Hardcore outfit HARVEST was good or not as I couldn’t make it in time for that. Well, for most of the tour the opening act was Brazilian Death/Thrash Metal veterans Claustrofobia, which would have been a lot more appealing to me, but I’m pretty sure Harvest put on a very decent show this Wednesday night. I don’t know their setlist, nor their lineup, but if you want to know more about them you can find their music on Spotify and on BandCamp, and of course enjoy the nice shots Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi took of their performance.
I might have missed the entire show by Harvest, but I was lucky enough to get to Rebel a few minutes before New York City’s own Hardcore Punk legends AGNOSTIC FRONT hit the stage for a solid and electrifying concert, igniting some sick mosh pits led by the band’s iconic frontman Roger Miret. My brother and a few of his friends are huge fans of Agnostic Front, so it was a pleasure for me to watch them live for the first time ever, playing some classic punk songs like For My Family and Gotta Go, therefore keeping the action flowing frantically inside the circle pit. I don’t remember exactly which song this happened, but one of their guitarists got down to the floor section in the middle of the circle pit while fans kept running around him, which was a really nice touch to their show in my opinion. I also saw part of their show form the back as I was in line to grab a Sepultura shirt, and I gotta say the quality of the sound way back was excellent, just like in every single show at Rebel.
Setlist The Good, The Bad And The Ugly Theme
AF Stomp
The Eliminator
Dead to Me
New Jack
For My Family
Friend or Foe
Toxic Shock
Victim in Pain
All Is Not Forgotten
Peace
Gotta Go
Addiction
Band members Roger Miret – lead vocals
Vinnie Stigma – lead guitar, backing vocals
Craig Silverman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Mike Gallo – bass, backing vocals
Danny Lamagna – drums
One year and a few months after their demolishing headlining show in Toronto, Florida’s own Death Metal machine OBITUARY kicked the city in the ass again without a single drop of mercy with a killer performance as the more-than-special openers for Sepultura, and it felt almost like a headlining show because the band spearheaded by the Tardy Brothers had a lot of time to distill their undisputed blend of heavy music for the delight of their fans. All songs sounded extremely heavy, thunderous and ruthless, including The Wrong Time, War, and Dying of Everything, from their 2023 beast Dying of Everything, and when the band started playing their all-time classic Slowly We Rot it was absolute anarchy inside the circle pit. The guys from Obituary surely love Toronto from the bottom of their hearts, and I bet it won’t take long for John, Donald & Co. to attack us again with their redneck-infused Death Metal.
Setlist Snortin’ Whiskey (Pat Travers song)
Redneck Stomp
Threatening Skies
By the Light
The Wrong Time
Deadly Intentions
Chopped in Half / Turned Inside Out
Solid State
War
Circle of the Tyrants
Dying of Everything
Slowly We Rot
Band members John Tardy – vocals
Kenny Andrews – lead guitars
Trevor Peres – rhythm guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Donald Tardy – drums
In my humble opinion, there was a slight miscalculation in the time each band was going to start their show, because by the time the speakers started playing War Pigs, followed by Polícia, it was already close to 10pm, which means it was getting REALLY late for a full-bodied concert like the one we got from Brazil’s one and only Thrash/Groove Metal institution SEPULTURA. That wasn’t a big issue, though, because as soon as the band kicked off their metallic ceremony with the classics Refuse/Resist and Territory, everyone forgot it was a Wednesday night and decided to slam into the pit, jump up and down, raise their fists and scream the lyrics to all songs together with the band. Their setlist was a thing of beauty, including songs from pretty much all of their albums, therefore properly celebrating 40 years of existence. Songs like Attitude, Choke, Dead Embryonic Cells, Orgasmatron and Troops of Doom sounded perfect for some vigorous headbanging and circle pit action, plus of course the beauty of the tribal beats of Kaiowas.
One of the new “features” of a Sepultura show these days is the addition of the very young and insanely talented Greyson Nekrutman on drums. Known first and foremost as a jazz drummer from New York, he was recruited by Andreas Kisser himself to take care of some of the most iconic beats in the history of heavy music, and oh boy, he kicked some serious ass on stage, proving why he was the chosen one to be the band’s new drummer. And it felt like Derrick, Andreas, Paulo and Greyson got even more infuriated and sharp during the last part of the show, blasting our minds with the all-time classics Inner Self, Arise, Ratamahatta and Roots Bloody Roots, the last one of course inspiring everyone at the venue to jump and scream together like a true “Sepultribe”, putting a beyond climatic ending to their show. Let’s see what happens next with Sepultura, if they’ll call it quits for good, or if we’ll see a return to the stages in the next few years. Well, just like Slayer, hopefully we’ll see Sepultura back sooner than later because they still have a lot of fuel to burn, and the city of Toronto would definitely love to host “Sepultura do Brasil” again in the near future.
Setlist War Pigs (Black Sabbath song)
Polícia (Titãs song)
Refuse/Resist
Territory
Kairos
Phantom Self
Attitude
Means to an End
Choke
Guardians of Earth
Breed Apart
Escape to the Void
Kaiowas
Dead Embryonic Cells
Agony of Defeat
Orgasmatron
Troops of Doom
Inner Self
Arise
Ratamahatta
Roots Bloody Roots
Band members Derrick Green – lead vocals
Andreas Kisser – guitars, backing vocals
Paulo Jr. – bass
Greyson Nekrutman – drums
The city of Toronto had the ultimate pleasure of hosting a lesson in insanity, circle pits and walls of death by three of the most iconic Thrash Metal bands of all time.
The third night of the week with a massive metal concert including several amazing bands was simply exhausting, but in a very good way, of course. After all mosh pits faced on Monday and on Tuesday, this Thursday night in Toronto was reserved for a lesson in insanity, circle pits and walls of death by the iconic metal giants POSSESSED, KREATOR and TESTAMENT, during their Toronto stop of their undisputed Klash of the Titans North America 2024 Tour, another event brilliantly organized by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were at History to cover such a pulverizing show, but of course due to the ridiculous traffic at the QEW I missed San Francisco, California’s own Death/Thrash Metal legends POSSESSED. I’m getting truly frustrated every single time I need to drive downtown for concerts because the QEW is getting worse and worse day after day, and by the time I get to the venues my energy is drained.
Well, Keith said they simply destroyed everything and everyone on stage, igniting some sick mosh pits right from the beginning, and I can imagine how amazing it was as they closed their set with the classic Death Metal, from their 1985 cult album Seven Churches. After their show, the band’s frontman Jeff Becerra spent a lot of time (and I mean A LOT) at their merch booth chatting with each and every fan that wanted to meet him in person. I always say things like that are what make some bands special, and Jeff and his Possessed are definitely in the hearts of their Torontonian fans forever not only due to their first-class, undisputed heavy music, but also by showing everyone how human, humble and polite they are, and I’ll make a promise to myself that next time Possessed take the city of Toronto by storm, I’ll do whatever it takes to be there in time to see them kicking ass on stage.
Setlist Pentagram
Ritual
Tribulation
Graven
The Exorcist
Demon
Death Metal
Swing of the Axe
Band members Jeff Becerra – vocals
Daniel Gonzalez – guitars
Claudeous Creamer – guitars
Robert Cardenas – bass, backing vocals
Chris Aguirre II – drums
I might have missed the mighty Possessed, but fortunately I made it in time for German Thrash Metal steamroller KREATOR, who were absolutely ruthless throughout their entire show. The setlist this Thursday was not very different from their 2023 show in Toronto alongside Sepultura, but who cares? It was an avalanche of massive, high-octane thrashing hymns for the delight of all fans of one of the most important metal bands in history. It was total madness right from the very first seconds of their now classic song Hate Über Alles, from their 2022 album Hate Über Alles, driving fans wild inside the nonstop circle pit that took most of the floor section at History. There were several walls of death as well, all led by the one and only Mille Petrozza, who seems to feed from the action happening inside the pit to play better and better as the concert progresses.
Also, I gotta say that playing Enemy of God, 666 – World Divided and Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite) in sequence, and closing the show with Violent Revolution and Pleasure to Kill, is definitely not for the lighthearted. It’s a very demanding show, and only the strongest of the strong can survive over one hour of pure Teutonic thrash. Not only that, their stage was also darkly beautiful, with the giant demons on both sides plus the one behind the drums (needless to say, I would love to have one of those) giving the whole show an even more demonic vibe, which could clearly be seen during their blasphemous hymn Satan Is Real. Kreator are one of those bands I would go see live every week or even every day if I could, because they always deliver, never sounding tired of bored, therefore bringing absolute chaos to our damned hearts.
Setlist Run to the Hills Sergio Corbucci Is Dead
Hate Über Alles
Phobia
Enemy of God
666 – World Divided
Hordes of Chaos (A Necrologue for the Elite)
Hail to the Hordes
Betrayer
Satan Is Real Mars Mantra
Phantom Antichrist
Strongest of the Strong
Terrible Certainty The Patriarch
Violent Revolution
Pleasure to Kill Apocalypticon Satan Is Real (Maria Nicolaides country version)
Band members Miland “Mille” Petrozza – vocals, guitar
Sami Yli-Sirniö – guitar
Frédéric Leclercq – bass
Jürgen “Ventor” Reil – drums
It was getting relatively late, already close to 10pm (and I was exhausted from a very busy week), but that didn’t mean all fans at History didn’t have any energy left for the melodic massacre blasted by Oakland, California’s undisputed thrash titans TESTAMENT. I honestly though my favorite drummer of all time Dave Lombardo was still with the band (and maybe I should have researched it better prior to the show), but to my surprise the drums are now in the hands of Chris Dovas, of bands like Unflesh and Evulsion (and you should definitely listen to both, as they’re insane). Now I can say he’s the perfect replacement for titans like Gene Hoglan and Dave Lombardo, simply smashing his drums nonstop and, consequently, giving more fuel for the fans to keep running around inside the circle pit. In addition, their entire setlist was comprised of songs form their old school classics The Legacy (1987) and The New Order (1988), just to give you an idea of how heavy, fast and electrifying the whole concert was.
Songs like The New Order, Trial by Fire, Alone in the Dark, and in special Disciples of the Watch and Into the Pit were phenomenal, with Chuck Billy barking in our faces nonstop and demanding we didn’t stop moshing not even for a single second. I was mesmerized as usual by Alex Skolnick on the guitar, because amidst such a hurricane of heavy and fast-paced tunes, he kept delivering clean, stunning solos in all songs. He’s by far one of the best metal guitarists out there, and his unique, striking technique brings endless beauty and energy to Testament’s violence. In the end, we were all extremely satisfied (and tired, of course) with an overdose of classic Thrash Metal by all three bands, and as Chuck Billy said, I can’t wait for their return to the city already with a new (and most probably incendiary) album in hands.
Setlist (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
Eerie Inhabitants
The New Order
Apocalyptic City
Raging Waters
The Preacher
The Haunting
Trial by Fire
Drum Solo
First Strike Is Deadly
A Day of Reckoning
Alone in the Dark
Do or Die
Disciples of the Watch
Over the Wall
Into the Pit Foreplay
Band members Chuck Billy – vocals
Eric Peterson – guitar
Alex Skolnick – guitar
Steve Di Giorgio – bass
Chris Dovas – drums
Do you know what Monday night means in Toronto? It means mosh pit night, which was exactly what we all got during the amazing HATEBREED: 30th ANNIVERSARY TOUR with HATEBREED, CARCASS, HARMS WAY and CRYPTA, another insane event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. The venue chosen for such a fun night of extreme music was Rebel, which despite being too far from everything in the city (plus the ridiculous parking cost of over $30), provides fans with an amazing view of the lake and the city, and this Monday night the weather was just perfect for some nice photos of the sunset. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover the entire party, and let me tell you that although I did not enter any mosh pits due to work commitments on Tuesday (yes, I’m getting old), I got tired just by seeing the nonstop action inside the pit during the performances of all bands.
The first band of the night was by far my favorite, and they kicked some serious ass to a half empty venue (due to the time the show started, not because of the quality of the band, of course) without caring at all about all those empty spaces. I’m talking about Fernanda Lira, Tainá Bergamaschi, Jéssica di Falchi and Luana Dametto, collectively known as São Paulo, Brazil-based Death/Thrash Metal brigade CRYPTA, and let me tell you that those girls sounded absolutely ruthless, heavy, evil and vibrant during their short but sensational performance. It was their first time ever playing in Canada, and their excitement was visible not only on their faces, but also on their playing, as they sounded extremely tight and visceral until the very last second. Almost all songs played, including the excellent The Other Side of Anger, Lord of Ruins and The Outsider, were from their 2023 beast Shades of Sorrow, plus the closing song from their 2021 debut Echoes of the Soul, the violent From the Ashes, my favorite of the night (and you can listen to all of them on Spotify, by the way). I was simply dying to meet the girls at their merch booth after their show, but for some reason they didn’t show up there. Well, maybe next time, because I’m sure they’ll return to Toronto sooner than later to spread their evil and aggressive sounds to us avid fans.
Setlist The Aftermath
The Other Side of Anger
Lord of Ruins
The Outsider
Trial of Traitors
From the Ashes The Closure
Band members Fernanda Lira – vocals, bass
Tainá Bergamaschi – guitars
Jéssica di Falchi – guitars
Luana Dametto – drums
The good thing about Rebel is that their outdoor area is a thing of beauty, where you can have a beer, smoke a cigarette or a joint, chat with friends and enjoy the view of Toronto at night, and because of that I missed the first few seconds of the concert by Chicago, Illinois’s own Hardcore Punk outfit HARMS WAY. Spearheaded by the charismatic and unstoppable frontman James Pligge, the band delivered an overdose of aggression and fury to the crowd, igniting some sick mosh pits while all band members didn’t stop jumping around the stage. Blending songs form their 2023 album Common Suffering, like Sadist Guilt and Devour, with older songs (all available on Spotify as well), the band kept the energy built by Crypta flowing in great fashion, and although I knew almost nothing about those guys before I must say their live concerts are surely wild. After their gig was over, James himself went to the band’s merch booth and had an amazing interaction with anyone who waited in line to talk to him, even if it was just to say hi and not buy anything. That was very humble of him, and I’m sure there are a lot of new Harms Way fans in Toronto after such a powerful performance by the band in the city.
Setlist Sadist Guilt
Human Carrying Capacity
Terrorizer
Become a Machine
Hollow Cry
Devour
Call My Name
Infestation
Band members James Pligge – lead vocals
Bo Lueders – guitars
Nick Gauthier – guitars
Casey Soyk – bass
Christopher Mills – drums
Another quick bathroom/beer/smoke/chat break, and there they were again to pulverize our souls with their piercing fusion of Melodic Death Metal and Grindcore. Hailing from Liverpool, they might be four lads like The Beatles, but let’s say their music is considerably heavier. This was my third (or fourth, I don’t actually remember anymore) time seeing the mighty CARCASS live, the last one being their headlining show in Toronto in 2023, and their energy Monday night was just as insane as all previous times. The band only stopped a little to ask the crowd to sing happy birthday to guitarist Nippy Blackford, but apart form that it was nonstop circle pit action to tons of classics like Buried Dreams, Incarnated Solvent Abuse, Genital Grinder and Exhume to Consume, with Jeff Walker and Bill Steer sounding so savage as if they were in their early 20’s. My two favorite songs of the night were obviously No Love Lost and Heartwork, which are also my two top Carcass songs ever, and I guess most fans also loved the fact they played both on the same night. It was actually my first time seeing No Love Lost live, and I simply loved it. How long is it going to take for Carcass to get back to Toronto?
Setlist Buried Dreams
Kelly’s Meat Emporium
Incarnated Solvent Abuse
No Love Lost
Death Certificate
Dance of Ixtab (Psychopomp & Circumstance March No. 1 in B)
Genital Grinder
Exhume to Consume
Corporal Jigsore Quandary
Heartwork
Carneous Cacoffiny (Outro)
Band members Jeff Walker – vocals, bass
Bill Steer – guitars, backing vocals
Nippy Blackford – guitars
Daniel Wilding – drums
And last but not least, think of the wildest mosh pit you’ve ever been to, and multiply that by 30. Bridgeport, Connecticut’s Hardcore Punk/Metalcore legends HATEBREED might be the ones celebrating 30 years of existence, but that demented mosh pit feast was their gift to their loyal Torontonian fans during their undisputed performance. As a matter of fact, just before the show started they played a really cool video with lots of celebrities congratulating the band for their 30th anniversary, including Ice-T, Gary Holt, Scott Ian, Brawn Stroman, CM Punk, and many more, showing how much the world loves Hatebreed. I think CM Punk said something in the lines of “whenever I’m tired, I drink coffee and listen to some Hatebreed.”
Jamey Jasta and his crew were even more demented than in 2023 when they demolished The Danforth Music Hall, fueling some of the fastest and wildest circle pits in the history of Hardcore. Their setlist was comprised of killer song after killer song, including Tear It Down, This Is Now, my favorite of their show Destroy Everything, As Diehard as They Come, and many, many more, and their fans, both old and new, were having the time of their lives while trying to survive inside the circle pit. It was so crazy that one of the security girls, one with curly hair (if she ever reads this review), was stunned by all the action going on during the concert. I have no idea what type of music she likes, but one thing I know for sure, and that’s she had zero idea of how crazy a Hatebreed concert can be. Maybe she’ll start listening to them, attend one of their concerts as a fan, and slam into the pit in the coming years, right?
Jamey mentioned several times they were impressed with both the amount of fans and their energy on a Monday night (but hey, Jamey, that’s how passionate the Toronto fans are when it comes to heavy music), and that sonic madness continued until the very last second without a single moment of peace for the delight of everyone at the venue. Were we all exhausted the following morning when we had to wake up early to go to work? Of course, but who cares? When Hatebreed call, we must all go to war inside the mosh pit together with one of the trailblazers of Hardcore. Thank you, Hatebreed, and here’s a toast to another 30 years of first-class Hardcore madness!
Setlist Hatebreed 30th Anniversary Celebrity Intro
Tear It Down
A Call for Blood
This Is Now
Destroy Everything
Empty Promises
To the Threshold
Live for This
Before Dishonor
As Diehard as They Come
Ghosts of War (Slayer cover)
Everyone Bleeds Now
Betrayed by Life
Looking Down the Barrel of Today
Last Breath
Driven by Suffering
Perseverance
Seven Enemies
Proven
I Will Be Heard
Band members Jamey Jasta – vocals
Wayne Lozinak – lead guitar, backing vocals
Frank Novinec – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Chris Beattie – bass
Matt Byrne – drums
Our metal lady of this very special month of October is not called Melissa, she won’t break the oath, and she’s definitely not an uninvited guest. What she will certainly do is kick your damned ass mercilessly to the sound of her rumbling bass, as she was born to sin in the name of our good old Rock N’ Roll. Her name is Rebecca Baldwin, better known as Becky Baldwin, the unstoppable bass player for British Heavy/Thrash Metal act Fury, for the iconic Danish Heavy Metal coven Mercyful Fate, for British Punk Rock band Hands Off Gretel, and of course one of the most famous members of the IMFC, or the Iron Maiden Fan Club. Having said that, get ready to bang your heads and raise your horns together with one of the most badass bass players of the current metal scene worldwide while The Headbanging Moose celebrates 11 years of existence.
Born on April 6, 1991 in Trowbridge, the county town of Wiltshire, England, Becky used to play the piano when she was a child, later picking up the bass as a teenager and beginning to perform with bands at school. In 2009, she moved from Trowbridge to Bristol to study at BIMM Music Institute and became closely involved in the local music scene. Moreover, she holds a BA Honours degree in Professional Musicianship, and now lives in the birthplace of Heavy Metal, Birmingham, a major city in England’s West Midlands region, where metal titans like Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Napalm Death saw the light of day. An energetic live performer and an efficient recording musician who specializes in fingerstyle bass guitar playing, Becky has performed approximately 100 gigs per year since 2012 all over Europe and into the United States, offering her skills for a wide variety of bands including covers and original bands from genres ranging from metal to folk, urban, funk, pop, jazz and more.
At the end of 2017, following a tour where she filled in on bass, Becky joined Worcester, England-based Heavy/Thrash Metal maniacs Fury, having recorded with the band so far the albums The Grand Prize, in 2020, followed by a 2021 live album titled The Grand Prize… Live, and more recently the album Born to Sin, in 2022, as well as several singles including an acoustic version of Dragon’s Song, in 2023, and a re-recording of the song Prince of Darkness, from their 2014 debut The Lightning Dream, earlier this year. Those albums and singles can be found on Spotify or any other streaming platform, and you can also enjoy their official videos on YouTube for the songs Prince of Darkness, If You Get to Hell First, Hell of a Night, and Nowhere To Be Seen, among others. Currently formed of Becky on bass alongside vocalist Nyah Ifill, vocalist and guitarists Julian Jenkins, guitarist Tom Atkinson, and drummer Tom Fenn, the band is always taking stages by storm live as you can see in their official tour page, keeping the spirit of Heavy Metal alive whenever they hit the road.
It was back in 2022, more specifically during Bloodstock, when Becky was waiting to see Mercyful Fate live for the first time in her life, that she was called backstage to meet the band, when she was told that they needed a fill-in bass player for an upcoming North American tour, and that they had seen her bass covers she posts online and thought she would be a good fit for the job. “I had been a fan of Mercyful Fate since my teens, so watching them live, meeting them, and being offered a temporary job with them all in the same day was pretty insane! The tour was unbelievable, definitely a period of time I’m very grateful for!” After that experience playing live with the band in 2022, Mercyful Fate recently announced earlier in 2024 they have officially recruited Becky as a permanent member, making her the first woman to hold the position in the band’s history. “I guess the idea was floating around for a while, but it’s quite recent still, the news that I was going to be permanent in Mercyful Fate,” mentioned Becky in one of her interviews.
Becky also said she’s confident about injecting her own flavor into the basslines for their upcoming album. “I think the songwriting is still gonna be very much King Diamond and Hank Shermann kind of heading up most of that, but definitely writing bass lines. I’ve studied all of Timi’s bass lines very meticulously now, and so I really feel like I can bring some of that into the new bass lines for the next record.” Hence, if you want to take a look at Becky’s playthroughs of classics by Mercyful Fate, you can find on her YouTube channel her videos for Curse of the Pharaohs, A Dangerous Meeting, Black Funeral, Melissa, and Come to the Sabbath, among others, as well as this interview with The Metal Voice where she discusses how she joined the band.
As mentioned, Becky is also the bassist for UK’s own Punk Rock band Hands Off Gretel, and although the band has been on some sort of hiatus since 2021, I believe we can except news from those girls and guys anytime soon, and if you want to enjoy their music while waiting for something new from the band you can check their official YouTube channel, including their fun video for the song S.A.S.S. Apart from Hands Off Gretel, you can find recordings of Becky with her past bands or as a guest musician, some as an online collaborator. For instance, she was part of a Bristol-based Power Metal band named Control the Storm between 2010 and 2016, having recorded with them their 2011 demo and the 2015 album Beast Inside; played bass for a Cardiff, Wales-based Heavy Metal band named Triaxis from 2014 to 2018, recording with them the 2015 album Zero Hour; and played bass with the bands Dorja, from 2015 to 2019, IDestroy, from 2014 to 2018, and Metro 13, between 2013 and 2014 (and you can find lots of videos of Becky playing with those bands on the media page of her official website). In addition, she also played bass live with a band named Proscenium, in 2016, she can be found as a guest bassist for Paul Di’Anno’s Warhorse, or simply Warhorse, having recorded with them the songs Warhorse, Get Get Ready, Go, Stop the War, Here Comes the Night, and Forever Bound, all from their 2024 album Warhorse, and she has also recorded sessions for Total Guitar magazine and the Rockschool exam board (now renamed RSL Awards).
As a renowned member of the IMFC – Iron Maiden Fan Club, Becky was featured on a segment of the website called “Fan of the Week”, where she discussed a little about her passion for the boys. “My family home started getting music channels and Maiden were one of the first classic metal bands I came across. Their music videos for Number of the Beast, Run To The Hills and Can I Play With Madness were on regular rotations on my favourite channels and shows. A few years later I met a friend at school who was a huge fan and showed me more of the back catalogue,” commented Becky, who also said that she saw them live for the first time when she was only 15, in December 2006 on the A Matter of Life and Death tour in Cardiff. “I loved the show, I had never seen visuals and energy on stage like Maiden have. But as a first timer at a Maiden concert I had wished they would play the classics that I had wanted to see for years. Now, I would love to watch them play a full A Matter of Life and Death concert! I guess everyone wants to see their favourites live some time, and when you’re young it’s hard to time it right for your first gig experience!”
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A fan of the band since 2003, with her first album being Fear of the Dark and her favorite song being The Clansman, Becky has already seen them live a few times, including Sonisphere UK in 2010, Hellfest France in 2014, Download UK 2022, and The Future Past Tour in Birmingham this year. Furthermore, she seems to know exactly what makes Iron Maiden so special. “I think it’s the story telling, the history and interesting lyrical subjects that set them apart from every other great metal band. There are loads of bands with equally talented musicians, but something about this formation of people just works. They have a knack for making the lyrics fascinating as well as memorable, and the music catchy enough make you want to join in. And the bass is really loud and has fun parts, which does a lot for me!” Not only that, Becky and her Fury have also played at the Cart & Horses, the birthplace of the band. ” Playing the Cart & Horses ‘The Birthplace of Iron Maiden’ is always a special one for us. It’s a lovely bar full of cool memorabilia, and I love that they have made the basement a dedicated space for live rock music – the area really needed it. The show was completely sold out, and despite some sound issues, everyone seemed to have a great time. I hope the place gets more support as a venue, from both the public and continued support from Maiden themselves!”
A proud endorser of D’Addario Strings, Neural DSP modelers, Darkglass Amps and Alperious Pickguards, Becky owns some really cool equipment, including a Rickenbacker 4003, a Rickenbacker 4001, a Fender Deluxe Jazz V (5 string), a Danelectro Longhorn, a Neural DSP Quad Cortex, a Darkglass AO900 Head + DG212N Cabinet, and D’addario NYXL Strings. “I have six basses altogether, my favourite is my 1977 Rickenbacker 4001, customized with a Seymour Duncan pick up. A lot of people think it’s wrong to modify vintage instruments, but I love that bass and enjoy making it unique in any way that I can.”
She obviously loves Steve Harris, saying he is an iconic bassist and songwriter, and that as a metalhead it’s impossible to escape his influence. “Maiden is one of few bands of their style to keep their bass mixed audibly, and for that I salute them! For a new bass player it can be so hard to figure out what you’re supposed to do, how to play a song when you can’t really hear much. Not a problem for Maiden! Steve certainly influenced my heavy plucking finger style, and I love the chords he does to accent some beats, which most finger style players would avoid. And of course, the occasional bass solo is the icing on the cake!” And if you want to witness her passion for the boys, you can watch this amazing bass playthrough of the classic The Number of the Beast on her YouTube channel, where she uses a Rickenbacker 4001 fitted with Seymour Duncan pickups, strings from D’Addario (NYXL. Gauge 45-105), Microtubes X Ultra, and a scratchplate by Alperious Pickguards.
Becky also teaches bass playing and has a few tutorials on YouTube and on her Patreon, saying she has a few online students doing live Zoom lessons. “I love teaching Maiden basslines, recently I was teaching a student Powerslave which is one of my favourites to play,” said our talented metalhead, who’s also a co-founder of a specialist private tuition company called Bristol Rock Centre, which runs a teaching and rehearsal studio in Mangotsfield, leading workshops with that company. Not only that, she has also aided exam board Rockschool in the writing and proofing of tuition and exam books including Let’s Rock Bass, the Popular Music Theory collection and the 2014 Vocal syllabus, also leading workshops with Rockschool, and having given lectures at BIMM Bristol, ACM Birmingham and Access Creative College. Furthermore, she has received tuition from top musicians such as Stuart Clayton (Carl Palmer Band), Damon Minchella (Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller) and Jim Barr (Portishead, Get The Blessing).
And last but not least, for a number of years Becky was an active member of the Musician’s Union Wales & South West England Regional Committee and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, representing female musicians. As you can see, Becky has been living and breathing music for her entire life, always ready to rock and to support new musicians, and with her undeniable talent and charisma she’s definitely going to become one of the references in bass playing in the world of heavy music really soon. In other words, let’s keep enjoying the thunderous bass by Becky (and you can also support her by purchasing her merch on Big Cartel, or by clicking HERE to know more about her career and her music), and may she keep spreading her wings to all four corners of the earth with Fury, Mercyful Fate, or any other band that’s lucky enough to have her as their bassist.
Behold this beast of an album by one of Finland’s very first Black Metal bands that proves why they are eternal.
Formed in the distant year of 1991 in the land of ice and snow, Helsinki, Finland-based Black/Doom Metal horde Barathrum needs no introduction, remaining as one of Finland’s very first Black Metal bands and, more importantly, one of the longest-running. Now seven years after the release of their 2017 beast Fanatiko, the band comprised of Demonos Sova on vocals, Ruttokieli on lead guitars, Nuklear Tormentörr on bass, and Vendetta on drums returns in full force with their tenth studio album, the highly anticipated metal attack titled Überkill. A no shenanigans, in-your-face blast of extreme music, Überkill proves that the Finns are, above all, a very great Heavy Metal band, just one that’s jet-black, ass-kicking, and bass-driven as fuck. Simple-yet-sublime pleasures, now and forever. Again, Barathrum are eternal!
Death by Steel is absolutely dark and evil from the very first second, with the dirty riffs by Ruttokieli infesting the atmosphere before Demonos Sova attacks with his demonic gnarls; and blending the obscurity of Black Metal with Hardcore and Rock N’ Roll, the band offers the headbanging Mountain of Bones, led by the classic drumming by Vendetta, whereas a wicked intro gradually morphs into the harsh, metallic feast titled Spark Plugs of Purgatory, again with Demonos Sova crushing our damned souls with his goblin-like vociferations. More of their infernal Punk Rock-infused riffs will penetrate deep inside your dirty mind in Black Magick Rites, while Nuklear Tormentörr and Vendetta craft a rumbling base with their respective bass and drums, and investing in a much darker sound we have Ritual Murder, with Nuklear Tormentörr hammering his bass manically until the music evolves into an absolute chaotic vibe perfect for slamming into the pit.
White Red Black and Pale is another rock and metal extravaganza by those Finnish blasphemers led by the venomous gnarls by Demonos Sova, sounding slow, steady and evil from start to finish, followed by Denial of God, a beautiful name for another impious tune by Barathrum, offering our putrid ears an overdose of harsh sounds while Vendetta pounds his drums in the name of old school Black and Thrash Metal. It’s then time for seven minutes of sheer obscurity and blasphemy in the form of Dark Sorceress, where the cryptic, ritualistic vocals by Demonos Sova match flawlessly with the Doom Metal-inspired sounds blasted by his bandmates, and closing the album we’re treated to the venomous sounds of the title-track Überkill, oozing Barathrum from the very first second, with Ruttokieli stealing the spotlight armed with his wicked, scorching riffs.
Evil has many forms as people like to say, and after listening to Überkill you’ll quickly realize Barathrum are definitely one of the manifestations of everything that’s immoral, sinful and blasphemous. That means they more than nailed it with Überkill, and if you want to join one of the most important hordes in the history of Finnish Black Metal you can start following the band on Facebook, stream their hellish creations on Spotify or any other streaming service, and above all that, purchase their incendiary new spawn from their own BandCamp page or from the KVLT shop. Überkill is the perfect example as to why Barathrum are still alive and kicking (and therefore haunting our damned souls) after so many decades, and I bet those devilish creatures will keep on decimating us all with their undisputed extreme music for many years to come with amazing albums like their newborn beast.
Best moments of the album:Spark Plugs of Purgatory, Ritual Murder and Überkill.
Worst moments of the album:White Red Black and Pale.
Released in 2024 Hammer of Hate
Track listing 1. Death by Steel 4:32
2. Mountain of Bones 4:33
3. Spark Plugs of Purgatory 4:00
4. Black Magick Rites 3:22
5. Ritual Murder 3:44
6. White Red Black and Pale 4:24
7. Denial of God 3:45
8. Dark Sorceress 7:06
9. Überkill 4:59
Band members Demonos Sova – vocals
Ruttokieli – lead guitars, backing vocals
Nuklear Tormentörr – bass
Vendetta – drums
This old school beast will attack once again with their brand new album, a revelation for the black-hearted survivors of this diseased and treacherous world, the true nemesis of pseudo-rebellious Heavy Metal.
An expression in Latin meaning “to rise up to attack”, Adorior are a Black and Death Metal beast formed in 1994 in London, England that has always been the essence and the epitome of Extreme Heavy Metal. Now, after nearly two decades, this avalanche of fist-fucking, speed-thrashing, pitch-black death is about to bury the conformist and comfortable dreamland of nowadays domesticated metal culture with their new album titled Bleed on My Teeth, a nightmare absolute, the true nemesis of pseudo-rebellious Heavy Metal. Recorded and mixed by Greg Chandler at Priory Recording Studios, mastered by Patrick Engel at Temple of Disharmony, and displaying a demonic artwork by Belial NecroArts, the new opus by vocalist Jaded Lungs, guitarists T. Slutsodomizer and S. Assassinator, bassist R.C., and drummer D. Molestör has a lot of dirt under its fingernails, but it finally reanimates the corpse of mind-fucking, repulsive and dangerous music serving the devil, without giving an inch to newer, shitty genre definitions.
Like a train directly from hell the quintet arrives in full force in Begrime Judas, blending Black and Death Metal with endless sulfur and rebelliousness led by the she-demon vocals by Jaded Lungs, not to mention its scorching thrashing riffs; and the rumbling bass by R.C. kicks off the also demented Ophidian Strike, with the galloping drums by D. Molestör inspiring us all to bang our heads nonstop before exploding into a demented feast of old school Black Metal. Once again adding an endless amount of Thrash Metal and Hardcore elements to their core essence we’re treated to L.O.T.P. – Vomit Vomit Vomit Bastard, while D. Molestör crushes his drums in the most visceral Death Metal way imaginable, whereas in Precipice of Fire the band offers more of the guitar madness blasted by T. Slutsodomizer and S. Assassinator, resulting in an infernal metal attack that sounds like it was taken directly from the 80’s.
Jaded Lungs is a beast incarnate in the seven-minute aria of hell titled Sips of Sarin, where her bandmates blast their sonic weapons in the name of evil, allowing her to scream and gnarl with tons of despair, therefore turning it into one of the best moments of the album. It’s quite interesting how all of their songs go beyond the five or six minute mark, and Scavengers of Vengeance couldn’t have been any different than that, sounding insane from start to finish thanks to the slashing riffage by the band’s guitar duo, whereas the second to last blast of old school blasphemy by Adorior is entitled Moment of Mania, with Jaded Lungs gnarling rabidly amidst a hurricane of chaotic, demented sounds blasted by her bandmates, and with the sound of their riffs being a thing of beauty. Lastly, let’s all face almost seven minutes of impious, sulfurous Death and Thrash Metal made in the UK in the title-track Bleed on My Teeth, with D. Molestör sounding ruthless on drums and, consequently, putting a beyond infernal conclusion to the band’s blackened death and thrash attack.
Bleed on my Teeth is a revelation for the black-hearted survivors of this diseased and treacherous world, and you will certainly feel this record like it has been tattooed into your bones, but if you don’t, then fuck off and pray that you never will. Hence, keep an eye on their Facebook for news and tour dates, stream their depraved creations on Spotify, and grab a copy of the sulfurous Bleed on my Teeth from their own BandCamp page, from the Sepulchral Voice’s BandCamp page, or from the Dark Descent Records webstore as a digisleeve CD, a black LP, a red and black LP, or a cassette. Adorior are still alive and kicking after so many decades on the road, and you better be prepared for their ruthless attack to the sound of their high-octane, unfiltered new album as you’re quickly consumed by evil.
Best moments of the album:Ophidian Strike, Precipice of Fire and Sips of Sarin.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 Dark Descent Records/Sepulchral Voice
Track listing 1. Begrime Judas 5:55
2. Ophidian Strike 5:33
3. L.O.T.P. – Vomit Vomit Vomit Bastard 6:16
4. Precipice of Fire 5:40
5. Sips of Sarin 7:08
6. Scavengers of Vengeance 6:29
7. Moment of Mania 5:52
8. Bleed on My Teeth 6:51
Band members
Jaded Lungs – vocals
T. Slutsodomizer – guitars
S. Assassinator – guitars
R.C. – bass
D. Molestör – drums
One of the most important Thrash Metal bands to ever arise form the UK is back in action with a caustic new album, their hymn to a dying world, their soundtrack to the end of days.
We live in dark times; times of war, pandemics, grief and horror. These are the days of division, where we turn against each other in politically driven hatred and against ourselves, choking on a social media diet of self-loathing and isolation. Hailing from Preston, a city in Lancashire, northern England, UK’s resolute and relentless kings of Thrash Metal, Solitary, have tapped into the thick, black blood that pulses sluggishly through the fat and filth congested veins of society, culminating with the birth of their caustic new album titled Embrace The Darkness, the follow-up to their 2020 beast The Truth Behind the Lies. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Simon Efemey at Headline Music Studios, and embraced by a sick artwork by Koot (which would look amazing as a tattoo), the new beast by Richard Sherrington on vocals and rhythm guitar, Andy Mellor on lead guitar, Gareth Harrop on bass, and Roy Miller on drums is their hymn to a dying world, their soundtrack to the end of days.
The intro III.XXIII.MMXX offers a modern-day, visceral and acid start that will darken the skies before Solitary come crushing our damned souls in the title-track Embrace the Darkness, with Richard already roaring manically from the bottom of his blackened heart supported by the hammering drums by Roy and an overdose of caustic riffs. It’s then pedal to the metal to the sound of the infuriated Settle Scores the Old Way, a sharp, ruthless Thrash Metal attack perfect for a good brawl at the pub, whereas Richard and Andy continue to extract total chaos and heaviness from their axes in Virtues, an old school thrashing hurricane that will put you to headbang like a beast. And the band once again speeds things up and delivers a demolishing sound in Bury It Now, another amazing display of their undisputed Thrash Metal where their scorching riffs and rumbling bass match perfectly with the venomous vocals by Richard.
The circle pit keeps moving fast and wildly in Beneath the Surface, with the hammering drums by Roy and the low-tuned, massive bass lines by Gareth building a solid foundation for the harsh vociferations by Richard; and the band shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, offering more of their violent and strident music in the form of The Disappeared, with Richard and Andy delivering an endless dosage of fury through their riffs. Then a Slayer-inspired riff will crush your damned skull to pieces in Section 21, where the band showcases their trademark sonority originally crafted back in the 90’s without sounding outdated or boring at all, followed by Filtering Hindsight, the last song of the digital version of the album which will inspire you to break your neck headbanging together with Solitary, although it lacks the same demented energy of the rest of the album. Furthermore, if you go for the vinyl edition of the album you’ll be treated to the bonus song Divided And Demented, absolutely worth every penny invested in the vinyl version as it’s pure British thrash spearheaded by the infernal growling by Richard; whereas if you buy the CD version you’ll get their cover version for The Exploited’s hit Beat the Bastards (check the official live video by The Exploited for the original song HERE), and as you can already imagine Solitary simply nailed it with their undisputed, electrifying thrashing twist.
The world as we know it is coming to its inevitable dark end, but of course at least we have amazing bands like Solitary among us to provide us with high quality music perfect for doomsday, like what they have to offer us all in Embrace The Darkness. Hence, don’t forget to give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their wicked creations on Spotify (or any other streaming platform), and grab a copy of their austere new album from their own website, from BandCamp, or by clicking HERE. It’s time to join Solitary in their quest for Thrash Metal, and of course, prepare to Embrace The Darkness!
Best moments of the album:Settle Scores the Old Way, Bury It Now and The Disappeared.
Worst moments of the album:Filtering Hindsight.
Released in 2024 Twisted into Form
Track listing 1. III.XXIII.MMXX 1:01
2. Embrace the Darkness 4:49
3. Settle Scores the Old Way 3:43
4. Virtues 4:42
5. Bury It Now 3:30
6. Beneath the Surface 3:34
7. The Disappeared 2:08
8. Section 21 3:49
9. Filtering Hindsight 3:33
Vinyl bonus track
10. Divided And Demented 3:20
CD bonus track 11. Beat the Bastards (The Exploited cover) 2:20
Band members Richard Sherrington – vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Mellor – lead guitar
Gareth Harrop – bass
Roy Miller – drums
Like a lumbering, ferocious beast, this South Carolina-based Blackened Thrash Metal behemoth will destroy everything in their path armed with their sophomore opus.
Like a lumbering, ferocious beast awoken from a centuries-long slumber, the Blackened Thrash Metal behemoth known as Demiseremerged from the primordial ooze of the South Carolina metal scene in 2017, unleashing their debut effort Through the Gate Eternal back in 2021. Now in 2024 the band formed of Demiser the Demiser on occult liturgic blasphemy (vocals), Gravepisser on six-stringed satanic fukklord (guitars), Phallomancer on abysmal rhythm of death (guitars), Defiler on dismal baritone curator (bass), and Infestor on purveyor of percussive bile (drums) brings forward their sophomore opus, titled Slave to the Scythe, a devastatingly intense slab of work, an aural harbinger of hellish intent that sees the band blend 80’s Thrash Metal, first-wave Black Metal, Death Metal and a healthy dose of NWOBHM. Recorded by Chase McGuckin at Seaboard Recording Studio, and displaying a demonic artwork by Lucas Ruggieri, Slave to the Scythe is the work of a band of men determined to destroy everything in their path. Musically, of course.
Infestor kicks off the band’s depraved party in Feast, a devastating Death and Thrash Metal tune where Demiser the Demiser gnarls nonstop in the name of evil; whereas Gravepisser and Phallomancer deliver sheer rage through their caustic riffs in the title-track Slave to the Scythe, another fast-paced, circle pit catalyst by the quintet. Then inspired by other amazing underground bands like Midnight, it’s time for Defiler and Infestor to make the earth shake in Carbureted Speed, offering Demiser the Demiser exactly what he needs to roar manically in this Punk Rock-infused thrashing extravaganza, and it’s pedal to the metal with the band’s guitar duo showing no mercy for our souls in Phallomancer the Phallomancer, slashing their axes like there’s no tomorrow.
After that we have a serene, acoustic Interlude, working as the calm before the storm titled Total Demise, where Infestor speeds things up with his demented beats and fills, inviting us all to slam into the mosh pit like true metal maniacs. Their thrashing feast with hints of Death Metal goes on in full force in Hell Is Full of Fire, with Demiser the Demiser and Infestor sounding ruthless armed with their respective roars and beats, and those demonic beasts will carve their teeth deep inside your flesh in Infernal Bust, offering more of their rumbling bass and drums courtesy of Defiler and Infestor, while Demiser the Demiser continues to vociferate like a demented creature of darkness. Finally, we face In Nomine Baphomet, the most epic and detailed of all songs, showcasing layers of sulfur, wrath and aggression by such an amazing name of the underground where all band members are on fire during the whole song, with Infestor once again stealing the show with his fusion of Black, Thrash and Death Metal beats and fills, putting a darkly and insanely epic finale to the album.
The band’s influences include the likes of Venom, Bathory, Slayer, Motörhead, and Deströyer 666, plus movies like Terminator 2, Commando, and Predator (or pretty much anything Arnold Schwarzenegger, to be fair), with the overarching themes on Slave to the Scythe being essentially “hell, fire and hellfire.” There are no ballads, no love songs, just plain devilish music for devilish people that was largely written on the road, and if you want to feel that fire burning your putrid body for all eternity you can start following the band on Facebook and on Instagram, stream their music on Spotify, and obviously purchase a copy of the excellent Slave to the Scythe from their own BandCamp page or from the Blacklight Media Records’ webstore. In other words, if your impure soul is going to burn in hell, may that happen to the sound of one of the most bestial thrashing albums of the year.
Best moments of the album:Carbureted Speed, Hell Is Full of Fire and In Nomine Baphomet.
Worst moments of the album: None.
Released in 2024 Metal Blade Records/Blacklight Media Records
Track listing 1. Feast 4:10
2. Slave to the Scythe 4:37
3. Carbureted Speed 3:39
4. Phallomancer the Phallomancer 4:39
5. Interlude 2:45
6. Total Demise 4:54
7. Hell Is Full of Fire 3:48
8. Infernal Bust 3:49
9. In Nomine Baphomet 8:03
Band members Demiser the Demiser – vocals
Gravepisser – guitars
Phallomancer – guitars
Defiler – bass
Infestor – drums
Formed in 2011 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, the unrelenting Blackened Thrash Metal horde known as Torrefy has just unleashed upon humanity their fourth full-length beast, titled Necronomisongs, following up on their 2020 album Life Is Bad. Recorded by Torrefy and Cody Baresich at Circle A Studios, mixed by Cody Baresich, mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege, and displaying a cadaverous artwork by Blackstory, the new album by John Ferguson on vocals, Adam Henry and Ben Gerencser on the guitars, Simon Smith on bass, and Daniel Laughy on drums brings to our avid ears ripping Thrash Metal and abrasive Black Metal as its prime elements, yet the band’s self-described unorthodox approach to composition has paid big dividends, as the album slashes, burns, and genre-bends with unhinged ferocity, all without sacrificing an ounce of memorability.
You can join the dark side of Thrash Metal by listening to Necronomisongs in full on YouTube and on Spotify, by following the band on Facebook and on Instagram to stay updated with all of their news and tour dates, and of course, by purchasing their sulfurous new opus from their own BandCamp page, from the Witches Brew webstore, or by clicking HERE. The Necronomicon might be the Book of the Dead, but let’s say Torrefy are bringing to our putrid ears the Songs of the Dead with their caustic new album, and you better be ready because once you start listening to it, you’ll begin your one-way descent into the underworld.
THE HEADBANGING MOOSE 