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Concert Review – Decapitated (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 02/13/2025)

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It doesn’t matter how much snow there is in Toronto, the metalheads in the city will always be there for a night of sheer violence with bands like Decapitated and Incantation.

OPENING ACTS: Exmortus, Darkest Hour and Incantation

After the massive snow storm that hit the city of Toronto and most of the province on Ontario from Wednesday night until Thursday morning, bringing an endless amount of snow to the streets and, therefore, turning any commute into a true nightmare, I thought all roads would be clear Thursday evening when Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I headed to The Phoenix Concert Theatre for a night of sheer brutality offered by EXMORTUS, DARKEST HOUR, INCANTATION and DECAPITATED during their Nihility Across North America Tour 2025, another killer event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Unfortunately, my predictions about the roads being clear of snow were wrong (although I was right about traffic being light that evening due to people staying home instead of going to work that day), and Toronto was still a huge freakin’ mess when I got to the show, but in the end no one seemed to care about the gargantuan snow banks blocking every single sidewalk and some streets, as the crowd at the venue was really good for a night when the best thing to do was staying home.

Less than half an hour after the doors opened, Whittier, California’s own Technical Thrash/Death Metal beast EXMORTUS kicked off the festivities with a frantic, very technical and absolutely fun performance, igniting some of the coolest and wildest circle pits of the entire night. Spearheaded by the talented vocalist and guitarist Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez, the band played a short but powerful set including songs form their latest opus Necrophony, available by the way on Spotify, and the reaction form the fans already at the venue was superb. Those guys are simply amazing live, playing all songs to perfection, and I guess it won’t take long for Torontonians to see them again in the city, and hopefully next time they’ll be the headliners and play a full set for our total delight.

Setlist
Oathbreaker
Feast of Flesh
Storm of Strings
Warrior of the Night
Let Us Roam
Metal Is King

Band members
Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez – vocals, guitars
Chase Becker – guitars
Brice Snyder – bass
Adrian Aguilar – drums

After a very short break, Washington, D.C.-based Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore act DARKEST HOUR hit the sage at the Phoenix Concert Theatre for a very energetic show, thanks in part to the breathtaking performances by guitarists Mike Schleibaum and Nico Santora, who didn’t stop shredding their axes, headbanging, running and jumping around the stage, not even for a single second. Currently promoting their 2024 album Perpetual | Terminal, available on both BandCamp and on Spotify, the quintet was eager to get more action from the crowd, which seemed a bit tired most probably due to an entire day of shoveling and braving snow banks across the city. That doesn’t mean we didn’t get some sick mosh pits during their show, and of course every single time frontman John Henry asked people to move inside the pit, he was promptly answered with some nice action by the crowd.

Setlist
Societal Bile
The Sadist Nation
Stand and Receive Your Judgment
The Flesh & The Flowers of Death
Rapture in Exile
Doomsayer (The Beginning of the End)
Tranquil
Amor Fati
Convalescence
With a Thousand Words to Say but One
Goddess of War, Give Me Something to Die For

Band members
John Henry – vocals
Mike Schleibaum – guitars
Nico Santora – guitars
Aaron Deal – bass
Travis Orbin – drums

I guess fans were also saving some energy for the ruthless performance by Johnstown, Pennsylvania’s own Death Metal veterans INCANTATION, who after a considerable delay started playing their 1994 cult album Mortal Throne Of Nazarene in full, just like in all other stops from their current tour. And let me tell you, the live rendition of such a classic album of Death Metal with Doom Metal influences sounded utterly evil, heavy and demented onstage, with the bass by Chuck Sherwood making our heads tremble during their entire show. The iconic John McEntee sounded as infernal as usual on vocals, inspiring us all for some brutal headbanging and, therefore, reminding us all why Incantation have been a staple of the extreme music scene worldwide for so many decades. It was just my second time seeing those guys live, and hopefully not the last one, as I’m sure Incantation love Toronto as much as we love their music.

Setlist
Mortal Throne of Nazarene
Demonic Incarnate
Emaciated Holy Figure
Iconoclasm of Catholicism
Essence Ablaze
Nocturnal Dominium
The Ibex Moon
Blissful Bloodshower
Abolishment of Immaculate Serenity

Band members
John McEntee – vocals, guitars
Luke Shively – guitars
Chuck Sherwood – bass
Kyle Severn – drums

DECAPITATED

Last but not least, it was time to turn up the volume to 11 with the infuriated performance by the main band of the night, Poland’s unrelenting Technical Death/Groove Metal horde DECAPITATED, and when I say it was loud, it’s because it was LOUD. Performing their 2002 classic album Nihility in full, plus a few other songs as part of the encore, the band now fronted by vocalist Eemeli Bodde (who by the way contributed vocals for the track “Flooding Secrations”, performed by a fictional band called Impaled Rektum from the 2018 Finnish movie Heavy Trip), Decapitated crushed our damn minds, souls and bodies with endless heaviness and violence, inspiring all mosh pit lovers to have a very good time inside the hurricane formed in the middle of the floor section. My only complaint is that the show started late, after 10pm, and some fans had to leave before the end because they had to take public transportation home, or simply because they were absolutely tired. As I said, the snow storm drained a lot of our energy during the day, but of course there’s always some left when the band in question is as infernal and vibrant as Decapitated.

Setlist
Nihility
Perfect Dehumanisation (The Answer?)
Eternity Too Short
Mother War
Nihility (Anti-Human Manifesto)
Names
Spheres of Madness
Babylon’s Pride
Symmetry of Zero
Suffer the Children (Napalm Death cover)

Encore:
From the Nothingness With Love
Cancer Culture
Kill the Cult
Hello Death
Iconoclast

Band members
Eemeli Bodde – vocals
Wacław Vogg Kiełtyka – guitars
Paweł Pavlo Pasek – bass
James Stewart – drums

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Concert Review – Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #1 (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, 01/25/2025)

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The iconic Hard Luck Bar in Toronto became a “metal ring” where four brave bands started wrestling for the undisputed prize of playing at the greatest metal festival in the world this summer.

INTRODUCTION: ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?

It was time to set this bitterly cold winter on fire in Toronto this Saturday with this year’s edition of Wacken Metal Battle Canada, starting with Wacken Metal Battle Toronto Round #1 with the bands PURVEYOR OF CHAOS, UNKLE SKURVEY, ISCHEMIC and PILLARS OF AUTUMN at Hard Luck Bar, the first step for each one of those four bands to win the coveted slot at Wacken Open Air taking place from July 30 to August 2 this year in Wacken, Germany, plus $1,000 CAD towards expenses, and VIP camping at the festival. Not only that, they also have the opportunity to win monetary and gear prizes at the international Wacken Metal Battle. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to cover such an important night for the underground metal scene in Toronto, and of course enjoy the music by those four amazing bands.

As a matter of fact, this year I was invited by the one and only JJ Tartaglia, responsible for Wacken Metal Battle Canada, and the vocalist and drummer for Heavy Metal/Hard Rock band Thunderor, to be one of the guest judges alongside Claus Nader (Futhark Records), Andrew Craig (Zombitrol Productions) and Ryan Hofing (Crimson Shadows). It was a true honor being chosen to evaluate the future of heavy music in Toronto, and I hope I did a good job to the point I get invited to this unique event more times this year and in all future editions of Wacken Metal Battle Canada. Having said all that, are you ready to rumble?

PURVEYOR OF CHAOS

The first band of the night was Heavy Metal/Hard Rock quartet PURVEYOR OF CHAOS, who hit the stage at 9pm armed with their heavy riffs and the soaring vocals by frontman Maxel Black. Playing songs form their 2022 self-titled album, which is by the way available on BandCamp and on Spotify, the band did a good job onstage and put everyone to bang their heads and raise their horns in the name of classic heavy music, and I’m sure if they refine their sound a bit, maybe by adding a second guitarist to their lineup and making the sound of their drums clearer, they’ll have a much better overall performance during their future live shows.

Band members
Maxel Black – vocals
Bulldog Bess Ross – guitars
Tenbears – bass
Fast Eddie – drums

UNKLE SKURVEY

Right after a quick break, Heavy Metal/Hardcore outfit UNKLE SKURVEY delivered a fun and vibrant performance to a very decent crowd at Hard Luck Bar, sometimes sounding like a Thrash Metal band, sometimes like a System of a Down cover band, which was a bit confusing but in the end worked relatively well. The songs Covid Mosh, World War 3, and Next Generation, all available on Spotify, sounded great live, with frontman Ché Cleland’s energy and facial expressions adding an extra touch of insanity to their show. I personally think if they focus on the sound from the song Next Generation in their future releases, and add a second guitarist to the band, they’ll definitely go places.

Band members
Ché Cleland – vocals
Doug Noel – guitars
Stephen ‘Stiv’ Scott – bass
Sean Mollison – drums

ISCHEMIC

The third band of the night was most definitely the heaviest of all, blasting a dark and deep fusion of Blackened Death and Doom Metal not recommended for the lighthearted. I’m talking about the five-headed beast known by the name of ISCHEMIC, spearheaded by the talented growler Isabelle Tazbir, who melted our faces with their undisputed heaviness and obscurity. Having released the album Condemned to the Breaking Wheel in 2024, which you can purchase or stream on BandCamp and on Spotify, their performance was beyond fantastic, proving Isabelle and her henchmen are more than ready for bigger stages worldwide.

Band members
Isabelle Tazbir – vocals
Adam Korchok – guitars
Jon Radic – guitars
Lyndon Quadros – bass
Mrudul Kamble – drums

PILLARS OF AUTUMN

Last but certainly not least, it was time for Technical/Symphonic Deathcore act PILLARS OF AUTUMN to deliver a massive, electrifying, technical and very professional performance to the crowd at Hard Luck Bar, with all songs, in special their new single Crestfallen Emissary, sounding amazing live. I highly recommend you go check their music out on BandCamp and on Spotify, paying very good attention to the demented fry screams by Nick Young and the insane bass lines by Kevin Chan Kin Fung, as those two guys sounded brilliant during their set this Saturday night in Toronto.

Band members
Nick Young – vocals
Devon Groat – guitars
Carl Pike – guitars
Kevin Chan Kin Fung – bass
Doug Noel – drums

AND THE WINNER IS…

…the Blackened Death and Doom Metal creature ISCHEMIC! Congratulations for the win! They now move on to the Ontario Final on March 21 at Rivoli in Toronto, and if you want to know more about the whole competition, the next rounds across Canada and so on go to the official Facebook page of Wacken Metal Battle Canada. Also, thanks to all media partners and promoters, including Bravewords.com, Metal-Rules.com, Metal Devastation Radio, Boonsdale Records, Asher Media Relations, and many others, for keeping the fires of underground music in Canada burning brighter than a thousand suns. I’m sure Ischemic will have another killer performance during the Ontario Final in March, and who knows, maybe they’ll be the ones to “rule them all” and venture through the sacred lands of Wacken Open Air in Germany this summer, proudly representing Canada at the greatest stage of all.

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Concert Review – Blood Incantation (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 11/30/2024)

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The mighty Blood incantation blasted our minds with the full play of their newborn masterpiece in a night to remember in Toronto.

OPENING ACT: Midwife

The cozy Lee’s Palace might fit only around 500 people, but that’s by far one of my favorite venues in Toronto precisely due to that, as every show there becomes very intimate, with a much stronger connection between the bands and the crowd. That’s exactly what we got this Saturday night with the pulverizing, brilliant and unique performance by BLOOD INCANTATION (supported by MIDWIFE) during their Absolute Elsewhere Tour North America 2024, one of the most successful events brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. And let me tell you I felt sorry for my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi as due to the fact this was a sold out show, it was really rough for him (and for all other photographers) to brave the wild circle pits while trying to take some good shots of the band. It was insane, the place was jam packed, and Blood Incantation simply killed it onstage in one of the most memorable concerts of the year, and the perfect one to conclude my own 2024 “world tour”.

Before that, the task to open the night and warm up the crowd for Blood Incantation was given to MIDWIFE, which is basically a one-woman project by American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and audio engineer Madeline Elizabeth Johnston, who describes her music as “heaven metal”. Having released this year the album No Depression In Heaven (available on BandCamp and on Spotify), she delivered a very delicate, weird and soft presentation to an already completely full Lee’s Palace, and although I would have enjoyed the show a lot more if it was a regular metal band instead of Midwife, let’s say she did a decent job overall, and the crowd applauded her effort and showed a lot of respect for her for facing around 500 metalheads only armed with her guitar and her gentle, frail vocals. The music by Midwife is not my cup of tea, but I would recommend anyone to listen to her music at least once to try to understand and feel the message in it.

Setlist
Colorado
Vanessa
2018
Killdozer
S.W.I.M.
No Depression in Heaven

Band members
Madeline Elizabeth Johnston – vocals, guitars

BLOOD INCANTATION

It was already past 10pm, which is by the way a late time for a headliner to kick off a concert in Toronto (but hey, it was a Saturday, so who cares?), when Denver, Colorado’s own Progressive Death Metal entity BLOOD INCANTATION hit the stage for an absolutely mesmerizing and incendiary performance, playing in full their newborn spawn Absolute Elsewhere, a masterpiece of extreme music that will surely feature among the best albums of the year in countless lists all over the world, and also available in full on BandCamp and on Spotify. The beyond talented Paul Riedl, Morris Kolontyrsky, Jeff Barrett and Isaac Faulk, plus guest musician Nicklas Malmqvist on synths, put on an electrifying show for their avid Torontonian fans, and the energy flowing from the band and the crowd during the entire show was a thing of beauty.

The small floor section was so full I decided to leave halfway through their set to find a better spot to watch them kick some serious ass from a different spot with more space to move (which was almost nonexistent, by the way). The insane mosh pits were moving frantically while Blood Incantation played both songs from the album, The Stargate and The Message (each one split into three parts, as you might know), to perfection, and outside of “the eye of the storm” all other fans were simply having the time of their lives to each note blasted by the band. I can’t decide which part of the show was the best, but let’s say the last part of their new album, when they were playing The Message [Tablet III], was one of the most epic moments of the year in Toronto.

There was still time for two more songs after Absolute Elsewhere, Inner Paths (to Outer Space) and Obliquity of the Ecliptic, both also flawless, and after all was said and done I had the chance to briefly chat with the amazing Paul Riedl, thanking him for their superb concert, and of course for the breathtaking Absolute Elsewhere. He’s such a nice, humble and cool guy, and we must all be thankful for having him in the metal community. We need more Paul Riedls not only in music, but in life in general, no doubt about that. I told him I can’t wait to see Blood incantation live again in Toronto, and I’m sure based on the wild reaction form the crowd that we’ll see one of the best bands of the current scene coming from outer space to take the city by storm again sooner than we can say “stargate”.

Setlist
Absolute Elsewhere
The Stargate [Tablet I]
The Stargate [Tablet II]
The Stargate [Tablet III]
The Message [Tablet I]
The Message [Tablet II]
The Message [Tablet III]

Inner Paths (to Outer Space)

Encore:
Obliquity of the Ecliptic

Band members
Paul Riedl – vocals, guitars
Morris Kolontyrsky – guitars
Jeff Barrett – bass
Isaac Faulk – drums, gong
Nicklas Malmqvist – synthetizers

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Concert Review – Zeal & Ardor (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 11/28/2024)

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Fans in Toronto had the pleasure of enjoying a very diverse and dark night of heavy music on a cold and chilly Thursday in the city.

OPENING ACTS: Zetra and Gaerea

Traffic to get to Toronto and to leave the city any day of the week is brutal, but Thursday nights seem to be the worst of all. It took me forever to arrive at The Opera House this Thursday night to enjoy the concerts by ZETRA, GAEREA and ZEAL & ARDOR during their North American Tour 2024, to the point I completely missed the show by London, England-based Synth Rock duo ZETRA. Not only that, the way back home was even worse as two lanes of the QEW were closed due to construction, which turned my usual 25-minute drive into a 1h40min nightmare, but I’ll stop my rant here and focus on the music, which is what really matters. Fortunately, my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi was there to enjoy their show and take some killer photos of them, and of course you can listen to their self-titled 2024 album on BandCamp and on Spotify. I’m not sure if they were the right choice to open the night, as some fans considered their show a bit weird for their taste, but I can’t say much as I wasn’t there.

Setlist
Sacrifice
Starfall
Shatter the Mountain
Suffer Eternally
Gaia
The Angel Cries

Band members
Adam – vocals, guitars
Jordan – vocals, synthesizers

It was not even 8pm when Porto, Portugal’s own Black Metal creature GAEREA kicked off their stunning performance, and even with the huge delay due to traffic and the hassle of finding a parking spot I made it to the venue exactly two seconds before they began their show. And what a show that was, my friends! Those uncanny black metallers sounded brilliant during their short but extremely captivating and hypnotizing set, with their theatricals, especially the moves by their ultra talented and charismatic lead singer, certainly converting several Zeal & Ardor fans to the Gaerea cult. The entire band was on fire, and the reaction of the crowd, including some intense mosh pits, made their whole show even more memorable.

It was my third time seeing Gaerea live, and I don’t know if it was the fact that this was by far the best venue they played in, if the songs from their newborn spawn Coma like The Poet’s Ballet, Hope Shatters and World Ablaze (all available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way) are among the best they’ve ever created, or if it was a combination of both, but this was by far their best ever presentation in the city of Toronto. The crowd was in total sync with the band, and you could notice everyone headbanging nonstop, some with their eyes closed to simply let their music do the entire job. I honestly hope Gaerea return to Toronto in a not-so-distant future as a headliner, because they definitely deserve a lot more time to kick some ass onstage with their unique music.

Setlist
The Poet’s Ballet
Hope Shatters
Unknown
World Ablaze
Wilted Flower
Laude

Band members
*Information not available*

ZEAL & ARDOR

I’m going to be honest with all of you and confess that I had pretty much zero idea of what ZEAL & ARDOR was before this show, and not even listening to their 2024 album GREIF helped me identify their genre or style. Although they’re labeled by some as an Avantgarde Metal band that mixes sounds of African-American spirituals with Black Metal, once they hit the stage the task of identifying what the hell they were playing got even worse, as each song sounded completely different form the other, sometimes sounding like a Gospel band, sometimes like an Experimental Rock one, and even showing elements from Djent in their music (and you can check all that on BandCamp and on Spotify). Don’t get me wrong, Manuel Gagneux and his crew did a great job and the reaction from their fans was fantastic, but for me personally it was a weird combination of different sounds from start to finish.

When they played their heavier songs, like Feed the Machine, it felt more like a metal concert, but then there were some weird songs like Devil Is Fine in their setlist that were a bit boring in the end. One thing that worked really well onstage was the presence of backing vocalists Denis Wagner and Marc Obrist, who not only added depth to all songs, but the fact they kept dancing, headbanging and interacting with the crowd the whole time inspired the band’s most diehard fans to jump up and down and scream even louder. As I said, it was a phenomenal concert for fans of the band, but for me Gaerea stole the night with their much heavier and sinister performance. Well, I’m a Black Metal enthusiast, so maybe my opinion shouldn’t count, right? Anyway, I wouldn’t mind seeing Zeal & Ardor again live as those guys are excellent musicians, mainly bassist Lukas Kurmann who’s indeed a metallic beast, and you should give them a try too as their uncompromised blend of styles might be exactly what you’re looking for if you’re thinking about exploring new lands in music.

Setlist
the Bird, the Lion and the Wildkin
Wake of a Nation
Götterdämmerung
Ship on Fire
Erase
Gravedigger’s Chant
Tuskegee
Blood in the River
Kilonova
Run
Golden Liar
Sugarcoat
Death to the Holy
to my ilk
Feed the Machine
Devil Is Fine
Trust No One
I Caught You
Clawing out

Band members
Manuel Gagneux – lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, synthesizer, programming
Tiziano Volante – rhythm guitar, lead guitar
Lukas Kurmann – bass
Marco Von Allmen – drums
Denis Wagner – backing vocals
Marc Obrist – backing vocals

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Concert Review – Exodus (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 11/19/2024)

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

OPENING ACTS: Dead Heat, Candy and Havok

Here I am Filling in for my man Gus, Who couldn’t make it out tonight due to other obligations and I’m sorry to say that I am quite happy to do it. Gus… you missed an absolute banger of a show brother! Traffic is such a fucking bitch in this city, I was worried my brother Keith and I were going to be late for the opening of the doors of the Phoenix Concert Theatre in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It was a cool damp Tuesday evening and people were driving like the usual idiots they are and we had to make a couple of detours along the way. Luckily we made it in time and found a parking spot thankfully. We found some friends in line and proceeded into the venue to check in at the box office. Keith and I split up to get to our usual spots as he was the photographer this evening and I made my way to the front barrier beside our good friend Scott Herod whom I had the pleasure of rocking out beside in the same spot for the Black Dahlia Murder show this past remembrance day. Scott and I were both bewildered to the fact that Security was criminally understaffed with only two men working the barrier. Those boys had their work cut out for them tonight and their efforts were to be applauded. Injuries and all, these two security guards put in the work and did a fantastic job.

The show got started at 7 p.m. with Oxnard, California’s DEAD HEAT. Despite their enthusiasm and talent, their set fell a little flat for me through no fault of their own due to poor sound quality and slight technical issues. It is important to note that the venue at this time was about a quarter full so crowd participation was at a minimum. So it was a bit of a rough opening but they put in a noble effort and I appreciated that. Next up was the experimental hardcore band CANDY out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and they fell flat as well for the same reasons. We could barely hear the vocalist, the drums were not mic’d up very well and the bass overpowered the guitar. Also Candy’s style of ending their songs abruptly was a bit confusing for us in the crowd as we couldn’t gauge if the song ended or was about to launch into a fat breakdown, so the band missed out on our feedback and response. Technical issues ruined their mojo a bit and it showed. Not so sweet for Candy sadly, no knock against them.

As my spirits were down, Denver Colorado thrash lords HAVOK turned my frown upside down and absolutely blew my fucking face off with a blistering set that had the crowd going totally bonkers. If Havok was the only band on this bill I would have left the show an insanely happy man. Oh my gawd! The energy in the building was incredible. Security had its hands full with endless waves of crowd surfers. The venue was almost full and by this point the pits were massive. We were having the time of our lives, loving every minute of it. Havok’s sound engineer was on point and the quality of it was on another planet compared to the opening bands. The gulf between them was enormous. David Sanchez’s vocals and riff shredding was absolutely killer as well as the solos of Reese Scruggs. Pete Webber destroyed it on the drums and the stand-out was the stand-in bass player Kaden Hunsacker (guitar tech/road manager) was incredible. If you had never seen them before you would never know that he was not their actual bassist. Havok alone was worth the price of admission. 11/10

EXODUS

Now with everybody in attendance positively buzzing with energy, we couldn’t contain ourselves when EXODUS hit the stage. The Bay Area thrash legends blessed us with a show for the ages. This was one of the most fun shows I have ever been to in my life and this arguably had to be the best show of the year. I have never seen so much crowd-surfing at a show ever. Non-stop action in the pit as well as countless waves of surfers. Seriously the crowd was insane. Toronto made me so proud that night and it was an honour to be among them. Gary Holt was on fire and Lee Altus was phenomenal on lead guitar. Jack Gibson held everything down with his stellar bass playing and Tom Hunting was pulverizing on the drums. Vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza was electric and remarked that whenever they visit Canada, the crowds are always insane. He also gave a shout out to the two brave security guards handling all of the surfers coming over the barrier. The crowd was rowdy and rambunctious but kept it fun too without any animosity towards each other.

Everyone in attendance was there for a good time and were all on the same page, to let loose and boy did we do that. I think that we gave Montreal a run for their money. Steve also pointed out that next year will be the 40th anniversary of their seminal record, 1985’s Bonded By Blood and that they will be coming back to Toronto for that tour. I’m definitely saving up for that show. Exodus are legends for a reason, they totally kick fucking ass live and they sounded fucking incredible! At the end of the show, I turned around to observe everyone’s faces and they contained the look of pure satisfaction as I’m sure mine did as well. Personally I can’t wait until next year and I will be counting the days. What a killer show with killer bands. 11/10

Setlist
The Last Act of Defiance
Blood In, Blood Out
Fabulous Disaster
And Then There Were None
Body Harvest
Prescribing Horror
The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
Brain Dead
Deathamphetamine
Blacklist
Metal Command
War Is My Shepherd
The Toxic Waltz
Strike of the Beast
No Ordinary Love (Sade song)

Band members
Steve “Zetro” Souza – vocals
Gary Holt – guitar
Lee Altus – guitar
Jack Gibson – bass
Tom Hunting – drums

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Album Review – Korrosive / Katastrophic Creation (2024)

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Behold the new album by Toronto’s most pulverizing thrashing brigade, taking the band’s sound to new levels of heaviness and raw power.

Recorded, produced and mixed by Ben Erikson at Union Sound, mastered by Stu McKillop at Rain City Recorders, and displaying a sick artwork once again done by world renowned artist Ed Repka, the pulverizing Katastrophic Creation, the brand new album by Toronto, Ontario’s own Thrash Metal brigade Korrosive, takes the band’s sound to new levels of heaviness and raw power. Not only that, the album also represents a major step forward for the band currently formed of Rad Zarei on vocals, Derek Solomos on the guitar, Jack Neila on the guitar and bass, and Kaveh Afshar on drums, being the perfect follow-up to their 2022 album Toxic Apokalypse, pushing the boundaries of Thrash Metal and solidifying their status as leaders in the genre.

Kaveh shows no mercy for our souls in the opening tune In the Name of Destruction, blasting his drums like there’s no tomorrow in the name of pure Thrash Metal while Rad vociferates rabidly just the way we like it in extreme music; and get ready for the scorching, caustic riffs by Derek and Jack in Khaos Unbound, as they’ll burn your skin deep while inspiring you to slam into the mosh pit like a demented creature. Nuclear Awakening follows the same pattern as its predecessor, hitting us hard with their razor-edged riffs while Kaveh dictates the pace with his fulminating beats, whereas rumbling bass lines, infuriated drums and the always sulfurous roars by Rad are the main ingredients in Maelstrom, a song more than perfect for some nice action inside the circle pit, offering nonstop Thrash Metal madness for the masses.

Then we have امام در آتش, which roughly translates to “Imam Immolation”, a slab of brutality by the quartet that will drive the crowd mental during their live concerts, with Rad stealing the show with his most inhumane, demented vocal performance of the entire album. Furthermore, the song draws inspiration from the political unrest in Iran, particularly following the tragic death of Mahsa Amini. Written by drummer Kaveh Afshar, who experienced the brutal dictatorship firsthand in the 1980’s, the track embodies defiance and resistance against tyranny. Those guys don’t know the meaning of “slow”, “mellow” or “romantic” at all; quite the contrary, it’s total chaos in Kataclismo Inminente, again presenting a massive wall of riffs and blast beats, followed by Under a Vicious Sky, a neck-breaking, headbanging-fueled tune by the band where Rad growls manically supported by the piercing riffage by Derek and Jack. And lastly, we’re treated to seven minutes of modern-day rebellious Thrash Metal made in Canada in Ashes from Atomic Dust, showcasing an amazing job done by their guitar duo and, as usual, the venomous guttural by Rad, putting a sinister, apocalyptic ending to the album.

Katastrophic Creation is already available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to show those guys how much you love Thrash Metal you should grab a copy of the album from their own BandCamp, or from the CDN Records’ BandCamp or webstore as a CD, as an LP, or as a very special bundle including the CD or a blue vinyl with red splatter pattern, a patch of your choosing and a sticker. Don’t forget to also give the band a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, joining them in Armageddon to the sound of their caustic new opus, proving why Thrash Metal will always be one of the best ways to channel everything that’s fucked up in our rotten society into high quality heavy music.

Best moments of the album: In the Name of Destruction, امام در آتش (Iman Immolation) and Kataclismo Inminente.

Worst moments of the album: Nuclear Awakening.

Released in 2024 CDN Records

Track listing
1. In the Name of Destruction 3:32
2. Khaos Unbound 4:30
3. Nuclear Awakening 6:45
4. Maelstrom 5:17
5. Imam Immolation 4:08
6. Kataclismo Inminente 3:41
7. Under a Vicious Sky 5:45
8. Ashes from Atomic Dust 7:37

Band members
Rad Zarei – vocals
Derek Solomos – guitar
Jack Neila – guitar, bass
Kaveh Afshar – drums

Concert Review – W.A.S.P. (History, Toronto, ON, 11/11/2024)

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Countless fans in Toronto had the pleasure of witnessing a once in a lifetime explosion of classic Heavy Metal and Hard Rock by one of the most iconic bands of all time.

OPENING ACT: Armored Saint

If you love first-class live music played to perfection, then you must join W.A.S.P., with support of ARMORED SAINT, during their Album One Alive World Tour 2024, just like what happened at the beyond excellent History this Monday night in Toronto. Seriously, both bands were absolutely flawless during their incendiary shows, and of course Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to witness those giants (as the word “dinosaurs” seems a bit to old for them) of heavy music. It was quite chilly in Toronto, and of course really dark, but that didn’t stop countless lovers of our good old Rock N’ Roll to take the venue by storm on the worst day of the week for anything, and to have a great time together with the bands.

Precisely at 8pm, Los Angeles, California’s own Heavy Metal/Hard Rock juggernaut ARMORED SAINT kicked off their electrifying, classic and perfect performance in Toronto, blending old school songs the likes of Can U Deliver and Reign of Fire with a new tune from their 2020 album Punching the Sky, the excellent End of the Attention Span. John Bush was phenomenal as usual, delivering his striking vocals for the delight of the crowd, and even getting down to the floor section to sing one of the songs close to the soundboard. Seriously, his voice hasn’t aged at all. What a vocalist! And what to say about Joey Vera on bass, or the Sandoval Brothers? In other words, if you’ve never seen Armored Saint live, don’t miss the chance because those guys are simply superb on stage.

Setlist
End of the Attention Span
Delirious Nomad
The Pillar
March of the Saint
Aftermath
Book of Blood
Win Hands Down
Can U Deliver
Reign of Fire

Band members
John Bush – vocals
Phil Sandoval – guitars
Jeff Duncan – guitars
Joey Vera – bass
Gonzo Sandoval – drums

W.A.S.P.

After a short break (where I desperately went for a pizza, as I was starving), it was time for one of the most iconic bands to ever arise from Los Angeles, California, Heavy Metal/Hard Rock legends W.A.S.P., to melt our faces with one of the most hypnotizing performances of the year in Toronto. Blackie Lawless (or maybe I should call him “Blackie Flawless” after Monday), Doug Blair, Mike Duda and Aquiles Priester took no prisoners in their quest for old school heavy music, kicking some serious ass with the full play of their 1984 self-titled cult album (referred to as “Album One” by Blackie himself), plus a bunch of other classics during the encore.

Blackie even mentioned that when they started thinking about playing the whole album on this tour, one of the managers he consulted with said the idea was terrific, but only if they played all songs in the same order of the album. Blackie said that was insane as they had never opened a W.A.S.P. show with I Wanna Be Somebody, but in the end that’s exactly what they did, and the fans in Toronto embraced the whole idea with tons of love, respect and admiration for Blackie and his crew. It was a “once in a lifetime” concert for everyone at History, as Blackie said they’ll never do that again, and song after song you could see the joy and energy flowing from fans of all ages. I mean, who can stand still and not start dancing and headbanging to On Your Knees or Tormentor, right?

The background of the stage was also a thing of beauty, playing the official videos of all songs being played live by the band, connecting their past, present and future in a compelling way, and of course things only got rowdier and more fun during the encore with songs like I Don’t Need No Doctor, Wild Child and Blind in Texas inspiring all of their Torontonian fans to sing along the lyrics with Blackie. As already said, this was a unique opportunity to see the band playing their debut album live from start to finish, and I guess none of the fans at History this Monday night will ever forget the awesome experience of witnessing that blast of classic rock and metal live by one of the most important bands in the history of music. Who knows, maybe we’ll see them playing other albums in full in the future, but until then I’m sure Toronto will keep the electricity of such a stunning live rendition of “Album One” flowing through their veins.

Setlist
The End (The Doors song)
W.A.S.P. Medley
W.A.S.P. Album One Alive
I Wanna Be Somebody
L.O.V.E. Machine
The Flame
B.A.D.
School Daze
Hellion
Sleeping (in the Fire)
On Your Knees
Tormentor
The Torture Never Stops

Encore:
The Big Welcome
Inside the Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It
The Real Me (The Who cover)
Forever Free / The Headless Children
Wild Child
Blind in Texas
Riders on the Storm (The Doors song)

Band members
Blackie Lawless – vocals, guitars, keyboards
Doug Blair – guitars
Mike Duda – bass, backing vocals
Aquiles Priester – drums

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Concert Review – The Black Dahlia Murder & Dying Fetus (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 11/06/2024)

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

OPENING ACTS: Vomit Forth, Angelmaker and Spite

On Wednesday November the 6th legions of local headbangers amassed in front of The Phoenix Concert Theatre located at 410 Sherbourne St. Toronto, Ontario for an exhilarating evening of sonic punishment and brutality brought to us by our good friend Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment with one of the best line ups I have seen this year consisting of headliners THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER (Michigan) and DYING FETUS (Maryland), supported by the bands SPITE (Bay Area, California), ANGELMAKER (North Vancouver, B.C.) and VOMIT FORTH (Connecticut), during their Beg to Serve 2024 Tour stop in the city.

VOMIT FORTH opened the show with some hardcore brutal death metal rife with brutal breakdowns whipping us metalheads into a frenzy, inciting a whirlwind of feet and fists inside some pretty gnarly circle pits, and from there on the crowd was on fire for the rest of the show. 8/10

ANGELMAKER was up next and they absolutely fucking killed it with an amazing set that impressed me tremendously. It was my first time seeing them live and I think they might be one of my favourite bands now. These guys should be headlining shows for sure. The crowd was mad with bloodlust during their set and everything ratcheted up a few notches with some of the craziest crowd surfing I have ever seen. Bodies were flying all over the place literally! And it was fun as fuck to see too. AngelMaker’s vocalists were so mind-blowing and the band sounded so friggin’ good. Seriously it was an epic set.10/10

SPITE had some mighty big shoes to fill and did not disappoint. They put on an amazingly brutal show and held their own among the giants amongst them, keeping the energy going, stoking the flames of the behemoth engine that we call a crowd. The crowd was absolutely nuts that night! Non-stop action on our side of the barrier. 9/10

DYING FETUS

Marylands’ brutal tech death juggernauts DYING FETUS were up next and slew us with a blistering set full of old school death metal chugging and brutal slams. Fetus’ sound quality was top notch and holy shit what a band! Trey Williams drumming was killer and Sean Beasley was beastly on the bass guitar. John Gallagher was on fire with the riffage and solos on guitar. Vocally, both John and Sean were on point. Dying Fetus are one of the G.O.A.T.s of the genre, an absolutely tremendous trio of a band. Sometimes old is gold. 10/10

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER finished off the show providing the killing stroke on the slaughter-room floor so to speak. The crowd got even crazier and one brave soul even dove head first with reckless abandon off the stage, trusting that the rest of the crowd would catch him and thankfully they did. Even before Dahlia got on the stage fans were crowd surfing in anticipation. To call it crowd surfing is a bit of a misnomer, it was more akin to midget-tossing (pardon the expression). The Black Dahlia Murder did not disappoint and put on a fantastic set full of old and new material which satisfied the crowd. Brian Eschbach brought some much needed levity to the evening with some of his crowd banter referring to Doug Ford taking him on a cocaine fueled bar-hop and seance to talk to his brother Rob. It was a nice surprise to see when I got home that The Black Dahlia Murder live streamed their set on YouTube, so I watched it again. It’s now a couple days later as I’m writing this and Nocturnal is still playing in my head. This was seriously one of the best shows of the year for me personally and I along with the crowd had an amazing time. Great show. 10/10

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Concert Review – Iron Maiden (Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON, 10/26/2024)

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A perfect weekend in Toronto can only happen to the sound of the one and only Iron Maiden.

INTRO: IMFC Meetup and FTTB, Pt. I

This weekend in Toronto might have been the most Iron Maiden weekend ever in the city, when the Dental Floss Salesmen From Montana, also known as IRON MAIDEN, finally brought to the 6 their undisputed The Future Past World Tour 2024 at Scotiabank Arena, in this case without THE HU for reasons beyond anyone’s control, but that didn’t stop all Maidenmaniacs at the show from having the time of their lives. A day before that it was time for a very nice and sweet Iron Maiden Fan Club meetup at The Loose Moose, where around 25-30 IMFC members had a great time talking about music and life, having some good quality food and some amazing beers, and proving once again why the IMFC is like the perfect family we’ve always asked for.

IMFC Meetup @ The Loose Moose

Then on Saturday it was time for the (in)famous FTTB – First to the Barrier experience, with some of the winners lining up so early to the point whoever arrived there after 8am would already be number 15 or higher. Well, it is what it is, I mean, if you have nothing better to do, why not showing up early, right? In Australia, for example, I didn’t even put my name for FTTB, as I knew I was going to be doing tourist stuff until close to show time, but in Toronto and on a Saturday it was perfect for me to get there a little earlier. The whole FTTB day went smoothly and we all had a great time spending the day with some old friends and some new faces, and not even the dropping temperatures were capable of taking our excitement away for the show that was about to come. The only bummer was that because The Hu couldn’t make it in time for the show, we had to spend almost three hours at the barrier after getting into the venue without nothing to do, but no one seemed to care about that in the end.

OPENING ACT: Instead of The Hu, we got…

…a so-called “metal DJ” that no one asked for. Seriously, Mongolian Folk Metal squad THE HU might be the most unique opening act for Iron Maiden in years, but instead we got a random DJ who despite trying his best, couldn’t read the room and make two crucial changes to his “performance”. The first was to simply turn the volume down a bit, or at least the bass, because it got way too noisy and no one could hear their own thoughts during those 45 excruciating minutes; and second and most important, although I’m a fan of Industrial, Thrash and Speed Metal, those are definitely NOT the styles you should play to an Iron Maiden crowd. Some of the songs played were OK, like Metallica’s “Motorbreath”, but overall it was way too noisy and convoluted for the average Maiden fan. At least I checked and The Hu made it to Quebec City, so I’ll be very happy to see them live this Wednesday in Montreal instead of another random DJ that apparently knows nothing about the audience at a Maiden show.

IRON MAIDEN

Everyone at the barrier asked why IRON MAIDEN couldn’t have started their show a little bit earlier then, maybe adding two or three songs to their setlist in honor of the deceased Paul Di’Anno (RIP legend!), but of course it’s not that easy to change the whole event like that (in special when the setlist is a fusion of Somewhere In Time and Senjutsu, period), as I know some people already have their plans in place to get to the venue just in time for Maiden. Anyway, it was 8:50pm when, as in all other cities of this tour, UFO’s Doctor Doctor started playing in the PAs followed by the end titles for the movie Blade Runner, setting the tone for the indomitable Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers and Nicko McBrain to kick the city of Toronto hard in the ass with a flawless and very energetic performance.

And although the entire setlist was the exact same from the entire tour, it’s always a different show, as you have to pay attention to the nuances of all the action going on on and off stage. For instance, Bruce screwed up big time the first or second verse of Caught Somewhere in Time, Nicko sounded way better (and looked way happier) than in Australia, which has nothing to do with Australia itself but most probably to his very effective physiotherapy to get in better shape, and the overall quality of the sound was also fantastic compared to other previous concerts in the city. I’m also very proud of the Toronto fans, because the crowd was electrified, singing all songs, screaming, raising their horns and so on, while at the same time being very respectful to everyone around them. Pushing, smashing others, trying to get to the front row no matter what are not a synonym to a nice show, and not fun at all, and Toronto proved a show can be absolutely thrilling without the need of that disrespectful behavior. Thank you, Toronto!

The highlights of the setlist this Saturday were undoubtedly The Writing on the Wall, The Prisoner, and pretty much everything from Alexander the Great until the very last notes of Wasted Years, proving they don’t need to play “the classics” (whatever that means, because all of their songs are classics as soon as they’re launched) to win their fans right away. A new song like Hell on Earth sounded absolutely brilliant, and it felt like it was a classic from the 80’s, just to confirm that bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, KISS and so on don’t just create music, but they create TIMELESS music. I didn’t catch any drumstick, guitar picks or wristbands like some of my buddies, but I’ll forever hold the memories of that amazing Saturday night in my mind and in my heart. And now, off to Montreal for more, of course!

Setlist
Doctor Doctor (UFO song)
Blade Runner (End Titles) (Vangelis song)
Caught Somewhere in Time
Stranger in a Strange Land
The Writing on the Wall
Days of Future Past
The Time Machine
The Prisoner
Death of the Celts
Can I Play With Madness
Heaven Can Wait
Alexander the Great
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:
Hell on Earth
The Trooper
Wasted Years
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python song)

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Steve Harris – bass
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Janick Gers – guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

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Concert Review – Carnifex (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 10/22/2024)

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Metalheads from all parts of Toronto enjoyed a killer Tuesday night in the city, celebrating the brutality and energy of Death Metal and Deathcore blasted by five incredible bands.

OPENING ACTS: Heavy//Hitter, Organectomy, Mental Cruelty and Cryptopsy

What a wild night of love, friendship and collective tree hugs brought to the city of Toronto by HEAVY/HITTER, ORGANECTOMY, MENTAL CRUELTY, CRYPTOPSY and CARNIFEX during their Necromanteum Part II USA and Canada Tour 2024 at The Opera House, setting the circle pits on fire throughout the entire event. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to witness such a moshing party blasted by those five amazing bands, and although I had to miss Orlando, Florida’s own Deathcore unit HEAVY//HITTER due to work, as the whole show was a very early one with doors opening at 5pm and Heavy//Hitter hitting the stage already at 6pm, I highly recommend you go after their music as it’s freakin’ heavy and hits you in the face mercilessly, just like what the name of the band says. You can find their music on Spotify and BandCamp, and get ready for their brand new EP Moments of Misery out this November 8.

Setlist
(Unknown) (unreleased)
Paved in Blood
(Unknown) (unreleased)
Waste Of Life
No Mercy, No Remorse
Heaven’s Gate
Wall of Wax

Band members
Austin Hayes – vocals
Dane Loeprich – guitar
Chris Perez – bass
Josh Archeval – drums

However, I was lucky enough to get to The Opera House just in time for New Zealand’s heaviest band of all time, the demented Christchurch-based Brutal Death Metal squad ORGANECTOMY, who led by the infuriated, unstoppable frontman Alex Paul (and sporting shirts of their idols Cryptopsy, by the way) put on a fantastic show, crushing our damned souls and demanding us all to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. I’m a fan of all of their albums, I had seen them live once, but I must say their new songs Plague Mouth, Corpsethrone and Tracheal Hanging (all available on Spotify, by the way) sounded absolutely insane live, and I can’t wait for their next full-length album whenever they’re thinking about releasing it. After their show I went to their merch booth and got a very cool, high-quality beanie for a very decent price, and had a chance to chat a little with Alex about his music and his stunning country (as I was there recently on my Maiden quest in Australia and New Zealand). He’s a really nice guy, an extremely talented growler, and a hardworking musician, putting his heart and soul into his onstage performance. Having said that, don’t waste a single second and go check the music by one of the best bands ever hailing from New Zealand, and get ready to be smashed like an insect if you have a chance to see those ruthless metallers live.

Setlist
Concrete
The Third Mutation
Corpsethrone
Plague Mouth
Tracheal Hanging
Terror Form
Entropic Decay

Band members
Alex Paul – vocals
Sam McRobert – guitars
Matthew Bolch – guitars
Tyler Jordan – bass, backing vocals
Levi Sheehan – drums

The other band that I was utterly eager to see live again was Karlsruhe, Germany-based Symphonic Deathcore beasts  MENTAL CRUELTY, and let’s say their show this Tuesday night was way more explosive and fun than the first time I saw them at Hard Luck Bar, despite the fact the setlist was pretty much the same based on their most recent opus, the masterpiece Zwielicht (available on Spotify and on BandCamp). The band kicked some serious ass during their entire set, with their frontman Lukas Nicolai stealing the show with not only a flawless vocal performance, but his interaction with the crowd was amazing as well, with him getting on top of the barricade to sing together with the crowd and with a nice show of flashlights during Zwielicht, right before they blasted our minds with their best song to date, Symphony of a Dying Star. I also had a chance to talk to Lukas about Mental Cruelty, about the fact I keep trying to convince my German friends to listen to their music, and got a nice patch from those guys. Needless to say, the next time Mental Cruelty takes the city of Toronto by storm, I’ll certainly be there.

Setlist
Midtvinter
Obsessis a Daemonio
King ov Fire
Forgotten Kings
Nordlys
Zwielicht
Symphony of a Dying Star

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

After a very quick intermission, it was time for the iconic Montreal, Quebec-based  Brutal/Technical Death Metal institution CRYPTOPSY (aka the “Kings of Hallmark Romantic Christmas Movies”) to simply destroy anyone who dared to face them inside the circle pit. What a bestial show by Matt McGachy, Christian Donaldson, Olivier Pinard and Flo Mounier, sounding one hundred percent heavy, enraged and evil from start to finish, with songs like Slit Your Guts, Crown of Horns, Open Face Surgery and Flayed the Swine (this one from their amazing 2023 album As Gomorrah Burns, available on Spotify and on BandCamp) demolishing our souls and melting our faces, all while Matt kept roaring like a demonic creature and headbanging in the best Corpsegrinder stile. Hell yeah, Canada has its own Corpsegrinder, ladies and gentlemen! Flo was also infernal behind his drums, proving why he’s one of the best of the entire genre, and his dexterity, fury and passion for heavy music inspired the fans to keep the circle pit moving absurdly fast. I honestly don’t know how I was able to catch one of the guitar pics thrown by Christian because the floor section was nonstop madness, but I can’t wait to see them again live and, who knows, grab something else like a drumstick next time.

Setlist
Slit Your Guts
Crown of Horns
Graves of the Fathers
Sire of Sin
Open Face Surgery
In Abeyance
Flayed the Swine
Phobophile

Band members
Matt McGachy – vocals
Christian Donaldson – guitars
Olivier Pinard – bass
Flo Mounier – drums

CARNIFEX

The last attraction of the night was also the one most fans at The Opera House (a mix of very young fans and way older metalheads, but still young at heart) were waiting for, and they didn’t disappoint the crowd at all, bringing forth a massive display of heaviness and hatred on stage. I’m talking about San Diego, California-based Deathcore masters CARNIFEX, who armed with their pulverizing 2023 album Necromanteum, available on Spotify, sounded insane on stage and, therefore, fueled some of the sickest mosh pits of the night. Vocalist Scott Ian Lewis didn’t stop screaming, barking and roaring, and I honestly don’t know how he can do that night in, night out without losing his voice, bringing even more fury to already furious songs the likes of Torn in Two, Graveside Confessions, Hell Chose Me and Heaven and Hell All at Once. It was total chaos until the very last second of Drown Me in Blood, and I must say I was very happy the show ended before 10:30pm as I had enough time to get back home and have a decent night of sleep. To be fair, if their show had been longer I wouldn’t have complained at all, because you know, first comes heavy music, then the superficial stuff like sleeping, eating and working, right?

Setlist
Torn in Two
Graveside Confessions
Dark Days
Necromanteum
Slit Wrist Savior
Crowned in Everblack
Lie to My Face
Hell Chose Me
Heaven and Hell All at Once
Dark Heart Ceremony
Hatred and Slaughter
Drown Me in Blood

Band members
Scott Ian Lewis – vocals
Cory Arford – guitars
Neal Tiemann – guitars
Fred Calderon – bass
Shawn Cameron – drums

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