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Concert Review – Signs of the Swarm (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 09/01/2024)

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Simply relax and enjoy an evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with five amazing bands in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing.

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

OPENING ACTS: A Wake In Providence, 156/Silence, Ov Sulfur and Cane Hill

An evening out in the greatest city in Ontario with even better weather than the last few concerts we have been to. Fall weather is much cooler and makes for a great comfortable concert without the hot humid stench of sweat . The smell of crisp air filled with pumpkin spice from every store along Bloor Street in Toronto is great and with that the venues are cooler in terms of air quality inside, making it a perfect time to take some awesome death and metalcore bands.

Lee’s Palace is the venue tonight where five amazing bands have come together to whip us up in a frenzy of circle pits and moshing. First band of the night is  A WAKE IN PROVIDENCE, aka AWIP, who has recently release the album I Write To You, My Darling Decay. Hailing from NYC this band is spearheaded by vocalist Adam Mercer, guitarist Dandre Tyre, bassist Anthony Adipietro, and drummer Jesse Mcenneny. I am not familiar with this band as its my first time hearing them and let me be honest I was not a fan of early deathcore but this band has got me listening to them. Awesome performance great music and a ton of groovy bass and drumming.

Our first short intermission while they switch up bands gives us time to check out the merch tables and gets some drinks from the bar, or just simply go outside and enjoy a smoke or the now legal weed. Next up is 156/SILENCE. Hailing from The Steel City of Pittsburgh, in the state of Pennsylvania, United States, this metalcore band consists of vocalist and bassist Mike Ernst, guitarist Jimmy Howell, drummer Zac Dranka and vocalist Aleks Pihl. They have a great sound and are tight, great stage presence and can get the crowd hyped up.

Another line change is happening and outside I go to chat with friends and other photographers, plus chatting to the promoter Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. I always enjoy chatting to Noel about his business and bringing the best bands to our city. The third band of the night was OV SULFUR. Hailing from my favorite place in the world, Sin City Las Vegas, Nevada, This band has been to Toronto this year three times and I’ve captured them every time  The first time I saw them was at the Phoenix Concert Theatre when they opened for some huge bands and they had me hooked. The band consists of vocalist Ricky Hoover, guitarist Chase Wilson, bassist Ding and drummer Leviathan. This deathcore band has a ton of energy and powerful delivery of sound, they will knock you into another dimension if not careful in the circle pits. If you have never seen this band I don’t know what you’re waiting for, get to a venue and see for yourself.

Another short break and CANE HILL was up; this band hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, in the United States. This metalcore institution consists of Elijah Witt on vocals, James Barnett on the guitar, Ryan Henriques on bass and Devin Clark on drums. This quartet is also new in my listening experience and they are awesome to see live. Elijah is a great frontman delivering guttural and soft vocals while getting the crowd all horny, and by that I mean he was asking the crowd if they were horny or alive. I think the crowd spent a lot of energy on the first three bands and when he said that the crowd came alive again with circle pits and crowd surfers.

SIGNS OF THE SWARM

The last break of the night was much needed as the venue was getting hot from the near sold out venue. It was time for the headliner, another band from The Steel City area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, SIGNS OF THE SWARM. This deathcore band is made up of vocalist David Simonich, drummer Bobby Crow, bassist Michael Cassese and guitarist Carl Schulz. They have five studio albums with the release of their fifth album Amongst the Low & Empty. This band gets better and better every time I have seen them and it’s been two times this year. Their performance on and off the stage is top notch, friendly people with great showmanship, and if you ever get a chance to see them live do it. Also, if you see them hanging out during their tour, strike up a conversation.

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Album Review – Gutvoid / Breathing Obelisk EP (2024)

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One of the best still-young Death Metal entities from Canada challenges you to stand before their Breathing Obelisk.

Since their formation in 2019, the ascent of Toronto, Canada’s Death Metal entity Gutvoid has been nothing if not meteoric. From their 2019 debut EP Astral Bestiary to their 2022 full-length opus Durance of Lightless Horizons, the band churned forth a world-eating metal of death that duly devoured the listener whole. Currently formed of Brendan Dean on vocals and guitars, Daniel Bonofiglio also on the guitars, Justin Boehm on bass, and D.W. Lee on drums, the band is unleashing upon us their brand new 31-minute EP Breathing Obelisk, a grim and visceral creature embraced by the otherworldly artwork by Marcio Blasphemator that will surely cement their status as one of the best still-young Death Metal entities around.

Those four demented metallers transport us to their Stygian realm with their minimalist notes in Swamp Consumed, gradually evolving into a darkened Death Metal entity to the visceral roars by Brendan and the hammering drums by D.W. Lee, presenting elements from Doom Metal and Blackened Doom embedded in their core (and evil) essence, whereas For We Are Many, the first single of the album (which they played live with Tomb Mold and Horrendous in Toronto), is a lecture in Progressive Death Metal sounding dissonant, intricate and disturbing, with Brendan and Daniel making an amazing guitar duo while Justin supports them with his menacing bass (not to mention it’s easy to sense elements from Brendan’s Fathomless Ritual in the riffs). Let’s then embark on one more cryptic, grim voyage together with Gutvoid in When The Living Dome Opens, again presenting their trademark vociferations, low-tuned, groovy bass lines and pounding drums, sounding dark and evil until the very end; and the last song of the EP, entitled Shodar, offers us all seven minutes of solid, melodic and visceral Death Metal led by the strident riffs by Brendan and Daniel, an awesome headbanging feast by the quartet where Brendan continues to deeply gnarl like a demonic entity.

After all is said and done, Gutvoid challenge you to stand before their Breathing Obelisk, and you can do that by following them on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, by listening to their wicked music on Spotify, and by purchasing a copy of their new EP from Blood Harvest’s BandCamp page or webstore as a CD, a MLP or a cassette. In other words, do you think you have what it takes to face Gutvoid’s menacing and caustic Breathing Obelisk?

Best moments of the album: For We Are Many and Shodar.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Blood Harvest

Track listing
1. Swamp Consumed 9:50
2. For We Are Many 5:51
3. When The Living Dome Opens 7:20
4. Shodar 7:03

Band members
Brendan Dean – vocals, guitars
Daniel Bonofiglio – guitars
Justin Boehm – bass
D.W. Lee – drums

Album Review – Evil Villain / Evil Villain EP (2024)

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An evil villain armed with its debut EP and consumed by the violence of Death Metal is lurking in the shadows of Toronto waiting for its next victim.

A cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime, a scoundrel, or a new Death Metal entity hailing from the ruins of Toronto? That’s how Evil Villian like to label themselves, blending the aggressiveness of their music with the harsh reality of the big city. Earlier this year the band formed of Matt Patterson on vocals, Chris Lee and Tim Hardcastle on the guitars, Dustin Pepper on bass and Patrick Cairns on drums released their debut self-titled EP, offering us all four tracks bursting with Death Metal violence while also showing nuances of Hardcore, Groove and Thrash Metal.

Patrick wastes no time and begin hammering his drums in Tumer’d, accompanied by the neck-breaking riffs by Chris and Tim while Matt roars and gnarls like a rabid beast in a caustic fusion of Death Metal and Hardcore; and get ready for another six-minute attack by Evil Villian entitled The Cycle, where Dustin and Patrick make the earth tremble, providing Matt with exactly what he needs to vociferate nonstop in the name of extreme music. Then blending harsh roars with Hardcore clean vocals, Paste Eater is another pulverizing, dissonant creation by the quintet where Chris and Tim once again slash their axes in great fashion until the very last second, whereas Furuta, the last song of the EP, is an amalgamation of styles, sounding Death Metal but at the same time presenting elements from the music by Faith No More and several Hardcore and Punk Rock acts, with Matt screaming viciously for our total delight.

Evil Villain’s debut EP is available in full on YouTube and on Spotify, but you can show those hardworking metallers from Toronto your support by purchasing a copy of the album from their BandCamp page, of course. Don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, or click HERE for all things Evil Villain, including their live performances in the city and surroundings, inspiring the band to keep moving forward no matter what. Their debut EP sounds great and I can’t wait to see what’s next for them, because you know, there’s always an evil villain lurking in the shadows of Toronto waiting for its next victim.

Best moments of the album: The Cycle.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2024 Independent

Track listing
1. Tumer’d 6:10
2. The Cycle 6:36
3. Paste Eater 5:40
4. Furuta 5:27

Band members
Matt Patterson – vocals
Chris Lee – guitar
Tim Hardcastle – guitar
Dustin Pepper – bass
Patrick Cairns – drums

Concert Review – Kittie (History, Toronto, ON, 07/12/2024)

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Kittie’s first show in Toronto in ten years was an amazing celebration of the legacy of the band, of diversity, and obviously of our good old heavy music.

OPENING ACTS: Dear Evangeline and Vile Creature

I really want to understand what the hell is going on with traffic in the city of Toronto and surroundings. I left my place yesterday with plenty of time to get to History to see DEAR EVANGELINE, VILE CREATURE and KITTIE kick off their Fire Tour 2024, but due to all construction, rain and whatever else, it took me over two hours to get to the venue. Due to that driving nightmare, I missed the entire performance by Brampton, Ontario’s own Hardcore/Sludge Metal newcomers DEAR EVANGELINE, which was a real bummer as I was eager to see those girls live. At least we can all enjoy their self-titled EP on Spotify, and also click HERE to know more about such a promising Canadian band.

Another bummer was the fact that my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi didn’t get a photo pass due to some bullshit about “high demand for passes”, or something like that, but I was there as I had a ticket and I think I saw only ONE photographer apart from the band’s own, so I guess either the organizers didn’t want any external photographers taking pictures of the event (which makes no sense at all, as you want people to see those photos and get inspired to attend future shows, right?), or all of the ones who got the limited passes “didn’t attend the show”, if you know what I mean. Anyway, the photos in this review are a piece of shit because of that reason, and I almost though about not reviewing the show; however, I think Kittie still deserve a nice review because they kicked ass on stage on Friday.

At least I was there in time for St. Catharines, Ontario’s Sludge/Drone/Doom Metal beast VILE CREATURE, a non-binary duo who explores themes of veganism, LGBTQ, animal rights, and anti-oppression in their music, and let me tell you it was a dark and extremely heavy performance by vocalist Vic, vocalist and guitarist KW, and a special guest drummer who I knew nothing about. I have no idea about their setlist, but I’m pretty sure they played a few songs from their latest albums Cast of Static and Smoke (2018) and Glory, Glory! Apathy Took Helm! (2020), both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and all songs sounded insane. One of the best moments of the show was when KW took a few minutes to talk about how much he loves Kittie, that it was Kittie who inspired him to play heavy music after years not knowing where he belonged as a gay guy, and that he sports his Kittie shirt from the very first Vile Creature live concert. It was a very emotional moment for sure, and seeing KW and his Vile Creature kicking ass right before his favorite band of all time was truly inspirational.

Band members
Vic – vocals
KW – guitars, vocals

KITTIE

The fact that both opening bands had short setlists allowed London, Ontario’s Alternative/Groove Metal powerhouse KITTIE to kick off their musical extravaganza relatively early, at around 9pm, giving a feeling of a matinee to the whole event as they wouldn’t play past 11pm for sure. That would have been a good thing if traffic back home wasn’t another nightmare, but I won’t complain about it again. Let’s focus on the show, and what a show it was! Morgan Lander, Tara McLeod, Ivana “Ivy” Jenkins (holy shit, Ivy was insane during the whole show!) and Mercedes Lander were on absolute fire throughout their entire set, which makes total sense as their new album Fire in indeed an incendiary one. Needless to say, their 22-song setlist inspired everyone at the venue to slam into the circle pit and to have a wild time with all crowd surfing going on, making the girls from Kittie really proud of their local fans in their first show in Toronto in ten years.

Blending some of the most electrifying songs of their new album the likes of Fire, We Are Shadows and Eyes Wide Open with classic including Cut Throat, Spit, Funeral for Yesterday and Brackish, the quartet sounded tight, focused and mesmerizing, and when we thought the show was over after the heavy-as-hell We Are the Lamb, the band got back and kicked us hard in the head with a special encore with the songs One Foot in the Grave and Do You Think I’m a Whore, a nice surprise that caught everyone off guard and that turned up the heat inside the venue through the roof. Having said all that, keep an eye on their tour dates by clicking HERE, stream all of their amazing albums, including their new beast Fire, on Spotify or on any other streaming service, and don’t miss the chance to see those four Canadian girls live whenever they take your city by storm. I just wish I had better photos of the band to show you, of course, but you can’t win ’em all, right?

Setlist
Fire
I’ve Failed You
Cut Throat
No Name
Spit
What I Always Wanted
Sorrow I Know
Look So Pretty
Ugly
We Are Shadows
Into the Darkness
Eyes Wide Open
Severed
Funeral for Yesterday
In Winter
Vultures
Charlotte
Mouthful of Poison
Brackish
We Are the Lamb

Encore:
One Foot in the Grave
Do You Think I’m a Whore

Band members
Morgan Lander – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano
Tara McLeod – lead guitar
Ivana “Ivy” Jenkins – bass
Mercedes Lander – drums, backing vocals

Concert Review – Hyperia (Rivoli, Toronto, ON, 07/07/2024)

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A fantastic heat wave of Canadian underground metal hit the city of Toronto this Sunday night with three of the most must-see bands of the current scene.

OPENING ACTS: Invicta and Thunderor

The heat is on in Toronto, and together with it comes an overdose of the Canadian underground like what happened last night at Rivoli when TUNDEROR, INVICTA and HYPERIA kicked off Hyperia’s sensational Constricting Canada/Europe Tour 2024, and I believe it’s the first time ever this thrilling band from Vancouver, British Columbia is touring not only Eastern Canada, but also venturing through European lands. Needless to say, Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to celebrate the music and professional growth of Hyperia, proving Canadian metal is alive and kicking, with band’s like Hyperia, Invicta and Thunderor being more than ready to take over the world.

I must confess it was a little late for the doors at Rivoli to open, only at 8:30pm on a Sunday, but nobody seemed to care about that late start, and a little after 9pm Kitchener, Ontario-based Melodic Death/Thrash Metal outfit INVICTA kicked off the metallic ceremony with a fast-paced, heavy-as-hell performance, inviting all concert goers for some vigorous headbanging. The band spearheaded by the talented vocalist and guitarist Kyle Edissi, who also plays the guitar for Heathen on their live shows, delivered the goods, playing songs from their two album Halls of Extinction and Triumph and Torment (both available on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way) for the delight of the small but excited crowd that attended the show. Those guys should definitely be opening for renowned acts like At The Gates, Sylosis, Arch Enemy and so on during their future tours in Canada, and I’m sure once more people get exposed to Invicta’s first-class heavy music, they will go places.

Band members
Kyle Edissi – vocals, guitars
Jonah Kay – guitars, backing vocals
Steven Rowlands – bass, backing vocals
Reef Hassanien – drums, percussion

The show must go on, and after a short break where everyone could enjoy good quality beer for a very decent price (which doesn’t happen very often at concerts, as you might know), Toronto’s own Heavy Metal trio THUNDEROR began their melodic and incendiary concert based on their 2022 debut Fire It Up, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, including Fire It Up, Dangerous Times, Thunderor and On the Run, putting everyone to dance and have a very good time in the name of Rock N’ Roll. Guitarist Johnny Nesta and bassist Brycen Gunn were obviously amazing, but it was the band’s mastermind JJ Tartaglia (of bands like Skull Fist and Final Trigger) who truly impressed me the most. How can he sing and play drums at the same time, and sound so good in both? He has indeed become a staple of the Canadian underground scene, and if you have a chance to see him playing live, please go for it, because he’s a great person and a superb musician that deserves all our recognition.

Band members
JJ Tartaglia – vocals, drums, keyboards
Johnny Nesta – guitars
Brycen Gunn – bass

HYPERIA

I’ve been a fan of Melodic Thrash/Death Metal machine HYPERIA since day one, having already reviewed all of their albums, those being Insanitorium (2020), Silhouettes of Horror (2022) and The Serpent’s Cycle (2023), but I honestly had no idea if I would ever be able to see them live as touring from one coast of Canada to the other is extremely pricey these days. Well, to my total surprise and sheer happiness, yesterday I had a fantastic time witnessing frontwoman Marlee Ryley, guitarists Colin Ryley and Skyler Mills, bassist Jon Power, and drummer Aaron Bell kicking some serious ass on stage in preparation for their more-than-deserved debut European tour starting on July 14 at Masters of rock in the Czech Republic. It was wild, intense, and above all that, as metal as it could be, putting a huge smile on everyone who was brave enough to stay at the venue until (very) late on a Sunday night, completely ignoring the fact the next day would be an always boring Monday.

Most of their setlist was based on their newest album The Serpent’s Cycle, with songs like The Serpent’s Cycle, Trapped in Time and my favorite of the night, Automatic Thrash Machine, sounding killer live, and the band was so relaxed and having a good time that Marlee herself went down to the floor/pit to have a good time with the fans more than once, with Jon also joining the crowd during the last song of their set, the excellent Pleonexia, and that translated into a very warm and vibrant reaction form the crowd. All of their wicked creations are available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and if you’re in Europe and have a chance to catch Hyperia live in the coming weeks, don’t miss the chance to see one of the coolest names of the current Canadian scene. I would love to see them on July 21 at the famous Carts & Horses, the birthplace of Iron Maiden, because they definitely deserve to reach new heights with their undisputed thrash, and hopefully when they return from Europe I’ll have another chance to see them here in Toronto in a not-so-distant future.

Band members
Marlee Ryley – vocals
Colin Ryley – guitars
Skyler Mills – guitars
Jon Power – bass
Aaron Bell – drums

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Concert Review – Tomb Mold & Horrendous (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 07/04/2024)

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Lots of metalheads answered a call from the underground Thursday night in Toronto in a feast of first-class Death Metal by two of the best bands of the current scene.

OPENING ACT: Gutvoid

While all major rock and metal bands are playing at the biggest summer festivals in Europe like Hellfest, Graspop Metal Meeting and Wacken Open Air, there’s nothing better than a huge dosage of underground extreme music to keep us Torontonians entertained before those bands get back to the city, which is exactly what happened Thursday night at Lee’s Palace when GUTVOID, HORRENDOUS and TOMB MOLD kicked off their insane Enraptured By Fate’s Tangled Thread Tour 2024 with an overdose of technical, progressive and insane Death Metal for our total delight. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to enjoy such an amazing night of Death Metal at an almost sold out Lee’s Palace, with the hot and humid weather only making things even more incendiary inside the venue.

The first band to hit the stage was Toronto’s own Death Metal brigade GUTVOID, and those guys didn’t disappoint at all; quite the contrary, the band formed of Brendan Dean on vocals and guitars, Daniel Bonofiglio also on the guitars, D.W. Lee on drums, and guest bassist Spinny Guilbault kicked some serious ass with their exciting performance, playing songs from their 2022 album Durance of Lightless Horizons (also available on Spotify) plus a new song titled For We Are Many, from their upcoming EP Breathing Obelisk (which will surely be reviewed at The Headbanging Moose), properly warming up all the fans for the upcoming main attractions of the night. After their show I had a chance to briefly chat with Brendan, saying how much I enjoyed the debut album by his solo project Fathomless Ritual, and with Spinny, who told me he barely had any time to rehearse the songs with the band, although at least for me he sounded like he’s always been part of Gutvoid. He’s such a cool and talented guy, and I’m surely going to check his other bands Sentiment Dissolve, Goreworm and Kavara (and you should do the same, of course).

Band members
Brendan Dean – vocals, guitars
Daniel Bonofiglio – guitars
Spinny Guilbault – bass
D.W. Lee – drums 

HORRENDOUS

After a short and sweet break, when most people were either in line to grab some merch or buy a beer, or outside the venue trying to breathe some (inexistent) fresh air, Philadelphia’s most demented Progressive Death Metal horde, the unstoppable HORRENDOUS, brought to the stage the insanity from their excellent 2023 opus Ontological Mysterium, with Damian Herring, Matt Knox, Alex Kulick and Jamie Knox proving why they’re a force to be reckoned with, delivering sheer madness, heaviness and violence through their amazing music. Alternating between complex, experimental passages and pure Death Metal violence, which of course inspired everyone to slam into a wild circle pit, they put on a tremendous show for admirers of the genre, leaving us eager for more Horrendous in Toronto in a not-so-distant future. All of their first-class albums are available on BandCamp and on Spotify, and I’m sure you’ll get addicted to their music from the very first second. As you can see, Horrendous were so good, but so good, that I’m not even considering them as an opening act, but as a co-headliner, and if I were you I wouldn’t miss the chance to see them live on this tour.

Band members
Damian Herring – guitars, vocals
Matt Knox – guitars, vocals
Alex Kulick – bass
Jamie Knox – drums

TOMB MOLD

Four guys wearing shorts and colorful shirts instead of leather and spikes, none with long hair, nor any Death Metal paraphernalia onstage. That, ladies and gentlemen, is one of Toronto’s most hardworking and thrilling metal acts of the current scene, the ruthless Progressive Death Metal entity TOMB MOLD, and their show might have been one of the sickest gigs of the year thanks to the undeniable talent and onstage performance by Max Klebanoff, Derrick Vella, Payson Power and Kevin Sia. Still promoting their 2023 beast The Enduring Spirit, the quartet was flawless during their entire set, again igniting some insane mosh pits that ended up driving the already high temperatures in the city even higher. I honestly have no idea of the names of the songs they played last night, but I can assure you all of them were fantastic (and all are available on Spotify, by the way), so if you have a chance to join them on this tour, simply go for it because you’ll have an absolute blast to the sound of their top-of-the-line Death Metal. Just don’t forget to be in good shape and do lots of cardio, because you’ll get caught in some intense circle pits, no doubt about that.

Band members
Max Klebanoff – vocals, drums
Derrick Vella – guitars
Payson Power – guitars
Kevin Sia – bass

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

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

OPENING ACTS: Alluvial, Carcosa and Aborted

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ARCHSPIRE

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Concert Review – 1349 (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 05/20/2024)

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A night of undisputed Black Metal with four incredible bands in Toronto, spearheaded by one of the most devilish and professional hordes hailing from Norway.

OPENING ACTS: Spirit Possession, Antichrist Siege Machine and Spectral Wound

What a night of pure “friendship” and “tree hugging” in Toronto, my friends! Let’s say that in order to properly celebrate Victoria Day in Canada this Monday, Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment organized a night of undisputed Black Metal at Lee’s Palace with SPIRIT POSSESSION, ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE, SPECTRAL WOUND, and of course, the main attraction of the night, the devilish 1349. Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were there to enjoy such an amazing feast of obscurity and evil at an almost sold out venue, driving the heat up inside it considerably, but fortunately they’ve recently installed new air conditioning machines in strategic points of the venue to cool things down a bit for us, avid metalheads.

It didn’t take long after the doors opened at 7pm for the first band of the night to start distilling their demonic creations. I’m talking about Portland, Oregon-based Black Metal duo SPIRIT POSSESSION, who put on an infernal show to properly warm us all up for the upcoming attractions, and let me tell you that their drummer, simply called “A.”, definitely knowns how to hammer her drums mercilessly, while vocalist and guitarist “S.” is phenomenal armed with his stringed axe, playing it like if he was playing bass (an instrument that’s not part of their music, by the way), extracting sheer evil and insanity from each riff played. Everyone who was already at Lee’s Palace loved every second of their sick concert, despite the annoying dim red light, and if you want to enjoy some of their creations you can find all of their albums, like their 2023 opus Of the Sign…, on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Setlist
Orthodox Weapons
Deity of Knives and Pointed Apparitions
Enter the Golden Sign
Swallowing Throne
Second Possession
Spirit Possession

Band members
S. – vocals, guitars
A. – drums

After a quick break, it was time for one of the most pulverizing duos of the current extreme music scene to crush our damned souls with their infuriated music. They go by the charming name of ANTICHRIST SIEGE MACHINE, and if you know nothing about this Blackened Death Metal duo from Richmond, Virginia formed of SB on vocals and drums, and RZ on the guitars and backing vocals (and yes, it was the second band of the night without a bassist), I highly recommend you go after their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their chaotic, infernal new album Vengeance of Eternal Fire. Their set in Toronto was beyond brutal, igniting some intense mosh pits during their whole performance, and leaving all of us eager for another visit of those two demented beats to the city in the near future. Seriously, their music is awesome.

Setlist
Son of Man
Piled Swine
Purifying Blade
Led by Fire
Unleashed Hostility
Prey Upon Them
Vanquishing Spirit
Sisera
Chaos Insignia
Vacant Cross

Band members
SB – vocals, drums
RZ – guitars, backing vocals

Although 1349 were the main band of the night, a lot of people went to Lee’s Palace on Monday to witness the black mass conducted by Montreal, Quebec’s own Black Metal horde SPECTRAL WOUND, by far one of the most important names of the current Métal Noir Québécois scene. Having released the excellent album A Diabolic Thirst back in 2021 (which can be found on BandCamp and on Spotify, by the way), the band spearheaded by the iconic Jonah crushed us like insects with their venomous Black Metal, again inspiring all concert goers for some demented circle pits until the very last second. The light was way too dim and it was also a bit foggy, which sucks, but nothing that would make their concert less entertaining, of course.

Setlist
Black Satanic Glamour
Soul Destroying Black Debauchery
Aristocratic Suicidal Black Metal
Frigid and Spellbound
Fevers & Suffering
Imperial Thanatosis
Imperial Saison Noire

Band members
Jonah – vocals
Patrick – guitars
A.A. – guitars
Sam – bass, backing vocals
Illusory – drums 

1349

A lot of people, including myself, went outside to get some fresh air (as it was a relatively warm night in Toronto) and almost missed the beginning of the hellish performance by Oslo, Norway-based Black Metal entity 1349 (just as an extra detail to you, 1349 was the year the Black Death came to Norway, wiping out 2/3 of the population and ending the Golden Age of Norway), a true celebration of old school, classic Black Metal for an avid crowd in the city. Playing songs from all albums of their vast career, including some excellent hymns from their 2019 album The Infernal Pathway like the closing ones Dødskamp and Abyssos Antithesis, plus their amazing new single Ash of Ages from their upcoming 2024 album, the band comprised of Ravn on lead vocals, Archaon on the guitars, Seidemann on bass, and Dominator on drums was absolutely on fire during their demonic (but maybe a little bit too short) set, driving their fans wild inside the unstoppable circle pits.

Also, I need to say a few words about this short, weird, middle-aged Indian dude that looked completely out of this dimension, as it didn’t matter what the hell he was doing, he looked nuts. The guy was so insane to the point that when 1349 finished playing their very FIRST song, he said with a sinister smile “two more, two more…”, when the band was clearly going to play at least ten more songs. What the hell was he seeing on stage, right? Not to mention he was always hiding behind someone, making the sign of the cross before having his beer, pointing to the band’s guitarist with a maniacal grim like as if he was saying “I know what you’re doing” as if the guitarist was there looking at him, and so on. Some guys behind me were also distracted by the Indian dude. What a unique metalhead!

After all was said and done, all fans of Black Metal in Toronto were more than happy with the high quality of the music presented by all four bands, making it a very successful event in the city and, consequently, leaving us all more than eager for another 1349 concert in Toronto, supported by another batch of very talented underground bands, sooner than you can say “Black Metal”. Hopefully they’ll return soon, and everyone who was at Lee’s Palace, including our beloved, crazy Indian guy, will be there to raise their horns up high and scream in full force together with one of the most professional bands hailing form Norway without a shadow of a doubt, and even better if it’s with proper lighting so not only their fans can enjoy the visual part of show as well, but also the photographers like Keith. Hail Satan, my friends!

Setlist
Sculptor of Flesh
Slaves
Through Eyes of Stone
Chasing Dragons
Ash of Ages
I Am Abomination
Striding the Chasm
Golem
Atomic Chapel
Dødskamp
Abyssos Antithesis

Band members
Ravn – lead vocals
Archaon – guitars, backing vocals
Seidemann – bass, backing vocals
Dominator – drums

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Concert Review – Abbath (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 05/12/2024)

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Despite a ridiculously small crowd, the iconic Abbath and his horde didn’t care at all about that and put on a fantastic performance in a celebration of pure Black Metal in Toronto.

OPENING ACTS: Final Gasp, Black Anvil and Imperial Triumphant

It was a very weird night at The Phoenix Concert Theatre on Sunday, when FINAL GASP, IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, BLACK ANVIL and ABBATH presented their Dread Reaver North America 2024 to maybe less than 200 people (at a venue that supports close to 1,500 people), and I knew something was odd when I got to the venue and, to my total surprise, the parking lot in front of it was absolutely empty, when it’s usually full hours before any concert there. Based on what other people told me, the reasons for that very small crowd were of course Mother’s Day, the show being on a Sunday, and above all that, the fact that Abbath played the night before in Kitchener, which is only one hour from Toronto, so no one from any of the neighboring cities decided to come to Toronto as they could enjoy the same show on a much more pleasant Saturday night. It’s known that Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment tried to move the show to Lee’s Palace, but that was already booked for something else. There wasn’t even a barrier for the photographers, so Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and the others like Kim and Miles simply had to share the floor section with the crowd. It was very weird, but it is what it is, and in the end all four bands kicked ass on stage which is what really matters.

From when the doors opened at 6pm until Boston, Massachusetts-based Gothic Metal/Deathrock band FINAL GASP hit the stage, I don’t think there were even 30 people at the venue, but the band didn’t care about the low attendance and put on a great show, blasting sheer heaviness from their instruments nonstop. I have zero idea of which songs they played, but I know that their 2023 album Mourning Moon is really good, and that everyone should take a nice listen at it on BandCamp or on Spotify. It’s a real bummer that the whole night was a flop in terms of attendance because bands like Final Gasp are very entertaining live, so hopefully they’ll come back to Toronto supporting another metal giant in the coming months, and this time with a decent crowd to bang their heads together with the band.

Band members
Jake Murphy – vocals
James Forsythe – guitars
Peter Micanovic – guitars
Sean Rose – bass
Eric Lester – drums

After a short and very quiet break, New York’s own Black/Thrash Metal beast BLACK ANVIL kicked off their infernal set to a bigger but still ridiculously small crowd, and just like Final Gasp the guys from Black Anvil were extremely professional and put their hearts and souls into their performance without caring at all if there were 10 or 2,000 people in the audience. There were zero mosh pits again, which was very odd, but the show must go on, right? Anyway, their drummer R.G. is a demented beast and it’s worth every penny of the ticket price alone, and hopefully one day he’ll get the recognition he deserves for being so great behind his drums. P.D. was also infernal on vocals and bass, leading his demonic horde in great fashion and getting a very warm feedback form the crowd. Go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, like their 2022 album Regenesis, because their music is amazing and perfect for some vigorous headbanging.

Band members
P.D. – vocals, bass
Sos – guitars
Alex Volonino – guitars
R.G. – drums

Another short and silent break, and it was then time for the most unique attraction of the night, New York-based Avant-garde/Technical Black/Death Metal entity IMPERIAL TRIUMPHANT, to blast our faces with an extremely heavy, cryptic and chaotic performance, again sounding very energetic and professional even in front of the night’s tiny crowd. Still promoting their 2022 album Spirit of Ecstasy, the trio formed of Zachary Ezrin on vocals and guitars, Steven Blanco on bass and backing vocals, and Kenny Grohowski on drums showed no mercy for our souls with a dissonant, mesmerizing and way too foggy show, stunning us all and getting us really pumped for Abbath. Steven even hit the floor section with his bass, playing in the middle of the 100 something fans at the venue, making their whole concert more intimate and gripping. Hence, if you know nothing about those mysterious creatures, don’t forget to check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll have a good time listening to their eerie creations.

Band members
Zachary Ezrin – vocals, guitars
Steven Blanco – bass, backing vocals
Kenny Grohowski – drums 

ABBATH

As already mentioned, due to the Saturday gig in Kitchener, most fans who were supposed to be in Toronto on Sunday to see Bergen, Norway’s own Black Metal institution ABBATH didn’t come to Sunday’s show, but the brave ones who managed to be at the venue were treated to a very special and intimate concert by Abbath and his horde, and let me tell you that it was infernal, heavy and bold from start to finish. The whole band played all songs from their setlist to perfection, and the mix of songs from Abbath’s three solo albums, those being his self-titled debut, Outstrider, and Dread Reaver, such as To War!, Hecate, Ashes of the Damned, and my favorite of the night, Winterbane, with some Immortal and I songs like In My Kingdom Cold, Warriors, and One by One, turned the night into a true celebration of classic Black Metal. No mosh pits either, which was even more ridiculous, but there wasn’t much we could do about that.

My only complaint about their show was the excessive smoke during all songs, to the point we couldn’t see anything from Abbath’s attire or makeup. Why does he wear all that if the fans can’t see shit due to the smoke? Well, at least the music as phenomenal, which is what truly matters in the end. Speaking of Abbath, the guy was a beast onstage, showing that his rehab was more than successful and that he still has a lot of fuel to burn in the coming years or even decades for our absolute delight. It was a beyond memorable show, even for a ridiculous crowd, but I’m sure Abbath will return to Toronto soon, and next time the scheduling and logistics will be better managed so he can see what the fans in Toronto can do when he’s playing his visceral Black Metal onstage.

Setlist
To War!
Acid Haze
Dream Cull
Hecate
Ashes of the Damned
Dread Reaver
In My Kingdom Cold (Immortal cover)
Beyond the North Waves (Immortal cover)
Nebular Ravens Winter (Immortal cover)
Warriors (I cover)
Battalions (I cover)
The Artifex
One by One (Immortal cover)
Winterbane
All Shall Fall (Immortal cover)

Band members
Abbath – vocals, guitars
Ole André Farstad – lead and acoustic guitars
Andreas Salbu – bass
Ukri Suvilehto – drums

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