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Concert Review – Ültra Raptör, The Scepter & AMMO (Bovine Sex Club, Toronto, ON, 03/28/2024)

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A celebration of Canadian Heavy and Speed Metal offered by three of the must-see names of the current scene, setting one of the most iconic venues in Toronto on fire for our total delight.

OPENING ACTS: Ültra Raptör and The Scepter

What a night at the Bovine Sex Club this Thursday with the bands THE SCEPTER, ÜLTRA RAPTÖR and AMMO, celebrating the strength, quality and energy of Canadian Heavy and Speed Metal before the Easter long weekend during their Supersonic Steel Tour 2024. As a matter of fact, if the Friday before Easter is called “Good Friday”, then the whole night at the Bovine could have been named “Awesome Thursday”, a night of classic heavy music debauchery and shred from across Ontario and Quebec. The main reason my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I were invited to cover such an amazing event was due to our coverage of AMMO when they opened for Gloryhammer two weeks before at The Phoenix Concert Theatre, and I’m extremely happy the guys from AMMO invited us for their show on Thursday as I had to miss them opening for Gloryhammer because of work and traffic that day.

Also, I honestly didn’t think that the venue was going to be so jampacked Thursday night, not because of the quality of the bands, but because it was the night before the Easter long weekend as already mentioned, when most people have travel plans to meet their families in other cities, provinces, or even countries. Well, let’s say everyone who attended the gig on Thursday IS family, the united and healthy metal family of Toronto, and when Quebec City, Quebec-based Heavy/Speed Metal outfit ÜLTRA RAPTÖR began their incendiary concert, blending songs from their 2018 self-titled EP and their 2021 album Tyrants the likes of Missile (Metal Warrior), Gale Runner and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, plus a brand new song titled Fossilized, from their upcoming album (to be released later this year), it was total anarchy, chaos, and mosh pits, with all fans at the venue having an amazing time while the band delivered fire and electricity (and dinosaurs) on stage. You can check more of their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, and please go see them live whenever you have a chance because they’re simply awesome (for instance, their drummer also plays with the fantastic Métal Noir Québécois horde Délétère), and as a bonus they have some ass-kicking merch for a very, very reasonable price. Merci pour ce concert incroyable, Ültra Raptör!

Setlist
Missile (Metal Warrior)
Highways of Ice
Under the Claw
Nightslasher
Gale Runner
Fossilized
The Quest for Relics
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Caustic Shower

Band members
Phil T. Lung – vocals
Criss Raptör – guitars
Zoltan Saurus – guitars
Dick Van Heuß – bass
Tony Bronco – drums

Then after a beer, bathroom and chat break (and by the way, the house DJ did a superb job playing what was probably his own 90’s mixtape, blowing the house speakers with classics from Sepultura, Slayer, Anthrax, White Zombie and several other metal giants), it was time for Ottawa, Ontario’s own Heavy/Speed Metal act THE SCEPTER to deliver another breathtaking show for the total delight of everyone at the venue. The ONLY issue with their performance was that I couldn’t get the name of any of the songs played*, except for the amazing Shadows in the Tower, available on BandCamp and on Spotify. There was another song about drinking, but I have no idea how it is actually called (maybe just “Drink”, but I’m not sure). Apart form that, it was another incendiary feast of heavy music, with frontman Jesse Harvey having a stellar performance as well as guitarists Josh and Morgan, again igniting some fun circle pits and inspiring everyone to raise their horns and headbang together with the band. Hopefully they’ll get back to Toronto in the near future for another blast of Heavy and Speed Metal, and next time I promise I’ll get their setlist.

*Update: Thanks to Keith, we now have their setlist! Hell yeah!

Setlist
Riding Out
Road to Mayhem
Where Art Thou?
Dunes
Taarakian Blood
Drink On
Protector of the Skies
Shadows in the Tower

Band members
Jesse Harvey – vocals
Josh – guitars
Morgan – guitars
Stew – bass
John – drums

AMMO

No one at the Bovine seemed to care about the late start to the shows, as the main attraction of the night, Toronto, Ontario’s unstoppable Heavy Metal warriors AMMO kicked off their shredding feast when it was already close to midnight. Spearheaded by frontman Alex Zdarvkovic, and showcasing the flammable guitar duo formed of Brett Hexx and Matt Lewis, AMMO put on another fantastic show as the icing on the cake for the night, with songs like Street Metal Werewolves and Taking the Throne sounding amazing live. I don’t remember exactly when, but Toronto’s own super fan William Yum threw a pack of cheese curds on stage, and the band not only laughed about it, but they actually ate the cheese. Anyway, back to the music, which is what really matters, the last two songs of their setlist were simply flawless, starting with the metallic hymn Too Metal for Metal, which chorus was sung I full force by almost everyone at the venue, followed by their rendition of Manowar’s classic Hail and Kill, and apart of course from the cover song you can enjoy all of their awesome creations on BandCamp and on Spotify. As I mentioned before, I’m extremely happy I was able to see AMMO live after missing them opening for Gloryhammer, and I believe everyone who attended the show is eager for another killer show by those amazing musicians sooner than you can say “too metal for metal”.

Setlist
Into Death
Street Metal Werewolves
Doomsayer
Taking the Throne
Empire
Too Metal for Metal
Hail and Kill (Manowar cover)

Band members
Alex Zdarvkovic – vocals
Brett Hexx – guitars, backing vocals
Matt Lewis – guitars
Necro Hippie – bass
Struan Robertson – drums

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Concert Review – Alestorm (The Concert Hall, Toronto, ON, 03/22/2024)

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In a winter-like night of spring in Toronto, countless fans braved a ruthless snowstorm to enjoy the incendiary concert by the most famous pirates of the metal scene worldwide.

OPENING ACTS: Glyph and Elvenking

Unfortunately due to a heavy snowstorm that hammered the city of Toronto on Friday night (it looks like we moved from a spring-like winter to a winter-like spring, which is a real bummer), I wasn’t able to make it to The Concert Hall to enjoy the start of the Tour of the Dead Marauder 2024, with the bands GLYPH, ELVENKING and ALESTORM, another amazing event brought to the city by the one and only Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. Not only that, this was the first ever event Noel held at The Concert Hall, which according to my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi is a fantastic venue for metal concerts. Huge stage, amazing lighting and sound, and the wrap around the upper balcony has a wicked view with one bar. Hopefully I’ll be able to see other bands playing at The Concert Hall, because I’m really curious to see how it is now. Anyway, as mentioned Keith was able to make it to the show, so not only he was responsible for the photos, but he also had to send me some words about each of the bands that played Friday night. I’ll add some information about the bands to the review as well, just to make it more detailed, and I hope you crazy metalheads enjoy the reading.

“Toronto is in its 4th day of spring and old man winter thought it would be nice for a snowstorm. However, the fans of the band Alestorm didn’t care. They stood outside for more than an hour in the blustery wind and snow to get inside a warm and newly renovated The Concert  Hall, where Noel Peters and his company Inertia Entertainment put on their first show. The bands Glyph, Elvenking and headliners Alestorm kicked some ass and let all their fans enjoy some much needed moshing,” said Keith about the entire night. The doors opened at 7pm and the first band of the night, GLYPH (a Power Metal featuring members of Gatekeeper, Greyhawk, Hjelvik, and Ravenous) went on shortly after, leaving Keith scrambling to get his camera ready and fight his way through the already packed venue. I believe they played the songs Honor, Power, Glory, A Storm of Crimson Fire and When The World Was Young during their set, and maybe a few others, but these three definitely deserve a listen. Moreover, Glyph will release their new album Honor. Power. Glory. this Friday March 29, so don’t be a fool and get ready to rock with such an amazing band by purchasing it or streaming it on BandCamp and on Spotify.

Band members
R. A. Voltaire – vocals
Rob Steinway – guitars
Darin Wall – bass
Jeff Black – keyboards
Ryan Yancey – drums

Right after Glyph finished warming up the crowd, it was time for Italian Melodic Power/Folk Metal entity ELVENKING to take the city of Toronto by storm (and fortunately not a snowstorm) with their hypnotizing concert, blending songs from their vast catalogue (as the band has been kicking ass all over the world for 27 years already) with their most recent effort, the 2023 album Reader of the Runes – Rapture. In addition, Elvenking are not your regular band, as their lineup includes mystical creatures represented by frontman Damna, guitarist and keyboardist Aydan, guitarist HeadMatt, bassist Jakob, drummer Symohn, and the iconic violinist Lethien, who definitely adds an extra touch of magic to their live performances. Keith said their concert was insane, driving their fans crazy and eager for more Elvenking in the city in the near future, and I honestly can’t wait for that as long as there isn’t a boring snowstorm blocking all roads, of course.

Setlist
Rapture
The Hanging Tree
Draugen’s Maelstrom
Pagan Revolution
Silverseal
Moonbeam Stone Circle
To Oak Woods Bestowed
Pagan Purity
Bride of Night
The One We Shall Follow
The Wanderer
The Divided Heart
Elvenlegions
She Lives at Dawn

Band members
Damna – lead vocals
Aydan – guitars, harsh and backing vocals, keyboards
HeadMatt – guitars
Jakob – bass
Lethien – violin
Symohn – drums

ALESTORM

Finally, after a quick break, the main attraction of the night took the stage for a memorable performance. The one day Scottish but now multinational Folk/Power Metal privateers ALESTORM kicked some serious ass according to Keith, with a jam packed venue making the night even more special. Having released that same Friday their new EP Voyage of the Dead Marauder (which is really cool, by the way), the band formed of Christopher Bowes, Máté Bodor, Gareth Murdock (and if you don’t know his Black Metal band Imperial Demonic, I highly recommend listening to their 2023 debut EP Beneath the Crimson Eclipse), Elliot Vernon, and Peter Alcorn was on fire during their entire set, playing classics like Keelhauled, Drink and Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship as well as the new songs The Last Saskatchewan Pirate and Voyage of the Dead Marauder, leaving a sold out The Concert Hall eager for another killer show by those metallic pirates in a not-so-distant future. “The crowd barrier broke and me and the security held it up during the third song for Alestorm. They had to fix it on the fly,” said Keith who, despite having a corrupt memory card and losing most of his over 200 Alestorm photos, made sure I got a very special (or maybe I should say divine) photo taken by our amazing brother and photographer Ryan Miles Leblanc. “There was a special appearance by the lord Jesus Christ who graciously moshed and crowd surfed,” said Keith in a message to me. Well, who would say that Jesus would be a fan of pirate metal, right? YAAAAAARRRR!

Setlist
Keelhauled
No Grave but the Sea
The Sunk’n Norwegian
Alestorm
Under Blackened Banners
Hangover (Taio Cruz cover)
The Last Saskatchewan Pirate
Wenches & Mead
Magellan’s Expedition
Mexico
Voyage of the Dead Marauder
Big Ship Little Ship
Nancy the Tavern Wench
P.A.R.T.Y.
1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)
Shit Boat (No Fans)

Encore:
Drink
Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship
Fucked With an Anchor

Band members
Christopher Bowes – vocals, keyboards
Máté Bodor – guitars
Gareth Murdock – bass
Elliot Vernon – keyboards, backing vocals
Peter Alcorn – drums

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Interview – Peter “Peavy” Wagner (Rage)

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Let’s fly higher than the sky in this exclusive interview with Mr. Peter “Peavy” Wagner, the mastermind behind German Power Metal institution Rage, where he talks about his first-ever tour in Canada, the band’s 40 years on the road, their upcoming new album, and more.

Peter “Peavy” Wagner (Rage)

The Headbanging Moose: Thanks a lot for your time, Peavy! My first question will be very straightforward, and I bet it’s exactly what every Rage fan in Canada wants to know. How excited was the band to visit Canada for the first time ever, how was the planning of this mini-tour, and why did the band take so long to come to Canada? Also, why didn’t you play in the US this time?

Peter “Peavy” Wagner: Well, we liked it very much, thanx to the fans for a great time. I don´t know why it took so long to do that, that’s a question for our bookers and the Canadian promoters. Touring the US is very difficult and immensely expensive nowadays, just the working permissions cost a fortune, that makes businesswise not really sense for us…

THM: It’s always a pleasure seeing an amazing band like Rage celebrating 40 years on the road, and of course your setlist during your current festive tour is beyond fantastic. You mentioned during your show in Toronto that you had to choose the setlist from over 100 songs, so what was the process or idea behind the final setlist on this tour?

Peavy: We simply tried to bring material from the different time Eras and from the most popular albums. Of course its hard to satisfy everyone, I just hope we found a good mix…

THM: Since the band’s inception in 1984, Rage have got used to playing in giant European festivals like Hellfest and Wacken Open Air, but also in smaller venues like Lee’s Palace in Toronto. How does it feel to play in small venues as compared to festivals? What are the things you love the most about those more intimate places?

Peavy: The most important thing about gigs is the exchange of that amazing energy, no matter what situation you play. It felt great to have such enthusiastic fans, they gave us a fantastic time!

Rage @ Lee’s Palace

THM: You also mentioned during the show in Toronto you’ve known your amazing drummer Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos since he was a little kid. Could you tell us more about that friendship, and how he finally ended up becoming the drummer for Rage?

Peavy: Lucky was 15 when he started to take drum lessons with Rage’s drummer Chris Efthimiadis in 1988, later he became his drum technician, he toured with us through the world for some years, we always kept our friendship alive. When I needed help to rebuild the band in 2015 I asked him, firstly for management support, later also to be the band’s drummer.

THM: I honestly can’t wait to listen to your upcoming album Afterlifelines, which as far as I know is going to be a double album where the first half is made up of more direct metal songs, while the second half has some orchestrations involved. What details could you tell us about the album, and once it’s released, are you going to replace any songs from your current setlist with new ones like you replaced From the Cradle to the Grave with Under a Black Crown this year?

Peavy: Yes, it´s 21 new titles in about 94 minutes of music, we span a line between heavy stuff to some epic and orchestrated longtrack, finding a climax to the end of the album. Surely we will integrate more new stuff to our future setlists.

Rage Afterlifelines BandCamp

THM: I love the fact that the lyrics to all Rage songs have a deeper meaning, like for example End of All Days and Back in Time. What can we expect in the lyrics from Afterlifelines? Are you going to talk about any specific topics in the album, will there be a concept behind any of the parts of the album, or is it going to be a more straightforward Rage release this time?

Peavy: There’s a red line going through all the songs. On our last release “Resurrection Day” I told the story of mankind’s cultural evolution from stone age to now, causing several problems we have to face today. On “Afterlifelines” I continue the story as a fictional, dystopic view in the future of the next hundred years. Still I believe that man has the abilities to solve those problems, so it must not come like in that story.

THM: What are your best memories from this short but sweet Canadian tour? Are there any new Canadian bands and artists you just got to know, and what are your top Canadian bands of all time?

Peavy: Yes, we had really good supporting bands this time! Thanx to all. My all time faves from Canada are of course Rush, I love their music since my teenage days. Also there’s of course a lot of other great bands, like for example Annihilator…

THM: You’ve been playing with only one guitarist for quite some time, maybe since Unity was released back in 2002. Why have you decided to “get rid” of a second guitar in the band’s formation, and do you think one day you’ll get back to having four band members with a second guitarist added to the band?

Peavy: Actually Stefan Weber is not really out of the band. Due to some serious personal problems he is taking a break from working with us for some time. The door is open for him to join in again, as soon as he’s ready…

THM: What does the future hold for Rage? I mean, you have a killer new album out soon, you’ve been kicking ass on stages worldwide for the past 40 years and so on, but what’s next for the band after reaching such an important milestone in your career?

Peavy: Besides of continuous touring an Festival Appearances this year we will release a band biography, that´s planned for October this year.

Rage

THM: Let’s play a fun game before the end of the interview called “The Time Capsule”. Please list 10 songs from 10 different bands or artists to be saved in a time capsule for all future generations, and let us know why you selected those.

Peavy: 1. Toccata and Fugue in D minor/J.S.Bach, 2. Free Will/Rush, 3. I Saw Her Standing There/The Beatles, 4. Ace of Spades/Motörhead, 5. Temple of the King/Rainbow, 6. You Really Got Me/The Kinks, 7. Prophet´s Song/Queen, 8. Blue Suede Shoes/Elvis Presley, 9. Ballad of Easy Rider/The Byrds, 10. Speed King/Deep Purple. Because I like those!

THM: Thank you very, very much again for the interview, Peavy! Please feel free to send your final thoughts and considerations to our readers, and of course, your final message to all Canadian fans who attended your concerts in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City!

Peavy: Thanx to all of the fans for their true support! See you again, Metal forever!

Links
Rage Official Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | BandCamp | Linktree

Concert Review – Gloryhammer (The Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ON, 03/12/2024)

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One of the torchbearers of Symphonic Power Metal worldwide returned to Toronto after five long years with more of their striking music, swords, goblins, hammers, and HOOTS!

OPENING ACTS: AMMO and Twilight Force

It was a beyond pleasant night in Toronto yesterday with temperatures above the two digits, something VERY uncommon for this time of the year but perfect for enjoying some high-quality Power Metal at The Phoenix Concert Theatre (which by the way desperately needs better parking nearby), courtesy of AMMO, TWILIGHT FORCE and GLORYHAMMER during their most excellent The Red, White & Hoots North American Tour 2024, and the Torontonian fans of all three bands answered their call and joined them in the battlefield for a night of soaring vocals, shredding, orcs, goblins, swords, hammers, princess and princesses, and of course my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and I couldn’t be left out of that metallic party in a land far, far away, right?

Well, to be fair, due to other commitments I couldn’t get to the venue in time to see Toronto’s own Heavy Metal act AMMO, but some people told me they were really good and put on a very entertaining warmup for Twilight Force and Gloryhammer. I checked online and it looks like there have been some significant changes to their lineup since their 2019 EP Taking the Throne, available on BandCamp and on Spotify, which means we can expect new music from those guys in a not-so-distant future. Sorry, AMMO, for not catching you live last night opening for Twilight Force and Gloryhammer, but I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to see you guys kicking ass on stage in the coming months.

Setlist
Into Death
Street Metal Werewolves
Doomsayer
Taking the Throne
Empire
Too Metal for Metal

Band members
Alex Zdarvkovic – vocals
Brett Hexx – guitars, backing vocals
Matt Lewis – guitars
Necro Hippie – bass
Struan Robertson – drums

It was around 8pm when Sweden’s iconic Symphonic Power Metal unity TWILIGHT FORCE hit the stage for a fantastic performance, I would say just as electrifying as Gloryhammer, with all band members being on absolute fire throughout the entire show and in sync with the crowd, leading each person at the venue into magical battles with dragons (and there was actually a “floating” dragon released over the crowd during Dragonborn) and other mystical creatures. Having released the album At the Heart of Wintervale last year, Twilight Force was unfortunately missing their lead singer Allyon due to unforeseen issues with his family back home, but that doesn’t mean their show was boring; quite the contrary, Long Island, New York-born (but currently residing in Sweden) vocalist Kristin Starkey, of Italian Melodic Heavy/Power Metal act Temperance, and who’s been doing backing vocals for Twilight Force since 2023, did all the vocals last night and, oh boy, she was incredible. What an amazing voice she has, plus of course her charisma and onstage theatricals, making us even “forget” she’s not the actual vocalist for the band. Sword yielding songs like Dragonborn, Thundersword, and the closing one The Power of the Ancient Force, inspired all fans to raise their fists in the air and enjoy an ass-kicking performance by Twilight Force, and I’m sure soon we’ll see those guys headlining concerts in the city thanks to the more-than-warm reception from their Torontonian fans (and if you want to know more about their music, go check them on BandCamp and on Spotify).

Setlist
Dawn of the Dragonstar
Twilight Force
Dragonborn
Thundersword
Sunlight Knight
Flight of the Sapphire Dragon
Sunlight Knight
At the Heart of Wintervale
The Power of the Ancient Force

Band members
Kristin Starkey – vocals
Lynd – lead & acoustic guitars, lute
Aerendir – rhythm guitars
Born – bass
Blackwald – keyboards, piano, violin, harpsichord
De’Azsh – drums

GLORYHAMMER

Finally, five years after their last concert in Toronto, Scotland’s own Symphonic Power Metal brigade GLORYHAMMER returned to Canadian battlefields armed with their 2023 opus Return To The Kingdom Of Fife, and if there’s one word that could define their show, that word has to be HOOTS! It was a fusion of Heavy and Power Metal with symphonic elements, beer, goblins, hammers and other fantasy elements by Angus McFife II, Ser Proletius, The Hootsman, Zargothrax and Ralathor, putting a huge smile on the faces of everyone who attended the show last night. Blending songs from all of their albums with new ones like Wasteland Warrior Hoots Patrol and Fife Eternal, which are extremely catchy and perfect for live concerts, the band kicked some ass and slayed some goblins for our total delight.

Of course, some of the most anticipated songs of their setlist didn’t disappoint at all, including the amazing battle hymns Gloryhammer, Hootsforce and The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee, with Angus McFife II (aka Sozos Michael) proving why he was chosen to become the band’s frontman with not only an amazing vocal performance, but also being very charismatic and leading the crowd with his requests for fists in the air while holding the Gloryhammer high. Also, I was impressed with the fact that there were even mosh pits during Gloryhammer’s performance, because that’s not the type of music you expect mosh pits. Well, it’s Toronto, so mosh pits can happen anytime. Furthermore, when you have a concert where a goblin appears on stage playing the saxophone, that means ANYTHING can happen, and I bet everyone at the venue can’t wait for Gloryhammer to visit Toronto again in the near future with more swords, hammers, and HOOTS!

Setlist
Incoming Transmission
Holy Flaming Hammer of Unholy Cosmic Frost
Gloryhammer
The Land of Unicorns
Fly Away
Angus McFife
Questlords of Inverness, Ride to the Galactic Fortress!
Also Sprach Zarathustra
Wasteland Warrior Hoots Patrol
Fife Eternal
Masters of the Galaxy
Sword Lord of the Goblin Horde
The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)
Keeper of the Celestial Flame of Abernethy
Universe on Fire
Hootsforce
The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee
The National Anthem of Unst

Band members
Angus McFife II (Sozos Michael) – vocals
Ser Proletius, Grand Master of the Deathknights of Crail (Paul Templing) – guitars
The Hootsman, Astral Demigod of Unst (James Cartwright) – bass
Zargothrax, Dark Emperor of Dundee (Michael Barber) – keyboards
Ralathor, the Mysterious Submarine Commander of Cowdenbeath (Ben Turk) – drums

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Concert Review – Rage (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 03/04/2024)

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One of the pillars of German Power Metal took the city of Toronto by storm for the first time ever to celebrate their headbanging, hellraising 40 years of career.

OPENING ACT: C.O.P. UK

Monday night was simply perfect in Toronto, with no snow or rain, lots of sunshine with temperatures above +10oC, very little traffic, and of course a lecture in Heavy and Power Metal at Lee’s Palace as C.O.P. UK and RAGE kicked off the Canadian leg of their 40 Years in RAGE – 4 Decades of Heavy Metal Tour 2024, celebrating four decades of one of the most important bands to ever arise from the German Power Metal scene. Brought to Canada by Lucky Bob Music Agency, it’s somehow weird that Rage are only playing in Canada and not in the US (which is why there was even a guy from Michigan who drove eight hours to see the show here in Toronto), and I don’t know exactly how the promotion of the tour was done because the crowd was much smaller than expected. Maybe because it was a Monday, the worst day in the world for anything as Garfield would say, or maybe tons of fans had zero idea Rage was playing in the city for the first time ever (and I saw some comments online from fans in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec complaining about the lack of information about the tour). Anyway, the concert was fantastic, as well as the sick photos taken this time by my friend Ryan Miles Leblanc.

After a HUGE delay for the doors to open due to some technical difficulties, as apparently they didn’t have an adapter to convert something from EU to Canada, Sheffield, England-based Heavy Metal/Hard Rock act C.O.P. UK, or Crimes Of Passion if you prefer, hit the stage at around 9:30pm for a solid performance to warm up the fans at the venue for Rage. Formed in 2005, the band led by the charismatic vocalist Dale Radcliffe distilled a traditional blend of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock with hints of Glam and Hair Metal, with songs like Love Is To Die For and Catch Me If You Can sounding amazing live, plus their electrifying cover version for Journey’s classic Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), which in Dale’s words, it doesn’t matter if you don’t know them, everyone loves a little bit of Journey. I was impressed with the band and just wish they had more releases available for streaming everywhere, because for example on Spotify you can only find their 2018 EP Keep on Moving. Their music is awesome and they deserve more attention from all of us metalheads not only in Canada, but anywhere where good music is appreciated.

Setlist
The Core
My Blood
Love Is To Die For
Body & Soul
Stranger Than Fiction
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (Journey cover)
Catch Me If You Can
God Made Me Your Angel

Band members
Dale Radcliffe – vocals
Jean Bormann – guitars
Henning Wanner – keyboards
Scott Jordan – bass
Kev Tonge – drums

RAGE

It was already 10:30pm, which is really late for any show to start in Toronto by the way, when German Power Metal titans RAGE kicked off their flawless performance on stage, obviously led by the iconic Peter “Peavy” Wagner on vocals and bass, supported by Jean Bormann on the guitars (and yes, he’s the same guitarist from C.O.P. UK, but I think he was just supporting C.O.P. UK as his main band is Rage), and Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos on drums. And let me say it was a dream come true for all Torontonian fans of the band who attended the concert because their celebration of 40 years indeed included songs from their entire and vast career, kicking things of with the excellent Resurrection Day and going through all of their albums, with songs like Solitary Man, Black in Mind, Back in Time and My Way inspiring everyone for some good headbanging and fist raising. I personally think Peavy’s microphone was a bit low, but even so it was amazing to see his raspy, loud vocals permeating the air at Lee’s Palace Monday night.

One of my favorite songs of the night, and probably also of most fans at the venue, was undoubtedly End of All Days, and it was visible how some dudes in the crowd were having the time of their lives while the trio kept kicking some serious ass on stage during such masterpiece. My only “complaint” about their setlist was not seeing the darkly beautiful “From the Cradle to the Grave” live, as it was replaced with their new song Under a Black Crown (from their upcoming album Afterlifelines, to be released on March 29 this year), but the new song is also amazing, you know what I mean? Well, Peavy even mentioned during the show that they had over 100 songs to create their setlist (all available on Spotify, by the way), a tough job for them, but a pleasure for all of us when the setlist comes together. An when you end a concert with the pulverizing Don’t Fear the Winter and the all-time classic Higher Than the Sky, you know how happy your fans will be. Hopefully the lower-than-expected attendance won’t stop Rage form coming back to Toronto in the near future, because after seeing what Peavy and the boys are capable of Monday night, I must say the city of Toronto needs another blast of their Teutonic Power Metal.

Setlist
Memento Vitae (Overture)
Resurrection Day
Great Old Ones
Solitary Man
Nevermore
Black in Mind
Refuge
Back in Time
Shadow Out of Time
My Way
End of All Days
A New Land

Encore:
Under a Black Crown
Don’t Fear the Winter
Higher Than the Sky
Tomorrow’s Yesterday (Instrumental)

Band members
Peter “Peavy” Wagner – vocals, bass
Jean Bormann – guitars
Vassilios “Lucky” Maniatopoulos – drums

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Concert Review – Ov Sulfur & Mental Cruelty (Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, 02/21/2024)

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Two of the must-see names of the current Deathcore scene worldwide took the city of Toronto by storm for an unforgettable night of cruelty, light and sulfur.

OPENING ACTS: Beguiler and Ghost Bath

Not sure if it’s global warming or just pure luck, but the weather last night in Toronto was pretty much in the low teens with clear skies, as opposed to the absolute cold and endless snow we were supposed to endure this time of the year, and I guess that was one of the main reasons why the (very) small but cozy Hard Luck Bar was jam-packed for a night of top-of-the-line Deathcore with the bands BEGUILER, GHOST BATH, MENTAL CRUELTY and OV SULFUR during their Beyond The Eternal Tour 2024, another sensational event brought to the city by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. On a side note, once again Belarusian Brutal Death Metal masters Extermination Dismemberment were not allowed to enter Canada for a reason beyond our comprehension, being replaced with Beguiler in Toronto, and as much as I enjoyed Beguiler I think this bullshit has to end and all Torontonian fans should have the pleasure of seeing Extermination Dismemberment kicking ass live in the city.

That doesn’t mean that the concert by Oshawa, Ontario, Canada’s own Deathcore act BEGUILER was boring or tiresome; quite the contrary, about 30 minutes or so after the doors at the Hard Luck Bar opened they began their fulminating performance, already inspiring everyone at the venue to slam into the circle pit spearheaded by their frontman Jacob Cooledge. The guy was growling like a beast, bursting his lungs in anger throughout their entire setlist, and that added an extra spice to the already ruthless sound crafted by his bandmates Scott Thoms, Gord Cameron and Nathan McDonald. What a great warmup that was, and if you’re curious to know more about their music you can find all of their releases on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their 2022 EP Etterath, and don’t forget to keep an eye on their social media for their tour dates because watching Beguiler live is definitely worth it.

Band members
Jacob Cooledge – vocals
Scott Thoms – guitar
Gord Cameron – bass
Nathan McDonald – drums

Due to the amount of bands playing last night the concert by Beguiler was relatively short, which was also the case with Minot, North Dakota, United States-based Depressive/Post-Black Metal entity GHOST BATH, who started their harsh, dark and sinister performance a little after 8pm. This is the second time I saw those guys live, and they were as tight and grim as when they opened for UADA last year, with once again the band’s mastermind Nameless stealing the spotlight with his undeniable talent, charisma and obscurity. I must say I wasn’t sure how the crowd would react to Ghost Bath taking into account they were the only non-Deathcore band of all, but everyone at the venue had an amazing time during their show, and as I said on the review for their concert when they opened for UADA simply go check their discography on BandCamp and on Spotify, including their 2021 album Self Loather, because their music is brilliantly dark.

Band members
Nameless – vocals, guitars
Tim Church – guitars
John Olivier – guitars
Josh Jaye – bass
Chris Piette – drums

MENTAL CRUELTY

I was then close to 9pm when one of the main attractions of the night, and I dare to say the most anticipated of all bands due to the wild reaction from the crowd, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-based Symphonic Deathcore outfit MENTAL CRUELTY hit the stage for an unforgettable concert, kicking things off with the amazing duo Midtvinter / Obsessis a Daemonio, from their 2023 masterpiece Zwielicht, and blending older songs such as King ov Fire and Ultima Hypocrita with tons of songs from their latest album, including the breathtaking Forgotten Kings, Nordlys and Mortal Shells, driving all concert-goers crazy inside the wild mosh pits while the band led by frontman Lukas Nicolai was on absolute fire on stage. Their guitar duo formed of Nahuel Lozano and Marvin Kessler was fantastic during their entire set, delivering sharp, piercing riffs and solos for our total delight and, therefore, adding even more fuel to the already incendiary mosh pits.

It was by far one of the coolest underground concerts form the past few years, and the excitement on the faces of all band members made the night even more special for all of us at the venue. Before closing their awesome setlist with my favorite song of their entire discography, Zwielicht / Symphony of a Dying Star, Lukas asked us all to turn on the flashlights of our phones, hold them high in the air and start waving our arms, “blinding” him with all the light, an amazing moment that will stay registered in the memories of the band and of everyone who attended the show last night. After their concert was over, the guys from Mental Cruelty went straight to their merch booth and stayed there for the rest of the night, chatting with fans, taking photos, of course selling their merch, and having a great time in Canadian lands. Needless to say, I can’t wait for the band to return to Toronto in a not-so-distant future to shine their Deathcore-infused light upon us all once again.

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

OV SULFUR

After another quick bathroom/beer/smoke/chat break, it was then time for Las Vegas, Nevada, United States-based Deathcore powerhouse OV SULFUR to begin their irreligious, blasphemous and demented performance, increasing the violence inside the circle pit as frontman Ricky Hoover kept roaring and screaming nonstop on stage. Although the band only has two releases in their discography, those being their 2021 debut EP Oblivion and their 2023 full-length opus The Burden ov Faith, that was more than enough to generate a solid setlist full of aggression, neck-breaking passages, visceral growls, strident riffs and blast beats, putting a huge smile on everyone’s faces while the temperature kept going up inside the venue.

Some of the songs played by Ricky and his henchmen stood out from their setlist, including Doomhead, Wide Open, and the most special one for Ricky himself, Earthen, which he dedicated to everyone who has lost a loved person in their lives just like Ricky has recently lost his 16-year-old nephew (who tragically died of cancer). That was a very emotional moment of the concert showing that even when the music is extremely heavy and brutal, there’s still place for deep feelings. The only “issue” with the whole night for me was the fact that Ov Sulfur and Mental Cruelty didn’t share the stage for their amazing collaborative single Hivemind, which for some reason I was very positive that they would play for us. Anyway, I don’t think most fans cared about that minor detail and slammed into the circle pit like beasts until the very last second, and once again I feel sorry for my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi and all other photographers for having to brave the mosh pits to take photos of the bands, plus the fact that the red light at the Hard Luck Bar is horrible for any type of picture. Hopefully next time we see Ov Sulfur in the city it will be at a venue with better lighting and a higher stage, but even if they play again at the Hard Luck Bar I’m sure all of us will be there to bang our heads together with one of the must-see names of the current Deathcore scene worldwide.

Band members
Ricky Hoover – vocals
Chase Wilson – guitars
Tre Purdue – guitars
Ding – bass
Leviathvn – drums

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Concert Review – Vader (Lee’s Palace, Toronto, ON, 02/11/2024)

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A wild night of pulverizing Death and Thrash Metal in Toronto, spearheaded by the most iconic metal band to ever arise from the Polish scene.

OPENING ACTS: Inhuman Condition and Origin

The best thing about a show being scheduled on the same night as Super Bowl is that traffic is pretty much nonexistent, turning the lives of all metalheads who don’t really care about American football a lot easier when it comes to getting to the venue in time to see all bands playing. That’s exactly what happened last night in Toronto at the always cozy Lee’s Palace, when the fantastic bands INHUMAN CONDITION, ORIGIN and VADER brought to the city a true celebration of extreme music during their 40 Years of the Apocalypse Anniversary Tour 2024, another incredible event organized by the unstoppable Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. As usual, my friend  Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (as well as other photographers) were there to register some wild moments of all three bands, but honestly I don’t know how they managed to stay alive and keep their cameras intact during the sick circle pits going on the entire night.

The first band to hit the stage was Tampa, Florida’s own Death/Thrash Metal beasts INHUMAN CONDITION, who were by far one of the best and most electrifying opening acts I’ve seen at any concert in the city in the past few years. Spearheaded by the incendiary frontman Jeramie Kling, the band put on a beyond entertaining show, playing songs from all of their albums including their 2022 release Fearsick and their 2023 EP Panic Prayer, with songs like Panic Prayer, Euphoriphobia and I’m Now the Monster inspiring all concert goers to slam into the pit like there’s no tomorrow. As expected, the two songs that generated the wildest mosh pits were Godzilla and Tyrantula, with everyone at the venue, including the band, acting like wild beasts on stage and in the floor section. Jeramie also had some words of wisdom to share with everyone last night; first of all, he said that a true metal concert needs three things, those being the headbangers, the circle pits, and the crowd surfers, and of course bodies started flying around as soon as he mentioned that. Also, that everything we’ve ever heard about Florida, all rumors and so on, are all true, which was quite funny as it’s usually people outside of Florida who make fun of the state. Well, one thing I know for sure, and that’s that heavy music in Florida is phenomenal, with bands like Inhuman Condition showing everything they got on stage anywhere they go, and if you know nothing about those guys, go check their music on BandCamp and on Spotify, as I’m sure you’ll love to get caught in their mosh.

Setlist
Recycled Hate
Panic Prayer
Euphoriphobia
The Neck Step
I’m Now the Monster
Killing Pace
Civilized Holocaust
Godzilla (Blue Öyster Cult cover)
Tyrantula

Band members
Jeramie Kling – vocals
Taylor Nordberg – guitars
Terry Butler – bass
Colton Zietler – drums

After a quick break, it was time for Kansas City-based Technical/Brutal Death Metal veterans ORIGIN to keep the circle pits moving frantically to the sound of their vicious, intricate and demolishing creations. Having released the album Chaosmos back in 2022, the band formed of vocalist Jason Keyser (and by the way, if you haven’t listened to it yet, go check the album Inferno by his brand new project Arborescence of Wrath as it’s a killer album), guitarist Paul Ryan, bassist Mike Flores (one of the best bass players I’ve seen in a while), and drummer John Longstreth showed absolutely no mercy for our necks and souls during their demented performance, blending Technical and Brutal Death Metal with nuances of Grindcore just to make things even more infuriated. The band was ruthless, savage and beyond technical, sounding absolutely insane with songs like Chaosmos, Panoptical and The Aftermath driving everyone at the venue simply insane inside the pit. Jason also had some words to say to the crowd before playing the song Decolonizer, where he showed his pure old school vein by demanding everyone to not take any pictures or record any videos of the song, but simply to go nuts inside the circle pit and collect bruises and black eyes as the memories of that moment (although they kept checking their phones due to Kansas City Chiefs being one of the teams playing the Super Bowl). Needless to say, it was intense, as well as the wall of death he organized before even playing one of the songs, trying to make their show as 90’s-inspired as possible. Origin are one of the coolest bands of the underground scene, and in case you still don’t know them go check their infernal music on Spotify, and don’t miss their live concerts whenever they take your depraved city by storm.

Setlist
Expulsion of Fury
Chaosmos
Accident and Error
Panoptical
Saligia
Decolonizer
Portal
The Aftermath
Unattainable Zero

Band members
Jason Keyser – vocals
Paul Ryan – guitars, backing vocals
Mike Flores – bass, backing vocals
John Longstreth – drums

VADER

It was getting late (and cold) in Toronto, but nothing that could stop Poland’s own Death/Thrash Metal institution VADER to crush everything and everyone that dared to cross their path at Lee’s Palace last night. The band formed of the iconic Peter on vocals and guitars, Spider also on the guitars, Hal on bass, and Michał Andrzejczyk on drums was flawless throughout their entire set, celebrating 40 years of existence for the delight of all lovers of extreme music in Toronto. Their setlist was a thing of beauty, including songs from their 1992 cult album The Ultimate Incantation, like Vicious Circle, Dark Age and The Crucified Ones, plus several other classics like Black to the Blind, while closing their setlist with a newer song, Shock and Awe, from their latest opus Solitude in Madness, released in 2020, and the response from the fans in Toronto was brilliant, with the circle pits moving majestically until the very last second of their performance.

It’s impressive how they can still sound to tight, vicious and heavy after so many decades on the road, showing their utmost passion for Death and Thrash Metal, and of course as we all know how much they love to play for us, that inspired us to send our love back to them by headbanging nonstop, raising our horns, and getting wild in the pit. The only “issue” was that their official photographer doesn’t seem to be a big fan of crowd surfing, but that was fine as all crowd surfers quickly learned that show was not the best place to practice such metallic art. Anyway, apart from that, and from the same two guys that almost got into a fight with each other countless time (please, be adults and behave next time, alright?), everyone had an amazing time together with those Polish metallers, and hopefully we’ll also have the pleasure of hosting in Toronto the celebration of their 45th, 50th, 55th and so on anniversaries, keeping the fires of Death and Thrash Metal burning forever in the city.

Setlist
Macbeth (Laibach song)
Decapitated Saints
The Wrath
Chaos
Vicious Circle
Dark Age
The Crucified Ones
Silent Empire
Sothis
Black to the Blind
Carnal
Wings
Cold Demons
Epitaph
Dark Transmission
Para Bellum
This Is the War
Helleluyah!!! (God Is Dead)
Never Say My Name
Come and See My Sacrifice
Triumph of Death
Shock and Awe
The Imperial March (John Williams song)

Band members
Peter – vocals, guitars
Spider – guitars
Hal – bass
Michał Andrzejczyk – drums

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Album Review – Danko Jones / Electric Sounds (2023)

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Toronto, Canada-based undisputed kings of balls-out Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll are back to provide maximum satisfaction with their electrifying eleventh studio album.

Are you ready to rock? Do you want a good time? Do you want to get high? If the answer to any of those questions is yes (and it really should be), then Toronto, Canada-based undisputed kings of balls-out Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll, collectively known as Danko Jones, are back to provide maximum satisfaction with their new album titled Electric Sounds, the eleventh studio effort in their career. Produced and mixed by Eric Ratz, mastered by Harry Hess at HBomb Mastering, and displaying a classy artwork by Martin Ander, Electric Sounds will slap you in the face with its endless electricity and power, all carefully brought into being by vocalist and guitarist Danko Jones (aka Rishi James Ganjoo), bassist John “JC” Calabrese, and drummer Rich Knox.

As already asked, are you ready for a Rock N’ Roll party together with Danko and his crew? That’s what you’ll get in the groovy Guess Who’s Back, with Danko declaiming the song’s acid lyrics while Rich dictate the song’s pace with his classic beats, followed by Good Time, another exciting, rockin’ extravaganza by the trio, with the bass by JC sounding thunderous while Danko keeps roaring the song’s fun chorus with tons of energy (“I came here to fuck shit up and have a good time”). Then the title-track Electric Sounds, featuring guest guitarist Daniel Dekay (from Canadian thrash legends Exciter), will take you on a wild musical ride together with the band, with Danko kicking some ass on vocals supported by the pounding drums by Rich. Then we have Get High?, featuring guest vocals by Damian Abraham (from Fucked Up), a song about the the legalization of marijuana in Canada that ends up being some sort of Rock N’ Roll anthem for potheads, showcasing solid riffs and strong bass lines; and let’s keep banging our heads with Danko Jones in Stiff Competition, bringing more of the band’s pounding but very melodic sounds, albeit not as thrilling as the rest of the album.

The band speeds things up and invite us all to slam into the pit to the sound of She’s My Baby, featuring guest vocals by Tyler Stewart (from Barenaked Ladies), a lesson in modern-day Rock N’ Roll and Hard Rock; whereas Eye For An Eye reminds me of some of the most recent songs by Danish rock titans Volbeat, which is obviously a good thing, with the guitars by Danko sounding amazing from start to finish. And adding an extra dosage of groove to their music it’s time for I Like It, a strip tease-fueled rock song where the beats by Rich will inspire you to bang your head like a maniac. The party has no time to stop, as the vibrant Let’s Make Out keeps the adrenaline level as high as it can be, with Danko once again kicking ass on vocals and with his classy riffs, while What Goes Around offers us all pure Rock N’ Roll flowing from all instruments, with the vocals by Danko matching perfectly with the rumbling kitchen by JC and Rich. Lastly, the trio will shake your city with their rockin’ sounds in Shake Your City, bringing forward one final round of their classic riffs, bass lines and beats and fills.

Electric Sounds is available for a full listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course if you want to show your utmost support to Danko Jones you can grab a copy of the album from their own website or by clicking HERE, and don’t forget to also follow this amazing Hard Rock crew from Toronto on Facebook and on Instagram for news, tour dates, and so on. Danko Jones and his henchmen are ready to rock your world armed with the electric sounds found in their new album, and if I were you I wouldn’t waste a single second and join them because, as you might know, their Rock N’ Roll party has no time to end.

Best moments of the album: Electric Sounds, She’s My Baby and Eye For An Eye.

Worst moments of the album: Stiff Competition.

Released in 2023 AFM Records

Track listing
1. Guess Who’s Back 2:41
2. Good Time 3:57
3. Electric Sounds 3:13
4. Get High? 3:37
5. Stiff Competition 3:27
6. She’s My Baby 3:17
7. Eye For An Eye 2:58
8. I Like It 3:09
9. Let’s Make Out 3:26
10. What Goes Around 3:32
11. Shake Your City 3:30

Band members
Danko Jones – lead vocals, guitars
John “JC” Calabrese – bass
Rich Knox – drums

Guest musicians
Tyler Stewart – vocals on “She’s My Baby”, backing vocals
Damian Abraham – vocals on “Get High?”, backing vocals
Daniel Dekay – guitars on “Electric Sounds”, backing vocals
Eric Ratz, Harry Hess, Zach Pepe – backing vocals

Concert Review – Cattle Decapitation (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 12/02/2023)

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As we’re all going to die one day, why not enjoying our time left on earth with some first-class Death Metal like what the unparalleled Cattle Decapitation offered us this Saturday night in Toronto?

OPENING ACTS: Castrator, Sanguisugabogg and Immolation

Before I start the actual review of the show, I gotta say that although I don’t have anything against Christmas, I do nurture a deep hatred for the Christmas market known as The Distillery Winter Village that happens this time of the year in Toronto. Because of that, it took me almost two hours to get to The Opera House last night to see CASTRATOR, SANGUISUGABOGG and IMMOLATION during their demented The Terrasitic Infestation Tour 2023, brought to the city by the always awesome Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment, and I had to skip some quality time with my friend Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi (and some other nice ladies and gents) and simply rush to the venue (after parking way too far from it, of course). And before I forget, the concert was absolutely SOLD OUT, so you can all imagine how demonic the atmosphere was indoors on Saturday, right?

Anyway, at least I made it in time for the opening act of the night, the ruthless New York-based Death Metal entity CASTRATOR, who hit the stage of The Opera House at 7pm sharp and pulverized our senses for intense 30 minutes of Old School Death Metal. I have no idea why their guitarist Kimberly Orellana isn’t playing this tour, but fortunately for all fans of first-class extreme music the awesome Long Island, New York guitarist Kurtis Layne stepped up and made their whole tour possible. Playing seven demolishing songs from their top-notch debut full-length Defiled in Oblivion, released in 2022 (and available for a full listen on BandCamp and on Spotify, or click HERE for all things Castrator), including the fantastic tunes Inquisition Sins and the closer Dawa of Yousafzai, the band formed of the unstoppable growler Clarissa Badini, bassist Robin Mazen, drummer Carolina Perez, and the aforementioned Kurtis Layne on the guitar was vicious form start to finish, igniting some of the wildest mosh pits I’ve ever seen for an opening act in my life. Clarissa was insane on vocals, roaring and headbanging like a maniac nonstop, therefore having the crowd in the palm of her hands all the time. She’s one of the best growlers of the new generation, and I highly recommended seeing Castrator live whenever they take your damned city by storm. When she was announcing the last song of the night, the audience demanded more, and she laughed and said “c’mon guys, we’re just the opener”. Well, hopefully one day we’ll see Castrator as the headliners in Toronto, because we all loved their wicked Death Metal attack, turning several of us (including myself) into a fanboy of the band.

Setlist
Tormented by Atrocities
Forsaken and Deprived
Inquisition Sins
Tyrant’s Verdict
Befoul My Existence
Sinister Mind
Dawa of Yousafzai

Band members
Clarissa Badini – vocals
Kurtis Layne – guitars
Robin Mazen – bass
Carolina Perez – drums

That circle pit madness initiated by Castrator kept moving frantically during the demented 30-minute onrush of Brutal Death Metal by Columbus, Ohio-based horde SANGUISUGABOGG (by the way, the band’s name is a combination of “sanguisuga”, which is Latin for “leech”, and “bog”, a British English slang for “toilet”), demanding a high level of stamina and fitness form everyone who dared to brave the floor section. Playing songs mostly from their latest album Homicidal Ecstasy, such as Black Market Vasectomy and Face Ripped Off, plus the closer Dead as Shit, from their 2021 debut Tortured Whole (all available on Spotify), the band that has one of the most unreadable logos ever and that’s spearheaded by this massive dude named Devin Swank kicked some serious ass on stage, demanding the crowd to keep moving inside the circle pit like crazy, even throwing a football to the fans for some sort of twisted football or even rugby madness. Kudos also to drummer Cody Davidson, who kept hammering our heads with his infernal beats just the way we like it in Brutal Death Metal, and next time the band comes to Toronto I’ll make sure I’m there for some quality slamming.

Setlist
Black Market Vasectomy
Face Ripped Off
Pissed
A Lesson in Savagery
Permanently Fucked
Mortal Admonishment
Dead as Shit

Band members
Devin Swank – vocals
Ced Davis – guitars
Drew Arnold – guitars
Cody Davidson – drums

I don’t think there’s anything I can say about Death Metal institution IMMOLATION at this point that hasn’t been said before. After seeing them quite a few times already, I’m always impressed with the heaviness, the charisma, the vibe and the dexterity those New York death metallers bring to the stage, putting their hearts and souls into each of their shows. Ross Dolan and his henchmen were on fire as usual throughout their entire set, making The Opera House tremble with their thunderous Death Metal for the delight of all concert goers. Furthermore, I have to say Robert Vigna might be one of the most underrated guitarists in heavy music, as not only he’s amazing in the studio, but when he’s on stage his axe sounds even more menacing, piercing and striking, adding an extra touch of heaviness to the band’s performance. As mentioned in other reviews of their previous live concerts, the new songs form Acts of God, those being The Age of No Light and An Act of God, matched perfectly with their older material, proving once again the music by one of the torchbearers of Old School Death Metal is simply timeless. In a nutshell, it was a fulminating headbanging party not recommended for the lighthearted, and I’m sure we’ll see those guys back in Toronto sooner than we can say “Death Metal”.

Setlist
And the Flames Wept
All That Awaits Us
The Age of No Light
Dawn of Possession
Once Ordained
When the Jackals Come
Christ’s Cage
Abandoned
An Act of God
Higher Coward
Epiphany

Band members
Ross Dolan – vocals, bass
Robert Vigna – guitars
Alex Bouks – guitars
Steve Shalaty – drums

CATTLE DECAPITATION

It was close to 10pm when the main attraction of the night, San Diego, California’s own Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore titans CATTLE DECAPITATION, took the stage of The Opera House by storm with one of the most infuriated and captivating concerts they’ve ever done in Toronto, and the fact they were the headliners this time helped boost their energy and impact considerably. One of the best details of their setlist was that they played several songs form their masterpiece Terrasite, by far one of the best albums of 2023, including the infernal songs Terrasitic Adaptation, We Eat Our Young, Scourge of the Offspring, The Storm Upstairs, Solastalgia, and A Photic Doom, and the reaction form each fan at the venue to those new tunes was superb.

The entire band was on total freakin’ sync during their demonic set, but let’s say that two guys ended up stealing the spotlight, drummer David McGraw and obviously their iconic frontman Travis Ryan. David sounded infuriated behind his drums, and you know that when the band’s drummer is insane, the mosh pits also are, enhancing the speed, the fury and the madness going on inside such. Not only that, as the concert was on a Saturday I guess all kids inside the circle pit didn’t have to worry about school or work the next day, and they went mental to the point it was impossible to keep up with their pace. The other name of the night was as mentioned Travis, one of the best, most charismatic frontmen in the history of extreme music, who not only was insane as usual with both his deep guttural and his trademark goblin screeches, but he was also having a lot of fun with the crowd, even using a Dr. Seuss Cat in the Hat top hat (and yes, someone brought it to the concert for a reason beyond my understanding) to wipe up his ass while the audience was laughing a lot of the scene. In other words, Travis is awesome, period.

Most of us were curious to know why there was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling during the band’s performance, and fortunately I have a secret source who explained to me the reason for that. During their sound check, one of the band’s guitarists was checking his sound by playing a slow song (we believe it was “Endless Love”, originally recorded as a duet by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross in 1981), and when the lighting tech turned the disco ball on, Travis saw that and said they had to use it during their set. Well, I personally think that was an AWESOME idea, making their Toronto gig truly unique, with the light coming form the disco ball matching perfectly with their savage music. Everyone loved it, and the city is more than ready for another round of the caustic music by Cattle Decapitation anytime they want to return to the city, if possible with the disco ball back, of course. And lastly, I just want to say one thing about the band’s merch. One of the stickers sold at their merch stand had their classic phrase “We’re All Gonna Die. Have a Nice Day.”, and let’s say that’s exactly how we should face our lives, having a great time at metal concerts with our friends and family like this Saturday at The Opera Hose until our inevitable end. Thank you, Cattle Decapitation. You guys are the best!

Setlist
Terrasitic Adaptation
We Eat Our Young
Scourge of the Offspring
Dead Set on Suicide
The Storm Upstairs
Bring Back the Plague
Finish Them
Solastalgia
A Photic Doom
Vulturous
Time’s Cruel Curtain
Pacific Grim

Encore:
Kingdom of Tyrants

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

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Concert Review – Imminence (The Opera House, Toronto, ON, 11/30/2023)

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A feast of top-of-the-line Metalcore made in the United States and Sweden warmed up the hearts of all Torontonian fans on a cold and windy night in the city.

***Review by Keith Ibbitson, with photos by Ryan Miles Leblanc***

OPENING ACT: Until I Wake

The streets of Toronto were cold and windy on the night of November 30, but The Opera House had their doors open early to welcome around 300 Metalcore fans inside to keep them warm, have some cold beverages and listen to great music, courtesy of the opener UNTIL I WAKE, our close neighbours hailing from Buffalo, New York, in the United States, and Swedish metalcore monsters IMMINENCE.

UNTIL I WAKE started off the evening at 7:50pm. It was the band’s first time in Toronto and they did not disappoint. Their raw energy, blistering rhythm and powerful lyrics started the crowd off into a head banging frenzy. One interesting fact about Until I Wake is that they had a guest vocalist as they are trying to find a new singer. Well, I personally chatted with some of the band members after their set and asked who he was, but all they could tell me is that they would like him to be the new frontman for them. Such mysterious guest singer put in his work last night, jumping off the stage and onto the barrier to interact with concert goers, and he even joined them in the center of it all to start a huge circle pit before getting back on the stage. If you want to know more about the band and their music, simply click HERE and also listen to their discography on BandCamp and on Spotify, including the recently released deluxe edition of their 2022 album Inside My Head.

Setlist
For the Record
Sinking Under
Cold
Octane
Forsaken
Fool’s Paradise
Hope Ur Happy
Legacy
Inside My Head

Band members
Unknown – vocals
August Lee Geitner – guitar
Ryan Ridley – bass
Alex Curtin – drums

IMMINENCE

After a short break, more precisely at 9pm, Sweden’s own IMMINENCE got on the stage and things heated up, with bodies being jammed so tight together the heat in the building was humid and sweaty. Imminence is a band known for their unique hard rock sound and melodic electric violin, which I thought would sound weird but wow, I was pleasantly surprised as I have never seen them before. They played a one hour and fifteen minute set, and the crowd at The Opera House sang along with the band every song from what I could see. The love the fans have for the band is outstanding. In addition, Imminence’s sound guys did an absolutely stellar job, making them sound like it’s right from the album and their own lighting tech simply nailed the strobe and color bars as well. You can also click HERE for all things Imminence, and stream all of their metallic creations on Spotify, including their new singles Come Hell or High Water, Desolation, Death by a Thousand Cuts and Heaven Shall Burn, all part of their current setlist.

Setlist
Paralyzed
Ghost
Erase
The Sickness
This Is Goodbye
Come Hell or High Water
Desolation
Surrender
Death by a Thousand Cuts
Alleviate
Saturated Soul
Infectious
Chasing Shadows
∞
Heaven in Hiding
Heaven Shall Burn
Temptation

Band members
Eddie Berg – lead vocals, violin
Harald Barrett – lead guitar, backing vocals
Alex Arnoldsson – rhythm guitar
Peter Hanström – drums
Christian Höijer – bass

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