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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 – Iron Knights / Iron Knights (2014)

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Behold the Iron Knights, as they’re ready to rock.

Rating4

coverFinally after almost two years since their debut album, and especially after some huge lineup changes (only bassist Paul “Beam” Robbie and drummer Lawrence “Larry” Paterson remain from the original lineup), British Heavy Metal warriors Iron Knights are back with a new release, the excellent self-titled album Iron Knights, which will surely please all fans of that raw “old school” heavy music from the 80’s.

If someone asks me to summarize the music from the new and invigorated Iron Knights, who by the way ditched their pseudonyms a while ago and have been using their actual names since then, I would say it’s pure Heavy Metal created by the fusion of hot metal blood from New Zealand with an absolute passion for heavy music from the UK. All band members sound totally fired up and excited, which translates into great music full of stamina, and in my opinion the addition of British singer and guitarist Jamie Gibson (ex-Possession) was crucial for their new “formula” to actually work. As Mr. Larry Paterson stated in his interview to this webzine a couple of months ago, “The new stuff coming out is sounding really strong to my ears and I can’t wait to get it on the road.”

We can say Larry was absolutely right in his statement as soon as we hit “play” and the amazing opening track, Transparent, fills our ears with pure Heavy Metal:  a very traditional intro, extremely heavy riffs, pounding drums, some Thrash Metal elements from bands such as Anthrax, and an awesome chorus that will work perfectly live with the fans screaming “I SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOU!” with the band, are the perfect mix for inflaming the listener and making him start headbanging like hell. And the band keeps on rockin’ with Falling from Grace, with its Southern Metal riff, lots of groove and a very pleasant melody, and the 80’s Thrash Metal sonority from Vicious Circle, with highlights to the great vocals by Jamie Gibson on top of all the shredding and fast beats.

The next track, a ballad named A Chapter’s Lesion, might not be bad but it sounds a little generic, maybe showing the band should stick to the heavier and faster music from the first three songs, which is proven in Genocide, with its very traditional heavy sonority full of interesting riffs, guitar solos and especially the breaks halfway through the song. Then we have the good Cry for Help, with its intro and riffs a little similar to Iron Maiden’s classic “Flight of Icarus”, where it’s clear how much the band members put their hearts and souls into this album. Moreover, I could see this song being played a lot at most Rock N’ Roll radios in North America if the band had signed with a major record label.

IronKnightsAlthough the last two original tracks in Iron Knights might be completely different in terms of speed and violence, they are truly awesome and achieve their purpose almost flawlessly: I’m pretty sure Mr. Larry Paterson loves to play what is the best song of the album for me, Blind, a fast, heavy and furious mix of Heavy and Thrash Metal with a magnificent chorus; while Jacob’s Ladder, the second ballad of the album, is a lot better than the first one due to all the emotion in it, and besides, it gets a lot heavier after 3 minutes, ending the album in a very energetic way.

Last but not least, in regards to the bonus tracks (all re-recordings of some songs from their 2012 album New Sound of War), they’re all very powerful and perfect for hitting the road, especially the amazing Jericho. The only thing I didn’t understand in the album is the absence of the awesome single “Destroyer”. What the hell happened to it? I thought it was going to be part of the album for sure. Anyway, I downloaded it a while ago and will simply add it to my album folder as an “additional” bonus track.

And after Iron Knights (which can be purchased at the band’s official online shop) is over, you’ll probably grab another beer, hit “play” again and enjoy this great traditional Heavy Metal album one more time, because that’s how things should be when the music in question is not only good, but also potent and rightful. So behold the Iron Knights, as those guys are ready to rock and keep the fire of Heavy Metal alive, hopefully for many years to come.

Best moments of the album: Transparent, Vicious Circle, Blind and Jacob’s Ladder.

Worst moments of the album: A Chapter’s Lesion.

Released in 2014 Metalbox Recordings

Track listing
1. Transparent 5:05
2. Falling from Grace 3:41
3. Vicious Circle 3:47
4. A Chapter’s Lesion 4:20
5. Genocide 4:00
6. Cry for Help 4:42
7. Blind 3:21
8. Jacob’s Ladder 4:39

Bonus tracks (re-recorded from New Sound of War)
9. Bloodstorm 3:54
10. The Messenger 4:33
11. Jericho 4:21

Band members
Jamie Gibson – vocals, guitars
Wayne Mann – guitars
Paul “Beam” Robbie – bass
Lawrence “Larry” Paterson – drums