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Concert Review – Lutharo, Blackguard & Killotine (Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, ON, 07/26/2025)

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We were born to ride on the wings of Canadian underground metal together with three of the must-see bands of the current scene on a rainy night in Toronto.

INTRO: A perfect night of Canadian metal almost ruined by one of the heaviest traffics ever experienced in the city…

I’ve always hated the QEW, and will forever hate it, but the traffic this Saturday night to get to the city was beyond any level of patience I might have to face any type of situation. Rain is the new snow, and it was absolute chaos to get to the cozy Horseshow Tavern in time to see LUTHARO, BLACKGUARD and KILLOTINE in another killer event of the Canadian underground organized by Noel Peters of Inertia Entertainment. It took me over two fuckin’ hours for a 30km drive, and when I met my buddy Keith Ibbitson of Metal Paparazzi at the venue I was completely drained and exhausted, and there were only five minutes left before the first attraction of the night, so I can say I was a bit numb during the first half of the show. I don’t know what I’m going to do in the near future as the city is growing in population but not in infrastructure, and more and more companies are demanding their employees to return to the office five times a week, which means any day of the week from now on will be fucked by heavy traffic. I might have to start handpicking my concerts, and that’s very depressing.

KILLOTINE

I don’t like to start a review of an excellent night of Canadian metal with a rant like that, and I’m sorry about it. Fortunately, Hamilton, Ontario’s own Thrash Metal marauders KILLOTINE brought a lot of energy back to my tired soul with their frantic and vibrant performance. The reigning champions of Wacken Metal Battle Canada 2025 proved why they were the chosen ones to represent Canada at Wacken Open Air this year, kicking some ass onstage with their no shenanigans blend of Thrash Metal spearheaded by the charismatic vocalist and guitarist Matt Fraser. I don’t know exactly which songs they played, but I guess it was pretty much the entire 2024 EP Live at the Whiskey Pit, available on Spotify, with songs like Survival of the Wicked and Isolate sounding amazing live, already igniting some wild mosh pits for our total delight. Go check more details about Killotine by clicking HERE, but be careful as thrashing is their business, and business is good.

Band members
Matt Fraser – vocals, guitars
Jesse Luciani – guitars
James McNeil – bass, backing vocals
James Beck – drums

BLACKGUARD

The second band of the night, Montreal, Quebec-based Symphonic/Melodic Death Metal horde BLACKGUARD, might not have released anything new since their excellent 2020 album Storm, but the band fronted by the talented Paul Ablaze showed why they’re one of the most beloved bands of the Canadian scene with a breathtaking performance, melting our faces with their hybrid of Children of Bodom with Swedish melodeath and elements from Symphonic and Black Metal, all spiced up by the hammering beats by Justine Ethier. Once again I have no idea of their full setlist, but all songs sounded amazing, like Northern Storm. You can check their full discography on Spotify, and get more information about the band HERE, as I’m sure you’ll have a blast with such an amazing band. My only “complaint” is that they could have played the song A Dying Season with the multi-talented Lyndsay Schoolcraft, former keyboardist for Cradle of Filth (who was in the house as a fan) just like in their album. Nothing to really worry about, though, but as a fan of Lyndsay’s work I personally thought she would have been a nice touch to their fantastic concert.

Band members
Paul Ablaze – vocals
David Gagné Guitars – lead guitars
Terry Roadcase – rhythm guitar
Vincent Harnois – bass
Jonathan Lefrancois-Leduc – keyboards
Justine Ethier – drums, percussion

LUTHARO

The night was getting better and better inside the Horseshoe Tavern (and kudos to the house DJ for playing only songs by Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne the entire night, as a beautiful tribute to our beloved Prince of Darkness), and of course the incendiary Melodic Death Metal by Hamilton, Ontario’s most ass-kicking band ever, the unstoppable LUTHARO, was the icing on the cake on such an excellent metal party. Playing songs from all of their albums, but of course focusing more on their 2024 beast Chasing Euphoria (available in full on Spotify or for purchase by clicking HERE, by the way), the band led by the stunning frontwoman Krista Shipperbottom, who was sporting an awesome outfit with an altered  Lutharo shirt and a huge smile on her face during the entire show, set the whole place on fire with their striking performance.

Krista was of course flawlessly supported by her bandmates Victor Bucur, Jeff Wilson (who paid a subtle tribute to the recently deceased iconic wrestler Hulk Hogan during one of the songs), Chris Pacey and Cory Hofing, adding even more energy to their breathtaking performance. Fans were loving every single song played, with Time to Rise, To Kill or to Crave and Reaper’s Call being some of the favorites of the night. It felt like Lutharo were a veteran band used to play at arenas simply having fun at a small venue so professional and passionate they sounded, and I really hope now that they’re embarking on a fun European tour that they become the next big thing in the Old Continent. When they returned to the stage for their more-than-special encore with Born to Ride (my favorite of the night) and Lost in a Soul, it was the coronation of a perfect night for the band. Go check more details about Lutharo if you know nothing about the band by clicking HERE, because they were definitely born to ride on the wings of Heavy Metal, and we were all born to rock to the sound of their beautiful music.

Setlist
Phantom
Ruthless Bloodline
Bonded to the Blade
Creating a King
Time to Rise
To Kill or to Crave
Wings of Agony
Hopeless Abandonment
Reaper’s Call
Paradise or Parasite

Encore:
Born to Ride
Lost in a Soul

Band members
Krista Shipperbottom – vocals
Victor Bucur – guitars, backing vocals
Jeff Wilson – guitars
Chris Pacey – bass
Cory Hofing – drums

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Album Review – Karkaos / Children Of The Void (2017)

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As we’re all the children of the void, let’s raise our horns and bang our heads to the superb new album by one of the most reputable and celebrated metal acts hailing from the beautiful province of Quebec.

Founded by guitarist Vincent Harnois in the year of 2003 under the name Sinister Vengeance, Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore outfit Karkaos soon evolved into one of the most reputable and celebrated metal acts hailing from the stunning city of Montreal, located in the province of Quebec, in Canada. Melodic yet heavy, this unstoppable female-fronted band is unleashing upon the earth their brand new full-length installment, titled Children Of The Void, which features new frontwoman Viky Boyer, drummer Justine Ethier (Blackguard) and lead guitarist Samael Pelletier (Aeon’s Fall), and let me tell you that all these lineup changes were extremely positive to the band and to their sound, especially if you’re a fan of the music by bands such as Epica, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Arch Enemy and Amon Amarth.

Featuring an elegant artwork by the immensely talented Colombian artist and designer Marcela Bolívar, as well as collaborations with guest artists Lindsay Schoolcraft from Cradle of Filth and Morgan Lander from Kittie, Children Of The Void offers the listener a considerably different sonority from the band’s previous albums, the 2011 EP In Burning Skies and the 2014 full-length release Empire, sounding more symphonic, imposing and polished than before. “We have been working hard for a long time to be able to give you an album that combines beautiful melodies to our own symphonic signature, groovy and brutal riffs to intensity as well as catchy choruses”, comments the band’s mastermind Vincent about Children Of The Void, and let’s say his “summary” of the album was spot-on to depict all the beauty and aggressiveness found in its 12 amazing compositions.

The cinematic intro Babel leads us to the symphonic and metallic world of Karkaos before the explosive Skymaster hits us with heaviness and might from its very first second in a perfect fusion of the music played by Arch Enemy with Dimmu Borgir and Nightwish. Furthermore, pay attention to the precision of Justine behind her drums and to the song’s powerful chorus (“All hope is gone, I scream at heavens / This is not yet the end! / Brothers and sisters moan, I howl / Truth will prevail!”), as well as to the amazing Viky, who steals the show with her superb vocal performance. The following tune, Kolossòs, is a song tailored for breaking your neck in half due to the passionate vocals by Viky, its thunderous riffs and bass lines, and the infinite epicness that permeates the atmosphere. This is a newborn underground Melodic Death Metal classic showcasing mighty lyrics (“Kolossòs! The earth has spoken! / To the sun, you were reaching! / Kolossòs! The earth has shaken! / On the ground eternally, you’ll be laying!”) and the awesome guest vocals by Kittie’s Morgan Lander, as previously mentioned.

Let The Curtains Fall ventures through the realms of Symphonic Black Metal the likes of Dimmu Borgir, but with a more melodic twist thanks to the potent keys by Sébastien Belanger-Lapierre while Vincent and Samael add their share of heaviness to the overall musicality; whereas Pale, one of the fastest and heaviest of all songs, is a brutal composition by Karkaos where the colorful-haired Viky is absolutely on fire while the other band members deliver amazing metal music, in special Justine with her potent beats and once again Sébastien and his cinematic keyboards. And their onrush of epicness goes on in the title-track Children of the Void, which will inspire you for some intense headbanging due to its accelerated pace, with Vincent, Samael and bassist Eddy Levitsky (who recently left the band) blasting sheer electricity through their strings, all spearheaded by the unstoppable Justine.

Then it’s time for Rêverie, an epic bridge that rises in intensity and mystery until it reaches the form of the sensational Tyrants, a first-class Melodic Death Metal hymn with tons of symphonic elements to increase its obscurity and potency flawlessly delivered by all band members, with Viky beautifully growling like a she-demon, not to mention her also amazing clean vocals during the more melodic parts of the song.  And changing a bit their style and sonority, they offer a very interesting and gripping song named Where Mushrooms Grow, sounding very harmonious, melancholic and dense, perfect for singing along its catchy chorus with the band (“Fields of sorrow / Where mushrooms grow / All trees, all hollow / We reap what we sow / Fields of chaos / Where mushrooms grow / Fading as we cross / Forgetting what we know”). This is indeed a side of Karkaos I would love to see them exploring more in their future releases so captivating it sounds.

But the band obviously has more of their fast-paced metal to offer like what we see in Lightbearer, another solid composition showcasing beautiful vocal lines, thunderous riffs and bass lines and a rhythmic drumming. In my humble opinion, this song would sound simply superb with a full orchestra accompanying the band in the background, don’t you agree? Anyway, in The Beast, Vincent and Samael fire their cutting riffs while Sébastien is responsible for the epicness in the background, sounding highly inspired by contemporary Arch Enemy and The Agonist and also highlighting the excellent job done by Justine on drums, adding tons of intricacy to the musicality. Closing this amazing album of contemporary metal we have Bound by Stars, which sounds a bit generic and doesn’t keep up with the rest of the album, despite its purpose being to sound more complete and introspective than the other tracks. Nevertheless, there’s still a lot to enjoy in the song, such as the perfect vocal lines by Viky and the powerful performances by Justine and Sébastien with their instruments.

If you also consider yourself a “child of the void”, you can join Karkaos in their quest for Melodic Death Metal by following them on Facebook, listening to their fiery music on YouTube, and buy Children Of The Void at their BandCamp page, on Amazon or on CD Baby. Children Of The Void is undoubtedly going to be among the best releases of 2017 not only in Canada but also worldwide, and the band more than deserves that due to their commitment to their work and passion for melodic heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Kolossòs, Pale, Tyrants and Where Mushrooms Grow.

Worst moments of the album: Bound by Stars.

Released in 2017 Independent

Track listing
1. Babel 1:13
2. Skymaster 3:50
3. Kolossòs 4:32
4. Let The Curtains Fall 4:34
5. Pale 4:04
6. Children of the Void 4:45
7. Rêverie 0:59
8. Tyrants 4:26
9. Where Mushrooms Grow 4:19
10. Lightbearer 4:20
11. The Beast 4:20
12. Bound by Stars 6:49

Band members
Viky Boyer – lead vocals
Vincent Harnois – guitars, vocals
Samael Pelletier – lead guitars
Eddy Levitsky – bass
Sébastien Belanger-Lapierre – keyboards
Justine Ethier – drums

Guest musicians
Morgan Lander – additional vocals on “Kolossòs”
Lindsay Schoolcraft – backing vocals