Reviews

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Visual September 20, 2011

Iced Earth – Festivals of the Wicked

Now after watching this thing twice I’ll bet anyone who would argue that Matt Barlow is not the one and only true vocalist for this band. His performance on the Metal Camp festival show is flawless. Such emotion and passion in his delivery, it will have you punching your fist in the air. Highlights are “Declaration Day” and “Dracula”. He hits the highs effortlessly and really knows how to command the stage. The band sounds as tight as hell and really proves that they are the premier power metal band in North America bar none.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live September 19, 2011

VREID / KAMPFAR / NECRONOMICON/ SCYTHIA @ Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver BC, September 5, 2011

“Luckily, it was Kampfar who delivered that adrenaline-shot of what I needed. Taking to the stage with ‘Mare’, from their most recent album of the same name, the band proceeded to blow the doors off with an unrelenting set that not only roared far louder and rawer than they do on record, but also proceeded to garner them the largest crowd of the night. The pagan and folk influences I’d read so much about were barely there, foregone in favor of a very straight-to-the-jugular approach.”

Live review by Kyle Harcott; Concert photography by Ted Reckoning

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio September 19, 2011

Untimely Demise – City of Steel

City of Steel is a terrific debut full length for Untimely Demise, and though there may be a few things they could tweak here and there to tighten up the songs, the album is still very memorable and catchy. There is absolutely nothing to dislike here, and anything that might be perceived as needing fixing, will definitely come out with a little more experience.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio September 16, 2011

White Wizzard—Flying Tigers

White Wizzard have had a bumpy ride so far, with band members changing regularly, but I hope they can stick together from now on because if Flying Tigers is evidence of anything, it’s that the band are easily capable of producing infinitely more complex material while retaining that traditional 80s sheen that makes them so compelling in the first place.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio September 13, 2011

Edguy – Age of the Joker

The fact that Edguy sound more hard rock than power metal these days shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has listened to the band over the last few years. They all have the chops to pull of the experimenting and damn Tobias has a great voice. This is head and shoulders above the last couple of Edguy albums.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live September 9, 2011

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM/ THOU/ THANTIFAXATH/ GATES @Soybomb, Toronto ON, September 6, 2011

“Pausing only to remind the crowd to not take flash photos and to thank people for coming out, the band tore their way through three other songs (including a particularly inspired rendition of “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks and Roots”). One of the appeals of a Wolves in the Throne Room performance is their ability to put their music where their mouth is and concentrate solely on creating a wall of atmospheric, ambient noise as opposed to highlighting individual performances.”

Jonathan Smith reviews the September 6th Toronto performance by Wolves In The Throne Room, Thou and more.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Visual September 7, 2011

Heaven & Hell – Radio City Music Hall Blu-Ray Disc

if there is one criticism that I could lay on Radio City Music Hall it is that it was filmed far too early on after their reformation. The difference between this band’s performance here and the way they were playing that October when they did a second North American tour was like night and day. They went from being a great band to an outstanding live act.