Atriarch – Ritual Of Passing
Ritual of Passing is dirty, atmospheric, unsettling and cerebral. Turn down the lights, light some candles and really listen.
doom
There’s nothing like the sound of Neurosis in wintertime…
Doom metal, in general, is not summertime music. When the sun’s out, the temperature’s rising and yer sweatin’ balls, you wanna cruise down the blacktop blasting some Kyuss or Fu Manchu, not some slow, melancholic, depressing tunes. Not that I have anything against slow and depressing, mind you–I just don’t have it pumping on the patio.
Soooo, we’ve got OM here tomorrow, High on Fire next week… All we need is a Neurosis gig!
If stoner doom legends Sleep have never played Toronto, it’s not due to any sort of security issues. In fact, two-thirds of the original Sonic Titans will be in town within the next eight days…
Sons of OTIS – Seismic
All in all, she sure sounds good to me!
It’s the Week of the Witch, it’s the Week of the Witch next week…
I’m not sure there’s been a better week for female-fronted doom in this city than the forthcoming seven days. Between tour stops by Royal Thunder, Witch Mountain and Castle and a headlining gig by Toronto’s own Blood Ceremony, ’tis a trippy time for those who like tritones and plaintive female vocal-tones, indeed!
Witchcraft – Legend
“the Swedes leave you to rewind, ponder and reflect on its content, strengthening Witchcraft’s status as revival artists of doom today”
Samothrace – Reverence to Stone
On its surface, on a purely musical level, Reverence to Stone is a fantastic journey of ups and downs, rising to heights and crashing back down to earth, riding the waves and the winds of inner discovery. Add to that lyrics which can be interpreted in more than one way and you have an outstanding doom record itself worthy of reverence.
Candlemass – Psalms for the Dead
If they’re ending their careers on this note, well, they’ve left us with a solid token to remember them by.
Way to kill the buzz for your acoustic tour, Wino!
I first heard about Wino doing an August acoustic tour at least a couple months ago; twas announced well in advance. Turns out this tour, which kicks off tonite in Seaside, CA, hits Cleveland on a Saturday nite, and even has a Buffalo date(!), albeit he won’t be crossing the border. I haven’t been the biggest fan of his unplugged stuff, nor can I say I’m digging this recent trend of sludge/doom singers (Scott Kelly, Mike Scheidt et al) picking up acoustic guitars, but man, Wino is a legend, and I was definitely contemplating heading down to the States to see him–until recently, when a much more momentous occasion made me change my mind…
The Courthouse might be Toronto’s best doom metal venue–when it’s not hosting dance parties, that is…
Last summer, when I first heard that YOB was playing some dance club at Church and Adelaide, I must admit, I had my reservations about the Courthouse. But that changed almost as soon as I walked into the place–or perhaps, more accurately, once local legends Sons of OTIS took the stage and I could feel the bass hit my face. Last nite’s HOMTGOS tour only served as confirmation–this is probably the best place in town to catch a doom metal gig, though the going rate seems to be about one a year here…