FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
Natalie Zed reviews the January 22nd Toronto performance by occult rockers Ghost, as well as support acts Blood Ceremony and Ancient VVisdom at the Mod Club. All live photos by Adam Wills
Ghost haunts the Mod Club tomorrow nite with Blood Ceremony and Ancient VVisdom. No need to sell your soul–advanced tickets are just 15 bucks!
Last week we ran our TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2011 list, as voted by the writers of Hellbound.ca. Here are the individual Top 10s that were submitted by our writers for your personal enjoyment…
The latest band to make it big in the new wave of occult rock (ie Ghost, Blood Ceremony), these Dutch demons have unleashed a lengthy, 76-minute Metal Blade debut upon the masses with this, their second album. Opening with a shuffling, ringing, haunting instrumental, you know you’re in for a hell of a ride…
If you follow metal it’s highly unlikely you haven’t heard of Ghost. The group – led by an Undead Pope vocalist sporting Satanic vestments – might be the metal band of the moment. Their album Opus Eponymous, which mixes infectious riffs with 1970s trappings, received critical raves. Their shows are packed. They were forced to cancel an American tour due to visa problems and able to book their own headlining tour months later. Fans write Facebook postings offering to work as servants. Rabid detractors only seem to add to their publicity. It may be closing in on Armageddon but it’s a great time to be an anonymous Swede in a cloak.
Justin M. Norton interviews an anonymous member of Ghost.
Today’s Hellbound staff interview is with Sean’s son, Spencer. Today is his fourth birthday!
It’s great seeing bands from our continent carrying the proverbial torch, but it seems these Swedes have an incredible knack for making themselves sound like they came from a 1983 Banzai Records compilation rather than 2011. When a band takes that vintage style and absolutely nails it, like Portrait, like Ghost, like Year of the Goat, like Helvetets Port, like Bullet, and in this particular case, like In Solitude, it’s enough to make any metal geezer over the age of 40 realize that there just might be hope for metal after all.
Fortunately, we won’t hafta wait as long this time around, since the band will be releasing its second opus tonite at The Garrison before heading off on a European tour with their ghastly label mates. Support comes from Blizaro–a psychedelic side-project of Rochester doom titans Orodruin–who’ve had their name misspelled on many a gig listing, including the venue’s.
If you consider Opus Eponymous to be a pop album, you probably think Yes and Genesis are pop bands, too. Erm, wait a minnit. Well, I can’t say I see Ghost going down that route, anyways. After all, it won’t be the 80’s for another 69 years…
Back by popular demand, here are the Staff Playlists for February 2011!