By Sean Palmerston
The following metal/hard rock reviews were published yesterday in Hamilton’s VIEW Magazine and while they are online, it is with a bunch of indie rock reviews so I decided to throw just the metal/hard rock-related ones up on Hellbound…
Cauldron
Chained To The Night
Earache
Toronto metal trio Cauldron is about as retro as you can get. These dudes, some of whom are former members of Goathorn, live and breathe eighties style metal in a way that’s almost too sincere. These guys know their Dokken and Black And Blue albums inside out, even covering a song by the latter on their Earache debut. Best song here is “Chained Up In Chains,” but the whole album is surprisingly good. A definite shocker.
Chickenfoot
Chickenfoot
Fontana
What do you get when you start a super-group with Sammy Hagar, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony (ex-Van Halen) and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith? A band nearly as bad as their name, Chickenfoot, but not quite that bad.
Rory Gallagher
Live In Cork DVD
Eagle Vision
Ireland’s greatest guitar god captured live in his first return performance in his hometown, this concert was filmed at the Cork Opera House by the Irish television network RTE in 1987, capturing Rory Gallagher in all of his latter day glory. By this time Gallagher was concentrating more on the blues than ever, but turns in a wonderful performance nonetheless. A great historical document released for the first time officially in North America, Live In Cork is a must have for fans of the deceased Irish legend.
Iron Maiden
Flight 666 DVD
EMI
Long standing British heavy metal band Iron Maiden gave the Toronto film team of Sam Dunn and Scot McFayden full access to the first leg of their 2008 Somewhere Back In Time tour and the results are stunning. Part documentary, part concert film, Flight 666 captures the band in all aspects of their tour. Filmed in over thirteen countries, including some never visited before, this is exceptionally well done; so much so that you don’t need to be a fan of the band to enjoy it.
Jethro Tull
Living In The Past DVD
Eagle Vision
What an appropriately titled DVD. Whoever filmed, arranged and approved this compilation live set, which flips between different band line ups with no explanation, is definitely living in the past. The absolute worst part of this is the fantasy sequences capturing Ian Anderson on a ship – are you kidding me? Is this really available for sale? Embarrassingly atrocious
Killswitch Engage
Killswitch Engage
Roadrunner
More of the same from this US metal-core band. If you like what they’ve done in the past you’ll dig this, but to be honest this second self-titled affair brings nothing new. Expect it to sell by the boatloads anyways.
YOB
The Great Cessation
Profound Lore
First album back by this venerable Portland OR doom metal album after changing their name to Middian and finding themselves amidst a huge lawsuit. Now back to their original name, YOB returns with another solid album of heavy, down-tuned metallic doom that’s as inspired by Morbid Angel as it is Paradise Lost. Welcome back.
