Author: Gruesome Greg
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Solace – The Brink
Those who don’t follow the circuit of U.S. underground stoner/doom festivals might have been wondering what happened to Solace. After all, it has been nearly 10 years since their last album, which just one very limited cassette single in between. But they’ve been fairly active on the live front, tearing it up at Maryland Doom…
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Kirk Windstein – Dream in Motion
After returning Crowbar to form with three solid albums this decade, frontman Kirk Windstein has stepped out on his own with his first solo album. And no, it doesn’t sound exactly like Crowbar – their trademark, slow-motion breakdowns are notably absent – but the iconic guitar tones and well-travelled, gravelly vocals remain fully intact. The…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: High on Fire/Power Trip @ Danforth Music Hall, November 25, 2019
The first High on Fire tour without Des Kensel was also the first time I’ve seen ’em at the Danforth Music Hall, which makes a big difference. While nobody likes paying 12 bucks for a beer, the superior sightlines and sound system are often worth the trek out to Greektown. Thing is, with the venue’s…
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Woodhawk – Violent Nature
I was fairly impressed with Beyond the Sun, the 2017 debut from Calgary heavy rock band Woodhawk – they blew the roof off the Bovine when they played here the following year, too. So that would probably make this one of my most anticipated Canadian releases of 2019. Violent Nature kicks off with the slithering…
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Night Goat – Milk
As you might expect from a band named after Track 2 from the Melvins’ classic Houdini, Canton, Ohio’s Night Goat makes 90’s style noise rock. This is not a bad thing at all. Milk, their 10-track, 36-minute debut effort, starts off with gunshots and feedback on the oddly titled “Smearcase on Shorb” before settling into…
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Ogre – Thrice as Strong
Speaking of doom metal comebacks… Ogre, kings of the Portland doom scene (Portland, Maine, that is) have returned with their fifth album, roughly five and a half years after its predecessor, The Last Neanderthal. I have been a fan since I first heard their 2008 “last-ever” album, Plague of the Planet – or more precisely,…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: Chron Goblin/Black Mastiff @ Hard Luck Bar, October 18, 2019
Chron Goblin and Black Mastiff are two of the longest-running heavy rock bands in Alberta, if not all of Canada, with around 20 years of history between them.
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Orodruin – Ruins of Eternity
Rochester, NY doom titans Orodruin are no strangers to Toronto, having played up here several times over the years. However, they had been strangers to the studio until recently – with sophomore album Ruins of Eternity coming out almost 17 years(!) after their debut, and 7+ years since their last release of any kind. But…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: EARTHLESS/Maggot Heart/Sacri Monti @ Lee’s Palace, October 8, 2019
Earthless psych-rocked the house at a sparsely attended Tuesday night show in Toronto.
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Saint Karloff – Interstellar Voodoo
Doom metal is no stranger to the single-song album – from Ufomammut’s Eve to Ogre’s Plague of the Planet to the most obvious example. Oslo trio Saint Karloff follows in these familiar footsteps with their sophomore album, Interstellar Voodoo, a one-track, 42-minute effort. This record starts off all slow and Sabbathy, with a couple nods…