Author: Gruesome Greg
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Graveyard – Innocence & Decadence
Finally got the chance to see Graveyard live in Canada this year, and they did not disappoint. But when it comes to their recorded output, I felt that Hisingen Blues was the band’s high-water mark; its successor, Lights Out, turned me off a bit. That said, it’ll be a full three years between albums by the…
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Witchsorrow – No Light Only Fire
That’s right kids, it’s another doom band with Witch in its name! They may not be playing Witchella next year, but Witchsorrow has done alright for themselves, with their third album dropping on Candlelight after a couple records with Rise Above. Their association with the latter label naturally brings comparisons to a band with Wizard…
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Dark Buddha Rising – Inversum
If this sixth album is the first you’ve heard of mysterious Finnish sextet Dark Buddha Rising, you’re certainly not alone. Four of their first five records were released either independently or on an obscure Finnish label, before 2013’s Dakhmandal, released on not-so-obscure Finnish label Svart Records, led to an appearance at Roadburn and subsequent signing…
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Wildlights – Self-Titled
Wildlights, a North Carolina heavy-rock duo, is composed 50% of ASG. While I’m unfamiliar with Thunderlips, the other outfit in the equation, the outstanding recent output of the former was compelling enough for me to check this out. You can definitely hear the ASG influence here, while Torche would be another strong comparison point. That…
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King Heavy – self-titled
OK, so it’s certainly not the most original moniker (to be fair, they are from Chile), but hey, King Heavy kinda has a nice ring to it. Don’t know much about these guys, being that this is their debut album, but they are signed to Cruz del Sur, home of Argus, Apostle of Solitude and…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: High on Fire/Pallbearer/Lucifer @ Opera House, August 13, 2015
A couple years back, I did a list of reasons why I like Matt Pike on my blog. While it didn’t top the list, one thing that always impressed me was the type of talent he always brings on tour. This latest trip was no exception!
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Carousel – 2113
I’m not really a Rush fan, but I gotta say, it takes some giant gonads to effectively name your album 2112 + 1. Then again, the official explanation from these Pittsburgh rockers is that 2113 is actually their house number. And hey, Carousel don’t sound much like Rush, anyways… unless you go all the way back…
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AMATEUR CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY HOUR: Neurosis/Brothers of the Sonic Cloth/The Body @ Opera House, August 6, 2015
Though it had been 15 years since Neurosis last played Toronto, I must confess that I hadn’t waited nearly that long; I caught ’em in Brooklyn in 2012. Nevertheless, it was a rare East Coast performance for the post-sludge godfathers, and one that came with some welcome opening acts–in sharp contrast to that NYC show.
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Yellowtooth – Crushed by the Wheels of Progress
Yellowtooth, an Indiana sludge/doom trio, had their 2012 debut with Disgust. It was a decent platter of lo-fi filth, with down-tuned riffage and rough hewn production that brought Winter’s Into Darkness to mind. With that said, I’m intent to see how they’ve progressed in the three years since. I was somewhat surprised to hear a…
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Behold! The Monolith – Architects of the Void
Behold one of the few (if not the only one I can think of) “noun the verb” bands that doesn’t play metalcore. Instead, The Monolith deals in stoner/sludge stuff somewhat akin to High on Fire and/or Lord Dying, with song titles (and artwork) that would give The Sword’s J.D. Cronise a hard-on. Actually, not gonna…