Lacuna Coil – Broken Crown Halo
It’s been a few years since I last paid serious attention to a Lacuna Coil record. I wasn’t terribly impressed with the band’s 2009…
Kuolemanlaakso – Tulijoutsen
The most obvious thing about Kuolemanlaakso’s Tulijoutsen is that it’s another collection of doomy, slow-moving metal from Finland, one that will certainly reinforce the stereotype…
Alcest – Still the same stone, but what you see is different
January saw the release of Alcest’s latest album, Shelter. Even though I myself am not a big fan of this particular offering from the…
God Seed – I Begin
I Begin is an apt title for what is a new beginning of sorts, and like many beginnings it is not perfect. However, its lesser moments can be overlooked in favour of the enjoyable whole.
Musk Ox: The Hellbound Interview
“I first saw Musk Ox perform in southern Ontario in the late spring of 2009. I was struck by the contrast between ambient acoustic music and a vibe that is perfectly resonate with that of many progressive, folk, and black metal bands. Musk Ox inhabits a place within two different styles of music, and gives us cause to appreciate both and ask questions about the relationship between them. My interactions with Nathanaël Larochette have always been easy due to his being such a friendly and approachable person, and I am thrilled that he took the time to answer my questions.”
Interview by Jonathan Millard-Smith
Delain – We Are The Others
To start, some context: it’s rare when an album from within the amorphous power/gothic/symphonic/what-have-you metal category manages to keep my attention these days. I…
Agalloch – Faustian Echoes
This new track sounds like an epic, though straight-forward, closing song in a full-length Agalloch album, not a stand alone experience. It’s an A-side that lacks a B-side.
Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity
Monolith of Inhumanity is the most notable of Cattle Decapitation’s releases so far, and its more progressive passages suggest possible future additions to the band’s traditional approach to things. They’re additions that I would be happy to see the band build on as they continue their climb up to broader recognizability and an increasingly unique ensemble sound.
David Gold Memorial Show @ Annex Wreckroom, Toronto ON, April 5, 2012
On Thursday, April 5th, Inertia Entertainment and the Annex Wreckroom hosted a memorial show dedicated to David Gold. The sudden death of Gold, a major player in the Canadian metal scene and main man behind the band Woods of Ypres, was a sobering moment in metal scenes across the country and beyond. The evening’s theme, “love the living while they’re still alive,” a lyrical reference to one of Gold’s last songs, became a mantra repeated several times by Gold’s mother, Esther. It suited the night’s ambiguous mood well. The event was a celebration of Gold’s life and music, a chance to be with old and new friends still here, but the evening could not help but feel bittersweet given the lingering grief of those who were still mourning and missing him.
Show recap by Jonathan Millard-Smith; Live photos by Adam Wills.
Thantifaxath – s/t Demo
The debut demo by Toronto-based black metallers Thantifaxath is enough to make you’d wish you’d never given up your cassette player. It’s certainly an incentive to get it back.