Author: Sean Palmerston

  • The 11th Hour: Burden Of Grief

    Grief doesn’t quite capture the emotional atmosphere soaking this debut from Dutch/Swedish duo The 11th Hour. Burden, yes – the album is tormented, weighed down. But grief sounds too frail to describe songs laden with so much heavy gloom.

  • Photo Gallery: Sonata Arctica Live In Toronto, October 2, 2009

    Here are more photos of Finland’s Sonata Arctica, as shot by Hellbound.ca’s Adam Wills during their recent show with DragonForce at Toronto’s Opera House. All photos are copyright Adam Wills and Hellbound.ca

  • Destroyer 666/Vital Remains/Baphomet’s Horns/Revocation @ Club Hell, Providence, RI, September 29, 2009

    There are very few bands which can inspire relentless, reckless hedonism in the same way Destroyer 666 can; their very essence screams out the wild whirlwind in all of us. Owning the stage from first note to last, guitarist/vocalist KK Warslut and Co. pushed the rabid Providence crowd to the brink of the precipice and…

  • Hull: Sole Lord

    Vocals are one area that doesn’t get enough attention and analysis across the broad pantheon of extreme music. So, let’s talk vocals and how they apply to the Brooklyn-based band Hull.

  • Necrophobic: Satanic Blasphemies

    Satanic Blasphemies is a collection of tracks from nineties demos Slow Asphyxiation, Unholy Prophecies and the 7” EP The Call. Nine tracks of classic death metal that evoke much ‘grandfather’-esque influence on bands making their mark today.

  • Living Colour @ Lee’s Palace, Toronto ON, October 3, 2009

    I was tempted to start this review by simply saying, “This show was fucking awesome,” but it was much more than that. You had four top-notch musicians on that stage, including singer and leather aproned-wearing Corey Glover (whom if you haven’t heard this man sing, and sing so passionately yet so effortlessly, you are sorely…

  • Immortal: All Shall Fall

    After seven long years, my most anticipated release of 2009 has finally been unleashed and the big question is does it hold up to all the hype? Well… yes and no.

  • Blatant Self-Promotion: Porcupine Tree/King’s X Live Review on Exclaim.ca

    While Hellbound.ca is definitely my main focus these days, every now and then I still write for other places when asked. Way back before I launched Hellbound.ca back on June 1st, a Toronto date for Porcupine Tree and King’s X was announced in Toronto for September 30th and I pitched Exclaim! on doing a review…

  • Revocation: Existence Is Futile

    On the surface, the band is rooted in the same post-thrash groove that Lamb of God has dominated this decade, but unlike the otherwise likable Virginians, Revocation don’t dig themselves a safe little rut, instead using the sound as a launching pad for other, bolder musical excursions. The end result is their second album and…

  • Lynyrd Skynyrd: Gods & Guns

    My main problem with God & Guns is its lack of focus. It’s all over the place, almost a series of slow songs sketches loosely tied together rather than a classic 70’s-style Skynyrd southern rock album. I’m admittedly skeptical of anything from Lynyrd Skynyrd since that terrible Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 record, but getting back to…