Author: Sean Palmerston

  • Heavy Rider: Why Motorcycles Are Metal

    Despite the social consternation that both rock music and motorcycles shared, the coupling of the two eventually created a seamless union between man and machine. “Today there are not too many avenues to feel that sense of freedom, and I think that’s an exciting thing for people who ride motorcycles,” says Chris Barnes, frontman for…

  • Swallow The Sun: Plague of Butterflies EP

    The Plague of Butterflies EP, released by Finnish doom metal band Swallow The Sun, is a nice little package with potentially a lot of value for its price.

  • Sons of Seasons: Gods of Vermin

    To call Sons of Seasons’ debut prog/power would be accurate but vague. Saying Gods of Vermin sounds like a fusion of inspirations from Savatage to Dream Theater and Therion would get it a little closer.

  • Monarque, Csejthe, Pagan Ritual @ Annex Wreck Room, Toronto ON

    The warmest weekend of 2009 so far may not have been an appropriate backdrop for an evening of Canadian black metal featuring Monarque and Csejthe at the Annex Wreck Room.

  • Candlemass: 20th Anniversary Party DVD

    March 31st 2007 was a pretty important night for many doom fans, especially those lucky enough to have been in attendance at Stockholm’s Kolingsborg club. Seven hundred or so were there for the twentieth anniversary celebration of doom legends Candlemass, something that was originally meant to happen earlier on but was delayed due to the…

  • STAFF PLAYLISTS – June 2009

    Find out what HELLBOUND’s contributors are listening to this month. Each writer has submitted their Top 5 list and have an option to list a book and a film they are into right now too.

  • Persona Non Grata: Shade In The Light

    It appears that Greece is quickly becoming a new breeding ground of quality original progressive metal thanks to the likes of Mindflow, Fragile Vastness, etc. And now with Persona Non Grata now signed on with the great prog label Sensory, this quintet has created a succint blend of heavy prog metal…

  • High Spirits: 4 song demo 2009

    This four track demo EP is pure 80’s metal. It sounds to me like the early output of Scotland’s Heavy Pettin’ fronted by a singer that sounds somewhat similar to Kevin Griffiths of the NWOBHM band Briar.

  • Obscura: Cosmogenesis

    Munich, Germany’s tech metal mastermind Steffen Kummerer returns in 2009 with his band Obscura’s sophomore album Cosmogenisis. With a few member changes and additional set backs now behind him, he now comes adorned with former members of Necrophagist and ex -Pesitlence bass extraordinaire Jeroen Paul Thesseling.

  • Woods of Ypres, Elevator 22, Will of the Ancients, Musk Ox, Seras @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton, ON

    It was a night of firsts and lasts – the first Hamilton appearance of Ontario’s independent Woods of Ypres, and the last show for local legends Elevator 22.