Author: Sean Palmerston
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Agalloch / Taurus / Musk Ox @ Opera House, Toronto ON, July 23, 2012
“The relationship between musicians and the music they play comes in varying kinds. Some artists are clearly intent on displaying their mastery of the musical tools they wield. Others are more willing to relinquish control, letting the music itself dictate the ways it’s conveyed. Agalloch’s latest visit to Toronto was of the latter type, a…
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Another viewpoint on Baroness’ Yellow and Green
I know that Baroness fanboys will hate me for this, but I think Yellow and Green is a failed concept and a disappointing listen—more Sandinista than London Calling, if you will.
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Katatonia – Dead End Kings
The melancholic musings of Renkse and Co aren’t as convincing as on the three previous albums I’m afraid. Dead End Kings certainly has its moments of greatness, but for some reason I expected a stronger and more consistent album.
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Witch Mountain / Blood Ceremony / Castle @ Hard Luck Bar, Toronto ON, June 13th 2012
By Natalie Zed Every once in a while there is a concert line-up that makes you do a double take. The bands are so perfect for each other and the show so expertly curated that you almost can’t believe that it is going to happen. This line-up was exactly that almost-too-good-to-be-true show: three excellent bands…
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High on Fire – The Art of Self-Defense
Though the original contained just six tracks, Southern Lord has beefed this edition up with a trio of demos and a Celtic Frost cover. But really, that’s just the icing on the cake (if you’re into vanilla frosting). These tunes stand alone without the added filler.
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Danko Jones – Bring On The Mountain DVD
Bring On The Mountain is a great package, highly recommended to anyone who IS a Danko Jones fan, isn’t YET a Danko Jones fan, or any independent band that wants to learn how to do it right
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Book review: Sabbath Bloody Sabbath by Joel McIver
Covering not just the Ozzy period of Sabbath, but also the times when Ozzy wasn’t there which produced marvelous music, the Dio years were outstanding, and the Tony Martin era produced some superb and sadly underrated music. A splendid read!
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Hellbound invades Maryland Deathfest 2012, Part 2
“If you’re a fan of extreme metal and you live in North America, it’s likely that you have a strong impulse to attend the continent’s biggest annual festival: Maryland Deathfest. Actually attending the fest, however, isn’t always possible, especially if you live thousands of miles away.” Part two of Jay H. Gorania’s recap of Maryland…
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Ancestors – In Dreams and Time
While their debut album was all over the place—in a bad way—Ancestors have a delivered a much more focused effort this time around that’s worthy of a few spins. Recommended for fans of Neurosis, Isis and the like; just don’t expect to hear much that those bands haven’t done before
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Baroness – Yellow & Green
Yellow & Green by Baroness is arguably one of the richest and most diverse albums you are going to hear this year. It is certainly the most ambitious musical undertaking by Baizley and Co yet, but they manage to pull it off without a hitch. Production-wise it’s a little too retro for my taste, but…