Author: Sean Palmerston

Beastwars-S/T

If you’ve not dabbled in the world of New Zealand metal before, Beastwars could be the perfect gateway band for you, especially if you like things grubby. The debut isn’t as technical as Ulcerate, as malevolent as Witchrist or as claustrophobic as Diocletian (bands that you should definitely listen to) but Beastwars hums with enough…

December 6, 2011
Twisted Sister – From The Bars To The Stars: Three Decades Live

Even if you already own one or two of the DVD’s in the set, this is a worthwhile trade up. If you’ve fallen behind this year and haven’t picked up any of the DVD’s then get out and grab this set! (And, of course, ‘tis the season so it makes a swell gift idea too!)

December 5, 2011
UnexpecT/ Hallows Die/ Legions @ The New Hard Luck Bar, Toronto, ON, November 18th 2011

“I’ve been looking forward to enjoying another love set by UnexpecT since I saw them play at Sneaky Dee’s last year, and they delivered on all of my very high expectations. The experimental French Canadian band are the very embodiment of an avant-garde aesthetic combined with a dauntless independent spirit.” Live review by Natalie Zed.

November 30, 2011
Antediluvian – Through the Cervix of Hawwah

Crushingly heavy, riotously unconventional and passionately demoniacal, Through the Cervix of Hawwah is the sound of devolution.

November 29, 2011
Cancer Bats Born Again as… Bat Sabbath!

On July 10, 2011 Toronto heavy rockers Cancer Bats went through some changes. Liam Cormier, Scott Middleton, Mike Peters and Jaye Schwarzer were swept into a void at the Sonisphere Festival in Stevenage, England, and when they re-emerged they became… Bat Sabbath, a hardcore Black Sabbath cover band. The Bat’s set, which was meant to…

November 28, 2011
Puscifer – Conditions of My Parole

After so many years of the same old angry show, it can only be said that Conditions of My Parole is a fantastic breath of fresh air for those fans of Maynard James Keenan’s myriad musical projects who had (rightly) begun to think he had no other side to him.

November 25, 2011
Misfits – The Devil’s Rain

This album is clearly all about re-establishing the Misfits as a creative entity and that focus is plainly apparent from the moment the album’s title track crashes to life and opens the proceedings.

November 24, 2011
Fun Fun Fun Fest 2011 @ Auditorium Shores and Red 7, Austin, Texas, November 4-6, 2011

Jay H. Gorania reviews the 2011 edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest, which happened in Austin, TX in early November.

November 23, 2011
The Tangent – COMM

This is what the Tangent does best: bringing stirring music and real-world ideas together. They’re working class heroes, in a way. Prog rock fans aren’t used to being confronted by such blunt lyrical statements, but that’s part of the challenge that this album threw at me. Once I got in tune with its approach, COMM…

November 23, 2011
Mayhem/ Keep of Kalessin/ Hate/ Abigail Williams/ Woe @ The Opera House, Toronto ON, November 10th 2011

However controversial and dark, Mayhem is still incredibly important aesthetically and culturally. It’s also relatively rare the the band successfully crosses borders, making this a rare Canadian appearance.

November 22, 2011