Sean Palmerston

Sean is the founder/publisher of Hellbound.ca; he has also written about metal for Exclaim!, Metal Maniacs, Roadburn, Unrestrained! and Vice.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live September 9, 2011

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM/ THOU/ THANTIFAXATH/ GATES @Soybomb, Toronto ON, September 6, 2011

“Pausing only to remind the crowd to not take flash photos and to thank people for coming out, the band tore their way through three other songs (including a particularly inspired rendition of “I Will Lay Down My Bones Among The Rocks and Roots”). One of the appeals of a Wolves in the Throne Room performance is their ability to put their music where their mouth is and concentrate solely on creating a wall of atmospheric, ambient noise as opposed to highlighting individual performances.”

Jonathan Smith reviews the September 6th Toronto performance by Wolves In The Throne Room, Thou and more.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Visual September 7, 2011

Heaven & Hell – Radio City Music Hall Blu-Ray Disc

if there is one criticism that I could lay on Radio City Music Hall it is that it was filmed far too early on after their reformation. The difference between this band’s performance here and the way they were playing that October when they did a second North American tour was like night and day. They went from being a great band to an outstanding live act.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live September 2, 2011

Vreid / Kampfar / Necronomicon @ Annex Wreckroom, Toronto ON, August 25, 2011

“Also hailing from Norway, black metal unit Vreid filled the headlining position and performed what was unquestionably the strongest set of the night. In contrast to the theatricality of the other bands’ appearances, Vreid adopted a simple, almost military look for their style and dress. They performed with much more energy than the other acts and were very much in control of the stage and the audience from the moment they stepped out.”

Natalie Zed reviews the August 25th Toronto performances by VREID, KAMPFAR and NECRONOMICON at the Annex Wreckroom

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio August 31, 2011

Rwake – Rest

An original effort of epic proportions, Rest takes the music of Neurosis/Isis into the 21st century, with their own unique southern touch. Often, songs this long have me nodding off, but there is enough dynamic fluidity, changes of tempo, pace and styles to keep me interested throughout.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio August 30, 2011

Kroda—Schwarzpfad

For an album stacked with layers of instrumentation, nothing’s been overwhelmed. The aggressive and melodious parts marry up nicely, and the production isn’t overly busy, although a bit of thinness creeps in here and there. Kroda induces some genuinely mead-swilling moments that capture the feel of nature at its most capricious.

Articles, Features, Headline August 30, 2011

Paul Speckmann: The Hellbound Interview

Paul Speckmann has been playing death metal longer than many fans of the genre have been walking the planet. The Chicago native started his long-running project Master in 1983. He’s also played with other bands including War Cry, Abominator and the Czech death metal band Krabathor. Dark Descent Records recently reissued his early band Death Strike’s demo Fuckin’ Death. Speckmann recently talked to Hellbound’s Justin M. Norton about the early days of Chicago death metal and his new life in Eastern Europe from his home in the Czech Republic.