Author: Sean Palmerston

  • SXSW Day 1 Videos: Kvelertak, Worm Ouroboros, Witch Mountain and Agalloch

    Just before heading down to SXSW this year I bought a new Kodak Sport handheld camera to document some of the bands I saw. Here are some videos that I made of bands that I saw on my first day there, Thursday, March 17th

  • KEN Mode/ Vilipend/ Purity Control/ Black Faxes @ the Garrison, Toronto ON, March 25, 2011

    “The vocals for KEN Mode were absolutely terrible, buried under the instruments and rendered completely toneless. The mix was also bad in general, making the tight three-piece sound muddy. If this was anyone’s first experience witnessing the band, I can’t imagine they would have gotten much of an inkling of how passionate and precise they…

  • Turisas – Stand Up and Fight

    Thematically, Turisas sustain their mostly historical bent with eyes turned toward Byzantium, though any storytelling takes back seat to the triumphant tone and exultant crusade invoked by the music itself.

  • Red Fang – Murder the Mountains

    Back in the day, Sea of Green moved the mountains on their Northern Lights EP, but Red Fang takes things one step further, putting a gun to those mountains’ heads, and making them beg for their lives before pulling the trigger.

  • Cynthesis-DeEvolution

    This album makes for perfect headphone action. A great well rounded production allows each instrument to be heard which enhances the listening enjoyment. You can easily lump this album in the prog/tech section but its so much more than just that. It is almost a prog rock groove laden album with atmosphere and movie soundtrack…

  • Indian – Guiltless

    These guys play slow, dirty swamp metal, buried deep under several layers of distortion. Much better suited for the bleakest, darkest days of winter than an early spring release.

  • Thin Lizzy @ The Sound Academy, Toronto ON, March 30, 2011

    “Starting the show off with a seamless segue from set opener “Are You Ready” straight into “Waiting For An Alibi”, it became clear right away that this wasn’t some thrown together slapdash attempt at cashing in on the band’s previous glories. This six piece band is tight as hell and know the material inside out.”…

  • Metal Blade’s Brian Slagel:The Audio Interview

    Jason Wellwood in conversation with Metal Blade founder and owner Brian Slagel on March 27, 2011

  • Anacrusis – Hindsight:Suffering Hour & Reason Revisited

    Little bits of guitar have been added and subtracted, some parts given more prominence and studio effects exist where studio effects never existed previous, but all-in-all Reason redux is a faithful rendition of one of the greatest collection of metal songs ever to be presented in one place. Yeah, you heard me.

  • Across Tundras – Sage

    Sometimes, the right music comes around at the right time, and as the last traces of winter give way to spring, Sage suits the season splendidly.