Q&A with Author Corey Mitchell / Help Promote Metal…and Horror Films at the 2011 South by South West Music Fest
Laina Dawes interviews MetalSucks’ Cory Mitchell about his writing and SXSW 2011 Film Fest Panel Idea – and plugs a metal one too!
Agnes Vein – Duality
Agnes Vein have well steeped themselves in the lore of Blood Fire Death-era Bathory and latter-day Celtic Frost, but at times, the music also hints at the drone and mood of Jesu. There’s also the strong aftertaste of Primordial in the guitar tone. It’s an eclectic mix, but the influences serve them well and Agnes Vein have managed to distill them down into their own secret formula. I highly recommend Duality to anyone whose ears pricked up at any of the aforementioned inspiration.
Ion Dissonance/ The Last Felony/ Starring Janet Leigh @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton ON, August 23, 2010
Holy Christ, the new songs Ion Dissonance played, which were about half their set, blew me away. Crazy, maniacal and with a heavy as an elephant low end, these guys use 8 string guitars and you can feel it in the stomach. Their performance was tight, to the point and they left it all on the field.
Blind Guardian – At The Edge of Time
Make no mistake, this is POWER metal. The songs on At The Edge of Time are arranged with a classical ear, the attention to detail on this album cannot be denied.
HELLBOUND RADIO: August 22nd, 2010 Playlist
Jesus Christ…I go away for a month and everything goes to a shambles. The station from which we broadcast Hellbound Radio every Sunday has begun the process of being gutted in order to be moved to a still undetermined location sometime in the next nine months – nothing like planning ahead, eh? Half the college seems to be under construction as well, which makes getting to the actual station after hours a bit of a pain in the ass. Then, there are my esteemed co-hosts who failed to put up a single playlist while I was away. So, here you go, Sunday night’s goods.
Roareth – Acts I-VI
Although they aren’t too creative with the written word—all songs are entitled Acts I through VI, and the band name itself is cringe-worthy—Seattle’s Roareth does have something to offer musically with this, their debut album. Take Zoroaster circa Dog Magic, sprinkle in a few non-distorted slow passages a la Neurosis, and a handful of Cisneros bass grooves, and you’ve got a solid 45 minutes of slow-moving sludge.
Stratovarius – Polaris +live
Pairing Polaris with a 14 track live disc recorded around the world, is a great move on Armoury’s part. It is a chance for fans and detractors to hear the new guitar player (Matias Kupianinen) in live action, and he more than stands up to the challenge. Recording this over a few shows means the band can make sure it’s their best performances before it’s put out. Of course Stratovarius don’t have bad performances so I’m sure it was tough picking the tracks.
Death Angel – Relentless Retribution
The production and mix are crystal clear but there is a condensed and compressed feel to the overall sound. Killing Season had one of the best productions I’d heard in many years, organic and vibrant, and I think Relentless Retribution would have benefited from that same production. As would any record for that matter.
Fatality/ Terrorhorse/ Hallows Die @ El Mocambo, Toronto ON, August 6th 2010
Natalie Zed reviews the August 6th performance of FATALITY, TERRORHORSE and HALLOWS DIE at the El Mocambo in Toronto, ON
Mares of Thrace @ Kilroys, Thunder Bay, ON, August 8th, 2010
Mares of Thrace are one hell of a lot of fun to watch live and they will blow you away. If the new song they played at Kilroys is any indication (Pale Neck), their next record is also going to be a monster, possibly better than The Moulting but I’m not sure if that could happen.