Reviews – Live

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 night of musical channelling and possession, with all three bands performing as conduits between primal source and receptive fans.”

Live review by Laura Wiebe

Def Leppard

Def Leppard / Poison / Lita Ford @ Copps Coliseum, Hamilton ON, June 17th 2012

“Poison got folks pretty riled up, but if it wasn’t clear from the “Rock of Ages” tour name that Def Leppard was meant to be the main draw of the night, a digital countdown announced that fact in giant numbers. The old ‘all that glitters isn’t gold’ chestnut might’ve made me wary when the band first appeared on stage, Joe Elliot and Rick Savage (like Michaels) rising from behind the drum kit. From Elliott’s mic stand and sneakers to the graphics on the band members’ t-shirts, Def Leppard was covered in glitter, and the multi-screen LCD backdrop functioned as a similar sparkly ‘enhancement.’”

Laura Wiebe reviews the June 17th Hamilton, Ontario stop on the current Rock Of Ages tour, featuring Lita Ford, Poison and Def Leppard.

Hellbound.ca Invades Maryland Deathfest

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 Deathfest 2012, with live photos by Albert Mansour.

Coheed and Cambria

Coheed and Cambria / Moving Mountains / Pianos Become The Teeth @ Music Farm, Charleston, SC Apr 30

“With the upcoming Iron Maiden tour preparing to get underway, many people are aware that half of the tour will be getting Alice Cooper as their opener — a man that needs no introduction — and the other half will be getting New-York based Coheed and Cambria. I know a lot of people who are disappointed with getting Coheed and I feel that disappointment is merely because, for the most part, people going to Maiden are just unfamiliar with the band so Alice Cooper seems like the better of the two. When I discovered that Coheed was going to do a warmup tour in preparation for their slot with Maiden, I jumped at the chance to go see these guys live as my previous chance to see them was dashed.”

Live review and photos by Justin Richardson

Hellbound.ca Invades Maryland Deathfest

Hellbound invades Maryland Deathfest 2012, Part 1

“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 one of Jay H. Gorania’s recap of Maryland Deathfest 2012, with live photos by Albert Mansour.

Turisas

Paganfest Tour @ Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte NC, April 8, 2012

“Although I did see the inaugural version of Paganfest, I’ve missed the rest throughout the past few years due to whatever reason. Sometimes the tour date didn’t come quite close enough and sometimes it was a job issue. But with the lineup for this year’s show being pretty awesome and the measly one hour drive requirement to get to the show, I felt the only choice was to go and get my metal on.”

Live review and photos by Justin Richardson