Reviews – Live

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live January 14, 2011

Wolves in the Throne Room / Ahna / Gyibaaw / Sick @ Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver BC, January 6, 2011

“Nathan Weaver began by briefly thanking the crowd for coming and admonishing them to please refrain from flash photography, and also from moshing – something the majority in attendance seemed to appreciate. This band and all their trappings are an experience in the live setting, and the mood the stage sets seems as important and intricate as the music – taking your eyes off of them to smash into each other seems to miss the point – or maybe they just think moshing is stupid.”

Kyle Harcott caught the recent performance from Wolves in the Throne Room at their Vancouver, BC stop.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live December 20, 2010

Killing Joke / Cowards @ Venue, Vancouver BC, December 14, 2010

“Everyone roared for “Wardance” too, but Coleman’s conspiratorial microchipping/overpopulation banter between songs seemed lost on the Vancouver crowd just there to hear the old tunes – in fact, the majority present seemed interested in ONLY hearing the old songs. When the band launched into the title track (and other songs from the brilliant new record), the response was lukewarm – nowhere near as raucous as the early-‘80s tracks garnered. This isn’t a surprise in itself, but then again, Killing Joke is hardly a nostalgia novelty act.”

Kyle Harcott reviews the December 14th performance by KILLING JOKE at Vancouver’s Venue. Concert photography by Ted Wilson.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live December 17, 2010

Dimmu Borgir / Enslaved / Blood Red Throne / Dawn of Ashes @ The Sound Academy, Toronto ON, December 12 2010

“The intense lighting, dominated by greens and purples lancing through the heavy smoke, gave the impression of the underworld crossed with an alien landscape. Their sound was massive and heavy, reverberating straight through me. Shagrath’s vocals were mixed quite low from where I was standing (front and centre), but the intense, symphonic instrumentation more than compensated.”

Natalie Zed absorbs the recent performance from Dimmu Borgir, Enslaved and more at Toronto’s Sound Academy on December 12th. Concert photos by Adam Wills.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live December 10, 2010

Kylesa / Baptists / Haggatha @ Media Club, Vancouver BC, December 2 2010

“The crowd, still frothing from Baptists’ frantic set, boiled over for Kylesa from the get-go when they opened with “Hollow Severer”. The band was in fine form throughout their set, which was mostly balanced between Static Tensions and Spiral Shadow.”

Kyle Harcott recaps the December 2nd performance by KYLESA, HAGGATHA and BAPTISTS at Vancouver’s Media Club. Live photos by Ted Wilson

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live December 8, 2010

Something Wicked This Way Comes: Watain/Goatwhore/Black Anvil @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, December 4, 2010

“With Watain, there is no division between style and substance. Far from invoking the more alienating or shoe-gazing aspects of black metal, they invited the audience into their circle with their high-energy antics. They are, at their core, rock and roll at its extreme margins — noisy, nasty, problematic, maybe even unpredictable.”

Jonathan Smith reviews the December 4th Toronto performance by WATAIN, GOATWHORE and BLACK ANVIL at the Opera House.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live December 6, 2010

Ozzy Osbourne / Halford @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto ON, November 27, 2010

“The setlist was great: Perfectly selected songs from his solo stuff, like “Let Me Hear You Scream,” “Crazy Train,” “Bark at the Moon,” and “Mr. Crowley” and some Black Sabbath tunes like “Faries Wear Boots” and of course, “War Pigs.” I haven’t followed his solo career too much since I was about 11 or 12 when one of my older brothers (who is now a classical musician) brought home his first solo album, so this was a great set list for those who were enamored with the legend more than his musical catalogue.”
Laina Dawes reviews the November 27th show by OZZY and HALFORD at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre. She took all the cool pics too.

Features, Headline, Reviews - Live December 2, 2010

Blind Guardian / Holy Grail / Seven Kingdoms @ Kool Haus, Toronto ON, November 26th 2010

“The moment the overture of “At the Edge of Time” began, the Kool Haus erupted. The audience was no longer a collection of discrete individuals; the room was suddenly occupied by a single entity, one cacophonous voice entirely at Blind Guardian’s mercy for the entire two-hour set. Very few shows can inspire this kind of intense, unifying energy, but this was such an event.”

Natalie Zed reviews the recent Toronto performance from power metal legends Blind Guardian, who were joined by Holy Grail and Seven Kingdoms.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live December 1, 2010

Skeletonwitch/ Withered/ Landmine Marathon @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton, ON, November 25, 2010

“Vocalist Chance Garnett is a natural born frontman and knows how to entice a crowd. He paces back and forth, holding invisible oranges to the sky while guitarists Scott Hedrick and N8 Feet Under take turns demonstrating their fret board mastery.”

Hellbound’s Renee Trotier reviews the recent Hamilton, Ontario appearance by Skeletonwitch, supported by Landmine Marathon and Withered with photos by Adam Wills.

Headline, Reviews - Live November 29, 2010

Forbidden/ Evile/ Gama Bomb/ Bonded by Blood @ The Mod Club, Toronto ON, November 23rd 2010

“When headliners Forbidden stepped out onto the Mod Club’s stage, the excitement in the room was as palpable as it was audible. The crowd was somewhat modest in number but incredibly passionate and vocal in their support. Forbidden played a long set, slightly over an hour and a half, which was as unsurprising as it was welcome.”

Natalie Zed travels to Toronto’s Mod Club to check out Bay Area thrashers Forbidden, supported by Evile, Gama Bomb and Bonded by Blood. Photos by Albert Mansour.