Headline

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.

Karl Sanders of Nile: The Hellbound Interview

Hellbound contributor Raymond Westland recently had the chance to do an interview with Karl Sanders, the guitarist/vocalist and main songwriter of death metal outfit Nile. He had a lot to say about the band’s latest album, the creative process within the band, the less glamorous aspects of being on the road and his positive comments on the last Morbid Angel record…

A live set of HELLYEAH could be worth your weekly therapy session

Earlier this month HELLYEAH kicked off their current North American tour supporting VOLBEAT at Toronto’s Kool Haus. Hellbound’s Ola Mazzuca was there to speak with band members Chad Gray and Tom Maxwell about the band’s struggle with their own personal demons, their place in metal and the band’s soon to be released new album “Band Of Brothers”

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.

Interview with Yasin Hillborg, director of Så Jävla Metal

Currently set to celebrate its Canadian premiere at the NXNE festival in Toronto, Så Jävla Metal is a documentary about the evolution of heavy metal music in Sweden. The film traces the beginnings of heavy metal through hard rock, beginning with bands like Europe, and continuing to trace the development of the sound as the music became heavier. It contrasts the way that Swedish metal grew up in tandem with metal in North America and other places in Europe, specifically in Norway, where the violence of black metal is contrasted again Swedish death metal. Writer and director Yason Hillborg found the time to talk to Hellbound about the documentary, his vision for it and his experiences making it.

WORD ASSOCIATION FUN WITH… LIBERTEER, PART II

After my proclamation earlier this year that Liberteer’s debut album, “Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees” is the front runner for my favourite album of the year, I’m standing by those words 150-fucking-percent. (And yes, I still say that even after fucking Palmerston took like four months to run this second part of this interview!) I’ve been spinning the album a few times daily since last week and am loving it more and more each time. So, I got in touch with main man (well, only man) behind Liberteer’s all-awesome awesomeness, Matthew Widener, for another round of word association. Here’s the resulting silliness.

Anvil: No longer bottom feeders with success that’s well deserved

“This is a mutual strength for Kudlow and Reiner, who are sons of Holocaust survivors. Kudlow believes that “no matter how much money you make, there is never a means to an end” as it is not something one can derive satisfaction from.

Being thrown into a heavy metal abyss in the 80s without a producer, manager or financial support, the band needed extra assistance, but faced challenges with a resilient independence.

“We didn’t have all of that but we still had to survive,” Reiner says. “Through struggle, we enjoyed it.””

Hellbound contributing writer Ola Mazzuca interviews Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner from Canadian metal legends Anvil about how endurance, never giving up and sticking to their guns has helped the Toronto band regain the success they so rightfully deserve. All photography by Frank Mazzuca.