Reviews

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Live May 8, 2012

Converge/ Burning Love/ Loma Prieta/ Vilipend @ the Mod Club, Toronto ON, April 6th 2012

“Converge are an overwhelming band to see live, vicious, visceral and breathtaking. The set quickly settled into a hard, driving rhythm, and the entire audience was carried along by it, compelled, possessed – taken. It can be difficult to talk about music and sexuality in a way that isn’t sensationalizing or reductive, but there is no question that the sheer aural force of Converge is an intense experience that borders on the erotic.”

Natalie Zed reviews the April 6th Toronto performance by Converge, Burning Love, Loma Prieta and Vilipend

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio May 8, 2012

Epica – Requiem for the Indifferent

Requiem for the Indifferent seems to focus more on the clean vocals of both Simone and Mark. Simone in particular seems to experiment and fully embrace more of her phenomenal vocal range on the new album. In respect to the instrumental aspects of the album, fans can anticipate to hear those familiar, brutal riffs and fantastic guitar solos.

High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis cover art
Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio May 7, 2012

High on Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis

Though I’m not nearly as devoted to them as I am to Matt Pike’s previous outfit, the recent output from High on Fire has been solid enough that a new record from them still lands on my “must-buy” list. (‘Specially when it comes out on my birthday, heh heh.)

Behemoth
Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live May 4, 2012

Decibel Magazine Tour @ Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver BC, April 21, 2012

“Decibel Magazine’s inaugural tour was a much-anticipated treat, bringing together as it did four well-respected bands from the darker side of the metal spectrum – something for the li’l devil in everyone, from the dark trad-metal stylings of In Solitude, the blood-and-‘70s-drenched occult rock of The Devil’s Blood, to the christkilling riproar of Watain and the triumphant return of the mighty Nergal and his unstoppable blackened-death machine Behemoth.”

Live review by Kyle Harcott; Concert photography by Ted Reckoning

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio May 4, 2012

AtomA – Skylight

Skylight is a science fiction concept album, a sonic escape from the end of the world. As any musical journey through space should be, AtomA’s debut is rich with spectral textures and dramatic development.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio May 3, 2012

A tenebrous tetralogy: reviews of four recent black metal releases

As a neurotic and obsessive metal fan I struggle to cope with the number of magnificently malevolent black metal releases I’m missing out on. It’s a depressing thought—which I suppose is quite apt really. Such is the enigmatic nature of the underground scene, coupled with the fact that I am essentially a troglodyte, for every excellent black metal release I get to hear, five other worthy contenders pass me by. However, there are a few releases of late that I have been fortunate enough to hear and think deserve some praise-heavy wordage. Continuing my never-ending multi-album review series, this time I’m focusing on a few rough-edged gems (and one notably polished one) from black metal’s inhospitable climes.

Mama Gold
Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live April 26, 2012

David Gold Memorial Show @ Annex Wreckroom, Toronto ON, April 5, 2012

On Thursday, April 5th, Inertia Entertainment and the Annex Wreckroom hosted a memorial show dedicated to David Gold. The sudden death of Gold, a major player in the Canadian metal scene and main man behind the band Woods of Ypres, was a sobering moment in metal scenes across the country and beyond. The evening’s theme, “love the living while they’re still alive,” a lyrical reference to one of Gold’s last songs, became a mantra repeated several times by Gold’s mother, Esther. It suited the night’s ambiguous mood well. The event was a celebration of Gold’s life and music, a chance to be with old and new friends still here, but the evening could not help but feel bittersweet given the lingering grief of those who were still mourning and missing him.

Show recap by Jonathan Millard-Smith; Live photos by Adam Wills.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Live April 23, 2012

Turisas/ Alestorm/ Ex Deo/ Arkona/ Huntress/ Protokult @ The Opera House, Toronto ON, April 2nd, 2012

“There is something about Paganfest that is magical. Someone on my Twitter feed referred to it as “the Comic-Con of metal shows” and I can’t think of a more apt description. The cosplayers were certainly out in force, from warriors carrying drinking horns and wearing utili-kilts to pirate wenches in striped tights. Before a single note was played, I saw foam swords, pirate flags, inflatable moneys, and even one memorable chain mail bikini. This show was all about the pageantry, about proclaiming your allegiance to one of the pagan metal subcultures, whether that be Russian folk or Roman Centurion. It made the audience a part of the entertainment, and made the ridiculous length of the show a lot more bearable.”

Natalie Zed reviews the April 2nd Toronto performance of the 2012 travelling Paganfest featuring Turisas, Alestorm, Ex Deo and more.