Accept – Stalingrad
What we have on our hands is another classic 21st century record from one of my favourite 80’s metal bands, and I sure as hell ain’t complaining!
Reviews
Eluveitie – Helvetios
Swiss death folk leaders Eluveitie return with a rustic record of wood-burning, raw depth. Helvetios fuses century old elements with a modern metal tone that support each other like a horde facing battle.
Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol
By Raymond Westland Paradise Lost is one of the true pioneers of the early UK doom/death metal movement, together with Cathedral, My Dying Bride…
Church of Misery –Master of Brutality
By Gruesome Greg Japanese murder doomsters Church of Misery are finally coming to North America for the first time, playing Maryland Deathfest and a…
Alcest / Deafhaven @ The Casbah, Charlotte NC, March 25, 2012
On March 25th Alcest and Deafhaven played The Casbah, the smaller stage at Charlotte NC’s Tremont Music Hall, and Justin Richardson was there to soak it all in. Here is his review of the show.
16 – Deep Cuts from Dark Clouds
“Progressive post-sludge” this is not, as not a single one of the ten Deep Cuts on here exceeds 5 minutes in length. But if you’ve always been partial to the term slow-core, you’ll probably wanna give this one a listen.
Opeth / Mastodon / Ghost @ Sony Centre, Toronto ON, April 7, 2012
“Most readers of Hellbound are probably familiar with the typical metal venue – sticky floors, questionable washrooms, a dimly lit stage, and a sound system that only the most experienced sound engineers can master. But every once in awhile, we get treated to a special show, where a venue has as much to do with the atmosphere as the performance itself. Saturday’s Heritage Hunter Tour stop in Toronto, which took place at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, was one of these rare occurrences, and believe me, this was indeed something special.”
Live review and photos by Adam Wills.
Mares of Thrace – The Pilgrimage
There are a handful of bands, rarer still in metal, whose sophomore record manages to trump their first effort, but Mares of Thrace have done that in spades with The Pilgrimage.
Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression
Upon first listen, Psycroptic sound like the spawn of Decapitated and Nile, which is why it’s no surprise that they’ve toured with both. Yes, this sound has been practiced and produced times before, but the recycling process doesn’t make the record a boring listen. Psycroptic respect the art of their progenitors in an attempt to make it their own. They’re far from an only child mentality as everyone in this band gets their time to shine.
Ancients / Burning Ghats / Nylithia / Cathar / Graves @ Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver BC, March 23, 2012
“It promised to be an epic night. With a good portion of Hellbound West (Rob Hughes/Cara Cross/yours truly) in the house, plus Mr. Palmerston representing the eastern faction, there was a definite buzz in the air for this showcase gig from local faves Ancients. On the cusp of putting out their reportedly-megalithic debut full-length, Ancients rented the Rickshaw for the night, brought a few friends’ bands along for the ride, and drew a pretty good crowd for their showcase.”
Live review by Kyle Harcott, except where noted. Concert photography by Ted Reckoning