FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
“Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel on the same bill, you say? Only an hour and a half drive away, you say? Consider me there.”
Justin Richardson reviews the awesome triple bill of Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel when they performed in Charlotte, NC on November 5th
Jason Wellwood reviews the new Fuck The Facts album Die Miserable and then interviews Topon Das about the new album
Once upon a time, not so long ago, before the internet turned much of the western world’s population into isolated recluses, the tape-trading network was the lifeblood of the underground metal scene. In this spirit, Darkness Shade Records has produced three fine cassette releases.
Whenever possible, Hellbound tries to get you the scoop on everything new and noteworthy in metal, but sometimes things slip through the cracks. Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand, originally released in April, was one of them. However, this album’s moment has not passed. It looms large, presiding like a revered elder over everything else released in 2011.
As a whole, this album is a very long slog, but not an entirely unpleasant one.
I won’t ruin this wonderful rollercoaster ride through the history of rock with spoilers, but man! I will say it’s like the reader suddenly enters a time machine and travels back to through the history of rock and metal, and finds it’s both better and worse than they ever believed. And of course, everyone from Yul Brynner, Ozzy, David Coverdale (which is as it should be!) to Tony Iommi turns up!
Eyehategod Live is ugly, abrasive, and a bit of a mess, but fans of the band wouldn’t have it any other way. And seeing how Eyehategod will likely never play a show north of the border, this is a live set for Canadian fans to savour, not to mention seethe with envy of their neighbours to the South.
Metalion is one of the greatest books about metal ever produced.
If you are a fan of Mayhem, Immortal, Darkthrone, Emperor, or even a fan of post-Norwegian Black Metal (Dark Funeral, Nargaroth) then this would be a record worth picking up.
“Opeth have reached a strange point in their career. Despite their ability to pack the house, it was clear that the evening’s choice of songs would have been better suited to a more intimate environment. I was actually surprised that the band didn’t decide to play Heritage in its entirety. It seemed like it would have been an easy-enough thing to do, and it was not as though they contrasted their newer songs with the heaviest of the old.”
Jonathan Smith reviews the October 30th performances by Opeth and Katatonia in Guelph, Ontario. Live photos by Adam Wills.