Reviews

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live October 28, 2010

Bison B.C. /Sin Dealer /Teethmarks /Madman @ Sneaky Dee’s, Toronto ON, Oct. 22, 2010

“I was immediately struck by the rawness of their sound, distorted and fuzzy and positively enormous in scale. The chemistry between all four members is undeniable when experienced live, and the crackling energy that passes between them combines to create a deadly force field you can actually feel hanging in the air.”

Hellbound’s Renee Trotier caught the Toronto performance of Bison B.C., and lived to tell the tale…

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio October 28, 2010

The Ocean – Anthropocentric

I will say that while past albums from The Ocean excluding Heliocentric have had a lot of groove heavy riffs this album doesn’t really lock in a riff for too long. It is quite varied and I think that’s why it threw me at first. I was expecting the same type of formula as previous efforts but Anthropocentric has really stepped it up a notch in terms of an evolved sound.

Features, Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live October 27, 2010

Suicidal Tendencies/ Poison Idea/ Crutches @ the Showbox, Seattle WA Oct. 17, 2010

“Yes, the glory days are behind them. Yes, they are not the young men they once were. But this show was not about recreating the past. It was about proving that the fighting spirit of Suicidal lives on. Their drive, their energy, their relentless positivity comes through in every single performance, every single song.”

Cara Cross reviews the recent Seattle performance by reinstated So Cal crossover act SUICIDAL TENDENCIES

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio October 26, 2010

Forbidden – Omega Wave

The great pacing throughout the album makes you wonder why we haven’t heard such glorious blistering thrash from the lads earlier. Forbidden abandons any past or modern pretense and makes thrash metal vital again by combining heaviness, speed, melody, and technicality into a marvelously accessible package.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio October 26, 2010

Various Artists:Snakebites – The Music of Whitesnake

Every cover is so irritatingly faithful to the original version it’s aping –right down to sounding overproduced- that it’s painful. But try as they might, none of the covering vocalists here appear to possess an nth of the swagger and soul that Mr. Coverdale conveyed in his prime (even if he did nick it from Robert Plant).

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Live October 25, 2010

Unexpect / Stream of Passion / Manahil / Modified / Half Past Four @ Sneaky Dee’s, October 19 2010

“Nearly impossible to describe, they hit me like a crazy gothic metal version of cabaret/gypsy music, which a great deal of dark, psychotic carnival thrown in the mix as well. The violin took centre stage for me, running the gamut from classical trills and traditional Roma fiddling to dark, screeching black-metal wailing.”

Natalie Zed witnessed the recent Toronto stop of Montreal’s Unexpect, with Stream of Passion, Manahil and more.

Headline, Reviews, Reviews - Live, Uncategorized October 21, 2010

Helmet / Intronaut @ Lee’s Palace, Toronto ON, Oct 17, 2010

“I wondered though, if anyone else was visibly shocked when (Page) Hamilton entered the stage. He was not only thin, he was gaunt. If it wasn’t for his deft guitar playing and strong, clear and commanding voice, I would have expected him to crumple onto the floor at any second.”

Laina Dawes caught up with Helmet and Intronaut at their Toronto stop at Lee’s Palace on October 17th.

Featured, Reviews, Reviews - Audio October 21, 2010

Dawnbringer – Nucleus

I feel this band always had this kind of album in them and now have fully realized their potential in Nucleus: a glorious heavy metal album that should put a shit-eating grin on every metal head’s face.