Untimely Demise/ Grand Master/ Mares of Thrace/ Agony Spawn @ Amigos, Saskatoon SK, May 4, 2012
Adrien Begrand reviews the May 4th Saskatoon performance by Untimely Demise, Grand Master, Mares of Thrace and Agony Spawn at Amigos.
Reviews – Live
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Jay H. Gorania’s SXSW 2012 – Part 2
By Jay H. Gorania Friday, March 16 It seems likely only in some perverse, alternate universe that a former member of Today is the…
Castevet/ Æsahættr/ Sound Asleep/ The Sustained Low ‘C’ of Richard Strauss’ ‘Also Sprach Zarathustra’ @ Soybomb, Toronto ON, March 24th 2012
Hoping to inspire venom, Castevet found themselves facing a crowd that was listening intently, but far more interested in passive osmosis that an active confrontation. With no other weapon, Castevet responded by wielding their music like fists and broken bottles, bloodying the crowd as much as they could.