Tag: black metal

  • Watain/ Goatwhore/ Black Anvil @ Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver BC, Nov 14, 2010

    “Soon enough, all ceremonial flames were lit and out strode the dread beast Watain to perform their black mass. What a show. From the opening strains of “Malfeitor”, Watain held the Rickshaw rapt with satanic attention. Their reputation preceding them, the band completely revel in malevolence and black theatrics, from coating themselves in pig’s blood…

  • Black Anvil – Triumvirate

    Black Anvil has given us a decent collection of songs with a genuine spin that can only reflect positively on the new wave of black metal in North America

  • Razor still cuts deep!

    Anvil mighta been Canada’s first thrash band, but Razor’s perhaps our most caustic. After all these years, Razor still cuts deep. And it goes without saying that I’m looking forward to their gig next Friday at El Mocambo, a venue quite dear to my heart…

  • Triptykon / 1349 / Yakuza / Sylvus @ the Wreckroom, Toronto ON, October 11 2010

    “Visually the band’s performance style is understated, but the smaller venue allowed them to overwhelm the space. Alongside the expected Triptykon material, sounding much like it does on record, the set list was Celtic Frost-heavy, songs like “Procreation (of the Wicked)” snarled out with vicious intensity.” Laura Wiebe reviews the recent Toronto performance of Triptykon,…

  • Nachtmystium / Zoroaster / Dark Castle / The Atlas Moth @ Lee’s Palace, Toronto ON, September 11th, 2010

    “During this performance, they behaved as though the stage was land they wanted to annex; they walked on as though their performance was an outright invasion. The crowd responded accordingly. While the vibe in the room had gradually ratcheted up from “polite and well-behaved” to “cheerfully aggressive” during the previous three sets, when Nachtmystium played,…

  • Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini

    Despite some jagged rhythms and an unexpected groove Axioma Ethica Odini flows consistently to an abrupt not-quite conclusion, so that finally I’m perplexed but also persuaded that I want to work my way through it all again until I fully understand.

  • Blood Revolt – Indoctrine

    The fact that the much-ballyhooed debut album by Blood Revolt is generating vehement reactions from the metal world shouldn’t be much of a surprise. And you know it’s the kind of reaction Alberta black metal mainstays C. Ross and James Read wanted when they formed a trans-Atlantic artistic partnership with Primordial proselytizer Alan “Nemtheanga” Averill.…

  • Lantlôs – .neon

    While this is indeed a different vibe from the more nostalgic, fantastical vibe given off by Alcest’s albums, Lantlôs remains very similar in feel. This fact alone should be enough to help one decide whether or not .neon is worth pursuing.

  • Svarti Loghin – Drifting Through the Void

    Svarti Loghin revels in fusion of the most banal kind. It does not have a musical vision. It simply blends the visions of others into something that it tries to pass off as art. What it forgets is that hybridization requires a vision if it is to fuse disparate elements into a cohesive artistic statement.…

  • Wolvhammer – Black Marketeers of World War III

    In the end, Black Marketeers of World War III is an enjoyable but standard album that doesn’t make a long-lasting impression or distinguish itself from its musical brethren. Wolvhammer’s hearts and minds are obviously in the right places, but this fact plus a few memorable musical moments isn’t enough to make for a record that…