FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
Hellbound Metal: “I’m not saying Fates has released an all time classic but with this album they can stand proud and show all the doubters that they are indeed back and can still be a force in progressive metal.”
Since Hellbound.ca is a Canadian-owned and operated metal publication, we do things a little bit different than most. While 2011 was coming to a close we asked all of our contributors to pick their Top Canadian metal albums of the year. We then tabulated up their responses and have created our third annual Top 10 Canadian Metal Albums writers poll.
Please check out what our writers feel to be the best Canadian metal albums released in 2011.
We asked all of the contributing writers here at Hellbound.ca to submit their Top 10 albums of 2011, which we then compiled into a master list, assigning points to all their choices (10 points for #1, down to 1 point for #10). After tabulating the results, we have created Hellbound.ca’s Top 20 Albums of 2011. For part two of our continuing series, here is albums #15 through 11…
Keeping up with their habit of releasing an album every two years, I believe that Redemption has released the best album of their career to date.
Mean Deviation is an amazing compendium of everything weird in the world of metal—a book as grand and unlikely as the music it documents.
Static Impulse was definitely crafted very carefully; there is an attention to detail that many bands these days (and more so artists putting out solo records to stretch from their band a little) just don’t get. Again, the album sounds like it was recorded by a band, the song writing is excellent and all the musicians put in a terrific performance. Labrie and Guillory have definitely outdone themselves this time.
This two disc set is an excellent introduction to the Polish band’s live show, which should also win them over a whole new crowd of fans too.
The album feels dark, but overall it leaves you with a positive feeling, positive that Lucassen is a fantastic musician/writer/lyricist and he knows exactly how to put together an amazing album and get incredible results from his guests.
After a few years of relative quiet, Devin Townsend came back with two new albums in 2009. The first to fall on anxious ears was Ki, a relatively restrained outing for the often bombastic Townsend, introducing the Devin Townsend Project and what will eventually be a four-part multi-album endeavour. A few months later, Addicted followed, taking the project in a more straightforward and lively direction while shaking up the musical cast. (Addicted features vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen along with previous Townsend collaborators.) Here Devin answers a few logistical questions about the new project, covering distribution, pragmatic accounting, and future touring plans.
Interview by Laura Wiebe Taylor
Who knew crack would be so cheap? I’ve never really been a drug taker, the occasional joint when I was in my younger days but never really liked it. So while I’ve never done anythning harder, I imagine this record would be something like taking cocaine or meth. The high is quick and the come down is quick and you come back for more but it is always like chasing the dragon.