Agalloch – The Serpent and the Sphere
From beginning to end this album is a wonder, combining moments of crushing heaviness with overwhelming beauty, and I found it a tall order…
Musk Ox
The Night Watch – s/t
Hellbound Metal: “The Night Watch have released a challenging debut, one which initially did not work for me. Though not all the tracks stand out, it’s with repeated listens that it becomes apparent to me that the album is an exciting piece of avant-garde metal/post-rock/insert label here.”
Musk Ox: The Hellbound Interview
“I first saw Musk Ox perform in southern Ontario in the late spring of 2009. I was struck by the contrast between ambient acoustic music and a vibe that is perfectly resonate with that of many progressive, folk, and black metal bands. Musk Ox inhabits a place within two different styles of music, and gives us cause to appreciate both and ask questions about the relationship between them. My interactions with Nathanaël Larochette have always been easy due to his being such a friendly and approachable person, and I am thrilled that he took the time to answer my questions.”
Interview by Jonathan Millard-Smith
Agalloch / Taurus / Musk Ox @ Opera House, Toronto ON, July 23, 2012
“The relationship between musicians and the music they play comes in varying kinds. Some artists are clearly intent on displaying their mastery of the musical tools they wield. Others are more willing to relinquish control, letting the music itself dictate the ways it’s conveyed. Agalloch’s latest visit to Toronto was of the latter type, a night of musical channelling and possession, with all three bands performing as conduits between primal source and receptive fans.”
Live review by Laura Wiebe
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.
Hauntingly Epic: Agalloch, Worm Ouroboros, and Musk Ox @ London Music Hall, March 25th, 2011
“The stage set-up slowly began to take shape and the smell of woodsy incense filled the air. As the cello notes of a recorded ‘They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness‘ floated through the venue, the shapes of the men behind Agalloch could be seen readying their instruments through a smoky haze lit by pale lighting.”
Jonathan Smith encounters Portland, Oregon’s Agalloch, who recently stopped in London, Ontario along with Worm Ouroboros and Musk Ox. Photo evidence from Adam Wills.
HELLBOUND’s TOP 10 CANADIAN METAL ALBUMS OF 2009
Since Hellbound.ca is a Canadian-owned and operated metal publication, we thought we’d do things a little differently than most. As 2009 quickly is coming to a close, we asked all of our contributors to pick their Top 5 Canadian metal albums of the year. We then tabulated up their responses and have created our first annual Top 10 Canadian Metal Albums of 2009 writers poll.
Woods Of Ypres, Elevator 22, Will of the Ancients, Musk Ox, Seras @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton, ON (2nd review)
With a Napalm Death concert happening nearby in Toronto on the same night, GTA concert goers were somewhat spoiled for choice on May 15th. Within that context, the crowd that came out to see Woods of Ypres’ debut Hamilton performance on May 15th was relatively small but dedicated to the Canadian group’s unique brand of black- and folk- inflicted metal.
Woods of Ypres, Elevator 22, Will of the Ancients, Musk Ox, Seras @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton, ON
It was a night of firsts and lasts – the first Hamilton appearance of Ontario’s independent Woods of Ypres, and the last show for local legends Elevator 22.