FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
It’s been a little while since I’ve seen Kylesa in concert, 2+ years to be precise, and that was an early show. Suffice to say, I’m stoked to see them hitting The Annex again this summer, but when I saw the full touring lineup, I definitely did a double-take…
As I’ve previously remarked, The 460 might not be El Mocambo, but it’s the next-door thing. This evening, the hole-in-the-wall bar is hosting a couple instrumental psychedelic-rock outfits that’ll expand yer mind–and they’re both from right here in yer backyard!
Following in the recent footsteps of Graveyard and Royal Thunder, German trio Kadavar, Tee Pee Records’ latest signing, attempts to bring the 70’s back with their bluesy heavy rock on this, their debut LP. You can’t really give ‘em any points for originality, so it all comes down to execution on this one.
Post-ambient shoegaze drone doom duo (for lack of a better term) Nadja make their triumphant return to Toronto at The Garrison this Sunday. This is literally the only NXNE gig I’m attending this year. Yes, it’s that worthwhile.
Talk about a surprise, the debut full length by Georgia’s Royal Thunder has got to be the sleeper hit of the summer, and one of the most unexpected, surprising albums so far this year.
If I was heading to a pub in space, there is no doubt in my mind that I’d be picking the one that uses Black Space Riders as its house band. This is dirty psychedelic space sleaze at its finest.
Let’s face it, you’re not going to hear a wide variety of different styles on here, but for spaced-out doom done right, it doesn’t get much better.
So, before I get into my top albums of the year, it’s time for some Christmas cleaning. These reviews have been sitting on my hard drive for a while, and chances are you haven’t heard of most of these bands–but some of them are worth checking out.
Great gig at the Silver Dollar Room last nite, featuring Tee Pee recording artists Naam, ELKS and Toronto’s own Quest For Fire. It’s not every day that Toronto sees a heavy psych triple bill of this magnitude.
Last nite, Kyuss Lives! kicked off its North American tour in Toronto, with support from The Sword and MonstrO. To say that the venue was a little out of the way would be an understatement, and the support was a little underwhelming, but I woulda given a kidney to see 90 minutes of Kyuss tunes in the flesh. I’m just glad I didn’t have to!