FOR THE LOVE OF METAL
“I wondered though, if anyone else was visibly shocked when (Page) Hamilton entered the stage. He was not only thin, he was gaunt. If it wasn’t for his deft guitar playing and strong, clear and commanding voice, I would have expected him to crumple onto the floor at any second.”
Laina Dawes caught up with Helmet and Intronaut at their Toronto stop at Lee’s Palace on October 17th.
“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, who were joined by 1349, Yakuza and Sylvus.
“Vocalist Jonas Renkse is at once physically imposing and intensely vulnerable. He cradles the mic in his hands almost pleadingly, offering his voice to the audience. I found him completely mesmerizing. It was also a great joy to watch Anders Nystrom perform in person. He’s a wiry-framed and incredibly intense musician, his sinews as tautly drawn as guitar strings, fully embodying his instrument.”
Natalie Zed documents an evening of rather emotional music (in all directions) as Katatonia, Orphaned Land and Swallow the Sun recently invaded Toronto.
“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, the crowd finally smelled blood.”
Natalie Zed reviews the Toronto visit from Nachtmystium, with support from Zoroaster, Dark Castle and The Atlas Moth. Photos by Albert Mansour
On Monday, September 14, one of my most anticipated shows of the summer arrived in town – the New Night Over America tour – consisting of the powerhouse lineup of Finland’s Swallow the Sun, Israel’s Orphaned Land, and Sweden’s Katatonia. By far one of the best shows of the year, I was lucky enough to be there to visually document the evening. A more detailed review of the show will be coming up shortly by Hellbound’s live review extraordinaire, Natalie Zed. Until then, here’s some photos to hold you over in the mean time.
Review by Natalie Zed By now, you’re used to me attaching caveats to my reviews. I am profoundly aware that circumstances have a significant…
Our good friends over at Collective Concerts have given Hellbound 2 pairs of tickets to see Nachtmystium on their Toronto stop of their North American tour! As the show is THIS Saturday (September 11, 2010), the contest will be open until Friday morning at 8am, so ensure to enter now!
“The best part of the show outside of a really awesome 20-song setlist was watching drummers Coady Willis and Dale Crover play. I’d seen the band in Detroit last year and even though the duo has drummed together for almost four years, Willis seemed more confident on this stop. Crover was still in command, but while they played mostly in tandem and both were decked out in what looked like vintage muumuus castoffs from a Liza Minnelli video shoot circa 1983, you could really see their different playing styles, and there were more individual flourishes evident in their new material than ever before.”
Laina Dawes reviews the September 1st performance by the MELVINS at Toronto`s Opera House. Concert photography by Adam Wills
“Metal cannot often be defined as subtle. Every now and again, however, these is a show that serves as a sort of palate-cleanser, offering metalheads an opportunity to indulge in some of the more delicate flavours that this broad, strange genre of music has to offer. Cynic, Intronaut and Dysrhythmia performed just such a show, giving the audience at the Opera House an aural meal to be sipped and sampled as well as devoured.”
Natalie Zed reviews the August 2nd Toronto performance by CYNIC, INTRONAUT and DYSRHYTHMIA. Concert photography by Adam Wills
“By the time High on Fire hit the stage, the venue was thankfully almost at full capacity and despite not yet turning on the stage lights, when the crowd saw frontman Matt Pike stroll out in the darkness, bare chested, snaggle-toothed but still sexy as all hell, the crowd went nuts. While the trio had the least amount of members in comparison to the other bands, their sound was ten times more powerful and dense.”
Laina Dawes reviews the July 16th concert by HIGH ON FIRE, PRIESTESS, SKELETONWITCH at Toronto Ontario’s Opera House venue