Villainizer Final Show with BLEED, Bloated Pig, Tylor Dory Trio and Tales Of The Tomb
September 11th, 2015
Starlite Room
One could feel the anticipation for Villainizer’s farewell show in the days leading up to this particular night. Upon arrival at the venue, even before doors were scheduled to open, several metal heads were already lined up, eager to get their hands on some of the limited Villainizer merchandise being offered.
Stated on social media as ‘psychological horror metal / death metal / murder metal, Tales of the Tomb opened the show to a steady trickle of arriving metal heads. With lyrical themes revolving around serial killers such as Robert Pickton (check out ‘The Pig Farmer’), cult leaders such as David Koresh, and various other murders and criminal acts, this band offers macabre death metal with a real-life twist. Proving to be a good opener for this particular show, they played an energetic set, preparing the crowd for what was still to come.
Described by guitarist/vocalist Tylor Dory as the ‘least metal band of the night’, Tylor Dory Trio proved to be an impressive display of true musicianship. Dory has been a talented mainstay in the local metal scene for years, also playing with Villainizer on this particular night (as well as Death Toll Rising the following night). Not having listened to Tylor Dory Trio’s material previously, I was sincerely impressed even though the style is not typical of the sub genres of metal I usually listen to. Always having been impressed with Dory’s guitar abilities, I was also very pleasantly surprised to hear him sing lead vocals. This is definitely a band worth keeping an eye on.
Bloated Pig were another band that I had not previously seen. While I found them interesting to watch, I also found them to be a touch on the doom-y, sludgy side for my preferences. It seemed as though they were well-appreciated by the crowd though.
BLEED: the second most hype-inducing band of the evening. (They would have been in close contention with Villainizer for most-anticipated of the night for many if it were not Villainizer’s farewell show). With a brand new album, ‘The Hatred Inside’, set to be officially released at the end of the month, I was excited to see what this band had on offer this evening. When you go to a BLEED show, you know you will be entertained. Horrifically awesome costumes, often hand-constructed by BLEED vocalist Robert Kreed, wicked props, spewing blood, all backed backed by headbanging tunes; what more could you want? As far as I’m concerned, BLEED has earned a place amongst western Canada’s finest live acts and this night was no exception.
Villainizer has been a band surrounded by hype from its inception in 2009. Project mastermind Rob ‘the Arab Villain’ Abinader has always been heavily involved in the local metal scene, contributing in several less-illustrious aspects than as the frontman of this terrorist thrash metal act. However, this evening was dedicated to showcasing the career of Villainizer and saying good-bye with a bang. If you missed your chance to catch Villainizer live, you seriously missed out. This was the first full Villainizer set that I managed to catch, but what a set it was. The infidels were out in full force, packing Starlite Room to bid a fond farewell. Abinader is a pure entertainer, as evidenced by a larger than life stage presence, provoking lyrics dripping with satire, and more energy than one would think possible. The fans fed off this and the pit didn’t even seem to slow down for the rest of the night.
Overall, this was one of the best shows, local or otherwise, that I have witnessed in a while. I’m sure there were quite a few hung over metal heads the next morning, made worth it by knowing that this is something that will not be seen again. Villainizer will be sorely missed in the local scene; thank you to the band for creating such a fantastic experience over the last five years for all of thrashers who listened to the albums, bought merchandise and attended shows.
