The Forge on Whyte: A New Venue in a Familiar Setting

It would be difficult to deny that there is a bit of a buzz surrounding the opening of one of Edmonton's newest live music venues. Following the closure of The Pawnshop, disappointment was a common lament amongst local metalheads. The Forge plans on filling the empty space, both literally and figuratively, as it has moved into what was formerly known as the Pawnshop.

Although the grand opening hasn't officially occurred, The Forge has already hosted a few shows and has more booked. Although I haven't had the opportunity to check out the new venue myself, I'm excited for the changes that have been made, and the changes that are in the works. The venue features a re-built stage, allowing more space for the numerous bands that will surely play there. Considering the old venue hosted some great shows with some great metal bands, there is confidence that The Forge will be able to continue with this tradition. For metalheads, this is certainly welcome news. Many of the members of The Forge team are well known in the local metal scene for their support and promotion of metal within the city. With some improvements to a locally-loved venue, and a capable, committed management team, I'm excited for the future of this venue.

For more:
http://www.metronews.ca/news/edmonton/2016/12/07/promoter-forging-ahead-with-new-whyte-ave-music-venue.html
http://us7.campaign-archive1.com/?u=87105bdce2c5de528da3c6e49&id=a1eb7e5782

The Forge Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Theforgeyeg/

Interment - Scent Of The Buried Review

Track Listing:

Death and Decay

Sinister Incantation

Chalice Of Death

Repugnant Funeral

Scent of the Buried

Rise of the Dead

Unholy Upheaval

Dawn of Blasphemy

Skull Crushing Carnage

Nailed to the Grave

Interment have been around for a long time, forged out of the depths of the late 80’s Swedish death metal scene. Although having years of material under their belts, this is a band that has only released two full length albums, having put out a number of demos and appeared on a number of splits throughout the years. Interment are described as ‘Swedish old school death metal’, and this is an apt description. 

‘Scent Of The Buried’ demonstrates that Interment deserve their rightful place amidst others of the same sub-genre. This album hits all of the right notes that one would expect from Swedish death metal, making it a good choice if that’s what you’re into. It’s not groundbreaking, but it certainly is packed full of the brutality you’d expect from veterans of the Swedish death metal scene. It chugs along in the right places, interspersed by faster pieces and tempos that change enough to pique interest. The vocal style of Johan Jansson is reminiscent of that of Unleashed’s vocalist, which allows for a nice melding of vocals with the various tracks on the album. This is a straightforward, honest, brutal album. All in all, exactly what this listener enjoys about Swedish death metal. 

Best tracks:

Sinister Incantation, Scent Of The Buried, Nailed To The Grave

Black Mourning Light Festival: What to Expect

I wanted to share this article from Beatroute Magazine regarding the Black Mourning Light Festival taking place in a few short days:

http://beatroute.ca/2016/10/17/extreme-metal-black-mourning-light-festival-grows-bigger/

I missed the inaugural edition last year, and judging by the excellent feedback, this is not an event I can totally miss again this year. Both days boast a pretty solid lineup of underground black, doom and blackened death metal. Certainly enough to satiate the appetites of Edmonton's metalheads for a little while, at least.

With two nights of bands, October 21 & October 22, plus a VIP breakfast on Sunday morning, this is a promising event for those who are able to clear their schedule for any portion of the festival.

For more on this event, check out the official website:
https://blackmourninglight.wordpress.com

A Short Update

I wanted to provide a short update for anyone who regularly (or semi-regularly) checks this blog. Just in case anyone was becoming frustrated at the lack of recent content.

 I had several post ideas and numerous reviews in the works, but have had to put them on hold. An opportunity arose to move to a new and much better home and as such I have spent the last while packing, moving, unpacking and cleaning. With more the of same boring shit to come. Due to this and a current lack of internet access at my new place, I haven't had time to write. I'm hoping to pick up in October and provide something of interest as I have a few ideas circulating in my head.

Thanks for being patient, and continue to raise your horns and bang your heads!

Reaction: Management Contracts, Mustaines, and Havok

While my opinion might be biased, I felt I had to add my thoughts on this matter. I have very little respect for Dave Mustaine after personally hearing a few stories from people involved with Megadeth tours and witnessing all of the arrogant bullshit that Mustaine constantly seems to spout online. Seeing the news of Havok being booted from the tour was enough to provoke a reaction and here it is:

As many are aware, Havok was slated to play with Metal Church, Suicidal Tendencies and Amon Amarth on an upcoming tour headlined by Megadeth. Honestly, I’m glad this tour didn’t stop anywhere near me as I would hate to miss Amon Amarth since a show of this size would be scheduled for a shitty venue with expensive tickets. And more importantly, since I basically refuse to support Megadeth. I skipped out on seeing Children of Bodom earlier this year when they opened for Megadeth and Children of Bodom will forever be one of my favourite bands. 

Havok has been dropped from the bill, due to contract negotiations that have gone awry. The management company in question is headed by Dave Mustaine’s son. My biggest problem with Megadeth lies in Dave Mustaine himself. Rumors abound that he’s a bit of an asshole. Rumors probably isn’t an appropriate word, and asshole is probably an understatement. His Twitter account over the last day or so regarding this issue reaffirms again that he’s an arrogant prick. It’s basically an inflammatory series of tweets  directed at those who’ve offended Mustaine by attempting to report on Havok being dropped from the tour. 

Havok put out a fairly guarded, and much more professional, account in the interest of informing fans that they will no longer be on the tour. While someone on the outside can’t know exactly what went on during contract negotiations, the impressions left during the aftermath definitely paint Havok in better light than the father-son Mustaine pair. (And Havok put on a disappointing performance and proved to be somewhat whiney and haughty once at a festival I attended, knocking my impression of them down a few notches). 

In a fairly tight-knit community, impressions tend to matter and Dave Mustaine continues to do things and become involved in arguments that do nothing to enhance his reputation. If the son is anything like the father, I don’t blame ANY band for not dealing with him or his management company. Without knowing contract specifics or without knowing anyone involved, most people will base their opinion on impressions and this doesn’t leave a good one for Mustaine Management. It probably would have been a better situation if Dave Mustaine had just kept his mouth shut, like he should have countless times in the past. There are so many more professional individuals in the music industry that he could take some tips from. 

Either way, it’s probably better for Havok to cut ties from anyone named Mustaine and find a new contract with a different company, keep touring and keep putting out music for their fans. 

Links:

http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/drama/havok-kicked-off-megadeth-tour-allegedly-due-to-dispute-with-mustaine-management

http://www.metalinjection.net/latest-news/justis-mustaine-speaks-out-on-the-megadethhavok

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/havok-removed-from-megadeth-tour-after-refusing-to-sign-unacceptable-management-contract/

Twelve Hair Metal & Classic Rock Albums That Have Stuck With Me

Again, this list was inspired by a Facebook post that circulated a little while ago. Instead of doing a dozen albums that have stuck with me, I've decided to break it down by sub-genre to create a more extensive set of lists. This one features classic rock, classic metal, and hair metal. Sticking with the original rule, I've only included one album per artist.

1. Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction
2. Motley Crue - Shout At The Devil
3. Alice Cooper - Love It To Death
4. Dio - Holy Diver
5. The Doors - The Doors
6. Iron Maiden - The Number Of The Beast
7. Skid Row - Skid Row
8. W.A.S.P. - The Last Command
9. L.A. Guns - Cocked And Loaded
10. Cinderella - Night Songs
11. Faster Pussycat - Faster Pussycat
12. Ratt - Out Of The Cellar

On The Radar: Eye Of Horus

I first caught Eye of Horus opening for 3 Inches of Blood and Goatwhore back in 2013, and was immediately impressed, One of my favourite local bands, they bring a tightly constructed style of melodic death metal. In the vein of Bloodbath and At The Gates, this is a band that should continue to do great things. They typically pack any show that they headline and become favourites at any festival they play.

'Infernal Calling', their debut album, was released almost exactly one year ago. Crushingly heavy, I would highly recommend it for any death metal fan. Eye of Horus have just released a video for one of the album tracks, "Hexagammatron".

Check out the official video here.

Metal Does NOT Have a Problem With Women

Once again, this bitter and ignorant article (that I hardly want to give credit to) has come up:

“Metal’s Problem With Women Is Not Going Away Anytime Soon” by Kristy Loye

(Appearing on the Houston Press website, written Nov. 15, 2015)

http://www.houstonpress.com/music/metals-problem-with-women-is-not-going-away-anytime-soon-7858411

I penned my own response to the article back in January, which can be found here.

Today while browsing Facebook, I noticed that the article, and several comments in response, had popped up on a friend's page. One response in particular is worthy of sharing:



Metal’s Problem With Women Is Not Going Away Anytime Soon?
Written by Cynthia Ann Briggs-Paulson

I have been in the realm of Metal and Rock for years now and have seen an increase in not only bands fronted with women, but also bands with more than just one female member. I have interviewed women not only about gender bias but also being called a “female fronted” band or an “all female” band. Their thoughts have been prophetic stating that it should not matter whether there is a man or woman in the front of the band, just that the music is moving to you. 

Kristy Love wrote an article that was in the Houston Press on November 11, 2015 titled, METAL’S PROBLEM WITH WOMEN IS NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON (http://www.houstonpress.com/.../metals-problem-with-women...), her article was scathing, bitter and to be perfectly honest, uneducated in the metal scene; period.

In her article, Ms. Love speaks principally about how women are getting the shaft in the metal scene how men treat female fans of metal. I am a fan, I am treated with nothing but respect. That respect comes from knowing what you are talking about, not by how many people that you can piss off because of your view of the subject matter that the music may be about. Many tracks in metal are about subject matter that most of us don’t think about on a daily basis; rape, incest, murder, violence and a host of other things. Most artists that I speak to regarding their subject matter have stated that their music is their release to things that can not talk to other people about, or might feel uncomfortable having a conversation about. This is their outlet to speak the truth, even though it might hurt your ears a little, it provides an inlet into that artist as a person. 

From a few men that have read this article, whom are in bands themselves.
From Matt Turkington (Animus Complex), “This article was so painful to read. I honestly have never considered metal a "men's only" club and 95% of metal bands I know of and have heard don't write degrading lyrics towards women. This chick is bitter as hell. When I see women at a metal show, I don't think, "someone's girlfriend", I think, "awesome, another body in the door, another fan!" While it is true, metal predominantly has a male fan base and male musician base, you don't see a whole lot of women actually picking up guitars, basses and drums or even vocals and aspire to be a metal musician. I can think of fantastic women musicians that have, but if you're honest with yourself, it just doesn't happen at the frequency it does with men. When you have a smaller percentage of women in the genre, their success is going to be a fraction to that of a man’s, that's just statistical fact.”

From Stevil Helmer (Helmer), “I agree with Matt. this article was written from personal resentments not actual truth. The article could have been an Alanis Morrissett song ! LOL. I have been a musician for 45 solid years myself. Huge respect for many musicians who are female regardless of genre. I’m a huge Bonnie Raitt fan !!!”

Fernanda Lira who is the bassist for the band Nervosa, stated in an interview with me in 2014, “I was raised in a metal environment since I was a kid, my all time favorite band is Iron Maiden. They represent a lot to me; they were one of the first bands that I listened to. They showed me when I was a kid a complete other level to metal music, lyrically, musically…how complete a metal band could be. Steve Harris is the reason that I learned to play bass guitar. He showed me the way to the instrument that I was to play.” This is so true of many other women that are musicians, their role models are the men of metal and or rock.

Metal is a lifestyle, metal takes everyone into its arms. Metal doesn’t need saving, nor do the women in it. They are perfectly capable of taking the genre to the next level, they are strong. They are not the girlfriend, or the “poser”. They are intelligent and they are not afraid. Metal is not about feminism, this is not the 1990’s, where Riot Grrrl music was needed to revamp Punk Rock. This is 2015, and Metal Women have a voice that can’t be silenced…just ask Fernanda Lira, Alissa White-Gluz and Mary Zimmer.

Grimner - Frost Mot Eld Review

Track Listing

1. Res Er Mina Söner
2. Eldhjärta
3. Normännens Raseri
4. Enhärjarkväde
5. Midgård Brinner
6. Vargarnas Tid
7. Mörkets Hem
8. Etter och Flammor
9. Muspelheims Härskare
10. Frost Mot Eld

Sweden has over the years proven to be a hotbed for metal of all types. Some of the best folk metal comes from Sweden and emerging artist, Grimner, is no exception. Formed in 2008, with their first full length release ‘Blodshymner’ coming in 2014, Grimner are relative unknowns ready to burst onto the scene. Grimner offer everything one could want in a folk metal band, conveying a sense of paganism evident in both the music and the band’s imagery. With a sound similar to bands such as Finntroll and Månegarm, yet uniquely their own, Grimner have released one hell of an album. 

‘Frost Mot Eld’ is inspired by Ragnarök which, put in simplistic terms, is the end of world of the old Norse gods. With lyrics sung entirely in Swedish, and the perfect melding of clean and harsh vocals, Grimner have created a refreshing folk metal album. “Res Er Mina Söner” opens with a sense of calm before the storm, quickly bursting into a more up-tempo track backed by a memorable flute melody. In fact, flutes are evident throughout much of the album, adding a unique touch to many of the songs. The pieces of ‘Frost Mot Eld’ flow together seamlessly, at times light and uplifting and at other times brutal and harsh.  The Swedish bagpipes in “Vargarnas Tid” provide a background of melancholic darkness to the track evoking emotions of hope fading away. The pace changes multiple times throughout the album, much like the emotions brought forth by the lyrical content and careful use of various instruments and vocal techniques. 

The story woven throughout ‘Frost Mot Eld’ is one of battle, one of hope and lost hope, one of acceptance of fate, and one of finality. It is a journey that feels as though it were woven by the Norns, telling a narrative of the end of days set to some truly evocative, brooding, and at times, jovial, melodies. 

Best tracks: Vargarnas Tid, Eldjärta, Frost Mot Eld

Twelve Thrash Albums That Have Stuck With Me

This list was spawned by a post circulating Facebook regarding the ten albums (of any genre) that have stuck with you, for whatever reason. A friend suggested creating one consisting of just thrash albums, and this is mine in no particular order:

1. Metallica - Kill 'Em All
2. Annihilator - Alice In Hell
3. Destruction - Day Of Reckoning
4. Kreator - Pleasure To Kill
5. Slayer - Reign In Blood
6. Sodom - M16
7. Tankard - A Girl Called Cerveza
8. Overkill - The Electric Age
9. Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood
10. Possessed - Seven Churches (more of a mix of death and thrash)
11. Aggression - The Full Treatment
12. Nervosa - Agony

The 69 Eyes - Universal Monsters Review

Track Listing:

Dolce Vita

Jet Fighter Plane

Blackbird Pie

Lady Darkness

Miss Pastis

Shallow Graves

Jerusalem

Stiv & Johnny

Never

Blue 

Rock n’ Roll Junkie

The 69 Eyes are perhaps one of favourites of the gothic rock genre. While they haven’t been an underground or lesser-known gem for some time now, ‘Universal Monsters’ is a throwback to those days. Touted as a return to the near-perfection found on the ‘Paris Kills’ album, this particular album does a pretty good job of capturing some of that magic. It is also reminiscent of the ‘Devils’ album in a few places. 

Full of the melodic qualities that one has come to love about the 69 Eyes, ‘Universal Monsters’ surpasses the last few 69 Eyes releases in terms of feeling unforced and natural. This album doesn’t have that strain to reach new audiences by changing characteristic sounds, which is likely something that the older fans can truly appreciate. It really feels like a return to the days when the 69 Eyes were known and loved in Europe, but not-so-much in North America. Personally, this is the era of the band that I fell in love with and have a hard time not comparing every subsequent release to. 

“Dolce Vita” and “Jet Fighter Plane” provide a strong opening for the album. The former is guitar driven, while the latter is slightly more melodic. Both tracks hold that very characteristic 69 Eyes sound. “Lady Darkness” is that one darkly romantic track on the album that really stands out as such. Jyrki’s vocals hit higher notes in this song which is something not often heard from the enigmatic frontman.  Not to downplay any of the talents of Jussi, Bazie, Archzie or Timo, but it is Jyrki’s vocals that do provide so much of that distinctive sound that this band has pumped out for over two decades. Tracks like ‘Miss Pastis’ and ‘Rock n’Roll Junkie’ add elements of some of the 69 Eyes earliest material, when they were much more of a sleazy rock band than a gothic rock band that the Helsinki Vampires are perhaps best known as. The opening to ‘Jerusalem’ introduces a very compelling keyboard section that continues throughout the song. It’s a little reminiscent of ‘August Moon’ from the “Devils” album in sound.  Overall, this album is a solid release, combining the best elements of every era of the band to date. 

Best tracks: Dolce Vita, Lady Darkness, Shallow Graves

Nervosa - Agony Review

Track Listing:

1. Arrogance
2. Theory of Conspiracy
3. Deception
4. Intolerance Means War
5. Guerra Santa
6. Failed System
7. Hostages
8. Surrounded By Serpents
9. Cyberwar
10. Hypocrisy
11. Devastation
12. Wayfarer

‘Agony’ is the second full-length from Brazilian thrashers, Nervosa, and what a bombastic piece of awesomeness it is. If you dismissed the hype surrounding this band as being partially because it is comprised of women, this album will blow that theory out of the water. Nervosa has been described as thrash with hints of death metal, which is an accurate description as they have managed to take the best elements from both and put them into one hell of package in their latest album. 

From start to finish, ‘Agony’ is solid. It would be difficult to point out any obvious flaw within this album. That old-school thrash feel is definitely there. So is a dynamic sense of aggression. Vocalist and bassist Fernanda Lira often speaks in interviews about the political situation has influenced the band. Nervosa has found a way to turn sentiment and dissatisfaction into an album that becomes relatable and pushes the band into the territory of being one of the best modern thrash bands out there. Having been compared to German-thrash legends Destruction, ‘Agony’ proves why this is an apt comparison. From the opening riffs of “Arrogance” to the slightly haunting vocal performance on “Wayfarer”, this is hands-down one of the best albums of the year. 

Grimmer - Mörkets Hem Video

The band writes on their Facebook page:

Brothers and sisters!Before we go on tour, out of the blue comes our new music video, the second video from "Frost Mot Eld"! This time it is a visual adaptation of the song "Mörkrets Hem" (Home of Darkness), which tells of an ancient creature, awakened in its tomb by a trespasser. This creature is a draugr, ancient beings of evil, greedily guarding their threasures and killing anyone who comes close. We hope you will never fall victim to one of them...

Grimner has created an album that is easily a contender for one of my favourites of 2016, and 'Mörkets Hem' is the latest song to be accompanied by a video.  The video certainly does the description justice, perfectly capturing the atmosphere of the song.

On The Radar: Tartarus

While I haven't found much motivation to write lately, I've still managed to find a few new bands to check out. Tartarus managed to catch my attention. A black/death metal outfit from Pittsburg, they have recently released an album. A little more black metal influenced than what I typically listen to, I was intrigued by the video for the song 'Thanatos':

Documentary Preview: 'Home of the Wind - A History of Moonsorrow'

Pagan & folk metal fans rejoice! A Moonsorrow documentary is currently in the works, funded largely by an Indiegogo campaign. While I'm not entirely a fan of crowdfunding campaigns, I think it's interesting to see some of these projects come to fruition that would likely not be possible otherwise. The one thing that irritates me regarding this documentary is that physical copies apparently will NOT be made available unless you support the Indiegogo campaign and choose to pledge the amount that offers a physical copy as one of the perks. Which, as a currently almost flat-broke metalhead, is a little annoying. Why not sell some physical copies through an official webstore for the band or somewhere similar once the project is complete? This would allow some fans who can't currently contribute to the crowdfunding campaign to have an opportunity to get ahold of a physical copy in the future. Personally, I hate the idea of only being able to potentially access a digital copy.

That being said:
This upcoming documentary has the full support of the band members of Moonsorrow, and the teaser clips look pretty promising. Some of the discussion surrounding paganism and Moonsorrow's influences are particularly relevant and intriguing.

Beautiful film poster by Kris Verwimp

For more visit the following links:
https://www.facebook.com/homeofthewind/?fref=ts

https://www.moshville.co.uk/news/2016/06/moonsorrow-documentary-home-of-the-wind-nears-crowdfunding-target/

http://www.andjusticeforart.com/2016/06/world-exclusive-unveiling-poster-for.html

On The Radar: Körperlose Stimme

If you enjoy blackened death metal and you haven't heard of Körperlose Stimme, you're missing out. This newly released video provides some insight into the lyrics, themes and music of this wicked up-and-coming Canadian band. 'The Dark Man' EP is excellent; I'd recommend getting your hands on it if at all possible.

Amon Amarth Kills It In Calgary - A Live Review

Amon Amarth with Entombed A.D. & Exmortus

May 14th, 2016

MacEwan Hall, Calgary

“The Vikings have landed!” might as well have been the war cry heard throughout the province on the evening that Amon Amarth prepared to play their only Alberta date on the tour. With an amazing lineup, this particular show was highly anticipated and drew metalheads from hours away. Met by chainmailed and helmeted viking sentinels upon entering the venue, the anticipation was tangible. 

Exmortus opened the show, shredding their way through a blistering set. Touring on the back of their latest album, ‘Ride Forth’, it was unfortunate that many fans were still trying to get into the venue or caught up in the merchandise line for their set. Although only being afforded a rather short set, Exmortus proved that they belong with the other heavy hitters in the lineup. 

Entombed A.D., still somewhat synonymous with the original Entombed, played to a fuller house even though people were still trying to get in the doors halfway through their set. For the old-school death metal fans in the audience it was quite a treat to witness L.G. Petrov and crew playing a few classic Entombed songs as well as some of the newer, more death n’roll styled material. 

Photo by the talented Dana Zuk.

Amon Amarth stormed onto stage, ripping into “Pursuit of Vikings”. The Swedes played to a packed house with a well-rounded set of older and newer material. Although more focus was placed on material from ‘Jomsviking’, enough of the classics were played to keep even long-time Amon Amarth fans satisfied. The elaborate stage props, consisting of a giant viking-helmet drum riser and several different backdrops, added to the ambiance of the set. Chainmailed vikings battling with swords and shields enhanced many of the songs from the ‘Jomsviking’ album. “First Kill” seemed a crowd favorite, while “Runes To My Memory” was one that proved a favorite with certain segments of the audience. While it would have been wickedly awesome to witness L.G. Petrov handling some of the vocals to “Guardians Of Asgaard”, as he did on the ‘Twilight Of The Thunder God’ album, it wasn’t to be. Amon Amarth demonstrated yet again why they have gained popularity in recent years. Playing a tight set, carried by the powerful vocals of Johan Hegg, these vikings once again kicked some serious ass. 

The first all-ages Amon Amarth show I’ve witnessed was truly packed with those of all ages. From little metalheads dressed in chainmail with battleaxes to old-school metalheads who were likely listening to Swedish death metal when Entombed A.D. was known as Nihilist and before the release of ‘Left Hand Path’ this show represented multiple generations of metalheads. From the frenzied, mixed stylings of Exmortus, to the classic-death metal influences of Entombed, to the never disappointing and always energetic, perfectly melodic death metal viking anthems of Amon Amarth, it was a show that wasn’t to be missed.

On The Radar: NordWitch

As a recent discovery, NordWitch is a band I'll be keeping my eye on. What I've managed to hear is hauntingly put together blackened death metal, complimented perfectly by Masha's vocals. Set to release their debut album, "Mørk Profeti", this summer, NordWitch may just become an underground band to watch. 

A good article (with a link to the title track from the upcoming album) can be found here: http://welcometothedarkside.org/a-darkside-original-ukraines-nordwitch-is-beautifully-blackening-scandinavian-style-melodeath

For another taste from NordWitch, take a listen to 'Lady Evil':

Mortillery - 'Torture' Official Video

Edmonton's own thrashers, Mortillery, have just released the video for 'Torture'. A track from their upcoming album titled "Shapeshifter", set for release on May 27th, it serves as a preview for what promises to be more thrashy goodness from this band. With a few international tours under their belts supporting some pretty big names, this is a band worth giving a listen if you enjoy in-your-face thrash.

Kalmah: Worth The Wait (A Live Review)

Kalmah with Vesperia, Trollband, Mongol

April 19th, 2016

Starlite Room

The Starlite Room contained a surprisingly decent sized crowd early in the evening to witness local support acts Mongol and Trollband. Mongol, in typical fashion, played an energetic set that was genuinely enjoyed by the audience. Rising through the folk metal ranks, they also shared a new song with the horde (The Mountain Weeps). Trollband further pumped up the crowd, many of whom were already quite familiar with the band’s interesting mix of blackened folk metal. Vesperia, hailed as “epic death metal from the frozen north” were a perfect segue from the more folkish stylings of the first two openers to the more deathish stylings of Kalmah. 

After waiting nearly ten years to see Kalmah live, the Finns didn’t disappoint. Emerging from the swampy depths of Oulu (which is probably not that swampy at all, but it sounded good), they tore up the Starlite. While one typically doesn’t think of a melodic death metal band and a sense of humor going hand-in-hand, vocalist Pekka Kokko cracked a few jokes throughout the night and genuinely seemed to be enjoying the gig. Kalmah played a good mix of old and newer material. This was to the liking of many of the fans although Kalmah is one of those bands who has never released an album that could be recognized as anything less than strong. ‘Pikemaster’ came off sounding particularly awesome as the energy of the band never seemed to wane through the set. 

Personally, I would have loved to hear ‘Wings Of Blackening’, but with such a strong repertoire of material to choose from, it would have been impossible to fit all of the favorites into the length of a single set. Perhaps it was one of those songs Pekka Kokko forgot how to play, which was another humorous quip from the frontman. Amidst a dismal spring filled with uncertainty for many metalheads in this province, Kalmah provided the perfect dose of melo-death, proving that the wait to see the Finns live was more than worth it.

Fejd - Härjaren Video

Having only discovered Fejd recently, I'm quite excited about their upcoming album titled "Trolldom" which will be released toward the end of May. Leaning a bit more towards the folk side, with the perfect amount of metal mixed in, it promises to be good for those of us who enjoy folk metal. 

A video for one of the tracks, Härjaren, was recently unleashed upon the world:

Review: Amon Amarth - Jomsviking

Track Listing:

1.  First Kill

 2. Wanderer

 3. On A Sea Of Blood

 4. One Against All

 5. Raise Your Horns

 6. The Way Of Vikings

 7. At Dawn’s First Light

 8. One Thousand Burning Arrows

 9. Vengeance Is My Name

 10. A Dream That Cannot Be 

 11. Back On Northern Shores

‘Jomsviking’, Amon Amarth’s latest offering, is based on a screenplay written by vocalist Johan Hegg. Which then, coincidentally, became a full-fledged concept album. While viking themes are nothing new for Amon Amarth, a concept album is new territory for the revered Swedes. After the departure of long-time drummer, Fredrik Andersson, drummer Tobias Gustafsson (of Vomitory fame) was recruited for the recording of ‘Jomsviking’. 

‘Jomsviking’ is perhaps Amon Amarth’s most melodic offering to date, venturing far from their early, death metal roots. More epic than brutal, this album is a further progression of the direction that Amon Amarth has taken on their last few releases. The first few tracks set the scene for the epic story that follows. “Raise Your Horns” offers delightfully awkward verses, followed by an incredibly catchy chorus. It might actually be the most anthemic song of the entire album. ‘One Thousand Burning Arrows’ is reminiscent of a few earlier, very memorable Amon Amarth songs. At least in theme, if not in sound. It also seems to represent a turning point in the story woven throughout ‘Jomsviking’. “A Dream That Cannot Be” is a wickedly brutal song when listening to the lyrics. It proves to be the ultimate kick to the teeth in the game of pursuing an unrequited love. Which feels somewhat strange to be coming from a band that doesn’t typically sing about such a theme, but it’s woven nicely into the idea of a concept album. Having Doro Pesch singing vocals throughout the song doesn’t hurt either. 

Containing some spoken elements, this aspect of ‘Jomsviking’ might be a first for Amon Amarth. It is certainly something that further differentiates this album from previous efforts. It’s difficult to pick a song that has potential to become a live favorite, unlike other albums where this proved an easy task. ‘Jomsviking’ seems to lack the element of an epic live song. It also seems to lack the thundering, relentless, in-your-face feel of some of the band’s previous material. If you vastly prefer earlier Amon Amarth, this probably isn’t the album for you. However, if you enjoy an epic story with sentiment, and don’t mind some more mellow elements, this will be a good listen. 

Best Tracks: First Kill, On A Sea Of Blood, One Thousand Burning Arrows

From The Vault: Finnish Metal Tour Review (2011)

I stumbled across this review I wrote way back in 2011 for the Finnish Metal Tour featuring Finntroll, Ensiferum, Rotten Sound and Barren Earth. It was originally done for a blog for the university's heavy metal student club. I still feel just as uncomfortable writing decent reviews as I did then. 

Finnish Metal Tour: A Personal Review

February 15th, 2011

The night appeared doomed to a slow start, with only a handful of people in line when doors were opened at eight. The frigid weather, made worse by a biting wind, may have factored into this but it seemed strangely appropriate for a night when four bands from Finland were slated to play. A quick stop at the merchandise table made me wish I was able to afford the price wanted for the hand drawn artwork of Finntroll guitarist, Skrymer. 

            There was an abysmal lack of concert goers in the Starlite Room as Barren Earth took the stage. Although the music of Barren Earth was not particularly appealing to me, they performed a solid set, sounding somewhat like Opeth at times. By the time Rotten Sound made their appearance on stage, more fans had trickled in. The fast and heavy stylings of Rotten Sound served to energize the crowd, creating an atmosphere more appropriate to a small venue filled with loud music. All of those at the front were quickly caught up in the headbanging and those back a little further created an impressive pit considering the number of people participating. Rotten Sound knew exactly what to do to pump up the crowd, encouraging moshing that was equally as hard and fast as their music. Even those who were unfamiliar with the band seemed to thoroughly enjoy the set. 

            Unfortunately the people behind me during Ensiferum made the set slightly less enjoyable but Ensiferum seemed to be the highlight of the night for many fans. (Perhaps because english lyrics are much more accessible than the Swedish language lyrics of Finntroll.) A friend commented that this was possibly the best set he had heard Ensiferum play on their numerous stops in Edmonton. Long time fans of the band were delighted to hear Token of Time, from the band’s self titled debut album. From Afar, Deathbringer From the Sky and Ahti were favorites with the audience, with many shouting out the words along with vocalist Petri Lindroos. Victory Song was another huge hit with the crowd, as well as the final tune, Iron. The beer was flowing and the crowd was rowdy and excited throughout the twelve song set. In the final minutes of the set, guitarist Markus Toivonen impressed the crowd by playing a solo behind his back. Ensiferum, with their trademark kilts and black war paint, were solid and crowd pleasing. 

            As Finntroll took the stage, many people seemed content to sit back, drink a beer and watch the show. After using the song Blodmarsch as the introduction, Finntroll burst into a thundering rendition of Solsagen. Throughout the set, a handful of fans were screaming for Ett Norrskensdåd and Eliytres and left satisfied as both songs were included in the set. Although Finntroll’s drummer was apparently quite ill and other band members were recovering from being sick, one never would have guessed from the energetic set. Vocalist Mathias ‘Vreth’ Lillmåns demonstrated an impressive lung capacity, screaming and growling throughout the set. Although Finntroll are known for occasionally drinking too much before going on stage, it didn’t happen in Edmonton. Vreth didn’t hesitate to get down and scream right into the faces of those in the front row,  and touring keyboardist Aleksi Virta could be seen grinning throughout the show, which seemed a little uncharacteristic for a band with darker music, but it suggested that he was enjoying the show as much as the fans. As the end of the set approached, Lillmåns announced that there would be no encore due to the drummer being ill, but the ensuing antics of Maktens Spira made up for it. Drunken members of Rotten Sound ran out on stage, complete with oversized, glittery top hats, huge novelty sunglasses, and various funny masks; joining in on some of the vocals and making their own party on stage. Members of the other bands apparently found it as hilarious as I did, as Petri Lindroos could be seen laughing and snapping pictures from the side of the stage. Members of Turisas were apparently in the crowd as well, having played earlier in the night in Edmonton. Finntroll, and every other band on this tour, certainly didn’t disappoint and my only regret is that I was only able to catch one show. Overall, the show was excellent. 

Dark Funeral: "Where Shadows Forever Reign" Title Track

While I don't listen to much black metal, Dark Funeral is one of the bands that I have found myself indulging in. Unless it's coming from a select few bands, I rarely get excited over a black metal release but the upcoming offering from Dark Funeral is one that will likely get added to the collection.

They're set to release a new album, 'Where Shadows Forever Reign' on June 3rd. Being a sucker for dark, eerie album art, I love the cover of this album. Created by the same artist that did the cover artwork for 'The Secrets Of The Black Arts' (amongst some other greats), I truly hope that the atmosphere conveyed by that album art is the same found in the music. If the title track is any indication, this should prove to be correct.

Listen to "Where Shadows Forever Reign":

Review: Wolfhorde - Towards The Gates Of North

Track Listing:

1. Vegvisir

2. Fimbulvetr

3. Taivaankappaleiden Kato

4. Death Long-Due

5. The Retribution

6. Unyielding

7. Boundless Agony

8. Lycomania

9. The Gates of North

‘Towards The Gates Of North’ is the debut “full-length” from Finnish folk-metal band, Wolfhorde. (Although I would consider ‘Deathknot’ as a full-length, it’s officially an EP). There seems to be something about Finland that allows for the creation of some very atmospheric, haunting folk metal and this album is no different. 

From beginning to end, the album ebbs and flows like a mountain stream. At times it verges on soothing and yet in other moments it’s a bombast of metal. It’s certainly not formulaic or predictable, and in this case it works well. There’s an instrumental complexity to be found in almost every song that is reminiscent of bands such as Moonsorrow. The mixing of both Finnish and English lyrics contained within the same song is an interesting approach. 

From the first notes of “Vegvisir” to the last notes of “The Gates Of North”, this album takes the listener on an epic journey drawn from (mostly Norse) mythology. Hukkapätkä’s vocals lend a harshness that contrasts with some of the more mellow instrumentals. ‘Towards The Gates of North’ lacks much of the relentless fury of death-influenced folk metal, instead relying on a more purely folk feel, incorporating plenty of more traditional sounds offset by harsh vocals. It’s not a mind-blowing album, but it is enjoyable and worth multiple plays. 

Best tracks: Fimbulvetr, Lycomania

Warbringer & Enforcer with Cauldron & Exmortus Review

January 28^th, 2016

Starlite Room

            An early start to the show resulted in only catching the final song of Exmortus’ set, which was a little disappointing considering I was hoping to get a good live preview before they open for Amon Amarth later this year. From what I heard, it was a set that was so good it definitely shouldn’t have been missed.

            Cauldron was up next, with Striker’s Dan Cleary on vocals due to Cauldron’s own vocalist having a nasty throat infection. Playing in the style of traditional heavy metal, I thought their set was pretty good.

            Sweden’s Enforcer amped up the energy, playing to an enthusiastic crowd. Proving that metal is timeless, Enforcer definitely reminded me of some of the classic speed metal bands, right down to their stage outfits. I thoroughly enjoyed their set, which was near perfect in terms of song choice according to several people who were much more familiar with the band than I. Even if you don’t particularly enjoy the style of metal that Enforcer plays, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend catching a live show if you have the opportunity.

            Warbringer headlined the evening. A bit surprisingly, half of the crowd had emptied out of the building when they started, apparently unaware of what they were about to miss. Playing deliriously fast thrash metal, appropriate for the circle pit that developed, Warbringer delivered and ended the night on a high note.