Nervosa to Release 'Downfall of Mankind'

Nervosa will be releasing their third album on June 1st. If it's anything like the Brazilian thrash trio's first two albums, it will be solid!



Preorder packages can be found here:
http://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/store/nervosa

Loud As Hell, Broke As Fuck: A Weekend At Drumheller's Loud As Hell Festival

August 4-6^th, 2017

“Loud As Hell, Drunk As Fuck” seems to be the official moniker for this fantastic metal festival held just outside Drumheller, AB. Even the little kids in attendance were shouting this with fervor by the end of the weekend, probably much to the dismay of their teachers when asked what they did over the summer when it’s time to go back to school. Anyways, if you’re in Western Canada and looking for a festival to hit up, this is the one to check out. I’ve been to a few Western Canadian festivals (with plans to check out a few others in the future), and Loud As Hell is my favourite.

The venue is perfectly suited to this kind of event. With an indoor stage, it doesn’t matter if it’s pouring rain. Which, like all festivals, it’s almost guaranteed to do. The indoor venue also provides a welcome relief from the sun and actually remains a pretty reasonable temperature even when packed with sweaty moshers. There’s plenty of room for vendors to set up and the band merch table was well stocked and well-run by volunteers. A second small stage allowed for short clinics by some of the musicians and various talks from industry professionals such as promoters. The festival grounds provide plenty of space for tents and for those camping with motorhomes and trailers, as well as easy entry and exit if you choose to make the quick trip into Drumheller to grab something you forgot, to have a shower, or to check out all the neat stuff the town has to offer. Of course you can drink your own booze in the camping areas, but alcohol inside the venue was also reasonably priced with a decent selection if you didn’t want to miss out on any of the action.

Friday night saw a torrential rainstorm come through the area. Most people seemed prepared with raincoats and waterproof footwear, which is a must considering the ground around Drumheller doesn’t absorb water and quickly turns into a greasy mud pit. (Kudos to the festival staff who somehow managed to keep the floor inside the venue clean despite pounds of mud being tracked in). Edmonton thrashers Mortillery and death metallers Eye Of Horus were the highlights of the night for me, with Eye of Horus filling in last minute for a band that was unable to make it.

Saturday morning dawned spectacularly foggy for anyone who was up early enough to witness it. I never thought I’d be complaining about humidity in Drumheller, but Saturday proved to be sunny and humid, which didn’t stop the party from continuing. With plenty of great and varied bands on the bill, there was something for everyone. I tried to check out as many as I could, enjoying The Lucifer Project and Tyrant’s Demise in the early evening. Travelling from Winnipeg, it’s bands like Tyrant’s Demise (and the fans who also travel hours to festivals) that prove that the Western Canadian metal scene is alive and well. Taking the party into the later stages of the evening, The Order of Chaos and Planet Eater both played great sets. They were followed by a performance from Permafrost Suspensions, which if you like things to get a little strange (a relative term, I might add) and aren’t squeamish, was worth checking out. The headliner of the night, Vancouver’s mighty thrash veterans, Aggression, played a blistering set, leaving me half deaf for the rest of the weekend. A reasonable crowd stuck around until after three in the morning to enjoy an impressive range of eighties metal covers performed by Shocker. Seriously, any band that plays a WASP cover and nails it is good in my books.

Sunday saw more than a few hangovers, and plenty of people still ready to drink more booze and enjoy more great metal. Dead Asylum proved to be my favourite ‘undiscovered’ band of the weekend. Scythia played a set that was very different to any of the other sets I’ve witnessed them perform, bringing Brian Langley (better known as the vocalist of Aggression) on stage to play guitar for a few songs. I’d bet some of us didn’t previously know that he actually played in Scythia for a short time. To cap off the weekend, Battlecross finished the night to a packed house. Flying in to play, they managed to re-energize a crowd that had just spent the entire weekend drinking, partying and headbanging.

Overall, I can’t say enough about how well organized and smoothly run Loud As Hell was. The venue was fantastic, the volunteers did an amazing job and the bands played outstanding sets. Although I’m now completely broke (hence the title of this post), Loud As Hell was worth every nickel spent.

Evocation - 'Condemned To The Grave' Video

As a frequent listener of the Swedish variety of death metal, I have a hard time believing I haven't listened to more of Evocation's material. They're set to release a new album titled "The Shadow Archetype" on March 10th. After hearing the already released tracks, 'Condemned To The Grave' stands as my favourite so far.

Give 'Condemned To The Grave' a watch:

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 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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Villainizer Bids Farewell: Review

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. 

Edmonton Extermination Review

Mortillery, Eye of Horus, Mongol, Ironstorm, Black Pestilence, Tales of the Tomb

Saturday April 11th

The Pawnshop

With six heavy hitting metal bands in the lineup, this was the perfect show to kick those dreary Edmonton winter blues down a flight of stairs and out the door. Tales of the Tomb started the evening off, apparently a little early for most metal heads, but despite having a small audience they managed to pique interest in their brand of death metal. With songs like ‘The Pig Farmer’, about Robert Pickton, the tags of murder metal and psychological death metal certainly fit this band. 

Black Pestilence made the trip from Calgary for this show, showcasing an interesting melding of different styles, described as ‘black punk noise metal’. Ironstorm played next, unveiling their new lineup for those who had missed their show supporting Anvil. From what I caught of the set, they sounded solid.

Switching gears, Mongol took the stage, providing the folk metal element of this particular evening. As always, they brought an undeniable amount of energy. Songs such as ‘Storming The Wall’ provided the perfect blend of high and low tempo breaks to draw the audience in. Eye of Horus was up next. They played a solid set of death metal, including a cover of Cannibal Corpse’s ‘Evisceration Plague’, which was evidently very appreciated by the death metal fans in the audience. Promising new material in the near future, Eye of Horus’ set did not disappoint. 

Mortillery has seen an impressive level of success lately. Supporting their ‘Origin of Extinction’ album, they have opened for both 3 Inches of Blood and Destruction in Edmonton, as well as embarking on a European tour last year supporting Sepultura. Watching them live, it’s easy to see why Mortillery has become one of the most successful bands to come out of this city in recent times.

For a great review of Mortillery’s set, and accompanying photos, check out Dana Zuk’s piece here: http://ampsandgreenscreens.com/2015/04/14/mortillery-massacres-the-pawn-shop-during-edmonton-extermination-concert-april-11-2015/