by Akshay Sharma
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Fuck the Facts Interview
Interview by Dominik Pachala with Topon Das of Fuck the Facts
For the readers who don’t know who you guys are who and what is Fuck the Facts?
Topon Das: We’re a band from Ontario. We’ve been around for a little while, we started years ago. There’ve been a few band member changes over the years.
So you guys have done a bunch of splits with a bunch of different bands, is there a band in particular you guys want to do a split with and are there any upcoming splits with any bands we should know about?
Topon Das: We don’t have any upcoming splits lined up but , yeah, we definitely have talked with a few bands about doing something. It would be cool to talk to the guys from Kill the Client to try doing something. Yeah there are a ton of bands we’d like to do something with but it all comes down to finding the time on our end and on their end to get the things worked out. The last split we did was with Leng T’che, that was really cool because after we became friends and we really liked the band.
So somewhat similar to the question before, what bands would you guys like to tour with?
Topon Das: We did a tour with Anti-Gama in Europe and that was really awesome because I was a fan of the band beforehand. So that was the first time I was a fan of the band before we toured with them. I know that when you tour with a band and you see them for 30 nights, that’s when you really start to get into their stuff. That’s how I got into few bands like Unearthly Trance. There aren’t a lot of offers that we get to tour with bands like the tour we’re going to be doing with Ken Mode. Me and Jessie (Ken Mode) have known each other for quite a bit and we got in touch with each other and talked about doing something. That’s what we’re used to when it comes to touring.
You guys are playing free show in Edmonton on May 2nd at Filthy McNasties. Will you guys be concentrating your set list on the newer material or are you guys gonna play older material also?
Topon Das: When we started doing shows this year, we did a bunch of 10-year anniversary shows. So we went back and played a bunch of really old songs. So for this tour we’re really focusing on the newer stuff, we’re playing stuff from Disgorge Mexico, the split with Leng T’che, the unnamed EP and a couple new songs that are going to be on our next album.
So how do you feel your music has evolved since Vagina Dancer?
Topon Das: Every time I hear that album title, I try figure out what I was thinking. For one, that tape was basically noise. That dates back to pre-band era. Like when I was talking about the 10 year anniversary, that’s when the band started around 2001. The tape came out sometime around 1998. So from then, it was a solo project, it’s changed a ton. Our music is always evolving we don’t want to limit ourselves to just one thing. I’m happy with the evolution of the band, it’s definitely been influenced by the different members that have come into the band even from 2001. One of the main purposes of the band is to keep evolving.
So you guys have been signed on Relapse, what sort of difference have you guys noticed between releasing records with labels vs DIYing?
Topon Das: It’s been a long time since we worked with Relapse, I think its been 5 years. I think a lot of people thing that when you get signed to a label, management will deal with more stuff. But you end up doing a lot more stuff than you would do otherwise. We have a huge DIY ethic, we released a couple of DIY things while we were on the label. I think it was awesome that we could work with them since the label is recognized in the scene and they have contacts that we don’t have, but at the same time they didn’t allows to do whatever we wanted even for other realizes and independent stuff .
Can you talk about John Zorn’s Naked City and how it influenced Fuck The Facts?
Topon Das: I pulled the band name off of a Naked City album. This was a long time ago… I was really into the album, I still think it’s a really awesome album. I haven’t listened to it in a while but it has a lot of really cool shit going on. When I heard that, I just really want to have an extremely open mind to music and do whatever I wanted to and not worry about being a grindcore band, a metal band or even a really weird experimental band. I felt that that album mixed the noisy stuff with the smoother stuff. I feel that we’re kinda like that. We’re doing the stuff we want to do and not really forcing ourselves to do anything weird or different or anything.
Non-Traditional Black Metal
Non-Traditional Black Metal
(or, Black Metal for Those
Who Don't Like Black Metal)
by Ryan Lagerquist
Non-Traditional Black Metal
(or, Black Metal for Those
Who Don't Like Black Metal)
by Ryan Lagerquist
Non-Traditional Black Metal
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Children of Bodom, Devin Townsend and Guests Concert Review
Children of Bodom, Devin Townsend, Obscura, Septic Flesh
Concert Review Calgary June 30th, 2011
By Lacy W.
After a few minor mishaps, including a holiday trailer that had come off the hitch and flipped somewhere before Red Deer, we finally arrived in Calgary. After a quick stop at Charisma, where we were pestered by one of the shop owners non-stop, we checked into the hotel, had a drink and headed to the C-train. Although we could have easily walked to the University, we weren’t familiar with Calgary and wanted to make sure we actually made it to the show.
After a short walk to the venue, we finally got inside to witness the live brilliance that is Septic Flesh. I have always held the opinion that Septic Flesh live does not even compare to listening to their recorded albums, but once again that’s only my opinion. Considering that they were the first band of the night, Septic Flesh gained a very warm welcome, helped by a frontman who knew how to engage the crowd.
A quick trip to the merchandise table proved slightly disappointing, although not surprising. Needless to say, I am not a fan of the new Children of Bodom artwork and their merchandise greatly reflected the new artwork. They were also selling autographed setlists at the Bodom table. Having a genuine autographed setlist from a Finnish festival several years ago, I had to laugh at the very idea. In terms of merchandise, Septic Flesh seemed to be the winner for the night, having a few decent shirts along with having a few albums for sale. I heard a few complaints about the lack of good Obscura and Devin Townsend merchandise, although I was not looking to purchase any to begin with.
I am not able to provide much comment on Obscura’s set as I used it as an opportunity to have a couple of beer and cool down on the patio. From what I heard, and from what a friend mentioned, they were well worthy of being on the bill. They seemed well received by the crowd.
If Septic Flesh and Obscura were well received, the reception Devin Townsend walked onto stage to was through the roof. There were obviously many Devin Townsend fans in the crowd, perhaps helped by the fact that he hails from the Vancouver area. A few Strapping Young Lad shirts were present, indicating that new and old fans alike had come out to witness the spectacle. Even for those not familiar with Devin Townsend’s work, the anticipation was clearly present after hearing nothing but good things about the brilliance of Townsend’s live performances. Calgary’s show certainly lived up to the hype as Devin’s comedy in between songs proved to pull together an already excellent set. Wearing a bra thrown from the crowd on your head while doing stand-up comedy? Small things like this metamorphosed a solid performance into one verging on sheer brilliance, even for those who weren’t previously Devin Townsend fans. At least if his music career ever fails (which should never happen), Townsend will have a promising career in comedy to fall back on.
After Devin Townsend, the mood was slightly subdued before Children of Bodom were set to take the stage. Wondering how Bodom would live up to the awesome display of metal madness that had just ended, the crowd began to chant for the appearance of the Finns while their techs were still working on final adjustments. Almost simultaneously with the first notes being played, the mosh pit was in full force creating a huge opening in the middle of the floor. (I tend to think of mosh pits as ‘idiot pits’, but this is a slight digression and a separate topic for discussion). The entire band, especially guitarist and vocalist Alexi Laiho, seemed to be upbeat and jovial, reinforcing a comment made by Devin Townsend earlier in the night that everyone on the tour was in a particularly good mood that evening. Perhaps it had something to do with the good weather, recognized and commented on by Laiho, after having being met by miserable weather seemingly every other time Bodom has come through Alberta. Musically, Children of Bodom sounded the tightest that I have ever heard them in the seven or eight times I’ve witnessed their show live. Unlike another show I attended at the MacEwan Ballroom, there were no problems with the sound as each song and the vocals were clearly distinguishable. A slight difference from the recordings could be noticed in the tempo of the songs as they seemed sped up, but this did little to detract from the overall performance. Bodom dedicated a large part of their set to material from their latest album, Relentless Reckless Forever. This appeared to please a large percentage of Bodom fans present as many seemed to be young and unfamiliar with some of the older material that was played. Of course older crowd pleasers like Follow the Reaper, Downfall,Needled 24/7 and Angels Don’t Kill were integrated into the set. Earning a final wild send-off from the crowd, the Finns ended the encore with a rendition of Hate Crew Deathroll, gaining the usual enthusiastic singing of the well-known chorus from the crowd. Being a fan of the older Children of Bodom material, my only disappointment was that they neglected to play more of it. All in all, Children of Bodom played one of their best sets that I have witnessed and provided an appropriate ending to a solid night of metal.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Sunday, April 10, 2011
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Monday, March 28, 2011
Extreme Metal Art Gallery Closing Celebration
Extreme Metal Art Gallery Closing Celebration
At The Mead Hall
Ominosity (old school death metal from Calgary)
Antediluvian (chaotic black death metal deluge)
Terrorfist (Putrescent Deathrash)
Saturday April 23, 2011
The Mead Hall (10940 166A Street)
Doors at 8pm, Show at 9pm
$10, no minors
Extreme Metal Art Exhibit: Wine and Cheese Night
Extreme Metal Art Exhibit: Wine and Cheese Night
Wine and Cheese Night at Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (9225 118 Avenue) from 6-8pm. Admission if FREE. Justin Duma will be DJing this event. This is a great opportunity to meet and greet with the artists.
Wine and Cheese Night at Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (9225 118 Avenue) from 6-8pm. Admission if FREE. Justin Duma will be DJing this event. This is a great opportunity to meet and greet with the artists.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
The Headbanger’s Guide to the Orchestra
The Headbanger’s Guide to the Orchestra:
A Brief Introduction to the Relationship between Classical and Heavy Metal Music
To those who are unfamiliar with heavy metal music, classical music might seem to be a very distant relative musically. However, heavy metal borrows more from classical music than any other form of pop music (jazz aficionados may care to debate that but the relationship there is very different). The similarities between heavy metal and classical come from both genres encapsulating music which can be: wonderfully grandiose, virtuosic, violent, and extreme. Also, 21st century metal shares a fondness with classical music for having strict arrangements of songs with little to no room for improvisation during live performance. This style is often due to the complexity of the music being performed. (on a side note, I am labeling metal as pop music because the majority of metal does not fall into the mould of art music. This classification is due to metal music focusing more on an artist’s recording of their music rather than a written manuscript of said music. And there are a few other reasons)
A prime example of a classical music piece which fits well with the metal ethos is “Der Holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” from Mozart’s opera “The magic flute”. This is probably the most famous aria in all of opera but many people neglect the meaning of the lyrics. The Queen of the Night places a dagger in her daughter’s hand and tells her to go kill the Queen’s enemy.
• “Hell's vengeance boils in my heart;
Death and despair blaze around me!
If Sarastro does not feel the pain of death because of you,
Then you will be my daughter nevermore.”
Death and despair blaze around me!
If Sarastro does not feel the pain of death because of you,
Then you will be my daughter nevermore.”
Brutal, beautiful, and virtuosic, these are all qualities in which metal is abundant.
The concept of classical music influencing metal is nothing new though. Many metal fans and artists listen to classical music for appreciation and inspiration. There is a sort of canon of composers who are widely accepted in the metal community. These include but are not limited to: Igor Stravinsky (the Rite of Spring, the Firebird Suite), Sergei Prokofiev (Scythian suite), Richard Wagner (the Ring cycle), Ludwig Van Beethoven (especially his 5th symphony), Pyotr Tchaikovsky (for ex. The 1812 overture), Modest Mussorgsky, Bela Bartok, and Carl Orff. If you are a headbanger wanting to get into classical music, these are some great places to start.
Personally, some of my favourites from the “canon” include Gustav Holst’s suite “The Planets”, this work was what turned me on to classical music as a whole. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0bcRCCg01I Wagner is awesome because his ring cycle reaches a level of epicness which most power metal bands only dream of; there’s dragons, lady Vikings, murder, and the end of the world, what’s not to love (except for the anti-Semitism thing)? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiyoLa9z1ao Stravinsky is awesome chiefly because of his use of rhythm. If you listen to the Rite of Spring, the music can be so beautifully choppy you’d think you were listening to Meshuggah. Also, the original choreography to that ballet in combination with the music caused a riot during its first performance because it was so disturbing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK64sTi4mKc&feature=related (a recreation of the original choreography). Carrying on, I regard Beethoven’s 9th symphony as one of the greatest works of all time and if you haven’t heard it, you must.
As mentioned previously, one of the major differences between metal and classical music is the classical approach of maintaining a division between composer and performer. This division allows for a song to be interpreted many different ways with some performers adding an entirely different dimension to the original work. A prime example of that is the organist Virgil Fox. In the sixties and seventies, Fox would combine his fiery (or what some people considered noisily irreverent) interpretations of J.S. Bach with elaborate light shows to create a concert experience which would blow the socks off of anything that other organists were doing. He called these his “heavy organ” concerts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UbDWkZLevM In my opinion, the pipe organ is the king of instruments because you can make more sounds and noise with a pipe organ than any single acoustic instrument. So strangely enough, even one of the biggest differences between metal and classical music can give rise to performances with strikingly similar characteristics i.e. big, heavy, flashy, and captivating. Unfortunately, performers such as this are far and few between but many people have been suggesting that a young organist by the name of Cameron Carpenter may be Virgil’s successor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr9SXtvunwk
Tangentially, another fantastic performer of J.S. Bach was Canada
I shall now share with you some of my favourite classical pieces and composers which/who you may not have heard of. Benjamin Britten was a great English composer, an example of his work would be “The Turn of the Screw,” a really neat opera based on a ghost story. Howard Bashaw is the professor of composition here at the University of Alberta
Now then, back to the musicological discussion. One of the unifying musical characteristics between metal and 20th/21st century classical music is the use of dissonance. We chiefly have Arnold Schoenberg to thank for that because at the beginning of the 1900s, he decided that a key ought to contain all of the notes between octaves i.e. twelve notes instead of eight. In this way, both metal and modern composers use whatever means necessary to express whatever idea they wish to convey. One work which is a must for anyone getting into dissonant music is Schoenberg’s Pierrot Lunaire http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U71T7afnBGw . If you ever get a chance to see it live, do it and bring a translation of the German. The music in combination with the strange poetry is disturbing and awesome.
Further use of dissonance was continued by Krysztoph Penderecki who loved to use huge tone clusters in his music. His Dies Irae in memoriam of Auschwitz is very fitting. Also, almost any musicological discussion of modern music is incomplete without bringing up John Cage. At one point in his career, he started using chance in his compositions thereby causing everyone who encounters his work to concretely define what music is to them. Coincidentally, Napalm Death’s album Scum set out to redefine what people thought of as music as well. If you didn’t know that Frank Zappa composed orchestral music, he did. A lot of Zappa’s orchestral music is quite challenging and dissonant which is why it doesn’t get played very often, but it’s what he wanted to be remembered for.
Metal has borrowed from classical quite heavily in many departments. Metal is a constantly evolving genre of music just like classical and both generally progress towards extremity. Also, this tends to be most fans progression to start with something more mainstream and progress towards the more extreme end of the spectrum. This is in contrast to blues music where the deeper one goes, the farther backward one goes.
Another element from classical music in metal is the breaking of the standard song structure. Many bands still adhere to standard verse-chorus-bridge-chorus structures but many do not, preferring to set different lyrics to completely different musical ideas and structures all within the same song. This is one of the dividing factors between what is considered popular music and art music. Yet another similarity is that metal and classical both demand strong technique for a high level of musicianship. This is true for guitarists/bassists who have to use techniques like two-handed hammer-ons and sweep picking; vocalists who must use proper vocal techniques to avoid ruining their voices on tour; and drummers who must have the stamina to play at blistering tempos for entire sets.
Lastly, classical music and metal share a love for scope and perspective. Many classical works deal with themes which cause one to reflect on the state of themselves, the world, their beliefs etc. The same is true with lyrics from many metal bands.
The metal which draws the most from classical music comes from technical/death, avant-garde, progressive, and black metal sub-genres and some symphonic metal bands. A lot of bands are touted by their fans as having operatic vocalists when really they’re just female vocalists with half decent technique. However, some bands do include operatic vocals and it’s awesome. To demonstrate the difference, just compare this recent Nightwish song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTif4koVr7M to this song by Diablo Swing Orchestra http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsmAF9cVPm4
If you are a headbanger wanting to get into classical music, there are many ways to do so. The U of A has a subscription to the NAXOS music library, so if you search the university library website for naxos, you’ll have access to thousands of CDs to stream on your computer simply with your CCID and password. Both the university library and the public library have tons of classical albums on CD. Being a student, a cheap way to be exposed to new pieces is to attend recitals of fellow students. Another benefit of being a student is that orchestras and opera companies wish you to become fond of their art so that you’ll support them when you are rich, as a result tickets to concerts and operas are usually cheaper for students (join the explorer’s club or get rush tickets the day of). Downloading classical music is a bit of a crapshoot because there is so much variability in the performance and production of any recording but when you’ve downloaded it you’ve lost nothing but your time so it all balances out.
In conclusion to this brief introduction, the relationship between metal and classical music is quite unique and both genres have much to share. We love metal for its exciting frenzy, its empowering anthems, its cerebral engagement, its community and depth. There are many of these qualities in classical music as well and that is why they go together so nicely. And when you find a case where classical takes the showmanship of metal, or metal takes the artistic merit of classical, rejoice because you know you’ve got something awesome.
By Austin Penner
By Austin Penner
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Update: Extreme Metal Art Exhibit
Update: Extreme Metal Art Exhibit
The Heavy Metal on Campus student group is hosting an Extreme Metal Art Exhibit from March 21- April 22, 2011 at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (9225-118 Avenue, Edmonton).The purpose of the art gallery is to highlight artists who, through their many artistic endeavours, have contributed to the vitality and vibrancy of the local metal community. There will be a variety of mediums showcased at the art exhibit and we hope to have a closing celebration at the Mead Hall on April 23, 2011. Artists such as Kib Sreng, Tim Grieco, Roxana Dushkevich, Sandy Phimester and Danille Gauvin and more will be showcased at this unique event.
The Heavy Metal on Campus student group is hosting an Extreme Metal Art Exhibit from March 21- April 22, 2011 at the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts (9225-118 Avenue, Edmonton).The purpose of the art gallery is to highlight artists who, through their many artistic endeavours, have contributed to the vitality and vibrancy of the local metal community. There will be a variety of mediums showcased at the art exhibit and we hope to have a closing celebration at the Mead Hall on April 23, 2011. Artists such as Kib Sreng, Tim Grieco, Roxana Dushkevich, Sandy Phimester and Danille Gauvin and more will be showcased at this unique event.
The Wisdom of the Yeast
by Tim Grieco
Can I Play with Madneeeessss 2.0
by Roxana Dushkevich
Spider's Revenge
by Kib Sreng
by Sandy Phimester
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Presentation: Thrash 101 and Death Metal
Thrash Metal 101:
Rotten to the Core
By Tom Maisonneuve
Thrash Metal 101.pdf
Death Metal:
The many faces of Death
By Tom Maisonneuve
Death Metal.pdf
Rotten to the Core
By Tom Maisonneuve
Thrash Metal 101.pdf
Death Metal:
The many faces of Death
By Tom Maisonneuve
Death Metal.pdf
Creatures of the Black Abyss Tour Review
February 16th, 2011
By Lacey W.
After the three hour drive to Calgary, and some wandering around the university campus, it was nice to wait inside for doors to open instead of in the frigid cold. Doors at the MacEwan Ballroom opened right on time, with very few people lined up. Getting inside the venue, I was disappointed to see that there were no chairs or tables for those who wanted to sit through the show.
As Daniel Lioneye took the stage, the venue was still very empty. Throughout the entire set, two Bam Margera wannabes stood on the rail, more engrossed in the show than the rest of the crowd. They proved to to be good entertainment for my friends and I, as we got a good laugh out of them trying so hard to be someone else. Daniel Lioneye is comprised mostly of members of the band HIM, and honestly, they were better than either time I’ve seen HIM live. The music seemed like a mixture of punk and hard rock, with the vocalist providing energy and attempting to energize the crowd who were mostly unreceptive. The biggest cheers of the set came when the upcoming bands were mentioned. Although Daniel Lioneye played a decent sounding set, the relatively small crowd didn’t seem as into the music as the band itself.
By the time Turisas took the stage, the crowd had grown substantially, with a number of people dressed up and wearing the characteristic red and black warpaint of Turisas onstage. After their intro, Turisas burst into Holmgard and Beyond, instantly energizing the crowd even more than they already were. As Turisas burst into the next song, One More, the majority of the crowd near the rail were headbanging enthusiastically and shouting out the lyrics. Vocalist Mathias ‘Warlord’ Nygård showed incredible energy, pumping his fist in the air, screaming out vocals and leaping around the stage. Nygård had no problem encouraging a pit. Before starting the ‘party’ song, Jarislev, Nygård shouted out that he wanted to make the people downstairs (on the university campus) well aware that a concert was going on upstairs, and the crowd got even louder. By the time Turisas ended their set with Battle Metal, the crowd was yelling for more. It’s unfortunate that Turisas was only afforded a five song set, as they seemed to be the crowd favorite of the night. Security even mentioned that many people left after Turisas. Perhaps the brightest point to having such a short set was the suggestion by vocalist Nygård that Turisas would be back on a headlining tour in the near future, which would be well deserved as it’s safe to say that they stole the show on this particular night.
Although I won’t comment too much on Nachtmystium, as I didn’t spend much time watching their set and their style of music isn’t particularly appealing to me, they sounded quite good and drew a good response from the crowd.
As headliners Cradle of Filth took the stage, the crowd response was somewhat cold, possibly due to many Cradle fans still being in the bar downstairs, unaware that the set had started. I couldn’t help but thinking that vocalist Dani Filth looked somewhat reminiscent of Beetlejuice, making it a little more difficult to take the first few songs seriously even though I’m a Cradle of Filth fan. Cradle delved into some of their older material, pulling out the songs Heaven Torn Asunder and Funeral in Carpathia as their first two songs and later playing Ebony Dressed For Sunset and The Forest Whispers My Name. One of my favorites of the night was a rendition of Nymphetamine with the female vocals being impressively sung by keyboardist Ashley Ellyllon. In fact, throughout most of the set Ellyllon’s vocals were much easier to hear than Dani Filth’s, exposing a problem with the sound mixing. For the first half of the set, Filth’s vocals were mostly drowned out by the instruments, only being clearing discernible during high pitched screams. Although the mixing improved during the set, it was still disappointing that it wasn’t right to begin with. As Cradle of Filth ended their encore with From The Cradle to Enslave, many seemed slightly disappointed that the set wasn’t longer, consisting of a total of twelve songs. The projected images served to enhance the set, but it seemed as though the stage set-up itself was slightly lacking in comparison to other times I have seen Cradle of Filth live. Ignoring the sound problems, Cradle was reasonably solid, but overall weren’t as good as the previous two times I’ve seen them.
Needless to say, it was a fun night with friends and worth the trip down to Calgary to experience a venue I’d never been to and the live performances of Daniel Lioneye, Turisas, Nachtmystium and Cradle of Filth.
Finnish Metal Tour Review
Finnish Metal Tour: A Personal Review
February 15th, 2011
Writer: Lacey W.
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.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Ripper//Cutter and others - Concert Review
Ripper Cutter
Point Break
Hominid
Suicidal Cop
Dysplasia
Avonmore Hall Saturday January 29, 2011
Writer: Gabby Riches
As I jammed my pockets full of cheap beer, an emergency flask full of whisky and enough money for a cab ride, my eagerness for local crusty grind quickly increased. For adults, all age’s hall concerts means brainstorming various strategies for smuggling in beer (the backpack seems to be popular) and failing to see most of the bands due to cases of immediate urination, social dealings, beer chugs, and car hopping. Tonight is Ripper Cutter’s last show, or so they claim, and the guitarist has been drinking all afternoon. The line-up looks top notch despite the fact that the opening act (Dysplasia) is lacking a bassist due to a short notice resigning.
As a three piece, Dysplasia’s energy and audience interaction increased with each song. The hall was quickly becoming saturated with leather, patch jackets, chains, tight pants, combat boots, and it was still early; I was only down 2 beers. Despite my developing buzz, I became irritated by the inaudible guitar, the temporary fragmented rhythms and the skinny, gangly punks that obscured my view. By the end of Dysplasia’s set everyone was up close and personal with the band by wedging themselves between the monitors, the drum kit and other perspiring youth, making it difficult to vacate the vicinity. I kept thinking to myself “Why do I still have my jacket on?!
From the downstairs bathroom, the sounds of harmonious melodies, catchy rhythms and heavy thumping permeated the community hall. Making my way upstairs, I went to the only merchandise table and bought three 7 inch EPs for a mere fifteen bucks. I decided to slip out into the frigid night for a quick sip of ale when I spotted some friends taking refuge in a car. Both the car and the company were comfortably warm. Due to subsequent in-depth discussions about hockey team updates, upcoming shows, politics, dead end jobs, and music, I missed both Suicidal Cop and Hominid. The regret consumes me to this day.
When Point Break, a raw punk band from Calgary took the floor, it was apparent the level of talent and intensity of the acts were increasing as the night progressed. By the time Ripper Cutter was ready to start, the crowd was properly primed. There was a palatable energy in the air, mingling with the smell of sweat and second hand smoke stained jackets. Blast beats erupted from the drums and there was a blast of ear piercing feedback. Ripper Cutter were surrounded by seventy enthusiastic fans all trying to balance the crowd’s ebb and flow. The tattooed singer quickly became lost in the sea of bodies and throughout the set he was constantly getting the microphone chord entangled around his ankles. Normally a moshpit doesn’t emerge until the middle of the set, but the pit formed immediately upon the first song. For every band that played that night, a certain percentage of attendees were outside, but for Ripper Cutter the majority of patrons were present. Due to the increased audience interaction and excitement, the moshpit had fewer brief skirmishes and more sustained momentum throughout the set. As I peered at the audience, I noticed the crowd was an amalgamation of metalheads, punks and crust kids, and it appeared to be multigenerational bunch as well. At the end of the night the band and audience alike were winded and the aggressive desires were both satiated. The ritual of the all-ages hall show had completed its full cycle and steamed billowed out of the front doors as the audience poured out into the freezing night.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Album Review: Mitochondrion - Parasignosis
A review of Mitochondrion’s Parasignosis
Okay so I’m new to this latest wave of extreme metal that we are currently enjoying, but after hearing Mitochondrion on a compilation CD I decided to check them out and was amazed when I heard the song “Trials” online. I promptly bought their brand new album “Parasignosis” and listened to it about 6 times in three days. That’s very unusual for me, rarely does an album intrigue me enough to warrant more than one listen per day.
This album is torrential. This band understands that heaviness is all about songwriting and production. It’s not about playing as quickly as possible or trying to make an unintelligible amount of racket. But when you listen to this stuff, it can transport you.
Everything is great on this album. The guitars are beautifully dissonant but not too indulgently technical, they are written to express an idea rather than to show off, and the expressed idea is one of apocalyptic proportions. The drums are such that they complement the songs perfectly without distracting from the crushing melodies, which is the mark of the best drummers. The bass is in there somewhere doing its thing and you hear it when you’re supposed to, again, not distracting you from the song’s intention. The vocals are huge. If you were to encounter a tentacled beast in a city that pre-dated mankind it would probably sound like this. I’ve heard a lot of death metal vocals and these are some of the best that I’ve heard. They contribute so much rather than just taking up the space during which someone couldn’t think of any more riffs. From out of this vocal cavern you get lyrics which are also very intelligently written, somewhat verbose perhaps but that’s part of what makes it good, making it sound like you’re opening an ancient tome in a very well executed way. The lyrics also help make the heaviness of the album giving it direction and purpose and do not just exist to fill album liner.
And then there’s the mountain of atmosphere that they put in here; you hear the chains clanking (lots of chains) and the funeral bells and gongs tolling, the pained groans and urgent whispers, and the cavernous space of the overall sound. The atmosphere is so good that they give you ten minutes of it at the end of the album where they throw in some other elements like the accordion, some throat singing, and even a school recorder. It sounds gimmicky but trust me, it works because of the subtlety and thoughtfulness of it all. I’ve listened to some of Mitochondrion’s older stuff and while the writing in those pieces was equally solid, the production here is leagues ahead. If you can’t stand to listen to anything which isn’t “necro” or “kvlt” or whatever then this may not be for you. But this is also not for lovers of squeaky clean compressed production either, it’s big, bad and coming to crush you. Fantastic!
If you order this from Profound Lore records then it’s cheap and comes in a timely fashion, I was very impressed. Also, bonus points for good artwork and packaging. If you listen to metal because you like to hear a sound which is heavier and bigger than anything else, you must give this band a listen.
It’s very fitting that a band like this should have a name like mitochondrion because although mitochondria are microscopic in size, the power that they provide to eukaryotes dominates the planet. In the same way, many headbangers and otherwise might not have heard of this band but their ignorance causes them to miss the fantastic chasm of Armageddon which is Mitochondrion.
By Austin
Mitochondrion
Profound Lore Records
Okay so I’m new to this latest wave of extreme metal that we are currently enjoying, but after hearing Mitochondrion on a compilation CD I decided to check them out and was amazed when I heard the song “Trials” online. I promptly bought their brand new album “Parasignosis” and listened to it about 6 times in three days. That’s very unusual for me, rarely does an album intrigue me enough to warrant more than one listen per day.
This album is torrential. This band understands that heaviness is all about songwriting and production. It’s not about playing as quickly as possible or trying to make an unintelligible amount of racket. But when you listen to this stuff, it can transport you.
Everything is great on this album. The guitars are beautifully dissonant but not too indulgently technical, they are written to express an idea rather than to show off, and the expressed idea is one of apocalyptic proportions. The drums are such that they complement the songs perfectly without distracting from the crushing melodies, which is the mark of the best drummers. The bass is in there somewhere doing its thing and you hear it when you’re supposed to, again, not distracting you from the song’s intention. The vocals are huge. If you were to encounter a tentacled beast in a city that pre-dated mankind it would probably sound like this. I’ve heard a lot of death metal vocals and these are some of the best that I’ve heard. They contribute so much rather than just taking up the space during which someone couldn’t think of any more riffs. From out of this vocal cavern you get lyrics which are also very intelligently written, somewhat verbose perhaps but that’s part of what makes it good, making it sound like you’re opening an ancient tome in a very well executed way. The lyrics also help make the heaviness of the album giving it direction and purpose and do not just exist to fill album liner.
And then there’s the mountain of atmosphere that they put in here; you hear the chains clanking (lots of chains) and the funeral bells and gongs tolling, the pained groans and urgent whispers, and the cavernous space of the overall sound. The atmosphere is so good that they give you ten minutes of it at the end of the album where they throw in some other elements like the accordion, some throat singing, and even a school recorder. It sounds gimmicky but trust me, it works because of the subtlety and thoughtfulness of it all. I’ve listened to some of Mitochondrion’s older stuff and while the writing in those pieces was equally solid, the production here is leagues ahead. If you can’t stand to listen to anything which isn’t “necro” or “kvlt” or whatever then this may not be for you. But this is also not for lovers of squeaky clean compressed production either, it’s big, bad and coming to crush you. Fantastic!
If you order this from Profound Lore records then it’s cheap and comes in a timely fashion, I was very impressed. Also, bonus points for good artwork and packaging. If you listen to metal because you like to hear a sound which is heavier and bigger than anything else, you must give this band a listen.
It’s very fitting that a band like this should have a name like mitochondrion because although mitochondria are microscopic in size, the power that they provide to eukaryotes dominates the planet. In the same way, many headbangers and otherwise might not have heard of this band but their ignorance causes them to miss the fantastic chasm of Armageddon which is Mitochondrion.
By Austin
Mitochondrion
Profound Lore Records
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