skinny puppy + peta2 = free song download

News from SPV/Synthetic Symphony:

Animal rights organization peta2 has joined forces with industrial music legends SKINNY PUPPY to offer a free download of a new SKINNY PUPPY song. The song "Wavy" comes from their new release "hanDover" which is being released October 25^th via SPV/Synthetic Symphony. Get your free download of "Wavy" courtesy of peta2 HERE

peta2 is the more youth-oriented division of parent organization People for the Ethical Treatment of animals. The partnership with Skinny Puppy is a logical one, building on early associations between the band and animal rights activism, especially in relation to the anti-vivisection song "Testure."

My review of the new Skinny Puppy album should be up next week at exclaim.ca [edit: see comment below], but the site has some preview info plus a video you can check out in the meantime.

fall concert going is limited: thoughts on enslaved

I had never heard Junius before I saw them open for Enslaved at Toronto's Opera House. I was impressed enough to peruse their merch table but a few weeks later I find Reports from the Threshold of Death less inspiring than their live performance.

After missing Alcest headlining in 2010 (for various unfortunate reasons) I was excited to see how they come across in concert. I enjoyed their set - they sounded good - but felt the atmosphere wasn't quite right: too big, too bright, too rock'n'roll? The stage-front fan raising a single leaf in emblematic tribute amused me (unanticipated entertainment). Am I misremembering, or did people try to get a bit going during the heaviest of Alcest's songs?

I was thoroughly wowed by Enslaved's set opening for Dimmu Borgir last December (and kicking myself for missing earlier performances). They were my main motivation for this Friday night run to Toronto and I was not disappointed. Grutle Kjellson's bad puns are no match for the stand-up comedy routine of Opeth's frontman but the jokeyness was cute. (in fact, I'm thinking there's a research project here on Scandinavian metal humour) And Enslaved, as a group, are fantastic performers, playing persuasively to a diverse crowd (including the guy yelling, "play some black metal!" behind me). There was no pyro or blatant theatrics beyond the charisma and talent of the band members themselves, but there might as well have been in terms of dramatic effect. Enslaved have secured a place near the top of my list of favourite live performers.

If you want a more coherent review with some excellent visual documentary evidence, check out the killer Walschots-Wills combo over at Hellbound.ca.

office goth: two interpretations

Several years ago I discovered a Toronto clothing maker called Gloomth, and own a few of their pieces (they used to have an affordable line of one-offs, often made from repurposed materials). I haven't shopped there in a while but still see their Facebook posts. This week a link to a blog post on their interpretation of "Office Goth" caught my eye.

Also several years ago, I invited a band called Organical to guest on my radio show. Our conversation on and off the era was often led us to laughter, and though the guys were serious about their music they were less-so about themselves. While chatting about aging and subcultures, music and fashion, they (or we, perhaps) decided the term "Office Goth" might best describe where they were at. I'm not sure the tongue-in-cheekness came across when I wrote up the story for Echo, but the interview ranks among some of my most memorable.

Somehow these two interpretations of "office goth" don't quite seem to gel.

more animal advocacy in st. catharines

Another animal advocate is speaking at Brock - this time it's Nathan Runkle, founder and Executive Director of U.S. based Mercy for Animals. The talk is free, open to the public, and will take place in the Sankey Chamber at Brock University in St. Catharines from 12-2 p.m. on Tuesday, October 11th.

From the press release:

The presentation, titled "Inspiring Compassion: Putting Our Ethics on the Table", will focus on how industrial farming has changed the way cows, pigs and chickens are treated and how our food choices can become a powerful tool in preventing cruelty to animals. Nathan’s presentation at Brock is sponsored by the Department of Sociology.

Mercy for Animals is the fastest growing farm animal protection group in the United States, gaining international attention with their undercover investigations and powerful ad campaigns. Founded in 1999, Mercy for Animals has 75,000 members and a growing list celebrity supporters, including Ellen DeGeneres.

Again, thanks to Niagara Action for Animals for the information.

katatonia, last fair deal gone down, and rochester ny

On Saturday, Spetember 24 – right after wrapping up a presentation on Justina Robson's Quantum Gravity series at SLSA 2011 – I began working my way toward Rochester, New York, to watch Katatonia play a headlining gig and to hear every song off 2001's Last Fair Deal Gone Down (plus several older tracks) performed live.

My brief email interview with guitarist/songwriter/back-up vocalist Anders Nyström explains the wherefore of these headlining gigs amidst a tour opening for Opeth. And my show review, also for Hellbound.ca with excellent live photography by Adam Wills, relates the ensuing results. But it no more than mentions our mouth-watering dining experience in Rochester.

The weather was lovely. The border crossing was smooth. The drive was pleasant and the company delightful. We checked into a downtown Rochester hotel, recharged a few battery levels and headed out to a local restaurant called The Owl House for dinner.

The menu features mostly home-made and locally-produced goodies, with lots of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free items and options. In fact, most of main dishes had built in vegan/non-veg choices.

A plate of homemade chips with a fancy (raspberry?) glaze provided our tasty appetizer. For a main course we each went with the special, mine tempeh-based with capers, quinoa and asparagus. It was so delicious we went back for brunch the next day. Consider this a vegan metalhead recommendation.