Heavy TO 2012 in review

My thoughts on Heavy TO 2.0 (not necessarily in any particular order):

1. So much mud! I've been lucky never running into a waterlogged festival until now. Lots of people seemed to take the sea of mud at Downsview Park in stride or even revel in it. I couldn't. I was still able to enjoy of the bands, but my distaste for tromping through the mud meant I didn't get much of the 'fest' experience this year. I did appreciate the efforts to soak up the mud with wood chips and the dry gravelled area near and between the stages.

2. Traffic sucks. I know this isn't a revelation, but between crappy highway traffic and lack or/mixed info on media parking we missed all of Cancer Bats plus the beginning of Overkill's set. I was not pleased. What I did see of Overkill was awesome though.

3. I still find Cannibal Corpse boring. In complete contrast, Dillinger Escape Plan live are almost unbelievably entertaining.

4. Killswitch Engage are catchy and talented but silly looking and their lead guitarist is obnoxious.

5. Kataklysm may be the heaviest live band on the planet.

6. Suicidal Tendencies are still pretty awesome, even if it's barely the same band I remember, but my teenage self loved them better.

7. Gojira are really really good, but better live than on record, I think.

8. Swedes have amusing senses of humour. I wish In Flames still played their older stuff, but they're lots of fun to see even now.

9. The best bands (in my opinion, anyway) are some of the least appreciated - as in short sets scheduled early in the day.

Marilyn Manson

10. The Deftones were heavier than I expected.

11. Good to see complex bands pulling that complexity off live (DEP, BTBAM, Periphery...).

12. Fleshgod Apocalypse were great but seemed a little out of place. Very glad I made it in time to see them.

Pretty much everything else I have to say is here at Exclaim, with some awesome shots by Adam Wills:
http://exclaim.ca/Reviews/HeavyTO

Heavy TO (that's where I'm gonna be)

Several years ago I missed out on my chance for a road trip to Montreal to catch the inaugural edition of Heavy MTL, the first of Canada's now annual, simultaneous, two-city summer metal festivals. But that was 2008. Since then I've made it to the following Heavy MTL in 2010 and Heavy TO in 2011, and now I'm just about set to cover Heavy TO once again.

Heavy TO 2011

Heavy TO fest takes place this Saturday and Sunday, August 11 and 12, at Downsview Park in Toronto. I'm a little bummed it's the same weekend as Hamilton's Festival of Friends, meaning I miss a free performance by The B-52s. But I'm super excited to be seeing a bunch of bands I haven't seen in a long time or in some cases have never experienced live at all.

I'm going to be spending most of my weekend camped out in front of the two stages at Downsview Park, but I can guarantee that's where you'll find me when these bands are playing:

• Overkill (my one Overkill show was a great performance at Lee's Palace many years ago - I can hardly wait to see them again)
• The Dillinger Escape Plan (I interviewed and then witnessed DEP in a small club in Guelph many years ago. I'm way overdue for more)
• Suicidal Tendencies (when I was 17-18, ST were my favourite band for a while and I think this will be my 5th time checking out their live show. I hope they've still got it!)
• In Flames (yeah, they kinda lost me in recent years, but I've never seen an In Flames show I didn't like)
• Origin (this will be a first time for me - looking forward to it!)
• Fleshgod Apocalypse (possibly the most bombastic band on the bill? the apocalypse awaits!)
• Kataklysm (for how much I appreciate Kataklysm I'm surprised I've so seldom seen them perform...)
• Killswitch Engage (I had my Killswitch Engage moment, including one really enjoyable show. I hope this is another)

I'm also intrigued to see, for the first time, the big name bands and expect them to put on a damn good show, not just headliners System of a Down and, yes, even Slipknot, but also Marilyn Manson. (Manson, I'm putting in a request for "Dope Hat" right now!)

Providing my phone stays charged I expect I'll be sending out the odd live-tweet over the weekend, but I'll be getting a little more wordy for Exclaim.ca, reviewing several bands' performances. Keep an eye out for the review postings if you're so inclined.

summer metal festing (Heavy TO and more)

Now that we're half way through June I'm starting to look ahead to my summer concert plans a bit more seriously. This year I'll be staying fairly close to home, but just in southern Ontario there's more coming up than I can possibly make it out to. Here's a rundown of some of the shows I'm considering or recommend.

I already mentioned this one - this weekend, Invasion Infernale Fest 2012, a two-day black/viking metal festival here in Hamilton. It takes place at The Doors (tonight) and The Corktown (tomorrow).

Though there are some more worthy events planned in June, I might save myself (and my money) until July 2, when The Scorpions hit Molson Amphitheatre in Toronto. If I don't see these guys before they retire my life will be incomplete.

The next couple of weekends look to be a busy one. 3 Inches of Blood are scheduled to play the Casbah in Hamilton on July 5. Plus there's a memorial event at the Opera House in Toronto for fallen metal warrior Rob Cranny on July 7.

Friday the 13th is Iron Maiden day in Toronto, another Molson Amphitheatre show, and they're dragging Alice Cooper along to Sarnia the day after for Bayfest. That same night Shockwave Festival, featuring Voivod and Fear Factory rolls into Toronto, swinging back around to Buffalo the following week (July 21).

Agalloch with Taurus and Muskox hit Toronto on July 23 - a highlight of Inertia Entertainment's strong summer line-up.

And it looks like our local metal festing culminates in August.

• Heavy TO: Last year was a blast and this year's line-up looks to be even more diverse. Never having seen Marilyn Manson or Slipknot, I'm hoping for memorable spectacles from both. Plus I feel a little warm and fuzzy about seeing old favourites like Overkill and Suicidal Tendencies. And I'm definitely looking forward to the bombastic onslaught of Fleshgod Apocalypse (or, as I prefer to call them, Fleshgods of the Apocalypse) and a host of other bands.

• I've never been, but Southern Ontario Metal Festival looks to have some cool bands lined up, including Blackguard and Unexpect.

• And August comes to a close with D-TRASH fest 2012 at the Cave, part of the wind-up to the release of a brand new Schizoid album. (more to come on that in future posts)

 Looks like I might have to stock up on vegan protein balls or something to power me through!
 

more agalloch. more live black metal.

Every once in a while I somehow keep managing to get something written.

Like this Agalloch Q&A (already a few weeks old), now posted at exclaim.ca.

And this Dimmu Borgir / Enslaved /Blood Red Throne / Dawn of Ashes live review (with a delightfully green photo by Adam Wills).

A few more sentiments on the show that didn't make it to the exclaim site...

Cold rain creeping into ice and snow seemed like the right kind of weather to welcome Dimmu Borgir and their “Darkness Reborn” tour mates to Toronto, and the early blackening of the skies complemented the blackened sounds within. The line-up wasn’t an obvious match-up but fairly well rounded, revealing at least three different takes on extreme metal. Performing before and after Enslaved wasn’t really fair to any of the other bands and, in retrospect, the others might have been more impressive without that overshadowing presence.

(I also tried to say that Enslaved's 45 minutes might as well have been show-stopping, not that it might as well have been Enslaved...)

pre-winter december reviews (though it's definitely cold outside)

It's that time of year again. Cold. Hints of snow (or lots of snow depending on where you are). And end-of-year best of lists rolling out from various music publications. Exclaim's and mine have nothing in common, almost. You wouldn't even know I'd cast my votes. Stay tuned to Hellbound for what I expect will be a more complementary version of the best of 2010 in metal (and perhaps my own lists reproduced in full).

In the meantime, I have managed to review an album and a show (and mark, theorize, strategize and paint a ceiling - but that's another story or four).

My appreciative take on Agalloch's latest, Marrow of the Spirit. (interview forthcoming)

My blurry impressions of Watain and company live in Toronto.

Now if it wasn't so cold I'd go put up some outdoor xmas lights!

week of concert awesomeness (MAdM, then HevyDevy)

madm574
uploaded by kill eat exploit the weak

I had the double pleasure this week of back-to-back concerts. The first event had the added appeal of taking place nice and close to home. I've been waiting for what feels like a very long time to see Melissa Auf der Maur headline a club show, and (cliches aside) it was so worth the wait. The night started off, oddly, with numerous references to balls, and it took a couple of opening bands for me to get into the right mood. But I moved, I sang, I headbanged, and I eventually gushed - while MAdM herself signed a couple items from my huge bag 'o merch.

Concert two was another headlining treat - the Devin Townsend Project - my first time seeing HevyDevy headline since (I think) 2003. He was a delight, always an incredibly dynamic performer but in especially fine form, playing some of my favourite songs. As a friend commented, he's a fascinating and amazingly talented metal hippie muppet.

And to top it all off, there were time-space alien otherworld references abounding on both nights!

What could possibly have made this any better? Seeing both performers two nights in a row instead of having to alternate between them!

I reviewed one show but not the other. For more gushing over Auf der Maur check out exclaim.ca.

small venue, big music (stream of passion and unexpect)

Stream of Passion
Originally uploaded by kill eat exploit the weak

Several years ago now I got a chance to interview Stream of Passion vocalist Marcela Bovio for Unrestrained!. I was enchanted by the band's first album Embrace the Storm and it was a delight to chat with her about it. New record The Flame Within hadn't really registered with me the same way (or really had the chance), but when I found out the band was doing a small Canadian tour I knew I had to go see them perform.

The opening bands initially gave me a few extra frown lines (read Natalie Zed's review at Hellbound if you want to know more) but by the time the third group, Manahil, got underway I was starting to feel it. Their vocalist's lower-pitched melodies didn't always make it through the mix, but otherwise their laid-back keyboard-heavy sound started lulling me into a better mood. Still, I hung back for the time being, waiting for the main event.

I had seen Bovio and at least one of her bandmates during Manahil's set so I wasn't surprised by the tiny woman:big voice ratio (or the high-heeled boots and short skirt), but I might have been otherwise. The band and their equipment filled up most of the small stage at Sneaky Dee's, and sadly, the crowd in front of them didn't take up a whole lot more space. Intimate might be an understatement. But Stream of Passion played to make it count anyway and every single note struck deep. I wish Bovio had played more electric violin, and a longer set would have made me happy. Beyond that they completely mesmerized me for however long they performed (I completely lost my sense of time) – it was dramatic and powerful, soulful and melodic, and totally hit the spot.

Post-set hunger pangs had me slipping downstairs for a wrap with guacamole and tofu (heavenly!) but I made it back upstairs in time for most of Unexpect's wonderfully frenetic closing set.

I've been wowed by the band's live performance several times now (and really, live is the only way I can appreciate them), beginning with Northern Lights Fest in 2004 (which I had the pleasure to shoot).They delighted me, as always, like a bizarre otherworldly organic musical machine. If you missed it there's no truly effective way to convey in words the experience that is an Unexpect show but you can at least get a visual taste (photos on Hellbound by Adam Wills - I think image 8 is my favourite).

recent(ish) reviews

a little more of my (sparse) writing for Hellbound and Exclaim

new release this week: Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini

first impressions

revisited

concert last week: Leaves' Eyes in Toronto

September playlist

late August release: Sarah Jezebel Diva – Sublime

Heavy MTL! \m/

Heavy MTL
Originally uploaded by kill eat exploit the weak

My first multi-day outdoor metal festival in North America.

The exclaim! review.

More details to follow.

and the adventure continues (welcoming in June with Entombed)

Hypocrisy @ Toronto's Wreck Room, May 29
Originally uploaded by kill eat exploit the weak

June 1 is an exciting day for me this year. For one, this is my first time getting to see Entombed! I've been dying to see them since the early 90s and have two distinct and disappointing memories of missing out on them before. Finally that's all gonna change.

And two, Hellbound.ca - the metal webzine I'm proud to be involved with - turns one year old today! Join in the celebrations and post your comments here.

And of course, this comes after what (surprisingly, for me at least) turned out to be a really good May, closed out by an awesome metal weekend. Friday night was my third time making it out to DJ Miss Barbrafisch's Fistful of Metal night at Disgraceland - I highly recommend this monthly event (and should get out to it more often myself). Then Saturday... Hypocrisy! It took seeing them headline at the Reverb many years ago for me to clue in to the fact of how much I love this band and seeing them finally headline again was a helluva treat. You can read my review for exclaim.ca here, but be sure to keep an eye out at Hellbound.ca for Natalie Zed's review and photos by Adam Wills, plus you can check out Mark Coatsworth's photos for Metallus Maximus here.

Happy June 2010!

May concert madness: Covenant, Hypocrisy and more

Covenant0114
Originally uploaded by kill eat exploit the weak

Okay, maybe not madness, but my concert drought is finally over and I'm seriously making up for lost time this month.

Things started off with Porcupine Tree (and Big Elf) at Sound Academy. It was my first time at the venue and I was impressed - great sound, good view from where we were standing, clean bathrooms. The last time I saw Porcupine Tree they were playing with Opeth on the acoustic tour, and this was a rather different vibe, with Porcupine Tree being the main event. I loved it, but then my months of concert withdrawal (and a few other extraneous reasons) might have contributed to an uncritical appreciation of what was going on. Either way, I had a blast. Check out Natalie Zed's review on Hellbound with some great shots by Adam Wills.

My next concert was only two days later: the 16 Volt/Chemlab show at Neu+ral. Very different music and venue (and sketchier washrooms). Openers Promonium Jester sounded great but were a little short on stage presence. Left Spine Down had enough stage presence for both, but it wasn't until their second last song that they really started to win me over. But then, in terms of personality, Chemlab cranked things up even further (part of it had to be the silver jacket). And finally, for 16 Volt it was back to sound over spectacle. I saw the show with Melissa Andrews, so you can read her proper review of it at Hellbound. A couple of dudes were taking pictures but you'll have to seek those out on your own.

Since we didn't make it to Montreal for Kinetik fest, we made up for it with another electronic show on May 17: Covenant and Decoded Feedback with DJs Skin and Lazarus at the Mod Club. I actually wrote up a real review for this one, so if you're so inclined, read it over at exclaim.ca.

Up next: Hypocrisy and more at the Wreck Room on May 28, and then as the month turns over Entombed/Obituary at the Opera House on June 1. May is turning out to be a good month after all.

a spring of shows (and a few more reviews)

I hope you didn't miss Overkill last night. I did. (I'm seriously concert deprived right now.)

But I might make it out to see Moonsorrow and Swallow the Sun next week at the Opera House in Toronto (opening for Finntroll) if I can get my act together. A couple days later, Ludicra and Krallice are swinging through Toronto too, playing Rancho Relaxo of all places. And Gates of Slumber are part of a show at the WreckRoom tomorrow night if you can't wait till next week.

(more information about these particular concerts at www.inertia-entertainment.com)

I keep writing cd reviews, albeit slowly, very slowly. A few more are up online (at exclaim.ca and hellbound.ca):

Nechochwen – Azimuths to the Otherworld

Barren Earth – Curse of the Red River

Negura Bunget – Maiestrit

Ludicra – The Tenant

winter 2010 metal reviews, part one

I went to my first concert of the year this week - Devin Townsend Project and Cynic, along with Scale the Summit, opening for Between the Buried and Me. I snagged my spot on the guest list because of DTP - it's been years since I've seen Hevy Devy live and after being sucked intoAddicted addiction, I couldn't resist the chance to see him again. Cynic was an added draw - I was never a huge Cynic fan, probably hadn't listened to them in years, but I remember them standing out in the early 90s metal scene and I wanted to hear what they're up to now. Well, I loved it, and now I can't figure out why I wasn't paying more attention earlier. Scale the Summit was a pleasant surprise - much more enticing live than they sound on myspace. And Between the Buried and Me, though they weren't hitting the right spot for me, clearly put on a good show (if you can forgive a rather lame turn of phrase). If my informal reflections have caught your interest, check out the official BTBAM concert review at Exclaim!.

One of my favourite new releases of the year is the new Ihsahn record, but I can't get over how Alice in Chains-ish it feels to me: Ihsahn - After - reviewed for Exclaim!.

The Sigh I was less impressed with, a disappointing development but in line with my disappointment after seeing them live on their last NA tour. Maybe I've just lost touch with what they're up to? Or maybe they've lost touch with ears like mine?: Sigh - Scenes from Hell review.

metal vegetarians and Type O in Detroit

If I knew Liv Kristine, from Atrocity and Leaves' Eyes, was a vegetarian, I had forgotten. Apparently Deciblog has got the scoop on her favourite recipes. I'll skip the egg and cheese stuff but I could really go for some of that pumpkin soup...

We just survived a weekend in Detroit complete with a Halloween Type O Negative concert (how serendipitous was that!). First time I really listened to Type O offshoot Seventh Void - really good stuff, kind of Sabbath-y but with a higher goth than doom factor. There were other bands too, but really Seventh Void and Type O Negative were all I paid attention to. So much that I suffered a little shock paralysis when the walking freak show that is Peter Steele took his place looming over us from Harpo's delightfully high stage. Two non-musical highlights: someone throws a drink a Steele and it lands on his leg - he says something along the lines of "nice shot" and keeps going like he'd swatted a fly; the usual "you suck" chant starts up and he tells us we're hurting his feelings. Definitely one of the best Type O shows I've seen. Hellbound's got the full review (by Jonathan Smith) and some great photo shots (by Adam Wills). We've also got a few more low-res photos here.

Being metal vegetarians in Detroit (there were three of us) was a typically tricky proposition. Apparently the best vegetarian eats weren't in safe walking distance, but we made out okay. That said, I think if I ever see (or more importantly, smell) someone eating lamb right in front of me again I'm going to projectile vomit.

paganfest 2: 2009 (nearly six months late)

I wrote this concert review ages ago for exclaim!, but they never ended up using it. So here it is, months after the fact, whatever that's worth:

Paganfest 2: Korpiklaani / Primordial / Moonsorrow / Blackguard / Swashbuckle

Opera House, Toronto ON

April 28, 2009

Local excitement leading up to a concert doesn't always translate to a high-energy or well-attended event, but the second Paganfest tour had the Opera House swarming with metal fans who like a little folk with their metal. Headliners Korpiklaani are touring on the strength of last year's album with their second for Nuclear Blast soon to hit. Turns out one major record and a lesser known back catalogue was enough to inspire "dancing" and chanting, the band's spirited performance ending the night on an upbeat. Accordion, fiddle, and deer skull with antlers provided the backwoods atmosphere while Korpiklaani delivered a cheery brand of metal tinged with Finnish traditional sounds.

Also representing Finland, Moonsorrow's contribution was less jolly but still strongly rooted in folk traditions. The band wasn't at their best, following up a recent Toronto appearance with one less guitarist (and some related sound issues), but they put their shorter time slot to good use, reinventing themselves as a quartet for an already packed venue.

The Finns' sets bracketted the much more fierce and serious performance by Irish metallers Primordial, drawing on material from their latest albums for the band's first show in Canada. Invoking ties linking Toronto to Ireland through references to famine and death, Primordial were predictably grim (the mavericks of the tour in this respect) but amazingly together, living up to every expectation their recorded music has established. The crowd sounded utterly and passionately convinced, hopefully enough to lure the band back onto Ontario soil soon.

Primordial and Korpiklaani owned the night, but the festivities actually began much earlier with the amusingly pirate-themed Swashbuckle, followed by Canadian heathens Blackguard (formerly Profugus Mortis) supporting their Nuclear Blast debut - both overshadowed but Blackguard, especially, a good choice for the tour and one more draw for the early Tuesday night horde.

By Laura Wiebe Taylor