technical difficulties and show PSAs

We had a blast putting together this week's Kill Eat Exploit the Weak featuring a ton of indie Canadian metal to pump some local-ish shows scheduled for this weekend. And then CFMU went off air for 8 hours Wednesday night and the show didn't air...

Good news is we'll be able to broadcast all this cool material next week. Bad news is most of the shows we were pumping will have already happened. Consider this post a public service announcement of sorts for some of the live metal events you can and should check out this week/end in Southern Ontario.

and the playlist catch-up continues: June 2014

June 4

We were a little burnt out for our first show back after Maryland Deathfest, but not as much as in previous years (our metalfesting gets increasingly leisurely the older we get). This week's show featured the usual mix of new metal releases, some old favourites, plus a preview of bands playing live in southern Ontario in the near future – including a taste of the line-up for this year's Wacken Metal Battle Canada finals. (spoiler alert: MUTANK won)

ARTIST	ALBUM	TRACK
Skullfist	Chasing the Dream	Chasing the Dream
Burning the Day	Wacken Metal Battle Compilation	Victorious!
Exit Strategy	Wacken Metal Battle Compilation	The Atrocity Machine
Mutank	Wacken Metal Battle Compilation	Mutank
My Hollow	Wacken Metal Battle Compilation	Kings With No Castles
Neck of the Woods	Wacken Metal Battle Compilation	Left Behind
Ayahuasca	Plato's Dark Horse	Can You Feel The New Food Chain
Biblical	Monsoon Season	Second Sight
Crowbar	Symmetry in Black	Symmetry in White
Eyehategod	Eyehategod	Trying To Crack The Hard Dollar
Misery Index	The Killing Gods	Sentinels
Enabler	La Fin Absolue Du Monde	I've Got a Bad Feeling About This
Marty Friedman	Inferno	Lycanthrope
The Great Sabatini	Dog Years	Nursing Home
Metsatoll	Karjajuht	Must Hunt
Black Anvil	Hail Death	My Hate is Pure
Brent Hinds	Brent Hinds Presents: WEST END MOTEL And FIEND WITHOUT A FACE	Bank Robbin Bandits
Killer Be Killed	Killer Be Killed	Save the Robots
Vader	Tibi Et Igni	Armada On Fire
Shattered Remains	Wacken Metal Battle Compilation	Unbreakable
Blind Guardian	Nightfall in Middle Earth	The Curse of Feanor
Therion	A'arab Zaraq - Lucid Dreaming	Black Fairy
Celtic Frost	Into The Pandemonium	I Won't Dance (The Elder's Orient)
Dissection	Storm of the Light's Bane	Where Dead Angels Lie
Virgin Black	Requiem Fortissimo	In Winters Ash

June 11

I ended up having to leave Adam on his own for this one. Not like he needs me to make excellent musical choices, local and otherwise. Plus when we're not chattering back and forth we can usually squeeze in a couple of extra songs.

ARTIST	ALBUM	TRACK
Arch Enemy	War Eternal	No More Regrets
October File	The Application of Loneliness, Ignorance, Misery, Love and Despair - An Introspective of the Human Condition	Reinvention
Orange Goblin	Healing Through Fire	The Ale House Braves
The Atlas Moth	The Old Believer	Jet Black Passenger
Finntroll	Natten Med De Levande Finntroll	Jaktens Tid
Lich King	Born of the Bomb	We Came to Conquer
Bison BC	Lovelessness	An Old Friend
Mutank	M​.​E​.​C​.​H Metal	Mutank
Anathema	Distant Satellites	Anathema
Abre Ojos	Gates	Golden Rod from Tip to Tail
Woods of Ypres	The Pursuit of the Sun & Allure of the Earth	Shedding the Deadwood
Eclipse Eternal	Reign of the Unholy Blackened Empire	Infested With The Human Disease
Black Sabbath	Heaven and Hell	Die Young
Windhand	Windhand	Black Candles
Skynet	The Wild	The Wild
Threat Signal	Vigilance	The Beginning of the End
Six Side Die	That F'n Album	Freeze Frame
Endast	Living on the Edge	Livin On the Edge
Invective	Decomposure	Decomposure
Septic Flesh	The Great Mass	The Vampire from Nazareth
Obscura	Omnivium	Ocean Gateways
High on Fire	The Art of Self Defense	Blood from Zion

June 18

We cover a wide range of metal on Kill Eat Exploit the Weak, but this week seemed particularly diverse, including some neo-folk and neo-classical friends of metal for simulated meat* as well as some heavy electronica/industrial. And the usual metal subgenres, of course. We ended of with some local metal, a track from Hamilton's Profaner.

ARTIST	ALBUM	TRACK
Meshuggah	Contradictions Collapse	Paralyzing Ignorance
Negura Bunget	Maiestrit	A vint in abis
Avichi	Catharsis Absolute	Lightweaver
The Creepshow	Sell Your Soul	Grave Diggers
Lullacry	Legacy 1998-2014	Hell on High Heels
Beast Within	Adversity/Servitude	Servitude (side B)
Musk Ox	Woodfall	Part 1 - Earthrise*
Raphael Weinroth-Browne	Shattered Dreams	Shattered Dreams*
Aeon's Fall	Echoes of Remembrance	The Failure of Ascension
Ageless Oblivion	Penthos	Wolf's Head
Below	Across the Dark River	Bid You Farewell
Chapel	Satan's Rock N Roll	Satan's Rock N Roll
Combichrist	We Love You	We Were Made to Love You
3TEETH	3TEETH	Eradicate
HIMIKO	Dethnoizzz	Fuel Rods Up Your Ass
The Gathering	Mandylion	Leaves
The Lion's Daughter	The Lion's Daughter/Nights Like These	As Sick the Dream
Rush	2112	Something for Nothing
Profaner	Signs of Nine	Symbol of Supremacy

June 25

In addition to the usual formula, our most recent show included a mini pre-Canada Day feature, highlighting a few of our Canadian metal and simulated meat* favourites (while leaving so many out).

ARTIST	ALBUM	TRACK
Auroch	Taman Shud	Villainous
Emperor	In The Nightside Eclipse - 20th Year Anniversary	Ancient Queen
Mournful Congregation	Concrescence Of The Sophia	Silence of the Passed
Mastodon	Once More 'Round The Sun	The Motherload
Corrosion of Conformity	IX	Trucker
Biohazard	State of the World Address	Love Denied
Tankard	R.I.B.	R.I.B.
Answer with Metal	Wacken Metal Battle Canada Compilation Vol. 1	Two Wrongs (Don't Make a Right)
Adrenochrome	Wacken Metal Battle Canada Compilation Vol. 1	Led Elephant
Threat Signal	Vigilance	In Repair
SepticFlesh	Titan	Prototype
Fleshgod Apocalypse	Agony	The Imposition
Arch Enemy	War Eternal	As the Pages Burn
Dio	The Very Beast of Dio	Holy Diver
Devin Townsend	Terria	Canada
Thrawsunblat	Wanderer on the Continent of Saplings	Goose River (Mourners' March)*
Voivod	Phobos	Temps Mort*
Shooting Guns	Wolfcop Soundtrack	Barn Burner
Into Eternity	The Scattering of Ashes	Severe Emotional Distress
KEN mode	Venerable	A Wicked Pike

If you're so inclined you might want to check out SCENE fest this weekend in St. Catharines.

Katatonia and Opeth in Buffalo - April 18, 2013

This week I joined a carload of friends en route to Buffalo to catch the opening date on Opeth and Katatonia's latest North American tour.

good stuff from 2012, revisited

I saw Stolen Babies and Turisas at the Mod Club in Toronto last night. Breaking my winter concert drought was enough to put me in a good mood on its own, but both bands are excellent entertainers and performers, so seeing them play live on the same night was pure pleasure (despite the fact that I nearly ate myself into a coma at Utopia before the show).

Stolen Babies' set reminded me how good their 2012 album Naught really is - the first from the band in many years. Which also reminded me of the regrets I felt for not managing to squeeze the record onto  my best of the year list. So, in honour of how awesome last night's concert was, and in tribute to both bands that made it so, here's my list of 2012 albums I really liked but which didn't make it to my top 10.

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!
 

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.

where has all the summer gone? (august review/interview update)

More than a month since my last post! Where have I been...?

Well, I interviewed Devin Townsend for exclaim's Where I Play feature - read it in the August issue or online.

Checked out some metal and poetry for hellbound.ca.

Lost myself in a night of doom in the most elegant looking concert venue I've ever seen a metal show in... I didn't review it, but others did:

Yob / Dark Castle / Sons of Otis live review @exclaim.ca (by Laina Dawes) and @hellbound.ca (by Gruesome Greg)

I reviewed two days of Heavy TO.

Others from Hellbound were there too.

I hosted Mares of Thrace and Enabler (delightful house guests, they are) after their much too short sets at Casbah.

If I did anything else I've already forgotten what it was.

metal in March

Canadian music week is coming up. One of the (maybe THE) biggest metal events of the festivities is

Storming the Gates... Tabarnak!

... Montreal's 2011 Metal Showcase

(though not all the bands are from Montreal)

featuring

Cryptopsy, Beneath the Massacre, Fatality, The Catalyst, Disgust, Dissension, Dush, and Sykode

And as if that weren't enough, you can also download a free compilation to get a sampling of all eight bands' material.

---

But, apparently, it's not just Canadian music week that's featuring metal in March. Turns out that we're now kicking off the third annual “March is Metal Month,” a campaign to encourage metal fans to head out to some independent music retailers and do some shopping. Participating stores will have a special "March is Metal Month" CD sampler available, "which includes hotly anticipated pre-release tracks from Winds of Plague, Cradle of Filth, Agnostic Front and Kill Corps," among other interesting goodies and contests. Drop by www.marchismetalmonth.com for more info.

Finnish metal in Toronto

When the Finnish Metal Tour 2011 (Finntroll, Ensiferum, Rotten Sound, Barren Earth) hit Toronto this week I was there for exclaim.ca:

Finntroll / Ensiferum / Rotten Sound / Barren Earth: Opera House, Toronto ON (February 22).

It was also my first chance to shoot a show in a while. I'm out of practice, but I got a few neat-looking shots anyway (see the killeatexploittheweak flickr page). Those Finns know how to pose!

Next up: Cradle of Filth, Nachtmystium, Turisas (more Finns!) and Daniel Lioneye at the Phoenix on Saturday, February 26.

live folk metal and thrash in Toronto: Eluveitie, Death Angel and company

Feels strange to be into February already and experiencing my first concerts of the year.

Friday night was jazz, better than I had anticipated. I had heard Michael Occhipinti before but his new Sicilian Jazz Project has a dark, almost post-rock vibe, emerging from the fusion of traditional Sicilian songs (most of them rather melancholy) and jazz.

The traditional cultural influences continued Sunday night but in a very different kind of fusion - the folk metal kind. Pop by exclaim.ca for my review of Eluveitie's Toronto set (with an excellent shot of the band's frontman by Adam Wills). But here are a couple more thoughts that didn't make it into the review...

On 3 Inches of Blood:

After a couple familiar tracks the self-described "traditional heavy metal" band from Vancouver introduced a new song, their raw energy easily enough to get much of the audience clapping along. A little bass heavy but with leads rising to the top, they temporarily dropped a guitarist to play Rush’s “Anthem,” displaying their patriotic love of Canadiana (also extending to hockey and beer).

On Death Angel:

An acoustic intro welcomed Death Angel on stage, but the San Franciscans’ thrash onslaught quickly and drastically cut the niceties short. The classic act’s high-octane set was professional without artificial polish, whether reaching deep into their catalogue or hitting contemporary tracks. Between-song banter leaned on nostalgia with a strong dose of Toronto audience appreciation, recalling a show at the El Mocambo in 1987 plus a long-ago meeting with Danko Jones, who joined the band on stage for “Thrashers.” They played more off The Ultra-Violence, but Mark Osegueda’s channelling of Dio for an interlude of “Heaven and Hell” might have been the coolest moment.

Next up? Maybe Emily Autumn, but probably Finntroll with Ensiferum, Barren Earth and Turisas.

Feb 5 is fundraising day: NAfA and Deaflympics (cont'd)

Two attention-worthy fundraising events going on this Saturday, February 5.

If you're in the Thorold, Ontario, area and you like karaoke, think about dropping by Niagara Action for Animals (NAFA) "Sing Your Heart Out for Animals" karaoke fundraiser. $10 gets you vegan snacks and prizes, starting 7:30pm at Brooklyn's restaurant.

In another corner of Ontario (Simcoe), Saturday's local fundraising has a more international goal: sending Dustin Wills and his snowboarding teammates to Slovakia for this year's Deaflympics. According to the Simcoe Reformer, "February Family Funfest (Help Send Dustin to Slovakia)" is planned as an afternoon-long winter carnival from noon till 4pm, including "street hockey on Sydenham Street and a snowboarding demonstration by Dustin in the Brick parking lot."

And then, if you're in need of something louder to reward your good deeds, you might head into Toronto on Sunday, February 6, where you'll find me checking out the Death Angel/Eluveitie show at the Opera House.

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...)

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

cynic reviewed (live)

I've been enjoying much live music this spring and summer, but last night's Cynic concert may have been my favourite of the lot. It seemed to be the night of the drummer, with the percussionists from all three bands (Cynic, Intronaut, Dysrhythmia) being all over their kits plus one Intronaut guitarist banging on a few extra toms at the end of their set. With a perpetual interplay of complex rhythms the drummers were the ones propelling the machine, keeping up a driving momentum where the multiple layers and (self-indulgent? nerdy?) experimentation might have ground that forward power to a halt. Normally I'm more intrigued by vocal and guitar textures, melodies and harmonies, but this show had me drum kit focused.

I've listened to a bit of all three bands before, Cynic much more than the other two. Dysrhythmia bowled me over in the best way possible, but revisiting their recorded stuff today I find it doesn't quite match up. Intronaut was a little more hit and miss for me, winning me over then completely losing my attention till they won it over again. As for Cynic, I'm surprised by how much their newer material has wormed its way into my brain, so that their special presentation of Focus in full felt like just a warm up to the tracks off Traced in Air, Re-Traced and Portal. Even now I've caught myself singing "The Space for This" and "Integral Birth" repeatedly throughout the day.

The Mule wrote an excellent review of the Vancouver show here. And the always entertaining Natalie Zed has a review up on Hellbound with photos by Adam Wills. But if you want to read my own 'professional' account of what went on last night, exclaim has it up here.

Cynic, then Boris

Two Mondays, two concerts.

Tonight at the Opera House:

Cynic, playing Focus plus some more recent stuff, with Intronaut and Dysrhythmia opening up. (look for reviews to go up at hellbound.ca and exclaim.ca)

Next week:

Boris, following an opening set by Russian Circles.

The summer of fun continues...

Heavy MTL! \m/ (the longer version)

You may have read my (de-personalized) exclaim review, or followed Adam Wills's live blogging at hellbound.ca (or checked out his fest photos). Now here's my more rambling account of my first Heavy MTL weekend in Montreal (and repeated avoidance of full sentences).

day 0:

Road trip begins. Uneventful for the most part except for random (Mexican?) metalhead sighting at 401 rest stop. After a nap, time for a vegetarian dinner - a somewhat randomly chosen Yuan Vegetarian, an Asian veg place on St. Denis. The food was decent, the service a little inattentive, the atmosphere relaxedly posh. After a little (not really necessary) walk, pirate-themed service, loud (mostly 90s) metal and reasonably-priced drinks at Cafe Chaos.

day 1:

Up early for free continental breakfast and to join the metal hordes clambering (and clamouring) on the Metro line out to Parc Jean-Drapeau. After a minor lobster claw incident, headed into the venue for our free press wristbands, Heavy MTL neck things, and fancy laminated schedules (all of which smoothed our way no further than the other side of the security check). Arrived pretty much in line with the beginning of the opening set - to find the women's washroom already alarmingly short of toilet paper and the limited merch and food/drink options pretty expensive and well, limited.

Things picked up with Skeletonwitch, who I found nearly as entertaining as I had in Hamilton a few days before (which was quite a lot). High on Fire sounded big but looked small. Auf der Maur was barely audible at first but absolutely beautifully amazing (see the earlier reports for the Peter Steele connection). Kataklysm also sounded good but it was getting incredibly hot out and it was already time for a bit of a break. One that lasted through Fear Factory. I still love them but prefer to keep a distance so the glow of memory doesn't get doused by the dullness of current reality.

Revived long enough to get caught up in the inimitable enthusiasm of Anvil (I've had a soft spot for them ever since watching the documentary), a bit of Testament (with another refreshment break), and the beginning and end of Halford. Between some weird sound issues and another bout of heat fatigue I didn't enjoy Mastodon as much I hoped and decided to view and hear Slayer from up on the hill. Having seen Slayer many times and the Big Four movie recently it didn't seem important to be all that close. Same goes for Alice Cooper (minus the Big Four part) although it would have been neat to see his stage show up close -- the distant view and big screen close-ups didn't quite do it justice.

A little later, the fireworks going off just beyond the trees seemed symbolic of my feelings about seeing and hearing Megadeth perform Rust in Peace in full. I wish Dave Mustaine's singing wasn't so visibly and audibly painful, but I'm impressed by the band's current line-up and only wish I had enough stamina for the "secret" charity show later that night. Instead we tramped across a precarious sea of crushed beer cups and aluminum bottles and joined the hot, sweaty and smelly stream of the dirty and black clad heading back into the city.

day 2:

Wanted to make it back to the Parc in time for Les Ekorchés, but when that clearly wasn't happening we decided to forego the other early bands for coffee, tea, and eventually a couple of tasty falafels from Basha (Ste-Catherine-Uqam location). Made it back to the festival site in time for Chimaira drowning out Three Inches of Blood on the side stage. Mocked a few outfits, got free, disgusting samples of Rockstar energy drink and spent a fair bit of time watching and listening from the relative comfort of the grassy slope.

Hatebreed sounded good but I still can't get fired up over them. Didn't really manage to stir up any significant appreciation until Alexisonfire. I'm never been a particular fan but I sort of get what they're doing and it was a welcome contrast to some of the more simplistic aural bombardment the afternoon had to offer. Following closely behind, Lamb of God were predictably intense and crowd-stirring. Again, I more or less understand the appeal, but I tend to like these guys best in short doses - a live set strains my attention. Mike Portnoy playing with Avenged Sevenfold was the highlight of that set, which mostly had me anxious for Rob Zombie to take over.

Zombie's performance was my Sunday highlight, hands down. I wasn't totally on board with the sound of all the material but the stage show was irresistible, as (openly) ripped off from Alice Cooper as it is. I mean, costumes and robots (including a framing Zombie's entrance on stage out of the flaming robot!) and monsters and horror film clips? He had me at the robots. After that, Korn's closing set was a complete anti-climax, despite their elaborate oil rig stage decor (which I didn't quite understand - was it an attempt at a political statement?) They sounded strong, had a loyal following in hand, and I even enjoyed the songs I know more than I expected, but I just had trouble caring after all the much more impressive performances I'd seen over the two days leading up.

We ended the night with craft beer and pizza at Le Saint-Bock and more drinks and metal with friends and new acquaintances at Les Foufounes Electriques and headed out, a little short of sleep, early Monday afternoon to return to Ontario and a vague sense of reality.

Can't wait until next year!