In this entry of Blasphemous Meals, I cover three recipes from the Hellbent For Cooking book (Bazillion Points) that should not be considered junk food, but fun food that accomodates chill evenings or badass gatherings.

Pair wisely with an imported beer or exquisite wine.

Cheers/Salute!

Welfare Nachos
By Jason Decay of Cauldron/Goat Horn

Decay’s spin-off of the menu fave from Toronto Mexican resto and music venue, Sneaky Dee’s, is a real treat for any movie night or lazy day.

After a long shift at work, I arrived home to prepare the nachos. I used multigrain tortilla chips with a ton of refried beans, cheese, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and onions. The dish is quite colourful and pairs great with an ice cold Heineken or Brio, for those who don’t drink.

The fried egg was an added twist… that I removed shortly after the photo.

A great pairing to this dish is Cauldron’s track, “Making Noise and Drinking Beer.”

Infernal Swiss Alps Macaroni and Cheese
By Brogi of Messiah

When it’s raining out and you’re craving something hearty, mac and cheese is the way to go. The Swiss death/thrash guitarist’s take on the classic goes above and beyond gourmet standards with its marriage of sweet and savory.

This mac and cheese begins with caramelized onions atop elbow pasta in a parmesan-light cream embrace with diced potatoes and pieces of bacon. A side of applesauce brings out a pinch of black pepper and nutmeg for a pleasantly distorted finish.

The result is colossal decadence – like the riffs of Brogi – wishing you were eating this meal in a log cabin surrounded by snow-capped mountains.

Soul Brownies
By Scott ‘Wino’ Weinrich of St. Vitus/Shrinebuilder/Wino

“Cue “Pyramid of the Moon”. Turn the nob to 11.
Open that pack of Duncan Hines $2 brownie mix.
Reach into your jacket pocket for that bag of weed.
Wait…WTF…. Where’s my grass?!”

Well, let’s just put it this way. There was no grass to begin with! And even though I can count a handful of names that could lend me some, I don’t smoke the sweet leaf.

In order to follow through with Wino’s chocolate-induced high; I substituted the recipe’s star ingredient of medicinal cannabis for hemp seed and pistachios (the greenest nut I could find!).

Hemp seed’s mother is the Cannabis Sativa, a plant very environmentally friendly that requires few pesticides when not grown industrially. It can be eaten raw, sprouted, made into milk or prepared as tea. The grainy seed has healthy edible oils that contain 80% essential fatty acids, found in fish and peanut butter. Hemp carries an abundance of health benefits, as it is high in fiber, antioxidants, chlorophyll, calcium and iron.

Hemp seed can be purchased in bulk and found in a variety of health food stores.

So maybe these brownies don’t cause you to veg out for hours on end, listening to doom, but one bite will send you into space for sure.

Now home in Canada and back in school for another year, our favourite university journalism student has recently sent us her fourth installment in her Blasphemous Meals series, where she makes meals for her family taken out of the pages of the Bazillion Points book Hellbent for Cooking. Here are three more inspired meals that we here at Hellbound HQ wish we could have the chance to taste ourselves…

Spaghetti Barracuda

By A.C. Wild of Bulldozer

Upon my return from la Bel Paese, my interest in culinary pursuits is heightened like never before, ready for challenges in preparing international dishes full of exciting ingredients.

To be clear, Seafood Depot only carried frozen barracuda, and I was adamant on using fresh fish. Taking Annick’s advice for ingredient substitution, I chose Blue Marlin, which is similar in flavour and density.

A.C. Wild’s Spaghetti Barracuda became Spaghetti con Marlin e familia, which translates to “with Marlin and family”, as the vital ingredients came from some very special people in my life.

The three most important vegetables required for the meal consisted of tomatoes, garlic and red chili peppers to produce a supporting sauce for the bavettine, a slightly thicker pasta noodle.

If I have not noted in previous entries, I am of southern Italian descent. My roots are nestled in the regions of Puglia and Calabria – the former the toe and latter the heel of the boot. Both regions offer up a blend of signature cooking elements and spice – most notably in chili peppers.

I incorporated two large dried chili peppers from Calabria and two small dried chilis from the island of Sardinia, given to me by my friend Alessandro when I was studying in Urbino – not a short trip for those spicy things as they were grown in his grandfather’s garden!

The tomatoes were a gift from the garden of my Pugliese grandfather, Pasquale, straight from…Mississauga. Maybe not from the dirty south of Italia, but still super fresh from our Canadian summer climate.

Grown in my own backyard, the garlic bulbs were planted by my Calabrese father, who was given the gift of passion for cuisine by his father, Salvatore.

The blue marlin provided some bite in addition to its chili pepper “paesan” – a heavy dish of heat for some extreme skids – Italian or otherwise.

Nasi Lemak

By Naz of Mantak

While working on The Urbino Project in Italy, I made a new friend and colleague in the world of journalism who hails from Singapore. We discussed many aspects of our contrasting cultures, yet surprisingly no conversations of cuisine come to mind.

I wish Kenneth had warned me of how challenging it is to make Nasi Lemak, the national dish of Malaysia, which is also consumed at breakfast in Singapore, wrapped in banana leaves and sold as street food.

The base of the dish consists of a prawn sambal; shrimps mixed with various spices, loads of onions and garlic (so much that the smell would not leave my hands for days), chili peppers, Thai ginger and sweet, fragrant tamarind paste. It is accompanied by, or placed atop a personal serving of coconut rice that is made by boiling long grain or Jasmine in a pot of coconut milk.

Most of the ingredients in Nasi Lemak are common in every household, yet the obscure stuff can be pretty hard to find if you don’t live in Toronto or the GTA where an abundance of Asian supermarkets are easily accessible.

Apart from tamarind paste and belacan, an oily sauce used to cook shrimp and seafood, the Pandam leaf was an ingredient I had not heard of or seen before. In Naz’s recipe, it is required to take one leaf, tie it in a knot and allow its flavour to integrate with the steamed rice for 10 to 15 minutes once boiled.

Though it may seem strange, it is not uncommon to cook food with items that are often inedible. Have you ever tried cedar-smoked salmon at a fancy restaurant? Well, it’s been cooked on a plank of cedar wood, giving it robust flavour and aroma.

I love the sharpness of Nasi Lemak, with its sight and smell not of this earth, leaving your stomach satisfied with the warmth of chili and abundance of rich taste.

Pizza Tonno a la Chef

By Schmier “The Mad Baker” of Destruction

Tuna as a pizza topping may seem like an absurd idea but the truth is that this fish is an absurdly popular addition on pizzeria menus in both Canada and Italy.

Tuna is to pizza as lox is to bagels: red onion, capers and cheese, providing that you swap Philadelphia cream for mozzarella or taleggio.

The thrash inspired recipe called for crème fraiche or sour cream, but I chose to add very few pieces of mozzarella instead to avoid a dairy-heavy taste.

To make a tuna pizza is rather simple so I made Schmier’s recipe my own, including two cans of light tuna in oil, mini capers infused with white wine vinegar, rings of red onion, and a mix between fresh, finely chopped red and green chili peppers.

My very awesome friend Kailah had the opportunity to put this hellbent meal to the test when she and her mother joined my family for a traditional Ital dinner, cooked in our outdoor oven. She loves food and culture just as much as I do, which made her an awesome colleague to study journalism with in Italy this summer.

The chili peppers were as tough as a drop kick, yet it all depends on where they ended up on your slice of pizza. Kailah quickly renounced her comment of “I think it could use more spice,” before coughing up a storm at her second bite. Sorry, dude!

I guess I really am Calabrese, cause there will never be enough peperoncino on my plate!

Star approved like it’s in the Entertainment & Living section of the T-Star, K?

By Ola Mazzuca

The word of the month is contrast.

Living in Italy, studying journalism abroad and adapting to new surroundings evokes contrast. Who knew it would be so difficult to compose a feature article for a program in another country? It’s not like you can walk to Yonge and Dundas Square, do a streeter, get some quotes and hurry on back to class for a 6 p.m. deadline.

The reality is a trek up and down hills, cobblestone or flat, to and from class, in humidity or a breeze. You can’t pack light – no journalist can. You always have to be prepared for a magical moment when someone says or does something incredibly powerful to assist in the production of a well-written story.

Italians are not Canadians and Canadians are not Italians. As I consider myself Canadian-Italian, I have come to realize that its still not a “mezzo e mezzo” situation.

I have realized that despite all of the European values that I learned throughout my childhood, some are slightly off from what I have experienced in the personalities of others. Maybe I’m wrong or mislead, as my parents are from the southern regions of Calabria and Puglia, places still awaiting my visit.

If there is one value people from vast lands across oceans share, it’s a love for music. Young or old, black or white, everyone in this country has expressed such strong adoration for the genres they love and rely on for spiritual support and a soundtrack to their soul.

In Urbino, Festa Dello Studente is held annually to celebrate the end of the semester for University of Urbino students. It is a music festival held over three nights at the Fortezza Albornoz, a huge hill overlooking the Palazzo Ducale and Renaissance city. From hip-hop to reggae, heavy metal to ska/funk fusion, people from all subcultures and majors come to listen to a blend of sounds, all accepted for who they are rather than shunned for their hairstyle or showing up in heels.

Festivals are a place of connection and my experience meeting a record vendor who is close friends with Steve Sylvester, the lead vocalist of Pesaro based horror metal band Death SS, “put beer in the stein”. He sold me a copy of Black Mass, the band’s sophomore release in all its primitive glory.

Italians are also enamored with North American rock music, where local group Echotime conveyed this through endless, energetic covers of “The Final Countdown” and “Sweet Child Of Mine” as the audience turned into one solid moshpit, crowd surfing and all.

As I arrived in Bologna, an ancient urban city in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, graffiti and subculture was exposed like no other in the home of the oldest university in the world, an abundance of politically charged street art against the Berlusconi system covering walls and libraries filled with science textbooks.

At Piazza Maggiore, a main square and tourist hub of Bologna, people gather around the Fountain of Neptune and 13th century architecture. Amongst a colourful crowd, I encountered two traveling nomads from Russia, one clad in a Motorhead t-shirt. Of course my father had to point that out to me, and as he was rather loud in doing so, the young man turned around to say “You like Motorhead?” and thus a conversation on favourite albums and bands began.

I passed along my business card, with contact info and webzine links, in hopes of spreading written reflections of my love for music around the world to inspire international movements of passion in the pit.

(See part 1 of Blasphemous Meals here)
(See part 2 of Blasphemous Meals here)

Last year, I received a wonderful gift from my parents – a cookbook that received rave reviews and coverage in various metal magazines, from a publishing company started by one of my favourite writers; Ian Christe’s Bazillion Points.

Annick Giroux is a multi-talented metal chick, dividing her time between graphic design, DJing and cooking the heaviest of metal meals.

Her book, Hellbent for Cooking, is a compilation of culinary classics of every culture from metal bands and artists around the world. It is a celebration of a simple yet exciting marriage between music and cuisine, where Giroux proves that the portrayal of metalheads being junkfood-lovers false.

I have decided to record my thoughts and experiences while cooking my way through Hellbent for Cooking, also providing my view on the bands that graciously donated their recipes.

In this installment of the Blasphemy Blog, I explore a variety of ethnic dishes that include fragrant additives and exciting flavours. Please enjoy my journey through preparing these awesome meals straight from the recipes of the heaviest of bands.

Hellbent Meal #7: Superb Salmon Filet

By Ashmedi of Melechesh

I had always perceived fish to be challenging to cook but was pleasantly surprised upon preparing Ashmedi’s clean-cut, lemony salmon dish.

Packed with Omega-3 and many vitamins, salmon is a great source of protein and a classic evening meal. My take on the recipe introduced a side dish of a grilled polenta square, a tiny collection of sautéed colourful veggies and a sprig of rosemary.

Author’s Note: I LOVE Melechesh. Their Mesopotamian/Sumerian themed black metal from Jerusalem (now that’s blasphemy) puts my mind into another state, transporting my imagination to vast lands. Rebirth of the Nemesis, TIAAAAMMMATTTT.

Hellbent Meal #8: Full Throttle Chicken Curry

By David “Rock” Feinstein of The Rods

As a huge fan of curry dishes, may they be Caribbean, Indian or Thai variations, cooking this dish was no challenge and made for a hearty one on a rainy spring day.

I added extra pepper and the two tablespoons provided an overly generous taste that was a spicy treat for the soul and sinuses. The only downside of cooking curry is that when the steam from the pot rises, it clings to the fabric of my clothing.

Served with a side of naan, an oven-baked flatbread typical in South and Central Asia, and jasmine rice (no basmati in the house!).

Curries are popular around the world, from Asian countries to the United Kingdom and United States, which is why it’s no surprise that Feinstein is far from Indian, as The Rods hail from Cortland, New York.

Hellbent Meal #9: Frijoles Borrachos

By Hugo Alberto “Witchhammer” Uribe of Witchtrap

Accompanied by Maria Del Carmen Guacamole, an appetizer from Armored Saint’s Gonzo Sandoval

Frijoles borrachos is Spanish for “drunk beans”, which is a precise description for the protein-rich base of this meal.

After an overnight soaking in Warsteiner, a German Pilsner beer, the red kidney beans I had chosen to use for this Colombian dish had been properly intoxicated with the malt, barley and hops of the booze, as its strong fragrance escaped a large pan while the beans boiled in water.

After adding pureed carrot and Italian pancetta to the mixture, it became thick and hearty, the flavours complimenting each other with tastes of sweet vegetables, salted pork and bitter alcohol.

The guacamole was tangy at best with fresh avocadoes and finely chopped tomatoes and jalapeño pepper, making for a great green dip that complimented fried pieces of plantain, a banana lower in sugar content, that is popular in South American cuisine.

Contemplating between eating the dish with blue corn chips or arepas, we settled on the latter. Arepas are flat, round cornmeal patties that can be grilled, baked or fried and like the plantain, are popular in South and Latin America, especially in Venezuela, where my mother was born. These cornmeal treats come with endless pairing possibilities from topping them with guacamole to cutting them in half with fillings of cheese, meat, eggs and of course, the drunken beans.

If any of you skids ever decide to make arepas, make sure you use Harina PAN corn flour!

Witchtrap is a band of wicked thrashers from Medellín, Colombia that play at breakneck-speed with their energetic, American influenced sound. Check out “Metal Mania” off of their 2007 EP Nightmares Of The Dead.

A household heavy metal name, Armored Saint hails from Los Angeles, California where they established a solid career with former Anthrax vocalist John Bush. Drummer Gonzo Sandoval and his brother, Phil, are the founding members.

Thanks to my parents, Stella and Frank Mazzuca, for arepa assistance, photography and support!

(See Part 1 of Blasphemous Meals here)

Last year, I received a wonderful gift from my parents – a cookbook that received rave reviews and coverage in various metal magazines, from a publishing company started by one of my favourite writers; Ian Christe’s Bazillion Points.

Annick Giroux is a multi-talented metal chick, dividing her time between graphic design, DJing and cooking the heaviest of metal meals.

Her book, Hellbent for Cooking, is a compilation of culinary classics of every culture from metal bands and artists around the world. It is a celebration of a simple yet exciting marriage between music and cuisine, where Giroux proves that the portrayal of metalheads being junkfood-lovers false.

I have decided to record my thoughts and experiences while cooking my way through Hellbent for Cooking, also providing my view on the bands that graciously donated their recipes.

Enjoy/Cheers!

Buon Appetito/Salute!

Hellbent Meal #4 : Black Rose Jambalaya

by Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy

How peculiar that a member of Irish classic rock veterans Thin Lizzy favoured this Louisiana Creole dish inspired by Spanish and French cuisine. This comfort meal is simple and suitable for a cold Canadian Sunday after a weekend that was spent working the retail world. The chorizo sausage added a spicy twist to balance out with veggies consisting of peppers, tomatoes and onions, all blended with long-grain rice and a tablespoon of mandatory chili powder. Make sure to add a small piece of toasted panino bread.

Like most meals in Hellbent For Cooking, Black Rose Jambalaya tastes best when served next day, especially when you’re sitting tired and hungry in the Ryerson journalism lounge.

If there is indeed a jailbreak, make sure you head home and make this.

Hellbent Meal #5 : Shellfish Crossfire

By King ov Hell, ex-Gorgoroth, God Seed

Just like a good black metal record that’s primitive at best and blistering in tempo, this recipe follows the “simple, quick & healthy!” cliché. King’s noodle concoction follows two instructions: “Put everything together in a wok. Fry for 5 minutes and eat it”. I did just as Tom Cato Visnes told me to and the outcome was great.

I made this meal for my cousin, who shares my love for vast, ethnic cuisine. The mixture of green, yellow, red and orange peppers created splashes of colour amongst the shrimp and bland noodles, producing contrast to a recipe from a grim individual. Adding some Vietnamese chili paste, the shellfish crossfire was fiery like the arson work of angsty BMers and King’s comrades alike.

Hellbent Meal #6: Thermo Nuclear Date Squares

By Chany Pilote of Inepsy

Full of fibre, fruit and protein, they’re better than grabbing that Tim’s donut or red velvet cupcake. Chany’s recipe involved an unconventional approach to the Moroccan honey date reduction by adding pineapple, giving it a naturally sweetened taste. Because I didn’t have enough pineapple in the house for the full measurement, I added a couple of strawberries to the mix. Instead of using white flour, I added whole wheat. Spelt flour, a lighter substitute, is also a wise choice for baking.

Montreal thrashers Inepsy are fast and punchy, practicing old-school heavy metal vocals with rebellious riffs that reek San Fran Bay Area influence – a perfect pair of elements, similar to a date bar and bold coffee.

Cheers!
Keep checking Hellbound.ca for more metal cuisine.

Last year, I received a wonderful gift from my parents – a cookbook that received rave reviews and coverage in various metal magazines, from a publishing company started by one of my favourite writers; Ian Christe’s Bazillion Points.

Annick Giroux is a multi-talented metal chick, dividing her time between graphic design, DJing and cooking the heaviest of metal meals.

Her book, Hellbent for Cooking, is a compilation of culinary classics of every culture from metal bands and artists around the world. It is a celebration of a simple yet exciting marriage between music and cuisine, where Giroux proves that the portrayal of metalheads being junkfood-lovers false.

I have decided to record my thoughts and experiences while cooking my way through Hellbent for Cooking, also providing my view on the bands that graciously donated their recipes.

Enjoy/Cheers!

Buon Appetito/Salute!

Hellbent Meal #1: Proto Metal Lamb Shanks Braised in Burgundy

by Dana Snitch of Warpig

It was coincidence that I chose this recipe as my first the weekend I received the book, because my family was planning to prepare lamb as a tribute to my grandfather on the anniversary of his death. Always in the kitchen cooking up a storm or in the cantina making homemade wine, lamb was his absolute favourite type of meat!

A very gourmet dish of tangy goodness brought on by red wine. Fresh vegetables are a must.

The recipe is from Woodstock, Ontario psych rock band Warpig. Great classic sound infused with Deep Purple-ish riffs and elements of NWOBHM.

Hellbent Meal #2: Garlic and Coriander King Prawns

by Steve Williams of Budgie

Contemplative on which meal to make next, my familia insisted that I made something involving prawns because we had a lot of it in the freezer.

The white wine (my favourite) and cream was a great base with the garlic and shallot mixture for the prawns to fry in, concluding in a savoury seafood meal in a satisfying portion.

Budgie, who hails from Wales, have produced old-school metal since 1967. You may remember a track off of Metallica’s Garage Inc. called “Crash Course In Brain Surgery”. Well, that was a Budgie original.

Hellbent Meal #3: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

by Scott Ian of Anthrax

Cabbage rolls are a traditional dish amongst Europeans, primarily in the central and eastern regions, in countries such as Ukraine, Russia and Poland, where each prepare the meal with different practices and ingredients.

My Nonna (Italian grandmother) makes cabbage rolls simply with ground beef and Arborio rice, which is why it was intriguing to try Scott Ian’s take on the classic. Ian took reference from his Russian grandmother’s personal recipe by adding oatmeal, raisins, onion and egg to the meat before letting the cabbage rolls simmer in ketchup and ginger ale.

The preparation process was lengthy but the final product was a great surprise that justified the obscure addition of ginger ale, adding a hearty sweetness to the raisin-infused meat evocative of Moroccan flavour.

Anthrax is by far one of my favourite thrash metal bands out there. Hailing from NYC, they became part of the “big four” of thrash alongside Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. Though “Caught In a Mosh” and “Metal Thrashing Mad” are amongst their greatest tracks of punk-fueled, angsty metal, they never confine themselves to one genre, as their collaboration with Public Enemy’s Chuck D to remake “Bring The Noise” demonstrated their creativity and open mindset for other styles of music.

ã Photography by Frank Mazzuca

Keep checking Hellbound.ca for more Blasphemous Meals in the future!

By Ola Mazzuca

Excitement is an understatement when you hear that your favourite band is coming to town. You read the show listing, the time, the date, and you immediately scan your brain to process your work schedule and the money you either have or lack to pay for the tickets. It will always be enjoyable to experience music in the comfort of your own home and solitude but nothing will ever compare to a live experience.

Last week, I encountered such a wide contrast in live music. I attended my very first rap/ hip-hop show with close relatives and I absorbed Summer Slaughter 2010, the ultimate summer death metal festival tour in North America. In regards to sheer enthusiasm fans show at concerts, there is no difference between rap and metal to electronic and indie rock, for it is only the mere fact that their energy is expressed in different forms. To the ignorant individuals out there, metal shows are associated with violence and danger, similar to the fact that rap shows are considered a venue for heavy drug use and alcohol consumption. These can be viewed as myths amongst those who are cultured and open-minded as anything can happen at any concert of any genre.

For once in my life, I chose to step away from the mosh pit, give my neck a rest for the night and embrace the emotions of others. As soon as Decapitated announced their final track of the set, the definitive “Spheres of Madness”, the audience became hysterical with joy with horns in the air; fully ready to release any tension or frustration they carried with them before as they tore apart the Opera House in Toronto. It gave me memories of when I first arrived on the metal scene, clad in my Amon Amarth tank and ballerina flats. When metal first ‘found’ me, similar to when poetry found Pablo Neruda, I knew that it would be a scene that I would carry with me forever. It wasn’t until a few months later where I began to attend Inertia promoted shows with so much vigor, horns in the air, screaming lyrics at the top of my lungs and headbanging my way to horrible pain the following morning. This is why I smile as I view others doing the same.

Though I have learned so much from metal, I continue to learn extensively by delving into other various genres of music. At the debut performance by Toronto rapper Drake this past Sunday; all were in attendance to absorb and connect to the rhymes of “Thank Me Later”. So maybe a mosh pit was non-existent, and fists in the air were replaced with strong applause but the highest form of energy was present. Passion for music exists at all times, but never is it evocative to the greatest degree as it is live.

Live entertainment has an overwhelming effect due to the anticipation of the outcome and admiration for the artists, but the most certain of factors lies within the relationship one has with the music. Concerts embody many memories throughout my life and I am certain I share this with other individuals. Passion represents a great deal when finding solace in music and it is even more significant when you can share it with everyone else. A universal outburst of emotion, love for music lingers in streets, cars, headphones, turntables, nightclubs, stages and moshpits.

After releasing seven full-length albums, two demos and six EPs, the musical project of Johan “Shamaatae” Lahger, otherwise known as Arckanum, blonde roots beneath a black façade certainly show. Though his enterprise has not been acknowledged enough for a fantastic musical aura, the underlying influence on the rise of black metal in the last twenty years is evident in today’s most underground of black metal outfits.

When Hellbound editor in chief Sean Palmerston sent me three promotional re-issues from this Swedish progenitor, I thought of the many ways in which I could review the records as I found it a tad bit bland to write a separate review of each. Thus, I have decided to provide three extended blurbs on these dark definitive releases.

Hailz.

Fran Marder (1995)

With a brooding, atmospheric intro entitled “Pans Lughn”, Fran Marder begins with much depth before the pummeling wrath of “Hvila Pa Tronan Min”. Johan’s piercing vocals are far from unpleasant as they are equally chaotic and proper, just like a missing puzzle piece. Most black metal bands of today try to mimic a low-fi sound and in doing so, they believe that vocals askew and “experimental” instrumentation do just the trick, but Arckanum proves that simple is best, most notably on “Svinna” and “Gava Fran Trulen” where heavy riffs and signature brisk tempos collaborate to produce old-school tracks that are pleasant in their own little way. With beautiful female guest vocals on “Bærghet” and the audible elements of doom on “Kolin Væruld”, this record embodies successful contrast to make for a great, yet never primitive classic.
(Debemur Morti Prod.)
Rating: 9.0

Kostogher (1997)

Picture this: You’re running through a wooded area north of Stockholm. It’s dark. All is silent but howling wind, your hyperventilation and the demonic chants of a psychotic Viking. That would best describe the intro of this Arckanum record. The fear continues, for chaos ensues on “Skhoghens Minnen Vaekks” where you are thrust head first into an extremely dark yet pleasant abyss (thanks to violin additives). “Et Sorghetog” is pure old-school hell before a wicked conversion to wind, more violins and slow cymbal-snare beats. Besides my double mention of the string aspect, this album is FAST. No doom here! So, what if some pieces are rather melancholy? Kostogher is the OST for Blair Witch project – Arckanum style.
(Debemur Morti Prod.)
Rating: 8.0

Kampen (1998)

A reoccurring theme that arises in the music of Arckanum is the connection between man and nature. It is evident that Shamaatae is passionate about his northern surroundings and therefore feels obliged to include it in his clandestine music, setting the tone for each album. Ambience is such a strong characteristic to incorporate into black metal, allowing one to imagine and delve into an unknown atmosphere. Kampen is raw BM at its finestt with the thrashy “Kamps Tekn” and anarchist vibe of “Sangin Kaos”. With wicked riffage on “Trulfylket, Raþz Ok Os” and a special guest appearance by a Swedish owl, various small birds, wind and rivers Arckanum provides a different approach to old school black metal with both common and unconventional elements that outstretch plain old conceptual ideas.
(Debemur Morti Prod.)
8.5

Attention bangers, rockers, skids, black metal enthusiasts and inquisitive individuals alike: the world’s most unique film about black metal is making its long awaited arrival to Toronto!

I first discovered the trailer for this film very well over a year ago, and since then I have joined the street team – constantly putting a bug in director Audrey Ewell’s ear, persuading her and her co-director/producer Aaron Aites to bring this film to our cold, grim yet exciting city.

Until The Light Takes Us is not your conventional music doc. It’s not about the argument of which band started it all with their lo-fi production and corpsepaint, or the battle between definitive album releases, but it is a sheer and brilliant picture painted with storytelling, opinions and intricate thoughts that provoke great discussion.

It features Norwegian black metal eminence of Darkthrone’s witty Fenriz, 1349/Satyricon’s Frost, Immortal and Norway’s favourite arsonist/Burzum mainman Varg Vikernes, where they provide much insight on the music and murder involved in their homeland’s prime time for publicity.

I had the chance to see the film at the premiere of its theatrical release in New York last December and I cannot stress enough how enlightening and thought provoking the experience was.

If you are craving an exercise for your brain, if you love music, art, ideas and blasphemy, get your fill of Hvis Lyset Tar Oss in Toronto this week.

Running for a week starting Friday February 19th, 2010
@ The Royal Theatre
608 College St.
Toronto, ON

SHOWTIMES:
Friday February 19th @ 9:30pm
Saturday February 20th @ 9:30pm
Sunday February 21st @ 7pm
Monday February 22nd @ 7pm
Tuesday February 23rd @ 7pm
Wednesday February 24th @ 9:30pm
Thursday February 25th @ 9:30pm