I gotta say, I’ve been pretty stoked for Slow Southern Steel ever since I first heard of the concept a couple years back. A documentary on the southern sludge scene starring Kylesa, Eyehategod, Sourvein, Zoroaster, Dixie Witch and Weedeater, to name but a few, directed by CT from Rwake, sure sounds like it’s right up my alley. And now that the film’s finally ready for release, they’re taking the show on the road, with screenings in 19 US cities opening for Zoroaster and sludge supergroup Hail! Hornet (feat. Dixie Dave, T.Roy et al). To say that I’m awfully tempted would be an understatement…

Ghost haunts the Mod Club tomorrow nite with Blood Ceremony and Ancient VVisdom. No need to sell your soul–advanced tickets are just 15 bucks!

Fortunately, it seems that quite a few bands that used to play that Bloor Street dive have moved on to the 460 now. A much better location, if you ask me–College and Spadina, literally right next to the El Mocambo. Mind you, there’s really no comparison between the ElMo and this hole in the wall, for better or for worse.

Tickets are now on sale online for the RAFFLE OF DOOM, running up till the end of March. You won’t get this kinda haul from your local record store, that’s for sure. Here, see for yourself…

Well, it looks like two of my Top 10 made our overall Top 20 this year, which seems to be more or less on par with last year, if I recall correctly. Still have not heard that 40 Watt Sun album (Metal Blade dropped the ball on distribution, or what?), and I can’t believe that Progpeth took the top spot, with Mastodon not far behind. And here I thought we had more discriminating tastes at Hellbound… At least Lulu was nowhere to be seen!

Anyways, I was looking at Rotate This’ concert tickets page to check if they were selling tix for Deep Purple (negative!), when I saw something interesting. Apparently, Kyuss Lives! is doing a second show in Toronto this year–on New Year’s Eve, no less–at tiny Queen & Bathurst bar Cherry Cola’s. Aye, but here’s the rub. This “once in a lifetime opportunity” will set you back a cool 200 big ones.

So, before I get into my top albums of the year, it’s time for some Christmas cleaning. These reviews have been sitting on my hard drive for a while, and chances are you haven’t heard of most of these bands–but some of them are worth checking out.

By the time you read this, tickets for the Deep Purple gig at Massey Hall next year will have just gone on sale. The band will be spending the entire month of February in our country on a 17-date Canadian tour that includes not one, but two gigs in Newfoundland, five concerts in Ontario, and at least one show in every other province except PEI and Quebec. I could be wrong, but I don’t think that a major non-Canadian recording artist has embarked on a cross-country tour of this magnitude in decades. Too bad they couldn’t turn back the clock on those ticket prices…