On Wednesday, February 8th the current Gigantour festival made a stop at Hamilton, ON’s Copps Coliseum. This was the first time that all four bands (Lacuna Coil, Volbeat, Motorhead and Megadeth) ever played here in “the Hammer”, which was super convenient for me as the arena is about three blocks from my work and less than six from my house. So, when an offer was made to do an interview with someone from Megadeth how could I possibly say no?

Chris Broderick has been one of my favourite American guitarists for over a decade now. After being introduced to his guitar playing through Jag Panzer I have been following his career and have enjoyed seeing him perform with Panzer, Nevermore and Megadeth. I took this interview opportunity as a chance to ask him about the current Megadeth album TH1RT3EN, about his new Jackson signature guitar, the guitar camp/clinic he recently hosted along with Alex Skolnick and the recent break up of Jag Panzer.

Live review by Craig Haze; Photos by Greg Parsons

A small, passionate, vocal crowd greeted Neurosis’ Scott Kelly and Baroness’ John Baizley for their show in New Zealand’s capital on their current solo acoustic tour. With able support from an NZ rock icon, Craig Radford, the night was filled with heartfelt, intense performances. The crowd may have been slim, but it added to the intimacy, and fans stood transfixed by an evening of outstanding and emotionally charged suites.

The show kicked off early. At 8.15 pm, Maurice Beckett from NZ post-rock luminaries Jakob took the stage under his Desbot moniker to a scant five souls. Running through a 30 minute set of heaving drone reminiscent of SunnO))) and Jesu, Desbot’s sound may have been the antithesis of what was to follow but it was an excellent dose of feedback-fuelled rock.

Craig Radford, frontman for long-running NZ crusty metal legends Sticky Filth, was up next. After apologizing for not having played a solo acoustic gig for a few years, he then set to dazzling the gathering crowd. Starting out with the rousing “The Devil Plays Guitar”, Radford, who is renowned for composing working-class hymns, delivered half an hour of impassioned dirty blues interspersed with effusive praise for his co-performers and the show’s promoter. Before performing the song “Hate Remains”— found on Sticky Filth’s latest album Fourth Domain—he assured us it wasn’t about us (“just one person in particular”) drawing a solid laugh from the crowd. Finishing up with the epic multipart cowboy narrative, “Dust and Dirt”, Radford’s short but intense set was a stellar introduction for what followed.

Baroness frontman John Baizley took the stage, immediately endearing himself by admitting it was a nerve-racking proposition playing solo. He asked us to gather close, explaining that it would make things hell of a lot easier for him, and the crowd dully responded, setting up a nice friendly huddle. Baizely began his 45-minute set with Baroness’ “Steel that Sleeps the Eye” before treating us all to some of the tracks he’s been working on for the next Baroness album. He explained it had been a weird year for him, not touring in order to write the next album, and if the tracks he played are any indication of what’s in store on Baroness’ next release, then prepare yourself for some psych-heavy dramatic majesty.

Baizely admitted to some trepidation in playing the gig, this being only his second show without Baroness, but he needn’t have worried—the crowd lapped it up. Although he never divulged song titles, he talked at length about the songs themselves. Before one particularly heartbreaking tune he revealed it was some “hard shit to perform”, which spoke volumes about his easy rapport with the audience. Plus, the song pretty much had everyone verging on tears. Baizley was in fine voice throughout; his husky vocals evoked a beautiful sense of fragility and melancholy in the acoustic setting. He moved briskly through a series of soulful, gorgeously presented tunes, picking up his electric guitar for a couple of elegiac, hard-strumming numbers, and ending on a haunting rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s “In my Fathers House”. His set seemed way too short, but we were privileged to see him a solo setting.

With no real changeover needed between sets, aside from swapping over a guitar, Scott Kelly sat down at the mic less than five minutes after Baizley’s exit and proceeded to flat-out mesmerize the audience. There were tracks from both his solo albums, along with covers and a new Shrinebuilder number he’d written in preparation for their next album—or, as Kelly noted, “if we ever get it together enough to make another album.”

His set was faultless. You could have heard a pin drop for the first five tracks, the entire venue transfixed by Kelly’s rumbling, graveled baritone. “The Ladder in my Blood” and “Searchers”, both from his latest solo album, The Wake, were heartily cheered. His performance proved him to be a master craftsman. He chatted happily with the crowd, saying he’d love to get Neurosis down here to play, praising NZ’s beauty, and jokingly telling us he was considering moving here himself, “depending on who wins those elections.” The smallish crowd made for some great to and fro between Kelly and the audience. But when he closed his eyes and leant into the mic to play his darkened folk and rough country tunes, the show took on a whole new ritualized atmosphere—with Kelly becoming the doom-laden preacher leading the ceremony.

Kelly sounded great throughout; his voice, rising and falling in mournful cadence, was deeply charismatic, and the honest and forthright delivery of the tunes made for an evening drenched in authenticity. He finished his set by inviting John Baizley back onto the stage for a couple of numbers, ending on a powerful version of Townes Van Zandt’s “St John the Gambler”. No encore, just two men packing up their guitar cases and shuffling off the stage in the face of a crowd essentially stunned by an evening of poignant, heart-wrenching roots music.

By Natalie Zed; Concert photos by Adam Wills

The line to get in to Lamb of God is officially the longest line I have ever seen in front of the Phoenix. The line of black t-shirts stretched for nearly a block. The line also moved slowly, as security searched bags and patted everyone down thoroughly – not without cause, it seemed, as I watched the dude in front of me in line hastily discard two full-sized box cutters security guards demanded that everyone empty their pockets. As soon as I finally got inside, wrangled a beer and staked out a relatively safe spot, I settled in for the night and prepared to be amazed.

Local opener Manahan did an excellent job warming up the crowd. Hailing from Keswick, Ontario and fronted by the shockingly young Cory Manahan (who is not yet twenty), Manahan are defined by their energy and amazing raw talent. Cory Manahan‘s guitar skills are simply preternatural. He is both nimble and passionate, and the songs are hooky and enjoyable, showcasing Manahan’s talent without being overly showy or complex. Manahan recently attracted the attention of renowned metal writer Carl Begai, and after this show it is easy to see why. They were an excellent choice as an opening, and they played a smart, slick and exciting to watch. They already have so much to work with, and so much potential, I can’t help but expect great things from them in the future.

The Acacia Strain, I am sorry to say, were disappointing. The Massachusetts deathcore band do not rev my engine, and their performance fell decidedly flat at this show. Their aesthetic embraces an uncompromising nihilism and negativity that is trying at the best of times, as they do not seem to be angry for anything but anger’s sake. This was an particularly ineffective attitude to have at this event, where the crowd was abuzz with positivity, collectively overjoyed at the prospect of the headlining set. The Acacia Strain’s set drew heavily from Wormwood, their most recent and homogenous record, and the featureless chugs of the riffing plus Vincent Bennett‘s uniform growls became a wall of while noise. The crowd were receptive and moshed along, but I can’t help but think everyone was so excited that they would have moshed to anything.

Before long, however, it was time for the undisputed headliners to begin their set. Smoke machines worked for quite some time before the band made their triumphant entrance, creating a moody fog that made the red and blue lighting seem like it was melting across the room. When Lamb of God made their entrance and the opening chords to “Desolation” sounded, the room erupted. Not for a moment during their entire set did the energy flag, either that from the stage or from the audience. The outspoken and charismatic vocalist Randy Blythe wholeheartedly embraced his role of master of ceremonies, and proved to be both an eloquent and positive. He spoke of playing a show at the Opera House in Toronto years ago, on the very first tour that took them more from spitting distance from their home in Richmond, Virginia. It seems Toronto has had a special place in the band members’ hearts since that first warm reception. It was clear that after a string of stadium shows opening for the likes of Metallica, playing the Phoenix felt positively intimate, and that connection was something both Lamb of God and their fans relished.

The set was as blistering as it was moving. “Walk With Me In Hell” turned into a whole-venue sing-a-long number, and “Ruin” was as transcendent as it was great and terrible. They also played a lot of material from the new album, Resolution, including “The Undertow” and “The Number 6,” which even live comes across as a smoother, slicker and more mature incarnation of their classic, groovy American heavy metal. The crowd was positively rabid, members of the audience throwing themselves at the stage an each other. The entire floor of the Phoenix eventually became a pit, the area right on front of the stage was like a maelstrom, with little eddies and whirlpools breaking out all the way to the very back wall. The venue eventually threw the rear doors open to ease the infernal heat, and people’s bodies near the exit gave off visible steam when the cool air hit them. It was exhausting and sweaty and exultant, the most love concentrated into a single performance that I have seen in a long time.

It’s official: I am moving to Randonesia.

If you were one of the lucky handfuls of people who got to wrap their ears around Citizen‘s Manifesto for the New Patriot album from 2005, you already have a bit of an idea where one-man grindcore blitzkrieg Matthew Widener is going with his new baby, Liberteer. Or not. Manifesto… was originally supposed to come out on Earache/Codebreaker, but someone dropped the fucking ball hard and it never really did. Then, when Widener scored an association with Relapse via Cretin [he plays bass alongside vocalist/guitarist Marissa Martinez and drummer Col Jones; Matt also used to play in Exhumed back in the day] and the band he helps and hangs with, the County Medical Examiners, Manifesto… was supposed to see the light of day then. Didn’t happen there either.

Widener, possibly sick of sitting around waiting, took the bullshit by the horns and created Liberteer and their – well, his – fan-fucking-tastic debut album, Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees. Imagine insanely catchy grindcore driven by military and national anthem-like themes, accented by major-key riffing and super-pissed off lyrics calling the oppressed 99% to arms. It may be a theme and mood that’s been percolating in grind, punk and hardcore since the beginnings of grind, punk and hardcore, but packaged in a way you’ve never heard before. Unless, that is, you heard that Citizen album. Better to Die on Your Feet… is set for release January 31st and despite there being another eleven months to go, I’d be very, very surprised if anything else topples it as my personal album of the year.

Hellbound tracked down Widener and decided to forego the usual interview bullshit for a round of that time-honoured favourite, word association. You know the drill. Ready, aim, go…

Liberty
Bell. Ha. No, I see the color yellow for some reason.

Justice
Failure.

Internet
Freedom and distraction, equal parts.

Exhumed
Couch-surfing. Old friends.

Simon Cowell
Exploitation.

Rambo
Victim.

Housewife
Valium.

Air Travel
Magic.

Beards
Life.

County Medical Examiners
Perfectionists.

Military
Mistakes of machismo.

Drums
Angry neighbors.

Guitars
Shoulder-slung penis with awesome paint job.

Bass
Mystery, hidden heart of music.

Vocals
Throat lozenges.

Non-Profit
Investigate.

Republican
Fear.

Democrat
Ignorant.

Maximum Rock and Roll
Cool kid elitism.

Tattoos
Smile and nod, secretly judge.

Girls
Delightful!

Tattooed Girls
Condoms.

Citizen
Embarrassing. Citizen of what?!

Cretin
Mostly hilarious, subtly forlorn.

Socialism
Compassionate, humane.

English
Stiff upper lip.

Japanese
Noise.

G20
Fucking overlords.

Beer
Ancient, imbibe and be one with past.

Weed
My headache medicine. Also, horny times.

Protest
Responsibility.

Revolution
Hard reset button.

Marissa Martinez
My biggest supporter.

Carcass
Existential truth, purest realization of metal.

Molotov Cocktail
Purification. Toughest drink to swallow.

America
The Beast.

Check in next week for part two of the word association fun…

By Sean Palmerston; Photos by Albert Mansour

Last Friday night was a good night. It was road trip time with good friends and I got to knock another band off my bucket list of must-see groups. The band in question was legendary NY crew Riot. Around the time that Hellbound.ca got rolling in June of 1999, the band played their first reunion show with the Thundersteel era line up of the band and we were lucky enough to have Pharaoh guitar slinger Matt Johnsen do a very thorough review of the show (read it here). It sounded pretty awesome and fellow Hellbound scribe Rob Kachluba decided there and then that if the band played anywhere locally we had to go.

The “local show” ended up being in Rochester NY, some three hours away from Hellbound HQ in Hamilton, ON, but Rob, Albert Mansour and I made the trek after work on Friday night to check it out. Mr. Kachluba was worried about getting there too late to see the entire Riot set, so we departed at 6:45 in hopes of making it to the venue for 10. There was no problem there, we got in and acquainted with the place only to discover that (a) there were four opening bands and (b) the second of said four was still on stage. Great. I have no idea who selected these bands, but I hope they paid him for the honour to open up for Riot. It’s the only thing that would make sense. None of these bands fit well with Riot’s sound, so it was pretty painful waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

It was nearly midnight when Riot hit the stage, after a strangely garbled intro, the three instrumentalists of the band got things going with a ripsnorting take on the classic instrumental “Narita” before vocalist Tony Moore joined them onstage for “Fight Or Fall” and showed the crowd almost immediately that he still has terrific pipes. Moore never missed or dropped a note all night. His voice was perfect through out, just like the performance by the rest of his band. Of course, Riot guitarist and founding member Mark Reale wasn’t there for the show. I am sure you all know by now that he passed away only a few days after this show, but the band had his guitar case front and centre on stage in tribute to their missing leader. In his absence, the band’s lead guitarist Mike Flyntz did such an amazing job that it’s still giving me goosebumps a week later. Having never seen him perform live before, I can definitely say that Flyntz is very underrated. Looking similar to Jeff Beck, he had no problem filling the air with wicked riffs and some very tasty soloing without becoming showy.

Over the course of nearly eighty minutes the band played a great selection of material from the early years of the band as well as the Thundersteel/Privilege of Power years. It was just fantastic to hear “Road Racin” and “Warrior” side by side with new track “Riot” and my personal fave Thundersteel song “Flight Of The Warrior”. Bassist Don Van Stavern was the most animated, jumping up on the stage’s outer wall and pushing the crowd to really get into it; drummer Bobby Jarzombek was in great shape, never missing a fill and even throwing in some cymbal splashes behind his head. This band live is a well-oiled machine indeed!

Riot’s set was a whirlwind affair, ending way too early. The band did give the smallish crowd of approximately 125 people an encore of “Swords and Tequila” and “Thundersteel”, but it was still way too short for my liking. I wish they could have played for two hours plus, but I am sure the absolute freezing temperature in the club – Tony Moore mentioned it was the first time he had ever played a show without breaking a sweat – didn’t encourage them to play any longer. Nonetheless, their set gets full marks from this impressed writer. I only hope that Reale’s death this week doesn’t mean this will be the band’s final US show ever. RIP Mr. Reale, you will be missed.

By Natalie Zed; live photos by Adam Wills

I’ve been looking forward to this show for ages. Fellow Hellbound writer and friend Justin M. Norton suggested I check out Ghost months ago and I was immediately smitten with the retro coolness of their sound, and the disparity of their surprisingly upbeat music paired with unabashedly occult and infernal lyrics. I was so disappointed when they could not get into the country to join Enslaved and Alcest on tour (recently I heard a rumour that was because they put their stage names on their visa forms – can you imagine working for the border and getting paperwork from Nameless Ghoul and Papa Emeritus?). When it was announced that they had successfully been cleared to travel and would be headlining, I was overjoyed. Theatricality is a necessary and vital part of heavy metal, in my mind. From the carefully choreographed violence of hardcore to the complex film projections of prog, the live metal experience is as much about putting on a show as it is purely playing music. Ghost promised to deliver on this front, and that definitely revs my engine.

The night started off somewhat lacklustre with a set from Ancient Vvisdom. The self-styled “metal rock ‘n’ roll” band from Austin, Texas sound a lot like a dirtier, folkier Alice In Chains. Though they had lots of carelessly applied makeup, battle jackets and small animal bones strewn about the stage, I got the feeling that they were playing, that they were really something more akin of a hard indie rock band just trying on the trappings of metal in an ironic way. The front man of Ancient VVisdom is also the percussionist (I can’t call someone who plays two cymbals and a tom a drummer, even if he uses a length of chain as often as drumsticks), and he certainly pours out energy into the performance. They did ease into their set, I can say that I enjoyed the last two songs, but they didn’t seem comfortable enough with their own aesthetic to really pull it off.

I’ve seen Blood Ceremony in smaller venues and less auspicious circumstances, and have always been impressed; at this show they completely blew me away with their intensity and skill. The band are based right here in Toronto, and are surely one of the city’s hard rock gems. They both terrorized and thrilled the Mod Club with a top-notch performance. Blood Ceremony call themselves “witch-rock,” and perform a combination of occult metal, harsh folk and horror infused classic rock. Frontwoman Alia O’Brien is an arresting figure, performing with heavy, Nefertiti-like eyeliner and black hot pants, the long fringes on her coat accentuating the swooping movements of her arms as she switched between singing (in a smoky, coke-dark voice), playing the flute (eerie and playful) and pressing the keys of the organ (oppressive and moody). Their set was vibrant, vital, heavy, and super playful and enjoyable too. They put on a weird performance that is also supremely great to witness. They have been deservedly enjoying quite a bit of success this year after the release of their sophomore album, Living With The Ancients (March 2011), and touring Europe. They deserve even more support, and especially more love and attention locally If you have not checked this band out I sincerely advise that you do!

Ghost are a band who thrive on theatricality; it is their life blood. A red velvet curtain obscured the stage the entire time the band was setting up, and came up as the opening notes of the intro music began to play, with the band already on stage and dramatically backlit. There can be no doubt that the undead cardinal Papa Emeritus and his band of hooded Nameless Ghouls are a imposing sight, and the dramatic coloured lighting in lurid shades of red, pink and green makes everything even more surreal.

Musically, however, it pains me to say that their set was only okay. Vocalist and front-demon Papa Emeritus’ voice started out on “Deus Culpa” kind of weird and pitchy, as though he had not warmed up.

Ghost clearly settled into the show, and while the performance never lagged and the illusion was seamless, the music was just decent. The cheerfulness of the record, Opus Eponymous, works as a recorded piece but as a live show the upbeat garage rock seems not only at odds with the incredible perfomativity of anything else, but becomes almost thin and weak in comparison. The performance benefited from a tight set, barely 50 minutes in length. Ghost played their whole album plus a cover of “Here Comes The Sun” (which was great) and no encore, just the red curtain coming down and again obscuring the stage. I fully enjoyed myself, loved the spectacle of it, and look I forward to the band touring and performing more, and in the process getting better at their live sets and improving their charisma.

With the festive season being a confusing nightmare of rampant consumerism and endless celebrations of myths well past their use-by date, it’s easy to get behind. I’m sitting on a stack of albums that thoroughly deserve a review. Solution: short and snappy write-ups. These reviews may not be as in-depth as I’d normally write, but that’s no reflection on the quality of the albums covered.

First up is a triptych of death metal. Each band represents a different branch of Señor Death’s family, and each serves as a reminder of the hefty muscle that lurks in the underground.

Horrendous— The Chills (Dark Descent)

Reading up on Horrendous before I sat down to give their debut full-length The Chills a spin, I discovered a thread of criticism bemoaning the fact that the band sound a little old-school. Somehow the band’s obvious fondness for a ’90s Stockholm sound had become an issue, albeit for a minority of death metal fans.

There’s no denying the band craft a vintage sound, but then, Horrendous clearly weren’t aiming to reinvent the wheel with The Chills, and if we’re willing to celebrate a plethora of other retro-inclined death metal acts, then why not Horrendous? The answer to those who think the band’s Entombed and Grave worship reeks of nostalgia seems fairly straightforward: there are a million other progressive or technical death metal bands to choose from. It’s your choice, you know what you’re getting here, and as it happens, The Chills is an excellent album—stacked with rough, raw, and yes, throwback death metal.

I’ll skip comparisons, suffice to say Horrendous’ songwriting and arrangements have many of the hallmarks of that classic Swedish era of death metal. But it would do the band a huge disservice to simply say they mimic the period. There’s ample variation on The Chills—melodic riffs, icy doom-like flourishes and gritty thrash is mixed in as well. Tracks like the opening trio, “The Womb”, “Ripped to Shreds” and “Altar”, all have distinct characteristics, as do the rest. There’s really no sense of ‘same old, same old’ here—aside from the fact that all the tracks have a similar weightiness—and by the time the epic, multipart final track, “The Eye of Madness”, rolls around, there’s ample evidence that Horrendous don’t deal in uninspired clichés. In fact, if “The Eye of Madness” is anything to go by, the band’s future direction will be very interesting indeed.

Horrendous haven’t set out to produce anything revolutionary, but just because the band happens to look upon the ’90s with some affection doesn’t mean The Chills is worthy of less attention than some technical whizz-kids. As it stands, The Chills more than serves its purpose, which is, at the end of the day, to provide some unyielding death metal. On that count, Horrendous have definitely delivered.

Ominous Crucifix — The Spell of Damnation (FDA Rekotz)

Ugly, fetid and obstinate. That about sums up The Spell of Damnation, the debut album from Mexican occult death metal maestros Ominous Crucifix. Thirty-eight minutes of churning and fervently esoteric odes that’ll be tempting, at least to some degree, to fans of Sonne Adam, Ignivomous or Teitanblood.

Filled with primarily mid-tempo dirges, The Spell of Damnation essentially crawls from one track to the next with little regard to any huge change in cadence. Admittedly, that could be a problem, especially if you were after something a little more dynamic, but it suits the sinister rhythm of the material well. There’s no great stylistic leap between “Defiling the Altars of an Absent God”, “Church of Death” or “Repulsive Sanctification of the Absurd”, nor are any of the other tracks substantially different in tone, but there’s a steadfastness to the album—a sense of determined, vehement occultism.

The Spell of Damnation is only Ominous Crucifix’s first full-length, and after a split, demo and EP there’s still plenty of time for the band to develop—not that they really need to in any great regard, as they’ve certainly found their chosen path. As it is, I’d be happy to recommend this to any fan of diabolic death metal. There’s a crudity, wickedness and primordial magnetism to The Spell of Damnation that’s not easy to ignore.

Vore — Gravehammer (Self Released)

I can’t think of a single reason why Vore aren’t signed to a label. The band’s been cranking out self-released albums of mid-paced death metal since 1994, and if the stripped-back, bone-dry production on their latest Gravehammer is anything to go by, they’ve got their sound nailed down tight as a tornado shelter. Maybe it all comes down to the band’s familiarity with other acts—there are traces of Cannibal Corpse and Bolt Thrower to be found here—but it would be a hugely dishonorable charge to suggest the band are copping riffs off anyone. With 17 years of metal soldiering behind them, Vore have their own arsenal to draw from.

The band’s mix of thrash-tinged death metal meets all the requirements for anyone looking for some solid pulverizing grooves. The album’s stacked with hulking numbers: “The Unseen Hand”, “The Claw Is the Law”, “Sacerdotum Tyrannis” and “Progeny of the Leviathans” all have a great neck-snapping compression about them. There’s also no doubt the years of touring and recording have melded the band into a tight unit, and while there’s no great deal of overt technicality on offer—Gravehammer is more battering than innovative—that doesn’t take anything away from the album’s quality. It might be a touch ‘Floridian old-school’, but Vore have a long history, and if you want to make comparisons, Exhumed and Jungle Rot are both veteran acts staking out rigid positions, and no-one’s criticizing them for sticking to what they’re good at. Brutality, consistency and dedicated savagery, those are the hallmarks of Gravehammer. And it would seem, Vore as well.

Corrosion of Conformity will be released on Candlelight Records on February 28, 2012.

Thanks,

Sean Palmerston

Sympathetic Resonance is out now on Metal Blade.

The response was pretty much positive across the board as to participating in the poll. A few writers did politely back out from submitting, feeling they hadn’t heard enough Canadian albums released this year, fair enough, and some submitted only one album for their list. However, the final outcome of this list has not been tampered with, changed, fucked with, etc. etc. by anyone – the bands are listed in the order they were voted by our great contributors. So, without further adieu, here are the Top 10 Canadian Metal Albums of 2011, counted down from #10 to #1 with a brief write up on each. Please enjoy.

#10: Cauldron – Burning Fortune

(Earache)

I’m always one to espouse the inclusivity of heavy metal, how it’s for everyone and not for just a select few, and indeed Cauldron’s second album is the kind of perfectly realized traditional heavy metal that all metal fans should appreciate. That said, though, there’s a certain Canadian metal demographic that Cauldron fits comfortably with like an old bullet belt. If you lived and breathed heavy metal in Canada in the 1980s, collected Banzai cassettes, watched the Power Hour religiously, read Metallion, bought Moose Molten Metal (both volumes), and listened to Reckless, Thor, and Hateful Snake, then Burning Fortune is for you. With Dokken’s Under Lock and Key and Scorpions’ Blackout serving as the templates, Cauldron take on the more melodic side of ‘80s metal and absolutely nail it with hook-driven songs like “All or Nothing”, “Miss You to Death”, and “Tears Have Come”, producer Jameson Elliott eschewing all modern trappings in favor of a style that’s sincerely classic rather than tritely “retro”. All we need now, guys, is to hear that cover of Gowan’s “Moonlight Desires” you’ve recorded.
Adrien Begrand

#9: ANVIL – Juggernaut of Justice

(The End Records)

Call it a return to form, finally finding the right producer or the acclaim from the documentary kicking the band in the ass, Anvil have created an incredible record. Juggernaut of Justice is catchy, inspired and memorable for the right reasons. This is the album that Anvil needed to make, following all the hoopla surrounding the documentary and this does not disappoint. Anvil have outdone themselves and created an album that fits easily amongst their classics and is miles ahead of recent output. This is not only a great album it’s an important one for both Anvil and Canadian metal.
Jason Wellwood

#8: FUCKED UP – David Comes To Life

(Matador)

David Comes To Life is clearly not a metal album, but it is an album that a few of our metal writers love voraciously. In fact, two writers made it their number one album of the year. It’s not as crazy as their earlier records, but this concept record is sort of like a modern day equivalent to Husker Du’s classic Zen Arcade album in that it is timeless and definitely something that an open minded metal fan could enjoy. Not an album that made my top ten, but it is one that I enjoy nonetheless.

Sean Palmerston

#7: UNTIMELY DEMISE – City Of Steel

(Sonic Unyon Metal)

Saskatoon’s thrash warriors Untimely Demise originally released City of Steel on their own, however the Glen Drover (ex-Megadeth, Eidolon) produced album grabbed the attention of Hamilton’s Sonic Unyon who have just reissued the album on their new Sonic Unyon Metal imprint. One listen to this album (which track wise is identical to the self released version) will explain why this band was so sought after by the label. These youngsters know their old school thrash and also know how to lay it down without sounding like a revivalist or retro act. There is also a smattering of melodic death metal in their sound, which combined with Drover’s clean production helps to give the album a modern feel without detracting from the dirty thrash growl of Matt Cuthbertson. Rounded out by a solid rhythm section in Matt’s brother Murray on bass and Scott Cross on drums, it’s easy to hear Untimely Demise haven’t tried to make their music too difficult and intricate, which really works to their advantage
Jason Wellwood

#6: MITOCHONDRION – Parasignosis

(Profound Lore)

Any metal band named after partners in the symbiote relationships that make up our bodies is bound to perk interest. The fact that Victoria, B.C.-based Mitochondrion produce music that is also a relentless and tiring combination of death and black metal is a major plus. Parasignosis is the band’s first full-length release on a label like Profound Lore, and if it’s that relationship which has enabled the efforts found here, then hopefully it will continue. To refer to the band’s music as “tiring” is a compliment — Mitochondrion’s sophomore album is an exhausting ride. Its intertwined layers invoke both the messiness and complexity of the human body itself. Ending on a lengthy, different, but welcome ambient/noise metal note, Parasignosis is one of the strongest combinations of black and death metal I’ve heard in a while.
Jonathan Smith

#5: DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT – Ghost

(Inside Out / E1 Canada)

Ghost is one of a pair of albums released by the indefatigable Canadian heavy music icon in 2011, the softer, lunar twin to the complex and chaotic Deconstruction. It’s an album characterized by emotional integrity and musical restraint. The instrumentation is simple and spare, sometimes reduced to a single flute melody or a few sweet, strummed notes on Townsend’s guitar. There’s a deep peace at the album’s core, and even at its most emotionally passionate and sonically intense there’s an almost Zen sense of quiet beneath everything else. Where Deconstruction is a roiling ocean, a seething cauldron filled with strange ingredients and brimstone, Ghost retains the purity of a lonely beach cove. It’s that rare heavy album that can only be described as quiet.
Natalie Zed

#4: BLOOD CEREMONY – Living With The Ancients

(Rise Above / Metal Blade)

A lot has happened in the world of hard rock and metal since Blood Ceremony released their self-titled debut some three years ago. Most surprisingly has been the reemergence of female fronted occult tinged bands. In no short time, an entire scene has emerged which includes bands such as The Devil’s Blood, Jex Thoth, etc., most of which released their debuts in and around the same time (early 2008). Living With The Ancients still has much of the same sound of the first BC album, but things have been put together much better second time out. The band (thanks to a new bassist) is a tighter, more focused unit than they were on the debut, the song-writing chops have been tightened up a bit and the album production this time around, courtesy of current go-to-guy Sanford Parker, is a perfect fit. Living With The Ancients is a strong step forward for a band that is definitely on its way to making its mark.
Sean Palmerston

#3: DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: Deconstruction

(Inside Out / E1 Canada)

As with most Devin Townsend releases, Deconstruction offers a little more with each listen and encompasses a tremendous range of dramatic extremes. Townsend’s expert guest star recruitment is among the album’s most enticing qualities, with each performer’s particular talents enhancing the tumultuous atmosphere and emotional possibilities of the tracks to which they lend a hand (or, more often, voice). A conceptual narrative journey, Deconstruction reaches a peak of ridiculousness heading into its final tracks, but the story and performance – including layer upon layer of guitar, orchestration, choirs, and so on – fuses the inane with the surprisingly profound. In the end, it all comes to a rather abrupt stop, which is, perhaps, the record’s profoundest statement of all.
Laura Wiebe

#2 FUCK THE FACTS – Die Miserable

(Relapse)

Fuck the Facts grow and evolve with every release without losing sight of what it is they do or alienating their fanbase (which is the real trick). Allowing the ‘new’ band members to contribute to the writing and creation of this album has helped to make Die Miserable the heaviest, most diverse album of the band’s career and ‘Census Blank’ may very well be the best song they’ve ever recorded. Die Miserable is both the logical next step and a left turn for the band, making things at once familiar and exciting and this album essential.
Jason Wellwood

#1: KEN MODE - Venerable

(Profound Lore)

Upon going into the recording of Venerable, the members of Winnipeg’s KEN Mode were at a crossroads; an extreme music equivalent of a mid-life crisis you could say. The Matthewson brothers (guitarist/vocalist Jesse and his drumming bro Shane) were both ensconced in accountancy careers, but the fire and desire to take an all-encompassing stab at the band that has been part of their lives for fourteen years was being stoked. What came out on the other end of their decision to dive head first into putting their careers on hold so that they can play metallic noise rock and tour until their nipples fall off is one of the year’s masterworks. Abrasiveness and infectiousness find a happy home on Venerable‘s sculpted anthems which, unsurprisingly, are some of the best songs they’ve ever written.
Kevin Stewart-Panko