“If we in the audience are puppets whose strings are manipulated by artists, then Townsend is both puppeteer and lead puppet, a living caricature of the genre who takes such obvious joy in poking fun at both the scene and his own place within it. His performances are both sincere and satirical, and that is what makes them unique.”

Jonathan Smith reviews the December 10th performance of Devin Townsend in Toronto. Live photos by Adam Wills.

“I’ve been looking forward to enjoying another love set by UnexpecT since I saw them play at Sneaky Dee’s last year, and they delivered on all of my very high expectations. The experimental French Canadian band are the very embodiment of an avant-garde aesthetic combined with a dauntless independent spirit.”

Live review by Natalie Zed.

Jay H. Gorania reviews the 2011 edition of Fun Fun Fun Fest, which happened in Austin, TX in early November.

However controversial and dark, Mayhem is still incredibly important aesthetically and culturally. It’s also relatively rare the the band successfully crosses borders, making this a rare Canadian appearance.

Vital and blistering on stage, and with a new album scheduled for February release, Napalm Death laid waste the Rickshaw and Vancouver’s grind-starved crowd.

An eclectic line up was the order of the night in Toronto at the Wreck Room. Prog metal legends Cynic with 3, Scale the Summit and a recently added The Ocean were to play this showcase of musical talent.

“Anthrax, Testament, and Death Angel on the same bill, you say? Only an hour and a half drive away, you say? Consider me there.”

Justin Richardson reviews the awesome triple bill of Anthrax, Testament and Death Angel when they performed in Charlotte, NC on November 5th

“Opeth have reached a strange point in their career. Despite their ability to pack the house, it was clear that the evening’s choice of songs would have been better suited to a more intimate environment. I was actually surprised that the band didn’t decide to play Heritage in its entirety. It seemed like it would have been an easy-enough thing to do, and it was not as though they contrasted their newer songs with the heaviest of the old.”

Jonathan Smith reviews the October 30th performances by Opeth and Katatonia in Guelph, Ontario. Live photos by Adam Wills.