Natalie Zed reviews the September 22nd performance by Evergrey, Sabaton and Powerglove at Toronto’s Opera House.

Last nite, Kyuss Lives! kicked off its North American tour in Toronto, with support from The Sword and MonstrO. To say that the venue was a little out of the way would be an understatement, and the support was a little underwhelming, but I woulda given a kidney to see 90 minutes of Kyuss tunes in the flesh. I’m just glad I didn’t have to!

So, last weekend’s Sled Island festival was pretty solid. Sleep, The Sword, Dead Meadow, Bison B.C., Red Fang–I really can’t complain. Well, not about the lineup, anyways. But after defending Calgary as an affordable city to live in, I found out otherwise during my trip there last weekend…

“Arriving at the Opera House a little late (missing Unleash the Archers for the TIFF presentation of Takashi Miike’s 13 Assassins) we walked into a friendly greeting from Leaves’ Eyes growler Alex Krull. That second or two was characteristic of the relaxed and intimate vibe that held for the rest of the night. With Kamelot off the line-up, the Leaves’ Eyes / Blackguard billing drew a smaller crowd, making it easy to get close to the stage and giving the in-between-song banter a more conversational tone. The casual atmosphere made me a little more forgiving of the often muddy mix for all three bands that blurred some of what, on record, comes across fairly clean and precise.”

“Raven stormed the stage last, serving as both main course and dessert for this particular metal buffet. It was fascinating to watch this legendary NWOBHM band perform after Cauldron and Skullfist had already worked the audience over. The only word to appropriately describe the experience is “educational.” This is the aesthetic that the younger bands are going for; this is the original template they’re paying homage to.”

Natalie Zed shares her evening with original and modern classic heavy metallers, Skullfist, Cauldron, and the legendary Raven. Photos by Albert Mansour.

Lucky number seven! The seventh installment of the Hellbound Handshake Clip Of The Week is a doozy! Pentagram playing “Forever My Queen” at Maryland Deathfest VIII

I have yet to attend a metal show that I am not excited about. It’s an excitement that transcends ticket price, record label, venue, or profile. Whether I am going to see a deep-underground band playing in a tiny bar, or a legend taking on the ACC, I experience the same moment of unrestrained pleasure when I step out my door wearing heavy boots and carrying earplugs in my pocket.

Natalie Zed reviews Obituary/Entombed/Rumplestiltskin Grinder in Toronto, accompanied with photography by Adam Wills.

“But as fans slowly drifted away, they could rest assured these talented and prolific musicians would live to play another day, even if in a different incarnation than the one they saw on stage tonight.”

Cara Cross reviews ISIS on the Vancouver stop of their North American farewell tour.