Hellbound.ca’s TOP 20 ALBUMS OF 2010, Part Four
Ladies and gentleman, the TOP 5 METAL ALBUMS OF 2010 according to the contributing writers of Hellbound.ca..
Jonathan Smith
Something Wicked This Way Comes: Watain/Goatwhore/Black Anvil @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, December 4, 2010
“With Watain, there is no division between style and substance. Far from invoking the more alienating or shoe-gazing aspects of black metal, they invited the audience into their circle with their high-energy antics. They are, at their core, rock and roll at its extreme margins — noisy, nasty, problematic, maybe even unpredictable.”
Jonathan Smith reviews the December 4th Toronto performance by WATAIN, GOATWHORE and BLACK ANVIL at the Opera House.
Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit
Marrow of the Spirit is not, personally, the musical paradigm shift that was Ashes Against The Grain. It is instead a welcome development of and contribution to Agalloch’s catalogue, an album that is a sure contender for the inevitable “best of” lists coming up.
STAFF PLAYLISTS: October 2010
Hellbound’s staff give our picks for Halloween-themed songs to coincide with one of our favourite holidays.
BXI: Boris & Ian Astbury
Since hearing about its upcoming release, I’ve wondered what kind of compilation Astbury and a band whose output has been as diverse as Boris’ has been would produce. Well, now I have an answer: such an effort is short and sweet, which is a problem when only half of it is really good.
Wolvhammer – Black Marketeers of World War III
In the end, Black Marketeers of World War III is an enjoyable but standard album that doesn’t make a long-lasting impression or distinguish itself from its musical brethren. Wolvhammer’s hearts and minds are obviously in the right places, but this fact plus a few memorable musical moments isn’t enough to make for a record that stand-outs out from the pack.
Immortal / Eclipse Eternal / Panzerfaust @ The Opera House, Toronto, ON, March 27, 2010
Immortal never failed to acknowledge the momentous occasion that their appearance was for the diehards in the crowd. From their frequent praising of the crowd to Abbath’s invocation of fan worship during “Tyrants,” the band’s antics never failed to garner overly-excited cheers from fans who had obviously been long bursting a gut to see their heroes in the flesh. While there was no fire-breathing to be had, Abbath and company didn’t fail to prove their musical chops.
Jonathan Smith reviews Immortal’s March 27th concert at Toronto’s Opera House. Panzerfaust and Eclipse Eternal also appeared. All concert photos by Adam Wills.
Nebula, The Entrance Band, Skull, Eaglefight @ The Casbah, Hamilton ON, August 19, 2009
The band was set against a bright backing light placed on the stage and played amidst a good amount of swirling fog. While still fairly “psychedelic” in both appearance and sound, Nebula brought a rougher and more road rock edge to their live performance than their more ambient fellow Californians. The songs were shorter, and at times sounded almost as though they were about to veer into more groovy, rock-radio friendly territory. It was a necessary shot of adrenaline after a fairly long and sweaty night, and the band ensured they kept things moving.