Live Report: Dark Tranquillity, Warbringer and Striker at The Mod Club in Toronto

        Tonight was a night of aggression at The Mod Club in Toronto, from Thrash Metal to Death Metal we saw Dark Tranquillity bring their "Atoma" world tour through presumably one last time before heading back into the studio for the bands next album. With them came two newer bands, California based Thrash Metal band Warbringer and Canada's own Striker, who both have released an album in 2017 and want to get out and show some or all of it off to fans new and old.


        Tonight was the first time I had seen the venue take advantage of the screens they have, so for Striker, who opened the show, instead of having a backdrop they had their name on the screen behind them. This was the only band I had seen previously, having seen them play with Annihilator and Razor in 2016. The band are out tonight to show off their new, self-titled album as well as a couple old songs. The older fans were obvious as Striker have a sort of Power Metal vibe mixed in with their Thrash base, the choruses are much more catchy than normal, songs like "Former Glory", "Born to Lose" and "Phoenix Lights" had all the older fans singing along while the new fans watch in awe and headbang along. The real highlight of the set was, as an opening band, getting an entire venue to sing along with "Fight for your Life" playing a game of back and forth with the band singing "Fight for your life" to be answered with "fight for your freedom".


        With the crowd ready from Striker, it was time for Warbringer to bring "Woe to the Vanquished" to the masses (you thought I was gonna say "bring war", didn't you?). Warbringer played the new album, in its entirety, on this tour and it was an incredible experience as the album has so much diverse and intense sections to it. Opening with "Silhouettes", the audience was ready to go as this is one of the more standard Thrash songs on the album, its incredibly fast paced full of wicked riffs. The big song I was looking forward to hearing was "Shellfire", it's an incredibly written song that I couldn't help but praise in my review of the album back when it came out. The intensity of the music following the blast of shellfire was probably one of my favourite things about their performance, hair was everywhere and the solo following sounds just as emotional and intense as it does on record. Then you have slower songs like "Spectral Asylum" that are more lyrics based and everyone just stares. Warbringer had complete and total control over the audience, and once they finished their 11:11 epic "When the Guns Fell Silent" the band brought out "Total War" and the pit went into high gear. A full and intense set from Warbringer and we still haven't even hit the headliner.


        Dark Tranquillity took full advantage of the screens the venue had, showing off videos that followed the songs and the band wasted no time once they hit the stage. I'll be honest, I didn't know much Dark Tranquillity before this, but I was enthralled by their brand of Melodic Death Metal. The band kicked off with "Force of Hand" which seemed to integrate what the band had to offer, power, melody and a symphonic element and of course, guitar solos. Not everything goes off without a hitch though as vocalist Mikael Stanne backed into the drum riser and had a bit of a tumble, nearly taking out the keyboard with him, luckily he was not hurt and it turned into a bit of a joke for the rest of the night. Not knowing much from Dark Tranquillity wasn't an issue in the slightest and the one big song I wanted to hear was pretty close to the beginning of the set luckily, when the band whipped out "The Treason Wall" the pit officially opened and everything got intense, the floor was full of energy from people jumping and singing along to the intensity of the pit, everyone was having a blast. The height of the pit was during "Final Resistance" an I made the unfortunate mistake of trying to move through the pit when this song started and since I was already there, may as well enjoy it right? The next morning was pretty rough. At no point that night did the energy die and when the band went into their final song "Misery's Crown" all the diehard fans showed themselves, singing along and jumping to the beat. While I'm sure the majority of the audience knew Dark Tranquillity, I can tell you they made a fan out of me and if you're a Melodic Death Metal fan, if you've enjoyed an In Flames or Amon Amarth concert, this is a band you absolutely must check out live.

Bloodbound "War of Dragons" Review

                Power Metal and dragons go together like peanut butter and jam and Bloodbound are showing this off to the fullest extent with their newest release “War of Dragons” released through AFM Records. Without a doubt, this is the definition of Power Metal, as “War of Dragon” takes you on a fantastic fantasy journey through time and space to show you the war of dragons.

                Kicking off with “Battle in the Sky” and “Tears of a Dragonheart” you get a very quick grasp of what this album with be like. Fast paced, impressive riffs, consistent and impressive musicianship with awe inspiring solos and of course, the majestic voice of Patrik Johansson. The opener “Battle in the Sky” is fairly straight forward, doesn’t toss you any curve balls and just kind of allows you to get use to what Bloodbound are here to do, take you on a journey and shred. Much like the track before it, “Tears of a Dragonheart” is much of the same, an introduction to the other part of Bloodbound. The side that instead of being straight of Power Metal, packs more of a punch, has more of a Speed Metal backing to it and the solo in this song shows it all, making the one in “Battle in the Sky” look like something a child would play.

                Instrumentally and vocally this album is impressive, beginning to end, it was unexpected to say the least. While Power Metal isn’t all that easy to find the exact bands that influenced them, there was one stand out song on that album that had a very Judas Priest vibe in the style it was written and the way it was done, specifically vocally. “King of Swords” is very reminiscent of “All Guns Blazing” off of Judas Priest’s album “Painkiller”, the vocals kick off with such sheer power that they almost sound harsh, like they’re about to belt out some crazy Death Metal vocals, before leading into something more similar to the rest of the album, while still maintaining Power and Speed.

                To round up everything stated above, this is a Power Metal album for anyone who’s a fan of Power Metal, the musicianship is incredible, the production is top notch and everything is mixed in so well that it doesn’t feel like anything is overpowering anything else, while still being able to hear every aspect of the album, which is where a lot of bands of every genre fail. If you’re a Power Metal fan, or you’re looking for a place to start, this is it. Bloodbound blew all expectations out of the water with “War of Dragons”.

100/100

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Striker "Striker" Review

        Canada's premier Thrash/Power Metal band Striker are back with "Striker". The new self titled album comes complete with ten new rocking tunes to take you right back to the heydays of 80s Heavy Metal. Now, I know I sound like one of those terrible CD commercials that use to be on before the rise of digital downloads, but it's for good reason, this album kills.

        The album kicks off at an absolute high with “Former Glory”, “Pass Me By” and “Born to Lose”. The thing about Striker's self titled album is they’ve found this perfect mix of old school Thrash/Speed Metal and almost radio Hard Rock, without sounding like they’ve “sold out”. It’s the kind of Metal that a lot of people can get into and will help them find the wonderful world of Metal. With songs like “Born to Lose” I would actually expect to hear it on the radio, the song is catchy and melodic in all the right ways while maintaining its Thrash roots with its speed, power and of course, technicality in the solos. This is a formula present through a lot of the album, this is a band that found a way to bridge people from listening to Rock radio to listening to Slayer.

         A few more standout songs on the album are “Rock the Night”, “Freedom's Call” and “Curse of the Dead”, continuing to prove what Striker have to show you. Of these three, pretty much of Striker’s entire discography, “Freedom's Call” is the most standout to me. It’s a song that shows everything the band has, melody, technicality, intensity, emotion, power, you name it.

        Canada's very own Striker and their new self titled album is a push in the right direction. The bands last outing “Stand in the Fire” was one of the best impulse buys I’ve made musically in a while at the time and I didn’t know how the band intended to step up from that. The new self titled album really shows the growth of the band, a band that knows the fans like a specific sound from them but they can’t release the same album every couple of years.

90/100

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Malacoda "Ritualis Aeterna" Review

The style of “Ritualis Aeterna” is quite unique, Malacoda have found a way to blend the styles of old school Heavy Metal mixed with some Horror tropes into the instrumentals and the use of the keys really helps to push your emotions in the direction the story is trying to make you feel. The real draw here is the vocal style of Lucas Di Mascio, the beautiful blend of haunting Power Metal vocals, almost Manson-style Industrial yells and of course the terrifying Black Metal vocals makes for a very unique experience. By mixing the different styles the tone of the song shifts drastically and gives off the idea of multiple characters to the stories.

Kicking off with “Penny Dreadful”, you get the full experience of the mixed that band is capable of. Starting off with an almost upbeat sounding Power Metal riff and vocals, you can’t expect the tone to shift so dramatically that you'd think you just changed over to Dimmu Borgir. The reason the sudden shift works is it gives urgency, you’re just going along with the Power Metal sound that when the sound changes that much your mind goes “damn, what did I just miss” and if you’re anything like me, will make you want to read into the lyrics and follow the story that’s being played out for you.

Another song that shows off the style really well, probably a little bit better actually, is “There Will Always Be One”, but since it’s the same sort of idea I want to focus on its intro, “Linger Here”, first. The thing about “Linger Here” is it comes out of nowhere, the song is a ballad, not a long one but a ballad nonetheless. It’s a bit of a risky move to throw something like this in the album, it can throw a lot of people off and make them skip that part of the album, but I think the length and placement is perfect. It's the second to last track on the album so at that point you’re already pretty invested in finishing out the album. On top of that, it’s short so before you really realize and might decide to change it, it’s over and you’re in the next track. Lastly, as a ballad it obviously has a sad tone to it so it lasts long enough to make you feel exactly what Malacoda want you to feel, without bumming you out for the rest of the day.

Overall, I think this is an exceptional album that deserves a lot of praise. Malacoda put everything they could into “Ritualis Aeterna” just to make an outstanding release and if I can convince just a couple of you this album is worth giving a chance then maybe it’ll end up with the recognition it deserves.

95/100

Interview with Twilight Force

Hi there, how are you today?

Greetings! We are absolutely magical, thank you!


Must be hectic getting everything ready for the release of “Heroes of Might and Magic” and touring for the album, eh?

Well, since the album has now been out for a little while, we can testify to the fact that things were indeed hectic, and they have not ceased to be either. We are now hard at work preparing for the upcoming tour, and completing all other chores and quests following the release.


We are still about a week from the release, at what point does it hit you that it’s really getting out there?

As already mentioned, the album was released a while ago; but we’re not sure it has even hit us to this day. We were so immersed in the making of the album, that it has been difficult to detach oneself from the creative mindset and adapt to every day life again. However, it was truly a relief to finally present all our hard work and spell crafting to the mortal world.


“Heroes of Might and Magic” much like your first album “Tales of Ancient Prophecies” is a concept album of magic and fantasy, can you tell us a bit about the story on this one?

Conceptually, we have put a lot of time and effort into unveiling the lore and tales of our realm, The Twilight Kingdoms, and much of what was hitherto held in mystery is finally revealed on Heroes of Mighty Magic. The songs on the album does not really collectively follow a specific timeline or a given storyline, but are rather a collection of tales derived from ancient as well as contemporary legends from The Twilight Kingdoms. So prepare for a magical journey across mythical kingdoms and through arcane prophecies!


Where do you start when it comes to writing a full story album like this? Do you almost have to write a storyboard and go from there?

Maybe both yes and no. Since most of the tales are standalone fragments from the history of The Twilight Kingdoms, we can pretty much tailor and fit the stories to match the songs as they take shape. And since we always compose and arrange the music before we implement any lyrics, the music acts as a sparkling gateway to what the song should portray and express in terms of lyrical themes. So, following the mood of the music, the lyrical theme and tale of a particular song pretty much manifests itself naturally.


Making all the instrumentals, vocals and lyrics work together in a story element must take an astounding amount of time, how do you begin the works on each song and decide what works and what doesn’t?

It takes a long time indeed. But it is an exciting journey, and the sense of fulfillment after completing a demanding arrangement is enormously satisfying. It is a remarkably long research from the first spark of a rudimentary incantation to a finished spell and song. However, the initial writing process is often a rather swift endeavour, believe it or not. What takes time is the meticulously detailed arranging of musical elements, perfecting melodies and lyrics as well as going back and forth with a myriad of ideas, sounds and instrumentations until it all comes together in magical harmony. We are however blessed in this respect, since most of the composing takes place in our own studio The Twilight Forge, where we can spend countless hours experimenting until perfection. In regards to composing; it often begins with a melody or a theme. And we find that working around an orchestra and the piano often yields the most pleasing results, and is the most efficient way to summon different motifs and experiment with different timbres.


What is the recording process like? Having all the normal instrumentals plus the orchestration must take a ton of time to get ready and put together in the studio.

Yes, that is true, it does take aeons. The groundwork of the songs are composed by Lynd and Blackwald, and when the basic structures are all laid out, we begin the thorough work of adding elements and details layer by layer. Live instruments are all added as we go along, and things build up over time. But to be as efficient as possible, and to optimise the results, we always make thorough pre-productions of all live instruments. So when the time comes for all members to actually record the final takes, there is no hesitation as to what is supposed to be played or sung at any given moment or part.


As Twilight Force picks up a following and gets bigger, do you see yourself organising a full production stage show much like Dio use to do and King Diamond continues to do?

Absolutely, the possibilities are endless, and it would be fantastic to be able to offer an absolutely exquisite and magical experience to our followers. Live performances are an integral part of what we are, and we do what we can with the means currently at our disposal to make our performances unforgettable, mirthful and emotional. But we also have many ideas and future plans; so it is an ever-evolving journey indeed. To some day be able to hatch a dragonling or summon an imp on stage would truly be a heartwarming and thrilling experience.


On the note of stage shows, what are the current tour plans? Head around Europe and maybe make it across into America and Canada?

We actually have much touring ahead of us, something which we very much look forward to! The first tour begins in just a couple of weeks; and is a glorious journey across Europe with our esteemed brethren in Sonata Arctica. This will be our second tour with them; they are amazing people and exceptional musicians, so it will certainly be a joyful adventure! We will also go on tour with our revered friends in Sabaton early next year, supporting together with Accept. We are humbled to have been bestowed with this honourable quest, and to go on such a long tour with friends that you have known for such a long time, is truly a privilege. As for travelling to different continents, that is something that only the Book of Time can tell.

Sweden is full of astounding Metal bands, I’m sure you’re friends with plenty of them, what do you aim to do to stand out from the rest of them?

Well, as you say, there certainly are thirteen metal bands a dozen in this winter-ridden realm of ours, and it sure is difficult to differentiate yourself from the crowd, if that is something one wants to do. However, we are not afraid of simply maintaining our set course and do what we enjoy and what the prophecies has foretold. If we were to consciously deviate from our given path to please others or to stand out, chances are we would lose ourselves, the magical core of our music, and the reasons for why we embarked on this journey to begin with. It is our hopes that our music and tales will in time speak for themselves and continue to bring keen ears to accompany us on our voyages through the voids of magicka and time.


How do you build a setlist around concept albums? Do you pick songs that work together as a story from each of the releases?

Good question. That is actually something we have not yet given much thought. The setlist is rather worked out in a more pragmatic and earthly manner. We must consider the dramaturgical flow of the performance, and make sure that the concert retains an emotionally adequate progression. And also, since every performance undeniably takes a slight physical toll on all of us, we have to somewhat form the setlist so that we are able to deliver the best possible performances despite the demanding instrumental and vocal work.


Last but not least, do you have any secret little facts fans may not know about the band?

A true wizard never reveals his secrets. However, there was a rumour in the village tavern that the prophecies of Twilight Force might perhaps be even older than the ancient scrolls indicate…oh well…one shan’t pay heed to the silly gibberish of drunkards…


Thanks you very much for your time, all the best in the release of “Heroes of Might and Magic” and I hope to catch you in Canada sometime soon!

It is us who shall extend our deepest gratitudes to you for your interest in our modest endeavours! Thank you!!

Scythia "Lineage" Review

                Hey Canada and everywhere else around the world, did the disbandment of 3 Inches of Blood make you unhappy? Do you need that Power and Death metal mix that they brought? Well, let me introduce you to your new favourite band, Scythia and don’t worry, “Lineage” is their 4^th album so you have plenty to catch up on here. Having an epic Power Metal sound that rivals bands like Tyr and Korpiklaani and mixing in the crushing Death Metal growls that will bring you to your knees.

                The opening tracks start off strong with “Eternal Oath” which will get you ready for the amazing sound this band has and “Laugh of the Tsar”, featuring a more personal sound most likely unlike any band you’ve heard before. Slowing down immensely, you enter “Soldier’s Lament” and you can already hear the intensity of the lyrics, this is probably my favourite track to be featured on this album. The pacing of this song is slow and filled with emotion, primarily focusing on the Power Metal sound and almost entering ballad territory, this song tells the story of a knight of the crusades back in the day, travelling from place to place to kill in the name of the god and the struggle the character faces beginning to question if he’s just being used.

                The next couple tracks go hand in hand, “Loremaster pt. 1” and “Loremaster pt. 2”, the former beginning very slow and purely acoustic. Before long the instrumentals kick in and the speed gets upped instantly, with in incredibly cool riff that sounds like something Rhapsody would have come up with. The chorus features nice contrast, with the clean higher vocals singing “I am the Loremaster” while growls can be heard in the background, there’s another section where the clean vocals are almost cut off by the growls as they continue to finish out the verse. I found this portion interesting because the first time through it sounded like an editing screw up, but after a couple more listens it’s clearly intentional and creates a crazy aggressive mood. In the last couple minutes of part one comes a guitar solo and man is it an epic guitar solo, beginning with the idea of “how fast can I play?” as the song creeps to a close the solo gains more soul and becomes more emotional before blending back into a riff that can match the slower saddened vocals. Part two of this song blends in perfectly, but I won’t ruin it for you, it’s something you’ll need to check out yourself.

                I know I related this to 3 Inches of Blood at the beginning, and when it comes to style, it is true that they are somewhat similar, but this is a band with their own identity entirely as well. If you like stories, epic Power Metal, crushing Death Metal and you think music should have the ability to play with your emotion, “Lineage” is an album you should be buying right this second. If you don’t like music with lyrical content, personal style, emotion and that create their own atmosphere as you listen to it, maybe you should skip this and stop listening to music entirely. “Lineage”, the new album from Scythia is a masterpiece in the way it’s written and performed, from cover to cover, there was no part of this album that didn’t peak my interest, so you should check it out, pick it up and play it loud!

95/100

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Interview with Torsten Wolf, Dirk Liehm and Gus Monstanto of Human Fortress

         Upon the new release of "Thieves of the Night", Torsten Wolf, Dirk Liehm and Gus Monstanto from Human Fortress took a moment out of their busy schedules to talk with us about the album, touring and maybe even a secret got shared, check out the video below!






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Artillery "Penalty by Perception" Album Review

                Heavy Metal label Metal Blade Records have a thing for finding bands that are up and coming and making them into internationally renowned bands and host some of the best older bands as well, so what surprise is there when I tell you 90s Thrashers Artillery. This is a band who has found a way to make every album sound modern while keeping true to what they’ve done from the beginning. While “Penalty By Perception” is only the bands eighth album over a 26 year career plagued with breakups it is an album that moves that band forward in sound.

                The album opens with “In Defiance of Conformity” and my first notice was the vocal prowess Michael Dahl brings to the table, after a brief nature intro (thunderstorms and crickets and what not) a riff reminiscent of something Volbeat would write kicks in keeping the guitars clean while a quite spoken word section plays out, but quickly the song kicks into the thrashy goodness everyone wants. The main riff is a fairly standard Speed Metal riff that has a gritty contrast to Dahl’s almost Power Metal style of vocals, the second time the chorus comes around you can tell this song could easily become an Arena Rock with the chant of “Fight! Fight!” in between lines. The section where Dahl is singing “In defiance of conformity” is rather unique as well, while matches the guitar’s tone before making the vocals soar higher but that’s not the truly unique part, if this section were instrumental you would still be able to hear the words as Michael and Morten Stutzer are able to make the guitars sing. The guitar solos in this song are also very misleading; the first solo is cool but lacklustre and makes you think “is that all?” before belting out a blistering, face melting solo with the main riff being cranked out in the background.

                Following the opening is “Live by the Scythe” which is one of the strongest songs although I have a very minor, kind of funny issue with the song. The song is thrashy in all the right ways and the speed chug riff in the chorus is a true neck breaker, my only stupid little issue (and maybe I’m a tad bit OCD because of it) is the fact that Dahl pronounces the “C” in “Scythe,” that’s all. Probably what I would consider the most technical and bordering fastest song on the album is “Rites of War” as soon as the guitar started I was hooked, but what I really liked in this is the consistent drumming that could somehow keep up with everything the guitars were doing and playing some of the weirdest bass patterns I’ve heard. The vocals reminded me a bit of Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” as well, while being sung out over instrumentals unlike “War Pigs.” Dahl starts off low and gradually gets his vocals way up high, then start up high on the next line and make their way down, the solo comes flying out of nowhere, and I mean flying, until the end of the song with a almost cartoony/Donkey Kong riff being played under it.

                All in all, incredibly impressed with this release, I was a bit iffy to start as I remember listening to the previous release “Legions” and not being too keen or impressed. Artillery took Thrash to a whole new level with “Penalty by Perception” incorporating Power, Speed and even a little bit of Death Metal into everything. If you’re a fan of what the Big 4 USE to be, pick up “Penalty by Perception” as soon as humanly possible, it’ll restore your faith in Thrash! Oh, and they’re a power ballad sort of song on it, so you know, you can even get your significant other hooked on it and still get badass guitar solos when they keep listening to it.

98/100

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Rhapsody of Fire "Into The Legend" Review

We are going to change our format here starting with the always reliable Rhapsody of Fire, beginning now bands will be marked out of 100 points. Rhapsody of Fire know how to draw anyone’s attention. Like stories? Here you go! Like insane solos? You got it! Fan of orchestral music? Look no further. Every band has a breaking point though, they always release a bad album and as of 2013 with “Dark Wings of Steel,” Rhapsody of Fire hadn’t, so maybe this time around you shouldn't hold your expectations so high for 2016s “Into The Legend”?

                Our story begins with the 3 minute instrumental intro “In Principio,” well maybe instrumental isn’t the way to think about it as there are choir vocals to help to song along but before you know it the song breaks into our first actual onslaught, ”Distant Sky.” Right off the bat you’re hit with a guitar solo, the kind that will put “Eruption” to shame before being welcomed by Fabio Lione’s voice that matches pitch with everything so perfectly soaring above all the sounds and singing so clearly. The chorus of “Distant Sky” shows off how harmonies between the guitars, orchestration, choir and Lione’s vocals can send chills straight down your spine and following the second chorus comes and even greater guitar solo!

                The title track “Into the Legend” begins with a folk orchestration sound before a chugging riff begins with choir vocals and finally speedy riffs and Lione’s vocals follow. Rhapsody of Fire is one of the few bands I’ve found who can use a pre-chorus very well in their songs and know when it works, with “Into the Legend” Lione’s vocals get gritty and aggressive over a darker riff before breaking into how they will go into the legend, convincing you that the character will become a legend. “Winter’s Rain” has one of my favourite intros to a song ever with a tapping riff that plays quickly up the scale and continues throughout the song with Lione singing his heart out. The pacing of this song is perfect and the orchestration reminds me of Nightwish.

                “Shining Star” is the slow song of the album, slowing everything down immensely with acoustic guitars, sad orchestration and Lione sounding like he’s about to cry, this is the kind of song you could put on a radio station or in a movie and someone would shed a tear. “Shining Star” does something that most fail to do for me in metal album, it draws me in. I can feel it, this song has emotion, where most bands that put slow songs in completely ruin the tempo of the album, this song is welcome and is a nice break, hell live this song may even make me shed a tear, it’s beautiful.

                On the other hand we have “Rage of Darkness” back up to speed, laughing and mocking you for slow dancing with the girl beside you. The main part of this song that made it memorable for me was the solos, man the solos, Alessandro Sala playing a bass solo, followed by a guitar solo that copies what was just played, then back to bass and an insane guitar solo and to round it out, a keyboard solo. Everyone gets their time in the sun with this song and if any this song should become a live staple just because of the amount of noise I can picture the crowd making as this section begins. To close out the album is the epic 17minute “The Kiss of Light,” which takes aspects from throughout the entire album, rounds them together bundled up tight and shows you how an epic should be done.

                Everything in this album blew me away, the pacing, the super sad slow song, the orchestration work, it’s a special album. It’s been a long time since I sat down and really enjoyed a new Power Metal album, but Rhapsody of Fire absolutely killed it with "Into the Legend," but don’t just take my word for it, pick up the album through AFM Records, it’s 67 minutes of outstanding musicianship, perfect harmony and face melting solos.

100/100