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[aci32]

OBITUARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks sorry for running 8 days late but better late than never, here's my 6th review of 2025, Obituary!!!!!!!! It had been 2 years since I last saw them which was at the Phoenix with Immolation and both bands delivered the goods live. This time I got to see them at the historic Concert Hall formerly known as Masonic Temple, which is a 34 minute walk from my home, but since I'm a fast walker, I could get to that venue in a little less time. I will say this Obituary headlining show had an eclectic amount of bands from crossover thrash, traditional/thrash metal, hardcore punk, grindcore, and of course death metal.

Let's get to the festivities!!!

First band up was Pest Control!!!!!!!!! I hadn't heard of this band before but they were a crossover thrash band from Leeds, UK and the band were awesome to see live. I was especially impressed with frontwoman Leah Massey-Hay as she had a lot of energy and was engaging with the crowd. Definitely planning to see them again in the future should they come on their own headlining tour.

Next band up was SpiritWorld. This was the second time I saw them as I remember seeing them open for Kreator and Sepultura 2 years ago. I remember they were boring, this time around they started off good but I found their set beginning to drag on. I do give frontman Stu Folsom for doing his imitation of Roger Daltrey's microphone swing from the cord and he looks like Carmine Falcone. Not to mention their album artwork has Red Dead Redemption vibes.

Third band up was Terror!!!! Jesus Christ these guys were absolutely mental from start to finish. Frontman Scott Vogel was engaging and as well commanding of the crowd to crowdsurf as much as possible to wake up the security guards and keep them out of mischief caused by boredom and he wanted to see a giant circle pit, he got it. I was imagining if this happened back in the 80s and 90s, people would be stage diving off the balcony and onto the floor. I'll also add Scott Vogel looked like a mix between former Suffocation frontman Frank Mullen, Cro-Mags frontman Harley Flanagan, and actor Doug Bradley aka Cenobite leader Pinhead from the horror franchise Hellraiser. These guys had a wild show from start to finish.

Next band up was Nails. Same thing with SpiritWorld, they got off to a good start but as their set went on, it dragged and I was getting tired. I'm also not the biggest fan of grindcore save for Napalm Death and Exhumed, as both those bands have death metal elements to them. I also said to my friend Josh about the WWF wrestler Nailz for another pop culture reference, just to pass the time.

After Nails it was time for the Florida Death Metal juggernauts OBITUARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 6th time seeing them and they're always a treat to see live. This was no ordinary show as Obituary played a good portion of Cause of Death to celebrate 35 years, however they didn't play all of it especially when they omitted Find the Arise and a couple other songs, but it was still a solid setlist and Obituary once again kicked ass from start to finish.

Here's their setlist:

1. Redneck Stomp

2. Sentence Day

3. A Lesson in Vengeance

4. The Wrong Time

5. Infected

6. Body Bag

7. Dying

8. Cause of Death

9. Circle of the Tyrants (Celtic Frost cover)

10. Chopped in Half/Turned Inside Out

Encore:

11. I'm in Pain

12. Slowly We Rot

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Saturday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

MACHINE HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks, sorry for running three days late but better late than never, here's my 5th review of 2025, Machine Head!!!!!!!!! This was the first time I had seen Machine Head in consecutive years as I had seen them play twice in a year, which was 13 years ago when they did their own headlining show on January 28, 2012 and then they were direct support for Dethklok on Nov 7, 2012. It was also nice to see Machine Head play in the springtime for the first time since I had seen them play in the winter time the past 3 times.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was Unearth. This was my 3rd time seeing them and I honestly found them boring a 2nd time much like how they bored me at Cannibal Corpse and Hatebreed nearly 16 years ago. It definitely gave me more incentive to save my headbanging energy for a better quality opener that was coming up.

Second band up was LACUNA COIL!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 3rd time seeing them as I hadn't seen them in 13 years when they were on Gigantour with Volbeat, Motörhead, and Megadeth. I had lost interest in them afterwards but I must say they still delivered a great live show. Plus I had noticed they were playing as a five piece band as opposed to a six piece band which shows just how out of the loop I am with them. At 52, Cristina Scabbia still has the pipes, the energy, the charisma, and she still looks as gorgeous as ever. Here's their setlist:

1. Layers of Time

2. Reckless

3. Hosting the Shadow

4. Gravity

5. Our Truth

6. Blood, Tears, Dust

7. I Wish You Were Dead

8. Oxygen

9. Never Dawn

After Lacuna Coil it was In Flames. They got off to a good start but I found halfway through their set I was beginning to get bored, much like how they bored me at Wacken Open Air 2018 before Ghost took the stage at that time. I do give Anders Friden credit for being a comedian when he was roasting the crowd for recording him on their phones and he said "Record all you want, I don't give a fuck" and as well he said "Shout out to the guy crowdsurfing with no music playing, I think we should all follow his example" after he was acknowledging the other bands he said "Were In Flames, shut up". It was also touching when he dedicated Take This Life to Rob "Rab" Cranny since Rab was friends with Anders and the whole band.

After In Flames it was time for MACHINE HEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 8th time seeing Machine Head and as well first time I've seen MH in consecutive years. This time around as opposed to seeing them in the middle of winter like I had seen them the past 4 times, I got to see them in the spring and on a beautiful sunny day as last time I saw Machine Head in that type of weather was on 08/08/08 at the inaugural Rockstar Mayhem Fest in the height of summertime. Each time I see MH live, they know how to deliver the goods. Robb Flynn also had a few funny moments mainly when he was throwing beers into the crowd for people to catch and chug he said to one crowd member "Don't just catch and hold it, drink it!" In between songs he was mocking a guy flipping him off by saying "Look at you your the "I'm the flipping off band members guy, there's a girl next to you who's going harder than you are *audience goes "Ohhhhhhh"* so Robb did a good diss on that guy. Plus before Halo Robb had said to a fan that caught another cup of beer "You don't like beer? Don't get picky on me at a Machine Head concert. Let's get you that cocktail whether it be a Margherita or Mai Tai" and he continued mocking that fan who didn't chug the beer, which made me laugh. Robb also made reference to Metallica having played in Toronto this past Saturday and acknowledging fans who skipped it to see MH or who saw it and decided to come to MH, I did the latter of course. Here's their setlist:

1. Imperium

2. Ten Ton Hammer

3. CHØKE ØN THE ASHES ØF YØUR HATE

4. Now We Die

5. Catharsis

6. ØUTSIDER

7. Locust

8. BØNESCRAPER

9. ATØMIC REVELATIONS

10. Bulldozer

11. From This Day

12. Davidian

Encore:

13. Halo

All in all a great show and a great way to spend a Monday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

METALLICA NIGHT II!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone here's my 4th review of 2025, Metallica Night II!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was once again an awesome show and this time around it had two different openers and a different setlist compared to Thursday's setlist.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was Ice Nine Kills. I must say musically they were a snorefest as it sounded very hardcore with the breakdowns at times. Theatrically they were incredible especially the part with the song they played that was the soundtrack for Terrifier 3 hence one of the roadies dressed up as Art the Clown butchering and maiming a pregnant woman and ripping her baby out after she was dead, it was also funny to see a roadie dressed up as the sun during one of their songs. I was thrown off by the members dressed up in two pieced suits though, they all looked like they were there to entertain the Mafia or they would be shot if they butchered any song to enrage the gangsters.

Second band up was Limp Bizkit!!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them live. They did play last year at the Amphitheatre but I skipped that show since I wasn't interested. I will say they had a solid live show and it was such a pleasure to hear them play Nookie, My Generation, Rollin', and My Way as I remember seeing music videos for those songs on MuchMusic back in the day when I was in Grade 6 and in Middle School. I remember those songs being played at the Much Video Dance in my school near the end of the year in June 2001. Plus as well Rollin' was The Undertaker's 2nd theme song during his American Badass gimmick and My Way was the official theme song for Wrestlemania X-Seven in 2001 and was used in the promo for the headlining match between The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in which Austin was that years Royal Rumble winner and The Rock had won the WWF championship at No Way Out, which set up their Wrestlemania XV rematch, in which Austin won the title and turned heel in the process by aligning himself with his long time arch nemesis, Vincent McMahon. Also Fred Durst asked the crowd "How many of you are stoned? *Resounding cheers* Is weed illegal in Toronto? Crowd: Noooooooo. Are you serious? Crowd: Yeeeaaahhhhh. I hundred percent, I a thousand percent, didn't do it for the Nookie". I will also say that Wes Borland has some of the most eccentric costumes and to see him dressed as a skull with a mohawk and sparkling suit was cool, not to mention he's a great guitarist. Here's their setlist:

1. Take a Look Around

2. Hot Dog (Creeping Death breakdown)

3. Nookie

4. Full Nelson

5. My Generation

6. Master of Puppets (Metallica cover) (Snippet)

7. Rollin' (Air Raid Vehicle) (With snippet of Proud Mary)

8. My Way

9. Dad Vibes

10. Faith (George Michael cover)

11. Break Stuff

After Limp Bizkit, it was time for METALLICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 9th time seeing them and they once again were phenomenal live. Their setlist was much different compared to the night before as I got to hear Whiplash played live for the first time in 16 years and I got to hear Until it Sleeps and The Call of Ktulu live for the first time ever, so that was a great highlight. Plus it was the first time in 13 years I heard Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Wherever I May Roam, Battery, and Ride the Lightning. Before Rob and Kirk did their Doodle Rob had said that he loves the food and remarked "Kirk ordered Chinese food and we've gained about 40 pounds". Before Until it Sleeps James had said "This songs about cancer, it's fucked". Plus James had remarked about the smell of the weed "Something smells funny *smells his armpit* oh wait that's me". All in all Metallica laid waste to the SkyDome and I look forward to seeing them again someday for a 10th time. Here's their setlist:

1. Whiplash

2. For Whom the Bell Tolls

3. Ride the Lightning

4. Until it Sleeps

5. Lux Æterna

6. Screaming Suicide

7. Kirk and Rob Doodle (La Villa Strangiato by Rush YYZ by snippet)

8. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

9. Wherever I May Roam

10. The Call of Ktulu

11. The Unforgiven

12. Inamorata

13. Battery

14. Moth Into Flame

15. One

16. Enter Sandman

All in all a great show and a great way to spend a Saturday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

50 posts!

Didn't expect this, but I'll take it

[aci32]

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES AND METALLICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks sorry for running two days late but better late than never, here's my 3rd review of 2025, Suicidal Tendencies and Metallica!!!!!

This was my 2nd time seeing ST and my 8th time seeing Metallica and both bands delivered the goods live and definitely made spending a Thursday night out worth it. I wish I could say more but I don't want to run out of stuff to say.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was SUICIDAL TENDENCIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the first time in 13 years I had seen them as I last saw them play on the first day of the 2nd and final Heavy TO festival and they were the band I enjoyed the most. Mike Muir is an enigmatic frontman and one who is also quite funny at times. In between songs he said in a high pitched voice "WHATS UP MOTHAFUCKAS!!" That made me crack up as it was so random yet so funny. Also this time around they had a new bassist in Rob Trujillo's son Tye as their previous bassist Tim "Rawbiz" Williams had died August 26, 2014. ST definitely delivered a great live show and hopefully they will come around on a headlining tour when CBSA allows them in hence why they don't play in Canada as often as they'd like to. Plus next time around they need to include Institutionalized in their setlist.

Here's their setlist:

1. You Can't Bring Me Down

2. Join the Army

3. Freedumb

4. Send Me Your Money

5. Subliminal

6. How Will I Laugh Tomorrow

Second band up was "Pantera". This was the first and last time I see them live as the last two times they've come on their own in 2023 and 2024, I've skipped their shows since they're not the same band without Dime and Vinnie, in fact had I become an adult in the 90s and the real Pantera were a thing, I'd be seeing them left, right and centre. But this current "reunion" feels more like a cover band and had they played under a different banner, I'd get more excited. As great as Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante are, Dime and Vinnie run circles around those two. Although they weren't too shabby since I didn't want to lose my spot and since I shelled out over $500 to buy that two day Metallica pass, "Pantera" is a band I'm one and done with seeing live.

After their set it was time for METALLICA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 8th time seeing them live and they always put on a great live show. It felt great to finally end my 8 year drought as I last saw them the day after Iron Maiden and they had two different openers in Volbeat and Avenged Sevenfold, plus I was heavier and fatter at that time and now I'm slimmer and lighter and made the mistake of not having anything to eat beforehand, whereas I did have something to eat at my work beforehand, so that helped me keep up with James Hetfield's singing, plus in 2017 when I went to Town Crier to eat, I made the mistake of drinking a beer too fast and ended up puking since I hadn't had any water beforehand, and I do recall it was in the middle of summer at that time. It was also awesome to hear 4 songs I hadn't heard live before in the names of Harvester of Sorrow, Holier Than Thou, King Nothing and Orion, plus hearing Fight Fire with Fire and The Day That Never Comes for the first time in 16 years were also fantastic. James also had some funny one liners like when he said "Does anyone have 72 Seasons? *Crowd roars loudly* I don't have that album, I'll have to borrow it" and he also was saying "Oh it goes 1, 2, 3, and 4" plus he looked at me before Seek & Destroy when he was asking all of us if we're fans of Kill Em All "You're not lying and that's the truth" and I said "I'm not lying and telling you the truth" and James was like "Alright". I'll also add James was on fire with his singing and guitar playing even at the age of 61, Kirk Hammett was melting faces with his solos at the age of 62, Rob Trujillo's bass playing and grooving was on point, he even went into the crowd to entertain them at the age of 60, and even Lars Ulrich's drumming was steady and he was playing like he was on his youth even at the age of 61. I will also say James is a caring frontman since he's a father of 3 because at the end of the show he said "If you're drinking hang up your keys and take an Uber or get a ride home or whatever because we need you for Saturday night". Here's their setlist:

1. Creeping Death

2. Harvester of Sorrow

3. Holier Than Thou

4. King Nothing

5. 72 Seasons

6. If Darkness Had a Son

7. Kirk and Rob Doodle (Murf Da Durf and Suicide & Redemption)

8. The Day That Never Comes

9. Shadows Follow

10. Orion

11. Nothing Else Matters

12. Sad But True

13. Fight Fire With Fire

14. Fuel

15. Seek & Destroy

16. Master of Puppets

All in all a great show and a great way to spend a Thursday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

WARBRINGER!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks sorry for running 5 days late as I was recovering from the show and combined with laziness due to it being on a Monday night, but better late than never. Here's my 2nd review of 2025, Warbringer!!!! It had been almost 6 years since I last saw them which was at Velvet Underground when they were doing a co-headlining tour with Enforcer and it was 6 months before Covid took a stranglehold on the world. It was great to see them back and as well since they're absolutely phenomenal live. I'll also add this Monday night was a night of dirty minds and comedy which I will get to later on.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was Summoning the Lich. I hadn't heard of these guys before but when I looked them up on metal archives their genre was a mix of melo death metal and deathcore I knew it wasn't going to be my cup of tea musically, and sure enough it wasn't given how I loathe deathcore. I do give the band credit for having energy and as well to frontman David Bruno for not taking himself seriously by wearing short shorts and crocks and as well when he said "This next song chills my out of shape asshole", which made me laugh.

Next band up was SKELETAL REMAINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had heard of these guys through seeing my friend Jacob Colley's stories and how he would talk about them, these guys were definitely entertaining to see live even though they performed without their frontman, in which the drummer didn't elaborate as to why he was unable to make it, my guess is border issues or last minute family emergency, I don't know. But they did a great job playing as a three piece instrumental band and I enjoyed them. Hopefully next time their frontman won't experience any issues that prevent him from coming into Canada.

After Skeletal Remains it was time for the first of two co-headliners ALLEGAEON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It had been a decade since I last saw them which was at the now defunct Rancho Relaxo and I remember they were great live and quite funny especially when they had a roadie come out dressed up as a crab. Before they took the stage, bassist Brandon Michael was doing soundcheck on the microphone and he said "Check check, what do you mean you want a divorce?" Which made me crack up as it was random. Also as Allegaeon were about to start playing, Brandon also started dancing around and making the sucking dick gesture which made me cackle to where guitarist Greg Burgess turned around and laughed as he heard me laughing. Allegaeon have a phenomenal live show and I was glad to have ended my decade long drought.

After Allegaeon it was time for the other headliners WARBRINGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man did it ever feel great to finally snap my 6 year Warbringer drought. I'll also add this was my 13th time seeing Warbringer live and 2nd time I've seen them on their own headlining show as I last saw them close out a show at the Annex Wreckroom nearly 14 years ago. Warbringer always deliver the goods live and they have great onstage energy as well. John Kevill is not only a great frontman and energetic showman, he's also an awesome comedian as while I was waiting in line, there was a guy in front of me who asked him to sign his vinyl records and John said "You want me to sign your rack?" Which got me and a few other people cracking up and then John said "I'm not used to signing guys tits" and he goes on ranting about condoms and raw dogging which was very amusing. Apparently that guy was blasted so I think John misheard him and John said "Oh you want me to sign your records, that I can do". When I told Chris Soutsos and Alex "Stogie" Stojanovic about it, they both laughed and Stogie had said "What if he asked to sign your dick?" Soutsos replied "I wouldn't put it past him". In between songs John had said "Were Warbringer from LA and it's much hotter in here than in Toronto *badmum tsss*" I also recall John saying "I know it's been awhile, but have you people forgotten how to mosh? This is a thrash metal show. Unless you want to keep standing there posing". Before he got into Hunter Seeker he said "This next song is about the devices you people keep pointing at me. Before cellphones, what they had then was way more ghetto compared to now". Plus someone in the crowd said something I couldn't understand and John replied "I don't know" which generated a lot of laughter. So this was more than a night of metal, it was a night of dirty minds and dirty humour. Here's their setlist:

1. Severed Reality

2. A Better World

3. The Black Hand Reaches Out

4. Woe to the Vanquished

5. Crushed Beneath the Tracks

6. Firepower Kills

7. The Sword And The Cross

8. Through a Glass, Darkly

9. Hunter-Seeker

10. Remain Violent

Encore

11. Total War

All in all a great night of metal and as well a surprisingly great turnout for a Monday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

CORONER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks, here's my 1st review of 2025, Coroner!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them and the first time I heard of them was via the documentary Get Thrashed 16 years ago when I used to watch it a lot back when I lived at home. I hadn't gotten around to listening to them up until a few days ago when I was getting over a cold because had I still had the cold, I would've had to skip the show. Fortunately, my cold abated quicker than I thought and I was able to go and I'm glad I did.

Let's start the festivities!

First band up was KORROSIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 6th time seeing them and first time in almost a year and a half seeing them as I last saw them open for Exciter at Rockpile and each time I see them live, they always deliver the goods. I'm definitely considering seeing them in 3 months from now when they open for Razor in Waterloo, just need to do a few things beforehand before I book my accommodation or ask a friend who lives there if I can stay at their place to save money on accommodation.

Next band up was DECEASED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was the first time I had seen them. In fact first time I heard their name was from Get Thrashed and it was when their rhythm guitarist was wearing a Deceased shirt when the band were giving interviews about bands and albums they enjoy. Unlike Coroner, I didn't get around to checking out Deceased but from what I saw of them, they were great. Frontman King Fowley was quite a comedian with his gestures of acting like a Zombie, resting his head on his guitarists shoulders while making faces, plus he had some witty banter in between songs when he said "Before you see the Coroner, you got to see the Deceased" and he said "I heard some people call us horror metal but all I hear is *pantomimes static in his ear* that's the old ears for you". I would say that since Deceased are from Virginia and given how King Fowley is quite amusing with his antics, he's like Pentagram frontman Bobby Liebling to a certain degree. Here's their setlist:

1. Night of the Deceased

2. Psychedelic Warriors

3. Fading Survival

4. The Triangle

5. Children of the Morgue

6. Spit on your Grave (Whiplash cover)

7. Fearless Undead Machines

After Deceased it was time for CORONER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them and they were phenomenal to see live. As I mentioned earlier I first heard their name via Get Thrashed when then Destruction guitarist Mike Sifringer mentioned them and then got to know them more in the extended interviews section. Ron "Royce" Broder is a phenomenal bassist and has great stage presence and with his shaved head he looked a bit like Bill Burr, whereas when I saw guitarist Tommy Vetterli he looked a lot like Keanu Reeves playing John Wick, so I thought to myself "we got the Swiss doppelgangers of Bill Burr and Keanu Reeves". Also Ron had mentioned it was Coroner's first show in Toronto in over 30 years and he paid tribute to Geddy Lee since he's one of his influences, which was a great gesture. Also between them and their compatriots Celtic Frost, Coroner did it better when they decided to branch out to become Avant Garde, whereas Celtic Frost was hit and miss. Here's Coroner's setlist:

1. Golden Cashmere Sleeper, Part 1

2. Internal Conflicts

3. Serpent Moves

4. Divine Step (Conspectu Mortis)

5. Sacrificial Lamb

6. Semtex Revolution

7. Tunnel of Pain

8. Status: Still Thinking

9. Metamorphosis

10. Masked Jackal

11. Grin (Nails Hurt)

Encore:

12. Purple Haze (Jimi Hendrix cover)

13. Reborn Through Hate

14. Die By My Hand

All in all a great show and a great way to spend a Wednesday night and as well kick off my 2025 concert going season

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

EXODUS/HAVOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks, sorry for running two days late but better late than never, here's my 14th and final review of 2024, Exodus and Havok!!!!!!!!!! It had been 9 years since I last saw both those bands, Exodus I last saw April 15, 2015 with Testament at the Phoenix and then I would see Havok 8 months later on December 18, 2015 when they were direct support for Battlecross at The Garrison, and that was my last show at that time. Both bands delivered the goods live and this was a great way to end my 2024 concert season with, so I'm glad I made it count.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was Dead Heat!!!! I hadn't heard of these guys before but when I took a look they were crossover and were more in line with Municipal Waste. My friend Derek knew who they were since he saw them open for Municipal Waste earlier in the year in London and he said they were pretty good. They definitely were a pleasant surprise to see as they had great onstage energy and the crowd was definitely having fun enjoying them as I could see circle pits going on during their set.

Next band up was Candy. This band was incredibly boring to watch as their songs sounded like a continuation of their first song, in other words, their songs all sounded the same and it felt like I was about to fall asleep. I call them Candy-Ass given how I found them to be a snorefest, and to my ears, their music tasted like licorice or rockets, had they been good they'd be like my fav Candy in Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. All the more reason to save my energy for the last two bands. I'll also highlight there were posers throwing down in the pit like they were picking up loose change and it's definitely a bad idea to throw down in the pit during the next bands set as their policy states "No Karate in the Pit".

After Candy it was time for HAVOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 4th time seeing them and it felt awesome to finally break my 9 year drought. It would've been say 6 and/or 7 years had I gone and seen them on their own headlining shows but I skipped those shows given how both were at The Rockpile or as I call it Crock of Shitpile as I absolutely loathe that venue for a plethora of reasons, plus I was satisfied with having seen their 2014 headlining show at Hard Luck Bar. David Sanchez then said the following in between songs before Hang Em High "Something happened. We released uh, the last song we played called Fear Campaign came out on our record called V. V was released May 1st, 2020. We were supposed to start a tour with Hatebreed the same day it came out. But instead of touring and all of your plans they locked you inside your cage, locked you inside of your house like caged animals *draws boos* for a couple of years. We'd like to dedicate that song to the people that made that happen". Then David Sanchez had encouraged the crowd to buy 17 items from each merch stand to support the bands but then he retracted it by saying "I'll settle for 12 items". Also what was different about the lineup is Reece Scruggs not being in the band since he left to join Machine Head full time and now Brett Rechtfertig is the new lead guitarist also their bassist Nick Schendzilos was absent for a few shows so they got a crew member to fill in on bass and he was awesome. Here's their setlist:

1. Point of No Return

2. Fear Campaign

3. Hang 'Em High

4. Prepare For Attack

5. Death is an Illusion

6. New Eyes

7. Phantom Force

8. Covering Fire

9. From the Cradle to the Grave

After Havok it was time for EXODUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 5th time seeing Exodus and first time in 9 years seeing them since they were co-headlining with Testament in which they blew Testament off the stage at that time. It was the first time in 14 years I got to see Exodus headlining as I saw them do it with Rob Dukes at the then MOD Club now Axis Club. This time around it was with Steve "Zetro" Souza and between him and Rob Dukes, I've always liked Zetro more since he's charismatic and engaging onstage, plus I always liked his hard rock vibe about him, although I do admire Rob Dukes' punk vibe to him. Zetro said the following before they got into And Then There Were None "So Toronto it's going to be one of those nights huh? Before we continue, let's go over the guidelines because there are no fucking rules! You guys in the pit, take care of each other, somebody goes down, pick em back up, if they look like they've been hurt a little bit, help em out. You guys wanna crowd surf? We love that shit, but make sure you don't crush anybody's fuckin heads, and these gentlemen right here, make sure that you land safely because you know what Toronto, We're all in this shit together right? Now this is a pretty old school set, we are gonna go to Persona for a couple, but it's pretty much all old shit is that alright with you Toronto? Then let's get back into it *cue him introducing Garh Holt and going into And Then There Were None*. Zetro also made mention of his debut album with Exodus in Pleasures of the Flesh where he declared that he and all of us in the crowd were "fucking Brain Dead", and the most notable banter which had humour in it was "I gotta say, all of the Canadian shows kick fucking ass. I know you don't like the Habs but we were there last night and they were good to us *draws boos* I know, I know, I get it, I'm a hockey guy, I fuckin get it, but I'm saying Canada in general, you motherfuckers got your metal shit fuckin going on" he also paid tribute to Paul Baloff and Rob Dukes when asked which songs he likes to sing. Zetro also made mention of how next year will be 40 years since Bonded by Blood was released and as well had mentioned how they did a lot of crazy shit in the 80s to where Zetro had initially dismissed the idea of Exodus being together for over 40 years. I will definitely highlight Gary Holt's golden high tops which I thought looked cool on him and alongside his purple ESP with the upside down crosses. I was glad I didn't see them with Obituary and on the Bay Area Strikes Back tours in 2017 and 2022 respectively in London because Exodus would've KO'd Obituary and Testament off the stage. Here's their setlist:

1. The Last Act of Defiance

2. Blood In, Blood Out

3. Fabulous Disaster

4. And Then There Were None

5. Body Harvest

6. Prescribing Horror

7. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)

8. Brain Dead

9. Deathamphetamine

10. Blacklist

11. Metal Command

12. War Is My Shepherd

13. The Toxic Waltz (with Spirit of the Radio and Raining Blood intros)

14. Strike of the Beast

Overall an awesome show and a great way for me to conclude my 2024 concert season. I shall return February 24th, 2025 when I catch Septicflesh

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

IRON MAIDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks, sorry for running 2 days late as I needed Sunday to recover but better late than never, here's my 13th review of 2024, Iron Maiden!!!!!! This was my 10th time seeing them and first in 14 months since I last saw them at Wacken Open Air 2023 when they were the super headliners. This was also my first show at the age of 35 since my birthday was 2 weeks ago, so a nice way to enter 35.

Let's begin the festivities!

The first act The Hu were originally supposed to open the show but unfortunately their tour bus broke down and they were unable to cross the border, so instead a DJ filled in and played a lot of punk and thrash metal songs to pass the time, at least this DJ was better compared to the goof who would scratch the records while classic metal songs were playing when Metallica came to Toronto 7 years ago.

After the DJ was done it was time for IRON MAIDEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 10th time seeing them and each time I see them live, they always put a smile on my face given how they're great live. Bruce Dickinson also was vintage with his tangents in between songs the first which went "Hello? Toronto? Ontario! Thank fuck we got that cleared up because sometimes we just don't know where we are" and he then went on to apologize as the openers from Mongolia The Hu were supposed to open for them but their tour bus broke down, Bruce then told the crowd to do "Hu" chants in gutteral sounds he then said "You can say Dr. Who but that's a shit joke right? So anyway here we are, we got all kinds of stuff to play for you tonight, we're coming up to Halloween and we have songs about weird spooky things" then he goes on a tangent about religious writing and he said "Unless you see a big fucking hand going *makes inaudible growling noises* that's like drunken god handwriting" and it went into The Writing on the Wall. Bruce's next banter started off with "How rude of me to ask, not to ask. How are you doing *looks up at people in the stands on his left* you alright upstairs? And my god there's people sitting up there *looks up at people in the stands on his right* ohhhh there's people in the back, you think I can't see you? I fucking can. Now people on the floor I can see you. I not only can see you, I can hear you, I can fucking smell you". Then he goes on a tangent about Back to the Future and mention the DeLorean and he asked the crowd and when he saw a show of hands he said "Loads of people have got their hands but they don't know what the fuck I'm talking about, no it's not a toaster alright?" He then asked if people had a car that could time travel and he said "Now I know you're bullshitting me" then it went into Time Machine after the end of his rant. His next one went "I see we couldn't get anymore people in here thanks for trying were not allowed to get anymore people in here" then when he spotted two people fighting he said "Oi, if you're gonna go have a punch-up, do me a favour! Two of you sort it out fuck off outside right? Fuck me, honestly, Mike Tyson, you are not". Then he asked the crowd if we had a parentage from Ireland and/or Scotland, and as he said at Wacken that culture, language, family, memories, etc, cannot be killed and he then went into Death of the Celts. Here's their setlist:

1. Caught Somewhere in Time

2. Stranger in a Strange Land

3. The Writing on the Wall

4. Days of Future Past

5. Time Machine

6. The Prisoner

7. Death of the Celts

8. Can I Play with Madness?

9. Heaven Can Wait

10. Alexander the Great

11. Fear of the Dark

12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. Hell on Earth

14. The Trooper

15. Wasted Years

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Saturday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

POSSESSED/KREATOR/TESTAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone here's my 12th review of 2024, Possessed/Kreator/Testament!!!!!! This was the first time in a long time I've gone to a show where all 3 bands have been fantastic from start to finish. I was definitely glad I went to this show as it helped me blow off some steam after being under a lot of stress for the past while. This was also the first time I've gone to History in all 4 seasons: winter back in February and now autumn in October. I first went during the summertime on August 22nd, 2022 to see BLS and Anthrax and then a 2nd time on May 23rd, 2023 to see HammerFall and Helloween and that was during the spring. I've now been to History a total of 5 times and I like it better than Rebel.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was POSSESSED!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 3rd time seeing them as I've seen them both times at Wacken Open Air 2017 and 2023, they always put on a great show. My grievance was whenever Jeff Becerra would speak I would hear too much reverb coming from his microphone to where I could hardly understand what he was saying, so the sound engineer could've toned down the amount of reverb that was projecting through Jeff's mic whenever he talked in between songs. Other than that, the band was solid from start to finish and Jeff Becerra has strong Lemmy Kilmister influence in his vocals. Plus it was the first time Possessed had played in Toronto in almost 40 years. Here's their setlist:

1. Pentagram

2. Ritual

3. Tribulation

4. Graven

5. The Exorcist

6. Demon

7. Death Metal

8. Swing of the Axe.

After Possessed it was time for KREATOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 12th time seeing them and they've now tied Warbringer for metal band/band I've seen the most times, so if either one or both play on the same tour, it'll be 13 times. Kreator are always solid live and Mille Petrozza nows how to fire up the crowd, he was even humorous when he told the people from the balcony to jump in the pit. It was also cool seeing them at a larger venue than Danforth Music Hall since they had more space to set up their stage especially with the two inflatable demons on both sides of the stage. Here's their setlist:

1. Hate Über Alles

2. Phobia

3. Coma of Souls (intro only)

4. Enemy of God

5. 666-World Divided

6. Hordes of Chaos (A Neceologue for the Elite)

7. Hail to the Hordes

8. Betrayer

9. Satan is Real

10. Phantom Antichrist

11. Strongest of the Strong (Dedicated to all the bands playing and the fans)

12. Terrible Certainty

13. Violent Revolution

14. Pleasure to Kill

After Kreator it was time for TESTAMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 11th time seeing Testament as I last saw them 8 years ago at Wacken Open Air when they played from 1:50 AM until 3 in the morning, so wee hours of the morning, which was definitely lots of fun. I would then miss them as they played with Sepultura and the same night Sabaton played but I had to miss Sabaton as I got food poisoning, then the following year, they came with Slayer, Behemoth, Lamb of God, and Anthrax, but I skipped that show as I was at HammerFall and Flotsam and Jetsam that same night, plus I lost all interest in Slayer after Dave Lombardo left a 3rd time and after Jeff Hanneman died, I missed them at Wacken Open Air 2019 as Krokus were playing at the same time, skipped their show with Exodus and Death Angel on October 1st, 2022 as I knew Exodus would blow them off the stage like they did in 2015. The setlist they played reminded me of their old school set back in 2015, except difference is Testament mainly focused on their first two records. Plus when I saw them play at Wacken Open Air 2016, Alex Skolnick was doing twirls around the stage while he was soloing which I thought was impressive. I'll add this was the first time I saw Testament after Gene Hoglan left as the last 6 times I saw them, Gene Hoglan was behind the kit and got to see their new drummer Chris Dovas. During Over the Wall, Chuck Billy stood on the barricade very close to me and it caught me by surprise as I was looking at the stage and then his tall imposing figure comes right in my face. Chuck Billy had also made mention of the Canadian government finally paying the First Nations people the money they deserved and said the US' day will come one day. Plus before Into the Pit Chuck said "The guy in the leafs shirt, he's the target" Then bassist Steve DiGorgio came up and asked "What jersey number is it, Tavares or Matthews? Tavares or Matthews? Wendell Clark, that's old school!" Here's their setlist:

1. Eerie Inhabitants

2. The New Order

3. Apocalyptic City

4. Raging Waters

5. The Preacher

6. The Haunting

7. Trial by Fire

8. Drum Solo

9. First Strike Is Deadly

10. A Day of Reckoning

11. Alone in the Dark

12. Do or Die

13. Disciples of the Watch

14. Over the Wall

15. Into the Pit

Overall an awesome show and a great way to spend a Thursday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

THE CULT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks, sorry for running 2 days late but better late than never, here's my 11th review of 2024, The Cult!!! This was my first time seeing them as they alongside Def Leppard were among those bands in which every time they came to Toronto, I would always miss them for some reason case in point being 2009 when they played Massey Hall, 2012 at The Phoenix, the following year at Danforth Music Hall, and 6 years ago at the Amphitheater with Bush and Stone Temple Pilots as I was in Amsterdam at that time, although I overheard a guy on the bus going to Coxwell station saying that The Cult were not that great that night as Ian Astbury was apparently drunk. It did feel great to finally end my bout of bad luck in not seeing The Cult.

Let's get to the festivities!

First band up was Culture Wars. I found their music to be nothing special and don't have plans to see them on their own shows. I especially found the vocals off putting, but I do give them credit for having great stage energy as they were dancing and grooving around like they were having fun. When they went to their next song "Miley" I heard someone yell out "MILEY CYRUS!!!!" and that generated a bunch of laughs.

After Culture Wars it was time for THE CULT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! First time ever seeing them and they put on a great live show. Loved how engaging Ian Astbury is with his Tambourine playing and Maraca playing plus I always liked how he would kick the tambourines with the back of his foot near John Tempesta's drum kit. Also at 62, Ian still has the pipes and after listening very carefully to his vocal style, I hear a strong amount of Freddie Mercury influence and as well some Glenn Danzig, although I would have to ask him that if I happen to meet him at a chance encounter if Freddie Mercury is one of his influences as David Bowie is one of his influences. Before they played Edie (Ciao Baby) Ian said to the crowd "Don't make me get all fucking comedian on you" and during Brother Wolf, Sister Moon Ian had made reference to the First Nations of Canada given how he used to live in Hamilton for 5 years from 1973-1978. Plus Ian Astbury had said "I've got the flu, but this is a fucking rock show!" which drew a large amount of applause from the crowd. Billy Duffy had said "I thought this was fucking Ottawa, are you sure this isn't Toronto?!" Instead of drawing boos the crowd instead cheered as if to drown out the cheers in Ottawa and Montréal. I will add that Billy Duffy has changed his look over the years as I was used to seeing him with blonde hair and clean shaven but he's dyed his hair and grown a beard, but he still kicks ass on guitar at 63 years old. Here's their setlist

1. In the Clouds

2. Rise

3. Wild Flower

4. Star

5. Mirror

6. The Witch

7. War (The Process)

8. Resurrection Joe

9. Edie (Ciao Baby) (Acoustic version)

10. Sweet Soul Sister

11. Lucifer

12. Fire Woman

13. Rain

14. Spiritwalker

15. Love Removal Machine

Encore:

16. Brother Wolf, Sister Moon

17. She Sells Sanctuary

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Friday night.

THE CULT FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

DEEP PURPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks sorry for running two days late but better late than never, here's my 10th review of 2024, Deep Purple!!!! This was my 2nd time seeing them and first time in 12 years I saw them live, so it felt great to end the drought of having not being able to see them again. They sure know how to put on a great live show, for me at least they do. Also when I saw them the first time, Monster Truck opened for them.

Let's start the festivities!

First band up was Yes. This was a band I grew up listening to on the radio as they had a number of hits, the most notable one being Owner of a Lonely Heart. My regret was not seeing them live when they had original frontman Jon Anderson in the group nor original bassist Chris Squire. Current frontman Jon Davison was not too shabby. They definitely weren't too bad but I saved my energy for Deep Purple. Here's their setlist:

1. Machine Messiah

2. I've Seen All Good People

3. Yours Is No Disgrace

4. Clap

5. Going for the One

6. Liberian Khatru

Encore:

7. Roundabout

8. Starship Trooper

After Yes it was time for DEEP PURPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 2nd time seeing them and this time at a different venue because the first time I saw them was at Massey Hall on 02/12/2012 and it was also on a Sunday at that time and I remember enjoying Deep Purple live at that time. This time around Ian Gillan wasn't walking around in a boot cast like he was 12 years ago. Plus another notable change was them having a new guitarist from Northern Ireland named Simon McBride whereas 12 years ago they had Steve Morse, in which he left the group 2 years ago to be with his sick wife. Also Ian Gillan cracked some funny one liners in between songs when he said "We just played a few calypsos to get you warmed up" and "A lot of people think this next song is about global warming, but it's quite the opposite, I started a fire in my own house"*then they play Lazy Sod* and "I'll show you mine, if you show me yours" plus he also went on a tangent of how he invented invisible cream and then lost the can. Also wanted to point out that keyboardist Don Airey looks like Charles Bronson. My only quibble with the set was the solo parts when Simon McBride and Don Airey had their moments, but other than that a great show and at 79, Ian Gillan still has the pipes. Here's their setlist:

1. Highway Star

2. A Bit on the Side

3. Hard Lovin' Man

4. Into the Fire

5. Guitar Solo

6. Uncommon Man

7. Lazy Sod

8. Lazy

9. Show Me

10. Portable Door

11. Anya

12. Keyboard Solo (Bonus played Canadian national anthem, A Man Needs a Maid, and Rondo Alla Turka on the keys)

13. Bleeding Obvious

14. Space Truckin'

15. Smoke on the Water

Encore:

16. Hush (Joe South cover)

17. Black Night

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Sunday night, although I wish it was on a Friday or Saturday.

DEEP PURPLE FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

EXCITER AND MIDNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks here's my 9th review of 2024, Exciter and Midnight!!!!!!! This was the 5th time I saw Exciter as I saw them 10 months ago at Rockpile and first time in half a decade I saw them at Lee's Palace as that was the first of 4 times I'd see Exciter with the current lineup. They always know how to deliver the goods live and are fun to watch.

Let's start thr festivities!!

I missed the first two bands in Dead Wolff and Wraith as I was recovering from a night of gluttony from the night before and had to fix my printer, but I was able to get there in time for MIDNIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 3rd time seeing them live as I last saw them with Obituary and Abbath at The Phoenix and oh my god do they have a great live show. Lots of energy especially with the guitarist doing twirls as he's ripping solos, which takes mad skill. The frontman and bassist said in between songs "You'll never meet a filthier American, I only take a shower twice a month" which drew some laughter from the crowd. He also paid tribute to his "heroes" in Exciter and said "Most people were beating on Heart albums. I was beating on Violence & Force, that was my education". I'll also highlight that the pit for Midnight was insane, thankfully my left hand didn't get broken. Here's their setlist:

1. Vomit Queens

2. Lust Filth and Sleaze

3. Black Rock 'n' Roll

4. Expect Total Hell

5. Masked and Deadly

6. Dungeon Lust

7. Fucking Speed and Darkness

8. Szex Witchery

9. Evil Like a Knife

10. Nuclear Savior

11. Merciless Slaughtor

12. F.O.A.L

13. Satanic Royalty

14. You Can't Stop Steel

15. Unholy and Rotten

After Midnight it was time for EXCITER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 4th time seeing them with the current lineup and 5th time overall seeing them live. The current lineup always delivers the goods live each time they come to Toronto as Dan Beehler said "Toronto has had our back since day 1". Since this was the last night of the tour, they did a big surprise where the members of Midnight came out to join them in playing the last song that being Iron Fist and as well the members of Wraith, which I thought was totally incredible and memorable. Also Daniel Dekay injects Exciter with a ton of life and enthusiasm every time he takes the stage with them since he's a Toronto metal scene legend. Here's their setlist:

1. Stand Up and Fight

2. Heavy Metal Maniac

3. Die in the Night

4. Iron Dogs

5. Beyond the Gates of Doom

6. Evil Sinner

7. Pounding Metal

8. Violence & Force

9. Long Live the Loud

Encore:

10. Iron Fist (Motörhead cover)

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Sunday night on the long weekend.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

DEF LEPPARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks here's my 8th review of 2024, Def Leppard!!! Man did it feel good to finally see them live after waiting 15 years as each time they came to Toronto, I wasn't able to go, but last night I finally ended the curse that had plagued me for so long. I'll also add this was the 2nd time I saw a show at the SkyDome as last time that happened was 7 years ago when I saw Metallica live.

Let's start the festivities!

I got to the venue late so I missed Cheap Trick, but I got there when Journey was performing and they had a great live show even though I only know 6 of their songs that being Wheel in the Sky, Separate Ways (Worlds Apart), Open Arms, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin, and Any Way You Want It. The highlight of their set was hearing Separate Ways and Arnel Pineda has great stage presence and a great vocal range.

After Journey it was time for DEF LEPPARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them and they put on a great live show, Joe Elliott still has the pipes at the newly turned age of 65 especially with his low and high raspy vocals, plus hes quite the talented acoustic guitar player. They truly know how to energize the crowd and I was having lots of fun enjoying the atmosphere. I will also say since Joe Elliott went grey, he looks like Saxon frontman Biff Byford and Phil Collen looks like a younger version of Tobin Bell aka John Kramer/Jigsaw Killer in the Saw franchise. Here's their setlist

1. Rock! Rock! (Til you Drop)

2. Rocket

3. Foolin'

4. Armageddon It (shortened ending version)

5. Animal

6. Love Bites

7. Just Like '73

8. Billy's Got a Gun

9. Too Late for Love

10. Die Hard the Hunter (no second verse/chorus)

Thurst Stage:

11. Two Steps Behind (Joe solo; short acoustic version)

12. Happy Birthday to You (Mildred J. Hill and Patty Hill cover) (crowd sings Happy Birthday to Joe)

13. This Guitar (acoustic/electric version)

14. Bringin' On the Heartbreak (acoustic/electric version)

15. Switch 625

16. Rock of Ages

17. Photograph

Encore:

18. Hysteria

19. Pour Some Sugar on Me

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Friday night

DEF LEPPARD FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

3 INCHES OF BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey everyone, sorry for running 48 hours late but better late than never, here's my 7th review of 2024, 3 Inches of Blood!!!! This was my 7th time seeing them and first time in 11 years seeing them live since disbanded 9 years ago after playing their last shows in Vancouver, their hometown. After they broke up, demand began growing and they reformed last year and since they've returned to the road, they've been playing larger venues due to high demand for their shows, which is awesome. 3 Inches of Blood always put on a great live show each time I see them.

Lets begin the festivities!

First band up was RAIDER!!!!!!!!!! I've heard of them before but never seen them before, so this was my first time seeing them live and they put on a great show. They're a death thrash band from Kitchener/Waterloo and have great energy onstage, awesome trade off guitar solos, and as well the frontman doing his variation of Frank Mullen's death chops.

After Raider were finished it was time for the headliners 3 INCHES OF BLOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my 7th time seeing them and the first time in 11 years seeing them live as I last saw them with Death Angel before they ultimately broke up. This was also the first time in 14 years I've seen 3 Inches of Blood do a headlining show and seeing them headline is just as awesome. Cam Pipes still has awesome vocals live and I'll point out Shane Clark looks unrecognizable with his short hair since the last time I saw him live, he had long hair. Before they got into Destroy the Orcs, Cam made reference to the classic Two Towers quote from uruk hai leader Uglúk "Looks like meats back on the menu, boys!" Here's their setlist:

1. Upon the Boiling Sea I: Fear on the Bridge

2. Wykydtron

3. God of the Cold White Silence

4. Destroy the Orcs

5. Axes of Evil

6. Swordmaster

7. Trial of Champions

8. Through the Horned Gate

9. Night Marauders

10. Premonition of Pain

11. Demon's Blade

12. Forest King

13. Upon the Boiling Sea III: Isle of Eternal Dispair

14. Revenge Is a Vulture

15. Rejoice in the Fire's of Man's Demise

16. Battles and Brotherhood

Encore:

17. Crazy Nights

18. Deadly Sinners

19. The Goatriders Horde

Overall, an awesome show and a great way to spend a Saturday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

DEATH TO ALL PART II!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks sorry for running 48 hours late but better late than never, here's my 6th review of 2024, Death to All Part II!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was another great performance from Death to All and this time around the setlist was a 91-98 themed setlist, which I will get to in a little while. This show definitely had a larger turnout given how it was on a Friday night and more people are familiar with the Death catalog from 91-98.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was CRYPTOPSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Awesome to see these guys a 2nd time in a row as they were great the night before. They definitely changed up their setlist but still played songs off of Blasphemy Made Flesh and None So Vile. This time around I saw them from the right side of the venue as opposed to being up front as I was in recovery mode from the night before. Cryptopsy once again put on a great live show. Here's their setlist:

1. Phobophile

2. Lascivious Undivine

3. In Abeyance

4. Graves of the Fathers

5. Detritus (The One They Kept)

6. Gravage (a Cryptopsy)

7. Sire of Sin

8. Flayed the Swine

9. Orgiastic Disembowelment

After Cryptopsy it was time for DEATH TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Second consecutive night I saw them and they were once again outstanding and their setlist was a lot different compared to the night before as it featured two songs from Individual Thought Patterns, two songs from Human, two songs from Symbolic, and The Sound of Perseverance played in it's entirety, although the instrumental Voice of the Soul was used as the recorded build up before DTA took the stage. Steve DiGorgio once again was awesome with his bass lines and Viking hippie look alongside his banter in between songs and a couple of funny moments as well. Also at one point during the set, one guy on the other side of the side barricade had said to me that I won the headbanging award as I was going all out during DTA's set, which I took as a badge of honour. Here's their setlist:

Intro: Voice of the Soul

1. The Philosopher

2. Suicide Machine

3. Overactive Imagination

4. Symbolic

The Sound of Perseverance:

5. Scavenger of Human Sorrow

6. Bite the Pain

7. Story to Tell

8. Flesh and the Power It Holds

9. To Forgive is to Suffer

10. A Moment of Clarity

11. Painkiller (Judas Priest cover)

Encore:

12. Spirit Crusher

13. Lack of Comprehension (followed by short bass solo)

14. Crystal Mountain (Rush's "YYZ" outro)

Overall a great show and a great way to spend a Friday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[aci32]

DEATH TO ALL PART I!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey folks, here's my 5th review of 2024, Death to Alll!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them as the last 3 times they came to Toronto in 2013, 2014, and last year respectively, I missed them. This year around, the curse was finally dead and they put on a phenomenal live show.

Let's begin the festivities!

First band up was CRYPTOPSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them live as I was a long time skeptic of them after Lord Worm departed a 2nd time in 2007 and was replaced my Matt McGachy and then in 2008 they released that abominable deathcore experimental album The Unspoken King, which ignited a massive backlash against the band, who then released their follow-up Eponymous album which was a step in the right direction and then last year they released As Gomorrah Burns, which was a full return to their roots. I will say Matt McGachy has phenomenal stage presence with his headbanging and putting his hand on his knee as he headbangs ala Corpsegrinder and he has his podcast called Vox&Hops in which my friend Chris Soutsos has been a frequent guest of his in the past. In between songs I heard him yell "Yeah!" in an angry tone and he said "Sorry guys my guitarist (Christian Donaldson) is giving me shit and saying 'Why aren't you talking?' 'I am talking, yeah!'" Then he led the crowd to yelling it out. Flo Mounier is a total beast on the drumkit with his blastbeats especially for a guy who will turn 50 next month. Overall, Cryptopsy have a great live show. Here's their setlist:

1. Defenestration

2. Abigor

3. Crown of Horns

4. Slit Your Guts

5. Emaciate

6. Cold Hate, Warm Blood

7. Open Face Surgery

8. Serial Messiah

9. Benedictine Convulsions

After Cryptopsy it was time for DEATH TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This was my first time seeing them live and what a great show they put on from start to finish. Since this was the first of two nights they were playing in Toronto, they played Scream Bloody Gore in it's entirety, which was a great way for me to see them for the first time, plus a few classics off Leprosy and Spiritual Healing. When they came out to play, Gene Hoglan wore his aviators and Steve DiGorgio was dawning the "viking hippie look" as my friend Rabih had phrased it, and it was great to see Steve live again for the first time in 8 years as I last saw him with Testament at Wacken Open Air 2016 in the wee hours of the morning and he's a beast on the bass. I also enjoyed Max Phelps doing his great tribute to Chuck Schuldiner in getting the vocal style down alongside playing a BC Rich Stealth and as well his singing posture. During one of the songs, Steve had moved Max's mic around a few times just to prank him, which I cackled at hysterically, and in between songs Steve did all of the speaking especially when introducing the next songs, coupled with a few funny moments. Also there were moments of fans myself included chanting "Chuck, Chuck" in tribute to Chuck Schuldiner. Here's their setlist:

1. Leprosy

2. Living Monstrosity

3. Open Casket

4. Within the Mind

Scream Bloody Gore:

5. Infernal Death

6. Denial of Life

7. Sacrificial

8. Mutilation

9. Regurgitated Guts

10. Baptized in Blood

11. Torn to Pieces

12. Evil Dead

13. Scream Bloody Gore

Encore:

14. Zombie Ritual

15. Spiritual Healing

16. Pull the Plug

All in all a great show and a great way to spend a Thursday night.

HEAVY METAL FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!