ABORT Magazine™ - Canadian Counter-Culture

Film Review: In the Land of Blood and Honey – Directed by Angelina Jolie

January 27th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin

Film Review: In the Land of Blood and Honey
Directed by Angelina Jolie
GK Films

For a film based upon real-life events, Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut “In the Land of Blood and Honey” does not feel wholly real. Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War in the 1990s, the film tells the story of Danijel (Goran Kostic) and Ajla (Zana Marjanovic). We are introduced to the ‘couple’ dancing intimately in a night club just before a massive explosion tears through the building. As we soon learn, Danijel is a Serbian soldier and Ajla is a Bosnian who ultimately ends up captive in a camp that he oversees.

As in all wars, there are atrocities abound in the Bosnian War, not the least of which is rape. Which leads me to the first issue that I have with this film: the rape scenes are shown strangely unaffectedly.

In an early scene, Ajla and her female neighbours are taken to a Serbian prison camp and forced to stand in line for inspection. One woman is pulled from the lineup and raped in front of the rest of the group. While this was happening, one would think that the other women would react in horror or despair or disgust; in fact, there was little-to-no reaction at all. And the woman who was raped? When the Bosnian soldier had finished and put her back into line, she looked at most discomforted.

As for Ajla, she discovers that Danijel runs the prisoner camp she’s captive in. While her country is being systematically destroyed by the Bosnians, Ajla soon becomes a protectee – and a lover – of Danijel. Unfortunately, we never fully understand if Ajla’s relationship with Danijel is due to love or a basic need to survive. Conversely, Danijel’s affections for Ajla seems to swing between compassion (bringing her dinner, taking her for a moonlit walk) and rage (tying her to a bed, holding a gun to her head).

We do meet other characters too, like Danijel’s father Nebojsa, Ajla’s sister Lejla, and a a Serbian fighter named Tarik. All play key parts in this film, but like Ajla and Danijel, their characters don’t feel very flushed out. In fact, no one in this film seems very beaten down or broken by this war for very long. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching war movies, people become hard during movies. No one ever seems hardened in this film.

Overall, this film feels incomplete. Though the anti-war message in “In the Land of Blood and Honey” is an important one, it is also important to have believable character development and a plausible story. It will be interesting to see what Angelina can do on her follow-up, if and when it ever occurs.

PS: Goran Kostic is a dead ringer for Daniel Craig.

Opens Today Nationwide

inthelandofbloodandhoney.com

By Daniel Chai

WANT MORE FILM REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

Copyright © 2004-2011 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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ABORT Magazine and Rickshaw Theater are proud to present DJ MUGGS, February 23rd 2012, Live at The Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver

January 27th, 2012 Filed under: ABORT Presents..., ABORT Recommends... by admin

Photo: Handout

ABORT Magazine is proud to announce, DJ Muggs at The Rickshaw Theatre.

THURSDAY FEB 23rd • Doors @ 8PM • RICKSHAW THEATRE • 254 E. HASTINGS • AGES 19+

More details, including supporting acts to be announced.

Tickets: $15 Advance – DOOR TBA (Tickets expected to sell out in Advance)

Available: In person at: Zulu, Red Cat, and on Live at Rickshaw

DJ MUGGS OFFICIAL

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

LIVE AT RICKSHAW
http://www.liveatrickshaw.com

ABORT MAGAZINE
http://abortmag.com/

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R.I.P – Blues singer Etta James passes away due to complications from Leukemia, aged 73

January 20th, 2012 Filed under: R.I.P. by admin

Photo: Roland Godefroy – Wikipedia

(New York Times) – Etta James, whose powerful, versatile and emotionally direct voice could enliven the raunchiest blues as well as the subtlest love songs, most indelibly in her signature hit, “At Last,” died Friday morning in Riverside, Calif. She was 73.

Her manager, Lupe De Leon, said that the cause was complications of leukemia. Ms. James, who died at Riverside Community Hospital, had been undergoing treatment for some time for a number of conditions, including leukemia and dementia. She also lived in Riverside.

Ms. James was not easy to pigeonhole. She is most often referred to as a rhythm and blues singer, and that is how she made her name in the 1950s with records like “Good Rockin’ Daddy.” She is in both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Blues Hall of Fame.

She was also comfortable, and convincing, singing pop standards, as she did in 1961 with “At Last,” which was written in 1941 and originally recorded by Glenn Miller’s orchestra. And among her four Grammy Awards (including a lifetime-achievement honor in 2003) was one for best jazz vocal performance, which she won in 1995 for the album “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.”

Regardless of how she was categorized, she was admired. Expressing a common sentiment, Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in 1990 that she had “one of the great voices in American popular music, with a huge range, a multiplicity of tones and vast reserves of volume.”

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Rise to Remain cancel North American tour, Push ‘City of Vultures’ album realease date to June 2012

January 6th, 2012 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry by admin

(Press Release) – It is with regret that Rise To Remain announces that they have parted company with their bass player Joe Copcutt and drummer Pat Lundy on the eve of their first North American tour. As a result, they will no longer be able to take part in the shows as planned supporting Machine Head. The band apologizes to all their North American fans but would like to assure them that they will be playing shows there very soon.

The North American release of their critically acclaimed debut album City Of Vultures via Century Media Records now moves to June 5th, when Rise To Remain will be heading to North American shores for an extensive soon-to-be-announced tour. The North American album release will also feature exclusive new material recorded in the coming months.

Rise To Remain will head back out on the road in the UK and Europe as previously announced in March on their headlining tour with German metallers Heaven Shall Burn as support.

New members will be announced in due course. In the meantime, Rise To Remain
would like to thank Joe and Pat for their contribution to the band’s success and wish them well with all their plans for the future.

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Live Review: Guns N’ Roses, December 17th 2011, Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C.

December 18th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Live by admin

Live Review – Guns and Roses with Loaded
Saturday December 17th, 2011
Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, B.C

Ah yes, Guns n’ Roses. The staple music conversation piece. The band that for 25 years has embodied the very best, and worst, of rock n’ roll and what it represents. The arrogance, the excess, the stigma of Axl Rose and co. all made their way to the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver on Saturday, and reminded everyone in attendance why we ever put up with their bullshit in the first place. This was a show for the ages.

Things did not look good upon arrival. The ticket holders’ line to enter the venue stretched outside almost all the way to Hastings St., well after the scheduled “doors at 7:00”; and the promoter-imposed mandate of “one drink per guest” had beer queues stacked at ridiculous length right until last call, at the start of the main act. The arena rock environment has certainly lost a fair share of lustre in the last decade or so.

Founding Guns n’ Roses bassist Duff Mckagan’s band Loaded opened up for the second of two west coast dates, giving the show a smattering of credibility as far as purists are concerned. Duff looked healthy and vibrant. A far cry from the image of his bloated Use Your Illusion days, when you swear you could have tapped him like a maple tree to harvest pure Russian vodka. Loaded’s style was standard Seattle-punk fare, and they fell into the unfortunate (and ever-growing) list of touring bands who’s crew can not seem to figure out the mechanics of arena sound. The frontman’s presence was energetic, and especially endearing, as he shared his affection for the 80s Vancouver punk scene with the crowd. GnR covers “So Fine” and “Dust and Bones” had everyone bubbling with anticipation for the main act to follow.

After an unexpectedly modest break, at 11:00 (somewhere around four in the afternoon, W. Axl Rose time) the Guns hit the stage. They hit it HARD. Opening with “Chinese Democracy” then jumping right into “Welcome to the Jungle”. The sound was tight, the production top-notch, and the notoriously inconsistent frontman was absolutely on his game. Within minutes fears were erased. 2011 shall remain a one-riot year for Vancouver. Nice. The classics kept coming: “It’s So Easy”, “Mr. Brownstown”, and when new tunes appeared they were received well by the crowd. Even lesser known tracks like the Nine Inch Nails-esque “Shacklers Revenge” translated surprisingly well live.

The three-hour long set gave fans plenty of time to acquaint themselves with the new band (“new” being the throwaway word of that sentence). Make no mistake, this is a band worth acquainting yourself with. Guitarist DJ Ashba dashed around looking like a healthy Mick Mars on speed, while handling much of the classic Slash guitar-work. 6-string virtuoso Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal seemed to find serenity amidst the whirlwind stage show, head back and eyes closed as he effortlessly brought some of the more outrageous Buckethead-composed licks to life. Longstanding axeman Richard Fortus charmed the crowd with his boyish smile and a cool reminiscent of Izzy Stradlin. Frank Ferrer and Tommy Stinson, drummer and bassist, respectively, held the groove flawlessly for the entire herculean set; while keyboardists Chris Pitman and Illusion-era mainstay Dizzy Reed gave atmosphere and an added sense of euphoria to the proceedings. Duff joined the group to play “You Could Be Mine” and “Civil War”, effortlessly gelling with the modern guns and the sound he helped create.

Mr. Rose came off as… a bit of an asshole. No surprise there. Saying little to the crowd save for a classic, yet warranted, Axl moment when he personally had a rowdy fan ejected from the arena. “You wanna fight? You can go fight with your dick outside!” Fair enough. His one comment regarding the infamous GnR no-show riot of ’02: “If I had known you crazy motherfuckers were gonna tear that place apart, I would have been there a week early!” That was about as close to an apology as anyone can expect to get from one of rock’s most unapologetic figures. All that aside, the ratio of vocal prowess to mild-douchery was extremely favourable.

Guns n’ Roses is a band often held in the highest regard, but only while in its prime. Well, call them what you want, but on December 17th, Vancouver witnessed a band that was absolutely at the top of its game. The inebriated ‘Appetite for Destruction’ line-up would have had seldom a gig as tight as what was witnessed at the Coliseum that night, and those who were able to liberate themselves from the 16-year old grudge against a Slash-less GnR were rewarded with one of the best rock n’ roll shows in the world today.

By: Justin Sarris

WANT MORE LIVE REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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Live Review: Prince and the New Power Generation, December 16th 2011, Rogers Arena, Vancouver, B.C.

December 17th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Live by admin

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Artist approved handout)

Live Review – Prince and The New Power Generation
Friday December 16th, 2011
Rogers Arena, Vancouver, B.C

Allow this reviewer to spare his readers all the trite puns about it being “2011 but Prince still Parties like it’s 1999″. He knows it, you know it. We all know it. Actually, Prince parties like James Brown if James Brown decided to go vegan and do nothing but stamina exercises all day long, and then learn to tear his guitar apart by the string like a clean playing Hendrix.

Thousands of eager Prince fans flooded the cement stairs of the Rogers Arena on Friday, in all shapes and sizes. From forty-somethings who ‘were there, man’, to young hipsters wearing their best Revolution outfits, to soccer moms getting out for the night. To say Prince Rogers Nelson has a vast fan base would be an understatement.

At roughly 8:30pm, the lights dimmed, and the screams began, and they didn’t let up until somewhere around 11:30. The New Power Generation (Prince’s backing band since the film Graffiti Bridge (the sequel to Purple Rain)), took the stage (which sat in the middle of the arena, circled by the crowd), and came in cooking right off the get-go, like a traditional 70′s soul-crew, educating several generations on funk. In fact, funk was brought up repeatedly through-out the night, in case one wasn’t sure what they were witnessing. This was completely legitimized by the fact that the legendary sax player Maceo Parker played with the band most of the night.

“My name is Prince”, came that familiar voice as the legend himself rose through the floor. Launching into “Gold”, with a smooth but familiar transition into all-time popular hit-ballad “Purple Rain”, his orange Fender Telecaster hanging off his back. It was relieving that Prince included his back catalogue, even though he has a new-ish record out (2010). He played pretty much every hit you’d want, (and actually at one point pointed out that he’d played all his hits), including “Little Red Corvette”, “When Doves Cry”, “1999″, “Raspberry Beret”. He also managed to pepper his never-take-a-break set with covers of Michael Jackson (“Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough”), the Ohio Players (“Love Rollercoaster”), as well as playing a track or two he wrote for others “Nothing Compares 2 U” – Sinead O’Connor, and Sarah Maclachlan’s “Angel,” for example.

“You came to watch me, but I want to watch you, too,” the purple one shouted at one point. “Have you been to Calgary? Calgary’s a funky place!” Prince taunted the crowd with, before launching into an extra-fast version of “Kiss”.

Two things became evident tonight.

1) Prince clearly sleeps in a zip-lock container, because there’s no way a 53 year old can move like that for that long and sound that great.

2) Vancouver keeps it funkier than Calgary and Toronto. Prince told me so.

By: Kevvy Mental

WANT MORE LIVE REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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Live Review: Ghostface Killah and Guests, Dec 11th, 2011 at the Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver B.C.

December 13th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Live by admin

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Jamie Sands)
(Top: Ghostface Killah – Left: Jay Kin – Top Right: DJ Flipout – Bottom Right: Peter Jackson

Live Review – Ghostface Killah with Peter Jackson, Jay Kin, DJ Flipout, and DJ Seko
Sunday, December 11th, 2011
The Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, B.C.

Vancouver’s Hip Hop faithful gathered on a cold winter’s night for Ghostface’s first appearance in years at what is probably the most appropriate venue possible – an old Kung-Fu theatre – to witness what promised to be the best rap show of the year. Amid the cavernous darkness of the Rickshaw Theatre, nestled comfortably in the heart of the Downtown Eastside, a diverse throng of young and old, straitlaced and wild-style alike huddled in the protective warmth of booming bass frequencies.

DJ’s Seko and Hedspin held down a constantly shifting mix of old and new bangers, with Hedspin hyping the crowd and chuffing a blunt simultaneously. By the time Toronto’s Peter Jackson took the stage, the front row was already packed with ball-capped homeboys and hoochied out homegirls, well lifted and ready to throw down. Jackson’s original set of hardcore East Coast style thug raps and testimonies of personal hardship were in just the right vein to get people moving, with a seamless combination of focused anger and effortless flows.

After a brief interlude, the man of the hour, Tony Starks AKA Ironman AKA Ghostface Killah finally took the stage to the sounds of “Be Easy”, with hype-man Trife Da God backing his every line. With such an extensive discography, Ghost would have a hard time pleasing everyone with their fave track, but he attempted to do just that by throwing down short versions of every single banger from “Ironman” to “Apollo Kids” and back again. Starks was joined early in the set by the legendary Killah Priest for some “Purified Thoughts”, and soon after by the one and only Sheek Louch from D-Block and The LOX, who remained onstage with the crew for the remainder of the set. With the obligatory hoe-down featuring ladies from the audience bumping and grinding with the group onstage, to a performance of “Wu-Tang:7th Chamber” performed by volunteers, the boundaries between stage and floor were dissolved leaving listeners helplessly enthralled. Ghost and crew even went so far as to sign autographs at the merch table after a good hour and a half long set, testament to their true commitment to their fans.

One would be hard pressed to think of another MC with such an extensive solo catalogue, enduring career, or wide and diverse appeal as Ghostface, and it is excellent to see that his live show more than lives up to expectations. With another show added on Wednesday at Fortune Sound Lounge, the Ironman has indeed come to leave an indelible stamp on Canada’s Hip Hop consciousness, and hopefully to inspire the next level of locals to step up to the plate. As ever, Wu-Tang is for the children!!!

Ghostface Killah – Def Jam
Ghostface Killah – Myspace

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

WANT MORE LIVE REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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R.I.P – Former Death Row Records Executive John Atterberry dies of gunshot wounds, aged 40

December 12th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by admin

(Huffington Post) – John Atterberry died Monday after being shot last week by a rampaging gunman in the heart of Hollywood, a hospital spokeswoman said.

John Atterberry, who had worked with the Spice Girls, Jessica Simpson and others, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shortly before 5 p.m. Monday, spokeswoman Simi Singer said.

The 40-year-old executive was shot in the face and upper body as he drove his Mercedes-Benz during Friday’s random attack.

Atterberry was the only seriously injured victim of 26-year-old Tyler Brehm, who police say fired nearly 20 bullets in the air and at cars as he screamed that he wanted to die. He was killed by police minutes later.

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TONIGHT! ABORT Is Proud To Sponsor: GHOSTFACE KILLAH LIVE! w/ Guests at The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, B.C.

December 11th, 2011 Filed under: ABORT Presents..., ABORT Recommends... by admin

CHERCHEZ LA FEMME • LIVE AT RICKSHAW • NATIVE SHOES PRESENT

GHOSTFACE KILLAH LIVE!

We are very excited to bring you GFK live for his first ever Vancouver performance at The Rickshaw Theatre.

TONIGHT, SUNDAY DECEMBER 11 • RICKSHAW THEATRE • 254 E. HASTINGS 19+

SPECIAL GUEST APPEARANCE BY: PETER JACKSON (T.O)

HOSTED BY FLIPOUT! (THOSE MF’S)

W/ SUPPORT FROM:

JAYKIN

GREG B

MAIN OFFENDERS

RAP ATHLETE

DEEJAYS • CHERCHEZ • RHEK • GENIE

NOTE:
This event will sell out please by advance tickets to avoid disappointment.

$35+(SC) PRE-SALE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT:

DIPT • SHARKS&HAMMERS • REDCAT • BEATSTREET • ZULU • HIGHLIFE

BUY TICKETS HERE

FACEBOOK EVENT

BROUGHT TO YOU BY:

LIVE AT RICKSHAW
http://www.liveatrickshaw.com
CHERCHEZ LA FEMME
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14455484791
NATIVE SHOES
http://nativeshoes.com/
COLOR MAGAZINE
http://www.colormagazine.ca/
ABORT MAGAZINE
http://abortmag.com/
HIPHOP CANADA
http://www.hiphopcanada.com/

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WTF? – Drake sets out on headlining tour of Woman’s face

December 10th, 2011 Filed under: WTF? by admin

(Vice Magazine) – You know a tattoo is truly great when half the people you show it to screw their faces up and look like they’re about to keel over and puke, and the other half flat-out cry “fake”. If, like me, you’re a hip-hop nerd you’ll no doubt have seen the photo of a freshly inked DRAKE forehead tattoo that went viral on the rap interwebs this past Tuesday. Now you may cringe in disgust at the very idea of someone so clearly insane being allowed to get this done, but to me, this is just another raw and swollen step towards the day T.O. is officially on the rap map, and so fucking what if it takes a sweater-wearing ex-Degrassi kid from the wealthy Forest Hill suburb to do it? I don’t care who it is. It’s about damn time any Toronto rapper gets tattooed on someone’s face.

ABORT Magazine – ISSUE 16: Now Online (Free Download!)

December 10th, 2011 Filed under: Issues, Made In Canada by admin

Cover art | Scott Alexander, Jamie Sands, Chris McKibbin

ISSUE 16: featuring Exclusive Interviews with:

GARY NUMAN, TALIB KWELI, CANCER BATS and More!! Plus, We pay tribute to Abort Magazine Founder E.S. Day, and most of our regular features.

BEHIND THE BOARDS: CHIN INJETI (Eminem, New Royales)

PLUS: Tales From the Eastside, Shooting Gallery, ABORTIST: Rank & File, and of course lots of (honest) reviews!

Free To Download and Share As Always. Two resolutions for your downloading displeasure.

Abort Magazine Issue 16 (32.3MB)
Abort Magazine Issue 16 (116.1MB)

READ OUR BACK ISSUES HERE

abortmag.com/index.php/category/issues

We’ll Lead…You Follow.

twitter.com/abortmag

Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this publication, in whole or in part, in any form or medium without express written permission from Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.) is prohibited. All use is subject to our Terms of Use.

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R.I.P – M.A.S.H / Dragnet star Henry Morgan passes away aged 96

December 7th, 2011 Filed under: R.I.P. by admin

(LAtimes.com) – Emmy Award-winning actor Harry Morgan, who played the crusty yet sympathetic Col. Sherman T. Potter in the sitcom “MASH” and the hard-nosed LAPD Officer Bill Gannon in the television drama “Dragnet,” died Wednesday. He was 96.

Morgan died at his home in Brentwood after a bout with pneumonia, his daughter-in-law, Beth Morgan, told the Associated Press.

Morgan’s eight-year run on “MASH,” the pinnacle of his seven-decade acting career, began when he was 60 and had already appeared on the Broadway stage, in dozens of television shows and more than 50 films.

Three years after it debuted, he joined the show in 1975 as commanding officer of the unorthodox 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, which patched together the wounded during the Korean War.

When the 2 1/2-hour “MASH” finale aired in 1983, 77% of the people watching television were tuned in, making it the most widely watched show in history.

Shortly before the final episode was broadcast, Morgan told The Times, “There’ll never be another ‘MASH.’ There’s nothing in the way of doing your best work on this set, absolutely nothing.”

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ABORT PRESENTS… GFYS! A tribute to ABORT Magazine Founder E.S Day, at The Rickshaw Theater – December 9th, 2011

November 26th, 2011 Filed under: ABORT Presents..., ABORT Recommends..., News/Calendar/Industry by admin

(CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

Densixx Entertainment, The Invisible Orange and ABORT Magazine unite to present:

GFYS: A Tribute to ABORT magazine founder E. S. Day
(Rest in Power: Feb 3 1968 – Nov 14 2011)

Vancouver’s metal and hip hop communities unite to celebrate the life and mourn the passing of a friend and devoted supporter of music’s underground.

With the presentation of: Ninjaspy, Red1 with Killawatt, Magnus Rising, Corvid, Friends with the Help, and Abriosis.

Date: December 9, 2011
Location: The Rickshaw Theatre (254 East Hastings)
On facebook: http://www.facebook.com/events/269507776433927

Tickets:By donation
Proceeds go to:
BATTERED WOMEN SUPPORT SERVICES
POSITIVE LIVING SOCIETY OF BC

with:

Ninjaspy

Metal/Hardcore/Reggae/Surf band Ninjaspy arose with the dawn of the year of six, embodied by the Triad in Blood: Vocalist/Guitarist Joel Parent, Drummer Adam Parent and Bassist Tim Parent. With the help of prolific producers, Garth Richardson and Ben Kaplan, they have entered the next level of their career, releasing their debut CD Pi Nature in the fall of 2007.

“ Think a 3 piece Mr. Bungle with Patton’s vocals taking a turn for the better, add some laser beams and dreads, turn it all up to eleven, stand the fuck back and enjoy!”. – Ground Report

Red1 with Killawatt

The Rascalz – RED1, DJ Kemo, and Misfit – have become iconic figures in the Canadian hip-hop world since their 1993 debut “Really Livin.” Over the past thirteen years and five albums, the critically acclaimed Van city crew has helped pioneer Canadian hip-hop. In the process, they have garnered numerous MuchMusic Video Awards, Urban Music Awards, certified gold records, NO. 1 singles on MuchMusic, and Juno Awards. (They famously declined a Juno in 1998 to protest the show’s policy, which excluded urban music from the televised broadcast). Rascalz member RED1 is now breaking ground on his own with Killawatt Records. He hopes the Vancouver-based label will expose emerging talent of all genres, from across the country and abroad.

Magnus Rising

Magnus Rising is a solid Vancouver Heavy Metal band with a passion for Rock n’ Roll. Originally from Newfoundland, Magnus Rising strives to satisfy the tastes of their loyal fans, while earning a place for their music in the lives of fans to come. Combining a vivid and high energy live performance with compelling and hard hitting songwriting, Magnus Rising sets out to play any for any audience that will truly listen.

Corvid

CORVID is a scumbag Celtic abstract anarchist hip hop mc originally from North Bay Ontario, currently residing in East Van. This is Hip Hop for those sick of the shit clogging the drain at the bottom of the pit from which deranged minds spit rhymes to destroy the limits of these weak times.

Friends with the Help

Friends With The Help have various ties to the arts community in Vancouver. Recent shows have seen the trio at literary events (inter/tidal iv), gallery openings (Gallery Gachet, Marion Scott Gallery), and at the inaugural show in the Bassment level of the W2 Media Cafe where FWTH released their debut mix tape to a sweaty throng. As a group or individually, FWHT have opened for/toured with the likes of Living Legends, Blowfly, Young Buck, The Game, Obie Trice, Front Line Assembly, and many more.

Abriosis

Abriosis is a 4 piece progressive death metal band hailing from Vancouver, BC. Have released a self titled e.p. , and their brand new full length album “Tattered and Bound”. Looking forward to continuing touring in Canada and abroad.

All proceeds are being donated to Battered Women Support Services and Living Positive.

Night hosted by DJ Temple of Without Mercy.

Live Review: Mayhem with Guests, November 21, 2011, The Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, B.C.

November 25th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Live by admin

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Chris McKibbin)
(Top: Mayhem – Bottom: Hate)

Live Review – Mayhem with Abigail Williams, Hate and Keep of Kalessin
Monday November 21, 2011
The Rickshaw Theater, Vancouver, B.C

On a cold, stormy November night, Mayhem finally arrived in Vancouver intent on performing in front of new and old black metal fan alike. A solid opening lineup in the form of Abigail Williams, Hate and Keep of Kalessin warmed up the cold Canadian crowd for the legendary Norwegian black metal veterans.

Abigail Williams made the mistake of opening the show with a rather slow set. While hardly any songs were fast paced enough to get the crowd going, it seemed most of the crowd was content to listen through the walls out in the lobby while drinking a few beers and trying to stay awake. Many comments of disappointment were floating around said lobby due to their last performance in Vancouver being a lot more lively and the evenings lack of a keyboard player.

HATE were your typical bland, generic, extreme black death metal that would appeal to fans of new Behemoth and Belphagor, however every song sounds the same, with brutal blasting mediocre over produced “show metal”. While the set was decent enough, there really was nothing that set them apart.

Keep of Kalessin, another (early) Norweigan black metal, mixed with more modern medolic folk-black-death-metal took the stage as the third and final opening act. They left the crowd hoping for much more, playing only their 2008 and later tunes of folk black metal, even though they were definitely primed for a better set. Perhaps not bringing the crowd to much of a boil, the opening acts still served their headlining master well bringing the crowd together, albeit a little luke-warm.

While many fans were on the fence of seeing Mayhem live because ‘they are not what they used to be’ they delivered a classic set consisting of many songs off “De Mysteriis dom Sathanas” and “Deathcrush.” While there were no dead ravens, decayed and exhumed clothing or any cutting on stage it was still like experiencing Mayhem live when they were in their prime. Atilla’s grotesque costume and singing into a human skull and spine during highlight classics like “Freezing Moon” and “Funeral Fog” really set the bar for what people were hoping to see and hear from them. Atilla’s vocals were sinister, dark and supreme with an added touch of distinct almost operatic range. Necrobutcher’s classic bass lines mesmerized the crowd while getting to see a true legend of black metal on stage. Hellhammer’s precise devastating blast beats held the chaotic elements together, while Rickshaw Theater’s improvement in sound only added to the enjoyment of the show.

Other notable songs included “Chainsaw Gutsfuck”, “Pure Fucking Armageddon” and “…Ancient Skin”.

It is awesome that Mayhem can still deliver the goods and definitely worth seeing again!

By: Eileen ‘Ruthless’ Davidson

WANT MORE LIVE REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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Live Review: Onyx with Guests, November 22, 2011, Vancouver, B.C.

November 24th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Live by admin

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Jamie Sands)

Live Review – Onyx, w/ The Indigo Kids, Def3 and Snak The Ripper
Tuesday November 22, 2011
Fortune Sound Club, Vancouver, B.C

On a rainy Tuesday night most people would stay in their cozy homes, wrapped in their blankets while watching TV. However, a select few made their way down to Fortune Sound Club to catch a great line up of Canadian performers to be followed by a legendary hardcore Hip-Hop group right out of New York. Onyx.

While the Dynasty Boys kept the crowd entertained between sets with some old school classics, the Indigo Kids had the honour of being the first act of the evening. Unfortunately, the Tuesday night crowd hadn’t fully arrived yet, but those who were in the building made their way towards the stage. Although missing the high level of stage presence compared to the nights following acts, their flows and rhyme patterns backed by DJ K-Rec on the ones and twos was a great start to the night.

Straight out of Regina, Saskatchewan, Def3 was next to hit the stage. With an amazing stage presence backed by a DJ and trumpet player (who may have arrived a little late with the rest of the crowd), the energy quickly shuffled closer to the front row. Bringing his Dad on stage to help perform “Chan Chan” and then inviting three members from the audience to come up and chug a beer between verses (on the aptly titled “C.H.U.G.”) definitely helped create an intimate atmosphere. Before exiting the stage Def 3 quickly dropped a bomb and let the crowd know that the Outlawz would also be in the building this evening, a welcome surprise as they were not on the original bill.

Returning from, “Belgium or some shit”, heading straight to the club from the airport, Snak The Ripper hit the stage and performed a few fan favourites such as “Take that Shit” and “Lazy” from underneath his trademark ski mask. Not staying long, Snak let the crowd know that Onyx would be up next and then proceeded to let D-Rec spin some records for everyone.

Slam!!

It only took a few seconds after Onyx hit the stage before the crowd went absolutely ballistic, performing “Bacdafucup”, immediately provoking flying beer cans, shoving and elbows, and rightfully so, this is an Onyx show. Droppin’ “Throw Ya Gunz” and “All We Got Iz Us” Fredro Star and Sticky Fingaz moved around the stage mesmerizing the crowd in a way that only a seasoned veteran is capable of. Between tracks Fredro let everyone know that Sticky had originally not made it over the border and had been sent back to Seattle for a ‘particular substance’ found in his luggage, only to go hop on a plane and sneak in to Canada anyway, showing the level of dedication they have for their fans. Bringing the Outlawz on stage for a few tracks as well as reintroducing one of Onyx’s 100 Mad members, Snak the Ripper towards the end, the audience was treated to one jam packed evening of performances.

By Jamie Sands

WANT MORE LIVE REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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Album Review: Action Bronson & Statik Selektah – Well Done

November 22nd, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Music by admin

Album Review – Action Bronson & Statik Selektah
Well Done
DCide Records

These days hip-hop is emerging from all sorts of unusual places and although another New York emcee isn’t necessarily all that unusual, the Flushing, Queens native Action Bronson has recently hung up his pots and pans leaving his position as a culinary artist to take his spot on the mic. Pair Action with everyone’s favourite producer Statik Selektah and you have an interesting recipe for their new album Well Done.

Choosing to go the classic Emcee/Producer route instead of the typical lineup of “the best” producers in the game couldn’t have been a better choice. Each track here is a perfect example of why Statik Selektah is so respected throughout the industry. Introducing the “Albanian Genius” with a cut up Batman sample is just a small taste of well-placed scratches throughout the entire album, giving it that old school NY feel that resonates beautifully with Action’s sound and style.

A strong love for food has been a staple in most of Action’s work to date and although there are still several food references, the strong production has really allowed Bronson to shine with several different styles and concepts. “Love Letter” focuses on one topic (a relationship), “Rain Maker” sees Action slow his flow down while he speaks about the hardships of the industry and tracks like “Cocoa Butter,” which also features Nina Sky, rely more on his witty Ghostface like flow.

While fifteen tracks may seem slightly long there really isn’t a bad song on here and the fact that a few tracks run a mere two minutes helps to keep the listeners attention on Actions constant fluency. Impressively going the whole fifteen tracks without relying heavily on the big name features (Lil Fame of M.O.P only spitting the chorus on his track) is a positive sign that Action Bronson is emcee who has the strength to stand on his own two feet.

Action Bronson on Facebook

By Jamie Sands

WANT MORE ALBUM REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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R.I.P. – Edward Scott “E.S.” Day, Editor-in-Chief of ABORT Magazine.

November 18th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, R.I.P. by admin

(Photo - Scott Alexander)

….and the winner of the “MOST HONEST/BIGGEST FUCKING MOUTH” JUNO AWARD Goes to…

Edward Scott Day, Feb 3, 1968 – Nov 14, 2011

It is with great sorrow and heaviness of heart that we announce the passing of our dear friend, mentor, and Editor In Chief of Abort Magazine, Edward Scott Day. He was found at home in his bed on Tuesday morning, and likely passed on Monday evening of multiple health complications. E.S., Scott, or Scotty to his close friends, was quite simply a force of nature, a man whose personality was so large that even a casual meeting left a permanent impression. For those of us lucky enough to spend time with Scott, whether as staff for the most honest and up front magazine online, or as friends just chilling like villains in the batcave, his presence was, and still is like a constant ringing in our ears. For most of us, Scott was the guy who not only gave us the tools and contacts to take our creative efforts higher, he was the nagging editor who just wanted to light a fire under the collective asses of Vancouver, Canada, and beyond… Scott’s inimitable and often ragged-edged voice was like a skeleton key that could unlock any door, whether with sweetened eloquence or venomous vitriol, and his razor sharp wit was always ready to flip the tables and turn rage into hilarity.

Abort Magazine is truly a testament to Scott’s incredible energy and drive. He coped with many health problems through the years with a tenacity, bravery, and refusal to admit defeat that still astounds his friends, and knowing that his time would be brief he focused his energies on creating a legacy, not just for himself, but for everyone he guided and inspired. As a friend, he was one of the kindest, most generous and caring people you could ever meet…beneath an exterior so brutally honest it could peel paint! His wide ranging talents and tastes shine through the pages of Abort – he was a drummer, DJ, and lover of all types of music, as well as one of the greatest interviewers and music journalists that Canada has ever seen.

Scott’s life, while brief, was so full of events and stories that it would fill several books, and in the near future, some of us will be compiling these anecdotes into a more full tribute to our dear friend. As for myself, I just want to say that for almost six years now, Scott has been my best friend. We have laughed, cried, fought, made up, worked like madmen, relished in our triumphs and commiserated our failures. I have seen him through long stays in the hospital and nights when I would leave thinking I’d never see him again, only for him to bounce right back with renewed vision and unstoppable force. I regard Scott as family, which may not be too much of a stretch as my Great-Grandmother was a Day. Scott was proud of his Irish Newfoundlander roots, and it was always funny to hear the accent come out when he was talking to family…or extremely pissed off!

Dear Scott, the number of people whose lives you touched is uncountable, and for those of us close to you, you will be forever in our hearts, and minds, and ears. I will miss the sound of your voice, the sharp edge of your mind, and your warm friendship more than I can say, and most of all I’ll miss the rainy afternoons spent laughing over roast chicken and good sativa. I love you bro, I know you’re in a beautiful place now where you can interview whoever you want and eat fried chicken by the bucket load, and I know your spirit will be here to keep us all on track for the rest of our lives. Rest In Peace Scott, you deserve it.

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ABORT Magazine photographer Tyler Simpson featured in ‘Open Location’ gallery show in Vancouver, B.C.

November 12th, 2011 Filed under: Made In Canada, News/Calendar/Industry by admin

CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Bryan Mollett)

ABOVE: Tyler Simpson with “Open Location” Gallery curator Shallom Johnson

OPEN LOCATION investigates those moments, people and places that exist on the periphery of our individual and collective consciousness. An exploration of liminal spaces, interstitial realities and transient states, this exhibit is a reclamation of the unnoticed and the forgotten, as seen from the diverse perspectives of some of Vancouver’s most talented emerging photographers.

Photographs by Arseni Khamzin, Eric Cairns, Fabien Belcourt, Jonathan Taggart, Julia Kozlov, Miles de Courcy, Shallom Johnson, Tyler Simpson, Victoria Potter

Kingsway Arts Collective at Rize Mount Pleasant
196 Kingsway (at 10th Avenue)
Vancouver, BC

Open Tuesday -Saturday
11am – 5pm
November 10-22, 2011

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BROOKLYN GRAFFITI LEGEND MR. KAVES DESIGNS 2011 BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU LABEL AND WILL APPEAR IN METALLICA’S FIRST-EVER ART EXHIBIT

November 12th, 2011 Filed under: News/Calendar/Industry, Visuals - Art/Tattoos/Reader Submissons by admin

Bay Ridge native Mr. Kaves began his long relationship with graffiti by invading the tunnels of the NYC transit system at the insanely young age of 10. To this day, he is a highly respected artist amongst his peers and also among the many cutting edge companies for which he has created priceless images – from Nike and Adidas, to the Beastie Boys and Everlast, to MTV and the WWE… Each (and many others) has been blessed by his creativity and forward-facing talents.

Fast forward to Winter 2011 and you can add Georges Duboeuf and Metallica to the long list of those whom have invited Kaves into their universe of expression. Mr. Duboeuf personally hand-picked this Brooklyn taste-maker to design the 2011 label for his prestigious Beaujolais Nouveau wine release. “We wanted to expose people to the celebration of Nouveau and capture the wine’s essence and the energy and unique perspective of Kaves’ art seemed to be an ideal vehicle,” said Franck Duboeuf, Georges’ son and co-proprietor of Les Vins Georges Duboeuf.

Beaujolais Nouveau 2011 will be officially uncorked one minute past midnight on Thursday, November 17, at a party at Stage 37 in New York City, at which Kaves will be displaying a dozen new works.
In addition to the above, Mr. Kaves has also been selected to participate in an art tribute to heavy metal kingpins Metallica during their Obey Your Master exhibit beginning January 20th and running through March 23rd at Exhibit A Gallery in Los Angeles. Other artists scheduled to be included are Shepard Fairey, groundbreaking skateboarders Tony Alva and Steve Caballero, Metallica’s Rob Trujillo, Slipknot founding member Shawn Crahan, Brian M. Viveros, Joe Petagno, Travis Louie and approximately 20 others.

For the exhibit, the artists have all chosen a specific Metallica song by and will execute their vision in their individual artistic mediums, based on their interpersonal relationship to Metallica’s lyrics and music. Kaves explains “Metallica played a lot of their early East Coast shows at a club called L’amour in my backyard of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Now they’re arguably the biggest rock band on the planet and their music and lyrics have touched millions of people. I’ve chosen the song that I have, which I can’t reveal until you see the painting, because I can relate the immense loss the band experienced on their way to becoming the band we now know. I’ve experienced catastrophic loss in my life as well and feel a kinship to those guys as a result.”

READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH MR. KAVES IN ISSUE 3 HERE

mrkaves.com

exhibitagallery.com

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Film Review: Immortals – Dir. by Tarsem Singh

November 11th, 2011 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin

Film Review – Immortals
Directed by Tarsem Singh
Alliance Films

When I entered the cinema to see the press screening for “Immortals”, I said to myself, if Tarsem Singh, the visionary director of such amazing movies as “The Fall” and “The Cell” and the producers of the amazingly silly but extremely watchable “300” don’t put together the most awesomely gaga movie ever, then I will be terribly disappointed.

And I wasn’t.

“Immortals” is a movie that will blow you out of your seat. Where “Clash Of The Titans” failed with a blah story and visuals, “Immortals” knocks you over with amazing special effects and set pieces while telling how a young stonemason is forced to be a warrior. Henry Cavill plays Theseus, a young man who leads a simple life with his mother and a surrogate father, in an IMPOSSIBLE village that brings new meaning to the term “cliffside”. When the brutal king Hyperion (played with fearless abandon by a hilarious Mickey Rourke) decimates Theseus’s village and his family when looking for a mythical bow that will even further increase his power over the land, and maybe even the world, Theseus decides, of course, that he must seek out revenge! Ahhh, but wait, apparently this path was chosen for him by the Gods above! But will Hyperion and his self-hand-scarred army be too much for the man? Or will the Gods be forced to go down to Earth, which is a grievous sin (because of course, the Immortals believe they should leave the Mortals to fend for themselves without interfering) to even things up?

As ridiculous as this sounds, Tarsem Singh uses this material and weaves his magic into it. While the story sometimes gets silly, you can’t help but get sucked in, as the visual candy is non stop (and in 3-D!) . Singh and the producers know, of course, what makes this type of film work. If Roman god battles turn you on, we’ve got those, Massive wars with thousand-man armies? Check that too. Brutal hand to hand combat? Yup, yup, and yup. Singh also definitely puts in his own weird little fluorishes, aptly made evident by the scene in which a new definition of “slow cooked” is shown in this movie, in an unbelievably shocking scene.

As you can tell, this is not a movie for the squeamish, bones are broken, skin is torn and blood is splattered by the buckets, but I gotta tell ya, it’s so much fun. There were times when I was even laughing because I was having such a grand time watching this. So there’s plenty to be had in this movie, I had a ball. One of the best movies I’ve seen this year.

IMMORTALS Open Today Nationwide

immortalsmovie.com

By Bill Taylor

WANT MORE FILM REVIEWS? CLICK HERE

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