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Live Review: ABSU with Guests – April 24th 2013 at the Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, B.C.

May 2nd, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(Photo: Wikipedia)

Live Review: ABSU with Xul, Terrifier, and Auroch
Wednesday April 24th
Biltmore Cabaret

Texas mythological occult metal band Absu invaded Vancouver for the first time with local supporting acts Xul, Terrifier and Auroch. As the crowd congregated into the Biltmore on a midweek day the assault took place, leaving a memory upon those who attended minds that is surely to last.

Vernon’s Xul traveled into Vancouver in their very own school bus, or better described as Xulbus, to be the opening act, while most openers play to a small crowd, many were willing to arrive early to make a point to not miss them. Playing a refreshing yet punishing style of blackened death metal. Xul released their first and only recorded full length “Maligance” in mid-2012 and performed many tracks off of the offering.

Formerly known as Skullhammer, Terrifier was a recent addition to replace black n roll Vancouver band Chapel, offering the crowd a healthy new dose of pure aggressive thrash while still hailing old school Bay area and German thrash. This is a band who just keeps improving the more they play. Newly located to Vancouver from Kelowna, Terrifier is easily taking over Vancouver shows and creating a loyal fan base.

Auroch’s recent sound re-inventing has proven to be a worthy change for the band, dropping the clean vocals and sticking with Sebastian Montesori’s demonic lows. Including Shawn Hache of growing popularity Mitochondrion on bass and backing vocals Auroch delivered a grueling occult death metal set not for the faint of heart. Supporting many tracks off their August 2012 release of “From Forgotten Worlds” Auroch is a band that’ll be duly noted to many Vancouver metal fans as a band to not skip their performances.

For a packed Biltmore on a Wednesday, the incredible three piece Absu crushed metal fans with set fit for a Sumerian King. Not every day does one see a drummer and key vocalist in one a metal band, especially one as talented and as fierce as Proscriptor McGovern with his shrieks of terror. Executing an extended set including their full “Tara” album among a generous dose of songs off many of their intensive discography “Amy”, “Morbid Scream”, “Swords and Leather” , “Never Blow Out The Eastern Candle” and “Highland Tyrant Attack” the crowd could not help but go into a crazed frenzy. Only complaint is that there was a lack of Proscriptor’s falsetto style vocals which were made up with along with Ezezu’s mid tone death growls. Absu’s ritual was veracious and untouchable, rarely letting down in tempo they blasted away Vancouver’s metal heads minds and ears.

By Ruthless

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Live Review: Swollen Members Beautiful Death Machine Tour – April 18th 2013 at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, B.C.

April 21st, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live, Shooting Gallery by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Scott Alexander)

Live Review – Swollen Members ‘Beautiful Death Machine’ Tour, w/ DJ K-Rec, and Cityreal
Thursday, April 18th, 2013
The Commodore Ballroom

Admittedly, I didn’t know what to expect from the Swollen Members. I had heard of them lots on the radio a few years back, and I remembered some of the songs, but before I spent some time on YouTube before the show, I had almost forgotten about them. How could I have been so careless as to neglect such an astounding local talent? Vancouver battle-axe warriors that rock the house, and have fun doing it.

This was to be my first hip-hop concert, I usually hang my hat at the local rock and metal shows. The audience I am used to alone is a drastic difference from the Swollen Members show. Girls had mini-skirts, not black leather and studs. And the guys… well, let’s just say that I left the house not worrying about how I looked, and I still didn’t have anything to worry about when I got there. It was interesting to see arms bobbing and swaying to the music instead of a sea of devil horns thrusting to the heavens. It was as though I entered a rabbit hole, and just like Alice, I was pretty blown away.

The intro DJ K-Rec showed mad respect to his hip-hop brothers of the past, displaying decades of the ‘art of rap making’ a Commodore Ballroom blitz of sorts. K-Rec played a mix of the best songs of all time in a very short period of time between when the house opened and when CityReal was to come on stage. This provided a chill atmosphere to introduce the show, and I was particularly happy with him playing Rack City by Tyga. The introduction definitely reminded me of a high-school house party with a lot more bass, so much bass, in fact, that it felt like it massaged my insufferable back pain away, knocking at least one glass on the table next to me crashing to the floor. Perhaps a good sign that a show is going to be great is that even the cops showed up. This definitely reminded me of high school.

When CityReal hit the spotlight, he was able to get a lot of people out of their seats and onto the dance floor. The audience was definitely into his energy and performance on stage, and there was a large amount of crowd interaction. CityReal is another local Hip-Hop artist who has very real lyrics that this writer could relate to personally. Some content included depression, anxiety, and life stress. These were very unique subjects for me to hear in a rap song as I’m used to what the radio dubs good hip-hop and plays on a daily, sometimes hourly basis. It’s a shame up to this point that CityReal hasn’t gotten more exposure, he puts on a great show and is a very engaging artist. He did a great job and you could tell he loved what he was doing and was having a good time. During the show, he brought another BC artist on stage to jam with him, by the name of Georgia Murray. They worked well together and had great chemistry performing. CityReal vanished to let Georgia sing a song solo, and you could literally see the music flow through her as she belted out her lyrics. When CityReal came back, the essential backpack rapper prop made its first appearance of the night. Again, having not really covered hip-hop in the past, I couldn’t stop wondering what was inside it. Then, just when I started to realize he looks pretty natural with a backpack on, he whips it off and ruffles through it to reveal copies of his last CD, “Good Morning Blues”. He then proceeded to toss them into the audience as a great finale. Definitely an interesting and intelligent gimmick.

Through a slightly longer than usual pause between sets, people did not leave the dance floor. All you could hear through the ballroom was a chant of one word: Swollen. And the crowd were not going to stop until the Members hit the stage. Every time a house song finished, we all piped up even louder in hopes of an earlier start. When the Swollen Members Madchild, Prevail, and Rob the Viking came out, the dance floor filled up in seconds. The seats left with only memories of the previous occupants. Swollen performed a great mix of new and old songs, famous and lesser-known songs, and even a freestyle rap by Prevail about his hometown of Vancouver. We ate it up, and I was blown away by his ability to pull words that rhyme out of thin air. At moments, it felt like the crowd was singing louder than the speakers for songs like “Warrior” and “Red Dragon”. With every song, the crowd just got more and more into it, until suddenly the show ended. We chanted Swollen for a decent length of time until a bouncer came on stage and told us to stop and essentially kicked us out. That was a first for sure. If not for a tiring tour over the last month promoting their latest disc “Beautiful Death Machine”, you know they would have headed back on to that stage until the wee hours.

I was honestly surprised how good a hip-hop show could be live. I never really thought much of it, but now I have another experience behind me. I will definitely be more inclined to see more hip-hop shows in the future since I had so much fun at this one. All the performances really blew this rocker away…

By Clayton Cyre

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Live Review: Clutch with guests – April 3rd, 2013 at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, B.C.

April 7th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Chris McKibbin)

Live Review: Clutch with Orange Goblin, Lionize, andScorpion Child
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Commodore Ballroom

The Commodore was shockingly packed for a weekday night of rock `n` roll courtesy of the one and only Clutch who were on tour in support of their latest release, Earth Rocker. It is the Maryland native’s tenth studio album since their inception in 1990 and they brought along Scorpion Child, Lionize and the mighty Orange Goblin to help celebrate.

Scorpion Child was up first and the Austin, TX based quintet did not fail to warm up the steadily filling venue with some serious ‘70s influenced hard rock. Washington D.C.’s Lionize were up next and though their band bio claims a “dark reggae-infused rock” sound, and they did have keyboards as a prominent feature, the “reggae” element was basically non-existent. They seemed to take a lot of stylistic cues from the headliner and as if to further cement this notion Clutch guitarist Tim Sult joined them onstage for a few songs before they closed out the set. It was well played, though not very original.

A major selling feature of the night was the appearance of legendary stoner/doom Brits, Orange Goblin. Playing their first ever show in Canada, let alone Vancouver since forming in 1995. It was a historic occasion for both band and audience alike as frontman Ben Ward greeted the crowd and burst into “Red Tide Rising” from last years A Eulogy For the Damned. The band seemed ecstatic throughout the set which only added fuel to the already rambunctious crowd. They were the most overtly metal band of the evening inducing a flurry of head banging as they ripped through songs like “Made of Rats” from Coup De Grace and “Getting High on the Bad Times”. Ward appreciatively saluted the audience and encouraged them to go “ape shit” as they finished the set with “Scorpionica.”

It’s no secret that Clutch is a pretty big deal when it comes to groove-heavy rock music, but I had no idea what kind of a big deal they were in Vancouver specifically until Wednesday night. The group descended on the dimly lit stage through beams of light from the eyes of a facial-glyph adorning the backdrop. Taking up the mic, frontman Neil Fallon simply said “Let’s have a party! Whaddaya say?!” and with that they kicked into the title track from the new record as little clouds of smoke erupted from all over the dance floor. They jammed on tunes from all across their discography, doing a three song set from ‘09s Strange Cousins From the West and crowd favorites like “The Mob Goes Wild” and heavy oldies like “Animal Farm.” The energy of the group was carried exclusively by Fallon, who stalked around the stage with the intensity of an old-school MC, gesturing wildly with his hands and bobbing to the beat. The band did, however, play tight as a drum, wonderfully showcasing cuts off the new album like “The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…” which finished off the main portion of the set. When they returned for the encore, Fallon announced that the Vancouver show had been “the fastest sell-out of the entire tour” and earnestly thanked the audience for their support before going into “Escape From the Prison Planet” off of their ’95 self-titled album. After playing the acoustic new number “Gone Cold”, Fallon said at last “We couldn’t come to this town and not do this song…” and started into the bluesy stomp of “Electric Worry” causing the crowd to lose their collective shit. Unbeknownst to me, it was the song that made Clutch an almost honorary “Vancouver” band as it was the Canucks goal song from 2011 up until last month. “One Eye Dollar” closed out the astounding 21 song set for the Vancouver crowd and showed a real display of appreciation from one of contemporary rocks best.

By Coleman Ingram

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Live Review: Soilwork with Guests – April 2nd, 2013 at The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, B.C.

April 5th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Chris McKibbin)

Live Review: Soilwork with Hatchet, Bonded by Blood, Blackguard, and Jeff Loomis
Tuesday, April 2nd
The Rickshaw Theatre

I was slightly weirded out, having watched a man inject heroine into his foot behind the venue, when San Fransisco Bay Area band Hatchet opened the show. The rickshaw took some time to fill up, but Hatchet certainly had the attention of those in attendance with their solid thrash. New fans expressed eagerness for their return to Vancouver.

Bonded by Blood were next, playing once again in the Thrash revival vein. The crowd seemed lazy, while the effort the band put into getting them worked up was admirable. It’s a shame to see a band receiving a response which is less than they deserve. The musicians appeared unfazed, to their credit, and by the end of the set, there was more participation from a growing crowd. Alas, a circle pit was not to be. Newcomers had expressions on their faces which read “I should’ve been here earlier.” These Californians will get more of what they deserve next time they’re in town, I’m sure.

Montreal’s Blackgaurd were given much love by fans who moshed readily. The fabled circle pit still seemed a few kicks and punches too far however, and was not to be produced. As is expected at metal shows, drummer Justine “Juice” Ethier received much cheering for having a vagina. It should be said that her drumming was excellent. With sticks raised high above her head, double kick shaking the floor…she was pretty good… you know, for a girl. Their set had a more professional but perhaps less intimate vibe. Regardless, it was what was needed to further wake the people, and they left us eager for more of their melodic death onslaught.

The crowd thickened for Jeff Loomis. This seasoned metal veteran clearly recruited young and promising players for his band, who will surely see doors open for them post their Loomis experience. The visual contrast between the younger more supple players and Loomis was striking. The drummer actually dared to not wear a black shirt, but a white button up short sleeved shirt. What the Fuck?! Is that even allowed? Loomis’s bass player was most entertaining, in that he appeared genuine and played with what looked like real love for the music. At their merch booth there was a T shirt that read “THE WALKING SHRED” and I felt the zombie reference unfortunate. The borderline masturbatory diddling on the part of Loomis had a trance-like effect on the audience. At one point Loomis yelled “WAKE UP!” then continued to provide little incentive. The songs are cool, his skills are showcased wonderfully with this project, and his playing is impeccable. It’s just a little… boring… Sorry. And still no circle pit.

Soilwork deserved the Commodore, but they got The Rickshaw. It turned out great all the same. One reason for this being that venues like the Commodore can alienate crowds, creating a rift between them and the musicians, which you don’t get at the Rickshaw. Never having watched Soilwork perform prior, I was struck by the Heavy As Fuck nature of their live sound. When it comes to melodic metal shows, you see two kinds of people in the crowd; those who sing along to all the melodic parts, raising lighters in the air, etc, and those of us (myself included) who tune out when the singing starts, and wait for the blast beats and break downs to begin again. There was no such division this night. This band was captivating. The crowd seemed equally excited about new material from recently released “The Living Infinite” as it was about Soilwork classics like; “Black Star Deceiver.” They somehow made the Rickshaw, which was strikingly small during earlier acts, swell to proportions worthy of their presence. The men interacted with front row fans, allowing several opportunities for stage diving and other crazy fan antics. A shout out was given to Devin Townsend, who produced “Natural Born Chaos”. Also, nobody noticed that the band’s backdrop was not installed, and normally, This reviewer would’ve jumped on that shit and scrutinized the fuck out of them for it.

Remarkable playing and showmanship, with solid vocals, and a lack of pretentiousness, made this show just a pleasure to behold. We were promised that it will not be another three years before they return to our town, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who hopes this promise is kept.

By Lanie Klipp

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Live Review: Talib Kweli – March 31st, 2013 at Bar None, Vancouver, B.C.

April 4th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

Live Review: Talib Kweli
Sunday, March 30th
Bar None

Late night, Easter Sunday, Talib Kweli blessed the stage of Vancouver’s Bar None with a solid hour and a half set. That left the crowd sufficiently satisfied, as Talib always does.

Starting with a few crowd pleasers from his early Reflection Eternal Days and continued to perform hit after hit picking through his large catalogue of classics. Talib kept it social and friendly throughout the night by inviting some birthday girls on stage to dance and stopping mid set to talk a few guys out of fighting showed class, while not missing a beat, skipping or stuttering any of his tongue twisting rhymes.

Known for bringing conscious hip-hop to the main stream, his style ranges from catchy pop type songs to tricky underground lyricism, Kweli even gave everyone a taste of his highly anticipated album Prisoner Of Conscious but still managed to keep the production a secret by rapping the new lyrics over Masta Ace’s “Born to Roll” and Rakim’s “Paid In Full.” To top it off, after his set he jumped behind the turn tables told everyone to jump up on stage and dj’ed all his favourite songs until the club shut down.

Talib, which is Arabic for student has definitely become the teacher throughout the last 15 years of his impressive career, and has earned him a spot as a true hip-hop pioneer.

By Joe McNeely

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Live Review: Metal Alliance Tour 2013 – March 30th, 2013 at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, B.C.

April 3rd, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live, Shooting Gallery by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Derek Carr)
(Above: Anthrax Air)

Live Review: Metal Alliance Tour Featuring: Anthrax, Exodus, High on Fire, Municipal Waste and Holy Grail
Saturday, March 30th
The Commodore Ballroom

Another strangely beautiful day in the usual rainy month of March bestowed upon us a rare thrill: Some big name thrash bands were rolling through town and channeling their energy through one of the best intimate venues this “no-fun” city has to offer… The Fabulous Commodore Ballroom.

With five bands on the menu, they had to get started pretty early and ended up letting us in at just after 7pm. As the last rays of sunshine poured through the large picturesque windows of this historic building, the first act, Holy Grail, took to the stage. With a wail, James Paul Luna brought forth ‘Dark Passenger’, arguably most popular track off their latest album “Ride the Void” and followed up with a few other tracks from the same disc including the title track. They finished their short set with a couple of tidbits from their first album, Crisis in Utopia. With driving drums, killer vocals and some solid guitar solos, they really brought out their raw talent to a venue that was still filling up.

Next up was a band that had recently graced VanCity with Napalm Death in late 2012: Municipal Waste. A chilling intro song with eerie sounding chimes led into Unleash the Bastards from their 2005 release Hazardous Mutation. Overdrive cranked to 12, Ryan Waste unleashed flawless thrashy note after thrashy note from his guitar in a maddening attempt to churn out a dozen songs in a mere half-hour set. Succeed they did, playing tunes from Hazardous Mutation, The Art of Partying and The Fatal Feast. Not typically the type of music you may personally listen to, all is forgotten when they take the stage: These guys know how to put on a show, interacting with the crowd and practically demanding a brutal mosh pit.

The third act of the pentalogy was written by High on Fire. Their music to me is almost ambient; with driving bass and deep/heavy tones with a solid foundation of droning kick drums. A soulful soundscape if you will. The floor of the Commodore shook under the brutal mass of low energy as the light sculptor washed them in greens and whites. They powered their way through four long songs from three of their albums. To me, this band seemed out of place from the fast paced, thrashier bands that came before (and after).

The first of the big headliners of the night, Exodus, was up next. The heavier and most menacing of the bands on the bill, Exodus did not disappoint. The band has seen its share of lineup changes over the years, but the current lineup seems a solid match. As the first notes blistered forth, the crowd became a crushing sea of brutality with a constant stream of surfers pouring into the photo pit. The stage was awash in reds and yellow to set the darker, heavier mood. They pounded out tracks from several albums, most notably a number of songs from “Bonded by Blood/Let There Be Blood” as well as “Exhibit B” and “Tempo of the Damned”. They assaulted our earholes for around an hour, by far the “heaviest” band of the night.

And then there was one…and that one was called Anthrax. For a band that took a huge turn in the mid 90s replacing Joey Belladonna with John Bush and taking their music in a very different (and very radio friendly) direction: it was sure good to see the iconic version of Anthrax take to the stage to bring us one of their fan favored classic albums: 1987s “Among the Living” and play it from beginning to end with bonus tracks between Side A and Side B and then a couple fun extras to finish up the show.

Feeling very lucky indeed as they came out to the stage playing the title track from the album Among the Living which to a photographer such as myself meant they would likely play songs in order. What more could I ask for? First three songs meant I could take pics during Caught in a Mosh and I am the Law which would soon follow. And follow they did, as the stage was washed in yellows, greens and red. Some of the brightest lighting I’ve seen at a show so far.

All the members were in top form. Drummer Jon Dette worked the skins like a maniac, Scott Ian and his incredible method of crunching out some of the heaviest riffs imaginable whilst stomping and leaping around the stage in a manner no-one would expect from a man in his late 40s. Then there was Joey, one of the oldest vocalists in the thrash genre at 52, jumping on the monitor leaning towards the crowd with mic outstretched for the sing along parts. Frank Bello was a surprise for me, hamming it up on stage with some incredible expressions and photo-ready poses for my glass. And the touring guitarist Jonathan Donais of Shadows Fall performed his parts flawlessly, though not as animated as the core members.

They performed a sort of working intermission in which they pounded out tracks from their most recent albums “Worship Music” and the cover album “Anthems”. The familiar sounding chimes rang out leading into a crisp, tight version of In the End which seems more like a song you would play at “The End” with its anthemic chorus and driving finale. Next up was a passable cover of AC/DC’s TNT that sounded as if it were Bon Scott singing instead of Brian Johnson and with a tease of the familiar guitar riff from Back in Black at the end. Scott Ian then treated us to the chunky side-project song ‘March of the S.O.D.’ and brought us back to the latest release with ‘I’m Alive’. Carrying on with ‘Among the Living’ was another Anthrax classic: ‘Indians’. Part way into the track they stopped as if they were pissed off with the crowd reaction and stomped about the stage. All part of the act as they got the crowd riled up and on the warpath. Finishing off the album with rarely heard live versions of ‘One World’, ‘A.D.I./Horror of it All’, and ‘Imitation Life’ (all about the plastic people, who seem more prevalent today than they did in 1987).

The blood-thirsty crowd not completely satisfied at this point demanded more. So how could they resist treating us to I’m the Man in which Bello was “THE MAN” and finishing up to everyone’s delight with Antisocial. For a band who have been around for almost 30 years I have to say there’s a lot of young bands out there who could learn from them about performance. Watch what they do, because they do it right.

By Derek Carr

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Live Review: Scott Kelly with Guests – March 9th 2013 at The Railway Club, Vancouver, B.C.

March 11th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live, Shooting Gallery by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Derek Carr)

Live Review: Scott Kelly with special guests Gordon Smith, T. Nile, Johnny Wakeham and Mike Hodsall
Saturday, March 9th
The Railway Club

When I was asked to shoot the Scott Kelly and the Road Home show, I didn’t respond right away. I wasn’t quite sure what it was all about. I knew that Scott Kelly was in a little band you may have heard of called Neurosis but wasn’t sure what to expect from this show. I also wasn’t aware of the other artists who were playing. A quick internet search changed that. Off I went to check out something that lately, for me, was an incredibly reversed change of pace.

The show opened up with Mike Hodsall of Circle of Wagons and Ravenhead fame. It was a mix of acoustic songs that ranged from happy to depressing. A couple were completely instrumental and were both haunting and entrancing whilst being completely original sounding.

The next three artists Johnny Wakeham, T. Nile, and Gordon Smith played songs that were heavy on the country side, not my cup of tea generally, but I give props to the standout here: Tamara Nile and crew really stood out here with the variety of instruments and diverse talent who brought a healthy dose of country mixed with folk to the stage. Tamara’s ability to captivate her audience with her beautiful voice and commanding stage presence was definitely something special. And I’m a sucker for violin music.

The stage was cleared off for the main act and possibly one of the strangest combination of instruments to grace the platform I’ve seen in recent times. An Apple Macbook with a single octave keyboard, an electric guitar, and two acoustic guitars. Shouldn’t there be a bass somewhere? What’s going on?

Scott Kelly looked at the mismatched crowd that stood before him, a mixture of metalheads, rail workers, and country enthusiasts and started conversations with people in a quiet, almost shy and laid-back tone. Then, once the soundcheck was complete, it was go time.

The slow, deep toned guitars strummed their melancholy chords as if they were trying to find their true purpose, their calling, the reason for their being. I think this is the music that dwells deep within Mr. Kelly’s heart. A continuation of his other musical leanings, though something more likely to be sung to the children as they close their eyes to slip into the world of dreams instead of nightmares. As the dreamworld deepened, so did the tuning of the guitars, which brought forth an array of tones seldom (if ever) heard in an acoustic guitar. It seemed deeper, more personal, and more heartfelt than even the recorded version accomplished (which it does).

In between songs, as he changed the tuning of his guitars, he would engage the crowd with meaningful conversations as if were all a bunch of friends sitting around the campfire. The fans were policing the show themselves and he knew that, thanking them for controlling the drunks who didn’t fully understand what they were watching and listening to.

The question I pondered for a while before I headed out to this unusual show, and the question many people probably ask themselves when they discover that Scott Kelly has this other band is: What genre is it, anyways? A thought that I hoped I could answer after seeing this performance, but I’m not truly sure I can. I guess it’s in the same vein as a Leonard Cohen or Tom Waits. It is every genre, yet none of them at all. Scott Kelly has put his soul on the table and asked us to interpret in our own unique ways.

Good luck and good night.

By Derek Carr

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Live Review: Method Man with Guests – March 7th 2013 at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, B.C.

March 8th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Scott Alexander)
(Photo: Cityreal)

Live Review: Method Man with CityReal, Sonreal and DJ K-Rec
Thursday March 7th, 2013
Commodore Ballroom

Thursday night in Vancouver brought the killah beez out to swarm in droves as Method Man headlined the Commodore Ballroom. One could expect eye-shaking bass drops and lots of throwing the W’s up in the air, and that’s exactly what Vancity got.

First up, Local superstar DJ K-rec managed to pump up the local crowd as he is known to do. With a solid set on the tech-decks and to slowly drunkening crowd proved to be a good way to get everyone lubricated for the rest of the nights festivities.

Cityreal (known to his grandmas as Remi Huot), had the crowd thicken up at the front of the barricade when he hit the stage, as expected. He has an uncanny ability to do this, and it should be noted by the music industry powers-that-be that Cityreal is the realdeal. It should also be noted that it was his third time playing the commodore in the last six months (since last Septembers Tech N9ne show, and last months Madchild homecoming), a feat that many a local act only aspire to do. Solid performance from him and a powerful EMCEE. City Real Gives it his all and knows how to work his image, attitude, and sound into something very cohesive.

Up next was other local boy SonReal who, besides the heckling from the back of the room, laid down a decent set that may have been more at place before Cityreal as opposed to afterwards. His set wavered in its duty to rile up the inebriated fans up sufficiently for a member of Wu of such high regard, but entertaining nonetheless.

Up last, the Iron Lung himself, the first famous member of the Staten Island Shaolin, and some how the biggest stoner in the room, Method Man. He blazed (pun intended) through classics we all needed to hear from his critically acclaimed first album TICAL (which was the sole rap mention on Kerrang’s annual “heaviest albums” list), such as “Bring the Pain” & “What the Blood Clot,” and also the Wu-Tang classics METHOD MAN,and CREAM, and then moved over to other classic Meth/Red collaborations such as “How High” and “How High 2,” and also singles such as “Da Rockwilder”, and club banger “Judgement Day.”

The man known to his parents as Clifford Smith is somewhat of a charismatic street profit, and controlling a capacity crowd has never been an issue for him. He expressed love for the Vancouver Canucks, and wasn’t afraid to share his BC smoke with his new friends in the crowd. He then endeared the crowd in some hyped up renditions of former cohort, the now deceased O.D.B.’s tracks off of his seminal record, Return to the 36 Chambers, such as Shimmy Shimmy Ya, and Brooklyn Zoo.

At a certain pint in the show, a young lady got on her boyfriends shoulders and took off her shirt, only to be hit with Meth’s drink and bail to a cheering crowd. Johnny Blaze spent half the show in the crowd, stage diving, and standing on concert goers, and starting up chants of “WU TANG” and “DEF JAM”.

The crowd got what they wanted, moved and smoked out, and considering that’s how Vancity tends to do it, you can be sure Meth will be back.

By Kevvy Mental

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Live Review: In Flames with guests – February 18th 2013 at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, B.C.

February 21st, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live, Shooting Gallery by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | All photos – Chris McKibbin)
(Shooting Gallery Below)

Live Review: In Flames, All Shall Perish, BattleCross, Demon Hunter
Monday, February 18th 2013
The Commodore Ballroom

Battle Cross, Detroit thrash/death band opened up with a stellar set and goofy antics. The luscious locks of frontman Kyle Gunther flowed like those of a mermaid, as he head-banged in all directions, and refused to confine himself to the standard windmill. Despite the enthusiasm on the part of all members, who it should be said played marvelously, the peak in their energy occurred when an illicit substance was hurled onto the stage. Gunther wildly exclaimed to unseen friends backstage “WE GOT SOME! WE GOT SOME!” Welcome to Vancouver boys.

All Shall Perish, hailing from Oakland California, brought us brilliant Deathcore. They evoked the first circle pit, and had everyone raising their horns and screaming. The atmosphere created by their ballsy, aggro, catchy riffs was enough to make one couple passionately grope, catching the attention of frontman Eddie Hermida. You know your metal is powerful when… One member of the band wore an Archspire T shirt, a nice shout out to our local tech death heroes. The lack of melodic choruses and the distilled badassness the band displayed made them stand out beautifully against the backdrop of the bands that followed. They are a not to be missed act.

Demon Hunter made their first appearance in Vancouver this night. Their backdrop and decorative mic stand gave their scene a neat vibe, and the musicians had an air of humility that fans appreciate. Judging by the very boisterous singing of the crowd, and the frenzied pit, the first show in Vancouver was clearly long anticipated by a strong fan base. The often juxtaposed melodic choruses in the songs sometimes dragged the energy down, especially considering much of the time the vocals during singing parts were only partially audible. However, it appeared that Demon Hunter fans could not be happier with the set. When they left the stage, fans chanted for an encore insatiably.

In Flames was all that everyone was hoping for. Impeccable musicianship, addicting riffs and anthems, and a clear appreciation for their audience (despite sometimes semi-condescending remarks from frontman Anders Friden) One does not have to be a fan of this band to appreciate what they bring to the stage. They played their hits as well as lesser known works. While Friden encouraged the audience to figuratively lose its shit, he expressed sympathy and appreciation for the security before the stage, showing that while being a smug foreign rock star you can still be decent, conscientious person. No greater enthusiasm was shown that entire evening than when In Flames played “Take this life” while having a fan record the crowd from the stage. They band demanded that he post the footage on You Tube afterwards, which seemed to be an incentive for the fans. Dudes thrashed they bodies to and fro, and then joined hands and swayed back and forth for the singing parts. Friends wrapped arms around each other and raised cups of beer. It was a rock n roll party they won’t soon forget.

By: Lanie Klipp

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Live Review: Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience – Feb 13th 2013, The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver B.C.

February 15th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Derek Carr)

Live Review: Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience
Wednesday, February 13th 2013
The Commodore Ballroom

Being a former classic rock fanatic, the abundance of classic rock playing in the infamous Commodore theater on Wednesday night was like seeing an old friend. It was a breath of fresh air. The scene was much different from the heavy metal crowd this reviewer is used to, bringing fans of Zeppelin young and old together to pay homage through Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience. The building was busier than most people expected.

Before the show started, I could hear the bass of the house music gradually going up. This induced a fear that the music wouldn’t sound as good as it should due to lack of clarity. These fears were not realized as the band sounded terrific from the get go. The singer sounded astoundingly like Robert Plant. Something I was not expecting, nor was I prepared for, and I had to take a moment to fully soak it in. Even throughout the show I was expecting him to slip up and lose his voice, but he maintained the Robert Plant within.

The show began with a personal documentary style film about Jason Bonham’s life, and clips of his father, John Bonham. Clips from this film persist throughout the show and different intervals. Jason Bonham really made this show personal with this, as well as sharing stories about his father with the audience: “He used to throw TV’s out the windows and do weird things with fish.” Was one particular story the crowd enjoyed. He also emphasized how cool he thinks his dad was, and that growing up, he never realized it because he was “just dad” but his love for his father, and the music his father was a part of is one of the many things that fuel the show. Saying things like: “They [Led Zeppelin] will live on forever.” And “This is my way of saying thank you.” pointing to the rafters, and beyond.

Despite constant interruptions of Jason telling the crowd stories about his growing up, I wasn’t bothered by the interruptions of the music and nostalgia; in fact, this is what truly made it the Led Zeppelin Experience. I feel that without these interruptions, the show would not have been as good as it was. This personal journey continues during the best drum solo I’ve ever heard live. Jason had a clip of his dads drum solo playing on the screen next to his solo. As he imitated his father’s movements with pinpoint accuracy it was like seeing father and son drumming together, being eternally bound through their love of music. Simply mind blowing.
The show opened with “Rock and Roll”, one of my favorite Zeppelin songs. I found myself grinning like a kid in a candy store over the nostalgia of the music and the fact that I get to see it live despite the original Led Zeppelin having moved on in one way or another. By “Immigrant Song” I was hooked. Fast forward to the infamous “Stairway To Heaven”, and hardly anyone in the massive Ballroom was sitting. The only disappointment, albeit a small one was to have not heard two favorite Led Zeppelin tracks, “Black Dog” and “Communication Breakdown.”

This modern take on a timeless classic has attracted fans new and old. It’s great that multiple generations of people pay homage to the gods of rock, Led Zeppelin, under the roof of a building almost as timeless, the Commodore. Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience is, and was a great way to relive the glory days. And is an emotional journey of rock and roll that needs to be seen to be believed.

By: Clayton Cyre

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Live Review: Enslaved w/ Guests, Feb 12th, 2013 – The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver B.C.

February 15th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Sarah Whitlam)

Live Review: Enslaved w/ Pallbearer, Royal Thunder, Ancient Wisdom
Tuesday, February 12th 2013
The Biltmore Cabaret

They came, they saw, they conquered. The extreme metal Vikings from Norway’s Enslaved stormed into Vancouver’s Biltmore cabaret Wednesday night in support of their 12th studio album, 2012’s critically acclaimed RIITIIR, bringing with them a number of up-and-coming American bands to aid them on their quest.  Hailing from Austin, Texas, Ancient VVisdom delivered a short opening set of blasphemous folk-rock, playing songs from both A Godlike Inferno and the just recently released Deathlike. As they wrapped their set up with the stand-out single “The Opposition” they received a hearty applause from the sparse crowd.  The Biltmore had started filling up when Atlanta`s Royal Thunder hit the stage and started pummeling the audience with their gloomy ‘70s jam-rock. Though they appeared to be one member short, the trio’s sound was still solid as a rock, blending ambient interludes into their blistering riffs. Front-woman Mlny Parsonz brilliantly handled vocals and bass, sounding like a blend of Ann Wilson and Courtney Love as she wailed for all she was worth. They closed out the set with the latest single off of CVI, the catchy as hell and solo heavy “Blue”.

By the time the curtains parted for Arkansas’s doom-metal heavyweights Pallbearer, the floor was packed. Having received universal acclaim for the quartet’s debut record, Sorrow and Extinction, it was no surprise that every head in the house was banging when they kicked into the melancholic dirge of the album’s opener, “Foreigner”. After a quick guitar-string fix they churned into the lead-anvil-heavy second track “Devoid of Redemption” and after some friendly banter with the crowd, ended up playing the albums third track “The Legend” by audience request. The songs being as long as they are, there was only time for one more which frontman Brett Campbell announced was a new song, and it was just as crushing and beautiful as the rest.

With the weeknight crowd thinning as the night marched on, Enslaved were greeted by a few less people, but those that remained were clearly all die-hards as they cheered and raised horns for the Norwegian progressive-black-metal legends. They opened with “RIITIIR”, effectively whipping the crowd into frenzy. They followed with the title track of ‘06’s Ruun before frontman and founding member Grutle Kjellson greeted the crowd, raising a drink and then continuing into “The Watcher” from Vertebrae. It was exhilarating to see a band that is probably more accustomed to larger audiences in Europe performing as hard as they could for a small crowd in an intimate venue, and that is exactly what they did. Sticking mostly to their newer catalogue throughout the set, they closed it with a surprising and punishing cover of the Led Zeppelin classic “Immigrant Song” before returning for an encore of “Isa”.
It was a diverse collection of bands from the genre that made for a killer night of heavy metal all around.

By: Coleman Ingram

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Live Review: Marilyn Manson, February 11th, 2013 at The Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver B.C.

February 12th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Scott Alexander)

Live Review: Marilyn Manson with Butcher Babies
Monday February 11th, 2013
Queen E Theatre

Amongst the hundreds of teens and twenty-thirty something’s (and at least one elderly lady) filing into the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, the dress code seemed to be two things: red, smeared lipstick, and torn stalkings, and that’s not including the girls. The usually-an-opera-house venue seemed fitting on this dreary Family Day for some wholesome, American family values to be bestowed upon us by the reverend himself.

Opening band The Butcher Babies hail from California, play the Sunset Strip often, and look like it. Dressing like a band from Penelope Spheeris’ Decline of Western Civilization anthology, they come across as a teenaged, Revolver-reading boys wet dream in sight and sound. The band was busy enough head banging that they didn’t notice the passive vancouver audience in the front not participating in their swamp metal, but kicked some ass regardless. The two front women, Heidi, and Carla, traded shrieks over blast beats and chanted anthemic chorus’ to the rafters, with lyrics like “There’s Blood Everywhere”.

Between bands the building fell into cheers, not because the Rev showed up, not because William Shatner was there (he allegedly was), but because of a heavy set female flasher with fire engine red hair entertaining the eager crowd with some flesh before the feast.

Supporting his new album, Born Villain, with new clientele, management, labels, and rumors of illness, no one in the capacity crowd was sure what to expect, but it was refreshing and exciting to see that the crowd was hungry for an artist/band that’s now been around for closing in on 3 decades. The air in the venue was electric.

And the lights went out. A black curtain dropped with a spotlight behind it so that the audience could see a 100 foot tall silhouette of Manson violently swinging a mic stand. The crowd went nuts and the band launched into a slimy rendition of “Hey, Cruel World…” and right into fan favorite ‘Disposable Teens’ where he dressed as a demonic pope in red, flowing robes and a hat to match. Considering he’s been labeled as a shock rocker many a review, it’s great to watch the show and realize how many great songs he’s got in his catalogue.

Hey, Cruel World…
Disposable Teens
The Love Song
No Reflection
mOBSCENE
The Dope Show
Slo-Mo-Tion
Rock Is Dead
Personal Jesus (Depeche Mode cover)
Sweet Dreams (Eurythmics cover) (With Hell outro)
Coma White
King Kill 33°
Antichrist Superstar
The Beautiful People

Regardless of Mansons bizarre choice of dance moves and gibberishy banter, the crowd loved every second and it was a great rock show with huge set design and a wardrobe change for every song.

As this writer boarded a cab to go home and write this article, the cab driver asked him what the show was. When I answered, his response was a pregnant pause and then he said: “Some people ain’t got no taste”

(I’m sure he wasn’t talking about you, Kevvy – Editor)

By Kevvy Mental

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Live Review: Dope Sick Tour, Madchild and Guests – January 25th 2013 at The Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, B.C.

January 26th, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Scott Alexander)
(Top: Madchild – Left: Matt Brevner – Right: CityReal)

Live Review – Madchild’s Dopesick Tour, w/ Cityreal, Matt Brevner and Ghost
Friday, January 25th, 2013
The Commodore Ballroom

An all Vancouver hip hop lineup on a Friday night may not seem like a big deal, what with places like Fortune Sound Club bumping local tunes near-daily, but this show was a little different. Having a 40+ stop tour finish big in your home city is cause for celebration, and apparently cause for the venue to blast the bass to its utmost limits. The Madchild show as it shall be dubbed, brought with it an excitement felt by all in attendance, with every act before VanCity’s prodigal Warrior seeing as much love and respect from the crowd as if they were headlining.

Remi ‘Cityreal’ Huot started off this majestic night strong. For the only act of the night not on the rest of the tour, Cityreal drew a huge crowd of loyal fans to the venue early, despite the fact the Canucks were still playing by the time he went on. Throwing down a quick set of solid hip hop, it is obvious how well Cityreal knows his craft, whipping the crowd into a frenzy leaving many wanting more. With a few final words, he gave fans just that, in the form of a couple dozen of his ‘Good Morning Blues’ album flying through the air into very eager hands.

Promoting his latest album Bushido, Matt Brevner, notable Madchild collaborator arrived in suit, with the traditional upwards ponytail, paying homage to the historic japanese style. Joined on stage with a solid lineup of peers, Brevner played to a couple hundred twenty-something males intent on playing popular Granvill street game “who has the higher blood alcohol level”. Brevner, joined primarily by Atlin on hype-man duties, had the perfect mix of favourites and new material, keeping the crowd on his side no matter what beats he was dropping. Brevner and crew finished out their time with a raucous rendition of “FCKSWG” (Fuck Swag).

The irony may have been lost on the drunk and stoned masses, but seemingly unknown rapper (to this reviewer, and more than a few of the crowd) GHOST swung in full steam as a walking swag-billboard. Flanked by a ‘crew’ of 5 random young men pulled from the crowd (two of which looked very much lost) Ghost played through the 12 steps of “crowd hyping for dummies”, playing the same old song and dance game like a pro. The crowd ate it up, and thankfully so, as the fourth stringer act barely offered anything in the area of originality… Unless you count the fact he played some sort of basketball before taking to the mic.

Mr Swollen Member, Mr Battleaxe Warrior, Mr Shane Bunting, better known as MadChild exploded onto the stage like the little monster he claims to be. The success of his latest disc, the namesake of the tour, Dope Sick meant that this was going to be a successful show. Dropping in order from the album, “Devils Reject” then “Monster”, Mad intertwined some fan favourites in between pre-requisite Dope Sick tracks. If the crowd was at a high when RDS clad Madchild hit the stage, things got turned up to 11 when Moka and Prevail joined him for the better part of the set. The trio were an absolute force, with Prevail hopping on the crowd to surf around at least once, Moka on fucking point the whole time, and MadChild freeing the monster within, his new addiction; creating great music showing through full force.

If you’re not familiar with Madchild’s story, the former oxy addict really has to be applauded for getting his shit together over the last months and years. Having such a talent creating means a lot for not only the west coast scene, but Canada, and no doubt the world, if this little monster continues to bear his teeth.

By Scott Alexander

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Live Review: GOJIRA and Devin Townsend – Saturday January 19th 2013 at The Vogue Theatre, Vancouver B.C.

January 22nd, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live, Shooting Gallery by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Derek Carr)
(Top: Gojira – Bottom: Devin Townsend)

Live Review: GOJIRA and Devin Townsend
Saturday, January 19th 2013
The Vogue

The crowd was warming up fast for Devin Townsend. Half out of anticipation, and half because of the manic youtube montage projected onto a screen on stage for an hour prior. Bizarre videos had everyone laughing before Townsend kicked the music off. Not only was his singing as impressive as hoped for, but the whole band delivered excellent metal Canadiana with the prowess of veterans and the energy of boys new to the game. On the floor below the Vogue’s spacious balcony, immediate moshing ensued. An obviously loyal local fanbase loved to head bang and sing along. Townsend’s self deprecating humour, and goofy antics elicited much laughter. He somehow managed to make most of the audience members do “Jazz Hands” during his song “Lucky Animals”. It speaks volumes of the appreciation of the night’s crowd for this man and his band, because as you may know, dear reader, metal heads are notorious for taking themselves more seriously than this.

The fans who lined up around the block for Gojira, making this a solid sold out show, got what they’d waited for when they were out in the cold. A beautiful backdrop, intense lighting, and monstrously impressive playing on the part of each musician made the headlining performance a multifaceted experience, appreciated by ears and eyes alike. It was an absolute pleasure to behold. Some might say, a near spiritual experience. Playing several hits from their earlier releases, and everyone’s favorites from the widely acclaimed “L’enfant Sauvage”, they left no listener before them unsatisfied. “Backbone” from their record “From Mars to Sirius” was near orgasmic. The music was relentlessly heavy as fuck, mind bending, and brilliant. “Wisdom Comes”, a very early song of the bands, definitely has stood the test of time and fit in very nicely among their newer songs, provoking wild head banging and screams of appreciation. It was a unique sensory experience. An extended drum solo blew everyone away, and reminded me personally that Gojira stands out as exceptional because these players are not just metal heads who do what they do well, they are artists. At one point, front man Joe Duplantier and his brother, drummer Mario Duplantier switched instruments, playing a song for us this way with remarkable versatility. The band endeared themselves to us even further still by crowd surfing, and then individually thanking us at the microphone.

“I can’t believe this guys,” The happy front man yelled, beaming. “We are sold out! Thank you so much.” They promised to return, and you can bet that when they do, it will be with an even grander presentation that rivals that of any metal band you’ve seen.

They will have earned it.

By: Lanie Klipp

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Live Review: D.O.A’s Farewell to Vancouver – January 19th 2013 at The Rickshaw Theare, Vancouver, B.C.

January 21st, 2013 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Sarah Whitlam)

Live Review: D.O.A – Farewell Vancouver show
Saturday, January 19th 2013
The Rickshaw Theare

Sat night was a momentous night for Vancouver punk fans of all ages. After 35 years and 14 studio albums DOA puts on its final show at the Rickshaw theatre. The sold out show the previous night was the funeral, but tonight was the wake.

The Evening begins with a $20.00 entrance fee at the door (which is complained about in true punk fashion by the fans). The first 200 people in the door are lucky enough to receive the newest DOA album titled “We come in Peace”. The crowd is very diversified, everyone from age old fans, to the youth, are all sporting studded jackets with alternatively styled and colored hair. DOA patches and shirts are seen everywhere amongst the crowd and it’s looking to be one hell of a night.

The first act to take stage is a 5 man band called “Trail of Broken Treaties”. The first song begins in a very slow melancholy type fashion, the guitars and bass treading out a heavy sound. These guys have a very “grungy punk” type vibe, the vocals comparing to that of Nirvana and a musical sound comparing itself to a mix of Sonic youth and Mogwai. The mood is dark and laden with repetitive loops that have a consistent tempo with slight variations. The theatre is quite full by the end of this set, and we are ready for the next act.

The second band to take stage was “Real Problems”. The set begins with the vocalist telling the crowd to “Stop acting their age and get out of their seats”. This was a great prelude that began riling up the punk congregation. The minute the music started you got hit with thrashing rhythms and crazy fast paced singing, your head can’t help but start to bang around. The lively bassist and high energy of the vocalist made the stage show exciting, and did in fact get everyone out of their seats. The set intensifies once the bassist propositions the audience to hit him in the face with beer cans for a free CD, and the punks are more than happy to oblige. Cans fly from left and right, the mosh pit begins to grow, people are getting riled up. The set continues to scream in pure badass fashion.

The audience is hungry for more after the last act. We watch as “The Rebel Spell” prepares themselves on stage for their contribution of the evening. Rebel spell is consisting of a lead vocalist, guitarist, bassist, drummer and 2 guest members playing the violin and a Nord Electro 3 keyboard. They hit us hard with their Celtic punk type vibe, the violin adding a unique twist to the music. Musically they could easily be compared to “Propagandhi” or the “Drop Kick Murphies”. They hit the stage hard and fast and the crowd involvement is a welcomed bonus. The lead gets the crowd to sing (or scream) along to the main choruses. The band sticks true to their own quotation “We don’t like things all that much and tend to think for ourselves. Food, shelter, warm clothes, community, friendship, travel, love, hate you know life”. A perfect reflection of the lyrical content thrown at us in a full tilt performance.

Now it’s time for the big guns. The wound up crowd roars welcoming the highly acclaimed Vancouver based “godfathers of hardcore” D.O.A to the stage. Joe “shithead” Keithley starts things off with a growling speech and begins the wake with “New Age” from the album “Something Better Change”. The crowd is pumped and jumping with excitement and nostalgic enthusiasm. The stage is exerting energy and attitude which the audience gives right back in full force. Joe does his typical guitar tricks, spinning it over his shoulder, playing behind his head, slamming his guitar around like it’s nobody’s business. These guys show us that age is not a factor when it comes to stage performance ability and they rock the hell out of everyone in the building. The vocals are rough, rowdy and thrashy as he belts out a set consisting of songs such as “Human Bomb”, “I’m Right, Your Wrong”, “War In The East” and “Police Brutality”. Joes typical punk attitude is displayed when he threatens the audience about throwing beer cans on stage ” When you get your own band you can get on stage and throw beer at yourself, do whatever you want, waste your own money. Don’t waste my time, Don’t chuck stuff on the fucking stage.. You Got Me?”. The crowd continues to become more riled, and the floor looks like a mob scene. The final song of the night “I hate you” Is returned with screaming fans, singing along to the lyrics in full force. Joey gives his final words of the night and steps of stage, this is returned with a guttural chant from the audience yelling “D.O.A! D.O.A!” Not a soul is going to budge, this is D.O.A’s final show, no one is leaving until they see more.

The moment we see them walk back out the crowd goes wild, loud screaming and cheering is heard, beer cans and other items are thrown into the air from every direction. They give the audience what it wants with an exciting and powerful final encore. The show is an absolute success.

Rest in Peace D.O.A you will be missed!

By: The Pharmacists

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Live Review: CONTACT WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL Featuring Deadmau5 with guests – Dec 26th 2012, BC Place Stadium, Vancouver B.C.

December 29th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Bryan Mollett)

Live Review: Contact Music Festival – Deadmau5, Nero, Alesso
Wednesday, December 26th 2012
BC Place

One may have felt like a mouse going after the prize cheese as they entered BC Place Stadium this past Boxing Day. Hundreds of fans were rushing the cement spiral maze trying to reach the main floor of the recently renovated behemoth of a venue, while the sounds of the Swedish house prodigy Alesso got progressively louder as you descended further down the mouse hole.

Alesso was in full swing feeding Swedish pop/house music to the thousands of EDM machines dressed in their finest nightclub gear, custom Deadmau5 helmets, candy flavored costumes and attitudes to match. This helped to enrich the uniquely cartoonish, sexy and fun club feeling appreciated by all of the age brackets in attendance.

The main stage was decked out with bright white spot-lights which framed the top and bottom of the stage, fog machines exploding after dramatic builds and green lasers shot over top of screaming fans. Geometrically obscured looking video screens were placed on either side of the stage expanding the seamlessly projected video footage across the entire span of the stadium.

UK DNB & Dubstep artist NERO’s dj set hit the crowd with a bang. He demanded fan attention and brought forth a relentless force of french house Ed Banger styled electronic dance music (EDM). Nero’s set was one of the most powerful of the evening (for this reviewer, personally was one of the biggest highlights of the Contact Winter Festival). bringing the crowd to a maximum climax preparing everyone for the stage to be overtaken by Deadmau5.

The transitions between the sets was almost seamless making for a consistent flow between acts. When Nero ended his set there was approx 10 minutes of silence to prep for Deadmau5. During this time everyone in the stadium started to pack in tighter getting ready for 28 year old Mr Zimmermans stage arrival with hyped anticipation. Everyone humming with excitement.

Canadian award winning EDM artist Joel Zimmerman doesn’t like being called a DJ. He rolls his eyes at the description and sees it as an outdated way of describing what he does. His sets are live performances consisting of tracks he assembles on the fly using cutting edge computer technology, including software that he’s helped to build himself. The name Deamau5, for those curious was born after an actual dead mouse he found in his computer.

BC Place’s floor was packed with close to 12,000 fans including new fiance Kat Von D (sans moose) who has been traveling with her rodent along the tour. Mau5 was greeted with a hail of cheering from an overexcited, elated audience. He emerged mask-less representing the “Unhooked” flavor for the night without all the bells and whistles of his regular big shows. There was no LED cube, no back lighting, just Deadmau5 with his music gear giving a raw and free performance in a minimal fashion.

The first half an hour of the set seemed to go very slowly but as soon as the black, LED eyed mouse head went on during the remix “Closer” his set kicked into high gear and the party could not be stopped. The visuals had a very gothic cartoon quality that blended well with the entire atmosphere of the venue while still sticking to the Deadmau5 style and brand that everyone loves. The on stage visuals gave a sort of three dimensional feel with several giant screens displayed together.

The only cons to this event were venue related. The huge line ups for the licensed areas, for those even old enough to drink, the disorganization of the crowds and badly laid out floor plans/seating plans made the event awkward and time consuming to get into and to get around. As this was an all ages event there could have been much higher drug enforcement inside of the venue to make it a safer and more family oriented environment.

All in all the Contact Winter Music Festival was an excellent display of what EDM music has to offer and was a MUST to attend for anyone that enjoys this genre of music. Blueprint’s events are continuing to be a success by bringing together talented acts that compliment the flow and energies of the each other, thus helping to create successful concert experiences. It’s easy to get excited about future events with the companies collaborative efforts and look forward to future growth and success here within Vancouver entertainment and nightlife events.

We need more musical acts like this here and have to thank Alesso, DJ Nero, and Deadmau5 for giving us a night to remember!

By: Ryan Tweak Clark

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Live Review: Rolling Stones with surprise guests, Sat Dec 15th 2012 at Prudential Center, Newark NJ

December 16th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(Photo: Charlie Corgan CC)

Live Review: Rolling Stones with special guests
Saturday, December 15th 2012
Prudential Center, Newark NJ

The last gig of the Stones’ 50th Anniversary tour, the “One More Shot!” pay-per-view special was broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ on Saturday, December 15th 2012. What a show it was, ladies and gentlemen! Into a mere two and a half hours, Mick & company packed nearly two dozen songs with quite the star-studded guest list. Special guests performing with the band on some songs were Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr, the Black Keys, Mick Taylor (former Rolling Stones guitarist), and Bruce Springsteen.

Kicking off the festivities was a slightly lackluster performance of “Get Off My Cloud,” followed by “The Last Time.” Not until “It’s Only Rock ‘N Roll” did the pace really pick up, but by then, the guys were owning it. Considering Mick is now 69, Keith 68, Ronnie 65, and Charlie 71, this is totally understandable – and major kudos to these gents for not stopping the rock!

Just a few songs into the set list, the one and only Lady freakin’ Gaga joined the crew on stage for a viciously foreboding rendition of “Gimme Shelter,” dressed in a pin-striped bodysuit and somehow managing to prance around in nearly 6 inch stilettos.

For this concert, fans were allowed to vote for which of around a dozen songs they wanted on the set list – performed midway through the show was the lesser-known gem “Dead Flowers.” Next up, the Black Keys came on stage to join the band for a cover of Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love?”

Naturally, the Stones’ fresh tracks could not be ignored and Mick picked up a guitar to assist with the freakishly delightful “Doom and Gloom.” One of two new songs from the recent compilation “Grrr!”, this featured such creative lyrics as “crashed into a Louisiana swamp, fought off a horde of zombies but I come out on top.” Following was the also-new “One More Shot,” namesake of the concert, a track reminiscent of “Mixed Emotions,” in which Mick begs for another chance with someone unnamed.

A little later on, the talented Mick Taylor joined the band to perform “Midnight Rambler,” a bluesy number not dissimilar to AC/DC’s “Night Prowler.” Taylor’s fluid playing style on this song was a perfect pair for the grit of Jagger and Richards. After starting the audience up, New Jersey’s very own Bruce Springsteen nailed “Tumbling Dice,” as the last guest of the night. Closing out the body of the show were the classics “Brown Sugar,” and the sinfully wonderful “Sympathy for the Devil.”

Following a few moments of darkness and incredibly loud cheering, the boys from Brittan returned for an encore of three of the most loved Rolling Stones tracks: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” and the very satisfying “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” For the first, the choral portion was done by the Trinity of Wall Street choir in eery perfection.

With five decades together, many bands would fade away into obscurity. At ages when most would be collecting Social Security, the Rolling Stones continue to rock it out. They are indeed the kings of rock ‘n roll, Beatles be damned!

By: Chris Neuberger

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Live Review: Corrosion of Conformity with Guests – December 11th 2012, The Biltmore, Vancouver, B.C.

December 13th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Chris McKibbin)
(Shooting Gallery Below)

Live Review: Corrosion of Conformity with Black Wizard, Baptists and Saviours
Tuesday, December 11th 2012
The Biltmore

Roots. Corrosion of Conformity have not forgotten theirs. They are in fact currently living them: back to an original three piece lineup, touring by van, and delivering their raw-as-fuck, solid blend of punk, metal, and hardcore to all those who will listen.

With two trailers parked proudly out front, the Biltmore Caberet served as an excellent venue for the 4-hour onslaught that started with Vancouver’s own BAPTISTS. While the room didn’t start to really fill until towards the end of their set, their singer wasted no time in hopping down off stage, ready to stir things up. Hair thrashing, riffs tight as all hell, and screams backed with massive intensity -this is a great band to hit the floor and unleash your rage to. Just enough groove to avoid falling to metalcore cliche, BAPTISTS set a great energy that would be built on throughout the night.

Up next was Black Wizard, Vancouver’s own righteous 4-piece that boasts a deadly combo of dual harmonized guitar leads, tempo changes, and diverse song-arrangement. Mixing up both the major and minor sides of things musically, they were at their best while layering dark guitar harmonies under aggressive, screaming vocals. A little bit Di’Anno era Maiden, a bit Monster Truck, with dare I say even some Dave Gilmore-esque ambient guitar work in their last tune. Everyone in Vancouver should see Black Wizard.

As stellar as the first two bands were, Saviours somehow managed to step things up even further when they hit the East Van stage. CoC’s touring support act from California greeted the crowd with a hum-diddly-doo of a border-straddling line: “Fuckin’ eh! How ya’ll doin’ tonight!” Before blazing through their set with a style similar to Black Wizard, but leaning a bit more towards thrashy riffage than European leads. These guys will knock your dick sideways with their riffs, and then slowly lull it awake with their harmonized sparkle and energized stage presence. They had a great reception from the now sizable crowd.

Shortly following the third act, respected underground veterans Corrosion of Conformity got ready to bring it all home. Having spent parts of the night either by the bar, or chatting with fans outside about the length of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s nightly tribute to their fallen members (“There’s like 30 of them, dude!”), bassist Mike Dean seemed well acquainted with the crowd when he took the stage. He handled vocal duties, in the absence of longtime singer Pepper Keenan, with more than enough intensity and confidence. Fellow original members Woody Weatherman (guitar) and Reed Mullin (drums) rounded out the lineup, and the 30-year legacy that is CoC proceeded to pound their followers into submission. Huge, ferocious bass, with Woody’s crushing guitar lines, and the weighted drumming of Mullin -their power-trio configuration had a Sabbath feel with its gloomy tones, dark leads, and rolling bass rhythms. Emoting plenty in his performance, Dean didn’t say much otherwise until the stage filled with haze late in the set.
“And what’s up with this smoke? Wish we could switch to a natural, hemp based smoke.”
Then right back at it, the crowd staying right with them until their set’s end.

They closed out the night with an encore sung by drummer Reed Mullin, gave time to their fans, and then prepared to load their own gear back into the ol’ U-Haul and truck on to the next town.

By: Justin Sarris

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Live Review: DIECEMBERFEST 2012 – December 7-8, 2012 at The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver B.C.

December 9th, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Live by Editor in Chief

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photos – Derek Carr)
(Above: Abriosis (Shooting Gallery Below))

Live Review: Diecemberfest
December 7th and 8th, 2012
The Rickshaw Theatre

With nearly two dozen bands gracing the Rickshaws ever improving stage, you, the reader would be here for ages reading an in depth paragraph about each individual bands triumphs and or follies, so without further ado, we’re taking this in a different direction. Mind you it’s still really fucking long.

Night 1 -

The Nautilus started a tad earlier than anticipated, and thusly missed out on a lot of the crowd, but their last song, which a few extra people caught started the first night on a good note.

Astrakhan‘s slow sludge rock/metal stylings were very reminiscent of early Metallica.

Elevator Compactor‘s elaborate effects brought life to the industrial noise soundtrack of the coming zombie apocalypse.

Harvest the Infection really brought the crowd into a tad bit of a frenzy with driving rhythms, and well done technical solos.

Needs needed a tad bit of a tuneup in their guitar amp with a fuzzy sound over their british punk influenced sound.

Cathar proved that the crowd was really there for the sludgy acts with their heavy slow grooves midway through the night.

Mete Pills is an interesting Steven Paige-ish Post-indie-rocker with a style quite hard to place. The audience wasn’t quite sure either.

Life Against Death impressed everyone with female screams that would put the collective history of horror movies to shame.

Abriosis may have been the victim of some bad mixing late into the first day, with their drums sounding a bit thin. Never the less, the band has been quite strong in the last year since a big line-up change put Alxs Ness (formerly Without Mercy) in the drivers seat.

Burning Ghats and took their hardcore sound and made it a treat for all the senses with a rousing show. Unless you were close to the front when the lead singers mic went swinging wildly around, rumoured to have broken at least one photographers camera. Ghats gave a great finale to the first festival day, treating their instruments in such a way that would make a classical composer faint (or vomit).

Night 2 -

Dungeons are relatively new, and share a member with Galgamex who would play later in the night. Their interesting mix of three separate vocalists is certainly something to watch as they polish their sound live

Night Mother is one man and some noise, that may have been lucky to not have been playing the day before, as a few in the audience seemed to enjoy it.

Bear Mace threw down a great performance with a lively, energetic set that the crowd fucking loved. Their drummer deserves some kudos as their double kick sounded fantastic.

Dig Your Graves brought out yet another fantastic female vocalist with heartfelt emotion and a willingness to get a mosh pit going even if it meant she had to get down on the floor herself. The Diecemberfest crowd on both days seemed a little reluctant to mosh for much.

Excruciating Pain opened the show with a shitty video featuring guitarist Pat Peeve’s poo singing Christmas carols a-la Mr Hanky. Excruciating Pain brought high energy metal no doubt hoping that word of mouth will soon spread to interested labels like herpes.

Memorial kept on the high energy high that EP left behind, with a vocalist who knew how to blend low guttural growls in nicely with the music. A rare trait.

Aquanaut started slow and drew out their set into one VERY long song with drawn out chords building to a crescendo and fading off at the end.

WTCHDR woke the crowd from their Aquanaut trance and brought the energy back to an eager crowd.

Anchoress were perhaps the most unique styled band of the festival sometimes a bit thrashy, but more refined than most of the other bands. The drummer brought so much to the show that you could visibly see the very stable riser vibrate with the ferocious beating they were being given.

Galgamex boils down to one word. Intense. A stage clear of ALL the other bands shit gave way to a really powerful band to stretch their arms and close Diecember fest with perhaps the best metal set of the year in Vancouver.

By: Derek Carr

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Live Review: Asking Alexandria w/ Guests, November 19th, 2012 – Vogue Theatre, Vancouver B.C.

November 21st, 2012 Filed under: Reviews - Live by MetalEditor

(CLICK TO ENLARGE | Photo – Chris McKibbin)

Live Review: Asking Alexandria w/ As I Lay Dying, Memphis May Fire and I See Stars
Monday, November 19th, 2012
Vogue Theatre

I See Stars opened to a young, enthusiastic crowd who were eager to let loose, moments into the performance. The band’s curious fusion of hardcore and straight up dubstep was not as well received as it could’ve been, but most new trends aren’t straight away. Time will tell how these boys will fair riding this wave.

Memphis May Fire opened to chanting fans who threw themselves into the first song. This band, geared towards the teenage demographic, put on a polished performance while interacting with fans in a genuine, receptive way. That combined with respectable hardcore riffs, nifty electronic moments, catchy melodic choruses and versatile vocals make it probable they’ll return to Van City as headliners eventually. Matty Mullins, the band’s frontman, emphasized a positive outlook and the importance of confidence during his banter; making Memphis May Fire a show even grandma could endorse. Also, wearing your girlfriend’s pants is still a thing.

As I lay Dying was the most anticipated act of the night for the 18+ concert goers. Their relentless metalcore, absent of electro or dubstep, did feel slightly out of place; the players sometimes looked like they thought “I’m too old for this.” Certainly, the vertical hopping one witnesses at all ages shows looked odd on the seasoned five. They are the veteran players on this tour with six albums and a decade of touring under their belts. The second song they played was “94 Hours,” first released in ’03 on Frail Words Collapse. It was met with no less enthusiasm than their newest songs, proving that these subgenre champions have stood the test of time and will continue to own metalcore for years to come.

What Asking Alexandria may lack in fashion sense, they made up for in smoke effects. Brilliant lights turned whisps of smoke into scorching flames and liquid ice. As they entered the stage, James Cassells, the band’s drummer, shirtless and lit from below, looked like some kind of lanky, tattooed, rock & roll demigod. These irreverent brits, clad in ripped black skinny jeans and rhinestones, with their extremely palatable metalcore and ballsy dubstep moments, evoked a debaucherous frenzy. The swaggering

Russell Brand-esque singer belted lyrics like “I knew when I first saw you, you’d fuck like a whore!” These lyrics and other were passionately recited by a wall to wall crowd of youth who had completely lost their shite. AA stood out in hilarious contrast to their decidedly more wholesome openers, receiving flying gifts of underwear and illicit substances from fans below. Excellent performance aside, their playing was solid: the vocals were flawless even when flawed and the rock was brought, re-bagged and brought again. You’ll probably want to double bag it. Better safe than sorry.

Askingalexandriaofficial.com
Asilaydying.com
.ca.myspace.com/memphismayfire
.ca.myspace.com/iseestars

By: Lanie Klipp

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