Canadian Metal

North Hammer – Stormcaller Review

By Diabolus in Muzaka on March 20, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Folk Metal, Melodic Black Metal, Power Metal, 65 comments

“‘Just so you know I’ll be milking this for a long time.’ These were the first words out of my girlfriend’s mouth after acting willingly (albeit with trepidation) as a last-minute road trip and concert companion to see Watain and Deströyer 666 after the flu struck down two friends who were originally supposed to go. I knew that sitting through myriad episodes of Dr. Phil or Real Housewives of [Pick a Place with Pretentious Snobs Galore] was my price to pay for seeing one of black metal’s most entertaining live acts rampage through the excellent ‘Nuclear Alchemy’ and other great songs, and that was fine. I knew what I signed up for, and honesty is always the best policy.” Our word is our bond, until we break it!

Battlesoul – Sunward and Starward Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 9, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, CDN Records, Folk Metal, Reviews, Folk Metal, Melodic Death Metal, 39 comments

“When I was first exploring metal’s myriad subgenres, I figured out what I like to hear in folk metal in record time. My favorites the style has to offer are those of the fast, infectiously catchy variety; acts like the early incarnations of Ensiferum and Equilibrium make up my personal top tier, plodding mid-paced and accordion-based stuff fills out the bottom tier, and any band in the mid-tier is merely forgettable. Battlesoul falls into this mid-tier, but it’s certainly not due to mediocre songwriting chops.” Tiers of the dragon.

Vile Creature – Cast of Static and Smoke Review

By GardensTale on March 8, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Doom Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Sludge, 32 comments

“Why do we love music of such a harsh, ugly aesthetic? Once, during my college years, I was asked this question by a project coach. It wasn’t the first time I heard the question, but it was the most memorable, as for the first time it wasn’t asked as an attack but of genuine interest. I found I did not have a satisfying answer. “It has a furious energy, a certain power that gives me a rush for all its darkness,” was the best I could say. But at the time, I did not yet listen to doom metal, and if I had, it might have complicated my search for a genuine answer further. Because how would I describe the appeal to bands like Vile Creature, a duo who makes deliberate, hideous music that is slow and steady.”

Black Wizard – Livin’ Oblivion Review

By Eldritch Elitist on March 4, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Listenable Records, Reviews, Stoner Metal, Doom Metal, Stoner Metal, 26 comments

“I’m not, nor have I ever been, a stoner. This has more to do with the fact that lil’ Eldritch wasn’t cool enough in school to have friends who smoked weed than it does with any particular disdain for marijuana’s effects, and as a result, I’ve never really understood the appeal of stoner rock/metal. I have a great appreciation for traditional doom bands that can mold slow ‘n’ low sounds into something emotionally compelling, but the stoner approach is typically too lethargic and lacking in proper melody for me to embrace as a relatively straight edge bystander. Bearing this stance in mind, know that you, dear reader, may derive significantly more mileage out of Black Wizard’s fourth LP, Livin’ Oblivion, than myself.” Of weeds not done.

Wake – Misery Rites Review

By Kronos on February 25, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Death Metal, Grind, Reviews, Translation Loss, Death Metal, 0 comments

“Pop quiz: off the top of your head, name five Canadian bands. If you’re a geezer of some sort, Rush will take top billing, whereas the more brutal among us will have rattled off a litany of Quebecios tech death acts. Few metalheads will think to include a grind act in their list, let alone one from the flyover provinces. And yet, here Wake are, poised to release their fourth LP of brutal grindcore from their hideout in Calgary.” Wake off, you hoser!

Nate Bohnet – Therapeutic Destruction Review

By Kronos on February 15, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Metalcore, Reviews, Self-released, Metalcore, 0 comments

“Boy, where to even begin. If you’re a regular AMG reader and wondering why I’ve been reviewing the albums everyone expects to be catastrophes, it is in fact not due to my impending sacking. Rather, I’ve challenged myself to outpace the frankly worrying rate of Steel Druhm reviews for a month, and since brutal death metal is thin this time of year and we “employ” about fifteen writers who aren’t me nowadays, I have to subside on albums like Therapeutic Destruction.” When HR becomes obsolete.

The Dead Centuries – Race Against Time Review

By GardensTale on February 5, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Self-released, Progressive Metal, 27 comments

“The much-maligned genre of djent seems to be undergoing a change as of late. It’s becoming more diffuse, more rarely a goal unto itself and more often part of the progressive metal vocabulary. This is a good thing because distilled djent commonly boils down to an exercise in making technical prowess sound as dull as possible. As an ingredient, rather than a meal, it can be used to contrast intense guitar sweeping, as a deliberately unsteady base or a breather passage.” Season sparingly.

Anvil – Pounding the Pavement Review

By Steel Druhm on January 17, 2018 in 2018, Canadian Metal, Heavy Metal, Reviews, Steamhammer, Heavy Metal, 35 comments

“Anvil persists. That’s become an enduring truism and the mantra of this Canadian act since they first broke ground way back in 1981. You probably know their story – once poised to be the next big thing on the strength of classic albums like Metal on Metal and Forged in Fire, the call to greatness never came and the band watched younger acts like Metallica and Anthrax pass them by on the road to legend. But did they fold up shop and cry about it? Fook no! When the going gets tough, Anvil gets going, and that brings us to their 17th goddamn album, Pounding the Pavement.” Metal has no retirement plan.

EP Edition [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

By El Cuervo on January 1, 2018 in 2017, Reviews, Things You MIght Have Missed 2017, Black Metal, Doom Metal, Folk Metal, Heavy Metal, Melodic Death Metal, Post-Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 76 comments

“Last year I compiled a year-end EP post with which I received help from my colleagues and of which I was quite proud. This year I institute this post by repeating it.” Get institutionalized.

Counterparts – You’re Not You Anymore [Things You Might Have Missed 2017]

By Mark Z. on December 20, 2017 in 2017, Canadian Metal, Hardcore, Pure Noise Records, Reviews, Things You MIght Have Missed 2017, Hardcore, Metalcore, 19 comments

“An old teacher once told me that the best poetry conveys a sense of longing. I would argue the best music does the same thing. Perhaps that’s what first drew me to Canadian melodic hardcore quintet Counterparts about four years ago, when life was growing difficult and the only solace was a long jog through the woods while listening to the group’s 2010 debut Prophets.” Fear and longing at AMG.