The first ever Metal Conference was held in Calgary, Alta. on Oct. 2 as part of Noctis Valkyries, an annual festival put on by Scarab Productions. Upon arriving at the Ramada Inn, everyone was greeted by Terese Fleming and her well-organized Noctis crew. Each guest received a warm welcome, the schedule for the day, and lots of free swag, which included stickers buttoms, music samplers, and even a copy of Divinity’s Allegory and Kilyakai’s single “Without Warning,” from their latest album.

The conference rooms were named after some favourite metal bands: the Slayer room was the main conference room, while the Voivod and Mayhem rooms were reserved for topics like touring, photography and band interviews. Many local musicians and metal media contributors were involved in the conference. Pitch Black’s own editor-in-chief Pamela Porosky was on a couple of panels, and conducted a most entertaining live interview with San Francisco metal veterans Slough Feg, who performed later that night at The Distillery. A presentation on metal photography was given by Mira Born (Metal Shots) through a lively slide show of her work in Europe, with follow-up discussion and tips from Born, along with local photographers James Stangroom and Porosky, who recently started Changeling Photography. Greg Musgrave (Exit Strategy, Phantom Limb) moderated a few sessions and also interviewed the band Cynic, one of the headliners from the main festival show Oct. 3. Alex Melzer from The Metal Observer interviewed Novembers Doom, and attendees were given an inside look at how the band’s sound developed.

Dave Ellefson (F5, Hail, ex- Megadeth) gave a very informative talk on the music business. His book, “Making Music Your Business: A Guide For Young Musicians,” is an excellent reference for those attempting a DIY approach or trying to get signed. Martin Popoff, often hailed as the Dean of Canadian Metal writers, discussed his interview style, publications the demise of print magazines and the role of the rock critic, before interviewing Ellefson in front of a live audience. Michael Berberian, CEO and founder of Season of Mist Records, and Michael Faley of Metal Blade Records, emphasized the importance of DIY and being knowledgeable about the music business, even if a band wants to get signed. David Gold of Ontario’s Woods of Ypres explained how it is possible to be successful as a DIY artist, while local musician Thérèse Lanz of Tosca and Exit Strategy emphasized the importance of avoiding spending all the band money on beer.

After just over six hours of talks, interviews and snackables, all the conference attendees seemed generally pleased with all the wisdom, tips and tricks that had been shared and gathered throughout the day. With all the various topics that were touched on during the day, every musician, writer, photographer and metal fan was able to learn something new.