Ask Jan Kulakowski about Shadowblade’s upcoming album, and he’ll describe it as “55 minutes of progressive epic metal!”
The founder and frontman for the Edmonton-based metal act is talking about Frozen Serenity [Independent, 2010], Shadowblade’s full-length studio debut, recorded by Kulakowski and drummer Anders Johansson, then flown to Helsinki, Finland, where it was mixed by Nino Laurenne at Sonic Pump Studios. Laurenne has worked with the likes of Apocalyptica, Ensiferum, Sonata Arctica and Amorphis, to name a few, but it wasn’t the names he’d worked with in the past that inspired …

“Lurking, waiting, writing, conspiring,” is what B.C. band Auroch have planned once their current tour wraps up later this summer.
“Another tour is already in the works with a certain band, but I can’t say anything about that just yet,” teases guitarist Sebastian Montesi. “Time will tell what the future holds.”
What he isn’t keeping mum on is Auroch’s debut album, what it’s like heading out on the road with French death metallers The Seven Gates in their first tour on North American soil, and another recording for the discog from the …

The June 19 Noctis Kick-Off Show in Calgary, Alta. began with a little Heavy Metal Jeopardy, with game show host JP Wood – best known for his work on CJSW’s Megawatt Mayhem – firing off questions to three local contestants. Unfortunately, I did not make it to The Distillery on time to witness this awesome display of knowledge, but we hear the questions were tough and those in the line of fire stayed cool under the pressure. Exit Strategy bassist Greg Musgrave claimed victory in the end, winning the grand …

Relax and have fun. According to living metal legend Gene Hoglan, that’s the key to drumming. After all, “It’s not ‘rocket surgery;’ it’s just drums,” he exclaims.
“A lot of guys turn it into something really intense and difficult and not fun,” Hoglan states.
“When you’re all tensed up, that just makes it not fun, and you get this horrible struggling strained face on. That looks like you’re killing yourself, and that doesn’t look like fun. Unless you like looking like that,” he laughs. “I try to practice Occam’s Razor when it …

Which are your top five favourite metal bands of all time?
Slayer
Iron Maiden
Lamb of God
Motörhead
Opeth
What is your earliest metal memory?
I think my earliest metal memory comes from a show at the Multi in Calgary. I was just there to see a random show with some friends, and this band, Chupacabra, was on the bill. I loved how heavy they were and had the time of my life headbanging and moshing. I had heard metal before, but had never seen it live. That was when I realized how much I actually liked …

“Living in a town full of Jesus-worshipping hillbillies can inspire one to do a lot of things,” states Jess Morrison, the sole promoter behind Calgary, Alta.’s Devil’s Work Promotions, which found it’s start in 2007 in nearby Lethbridge.
“It was kind of a selfish beginning,” she candidly admits. “I was sick and tired of the bar scene/meat market full of grabby drunk dudes. I wanted to go to shows. No one was making it happen so I figured, ‘Why not me?’”
Morrison had no background in show promotion or booking at the …

The last time Special Ops decided to head out on a cross-Canada adventure of hard-rockin’ musical proportions, those plans were forced to a slamming halt when bassist Waldo Thornhill was diagnosed with cancer. While Thornhill underwent treatment and then recovered, the band redirected their energies from the open road and onto their next studio album, Through the Heart of the Infidel [Thorny Bleeder Records, 2010].
“We all moved in with Waldo at the studio since cancelling the Phase 2: Amidst The Madness Tour, and we decided to try something new,” said …

“It’s nice and tight and hot and you get a good connection with the audience; they’re right there,” breathes Mikael Stanne, his arms reaching out, fingers twisted, claw like.
The Dark Tranquillity frontman is relaxing on the band’s tour bus, parked just outside The Republik. Certainly not the stadiums and arenas the band usually plays, but a welcome venue, especially to watch the Swedish musician’s face light up when asked about the stages they’ve booked for the We Are The Void tour.
“It was so much fun yesterday,” he says, referring to …

A legion of underground fans patiently waited to catch Slough Feg live and in person in Alberta. That anticipation was finally satiated last fall when they took the stage at Club Night during the Noctis III Metalfest, playing to one seriously enthusiastic crowd.
And now, less than a year later, they’re coming back for a second uproarious set and are ready “to pour some metal down their faces,” according to the band’s bassist, Adrian Maestas.
The band has been invited to perform at the Noctis IV Kick-Off Party, set for June 19 …

It’s been more than a year since Steve Moore and Gustavo De Beauville laid down the foundations of The Unravelling and started working on 13 Arcane Hymns. There was a lot of work involved in the industrial metal project, from the writing of the songs, to the recording process, artwork, and spreading the word, not to mention finding a line-up of musicians that could help bring The Unravelling to life on stage.
And on May 21, that finally happened.
The Unravelling made their live debut at The Distillery in their hometown, with …

“One of our biggest challenges is that we live on an island. We are surrounded by water and it costs us $300 return just to get to Vancouver for a show,” reveals Mike Selman, guitarist for the Victoria-based metal quintet Unleash the Archers.
Take into consideration the cost of fuel, and the amount of money an independent metal act playing original music is bound to not get paid, and Selman admits the jaunt across the water is more of a detriment.
A sure way to avoid the huge cost for a one-night …

How welcoming has Alberta’s metal community been to your act?
So far the reactions have been great. I’ve been performing for just over a year now, and the bands have been very supportive and stoked to have me involved. I’m really looking forward to my next shows coming up in the summer months. I’m sure there are a few negative reactions to my “heavy metal pole dancing,” just as there are in general to the sport of pole dancing. It does have its association with strip clubs (and rightfully so sometimes) …

Finland’s Barren Earth first formed in an official capacity in the fall of 2007, a group of experienced musicians comprised of Mikko Kotamäki on vocals, Janne Perttilä and Sami Yli-Sirniö covering the guitar duties, keyboardist Kasper Mårtenson, bassist Olli-Pekka Laine and Marko Tarvonen on drums.
But the guys didn’t perform their material live for the first time until in February of this year.
“We didn’t really have any reason to play live because we didn’t have any releases, and we were busy arranging the music,” Laine says during a phone call from …

Max Cavalera formed the troops and set out on the Blood Fire Hate War tour, which carried the guitarist’s band Soulfly across North America, including two stops in Alberta.
The first of these shows invaded the MacEwan Ballroom in Calgary on Mar. 27 with the support of Rotting Corpse, Incite, and hardcore industrial metal legends Prong.
Prong hail from Los Angeles, Calif. The city of angels. They left those at home, fortunately, and played an angsty set led by frontman and band founder Tommy Victor. The trio has only two tours …

In early March, Omega Crom set out on a cross-Canada tour to promote their upcoming release, Blood, Steel & Fire [Reversed Records, 2010]. The tour carried them through the heart of the prairies, and as far east as Montreal, before performing their way back toward their home province of British Columbia, where they’ll end up later this month.
The Vancouver-based metallers had five Alberta dates on the tour schedule, including a crushing set at The Distillery in Calgary, Alta. on Mar. 12. Calgary’s own Razorwing started off the night. The four-piece …

Okay, so they’re not exactly “Maidens” this month, but we simply couldn’t resist pulling a small stunt on our dear devoted readers. This is, after all, our very first April Fools’ Day issue, and we wanted to celebrate with a little laugh, and at the same time answer a number of requests from our female readers.
We’d like to thank the guys for being such good sports and posing for us, some even clocking in a few hundred kilometres just to help us out.  We’d also like to give a shout …

Mechanize [Candlelight, 2010] marks the first release in five years from Fear Factory, and the first since 2001’s Digimortal [Roadrunner] to feature Dino Cazares on guitar.
Mechanize is the band’s seventh release to date, and features original members Cazares and vocalist Burton C. Bell, and a rhythm section not to be messed with in bassist Byron Stroud and drummer Gene Hoglan, best known for their work together in Strapping Young Lad.
“Yeah, Strapping Young Lad and the many, many other projects they’ve worked on. It’s been great because these guys are real …

Recording can be daunting enough on its own without factoring in the task of finding a studio that not only suits your technical needs, but is comfortable to be in and fits your budget. If you’re Calgary musician Anthony Blaine, the solution is simple: just open your own.
Okay, so maybe it’s not all as simple as that.
The idea to one day open a recording studio was there, and Blaine even had his eye on a location, so when the space became available, it didn’t take long for the dream to …

Kelly the Bastard is one of the best known figures in Calgary’s cover band circuit. First picking up the guitar at a serious level after an injury ended his professional sports career as a BMXer, he joined his first touring act in 1989.
“There was more of a cool party attitude back then,” Kelly recalls. “People were in the bars to see bands. Now it’s like musicians are sort of a hindrance, a pain in the ass for clubs. We’ve become a glorified jukebox in some ways.”
In his opinion, “the whole …

It wasn’t too long ago that we chatted with Shawn Drover, talking mostly about Megadeth’s Endgame [Roadrunner, 2008], the recording studio and, of course, his heat vision and other superpowers, as an entire thread on the band’s forums will attest. In fact, this guy could probably give Chuck Norris a challenge, especially when you add the fact that he is the backbone to one of the most popular metal acts in the world. No pressure, right?
The laid back Canadian drummer has a good laugh; he takes it all in stride. …

Every once in a while, a band will come along that never disappoints, releasing consistently solid albums de force, touring non-stop, and never failing to draw the audience into their performance, treating them like extended band members, and gripping them in an intense, fist-pounding tango of musical solidarity, until the final note of the evening rings out before fading into a true metal memory.
That is my definition of Arch Enemy.
The melodic death metallers ignited the North American Tyrants of Evil Tour in the U.S. in late January, before driving the …

How do you stay active in Alberta’s metal community?
Being a part of the Pitch Black staff keeps me fairly active in the local metal scene. I also really enjoy putting on shows. Last year, I was heavily involved in organizing Red Deer’s Rock 4 Santa charity show. It was a lot of hard work, but so much fun and such a rewarding experience. When I’m not working on Pitch Black, I spend a lot of time booking/promoting shows and organizing merch for my husband’s band, Awkward Silence.
How did you first …

“Viral Nation” Track List:
1. Viral Nation (intro)
2. Oblivion
3. The Execution
4. Sing For Freedom
5. Ignite
6. Metafilth
7. A Dark Chapter
8. Human Crutch
9. Home
When the four member’s of Obey the Fist headed into Alchemy Recording Studio one November day in 2008, they were quite the optimists.
“We thought we’d be done in two weeks,” confesses vocalist/guitarist Chris Kreuger, “but it took a hell of a lot longer.”
They recorded the final tracks for their upcoming debut album in December 2009, just over a year from when they laid down the first drum tracks with Alchemy …

Richard Christy made his first comedic contribution to The Howard Stern Show in October 1999, just a few months before joining Iced Earth. The drummer, who recorded three albums with the Florida-based metal juggernauts between 2000 and 2004, was simultaneously recruited by Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer for his side project, Demons and Wizards.
Previously, Christy spent three years with metal legends Death, and appears on their 1998 album The Sound of Perseverance [Nuclear Blast, 1998], not to forget a number of other musical groups, including the death metal act Burning …

“Just stop talking about it,” exclaims Angela Gossow of the extreme metal group Arch Enemy. “When you read a review and it says, ‘Oh, by the way, it’s a chick singer.’ That’s just like, ‘Okay, here we go again.’ I wish they’d write on the quality of the vocals and the quality of the band performing.”
She looks forward to the day when the mainstream media focuses on musicianship first, “because so many metal bands have female musicians nowadays, if you look at the big picture.”
She calls the reviews “repetitive,” whether …

Not many venues are more than halfway full when the first band hits the stage, especially when the opener is local, and there are three bands before the headliners. That wasn’t the case at The Republik when the mighty Behemoth invaded Calgary for the first of two Alberta shows.
For Calgary’s own death grind quintet Kataplexis, the place was buzzing, in spite of a lineup outside still going through the ticket motions. Their short half hour set only served to intensify the energy; it would seem the excitement of opening such …

Who are some of your favourite hard rock or metal bands?
Kilyakai, Lamb of God, and Textures.
Not to get too cheesy, but since it’s February and all, what band most sets a romantic mood for you?
Tool totally sets the mood for me. Not the lyrics, but the groove and the way the sound of Maynard James Keenan’s vocals are projected is interesting to me.
How do you stay active in Alberta’s music community?
With my time, energy, love. I put everything in it. The metal community is made up of my friends, my …

“Prisoner of the Mind” Track List:
1.The Death March of Bataan
2. Nailed to the Cross
3. Vendetta
4. Metal Alliance
5. Prisoner of the Mind
6. Futile Rebellion
7. Going For Glory
8. Ghost Rider
9. Raining Fire
10. Warlord
“We’re really big in Germany, you know,” states Dan Houser, bassist for Calgary, Alta. metal quartet Hellrazer. He’s kidding, but the fact of the matter is, the band does have fans worldwide, thanks to the MySpace universe. With over 24,000 “friends,” Houser cites it as their biggest marketing tool, except when doing “really ballsy things like call up promoters and …

“The show was originally started to bring some attention to the Alberta metal scene. I was going to see a lot of local shows and really enjoying the music so I wanted to find a way to be involved and help out,” says Mark Dillon, founder of Vinland Radio, a weekly podcast featuring heavy metal music and news.
“I had been working in radio both as a amateur and a professional since 1995, so some sort of radio program seem like the obvious choice. I just want to some of this …

Casey Orr was a fan of GWAR for years before taking on the role of Beefcake the Mighty in 1994, a character introduced in 1987 and portrayed by bassist Mike Bishop until Orr took over, and by Todd Evans in the early 2000s.
“I was one of those guys that when I saw GWAR I was like, man, that’s what I wanted. That’s what I was standing in front of the mirror mimicking Kiss and that what I wanted to do. I wanted to do the whole full show. And when …

“Often times I’ll write something and I’ll think this has to have been written already,” says guitarist Mike “Gunface” McKenzie, of Massachusetts grindcore act The Red Chord.
“I’ll write something, and then I play it for the guys and I say, ‘Hey, does this sound like somebody else’s riff?’ because it sounds familiar to me, and they’re like, ‘Uh, no…’ and I’ll be like, ‘Are you sure? Then why do I feel like I already know this?’”
Anyone who is familiar with The Red Chord and the albums they’ve released since founded …

It’s been more than two decades since GWAR first arrived on the seething mud ball that is planet Earth, and at the beginning of December, the comedic thrash band that’s hailed from the state of Virginia since their intergalactic journeys brought them to our planet visited Alberta, as part of their 25th anniversary tour.
Joining the group and their slaves were Massachusetts grindcore four-piece The Red Chord, who opened the show with a killer 30-minute set of original material from their first three studio albums, as well as tunes from their …

Rock 4 Santa started off in 2008 as a one-off charity show in Edmonton, Alta., organized by Looking East musicians Jadie Hunt and Steve Mardling. It was a way for local independent bands to give back to the community. They raised money for Christmas Bureau of Edmonton, Santa’s Anonymous, The Edmonton Food Bank, and Adopt-A-Teen.
This year, they expanded on the vision by adding a second show in Red Deer, aiming to raise money for the Adopt-a-Family program through the Women’s Outreach Center. Pitch Black’s managing editor Becca Stone took the …

“Behind the Curtain” Track List:
1. Agenda
2. Demonseed
3. Blackened Sunsets
4. Behind the Curtain
5. Bad Boy
6. Cattle Drive
7. Closer
8. Fight My
9. Sever the Spine
10. Sexual Degenerate
11. Usurper
12. Bleedthrough
“We’ve learned to pack bedding, because a lot of times we sleep either in a vehicle or on a floor. We haven’t made a lot of money on the road, so we have to prepare to just live. And friends are a huge, important things for us, because they usually put us up,” says Marcus Steiner, guitarist and vocalist for Lies From Elysium. The Calgary, …

When heading out on tour, one of the most important details to consider is also one of the least or last thought of. What the hell are we gonna eat?
For most bands, the first trip, even if just across the province, involves booking the gigs, finding “reliable” transportation, packing the gear and hoping you’ve got a place to sleep after the show. Food is often secondary. It’s also one of the biggest money mongers if you’re touring for more than a couple of days, and it seems the more you …

I’d love to write something deeply profound and inspiring as we step forth into this new decade, but I’ve had way to much sugar, which makes it really hard to focus on just one thought.
On the one hand, I’m astounded. Remember when all that Christmas candies and chocolates went on sale on Boxing Day and you could run down, fight the crowds for those last few boxes of truffles? Well, not only has the last decade brought us Boxing Week, where stores offer deals all week, but don’t stock enough …

According to Bobby Thompson, fans of Job For A Cowboy can look forward to “intense live shows and a good time” when checking out the Arizona-based deathcore band .
They’re on the road with grindcore act The Red Chord, and living comedic thrash legends GWAR, the tour’s headliners, which can’t be an easy spot to fill. But Thompson is confident that concert-goers, no matter who they’re there to see and hear, won’t leave disappointed.
“The GWAR show rules,” exclaims Thompson, one of JFAC’s extraordinarily gifted guitarists. “I don’t blame them if they …

When he was six-years-old, Calgary, Alta.-born Arjun Gill moved to Saudi Arabia. His dad worked for a major oil company, and the family spent the next 11 years in the Middle Eastern country on an American compound. Doesn’t exactly seem the most likely place for heavy metal to grow and take flight, but in this musical genre, history tells us that anything can and will happen when inspiration to create takes hold.
Now back in Canada, this time on the west coast in Vancouver, Gill is wrapping up his high school …

I think it’s only fair to say right from the beginning here that this isn’t so much of a review as it is a recollection, because no matter how I word it, it’s gonna sound biased.
You see, the Halloween show at Big Al’s in Calgary, Alta. featuring headliners Sacred Ally in their fourth anniversary performance, was my first show laying down the synth for Celtic-influenced death metal act Gales of Avalon.
The cool thing about this show, aside from sharing the stage with the always-awesome progressive trio that is Phantom Limb, …

“Watching the Devils Work” Track List:
1. Hold Your Arms Out
2. Watching the Devil’s Work
3. Break ‘Em Down
4. Confusion On the Dance Floor
5. In a Crowd of Few
Calgary hardcore act Stab.Twist.Pull start growing their musical roots in 2007, with vocalist Mike Hoogars joining the group in February 2008. A series of line-up changes plagued the band, even as they were still struggling to find their sound. But that struggle was not in vain.
Armed with a new EP, Watching the Devils Work, set for release 2010 and new drummer, ready for unveiling …

Kermit the Frog once sang, “It’s not easy being green.” More than 40 years have passed since he first sang that song of the same name and the Muppet is probably the most famous frog in North American history. It wasn’t easy being an all-girl group in those days either, and while the hairstyles, clothes and roles women take on in music have changed – at least in the hard rock and metal realm – the realities of stereotypes still creep into the mix.
“When people hear the phrase ‘girl band,’ …

Gales of Avalon have officially released the music video for “Cold Dark Valleys” one of 12 tracks from the band’s full-length debut Black Island.
Directed and edited by Ryan Leininger in the group’s hometown of Calgary, Alta., the new video tells part of the story illustrated through the upcoming concept album.
“It follows two survivors of a boat crash as they make there way across a deserted island. They are both broken and beaten, yet they keep forging on. There may be light at the end of the cold dark valley, there …

“When I was growing up in small-town Montreal, I would travel 40 minutes on the train just to go and get one record. I’d buy it, and then on the way home I’d look at the artwork and read the lyrics and credits and everything, just frothing at the mouth until I could run home off the train and play the record for the first time, never having heard it. Those days are long gone for the most part, but I’m glad that some people still enjoy that,” says Megadeth …

Formed in 1997 as Crucible of Agony, the industrial death metal act from Sydney Australia changed their name to The Amenta in 2001. The following year, they released their debut album, a three-song EP entitled Mictlan. Two years later, Occasus [Listenable, 2004] hit the music market. It would be another five years before their second full-length album nOn [Listenable, 2009] would reach store shelves. But even longer in the making was the band’s North American debut.
That’s about to change.
The Monsters of Death Tour, featuring Vader, Decrepit Birth Warbringer, Augury and, …

“We’ve done a lot of support stuff, so it’s cool to go out and finally play our own tour, and to play longer,” says Trivium guitarist Corey Beaulieu during a recent phone interview.
“Not a lot of fans have had the chance to hear us play a full set, they’ve only seen the support tours where we perform for maybe 30 minutes.”
The thrash metallers from Orlando, Fla. were gearing up for a show in Portland, Ore. during the first leg of their headlining tour, the band’s first since 2006, and Beaulieu …

For those who attended the metal conference portion of Noctis III: Tritagonist Metal Festival, and even those who joined the crowd afterward at The Distillery, just around the corner from the conference venue, the club night show was a real treat. Headlined by Chicago, Ill. metal act Novembers Doom, the place was nearly packed by the time show openers Tosca hit the stage. The Calgary, Alta.-based two-woman sludge act – one on guitar and vocals, the other on drums – did an awesome job warming up the audience for what …

We Found the Body is one of those bands that never disappoint, no matter where they perform, or how many people are in the crowd. Their Oct. 9 show in Red Deer, Alta. at Cheers North was no exception.
Red Deer’s Cain & Abel quietly opened the show with an original half hour acoustic set. Not what you’d expect at a show promoted as “a night of metal mayhem,” but the duo, armed only with guitars and vocals, was a fitting and well-received choice nonetheless.
Of Thorn and Vine came up next …

Fictional metal act Dethklok came to life Oct. 6 at the Big Four Building in Calgary, Alta. Mostly backlit and in front of giant screen displaying music videos and shorts from the hit cartoon series, Metalocalypse creator Brandon Small, taking on the role of frontman and guitarist, was joined on stage by bassist Bryan Beller, guitarist Mike Keneally and drummer Gene Hoglan in front of a diverse and enthusiastic crowd.
Opening the show was Oakland, Calif. three-piece High on Fire, a group that never disappoints. Fronted by guitar virtuoso Matt Pike, …

“The Physics Demos” Track List:
1. White Flag
2. Locust Years
3. Safe Harbor (B-side)
4. Wrapped Around a Bullet (Acoustic)
5. Safe Harbor (Black Flag)
“We’ve never been that type of band to have some big scheme to write a certain style of music or do anything we could to become these self-indulgent rock stars. It simply began as four guys doing what they love,” explains drummer Nathan Navetto, on Somastate’s 2006 formation. “It really just started out as us dudes jamming in random basements and a big ol’ woodshop.”
The heavy hitting rockers from High …

The Blackout Brigade emerged from the ashes of two other bands that went up in flames when members quit in the quintet’s hometown of Winnipeg, Man. According to guitarist Danny Ransom, the remaining members seamlessly joined forces to form a new band fueled by rage, whiskey, and a passion for the hardcore sound.
“We’re all buddies, and this is a labour of love, so if we got into quitting/hiring nonsense it wouldn’t be fun, plus we’re way too lazy and disorganized to teach these songs to other people, so if someone …

The Black Dahlia Murder first unleashed their crushing take on melodic death in 2000, and the Michigan-based quintet hasn’t let up since.
A six-song demo, What A Horrible Night to Have a Curse [The Black Dahlia Murder, 2001], and the four-song EP A Cold-Blooded Epitaph [Lovelost Records, 2002] introduced metal fans to the unforgiving brutality of a truly original sound. That sound, and a relentless passion for playing live, brought about a new relationship with Metal Blade Records, one that still exists today with the late-September release of the band’s highly …

“13 Arcane Hymns” Track List:
1. Move Forward Until You Are Dead
2. Becoming Chaos
3. Fire Breather
4. Open Skull
5. Last Rights Protest
6. Revived
7. Unscripted Disclosure
8. In The Safe House
9. Where Will It End?
10. Disconnect-Connect
11. My Resignation
12. Arjuna
13. Victory Song
It was a cold, gray afternoon in the fall of 2008 when the paths of two musicians crossed.
“It was one of my first experiences of this season in Calgary and I remember how enthralled I was with the energy in the air,” recalls The Unravelling’s founder and instrumentalist Gustavo De Beauville, who moved to …

To think of shredding conjures up images of famous guitarists like Ulrich Roth, Eddie Van Halen and Yngwie Malmsteen, just to name a very small few from the world stage.
Alberta has its very own league of shredders that shouldn’t be underestimated.
Joe Sikorski, guitarist for Calgary grindcore act Exit Strategy, has been known to shred things up a time or two.
“Cornflakes, guitars, paper, miscellaneous odds and ends, you know,” laughs Sikorski, who was also a member of Thorazine, Caveat and Blacksky.
But what about shred guitar?
“I can give the clinical definition, which …

Do you dress up for Halloween?
Absolutely! It’s my favourite time of year.
Where is your favourite place to party at Halloween?
For the past few years, I’ve been going to New City Suburbs. It seems like people there put a lot of effort into their costumes and you’re bound to see something really original. House parties are always a blast as well.
What’s your costume gonna be this year?
I’d like to be mysterious and say that you’ll just have to wait until the 31st, but at this point I haven’t …

Marilyn Manson finally got to perform in Calgary, 12 years after the shock rocker was first scheduled to appear in the Alberta city. His controversial stage antics and lyrical subject matter proved to intense for Larry Ryckman, former owner of the Calgary Stampeders football team and owner of the Max Bell Arena ,where that 1997 show was to take place, and the concert was derailed forcing Manson to skip the tour stop.
This time around, in support of his latest musical offering, The High End of Low [Interscope, 2009], Manson had …

When Graham Harris made the cross-Atlantic move from Scotland to Calgary, Alta., he had no idea where to see a good live metal band, let alone join one.
“I did some searching on the Internet and came across Alberta Metal,” he recalls of the locally run forum for metal fans and bands across the province.
As it so happened, guitarist Don Stenhouse, who formed Reverend Kill in 2004, had just posted an ad looking for a new vocalist. The band had decided to pursue a heavier, more death-influenced sound, and needed …

As the owner of Scarab Metal Productions, a Calgary-based concert production company, Terese Fleming has to stay up-to-date with the goings on of the music industry and the trends that drive it on a global scale, then take that and apply it to the music community closer to home. It doesn’t hurt that she holds close a passion for music and the metal artists across Alberta.
As a result, Fleming has seen her business grow, and the annual metal festival Noctis Valkyries approach its third year, growing bigger and better …

*Warning: Article contents may not be suitable for all readers. Discretion is advised.

“I’m so terribly sorry,”grunts Oderus Urungus, arriving late for our interview after what he calls “a minor crisis in the Slave Pit.”
He’s one busy frontman, er… alien, and GWAR is no ordinary band.
“I’ve been doing all kinds of ridiculous things. I wrestled this big redneck dude named Tracy Smothers. Choked him the fuck out,” Oderus says of the IWA pro wrestler he sparred with back in June for some reason unbeknownst to the majority of humankind.
“And for some …

To say that 3 Inches of Blood tour a lot would be a bit of an understatement.
“That’s our modus operandi,“ states guitarist Shane Clark, with the kind of gusto one hears only from those so passionate about their craft, it’s something they live and breathe.

“The last time I averaged it out, during an album cycle, we toured for 12 out of 14 months. Not all exactly in a row: there would be two weeks home here, two weeks home there,” continues Clark, who has been part of the Vancouver-based …

“Devastate Insisted Existence” Track List:
1. Blackwing
2. Return Of Mars
3. Tracks Of Red
4. Buried Alive
5. Without Warning
6. Infidel
7. Long Way Home
8. Slaughterhouse
9. Ravenous
10. D.I.E.

It’s been a long and challenging year in the making, but Kilyakai’s full-length debut is finally ready for release.
On October 23, the hardcore influenced death metal juggernaut from Calgary, Alta. will unleash Devastate Insisted Existence on a local audience, followed by a cross-province series of shows to further spread the metal fury, before taking it online.
“We did extensive amount of writing and a lot of practicing, a lot …

One of the most unemphasized facts in the music business today is that it is, in fact, a business.
Sure, most bands and individual musicians start their musical journeys with fun and creativity and all that wonderful feel-good stuff at the core, but the reality is, if you’re really serious about taking your music to the next level, you have to start treating it like a business.
“A lot of bands don’t understand the business of it. They just think play some local shows and rock out and that’s all it takes, …

I don’t think it matters if you’re still under the confines of the institution that is our educational system, or if you’ve done for years. There’s something about September that has a slight air of sadness, of finality, of, “Oh great, now I have to work?”
Students go back to school, those in the workforce reflect on why they didn’t at least save a couple vacation days to use on those upcoming mornings when it’s just too cold to get out bed, and you can get some really good deals on …

“We built a bomb shelter, you know, stuff like that,” jokes Hucifer, frontman for Montreal’s latest musical export, Fattooth, as the group embarks on their North American Natural Disaster Tour.
All kidding aside, the band has been rehearsing constantly in preparation for their first cross-country tour, a 19-show journey that will lead them from Thunder Bay, Ont. to Vancouver, B.C.
“We work hard at bringing it for the crowd and putting on a performance. It’s all about the performance and the stage show for us, and we’ve refined it. We’ve played a …

The name Teitan conjures all sorts of wonderfully dark imagery.
The ancient god Kronos of Greek mythology as he overthrows his father, only to be defeated by his own son, Zeus.
Through mystical numbering systems, the name adds up to 666.
A mythical two-headed beast from the sea whose visible head was Saturn, and whose invisible head was Teitan.
According to Homer, one of ancient Greece’s most famous yet ambiguously known authors, all the gods of hell were called Teitans, while the 8th century Greek poet Hesiod excuses them as sons of heaven who …

It’s that time of year when festivals abound. And while there are some truly fabulous sights and sounds to behold, there are some that make it difficult to imagine people subjecting themselves to 30C windless heat and cloudless skies for, but that’s just me.
Of course, there really is something for everyone: for every outdoor fest there is an indoor one; for every fest during the day, there is one at night. And, regardless of where you are in Alberta, there’s sure to be something within driving distance.
This month, we’ve got …

“Extreme is 13 bands in one small-assed club,” exclaims Michael Schleibaum of the Washington D.C. quintet Darkest Hour.
“All smelly, been driving to each show and just metal as hell,” the guitarist continues. “Honestly, this is the biggest collection of dirty, crazy dudes that you could get.”
He’s referring to this year’s Summer Slaughter tour, a musical blitz sponsored by Fangoria and Decibel magazines that’s got 13 bands playing 40 gigs in less than two months, and that’s not including the special guest bands slated for occasional shows throughout the North …

The release of a new album often goes hand-in-hand with a road trip, especially when you’re trying to make a living from it.
Death metallers Goatwhore are no different. Except maybe for the fact that they tour a lot.
This month, the quartet is headlining across the continent, with two shows here in Alberta to promote “Carving Out The Eyes of God” [Metal Blade, 2009].
“That, and to have a good time, pretty much,” says vocalist Ben Falgoust, who also shares his vocal chords with the four-piece grindcore act Soilent Green.
Self-described as “a …

“Lock It Up” Track List:
1. Lock It Up
2. City Lights
3. Comfort
4. Hold On
White Lightning is about to strike in cyberspace. On July 7, the St. Albert, Alta. rock band’s EP “Lock It Up” will be available through CD Baby, which in turn gets distributed though most reputable digital distribution sites.
The band’s first EP “Hold On” was also released through CD Baby in August 2008, so what’s the big difference this time? “Hold On” was available in hard copy. “Lock It Up” is only going to be sold online. At least …

First metal album: Pantera “Far Beyond Driven.” I was introduced to metal by a friend and loved that album when I heard it, so I went and bought it.
Favourite road trip music: I love everything on road trips. As a kid, my sister had an awesome mix tape we’d listen to on our trips. We also had stuff like Ozzy’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” old school Crüe and lot’s of G N’R. Nowadays, I like some Cradle Of Filth, Pantera, Alice In Chains and System Of A Down.

Change can be good. And for A New Face For Marley, change came in all shapes and sizes through a series of drummers, wrapped up in one final swoop of a cross-Pacific move to western Canada.
Oh, and don’t forget the name change that followed shortly after bassist David Blume and guitarist Jared Hansen gave up the sunshine and surfboards of Australia for the seemingly yearlong winters that Calgary has to offer.
“When the band first got together, we were called Music, The Real Killer,” Hansen explains. “But, we were watching TV …

What do heavy metal and pole dancing have in common?
Not a whole lot, actually. That is until Calgary metalhead and amateur dancer Monika Deviat decided to fuse the two together.
“Pole Junkies dances at Snatch [Rock Bar] right now. Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 12. We perform. They have poles on the bars. We just kind of dance and advertise for ourselves, and so I’ve been doing that. And I book all my shifts around metal shows, and sometimes I’ll go to a metal show afterward. And I thought, ‘Why …

“A mini Stonehenge will drop down halfway through the set when we remove our wizard capes to reveal the – just kidding” Lee Aaron jokes about her upcoming Alberta performances.
And I have to smile at the throwback, because the first thing that pops into my head is a leather clad Aaron brandishing a sword in the video for “Metal Queen” [1984, Attic], the hit song off her album of the same name, the one that launched the Canadian songstress into the rock history books and forever cemented her with the …

“Ahhh, well, I can’t say much about it yet, but I know we’re coming to Canada in July,” Chimaira guitarist Rob Arnold said from the other end of the phone line.
“And that’s all I can say about it,” he teased.
The Ohio-based groove metallers recently announced a U.S. tour to start at the end of July, and since they’ve been out of the recording studio for a while now, they’ve got some time to kill.
What isn’t shrouded in mystery is the supreme metal awesomeness that is “The Infection.” The six-piece band’s …

“When we first started, we weren’t very serious. We’re still not serious, actually. We’re serious about the songs and the music, but as far as getting up on stage and acting hammed… well, it’s a massive production,” admits Admiral Nobeard, guitarist and frontman for the thrashy pirate metal trio Swashbuckle after zigzagging around his point.
Okay, so maybe rum, randiness and little high seas hijinx are a given when you dress like Captain Cook and play alongside an inflatable ship to a crowd more eager to raise their hooks than horns …

“The Order of Chaos” Track List:
1. Get in the Pit
2. Invictus
3. Forever In Hell
4. Hate What You’ve Become
5. Sullen Darkness
6. Neverending
7. Cast In Stone
8. Left In Ruins
Guitarist John Simon Fallon and bassist Sterling Burrows first met up and started jamming together in 2003.
“It’s a very complex story,” Fallon said, when asked how the rest of the Edmonton-based quintet rounded out The Order of Chaos, adding that one of the first gigs they ever played together was with drummer Tim Prevost’s progressive death metal band Quietus.
“Tim arrived at the venue with …

The sign in the window read “Space For Lease.” Bob Richardson was a bassist for a French-Canadian rock band at the time, and he and his band mates needed a place to jam, so they called the number and arranged to check it out.
“And the fellow that owned the building, he said, ‘Well sure, why not,’ and rented us the little space in the front,” Richardson says, pointing to a pool table just around the corner from Slaughterhouse Studios‘ front entrance.
By the mid ’90s, the building – which had once …

Are there any bands that you won’t be playing around your son after he’s born – or even now, since he’s probably moshing out to everything you’re listening to right now?
I believe he should have the right to decide what he will want to listen to and what he will not. Although, I pray to the Heathen Gods of Metal that he will not take a liking to power metal.
How much importance do you place on a child being raised in a musical environment?
A lot. Where would society be on …

Very few words are needed to introduce Napalm Death, but here it goes:
The extreme metal band from Birmingham first formed in 1981 and established their distinguishable sound of rapid-fire riffery mixed with aggressive vocals, short, shotgun songs, and an overall ethos of soul at the core of each and every melody.
Today, none of the founding members are present within the Napalm fold, but the “newest” guy in the band, drummer Danny Herrera, has been involved for more than 25 years. The result is a unique musical chemistry and a collection …

“My mum thinks – she’s wondering when I’m going to buy her a house, because she thinks I’m like Mick Jagger and it’s like, ‘I don’t know if you know, but it’s heavy metal and we barely scrape by.’ So, some day I’ll buy her that house, but right now she’s just going to have to wait,” says Buz McGrath, one of two guitarists from Massachusetts hardcore outfit Unearth.
“She doesn’t really pay attention to the music; she just wants to see her little Buzzy playing guitar,” he laughs. “And she’s …

“It’s about time for us to hit the U.S. and Canada, and a tour like this is a good way to start,” said Korpiklaani bassist Jarkko Aaltonen from his home base in Finland, just a couple of weeks before embarking on the North American leg of PaganFest II. “We actually did one indoor festival show in Calgary a few months ago – October, perhaps? That was a good show. We played good, and the audience seemed to like it.”
This year’s Pagan Fest has 21 scheduled stops across the continent, including …

“It’s really inspiring what a lot of the home studio guys are doing with cheap gear, and not a real studio set up. If you put the work in, and you have a little bit of knowledge, you can make some killer shit. That inspired me,” said Sacha Laskow, one of the guitarists in Calgary’s Divinity, and the recording mastermind behind their latest tracking endeavours.
“I wanted to document our recording process since we’re doing things the [do-it-yourself] DIY route, and I thought it might be useful to other bands to …

“As The Romans Do” (EP) Track Listing:
1. Never Heard Of It (0:16)
2.The Cure For Insomnia (3:18)
3. Bollocks! (3:47)
4. The Mechanism (3:54)
5. Bloody Sea Men (5:56)
As The Romans Do released their self-titled debut April 4 at the Forest Lawn Community Centre in Calgary. In spite of a few technical difficulties during Stab-Twist.Pull’s opening set, which resulted in the lights being disconnected for the duration of the show, as a whole it went off with a marvelously metal yell.
Fellow Calgary metallers We Found The Body – who released their own full-length debut …

There’s nothing like stage etiquette to leave a lasting impression, and whether you’re the band that’s awesome to work with, or the band that gets bumped to the bottom of the “band’s to play shows with list,” is entirely up to you.
The unwritten rules, so to speak, of the relationship between bands is one of the most important aspects of live performance, regardless of the level you’re at.
“You want to make a statement and kick some ass, but there’s some politeness there. There’s some respect that you should have for …

Exit Strategy started obliterating the sound systems of venues across Alberta back in the fall or 2006 when guitarist Joe Sikorski and drummer Casey Rogers were playing in the technically astounding progressive metal act Caveat.
“Casey and Joe decided to go down to our jam pad/studio and jam out on some death metal/grind sounding songs that wouldn’t really fit into the style that we had going on with Caveat and ended up putting a couple of demos together,” bassist Greg Musgrave chronicled of Exit Strategy’s early beginnings.
“They then showed the …

We Found the Body has been raising a ruckus on the Calgary circuit since 2007, and on March 20 the Alberta metallers released their debut six-song EP at a killer sell-out show at The Stetson, with comedian Jason Rouse and Calgary thrashers Kilyakai in tow.
Guitarist Denim Wentzell graciously let us in on a few of the curiosities we had about the five-piece modern tech metal act’s recording process:
You decided to record at the Beach. What was behind this decision?
We wanted to record at a studio that had great gear to …