What does one do after a sleepless fourteen hour flight from Canada to Norway? Well, of course, you get your ass off the plane and head to a cave (that also passes as a live music venue) to witness the one and only Abbath and his Motörhead cover band, Bömbers. I can’t think of any better way to be welcomed to Bergen!
Yes, you read that right. The venue on this night was a former bunker carved into a mountain – right in the heart of Bergen, Norway – that now serves as a music venue called Hulen. Tonight, the packed house was in for a treat, as it is not too often that Bömbers plays their hometown. Everyone who is anyone in Bergen was out to catch Abbath and crew take on Motörhead. If you were late to the party, good luck finding a place anywhere near the stage, as the venue, and particularly the area in front of the stage, is not a big space.
Without any warning, the band exploded onto the stage with a ferocity and energy that immediately recalled my few live experiences seeing Motörhead. If you are unfamiliar with Bömbers, the most telling thing is vocalist/bassist Abbath’s (ex-Immortal, ex-I, Abbath) uncanny resemblance to the late, great Lemmy Kilmister. The man is the spitting image, moustache and everything. Vocally, Abbath has perfected Lemmy’s hoarse, raspy delivery, yet with just enough Abbath coming through to not be a complete duplicate. Rounding out the lineup is legendary guitarist Tore Bratseth (ex-Old Funeral, Studfaust, The Batallion), and drummer Pez (Punishment Park).
The majority of Bömbers‘ set consisted of tracks from the first three albums, Motörhead, Overkill, and Bomber. The guys threw in a few goodies from various other albums, such as ‘Keep Us On The Road’ from the Birmingham 77 (Live) album, and a handful of tracks from Ace Of Spades, Iron Fist, Orgasmatron, and Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Bömbers could likely make a career as a full-time Motörhead cover band… they are that good and convinicing. That they choose to only play sporadically makes the experience far more special and sought after. I feel privileged having caught the guys on their home turf, surrounded by friends and Motörhead maniacs. Long live Lemmy!
LIVE REVIEW – GWAR, CANCER BATS, X-COPS
March 12th, 2024
London, ON @ London Music Hall
Photos: Kimberly Baarda
Words: Jason Deaville
To say things were going to get a bit bloody on this night is an understatement. In fact, London, Ontario, Canada would become drenched in oceans of blood, just as one would expect from “The Blood Of Gods” themselves, GWAR. The band rolled into Canada as part of their Age Of Befuddlment Tour, which also featured Toronto’s Cancer Bats, and a rare appearance of the mysterious and legendary X-Cops. GWAR frontman Blöthar The Berserkerhad this to say about the impending trek…
“The Invasion of Canada is nigh. We will start our campaign to bring befuddlement to the masses in the cultured and forward thinking American South, and from there, we will launch a coast-to-coast attack on the Great White North, leaving a swath of destruction not seen since the War of 1812. Stopping only to get high in the Pacific Northwest, we will dive directly into the gaping hole of the donut, the American Midwest, before gracing the Dirty South and ending again on the filthy streets of Baltimore! I wonder if we can score crack in the ‘City that Reads.’ Are You Not Befuddled?”
X-COPS Outfitted in their obligatory police uniforms, this side-project featuring members of GWAR raided the stage like the law enforcement buffoons in the slapstick TV comedy, Reno 911. Their set consisted of songs mainly from there one and only studio album, You Have the Right to Remain Silent (released on Metal Blade Records way back in ’95), as well as two brand new tracks (‘Kinderhardened’ and ‘Light Em Up’) from a rumored EP set to be released later this year.
If I were to guess, a good portion of the sizeable crowd in attendance for X-Cops‘ set likely had no idea who the band were. That being said, they managed to the win crowd over with an incredibly competent performance that was as fun to watch as it was to listen to.
Setlist Interloper, Barbells, Zipper Pig, Cavity Search, Kinderhardened, Light Em Up, Paddy Wagon Rape, Welcome To New Jersey, You Fucked Up
CANCER BATS Toronto hardcore punkers Cancer Bats might have been slightly out-of-place on this billing, but they didn’t show it, delivering an incredibly high-energy set of songs from their extensive catalog of recorded material. Frontman, Liam Cormier, did an admirable job of getting the audience pumped and eating out of the palm of his hands, and that energy from the packed house was directed right back at the band. There was no doubt that a sizeable portion of the crowd was there to see Cancer Bats, which speaks volumes to the success and longevity of this hard-hitting band.
Setlist Bricks & Mortar, Trust No One, Pneumonia Hawk, Lucifer’s Rocking Chair, The Hoof, Rats, True Zero, Road Sick, Hammering On, Sorceress, Winterpeg, Sabotage (Beastie Boys cover), Hail Destroyer
GWAR From the deepeset reaches of space, the Scumdogs Of The Universe were sent to conquer this insignificant shitball floating in a dark corner of the universe; the planet Earth. Tonight, the unsuspecting, conservative city of London, Ontario, Canada was the target. With them, the band brought gallons upon gallons of blood in an effort to mark the city as their own.
With the venue now packed to the gills, the spectacle started with Black Sabbath‘s ‘War Pigs’ playing over the house speakers. This served to amp the crowd up ten-fold. As the song faded away into obscurity, the Scumdogs, fittingly, blasted onto the stage with the song ‘Battle Lust’ (taken from their Violence Has Arrived album released in 2001). The stout, pig-faced, horned-goblin of a frontman, Blöthar the Berserker, was an imposing force, spewing out the lyrics like a demon possessed, backed-up by co-vocalist Sawborg Destructo.
GWAR wasted no time, immediately launching into ‘Hail, Genocide!’ and ‘I, Bonesnapper’ much to the delight of the audience, who were now wholly-consumed by the force from the stage. It was around this time that the band then unleashed a torrent of blood onto the all-too-eager crowd, soaking the first five rows from head to toe. Those poor photographers in the press pit came out looking like Stephen King’s Carrie. The highlight of the evening was when the band brought out Joe Biden, who, as expected, shambled out out onto the stage and rambled incoherently as the band grilled him. In the end, things didn’t turn out so great for old Biden, with Blöthar quickly decapitating Biden while the audience cheered on in approval.
This was certainly one of the most exciting and engaging metal shows in London, Ontario in a very long-time. The best part was seeing the throngs of fans making their way out of the venue at the end of the night drenched in blood yet with glowing, satisified smiles.
Setlist War Pigs (Black Sabbath), Battle-Lust, Hail Genocide!, I Bonesnapper, Mother Fucking Liar, I’ll Be Your Monster, The Cutter, Starving Gods (Death Whistle Suite), Krosstika, Completely Fucked, Immortal Corrupter, Maggots, Let Us Slay, Sonderkommando, Crack In The Egg, Berserker Mode, Sick Of You, Fishfuck, Fuck This Place
Remaining dates on the Age Of Befuddlement Tour are as follows:
March 16 – Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Centre FM March 17 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall FM March 18 – Calgary, AB @ The Back Alley FM March 20 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre FM March 21 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory FM March 24 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater FM March 26 – Davenport, IA @ The Capitol Theater FM March 27 – Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot FM March 28 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall FM March 29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground FM March 30 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage FM
ALBUM REVIEW – COFFIN STORM
Coffin Storm – Arcana Rising
Reviewed By: Jason Deaville
Review Score: 8
When one thinks of Norway and metal, the first thing that comes to mind is likely black metal and all the associated drama and such that took place in the land of fjords and frost back in the 90s. Now, keeping in mind the theme of Norway, if I were to throw the following descriptors at you, what is the first thing to pop into that headbangin noggin of yours?
…classic heavy metal, slow thrash, and doom
If you immediately thought of Fenriz of the legendary Darkthrone, you’d be correct! If there is one guy in the whole of the Norwegian black metal contingent that espouses the virtues of old-school, classic metal-ness, it’s the hiking metal punk himself. Predictably, the man teamed up with some like-minded metalheads, forming the project titled Coffin Storm. It wasn’t long before they had a slew of vintage-inspired material, which took the shape of their debut album, Arcana Rising.
Overlooking the ancient lands of sensational heavy metal, Coffin Storm features a trio of Kolbotn, Norway metal veterans, which includes Apollyon (Aura Noir/Lamented Souls), Bestial Tormentor (Infernö/Lamented Souls), and is completed by the aforementioned Fenriz on vocal duties. The result is a torrent of rousing, accomplished titanic riffing from both Apollyon and Bestial Tormentor, commandeered by Fenriz’s unmistakable vocal prowess (as witnessed with his own Isengard project as well as multiple Darkthrone releases).
Now, let’s break this beast down track by headbanging track…
OVER FROZEN MOORS The song immediately kicks in with a chugging down-picked riff of epic proportions that summons an early Celtic Frost vibe. Man, this riff is infectious. Seriously one of the catchiest grooves on the album. With the headbanging and fists pounding, Fenriz rips in on the mic with one of his finest performances yet of this old-school vocal approach. It’s clear that he has honed his technique to near-perfection on this track, coming across as a slightly-less falsetto-y John Cyrlis of Agent Steel (circa 85’s Skeptics Apocalypse and 87’s Unstoppable Force). From here, the song takes on an early Exodus-like verse riff that works incredibly well. The song ends as strongly as it started, with an infectious half-time riff that chugs its way out like a sledgehammer to the skull.
ARCANA RISING Where the first track was a crushing headbanger of a ride, the title track, ‘Arcana Rising’, takes the listener on a morose, melancholic trip à la mid-eighties Candlemass. This is particularly evident in the vocals, where Fenriz summons his best Messiah Marcolin, while the rest of the band conjures the sleek, powerful doom of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus.
OPEN THE GALLOWS The song opens with a riff not far removed from the reverb-soaked riffing found Metallica‘s classic Ride The Lightning album. This is followed by a full minute of back-and-forth licks that remind me of UK NWOBHM band Holocaust and the song ‘Heavy Metal Maniac’ from their cult classic album, The Nightcomers (a more relatable comparison would be Killers-era Iron Maiden). The similarities to Holocaust don’t end here, as the chug found later in the song is eerily reminiscent of the horn-raising main riff found on their song ‘Death Or Glory’. I can’t imagine this was intentional, as the riffs of this time were quite interchangable. Either way, a fantastic song that transports the listener to the mid-80s without even trying.
EIGHTY-FIVE AND SEVEN MILES Would love to know the significance of this title. I can only imagine ‘eighty-five’ relates to the year, and perhaps ‘seven miles’ is how far Fenriz and his Kolbotn crew drove to see Pentagram at the local rec center. Whatever its meaning, the song starts with what can be best described as a heavier version of the intro riff found on the Pentagram song ’20 Buck Spin’ (from their self-titled debut released in ’85). At just over seven minutes, the song is a bit long for its sparse choice of riffing, with things becoming a bit same-y by the halfway point. On a positive note, there is some stellar lead work peppered throughout that showcases the antiquated talents of Bestial Tormentor.
CEASELESS ABANDON Now, I know the band didn’t drop Celtic Frost as a specific influence for this album, but, man, I am getting some real Cold Lake and Vanity/Nemesis-like vibes from the opening riff of ‘Ceaseless Abandon’. As a BIG fan of both these albums, this is certainly a good thing. It has that infectious shuffling rhythm with both the guitars and drums that borders on the darker side of glam. Enter Fenriz, who puts a stop to such nonsense with his epic wailing that is the furthest thing from Tom G. Warrior’s goofy snarl on Cold Lake. The chorus leaves something to be desired, belted out a bit sloppily, yet still somehow effective in the context of this song, which, I might add, feels a bit looser than the rest of the album. In fact, the entire thing has an almost improvised feel to it.
CLOCKWORK CULT Probably the most second-wave black metal-like song of the bunch. Even the production is a bit more vicious on this track. I mean, not to confuse anyone into thinking this is a proper black metal song, as it definitely is not that, but it does have some chord progressions that can be found on very early Mayhem and Darkthrone releases. I’m even hearing some very early Satyricon-like chord progressions in the last third of the song. For the most part, though, this track rides a mid-paced groove reminiscent of early Celtic Frost.
FINAL THOUGHTS Sure, one could accuse Fenriz of perhaps being a little whimsical and technically erractic as it relates to the vocals, but when one looks back at the vocalists of the era he is paying homage, they had yet to master their falsettos. Fenriz’s strength lies in his passion and dedication to the music of that time, and channels it with a convicition that is immediately relatable and enjoyable. The same could be said for the rest of the band, where things feel a bit loose and improvised, but not to the detriment of the whole.
Arcana Risingdoesn’t do much to stand out from other bands doing the same, but maybe that is the point. It feels like a full-on love affair with the music they consume day and night, plain and simple. Does it need to be more than that? Where it differs from the last few Darkthrone albums that have traveled a similar route, is that albums like The Underground Resistance, Arctic Thunder, Old Star, Eternal Hails, and Astral Fortress are far more refined and thought out.
In the end, Arcana Rising is an album that one should go into without expectations. Just throw it on and let it consume you for what it is. If anything, it may spark a renewed love for those classic vinyls from the 80s that may be collecting dust. If you are a fan of Darkthrone, Aura Noir, Inferno, Isengard, Agent Steel, Candlemass, Pentagram, Kreator, Paradise Lost, Cathedral, and early Metallica, Exodus, Celtic Frost, then this is an album for you.
Job For A Cowboy has returned after a nine year hiatus between albums with the follow up to their last album Sun Eater. The creation of Moon Healer started in 2018 and gave the band much needed time to return on their terms musically, vocally and lyrically, building a multifaceted, brutal conceptual release. Band members, Jonny Davy (vocals), Al Glassman (guitar), Tony Sannicandro (lead guitar), Nick Schendzielos (bass), and Navene Koperweis (drums) have made this a labor of love and it shines through.
‘Beyond The Chemical Doorway’ begins with a slower haunting intro which explodes in a vocal assault by Davy that exudes nostalgic energy. The cool groove makes this track a great starting point for the listener. ‘Etched In Oblivion’ is one of my favourite tracks with an endless supply of memorable riffs and, again, a strong vocal presence. The pounding drum beat and thumping bass takes this track in so many directions.
‘Grinding Wheels Of Ophanim’ is a heavy track that keeps true to an older death metal vibe reminiscent of of early Obituary. This is another personal favourite of mine. ‘The Sun Gave Me Ashes So I Sought Out The Moon’ has a fantastic drum intro then blasts into a fast heavy track. This band is so musically talented and this song showcases that.
‘Into The Crystalline Crypts’ continues with heavy vocals and fast guitar riffs. This track would be an awesome live addition. ‘A Sorrow-Filled Moon’ has a much darker, almost doomish, vibe. Crunching guitar riffs highlight this track.
‘The Agony Sleeping Storm’ is the fastest track and, again, has that massive death metal sound. The riffing is super heavy and the bass in this track really hits the mark. The last track ‘The Forever Rot’ is the longest track on the album (clocking in at 6:41) and finishes this album off in style. Midway through the track it slows and has a Voivod groove to it making this song very interesting.
This anticipated release is an example of the saying ‘good things come for those who wait’. Fans are in for a real treat with this album; it’s fresh and relevant pushing the boundaries of experimental death metal to new heights. I recommend this album for any metal fan looking for something original and hardcore. It’s an immersive project, not just for the listeners ears, but the mind as well. Pick this album up and play it at eleven!
Midnight is set to release onto humanity an album that is the perfect soundtrack for a fight. Hellish Expectations continues from their last highly acclaimed album, 2022’s Let There Be Witchery, with their unique brand of metal/punk/underground that is aggressive and full of testosterone.
Lone member, Althenar, who plays all instruments and vocals, has created a niche in metal that also includes speed metal plus a NWOBHM vibe that makes this so intriguing. According to Althenar, this album was written in one weekend after listening to raw tracks from the previous album which makes this even more impressive. Partnering with Metal Blade records for the first time, I predict this album will reach more perspective fans with a strong distribution helping to spread Midnight’s assault to the masses.
The album begins with a punch to the face with first track ‘Expect Total Hell’. With a killer Motörhead vibe, the track absolutely explodes as if you were detonating a bomb. Heavy, fast guitars and aggressive vocals gives a hint at how brutal this album is going to be. ‘Gash Scrape’ has a cool guitar fade-in and, again, this track just takes off. The song has a cool heavy punk sound that will smash any mosh pit. This will become a great live track.
‘Masked And Deadly’ begins with some fast guitar riffing while the performance behind the skins gives this track a killer groove. The wicked guitar solo is fantastic and another great vocal performance. ‘Slave To The Blade’ is the shortest song on the album, clocking in at 1:51. The song has an amazing beat and once again summons that Motörhead groove. This is one of my personal favourites on the album… it’s such a massive song.
‘Dungeon Lust’ keeps the assault on your senses going with its pounding drum beat. The track has a slower groove but is super heavy and has a darker direction and creates a cool whip sound. ‘Nuclear Savior’ was one of the early singles released and gave fans some insight on how brutal the album was shaping up to be. The beginning of this track has a fast early Metallica sound with a wicked guitar riff and killer solo.
‘Deliver Us To Devil’ has more of a thrash vibe mixed with punk crossover producing a heavy sound. ‘Mercyless Slaughtor’ has a cool heavy bass and guitar intro. This is another song with a heavy darker sound, aggressive vocals, and killer guitar solo. Another favourite of mine. ‘Doom Death Desire’ begins with a blood curdling scream that ignites this track in an epic fashion. Another fast, heavy song that will certainly be a cool track to catch live. The guitar solo is fantastic.
‘F.O.A.L’, the final song (the first single and video released for the album), and is an acronym that stands for ‘Fuck Off And Live’. It’s an anthem of a song that ends this album on a high. The lyrics focus on the angst that Midnight is famous for. The track covers punk, traditional metal, and thrash metal and leaves one feeling beaten and physically tired with its speed and aggression.
What I like most about Midnight is that they are always honest and do not cater to any trends or fads. Their music is created for fans of aggressive metal, which, to this scribe, is super important. With each release the band continues to put out ground-breaking material and this album certainly solidifies that.
Hellish Expectations will delight Midnight‘s existing fanbase while also serving as a perfect gateway album for new fans. One thing is for certain: once you get into Midnight you are a violator for life. Pick this up and crank it to eleven!
