Nergal: A Tool of the New World Order

Adam Darski, better known as Nergal, the front man of the Blackened metal band Behemoth, has become a rising star in the world of Metal. Behemoth has attracted a respectable following for a band that plays extreme music. They use costumes and other props to present themselves as anti-clerical sub human forces who battle the greatest evil in the world: Christianity, and more precisely the Catholic Church. According to their website, the bands message is "you don't need religion to be happy." Behemoth is a Polish band, and since Poland is one of the few remaining European countries where the majority of people still go to church, it was only natural that tensions would erupt.

Their live shows are full of blasphemous language and imagery. For example, on October 1st of this year, during a concert of a band called Times New Roman, Nergal made a cameo appearance. The show started with the members of TNR appearing on stage in wheelchairs claiming that they cannot play because of their disabilities. At which point, according to the news, "Darski, aka Nergal, appeared dressed as a priest. After blessing the musicians, the men rose from their wheelchairs and the concert [went forth]." After the footage of that show surfaced, Nergal was fired from a show on public T.V., called Voice of Poland (Polish version of American Idol), in which he was a judge.


(Nergal as a judge on Voice of Poland)

The biggest controversy happened in 2007, during a show in the coastal city of Gdynia, where Nergal ripped up a Bible on stage, calling it a "deceitful book" and accusing the church of being a "criminal sect." This was the last straw for the political establishment. Nergal ended up getting charged and taken to court. If convicted, he was facing a two year prison term. Jolanta Szczypinska, a member of the Polish Parliament, stated “The band is constantly undermining Christian values and symbols and insulting the Catholic faith during so-called “artistic” performances and talk-shows on the radio and TV.” She then stated that her party will not allow what she calls “pseudo artists” to hurt Poles’ religious feelings on the pretext of freedom of speech. After a lengthy court battle Nergal was acquitted of all charges when the judge ruled that the action was “a form of art” consistent with the style of the band. After his acquittal Nergal said, "I'm so glad to see intelligence won over religious fanatics in my home country. There's still so much work to be done to make things right, but I'm sure I'm on the path to ultimate freedom;" he went on, "the battle is won but the war ain't over."



There is no doubt in my mind that an overwhelming majority of metal fans sympathized with Nergal and hoped for his acquittal. After all metal is fun and not to be taken seriously. I object to the claim that music can be the main driving force that corrupts an individual to the extent that they commit an evil act. I'm well aware that more people committed suicide or shoot someone with Hank Williams playing in the background then any Metal band. What I found upsetting was Nergal's post-trial comments, which deserve some scrutiny.

"I'm so glad to see intelligence won over religious fanatics in my home country"

In Nergal's world Poland is full of religious fanatics, but thankfully the intelligent people came to his rescue. Let's look at Poland's demographics a bit closer: according CIA Factbook, 89.8% Poles belong to the Roman Catholic Church, and about 75% are practicing Catholics. Nergal sees this as a weakness. He prefers that Poland gets more inline with the rest of Western Europe where Church attendance, and people who identify themselves as Catholic, has been rapidly decreasing since WWII. Nergal must think that Poland will benefit by abandoning their Catholic heritage and embrace a secular-liberal-globalist ideology prevalent in the west. But would Poland be better off? To answer that question lets do some comparisons:

- Poland has one of the lowest divorce rates among the European countries. According to divorcemagazine.com in 2002, 17.2% of Polish marriages ended in divorce. This is compared to France at 38.3%, Canada at 37%, Germany at 39.4%, Ukraine at 40% and the U.S.A at 45.8%. Poland has half the divorce rate then its two neighbors: Germany and Ukraine. The cost of divorce is a burden on any society. Single parent families are more likely to require social assistance. Children of single parent families are more likely to underachieve in school and have a higher chance of having encounters with the law. The statistics don't lie: divorce hurts children.

- Poland is one of the few countries in Europe to still have abortion permitted only in special circumstances. 52% of Poles believe that abortion should be kept illegal and the number is increasing. A 2011 survey of Poles age 15-24 found that 75% favor a total ban of abortion. While Poland's population has been on the decline, it is nowhere near as bad as countries like England, Germany and France who have resulted to replacing their indigenous population with immigrants who are unable to assimilate.

- Poland is the only member of the EU not to suffer any losses during the economic downturn of 2008. Poland's economy has been increasing annually since 2008. The reason for this is that Poland was not so quick to embrace a globalist agenda as its counterpart. Some of the reasons for Poland's success have been attributed to: lack of over-dependence on a single sector, a tradition of government fiscal responsibility, and a relatively large internal market. In laymen terms, because Poland was not in a rush to sell state resources to multi national corporations and give up their national currency, it avoided one of the greatest recessions of our time. This could not have happened if the Polish people did not recognize the unique nature of their heritage and took steps to preserve it.

- Finally, since 75% of Polish Catholics are practicing their faith, chances are that the judge who spared Nergal from going to prison was a practicing Catholic.

"There's still so much work to be done to make things right, but I'm sure we're on the path to ultimate freedom"

Nergal seams to be under the impression that Poland's religious culture is impeding on his freedom. It sounds like he believes that if the Church in Poland were to cease to exist, he would be free to do or say what ever he pleases. Nergal, who is only in his mid-thirties, should ask his parents how free they were before 1990 when Poland was a communist country. Were they able to do and say what they want?

Every society, whether religious or secular, has things that they hold sacred and many have laws that protect their defamation. In Canada there are Human Rights Tribunals who vigilantly prosecute people. If you say or do something deemed offensive to any identifiable group, you will face stiff penalties. In fact, the only people who are not granted this protection are Christians and their churches. In Poland, Nergal faced a lengthy court battle because he ripped up a Bible on stage. In Ontario, John Fulton, who is owner of an all female fitness club, faced a lengthy legal process because he refused membership to a transvestite who still had a penis.

Nergal, being a traveling musician, has visited many countries. I find it fascinating that he could not make that connection by himself. Every country in the world has some form of law inhibiting free speech for the good of the country.

"The battle is won but the war ain't over."

Nergal has a Masters degree in history, yet he is too blind to recognize the special relationship that Poland has had with the Catholic Church. Poland became a nation in 966 when the king of Poland Mieszo I was baptized into the Latin rite. It was this conversion to Catholicism that granted Poland protection of the Holy Roman Empire. Poland has been loyal to the Church during the reformation. As some noble men did convert to Protestantism, the vast majority of the country remained loyal to the Vatican. In 1683 Jan III Sobieski led a Christian army that saved Vienna from a Turkish invasion. Some historians attribute that battle as a primary reason why Europe wasn't conquered by Muslims. In 1978, Pope John Paul II became the first non Italian Pope since 1523. Historians attribute that as one of the leading factors which contributed to the downfall of communist rule.


(The baptism of Poland)

The Polish church has been one of the main institutions that caused cohesiveness among the Polish people. It's because of this cohesiveness that Poland did not parish during the Partitions, why the soviets weren't able to dismantle the church behind the iron curtain. When Pope John Paul II visited Poland during his papacy he urged people not to fear its oppressor. Soon after the Solidarity movement was formed. The most powerful footage that I saw from those years is when the strikers all celebrated mass and then fell on their knees and prayed the Hail Marry. It was this cohesion, and resolve, that allowed them to continue their struggle.



Nergal either chooses to ignore such facts, or he's just ignorant to them. After all, he is making a living by playing in an extreme metal band. His source of income comes from blaspheming and attacking the Church. Does he truly believe that his band achieved success based solely on their talents? Is it a coincidence that every significant metal band out of Poland, like Vader or Hate, make a living by attacking the Church? Nergal should see that he is a tool: a useful idiot to the people who want to divide Poland only to exploit it. After all, when you attack a countries heritage and everything that they hold sacred, when you encourage people to think of themselves as individuals with abstract rights, instead of as a collective, a nation, a country, it's only a matter of time before that country destroys itself. I believe that Dave Mustaine said it best in his song Washington is Next:

"Disengage their minds, sabotage their health
Promote sex and war and violence in the kindergartens
Blame the parents and teachers; it's their fault, "Annuit Coeptis"
Attack the church dynamic, attack the family
Keep the public undisciplined 'til nothing left is sacred and
The "have-not's" get hooked and have to go to the "have's" just to cop a fix"

Did Cryptopsy Sell Out?

Why is it that once a band gains some degree of success they are forever condemned to be pigeon held in that genre until death? After all, shouldn't the trade mark of a real musician be his ability to grow as an artist and continue to innovate his craft?

The reason I bring this up is because I recently acquired the latest Cryptopst album tittled The Unspoken King. Having very little exposure to Cryptopsy in the past (though I did see them live in 1999 and 2011) I thought it was a good album. My impression of the album was positive because initially I dismissed Cryptopsy as a typical Death Metal band no different than the rest: a lot of intense riffs with little contras. But with The Unspoken King, I had an album with brutal riffs and blast beats contrasted with slow melodic parts that incorporated clean vocals. To me it sounded like a mature album that combined sophistication without compromising its brutality. That is why I was dissapointed and surprised when I came across this passage on their wikipedia page:

" The new lineup released The Unspoken King on June 24, 2008. The album was subject to a backlash from fans of the band's previous works, due to the album's metalcore influence and the addition of clean singing....The band has announced via MySpace and Facebook that the new material is to be a return to the former sound of Cryptopsy with a modern touch. Raymond [the bassist] has stated in Youtube comments that the new album will not feature the clean vocals present on The Unspoken King."

The first question I have for the so called "fans of the band's previous work" is this: do you truly believe that the band was trying to get commercial success with The Unspoken King? If so, then it is obvious that you haven't listened to commercial radio in a long time. There is nothing on the airwaves that is remotely as heavy and aggressive as The Unspoken King. That album is full of dethmetal riffs, growling vocals, and blast beats. It will never be considered commercial or get any recognition from the main street establishment. It is a death metal album.

The whole "controversy" sparking this backlash revolves around two short parts, during two separate songs, where the band goes into a breakdown in which clean vocals are incorporated. The total length of that album is 47:06 minutes and the clean vocals take up a whooping 2 minutes. So lets recap, Cryptopsy sold out because in 47 minutes of music, two minutes included lean vocals?

Could that be all? Is the only thing annoying the so called "true fans" are measly 2 minutes of clean vocals? I figured that The Unspoken King must pale in comparison to the bands previous catalogue. I decided to download the rest of the bands discography and compare. I started with what is suppose to be Cyrptopsy's break through album Whisper Supremacy (1998). After a good listen, I have to say that it's a very good album. According to Wikipedia, "[The album] took Cryptopsy's style further, incorporating some jazz and fusion elements." However, in my opinion it's not as progressive as The Unspoken King. When comparing the the two albums, The Unspoken King is more mature in sound. The different layers of harmony and poly rhythms give it quite a sophisticated feel. Also, It includes much more Fusion elements then Whisper Supremacy.



If I could give Cryptopsy a piece of advice it would be to continue building on the foundation of The Unspoken King, but I guess I'm just a lone voice amids screams of animosity spewed by the so called "true fans." Maybe the "true fans" haven't bother to find out that Cryptopsy is a band with a high change over rate of members. In fact, the only member who has been in the band since the yearly years is the drummer Flo Mounier. The rest of the members weren't even in the band when Whispers Supremacy was recorded!

In conclusion, people need to be a little open minded when it comes to bands wanting to evolve in their sound. Not every change in musical style needs to be labeled as selling out. When Megadeth went from hard pounding, guitar driven, metal that you find on their album Rust in Peace to three minute pop songs found on Risk, that was selling out. Cryptopsy adding 2 minutes of clean vocals on a 47 minute album is called progress.

For the people who are unfamiliar with the album, the following song is a good example of the shift in style taken by the band.

Cryptopsy at the Rock Pile June 17, 2011 vs. Disco Fever

To me the appeal of metal has been, to a certain degree, the fact that it's part of the underground. While some elements of Metal music have found acceptance in the mainstream, True Metal has always stayed out of the spot light. And while some will see this as a validation to look down on the genre, I look at it as a badge of honor; because, to be blunt: mainstream blows.

I don't know why I still manage to get shocked. After all, it's not like I can look back at some glorious time when things where different. Things might have been better before I was born, but ever since I have been on this earth, I have held a disdain for the mainstream. I haven't figured out whether I'm a helpless optimist who holds on to hope that the intellectual level of our culture will improve, or someone who is in deep denial.

Last night I watched a movie that really spoke to me as an artist. It was Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. The film was about a Hollywood writer who gets to travel back in time to fraternize with the greatest authors, painters, and play writes from the 1920's. Coming back, my friend and I stopped to drink a decaff coffee in the car and talk about the movie. Our car was parked across the street from a dance club. As we were sitting with the windows down, the repetitive dance music coming across the street was just unbearable. However, what I couldn't comprehend was that there where people in that club "enjoying themselves" by having that terrible noise blaring in their ear, and dancing like morons. There is so much beauty in this world yet people want to spend their life in sweaty club dancing to electronic music with flashing lights?

"So what do you like to do?" is the question I most often get as a response to my rants. "I like Metal" I answer with pride. At which point I get a few smirks and rolled eyes. So, in this post, I would like to describe the typical experience that I had at a dance club, and compare it to the night of June 17 when I saw Cryptopsy, supported by Toronto's finest indie bands, at the Rock Pile.



The last time I had to go to a dance club, I had to dress nicely. My girl ironed my pants and my shirt that she picked out for me along with the socks and shoes. We meet a couple of her friends. We all shared a car, drove for about 30 min, and arrived at some dance club. We stood in the lineup for about 15 minutes watching all the pretty people with their souped up cars. We chatted briefly but that came to an end when we got inside. Any chance of conversation was squashed by the loud beats. I forced myself to dance for about an hour, spend $20 on a bottle of beer and two rum and cokes, then sat at a table for another hour wanting to go home. One of those drinks went to my girl and there was also a $10 cover.



When I went to the Cryptopsy show I wore my jeans and Iron Maiden shirt. My band mate stopped by before the show and we played some guitars and drank some beer. Then the trusty TTC took us to Kipling station where I meet another one of my friends, who was generous enough to share his mickey of whiskey while we walked for about 15 minutes to the Rock Pile on a warm summer night. We went inside the Rock Pile at about 11 pm, without a lineup, paying $15 at the door. Inside we treated ourselves to $9 mini pitchers of beer. We saw two local bands, one of them was Unbreakable Hatred. We used the time in between bands to chat and go on the patio to mingle with like minded people. When it was time for Cryptopsy, we sat at a corner table with an unobstructed view of the band. We watched in amazement while Cryptopsy dazzled us with their brutal riffs and fast tempos. They played a lot of numbers from their latest album since this was a small, last minute show. Occasionally we would jump in the mosh pit clowning around like we were teenagers. After the show we walked back to Kipling station where we all went on different Blue Line buses since the subway stopped running a long time ago.




There are enough metal bands in Toronto that one should be able to see a metal show any day of the week. Each night Front street fills up with hordes of dolled up people who are willing to stand in line, pay expensive covers, and get drunk on expensive drinks. Who are those people? Sometimes I think that no one actually has fun at a dance club but is only there because they believe that this is what it means to be normal. Other times I think that I'm the freak. One thing is for certain, I never had a good time at a dance club while on the other hand I can't remember a metal concert that I did not like. This leads me back to my original point: mainstream blows!

Scott Columbus is Dead!

Imagine my surprise when I was informed that former Manowar drummer Scott Columbus died. I could not believe the odds: what are the chances that the first person I slammed in my last blog entry would pass away.

After hearing the news of Scott Columbus's untimely departure, I was overcome by guilt. After all, I called him a "traitor of metal." I regretted writing my last entry, which discouraged me from blogging altogether. It has also changed the way I hear Manowar. It's strange how a change in circumstances has the ability to let you her the same piece of music in a different way.

I felt disappointment in Columbus because left the band; it caused me to lash out. I had no right to judge him. No one knows what truly happened except the members of Manowar. He was a great metal drummer who knew his place in the band. The world of Metal has lost a true hero.

R.I.P

Scott Columbus: Traitor of Metal

"Strike while the iron's hot
Steel is strongest so say we all
And if we all were not brothers of metal would we fall?-No!
They tried to test our spirit
They tasted steel before they were done
Grinding their bones to the dust of the past
All blown away like a shot from a gun

We cast our lot together
Four still stand as one
And we'll remain forever
Till our kingdoms come

Brothers of Metal!"

These are the powerful words that open up Manowars's song "Brothers of Metal Pt.1" The lyrics describe a bond between band members which is thicker then blood: it's as thick as steel!

For nearly 30 years now, Manowar has been singing about virtues long forgotten or even taboo in contemporary society. Virtues like honor, fidelity, masculinity, bravery, and courage. Their appeal to the fans stems from the fact that they are able to put themselves above the different bands, bands willing to jump on any fad de jure. One of the ways that Manowar has exemplified such traits is by keeping a steady lineup. Throughout their entire career, they only had 8 official members. This is quite impressive for a band that has been together for as long as they have. Manowar sells their image as a virtuous band above petty squabbles and the current fashion trends. From the very first album in 1982, they made a pledge to their fans: they will never sell out, but forever fight for true metal and stand by each other.

This is why it broke my heart when I recently came across a blog post where Scott Columbus stated definitely that he has left Manowar, for the second and final time, in early 2008. He hinted that his decision to leave was not on the most amicable of terms. Though in the interview Columbus keep a calm and cool attitude, one can pick up little bits of spitefulness in his answers. According to him the split came after he had a conversation with Joey DeMaio after the "Gods of War" tour. When the interviewer asked him whether the conversation involved money, he admitted that "it was one of the topics discussed."


(Scott Columbus as a proud Metal warrior)

Columbus then went on to say that he was forced to lie in 1989 about the true reasons why he left Manowar the first time. According to Manowar's story, Columbus left to be with his son who was stricken with leukemia. "So you your son was never sick?" asked the interviewer. To which Columbus replied "No."

Columbus then proceeded to talk about his upcoming solo album where he wants to make "Metal elevator music." Apparently his solo project will not be so "overproduced" as Manowar, which is a style he apparently learned to dislike."I'm more of an analog guy," he stated proudly. I guess "analog guy" doesn't care that he will forever go down in history, since Manowar was one of the first bands to embrace digital recording. He also mentioned that he will reunite with former Manowar guitarist Ross the Boss (1982-1988) and they intend to play old Manowar songs together. Hey, just because you're no longer in Manowar, it doesn't mean you still can't make money from Manowar, right?


(Analog guy today rocking out to elevator metal. What happened to the mustache? did Joey make you grow it in the first place?)

What totally pisses me off about Columbus is his lack of gratitude. Joey DeMaio gave Columbus the opportunity of a lifetime: Fame, the chance to tour the world, the chance to be a role model. Now, Columbus is lashing out at the very institution that made him who he is today.

As a drummer, Columbus fulfilled his duties competently. He is able to play fast double kicks and fast rolls. However, he is not capable of doing anything more than that. The clearest evidence we have of this is in Columbus's "Elevator Metal" project (listen here). In it, Columbus does not stray too far from what he would usually play in Manowar: 2/4 beat with the occasional fast role. Also, as I mentioned earlier, he now will continue to make a living of Manowar by touring with Ross the Boss.

Columbus might have some chops; however, he is not a creative person. The best evidence of this could be heard in the following tracks (here, here) where his oversimplified playing is undermining good song writing. I remember when, with anticipation, I heard "Warriors of the World United" for the first time. Though I wanted to like the song very much, I could not; I could not get over the fact that the drums were so oversimplified. Ringo Starr could have done a better job. Even today, I can't listen to that song without losing attention half way through it. He butchered a song that could have become an anthem for the 2000's.

So let's recap: Columbus was given everything that an average rock drummer dreams of. In 1983, according to Wikipedia, he was able to quit his job beating aluminum at a foundry and play in one of the greatest metal bands of all time. He went down in history for being in the loudest band in the world; One of the first bands to embrace digital recording; The first and only band to record with Orson Welles; And, he was given a chance to be a role model for thousands of kids. Kids who, instead of embracing the destructive message of today's music (I cap yo ass, take your ho, ps. learning is gay) accepted a message of honor, chivalry and brotherhood. In addition, Manowar has inspired thousands of fans to learn about Richard Wagner, Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov, Norse and Greek Mythology, by incorporating such themes in their music.

Columbus lashing out at Manowar could be compared to an average one trick pony at a carnival. Imagine this: a horse owner teaches a pony a cool trick; it's the only thick he knows. The pony goes on to travel the world, gets the best hay, along with world fame. People bring him the finest mares to stud with. Then, after making lots of money, the one-trick-pony lashes out against his owner because he only taught him one trick. That is who Scott Columbus is to me: an ungrateful one-trick-pony.

In a recent YouTube video (since removed) Joey announced that Manowar's original drummer Donnie Hamzik has rejoined the band. According to DeMaio, all the new tracks that they were preparing for the new album have been "scrapped, never to heard from again." Obviously Hamzik has brought new blood into Manowar and they are going to use the momentum to write a new album. The new album should be out in the next year or so. Hail Manowar!

The Droogie...Stripped of False Pride by AxMinister

Some Memorable Metal Of 2010

To name all the great metal albums of 2010 would take too long. However, two albums stick out above the rest: Sabaton's Coat of Arms and Enforcer's Diamonds.

In order for an album to be considered great, it should have enough good songs that you can listen to it in its entirety without skipping over any tracks. With the odd exception, the two albums mentioned safely fulfill that requirement.

For those not familiar with the band, Sabaton is a relatively new band from Sweden.They play traditional Power Metal with lyrics focusing on historical warfare. Coat of Arms is packed with tracks like Uprising (dealing with the Warsaw Uprising of 1944), Screaming Eagles( about the 101st Airborne Division) and The Final Solution.

Lyrically, they are capable of telling a good story that is historically factual and well versed. This is what attracted me to the band initially.

Musically, they are able to deliver a good punch without having to be over complicated. Their songs mostly consist of a formula: verse, chorus, verse, chorus, breakdown with a solo, chorus, chorus, which works very well for them. They are able to choose substance over style.

Enforcer is another relatively new metal band from Sweden; Diamonds is only their Second release. Many have labeled them as Old School Metal, which I don't believe does them justice. These guys have managed to take the best aspects of Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Ozzy, Van Halen, and develop their own sound within that spectrum. Enforcer is able to pay tribute to the masters while still maintaining their own voice.

Looking at their pictures, its safe to assume that most of the members are in their twenties. All of them are quite skilled as musicians. I was especially impressed with the bass player who definitively graduated from the University of Steve Harris. He plays with his fingers and plays a major role in the music.

When you add all that to a formula of fast tempos, harmonized solos, and catchy choruses, Diamonds is definitely one of the stronger albums of the year.

AxMinister's Stripped of False Pride: Lessons from a Ten Year Journey

November 2010 will forever symbolize a great milestone: I finally pressed AxMinister's first full length album Stripped of False Pride. Now, as any musician will agree, realizing an album is always a thrill. Looking at the box full of your brand new Cd's ready to be distributed can feel quite good. However, Stripped of False Pride has a special place in my heart and marks a huge milestone, as I have dreamed of this moment for over 10 years. That's right, 10 years! I have a rough sketch of the lyrics to the opening track Empty Inside in a notebook that I started in the late 90's.

One might ask, what took so long ? After all, though recording an album is no simple mater, it's not an impossible task. Anyone with half a brain can pull it off as long as they are willing to commit the time and finances. And I absolutely agree. After all, while AxMinister was going through a hiatus between the years 2003-2007, I spend more then 3 years playing in a band called Grizzly Madams. During that short period we managed to put out a 3 song demo, a live album, and a full LP recoded professionally. So why did it take AxMinister 10 years? The blame could be placed in three main places: band infighting, the unwillingness to put a real financial investment in the band, and the believe that we could produce a better album by recording it ourselves. Though all the reasons have significantly hindered our process, I believe the biggest culprit was the third: believing that we could do a better job ourselves then in a studio.

Our misguided journey began in the winter of 1997 when Spire Cranes, a band that I have played in in high school, went to a studio to cut our first album ever. We found a studio in a flier. We knew very little about recording or music; we agreed to record 8 or 9 song album. We did not know much about the recording process and the studio was more then happy to take out money. In the end we released a album called Deaths and Entrances and pressed around 200 copies on tape. In total, the final cost was about $1500 which was split three ways. Looking back in hindsight we got a pretty good deal. Almost 15 years later, I still enjoy listening to that album as it has a real distinct sound reminiscent of the mid 90's. The songs have a real hint of maturity that surprises me even today. 15 years latter, the little imperfections, I believe, only add to its appeal. However, in 1997, we were quite critical of ourselves and soon I could not listen to that album without only hearing the out of tune drum set, the fluctuating tempos, the parts where the vocals go off tune, and the occasional misted note. It was then that we decided to start recording ourselves. Our reasoning was that we might spend more money in the starting stages, but our investment would pay off in the sense that we could keep recording for countless hours once we get all the equipment.

What we soon discovered was that recording is quite the complex task. You need countless equipment in order to get a professional recording. However, for many reasons we could not accept that. This soon evolved into a quagmire of endless second rate recordings and squandered money.

The problem with trying to record yourself is that you are constantly forced to compromise. The reasoning almost always went something like this "why go to a studio when this pirated computer program" or "this digital eight track can give you almost the same quality." The key word in that sentence is "almost." When you compromise just a little on the vocals , a little on the guitar, a little on the the drums and a little on the bass, all those "little compromises" in the end add up to a big piece of crap.

Old habits die hard. Even with this album we were destined to repeat the same mistake. We recorded the drums in a studio and recorded the guitars and bass ourselves using a downloaded computer program. We soon found ourselves reasoning that maybe we could do the rest by ourselves. Thankfully, sanity prevailed and we ended going back to the studio to do the vocals, mixing, and mastering.

In the end the whole project including the pressing of the Cd's ran us less then $2500, which is peanuts when you factor in the fact that you can enter a studio and leave with an album in 2 weeks, and the songs will last you a life time.

Another sub-lesson that I have learned from this is that when dealing with studios it is always better to negotiate a rate where the studio charges you per-song rather then by the hour. When a studio is charging by the hour, there is a big temptation to accept little compromises in the interest of keeping costs down. A recording lasts a life time and little imperfections that seam minute become big distractions down the road.

Naturally, I don't always take my own advice. Even though we tried to avoid past mistakes, we were destined to repeat at least some of them. However, I'm lucky that this album got made in the first place; and at this point I'm willing to live with the small imperfections. I'm hopeful that AxMinister can put out another album in a much sooner time frame then it took to release its debut and improve with each release that follows.

As for now, I can say that I'm proud of our debut and want to share it with people. If anyone reading this blog would like a copy of the disc, please e-mail me your mailing address to axminister31@hotmail.com and I'll mail you a Cd free of charge. You can also find the complete album posted on our myspace page. www.axminister.ca.

Are 3 Inches of Blood The New Angel Witch?

A few months ago I stumbled upon a band called 3 Inches of Blood while randomly surfing through bands on the web. Initially, they impressed me with their NWBHM guitar work and the falsetto vocals among modern growls and screams. I was impressed to the point that I decided to support them by going out and seeing them live at the Mode Club. They put on a high level energy performance. It is there that I decided to buy their latest Cd: Here Waits Thy Doom.

To bee honest, HWTD is not a bad album. It has some great songs like Battles and Brotherhood and Execution Tank. However, I couldn't help to think that something was missing. After doing some research, I found out what the problem might be: HWTD was the first album not to feature any original members. As a mater of fact, what I discovered is that 3IoB has had a revolving door policy since its inception. After some research I discovered that, since it's inception in 2000, they had over 14 members. HWTD is a transitional album where the band is slowly fazing out its scremo vocals in favor of a more NWBHM sound.

To the fan that has followed 3ioB from the beginning, the band's appeal consisted of the screaming vocals of Jamie Hopper fused with the falsetto vocal styling of Cam Pipes which trade off with of aggressive NWBHM guitar leads. Since the departure of Jamie Hopper for "medical reasons" the guitar player took over the screaming vocals on live shows and on some songs off the new album. However, you can tell that this is a band in transition.

Musicians need to realize that the make up of a band is a delicate ecology based on the interaction of 3-6 different musicians who are individual spirits. The sound that a the band produces is build on the contribution of each member. I am not solely talking about about writing credits either. Though a band with a sole composer is more likely to go through a line up change with minimal consequences, there will always be a steady lineup that will forever be considered a fan favorite. One example of that is Megadeth. Though they managed to release some good material in the last decade, their 1990-1997 line up will forever be looked upon as the highlight of their career.

Many bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Van Halen had to learn this the had way. When they tried to replace their vocalists with competent replacements, they started to loose old fans wile failing to attract a significant number of new fans. This resulted in lost revenue do to slumming album sales and concert attendance. Thankfully those bands decided to resolve their differences before totally ruining the empire that they have toiled over their entire lives. However many never manage to recover.

The most tragic example of a band who could not get their line up straight must be the story of Angel Witch. This is a band that was right on the forefront of the NWBHM movement. In 1980, they recoded a groundbreaking self titled debut album. However before the album was officially released, their lineup began crumbling. What pursued was an endless revolving door policy totaling 23 members. What I found most amusing about the Angel Witch saga was its short stint in the U.S. The story goes like this: at one point singer Kevin Heybourne, after many failed attempts at stabilizing the band in the U.K, tried transferring the band to America by getting American musicians. The American line up got off to a promising start. However, Kevin Heybourne managed to get deported "back across the pond" for failing to have the right paper work just days before their first gig. This is an interesting story and I encourage all to check out their Wikipedia page for the complete story.

The point is, when a band finds their sound, achieves a moderate level of success, but cannot keep their line up straight, the new members are stuck imitating the former members in order to remain honest to their sound. Or, on the flip side, the new members change the sound so dramatically that the music is no longer resonating with the original fans. The perfect example of that is Tony Iommi and his 80's and early 90's incarnations of "Black Sabbath."

3ioB need to do some major thinking about weather or not to continue under that name. A band is a delicate ecology build on human interaction. And just like we have been learning in school since grade school, the smallest disturbances can have great consequences down the road.

Fog of Leprosy and Spew Gore

On September 17th I had the pleasure of discovering two new thrash metal bands Fog of Leprosy and Spewgore.

I saw them at The Blue Moon, a venue that I have never been to or heard off. It is located just steps away from the Opera House on Queen Street West. I was impressed with the venue since it had a pretty decent stage. The place could easily hold 200 people, however, it is narrow, which only adds to its appeal. The place looks more packed then it really is, which makes you feel like you're part of something bigger. It also has an amazing deal on beer too; $20 gets you bucket with five bottles of beer with most domestic brands to choose from.

Fog of Leprosy opened the show. They are a four piece band hailing from Grimbsby, Ontario. This is a thrash band with one guitar player. They play straight-up riff-driven metal, best compared to Exodus and Annihilator. The singer rasps his voice but not past the point where the lyrics are incomprehensible; also, other members contribute to the vocals mosttly in a question-and-answer and narrative style. Their lyrical theme deals with imagery of goblins, cannibalism, and drunken debauchery, among other things. Part of their image is a smoke machine constantly spewing out "The Fog." They have been recording a new album for some time now, so stay tuned for upcoming news. This is a band worth checking out if you are into straight up, no bullshit, thrash.

Spewgore is a four piece out of Brampton. They also have only one guitar. They play mostly thrash metal, however, from time to time you can pick up elements of hard core. However, that does not make them a metal-core band by any means; they are a thrash band. They looked quite comfortable on stage. The drummer was very tight. The singer had a persona comparable to Henry Rollins. Their songs mostly dealt with violence, however, not in a dark way. More like the type you see in a mosh pit. This was their album release party and they were in top shape. They have a unique sound, this is a band worth checking our. I have a feeling that they might be getting picked up by a label soon.

There were two more bands on the bill Fatality and Redeemer. However, I did not watch their sets so I cant really say anything about them.

What was amazing to see is how metal has grown in Toronto, especially in the last 10 years. In 2000-2002 bands like Inflames and Nevermore were playing shows that size. However, ten years later a few regional bands can put on a hell of a metal show, and draw and decent crowd too.

A Review of Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir

Every one who knows me knows that I love Megadeth! Particularly, I'm fascinated by the life of Dave Mustaine. This is a person that pioneered two of the greatest metal bands: Megadeth and Metallica. This while high on drugs and living a life that earned him the nickname Dangerous Dave. For years me and my friend (a fellow Megadeth fanatic) would comb over each lyric and interview and piece things together in order to understand the genius behind Megadeth. That's why it shouldn't be a surprise that when Dave Mustaine decided to release his autobiography, my friend and I were one of the first people to go down town Toronto and purchase our copies, and meet our hero (for the third time now) at a book signing on July 28,2010. Over the next two days, I read that book cover to cover only occasional placing it down to wipe away a tear or to get lost in a daydream.

In the documentary Metal: A Headbangers Journey, Sam Dunn points out that metal heads are usually outcasts that seek comfort in heavy metal. The people that are isolated and ridiculed by the mainstream, instead of going postal on society, find comfort and empowerment in the aggressive yet uplifting message of Metal. The majority of my friends, including me, were born in other countries. This act alone made us the outsiders in a strange land with foreign customs. Not only that, but your average immigrant family moves disproportionally more then any one else, because they need to build capital starting from scratch. My friends and I had the displeasure of switching schools multiple times and never having a place where we could plant our roots. We are secretly longing for a return of the simpler times. That's is why I was able to identify with Dave Mustaine so much. Even though he was born in America, Mustaine suffered a lot of similar experiences as myself. His parents divorced early in his life which made the family poor. To make matters worse his father would stalk the family forcing them to move in the middle of the night and a moments notice. What added to Dave's isolation was that his mother converted to Jehovah Witness after the divorce. Her conversion isolated Dave even more since he was forced to be excluded from things like birthday parties, Christmas and pledging an allegiance to the flag. It was this isolation and life as an outcast that would be the driving force behind his music.

Dave Mustaine credits his sister's record collection as sparking his love of music. Though his sister was into folk, particularly Cat Stevens, he credits these times for developing his sense of melody. At the age of twelve he got a guitar and taught himself how to play. However, it wasn't until his teenage years that he got serious about music. In high school he discovered pot and heavy metal. He goes into detail about how he would find an escape by getting high and listening to the early metal records of Priests, Maiden, and Motor Head. Soon he would look at music as a way to escape mediocrity, as a way to be cool, and earn respect of his friends and the opposite sex. Through out high school he played in a band called Panic before eventually joining Metallica.

Dave describes his years in Metallica very fondly. For the first time in his life he felt accepted. He found a band of fellow misfits that shared his love of metal. He mentions that he and James Hetfield became close friends. This is not in the book, but I suspect that they had a lot in common since James also came from a broken home and his parents were heavily involved in Christian Science. Musiaine claims that he trusted those guys and considered them to be his first family. In retrospect, he recalls moments when warning bells should have gone off with regards to his eventual dismissal from the band. However, he could not phantom that his new so called family would ever betray him like that. When he was fired from Metallica he was forced to take a four day bus ride from New York to California without any money or food. He describes that period as a tragedy greater than when he watched his father die of a brain aneurysm. This bus ride was also the moment that he swore revenge and to recover better then ever. It was also at that moment that Mustaine decided that he would never abdicate control and power in a band like he did in Metallica

In the book, when talking about Megadeth, Dave mostly focuses on the years between 1984-1992. The years from 1984-1990 were a drug induced craze. His first band mates Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland introduced him to heroin. This addiction would plague his life until the present day. In 1992 he got sober for a significant period. However he would face another demon: the success of his previous band mates, Metallica. What bugged him most was the fact that on their first two albums they used material that he wrote while still in the band. These feelings of jealousy, resentment, and betrayal caused him to relapse and not fully enjoy his success. Reading about those years, you really see how lucky this guy is to be alive. Drugs, alcohol, and a violent temper never go together smoothly.

From 1992-2004 Dave talks about his inability to handle success and his continuous relapses into drugs. In the mid 90's he began to shoot heroin (until that time he only smoked it). Just when you thought he has conquered his demons, something would set him off and he would relapse, causing him to enter another rehab institution and start all over. In 2004 his wife filed to legally separate from him; this was also the year that he became a Christian. He has been free of hard drugs since 2004. He claims that he has found a balance in his life where he occasionally smokes a little weed and drinks a glass of red wine.

About 3\4 of the book deal with his early years until 1992. He goes into a lot of detail about his childhood, Metallica, and early Megadeth. From 1992-present he just barley mentions certain things like the arrival and departure of Marty Friedman, the The World Needs a Hero years, and his falling out with Dave Ellefson. He only briefly mentions any of the albums from Cryptic Writing to United Abomination. Which is too bad since I'm a big fan of his recent material.

Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to any Megadeth fan. I learned some good lessons like don't do heroin, don't abdicate power in a band that you lead, follow your intuition, love God, and don't take no shit from no one. I think it's one of the better books I ever read. When I red the last page I was devastated that it's over and automatically started re-reading my favorite parts. It made me a better Megadeth fan and a better human being. I recommend that everyone reads it. It is written very well and captures the right emotions.

Testament, Megadeth, and Slayer at the Molson Amphitheater

On July 29, 2010 I had the pleasure of watching Testament, Megadeth and Slayer. I was looking forward to this event for a long time. You see, I was originally planing to see that show at the Air Canada Center a few moths before. That show had to be postponed because Tom Araya had to undergo back surgery. What was even worse was that I heard about the cancellation when I walked into the venue and discovered it was closed. These are some of the things that stood out on that night's event:

Testament had Paul Bostaph of drums. They played two songs from what I believe is their best album: The Gathering. They had decent energy, however, I couldn't help thinking that they are past their prime. That band has been through countless line up changes that left a mark on their music.

Megadeth preformed their entire Rust in Peace album from start to finish and then played four more songs. I believe that those tracks were Head Crusher, Trust, A Tou Le Monde and Symphony of destruction. It was a descent set and worth seeing. However, I really hoped that they would play more new material. I really love all the work that they did from The System has Failed on ward. Hopefully they are planing to come back and play a smaller venue as a headliner and play something for their die hard fans. It was nice to see Dave Ellefson back in the band. Even though that new bassist was infinitely better, it's just not Megadeth without "Junior." The new guitarist, Chris Broderic, was awesome. He played every Marty Freedman solo note for note and with a lot of soul. I cant wait to see what his line up will do next.

Slayed played mostly songs from their Seasons in the Abyss album. They opened the show by playing two new songs: World Painted Blood and Hate World Wide. Then they played almost the entire Seasons in the Abyss album. The closed the night by playing Reign in Blood and Angel of Death. They did not bother going back stage and being encored. They just thrashed out from start to finish without talking too much. They wanted to give the fans as much music as possible.

The atmosphere of the show was pretty cool. Slayer fans are a colorful bunch of people. I particularly enjoyed chanting "Slayer Slayer" in the washroom after the show. However two things I was not fond off. I had a ticked in the 400's section which cost me $75 plus tax. I bumped into a friend who got the same ticked for $10. I could not understand that. Are they punishing people for wanting to support a band and get their tickets when they go on sale? If anything, tickets should increase in price as the concert draws near.

The other thing that pissed me off was seeing how many people purchased pirated band t-shirt after the show. I think that that is just discussing: you are literately steeling from the band you love. I can understand downloading music, since if you buy a CD for $20, less then a $1 will make it into the bands pocket. But buying merchandise at a concerts is the best way that you can support your artist since most of that money will go to the band. So if you love a band and have downloaded all their music for free, go see them live and buy a t-shirt. Don't be an asshole!

Fighting Back Against Security Scum

Every concert goer at one point had to deal with an asshole security guard. I'm sure you know the type: smug and arrogant assholes who one day dream of going into the police academy. However, until that day comes, they will exercise their complete authority (following the rules to the last detail) that was granted to them by the employer.

The average concert goer is completely powerless against such pricks, as with the push of a button, they can have you ejected off the premises absolutely at their discretion. One power hungry asshole has the power to ruin the experience for countless of concert goers. And, for the most part, we are helpless against them. If you punch them out, you will go to jail. If you file a complaint, it will get lost in the bureaucracy.

So what can be done about this? Is there any way that people can fight back against this within the law? The answer is NO. The reason for this is that most of the time the security guard has a legitimate reason to be engaged with you. The concert goer might be drunk or smoking weed which off the bat puts the concert goer at a disadvantage. However, drinking alcohol or smoking cannabis is just standard behavior at a Heavy Metal concert. If you don't want to be around that then go to a John Mayer show. However, recently I heard a story that gave me hope.

A good friend of mine recently shared an amazing tale of heroism that inspired me. While attending a big out-door metal concert my friend decided to smoke a small joint at the back of the venue hiding among the rest of the smokers. He was not even able to take a good toke before this smug security guard approached him. With a polite smile on his face, my friend apologized and extinguished the joint. However that was not enough for that asshole. He demanded that my friend drop the joint on the floor and rubbed the joint into the pavement with his military boots unil the weed was un-salvageable. Then with a phony, patronizing smile on his face he said "don't let me catch you smoking weed again, next time I will eject you." Instead of doing nothing, my friend decided to fight back. He took an empty plastic beer glass and went to the bathroom with it. There he filled it with urine. He stood with the cup for about 20 min so the piss cools down. Then when the lights went down and the main act was about to go onstage, in the commotion he pretended to trip and spilled the urine right on the security guard. He then quickly apologized and went back to his seat. I believe that my fiend is a hero! Imagine the countless concert goers who had their time ruined because of that pretentious asshole. This was Karma doing its thing.

Now to be fair, not everyone who works security is an asshole. A lot of them are decent human beings who are just trying to earn an honest living. This blog post is in no way encouraging any one to make their lives miserable. In a civilized society, there have to be people who have legitimate authority over you. However there is a difference between keeping the peace and getting high on power while earning minimum wage. If that security guard would of made my friend extinguish the joint and issue a warning, he would be just doing his job. There would be nothing wrong with that. However, he made my friend drop the joint and then destroyed it. This was totally unnecessary and he got justice. It is time that people start standing up for them selves. The written law cannot cover every single incident and too many times the bad guys are on the side of the law.

Gandhi said that " an eye for an eye makes the world go blind," and Jesus encouraged us to "turn the other cheek." That is why this kind of retaliation must be exercised with the most caution. This society would dissolve into chaos if every time a police officer would issue a ticket, a cop car would get torched. However, there is a difference between enforcing the peace and being a dush-bag with a uniform. I believe that when you see people abusing their power, it is your duty to fight back in anyway you can, whether it is against a security guard, an abusive supervisor, or a neighbor. Sometimes God can use you as his hammer. No one would call the young people at Tienanmen square who stood up for their rights criminals. I know I am not alone in this type of thinking. You just need to see the following quotes by these famous patriots:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
-Edmund Burke-

Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who don't
-Thomas Jefferson-

Manowar: Well Versed In Classics

Sadly, even in the 21st century, fans of Metal still have to face stereotypes that they are less intelligent because of the music that they choose to listen to. Whats more sad is the fact that the same people who choose to ridicule will go and rock out to crap bands like Nickle Back or Sloane. Every true metal fan knows that Metal is a fine art. One needs to have a basic idea of scales, harmony and progressions to write a good tune. A good metal album should have enough riffs to fill ten commercial records. One only has to see Dream Theater to be convinced. However, still the stigma lingers on.

However, I believe that the world is slowly waking up. Recently, the CBC reported a story where they compared peoples personalities to the music they listened to. Through serendipity they discovered that people who listen to metal have similar character traits as fans of classical music. The reporters reported on this with great amazement. However, the findings of that study did not surprise me at all, since, I became a fan of classical music through Metal. In his documentary Metal a Headbangers Journey, when disusing the origins of Heavy Metal, Sam Dunn credits Wagner as the first Metal composer for "bringing out the bottom end of the orchestra."

I believe that Metal can make people smarter since its content usually focuses on literary works, mythology, social justice and obscure schools of philosophy. Literary works such as The Lord of the Ring, Hobbit, and even the Bible are a common theme in Metal; and I bet a lot of people significantly expanded their knowledge by listening to the lyrics. I can speak for myself, recently I discovered a band called Skyforger. The theme of their music primarily focus on pagan traditions and believes of the Balts. This inspired me to get interested in my own heritage and research Slavic paganism and folklore. Metal made me want to learn!

There is hope! while reading up on Manowar in Wikipedia, I found a little review of their epic opus Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts. For those unfamiliar with the song, it is an eight part, 30 minute opus that opens up the legendary album The Triumph of Steele (1992). The track is based on Homers Iliad. The track recently attracted the attention of a group of scholars at Bologna University in Italy. Mrs. Eleonora Cavallini, Professor in Classics, has written about this song:


"Joey DeMaio’s lyrics imply a careful and scrupulous reading of the Iliad. The songwriter has focused his attention essentially on the crucial fight between Hector and Achilles, has paraphrased some passages of the poem adapting them to the melodic structure with a certain fluency and partly reinterpreting them, but never altering or upsetting Homer’s storyline. The purpose of the lyrics (and of the music as well) is to evoke some characteristic Homeric sceneries: the raging storm of the battle, the barbaric, ferocious exultance of the winner, the grief and anguish of the warrior who feels death impending over him. The whole action hinges upon Hector and Achilles, who are represented as specular characters, divided by an irreducible hatred and yet destined to share a similar destiny. Both are caught in the moment of the greatest exaltation, as they savagely rejoice for the blood of their killed enemies, but also in the one of the extreme pain, when the daemon of war finally pounces on them. Furthermore, differently than in the irreverent and iconoclastic movie Troy, in "Achilles, Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts", the divine is a constant and ineluctable presence, determining human destinies with inscrutable and steely will, and, despite the generic reference to 'the gods', the real master of human lives is Zeus, the only God to whom both Hector and Achilles address their prayers"[1]

I'm glad that the academic world is slowly waking up. And who knows maybe one day this song will inspire me to give Greek Classics a try and learn more about it.

The Metal Scene Loses A Gigant: Peter Steele Dead At 48

On April 14, 2010, Peter Steel (real name Petrus T. Ratajczyk) died due to heart failure. He will be most remembered as the front man of the Gothic Metal legends Type O Negative. However, before that, he fronted a successful thrash Metal band in the early eighties called Carnivore.

The first time I ever heard Type-O was live at the Warehouse during their October Rust tour. I did not know what to expect. All I knew is that they were a Metal band with a lead singer who has a voice deeper then the Crash Test Dummies. That was also the night I got introduced to Life of Agony, since they were the opening act. When Type-O hit the stage, I was confused. I could not understand why they are playing so slow. I never heard that kind of music, and what didn't help was Steel's dry sense of humor. He kept apologizing, saying that "he has a soar throat". To be honest, I came that night to see a Metal show, instead, I didn't know what I was witnessing.

Despite having mixed feelings about the evening, the next day I went and picked up a copy of October Rust and Life of Agony's Ugly. A few months later, someone left a copy of Bloody Kisses in my car. Ever since that year (I believe it might have been 1997) their music has played a significant part in my life.

Peter Steel provided every Metal head a CD that they can put on in order to create a romantic mood. Lets face it, I'm sure that every Metal head would love the idea of scoring wile blasting Slayer, but girls just aren't into that. However, pop-in any album from Bloody Kisses to Dead Again, and you have the perfect music for getting-it-on.

On the other side of the spectrum, while single, many times I took comfort in Typo-O's music. It was confronting to know that there is someone out there, who is infinitely better looking that me, having the same wows in the romance department.

I still never got a copy of Life is Killing Me, and I just recently discovered Carnivore, so I still have a lot of music to discover. Yet, it's just awful that we will never hear any new material. Peter Steel had a truly distinct style that contributed greatly to the development of the Metal genre. He will be greatly missed.

Peter Steel
January 4, 1962 – April 14, 2010
R.I.P

2nd Annual Metal Fest at D.C Music Featuring: Polarity, CayM, Assassinate the Following, and Quietus

On April 3, 2010 I had the pleasure of attending the 2nd annual Metal feast hosted by D.C Music. For those unfamiliar with the venue, D.C Music is a rehearsal studio and concert theater, just steps away from Kipling station. They specialize in anything related to bands, from merchandising to concert promotion. That night, I caught the sets of four bands: Polarity, Assassinate the Following, CayM, and Quietus.

Hailing from Mississauga, Polarity is a quintet fronted by a female singer. Their sound varies from from heavy Tool-like riffs and rhythms to more Edge 102 friendly songs. Their singer has really good energy on stage. Her vocals could be described as a cross between Alanis Morissette and Maynard from Tool. To be fair, I only caught the latter part of their set so I wont say too much. I got the impression that they are a young band that is still trying to mold their sound. They show a lot of promise. If they stay true to them selves and stick with it, I'm sure they will be a force to be reckoned with.

Next, hailing from Windsor, was Assassinate the Following. The first thing that caught my attention was the bass player's sick bass that was in the shape of a sci-fi battle axe. Their set begun with a sample of carnival music before ripping into a fury of double kicks and sweeping arpeggios. Their sound has a little bit of everything. Each of their songs consist of multiple riffs ranging from old school trash riffs, groove oriented hooks, clean choruses, with the occasional blast beat. Each member is quite technicaly proficient at his instrument and the band was tight as a whole. The vocals (ranging from growls to clean) were really low for the first two songs, however, this was rectified by the end. If aggressive music with a progressive edge is your thing, then this band is definitely worth checking out.

Next was CayM, a quintet from Mississauga. These guys have really excellent energy on stage while not missing a beat musically. Their singer sometimes resembled a younger Phil Anselmo only with higher vocals, wearing a white wife beater and a red baseball cap. Their set started of with a sample of bluesy music, before ripping into a thrash riff with a wall of double kicks behind it. The drummer of this band really impressed me. What was more impressive is that later we found out that he just came back from having three hernia operations. Bravo! Their sound is a mixture of old school Testament riffs and new school grove-oriented hooks with really aggressive vocals. Once in a while the two lead guitarists (both playing Jacksons) would rip into a solo. Occasionally they would do some duel guitar action, witch (being the Maiden head that I am) I enjoyed very much. Like I said earlier, they had excellent energy which was contagious. At the end of their set, they left me wanting more.

The last band of the night was Quietus. This is a band with three lead guitarists and a keyboardist. They brought a change of atmosphere to the evening. Their songs are all epic, over 6 minutes long, and very rich harmonically. Their sound is a mixture of folky Opeth parts, Fusion breakdowns, jazzy interludes, Norwegian riffs, and guitar counterpoint. All the musicians knew their way around their instrument. The problem was that, with such a multi-layered sound, it took the sound man three songs to figure these guys out. The thing is that (with their songs being so long) their 30 minute set consisted of four songs. These guys need to make sure that they give who ever is working the sound board a "heads up" before they play. You could tell that the band was still getting use to each other, however, I'm sure this will change when they play more shows together and gain some confidence. It was also refreshing to see a female drummer know her way around a double kick. Overall, this is definitely a band that's worth checking out.

In the end, the evening was a success, ending at about 1am. I definitely got my money's worth ($10). I hope that this event will be held next year.

We Need a Metal Hall of Fame and Toronto is the Place for it

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland Ohio. It is a modern building with "new age" architecture designed to be a shrine paying tribute to the musicians who pioneered and advanced modern music. One of the exhibits at TR&RH is a video montage that pays tribute to all the inductees. It was while watching this half hour montage that I made a couple of observations. The first one was that if you are part of a movement at the beginning stages, eventually you will be labeled a pioneer and idolized. There were many inductees who were there only because they were semi popular in the fifties. The second observation was that a lot of the inductees should not be in there because they never played rock. Artists such as Nina Horn, Hank Williams, and Parliament were never in the rock and roll category (not to mention the Bee-gees and Run DMC who were the antithesis of R&R). And finally, out of the hundred or so inductees, there were only two true metal bands: the Legendary Black Sabbath and Metallica. That is when I had my epiphany: There needs to be a Metal Hall of Fame and Toronto is the city to have it in.

The case for a Metal Hall of Fame is simple: The criteria on the induction to the R&RHF is based on album sales and commercial success. Since Metal has always been music of the underground, it cannot compete with music made for the commercial masses. It would be like denying the genus of Classical music because the new Pussy Cat Dolls CD sold more copies in the same year then all the CD's from the Romantic Period world wide. Most of the musicians who pioneered Metal music were considered successes if their album reached sales of 40,000. For example Megadeth's 2004 release "The system has failed" sold 171,000 copies world wide and all the Cannibal Corpse albums combine barley cracked the sales of One Million. Metal is (and should be) judged on it's inventiveness and contribution to the genre. For example, everyone credits a band like My Dying Bride as pioneering Doom Metal, yet, by commercial standards they would be ignored because of their poor album sales. If Canadian Metal heads don't band together,legendary bands like Death (the first death metal band), Morbid Angel (the first Death Metal band signed to a major label), Celtic Frost (who is cited as inspiring every relevant metal band), Cannibal Corpse (Number one selling death Metal band of all time), Burzum (popularizing open strumming that would be imitated by almost every Black Metal band), and Anvil (Toronto legends and thrash pioneers) will never receive a monument that will immortalize their achievements for all eternity. A Metal Hall of Fame would create a Metal shrine where legions of faithful metal warriors would be able to pay tribute to their legends and heroes who are still frighting, and those who have passed on to Valhalla.

The case for having it in Toronto is simple: the city spends its money on much dumber things. We have actually dug subway tunnels only to latter fill them. The cost of that could not only build a state of the art Metal Hall of Fame, but also wipe out the debt of an African country. A few months ago, out-going mayor David Miller announced that, after looking at the paper work more closely, the city is not broke but has a surplus of a hundred million dollars. Is $500,000 to make history asking too much? Also, Toronto is the largest city and has the most metal heads. This Metal Hall of Fame would be the first in the world and would boost tourism. Every true Metal fan would want to make a pilgrimage at least once in their life to the Mecca of Metal and pay their respect to the gods of Metal, who gave them strength in their darkest hour. On top of that, it would inspire the Toronto metal head kids, knowing that one day they too can share the stage with Manowar, Maiden, and Priest for all eternity. Canada has had the pleasure of producing some legendary bands like Anvil, Cryptopsy, and Annihilator. We also have a lot of young bands with a lot of promise like Deterrence, Cauldron, Ash Lee Blade, Terror Horse, and Striker. However, we can do better, and being the first country with a Metal Hall of Fame would solidify Canada as a heavy metal contender like Norway , Germany, and Sweden.