Canada…
Honestly I haven’t been completely on top of the Canadian music scene as much as I should’ve been this year. I was far more busy by the tail end and just couldn’t catch up. Still I caught some very enjoyable releases swirling around our great white north throughout the year.
In general the black and death metal scene here (especially underground) is churning out some interesting releases on all areas of the spectrum, heavy hitters split between coasts with the interior even bringing a few offerings. Skagos whispered their progress and Revenge howled for the first time within their homeland. The second Messe des Morts took place and Thantifaxath alongside Sortilegia and Sylvus unleashed new material on the stage there. Cryptopsy gained some credibility with the return of Levasseur and a new record.
The hardcore and sludge scenes were alive as well, especially in Toronto where Mare was resurrected for several reunion shows; a dream come true. The Not Dead Yet festival tore downtown up for a few days with legends and rising Canadian locals (including Column of Heaven), Sound Asleep rose and demolished a select few venues, Titan and Vilipend unleashed their debut records (as did Burning Love) in the wake of some big tours. Godspeed You! Black Emperor surprised everyone with a new record — one that included some long-improvised-live material. At least this was a little of what I experienced this year. I’m sure I overlooked some important things.
I think overall last year was stronger. 2012 had some nice shit though especially in death metal (as usual), and the following six releases are at the top. Apologies for the lack of diversity.
Number Six: Paroxsihzem – Paroxsihzem
Death Metal — Dark Descent Records
Definitely an underrated and largely unnoticed record from the Toronto underground, and doing the country proud regardless. It’s quite surprising because for a relatively unknown band Paroxsihzem sound and write like a more veteran group, slaloming between the recent wave of blackened occult death metal and the aggressive style of Dragged Into Sunlight without the doom-ish undertones. This is one I really wanted to include in the top six death list.
The experience throughout this record is fast paced, relentless, dark, aggressive and very loud. From the infinite barrage of percussion and cavernous roars, to the tight bass and quick jagged riffs there are few moments that allow a breath in this vicious stomping. An undeniable old school flavor blended well with the ugly mutations of today.
Favorites are “Vanya”, “Tsirhcitna Eht”, and “Deindividuation” but everything laid down here is strong. “Tsirhcitna Eht” particularly, the flow of that track with the strong main riffs for the first half of the track are really fuckin evil, leading to a switch over in the second half with some even uglier tremolos. I had this one on repeat quite a bit over the past month.
This is a tremendous death metal boulder demonstrating the constant stream of tasty underground filth from Canada. Paroxsihzem are definitely a band to watch amongst the horde and deserving of a spot up here. A full review is forthcoming.
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Number Five: Titan – Burn
Sludge/Hardcore — Hypaethral Records
I’ve seen Titan quite a few times this year and every show was awesome. Their fusion of hardcore and sludge injected with noise and melody plays out well on a stage, loud and heavy. Burn shows a hardworking Canadian sludge group refine themselves and produce a heavy and rich record with multiple contributions from Toronto musicians, and loads of replay value. It can’t be argued that this demands to be played regularly at an obscene volume.
If you want a full rundown of Burn and it’s appeal you can read my full review over here. What I’ll say here is that Titan hit a sweet spot with their style, and that effect has been strengthened with their growth on this LP without needing to fall into the recent “blackened” trend.
The addition of various local drone and doom/sludge artists such as Tyler Semrick-Palmater of Mare and Bryan Bray of Gates/Cetacea in “Telepaths” (one of my favorites), or Chris Colohan of Cursed/Burning Love on “Myopic” adds some extra creativity and intensity in their respective areas. No weak cracks, and in fact “Telepaths” is a nice example of flexibility and cohesion —far different from rampaging monsters like “Feast” or “Warmer Months” — and shows a glimpse of Titan’s future potential.
Monstrous vocals and chugging, blazing riffs. Heavy with a tinge of melody and chaos. Burn is a pillar of sludgey Canadian hardcore that scorches headphones and stages.
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Number Four: Skagos – Anarchic
Atmospheric Black Metal — Self-released / Eternal Warfare
Alright, technically this long awaited album is not completely released yet (only about half the tracks are up for streaming) but I’m putting it in this list anyway. The raw passion, variation and atmosphere that Skagos are building on Anarchic, their second LP, simply demands to be recognized on a list of Canadian records this year.
From the lush mountainous forests of British Columbia the recluse two piece black metal outfit Skagos have begun to pull back the drapes on their follow up to Ast, one of the most powerful albums in the “cascadian” or atmospheric black metal genre. By the year’s end two-thirds of Anarchic has been revealed with a final side C being withheld, and what they’ve given us is simultaneously a little divisive and deeply rewarding, layered.
The two 18:00 + tracks take far different approaches but succeed in my opinion, and these branching styles make me interested in what the last segment of the record will sound and feel like. The dynamic and rich swelling black metal blended with folky/tribal ambiance, leading into an ethereal vocal journey in the next track — it’s a little challenging, without a doubt one of those growers or “love or hate” records. I say it’s a soulful effort from a very underrated Canadian band and deserves a mention here.
Canada’s west coast is a perfect environment to conjure such earthly, atavistic rituals and Skagos are a sleeping giant of the genre drawing absurd amounts of energy from that very landscape; channeling it into some interesting sounds. Anarchic so far is shaping up to be a masterpiece and will certainly show up in more than a few 2013 year end lists. Go give this a listen now.
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Number Three: Revenge – Scum.Collapse.Eradication
Black/Death Metal — Nuclear War Now! Productions
Revenge represent one side of Canada’s contribution to the black and death metal hordes and indeed one of the best of the year in the genre and for Canada. They keep the traditional bloodline of the genre alive and bring the sheer intensity to unheard of levels, so coarse and bitter with each release and Scum.Collapse.Eradication is their most violent to date. In fact I saw them play their native land this year for the first time ever and they are even more intense live than on record if you can handle that.
What do you want me to say? The brutal simplicity and noisy, darkened cacaphony speaks all on its own — further cementing James Read and Vermin in the form of Revenge as a top tier conjurers of beastly war hymns.
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Number Two: White Lung – Sorry
Punk/Hardcore/Noise Rock — Deranged Records
I’m surprised by how awesome this is, and by how much I’ve been enjoying it. And I was real late too. West Coast majority-female punk/hardcore group White Lung offers up some aggressive shit on Sorry, fast, bouncy Canadian punk that is quite magnetic.
Now I haven’t heard their previous material but this record feels old school and poppy, yet a bit off kilter like Daughters. The energy and attitude embraces both the Touche Amore and Punch or Glasses areas of the genre, using harmonics and high notes in flurries to create some fantastic rhythms.
While not necessarily diverse what’s accomplished in such a short time is finely tuned and pleasing. Mish’s vocals really bring this back to an old school vibe, layered in echo and blends well with the twinkling hardcore riffs to balance and enhance the aggressive sound.
There’s nothing but bright and memorable moments on Sorry, it rolls by so smoothly. At just under twenty minutes this is the perfect burst of vigorous hardcore. It’s definitely one of my favorites this year. Standouts on this are “Bag”, St. Dad”, “Bunny”, “Those Girls”. “Bunny” is ridiculously catchy, it got stuck in my head quickly as did “Bag”. In fact each song is equally addictive.
This is certainly a sleeper hit from the West Coast of Canada, showing off some quality punk and breaking up the stream of our vicious death and black metal.
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Number One: Antediluvian / Adversarial – Initiated In Impiety As Mysteries
Black/Death Metal — Nuclear War Now! Productions
And here we have another side of Canada’s creativity in the endless sprawl of death metal. An entity that is split between Ontario and Alberta, spreading a unique brand of ancient pestilence through two different vessels: Antediluvian and Adversarial. I can’t give enough praise to these two hard working bands, their efforts are consistently intense and dynamic and this split represents top notch quality in a style of death metal Canada is keeping a tight grip on.
I’ve already explained my reasoning behind heaping compliments on this release in my review and my 2012 top six death metal article, so if you really need a more in-depth appraisal read those. It’s suffocating and impressive to say the least. This record is another example as to why Canada is known for crushing skulls and twisting the landscape in the death metal arena.
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