Wolves in the Throne Room, Nommo Ogo, Neck of the Woods at The Venue – July 13th 2014

The Venue – July 13, 2014

Wolves in the Throne Room (WITTR), a Washington black metal duo, released Celestite, an experimental synthesizer album on July 8th and followed with a North American tour. Nommo Ogo, a California psychedelic electronic band and Vancouver’s own Neck of the Woods (NOTW) were also on the bill.

NOTW is a band that showcases many different styles of metal and it is obvious why the were Wacken Metal Battle Canada finalists. Progressive bass rhythms accompanied the double kick and wailing guitar while Jeff Radomsky, a hardcore vocalist, spent most of his time pacing around the audience screaming. “Two Smokes” ended the five-song set and was set ablaze by two guitars and slowly grooved into a fast melodic double kick crusher.

Nommo Ogo walked on stage hidden behind beekeeping hats and their electronic equipment. They created an ambient experience full of crashing high pitch noises among low deep rhythms. Their most recent album, The Sea of Night is aptly named as this music seems to be best suited for staring off into the abyss.

WITTR did not play any songs off their newest album and instead stuck to their black metal. Distortion rang out and it was loud as they played their first song, “Thuja Magus Imperium.” The only light came from lit candles as the stage was dark. The band did not say a word to the audience for the almost hour-and-half set, except for the screeching growls of the singer. Heads were drooped for the popular “Vastness and Sorrow” and Venue filled with atmospheric black metal that Wolves in the Throne Room innately create.

By Serena Navarro

Thanks to The Skinny Magazine for publishing this review and thanks also to Beatroute for providing the opportunity to review the show.

Ogroem: Shit-stained goregrind

CALGARY — Ogroem would like to inform you “no one is safe.” Stop reading this article and continue down the secure and unfettered path if you don’t want to get literally shit on, because this Vancouver band is venturing across Western Canada on the ‘Getting Shitty in Every City’ tour.

“We like playing both genres of music [grind and death metal] and have some material that is straight death metal, some straight grind and others bastardized into multi-genre masterpieces,” explains the band of their musical inclinations.

Ogroem currently consists of Earl Clackston on vocals, Kretin McGormick on guitar and John Grindall on drums. Their former bassist, Taylor Lipton, was present for five months but he evidently “died from tea bagging… and the word on the street is they reanimated his corpse and he plays guitar in some band in town called Abriosis.” As such, they looking for the right candidate to eventually replace this zombified ex-bandmate, but “we can hold our own as a power trio.”

After being born in late 2012, the band’s debut EP PLACENTE.P. was released in October 2013. Alongside conjuring the usual suspects of Dying Fetus, Pig Destroyer and Napalm Death, the recording features sound bites that will most likely make you laugh, question life or maybe both. Similar to Crackwhore, a seriously controversial Vancouver goregrind band whom Clackston is filling in on vocals for (to which Vancouverites responded to so vehemently that it resulted in the cancellation of the Grindcore Pizza Party festival after the band was announced), this is music that pushes the boundaries of taste while bashing your skull in. Expect as much on the follow-up to their debut. Initial tracking is complete and they are just waiting to hear the mixes.

“We are searching for label support and hoping to have the full-length out this fall,” they elaborate.

For now, the focus is on the tour. Ogroem explain they “are all about playing punishing deathgrind, delivered with a live show that will melt your minds and hearts.” Although a “tour is a perpetual anxiety-filled adventure,” they aren’t complaining.

After all, it’s all about the wild parties, going insane from sleep deprivation and “making at least one person hate us everywhere we go.”

By Serena Navarro

See Ogroem with Kataplexis on September 4th at Broken City and on September 5th at the Blarney Stone in Red Deer. 

Thanks to Beatroute for publishing this article.

Ogroem ruined Christmas special.

Powerchord Podcast-June 14th 2014

Powerchord Radio is rocking and silly as hell with Erik, Coleman and I!

Podcast

Playlist:

Kylesa – Insomnia for Months – Static Tensions
Mortillery – Despised in Blood – Origin of Extinction
Iron Storm – Take the Wheel – Wraithwind
Dark Forest – Winds and Waves – Aurora Borealis
Bloated Pig – Age of Slavery – Ways to an Early Grave
Bison BC – Finally Asleep – Lovelessness
Gatekrashor – Sign of the Gatekrashor – Gatekrashor
Ritual Dictates – Track 2 – demo 2
Fuck the Facts – Vent du Nord – Amer
Sepultura – Beneath The Remains – Beneath The Remains
Eyehategod – Medicine Noose – Eyehategod
Gruesome – Savage Land – demo
Skull Vultures – Reclaim – Skull Vultures
Kvelertak – Sultans of Satan – Kvelertak
Bongripper – Satan – Satan Worshipping Doom
Tombs – Thanatos – Savage Gold
Pallbearer – Gloomy Sunday – 2010 demo
Kyuss – Green Machine – Blues for the Red Sun
Immortal – Norden on Fire – All Shall Fall

Hosting Powerchord Radio for the first time – June 7th 2014 Podcast

I hosted Powerchord Radio for the first time (with help from my friend and fellow co-host, Coleman) on June 7th 2014 and I haven’t looked back since. It has been one hell of a ride. To pay tribute to the history of Heavy Metal I played Pentagram, Venom and Judas Priest as my first three tracks!

Podcast

Playlist:

Pentagram – Sinister – Relentless

Venom – Countess Bathory – Black Metal

Judas Priest – Painkiller – Painkiller

Exit Strategy – Overzealot – The Atrocity Machine

Mitochondrion – Plague Evockation – Parasignosis

Nylithia – Infector – Infector

Gorguts – Le Toit du Monde – Coloured Sands

Crowbar – Ageless Decay – Symmetry in Black

Eyehategod – Robitussin and Rejection – Eyehategod

Iron Maiden – Flight of the Icarus – Piece of Mind

Meshuggah – The Demons Name is Surveillance – Koloss

Pig Destroyer – The Diplomat – Book Burner

Electric Wiazrd – Funeralopolis – Dopethrone

Abnormality – Contaminating the Hive Mind – Contaminating the Hive Mind

The Devin Townsend Project – Kingdom – Epicloud

3 Inches of Blood – Leather Lord – Long Live Heavy Metal

Grand Magus – Self Deceiver – Iron Will

Asphyx –Vault of the Vailing Souls – Embrace the Death

Autopsy – Parasitic Eye – Tourniquets, Hacksaws and Graves

Mastodon – Shadows That Move – Call of the Mastodon

Metallica – Battery – Master of Puppets

Powerchord Radio on CITR in Vancouver B.C. Canada

Powerchord Radio has been on air for almost 30 years now! Thanks to Ron for keeping Heavy Metal alive on CITR.

 

 

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Being a host at Powerchord Radio for almost a year now has been one of the most awesome experiences of my life. Not only do a listen to amazing heavy metal bands but I get to search out awesome bands from all over the world and more importantly, here in Canada! I love supporting the small local artists that do what they do because they love it.

I will be posting many Powerchord podcasts here at HEAVYMETALHELPS!

The Facebook link is where you can find all the updated information on Powerchord radio and all the bands we spin on air!