Cryptopsy Live @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton - Dec 8, 2013

   Last night the Heavy Metal Sasquatch had the honour of witnessing the metal gods of Cryptopsy destroy Hamilton's Club Absinthe as part of their Quebec & Ontario based tour dubbed "The December Massacre"! And they weren't lying, with all bands of the night performing absolutely ruthless crushing sets. Adding to the carnage was Cryptopsy, who played a lengthy brutal and technical set, featuring many songs off the "None So Vile" album as well as some killer songs off their new completely independent self-titled release. Here are some pictures I took through out the night. Cheers to all the crazies I clashed with in the pit! \m/
Support Cryptopsy and buy their music @ http://cryptopsy.ca

- Cheers to Myriarchy, Unscathed, Ending Tyranny, Last Scattering, Cryptopsy for one of the most memorial shows of my life! 

- Heavy Metal Sasquatch out \m/

UNSCATHED IS COMING!

THEY ARE COMING!

WE ARE UNSCATHED!

Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, Testament, & Huntress @ Sound Academy, Toronto - Oct 23, 2013.

     The Heavy Metal Sasquatch is still recovering from the mass chaos that ensued last night at the Sound Academy in Toronto! Regardless of a few minor technical difficulties, all four bands killed their sets with high energy intense metal fury. This concert will be remembered for a long time, having one of the best mosh pits i've been in for years, seeing the thrash gods of Testament, the return of Jesse Leach to Killswitch, a crazy guy on acid in the rafters, the Wall of Death during Black Label, as well as all around good times had by all. Kudos to everyone who clashed with me in the pit, I have a feeling you feel a bit worse than I do today! As well as a huge cheers to all the bands; especially Lamb of God who absolutely destroyed the place last night! Check out some pictures from the night below. 

Huntress

Testament

Killswitch Engage

Lamb of God

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out \m/

New Metal Review: Robot Shark Attack - Oxygenisis

    Something big has been lurking in the Great Lakes surrounding Ontario; brace yourselves for the arrival of Robot Shark Attack. October 8th marked the release of  Robot Shark Attack's first project, Oxygenesis, featuring 8 tracks full of completely instrumental and original heavy riffs mixed with passionate mind-altering ambiances of epic proportions. Drawing from influences such as Cloudkicker, SGX and August Burns Red, Oxygenesis is a post-metal masterpiece combining a backbone of heavy metal with a variety of well thought out electronic synthetics. The result is a completely wicked and unique musical entity, closely resembling a bestial mechanical sea creature. While listening to the album, the Heavy Metal Sasquatch was transported to another dimension, relaxing my body and soul without ever straying me to far from the liquid metal that runs hot through my veins. Robot Shark Attack can without a doubt call Oxygenesis a success with songs like "Kevin Bacon Strips", "Awesome Sauce" and "Crouching Tiger Shrimp, Hidden Dragon Fruit" providing absolutely bad-ass instrumental riffs with electronic mastery while at the same time presenting mind blowing depth. You can give Oxygenesis a listen and a download below, or from robotsharkattack.bandcamp.com. Also make sure to like them on facebook @
www.facebook.com/pages/Robot-Shark-Attack/157524101067198.



-Robot Shark Attack is simply amazing. Easy on the ears and the soul, and is definitely worth your time. So buckle up, sit back, relax, spark it up and enjoy the ride that is Oxygenesis \m/
- My Verdict
\m/\m/\m/\m/ out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
4/5 - Mechanical Shark Mastery

Six metal bands from around the world you should be listening to!

    One of the things I love most about the metal genre is its ability to transcend nationality and cultural borders with amazing success. Historically, the majority of heavy metal bands are pumped out of Europe and North America; but it is important to remember the vast stock of talent that exists outside the mainstream. No matter what country a metal band originates from, the end product always results in bone crushing, face melting, riot inducing, raw power. In my pursuit of all things heavy, I have recently decided to search out some new metal bands from around the world to see what I have been missing; and damn I have missed a lot. While I have discovered dozens of new wicked bands, I want to give an honourable mention to 6 of the best bands I discovered as they are absolutely insane and deserve your immediate attention.

1. Kraptor - Pure old school Thrash Metal from San Cristobal, Venezuela!

Support them at facebook.com/kraptorofficial

2. Scarab - Brutal Death Metal from the streets of Cairo, Egypt!

Support them at facebook.com/Scarabegypt

3. Reptilian Death -  Killer Technical Death Metal from the depths of Mumbai, India!

Support them at https://reptiliandeath.bandcamp.com/ 

4. Myrath - Melodic Power Metal right from the deserts of Tunis, Tunisia!

Support them at facebook.com/myrathband

5. Suffocated -  Heavy as hell Death Thrash from Beijing, China.

Support them at https://www.facebook.com/chinasuffocated

6. Crackdust -  Dark sludgy Death metal from Gaborone, Botswana!

Support them at facebook.com/pages/Crackdust/6752099315

-I hope this post helps you expand your metal collection to outside the country of which you call home, leave a comment with some more wicked international bands you know of!

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out! \m/

The Beards of Metal \m/

   For some reason, may it be its raw power and authority or its curious sexual appeal, the beard is a prominent facial feature throughout the metal industry. While they vary drastically in shape, size, and colour, every self respecting metalhead has had or tried to grow an epic metal beard at one point or another. Yet, there is more to these beards than meet the eye; for they draw upon the forces of hell and fury to empower the artists to create metal of extreme proportions. The following is homage to some of the best beards I've seen in my local as well as global metal community. Feel free to leave links to your own beards to add to #TheBeardsOfMetal. Cheers to all my bearded metal brothers! Enjoy! \m/

 Tom Araya - Slayer

Kirk Windstein - Crowbar / Down

Scott Ian - Anthrax

John Petrucci - Dream Theater

Chris Adler - Lamb of God, Protest the Hero, Megadeth

Craig Laro - American Hell (ok not a beard I know, but look at this god damn moustache!)

Johan Hegg - Amon Amarth


"Dimebag" Darrell Abbott - Pantera

Brent Hinds - Mastadon

Mark Morton - Lamb of God

Zakk Wylde - Black Label Society

Chris Kael - Five Finger Death Punch

Sean Zatorsky - Chimaira

Rob Zombie - White Zombie

Kerry King - Slayer

 Paul Di'Anno - Iron Maiden, Battlezone, Gogmagog

Wayne Static - Static X

Joey Glacken - Wretchedpain

Andy Thomas - Black Crown Initiate

The Heavy Metal Sasquatch & Eddie Hermida - All Shall Perish / Suicide Silence

"Big"James Arsenian & Ryan Miller - ENDAST

Derek Nelson & Nick Pauli - Unscathed

 - This list is no where near complete, however feel free to leave comments for who I missed or for pics of your own insane metal beards. I will retweet all tweets sent to @HeavyMetalYetii with the hashtag #TheBeardsOfMetal!
-Cheers to the photographers of the pics above and all of you who are bad-ass enough to sport a brutal beard in the name of Satan! \m/
-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out!

New Metal Review: Peculate - Skinner Box Mortgage (Official Music Video)

   The genre of progressive metal creates many unique metal bands; all with a unique volatile combination of sounds and influences. One band in particular that has peaked the Heavy Metal Sasquatch's interest is Peculate, who has successfully combined an essence of jazz and ambience with very technical grind and death metal. This solo project has been in the works for over a year now and has a variety of material available online, all with varying degrees of intensity. However today marks the release of the bands first official music video for their song "Skinner Box Mortgage". The video presents a very eerie atmosphere, featuring heavily distorted images of captivity and vermin like behaviour. It also shows disturbing segments of seemingly technologically zombified humans and sheds light on its inevitable unfortunate results. The instrumentals for this song are spot on providing brutally technical riffs and intensity all around! Peculate packs one hell of a punch! Check out the video below and prepare yourself!
-Check out the music of Peculate @ youtube.com/user/PeculateMusic and give them a like over on facebook.com/Peculate!

- Overall the video is extremely well done, providing a very creepy feel and a surplus of metaphor to decipher. The instrumentals match the video perfectly providing a progressive synergy of horror and brutally intense metal!
- My Verdict
\m/\m/\m/\m/\n out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
4.5/5 - Short but Sinister!

Southern Ontario Metal Festival 2013 - Photos

     The 2013 Southern Ontario Metal Fest has passed, and a pile of broken bodies have been left in its wake! The festival went full force for three days with over 40 bands on the bill. While all the bands were fantastic, there are a few bands that deserve an extra honourable mention. First of all is Dying Fetus, who absolutely annihilated the Absinthe and everybody in an 5km radius! Dying Fetus unleashed a wicked set, inspiring a mosh pit that nearly ripped Club Absinthe off its foundation. Another band that deserves a mention is American Hell. American Hell killed their set; playing an assortment of songs, including some unbelievably badass brand new material! Last but certainty not least is Unscathed. Kicking off the festival on the first day in the first time slot, Unscathed unleashed so much hell, that the SOMF had no choice but to invite them back for an encore set on the following Saturday alongside the headlining bands on the outdoor stage. Unscathed was undoubtedly one of the best bands of the festival, proving that they're is sill much life left in underground metal. Other bands that deserve an honourable mention include: Psyopus, Cancer Bats, Ending Tyranny, Structures, Fuck the Facts, Elements, Men to Wolves, Deterrence, Eaten by Sharks, Arkham Awaits, Mandroid Echostar, Take the Throne, Exalt, Great Lakes, and hell every other god damn band there! Absolutely wicked weekend! I can't wait an entire year for the next years SOMF! I'm already looking forward to it! Cheers to all the bands, the promoters, Club Absinthe, and all the crazy motherfuckers I clashed with in the Pit \mXm/ Special thanks to all the fans and promoters for taking some extra photos that I wasn't able to get myself!

Dying Fetus


Cancer Bats


Pysopus



UNSCATHED

American Hell

Mandroid Echostar

Elements


Ending Tyranny

Machines

Three Crowns

Men to Wolves

-Thanks again to all the bands, metalheads, Club Absinthe, & promoters that made the Southern Ontario Metal Fest a weekend to remember!
-Special thanks to the people who took some of the pictures above (@hvymtlHamilton, @SOMFCA, @ClubAbsinthe, @thePitradioshow, and friends!), I only had limited pictures and needed some help from my fellow metalheads!
-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out! \m/