New Metal Review: Hypokalypse - Blitzkrieg (Official Music Video)

*The lost review (March, 2013)*: I accidentally deleted this review a year ago, but it has been rediscovered in the archives!

    The Heavy Metal Sasquatch craves all things that inspire the urge to thrash! This craving has led me to the thrash metal warlords Hypokalypse!. Based out of Richmond Virginia, Hypokalypse revisits a classic thrash vibe while at the same time putting a modern spin on their songs; with clear influences of Iron Maiden, Lamb of God, Testament, and Megadeth coming through. The bands first single Blitzkrieg begins in a fury, unleashing deadly thrash riffs and a brutal symphony of destruction! The video is simple and straight to the point; Warfare & Power! Something that Hypokalypse represents strongly! \m/ Check out the video for Blitzkrieg below and make sure to support them @ facebook.com/Hypokalypse \m/

- The Heavy Metal Sasquatch really enjoyed Blitzkrieg by Hypokalypse and all its thrashy goodness! The band successfully manages to recreate the classic thrash element that I crave so heavily, while making it feel fresh at the same time! A new beginning of Heavy Metal in the nuclear age! 

- My Verdict

\m/\m/\m/\m/ out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/

4/5 - Thrash metal warfare at its finest!

Death Metal Showcase: Wretchedpain

   With a wide margin of Ontario's metal scene flooded with bands looking to break though the classic molds of metal, pure old fashion death metal is hard to come by. Thankfully for us, Wretchedpain is keeping the spirit of death metal alive, helping the masses remember the brutal awesomeness of pure unfiltered, no bullshit death metal. While Wretchedpain formed over a decade ago, they released their debut album "Conregratation" in 2010. The end result was a masterpiece professionally mixed and mastered by veteran Chris "Zeuss" Harris, producer to metal giants such as Hatebreed, Chimaira, Whitechapel, and Shadows Fall. The album was a huge success for the band, receiving considerable attention and inspiring many a head-bang along the way.  Since then Wretchedpain has toured excessively, undertaking relentless gigs and festivals through the years; playing alongside big names such as Cryptopsy, Napalm Death, Threat Signal, Suffocation, Baptized in Blood, & The Faceless.

   In the summer of 2013, Wretchedpain released their new EP "The Hell You Seek", with the help of Jean-Francois Dagenais of Kataklysm for mixing and mastering. The result is another excellent example of pure technical death metal in its finest form. Wretchedpain combines a wicked classic death metal drumming style with an intense groove and brutal heaviness on guitar and a consistent aggressive vocal track. I love every song that this band has released so far; providing me with the heart pounding aggression and power that I love the most in metal! 

   Wretchedpain is a band determined to be heard; and with the band recently returning from a two-week European tour and a plethora of gigs on the horizon, the Yeti has his money on these boys to make it huge. You can check out Wretchedpain's music live at their upcoming show at the Wacken Metal Battle in Toronto (April 4, 2014 @ the Rivoli), where they perform for a spot to play at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. As well, you can also catch them at the upcoming Chaos Fest in Hamilton (April 6, 2014 @ Club Absinthe) alongside Thy Art is Murder & Fallujah. Keep up to date with tour dates and music on the bands facebook site @ www.facebook.com/Wretchedpain and buy their music online @ www.itunes.com/wretchedpain. Check out their music below and make sure to give these boys the support they deserve!

- Bands like Wretchedpain are exaclty what the metal scene needs these days. A Band that delivers furious aggression and breakneck riffs, without relying on blast beats or breakdowns for mass appeal. With two killer releases under their belt already, Wretchedpain's future is bright, appealing heavily to the old school death metal crowds who are eager to embrace brutality at its best! 
- Be sure to check out the band and share them with your death metal loving friends. /,,/ As always, Keep it heavy.

New Metal Review: Persefone - Spiritual Migration

   The Heavy Metal Sasquatch lives purely off raw power, requiring a constant and steady amount of face melting metal for sustenance. While a wide variety of metal bands suit the dietary needs of the "Metal Yeti", he prefers the technical complexity and the crunchy yet delicious musical variations associated with progressive metal. Persefone is one of these such delicious treats. Persefone calls themselves "progressive melodic death metal", but it feels like %100 tasty Prog to the Yeti. Their latest full length album Spiritual Migration is a masterpiece delivering brutally heavy riffs in combination with technical brilliance and beautifully timed special effects. Spiritual Migration is terrific from front to back, running an impressive seventy one minutes, and failing to disappoint on any level; successfully provoking many deep cerebral thoughts and emotions at the same time. This album is top tier prog metal, not heavily relying on any one specific style of play, while very successfully melding experimental instruments and sounds. Furthermore, their use of nature throughout the album provided a vivid feeling of tranquility; which is a stark contrast to the raw power and fury that was never to far away in the album as well as throughout the biological world. Listen to the full album below and make sure to check them out on facebook @ www.facebook.com/Persefoneband and buy their merch @ www.persefone.com. \m/

- Persefone's Spiritual Migration blew me away and is definitely worth your time and listening pleasure. It has been years since I've heard a prog metal band of this unique caliber. Persefone took a while to reach my ears, but i'm hoping they reach yours soon so you to can discover your new favourite band. "Innovative music for the open-minded listener".
- My Verdict
\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/ out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
5/5 - Progtastic

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!

Metal Review: Intervals - Epiphany (Official Music Video): make Time to check this out!

   In the wake of the release of their latest EP last October, "In Time", the all instrumental progressive metal band Intervals has just released a new music video for the song "Epiphany". The Heavy Metal Sasquatch absolutely loved "In Time", and is very excited to see one of its songs transformed into a music video. While the music video is very simple, featuring shots of the band playing mixed with colourful images of neurons and other complex patterns, it is still extremely badass. The song Epiphany is a masterpiece, delivering beautiful melodies as well as hard hitting riffs. And the music video provides a suitable counterpart to the song not focusing to much on the video itself and letting the listener enjoy the music Intervals plays. Check out the music video for Epiphany below and make sure to check out Intervals on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/intervalsmusic! You can check out Intervals LIVE during the month of May on their Canadian Tour with Texas in July, Northlane, and Structures. More into available on their Facebook page!

- The music video for Epiphany is simple, but it does a very nice job of showcasing the song. The visuals throughout the video were enjoyable and suited the music very well. Overall a wicked music video
- My Verdict
 \m/\m/\m/\m/ out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
4/5 -  take time to check this out!

New Metal Review: Meshuggah - I am Colossus (Official Music Video): Horrifically Brilliant!

   The Heavy Metal Sasquatch is very excited to announce the release of the official music video for I Am Colossus by the Swedish metal gods Meshuggah. From the moment the video starts you have a feel for what is to come; an animated, wicked and creepy glance into a twisted world of religion, modernity, and extreme horror. This video showcases tremendous imagery, seemingly showcasing the worst parts of humanity and then winding it all up into one sentient being in conclusion. So turn out the lights and check the video out below! 

-I am Colossus is a wicked song from start to finish. It's not only heavy as all hell, it is also extremely artistic; leaving their images and riffs stuck in your head. Meshuggah never ceases to disappoint!
-My Verdict
\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/ out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
5/5 - Horrifically Brilliant!

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out!

Progressive Metal Review: Sirens - Drone: Amazing!

     The Heavy Metal Sasquatch has recently fallen down the Progressive Metal rabbit hole. In my decent I have come across Sirens, a band that combines djent and technical death metal with an electronic and ambient fusion. The finished product is a deadly combination of heart pounding intensity and trance inducing slow melodies, all with a clear electronic undertone. Sirens reminds me of Between the Buried and Me; providing both mosh pits and out-of-body experiences at the same time. The thing I love in particular about Sirens is their ability to deliver intense metal riffs combined with serious electronica bass in their music; with their EP "Spore" having many Dub step style bass progressions throughout. Sirens recently released their new single "Drone" from their new unreleased album of the same title. Give it a listen here, and check Sirens out for yourself.

- Check them out on facebook @ www.facebook.com/sirens.metal and @ www.wearesirens.com for a free download of their EP - Spore or check them out live for shows on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour!

-Overall I am extremely impressed with Sirens ability to transcend multiple musical genres while never straying to far from perfectly executed heavy metal. I feel like Sirens is doing something different in the metal world, providing a fresh metal experience. I highly recommend you give this band your support.
-My Verdict
\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \n out of \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/
(4.5/5) - Wicked: Check 'em out

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out! 

Post-Metal Showcase: Robot Shark Attack - C.T.S.H.D.F - Free Download!

   The post-rock/metal genre, also known as metalgaze or atmospheric metal, is a sub-genre of metal that provides long thought out guitar riffs mixed seamlessly with to-the-point baselines and mind-altering ambiance. Robot Shark Attack brings all of this to the table and more, releasing the first single as a  Free Download! With his primary influences stemming from bands such as Cloudkicker; Robot Shark Attack provides lots of musical variations from chill atmospheric ambiance, to groovy synth beats to straight up heart pounding metal, and everything else in between. Check out this free download from Robot Shark Attack- Crouching Tiger Shrimp, Hidden Dragon Fruit. Make sure to check out RSA and like his page on facebook @ www.facebook.com/pages/Robot-Shark-Attack -All in all, if you enjoy any genre of rock / metal you will definitely enjoy this!! So buckle up, sit back, relax, smoke a J, close your eyes and enjoy the ride that is the Robot Shark Attack!
-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out!! \m/

New Metal Review: Periphery - Scarlet (Official Video) Verdict - Must Watch!

   I just watched the new music video from the band Periphery for the song Scarlet, and one question comes to mind; Mustard or Ketchup!? All jokes aside I loved this music video for a number of reasons. First of all the song of choice, "Scarlet", is a great choice for a video showcasing the bands technical musical skill as well as creative ability. The video features what seems to be an intergalactic battle between those in extreme favour of mustard and those loyal to ketchup. This video kept me on the edge of my seat featuring an abnormal amount of mustard consumption, while at the same time showcasing an intense battle between the yellows and the reds! This is a wicked video with a fresh take on metal music videos, with the absence of the cliche heavy rain scenes, piles of skulls, old buildings, and black liquid that is usually to be suspected. Check out the video for Scarlet and tell me... Mustard or Ketchup!?

This music video is creative, it rocks, and it's fucking awesome
- My Verdict
\m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ out of \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ - Must Watch!

New Metal Review: DEVICE - Vilify (David Draimen) Verdict - Give it a Listen!

    When I first heard about "Device", I was eager to see whether or not David Draimen of Disturbed was capable of bringing something new to the table. With talk of a more Industrial feel to the new band, I was hoping for something different and interesting to listen to. This however is not exactly the case. After listening to the first single from Device, "Vilify", I was confused as to if I had clicked to wrong link to just another Disturbed song. The song did not have any sort of "industrial" feel to it as Draimen had claimed. This all being said, Vilify itself is wicked song, and Device is definitely worth listening too, it just felt like nothing different. If I wanted to listen to Disturbed, I would listen to Disturbed.
Check them out for yourself and tell me what you think

Overall I am not impressed by Device so far. Nothing new has been brought to the table. Here's hoping the next single from Device offers something worth talking about.
- My Verdict
\m/ \m/ \m/ out of \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/ \m/
(3/5) -Mediocre

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch Out!!