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/

SOMF @ Club Absinthe, Hamilton, Ont - Aug 23-25, 2013

The 2013 Southern Ontario Metal Festival is Coming!

    The summer has been flying by for the Heavy Metal Sasquatch, but there is still one more metal festival looming on the horizon; The Southern Ontario Metal Festival! In just under two weeks time the SOMF is taking over the always roaring Club Absinthe @ 38 King William St in Hamilton, Ontario for the weekend of August 23, 24, & 25! Since the announcement, the festival has unfortunately lost of the band Varga, while at the same time adding the bands Ending Tyranny & Continent to the line up! Some bands that I highly recommend seeing at this years SOMF are: Dying Fetus, Exalt, Intervals, Structures, Pysopus, Eaten by Sharks, A Sight For Sewn Eyes, Arkham Awaits, Unscathed, Men to Wolves, Cancer Bats, American Hell, Great Lakes, Obsek, Warlord Messiah, Hell Bear, The Author,Take the Throne, & Continent (practically the entire line up! \m/). I am especially looking forward to the kick-off party on the 23rd, with three local underground favourites: Unscathed, Men to Wolves, and The Author  sure to begin the festival with a hellstorm!! Come out all weekend to enjoy the bone crushing metal of existing metal gods as well ass the underground bands that are currently rocking the front lines! I'll see you all in the Mosh Pit!

-Check out www.somf.ca & www.facebook.com/somfca for complete festival details!
-Ticket information is available on the official website @ www.somf.ca/tickets

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out \m/

New Metal Review: Unscathed - Darkened Skies Music Video

    In preparation for the upcoming 2013 Southern Ontario Metal Festival, the Hamilton Ontario based four-piece progressive metal machine, Unscathed, have released an updated music video for their song Darkened Skies. The video was shot at the Niagara Metal Fest and features a super up close and abstract view of the band. The video features footage of the band shredding, as well as clips that seem to be associated with internal struggle, as the song name 'Darkened Skies' suggests. Special thanks to Behemoth-X Productions for creating the video. Check out the video and go see them on the opening night of the Southern Ontario Metal Fest, August 23, 2013 @ 8pm at Club Absinthe, Hamilton. - www.SOMF.ca
Also make sure to like the band on facebook if you dig their music! - www.facebook.com/weareunscathed \m/

- Overall I really enjoyed the music video; although a little rough on the eyes, the video features a killer song from the band as well as utilizes some neat cinematography throughout the video! Can't wait to see the next one!
-My Verdict
\m/\m/\m/\n out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
3.5/5 - Wicked Tune!

-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out! \nn/

2013 Southern Ontario Metal Festival - Full Band Listing

   Summer is approaching fast and the Heavy Metal Sasquatch is gearing up for a season full of metal, beer, shenanigans, and more god damn metal! Helping out with this is the three day Southern Ontario Metal Festival presented by Leviathan Productions and Club Absinthe in Hamilton Ontario. The SOMF is taking place on the weekend of August 23, 24, & 25 and is jam packed with a plethora of the most brutally wicked local and international metal bands! Headlining bands for the festival include Dying Fetus, Cancer Bats, Exalt, Intervals, & Superblaster; with over 30 supporting bands including Structures, Eaten By Sharks, American Hell, Take The Throne, The Author, Varga, Arkham Awaits, and Unscathed! If you're a metalhead and live anywhere near Hamilton, Ontario, you can not afford to miss the 2013 Southern Ontario Metal Fest!
Like it on Facebook in order to be up to date on all your SOMF news! -> www.facebook.com/somfca
Check out the complete band list and ticket info below on the official SOMF poster! \mXm/

-Simply enough you can not miss this festival. With godly headliners, and unreal supporting bands the 2013 Southern Ontario Metal Festival is soon to be a day of legend! So come on down, have a few beers with the Sasquatch and get the hell into the Pit!! \m/
-Heavy Metal Sasquatch out \m/

Niagara Metal Fest 2013 - Photos

The 2013 Niagara Metal Fest has come and gone, and hell what a festival!! The days were as long and full of metal as the beer glasses were full! Cheers to all 19 bands who performed during the festival, and to all those in the pit! Here are some photos taken throughout the festival! Make sure to check out all the bands if you missed the show, and see you all at next years metal fest! \m/

ENDAST

AMERICAN HELL

 

 

 

PALADIN

MYR

 

DESOLATION

UNSCATHED

CRUTCH

  

WRETCHED PAIN

RANDOM METALHEADS

- Cheers also to all the bands not in pictures, it was a long day full of metal & shinanigans, --> Laid to Rest, Door to Door Human Gore, Gigantusk, Babbar, Angels of Death, Continent, Abolished, Eaten by Sharks, Homicide Drive, Decpetion of Eden, & Wall of Bones!!
- Heavy Metal Sasquatch out!! \nn/