OK, it’s time for a confession. Up until now (and with the Cardinal sin of not actually finding the time to hear a note) I have always thought of Tengger Cavalry (and perhaps overlooked them as a result) as simply a typical Folk Metal band. Maybe it is them being sold as having Mongolian instrumentation and influences, maybe it was album imagery evoking battles, insignia and even horses, or perhaps the band’s attire or a combination of, I’m not entirely sure, but with latest effort Cian Bi (Napalm), it only took a couple of songs in to prove just how wrong I was!The truth is Tengger Cavalry are a fascinating hybrid of accessible Metal elements with some, at times, pretty barmy delivery.Continue reading →
Industrial music has recently had quite resurgence when it comes to popularity and creative output. The likes of Rammstein and Nine Inch Nails have maintained huge, euphoric fan support throughout their careers (with the latter of course reforming in recent years), whilst the likes of Combichrist have continued to show just how diverse and immediate a style it can be. Whilst not the household name of some of their aforementioned peers, 3Teeth certainly warrant as much praise for flying the Industrial flag into a new generation; having been handpicked to support Tool on the back of their début self-titled album (Artoffact Records); a tour that delayed the workings of a follow-up which only now finally sees the light of day. Continue reading →
The 10th edition of Amnesia Rockfest has announced Linkin Park and System of a Down will be headlining the Friday and Saturday nights of the event respectively. Tim Armstrong (Rancid) and Fat Mike (NOFX) are curators of the 10th anniversary edition.
The Offspring will be doing their album Americana in its entirety; Deftones performing their Around The Fur album in its entirety; and Rancid will be doing their And Out Come The Wolves set.
Some of this year’s new features include having several comedians such as Tom Green, Steve-O from Jackass (first Quebec appearance in 10 years, since the 2004 riot at the Metropolis) and Mike Ward. Several other surprises and secret performances are in store for festival-goers.
The rest of the lineup consists of:
Linkin Park (Headline Friday Night)
System Of A Down (Headline Saturday Night)
The Offspring (performing Americana album)
Slayer
Snoop Dogg
Rob Zombie
Tenacious D (featuring Jack Black – first Quebec appearance)
Pixies
Sublime with Rome
Deftones (performing Around The Fur)
Rancid (performing And Out Come The Wolves)
Bad Religion
Refused (reunion)
Bad Religion
Thrice (reunion)
Coheed And Cambria
Story Of The Year
Flogging Molly
Gogol Bordello
Propagandhi
Goldfinger
Less Than Jake
Good Riddance
Ten Foot Pole
The Bouncing Souls
Satanic Surfers (reunion)
Buzzcocks
Descendents
ALL
The Exploited
GBH
Michale Graves (of the Misfits)
Ministry
Skinny Puppy (first show since 1988)
Parkway Drive
Down
Fear Factory
Atreyu (reunion)
Carcass
Bolt Thrower (rare Canadian appearance)
The Melvins
Quebec Stage
Les Cowboys Frintgants
Banlieue Rouge (one night reunion)
Groovy Aardvark (one night reunion)
Subb (one night reunion)
MAP (one night reunion)
Penelope (one night reunion)
Blind Witness (one night reunion)
Bald Vulture (one night reunion)
Overbass (one night reunion)
Les Ékorchés (one night reunion)
Capitaine Révolte (one night reunion)
Mononc’ Serge
The Planet Smashers
The last weekend in November was jam packed with shows for me and after a long and busy holiday, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end it than by seeing Skinny Puppy with Front Line Assembly in Boston at the House of Blues on Sunday November 30th. I’ll admit, I was pretty wiped out at this point, but although my bones were tired and weak from all the running around, driving, shooting and socializing, I made it to the venue early enough to catch both openers. I knew nothing about either of the first two bands other than a general sense of the genre I supposed they were.
First up was Youth Code, a 2 piece outfit from Los Angeles self described as “ …raw, punishing, industrious electronics built from the seeds of hardcore and early Wax Trax.” Their energy on stage was definitely infectious and kept me interested throughout the set and the singer ran, jumped and throttled herself around the stage like an animal that’s been trapped in a cage for too long and was finally set free. I feel like this band is really best seen live as I’m not sure how I would feel listening to the music at home or if that energetic performance was really what kept me paying attention. Either way I enjoyed it.
Next was Haujobb out of Germany with a very different vibe than the first band. Less pent up angst more thoughtful and emotive presence. Between songs, the singer took to the mic and said, “You may call this music Industrial, but where we come from we call it Electronic Body Music.” Ok, so I know about EBM and I understand people feel the need for a million names, categories and sub-genres in all kinds of music, but anyone who knows me, knows how I feel about what I deem as pretentiously named sub-genres and peoples seemingly endless need to coin them. Usually if there are more than two words in sub-genre, my eyes start rolling. (Of course I am not blaming the singer for my opinion on this or the invention of EBM as a name for a sub-genre. I just personally can’t stand these kinds of things. /rant) Anyway, I would not have thought of Haujobb as an Industrial band but I do understand why one might say that or at least say they have industrial elements to their sound. To me they were slightly more Depeche Mode than Throbbing Gristle, which is not a bad thing since I love both of those bands. I dug them and will definitely check out their recordings.
Honestly, I didn’t even realize the Front Line Assembly was playing this show until the night before. I guess with everything I had going on, checking to see who was on the bill slipped my mind until just before the show which really isn’t like me. As soon as I saw them on the bill I knew that this was going to be a once in a lifetime kind of show. Bill Leeb, FLA front man and former Skinny Puppy member, drove the point home when during his set he said how special it was to be on the same bill and that, “This is the one tour I will always remember. Thank you.” No Bill, thank YOU! Stunning set all around and an absolute pleasure to finally be able to see FLA live.
Earlier this year I was able to catch Skinny Puppy play in another club in Boston and I was really excited this time around to see how it would be on the much bigger stage at House of Blues. The set list was much different and one song longer this time. Because of the size of the venue, I felt like I was totally immersed in the show. A lot of bands really work well in small clubs with an intimate setting but SP is a spectacle and really shines on a big stage. If you haven’t experienced the band live, and that’s exactly what it is, an experience, then you need to rectify that ASAP. Legends in their own right, SP live is an onslaught of sights and sounds filled with anger, repulsion, political statements and world consciousness that you would be hard pressed to find in another band today. Musically the band proves you do not need a guitar to be “heavy” or “crushing.” Visually the show is both mesmerizing and discomforting. A delight of the visual cortex while engaging the thoughtful mind on issues of humanity and injustices of the world. Although it’s been 30 years since the release of their first studio album, Skinny Puppy continues to be relevant and thought provoking today.
