W/ SUFFOKATE, CALIBAN, AFTER THE BURIAL, BORN OF OSIRIS, ALL SHALL PERISH
SEPTEMBER 30TH 2009, THE OPERA HOUSE, TORONTO, ON.

Well, first off I have to admit we were late driving all the way from Guelph for the show and we missed the opening two bands (Suffokate and Caliban) so I suppose this could be considered a half assed review but let me tell you, the bands I did see totally slayed!

AFTER THE BURIAL
The 8-string onslaught began with the opening track from Rareform, “Berzerker”. Usually I don’t expect too much in terms of live performance from technical bands but holy crap, these guys were magnificently tight! Guitarist Justin Lowe starts the opening lick with a little behind-the-head-shred. Cheesy but cool at the same time. Considering the weight of their guitars they do jump around a lot like a bunch of rabid rabbits. You can really see their “hardcore” influence by the way they rock about on stage. Next song was Cursing Akhenaten. It was disappointing because the opening shred was pre-recorded and played over the P.A and the band themselves started playing when the initial breakdown occurs. I’m really not digging it when bands do that but hey that’s just me. The rest of the song was perfect as I spend a lot of time tossing my head around, I was really into it. Aside from a minor technical difficulty (guitarist Trent Hafdahl was having trouble with his pedal board which I found was due to water or beer being spilled on it during a floor-level show the previous night) they were magnificent. The crowd was really into it, as was I.

Next up and a few beers later….

BORN OF OSIRIS
I really wasn’t too into this band at first. Their sound was a bit off, but otherwise it was a really well done performance, with most of their set (save a few classics) chosen from their new album, A Higher Place, and the stage being decked out with album art backdrops and the like. Also it was an overall good performance in terms of showmanship (aside from their utterly useless keyboardist). The one thing I dislike about the songs is that they’re too short, leaving you wanting more. But live, they spin them all together into one fluid shred-fest. And did I mention their sub guitarist is none other than Tosin Abasi?! Sweet merciful jumping crap…this man is amazing. If you are familiar with his solo album “Animals As Leaders” then you know what I’m talking about and if you don’t know it, go get it! Quit fartin’ around! Anyways, I was surprised to see him yet disappointed at the same time because his skills weren’t really well shown since he is the rhythm fill in and can’t shred the shit out them. Hopefully he becomes a permanent member then the next album will be astronomical.

Time to rip a piss, rock a dart, grab a new cold one and get my face melted right off by…

ALL SHALL PERISH
WOW… amazing….speechless…I quit life. I hope my face grows back before I have to work tomorrow.
They brought it and they brought it hard! Every note played flawlessly, head banging, blast beating, neck shredding, face melting awesomeness with a very well balanced set list from new and old songs. As usual at metal shows of this calibre they demanded a wall of death and unlike most bands they had it well placed within the song. At this point I looked around and noticed that the venue was significantly more packed than for any other band I had seen that night. I have to admit I never got into All Shall Perish a whole hell of a lot. I heard and own a few albums but once I saw them this night, it gave me a new respect. When these guys come to your neck of the woods, you better be ready.

Overall I was very thoroughly pleased with all of the bands and walked away happy… and a tad blasted too.