Articles by Mike Simpson
Hard Charger
This Machine is Driving
PUBLISHED Sep 26, 2011
Although their brand of straight-ahead D-beat thrash isn't usually regarded as being too gifted in the subtlety department, Hard Charger ap...
Breathe Knives/Kataplexis
Split
PUBLISHED Sep 26, 2011
For a split between two acts that share little, aside from hailing from Calgary and possessing a love of loud guitars, this offering from B...
Hot Graves
Knights in White Phosphorous
PUBLISHED Sep 20, 2011
Hot Graves have made impressive use of the heat they've garnered over their short existence. The band's EP, Desecration Time, was a mere sa...
Summer Slaughter Tour featuring the Black Dahlia Murder, Dying Fetus, Oceano, Darkest Hour
Sound Academy, Toronto ON August 9
PUBLISHED Aug 10, 2011
Given the show's eight-hour duration, one would think that the metal-loving masses who attended this year's Summer Slaughter Tour would gra...
Big Business
Quadruple Single
PUBLISHED Jul 23, 2011
Out of the triad of the most notable sludgy-but-accessible bands with recently released output (the other two being Torche and Helms Alee),...
Hot Graves
Desecration Time
PUBLISHED Jul 18, 2011
When it comes to d-beat thrash and old school death metal there are only so many American bands that can successfully pull off the alchemy...
Whitehorse
Progression
PUBLISHED Jul 5, 2011
Thanks to Whitehorse's recent touring stint with crushing avant-doomers the Body, one would expect their new material to possess boundary-p...
Ancestors
Invisible White
PUBLISHED Jun 28, 2011
One can't fault Ancestors for desiring to switch things up on Invisible White; the band's willingness to deescalate the intensity of their...