“You might, as I did, roll your eyes humorously at the recurrence of the “‘v’ as ‘u'” trope in the name Sanctvs, which could suggest overeager posturing, especially once you learn that this is a solo project. But Xavier Berthiaume—the one behind Sanctvs—is no noob; he’s the drummer for both Atramentus and Oriflamme, as well as one half of occult/Kabbalistic black metal act Gevurah.” V. No U.
“Is a supergroup still a supergroup if the members who made it a supergroup are no longer part of the band? Last Canada’s Wreck-Defy passed through these halls, Steel Druhm was pleasantly surprised by their third LP, Powers That Be. However, the band that Steel reviewed has seen some significant lineup changes since then.” Super substitutions?
“Worms are rich fodder for metal band names, and it’s not hard to see why. They’re gross, alienlike, and carry connotations of death and decay; and that’s before you start spelling it with a ‘v’ and thereby reference dragons, sea monsters, and the Devil himself. While sharing the collective imagination, this Worm definitely distinguishes themselves. After a shaky start, it was Foreverglade that first saw Worm realize their potential with a lean towards doom-death that retained just enough synth-forward black metal and balanced a murky soundscape with syrupy sweet guitar solos.” Worm turning?
December is the best time to browse through the October Filter flotsam, as they’re now heavily discounted like Valentine’s Day candy in August. They’re probably still fresh though. Maybe.
“Well, lookee who just oozed in! Phobocosm, Canada’s infamous cavern creepers and dealers of oppressive death metal, return to shove a lump of revolting slime-scuzz in everyone’s stocking with fourth album, Gateway. When last we heard from them on 2023s Foreordained, they were continuing to tweak and refine their revolting mash-up of Incantation, Immolation, Ulcerate, doom and vaguely pos-metal-y bits with an emphasis on the ominous, unsettling, and atonal. When all the gears lock in for Phobocosm, they’re capable of inspiring a real sense of existential dread and unease. They’ve always crafted their music to achieve this effect and conjure dark, unpleasant atmospheres through crushing heaviness.” Gateway to new annihilations.
“2025 must have been a challenging year to occupy the Sabbath-worship lane. Ozzy’s passing on July 22nd—seventeen days after the Back to the Beginning concert—hit metaldom hard, but it surely hit harder for bands that treat Master of Reality as a sacred text. Videos from the concert, especially of a throned Ozzy performing one last time with the original Sabbath lineup, provide solace, as do covers from legends like Metallica and Slayer. Tragically, 2025 has revitalized Sabbath; Sabbath-inspired bands walk a tightrope of honoring the original and wilting under its renascence. Merging into the Sabbath lane late in the year is Pale Horse Ritual, a Canadian quartet.” Take a walk on the Ozz side.
“Widely regarded as one of the original architects of deathcore, Canada’s Despised Icon hardly needs an introduction. But just in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past two decades, here’s a brief introduction: back in 2002, when MySpace was all the rage and everyone had a friend named Tom, five dudes from Montreal dropped their debut LP, Consumed by Your Poison. Heavily influenced by the likes of Suffocation and Dying Fetus, these Canadians continued to hone their crushing sound on 2005’s The Healing Process by injecting metalcore and hardcore elements into their deathly framework. This unique formula culminated with their third LP, The Ills of Modern Man (2007)—the crown jewel of their discography that made Despised Icon deathcore royalty.” The crown of disgust.
“Deep in the protozoic slime that sits at the center of Steel Druhm’s rusted metal heart, there’s a discreet region that craves early-to-mid 80s classic heavy metal. It’s an undying hunger that can never be slaked, and it drives me to look for turbo love in all the wrong places. Thus did I come to Starlight Ritual’s Sealed in Starlight debut back in 2021, dragging Kenword R. Spongewell along for moral support. What I found was an energetic young group of ne’er-do-wells who love the olden ways as much as I do. They delivered a punchy platter of nostalgia-core as they sought after the perfect blend of Mötörhead, Rainbow, Judas Priest, and lesser-known 80s metal fiends like Cities and Jag Panzer.” Angels with hairy axes.
“Cybernetic dinosaurs skirmish with a squad of Starship Troopers-inspired foot soldiers on a battle-scarred field. Eerie green mist cloaks a gutted refinery where small fires continue to blaze. Above, pocked moons loom menacingly low, while farther up, chrome font adorned with gratuitous umlauts irradiates the sky. Conventional wisdom says not to judge a book by its cover, but this is album art you can hear. If you’re not conjuring vivacious guitar acrobatics, lock-step rhythmic thunder, and macho bellows, then you aren’t paying attention. Ültra Raptör is here to crack open a cold one and unleash sophomore effort Fossilized. So buckle up, buckaroo. Grab your mandatory Molson and let this quintet of Canucks hit you “Hard ‘N Fast” with their take on heavy speed metal.” Divine raptor.
“Raphael Weinroth-Browne of Kamancello and Musk Ox, among other groups, is, in my mind, the most interesting cellist in metal. This is in large part due to the fact that he actually plays a lot of non-metal. Musk Ox is a fantastic chamber folk project with nary a distortion to be heard. His debut solo release, Worlds Within, covers a lot of ground, but is largely a work of classical music. And yet, you can just hear in the way he plays that Weinroth-Browne is a metal musician. The influence and emotion is just there, whatever he’s doing and however he’s doing it. The follow-up to Worlds Within, Lifeblood, offers a similar premise: one man with a cello and a pocket full of dreams.” Blood, cellos, pocket sand.
