A fine assemblage of all-Canadian bands with an unexpectedly huge turnout made this show one of the best in Toronto this year. Indie Canadian talent and the internationally recognized brutality of Quebec's Cryptopsy made this show one to remember; it wasn't as much a great show but more a statement proving the strength of our local scene. There's no doubt that the show being held on a Friday night had something to do with the large crowd on hand, but the sole reason they were here was obvious.
Opening the show was Toronto's Horde of Worms, one of Canada's brightest talents in the death/black genre. With both metal music and smoke machine turned on full blast, the Horde turned out a great set; playing material from their self-titled release from a couple of years ago, tracks from their last CD _Dreams and Dying Eyes_ and a couple of new ones from their upcoming release. With drum machine in tow, they are one of the few bands who can successfully utilize one and not come off sounding weak or just plain ridiculous. The crowd rightfully showed their appreciation for their heavy, energetic set.
Markham's Rotting delivered a mighty set of brutal death metal, proving they should be counted among the best in this most underground and lethal sub-genre of metal. Pouring out blast beat after blast beat with crushing riffs cushioned in between, songs like "Fisted Sisters", "Homosexual Grave Robber" and "Stomped to Death" delighted many on hand, causing the rare mosh pit for a local band (Torontonians don't seem to mosh to local bands, for some reason). Showcasing material off their upcoming _The Original Christcrusher_ album (on United Guttural), there's no wonder to how this band have made a name for themselves, and will inevitably continue to do so.
Toronto's Solus sport a metal sound I'm not too fond of, and on this night they failed to get a rise out of me. Solus' sound has always been open to interpretation; they are a band whose sound is hard to nail down or pigeonhole, which in turn may be their biggest problem. Black or death metal fans may find the music of Solus to be weak, while traditional heavy metal fans would find it too aggressive, so what's left is a small cross section of metal fans who could find them palatable or challenging. During one song of their set I thought I heard some black metal-like riffing, so naturally my ears perked up, but their ability to hold my attention wasn't to last. Disappointingly timid.
Cryptopsy always know how to put on a show. Mike DiSalvo paces the stage like a caged tiger, delivering his vocals in his usual pissed-off manner. Flo Mounier without fail, show after show, proves he's one of the best death metal drummers of all time. The riffs that come forth from newcomer of Alex Auburn and longtime axeslinger Jon Levasseur are always a treat to hear, not to mention the great bass touches from Eric Langlois. Each member of the band has a distinctive role in delivering the sheer brutality of this music to their fans and, in my experience, they've never disappointed. Playing tracks like "Defenestration", "Phobophile", "White Worms" and some devastating material off their new album _And Then You'll Beg_ prove why they're considered Canada's best band. And who am I to argue with the metal majority? To put it simply: I concur.