St. John’s blackened / experimental hardcore outfit The Order of the Precious Blood have announced a new tour. Coming up this April, this marks the band’s second excursion off the island since their formation. The group will be playing a series of shows across Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.
The tour dates are as follows:
April 19th, 2024 @ Peter Easton Pub – St. John’s, NL
April 20th, 2024 @ Gower Street United Church – St. John’s, NL
April 25th, 2024 @ Radstorm – Halifax, NS
April 26th, 2024 @ The Shred Shed – Miramichi, NB
April 27th, 2024 @ Xeroz Arcade and Bar – Moncton, NB
April 28th, 2024 @ The Bitten Moon – Glace Bay, NS
The band will be joined by the following acts on each date:
Peter Easton Pub: Kaspam Cult, Of the Black, Killer 9000
Radstorm: Pale Ache, Pavel Stroke, Thousand Knives
The supporting acts for the Miramichi, Moncton, and Glace Bay dates have not yet been announced and there are no posters for these dates as of yet either.
Here are the posters for the two St. John’s dates and the Halifax date:
2023 has been over for a little over a month now so I think it’s time we took stock of all the cool stuff and not so cool stuff that happened over the course of the last year. Let’s dive in!
This year was another rough year for businesses as both Bar None and The Abbey were forced to shut down, nixing two venues for live music and other events from the underground music community in St. John’s. Aside from that, things got rougher as members of the music community mourned the loss of Will Hapgood, the owner of The Deck who passed away suddenly earlier in 2023. His loss sent shockwaves throughout the community and resulted in an enormous show happening at the Bowring Park Amphitheater to celebrate his life and memory.
An absurd amount of new music was released throughout the year, perhaps more so than any year prior since I’ve been involved in this scene. A slew of new records from bands like The Skeats and Category VI were joined by a cavalcade of EPs from the continuously exploding hardcore punk crowd that seems to churn out new bands at the same frequency that rabbits reproduce.
There were also a ton of mainlander bands who came through Corner Brook and St. John’s this year, including Montreal black metal bands Akitsa and Infernach, Halifax d-beat warriors Black Dog, long time Newfoundland expats Brutal Youth, Montreal hardcore group Deadbolt, New Brunswick stoner punks Diner Drugs, Montreal death metal power trio Obelisk, Toronto thrashers Ammo and Californian NWOTHM upstarts Night Demon, as well as Halifax deathcore ensemble Pale Ache. For a province that sees precious few touring acts pulling through, this past year was exceptionally great.
We also held the very first edition of the Heavy NFLD Fest this past year! This was something that was a long time coming, and has always been my ultimate goal for this project, so finally seeing it come to fruition was a triumph. We’re hoping to do it again this year so stay tuned for Heavy NFLD Fest Vol. II!
Here’s hoping that this year brings with it more good news and less of the bad. Here’s to a kickass 2024.
Biggest Stories – Bar None Closes Its Doors – Big Space Win Jazz Recording of the Year at the ECMAs – Da Slyme Wins Music NL ‘Loud Artist of the Year’ Award – The Deck Renamed to Pavlov’s Electric Verandah – Friends Hold Raffle for Sheavy Frontman Steve Hennessey’s Recovery Following Cancer Diagnosis – Grenadier Release Trumpets Blare in Blazing Glory on Vinyl – Heavy NFLD Fest Vol. I – Ken Power Tattoo Company Reopens at New Location – Lawnya Vawnya 13 Announces Lineup – Madison Strip Calls it Quits – Memorial Show for Will Hapgood to Happen at Bowring Park Amphitheater July 9th – Precious Blood Announce 2023 Maritimes Tour – Precious Blood and Da Slyme Nominated for Music NL Loud Artist of the Year – R.I.P. Will Hapgood – Stanley’s Pub Now Hosting Heavy Metal Karaoke Nights – Triskelyon Signs to Moribund Records – Triskelyon Resigns to Moribund Records in Two-Album Deal – Yes, Officer Signs to Scilly Cove Records
Come from Aways – Akitsa and Ifernach to Perform at The Rockhouse in September with Grole and Grenadier – Black Dog (HFX) to Play at First Light CPAC on July 15th – Brutal Youth to Return to the Rock for Two Shows in August – Deadbolt to Play The Rockhouse & First Light CPAC on September 8th and 9th – Diner Drugs to Play The Deck and The Abbey on May 12th and 13th – Mistwalker and Øbelisk Announce 2023 Tour with Shows in St. John’s, Corner Brook, and Glovertown – Night Demon and Ammo to Perform at the Bella Vista Events Venue on August 25th – Pale Ache Announce Fall Tour Including Multiple Dates in Corner Brook and St. John’s – Slaughter, Quiet Riot, and Great White to Perform at Iceberg Alley Performance Tent 2023
New LPs Released – 6000apez – January 12 – Beereaucracy – Beereaucracy – Beereaucracy / Catshit – Split – Brutal Youth – Rebuilding Year – C.A.R.E. – Creating a Righteous Energy – Category VI – Firecry – Chris McGee – The Strange Ritual of the Golden-Faced Man – Count Cromulent – Thrillhouse – Desperta – Desperta – Falter – Salt in the Soil – First Frost – It’s Dangerous to Go Alone – Lithops – ((BendeR)) – Mike Fisher – Diary of a Psychic Vampire – Mistwalker – Oceanic Heritage – Mistwalker – Under the Fallen Sky: 10 Years in the Mist – Needle Crafts – Frow’d Up – Neko Suicide – Bound by Chains and Ripped in Half – Neko Suicide – Midtown – Neko Suicide – St. Georges, Hell 3:00 AM – Nfrared – Under the Stairs – The Skeats – The Skeats IV – Triskelyon – Artificial Insanity – WXO – Waxsongs – Zack St. John’s – Prince of Fogtown – Zackary Anderson – Graveyard Filled with Snow
New EPs Released – 6000apez – Farmlife – 6000apez – Glauchoma! – 6000apez – Mule Touch – Adam Sharr – To the Woods – A Body Without Organs – Broken Terminal III: Milk Blood – Bog Rot – Sex, Drugs, Bog N’ Roll – Canvas – Down Horrendous – Carnage – Free at Last – Cerebral Palsy – Seas of Bloody Mist – Chimp Apparatus – Sober – compareyourself – Mary and the Misanthropic Buzzard – Cortex Strikes Back – Cortex Strikes Back – The Crevice – 11th Hour / Valley of Flies – Foundation Chain – Sanrio-core – Fucked to Death – The Penile Code – Glitterglue – Friends Club – Jaded Truth – Bitter – Knarl – Bad Luck – Lil Dirtbag – It’s Been Too Real – Love Letters to Lewis – Letter One: Vemödalen – Mistwalker – Pumpkinsmasher – Mistwalker – War on Christmas – Neko Suicide – Cross – Ninth Quarter – Below Knee – Nuclear Casket – Irascible – Of Wilds – A Ghost at the Strid – The Order of the Precious Blood – I No Longer Wish for Salvation – Pouch Dweller – Goes to the Movies – Ratpiss – Misanthropy Now! – Roach Smoking Buddies – Roach Smoking Christmas – Sex Hole – Kill or Be Killed – Shit Dildo – Odes to the Fecal Phallus – Skreeched In – Skreeched In – Smoke Signals – Send Me Flowers While I’m Still Here – Sons of an Eastern Moon – Borealis – Winterhearth – Beyond the Frosted Graves – Winterhearth – Rape of Eden – Wiremouth – EP2 – WXO – Albert Rolling Down the Magical Infinite Hill
New Singles Released – Amer Ali – “Face in the Clouds” – Amer Ali – “Forever” – Amer Ali – “Never Say I Don’t Care” – Artach – “Black Metal Drummer Boy” – Artach – “Hell on Halloween” – Bonewing – Assorted Singles – Category VI – “Firecry” – Cerebral Palsy – Assorted Singles – Chimp Apparatus – “Garfield” – Choplicker – “Brigandine” – Choplicker – “Heliouroboros” – CR – “Last Address” – Dendron – “The Glass Spire Redux” – Disposition – “Decomposed” – Disposition – “Slow Haze” – Drop Your Trust – “Hacked” – Drop Your Trust – “Think for Yourself” – Elder Caius – “Alien Space Bats” / “From Below” – Elder Caius – “Kailash, When It Rises” – Everose – “Flourish” – Ex Press – “The Island” – Guntmold – “Menstrual Shark” – Guntmold – “Munging” – Guntmold – “You Suffer” [Napalm Death Cover] – Homesick N’ Wanderlust – “When I Grow Up” – Jaded Truth – “Bottom of the Bottle” – Jaded Truth – “Samsquanch” – Jaded Truth – “The Shake-Up” – Last Cigar – “Pitchforks” – Love Letters to Lewis – “I, the End” – Needle Crafts – “Worried Sick” – Neko Suicide – “2015” – Nemophilist – “Aurora” – Nemophilist – “Failure, Goodbyes. Isolation” – Nemophilist – “Put Me on a Ship That is Sinking” – Nemophilist – “Tragedy and Loss Never Known” – Nerve Shack – “Ash” – Nerve Shack – “Forever in Your Lie” – Nerve Shack – “Yellow Teeth” – Nfrared – “Betrayed for the Better” – Nfrared – “Innocent Criminal” – Nfrared – “Piece of Mind” – The Order of the Precious Blood – “Suffer and Die” – Qyn – “Ideologue” – Rot – “Rupture” / “Delight” – Sex Hole – “Stay Out of My Way” – The Skeats – “Fine Wine” – The Skeats – “Torch” – The Skeats – “Twitch” – So Violento – “Elegia Moderna” – Sought – “Samqwan” – Sought – “Valorous Asinus” – This Day – “Euphoric State” – Triskelyon – “Visionaires” – Vertebraeker – “Buried Again” – Winterhearth – “Winter Punks” – WXO – “A.I. Instincts”
New Demos Released – 6000apez – The Consequential Mudhole – Bazooka – Demo 2022 – Beereaucracy – Vote for Us – Blender – D03s 1t Bl3nd? – Choplicker – Rollercrisis – Disciplinary Action – Floor Demo 2023 – Doberman – Shed Demo ’23 – Glitterglue – Shed Demo ’23 – Guntmold – Guntmold – Kicker – Kicker Demo – Kris Butt – Old Path Demos – Life Jolt – Floor Demo ’23 – Malpractice – We Don’t Go to Church – Nerve Shack – Sheep Kill – Paranoia – Paranoia – Vehement Slaughter – Demo – Vomit Denial – Demo ’23 – Wannabe Erudite – Remembered Demos – Winterhearth – The Rehearsal Session
New Compilations Released – Aeria – The Deadman Collection
New Live Albums Released – Defense Force – Live Like Death – Killer9000 – Live at The Deck 02/11/23 – Malpractice – Live June ’89 – Smoke Signals – Live at The Rockhouse 01/28/23
New Music Videos Released – Artach – “Hell on Halloween” – Beereaucracy – “Beerboarded” – Category VI – “Coven” – Category VI – “Valkyrie” – Hakapik – “Don’t Make Me Laugh” – Jaded Truth – “Bottom of the Bottle” – Jaded Truth – “Riders” – Jaded Truth – “The Shake-Up” – Jaded Truth – “Worthless Meek” – Nerve Shack – “Forever in Your Lie” – Nerve Shack – “Yellow Teeth” – The Order of the Precious Blood – “Bastard! Rejoice!” [Live] – The Order of the Precious Blood – “X You Out”
Album Announcements – Artach – Untitled New LP – Bog Rot – Untitled New EP – Da Slyme – If There’s No Rubble, You Haven’t Played! – Grole – Untitled New LP – Guntmold – Blackened Infection – The Hellfire Club – Volume III – Jaded Truth – Bitter – Mistwalker – Oceanic Heritage – Nocturnal Prayer / Funeral Fullmoon – Disciples of the Moonlight Worship – The Order of the Precious Blood – I No Longer Wish for Salvation – Qyn – Untitled New Release – Riproar – Untitled New Release – The Skeats – The Skeats IV – Smoke Signals – Send Me Flowers While I’m Still Here – Triskelyon – Artificial Insanity – Wendigo – Untitled New Release – Winterhearth – Rape of Eden – Yes, Officer – Untitled New LP
Live Sets Filmed – Bazooka – Live Set @ Peter Easton Pub – December 23rd, 2022 – Defense Force – Live Set @ The Dank Basement – August 17th, 2023 – Dendron – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 19th, 2023 – Everose – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 18th, 2023 – InfectDead – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 18th, 2023 – Jaded Truth – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 19th, 2023 – Kaspam Cult – Live Set @ Gower Street United Church – August 19th, 2023 – The Mill – Live Set @ The Corner Pocket – August 16th, 2023 – Mistwalker – Live Set @ The Dank Basement – August 17th, 2023 – Mistwalker – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 18th, 2023 – Mistwalker – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 19th, 2023 – Needle Crafts – Live Set @ Peter Easton Pub – December 23rd, 2022 – Obelisk – Live Set @ The Corner Pocket – August 16th, 2023 – October Wasp – Live Set @ The Corner Pocket – August 16th, 2023 – Shit Dildo – Live Set @ The Dank Basement – August 17th, 2023 – Sick Puppy – Live Set @ Peter Easton Pub – December 23rd, 2022 – The Skeats – Live Set @ The Rockhouse – August 19th, 2023 – Tunnel Vision – Live Set @ Peter Easton Pub – December 23rd, 2022 – Wretched Fiend – Live Set @ The Dank Basement – August 17th, 2023
New Merch Drops – Artach Reveal New T-Shirts – Everose Reveal New Patches – Fog Coffin Reveals New Pins – Fog Coffin Reveals New Stickers – Grole Reveals New Hoodies – Grole Reveals New T-Shirts – Guntmold Reveals New Stickers – Heavy Metal Karaoke Reveals New Stickers and Pins – Metaphora Reveal New T-Shirts + Other Merch – Mir Reveals New T-Shirts – The Order of the Precious Blood Reveal New T-Shirts – Ratpiss Reveal New Black on White Patches – Ratpiss Reveal New White on Black Patches – Sea Shanty Studios Now Offering Patch Services – The Skeats Reveal New Hats – Skreeched In Reveal New Patches – Smoke Signals Reveal New Circular Patches – Winterhearth Reveal New Diamond Patches
Album Reviews – Category VI – Firecry [by Akhenaten] – Count Cromulent – Thrillhouse [by Akhenaten] – Dead Inner Youth – Dead Inner Youth [by Stephen] – Jaded Truth – Take a Seat [by Akhenaten] – Triskelyon – Triskelyon [by Akhenaten] – Vertebraeker – Spinal Sword [by Akhenaten]
EP Reviews – Bog Rot – Sex, Drugs, Bog N’ Roll [by Akhenaten] – Chimp Apparatus – Sober [by Akhenaten] – The Crevice – 11th Hour / Valley of Flies [by Akhenaten] – Glitterglue – Friends Club [by Akhenaten] – Foundation Chain – Sanrio-core [by Akhenaten] – The Order of the Precious Blood – I No Longer Wish for Salvation [by Akhenaten] – Ratpiss – Misanthropy Now! [by James Titford] – Ratpiss – Vermin Urine [by James Titford] – Sick Puppy – Haunt the Hill [by Stephen] – Skreeched In – Skreeched In [by Akhenaten] – Sons of an Eastern Moon – Borealis [by Akhenaten] – Winterhearth – Rape of Eden [by Akhenaten]
We also released twelve new episodes of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast this past year. We did our typical installments such as the RPM Re-Cap in March, Heavy Halloween in October, and Merry Fucking Solstice in December, but we also had genre-specific episodes focusing on grindcore, hard rock, hardcore, and grunge. Other episode topics included focuses on metal and punk from Prince Edward Island, a smattering of new metal and punk released in Newfoundland and Labrador over the past year, bands who have come to Newfoundland from elsewhere in recent years, a re-cap of artists that my own band played with during the Atlantic Annihilation Tour, and a re-cap of the bands who played this past year’s installment of Heavy NFLD Fest. You can listen to all these and more on the Heavy NFLD Bandcamp which will be linked down below.
As with every month this year, October was pretty dang busy. The scene has been popping off with new releases and new bands throughout 2023, and I for one am all here for it.
We also released the 59th episode of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast, the fourth installment of Heavy Halloween, in which we play a series of Halloween and horror-themed metal and punk tracks. You can listen to it on Bandcamp and YouTube.
Albums Archived – Mistwalker – Pumpkinsmasher [EP / Black N’ Roll] – Mistwalker – Under the Fallen Sky: 10 Years in the Mist [LP / Black Metal] – The Order of the Precious Blood – I No Longer Wish for Salvation [EP / Experimental Hardcore]
On this episode we delve into all of the bands who graced the stage for the inaugural edition of Heavy NFLD Fest on August 18th and August 19th in St. John’s!
The shows were as follows:
August 18th @ The Rockhouse (19+) August 19th @ Gower Street United Church (All Ages) August 19th @ The Rockhouse (19+)
All songs belong to the original artists. Podcast recorded by Greg “Akhenaten” Ravengrave.
Tracklist:
01. Everose – “Shadows” 02. Tower of Skulls – “Deadpool” 03. Winterhearth – “Scarlet Love (and a Black Heart)” 04. Kaspam Cult – “A Letter from the Bad Guy” 05. Sick Puppy – “Surrogate Boyfriend” 06. Bazooka – “Why Would You Bring New Jersey Here” 07. Jaded Truth – “Control” 08. The Skeats – “Torch” 09. Dendron – “The Glass Spire Redux” 10. Obelisk – “Embalmed in Blood”
St. John’s hardcore punk / crossover band Kaspam Cult saved the day during the all ages show at Heavy NFLD Fest Vol. I this year when they filled in for Buck 50’d who dropped off the bill. They absolutely kicked ass and we managed to get their whole set on video.
You can watch the entire Kaspam Cult live set on our YouTube channel or through our YouTube embed below.
The first month of 2023 has already come and gone. Can you believe how fast time passes these days? In any case let’s look at the awesome start that the year got off to in January!
We also released the 50th episode of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast! This episode focused specifically on grindcore, and as such, is a bit shorter than some of my previous episodes. You can listen to it on Bandcamp as well as YouTube.
Albums Archived – Artach – Ride… Die… Immortality! [Single / Black Metal] – Artach – Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [Single / Black Metal] – Canvas – Sweet Dreams [Demo / Alternative Rock] – Everose – Thorns / Threads [EP / Alternative Metal] – Grole – With a Pike Upon My Shoulder [LP / Black Metal] – Hakapik – Pig Skull [Demo / Grindcore] – Jaded Truth – A City Drowned [Single / Grunge] – Jaded Truth – Take a Seat [LP / Grunge] – Jaded Truth – Tsukimono [LP / Grunge] – Kaspam Cult – Samhain [Single / Crossover] – Knarl – Shed Demo ’22 [Demo / Hardcore] – Last Cigar – Don’t Tango (With the Rango) [Single / Stoner Rock] – Last Cigar – Giving It All Away [Single / Stoner Rock] – Last Cigar – Live at The Levee [Live EP / Stoner Rock] – Madison Strip – Empty Shells [Single / Hard Rock] – Mistwalker – Antichristmas [EP / Black n’ Roll] – Rick Massie – O Come, All Ye Faithful [Single / Progressive Metal] – Sick Puppy – Haunt the Hill [EP / Hardcore] – Smoke Signals – Spite You [Single / Hardcore]
Things sure have picked up this year huh? I remember back when the pandemic first started the news was so slow on this blog that I’d sometimes go weeks with only one or two posts. Now, I have a hard time keeping up with you guys. Let’s take a look at everything that happened in November 2022 as we head into the start of winter!
We also released the 48th episode of our monthly podcast. In this episode we focus in on the younger bands in the local scene. You can listen to it on our Bandcamp page and soon on our YouTube channel.
Albums Archived – 6000apez – Pissing Everywhere [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Acorn to Great Oak – A Tribute to Beherit [Single / Atmospheric Black Metal] – Carnage – More Carnage [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – AAAA (Quad A) [Single / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – Argument Then Divorce [Single / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – I Eat Batteries [Single / Hardcore Punk] – Chimp Apparatus – Pizza Man [EP / Hardcore Punk] – Devastator – Fight or Die [LP / Groove Metal] – Firmalino – Dovetailing [LP / Alternative Rock] – Havoc Protocol – Havoc Protocol [Demo / Crust Punk] – Last Soul Down – In Hindsight [LP / Stoner Rock] – Matrioshka Brain – Cabal [LP / Harsh Noise] – Nocturnal Prayer – Advance on Weakened Foes [LP / Black Metal] – Nocturnal Prayer – Mutilation on the Bed of Winter [LP / Black Metal] – Personal Space Invaders – Without a Voice [LP / Experimental Rock] – Ratpiss – Vermin Urine [EP / Powerviolence] – Rick Massie – Need [Single / Progressive Metal] – Rick Massie – Wind-Up Toy [Single / Hard Rock] – Viscen – Death Symmetry [EP / Speed Metal]
On this episode of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast I decided to take a look at some of the brand new bands that have cropped up in the local scene over the past few years. There’s a whole new generation of punks and metalheads who have been taking over St. John’s, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Head on over to our Bandcamp to listen!
The speed at which you guys keep making new music and doing cool shit will never cease to amaze me. This month was jam packed with new songs and cool announcements and badass shows, and November has shaped up to be even more intense. Keep it up! Let’s take a look at all the cool things we saw in October!
We also released the 47th episode of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast in which we had a chat with Lee Whiskey and Jimmy Antle from the bands Doom ‘An Blue and Leather Up Your Ass, who played in St. John’s in October.
You can listen to this podcast episode on Bandcamp or on YouTube.
Albums Archived – Kaspam Cult – For a Kinder World You Close Your Mouth [EP / Crossover] – Kaspam Cult – Kaspam Cult [Single / Crossover] – Kaspam Cult – A Letter from the Bad Guy [Single / Crossover] – Neko Suicide – T.M. [LP / Harsh Noise] – Roach Smoking Buddies – Roach Smoking Violence [EP / Powerviolence]
HeavyNFLD 