March 2024 in Review

Time for our recollection of everything that happened in March of 2024!

Biggest Stories
Billy Talent and PUP Announced for Iceberg Alley Performance Tent 2024
The Order of the Precious Blood Announce 2024 Atlantic Canadian Tour
Today is the Last Day for the 2024 RPM Challenge

New LPs
Count Cromulent – Monorail
Personal Space Invaders – Random Noises, A.I. Choices
Securitron – Post-Apocalyptic Eras

New EPs
Corsica – Waves
Ratpiss – Four Humors

New Singles
Elder Caius – “Super Destroyer”
Jaded Truth – “Living a Dream”
The Order of the Precious Blood – “Cheaper But Will Do”
Sarra Cenia – “Good News”

New Demos
JRNL – Demo 3
Monroe – Repeating Perfect Movements
The Ram Has Touched the Wall – In the Arms of Death
Sour Gut – Demo ’24

New Music Videos
Jaded Truth – “Living a Dream”

Album Announcements
Jigger Reveals Tracklist for Upcoming LP

New Merch
Guntmold Release Cassette Copies of Blackened Infection
Sheavy Announce Vinyl Reissue of 2002 LP Synchronized

Album Reviews
Glitterglue – Friends Club [by James Titford]
Needle Crafts – Frow’d Up [by James Titford]

The Scrolls of Akhenaten
The Scrolls of Akhenaten: March 15th, 2024
The Scrolls of Akhenaten: March 22nd, 2024
The Scrolls of Akhenaten: March 29th, 2024

Albums Archived
– 6000apez – The Consequential Mudhole [Demo / Hardcore Punk]
– The Beer Patrice – Dead on the Ship [Live LP / Punk]
– Blender – D03s 1t Bl3nd? [Demo / Cybergrind]
– Clocked In – Clocked In / Year of the Rat Split [Split / Hardcore]
– Coward – King Rat [Demo / Pop Punk]
– Coward – Split [Split / Pop Punk]
– Evan Watton – RPM 2021 [LP / Progressive Metal]
– Kick Gut – Kick Gut / Don’t Split [Split / Garage Punk]
– Kick Gut – The Peter Album [LP / Garage Punk]
– Kristopher Crane – Piss Drunx Theme [Single / Hard Rock]
– Make Mean Everything – Gamma Rays [EP / Progressive Rock]
– Make Mean Everything – Make Mean Everything [EP / Progressive Rock]
– Moss Heather – Summer Flu [Single / Garage Punk]
– Of Wilds – A Ghost at the Strid [EP / Progressive Rock]
– Personal Space Invaders – Eat Your Meat [LP / Experimental Rock]
– Ratpiss – Four Humors [EP / Powerviolence]
– Sarra Cenia – Good News [Single / Stoner Rock]
– Solar Tongue – Consideration [EP / Drone Metal]
– Sons of an Eastern Moon – Borealis [EP / Folk Metal]
– The Strangled – Never Forget [LP / Skate Punk]

~ Akhenaten

February 2024 in Review

With January 2024 out of the way let’s revisit all of the happenings from February 2024. March and April 2024 will be coming soon!

Biggest Stories
Nameless Friends to Play The Rockhouse on February 27th, 2024
RPM Challenge 2024 Starts Today

New LPs Released
Bodydouble – Lullabies for an Anxious Mind

New EPs Released
Floorwalker – Floorwalker
The Lurk – The Lurk
Metaphora – Metaphora

New Singles Released
Blitzgeek – “Flux”
Killer9000 – “My Least Favourite Things”

New Live Albums Released
Mistwalker – Basement Dwellers

New Demos Released
Disciplinary Action – R.N.C. Demo
QLOI – The Tuvaq Demos

New Music Videos Released
Disposition – “Crisis Averted”

Album Announcements
Guntmold – Untitled New LP
Jigger Reveals Artwork for Upcoming New LP
Ratpiss – Four Humors
Securitron – Post-Apocalyptic Eras

Reviews
C.A.R.E. – Creating a Righteous Energy [by Akhenaten]
Carnage – Free at Last [by Akhenaten]
Falter – Salt in the Soil [by Akhenaten]

New Merch
Heavy Metal Karaoke Reveal New T-Shirts and Tote Bags

We also released Episode 63 of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast, New Metal from Newfoundland IV, in which I recount some of the newer releases that have dropped from Newfoundland and Labrador bands in the past few months.

Albums Archived
The Beer Patrice – Can’t Talk to Fish [Single / Punk]
The Beer Patrice – Who are the Beer Patrice? [LP / Punk]
Breaker – Breaker [EP / Pop Punk]
Breaker – Do It Yourself [EP / Pop Punk]
Death Ray – Murder Mouth [Single / Sludge Metal]
Fennway – Demo 2015 [Demo / Melodic Hardcore]
Fennway – Julianne [Single / Melodic Hardcore]
Hot x Proxy – Fake It [Single / Hard Rock]
Hot x Proxy – Mean to Me [Single / Hard Rock]
Hot x Proxy – The Operator [Single / Hard Rock]
Hot x Proxy – Tonite [Single / Hard Rock]
Mistwalker – Basement Dwellers [Live EP / Black N’ Roll]
Not Friends – Demo 2012 [Demo / Hardcore Punk]
Not Friends – Stowaway [EP / Hardcore Punk]
Securitron – Post-Apocalyptic Eras [LP / Thrash Metal]
The Strangled – Dead Music [EP / Punk]
The Strangled – Disconnected [Single / Punk]
The Strangled – Straight to Ghost [EP / Punk]
Twerp – Just a Little [EP / Grunge]

~ Akhenaten

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: May 3rd, 2024

Having returned from tour with my band Ratpiss in the United States this past week I encountered a ton of cool bands who definitely deserve mention on this here segment on the Heavy NFLD blog. If any of these band names, album covers, or descriptions entice you then you definitely need to check them out!

Black

Atomic Cretins – Day of Torment
April 12th, 2022
Blackened Thrash Metal
Independently Released
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Standout Song: “Day of Torment”

Emerging from the depths of Philadelpha to join the ranks of other Philly metalpunk rebels like Zorn and Devil Master, Atomic Cretins are exactly what I want from blackened thrash metal. Their debut EP is both heavy and ripping while maintaining a spooky, vampiric atmosphere, the perfect mixture for this style of extreme music. The riffs are fast and unrelenting, the vocals are absolutely atrocious (complimentary) and the drumming is pulverizing. All of this is combined with devilish guitar solos that conjure comparisons to Sarcofago and early Mayhem, while the occasional synth passage drapes the EP in a morose quality. With a name like Atomic Cretins it’s no surprise that the band sounds as nuclear as they do, with comparisons to Teutonic thrash outfits of old like Sodom and Kreator also being apt. Don’t sleep on this Philly four piece.

Death

Aroma – Adenocarcinoma
July 14th, 2023
Goregrind / Slam / Death Metal
Independently Released
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Standout Song: “Desiccated Scalp Slowly Rotting”

Upon my band’s return route to the frozen northern wastes of Canada we made a stop in the city of West Chester, about 45 minutes west of Philadelphia, where we played in a VFW hall called The Moose Lodge. Among the bands that graced this bill was Aroma, who opened up the show. Their brand of slamming goregrind was honestly a lot more interesting than most bands who I’ve heard in this genre. Instead of relying exclusively on slow, downtuned chugs and pig squeals or gurgles like most slam does, Aroma had a lot of variety in their music. They mixed higher tempo death metal riffs in with the chugs, changing things up on a dime, while the vocals transformed back and forth between deep guttural lows and pained mid-range highs. They were easily one of my favourite bands we played with on this tour.

Doom

Messe – Connemara PL
May 1st, 2021
Psychedelic / Stoner Rock
Independently Released
Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada
Standout Song: “Cette Étoile Inconnue”

Not a band that my band played with on this tour, but a band that one of my other bands played with on a previous tour from last year. Messe, hailing from the far eastern town of Bathurst in New Brunswick, are pure Acadian rock and roll through and through. Mixing elements of Black Sabbath together with other groups from the same era like Led Zeppelin, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, and more, these guys really embrace that old school 60’s and 70’s sound on this debut EP. While the band has released a new EP this year, this is the one I’m more familiar with so I chose to represent this one instead. It’s loud as hell, with the guitars reverberating and echoing across the boreal landscape all the way to the coast. While the music is all sung in French I think anglophones can still find a lot to enjoy from the instrumental aspect regardless.

Prog

Serling – The James Bevis Chronicles
August 16th, 2021
Mathcore / Technical Deathcore
Independently Released
Bowdoin, Maine, USA
Standout Song: “Time Enough at Last”

Admittedly this isn’t usually the kind of thing I’d be into these days. I had a huge phase in which I was super into mathcore and progressive / technical deathcore about 10 years ago, but the style doesn’t do much for me these days. However we did play alongside a band called Serling at a huge beachside fest in Boston called Weedviolence Fest during this tour, and when I found out that their whole deal is that their music is all inspired by The Twilight Zone I knew I’d have to give them a fair shake. It’s still not really the kind of stuff I personally go out of my way to listen to, but this is music that was made for people who love bands like The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Car Bomb, Rings of Saturn, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and The Red Chord. Mathy and heavy as fuck.

Punk

Corrupt World – Watch it Burn
December 16th, 2023
Crust Punk
No Time Records
Burlington, Vermont, USA
Standout Song: “How Can You Justify?”

Ratpiss’ old touring mates in Corrupt World were kind enough to set up the final show of our recent run in the ol’ U.S. of A. in Burlington, Vermont and it was a pleasure to share the stage with them again. If you like noisy as hell, relentless, d-beat crust punk that incorporates elements of grindcore and harsh noise into the mix then this band is for you. This is unrepentant and raw as fuck music that pulls no punches when it comes to grinding your eardrums to dust against the pavement. Just because it’s noisy as hell, though, doesn’t mean that Corrupt World is without a degree of catchiness to their music. Quite the opposite. Many of the songs on this EP have fairly catchy guitar riffs and ripping solos that are derived straight from the Motorhead-adjacent rock and roll stylings of old school hardcore punk.

Thrash

Artificial Scarcity – Empires to Ashes
July 14th, 2023
Grindcore / Thrash Metal / Death Metal
Independently Released
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Standout Song: “Free the Land”

While Artificial Scarcity are definitively a grindcore band, it would be remiss of me to ignore the copious amount of thrash metal influence in their music. Perhaps given that guitarist Sam Agnew has played in thrash bands before, it’s a bit unsurprising. It would also be remiss of me to not mention the band that I had just spent the past week and a half on the road with, ripping up venues all across the east coast of the States. Do not skip out on Artificial Scarcity. Not only are they musically impressive, featuring unabashed ripper after ripper across this debut record, but politically they hit the nail on the head. Appropriately calling out the state-imposed capitalist depravity of the modern world, from minimum wage slave labor to the government’s ignorance towards indigenous sovereignty, to the genocide of the Palestinians, to fighting back against state oppression. It’s all gloriously wrapped up in unbridled shred.

Trad

Goblet – Bastard Thrash
September 25th, 2020
Speed / Thrash Metal
Independently Released
Pittsfield, Massachusetts, USA
Standout Song: “Wing Fling”

While Goblet’s music is also undoubtedly rooted in thrash metal, there are elements of other genres present here as well. We get the occasional black metal tremolo-picked riff, while some of the riffage veers into death metal territory. They’re somewhere at the intersection of multiple genres while still feeling very much like just a Capital M “Metal” band. The music contained on here feels just as much influenced by bands like Municipal Waste and Metallica as it does 3 Inches of Blood and other power metal bands that draw upon that NWOBHM sound. We performed alongside these guys at the aforementioned Weedviolence Fest in Revere, Massachusetts and they were easily one of my favourite bands of the night. If you want fucking killer riffs, over-the-top vocals, and speed that kills, then Goblet is for you.

Non-Metal

The Pentagram String Band – Blood Blood Blood
August 9th, 2023
Bluegrass
Independently Released
Kansas City, Missouri, USA
Standout Song: “Mother of Babylon”

Perhaps one of the most interesting bills on this tour was a show we played in Atlanta, Georgia with a couple of bluegrass and folk bands at a venue called The Catacombs. It turned out that both our tours were hitting the same city on the same date so the bookers put us together for a bit of a mixed bill, which I was skeptical of at first, but came to enjoy quite a bit by the end. We performed alongside Johnny Lawhorn, the frontman of The Pentagram String Band, who performed his band’s material solo that night. His music was honestly kickass as hell. This man can play the banjo with a speed I’ve never before witnessed. Describing themselves as “suspicious of traditional bluegrass”, The Pentagram String Band draws inspiration from Satanism, the occult, and traditional Appalachian folk music to create a pastiche of darkness over the typically upbeat genre.

~ Akhenaten

Wild Step Release New Demo ‘Demo 2024’

Happy Valley-Goose Bay stoner rock / doom metal outfit Wild Step have returned with their first new release since 2021. This new demo, entitled Demo 2024, was released on April 20th, 2024 and featured three demo recordings of songs that will be featured on their upcoming full length record. This is also the first release from the band to feature Mike Murphy on second guitar and John Wall on drums.

You can listen to Demo 2024 by Wild Step through our Bandcamp embed below.

~ Akhenaten

Wild Step Reveals Tracklist and Runtime for Upcoming LP

Screenshot

Happy Valley-Goose Bay stoner metal band Wild Step are back in full force and working on their first full length record. The album is so far untitled, but in a post to the band’s Instagram stories on April 14th, 2024 the band revealed the full tracklist of the record along with its total runtime: 49 minutes.

The tracklist is as follows:

  • “Hunter’s Kiss Pt. 2”
  • “Grounded”
  • “Hammerdown”
  • “Sacred Smoke”
  • “Wendigo”
  • “Something Wicked”
  • “When It’s Done”
  • “Red Sun Exodus”
  • “They’re After You”
  • “Follow”
  • “Hunter’s Kiss”

Two of these tracks, “Wendigo” and “Sacred Smoke”, were previously released on the band’s first EP. We’ll let you know when we find out the album’s title, cover art, as well as release date.

~ Akhenaten

The Scrolls of Akhenaten: April 12th, 2024

This one is coming to you a day late because life got in the way this past week and I didn’t get as much time to hammer out which albums I wanted to recommend to you all on Friday. I was also busy hosting a show at The Traxide in Montreal featuring some rather excellent bands from the Maritimes, namely the blackened death metal stylings of Paratomb and progressive metal wizardry of Omnivide, along with local thrashers Grimhold and death-sludge riffologists Obelisk. Now that I’ve got a few moments of free time to myself this Saturday (between recovery) I’m going to make up for it. Read on for some of your (somewhat) regularly scheduled riff recommendations!

Black

Pakkt – To Brocken Heights Where Witches Dance
December 24th, 2021
Black Metal
Ván Records
Germany
Standout Song: “Three Desecrated Hosts”

The first time I heard this record I was absolutely floored and to this day it continues to shock me. I’d like to thank Devon Milley for this recommendation as it was through him that I discovered this band. I’ve never heard a band so perfectly emulate the sound of Darkthrone’s early material. Everything on this record from the guitar tone to the drum approach to the production to the vocal approach is the closest I’ve ever heard a band mimic that style, and they do it wonderfully. The riffage is so pure and kvlt and trve and devoid of any bells and whistles. Even the vocals sound eerily similar to the range and tone of Nocturno Culto on those classic black metal albums as well as the post-Panzerfaust era of the band. All you have to do is listen to the first track here, “Three Desecrated Hosts”, and you’ll see what I mean. If you’re at all a fan of that style of Norwegian black metal, then Germany’s Pakkt is a must-listen, especially for Darkthrone die-hards like myself.

Death

Human Remains – Using Sickness as a Hero
August 27th, 1996
Deathgrind / Grindcore / Death Metal
Relapse Records
Hazlet, New Jersey, USA
Standout Song: “Weeding Out the Thorns”

I first discovered this band through a video made by the YouTuber known as The Punk Rock MBA. I think that guy sucks but I’d be lying if I said he hadn’t put me on to some cool music over the years. Human Remains is definitely one of those bands. The first time I put this record on I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. “A deathgrind diamond” as one Bandcamp reviewer named Brett put it, this thing is fucking weird. There are sounds on here that I didn’t even know a guitar could make before I listened to this thing. It’s exceptionally brutal, uncompromising, relentless, and unapologetically experimental. There’s plenty of moments where the music remains firmly rooted in brutalizing the listener with blast beats and atonal guitar riffs before launching into interludes that feel like they’re drawing upon bands like Mr. Bungle and The Dillinger Escape Plan. Of course Dillinger was probably influenced by this band considering that Human Remains predates them.

Doom

Wardehns – Now Cometh the Foul
December 21st, 2018
Stoner Metal / Sludge Metal / Crust Punk
Independently Released
Wausau, Wisconsin, USA
Standout Song: “Denim Dogs”

I was put onto this band through a friend of mine who just happened to be playing them out loud on a Bluetooth speaker while I was hanging with some pals at their house. I was pretty much immediately hooked by the quality of the riffage, the production value, and just how similar it felt to the kind of sludge metal that I am really drawn to: bands like Mastodon, Kylesa, and Black Tusk. The ones who are a little artsy but aren’t afraid to get deep, down, and dirty with their music. Wardehns certainly scratches that itch for me and I’ve had this record on repeat ever since that initial encounter. It’s monolithic in size, with every song imparting the image of a group of intrepid travelers and warriors climbing their way to the top of a frostbitten mountain, surviving blizzards and avalanches, and fighting horrible beasts all along the way. The album cover is indeed a perfect representation of what kind of music you’ll hear on this thing. It comes highly recommended.

Prog

Omnivide – A Tale of Fire
March 22nd, 2024
Progressive / Symphonic / Technical Death Metal
Independently Released
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Standout Song: “Holy Killer”

I brought up Omnivide in the intro to this article not just to tell you about the show I was at last night, but also as a genuine recommendation for a band that kicks fucking ass that doesn’t live all that far from Newfoundland. This New Brunswick progressive metal outfit just released their debut album, A Tale of Fire, last month, and are currently embarking on a tour across Canada in support of it. Having seen them live a couple of times now as well as having listened to this thing all the way through time and time again I can attest to this band absolutely ruling. If you want your brain to be disassembled and then put back together wrong then this is the record for you. Their music certainly draws heavy influence from big-name prog bands like Between the Buried and Me, but there are also shades of groups like Cynic, Obscura, and Beyond Creation to be found within. If you like any of those bands you’ll almost certainly like this.

Punk

Flower – Hardly a Dream
December 26th, 2022
Crust Punk
Profane Existence
New York City, New York, USA
Standout Song: “Lethargy”

I was lucky enough to catch Flower at Varning Fest last year, an annual underground crust punk and metal festival that occurs in Montreal. They came up from New York City to play here and absolutely tore the place apart. I thought their live performance was already great but it was checking out their recordings after the fact on my own that really sold me on them. This right here is the kind of punk I like the most. It’s loud, aggressive, angry, and dirty as fuck. All the best crust punk is only a few steps removed from speed metal and black metal and Flower really embrace that vibe on this LP. The album opens with an atmospheric blackened guitar riff that reminds me extensively of Gallhammer and Darkthrone, before the unruly punk ripping starts at full force. It’s so gross and nasty, from the raw guitar tone to the punchy drums to the pissed off vocals. Flower are fantastic, and this LP absolutely slays.

Thrash

Phantom – Handed to Execution
October 27th, 2023
Thrash Metal
Inframetal Records
Guadalajara, Mexico
Standout Song: “Reaper’s Bane”

Mexico’s Phantom are pretty much everything I want from modern thrash. Their sound is supremely old school, drawing clearly upon the bands of the 80’s, with the Teutonic sound in particular being a primary influence. If you like Sodom, Kreator, or Destruction, or at least the way those bands used to sound back in the day, then Phantom may be for you. That’s not to discount the American influence in their sound either, because notes of Slayer and Metallica definitely crop up from time to time, but ultimately they keep things rooted in that more aggressive sound that veers on the edge of black metal without ever stepping forth into the blizzard. What makes this album even more impressive is that the dudes in this band are really young, most of them being around the ages of 18 to 20. For being as young as they are they’ve got a fantastic grasp of their instruments and their songwriting capability is excellent. I’m stoked to hear what they put out next.

Trad

I am the Intimidator – I am the Intimidator
March 8th, 2024
Speed Metal / Traditional Heavy Metal
Miserable Pyre
Portland, Oregon, USA
Standout Song: “Eat My Smoke”

I never thought I would unironically enjoy a NASCAR-themed metal band but then I am the Intimidator came out of nowhere and showed me the errors of my hubris. This is the new solo project of former Poison Idea guitarist Andrew Stromstad and the entire thing is lyrically and aesthetically based around the final day of NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt’s life. If that wasn’t already enough to sell you on the concept, then I’m happy to report that the music contained within is just as fucking awesome. It’s old school speed metal that draws as much influence from Metallica, Motorhead, and King Diamond as it does from a blackened speed metal act like Venom and an epic doom metal band like Candlemass. While the record may be all over the map in terms of influence it is surprisingly consistent all the way through, featuring fabulous riff after fabulous riff and vocals that’ll put hair on your chest.

Non-Metal

Shpongle – Tales of the Inexpressible
March 29th, 2001
Chillout / Psychedelic Trance
Twisted Records
Chobham, England, UK
Standout Song: “Star-Shpongled Banner”

I discovered Shpongle years ago when I was still in high school. While sick and staying home from school one day I went down an enormously long musical rabbit hole on YouTube (this was back in the day before algorithms ruined everything) which eventually led me to a fan-made animated music video for the song “Star-Shpongled Banner”. I was so enamored by the combination of the music with the visuals I was experiencing made that song stick with me for years to come, and to this day I still revisit this record from time to time. While I don’t often find myself listening to electronic music, when I do I prefer the kind of stuff that’s outside the realm of the typical club fare. I don’t go to clubs often, mind you, but I have a hard time imagining that this is the kind of thing played anywhere outside of a hippie drug den. It’s not for everyone, but if you like weird electronica you should definitely check this one out.

~ Akhenaten

Sheavy Announce Vinyl Reissue of 2002 LP ‘Synchronized’

Legendary St. John’s doom metal / stoner rock band Sheavy have announced an incoming vinyl reissue for their 2002 album Synchronized. Revealed in a post through their Facebook page on March 17th, 2024, the band did not specify that Synchronized was the album in question, and simply stated that they were scanning some old photos for a reissue. However, the photos in question make it pretty apparent that Synchronized is indeed the subject of this reissue.

There is no set release date for this vinyl reissue as of yet. Synchronized was originally recorded in 2001 and was released on October 29th, 2002 through Rise Above Records.

~ Akhenaten

Sarra Cenia Releases New Single “Good News”, Announce New Album

St. John’s stoner rock trio Sarra Cenia are back with their first new release since their 2021 EP, Road Trip. The band has released a new single entitled “Good News” which is a re-recording of one of the songs from the Road Trip EP. “Good News” was released through streaming services on March 8th, 2024. Along with the release of this track the band also announced the title of their first full length album, Cruisin’ Thru Consciousness.

You can listen to the new single from Sarra Cenia through our YouTube embed below.

~ Akhenaten

Blitzgeek Releases New Single “Flux”

Blitzgeek is a new stoner rock / metal / grunge project from an unspecified location in Newfoundland and Labrador. The project has been active since at least January of 2024, having released an EP called Abstraction on January 10th and a single entitled “Shadow of a Doubt” on January 20th. The latest and third release from the project is another single called “Flux” which dropped on February 23rd, 2024.

You can listen to “Flux” through our Bandcamp embed below.

~ Akhenaten

2023 in Review

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.

2023 Podcast Episodes
Episode 050: January 2023 – Newfoundgrind
Episode 051: February 2023 – Hard Rock from the Rock
Episode 052: March 2023 – The RPM Re-Cap MMXXIII
Episode 053: April 2023 – NLxHC
Episode 054: May 2023 – P.E.I. Punx
Episode 055: June 2023 – New Metal from Newfoundland
Episode 056: July 2023 – Come From Away
Episode 057: August 2023 – The Atlantic Annihilation Tour Re-Cap
Episode 058: September 2023 – Heavy NFLD Fest Vol. I Re-Cap
Episode 059: October 2023 – Heavy Halloween
Episode 060: November 2023 – Newfoundgrunge
Episode 061: December 2023 – Merry Fucking Solstice IV

~ Akhenaten