May 2022 in Review

Oh yeah, now that’s what I like to see! With the advent of summer on the horizon it seems like people are reemerging from their winter and spring hibernation to start kicking ass with tons of new music, new shows, and otherwise new activity. This past month was pretty wild with all the cool new shit that’s been happening, and it looks like there are few if any signs of slowing down for June.

We also started a brand new segment on the blog entitled ‘Metal Maniacs’. With idea originally spearheaded by Andrew Marsh of Winterhearth, this new segment sees local musicians picking out ten records that influenced and inspired their musical journey, taking them to the place they are as a musician today. If you’re interested in taking part in the ‘Metal Maniacs’ segment, send us an e-mail at heavynfld@gmail.com!

Read on to see all the happenings within the metal and punk scene of Newfoundland and Labrador within the month of May!

Biggest Stories
– Category VI Recruit New Drummer Brian Downton
– Exciter to Play The Rockhouse on July 23rd
– Steve-O to Perform at Holy Heart Theatre on August 29th

New Singles
– Amer Ali – “Deja Vu”
– Big Space – “Improv 22-1”
– Most Likely Forever + Decay – “Without Me” [Eminem Cover]

New Demos
– Sex Hole – Demo

Album Announcements / Teasers
– Sons of an Eastern Moon – “Blood Red” [Teaser]
– Yes, Officer – “Pace Yourself” [Single]

Metal Maniacs
– Andrew Marsh from Winterhearth, Dead Inner Youth
– Cory Fagan from Sons of an Eastern Moon, Metaphora, and Monolithic Sorcerer
– John N. Roach from Sons of an Eastern Moon
– Ryder Whiffen from Sentimentipede

Album Reviews
– The Skeats – Dead Before Dawn [by Akhenaten]

Merch
– Devastator Release New T-Shirt Design
– Everose Holding Merch Giveaway Contest
– Grenadier Reveal New T-Shirts
– Sheavy Release New T-Shirt

Watch
– Jaded Truth Cover “Junkhead” by Alice in Chains at The Rockhouse

Seeing as how we missed the month of April in terms of our monthly release schedule with the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast, we took the liberty of recording TWO full episodes for you for the month of May! The first is a revisiting of Riffer Madness, in which we delve into all things doom, sludge and stoner in Newfoundland and Labrador. The second, entitled Big Land, Big Riffs, is an exploration of heavy music that has specifically come from our province’s better half on the mainland. Labrador doesn’t get a whole lot of attention when it comes to heavy or extreme music, so we’re happy to shed some light on the history of heavy music from that part of the province! Check out both episodes down below.

Albums Archived
Amer Ali – Deja Vu [Single / Hard Rock]
Carnage – Carnage [EP / Hardcore Punk]
Dirt Stache – Doeskin [EP / Post Hardcore]
Dirt Stache – First World Idiot [EP / Post Hardcore]
Dirt Stache – Shed Safari [EP / Post Hardcore]
First Frost – In the Islands of If [LP / Post Rock]
Fucked to Death – Goth Bitches [LP / Grindcore]
Fucked to Death – Scum Union [Split / Grindcore]
Hakapik – Demo [Demo / Grindcore]
Hakapik – Demo 2 [Demo / Grindcore]
Hakapik – Sizzle [Demo / Grindcore]
Impaled Upon the Mountains – Morbid Obsession [EP / Black Metal]
Nemophilist – Borrowed Black [Single / Dark Ambient]
Nemophilist – Whispers of the Forest [Single / Dark Ambient]
Nemophilist + Vehement Gates – Cory [Single / Dark Ambient]

~ Akhenaten

Heavy NFLD Official Podcast Episode 30: May 2021 – Glovertown Underground

If you haven’t noticed we’ve missed a few episode of our podcast in recent months. I blame most of it on personal reasons as my own life became so hectic in the past two or three months that it’s a wonder I managed to keep posting throughout June. Luckily for you listeners out there I’ve made a pledge to make up for missing May and June by creating two episodes for July and August each. This is the first of those episodes.

On Episode 30 we delve deep into the musical lore of Glovertown, the humble seaside community that I grew up in. We take a listen to some bands that span as far back as the mid-2000’s right up to modern releases from artists that are either still living in Glovertown or originally came from Glovertown.

You can check out Episode 30 throughour Bandcamp embed below, and it will also soon be coming to the YouTube channel.

Tracklist:
01. The Skeats – “Box Set of Dreams”
02. Vehement Gates – “The Day of Night”
03. Mistwalker – “Penchant for Pendants”
04. July One – “Run for Cover”
05. Fucked to Death – “Mindwarp of Technology”
06. Defense Force – “Everything I Learned, I Learned in Hell”
07. Anal Christ – “The Battlefield is Full of Death”
08. Art Club – “Film Negatives”
09. The Evan, James and Jake Band – “Muffins in Space”
10. Ghost Cow Experiment – “Pepzi” [Mickey Edit Version]
11. Trinidad Gunfight – “Osiris and His Thunder”
12. Fog Lake – “Monster”

~ Akhenaten

June 2021 in Review

Biggest Stories
– Andrew Aylward Parts Ways with Ultimata
– Iron Siren Calls it Quits
– Most Likely Forever Offer Update on New LP
– WasteCase Go on Hiatus
– Yes, Officer Receive Coverage in The Newfoundland Herald

New Albums Released
– Artach – Sworn to Avenge
– Nemophilist & Fog Lake – Covers

New Singles Released
– Kyle Gryphon – “Doe Hills”
– Merlin’s Inferno – “Eyes”
– Nemophilist – “Borrowed Black”
– Nemophilist & Fog Lake – “Imaginary Girl” [David Lynch Cover]
– Nemophilist & Fog Lake – “Peach and Yellow” [Peggy Honeywell Cover]
– Nemophilist & Fog Lake – “Thirteen” [Danzig Cover]
– Nemophilist & Vehement Gates – “Cory”

New Demos Released
– Bugfight – Demo Cassette 2019
– Desperta – Demo
– Unclaimed Properties – Viewer Aggression is Advised

New Music Videos Released
– Artach – “She Gathers Leaves”
– Jaded Truth – “Spirit”

There will be no episode of the Heavy NFLD Official Podcast this month as I am still waiting on replacing the graphics card in my computer before I’ll be able to have access to the equipment necessary to produce it.

~ Akhenaten

Nemophilist & Vehement Gates Release New Split Single “Cory”

Carbonear based dark ambient project Nemophilist and Glovertown based dark ambient project Vehement Gates, have struck again. The duo have worked together in the past on a self-titled split full length album, have done so once again for the release of this new single. This single, entitled “Cory”, was released through Nemophilist’s YouTube channel on May 1st and can be listened to through our YouTube embed below.

~ Akhenaten

June 2020 in Review

Oops! We made a bit of a mistake. On account of incredibly busy home lives and a hectic summer filled with political upheaval and civil unrest we missed our June in Review segment. But hey, better late than never right? Of course it goes without saying that the continued civil unrest going on across the globe has been felt even in our home of Newfoundland and Labrador with everything from Black Lives Matter protests to COVID-19 anti-mask protests occurring on the streets and in front of the Confederation Building and heated discussions, debates and arguments going on across the Newfoundland sphere of social media.

Even in our own community there have been individuals who have been assaulted by the police (as evidenced by one of the biggest stories we published this month in which Kristopher Crane of Nemophilist and Impaled Upon the Mountains was brutally attacked in Montreal) while we decided to put together our first ever compilation album to raise funds to fight racism and discrimination here in our own backyard.

Read on to find out exactly what June 2020 had in store for the punk and metal community of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Biggest Stories
– Ambient Artist Nemophilist Assaulted by Montreal Police
– A Compilation Album for a Good Cause
– Hag Receive Coverage in The Newfoundland Herald
– Kaspam Cult Seeking New Drummer
– Local Musicians Speak Out Against Racism
– Racism in Newfoundland
– November Mayhem Will Not Happen in 2020
– Yes, Officer Donates 100% of LP Proceeds to Black Visions Collective

New Albums
– Hag – Hag
– Yes, Officer – Autobiography of a Naysayer

New EPs
– Divine Eradication – Marystown
– Froze to Debt – Mind Control
– Nemophilist / Vehement Gates – Split
– Ring of Restoration – To Breach Cyclopean Tombs

New Singles
– Blood Wyrm – “The Forbidden Hand”
– Blood Wyrm – “Runestoner”
– Blood Wyrm – “War Maiden”
– Doom ‘An Blue – “Wicked Serotonin”
– Nemophilist – “The Nightlight Man”
– Yes, Officer – “Play in Traffic”

Album Reviews
– Hefe NFLD: Deadgaard / Orchid’s Curse – Graveyard of the Gulf
– Qyn – Archetype
– Sludgefist – Sludgefist

Albums Announced
– The Hellfire Club – Volume II

Albums Archived
– Divine Eradication – Marystown
– Vehement Gates – EP
– Vehement Gates + Nemophilist – Split

~ Akhenaten

May 2020 in Review

It’s been a turbulent few months in the world at large, what with the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic and large scale protests the world over in response to endless state-sponsored police brutality against people of color. The Nazis are back, the economy is turmoil and our leaders are asleep at the wheel, but in reality what else is really new? Well, aside from the seemingly never-ending apocalyptic news stories being churned out of the mainstream news media, there’s a lot of new stuff going on in our local scene! So, let’s take a look at what May of 2020 had to say for itself in terms of Newfoundland heavy metal and punk fuckin’ rock.

Biggest Stories
Ratpiss Seeking New Guitarist

Albums Released
Aaiesieux – The Blind Hole
Rick Massie – Eclipse

EPs Released
Gamma Knife – Final Warning
Vehement Gates – EP

Singles Released
Hag – “House Sparrow”
Jim Jones and the Kool-Aid Jammers – “Typhoid Mary’s Secret Menu”
Madison Strip – “Antidote?”
Necrotic Big Toe – “Fucking Waste”
Nemophilist – “Misery Fucking Misery” [Himmelen Cover]
Old Thieves – “The Keys”

Demos Released
Ratpiss – Do Not Return

Albums Announced
Winterhearth Tease New Music Coming Soon

Videos
Rick Massie Starts Video Series Explaining Influences for Eclipse

Horrific NFLD
Grind Mind’s Deadflix Series Coming to Troma NOW
Grind Mind Release New Horror Short Zoombies

We unfortunately did not produce an episode of our podcast this month due both to time constraints as well as because we felt it inappropriate to do so during these current times.

Albums Archived
Dark Era – Dark Era II [LP, Blackened Crust Punk, 2020]
Gamma Knife – Final Warning [EP, Thrash Metal, 2020]
Ratpiss – Do Not Return [Demo, Crust Punk, 2020]

~ Akhenaten

Vehement Gates and Nemophilist Release New Split Album

Glovertown dark ambient project Vehement Gates and Carbonear dark ambient project Nemophilist have collaborated on a new split album. The record, simply entitled Vehement Gates & Nemophilist, was released on Monday, June 1st, through Nemophilist sole musician Forest Wanderer’s YouTube channel.

You can listen to Vehement Gates & Nemophilist through our YouTube embed down below.

~ Akhenaten

Vehement Gates Releases Debut EP

Glovertown singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Aaron Powell, who most know as the voice behind bedroom pop project Fog Lake, revealed late last night that he was working on a new project in the realm of ambient and drone. The project, revealed under the name of Vehement Gates, released its debut EP, simply titled EP, moments after midnight on the morning of May 19th.

According to Powell the EP and project were inspired by the critically acclaimed survival horror game Silent Hill 2 and it’s soundtrack composed by Akira Yamaoka. The final track on the EP, “The Day of Night”, is actually a cover of one of Yamaoka’s compositions.

You can listen to EP by Vehement Gates through our Bandcamp embed below.

~ Akhenaten