A stellar 5-band lineup was brought to a rare Thursday show at the Rockpile for a heavier side of a short and sweet metal offering.
DOMINANT SPECIES
Right out of the gate, Dominant Species ran roughshod on the rockpile in a blistering 17-minute performance, just over a year from the last performance, this local Toronto act, blending not only genres of metal but leaning heavy on rap-style vocals. This band went out of its way to give a shout out to all of the bands on the billing in between songs and incorporate a vocal “bust it” before each song played as well. Musically, the band is tighter than ever; if you didn’t experience this performance, trust me when I say, absolutely no rust on the time away from the stage, just pure shine. Incorporating all of these music styles will pay dividends for this band, as they stand out above a lot of local bands, and will open more doors for them in comparison to others due to the wider reach they have.
Setlist
‘Follicular Extinction’, ‘Vegan Cannibal’, ‘F.A.R.T.’, ‘Frenzy’, ‘Illicit Empire’, ‘Shittalkers’
WITCH VOMIT
With Witch Vomit hitting the stage, the death metal for the night was brought forward with a first course offering. Currently touring for their recent full-length album Funeral Sanctum, this set was six songs long and brutal from start to finish. With each member being with the band for more than five years, I was hard pressed to find a mistake in any of the music that was being played. With lots of headbanging from the crowd and a little bit of movement, this band was excellent in the second slot to get the concertgoers warmed up for the rest of the night. I’ve never seen this band before this night, and I hope they will return soon.
Setlist
‘Dead Veins’, ‘Dominion Of A Darkened Realm’, ‘Decaying Angelic Flesh’, ‘Purulent Burial Mound’, ‘Despoilment’, ‘Black Wings Of Desolation’, ‘Funeral Sanctum’
PHOBOPHILIC
North Dakota seems like an odd place for death metal; however, Phobophilic is going out of their way to not only set, but lead the charge for American death metal. Only three of the members are on stage for this performance, with the touring member missing without explanation. Would have been nice to see them with dual guitars, however I’ve seen this band before, and this performance was better than previous times, even being down a member.
Setlist
‘The Illusion Of Self’, ‘Those Which Stare Back’, ‘Diminished To Unbeing’, ‘Nauseating Despair’, ‘Survive In Obscurity’, ‘Cathedrals Of Blood (Twilight Of The Idols)’
SKELETAL REMAINS
Another round of death metal smorgasbord, Skeletal Remains, came on stage and performed a pissed-off and aggressive set, complete with dominate red lighting and lots of smoke, which not only hindered the enjoyment of the performance but also caused me and others to miss a majority of the set. For what was seen, lots of movement, lots of head banging, and lots of fists/horns in the air!
Setlist
‘Void Of Despair’, ‘Relentless Appetite’, ‘Beyond Cremation’, ‘Catastrophic Retribution’, ‘To Conquer The Devout’, ‘Devouring Mortality’, ‘…Evocation (The Rebirth)’, ‘Unmerciful’
BEWITCHER
The main event Bewitcher, this speed/death metal performance was no joke, as it was a nonstop set that felt like five minutes but left me wanting more. Something very magical about three piece bands—I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—the sound that three piece bands bring forward always makes it feel like it’s 4, 5, or even 6 members on stage. A portion of the crowd left before this performance, which I thought was crazy, as Bewitcher was the standout from the touring acts. Intense and fast; I would have loved a longer set; an hour would have been fabulous, but this just means I will have to see them again soon enough (further research post concert shows that this is an average setlist length for Bewitcher. The band has something really magical and is a textbook example of a new generation speed metal band.
Setlist
‘Starfire Maelstrom’, ‘Too Fast For The Flames’, ‘Speed ‘Til You Bleed’, ‘Under The Witching Cross’, ‘Valley Of The Ravens’, ‘Out Against The Law’, ‘Spell Shock’, ‘Sin Is In Her Blood’, ‘Satanic Magick Attack’, ‘Bewitcher’
CONCLUSION
Thursday nights at the rockpile are normally a local open stage jam night; shout out to the regulars for giving up a Thursday for this metal show to happen, and thanks to the staff of the rockpile for a hell of a Thursday night full of metal!
October 10th, 2024 @ The Rockpile (Toronto, ON)
Images By: Miles George
Words By: Miles George