Screen Shot from ANTIFA Video
A couple weeks back, the final night of Montreal’s Messe des Morts Festival was besieged by a group of anti-fascist protesters who turned out in full force to oppose the evening’s headliner, the Polish Pagan black metal band Graveland. The band, who is touring for the first time in their twenty five year history, is led by Rob "Darken" Fudali, a man who in the past has made statements affiliating himself with Nazism, and who has a reputation as one of the more significant extreme right-wing personalities in the metal scene. Labeling the whole event as racist, the protesters used smoke bombs and other violent tactics, and were able to have the show shut down. Many of the concert-goers targeted by the protesters were visible minorities, and were also accused of being Nazis. In the aftermath of these events and some spirited discussions on social media, the fine folks at Metal Insider reached out to me for my thoughts, and I had many. Read my editorial "Fascism and Blasphemy: Thoughts On Messe des Morts, Graveland, and ANTIFA" over at MetalInsider.net.
Poster by Jen Pilles
My latest interview is with Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford, who has a new avant-garde punk band called Wakrat. Read it now in the Interviews section. Also please join me for the first-ever Zombitrol Metal Party tonight (Tuesday, November 29th) at Coalition (282 Augusta Ave.) in Toronto for an evening of headbanging and an all-metal set from looper / one-man-band Jack Moves. Only $2 with your ticket from the Metallica, Steel Panther, or Stevie Nicks shows, or $5 without.
Photo by Andrew Epstein
Head to the Interviews section to see my two latest pieces for A Journal of Musical Things: a record-shopping excursion with The Trews in celebration of their first Greatest Hits compilation, as well as a chat with Tool / A Perfect Circle / Puscifer frontman Maynard James Keenan about his new biography and his experiences north of the border.
Photo Courtesy of Earsplit PR
Check out the Interviews section for my latest chats with industrial one-man-band Author & Punisher, and Canadian pop star-turned-headbanger Skye Sweetnam of Sumo Cyco.