The Hirsch Effekt’s Ilja Lappin sits down with Robin Ono to talk about the talent, the language and the chaos behind the music.

Neurosis, Converge, AmenraThe Danforth Music Hall, Toronto, Canada 2.08.2017 Photos by Robin Ono

Whether we’re talking about Neurosis, Converge or Amenra, time bears no mark on legacies destined to remain unmatched.

Overall, Add Violence as a standalone release sums up to a couple of great tracks, a handful of interesting ideas and a few decent yet redundant formalities, leaving this reviewer yearning for a new album as opposed to reaching for the replay button.

On the whole, ‘Eskapist’ marks yet another honorable release for the german trio, one that nicely counterbalances the consistent mathcore-driven aggression of its direct predecessor through its effective and cohesive musical narrative.

Soft Sounds From Another Planet is as consistent as one can hope for, elegantly tied together into a peaceful flow of songs that wash over your senses and reel you into its world like the irresistible voice of mermaids.

With Also Sprach Zarathustra, Slovenia’s most daring act march confidently into untrodden musical territory and reinstate the grounds of their unique, unmatched career and legacy.

Fates Warning, Pyramid Theorem, Infinite SpectrumMod Club, Toronto, Canada, 21.06.2017 Photos by Robin Ono Please do not use the photos without the photographer’s permission.

Though there were moments where the overly demonstrative musicianship ended up losing my interest, the undeniable talent on display ultimately converged back towards faithful, lively renditions of grandiose rock pieces.

Overall, ‘Savage Sinusoid’ is certainly a crazy album and an impressive piece of work, albeit quite a frustrating one as it struggles to shed its last bits of sanity.

The Teatro Fiasco tour serves as a promising undertaking for Rival Sons, one that we should hopefully see grow and expand as the band carries on its rock n’ roll crusade across the globe.

From an intriguing yet disjointed first half to a solid but safe second half, the Birushanah / Monarch split record is a modest release best reserved for the avid fans of both bands.

Rival Sons, The London Souls, Derrick Brown, DJ Howie PyroDanforth Music Hall, Ontario, Canada, 8.05.2017 Photos by Robin Ono

Accompanying this new record, Mondkopf has granted us the honour of featuring his latest video for the album, a phantasmagorical visual journey into the surreal, unsettling tone of the record.

Good Times doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, but it is a fun, instantly gratifying listen. As horrid as its album art may look, Mando Diao’s eighth record is solid record that has a lot to offer to both fans and newcomers.

Undeterred by the dreadful weather that had been relentlessly pestering Torontonians for the past few days, fans of all ages eagerly waited to welcome Slowdive’s triumphant return to Toronto on the day of their comeback record release date.

Having released their fifth record last year, Rival Sons has been touring relentlessly and is currently travelling across North America for the American branch of a very special headlining tour: the Teatro Fiasco tour. We recently caught up with guitarist Scott Holiday to talk about the band’s recent activities as well as his personal knack for sharp outfits and great records.

What’s most disconcerting about Artificial Brain’s music is that none of it sounds human yet every second of it feels alive.

Once again, Bagarre Générale have delivered excellence with a sophomore record that will leave you mesmerised by its grandeur.

While not the band’s best, ‘Trumpeting Ecstasy’ is a record that will surely quench the thirst of any heavy music fan in search for some dark, punishing grindcore.

Once again, Ulver has caught us off-guard and delivered yet another masterfully crafted album, one that meticulously borrows from their past whilst also diving head-on into new territory. ‘The Assassination of Julius Caesar’ is a somber, poetic record veiled in glamour and melancholy.