About: Savannah Bagshaw

The Commodore Ballroom became ground zero for a metal meltdown on Thursday, as Prong and Voivod unleashed a sonic onslaught that left the crowd reeling and hungry for more.

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From the moment Prong kicked off with “The Descent,” it was clear that tonight was going to be a wild ride. Each riff was like a punch to the gut, while tracks like “Unconditional” and “Disbelief” had the crowd in a frenzy of headbanging and fist-pumping.

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But it wasn’t all about their hits; Prong also treated the audience to some unexpected surprises, including a wicked cover of Killing Joke’s “Seeing Red” and their adored rendition of Rush’s “Working Man”.

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As the set continued with relentless energy, tracks like “Broken Peace” and “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” kept the momentum at full throttle, leaving no doubt that Prong was in top form.

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As if the crowd wasn’t already whipped into a frenzy, Canadian metal titans, Voivod, took the stage and cranked the intensity up to eleven.

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Launching into 1987’s “Killing Technology” they delivered a musical assault that was as mind-bending as it was relentless. With their signature blend of thrash-striken prog, Voivod proved why they’re legends of the genre.

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Newly reimagined tracks like “Fix My Heart” showcased their ability to still execute intricate melodies while classics like “Voivod” and the ever feral “Condemed To The Gallows” highlighted the band’s most bone-crushing riffs, leaving fans rabid.

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As the night came to a close, it was clear that both Prong and Voivod left an undeniable mark on the Commodore Ballroom, not unlike the first time they shared that stage back in the early 90s’. 

Progressive titans Meshuggah, melodic-death metallers In Flames, and deathcore trailblazers Whitechapel ripped through Vancouver last week as part of their North American tour. 

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More rabid and on the ball than ever, the three European metal pioneers sent the entire arena into a frenzy with mind-boggling riffs and earth-quaking heaviness. 

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While their setlists leaned heavily on newer material, fans didn’t seem to mind as both Whitechapel and In Flames, flexed their prowess in musicianship. Besides, the energy they brought and their legacies alone, made for two incredible sets that will not be soon forgotten. 

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The real treat though, was Meshuggah. Known for their otherworldly instrumentation and breakneck speed, the band had fans head-banging to the point of whiplash and moshing barbarously. 

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Not only did Meshuggah offer a taste of their entire discography, but for the first time in 15 years, fans got to hear “Humiliative” from the band’s first EP. Lucky for those catching this run, the band has also re-incorporated “Bleed” into their set, a first since 2019.

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Glorious mayhem is one of the only ways you could describe the scene. From the general admission pit to the stands and concourse, metalheads of all ages were blissed out of their minds.

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Fans screaming along to every song and ripping off their shirts to whip around like battle axes, the average person may have found the sight terrifying, but to any metalhead it was beautiful.

On Wednesday night, Vancouver was lucky enough to be the third Canadian stop on the annual Decibel Magazine Tour.

Hailed as the longest-running Metal tour in North America, this prolific showcase has brought bands like Obituary, Morbid Angel and Enslaved to cities across the continent for over ten years.

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The 2023 tour perfectly blended black and death metal with its lineup consisting of Dark Funeral, Cattle Decapitation, along with up-and-coming heavy-hitters 200 Stab Wounds and Black Braid.

Between the crushing atmospherics, gruesome vocals, and downright nasty riffs, there was little room for any disappointment.

Highlights included: Black Braid’s culturally rich performance that was both beautiful and educational. As they wove traditional indigenous instruments, songs, and storytelling throughout raw and atmospheric black metal soundscapes.

200 Stab Wounds never fail to put on a brutal set with tight instrumentation and neck-breaking riffs, this band is a real testament to the new wave of Death Metal and just how tough it is.

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Obviously, Cattle Decapitation was just insane. Travis Ryan is otherworldly live, foaming at the mouth and creating noises no human should be able to. It’s not just Ryan that makes this band hard to believe, but every member is a tenacious beast with their instrument – all coming together to form one wretched conglomerate of sound that is honestly mind-boggling to bear witness to.

Sadly, I had to depart before Dark Funeral hit the stage. But, I was lucky enough to catch them back in November wit Cattle Decapitation, and I know for a fact they are a band everyone must see at least once.

Last week fans at the Commodore Ballroom closed out the month of May with a night of metal mayhem, thanks to Sepultura, Kreator, Death Angel and Spirit World.

It’s been several years since both Kreator and Sepultura visited Vancouver, and they did not disappoint. Both bands were equipped with stacked setlists, riddled with hits and new material, along with fierce energy and tenacious instrumentation.

From coaxing circle pits to promoting walls of death and egging on crowd-surfers, the fans were feral and did whatever the band told them to, it was amazing to see!

Vancouver’s Commodore Ballroom hosted a night of immense musical prowess on Wednesday, October 26th, welcoming American acts; Animals As Leaders, Car Bomb and Alluvial.

While these acts may sound like an odd pairing to some, they could not be better suited to share the stage together, as they all share one important ingredient – incredible instrumentation.

From the intricate terrain of Animals As Leaders’ progressive and stunning landscapes to the mind-boggling heaviness of Car Bomb’s musical mathematics, all supported by the cavernous complexities of Alluvial – this bill was one for fans of metal mastery.

Vancouver’s UBC Thunderbird Arena was shaken to life this long weekend, thanks to a stacked lineup of some of metal’s heaviest hitters of the modern millennia.

As if a night headlined by the southern brutes in Lamb of God, backed by the iconic Killswitch Engage wasn’t enough to get Vancouverites headbanging to the point of whiplash — up-and-coming deathcore act Fit For An Autopsy and the return BC’s own, Spiritbox, left us all sore and smiling for Thanksgiving Monday.

From breakdowns and blast beats to gutturals and near operatics, Lamb Of God’s  ‘Omens’ tour kick-off, had everything a metalhead of any age could wish for. The pyrotechnics, strobes, stage banter, and hit-spattered setlists, were the cherries on top of a perfectly hellish evening.

Progressive rock lovers of all ages congregated at Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre  on Sunday evening to see prolific funksters, Primus.

While seeing Les Claypool is enough to get anybody’s blood pumping, Sunday’s spectacle was particularly important for those who are fans of Canadian prog-rock pioneers, Rush. 

Not many may see the connection between these two legendary bands, but if you listen close enough you can find the undeniable similarities and the immense influence on had on the other. This is why Claypool felt it fitting to tour in tribute to his 70’s predecessors, performing his meticulously practiced renditions of Rush’s quintessential album A Farewell To Kings