Browsing “Heavy Metal Ambassador Series”

Heavy Metal Ambassador is your entry point into this loud, dynamic, and powerful subculture. Every column will explore a different aspect of the heavy metal community in Toronto, from locals bands and record release shows, to fashion and graphic design. By demystifying and celebrating this rich and vibrant community, and showcasing some of the fantastic music being created right here in the city, Heavy Metal Ambassador hopes to encourage neophytes, casual listeners and other curious people to dive into the scene, while also in-depth coverage of events, records and products for life-long metalheads.

On September 9th the call went out and a crowd gathered at Toronto’s Fort York on a pilgrimage to honour the Punk Rock gods for Riot Fest 2012. With intermittent cloud cover and the looming threat of rain all day the show must go on and go on it did. The day was promising to be perfect for an outdoor event, just enough cloud cover to keep the heat at bay and make for a comfortable transition into the evening.

Andrew W.K.

Fans of heavy metal are some of most rabid, knowledgeable, dedicated music fans on the planet. They are the sort of people who collect ticket stubs, who own all their favourite bands’ records in multiple formats, who lust after obscure tapes and fight tooth and claw to get to the front of the stage at shows. Devoted metal heads aren’t just fans of a genre of music; they have embraces an entire lifestyle and community. For everyone already invested in heavy metal culture, this leads to an incredible sense of belonging and camaraderie. For new-comers just beginning to dip a toe in tis musical pool, the look, the sound, and the prospect of penetrating a tight-knit community can be daunting.Heavy Metal Ambassador is your entry point into this loud, dynamic, and powerful subculture. Every column will explore a different aspect of the heavy metal community in Toronto, from locals bands and record release shows, to fashion and graphic design. By demystifying and celebrating this rich and vibrant community, and showcasing some of the fantastic music being created right here in the city, Heavy Metal Ambassador hopes to encourage neophytes, casual listeners and other curious people to dive into the scene, while also in-depth coverage of events, records and products for life-long metalheads.

If you like dark, metal-inflused psychedelia; experimental heaviness; and 1980s-era cult horror films in the spirit of John Carpenter’s They Live, then you are going to love this video.

Heavy Metal Ambassador is thrilled to host the world premiere of the music video for “Mousetrap” off Toronto band Ten Kens’ ominous and complex third album Namesake. Ten Kens is the brainchild of Toronto masterminds Brett Paulin and Dan Workman, who also engineered and produced Namesake. Artful but never pretentious, Nakesame is a decidedly intellectual take on stoner rock. It’s all about denial and delay, the slow build and withering burn that suddenly flares up into a wildfire. The purity of the instrumentation is set off by intelligently deployed distortion, feedback and psychedelic effects.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Fans of heavy metal are some of most rabid, knowledgeable, dedicated music fans on the planet. They are the sort of people who collect ticket stubs, who own all their favourite bands’ records in multiple formats, who lust after obscure tapes and fight tooth and claw to get to the front of the stage at shows. Devoted metal heads aren’t just fans of a genre of music; they have embraces an entire lifestyle and community. For everyone already invested in heavy metal culture, this leads to an incredible sense of belonging and camaraderie. For new-comers just beginning to dip a toe in tis musical pool, the look, the sound, and the prospect of penetrating a tight-knit community can be daunting.Heavy Metal Ambassador is your entry point into this loud, dynamic, and powerful subculture. Every column will explore a different aspect of the heavy metal community in Toronto, from locals bands and record release shows, to fashion and graphic design. By demystifying and celebrating this rich and vibrant community, and showcasing some of the fantastic music being created right here in the city, Heavy Metal Ambassador hopes to encourage neophytes, casual listeners and other curious people to dive into the scene, while also in-depth coverage of events, records and products for life-long metalheads.

This piece has a twofold purpose. First, I thought it might be fun to expose my process a little bit, as the way I go about music reviews is something that I developed for myself rather than learned. Secondly, am writing this as my entry into the The How-To Issue, a project organized and curated by the fabulous Molly Templeton. As Templeton explains:

“This weekend, the New York Times Book Review ran its how-to issue, which is a rather nifty idea. The cover of the How-To issue lists eight pieces, two of which are by women. The cover reads, in part, “Judith Warner on How to Raise Your Kids” and “Kate Christensen on How to Cook a Clam.” That cover made me feel like I was in a time warp.”

In response, Templeton invited any woman who was interested to write a how-to guide on the topic of their choice, and submit it to be included in the project. This article also serves as my submission to her excellent issue.

I learned to write heavy metal album reviews (and live reviews, and conduct interviews, and write features etc.) entirely through trial and error. I have worked with several excellent editors in my two-and-a-half years of music writing who all gave me excellent feedback on the finished product and helped shape my skills, certainly, but the raw process was something I had to come up with entirely on my own. This is what I have come up with. I haven’t come across many step-by-step guides for writing album reviews in the past, so hopefully this get someone started if they’re interested in reviewing but aren’t sure how to begin.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Fans of heavy metal are some of most rabid, knowledgeable, dedicated music fans on the planet. They are the sort of people who collect ticket stubs, who own all their favourite bands’ records in multiple formats, who lust after obscure tapes and fight tooth and claw to get to the front of the stage at shows. Devoted metal heads aren’t just fans of a genre of music; they have embraces an entire lifestyle and community. For everyone already invested in heavy metal culture, this leads to an incredible sense of belonging and camaraderie. For new-comers just beginning to dip a toe in tis musical pool, the look, the sound, and the prospect of penetrating a tight-knit community can be daunting.Heavy Metal Ambassador is your entry point into this loud, dynamic, and powerful subculture. Every column will explore a different aspect of the heavy metal community in Toronto, from locals bands and record release shows, to fashion and graphic design. By demystifying and celebrating this rich and vibrant community, and showcasing some of the fantastic music being created right here in the city, Heavy Metal Ambassador hopes to encourage neophytes, casual listeners and other curious people to dive into the scene, while also in-depth coverage of events, records and products for life-long metalheads.

What do you picture when you image a heavy metal music video? Is it something like Patton Oswalt’s description of metal videos from the 80s, featuring a munch of sweaty dudes wearing vests with no shirts, playing their instruments in an abandoned factory whose only purpose seemed to be manufacturing sparks? If you’re a metal band whose out to make a metal video and wishes to combat that stereotype, then Ax Media Studios may be just what you are looking for. These local video directors and producers are know for their clean, slick and contemporary designs. They specialize in live concert videos as well as full-concept music videos, and also offer photography packages for bands looking to convey a more professional image. They employ a full camera crew as well as a makeup artist, and are an excellent option for local bands who want the exposure that having a well-crafted music video can bring, but don’t have the budget to travel.

Ax Media Studios representative Alexander took the time to sit down with Heavy Metal Ambassador to discuss some of the top-notch video services they are offering right here in the fair city of Toronto to some of our spectacular local metal bands.

Describe your business and business model.

Ax Media Studios is a production company servicing artists and musicians of all genres across Ontario. We are a one stop shop providing music videos, photography, live concert videos, graphic and logo design, websites, audio recording, all under one roof. The stress and difficulty of finding professional and reliable services to assemble an electronic press kit is taken out of the equation by going with our company. We offer flexible financing plans, and our packages are meant to service bands of all budget levels.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Fans of heavy metal are some of most rabid, knowledgeable, dedicated music fans on the planet. They are the sort of people who collect ticket stubs, who own all their favourite bands’ records in multiple formats, who lust after obscure tapes and fight tooth and claw to get to the front of the stage at shows. Devoted metal heads aren’t just fans of a genre of music; they have embraces an entire lifestyle and community. For everyone already invested in heavy metal culture, this leads to an incredible sense of belonging and camaraderie. For new-comers just beginning to dip a toe in tis musical pool, the look, the sound, and the prospect of penetrating a tight-knit community can be daunting.Heavy Metal Ambassador is your entry point into this loud, dynamic, and powerful subculture. Every column will explore a different aspect of the heavy metal community in Toronto, from locals bands and record release shows, to fashion and graphic design. By demystifying and celebrating this rich and vibrant community, and showcasing some of the fantastic music being created right here in the city, Heavy Metal Ambassador hopes to encourage neophytes, casual listeners and other curious people to dive into the scene, while also in-depth coverage of events, records and products for life-long metalheads.

As someone who has gone to somewhere between two and four heavy metal shows a week for the past three years (I have a problem, I know), I consider myself a fairly decent barometer when it comes to detecting changes and trends in regards to the live heavy metal audience. One particular change that I have noticed lately that warms my black little heart is a broadening of the demographic of who attends metal shows in Toronto. The stereotype of young men with long hair, combat boots and black T-shirts may still be an accurate description of the average concert attendee, but for every couple of gauntlet-wearing, bullet belt-sporting figure there is now a counterpart who doesn’t fit that image at all. From teenagers just discovering the joys of metal, still dressed in clean polo shirts from a day at school, or plaid-shirted, bespectacled hipsters who want something harder that typical indie rock fare, the face of the metal community is changing. I, for one, couldn’t be happier that more and more people are getting into heavier, more challenging music, and I welcome our new brethren and sistren into the community with open arms.

Morbid Angel pit, Maryland Deathfest 2012.

With the door to heavy metal flung wide open and so many fresh faces in the crowd, I thought now would also be an excellent opportunity to discuss metal show etiquette. As much as popular culture may paint the live heavy metal experience as a joyfully violent free-for-all, there is in fact an established and respected code of conduct. Usually, newcomers to the scene absorb the details of proper show protocol with time, but while metalheads are courteous and patient by nature, waiting for new people to catch on to the way shows work can be irritating at best and actually dangerous at worst.

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>

Fans of heavy metal are some of most rabid, knowledgeable, dedicated music fans on the planet. They are the sort of people who collect ticket stubs, who own all their favourite bands’ records in multiple formats, who lust after obscure tapes and fight tooth and claw to get to the front of the stage at shows. Devoted metal heads aren’t just fans of a genre of music; they have embraces an entire lifestyle and community. For everyone already invested in heavy metal culture, this leads to an incredible sense of belonging and camaraderie. For new-comers just beginning to dip a toe in tis musical pool, the look, the sound, and the prospect of penetrating a tight-knit community can be daunting.Heavy Metal Ambassador is your entry point into this loud, dynamic, and powerful subculture. Every column will explore a different aspect of the heavy metal community in Toronto, from locals bands and record release shows, to fashion and graphic design. By demystifying and celebrating this rich and vibrant community, and showcasing some of the fantastic music being created right here in the city, Heavy Metal Ambassador hopes to encourage neophytes, casual listeners and other curious people to dive into the scene, while also in-depth coverage of events, records and products for life-long metalheads.

Jovanka Vuckovic

When filmmaker, author and former editor-in-chief of Rue Morgue magazine Jovanka Vuckovic had the opportunity to choose where to hold the world premiere of her first short film, The Captured Bird, Toronto was the obvious choice. “I was born at Toronto General Hospital. I’ve been here most of my life. I also wanted my friends, family and crew to be able to attend the premiere,” says Vuckovic. The Captured Bird was screened for the very first time at the Worldwide Short Film Festival on June 9th 2012 at an event called The Night Shift, which began at 11:30pm and was composed entirely of dark, disturbing and horror-themed films.

Even in this lurid company, The Captured Bird stood out for its visual poetry, compelling narrative and strong, brooding soundtrack. Funded in part by an extensive Kickstarter campaign and executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, for a first short film The Captured Bird is as stunning as it is unsettling. Following a fairy-tale-like story line of a little girl who wanders away from her family out of curiosity, the film quickly moves from winsome and lovely to disturbing. Vuckovic acknowledges that she intentionally contrasted elements of sweetness with horror in the film, stating that, “there is beauty and darkness in the world, everywhere we look. One cannot exist without the other. If what you are showing people is too ugly, they will turn away. Wrap a severed head in a pretty bow, however, and people can’t help but look.”

…READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY>>>