Title: While I Was Gone: Short Horror Stories

Author: Andrew Cull

Release date: May 27th, 2025

Over the last number of years, I’ve read a bunch of Cull’s work, between his phenomenal novel ‘Remains,’ his bleak novella ‘The Cockroach King,’ and his myriad short story collections and have really come to love the way he crafts a story. I said at one point in a past review that everything he creates feels cinematic, as though we’re reading this directly through the lens that he’s writing it through.

When this collection was announced, I was so elated to see. Andrew had a very public battle with cancer, sharing with us his ups and downs, and when this was announced, it felt like a cathartic moment – for Andrew and his fans. A giant middle finger to the illness. A statement of intent – ‘F&ck you, I’m back!’

On my end, I jotted this one down on my list of ‘books to buy’ and unfortunately, life snuck up on me and it wasn’t until recently when I was looking at that list that I realized I’d neither purchased it yet, nor read/reviewed it. I rectified that immediately, snagging the Kindle edition and diving in.

Cull has a writing style that is both layered and straight forward and that, combined with his cinematic approach to telling the story, meant I zipped through this in no time at all.

What I liked: Within this collection, Cull bounces from strength to strength, always showcasing the character in a way we know them almost instantly, while also bringing the world around them alive, in a way only Cull can. It’s as though he’s reading these stories to you, stopping every so often to whisper, ‘see that over there?’ or ‘look at the way the leaves ripple in the wind.’ His stories are immersive and each story in this batch of stories jumped from the page, transporting me from place to place.

The standout stories for me were;

‘Carly’s Wish.’ The first story in the collection is also a very dark tale. A man’s daughter disappeared a decade ago, and though he’s professed to dedicating his life to finding her, he also seems content to reap the benefits from multiple bestselling books on the disappearance and a movie adaptation. Then he gets a call one day from an unknown number. They saw something that day and want to meet. It’s heart wrenching and brutal.

‘The Grave Listeners.’ This was one of the shortest stories in the collection, but packed one of the biggest wallops. A ground of friends hear a story about people being buried alive, scratches coming from within their caskets. So, they form a grave listening gang. At first it seems fun. Until one of their moms dies. This felt like a classic Tales From the Crypt story.

‘The Bone Man of Sanatorium Lake.’ In this one, we’re introduced to a park ranger who is retiring and finally able to share some of the creepy and horrifying tales of what took place at Sanatorium Lake. So freaky but also so much fun.

‘Julia.’ I was convinced this was going to be my favorite story in the collection, but one other one surpassed that. This one follows a desperate man, searching for his wife and daughter. Their yacht capsizes and he can’t pull them free, watching as they sink to the depths. But then a sound is recorded. And when he listens it seems to be his wife calling for him to come rescue them. This takes a wonderfully macabre Lovecraftian turn and Cull delivers an emotional wallop wrapped in a man’s descent into madness.

‘The Gorey Man.’ This was my favorite of the collection and when I tried to figure out why I loved it just that hair’s width more than ‘Julia’ I knew it was because this one was set in the remote woods and featured a creature with horns. I know, I’m predictable! In a remote village, a young boy is sacrificed every year to The King of the Harvest, a hoofed/horned abomination that resides in the depths of the forest near them, to ensure the crops will be plentiful. Constance is sure that her son will be chosen, and when he’s not, she takes matters into her own hands, hiking with her boy into the depths of the woods to seek the King and make things right. One of the creepiest folklore stories I’ve ever read and the descriptions within this that Cull brutalizes our eyeballs with were exceptional. Outstanding.

What I didn’t like: As always in collections, the reader will have different reactions to each story and in this case, I wasn’t a huge fan of the story ‘The Scream.’ It was good, but compared to the rest, it didn’t hit the high notes like the others. As well, there was one other story – Halloween based – that felt a tad rushed.

Why you should buy this: Cull has a way of packing a novels worth of plot and emotions into a short story and this collection showcases that in spades. Each story feels fresh and different than all the others, but connected in a way that you wouldn’t be surprised to find a few of the characters hanging out with each other.

I often cite Kealan Patrick Burke and Calvin Demmer as the two masters of short fiction working today that you absolutely must read, but this collection proves to me that Andrew Cull makes it a trio and I can’t wait to see what he gives us next.

At the very least, you need to read this for ‘Julia’ and ‘The Gorey Man.’ Those two stories are short story masterpieces.

Here we go! The final installment! Part TEN of my Favorite Albums Series!

Thank you to everyone who has commented/DM’d/interacted about my choices. I always love chatting about music and it’s also been great even introducing some folks to albums they might not have heard otherwise. Before I dive into my final two choices, here’s the list of honorary entries. When I made my list of albums, these almost made the cut to be posted here, but for one reason or another didn’t!

So, in no particular order;

Kataklysm – In the Arms of Devastation (2006)/ Devildriver – The Last Kind Words (2007)

Moby – Play (1999)/ Arch Enemy – Wages of Sin (2002)

Type O Negative – Dead Again (2007)/ Chimaira – Chimaira (2005)

The Prodigy – The Fat of the Land (1997)/ Amon Amarth – With Oden On Our Side (2006)

Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (1986)/ Judas Priest – British Steel (1980)

Coldworld – Melancholie2 (2008)/ Septicflesh – Sumerian Daemons (2003)

The Glorious Sons – Glory (2023)/ Anthrax – Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998)

The Haunted – rEVOLVEr (2004)/ Stone Temple Pilots – No. 4 (1999)

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath (1970)/ Dissection – Reinkaos (2006)

The Crow Soundtrack (1994)/ Cradle of Filth – Midian (2000)

The Tea Party – Transmission (1997)/ Six Feet Under – 13 (2005)

Nazareth – Greatest Hits (1975)/ Himsa – Summon in Thunder (2007)

Sepultura – Chaos A.D. (1993)/ Fear Factory – Demanufacture (1995)

Marilyn Manson – We Are Chaos (2020)/ Pantera – Official Live: 101 Proof (1997)

Mgla – Exercises in Futility (2015)/ Lifelover – Sjukdom (2011)

With that out of the way – here’s my final two choices and I don’t these come as any surprise!

White Zombie – La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One – 1992

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that these two White Zombie albums are the final two albums on my list, considering how often I rave about this band and these LP’s.

The first song from White Zombie I ever heard was ‘Thunder Kiss ‘65’ and after hearing the track and seeing the music video, my life was changed forever. Saying that, it took me a while to appreciate ‘La Sexorcisto’ as much as I do, because honestly, it doesn’t come close to the musicality and darkness of their follow-up, Astro-Creep: 2000.’ Though I know, long time fans of the band will debate that, for me at least, ‘Astro-Creep’ surpasses ‘La Sexorcisto’ for better album.

Throughout this album, we see that kind of crossover-boogie-acid-rap/poetry fusion that was birthed from the NYC underground art music scene. Rob had a straight-ahead agenda for the lyrics while J and Sean created some of the most distinctive rumbling anthems to come out in the 90’s, only upstaged by their next/last album.

When I listen to this album, I’m transported back to my backyard in Burton, Bob Moody has the tunes cranked, the BMX zipping back and forth down the street out front and I’m just twelve years old, the entirety of my life ahead of me.

Key tracks – ‘Welcome to Planet Motherfucker/Psychoholic Slag,’ ‘Thunder Kiss ’65,’ & ‘Black Sunshine.’

Live – White Zombie, sadly no. But I have seen Rob Zombie live and at the show in Vancouver I saw him play, he ripped through a ‘Thunder Kiss ‘65’ cover and then had Scott from Anthrax come out and join them for a blistering cover of ‘More Human Than Human.’ It was fantastic and made this White Zombie fan very, very happy.

White Zombie – Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head – 1995

As much as I dug ‘La Sexorcisto,’ like I said before, it just doesn’t hold a candle to what White Zombie unleashed with ‘Astro-Creep: 2000.’

Funny enough, much like ‘Thunder Kiss ‘65’ (and a lot of other radio/mainstream band hits – see ‘Walk’ from Pantera & ‘Du Hast’ from Rammstein etc. etc.) I enjoyed ‘More Human Than Human,’ though found it to be perhaps the ‘weakest’ song on the album, though I use that term loosely. No, when I first heard this album in its entirety, I was brought to my knees. Dense, layered, packed with imagery and dirtiness, ‘Astro-Creep: 2000’ is my all-time fav album and the album I’ve listened to the most in my life. Hilariously, I actually owned the remix album – ‘Super Sexy Swingin’ Sounds’ before owning this one – as my buddy Lee and I tried to track it down on a soccer trip in Cranbrook, but the music store there only had the remix album, so I bought it and listened to it non-stop until I got my grubby little paws on the real deal.

This album just might be one of the most influential things to ever enter my life. Between this and the movie ‘The Bear,’ I’d say they’re fairly equal in forming my brain and how I approach storytelling and atmosphere. Without discovering this album, I’m honestly unsure how things would’ve played out in my creative life, but I’m very, very thankful for discovering this.

Key tracks – ‘Creature of the Wheel,’ ‘Blur the Technicolor,’ & ‘Blood, Milk and Sky.’

Live – see above.

Title: Taaqtumi 2: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories

Author: Various

Release date: September 2^nd, 2025

*Huge thanks to Lesley at Inhabit Media for the digital review copy!*

Back in 2020, I stumbled upon ‘Taaqtumi: An Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories’ and immediately requested a review copy. Once approved, I dove in, excited to see what type of terrifying worlds I’d end up in.

And I wasn’t disappointed. From start to finish, ‘Taaqtumi…’ was bleak, frosty and unforgiving.

Fast forward, earlier this year, I connected with Malcolm Kempt over on Instagram. Through that connection, I saw one of his IG stories, sharing that he had a story in the upcoming ‘Taaqtumi 2…’ anthology and I was shocked all over again. How had I missed that there’d be a second book? I looked and didn’t find that it’d been available on Netgalley. Going to Amazon to buy the Kindle edition, I saw there wasn’t one. Only a paperback version. I messaged Malcolm, who put me in touch with Lesley at Inhabit Media, the publisher, and Lesley was kind enough to send me a pdf. Unfortunately, due to the interior formatting and illustrations/graphics, I was unable to turn it into a usable Epub for my Kindle. Also, I was unable to have it work as purely a pdf on my Kindle. Which is all just a long-winded way of me saying – this took far longer to read than I’d planned on. I whittled away at the stories on the computer when I could and finally, gloriously, I’ve finished!

So, will fans of the first anthology be in for a treat for the second one?

What I liked: Much like the first anthology, the second focuses on Indigenous themes, locations and real-world issues. It’s fresh (though I say that as unoffensive as I can), because it’s not told from the same world view that we see over and over and over in publishing.

There are some truly stellar stories within this one again, and every story works to needle itself under your skin, making for a few moments of sheer discomfort that were perfect.

The highlights for me were;

‘Maniittuq’ by Aviaq Johnston. One of the creepiest stories within this anthology, Johnston tells the tale of Saa, heading out to a remote hunting cabin, looking for her father. The cabin has a tendency of being broken into by polar bears and the area itself has a history of ‘strangeness.’ Once there, the wind picks up, a woman’s cry is heard from every direction and Saa finds polar bear tracks near her father’s boot prints. Just a phenomenal, isolated ghost story.

‘Taaliqtuq’ by Malcolm Kempt. Essentially, one long run-on sentence, the story starts off with a hunter having an existential/out-of-body moment where they share both views of them shooting a rabbit. From there, they’re flung around throughout the landscape experiencing the animal’s final moments, connecting with nature and having a chance to do everything over again. It shouldn’t work, but it does and it’s very, very unnerving.

‘Watch It!” by Gayle Uyagaqi Kabloona. Two sisters appear as a duo on a reality show where they need to be the last team remaining, while racing across a remote area of the world. People watch via drones that track their every move. It’s stressful, but together they work well and remain in the competition. Things take a turn when a drone delivers a message and things go sideways. This story was a blend of dystopian and isolation horror. Really enjoyed the pacing of this one.

‘The Power Outage’ by Micah Silu Inutiq. The story follows a family, living in the far, remote north. One day things seem off. Then more things seem off. Then the power goes out. And more odd things happen. It’s really hard to describe this one, without making it sound like a story you’ve read before or minimize the sheer terror that drips off the page from every sentence. This story is the perfect example of what I said before. It takes a familiar idea and twists it into a folklore/dystopian/isolation horror piece that hits all the high notes so high that by the time you finish you’re not sure how you made it through. Fantastic.

What I didn’t like: There were a few stories within that I just didn’t connect with. One was an epistolary story, and if you’ve read my reviews for any length of time, you’ll know I struggle with that style of storytelling. But outside of that, each story was solid, just some didn’t hit me as hard as those that I absolutely loved.

Why you should buy this: The second anthology in the ‘Taaqtumi’ series is just as dark, ominous and fantastic as the first. The mix of stories is very solid and well placed, with no real lull or dip in tension and style. The interior is gorgeous, so I’d believe the paperback must be stunning when in your hands. I think the fact there isn’t a digital version of this one yet is a miss, as there’s a fair number of readers who prefer that format.

Saying all of that, once again the editors have put together a great mix of familiar and new-to-me authors who deliver stories that had me intrigued and terrified. Sometimes at the same time.

Here we go! Part NINE of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums!

Gojira – L’enfant Sauvage – 2012

Like many metal heads, ‘Gojira’ came onto my radar with 2005’s ‘From Mars to Sirius’ album which I really, really enjoyed. Saying that, I wasn’t playing it non-stop. When 2008’s ‘The Way of All Flesh,’ arrived, I was blown away and it was played in heavy rotation, ‘Vacuity’ a fantastically heavy tune that really highlighted what the Duplantier brothers were creating. But when 2012’s ‘L’enfant Sauvage’ was released, that album absolutely blew me away and it was quickly cemented into my brain as a personal fav. Every track has a rawness to it, an energy, while also feeling polished and brain melting.

Key tracks – ‘Explosia,’ ‘L’Enfant Sauvage,’ & ‘Liquid Fire.’

Live – Yes! And got to meet the band and hang out! I saw them while they were touring for ‘The Way of All Flesh’ at Richards on Richards in Vancouver. For that show, there were maybe 50 people there. I can’t remember why, but something else was happening that night in Vancouver (perhaps a competing concert) and very few folks were there. But it made for a memorable show and Gojira crushed it.

Buckcherry – Time Bomb – 2001

Now, I know what you’re thinking – Buckcherry? Really?! Yes, really. I’ve always loved Buckcherry’s dirty brand of sleazy rock and roll, but their second album, ‘Time Bomb’ is perhaps the best mix of catchy tunes, hard life lyrics and rollicking good times.

When this album came out, it was met with a lukewarm response, and the band went on hiatus. It bummed me out because I LOVED this album then (and still love it to this day) and didn’t think I’d get more music from Josh and crew and wouldn’t get the chance to see them live. That changed, of course, but if I’m wanting to bang my head and listen to a mad man on vocals rasping about life’s hardships while also just trying to have fun, ‘Time Bomb’ will always be the album I throw on.

Key tracks – ‘Ridin’, ‘Slit My Wrists,’ & ‘Slammin.’

Live – Yes! After they announced their return with 2005’s ’15,’ they announced a Canadian tour, and I saw them at a venue in Langley BC with my guitar player of our band back then. The show was an absolute blast, and the band was firing on all cylinders. At some point I’m definitely wanting to see them live again.

Nevermore – This Godless Endeavor – 2005

Back in 2001 or 2002, I heard a few songs from Nevermore’s album ‘Dead Heart in a Dead World’ and is we solid. I liked it but I didn’t love it. Saying that, lead track, ‘Narcosynthesis’ is one of my all-time fav tunes from the Seattle band. Then, ‘Enemies of Reality’ arrived and I was beginning to dig more and more of what Dane and Loomis were creating. But when 2005’s ‘This Godless Endeavor’ arrived and I heard ‘Born’ for the first time, I knew this album was a behemoth and sure enough, every track slayed. From the surge of the first tune – ‘Born’ – to the epic closer of ‘This Godless Endeavor,’ this album pummels the listener and pummeled me. I can’t begin to estimate how many times I’ve listened to this album since I first heard it, but it’s easily in my top ten most listened to albums its just so very, very good. Their final album before Dane’s death, ‘The Obsidian Conspiracy’ is also phenomenal, but it just doesn’t catch the grandeur of this one.

Key tracks – ‘Born,’ ‘Sentient 6,’ & ‘This Godless Endeavor.’

Live – Yes! They didn’t come through Vancouver often when we lived down there and whenever they played Seattle dates, it often wouldn’t line up with us being able to see them, but they did appear on Megadeth’s Gigantour tour one year and we got to see them perform live on that and it was a highlight of the entire concert!

Here we go! Part EIGHT of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums!

Dimmu Borgir – In Sorte Diaboli – 2007

When I first heard Dimmu, I wasn’t sure what I thought of them. I didn’t mind their music, but it also didn’t connect much with me. That was on their 1999 album ‘Spiritual Black Dimensions.’ But then when ‘Death Cult Armageddon’ hit and their song ‘Progenies of the Great Apocalypse’ was playing everywhere, I became super intrigued. I went back and though I still enjoyed their early work – ‘Stormblåst’ in particular – Dimmu remained an adjacent band. One that I enjoyed but didn’t frequently spin. That changed with ‘07’s ‘In Sorte Diaboli.’ That album grabbed me by my throat and didn’t let go and though I also loved follow up albums ‘Abrahadabra’ and ‘Eonian’ (yes, I love ‘Eonian,’ and very well might be one of the few people I know who love it, lol!), ‘In Sorte Diaboli’ stands head and shoulders above the others. Each song has a musical muscle to it, the compositions flowing from extreme to quiet to melodic and brutal. This was the last Dimmu album to feature ICS Vortex on bass and vocals and Hellhammer on drums, and you can’t understate the role they play in bringing these songs to life. If I’m looking to listen to dark, brutal Norwegian metal, this album is my usual go to.

Key tracks – ‘The Serpentine Offering,’ ‘The Chosen Legacy,’ & ‘The Sinister Awakening.’

Live – Yes! It was actually on their North American tour supporting this album where we managed to see them at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. Though my wife isn’t a fan of them at all, we watched most of their set and I loved it! Prior to the show, we even ran into ICS Vortex at a store just down the street from the venue, but he was in the process of paying for whatever he was buying so we didn’t bother him.

Above & Beyond – We Are All We Need – 2015

Outside of Buckcherry’s ‘Time Bomb’ album, I’d guess that for folks at home seeing my posts of my all-time fav albums, the inclusion of Above & Beyond’s ‘We Are All We Need’ might be the biggest surprise. Beyond this album being a perfect electronic album (and just barely beating out Moby’s ‘Play’ album when I was making my list), it’s also an album that takes me back to when my son was little and he LOVED this album. Whenever we’d play this, he’d stand and do his adorable little dance, that up-and-down knee bob one- and two-year-olds always seem to master.

I’m not 100% if I ever heard Above & Beyond prior to this album, though I suspect I did, as I used to listen to Armin van Buuren’s ‘A State of Trance’ frequently when I used to a pizza delivery driver, but somewhere around 2016 this album came onto my and my wife’s radar and we loved it – and I still love it. Every single song is uplifting and listening to these tracks makes it feel like the sun is shining down on you, no matter how dark and cold out it is.

Key tracks – ‘We’re All We Need,’ ‘Peace of Mind,’ & ‘All Over the World.’

Live – sadly, no. They did come through Edmonton at one point to play a New Year’s Eve show, but we couldn’t get to it. I’m not sure if they do much global touring anymore outside of big electronic festivals, so I’m not sure if I ever will see them.

Gorgoroth – Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam – 2006

Of all the bands I’ve ever discovered, Gorgoroth just might be the most random. Way back maybe 1996 (?) in either a Metal Maniacs magazine or Metal Hammer – though I can’t recall which one, though I think it was Metal Maniacs – I saw a posting in the back for someone in Norway who wanted to do an anonymous tape trade. In essence, I send them a letter – this was WAY before Internet my younger friends – stating my intent to trade. They’d mail me back to confirm. Then, on the date they listed in their return letter, we both mail each other a tape. That way we both knew something was coming, but neither had any idea. I can’t remember what tape I sent them. I’ve wracked my mind and just can’t remember. But I do remember they sent me back Gorgoroth’s ‘Promo ’94.’ But not the actual cassette. It was one they’d taped onto a blank cassette tape, and they hand wrote the names of the two songs. I didn’t like it, lol. It was poorly recorded – at least the tape I got, and it just sounded like indistinct noise.

Years later, when ‘Carving a Giant’ dropped into music video rotation, my ears perked up. It was visceral, brutal and for lack of a better word – evil. I loved it. The entire album ripped and though their ‘Instinctus Bestialis’ is also absolutely phenomenal, ‘Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam’ connects more to me because of Gaahl’s masterful vocals. On each and every track he seems to conjure new and exciting vocal accents and combining that with his live presence, this album is my pick if I’m going to listen to Gorgoroth. Add in the cover uses the amazing ‘Dante and Virgil’ painting by William-Adolphe Bouguereau, this one’s a winner.

Key tracks – ‘Wound Upon Wound,’ ‘Carving a Giant,’ & ‘Sign of an Open Eye.’

Live – No, I’ve never had the chance to see them live. They seem to be fairly sporadic with activity these days, with very few shows scheduled.

Here we go! Part SEVEN of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums!

Collective Soul – Self Titled/Blue – 1995

After having discovered their all-time classic song ‘Shine,’ Collective Soul has become a band that is interwoven into my listening world. Still to this day, Ed Roland and company put out phenomenal tunes, as evidenced even as recently as 2024’s amazing ‘Here to Eternity’ album.

Since I first discovered them though, the album that I return to time and time again is their ‘debut’ album, ‘Collective Soul.’ This album is often referred to as the ‘Blue’ album, as their 2009 album is also considered a self-titled album. So, to differentiate the two, this one’s ‘Blue’ and that one’s ‘Rabbit.’

Throughout, Ed’s steady vocals and even steadier song writing is on display and there’s not a person alive that hasn’t heard ‘Gel’ or ‘The World I Know.’ I always smirk listening to ‘Smashing Young Man’ knowing it’s a diss track against Billy Corgan and I have fond memories of playing this album on repeat during one of the best summers of my life.

Key tracks – ‘December,’ ‘She Gathers Rain,’ & ‘Bleed.’

Live – Yes! Though, only once. They actually played Abbotsford on the touring cycle for their album ‘Dosage,’ and it was an amazing show. I missed them recently when they came through Edmonton but absolutely want to see them again!

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here – 1975

I hadn’t planned on having any multiple albums from a singular band, but that fell apart as soon as I started compiling this list and another double will appear later on as I run through these.

With Pink Floyd’s two seminal and all-time classic masterpieces, it became more of a personal thing. Because, honestly, what more can be written about this album or ‘The Dark Side of the Moon.’ For many years, through my teens, I wasn’t a fan of Pink Floyd. If they were on TV or playing, I changed the channel or tuned out. But something shifted, later on, where I grew to love their music and appreciate the lyrics more and the song arrangements more. A band that actually swayed me to give Pink Floyd a chance was Shadows Fall. They covered ‘Welcome to the Machine’ on their 2002 album ‘The Art of Balance,’ and I really dug it.

‘Wish You Were Here’ has become a song with meaning between my wife and I, and some of the lyrics appeared in our wedding vows and I have a small tattoo related to them as well.

Hard to fathom this albums 50 years old, as it sounds as fresh and sharp today as I assume it did upon release.

Key tracks – ‘Shine on You Crazy Diamond Parts I-IX’ & ‘Wish You Were Here.’

Live – Kind of. My wife and I saw Roger Waters perform a couple years ago here in Edmonton and it was a wonderful show. A show we’ll always remember.

Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon – 1973

Much like ‘Wish You Were Here,’ Pink Floyd’s ‘The Dark Side of the Moon,’ which was released two years prior to ‘WYWH’ was an album I initially wasn’t too fond of, but it’s grow significantly for me over the years.

Funny enough, one of my least favorite songs EVER is ‘Money,’ which irritates the hell out of me and it’s a track I quickly skip, but outside of that, this album is perfect. The lyrics for ‘Time’ resonate more and more as my life moves along and ‘Us and Them’ will always have a special place in my heart. When my son was born, there were significant complications. If you want to read about them, check out my memoir. When he was finally allowed to go home, I was freaked out. PTSD to the max. So, at the beginning, he slept on my chest, with my arms cradling him, in his little swaddle. We didn’t have a sound machine, so I used to play ‘Us and Them’ on my phone to help him fall asleep, and sure enough, by the time that first sax kicks in, he’d be out like a light.

Key tracks – ‘Breathe (In the Air),’ ‘Time,’ & ‘Us and Them.’

Live – see above! But also, we’ve seen Brit Floyd and The Australian Pink Floyd Show, who also put on amazing shows and play those songs phenomenally!

Here we go! Part SIX of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums!

At the Gates – Slaughter of the Soul – 1995

A bittersweet anniversary for At the Gates iconic 1995 album, ‘Slaughter of the Soul’ turns 30, and sadly, their singer, Tomas Lindberg passed away only a few months ago.

I was a late listener to At the Gates, having discovered them through the band that launched following their original break up, The Haunted. After listening – and loving – a bunch of The Haunted albums (their album rEVOLVEr almost made my list of all-time favs FYI), we were at a concert and a band, which I can’t remember, played a cover of ‘Slaughter of the Soul’ and I was blown away. And then I was kicking myself for not making the effort to listen to them. This album is seminal, timeless, classic, but also so vibrant and fresh, even to this day. Adrian Erlandsson’s drumming is machine-like, but also so fluid and dynamic. The guitars crunch, the bass throbs and all of it is topped off by Lindberg’s insanely textured growls.

An album that sits alone on top of the mountain of classic masterpieces, this one influenced almost every single New Wave of American Metal that came after it, as well as launched the Gothenburg sound and all the Swedish bands that started because of this album.

Key tracks – ‘Blinded by Fear,’ ‘Slaughter of the Soul,’ & ‘Under a Serpent Sun.’

Live – YES! In 2007, At the Gates reunited, and in 2008 they toured across the US. My wife and I managed to get tickets to see them in Seattle at El Corazon. A club that holds around 800 people, it was STUFFED, but JFC what a concert.

Lamb of God – Ashes of the Wake – 2004

Though I was a fan of their previous album, ‘As the Palaces Burn,’ 2004’s ‘Ashes of the Wake’ was a revelation in melodic heaviness. The first time I heard ‘Now You’ve Got Something to Die For’ melted my brain and the drumming, guitar leads and face-ripped-off vocals of Blythe throughout this album cemented it firmly in my brain as an all-time fav years ago.

Lyrically, most of the songs tackle heavy themes such as war, government brutality and inter-band relationship/stress, but the beauty is that every tune will have you banging your head and singing alone. Of all of LoG’s releases, I’d say this is perhaps their heaviest but also their most accessible album. Taking a page from Pantera’s groove-metal approach with this one, a few spots are slowed to allow the songs to breathe a bit more, versus on previous albums, it was all fast and faster.

Key tracks – ‘Laid to Rest,’ ‘Hourglass,’ & ‘Blood of the Scribe.’

Live – Oh yeah! I think eight times? I even worked security for them once at a signing/meet and greet at Scrape Records back in the day, before we went to their concert later that evening! Every single time, they destroyed!

Septicflesh – Communion – 2008

Back when we lived near Vancouver, BC and my wife and I would attend anywhere from 2 to 10 concerts a month – if not more – we’d always make an effort to check out the opening bands music before we went to a show, if we’d never heard them before. So, when Cradle of Filth announced a headlining tour with Satyricon, and a stop at the Commodore Ballroom, we grabbed tickets. There were two openers – The 69 Eyes, who I’d already heard and didn’t really care too much for, and Septicflesh. I’d never heard Septicflesh at that time. They’d broken up in 2003, but reunited for a new album and a tour. The first time I listened to that reunion album, ‘Communion,’ I became a fan. It was jagged, mind-melting and rhythmic in places where it had no right to be rhythmic. I actually reached out to the band through social media and their drummer at the time, Fotis replied, and we messaged back and forth up until the show. We met at the show, suddenly lifelong friends, even if his English was limited and my Greek non-existent.

‘Communion’ delivers on every level. From a theme of ‘humans connecting to non-human entities’ to the mythology elements from around the world showcased and to the next level instrumentation on display, this album is monumental. They’ve continued putting out phenomenal albums – their most recent album ‘Modern Primitive’ fantastic – but throughout, the influence of returning with ‘Communion’ is always present. A true Symphonic-Death Metal band, the use of two vocalists heightens areas where you’d never think a song could turn sinister. But Septicflesh finds a way to do that.

Fotis left the group in 2014, but we’ve stayed in sporadic touch, most recently messaging after the sad passing of Ozzy.

This album is such a personal favorite of mine, I have the album cover tattooed on my arm.

Key tracks – ‘Lovecraft’s Death,’ ‘We the Gods,’ & ‘Sangreal.’

Live – see above, lol! But yes! Multiple times. My friendship with Fotis even got me added to their guest list for tickets, so for three or four years in a row, I saw them play at least once, sometimes twice and at one show, I even ran their merch table prior to their set, as their roadie (who also handled their merch table) had to do some last minute guitar tech work before they hit the stage!

Here we go! Part FIVE of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums!

Snot – Get Some – 1997

It’s hard to fathom to me that ‘Get Some,’ Snot’s debut and currently lone album is turning 30 soon, as it still sounds as fresh and snappy as the day it was released. For those who don’t know, ‘Get Some’ came out, Snot got a ton of buzz, but then tragically their singer, Lynn Strait was killed in a car accident – along with his dog and band mascot, Dobbs – after leaving the recording studio. A tribute album (Strait Up), a soundtrack song and a live album followed, but none of it holds a candle to the power and attitude of ‘Get Some.’

I distinctly remember the first time I heard ‘Stoopid,’ their first music video. It was on MuchLoud and once the video ended, I knew I needed to track down the album. The musical mix of punk, thrash, a hint of ska and rap, that was all blended into a metal album was phenomenal and to this day, it’s one of the greatest crossover albums and heavy multi-genre albums out there.

There’s new hope in Snot Head land, with the arrival of Andy on vocals, who seems to be channeling Lynn like no one’s business and the tease of new material has me salivating.

Key tracks – ‘Stoopid,’ ‘The Box,’ and ‘Unplugged.’

Live – actually yes! Though, without Lynn. Back in 2008 or 2009, Snot reformed with Tommy Vext on vocals and toured. They came to Vancouver, opening for Devildriver and we managed to get tickets and see them. The live show was great, Vext on vocals did a solid job of handling Lynn’s spot and it was a great experience. Saying that, seeing the live videos of Andy on vocals, I’m excited for the possibility of seeing this new, true, revival of Snot at some point in the future!

Misery Index – Rituals of Power – 2019

If you’ve read my novella, ‘We Watch,’ you’ll know I’m a Misery Index fan. Hell, I have lyrics of theirs tattooed on my chest. I was turned onto them with their classic DeathCrust album ‘Traitors’ and have really enjoyed everything they’ve done. But their 2019 release, ‘Rituals of Power’ took everything that is awesome about them and ramped it up by a bajillion. From the opening track to the closing track, Misery Index slays with each and every song and pummels you with their musical muscle as well as their insanely layered lyrics.

They kept the vibe going with 2022’s ‘Complete Control’ album, which was also phenomenal, but ‘Rituals of Power’ takes the cake, as every song feels like both a ‘single’ but also a part of the whole.

Key tracks – ‘The Choir Invisible,’ ‘Hammering the Nails,’ ‘Rituals of Power.’

Live – lamely, no! They’ve come through a bunch, in the various places I’ve lived, but I’ve just never managed to get out and see them! They’re high on my list of bands I still need to experience live and I’m hoping we’ll see a new album and tour cycle shortly.

Terror – Keepers of the Faith – 2010

‘Keepers of the faith, I will defend your name’

What happens when you mix a lifelong hardcore punk kid with the full belly assault of Slayer infused music? Fucking Terror, that’s what. A hardcore band that loves to slam just as much as offer an insanely heavy breakdown, Scott Vogel and crew sing about loyalty, respect and sticking up for your fellow person, while also delivering blistering track after blistering track.

But for me, ‘Keepers of the Faith’ is their classic album and best album. A mix of rock and roll tempos with blast beats and breakdowns, ‘KotF’ goes from one strength to the next and showcases why they’re the leaders of the hardcore punk/crossover pack.

In this case, Terror came onto my radar by seeing them live. Back in the mid to late 2000’s they opened for pretty much EVERY metal band we saw live, and they could care less about size of venue or size of crowd. If they were there playing, they were playing for a million people in their eyes, and every show was crazy and fucking amazing.

Throughout ‘KofF’ the band calls out fake fans, fake bands just as equally as they do government and political bullshit. It makes for a sociopolitical album that equally speaks to the casual fan, but also to the hardcore, long-time listener. A masterpiece.

Key tracks – ‘Your Enemies Are Mine,’ ‘Stick Tight,’ & ‘Keepers of the Faith.’

Live – yup! Actually, they’re up there with bands I’ve seen the most live. I think I’ve seen them at least eight times, if not ten. And every show was sick!

Here we go! Part FOUR of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums!

Sworn Enemy – The Beginning of the End – 2006

I can vividly remember the first time I heard Sworn Enemy, as it was also the first time I ever saw Sworn Enemy. My wife, my buddy Pat and I went to see Hatebreed at Richards on Richards in Vancouver. Richards was a typical dive bar/show hall, on the main floor, though it also had an upper level which was a narrow deck/balcony that surrounded the entirety of the stage. It made for some memorable moments, such as when we saw The Haunted there and their singer, Dolving, looked up, pointed at me and gave me the horns. Same with when I saw Gojira there. Maybe 50 people in attendance and they killed it.

But at the Hatebreed show, it was one of the few times we went to a show without really paying attention to who the openers were. I still can’t remember who the first band was, nor what they sounded like, but after they finished, a dude with long hair and camo shorts came onstage and did a quick sound check. He went into the intro of ‘Scared of the Unknown’ and the ENTIRE show hall went silent, everyone shutting up and turning to look at what they fuck they’d just heard. Not ten seconds later, Sal, the singer grabbed the mic, said ‘We’re Sworn Enemy from New York fucking City and we’re here to fuck you up!’ They cut into the actual ‘Scared of the Unknown’ song and we all had our brains collectively melted. I bought a copy of the CD after, chatted with them for a second and have been a fan ever since. Their previous album ‘As Real As It Gets’ is fantastic, as are their other releases, but ‘The Beginning of the End’ is their high-water mark – a crossover classic. Every track slams and, as always with Sal’s lyrics, feature a lot of real life commentary.

Stand Out Tracks – ‘Scared of the Unknown,’ ‘Save Your Breath,’ & ‘Here Today.’

Live – Yup! Twice actually. The second time we saw them was in a VERY small bar in Vancouver, where they opened for the mighty Pro Pain. It was an awkward set up, where instead of being straight on, they were on one side, and the bar was on the other side, and the total width of the bar was maybe twenty feet. Fucking awesome to be there with only 20 other people but still made for an odd set up.

Fun Lovin’ Criminals – Come Find Yourself – 1996

When I was younger I didn’t mind rap and hip hop. I even went through a period where I dug Dr. Dre and 2pac and Eminem etc. etc. But I moved on from rap/hip hop many years ago. The music just doesn’t grab my attention like other stuff. Not to say there are not the occasional tracks that I really enjoy, but for the most part, I don’t seek out new rap/hip hop music. My dislike of most rap was so much that when I loved Nu Metal, I tended to stay away from bands that rapped a lot.

One band that utilizes hip hop a bunch that I still dig, however, is Fun Lovin’ Criminals.

I first heard them in a friend’s car when we were on a quick trip between Burton and Fauquier. Fifteen-minute drive from Point A to Point B, to grab a mutual pal. When we got in, the car started and the first track, ‘The Fun Lovin’ Criminal’ kicked in and I was sold. There’re so many great tunes on the album and though many people are most familiar with ‘Scooby Snacks,’ I’d suggest that’s the only song on the album I tend to skip. Over the course of the album, they sing/rap about different life moments and it all feels real and gritty, much like the iconic album cover displays.

Since that album, they’ve put out six more albums – though I haven’t heard any of their latest, a 2025 album which is their first to not feature original member and original singer, Huey – and of those five I’ve heard they continue to put out great albums with fantastic tunes that span numerous genres.

Stand Out Tracks: ‘Passive/Aggressive,’ ‘Smoke ‘em,’ ‘Come Find Yourself,’ & ‘Methadonia.’

Live – sadly no, and unless I can get over the UK for a summer festival, I doubt I ever will, as they tend to not tour nor come to North America for shows.

Type O Negative – October Rust – 1996

An album that saved my life several times.

When I got this album – I bought it without having heard a single note, after seeing the cover art in Columbia House – I had no idea how much it would play a significant role in my life.

I’d previously heard a bunch of ‘Bloody Kisses’ and really liked it, but it wasn’t until ‘October Rust’ came along that ToN became one of my fav bands of all time. When ‘October Rust’ arrived, I was in the throes of a deep depression, and I often contemplated different ways to leave this world. After everyone in the house would go to sleep, I’d sneak out and go for long walks in the woods, listening to my disc man. The number of times I’d walk listening to this album is incalculable. But it kept me going. Kept me focused on the songs and the layers of each tune enough to get me back home again and allowed me to wake up one more time.

It’s not a stretch for me to estimate I listen to this album about a hundred times a year. If not more. In fact, there’s only one album that I’ve listened to more than this one, which will arrive in a later post. ‘October Rust’ is constantly on, constantly playing in my head if it’s not in my headphones or car stereo speakers. And as the year’s have gone by, their name and logo have come to signify family for me as both my wife and son have type O negative blood type.

I could go on and on about this album, and though I dearly love all the ToN albums, ‘October Rust’ stands head and shoulders above the others for me, an album that I’ll always cherish for keeping me alive.

Stand Out Tracks – ‘Love You To Death,’ ‘Green Man,’ ‘Burnt Flowers Fallen,’ ‘In Praise of Bacchus,’ ‘Wolf Moon,’ & ‘Haunted.’

Live – sadly, no. I did however get to meet the guitar player, Kenny, when he was touring with Kingdom of Sorrow and shook his hand and told him how much his music meant to me. It was a surreal moment and I’m glad I was able to do that at least.

Here we go! Part THREE of my Favorite Albums Series!

I’m just gonna start diving into each album from here on out!

This time – I’m sharing three more of my fav albums! And bonus – they’re all Canadian!

The Trews – Time Capsule – 2016

Back in 2003, The Trews released their debut album ‘House of Ill Fame,’ and I was immediately excited. The two stand out track – ‘Not Ready to Go’ and ‘Tired of Waiting’ – were phenomenal then and remain phenomenal now.

For whatever reason, I stopped listening to them for over a decade. It wasn’t until 2014’s self-titled album that returned me to being a huge fan. The lead single of ‘The Trews,’ titled ‘Rise in the Wake’ had me grinning like a maniac. Featuring amazing guitar work, a huge sing-along chorus and as close to an Alternative Canadian Rock Breakdown as you can get, the track had me exploring all of their music I’d missed while not listening to them.

Then, in 2016, they released a ‘Best Of’ titled ‘Time Capsule,’ and though it may seem like a cop out to choose a ‘Best Of’ on a list of fav albums, this collection has everything magnificent the band did up until that year. Their latest album, ‘The Bloody Light,’ just came out in October of 2025 and songs like ‘Manifest’ and the title track indicate we should be getting many more years of phenomenal tunes from this band.

Stand out tracks – ‘Not Ready to Go,’ ‘Tired of Waiting,’ ‘Paranoid Freak,’ ‘Sing Your Heart Out.’

Live – Yes! July 1st, 2017! And the reason for me remembering that exact day is because for Canada Day, my father-in-law, my son and I went to Spruce Grove and watched them perform for free for the Canada Day celebration. It was Auryn’s first concert and The Trews put on a simply amazing show!

Sam Roberts – Lo Fantasy – 2014

Much like The Trews, Sam Roberts debut album ‘We Were Born in a Flame’ also came out in 2003. And much like with The Trews, I loved Sam’s debut instantly. Hearing ‘Brother Down’ for the first time sold me and made me a lifelong fan. Between the lyrics, the music and the music video of Sam in a boat on wavy waters, I couldn’t get enough.

Fast forward and when ‘Lo Fantasy’ was released, I couldn’t stop listening to it. This was the album I was listening to when we found out my wife was pregnant and to this day I remember driving to all of the check up appointments with this album playing. Each song is an earworm and each song will make you bob your head and sing along.

Stand out tracks – ‘We’re All in this Together,’ ‘Metal Skin,’ & ‘Chasing the Light.’

Live – Yes! Edmonton has an annual festival called K-Days and I think it was 2018 when Sam Roberts performed there. It was such an amazing concert.

The Glorious Sons – A War On Everything – 2019

How’s this for connectivity? When The Glorious Sons debut album came out, the guitar player from The Trews produced their ‘Union’ album. Fast forward and in 2025, the singer and guitar player of TGS produced The Trews newest album. Cool eh?

Considering my love for Canadian music, TGS came onto my radar shamefully late. It was only a few years ago that I heard their song ‘S.O.S. (Sawed Off Shotgun)’ on the local radio station, THE BEAR here. I checked out more of that album and loved the songs ‘Everything Is Alright’ and ‘Comedown.’ Then, in 2023, their album ‘Glory’ was released and that album is near perfect. Songs such as ‘Mercy, Mercy,’ ‘Cellular,’ ‘Speed of Light’ and ‘You Stay Young,’ are magnificent and I’m constantly going back to that album, as it’s so good. But for some reason, I never checked out 2019’s ‘A War On Everything’ until early this year. Not sure why I never got around to listening to it, but as soon as I did, I was blown away. To me, this is their best album (so far) and I’ve probably listened to it close to a dozen times a week since I snagged the CD some months back. The song mix on this album are both a perfect example of the high energy tunes they write, but also the emotional, atmospheric music they create.

Songs such as ‘A War On Everything,’ ‘Wild Eyes,’ ‘One More Summer,’ ‘These Wicked Things,’ & ‘Pink Motel’ are some of the best songs you’ll ever hear.

Stand out tracks – ‘A War On Everything,’ ‘Wild Eyes,’ & ‘Pink Motel.’

Live – Sadly, no. I’m hopeful that they’ll be here again next summer as over the last few years they’ve played five or six times in and around Edmonton, but for various reasons I just haven’t managed to get to a show.