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.

Welcome back to PART TWO of my Favorite Albums Series!

In part one, I shared an album from Knocked Loose and Six Feet Under, two albums that crush it and today’s two picks fall into the same category!

I always love chatting about music and seeing concerts, though over the last number of years, my concert attendance has greatly dipped. So, I’m adding a section discussing if I’ve seen a band live. It doesn’t change anything from the first post, as I’ve not been able to catch either band live yet, and it doesn’t even apply to today’s two albums! But, I figured it’d be a fun thing to mention.

Alright, here we – the next two albums that are personal favorites.

Power Trip – Nightmare Logic – 2017

I have a love/hate relationship with thrash, but when done right, it hits a sweet spot in my musical brain. I tend to lean more towards crossover bands, which I think Power Trip are, in my opinion. That perfect blend of hardcore and thrash, making for some insanely fast riffs but also some brutal, brutal breakdowns.

I first heard their song ‘Hornet’s Nest,’ which was a stand alone single, and when I went to search for more music, I came across their performance for George Stroumboulopoulos’ ‘House of Strombo’ show he had where he’d have bands literally come play in his kitchen/living room or basement. He had amazing acts like The Cult and even Behemoth perform there, but the Power Trip episode (which you can find here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fV0Wdjxyis&list=RD3fV0Wdjxyis&start_radio=1) is fucking amazing and shows the energy the band is known for and the energy Riley brought. That performance had me pop on their album ‘Nightmare Logic’ and get absolutely blasted by how phenomenal it is. It is a perfect example of melding thrash and hardcore together to produce this crossover music that you can’t help but mosh – no matter where you are.

I’m excited to see what the future brings, now that the surviving members have been joined by their new vocalist, Seth.

Stand out tracks – ‘Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)’, ‘Firing Squad,’ & ‘Nightmare Logic.’

Live – Unfortunately, no.

I – Between Two Worlds – 2006

Oddly, I’m not 100% sure how I came about discovering I’s one and only album, though I think it was from reading reviews in Metal Hammer magazine. I’ve always enjoyed Immortal, but it wasn’t until I discovered this album that I started listening to them in any sort of consistency.

I is a supergroup, made up of members of Immortal, Gorgoroth and Enslaved, who released this album and played a handful of concerts and then continued on with their usual bands, leaving all of us who FUCKING love this album desperate for more. Sure, Demonaz (who wrote the lyrics for the album) released his solo album ‘March of the Norse’ five years later and it has a very similar feel to ‘Between Two Worlds’ – hell, Ice Dale returns on here to play guitar and bass and Armagedda once again plays the drums – but it isn’t a true follow up.

‘Between Two Worlds’ feels much like Six Feet Under’s ‘Haunted’ album does. It’s that Death ‘n’ Roll rumbling that slows down what the members usually perform in their normal bands and focuses on rhythm, head banging and controlled riffs. This album slays from start to finish and if it wasn’t so perfect from note one to the very last, I’d have put ‘March of the Norse’ here instead, because while that album is phenomenal, this one is just a hair better.

Abbath has covered a couple I tracks in his own band, but even then the feel and flow just isn’t the same.

Stand out tracks – ‘Warriors,’ ‘Between Two World’s’ & ‘Far Beyond the Quiet.’

Live – Unfortunately, no.

Music has had a significant impact on my life for as long as I can remember.

Growing up, my parents always had music playing in our vehicles, often country like Johnny Cash, but as I got older, other things grabbed my attention.

I can still vividly remember two key moments in my young, music life.

The first was the Christmas I received a CD player boom box and 3 CDs. It was the first time I’d been given music as a gift, and it changed my life. I had that CD player for a few years before upgrading to the mega 6-disc changer!

Those first 3 CDs? Tiffany’s Greatest Hits, Alan Jackson’s ‘A Lot About Livin’ (And a Little ’bout Love),’ and Tom Petty’s ‘Into the Great Wide Open.’ I played those albums an insane amount in my bedroom, singing along at the top of my lungs.

The second key music moment was hearing our neighbour’s son – Bob Moody Jr. – blasting White Zombie’s ‘La Sexorcisto: Devil Music Volume One’ maybe a year later. Bob was a few years older than I was, and he was the cool guy in my small town. At least in my eyes. He used to catwalk his BMX up and down the road in front of our house and on weekends he’d always have parties – teenagers galore with loud music blasting. He would lend me CDs of his (just like how his mom would lend me her Stephen King books) and his heavy metal loving music mind definitely influenced what I liked. I borrowed countless albums from him. From White Zombie to GnR to Rainbow Butt Monkeys to Bon Jovi and Judas Priest.

Not long after, I discovered Columbia House and from there, my music taste evolved and expanded. (If you’re not aware of what Columbia House was, it was a mail in CD/Cassette business, where you got like 30 CD’s for free to start with and then had to buy 5 over the next few years to fulfill your contract. It was amazing!)

So, while trying to figure out some content for here, I realized that I’d not spent much time sharing the music I love.

I’ve chosen 30 albums that I absolutely adore, though there are far more albums out there that could’ve easily made the list. Some I kept out simply because I wanted to only chose 30 and do three posts. Like The Crow soundtrack. What an amazing batch of songs that album has.

Today, I’m sharing the first two on my list (Which was put together without any particular order of which are my more favs of the others.). For each album, I’ll share how I came to discover the album and some of my fav tracks on the album!

Without further ado, here are the first two albums on my list.

Knocked Loose – A Different Shade of Blue – 2019

I’d previously heard Kentucky’s hardcore punk/metal band Knocked Loose on Liquid Metal before, with their song ‘Billy No Mates,’ and while I didn’t mind it, it didn’t grab me. That changed when their song ‘Mistakes Like Fractures’ was released, and I couldn’t help but bang my head.

It was frenetic, chaotic and an absolute monster, though in comparison to some of the other tracks on the album, it’s not even as heavy as they are. Usually, I’m not a fan of the vocalists screamo approach, for this album, and the subsequent releases they’ve had, it’s grown on me.

From the opening boom of ‘Belleville’ to the insanity that is ‘Forget Your Name’ which has a legendary guest appearance by Keith Buckley, the album simply fucking slams. Their subsequent EP’s and Albums have been solid, but ‘A Different Shade of Blue’ – in my opinion at least – is their perfect album.

Stand out tracks – ‘By the Grave,’ ‘Guided by the Moon’ & ‘Forget Your Name.’

Live – not yet!

Six Feet Under – Haunted – 1995

One of the first albums I ever snagged from Columbia House – which was purely because of the cover art – SFU’s ‘Haunted’ has been in constant rotation for me ever since it arrived. I wasn’t a fan of Cannibal Corpse back then, had never even really heard them before, so I wasn’t aware of who Chris Barnes was or that he’d been kicked out of CC or any of that drama. All I was aware of was when the first song – ‘The Enemy Inside’ – kicked in, I was in for a treat, and the album never relents. To this day, I still think this is the best SFU album they’ve released, though there are many, many solid releases in their discography. Barnes previously said that this album was Death ‘n’ Roll, and I have to agree. Mid-paced for the most part, each song chugs along and delivers atmospherically. There are a few faster bangers as well, but this showcases the band just as they rocketed into stardom and when Barnes was arguably the best death metal vocalist on the planet.

Stand out tracks – ‘Still Alive,’ ‘Human Target,’ & ‘Haunted.’

Live – sadly no!