Concert Reviews

My first experience with opening act, Amigo the Devil, was a standard affair. Their output originally came in as a mere muffled kick drum echoing around the depths of the MTELUS– a steady beat rocking the gaping porcelain mouths upstairs. Joining this heartbeat were the anguished hurls of an occupant in the next stall, whose devilish retching combined with the muffled beat in a way that would make the best black metal bands jealous. Amigo the Devil weren’t that bad.

CTRL ALT delves into the dynamic world of alternative music; from sultry R&B to soft rock, to the unique experimentalists, to those whose tracks you just can't put in a box, and to those who make major waves in waters once still. This column chronicles concert and album reviews, artist interviews, live jazz spots in the city, Montreal's DJ scene, music news, and more. Look out for the parallel radio show CTRL ALT, airing soon! 

When Cannibal Corpse roll through town, you know it’s going to be a good day. And Nov. 5 was no exception as their headlining North American tour rolled through Montreal.

Do you like cyberpunk themes while you’re out late at night? Cause that’s what Meg Myers is all about. She opened up with a granular synth to cue the band to come on and played a set that hyped up the crowd for the ensuing acts of the night. Poppy then delivered on the heaviness, listening to their studio songs is nothing like hearing them on stage, they were tight, and they were polarizing.

British riff titans Conan opened their “Doom Over Canada” tour in Montreal on October 27 at Foufounes Electriques. The unique 10-stop jaunt will see the band grace Canada east to west with their blend of slow yet hard-hitting sludgey sonics - presumably ending in Vancouver on Nov. 6 (the location is to be confirmed, but it’s a logical point to end the tour).

As we swung into October, crisp weather, colourful trees, and the POP Montreal Music Festival reappeared to remind us of the everchanging seasons. More than 400 local and overseas artists and bands gathered at over 50 venues around the Mile End area and across the city for another glorious week of live music to raise the chilly spirits. 

For the last few years prior to the pandemic I had been quite fortunate to attend FME, Festival de Musique Émergentes in Rouyn-Noranda. So much so that the festival is now something I always anticipate. So after a couple of years' absence and this being the 20th anniversary of the festival, I was particularly excited about heading up to this year's edition. The usual seven hour drive turned into an epic test of patience when every road ahead was traffic jammed.