This is The Agonist’s first ever full headlining Canadian tour and the band cannot wait to devastate the nation with their spectacularly brutal live show.

The band commented on the upcoming tour:

In almost 10 years of touring, The Agonist has yet to plot a full Canadian tour. We get asked all the time by fans and this year we said it’s about time, eh! Although we have played most Canadian cities at one point or another it was always sporadic and often as a support. We’re really happy to finally give a proper headline show to all our Canadian brothers and sisters across the country,

The tour starts August 4th, in Montreal, Quebec, and runs through August 29th in Regina, Saskatchewan. A complete list of dates can be found below:

The Agonist Strikes Canada Tour Dates:

8/4: Montreal, QC @ Foufounes Electriques
8/5: Toronto, ON @ Rockpile
8/10: Rimouski @ Bar Le Match
8/11: Moncton, NB @ Le Coude
8/12: Halifax, NS @ Gus Pub
8/14: Jonquiere, QC @ Salle des 4 Barils
8/15: Quebec City, QC @ L’Anti
8/16: Trois-Rivieres, QC @ Le Stage
8/17: Gatineau, QC @ Le Minotaure
8/18: Rouyn, QC @ Petit Theater
8/22: Saskatoon, SK @ Vangelis
8/23: Edmonton, AB @ Brixx
8/24: Prince George, BC @ The Generator
8/25: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre
8/26: Kamloops, BC @ The Dirty Jersey
8/28: Calgary, AB @ Palamino
8/29: Regina, SK @ The Exchange

Rock Hard \m/

Photos by King Hazard.

But first, let’s get warmed up with the opening bands.

Hitting the stage a few minutes late were hometown heroes The Agonist. Although we’ve seen the band several times, this was our first time seeing them with new frontwoman, Vicky Psarakis, who replaced Alissa White-Gluz in 2014. With only about 30 minutes to play, it was a mix of old and new songs, and while the old songs might not sound exactly the same as they once did, Vicky brings a refreshingly positive vibe to the stage for the band.

After The Agonist, it was time for some Italians to bring their brand of extreme symphonic metal to the stage. Fleshgod Apocalypse was interesting, but on a whole the sound was unpleasant because of the guys running the mixing board; everything seemed to be coming at us at the same volume and indistinguishable. To that end, when it was time for a solo, you could perceptively hear the levels being brought up. In addition, the piano was hardly ever audible.

While the sound needs to be ironed out, it was also disappointing to see how much playback Fleshgod was using. Seriously, you couldn’t have had an acoustic guitar on the stage and then switch to electric when the time came? Obviously it makes sense to have playback for the operatic and symphonic elements, so don’t get me wrong on my criticism.

Then it was time to wait some more like an old army moto.

But the time came and when the lights dimmed, the crowd roared. The stage was dark, illuminated only by rows of staggered purple lights as album opener “Eidola” filled the theater with its cinematic, atmosphere-building tones. Then Ariën van Weesenbeek came out and took his place behind the kit and the mix of traditional metallers and D&D types really got excited. However, as new track “Edge of the Blade” commenced, we were held in suspended anticipation for Simone Simons’ entrance. All of this is pare for the course at an Epica show, and as usual, when she does take the stage, there’s the sense that the party can now begin.

Of course, Simone was on point with her vocals and elegant as ever. And, as always with Epica, the sound was excellent and the performance impecable.

Beyond the first two songs of the set, four more were played from the new album, The Holographic Principle. Considering that the tour is named after the album, it was a little surprising that the title track wasn’t in the set list. However, the fantastically dark “Ascension” was! If you haven’t heard this album, you really should, especially if you’re an Epica fan or a fan of symphonic metal.

Epica Set List:

Eiodola
Edge of the Blade
A Phantasmic Parade
Sensorium
Universal Death Squad
Divide and Conquer
The Obsessive Devotion
Ascension – Dream State Armageddon
Dancing in a Hurricane
Quietus
Unchain Utopia
Design Your Universe
Encore:
Sancta Terra
Beyond the Matrix
Consign to Oblivion

Rock Hard \m/

About the video, guitarist Danny Marino said:

When Chris told us he had a really cool location to shoot ‘The Hunt’ video even he didn’t think it would be that epic. We got a lot of help from mother nature: fierce winds, rain, and unexpected freezing temperature at 6 a.m. It was not the most comfortable shoot but in the end it was all worth the chaos it created. It was shot in an abandoned cold war military station and we made full use of that epic helipad overlooking the mountains.

Five is available in various formats and exclusive bundle packages are now at The Napalm Records Webstore.

Five was produced by Mike Plotnikoff at West Valley Studios. Mike has engineered and produced such artists as Buckcherry, Flyleaf, My Chemical Romance, Apocalyptica, P.O.D, Halestorm, Skillet, Seether, P.O.D., Three Days Grace, Aerosmith, and Kiss.

Maor Appelbaum handled the mastering at Maor Appelbaum Mastering studios. Maor has had the pleasure of mastering recordings for major international acts such as Faith No More, Yes, Starset, Ill Nino, Dokken, Fates Warning, Sepultura, Yngwie Malmsteen, Armored Saint, Lita Ford, Butcher Babies, and more.

The Agonist European Tour:

28.09.2016 – Sticky Fingers – Gothenburg, Sweden
30.09.2016 – Tube – Dusseldorf, Germany
01.10.2016 – Epic Metal Fest – Tilburg, Netherlands
02.10.2016 – De Kreun – Kortrijk, Belgium
04.10.2016 – Opera Concert Hall – St. Petersburg, Russia
05.10.2016 – Клуб Театръ – Moscow, Russia
07.10.2016 – Sala Becool – Barcelona, Spain
08.10.2016 – Sala la Burbuja – Castellon, Spain
09.10.2016 – Sala Maladar – Seville, Spain
11.10.2016 – Sala tbc – Lisboa, Portugal
12.10.2016 – Sala Lemon – Madrid, Spain
13.10.2016 – Sala Azkena – Bilbao, Spain

Supporting Xandria, Epica, and Fleshgod Apocalypse
11/4: Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Theater
11/5: Montreal, QC @ Corona
11/6: Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Hall

Supporting Arkona, Epica, and Fleshgod Apocalypse
11/8: Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall
11/9: Minneapolis. MN @ Cabooze
11/11: Saskatoon, SK @ Saskatoon Event Center
11/12: Calgary, AB @ Marquee
11/13: Edmonton, AB @ The Ranch
11/15: Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
11/16: Seattle, WA @ Studio 7
11/18: San Francisco, CA @ Social Hall
11/19: Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent
11/20: Las Vegas, NV @ Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel
11/22: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
11/23: Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater
11/25: Dallas. TX @ Gas Monkey Live
11/26: Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room
11/28: St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theater
11/29: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
12/1: Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
12/2: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
12/3: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium

Rock Hard \m/

In a statement released today, long-time frontwoman of Arch Enemy, Angela Gossow, has stepped down from her position behind the microphone and handed it to The Agonist’s Alissa White-Gluz. Gossow has been with the band since 2001’s Wages of Sin.

Arch Enemy will release their ninth album, War Eternal, this June, taking the opportunity to introduce White as their new vocalist. While it is heartbreaking that Gossow won’t be fronting the band any more, there’s certainly no sour grapes as she will be managing the band’s business affairs (plus she’s married to Michael Amott, guitarist).

White is obviously thrilled about the opportunity. As revealed to us in an interview with White a couple years ago, she and Gossow are friends, so we know it’s not a random selection. In fact, Gossow helped White develop vocally, so you can assume that there’s been some coaching done already.

Arch Enemy has stated that a new song will be released this week.

How do you feel about the change in the lineup? Post your comments below.

Here is Angela Gossow’s official statement:
[sic]

Dear Arch Enemy fans, this is not easy to tell you…I have decided to step down from being Arch Enemy’s voice of anger. After 13 years of pure fucking metal, 6 studio albums and countless tours through five continents, I feel the need to enter a different phase in my life, be with my family and pursue other interests. I will however remain business manager for Arch Enemy, and I will continue to develop my artist management roster.

I am staying true to my heavy metal roots, just leaving the spotlight so to speak. I am passing the torch to the super talented Alissa White-Gluz, whom I’ve known as a dear friend and a superb vocalist for many years. I always thought she deserved a chance to shine – and now she’s getting it. Just like I got that chance back in 2001.

I want to thank all Arch Enemy fans, our labels Century Media (worldwide) and Trooper Entertainment (Japan), our dedicated road crew, and in particular Michael, Daniel and Sharlee for their love and support throughout all these years. It’s been one hell of a ride! We conquered every situation, made it through thick & thin together in the most exciting and rewarding time of my life. Thank you all for being there with me on stage, in front of the stage, and backstage. You have touched my heart, and I hope I was able to give something back to you. I am grateful for the wonderful memories – I will cherish them forever!

I am looking forward to the next decade of Arch Enemy madness! Right now I am listening through rough mixes of the new studio album and I am blown away! 2014 will see a renewed Arch Enemy at the top of their game. I am proud to be part of this Arch Enemy chapter, albeit in a different way – revving up the engines behind the scenes. I hope to see you in front of the stage, I will join you there this time. Let the killing begin, once again!

And here is Alissa White-Gluz’ statement:
[sic]

I am very honored and happy to announce a new chapter in my life and musical career beginning now; I have joined forces with one of my all-time favorite and globally respected bands, ARCH ENEMY. ‘Wages of Sin’ was the first metal album I ever bought, and it was love at first listen. It is not often that you get a phone call from your favorite band asking you to join! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such amazingly talented musicians whom I also consider great friends. I look forward to being able to write and perform at a whole new level now with ARCH ENEMY! Music is forever, metal is limitless and this is only the beginning!

Rock Hard \m/

The sound was horrible. Too much feedback. Too much gain. Too much volume. I would place this blame on the sound engineer and the venue, which is small, but sound usually isn’t a problem there. It’s a shame, too, becuase The Agonist is a good band and we’ve seen them at this venue before without incident. We’ve also seen them perform outdoors, which was amazing for their sound.

At any rate, despite the sound issue, which I’m sure the band noticed, they soldiered on and put on the best show they could given the circumstance. Which leads me into the reasons to like The Agonist.

5. The Agonist has class

From Alissa White-Gluz handling the business side of the band to their onstage professionalism, The Agonist does everything it can to give the fans what they deserve and love. We saw the proof of that onstage toughness at the show I discussed above. Not once did the band members bitch about the sound or publicly berate the engineer, though they had every right to. That’s class. Also, this band is there to perform, not to get drunk or stoned or whatever. Maybe they do that after their set, but I’ve never seen them stumbling through their performance or stumbling around on the stage.

4. The Agonist is consistent

The Agonist formed in 2004, which means that they’re still a relatively young band. However, they quickly found success with their brand of metal and have stuck with it. Perhaps they will evolve their sound, as bands tend to do, but so far they’re consistent and fans know exactly what to expect. Go to any breakfast house in the country and bacon and eggs is bacon and eggs.

3. The Agonist is conscientious

It’s one thing to sing about animal rights, social issues, and world problems; it’s quite another to do something about them. Alissa might be the only vegetarian in the band, actually she converted to veganism in her teens, but her bandmates support and understand her convictions. She’s also done fundraisers for PETA, WWF, and SHAC since high school, and continues to do partnerships whenever she can. She’s also an animal rescuer, opening her home to animals and finding “foster” homes for others.

2. The Agonist is tight

The Agonist’s music is fast, frantic, intense, brutal, and it will move you. And just about every song is nearly equal in its flawlessness. The Agonist isn’t “small” as a band, they have a pretty big international following, but in the grand scheme of things, they’re still a struggling band, however, the technical level of their musicianship should carry them far. They’ve established and nearly perfected their sound, now, I think, they need to open up their doors to new influences.

1. The Agonist is female fronted

That’s not exactly what I mean. I’m not being sexist here. I have a great respect for female-fronted bands; some of my favorite bands are female fronted. OK, that kind of sounds like, “I have black friends; I’m not racist.” Let me explain though: Heavy Metal is a typically male-dominated industry, from those making the music to those running the labels to those sweating sausage-fest circle pits. To be a female in this industry is tough, and too often women are used as a tool to sell records. Labels have the idea of putting hot, moderately talented to talentless women at the front of a band to sell records. And yes, Alissa is attractive, but the success of The Agonist doesn’t rest in her cleavage. I believe she’s conscious of this and respect the fact that she doesn’t hide from her looks, but she doesn’t use them to sell records either.

Hopefully I justified my stance on my last point.

Rock Hard \m/

I love The Agonist and believe the band is among the best up-and-coming extreme metal outfits out there, but given their other videos I was a bit disappointed to see a live video dubbed over with the studio track. Also, so much could have been done with a video for a song entitled “Panophobia”; I’m thinking mental institution and a bunch of horrific shots the play into all our fears.

The Agonist will play a few shows in Asia this November in support of Prisoners. If you still haven’t heard Prisoners, you’re missing out.

Buy the CD for $13.99.
Buy the MP3 for $8.99.

The Agonist live 2012:

Nov. 11–The Wall Live House–Taipei City, Taiwan
Nov. 13–O-EAST–Shibuya, Japan
Nov. 14–Club Quattro–Nagoya, Japan
Nov. 15–Big Cat–Osaka, Japan

Rock Hard \m/

We caught up with Alissa White-Gluz for an interview just after her tight set with The Agonist, but we only had 10 minutes before she had to get back into the venue to do guest vocals with Blackguard. It was a little rushed and we had to blast through our questions, and honestly I felt bad for pulling her away, but we came away with some interesting information for fans.

Find out which metal goddess was Alissa’s saving grace, or fairy godmother, or whatever you wanna call her. If you want to be animal friendly with your makeup, she’ll tell you the brand she uses. There are a few more nuggets of information in there that we’re sure you’ll find interesting as well.

If you want to check out The Agonist live, and we highly recommend that you do, here’s a list of some their upcoming shows:

Tour Dates – The Agonist

May 24 – Championship Bar & Grill – Trenton, NJ
May 25 – Lowell Brewery Exchange – Lowell, MA
May 27 – Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
May 29 – Bogies – Albany, NY
June 16 – Moe’s Original Bar-B-Que – Englewood, CO
June 18 – Lizard Lounge – Wichita, KS
June 22 – Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
June 27 – Another Hole in the Wall – Steger, IL
June 30 – Planet Rock – Battle Creek, MI
July 11 – Bronx Space – Bronx, NY
July 15 – The Backstage at Championship Bar – Trenton, NJ
July 18 – Ground Zero – Spartanburg, SC
August 12 – Parc Jean-Drapeau (Heavy MTL) – Montreal, QC

Take a listen to “Ideomotor” and I think you’ll agree that the band has managed to improve. If this track is any indication, the song structure has improved, Alissa’s voice (both growls and clean) has been refined, and the band’s all-around musicianship is tighter. Is it as tight as a nun’s virginal ass? While we might have experience in that department, we’ll let you make that decision for yourself. At any rate, the bass outro before the strange finale to the song is very calming, almost like a lullaby. I love the solos and the blend of vocal styles.

The Agonist is currently on tour with Kittie opening up.

Rock Hard \m/

The Agonist 2012 Tour Dates feat. Kittie

4/10 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Loft
4/11 – Albany, NY – Bogie’s
4/12 – Reading, PA – Reverb
4/13 – Rochester, NY – Montage Music Hall
4/14 – Portage, IN – Camelot Hall
4/15 – Waterloo, IA – Spicoli’s Grill and the Reverb
4/16 – Peoria, IL – Brass Rail
4/17 – Milwaukee, WI – Rave
4/18 – St. Paul, MN – Station 4
4/19 – Winnipeg, MB – Park Theatre
4/20 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
4/21 – Edmonton, AL – Pawn Shop
4/22 – Prince George, BC – The Generator
4/23 – Vancouver, BC – Red Room
4/24 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
4/25 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
4/26 – San Francisco, CA – The Grand Ballroom
4/27 – Anaheim, CA – The Grove
4/28 – Bakersfield, CA – Jerry’s
4/29 – Las Vegas, NV – Cheyenne Saloon
4/30 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vertigo
5/1 – Englewood, CO – Moe’s
5/2 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theater
5/3 – Odessa, TX – Dos Amigos
5/4 – Dallas, TX – Trees
5/5 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar
5/7 – Oklahoma City, OK – The Roxy
5/8 – Tulsa, OK – Marquee
5/9 – Kansas City, MO – The Beaumont Club
5/10 – St. Louis, MO – The Firebird
5/11 – Joliet, IL – Mojoes
5/12 – Detroit, MI – Blondie’s
5/13 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s
5/14 – West Springfield, VA – Jaxx
5/15 – Baltimore, MD – Soundstage
5/16 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
5/17 – Hampton Beach, NH – Wally’s Pub
5/18 – Worcester, MA – Tammany Hall
5/19 – Boston, MA – Middle East Downstairs
5/20 – Auburn, ME – Club Texas
5/21 – Montreal, QC – Foufounes
5/22 – Ottawa, ON – Mavericks
5/23 – Hartford, CT – Webster Theater
5/24 – Trenton, NJ – Championship Bar and Grill
5/25 – Providence, RI – The Ruins at Coliseum

Credit: Steve Ladanyi/Yell! Magazine

Just as we did for Black History Month in February with our article 11 Blacks Who Kill It in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock, we’re honoring women during Women’s History Month with our tribute to 11 Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter.

One thing was certain when we set out to make this list: we didn’t want any label-produced, cotton-candy, pink-bunny-rabbit women in heavy metal. Yes, we’re talking to you, Black Veil Brides (oh, wait, you’re dudes). We wanted real modern women who take their craft seriously, who are influencing other young women, and who are making an impact on the metal scene.

It’s truly amazing to see how far women in heavy metal – hell, in music in general – have come since the days of Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Joan Jett, Vixen or Lita Ford. All of them are talented, but most assuredly exceptions to the conventions of their time. Truth be told, labels wanted hot chicks so that albums would sell. Just look what became of Heart when their label told Ann Wilson to lose weight. Perhaps due to the advent of the Internet and the digital era, women in heavy metal have more options to get heard than ever before.

Here is Yell! Magazine’s 11 Women in Heavy Metal & Hard Rock Who Matter:

No.11 Krysta Cameron

Iwrestledabearonce

Kicking the list off is Krysta Cameron of Iwrestledabearonce. The band is spastic, fast, heavy, creative, interesting, diverse, technical, chaotic, regulated, and led by Krysta Cameron on vocals. Her vocals masterfully range from death growls to metalcore screams to straight, Lisa Loeb-ish tones, but shush on that last point, since Krysta is actually influenced by Bjork, which you can hear as well.

If you’re one to judge looks, Iwrestledabearonce might at first appear to be some hipsters trying to be “ironic”; however, they’re just a bunch of nerds with too much talent having some fun, the kind of fun in which they interrupt a song to play the Inspector Gadget theme song.

Formed in 2007, Iwrestledabearonce has a self-titled EP (2007), and two albums on Century Media: It’s All Happening (2009) and Ruining it for Everyone (2011). Initially from Louisiana, the band now calls Alabama their home and has a big world to conquer. Let’s all give ‘em a big bear hug and wish ‘em well.

Stick around. We’ve barely begun this list of women in heavy metal and hard rock who matter…