Nov 1, 20226 min read

Northern Horror Mini Tour 2022 - ALL ACCESS

Last weekend may have been one of the greatest weekends of my life. October 21st- October 23rd held host to the Northern Horror Mini Tour to Montreal and back with 4 of the greatest Canadian metal bands around, Beguiler, Planetkiller, CRUELINTENT, and Pillars Of Autumn. These are some of my absolute favorite bands, so I was honored to be given the opportunity to travel the road for a few days and shoot some shots along the way!

This was my first time going on an across-province run of shows and I've got to say, I grew a new appreciation for my touring friends. Despite only being a 3 day run, it was a crazy wake up call to how exciting, yet exausting a few days of non stop adventure (and driving) can be.

Before hopping into the tour itself, I'd first like to give some attention to the bands that played it

CRUELINTENT

Hailing from Keswick, Ontario, these guys know how to bring the heavy, combining aspects of Beatdown, Deathcore with a touch of Hip Hop. Every single performance I've seen from this group has been phenomenal and I'm always left with a resting stank face by the end of their sets.

Despite only forming in March, 2022 these guys have already made a massive impact on their local scene and beyond. They consistently impress and improve with each performance if their grind is already this strong, I can't imagine the amount of great opportunities they will see in the near future! You can check out their latest release below!

Beguiler

Formed in Oshawa, Ontario, these local legends having been tearing up the scene since 2014. Combining elements of Deathcore and Death Metal with a sprinkle of Black metal-esque riffs, these guys have a unique sound that can't help but make you want to mosh.

Every time I see this band i'm consistently impressed and reminded of the sheer range vocalist Jacob Cooledge has. They had a new drummer come and fill in on the tour and regardless of only having a short time to prepare, he managed to learn the songs in time and played a flawless set each night!

You can check out their latest release below!

Pillars Of Autumn

These Technical Deathcore wizards have been around since 2013. Formed in St.Catherines, Ontario, these guys never fail to blow me away with each release. Combining orchestral synths with crushing breakdowns and leads, fast-paced aggressive drumming and some of the best deathcore vocals in the game, this band is unmatched.

Every night on the mini tour this band brought its absolute A-game, crushing every set and bringing the crowds energy to an all time high. Guitarist Devon Groat consistently gets more impressive each time I see him play as he performs technical leads and sweeps with ease.

Unfortunately this was guitarist Lucas Defansea's last run of shows with the band. Fortunately, the crowd gave him one hell of a send off each night and he returned the favour with high energy performances.

You can check out the bands latest release below!

Planetkiller

If the name didn't already give it away, these guys are absolutely killer. This was my first time seeing this band perform and I was nothing short of amazed. Being only a 4 peice, this band delivers such a heavy, down-tempo experience it's hard not to audibly yell "Disgoostang" after each song.

The band had to travel from Kelowna, B.C to join the other bands on the run. Although they were still running on fumes once the tour started, this group of guys held no bars and gave it their all, delivering a solid set each and every night! Vocalist Thor Eide was specifically impressive with his sheer projection and ability to display his vocals at such a large volume.

You can check out the bands latest release below!

DAY 1

The first night was at The Lion Pub & Grill in Newmarket, Ontario. Now, I've seen some shows in small spaces before but The Lion is something else. Although it is a rather large building, the area designated for the stage is in a small corner next to one entrance. On top of that, there is a long seat that runs directly through the crowd.

You would think a large obstacle like that would negate the crowds ability to mosh, but you'd be wrong. The crowd quickly got energetic as soon as the opener for that night Please Stand By started their set. As soon as the local favorites in CRUELINTENT took the stage, the rest of the night was chaos in all the best ways.

The energy of the crowd combined with the smallness of the space led to a few technical mishaps as well as a couple fans flying into the gear. That didn't, however, stop the bands from giving it their all, with most members spending parts of their set having to be part of the mosh pit itself.

The night came to a pretty late end with the last band Planetkiller finishing up around 1:30am.

Day 2

The second day started off with a nice 7 hour drive to Montreal, Quebec. Surprisingly enough the traffic was pretty calm so the drive there felt smooth and easy. Once we all arrived in Montreal we had what may have been the best bowl of Ramen I've ever had in my life. Then it was on to the show at the Bistro De Paris.

The venue was pretty cool, sporting a giant canvas where they projected various sports games as well as full line of VLT's and Virtual Slot Machines at the back of the room! There was also a pool table in the back. Unfortunately, the venue wasn't the largest, so that quickly became a merch table.

The show started off strong with CRUELINTENT taking the stage. Let me just say, I was completely blown away by the people of Montreal. It was amazing to see so many locals just stop on in to see where all the music was coming from. People of all ages frequented the bar all night. Most of which looked like they had never really listened to metal. However by the end of the night, most of those same people were in the mosh pit!

The promoter for this show Patrick Latour was also one of the coolest promoters I've ever had the chance of meeting. The complete hospitality of the people present was enough to make each band on the tour want to return again in the near future. On top of that, each band played a fantastic set to a high energy, rambunctious crowd. After the show we all went back to a really nice B&B for what was supposed to be a good night sleep, but slowly became a great nights hangout.

Day 3

Exhausted, excited and some a bit hungover, day 3 started out with a bang. By bang, I mean we all groaned our way to the cars to prep for the 7 hour drive home. Third day was set for Oshawa, Ontario, meaning we had to be up and out as quickly as possible to make the next show on time. The drive back wasn't too bad but let me tell you, after 3 days it was not ideal. We arrived in Oshawa shortly after 7:30pm to a packed house and the other bands setting up.

The night started off strong with an opening set from Planetkiller. As like the rest of the nights, each bands set was phenomenal and the crowd was full of energy and excitement. The moshing is always good at The Atria but this night was one to remember.

The night ended off with a hometown performance by Beguiler, who absolutely crushed their set and closed the tour off in the best way possible!

All in all, this little mini tour was a huge success. It's amazing to see the brotherhood that goes along with an extensive journey like this. Everyone comes together and grows a new appreciation for each other and their music. The support for each other and love that fills this scene is so heartwarming and the talent that fills it is incredible. Never before have I been so excited to go out and experience all the exhaustion again.

These groups of guys are some of the best musicians and people I know, so getting to come along for the ride was something i'll always be grateful for. Next time you see a touring band come through your city, go check them out, buy a shirt, anything. The scene only runs off the support of the fans. Let's make it a great one!