Black Sabbath is nigh

One of rock’s most important bands EVER is coming to town on Monday, complete with teleprompter and pitch correction. Let’s start with what’s happening tonight:

Friday: A great kick-off to the weekend is BBAM! Gallery’s latest edition of Mr. Ralph’s Record Player. The series picks out an iconic record culled from rock ‘n’ roll’s many-splendoured past, plays it and then lets special guests expunge on its virtue, importance and worthiness of iconic stature. This week it’s the amazing Zombies psych slab Odessey and Oracle with special guest speaker Rishi Dhir from Elephant Stone. The acid kicks in from 7 to 10 p.m. 3255 St-Jacques (across from Lionel Groulx metro) 

Afterwards, Friday night is wide open, starting with Technical Kidman, the fucked up punk of Crabe, Mathias Mentale and Corridor at Divan Orange. 4234 St-Laurent, 10 p.m.

Down at Casa, you can take in the slo-core ooze of Maica Mia with Tessa Kautzman and Geraldine. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $12

Here’s the coin toss for the show of the week, both happening tonight. First up are the Julie Ruin and Screaming Females at Il Motore. Julie Ruin is of course fronted by punk rock icon Kathleen Hanna, and with her excellent doc, The Punk Singer, now making the Netflix rounds this should prove to be packed. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $20/$23

The other show of the week is Trigger Effect’s last ever performance at Foufounes with Dig It Up and Hashed Out. With the recent passing of T.E. singer Nick Babeu, the band asked their closest friends to guest behind the microphone in tribute to Babeu. This will be a truly bittersweet show, one that will cement the massive impact Babeu and co. have had on the Montreal DIY punk community and the people they touched with their constant touring. 87 Ste-Catherine E., 9 p.m.

Saturday: Looks like Saturday night is ruled by the instru-metal pummel of Squalor with Drom For Du Drom and Wreckage With Stick at Bistro de Paris. 4536 St-Denis, 9 p.m., free

Sunday: Canada’s favourite hockey punks and homebrew enthusiasts the Hanson Brothers finally return to town with Genital Hospital. For a perfect opportunity to get sufficiently lubed up for this show, head to Sala (4848 St-Laurent) from 4 to 6, when Johnny Hanson launches his own Quebec-brewed line of amber nectar: Punk Rauch. For a measly $10, you get four tapas in addition to getting to sop up some of Johnny’s suds.  Show at Il Motore (179 Jean-Talon W.), 9 p.m., $13/$15

Monday: Tech-core giants the Dillinger Escape Plan will play their frenetic abacus rock at le National with solid support from PBR punx Trash Talk, ex-Locust new jamz Retox and the pro-suicide sounds of Norway’s Shining. (Wanna win tickets to this show? Click here!) 1220 Ste-Catherine E., $22/$25

Now I am one of the biggest Black Sabbath fans of all time, but even I am having my reservations about seeing what should prove to be their last go-round, at the Bell Centre. If you can overlook the fact that original drummer and true metal God Bill Ward is no longer manning the traps, and that Ozzy has to use a teleprompter to remember lyrics, as well as get pitch-corrected because he can no longer hit the notes, you may get something out of this. Not to get whiny here, as they will always be one of the greatest bands of all time, but be ready to be disappointed, or ignore Ozzy’s shortcomings and bliss out on Tony Iommi’s truly legendary riffs — and three-quarter-length leather coat. 1909 Avenue des Canadiens de Montréal, 8 p.m., $74-$146.50

Current obsession: Black Sabbath, Master of Reality
jonathan.cummins@gmail.com