6 heavy shows to see this week

Being an Internet music dweeb, I spend way too much time on blogs and forums arguing with other anonymous losers about new releases. One of the most polarizing releases so far this year would be Wolves in the Throne Room‘s truly beautiful new effort, Celestite. Gone are the black metal pastiches of wretched vocals tucked under tremolo picked guitars and blast-beat drums – and as much of a fan as I am of their previous work (especially Two Hunters), that’s just hunky dory with me. Meant as companion piece to their last release Celestial Lineage, this new one can easily stand up on its own two clovened feet. Melodies from Celestial Lineage occasionally crop up, but this is far more Popol Vuh and Tangerine Dream than Darkthrone or even genre-defying black metallists Ulver. The self-released Celestite proves that WITTR are true warriors and artists and willing and able to march to the beat of their own, uh, non-drum. There are scant guitars, no vocals, no drums — just a heaping amount of glacial, synth-driven delight.

Here’s the gigs, Jim:

Thursday: Turns out that California bands Bestfriend Grrlfriend and Wizard Apprentice didn’t make it across the border but the show at Cagibi will indeed go on. Playing will be Aunty Panty and Jane Harms and hopefully a cobbled together cover band that’s probably practising as I write this. 5490 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., PWYC

One of the best bands in the city, Xothogua, may be turning down their epic doom for good — or at least for a year. Bummeroo as their show with Bison BC at Turbo Haus a couple of weeks back was the best I had ever seen them. Catch them for the last show (for a while, anyway) at la Victrola when they open for Winnipeg anarchist crusties Cetascean, the raw punk of Texans Kurraka, the power violence of Vile Intent and Malokio. 4602 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $10

A night of duos duking it out is what you will get if you go to Howl! at Casa. Sam Shalabi teams up with Stefan Christoff, Xarah Dion with Will Eizlini and Mark Haynes with Jahsun. Expect the duos to mutate into a quartet setting by the end of the night. 4873 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $8 suggested donation

Saturday: Shoegazers Kestrels will jump on effects pedals like they were flaming cockroaches at l’Esco with the bleak noise of Harsh Reality and Jet Black. This is a l’Oeil du Tigre show natch. 4467 St-Denis, 10 p.m., $8 before end of the first set/$10

Modern hardcore heroes and just general record collecting nerds Touche Amore will bring their melodic (and dare I say slightly screamo. That’s right, I went there) jamz to Il Motore with Tigers Jaw and Dads. Ask them to give you a “milking.” 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $15/$18

Sunday: My big pick of the week would go to the psych/post-rock fuckery of Montrealers Atsuko Chiba with Shy Low, thisquietarmy(!) and Obstcls at la Vitrola. thisquietarmy is getting exponentially better with each passing day and Atsuko Chiba’s tunes on the Interweb blew my puny mind to smithereens. Don’t be a turd burglar because this is going to be the tits, jack! 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $8

If your Saturday night was a bit taxing, why not settle down with a frosty pint and catch another installment of le Cagibi’s cult movie night? Things start off at 8:30 with the 1983 cult classic Sleepaway Camp followed by a screening of the downright spooky 1985 film The Stuff. 5490 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., free, donations accepted

Current obsession: Wolves in the Throne Room, Celestite

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com