8 shows that should be on your radar

I will literally watch any rock doc there is. Sadly, I have spent entire nights immersed in a YouTube K-hole only to finally come up for air with the first rays of the sun. The funny thing is I can sit through music documentaries whether I like the documentary subject’s music or not, in hopes I might glean something from what are mostly complete wastes of time. It’s my cross to bear, but occasionally there’s a diamond hiding in the rough.

Vice’s music website Noisey really hit it out of the park last year when they produced the one-man black metal documentary featuring artists Leviathan, Striborg and Xasthur, aptly titled One Man Metal. Being a huge fan of Leviathan and Xasthur, I was all over this like white on rice and screamed with glee when the camera lens captured these metal heads in a respectful light as artists, while also exposing their fatal personal flaws.

It’s clear that the cathartic release of the music by all three artists has been hard-earned — in the case of Xasthur and Leviathan, inspiration was scavenged from the brutal debris of their lives. In Noisey’s latest feature NOLA: Life, Death, Heavy Blues From the Bayou, Noisey once again comes up with a metal winner.

Outside of Eyehategod, I have never been much of a fan of NOLA-style sludge but this seven-part series illustrates all of the passion and determination in bands like Goatwhore, Crowbar, Down and much more — I’m going to give all this a second listen. The people that make up the NOLA sludge metal scene are survivors of tragedies like Hurricane Katrina as well as more personal struggles like poverty, drugs and depression. These doc subjects are the real deal, and it’s personally reaffirming to see people on the wrong side of 40 still up there swingin’ axes and drum sticks with the glint in their eye hardly dulled. Whether you like sludge metal or not, this doc is definitely worth a glimpse, especially if you want to see truly dedicated and resilient musicians playing music for all of the right reasons.

Friday: For a night that is purported to be both “fast AND heavy,” head down to the home of heavy (Katacombes) to catch Slumlord with the U.K.’s High Hopes, Hopeless Youth and Hitchhiker Rats. 1635 St-Laurent, 7:30 p.m., $10/$13

Black Love will have a record release at Turbo Haus with support from Jetblack, TDOAFS and Big Knife Little Knife. This is put together by the great peeps at l’Oeil du Tigre, so you know it’ll be the tits. 1180 St-Antoine W. #408, 8 p.m., $8 before the end of first band’s set/$10

Get yer post-punk at P.D.B. to see Single Mothers, ex-O town post-punks Okara and Shotmaker’s new jam the Dark Plains and Windpisser. 179 Jean-Talon W., 9 p.m., $12

Denmark’s Iceage return to town once again with their fellow countrymen Lower, Florida’s Merchandise and Italian improv/post-punk band Father Murphy opening. I liked Iceage just fine when I saw them years ago at a packed Casa but found them to be a little unmemorable, and Merchandise at Il Motore two Pop Montreals ago was simply meh, so proceed with caution. La Vitrola (4602 St-Laurent), 10 p.m., $15/$17

A true metal legend — King Diamond (man there’s a lot of Danes in town on Friday night!) — will make a rare appearance at l’Olympia, reaching falsetto notes that only dogs will be able to hear. Opening will be Jess and the Ancient Ones. Meliiiiiiiissssssaaaaa!!!!!! 1004 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $35

For something completely out of the metal and punk zone, you can point your Cuban heeled and white patent leather kicks to Divan Orange for their awesome monthly soul dance night Mess Around. These DJs are guaranteed to spin some dusty ol’ nuggets that are guaranteed to have you shaking it like a bowl of soup. 4234 St-Laurent, 10 p.m., $5

Monday: Any gig that is being co presented by promoters l’Oeil du Tigre AND Youth of Nausea is guaranteed to be punk as fuck so why not make it down to God’s favourite watering hole (Barfly) to see Milwaukee’s No Brainer, Nashville’s Yautja, local skate rats Bear Mace and the debut of Facades featuring members of Vile Intent, Hashed Out and Brazen Hell. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $7

One of my favourite records right now is the new crazy and fugged up slammer by Flying Lotus — too bad his show at SAT with Thundercat is sold out. 1201 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., SOLD OUT

Wednesday: Finally, U.K. psych/pop band Temples will lay down their Nuggets-encrusted jams once again in town at Cabaret du Mile End with the Districts. 5240 Parc, 9 p.m., $21.50/$23

 

Current obsession: Spacemen 3, Are Go! (Live in Europe 1989)

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com