It doesn’t get much heavier than this

Hopefully you managed to grip a goody from last week’s Record Store Day, but a lot of vinyl fiends who celebrate vinyl daily chose to not darken the doors of the local licorice pizza shops this past Saturday. With titles shuffling further away from new indie releases to limited major label reissues, RSD seems like a bit too much of a poseur affair for most record connoisseurs. If you’re as nerdy as I am about vinyl, you’ll definitely want to skip ahead to Saturday’s events to battle the elbows and get dusty while digging through crates looking for lost treasure.

Thursday: My big pick of the week happens tonight, with one of the best post-metal/ambient bands currently staring holes through their Chuck Taylors — Iceland’s Sólstafir — playing the often overlooked venue l’Alizé. They’ll have ample support from Ancient Vvisdom, Talamyus and Hands of Despair. This is a guaranteed good ‘un. 900 Ontario E., 7 p.m., $18

The Quebec finals for the Wacken Metal Battle concludes at Katacombes with the winner getting a chance to ply their metal wares at the famous metal fest. The Quebec finalists who will be battling it out are Sanguine Glacials, the old school fist in the air metal of Mad Parish, Decadawn and Nordheim. 1635 St-Laurent, 8:30 p.m., $10

Chance are, if you wore longjohns over shorts and were a white person with dreads, you’ll be hiring a babysitter to make the Bifteck 20th anniversary reunion shindig. Beware of middle-aged crowd surfing. 3702 St-Laurent, 9 p.m.

A current local fave of mine that’s sure to go on to great things is psysch/garage act Beat Cops, who’ll let it all hang out with buds Pool Boy and Morthouse at Poisson Noir. Ask around for the location, 11 p.m., $5

Now here’s an event for the dark and depraved: Catch the cold wave of France’s Froe Char with Automelodi, Chicago’s UnUr and Belgium’s Cellule 34 with DJ Xarah Lee, at Playhouse. 5656 Parc, 9 p.m.

Friday: A guaranteed barn stormer is happening at Drones with the post-punk of Flat Teeth, Doom of Saw Mass and the long overdue debut of ex-members of Bone Black and Ensorcelor in the new black metal jam VNVNHVX. Ask around for the location, 9 p.m., $5/PWYC

Mr. Ralph’s Record Player series continues at BBAM! Gallery with a look at the classic Beatles record Revolver, featuring a listening session and overviews of the record by BBAM head honcho Ralph Alfonso and Steven Lee Rachel. 3255 St-Jacques W., 7 p.m.

If you flaked on Tumbleweed Dealer at the Dopethrone launch at Katacombes a couple of weeks back, they’ll be laying down their cheeba inspired jams at Barfly. You’ll definitely want to get there early to catch the Middle Eastern trance metal duo Zaum, who are just back from their European jaunt. If you dig Om, you will freak out on Zaum. Opening is Jealousy Mountain Duo. 4062 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $12

For some Appalachian strum, you can catch Michael Hurley at la Vitrola with support from Myricam Gendron. 4602 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $12

The fine folks behind the Varkarme zine have cooked up a night at le Ritz with California X, Big Dick, Sigh Down One and the gigginest band in town Nobro. 179 Jean-Talon W., doors at 6 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $12/$15 with zine

Saturday: For those of you who are stuck in your current abode forever because the thought of moving mountains of vinyl has you waking up in the middle of the night screaming, check out the Record Convention happening at Saint Enfant Jesus Church. These are always worth the early weekend wake-up but be prepared to fight if you want to take home that rare single by the Fix. 5035 St-Dominique, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

After loading up with armfuls of vinyl you can make it down to Bistro de Paris for the cold wave of Police des Moeurs who will be launching their new tape “Punk” with the techno industrial beat down of Motorkiller and the UK 82 drive of Torment with DJ JTA probably playing his recent finds from the convention. 4536 St-Denis, 9 p.m., $5/$10 w/ PDM cassette

Wednesday: Finally those of you who made it down for the Bifteck anniversary will want to hold on to that babysitter’s phone number when rawkin rebels Danko Jones throw the devil horns with Say Yes at Petit Campus. 57 Prince-Arthur E., 8 p.m., $18/$20

 

Current Obsession: Gun Club documentary Ghost on the Highway

Jonathan.cummins@gmail.com