The hottest, heaviest shows this week

Between festivals, Montreal venues are hopping with heaviosity. Check out Johnson’s picks here.

facebookPhew! Now that Passovah fest has retired for another year, we are actually in the week of no fests before Wings of Metal starts up next week and the big daddy of them all — POP Montreal — follows. But even though this is a week off for fests, there are some great shows happening, with my easy choice for big pick happening on Friday night.

Thursday: You can catch some dark wave and minimal synth at la Vitrola tonight with Toronto’s  Kindest Cuts and locals Brusque Twins, Perverted Justice and Cinéma Vengeance. 4602 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $6

Friday: My big pick of the week definitely goes to the melancholic sounds of Chelsea Wolfe, who will have ‘em swooning at Théâtre Fairmount with synth punkers Motorkiller. If you saw Ms. Wolfe at le Ritz a couple years back you know how good this will be.  Also, her new jammer Abyss is her most shining moment yet, so do not miss. 5240 Parc, 9 p.m., $15/$18

For something a bit more rootsy, but no less demented, head down to Katacombes to check out Bad Uncle with the Maggoty Brats and Count Ferrara. 1635 St-Laurent, 9 p.m.

For something with a little bit more hip-shaking swagger, check out the sleaze rawk sounds of Toronto’s Diemonds with Alley-Cat Traffic, Stock Tone System and the Lookout at Turbo Haus. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 8:30 p.m., $10/$12

Saturday: Ex-Starvin’ Hungry mates return to their favorite watering hole, Barfly but will be appearing el solo lobo. This will be an all night drunken affair so pace yourself properly.

For more street punk, head down to Katacombes for old-school Welsh anti-fascist oi band the Oppressed, Vagabonds, Walk of Shame and Kingcans. 1635 St-Laurent, 8 p.m., $18

At the place whose door used to be silver, you can catch Calgary’s Hagface with Toronto’s Crosss and Montreal bands Babysitter and RU REAL. (Ask a punk for the location), 10 p.m., $8-$10 sliding scale

You’ll also have to ask a punk to find out where Career Suicide will be playing. Their show at Divan Orange during a past edition of POP Montreal is still etched into my frontal lobes. One of the best Reagan-era hardcore-infatuated bands around. Loudhouse, doors 1 a.m. (afterparty for the Oppressed at Katacombes), $5-$10 sliding scale/PWYC

Just announced, London’s Moonhag will play Sala with Pretty Boys, the Suicide-sounding duo Effet Werther and Paralix. 4848 St-Laurent, 9 p.m., $5/$7/PWYC

Sunday: For a night of extreme grind, stoner riffs and good ol’ fashioned power violence you can catch Scaphe, Powercup, Saw Mass and Halifax’s Botfly at Turbo Haus. 5011 Notre-Dame W., 9 p.m., $5/$10

Tuesday: Most of you might be getting excited about Modest Mouse, who play Metropolis with Dan Boekner’s latest jammer Operators (59 Ste-Catherine E., 8 p.m., $45/$50), but those in the know are going to be getting hot and bothered at le Ritz when Boston post-hardcore super duper group Old Man Gloom (ex-members of Converge, Cave In and Isis, the band) will crush craniums with Mare. If it weren’t for Chelsea Wolfe playing this week, this would’ve been the glaring big gig of the week. 179 Jean-Talon W., 8 p.m., $18/$20 

 

Current Obsession: Chelsea Wolfe, Abyss

jonathan.cummins@gmail.com