November is metal month in Montreal

As the last leaves fall and crunch under our leaden feet, and fall begins to give way to winter, November is definitely hosting the heavy.

Indie popsters and punkers will get a deserved break while the dedicated heshers are guaranteed a “bangover” come December as there are metal or metal-adjacent shows happening every week this month. There is one exception to this month-load of metal mayhem, with a visit from true indie rock royalty, at a ticket price that will make even the most affluent weak at the knees. Even with the hefty price tag, though, this should still prove to be well worth it.

Friday, Nov. 3

Getting the indie rock ready right out of the gate is the return of the transcendent sound of Blonde Redhead to Montreal. Expect to see a lot of graying around the temples and patched elbow blazers at this one, with tote bags being the merch hot ticket. Again, this price ticket is hefty indeed, but chances to see legends like this don’t come around every day. This show is happening at le Studio TD, with openers Bibi Club and Nous Deux. 305 Ste-Catherine W., 7 p.m., $95

Sunday, Nov. 12

With that aforementioned show announcement out of the way, it is definitely all metal for the rest of the month, so buckle up. Utterly classic death metal will be hitting le Studio TD when the 34-year-old carcass of Incantation will grunt and brutalize with heavy help from fellow death metal legends Suffocation and relative new kids on the death block Skeletal Remains and Stabbing. Can death metal age gracefully and still hit like a mitt full of nickels? Grip some tix and find out! 305 Ste-Catherine W., 6 p.m., $50

Wednesday, Nov. 15

It may be hump-night of the week here but easily the probable winner of most pulverizing show of November goes to the brutal bashers Full of Hell, who will annihilate the granddaddy of venues, Foufs, along with End and Inter Arma. If you were at the tiny confines of Bar le Ritz when Full of Hell last hit town a while back, you know just how precisely these grindsters can deliver. 87 Ste-Catherine W., 7 p.m., $28.66

Monday, Nov. 20

A show that will actually drag my grizzled mug off of the couch is the return of the utterly riff-tastic Baroness. To this day, Baroness’s seminal Blue record proves to be one of my favourite “uplifting” metal releases ever. This four-piece has gone through numerous lineup changes since Blue, diving deeper into melodic structures while delving into pure psych/prog moments — and stopping just short of self-indulgence. Warming up the room at Beanfield Theatre is Vile Creature. Full of Hell will be the heaviest show this month, but this one is probably the best one. 2490 Notre-Dame W., 6 p.m., $50.50

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Baroness (@yourbaroness)

Thursday, Nov. 23

Although this column is featuring a lot of touring acts, one of the most “toured” local acts who actually take a well needed breather at home is the always great Big/Brave. They will be putting down local stakes at Turbo Haüs with buds Second Sight and Drainolith. Big/Brave truly leave a welt with a pure naked emotional catharsis that will separate them from the typical knuckle-dragging “heavy” cookie-cutter bands. This will be nothing short of awesome. 2040 St-Denis, 8 p.m., $20/$25

Current Obsession: UFO, Strangers in the Night

This article was originally published in the Nov. 2023 issue of Cult MTL.

---

For more Montreal music coverage, please visit the Music section.