It's no secret that Windsor loves its loud music. Whether it be hardcore, doom metal or plain ol' heavy metal, Windsor has always had a big soft spot for the thunderous.
Tonight's line-up at The Chubby Pickle (762 Ouellette Ave.) is perhaps the greatest showcase of pure heavy rock and roll Windsor's had in years and if it had room for one more band (Fiftywatthead's sister band Lodown) it would be perfectly complete.
Fiftywatthead is on a national rise right now, following the release of their third album, Fogcutter, on Montreal's Signed By Force Records. Fogcutter perfectly captures the sludge and dirge of Fiftywatthead's explosive live sound and it's being recognized across the continent for it's power. Here's a brief look at what the rest of the world is saying...
"Nothing asserts their unbridled supremacy and command of meaty riffs, groove-laden beats and High On Fire/Clutch-inspired grind more than these eight blasts of agonizing hatred and ungodly bellowing...Fiftywatthead nail you to the wall and relish every bit of blunt trauma, redefining the terms of the statement “fucking loud” in the process." Keith Carman, Exclaim! Magazine, November 2008
"...basically takes traditional doom/stoner and brings it bang up to date with a touch of modern extremity." Michael Roberts, MetalReview.com, November 11, 2008
"...a good injection of riff sauce...", Stereokiller.com, December 2008
"Fogcutter is one of the better doom-metal albums I’ve heard recently. It’s very heavy and very loud, and the band is happy following their own musical path." Jeff Modzelewski, 411mania.com, December 30, 2008
"Riding on the wave of success brought forth by bands like Mastodon and The Sword, Ontario’s Fiftywatthead is another example of doom and stoner metal’s rise to prominence in the metal scene to fill the void left by metalcore and melodic death." All Metal Resource, January 19, 2009
The rest of the line-up is simply stellar. A nice blend of heavy sounds to lead up to the majesty of Fiftywatthead.
If Lodown is Fiftywatthead's sister band, then Ton is their little cousin. Their brand of heavy is unique amongst the scene, neither falling into the hardcore/thrash set nor the stereotypical stoner metal. But they've developed a faithfully loyal fan base in Windsor and continue to play just under the radar of their two bigger "cousins".
Sometimes The Jet Trio seem to be about one drummer away from being Spinal Tap, but that's primarily because they have perhaps one of the best senses of humour of any band in the scene. But despite their occassional lunacy, their music is anything but comedic. Their 2006 album Motoro was easily one of the year's best to come out of Windsor and their shows were epic forcs of nature. Their stoner rock riffage gained them legions of fans and after a length hiatus for much of 2008, it's nice to see the Trio (now a quartet with the move of bassist/vocalist Geoff Zanetti to being simply a vocalist/frontman and the role of bassist filled by Grand Marais' four-stringer Mark Muzzin) back in action. Hopefully 2009 brings us the follow-up to Motoro.
Apart from Fiftywatthead, perhaps no one in the city's hard-edged music scene is attracting as much attention nationwide as Explode When They Bloom. They successfully headlined Harvesting The FAM's mini-tour of Southern Ontario and their 2008 release, As the Animals Make Their Way Through the Crowds, was picked as one of the best albums to come out of Windsor last year by WAMM Magazine's editorial staff, not to mention critical acclaim for Metro Times Detroit, LondonIndie.com, and more. Their sound is distintive, combining a heavy sense of melody with an unbridled angst that creates a sonic web that is captivating, both live and on record.
This show is hands down my Pick of the Week as the show to be at. If I wasn't working my "day job" (or night job as it were), I would be there with bells on. So I encourage everyone to be there and have a drink for me...
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