Prime Directive Productions present Crosstitution, Holy Co$t, Vaginal Addiction, Gravitational Distortion & Blastomycosis – Coalition T.O., Toronto – December 10th, 2016
Stepping into Coalition T.O,, it was beyond obvious that a dirty Death Metal show was underway.
Blastomycosis have lead riffs that jump out from their relentless chug. The drummer also had moments of clarity with changes that caught my undivided attention. The gem of it all was the singers expression, it was awe inspiring! It was like looking into a real life «Alters of Madness» cover.
Gravitational Distortion were like a workplace accident, I didn’t see it coming, it hurt and I had to sit down after. They were down a bass player, but righteously conveyed their chaotic style, very distinct from what else I saw. They convened as a live act halfway through the set, the more movement the better for me. They are abrasive and technical, even chaotic. I have known their guitarist Geoff for a long time and it was awesome to see him do his thing on guitar, knowing the scope of his musical projects. This band had some brutal music, but I hope the loss of a bass player doesn’t leave them disjointed.
Nobody was ready for what came next…
Holy Co$t changed the game completely with their look, and the crowd erupted in costume and excitement. The people in costumes in the crowd gave the show a community vibe that I wanted to get in on, and as the
show progressed and I saw how ridiculous it got, I liked it more and more. Three masked individuals, a nun, hospital patient and construction worker started ripping through tracks with a groovy drum grind and dual seal vocals which kept it minimal and creative. They have to be heard to be believed, I was inclined to move around the whole set and
was locked in to their frantic rhythm. Suddenly the nun starts throwing bags of balloons into the crowd, and although they are nice and squishy, they met the boot of every metal head in there, adding an explosive noise from every corner. I thought the drummer was excellent and a huge driving force for their vibe. It was as close to Art as I
have seen done in Toronto and I can see a few of my OCADU University friends liking this as much as I did because of the way HOLY CO$T bring the fun, and the original sound of their music.
Vaginal Addiction were a breath of fresh air 😉 but seriously, they were sharp, exactly what I love about the distinct vibe of Montreal metal bands. Right off the bat Vaginal Addiction were a unified death machine and people were ready for some more darkness. I really liked the guitarists’ axes, and I was in squeally heaven with these high gain beauties. Vaginal Addiction really brought the Hammer down, their sound was an anvil avalanche. The singer was great, a huge voice and towered over front row headbangers. The riffs were awesome, and I mention anvil avalanche is my best way of describing the waves that would hit in their groove. These guys guitar tone was amazing, and their rhythm section showed incredible stamina. They brought their A-games to Toronto that night!
At this show, I‘m catching CROSSTITUTION for the second time. In the summer I saw their set at «Trailer Thrash Fest» in St.Pie, Qc camping grounds. I remember the guitarist played with a slide and was excited to get a closer look at their antics. The visual theatrics of lead screamer Fez, actually forces an audience member to confront the meaning of Death Metal and brutality, «Is that real blood he’s covered in?» His voice is more of a primal «rebel yell« rather than an emulated, stylized growl. This self-destructive nihilist keeps you on your toes. The guitar squealing and feedback in the solos and bridges are my favorite aspect of their sound. I would consider their Classic Death influence. The B.C. RICH in the hands of guitarist Lee was legit. The riffs cover so much ground so it’s fun to pay close attention to the fret board. Crosstitution lasted the night, the kind of band that shows up after you spend all your money and energy and make you take out another $20 and get back in the pit! I fell on my ass in the mosh pit and so did my co-worker, while I was down there I saw two dudes spinning each other by the clasp of their hands. Crosstitution had the crowd throwing out their already wrecked necks. The rhythm section was nose to the grindstone solid, mean, scary looking dudes. The nihilistic attitude and genuine evil pouring out of this band was the blackest among black. Fucking Metalstatic!
Thanks to Prime Directive Productions for granting me access and cheers for putting together a 5/5 gig for Death Metal and bringing some real talent from my beloved MTL. T.O deserved this!
Jack Cerre
