Steve Gerrard | Editor/Photographer
Albums
1. Indigo Sparke – Hysteria
2. Birds In Row – Gris Klein
3. Ethel Cain – Preacher’s Daughter
4. The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention
5. Cult Of Luna – The Long Road North
*Honourable mention: Shaina Hayes – To Coax A Waltz
Concerts
1. Pearl Jam @ Centre Videotron, Quebec
2. Bonny Light Horseman @ Higher Ground, Burlington VT
3. Converge @ Damnation Festival, England
4. The Smile @ Mtelus
5. Knocked Loose @ Olympia
*Honourable mention: Wolf Alice @ Corona Theatre
Almost too many amazing albums and incredible concerts to digest. After the past couple of years, we’ll never complain about having too many shows to check out though. There were some truly special records in 2022, especially in the world of heavy music. And I managed to see shows in three different countries this year.
Here’s to an amazing 2023!
Randal Wark | Writer
Albums
1. The Mysterines – Reeling (Makes me want to drive fast and take chances…but I didn’t!)
2. Tamar Aphek – All Bets Are Off (I was addicted to this, as the songs constantly changed upon every listen.)
3. Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia (They just get better with every album!)
4. Sofcult – Year Of The Snake (Can’t get enough!)
5. HVOB – TOO (EDM at its finest)
Concerts
1. Mysterines (L’Escogriffe)
2. Tamar Aphek (L’Escogriffe)
3. Fontaines D.C. (Corona)
4. Actors (Sala Rosa)
5. Wolf Alice (Corona)
Runners Up: King Hannah (L’Escogriffe) + New Candys (L’Escogriffe) + Wet Leg (Osheaga) + IDLES (Osheaga)
This year, the British invasion was held mostly at L’Escogriffe. Although the crowds were small, the energy was high, and we got a chance to see bands that are exploding right now in an intimate setting. Bonus, hanging with the band, chatting and getting vinyl signed.
Simon Williams | Writer
Albums
1. The Smile – A Light for Attracting Attention
2. Beth Orton – Weather Alive
3. Florence + the Machine – Dance Fever
4. Pinegrove – 11:11
5. Aldous Harding – Warm Chris
Concerts
1. The Smile @ MTelus
2. Florence + the Machine @ Place Bell
3. Sigur Ros @ Place Des Arts
4. Jack White @ Place Bell
5. Future Islands @ MTelus
Ryley Remedios | Photographer/Writer
Albums
- Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia
- Palace – Shoals
- Loyle Carner – hugo
- Georgia Harmer – Stay In Touch
- Alex G – God Save The Animals
Concerts
- Dijon – May 11 – Le Studio TD
- Perfume Genius – April 3 – Theatre Rialto
- Alexisonfire – July 14 – MTelus
- Charlotte Day Wilson – June 16 – Corona Theatre
- Porches – March 21 – Bar Le Ritz
Eric Brisson | Photographer
Albums
Machine Gun Kelly – Mainstream Sellout
Papa Roach – Ego Trip
Luke Combs – Growin’ Up
Yungblud – Yungblud
Parkway Drive – Darker Still
Concerts
Rage Against The Machine – FEQ, Quebec City, QC
Metallica – Highmark Stadium, Buffalo, NY
Maneskin – MTelus, Montreal, QC
Beartooth – The Strand, Providence, RI
Iron Maiden – Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Francesca Sacerdoti | Writer
Albums
Alexisonfire – Otherness
Florence + the Machine – Dance Fever
Marcus King – Young Blood
Harry Styles – Harry’s House
Beyoncé – Renaissance
Ryan Rumpel | Photographer
Albums
Sabaton – The War to End All Wars
Seven Kingdoms – Zenith
Fellowship – The Saberlight Chronicles
Heilung – Drif
Nekrogoblikon – The Fundamental Slimes and Humours
Concerts
Rammstein @ Parc Jean-Drapeau)
Sabaton @ Place Bell
The Warning @ Foufs
Within Temptation @ Club Soda
NOFX @MTelus
Jamie Siddall | Writer
Albums
Laurel Hell – Mitski
With her last album being released in 2018, I didn’t expect Mitski to be releasing anything this year. She’d been quiet for so long, keeping her promise of hiatus. Alas, she surprised the world with her release of “Laurel Hell,” a record deeply inscribed with the question, “but at what cost?”
God Save The Animals – Alex G
A beautifully written album about the innocence of animals, the relationships people have with them, and connecting with one’s own spirituality.
HIS HAPPINESS SHALL COME FIRST EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUFFERING – BACKXWASH
This album sounds incredible. Gothic rap with lyrics that are heavily biblical, lots of names and terms that someone raised religiously would recognize. You can easily hear the pain and frustration BACKXWASH is displaying about the prejudices geared towards people due to their backgrounds, the colour of their skin, gender identity and sexuality.
Too Much To Ask – Cheekface
Similar to their past albums, “Too Much To Ask” is quite lighthearted and catchy. There’s humour in each song, and Greg Katz’s talk-singing does a very good job of making the lyrics seem much lighter than they actually are. Even though the record sounds very cheeky (haha), the lyrics speak about hopelessness and dread. It’s a Cheekface trait that I greatly admire.
Live at The Cabin – Slaughter Beach, Dog
Like their other albums, “Live at The Cabin” sounds so soothing and soft. Like the warmth of the sun on your skin when you step outside on a windy day. Each song is appropriately emotional, bringing your chest to swell as you might think of someone you love or once loved.
Concerts
Laura Jane Grace
My Chemical Romance
Indigo De Souza
Dorian Electra
Mitski
Giosi Tortorici | Writer
Albums
1 Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos
2 Harry Styles – Harry’s House
3 Billy Idol – The Cage
4 Kane Brown – Different Man
5 Bruce Springsteen – Only the Strong Survive
Concerts
1 Def Leppard/Motley Crue/Poison/Joan Jett – The Stadium Tour
2 Matt Lang @ Corona Theatre
3 Kane Brown @ Bell Centre
Issy Oleksiuk | Photographer
Albums
SZA – SOS
Peach Pit – From 2 to 3
Fletcher – Girl of my Dreams
Backseat Lovers – Growing/Dying
Soccer Mommy – Sometimes, Forever
Richard Brunette | Writer
Albums
1. Ghost – Impera
2. Ozzy Osbourne – Patient No.9
3. Electric Callboy – Tekkno
4. Architects – The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit
5. The Hu – Rumble of Thunder
Concerts
1. Rage Against the Machine – FEQ
2. Twenty One Pilots – Bell Centre
3. Slipknot – Bell Centre
4. Steel Panther – Corona
5. Alanis Morrisette – Bell Centre
Annette Aghazarian | Writer
Albums
1. Dance Fever – Florence and the Machine
2. Entering Heaven Alive – Jack White
3. Blood Harmony – Larkin Poe
4. White Jesus Black Problems – Fantastic Negrito
5. Renaissance – Beyoncé
Concerts
1. Florence and the Machine (Place Bell)
2. Allison Russell (Rialto)
3. Greta Van Fleet (Centre Bell)
4. J.J. Wilde and Billy Raffoul (Le Studio TD)
5. Hanorah (Le Studio TD)
Dominic Blewett | Photographer
Albums
Gilla Band – Most Normal
Alvvays – Blue Rev
Mitski – Laurel Hell
Concerts
Low @ Theatre Fairmount
Perfume Genius @ Rialto
The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Petit Campus
Fontaines DC @ Corona
Johnathan Personne @ Theatre Fairmount
Rachel Lynn | Writer
Albums
1) Eros Massacre – Brutalismus 3000
2) PREY//IV – Alice Glass
3) Horseshit on Route 66 – The Garden
4) AS HARD AS YOU CAN – Lust Sick Puppy + Andy Morin
5) My Bestfriend’s House – Blue Hawaii
Concerts
1) Alice Glass – Belmont
2) George Clanton – La Sala Rossa
3) Gorillaz – Bell Centre
4) Beach House – MTelus
5) HEALTH + Perturbator – Corona Theatre
Jason Maher | Writer
Albums
Gridiron – No Good at Goodbyes
Soulthief – Citadel
Prowl – Forgotten Realms
Terror – Pain into Power
Banshee – Fairy Metal
Concerts
Sabaton at Place Bell
Prowl record release with Scaramanga, Scorching Tomb, Shut away at Foufs
Desecrate, Gavel, Mile End, Sicada, Deadbolt under the Van Horne overpass
Drain at Bar le Ritz
Ghost at Place Bell
Kieron Yates | Photographer
Concerts
1. Judas Priest, Laval (Place Bell)
2. Ghost, Quebec City (Centre Videotron)
3. Amon Amarth, Laval (Place Bell)
4. Midnight Oil, Toronto (Massey Hall)
5. Puscifer, Montreal (L’Olympia)
Albums
1. Ghost – Imperia
2. Dead Lord – Dystopia
3. Amorphis – Halo
4. Night Demon – Year Of The Demon
5. No Fun At All – Seventh Wave
Brittany Salmaso | Writer
Concert (I only went to 1 this year 
)
Streetlight Manifesto @ Olympia
Albums
Lupe Fiasco – Drill music in Zion
Chris Brown – Breezy
The Weeknd – Dawn FM
Alt J – The Dream
Bloc Party – Alpha Games
Ema Riot | Photographer
Albums
The Linda Lindas – Growing Up
Death Proof – Parallel World
Sniffany & The Nits – The Unscratchable Itch
Escuela Grind – Memory Theater
Vidro – Glod
Concerts
Amyl and the Sniffers @ La Tulipe
Turnstile @ Osheaga
Rage Against The Machine @ FEQ
My Chemical Romance @ Centre Bell
Laura Jane Grace @ Le National
Mike Rogers | Writer
Concerts
1 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Osheaga
2 The Killers – Bell Centre
3 Death from Above – Corona
4 Faye Webster – Corona
5 Khruangbin- Osheaga
Albums
1 Eddie Vedder – Earthling
2 Khruangbin and Leon Bridges – Texas Moon
3 Tears For Fears – Tipping Point
4 Danger Mouse and Black Thought – Cheat Codes
5 Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Cool It Down
