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                      1349

                Hard Luck Bar

                 June 2 2015

  With a powerful new album to promote, Massive Cauldron Of Chaos, Norway's 1349 embarked on a twenty date North American tour to spread the word. Originally scheduled for The Mod Club, the Toronto date (almost three years to the day from their show with Marduk reviewed here and fourth on the current tour) was moved to the much more intimate Hard Luck Bar where fans were treated to an up close experience with this contemporary black metal institution.

   The stage was drenched in fog and dark crimson lighting while the band began the sixty minute assault with only the briefest of breaks between songs. "Slaves" from the new release pushed the action to the lip of the stage followed by a bashing "Chasing Dragons from 2004's Beyond The Apocalypse . Wearing his ubiquitous Hell Hammer torn t-shirt, lead vocalist Ravn commanded the stage with authority while hooded bassist Seidmann occasionally played his 5-string for a few bars unaccompanied until his fellow band members would jump back into the raging din.

  The crowd, while surprisingly small for an act as consequential as 1349, congregated at the front of the low stage indulging in rowdy, neck snapping moshing while guitarist Archaon peeled off a series of high velocity leads.  

  At the end of the hour long assault, some of those fans were incredulous that the musicians were not returning to perform a well-deserved encore. 

  That's just 1349's way of doing things. Deal with it.

 

   RL 2015.