Ghost perform live at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada. Photo By: Michael Drukarsh Photos By: Michael Drukarsh Words By: Jay Broderick Toronto, Canada - Toronto didn’t just host Swedish rockers Ghost on Saturday night... it surrendered to them! By the time doors opened at Scotiabank Arena, the place was already buzzing with fans in full Ghost regalia... face paint, papal robes, ghoulish masks, and enough ghostly attire to turn the concourse into a cathedral of the damne

Judas Rising perform live at The Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario. Photo By: Michael Drukarsh By: Michael Drukarsh Toronto, Ontario - The temperature inside The Rockpile wasn’t too far off the outside temperature of minus a million degrees last night as the crowd slowly made their way into the venue. But that all changed as soon as the lights went down and the first of three bands hit the stage to deliver a set of classic heavy metal to fans ready to warm their hearts and souls

Lord of the Lost perform live at Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, Canada. Photo By: Jay Broderick By: Jay Broderick Toronto, Canada - Toronto has seen some things… but nothing like January 2026! By the time Germany’s Lord of the Lost finally took the stage at The Danforth Music Hall , the city had already survived a week that felt like hell! First came the brutal cold snap on January 23rd... A soul‑crushing –50°C (that’s –58°F for our American friends), officially making Tor

By: Jay Broderick Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto Growing up with an absent father and stumbling into trouble during my early teenage years taught me firsthand how crucial an adult role model can be. The statistics don’t lie... young people from single‑parent or fractured homes face steeper challenges than peers raised in more stable family environments. And in a massive city like Toronto, temptation and trouble lurk around every corner. That’s where Big Brothers Big Sis

Ted Axe performs live during Indie Night in Canada in 2023. Photo By: Jay Broderick By: Jay Broderick - Toronto’s music scene has always had its share of characters like Nash the Slash and Robbie Rox, but few carry the kind of rock‑and‑roll mythology that surrounds Ted Axe . Frontman, punk instigator, glam‑rock disciple, horror‑movie obsessive... Axe has worn many identities over the decades, and somehow they all converge into the shadow‑drenched sound he’s making today. I f

By: Jay Broderick - Sweden has never been short on ferocious punk outfits like Anti Cimex, and Raised Fist, but Dödsbringaren (translated to English as Bringer of Death ) arrives with a level of anticipation usually reserved for legacy acts making a triumphant return. The name might suggest a black‑metal onslaught, yet Bödel ’s debut is something far more volatile. It's a pure hardcore detonation. It’s political. It’s furious! It’s delivered with the conviction!! Front and

By: Jay Broderick - On August 29, 1981, my MUCH older cousin (sorry Jim, wink, wink), took my sister and I to the CNE Grandstand in downtown Toronto to see a rock concert. It was my first ever live music experience. I was 10 years old. The band? April Wine ! I remember 2 distinct things that night... the funny smell of the smoke that filled the air, and the drum solo in which the drummer's sticks glowed different colours. It was pretty damned cool!!!! 27 years later (almost

Kayo Dot perform live at The Cave in Toronto, Canada. Photo By: Jay Broderick By: Jay Broderick Toronto, Canada - There are hidden rooms in Toronto’s music scene, and then there’s The Cave . Well, ok, maybe it's not "hidden", but I certainly had never been aware of the upstairs venue at Lee’s Palace. How it has eluded me all these years, I cannot say. How I’ve been going to shows in this city for 4 decades without knowing this grungy little sanctum existed is beyond me. But

The Maysides perform live at The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario. Photo By: Jay Broderick Toronto, Ontario By: Jay Broderick - Toronto's music scene didn’t exactly come roaring into 2026, but Hamilton region punks The Maysides did everything in their power to change that. For fifteen bucks at the good ol’ Horseshoe Tavern , the city had the chance to kick off the year with a stacked bill of punk, alt‑rock, ska‑leaning chaos, and one of the most charming acoustic sets y