Black Moor
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Black Moor

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | INDIE

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | INDIE
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"Various - Tundrastruck"

In the metal world of the 2000’s a three way, single track split is a risky proposition. You chance leaving your listening audience hungry for more, but with no place to go for more. However, having them push repeat on their CD players or MP3 players of choice is not a bad thing. Nor is the three way split a bad idea in terms of introducing one band’s audience to their friends, then the fans can go and find more themselves. Tundrastruck is just such an idea and it works very well. The melding of three slightly different types of metal grabs the listener and piques interest right from the start. Montreal’s Metalian kick things off with a speed metal track ‘Airborn Assassins’ that has a solid groove and a terrific vocal turn. They have an honest feel to their music and if this song is any indication as to how powerful and catchy the rest of their stuff is, I’m sold. Sanktuary are up next, recent transplants from the Yukon to Nova Scotia and I’m pretty sure they didn’t do much but play music before heading south. Thrash with a thick coating of traditional metal, ‘Raise The Flag’ is a crowd pleaser and having heard them play it live, I know this to be true. I can’t wait for these guys to put out a full length! Finally we have Black Moor, rowdier, meaner and heavier than the previous two bands, these guys are all business. ‘Awaken The Dead’ is straight ahead, stripped down thrash and the band does it very, very well.

All in all, this is a great compilation although way too short. I recommend checking it out and picking up the albums and/or EP’s from the bands as well. As a sales tool, Tundrastruck closes the deal.

By Jason Wellwood
Oct 26, 2011 - !earshot


"Top Ten Tuesday: Canadian Metal Bands"

Welcome to the first installment of what will be a weekly endeavour on We Love Metal. Each Tuesday we are going to come up with a different Top 10 list simply because we love the way you disagree and bitch at us for them. Ranking lists always get the most email and you all know how much I loved to be told “I’m stupid.”

For the first list I picked possibly the hardest one possible. As you can imagine being a Canadian I listen to a lot of Canadian Metal bands. Some of the best in the world are right here on my doorstep so it’s very hard to rank them based on quality, legacy, impact, or all the other items that are assessed in these lists. What I have decided to do was go on my experiences of enjoyment with the bands. The criteria for that is: how much do I listen to them, what is their live show like, do I have them on my personal favorite band list, and how much have we covered them on the site. It made for a very interesting list.

To start things off let me give you who’s not on the list. Some of these shocked me. Fuck the Facts, Devon Townsend, Priestess, Voivod, Baptized in Blood, Alexisonfire, Billy Talent, Bison BC, Three Days Grace, Barnburner, and more I’m sure to be missing. Those are some major players that I love, but it turns out they might not be as high on my radar as others.

Here are the bands that made my personal Top 10 of Canadian Metal Bands:

10. Protest the Hero: these guys are just awesome representatives of Canada and how diverse we are as a Nation. Their influences are broad and it shows in all their music. Interviewing Arif was as much an experience off audio as on. I listen to Fortress quite religiously when I feel the need to break something.

9. Ion Dissonance/Beneath The Massacre: both of these Montreal tech bands bring it on their records, but when you see them live you remember them. I placed them both in one spot because I have never listened to them alone. If I want the violence of Ion; I need the brutality of Beneath.

8. 3 Inches of Blood: NWOBHM, thrash, traditional; you name it and 3 Inches brings it. Their live show is a throwback to the metal I know, yet their instrumental pieces are very modern. Whenever I talk to anyone from outside of Canada about metal, 3 Inches is included in the conversation. With the new album coming soon I have been playing their back catalogue a lot.

7. Helix: I still listen to Helix. After sitting down to a BBQ rib dinner with them I felt compelled to spin the old stuff and remembered all over again why I loved them in the first place. Their live show is still action packed and young and old will always give me an “R.” Helix is far from done in my opinion.

6. Orchid’s Curse: a top quality headliner band and I only have to drive an hour to see them. That’s about as awesome as it gets. Although it’s been a year since their album release a very cool video for my favorite track “Workhorse Walks Alone” got me spinning it all over again. I will be seeing the boys live again in about a month. Can’t wait.

5. Black Moor: yet again another headliner living only a short drive from me. With numerous accolades, incredible thrash vibe, and “it;” I always wonder why Black Moor hasn’t been living off a Metal Blade deal for a couple of years now. These guys are everything that is good about metal including melting your face off live night after night.

4. Cancer Bats: having interviewed Liam Cormier 3 times and seeing them live more than I admit too, it’s no wonder these guys are so high on my list. Their last album Bears, Mayors, Scraps, and Bones actually stopped working on my computer. I think for the first time I wore out a digital copy. Their show last year at the Paragon was one of the best metal shows I have ever seen in my life and some call them Bat Sabbath… That says it all!

3. Anvil: if you don’t love Anvil or agree with their spot on this list you’re not a real Canadian. In all seriousness I got caught up in the Anvil movement like everyone else. But have meeting them and realizing they are those amazing individuals portrayed on film it cemented their place in my heart. Not to mention that Juggernaut of Justice might have been the best album cover to cover of their storied career.

2. Rush: when I thought of doing this list I automatically knew Rush would be number one, but after doing my criteria basis I realized that I listen to them a lot, but I have unfortunately never seen them live. I worship the ground the three of them walk on and feel they are the most influential progressive band in history. I can’t wait to see them live and cross it off my bucket list. All I really needed to say was: It’s Rush!

Who could possibly come in ahead of Rush:

1. The Worshyp: this unsigned Toronto Ontario gem made my Top 5 albums of last year with their multi-genre, but rooted in thrash album: Kingdom Earth. The samples off their new album Evil Abounds has me playing them time and time again because when this album is unleashe - WeLoveMetal.com


"Tundrastruck"

Since listening to this 3 song split album by Metalian, Sanktuary, and “The Mighty” Black Moor I have been doing a little research and fact finding on the split albums and their origin. Turns out “splits” are defined as albums featuring two or more different artists sharing the record space and in turn: production costs, marketing costs, and distribution. It’s a great way to get your music out to fan bases of your peers, so through the years the split albums have been done typically within related genres.

On Tundrastruck we see three of Canada’s top thrash bands each sharing a song with each other’s fans to strengthen not only their own fan base, but showing how Canada has a strong thrash movement from some very talented bands. On vinyl the idea of a split was perfect because each band could typically take a side. When the CD came along that idea obviously went away, but I think the premises we talked about above still hold true.

For instance I have heard Sanktuary and “The Mighty” Black Moor many times, but have never taken a close listen to Metalian. After hearing them on Tundrastruck I now have to get all the material by them I can find. Obviously the split still works. Since splitting records is primarily done by independent labels I have to wonder if the major labels are missing the boat and not giving the best value to the buying public. Putting a split together with one or two songs by comparable bands will lead to people purchasing more material from the ones they like. This would be a great way for seasoned and established bands to split with new acts and strengthen the entire music industry by giving value and allowing people to experiment with minimal cost.

As for the EP Tundrastruck there is nothing I can say to describe the feeling it gave me to hear these three bands release new material with such strength and conviction.

More after the warp:


“Airborn Assassin” from Montreal based Metalian (www.myspace.com/metaliantheband) is classic thrash with some damn fine falsetto vocal work. Montreal has a very well-known death metal following and apparently they have some boys that can thrash as well.

Heavy Metal News: Metalian Band Picture

“Raise the Flag” is an all new recording from East Coast based Sanktuary. (www.myspace.com/sanktuaryslays) Originally from Whitehorse you have to wonder if that adds to the speed in which they play. Being cold all the time in their youth must have made them play quickly to stay warm. To be serious this is a great fast moving song that is true thrash in every sense of the word. I would have thrown my bullet belt on, but with my certain areas expanding with age it’s more of a bullet necklace.

Heavy Metal Blogs: Sanktuary Band Photo

Black Moor (www.black-moor.com) comes at us with the power guitar driven “Awaken the Dead.” With recent membership changes there has been an eye on the band to see what the next steps would be. After seeing them live recently with the new line-up it’s clear that Eric and Rob remaining cement the band and their sound. The epic rapid fire vocals and guitar solos show that Black Moor is still “The Mighty.”

Heavy Metal News: Black Moor Band Photo

The EP Split Tundrastruck is a great piece of music to own for two reason: 1. You get three new songs by three of the top thrash acts in Canada. 2. It will leave you wanting so much more that your thrash collection is about to grow.

Tundrastruck is the opening act to what will be the main event of three new full lengths from these amazing musicians.

Show me your horns,

Martell

- WeLoveMetal.com


"Review: Black Moor – The Conquering (2009)"

Yes! Leave it to the Canadians to bring me back to my senses! After listening to the disappointing new Ravage I really needed a pick me up, and holy Moses, Black Moor is that pick me up!

I know after writing this that many of the Ravage fanboys who will be hovering around AMR for the next week or so, will groan upon reading about my interest in Black Moor, so it’s probably somewhat necessary to make a few comparisons, though I don’t think it’s really fair to Black Moor, I will do it anyway since my review of the latest Ravage is only but a few days old. The reason why I dig Black Moor more than the new Ravage CD is not because of technical proficiency or some fetish I have with Canadian music, it has to do with sheer enjoyment. As a musical entity, Ravage is spot on, they really are, and I mentioned that in my review. However, the vocals of Al Ravage completely eliminate any lasting interest I have in the album. Black Moor on the other hand do not try to reach for an echelon that is realistically out of their reach. On The Conquering you hear a raw classic heavy metal band that is reminiscent of classic NWOBHM moments both musically and spiritually. Ravage tried much too hard to push themselves into the same breath as our classic metal heroes of the 80’s (consciously or not), but the band’s aspirations have actually limited their success instead of harnessing it. The Conquering is a ruckus of an album, and I believe that’s all it’s meant to be. It’s like comparing “Balls to the Wall” to “Seventh Son of A Seventh Son,” both songs are great and memorable, but one is just a fun anthem while the latter relies on technicality and “epic-ness” to succeed. If a band aims too high before they can realistically grasp that level, one can’t expect greatness.

Alright, enough with comparisons. I enjoy The Conquering because it’s a fun time from a band that is comfortable with what they have. Punk is great when done right because of bands who can take advantage of their talents and run with them, and I think Black Moor is the equivalent to that in the world of metal, as was the case in the late 70’s and early 80’s. I think once Black Moor takes on the U.S. with a tour, the cat will be out of the bag and Americans will understand what true classic heavy metal can bring to the table in the 21st century.

The Conquering won’t likely go down in the annals of history as the great re-awakening of classic heavy metal, but it’s good, and a solid addition to anyone’s collection.

GOOD

Top Tracks: Beyond Hell, Warshark, The Blood Moor

Similar Artists: 3 Inches of Blood, Wolf, Goat Horn, Iron Maiden

1. Beyond Hell
2. The Conquering
3. Warshark
4. The Human Disease
5. Death to the False Emperor
6. Fiend
7. The Blood Moor
8. Red Blood, Cold Steel
9. Acid Biker
10. Breath of the Dying

Eric Hanlin – Guitar/Lead Vocals
Nick Jones – Guitar
Rob Nickerson – Bass guitar
Sylvain Coderre – Drums

Diminished Fifth Records

http://black-moor.com

http://www.myspace.com/blackmoormain

Review by CODY - allmetalresource.com


"Black Moor - The Conquering [Album]"

Diminished Fifth Records
August 26, 2009, 04:37 PM
Canada seems to be getting a big step on the metal scene recently, we've had records by Billy Talent, Cancer Bats and Alexisonfire that have done quite well with fans and critics alike. What about the bands that are only just starting out though, will they reach those heights as easily?

The first exhibit out of two recent releases I got sent from the island of Nova Scotia shows that there are some bands that are willing to try and reach the aforementioned heights set by Cancer Bats and their peers. Black Moor are a band that take their inspirations from bands such as Iron Maiden and Megadeth in fact name any New Wave of British Heavy Metal and 80's thrash metal and you can pretty much figure out and hear all of those inspirations!

As a first album, "The Conquering" is a very good effort that does well to recapture the sound of eighties metal with the thrash of songs like 'Warshark' and the 'Rust In Peace' era songs such as 'Fiend'. The solos are worthy to give a good listen to and Eric Hanlin's vocals do have a Mustaine style twang about them (as expected the guy is wearing a Megadeth shirt on the back cover!).

The best song on this album to me is 'Acid Biker' just because it's a very similar story to the Marvel comic character Ghost Rider (let's ignore the Nicholas Cage film ok?) so I do have some bias there!

If you enjoy 80's style metal of a thrash nature you will enjoy this album, a welcome debut by hopeful future stars. - altsounds.com


"BLACK MOOR Sign With Diminished Fifth Records; New Album Details Revealed"

Posted on Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 10:02:40 EST

Diminished Fifth Records has announced that Nova Scotian thrashers BLACK MOOR will be joining their growing roster and releasing their debut album, The Conquering, on Tuesday, August 25th.

The long overdue album almost didn’t see the light of day after the band was in a near fatal automobile accident in June 2008. Now fully recovered, Black Moor have been continuing to impress audiences with their live performances which most recently led them to be crowned the winner of the Molson Canadian Rocks Battle of the Bands in Nova Scotia and a finalist in the regional contest to open for rock legends KISS.

"We're very excited to be working with Diminished Fifth for this release", said bassist Rob Nickerson. “It's really a pleasure to work with a label
that has the same passion for heavy music that we do."

Josh Hogan who runs the east coast label commented, “We welcome Black Moor with open arms to the D5R Family. Their live performances are nothing short of amazing and they are one of the few ‘buzz bands’ that actually deserve the hype.”

Hogan added “Thanks to our new Canadian distribution deal with Sonic Unyon / Universal Music Canada we look forward to spreading the growing word of Black Moor throughout this nation and beyond.”

Formed in 2005 Black Moor are quickly becoming one of the fastest up and coming names in the Canadian underground metal scene, having shared the stage with such titans as former ANTHRAX frontman JOEY BELLADONNA, MARTYR, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, RAMMER, GOAT HORN, CAULDRON and PRIESTESS.

Drawing inspiration from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, 80’s thrash and some progressive rock, Black Moor plays melody driven metal with a combination of wailing twin lead guitars and neck snapping riffage.

The Conquering tracklisting: 'Beyond Hell', 'The Conquering', 'Warshark', 'The Human Disease', 'Death To The False Emperor', 'Fiend', 'The Blood Moor', 'Red Blood, Cold Steel', 'Acid Biker', 'Breath Of The Dying'.

Black Moor is:

Eric Hanlin - Guitar and lead vocals
Nick Jones - Lead guitar
Sylvain Coderre - Drums
Rob Nickerson - Bass

More on the band at black-moor.com, myspace.com/blackmoormain.
- Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles


"Black Moor"


Black Moor
The Conquering (08.25.2009)
Rating: 8.8 / 10
Posted: July 16, 2009 at 1:46am
Author: Bruce Moore

The Conquering is a breath of fresh air onto the classic metal scene. Canadian Metal band, Black Moor has put together a debut CD that quite frankly, blew my doors off. The combination of old school metal influences such as Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Megadeth with more current metal sensibilities is just aurally stunning. These guys have created an album that kicks some serious ass from start to finish. I found myself fully engrossed in The Conquering from the very first song, “Beyond Hell,” and could not put it down; it is that good.

Typically I hit upon at least a couple of songs, where I find myself pressing the skip button on my CD player, but there is no filler to be found here on this disc whatsoever. Every track is truthfully killer, but my absolute favorite on the disc is the final track, “Breath Of The Dying.” The neck snapping intro riff combined with a melodic dual guitar attack really sucked me in.

It seems to me that lately the trend in the Metal world has leaned towards pushing the limits in an attempt to make things heavier and more extreme and I think this has done a great deal of harm to the genre as a whole. With the release of The Conquering, Black Moor has done quite the opposite and in the process have created an unbelievable album that pays homage to the masters of the genre. Keep your eyes on these guys, they are destined for big things.

If you are a fan of first-class, straightforward, unpretentious metal than I suggest you pick The Conquering up A.S.A.P., you won’t regret it. It is that good!

Track Listing:

01. Beyond Hell
02. The Conquering
03. Warshark
04. The Human Disease
05. Death to the False Emperor
06. Fiend
07. The Blood Moor
08. Red Blood, Cold Steel
09. Acid Biker
10. Breath of the Dying

Run Time: 53:16 - Pure Grain Audio


"Black Moor - The Conquering"

Rating Scale: 1-6
Production 4.5
Songwriting 4.0
Musicianship 4.5

Michael Wuensch

A few months ago, someone in the MetalReview forums started a discussion about a similarly named, similarly very young band apparently "playing traditional metal better than most traditional metal bands." As someone who grew up in the heyday of elder metal, this naturally peaked my interest. I headed over to the band's website to get some samples, and lo-and-behold, yet another flimsy disguise was very quickly annihilated and the true colors of Black TIDE were exposed: candy-coated Nickelodeon-metal meant for bubblegum-brained suburban kids.

Roll forward about six months later and yet another very young, Black [enter word here] band with their sites set on "tradition" slid under the MR door all the way from Nova Scotia. Needless to say, I approached with extreme caution, and my torch gleamed with a condemning fire brighter than a thousand suns. But you've seen the movies, and you've watched the after school specials: what ended up crossing my ears that day was far from anything I'd consider disappointing. Black Moor's interpretation of the style is infinitely more genuine than the aforementioned band, and the boys have obviously been studying the heavyweights of the genre intently. I guess some homework really does pay off.

According to the band's bio, Black Moor's sound is often compared to "a cross between Iron Maiden and Megadeth." The Maiden comparison obviously stems from the heavy use of melodic twin axe attacks -- they're all over this record, and they're polished and definitely give the songs a sweet hook -- but pushing it over the edge is bassist Rob Nickerson's distinct nod to the Steve Harris school of play (check the Seventh Son moment by the 1:00 mark of the closing track as ample evidence). The kid's got chops, and the production on The Conquering rightly gives him the chance to shine throughout each and every tune. The rest of the Black Moor foundation is firmly set in a relatively safe brand of melodic thrash. I say "safe" not necessarily as an insult, but as an important distinction for those whose taste is more closely aligned with the "crueler" end of the thrash spectrum. Think more in terms of a Paradox/Malice/Flotsam & Jetsam approach that favors melody and more of a mid pace as opposed to the more throat-cutting delivery of classic Kreator. Liberal use of bright leads, cleanly sung background chorus', acoustic guitars and even bits of (admittedly sappy) piano all help drive the melodius point home.

Those who live in fear of shrilling falsetto's or corny crooning can breathe easy here as well. While guitarist Eric Hanlen's voice certainly gives away the band's youthfulness, he adds just enough grit to his chords to land him squarely within a camp sharing bunks with an adolescent Hetfield or Mustaine (with less of a nasally delivery). It fits the music well and appropriately lets the musical skills take center stage on the record.

The Conquering is a solid record from a young band that's obviously spending a great deal of time honing their chops. It's not as explosive a debut as, say, The Ultraviolence, nor is it all that concerned with innovation, but it definitely delivers an enjoyable punch and paints a bright future for four up-and-coming metal musicians. I hope these guys stick it out, and I hope they stick it out together, because I'd love to see what they come up with next.

Up with the Moor! And to Hell with the Tide... - Metalreview.com


Discography

"The Conquering" - August 2009 on Diminished Fifth Records
"Tundrastruck" Split EP - July 2011
Coming soon - "Lethal Waters" - August 2012 on Diminished Fifth Records

Photos

Bio

Black Moor plays pure, unapologetic heavy metal. Think bullet belts, air guitar solos, denim and leather and you're on the right track. Heavily inspired by many greats of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal as well as 80's thrash and some progressive rock, Black Moor's approach to making music has always been simply to play metal the way they've always loved to hear it. Never taking themselves too seriously, the boys bring a sense of fun and an explosive live show to the stage which has made them one of the premiere metal acts on the Canadian East Coast.

A near-fatal car accident in June of 2008 nearly cut the band’s career short, and the subsequent turmoil caused disruptions through the end of 2008 and into the early parts of 2009. Emerging stronger than ever from this difficult time, Black Moor released their debut album, The Conquering, in August of 2009 on Halifax based indie label Diminished Fifth Records. The album was well received, earning the boys an award for "Loud Recording of the Year" at Molson Canadian Nova Scotia Music Week 2010 as well as nominations in 2 other categories, and a nomination in the Loud category at the East Coast Music Awards. The Conquering is currently available in stores across Canada, on iTunes and through various other online sources.

As of July 2012, the band has finished final mixing of their new album, Lethal Waters, to be released on Diminished Fifth Records in August, 2012.

Black Moor is pleased to have shared the stage with artists such as Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, 3 Inches of Blood, Morbid Angel, Cryptopsy, Goat Whore, Priestess, Protest the Hero, Cancer Bats, Baptized in Blood and many others.