Black Sabbath in Montreal - 50 Years Ago

Fifty years ago today, Black Sabbath played a gig in my hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada for the very first time. The date was Friday, July 16th, 1971 at Place des Nations. I wish I could’ve been there, but I was three years away from being born! The four blokes from Birmingham, England—namely guitarist Tony Iommi, singer Ozzy Osbourne, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward—would go on to become the godfathers of Doom and Heavy Metal.

As you can see in the above-pictured flyer for the show, tickets were a measly two dollars! What a steal, even back in the day, to see Sabbath perform live at the peak of their game! There’s very little info on the show circulating online, but I was able to track down a few photos and while I couldn’t get my hands on the night’s setlist, I found the next best thing: the setlist for the following gig two nights later at Borough of York Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It’s very likely that the songs they played on that night and the order in which they played them was similar or identical to that of the concert in Toronto. The setlist was as follows:

1. N.I.B.
2. War Pigs
3. Sweet Leaf
4. Black Sabbath
5. Iron Man
6. Embryo
7. Children of the Grave
8. Wicked World
9. Orchid
10. Guitar Solo (with Wicked World reprise)
11. Paranoid

     Encore:

12. Fairies Wear Boots

The show was part of the tour to support their upcoming third studio album, Master of Reality, which was to be released five days later, on Tuesday, July 21st, 1971. It has gone on to become one of their most beloved albums—and my personal favourite Sabbath record—with such classics as “Sweet Leaf” and “Children of the Grave”. What a career and an influence that still resonates to this day Black Sabbath has had! They will forever remain one of my top three favourite bands of all-time.

Photos and flyer courtesy of Les Archives de la Ville de Montréal © 1971.

Inner Missing - Deluge

Initially formed in 2008 under the moniker “Odium” and hailing from St. Petersburg in Russia, Doom Metal/Gothic/Darkwave duo Inner Missing have just released their eighth studio album, Deluge, on the Inverse Records label. The album’s gorgeous sleeve is full of mystery and is a great snapshot of what lies inside said album: a dark and beautiful musical journey. The Russian duo consists of Sigmund on vocals and guitars, and Melaer on bass and keyboards.

I didn’t know what to expect on my first spin of Deluge, but by the time I was done, I knew I had stumbled upon something special. I won’t be doing a track by track review since this record plays more like a concept album where the eight songs form a whole that feels like one continuous piece divided into different sections. It’s also the kind of album that I will listen to entirely in one sitting going forward, much like the way I do when I put on Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon or Wish You Were Here.

The first song, “In the Haze”, really sets up the entire record: a slower-paced, melodic gothic doom metal excursion for the ears. The cover art could be an inspiration to imagine yourself traveling through space aboard a majestic vessel to the sound of piano and guitar-driven melodies, with hints of prog rock cascading throughout the various songs. It’s a poetic and relaxing album, yet at the same time it’s invigorating and full of energy. Deluge was conceived in 2020 at the height of the pandemic and explores themes of uncertainty, dismay, longing, and even hope. The fourth track titled “Locusts” is a proggy instrumental bridging the second half of the album. The sixth cut is the title track, “Deluge”, a song about the weight and burden of memories and remembrance. Number seven, “Elegy”, is a beautifully melancholic piano song with synths. The final track, “Grodek”, is the only non-English song of the album (in German) which surprised me—since the band is Russian, I would’ve expected it to be sung in Russian. If I can trust Google’s German to English translation, it’s about the hard-earned victory of the heroes. Nonetheless, it’s a fitting way to close out the album.

Deluge is a polished album from a seasoned duo of musicians that features harmonious vocals, a continuing wave of guitars and keyboards linking the songs together to shape a gloomy yet quiet atmosphere with infinite replay value. If you’re looking for a different kind of Doom record, something to put on during a drive at night (or on your next trip to space), this 44-minute melodious expedition is bound to quench your desires. Inner Missing have crafted a truly great record that gets my highest recommendation.

Inner Missing’s Bandcamp page: https://innermissing.bandcamp.com/