Articles by Ivor

A train of thought of sorts was triggered by the outrageous prices at the merch stand at the gig. Suddenly it highlighted the harsh reality of the world we live in and outlined the complicated nature of this particular event. A work of art can die by the hands of the author; an artist by the hands of…

Ozzy Osbourne was larger than life. He was larger than his genre, than his work, than anybody else. His absence creates a void that no one will ever fill. But he left behind a legacy that few artists in any medium could ever boast of, and we of Metal Storm's community put together some words to…

A festival geared towards international rock and metal acts and of this particular size was bound to surface eventually to fill the niche that's been unoccupied since the previous guardians called it quits over 10 and over 15 years ago. The birthing of this one is not without controversy, though,…

There is something oddly charming and quaint about municipally funded events. Relieved of the immediate pressure to turn a profit, they are free to challenge cultural conventions. Of course it's easier said than done and the result can be viewed in terms of various and somewhat questionable degrees…

It was probably something like eight to ten years ago that I had the need to cross over to Finland for a Halestorm gig. For one thing or another it was not to be at that particular time, and with all that's been happening since, the idea of such a gig kind of fell off the radar for me. Well, somewhat…

It's been a while since I filed anything under the Progventure series proper. The origin of the title came from the admission that prog pickings are slim where I reside; to see the bands I like I usually have to do the legwork. And while I've been to many prog concerts and festivals in recent…

It was by sheer accident that I stumbled on Gangar's gig on the ticket marketplace searching for something else entirely. What caught my eye initially was the advertised mix of folk, jazz, metal, and prog. What sealed the deal, however, was the description, which quoted, of all things, Metal Storm's…

Concert review in five haikus.

Back in February I got an opportunity to go to Stockholm for three weeks on short notice. As Swedes were very liberal with their pandemic restrictions, I started looking for concerts I could attend. I found five! Once there, however, not a single one of them happened. Among those postponed shows was…

The impacts of the pandemic can be felt far and wide. Touring bands alongside restaurant businesses are probably the ones that have suffered the most from the travel restrictions, lockdowns, and isolation requirements. After a sit-out period of two years, the test for bands is not only to overcome their…

Metal Storm turned 20 years old in 2020. That's a pretty big milestone, one that we are honored and fortunate to observe together; some of the past and present MS staff have gathered a few memories and thoughts to share to celebrate this important occasion.

Post-rock as a genre is an experience of sailing the sea of certain moods and a specific mindset for me. It can be rewarding, but it can also be such a drag. While I enjoy such concerts every now and again, I can't in all honesty say that I've ever contemplated going to a full festival of post-rock-related…

The first show of the tour is no small matter for any band, not even for experienced troopers who have been treading the stages of the world for the past four decades. Before the event I was planning on starting this review off along the lines of sucking and blowing, something to the extent of how the…