A Thanksgiving weekend of crushing riffs, relentless energy, and Canadian metal at its finest.
Canadian deathcore legends Despised Icon have blessed the Thanksgiving weekend by doing two shows in Ontario. The first night took place in Ottawa while the second night in Toronto at the Phoenix on October 11th, 2026. This stacked bill featured 200 Stab Wounds, Teeth, Rust and Scorching Tomb as openers.
Opening the show was Montreal’s premiere death metal outfit Scorching Tomb. Heavily influenced by the 90’s death metal acts of yesteryear, Scorching Tomb takes the classic tropes of the genre and contextualizes them for a modern audience. Their fundamental sound is death metal but some hardcore influence is thrown in for variety. Songs will transition between tremolo picked classic death metal fare and heart pounding two-step sections that are insanely catchy. Scorching Tomb has quickly become a staple within the Canadian death metal scene and it’s easy to see why.
Rust has been one of my favourite hardcore acts from the GTA for quite some time. Their music is heavy, catchy and incredibly fun. The attitude of the vocalist Mike Parsram is infectious and wickedly entertaining. The band overall exudes a feeling of excitement that I always look forward to seeing. Hot off the heels of their latest single Curse Your Name, Rust continues to solidify their position as a key player in the Canadian hardcore scene. I highly recommend catching one of their shows.
Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Teeth has quickly grown into a powerhouse within the metalcore scene. Featuring ex-members of Straight Reads the Line and Dead and Divine, Teeth plays a dark and twisted form of metalcore that is chaotic as it is moody. The riffs go from down-tuned memorizing repetitive chugs to chaotic hardcore with dissonance and feedback everywhere. The performance was tight, members never missed a beat and as a result the execution landed spectacularly. As Teeth continue to grow, be sure to keep up with their output, it will definitely make you feel something awesome.
200 Stab Wounds came all the way from Cleveland to help elevate this already stacked line up. I have watched 200 Stab Wounds grow tremendously throughout the years and they continue to graduate to larger stages. As their sound evolves over time, one thing remains the same, 200 Stab Wounds delivers a gritty and unapologetic death metal formula that will impress old school fans of the genre. Playing a nice variety of songs from their discography, 200 Stab Wounds are tight performers and it’s always a delight to see them play. As time goes on, they will continue to be one of the great contemporaries of the genre.
Despised Icon hit the stage around 9:40PM and reminded us all why they are one of the greats of the deathcore genre. Being a band for nearly 25 years, with several classic albums under their belt, Despised Icon played a set featuring fan favourites scattered throughout their iconic discography. The sound was immaculate and every member had an energy that was infectious. My favourite part about their sound is how well some of their older material has aged. Playing their classics next to their newer material goes to show how strong of song writers they are and that age hasn’t slowed them down. Their latest album Shadow Work dropped last year and won a Juno for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year, while such a reward for a legacy act is flattering, Shadow Work is a masterpiece of the genre and further solidifies them as a classic act that still has plenty of momentum. While I have seen Despised Icon perform many times before, this might be my favourite time. They continue to impress me and their live shows are so fun and positive, I can’t help but come back.
This Thanksgiving weekend has become one to remember. Once in a while, a perfectly curated lineup comes together and unites a perfect segment of the music scene. These two shows will go down as an example of old guard propping up such amazing contemporary groups before they get bigger. All the bands are performing at their prime and the Canadian metal scene is thriving. We are definitely in a creative boom that will be fondly remembered in years to come.
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