AUGUST 30th 2023
BAT SABBATH
Review by Metallic Barbie
Photos by Peter Ruttan

PHOTO GALLERY http://www.metaltitans.com/concertpics/bat-sabbath/

The best gift a Hump Day can give is to christen the mid-week with a night of devilish entertainment in the form of Bat Sabbath – the Black Sabbath Tribute band who by day masquerade as Canadian punk/thrash kings Cancer Bats.

Converting The Wise Hall in Vancouver to a dark alter of worship to the almighty Dons of Doom, Bat Sabbath delivered an hour of Sabbath material delivered in double time screamo/thrash/punk style.  Lead singer and (occasional) percussionist Liam Joseph Cormier bounded onto the stage cloaked in black to pledge his allegiance by way of song.  Essentially a human pogo stick, Cormier bounded and screamed iconic lyrics while bedeviling the possessed crowd to circle the pit in reverence.

From “Children of the Grave” to “Paranoid” to “Iron Man” to (my personal fave) “Fairies Wear Boots”, the four-piece channeled energies rarely experienced at a stoner-doom show where unison headbanging would more be the norm.

If you can picture the most perfect setlist for an hour of Black Sabbath, Bat delivered it to the nth degree, only pausing to sermonize on the exquisite perfection of the four horsemen and their ultimate domination of the dark musical realm. Ritualistically, amid flying beer, sweat, and limbs, every mouth in the room sang out the words, dripping with love and respect.  Flawless performances on guitar, bass, and drums caught every note, chord, and beat while Cormier preached his version, closing with archetypal “War Pigs”.

Supported earlier by Vancouver’s Space Queen and Edmonton’s Black Mastiff, Toronto’s Bat Sabbath gave thanks to the metal gods for shining up from below with continued promise to praise their eminence.

The sermon continues another four dates in BC before moving east into Alberta and beyond on the western Canadian tour.  Be sure to support the Bat by snagging a live EP of five of the greatest Black Sabbath tunes as interpreted by these mad 4, entitled Masters of Duality.  Otherwise, break out the beast and hit a live show for an experience unable to be properly chronicled.