10 July — Little Italy, Toronto, ON. At Monarch Tavern, the 3rd annual Golden Horn awards kicked off an evening of Thrash, Hardcore & Death Metal. This was not my wheelhouse, but Jojo was out of town so I made my way over to the Monarch Tavern, not quite knowing what to expect. However, as soon as I walked in, multiple people greeted me, someone complimented my outfit, and I felt immediately at ease.

The event doubles as a birthday show for local promoter and YouTuber Belgian Jasper, and for me it turned into a crash course in a corner of music I mostly admire from a distance. I like this kind of music, but I don’t always have the vocabulary for it; my playlists that include stuff like this are few and far between. So bear with me as I blunder through these three bands the same way I blundered through the mosh pit that night (sorry! I was technically at work).

Abysmal Whore

All photos by Oliver Kenchington.

Members:

• Nava Amin on lead and rhythm guitar
• Andrew Phillips (Frosty Phill) on bass and backing vocals
• Marta Chiller on guitar and vocals
• Kaveh Afshar on drums

Abysmal Whore opened with a soundcheck that was loud and intriguing enough to pull people in from outside. Their set began with an atmospheric, synthy intro that built a sense of dread before breaking into something heavier and more physical. Both Nava and Marta wore stark face paint, giving the performance a theatrical edge that matched the music’s mood, and Nava’s hairstyle was peak headbanging material.

From there, they moved between dense, howling walls of sound and slower, more melodic passages that still felt sludgy and dark. I found myself wondering what exactly I was listening to—black metal, maybe? Metal’s subgenres can get as intricate as electronic music, and I’m a tourist in this scene. Still, the appeal was clear to me. The riffs were sharp, the breakdowns hit hard, and the band’s chemistry—especially between the lead singer and guitarist—stood out.

The vocals were mostly unclean, and while I couldn’t always make out the words, they functioned almost like another instrument layered into the mix (is this a skill issue? did everyone else there know what Marta was saying? Sounded great anyway!). Between songs, eerie interludes kept the atmosphere intact while the band caught their breath. By the end, with a shouted birthday message to Jasper and a final push to get the crowd moving, the set felt like a full-on summoning ritual.

Abysmal Whore’s setlist was all unreleased tracks, save for a cover of Zombie Apocalypse by Mortician. You can follow their Instagram @bysmalwhoreband.

Napoleon

All photos by Oliver Kenchington.

Members:

• Jon Elmaleh on vocals
• Justus Hajas on guitar
• Camilo Martinez on bass
• Eitan Garazi on drums

Up next was Napoleon; introduced with a string of joking “-core” labels by Jasper, they shifted the energy in a different, more melodic direction with an ethos that reminded me of a band playing out of one of their parents’ garage that had stuck it out, got their shit together, and found their sound. “We’re Napoleon from right fucking here,” the lead sing Jon Elmaleh announced, immediately grounding things locally. Their sound pulled in more influences—metalcore, punk, even something close to rap in the vocal delivery. Compared to Abysmal Whore, they felt more accessible, though still heavy enough to trigger a mosh pit that I had to physically dodge while taking notes.

An early-set gear issue forced a pause while a replacement bass was rushed in, but the band handled it well, keeping the crowd engaged with jokes and banter. Once they were back, they leaned into crowd work, pushing for more movement and energy. Tracks like “No Victory,” about touring through small Ontario towns, imbued their set with authenticity. They could still break things down as hard as anyone, but their hooks and structure made them the most immediately familiar act of the night.

Here’s a picture of the band’s setlist from that night:

After their set, I chatted a bit with Jon outside, he was friendly and I hope I can see him and the rest of the band perform again.

Follow Napoleon at: @napoleontoronto.

Raider

Photos by Oliver Kenchington and Lawrence Belanger.

Members:

• Gabe Rosa on guitar and vocals
• Ben Smith on guitar and vocals
• Aaron “Chip” Tanner on bass
• Angus Pike on drums

Raider closed things out and, as both Jasper and Napoleon made clear, came with a reputation. Introduced as one of Ontario’s best thrash bands (a genre who’s name I’ve heard of, but not identify by sound). They opened with a pre-recorded intro, backs turned to the audience, before snapping into motion. If Abysmal Whore felt like a dark ritual and Napoleon like a punk rally, Raider felt like impact to the sternum.

Their sound was fast, aggressive, and tightly controlled chaos. Angus was playing the drums shirtless. He moved at a near-constant blur, while the band locked into synchronised headbanging that made the whole set feel physically unified. Ben and Gabe’s vocals, again largely indecipherable to me, blended into the instrumentation as another rhythmic layer. I did catch a shouted “are you fucking ready,” which was more than enough to get the point across. (I was not, in fact, ready.)

Oh, and Gabe’s eyes looked like they were staring right into your soul and dragging it out onto the stage for them to crush.

Watching Raider, I started to understand something about how fans of this music listen to it. Instead of focusing on lyrics, I found myself tracking the interplay between drums, riffs, and vocals as equal parts of the same machine. Their blur of a performance, as captured by my pathetic phone camera (big thanks to Oliver Kenchington for the proper photos), was mesmerising. It was overwhelming in a way that felt intentional and satisfying.

Raider’s Setlist:

1. New song 1
2. New dominion
3. Fearless
4. Rite of Conquest
5. Urge to Kill
6. New Song 2
7. New Song 3
8. Trial by Chaos
9. Damage Inc.

Follow raider at: @raider.official.

Golden Horn Award Winners 2026

As announced at the show and later on his Instagram, the award winners this year were:

Best Interview: @alissawhitegluz
Best Live Show: @helloweenofficial
Best Toronto Band: @abysmalwhoreband
Best Photo International: @afrarina_metal1info
Best Photo Canada: @afridagram & @pixzabelle (tie)
Metal Warrior: @sirrussellallen

Ending the Night

By the end of the night, my head was still rattling and my chest still buzzing. The Monarch, tucked just off the main strip, emptied out into a city that was still wide awake. I walked outside, and got back to College St with its streetcars rolling by, side walks full of late-night diners, and club crowds spilling outside. It felt like stepping out of one pocket of intensity into another.

For someone who doesn’t fully speak the language of this scene, the show was a reminder that you don’t always need to. I may not be in the “scene”, but I feel far more comfortable at the loudest metal concert than I do at the trendiest club or bar. No one cares if you aren’t the foremost expert in the genre, they care that you enjoy the show.

Special thanks to Oliver Kenchington for the concert photos.

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