By Jake Bauming

While metal lord Lemmy Kilmister publicly embraces Canada, he also rubbed a few bangers the wrong way when he mentioned in 1999, that he didn’t like Toronto because it was “full of ugly women.” Whoops. Unlike some other people though, he had the good graces not to let this slag slip at the show.
Lemmy’s had a few notable incidents in Toronto, but perhaps the most momentous was in 1975, when he got himself kicked out of pioneering rock ensemble Hawkwind after the band had had enough of his “spirited” antics. This hiccup was the known universe’s gain, however. Not skipping a beat, Kilmister took the last tune he penned for the prog rockers as inspiration and started up his own little act, which he titled Motörhead. Thirty years on, the irrepressible Motörhead maintains its dependable touring schedule, which includes, as always, a stop to rock Toronto’s socks off: TO THE BONE!!!
Returning to the city that gave birth to them, Motörhead increases the wattage alongside righteous old-school favourites Testament, and the Ronnie James (no shit!)/Sabbath amalgam Heaven and Hell, bound to give Dio’s ego (if not his actual, physical height) a boost. No rock & roll fiasco would be complete, however, without the 100% inimitable Son-Of-Lucifer himself, Rob Halford, avec metal architects Judas Priest, as they do their worst with an assault on the senses celebrating their newly released two-disc(!!) concept album, Nostradamus—which spawned what is, quite possibly, the most insane/visionary music video of the last 400 years. Ignore this concert at your own peril!
Metal MastersTour explodes Wednesday, August 13 at 5:30 p.m. (doors 4:30 p.m.) at the Molson Amphitheatre, 909 Lakeshore Boulevard. $25–125. Take earplugs. Illustration by Jake Bauming.