Amon Amarth Conquers Calgary's Macewan Hall on "Jomsviking World Tour" - May 14, 2016

Dana Zuk May 16, 2016

Road tripping from Edmonton to Calgary to see viking metallers, Amon Amarth, was something I certainly don't regret, as the Swedish heavy metal powerhouses sailed into Alberta, and crushed Calgary's Macewan Hall with brutal force. Accompanied by the thrashy likes of Exmortus and Entombed A.D to warm up the massive crowd, the night was set to be one for the memory books.

It's always interesting working in an unfamiliar venue, in a semi-unfamiliar city. Despite my experiences shooting the infamous Calgary Metalfest every year, making the drive down to Calgary isn't something that happens often for me, so naturally I was quite excited to have a change of scene, even if it was for only one night. Not to mention, adding a new venue to my 'conquered' list is always a welcomed feather to add to my proverbial hat.

Photographing Amon Amarth only a few years prior, I had a general idea of what to expect from them on stage, but even still, I was blown away with their performance. As the lights dimmed, the curtains dropped, revealing their massive stage banners, and unveiling an enormous traditional style viking helmet, which is probably the coolest drum riser I've ever seen. Upon this, I began to grow restless. As the band took their places on stage, they immediately boomed into "Pursuit of Vikings", kicking this gig off into ultra-high gear right from the get-go. With each roar of the audience, frontman Johan Hegg's, warm grin grew larger and larger, which, for those of you who follow me on Instagram will know, I ate up entirely with shutter clicks. With very little encouragement, the audience happily shouted the chorus to Amon Amarth's kick-off opening track back to the band, leaving chills down my spine. It's something I could never get tired of hearing and experiencing, and, judging from the looks on their faces, I'm quite sure that the band shares that feeling as well.

Moving on throughout the night, Amon Amarth absolutely crushed their hefty 19 song set, giving it their all as they progressed through each track. I stood in awe, admiring the energy and undeniable crowd involvement that came along with their performance. Truly, Amon Amarth is a band that I will happily see, whether it be through my lens, or as an audience member, each and every time they grace Alberta's soil with their presence.

AMON AMARTH

EXHUMED A.D

EXMORTUS

Kalmah Crushes The Starlite Room on Edmonton Stop of Canadian Torture Tour - April 19, 2016

Dana Zuk April 21, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

Swamp-metal sensations, Kalmah, graced Edmonton with their long awaited presence on Tuesday night, with fellow Canadians, Vesperia, as well as local folk metallers, Trollband and Mongol, playing support to Kalmah's epic night at the Starlite Room.

Kicking off the evening with Edmonton's very own Mongol, Mongolian inspired folk metal, and blackened folk metallers known as Trollband, had the adrenaline flowing through the room, gearing up Edmonton for what was in store. Playing direct support through the Canadain leg of Kalmah's tour, Toronto's truly epic Vesperia, and winners of 2015's Wacken Battle Canada, delivered a whole new dynamic to the night, while helping a number of gig attendees warm up their headbanger neck muscles for the chaos that was about to ensue.

Hammering through a hefty 16 song set spanning their 13+ year career, Kalmah had their audience in a frenzy on the floor right from the get-go. Nailing a number of fan favorite tracks such as: "The Black Waltz", "12 Gauge", and finishing strong with "Hades", to put a cherry on top of the night. Between the whirlwind headbanging and moshing, it would seem as though Edmonton had left an unforgettable impression on these Finnish musicians, as they exchanged smiles and high-fives with outstretched hands of nearby grinning concert goers.

KALMAH

VESPERIA

TROLLBAND

MONGOL

Marianas Trench Unleashes 80's Inspired "Never Say Die" Tour On Edmonton - April 1, 2016

Dana Zuk April 4, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

April Fools Day of 2016 was no joke in Edmonton, as Vancouver's very own, Marianas Trench, delivered a gritty, pop-rock performance on Friday night to a reasonably full Rexall Place. With the release of their newest and 80's inspired album, "Astoria", Marianas Trench unleashed a whole new kind of energy on their Edmontonian audience. As frontman, Josh Ramsay, lead the charge, the band immediately had the youth in the house on their feet, dancing and singing along from the get-go, followed by the dynamic of the music, successfully maintaining the adrenaline levels in the venue.
Warming up the crowd for Marianas Trench, hailing from Ontario, the infamous YouTube sensations, Walk Off The Earth really had Rexall Place energized. Largely famous for their videos of creative spins on covering top 40 pop songs, the multi-talented five-piece band dominated the stage, and totally stole the show (for me, at least!). Between having multiple people playing numerous instruments all at once while pumping up the audience, to the entire band playing just one acoustic guitar, recreating their infamous video: "five people playing one guitar" and playing a mash up of some of the hottest top 40 songs on the radio today, Walk Off The Earth left a sterling impression on those who attended the concert on Friday night.
Throughout the entire evening, there was no shortage of talent and energy in sight. Everyone who graced the stage with their presence brought their A-game, and delivered a performance that will be talked about for months to come.

MARIANAS TRENCH

WALK OFF THE EARTH

The Offspring Delivers Punk Rock Nostalgia to the Shaw Conference Centre at Annual "Thaw at the Shaw" - March 24, 2016

Dana Zuk March 28, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

I took a trip down good, old memory lane on Thursday night at the Shaw Conference Centre. Nostalgia was thick in the air at the annual event, "Thaw at the Shaw", put on by local radio station, 100.3 the Bear, brought 80's punk rock forefathers, The Offspring, to town, and I couldn't have been more excited to have another band that I grew up listening to, doing what they do best, in front of my lens. Accompanied by the likes of fellow Canadians, Gob and Pigeon Park, this year's rendition of "Thaw at the Shaw" had the house completely sold out and rocking from side to side, start to finish; The perfect way of gearing up myself, and hundreds of other Edmontonians for a radical long weekend.

THE OFFSPRING

GOB

PIGEON PARK

Slayer Lays Waste to Edmonton with Testament & Carcass at the Shaw Conference Centre - March 15, 2016

Dana Zuk March 17, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

One of the most notorious members of thrash metal forefathers, of the largely popular Big-4, graced downtown Edmonton with their sacrilegious presence on Tuesday night. Personally, I couldn't have been more excited about this gig! With their hellish songs of hatred and evil, Slayer, thrashed the cores of their audience at the Shaw Conference Centre, pummeling their fans with a heavy-as-hell 20 song set, spanning their 30-plus-year career.

In tow, fellow metal heavy weights, Testament and Carcass, pleasantly warmed up the crowd, delivering a healthy dosage of guitar-shreddery and double-kick-madness to the masses. Surely, preparing the headbangers and moshers in the audience for the ritualistic-chaos that was about to ensue.

With a white curtain draped in front of the stage, projections of sacrilegious symbols faded in and out, while sweeping across the canvas before displaying Slayer's pentagram logo. As the curtain fell, an eruption of heavily distorted guitars clashed against the roars of the audience. Aggressive from the start, Slayer's distinctive sound oozed out of the amplifiers, causing crowd surfers to worm-roll over the front rail, and a frenzy of whirlwind moshing in the pits below.

It's been roughly five years since I last saw Slayer in concert, so it's safe to say that I was anticipating this show from the day that the Edmonton date was announced. Sharing the common opinion, I was not disappointed with the song choices of Slayer's set list for the night. The band nailed a handful of fan favorite tracks, such as: "Seasons in the Abyss", "Hell Awaits" and, "Black Magic", to name a few. Over all, Slayer put on a display of raw heaviness, showcasing that the spirit of heavy metal does not wither with age. If any band out there is going to show an audience what thrash metal is, what it means, and how it's done, that band will always be Slayer, as they continue to maintain their spot in the ranks of being one of the most influential, and iconic metal bands of this lifetime.

Check out the official Vandala Magazine interview with Slayer's drummer, Paul Bostaph, HERE!

SLAYER

TESTAMENT

CARCASS

Nightwish Delivers Gothic Grace to The Winspear Centre on North American Tour - March 3, 2016

Dana Zuk March 4, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

Edmonton was fed a healthy dose of gothic rock on Thursday March 3rd, as Finland's very own, Nightwish, stormed the stage at the Winspear Centre, delivering a crushing set full of gothic melodies, which had their sold out Edmonton crowd on their feet, dancing, headbanging and singing along to every song.

With the likes of Sonata Arctica and Delain at Nightwish's side, this trio of symphonic-rockers are the first to have performed a show of this nature on the stage of the Winspear Centre; The home of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, as well as the venue of choice for most stand-up comedians who tour through the city. Despite being an out-of-the-ordinary tour to be performing on one of Edmonton's most pristine stages, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and Delain, each, put on a display of intricate, musical mastery in every way possible, leaving memorable impressions on those who gathered to the venue for the evening.

NIGHTWISH

SONATA ARCTICA

DELAIN

Jeremy Widerman - MONSTER TRUCK — Jeremy Widerman - MONSTER TRUCK

Monster Truck Rocks & Rolls Union Hall on Edmonton Stop of "Sittin' Heavy" Tour - March 1, 2016

Dana Zuk March 3, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

Catching the buzz on touring Canadian artists during the week is something I'll always look forward to, no matter what. Especially when Ontario's very own, gritty-rollers, Monster Truck, are in town, and ready to rock the socks off of a full house of Edmonton's rock 'n roll lovers. Paired with the energetic likes of evening openers, The Temperance Movement, Tuesday night was the perfect gig to kick off the first of the month of March, and as my first gig at Union Hall so far for 2016.

MONSTER TRUCK

TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT

The Trews Serenade Festival Place on Sherwood Park Stop of Acoustic Tour 2016 - February 18, 2016

Dana Zuk February 19, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

I love discovering new venues. The thrill of taking on a new room, with a new stage and lighting rig is always something I've looked forward to as a concert photographer. Especially when Canadian rock ambassadors are headlining the unfamiliar stage.

Thursday night was the first time I had ever been to the beautiful Festival Place in Sherwood Park, AB. All for good reason, too! As The Trews rocked the house with an acoustic set, accompanied by the singular likes of Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes while he performed his solo work; Rock lovers of all ages filled the seats of the theater in Festival Place, smiling, singing along and clapping their hands to the familiar melodies of The Trews' and Rich Robinson's soundtracks. The perfect atmosphere to gear up to a busy weekend with!

THE TREWS

RICH ROBINSON

Trivium Sells Out Starlite Room on Edmonton Stop of North American Tour - February 10, 2016

Dana Zuk February 15, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHED FOR VANDALA MAGAZINE

It's been roughly four years since I last saw Trivium on an Edmonton stage. Far too long to have gone without witnessing the epicness of their performance. Thankfully, I was able to get my fill of their stellar set on Wednesday night at the Starlite Room. Accompanied by the talented likes of local support acts The Order of Chaos and All Else Fails, each band had the house rocking from wall to wall.

Leading the charge, All Else Fails meant business as they took to the stage to kick off the evening. Seizing the attention of their audience, playing a number of killer songs that encouraged their audience to headbang along with the raspy vocals and shreddy guitar solos featured in each track. The band definitely left a lasting impression on this particular Edmonton crowd.

Continuing the flow of adrenaline, The Order of Chaos delivered a relentless performance to a full floor. Non-stop shred-action from start to finish, the band had the house jumping, moshing and headbanging; Channeling energy between performer and audience, putting the cherry on top of an already awesome night.

Taking to a dimly lit stage, Trivium boomed into their set, starting with the title track off of their newest album: "Silence in the Snow", causing the crowd at the Starlite Room to go absolutely wild. Exchanging smiles and fist bumps with near by concert goers, Trivium powered through their heavy 14 song set, playing tracks spanning their 10+ year career that had the house rockin' from side to side, front to back. With each cheer the audience would roar at the band, Trivium answered back by crushing the catchy melodies of fan favorite tracks included in the set, such as: "Strife" , "Insurrection", "Tread The Floods" and "Down From The Sky", all building anticipation for the pounding chorus of their encore track, "In Waves", which resulted in total chaos among fans as they sang, moshed, and headbanged the night away. The voices of Trivium's Edmonton fans could be heard singing along to their performance from the snowy streets outside of the venue, meaning only one thing... That Trivium had once again dominated Edmonton, leaving a memorable impression on their old and new fans at the Starlite Room, that will be talked about for months to come.

TRIVIUM

THE ORDER OF CHAOS

ALL ELSE FAILS

The Best Of 2015

Dana Zuk December 24, 2015

Another year has come and gone, and I can't believe how amazing 2015 has been for me. I met some of the most incredible people while adventuring around western Canada throughout the summer months, and was given so many opportunities of a life time over the course of the year that I won't soon forget. Covering all kinds of concerts and festivals for various media outlets such as: Exclaim!, Vandala Magazine and ampsandgreenscreens.com, as well as maintaining a steady schedule of shooting, I was able to smash many goals that I had set for myself for 2015, which lead to some of the best mile-stone experiences of my life that I will be talking about until my days are done.

To sum up an entire year of epic concerts and experiences into a few paragraphs is... Difficult... To say the least. Despite the downside of losing one of Edmonton's best music venues, The Pawn Shop, I feel fortunate to have been able to be a part of some of the most energtic and wild shows that took place there within its final days. But alas, life goes on. On a more postive note, some of my most favorite memories of being a concert photographer were made this year. From shooting countless local bands as they melt faces while dominating stages across western Canada, to having musical legends in front of my lens in the most renowned venues across the city of Edmonton.

Reminiscing on the past 12 months and the challenges it has presented me, I can proudly say that I was able to overcome and perservere through them with my head held high, and with positive thoughts guiding me along the way; encouraging me to work harder and harder to get to where I want to be with my life as a professional photographer. It's amazing what dreaming big can do for you. Including the remarkable amount of support that I have received from friends, family and people I have never met. I'm truly humbled. My gratitude for your endless support is beyond words. Shout out, and much love to all of you, you know who you are!

Now, before kickin' into holiday mode for the remainder of 2015, I have sifted through the mountain of pictures I have shot this year, and compiled a swanky album of my most favorite snaps. Enjoy, folks! See ya in 2016!