Monthly Archives: June 2016

A New Breed of Shredding: Toronto Canada’s Mike Milan Dedic

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Today I bring you something special to me. As you all know, I love solo guitar work and have since the inception back in the early days of the Neo–Classical, shred guitar craze. Uli Jon Roth, Yngwie Malmteen, Cacophony (Marty Friedman and Jason Becker), Joe Stump, Andy Timmons, Vinnie Moore, Steve Vai, Satch, Dream Theater (I know, not solo, but Petrucci has to be in this list) and many others. These were my heroes when I started playing guitar and bass when I was in my mid-teens. I could not get enough of them and still listen to all of the same music more than 35 year later. It never gets old and never gets boring. Needless to say, with this pedigree, it is hard to impress me when it comes to this form of music. This is a very, very tough form of guitar skill to play and play well. I don’t say that to be a guitar snob, but just stating the fact that this is a hard row to hoe when these are still the go-to artists for shred.

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PLACE OF SKULLS Announce Tour!

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Victor Griffin famously of Pentagram has announced some tour dates over the next few months for his other extremely kick ass band Place of Skulls. Founded in 2000 by Griffin, bass player Lee Abney and drummer Tim Tomacelli the three piece has turned heads since their debut. The tour will kick off on June 23rd in Harrisonburg, VA. They will make an appearance at the 2015 Maryland Doom Festival (See Below) which is a must see for any doom lover and then the tour will come to an end on August 20th in Murfreesboro, TN at the Tennessean Sludge Fest (See Below). The band is working on new material and we can’t wait to hear it. Don’t miss this opportunity to see them live if they are in your region. Continue reading →

-(16)- Release Video For “Peaches, Cream And The Placenta”

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California sludge masters -(16)- release video for “Peaches, Cream and the Placenta” from their upcoming album ‘Lifespan Of A Moth’ which is set for release this July 15th via Relapse Records. Lifespan Of A Moth is the band’s heaviest, darkest, and most complex material to date. Self-produced by the band and recorded with Jeff Forrest (Cattle Decapitation, The Locust) at Doubletime Recording Studio in San Diego, California, Lifespan Of A Moth sees the band sounding uglier, rawer, and more visceral than ever. Down-tuned, feedback-driven riffs and bludgeoning rhythms violently clash with vocalist Cris Jerue’s distorted, tortured howls across eight tracks of -(16)-‘s signature blend of hardcore punk, thrash, and sludge. Lifespan Of A Moth is the sound of a band that has spent twenty-five years wallowing in addiction and anguish, and will leave you feeling crushed and confronted by the negativity of existence. This is an album you do not want to miss. Physical preorders via Relapse.com can be found HERE; digital preorders are available through -(16)-‘s BandCamp page at THIS LOCATION.

SEVENDUST Announce Tour With CROBOT, RED TIDE RISING!

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Sevendust still touring in support of their amazing album ‘Kill The Flaw’ has booked an amazing tour with killer cast of opening acts. The tour will kick off in Bloomington, Illinois on August 2nd with supporting acts Crobot and Red Tide Rising. Sevendust is riding high from their recent Grammy Nominated song “Thank You.” The special treat of this tour is the final date in Columbia, Missouri on August 20th which will feature a one off show that also includes Killswitch Engage.  Continue reading →

Review: I, Captain – Mantras for Mindlessness [Stream]

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Sometimes you come across a band and you start listening to their music and you just don’t want to stop. This is what has happened to me when I discovered the Finland based band I, Captain. The band was formed by Axel (Vocals, Bass), Viktor (Drums) and Andreas (Guitar) in 2013. It was a year later that Lukas (Guitar) became the final addition to the band and really completed their sound. It would only take the band a couple years to release their debut in January 2015. The EP titled ‘Surf the Supernova’ was 5 tracks of mesmerizing Psychedelic stoner rock. The band recently followed up their 2015 EP with the 3 track demo ‘Mantras for Mindlessness’. They released these 3 songs in April of 2016 and advised the songs will be re-recorded for their upcoming album release. Continue reading →

State of the Art: FALLS OF RAUROS

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|This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State.|

This month’s State is Maine!

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Falls of Rauros is a Folk and Black Metal band hailing from Portland, Maine. The band was formed in 2005 and  is comprised of four members: Evan, Aaron, Ray and Jordan. The band released an Album titled “Believe in No Coming Shore” in 2014 that includes 6 tracks. Throughout this album you are exposed to a great mix of Folk and Black Metal. The combination of folk elements and black metal riffs combines nicely for a bad ass sound. Not to mention the raspy sounds of the scream vocals in the background that really takes their sound to another level. Their combination of folk melodies and the raw sound of black metal really shows their creativity. The most unique aspect of the band is that every member is a multi-instrumentalist. One person isn’t tied to any one instrument. They prefer to keep it open and just call their self a “Band” with each member pulling equal weight.  Their sound is something I definitely look forward to hearing more of.  The band will start touring on the West Coast for the first time later this month with the band Wayfarer kicking off in Denver, CO on June 30th. Be sure to give this band a listen and check out one of their upcoming shows!
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Huge Progressive Power: Order of Nine

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Alright. I goofed again, but in a good way. Our current State of the Art is spotlighting bands from Maine. In my early search I mistakenly thought Order of Nine was from Maine, when, in fact they are from Pittsburgh, PA. Simply put: they are way too damned good not to cover, so here you go!

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State of the Art: Dead Season

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 *This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*

This month’s State is Maine!

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So June’s State of the Art starts with Maine. Where does the time go? Half way through 2016 already. So many great bands discovered over our great country already. This is why I really love this series. Find interesting music where I would not normally look and share it. What could be more Metal than that? Grass roots head banging at its best. Well, my first band jumped up in about thirty seconds of searching. A real no-brainer to write about. If you are not from the upper, east coast, you may not have ever heard of them. If you are, however, you already know who I am talking about. That’s right. It could only be Dead Season. This is a “holy-shit” good band!

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SAINT VITUS Announces U.S. Tour With Scott Reagers!

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Heavy metal legends Saint Vitus have announced a headlining US tour with their classic front-man, Scott Reagers. The tour, which begins on September 27 in Austin, sees the band trek across the US before concluding on October 23. Support on this tour comes from The Skull and Witch Mountain. A full list of confirmed tour dates can be found below.

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CROWBAR Announce New Bassist…

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Less than 24 hours after the departure of Jeff Golden, Crowbar has announced the person filling the role of bass player will be none other than “Sexy T” Todd Strange. Some may be familiar with Todd as he was formerly the bassist for Down and also a founding member of Crowbar. He was a member of Crowbar from 1989–2000 and was a member of Down from 1991–1999. Todd and Kirk have some of the best chemistry together when it comes to making music. Welcome back Todd, we can’t wait to see you kicking ass in the mighty Crowbar again. Continue reading →