Author Archives: Fist

About Fist

Greetings and salutations. Call me Fist, I'm a proud Kentuckian and I've used metal to help me get through the suffering of living in the bible belt. I am an encyclopedia of metal. I'm a fan of all types of metal. My main goal here is to help people find more music they will fall in love with. Hope you enjoy our words! \m/

DOYLE: “Hopefully We Get To Do Another Misfits Run, That Would Be Nice”

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DOYLE recently spoke to Joshua Toomey on Talk Toomey Podcast about The Misfits reunion and the possibility of another round of shows with the reunited lineup! You can hear the full interview below!

DOYLE, the current project of Von Frankenstein, with CANCERSLUG vocalist Alex “Wolfman” Story, and a current touring lineup rounded out by bassist Brandon Strate and drummer Brandon Pertzborn, continues the lineage of Doyle’s former projects, pairing crushing metal riffs with ferocious Punk Rock swagger. Most of you however know DOYLE from his shredding guitar work with THE MISFITS. DOYLE has been supporting their upcoming LP DOYLE II: AS WE DIE, in stores May 5th from EMP LABEL GROUP, and Doyle’s own MONSTERMAN RECORDS. AS WE DIE will be available Worldwide on CD and LP May 5, and is currently available for pre-order from empmerch.com, including several international versions with alternate artwork configurations, including art by legendary horror/comic/album cover artist Mister Sam Shearon, known for his iconic works with Rob Zombie, Iron Maiden, Clive Barker, KISS, Ministry, Rammstein, X-Files, and more. On DOYLE’S Louisville, Kentucky tour stop the veteran guitar player spoke with Joshua Toomey of TALK TOOMEY PODCAST. Doyle speaks about THE MISFITS reunion shows saying “Just another day at the office”, “Hopefully we get to do another Misfits run, that would be nice”. The sheer idea of being able to see reformed MISFITS with Glenn Danzig back on the microphone instantly causes chill bumps. Their performance at Denver Riot Fest was the first show with Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle since October 29, 1983 and was billed as “THE ORIGINAL MISFITS”. The band was rounded out by Dave Lombardo on drums; Acey Slade on second guitar. THE MISFITS then went on to play Chicago Riot Fest as well making it the second and final date the band has played with the original lineup thus far. In a Rolling Stone Interview Jerry Only said of the first appearance “A lot of bands, when they do big reunions, they’ll book some small club gigs as warmup shows,” “I thought that this was the perfect warmup show for what we do. I thought us coming back to Denver out of all the places on the planet Earth was … why not?” THE MISFITS doesn’t do things on a small scale, and with DOYLE hoping for another run of shows we certainly hope it pans out. Continue reading →

The Bucketlist With LO-PAN’S Jeff Martin! [Throwback Edition]

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Lo-Pan have been dominating ear drums all over the U.S. for years. The Ohio 5 piece recently dropped their 5th release, an EP titled ‘In Tensions’. The EP continues Lo-Pan’s onslaught of infectious, riff-filled grooves that we have all came to love and admire. Each member of the band is a force to be reckoned with, bassist Skot Thompson is the mad scientist of groove, Jesse Bartz brings the beatdown on the drum kit, Jeff Martin unleashes his soothing prowess at the microphone and newcomer Chris Thompson has taken over the riff master position after Adrian Lee Zambrano exited the band. Their unique stage setup also makes for an incredible show, with Bartz and his drum kit being up front and center of the stage and vocalist Jeff Martin bellowing the songs out from the shadows in the back. Call it metal, call it stoner rock, call it what you will, but their sound is unmistakable and an instant addiction to the ears of any true music lover. Continue reading →

DOWNTREND Auditioning Vocalists Following Exit Of Mike Jackson!

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Kentucky metal veterans Downtrend have announced today that lead vocalist Mike Jackson is stepping away from the band due to unforeseen circumstances. The band formed in 2004 and has went through a few lineup changes since then. The band retains founding members Josh Crum and Jeremy Chaney. Long time member drummer J.D. Hall completes the current lineup. Hall and Chaney were also formerly bandmates in the crushingly heavy group Voices Of Aggression. The chemistry among these three gents is amazing, which can be heard in their music and seen live when they take the stage. The band’s first lead singer when they formed was Steve Damron and at that time the band had an old school heavy metal sound similar to maybe Dio or Judas Priest. His vocal abilities along with the talents of the band made anyone within earshot of their music an immediate fan. Unfortunately, he left the band in 2004. Downtrend then took some time to regroup and reformed with Daryl Amburgey taking over vocal duties. His style drastically changed Downtrend’s style but in a positive way. He delivered not only amazing vocals but incredible lyrics as well. The music while Daryl was at the help took more of an emo or post-hardcore type vibe. The band of course stayed true to their heavy roots and shredding guitar riffs. Daryl exited the band in 2008 and the band was once again auditioning vocalists. This is when Whitesburg native Mike Jackson stepped up to the mic and became the frontman of the band for almost a decade. Mike truly added a southern metal sound to the band. Along with his harmonica playing his onstage swagger and vocal dominance would be a staple of Downtrend’s uniqueness. The time has come again for the band to search for another singer. After speaking with guitarist Josh Crum we have learned the band has auditioned a few vocalists around the region including West Virginia native Joey Ferris, Jason “Brew” Brewer, Michael McKay Combs (Voices Of Aggression) and Shawn Williams (Hollow). While the auditions are still ongoing the band had a scheduled show opening for Bullet Boys at The Appalshop Theater in Whitesburg, Kentucky. The band has stated they will have a “guest vocalist” for this show which sources say will be Michael McKay Combs. Mike certainly has the ability to take over the void left in the band. He was the deep baritone vocalist of Voices Of Aggression which bassist Jeremy Chaney and J.D. Hall were also a part of. While I’m told everyone is still in the running for this position you can see a live audition when the band takes the stage opening for Bullet Boys.

Auditions continue and if interested in becoming the new voice of Downtrend email [email protected]

For tickets to see Bullet Boys & Downtrend’s special performance go here.

 

Carolina Rebellion 2017 Preview!

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Carolina Rebellion has become one of the most anticipated festivals, not only this year but each and every year. Carolina Rebellion along with Welcome To Rockville are really the two events that kick off the festival season. Headliners this year at Rebellion are Sound Garden, A Perfect Circle, Def Leppard, Korn, Avenged Sevenfold, and The Offspring. Not on is the lineup strong but it is diverse both in the headliners and the lower bands on the bill. The festival returns on May 5th, 6th, and 7th at Rock City Campgrounds in Concord, North Carolina. Don’t waste anymore time and pick up your tickets here. Continue reading →

The Bucketlist With SILVER SNAKES Vocalist/Guitarist Alex Estrada!

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Photo by Ted Daroski

Silver Snakes formed in 2011 in the city of angels, Los Angeles, California. The bands sophomore album ‘Year Of The Snake’ really put them on the map. After it’s release in 2014 the band has been obtaining fans at a substantial rate. Since then the band hasn’t let up. The year of the snake continues as the band has been steadily becoming a household name in the rock world. They followed up with the album ‘Saboteur’ in 2016. The album was released via Evil Ink records which is owned by Coheed & Cambria singer/guitarist Claudio Sanchez. The album has been out since February of last year but it still on heavy rotation with fans. The album has true staying power, and we believe the band has a long career ahead of them. I was able to see them showcase their live sound at the inaugural Chicago Open Air festival. The band played the middle day of the festival along side other acts like Helmet, Pop Evil, Nothing More, Korn, and Gojira. On that day you could hear people constantly talking about Silver Snakes and the phenomenal set they played. The band releases amazing material on record and is able to reproduce the same sounds on stage with the same overall quality while putting on an energetic show. ‘Saboteur’ truly has staying power, the album is receiving heavy air play by fans even after it’s one year anniversary. It’s a dark record that doesn’t get old and only get better with each listen. If you haven’t had the opportunity to pick up this album yet I suggest you do so now…. Go ahead… We are waiting…  Continue reading →

EXHUMED Enters Studio To Record Concept Album ‘Death Revenge’!

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California extreme metal veterans EXHUMED formed in 1990, went on hiatus in 2005, and reformed in 2010. Since their reformation they have release two albums ‘All Guts, No Glory’ (2011) and ‘Necrocracy’ (2013). The band has now entered the studio to record their  sixth studio album and follow-up to 2013’s ‘Necrocracy’. Four years of waiting has certainly made this album one of the most highly anticipated albums releases of 2017. And for fans they can relax that the wait is almost over. The album will be entitled ‘Death Revenge’ and will see a late 2017 release via Relapse Records.

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Review: ADNA – ‘Closure’ [Official Video]

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German based, and Swedish native ADNA delivers some melodic yet haunting styling. ADNA is not rock, nor metal. A genre really can’t contain her creativity, but I would call her music folk haunting. Some artists try to cram as much sound into a song as possible, but not ADNA. I believe in her music what isn’t there is just as important as what is there. Musically simple and lyrically complex, the vibe from her music comes across so delicate and peaceful. Her music is simply like a palate cleanser. The melancholy within her music washes away all your worries and truly soothes your soul. ADNA has released her new album ‘Closure’. The album was written, recorded and produced entirely by ADNA herself in her Berlin apartment. Closure is ADNA’s fourth release for the Despotz label (after two full length albums and an Ep) and has garnered over thirty million Spotify streams to date as well as getting sync placements with top tier television shows such as the American TV series Bones. The dark, alternative pop songstress, who has been compared favorably to Daughter and Bon Iver amongst others. Regarding the single, she says, ““The song “Closure” was the result of an anxious period of time, but I remember it as something beautiful, because it finally gave me the closure I had been longing for, and also the title of the album.” The best thing you can truly do is to allow her music to speak to you, and speak to you it will. Continue reading →

State Of The Art: Pennsylvania’s RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER [2017 Live Footage]

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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 Pennsylvania!

There is a secret underground crime syndicate called RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER. Though the word “grind” is in their name, don’t make the mistake of referring to the band as grindcore. RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER is a red-blooded thrash album with roots in crossover. Founded in 2002 the band has released 3 studio albums, 1 live album and 4 split albums. Their first studio album ‘Buried in the Front Yard’ dropped in 2005 via Relapse Records. This album seen Guitarists Matt Moore and Ryan Moll with their dueling riffs. Fiery fret work and precision riffage is abundant in all 8 tracks of their studio debut. Moll showcases his solo work throughout the album and Moore let’s his talents shine in a solo on “Stealing E.T.”. Needless to say the album almost comes off as a thrashing guitar clinic. Vocalist Eli Shaika and Bassist/vocalist Shawn Riley share the microphone at times. Riley adds his own string work on the bass but together they vocally encase the bands true thrash sound with a rapid vocal delivery. The harsh undertones of his they dispel perfectly bond with the conglomeration of riffs. Continue reading →

Review: PALMER – ‘Surrounding The Void’ [Album Stream]

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Photo Credit: © 2016 Fabian Unternährer

Formed in 2000 Swiss metal band Palmer are a band that creates massive depth within their sound. Palmer has been forging their sound towards perfection for the last 16 years. This Swiss quartet is no typical four-four time metalcombo straight off the rack. Their strength comes from their ability to work as one cohesive unit. No member is more talented than the other and they shine as one entity. Palmer works intuitively and without restraints and their creations reflect an energy of immediate presence. Somewhere between post-metal and prog-rock the band has truly found their space in the metal world. The band released their debut in 2007 via Czar of Crickets titled ‘This One Goes To Eleven’, they followed that album up with ‘Momentum’ in 2011 this time releasing their work via Subversiv Records. The band of course takes ample time between albums, creating perfection takes time you know. Palmer has released their latest LP ‘Surrounding The Void’ on February 24th, 2017. It marks the bands return to Czar of Crickets as well. Continue reading →

Review: GOD IN A CONE – ‘Obscurist’ [Track Stream]

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Photo Credit – Ioannis Triantafyllou

GOD IN A CONE is based in Athens, Greece and surprisingly formed less than 8 months ago. The band is a one man project by Nikos Marinos. He adds Keyboards, vocals, programming, to the song and creates the percussion with a drum machine. A one man band can at times be incredibly hard with no one to bound ideas off of. However, Nikos doesn’t lack imagination. He has his sights set on something and he puts it in motion. GOD IN A CONE have just released the album ‘Obscurist’ which was produced, mixed and mastered at Studio 222 by Dimitris Delis who also arranged guitars on the record. Putting no genre tag on his music and setting no boundaries GOD IN A CONE can take you places that hasn’t yet been defined in music. Continue reading →