This may be the oldest, most well-seasoned band that I am more than a little PO’ed about not crossing paths with earlier. These beasts should have had my attention for freaking years now! Once I heard Conquest though, I will not be forgetting them anytime soon… Continue reading
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
Man, let me tell you: Arkansas is turning out to be a state that is cultivating some seriously great and unique Metal bands. Anyone following our State of the Art series knows that we view it as an opportunity to expose ourselves to music that would normally never cross our radars and take it very seriously because many of these bands need to cross a lot of your radars as well. That being said, this week I would like to share with you a band from Malvern, AR called Undercover Devil.
Recently, when Entheos was coming through here, I was given the opportunity to sit down with lead singer, Chaney Crabb. I was really looking forward to meeting her but really did not know what to expect and, honestly, felt a little intimidated. While she does write hopeful and positive lyrics, Entheos music, particularly her vocals are far from tame. I got to the venue early and we went next door where it was more quiet where we sat down and grabbed her a beer. With Mariachi music playing in the background I quickly learned that Ms. Crabb is charming, smart, soft spoken, quick with a smile and very sweet; a complete contrast to her in-your-face, on stage persona. What follows is our transcripted conversation instead of a sterile, question/response interview. This is what I learned about this rising star. Enjoy!
If you are a Metal fan out of Central Florida and don’t live under a rock you have surely heard of my next Mayfest feature band. Bar none, they are one of my favorite bands and not just because they are relatively local to me. Their music is incredible and all of the band members are beyond being just nice people. They are a true testament to a band that loves their fans as much as their fans love them. As stated by the band: “Our fans are what drive us. We want to create music that people love and connect with. The reaction from our fans at shows is priceless”. That’s right folks, I am talking about the mighty Meka Nism out of Orlando, FL.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
Hard to believe we are already in the month of May as we move onto the state of Arkansas for this month’s State of the Art series. As is the case with the other states that we have covered, it is always fun to search for new music where I would not normally look. A few of my current go-to bands have stemmed from my searches and have a definite feeling this is going to be another such case. The band is SwitchbacH.
After doing my first Colorado State of the Art article on Source for the month of April, singer/songwriter/guitarist Ben Gleason and band manager Brent Boutte contacted me, inviting me to a show on their tour with Trapt and Super Bob. After some back and forth, a move of venue and a three and half hour drive (seven hours of driving was well worth the trip), I was finally able to see the band that has grabbed so much of my attention this past month. The more I have listened to Source’s music, the more I am sucked into their musical poetry. They are not even close to getting old (probably begin to fade just in time for a new album).
So, this being my final International Guitar Month spotlight, I toiled about who I wanted to cover. I wanted something special so I stopped and let my mind wander a bit. Who do I love? Who has moved me? Who has had my attention for years? Man, there are so many to choose from that are so deserving. Once Jason Becker’s name flashed across my mind, my breathing slowed and I comfortably knew who I needed to write about. Not a “want,” a “need”. This man holds a very dear place in my heart and I can only pray that my words even come close to giving this man’s story justice with my utmost respect…
Here is another killer band out of Melbourne, FL that will be playing at Mayfest: Best Supporting Actor. This band’s sound is a formative mix of Punk (“less angry though” as Steve Keller so aptly points out), Alternative and Hard Rock/Metal guitar riffs with melodic vocals and a great old-school flavor I am really digging. Started in July of 2007 by drummer/vocalist Steve Keller and guitarist Wade Vargo after having “some song ideas [he] wanted to flush out”, they decided to form a band after the third time writing and recording their original tunes.
After a horrible day, I was definitely looking forward to hit my weekly show at 1904 here in Jacksonville, FL and blow off some steam. Hell, even the weather sucked. Cool, pouring down rain. Sucks. Nothing like some good music for a few hours to escape the frustration, angst and exhaustion of days (weeks) like that. I find Metal a good outlet for these “bad” emotions that all too often are left to fester and become destructive in so many ways. I find music to be productive release for all of it. Head bang, fists in the air, screaming my head off. Leave it all with the music and depart in a better mood, pleasantly tired and relaxed, maybe even with a couple more friends. Ask me why I love music. This night was sure to be the catharsis of my day, my week.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Colorado!
When I was asked to pick the state to be covered by our State of the Art series for the month of April, I chose Colorado specifically to cover this band, based out of Denver. I first discovered them about a year and a half ago by creating a “sounds like” radio station on a stream for one of my favorite Florida bands: Mr. Bella. “Tranquility” was selected at some point and I was literally stopped in my tracks; quickly drawn into this powerful and moving Progressive Metal song. Continue reading
