Louder Than Life: Saturday Review [Photo Gallery]

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Louder Than Life came back this year with such an amazing lineup. Last year had more of a southern rock feel and this year was so much heavier. Ranging from some older classic bands to some of music’s fastest up and comers the lineup was filled full talented bands of varying genres. Unfortunately, we can’t see every band, so if we didn’t mention someone here it’s simply that we had a conflicting schedule with their set. If only we could see every band it would be a perfect day. Continue reading

Khemmis “Hunted” May Be One Of The Best Albums Of 2016

Khemmis is:

Ben Hutcherson – vocals/guitars

Phil Pendergastvocals/guitars

Daniel Beirsbass

Zach Colemandrums

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Release date: October 21, 2016

Man. After doing my State of the Art: Colorado on Khemmis earlier this year I have been flat, wearing out Absolution (2015) and chomping at the bit waiting for Hunted. Once we were able to procure a copy of this wicked release, Dragon and I debated on who was going to review it. Both of us are huge fans but in the end he let me have it (Yes!) due to a couple of scheduling difficulties with other MN responsibilities. We are singing from the same hymnal, so, in the end, don’t think either of us would have been too far off from the other. One thing we definitely agree on is that KhemmisHunted is one of the best albums of 2016.

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Once Human Drops “Eye Of Chaos” From Upcoming Release “Evolution”

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Los Angeles, California’s Once Human has recently dropped their new single “Eye of Chaos” on iTunes along with an accompanying video in preparation for their upcoming album Evolution.  Who is Once Human, you may ask?  Well, take the guitarist-turned-vocalist butchery of Australian born, Lauren Hart, the guitar wizardry of Logan Mader (Soulfly and Machine Head) and Skyler Howren, wicked bass of Damien Rainaud and penultimate drum skills of Dillon Trollope and throw them off a bridge to be mixed in blood on the rocks below and you have one of the most brutal and blunt forces in Metal available today.  Promising to top their 2015 release of The Life I Remember, Evolution is due out sometime in 2017!  We have a standing request for album upon its completion so stay tuned!

Check out Once Human on Facebook

Inner Demons – “Feel the Cold” Review

Inner Demons is:

Karl Hasse: vocals

Chuck Hillyard: lead guitar

Zakk Hillyard: bass

Sean Watson: rhythm guitar

L.P. Parsons III: drums

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I can’t tell you guys how excited I have been since being informed that my good friends in Inner Demons were releasing their new album, Feel the Cold, due out October 21, 2016! Well, I got my grubby paws on this beast shortly after the production was complete this last weekend and have been spinning it almost constantly between other music duties with MN ever since. So freakin’ killer, this release! Everything I have come to expect from them and more! Raging guitar work, some of the coolest bass lines around, blasting drums and the unique, powerful vocals of producer/vocalist Karl Hasse. As I was preparing to write my review, another good friend of mine, one of the founding members of That Riff Promotions and die-hard supporter of local Metal dropped his review. Not willing to pass up the opportunity to support MN, That Riff and Inner Demons, all at the same time, I asked permission from him, the members of Inner Demons and my editor to allow him a guest spot in the MN family. So, without further ado, it is my pleasure to introduce my buddy, Jason Jagodzinski’s review of Feel the Cold by Jacksonville, FL’s very own, Inner Demons!

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State of the Art: South Carolina – Osara

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

This month’s State is South Carolina!

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State of the Art: South Carolina just got unexpectedly very, very personal with a band that I have listened to long before I started writing for MN. From Columbia, SC, I give you hard rockin’ Osara

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Review: Crowbar – The Serpent Only Lies

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The definition of Crowbar in the music world is… HEAVY. The New Orleans sludge masters have consistently put out one heavy record after another. The band has the best possible chemistry among band mates and it shows in their music. Crowbar recently welcomed bassist Todd “Sexy T” Strange back into the fold. Along with his thundering bass lines Todd brings with him his experience from within the band in its earliest days. A few years ago, founder and vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein decided to step away from his side project Down and put all his focus on Crowbar. That focus has been a complete success that can be heard on their last release ‘Symmetry In Black‘ and again on the upcoming album ‘The Serpent Only Lies‘ which is set to release on October 28th via eOne Music. Crowbar has become quite iconic. Recently, Metallica released their cover art for their new album and it has a close resemblance to Crowbar’s 1998 release ‘Odd Fellows Rest‘. However, no ones music can mimic the sound of Crowbar. Their sound resonates with metalheads near and far, and there is NONE HEAVIER.

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Interview With DOOMED & STONED Executive Editor And Festival Coordinator Melissa Collins!

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We always look forward to festival season, but we have been anticipating the Doomed & Stoned Fest as much as any other. They also are keeping the festival season running late into the year by booking the show in November. As we get closer and closer to that date circled on our calendar we get more anxious. Luckily we had the opportunity to speak with Executive Editor and Festival coordinator Melissa Collins and talked about some of the festivals logistics, bands, and everything else going on in Indy that weekend.

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Sacred Steel Continues Their Legacy With “Heavy Metal Sacrifice”

Sacred Steel is:

Gerrit P. Mutz – Vocals
Jens Sonnenberg – Guitar
Jonas Khalil – Guitar
Kai Schindelar – Bass
Mathias Straub – Drums

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Germany’s traditional, European Metal icon, Sacred Steel is set to unleash their eleventh, highly anticipated album, Heavy Metal Sacrifice on the Cruz Del Sur Music label October 14, 2016 as they celebrate twenty years of kicking teeth in. With a sound that vacillates somewhere between pure, NWOBHM and early Thrash at a time when we are seeing a resurgence in the popularity of both, Sacred Steel is assured continued success with Heavy Metal Sacrifice. In all honesty, I don’t give a damn how popular it is (although I sincerely wish them all the success in the world!), because good music is good music; Heavy Metal Sacrifice kicks some serious ass and they pride themselves on being trend neutral as reflected by their motto: “SACRED STEEL is a trademark in the metal scene: all METAL with its own attitude, never everybody’s darling – and damn proud of it!

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Review: Gatecreeper “Sonoran Depravation”

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If you’re looking for some catchy doom tinged death that jumps like a crack head on fire right out of the gate, the Gatecreeper‘s “Sonoran Depravation” on Relapse Records is the perfect album for you. GC have a heavy ass, nasty mix of older Entombed and Obituary with some hellacious melodic passages all accompanied by a John Tardy bred with a bull mastiff of a vocalist. This is “balls out, fuck the technicality, fuck genres, let’s play us some death metal” style shit.

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Interview: I PREVAIL Talks Taylor Swift, Tour Etiquette, New Album ‘Lifelines’! [Video]

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After taking the stage at Louisville, Kentucky’s LOUDER THAN LIFE festival members of I PREVAIL sat down with me and talked about their new gold record for their cover of “Blank Space” and if they think Taylor Swift is a closet I PREVAIL fan. So far their upcoming album ‘Life Lines‘ has 3 singles out and a couple more videos to come that the guys talk briefly about. The album ‘Lifelines‘ is due out October 21st via Fearless Records, you can pre-order the album here, and the guys will tell you exactly why you should pick it up…

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Make sure to follow I Prevail online and check out their 3 new singles from the upcoming album.

https://www.facebook.com/IPrevailBand/