Ensiferum
The Skyway Theatre welcomed the “Path To Glory Tour” to Minneapolis. Performing were Ensiferum, Septicflesh, and Arsis. I have heard the names before but the night proved to be my initiation into each of these bands. Continue reading
Breaking Benjamin
What happens on a cold December night in Huntington, WV, when Breaking Benjamin, Five Finger Death Punch, In Flames, and From Ashes to New stop by the Big Sandy Superstore Arena? A scorching night of music with some of hottest bands on the planet! Add a sold out crowd of metalheads and you’ve got the makings of an incredible show! Once inside, this throng of people couldn’t care less about the cold outside – only the heat that was coming from the stage! Continue reading
Remember these guys who took the internet by storm with their blend of Indian folk metal? Well, BLOODYWOOD is back with yet another folk yet heavy as hell new music video, ‘Endurant‘. The viral group from New Delhi, India have released new material after almost five months of inactivity ; the new video hits hard and heavy and throws light on the serious issue of bullying. Carrying on with meaningful social messages on their songs with an Indian folk twist, BLOODYWOOD have come a long way ever since they captivated the global audience with their infectious breed of metal.
Texas hard rockers Blacktop Mojo have released a video for “Prodigal”, off their 2017 LP, Burn The Ships. Blending elements of country and 70s hard rock, Blacktop Mojo has a timeless sound that pairs well with any drink you got in your hand. Formed in 2012 by frontman Matt James and drummer Natan Gillis, the band eventually became a 5-piece with Matt Curtis on bass and Ryan Kiefer and Chuck Wepfer on guitars. After releasing I Am in 2014, they hit the road sharing the stage with acts like Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Black Stone Cherry, Drowning Pool, and many others.
With their sophomore album, Burn The Ships, they went into the studio with Muscle Shoals producer Jimmy Johnson. Released via their label Cuhmon Records the album received critical acclaim, hitting the Top 40 Billboard Active Rock Chart with singles “Where The Wind Blows” (#27) and the band’s cover of Aerosmith classic, “Dream On” (#31).
As for the video, according to frontman Matt James, the band had a good time with the video: “We had fun making the video with some of our good friends from our hometown acting out the main parts. We felt like the father-son dynamic in the video really reflected the song’s theme. The song is sort of autobiographical. It’s about the experience of growing up in a small town and always talking about ‘getting out’ one day. No matter where or how far you go, though, you always have a little bit of where you came from that you take with you.” This is the band’s second video from their successful sophomore release.
Blacktop Mojo spent most of their 2017/2018 touring, writing, and recording in “The Mojo Mansion” in their hometown of Palestine, Texas. While playing a show at Rock Allegiance 2018, frontman Matt James sat down with Metal Nexus to talk everything Blacktop Mojo. You can find that interview here. To keep up to date on Blacktop Mojo follow them on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.
ROCK USA in Oshkosh, Wisconsin announced their lineup today and has shown they are one of the top festivals in the Midwest with their powerful lineup in comparison to some recent lack luster lineups. The festival takes place July 18-20th Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Your top headliners of the 3 nights in order are Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, and Disturbed. If that isn’t enough their immediate support each night in order is Breaking Benjamin, Marilyn Manson and Mastodon. Continue reading
Image Courtesy of Jeremy Saffer
Heavy metal frontrunners INCITE – led by frontman Richie Cavalera – are set to release their upcoming fifth full-length album, ‘Built To Destroy’, on January 25, 2019. You can check out a more detailed and insightful look at the album in a previously released article by our very own Steve Savage HERE. Produced by Steve Evetts (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicide Silence) and mastered by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), ‘Built to Destroy’ is a visceral, urgent, voracious distillation of modern metal with reverence for the past, and boasts a progressed, matured sound for INCITE. Continue reading
Another amazing tour coming your way. And this time from Aversions Crown & Psycroptic! They will be touring through Europe from the 1th of February till the 23th. But that’s not all. They are bringing a band that will slam your head off: Within Destruction! And if that wasn’t already enough for you to be getting that ticket Hollow World and Hadal Maw are also supporting!
Returning with their fifth studio album, Incite brings the heavy with ‘Built to Destroy’ – scheduled for release on January 25th, 2019 via Minus Head Records. Veteran producer Steve Evetts (Suicide Silence, The Dillinger Escape Plan), who also produced the band’s previous release ‘Oppression’ (2016), lends his hand once again on the new record. The sound is straight ahead groove/thrash for the most part on ‘Built to Destroy,’ in the vein of heavyweights like Machine Head, Devildriver, and Slipknot, minus any cringeworthy tough guy posturing sometimes found in such acts – largely in part due to Richie Cavalera’s authentic, yet outright punishing, vocal delivery and lyricism that avoids all possible pitfalls of going over-the-top in a forced attempt to sound “extreme.” The extremeness of the music comes through in its own organic way without any gimmickry or image to maintain – it’s just flat-out, badass metal. Continue reading
There have been few bands to have such a powerful breakthrough album such as Puppy have. The UK based rockers have experienced their fair share of success in their respective country but now their infectious disease of tones and melodies is starting to spread stateside, and we have your inside scoop on the hottest young group of Brits in the word right now. Their long-awaited debut album, “The Goat,” is set to release everywhere via Spinefarm Records on January 25th. This group has demonstrated a multitude of experimentation in their music and their debut effort is nothing short of jaw-dropping. A combination of earth-shattering riffs, earworm melodies, and their go-it-alone, can-do attitude is a testament to their drive to succeed. In a world full of modern rock copycats, these guys just have something.. these guys HAVE that, “IT,” factor that a lot of young artists strive to have. It’s like these guys can hit you with the hardest left hook in the world on a riff and turn right around into a chorus that will make you helplessly smile and sing along. Frontman and guitarist Jock Norton explains that they love heavier bands that seem to have something smarter going on below the surface level of their music, “but we also love pretty dumb bands, too!”
The wait is over! The INKCARCERATION Music and Tattoo Festival has announced the massive line-up scheduled to perform at its second annual event, set to feature colossal rock headliners. Quickly becoming one of the nation’s premier rock festivals, INKCARCERATION – taking place this year on July 12, 13 and 14 at the historic Ohio State Reformatory, a.k.a. Shawshank Prison, in Mansfield, OH – will feature over 30 bands on two outdoor stages, 70 tattoo artists, reformatory tours, gourmet food trucks, the best drinks and for the first time, the haunted house attraction, Escape from Blood Prison!This years lineup revs up the engines adding some huge headliners and a packed house of amazing bands. The top headliners are Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown, Live, Godsmack, Taking Back Sunday, Seether and Skillet. All of which put on an amazing show that is worthy of admission costs on their own… But wait there’s more… Continue reading
