Smart, yet intoxicating riffs travel through the speakers as an easy brush of arpeggios lift one into another world where all things are neatly and perfectly packaged into sonic bites of progressive wonder. Charleston, West Virginia is the homeland of Astraeus. If you can’t already tell, they are excellent. Continue reading
*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state.*
This month’s state is Louisiana!
Any fans of progressive instrumental are severely missing out if The Arbitrary is not a part of their lives. The New Orleans two-piece has been self-releasing since 2015. Together, Jeffrey Fisher (guitar) and Adam Sauter (drums) have continued to boggle the brains of prog fans, yet quench the thirst for musical excellence with their 2017 EP ‘Identity.’ It may only be four songs, but those four songs are all the listener needs. A touch a djent, a brush of tech; it’s about time for a Ph.D. in music theory. Continue reading
Void Generator claim they were born ten million years ago by extending the diagonal of the quadrilateral
of Pegasus up to b- Sirrah. The band is comprised of Gianmarco Iantaffi – Guitar, Sonia Caporossi – Guitar, Enrico Cosimi – Synth and Devil’s machines, and Marco Cenci – Drums. Void Generator debuted their first release in in 2004 with a self-titled EP. Then in January 2006 came ‘We Have Found The Space’ which contained 10 unique tracks. The follow up to the debut full length would take the band 4 years to release, but in 2010 they released the EP ‘Phantom Hell And Soar Angelic’. Void Generator have a sound that isn’t easy to pinpoint to a specific genre. The band draws influences from a wide variety of different musical styles across a number of genres. Their sound ranges from heavy 1970’s blues and rock to indie British rock and also to psychedelic or stoner rock. Void Generator aren’t trying to be a carbon copy of anything else that is out there. They are creative to a point that it’s hard to describe. The bands remaining discography includes 2011’s ‘Collision’ EP, the album ‘Supersound’ in 2014, and now the band has released their latest material in the form of an EP. The EP titled ‘Prodromi’ contains 4 tracks of unique appeal and it was released on September 30, 2017.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Nebraska!
Coming all the way from Nebraska is the 2 piece instrumental doom metal act Rift. With just 2 complete studio records and 1 live record they make it seem so easy to write and produce 3 stellar pieces in a row!
Welcome to this week’s state of the art! I’m proud to introduce you to the Chicago, Illinois instrumental metal band RUSSIAN CIRCLES: a metal outfit that isn’t constrained by the conventional rules many other metal bands religiously adhere to. Where most metal musicians try to pummel the listener with heavy riffs and pure aggression, instrumental trio RUSSIAN CIRCLES (which formed in 2004 and consists of guitarist Mike Sullivan, bassist Brian Cooke, and drummer Dave Turncrantz) opt for the more subtle and nuanced approach of creating music that emphasizes atmospherics over pure brutality, and the result is emotionally stirring heavy metal that ferries the listener on a musical journey through spiritual highs and lows.
There can never be a guitarist as good and diverse than MARTY FRIEDMAN, period! This new song is just another testament to this long standing fact. I am just spellbound, and awestruck!
MARTY FRIEDMAN is going out all guns blazing on his new upcoming record, ‘Wall Of Sound‘, to be released on August 4, 2017 via Prosthetic Records. The ones following Marty closely already know that he has not wasted a pinch of time in releasing two mind numbing tracks already from the upcoming album, and if you haven’t checked those out already you are seriously missing out something major happening. ‘Self Pollution‘ and ‘Whiteworm‘ are the two already out for you to take dibs and bask in the glory and awe of Marty‘s soulful and technical fretboard work. Today, Marty follows up with another soaring new track, “Miracle“, posted alongside an interview with Billboard Magazine.
Just an hour ago, something legendary was released. For the last week, Havok and Allegaeon have been teasing something with satirical political photos with Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un, and Mike Tyson. The wait has finally ended and we get to see what it’s all about. Members from Allegaeon, Havok, Cephalic Carnage, and Job For A Cowboy all gathered together for the ultimate side project, The Nuclear Power Trio. Kim Jong Un is shredding on guitar, Donald Trump creating funky basslines, and Mike Tyson shredding on the drum kit. What is seen in the video below can’t be unseen. I’m hoping that this is just the start and there will be more music to come. See what the band members have to say and check out the instrumental jam below and be on the lookout for more music from The Nuclear Power Trio. Check out the masks created by Landon Meier at http://www.hyperflesh.com. Continue reading
Grammy nominated guitar god and ex-Megadeth member Marty Friedman is back with a new song, “Self Pollution” from his forthcoming studio album, ‘Wall Of Sound‘ that awaits it’s release on August 4, 2017. Prosthetic Records will be helping Marty Friedman release his latest installment of a record. ‘Wall Of Sound‘ happens to be his much awaited release after his 2014 Billboard charting record, ‘Inferno‘. The guitar virtuoso who now lives in Japan and takes part in their culture will see him dish forth 11 brand new tracks in the record, that also features a wide range of diverse artists as guests : Jinxx (Black Veil Brides), Shiv Mehra (Deafheaven) and Jorgen Munkeby (Shining). Marty Friedman has time and again pushed the envelope when it comes to instrumental music, especially his guitar playing abilities, and I am sure ‘Wall Of Sound‘ will breathe the same music of epic proportions, creating the best what he is always known for. Continue reading
Photo Credit : Andreas, PsyKArin neckbreaker.de
Camel Driver is a three piece instrumental group coming out of Kiel, Germany. They started up in 2012 and are consisting of Christoph (bass), Alex (drums) and Lutz (guitar). These guys have worked and earned their respect both on stage and in their scene and in their native home of Germany. Camel Driver are quoted as “Going Deeply into versatile songwriting to create their own colorful and massive sound landscape.” They are citied as desert rock with metal infusions along with some fine-tuned jazz oriented parts. Their album was via Pink Tank Records. Pink Tank is a DIY label that was founded in 2013 and is based out of Hamburg, Germany. Camel Driver is one among the 20 bands on the Pink Tank roster. Though the band released their self titled debut on August 31st, 2014, it still resonates with fans both new and old.
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Clevelanders Sparrowmilk are a three piece atmospheric instrumental doom rock band with ample amounts of sludge a la carte. Founded in 2014 the band features members of Venomin James, Doomstress and Ancient VVisdom. They have quickly gelled and captivated listeners both near and far with their instrumental stylings. Though the band has no vocalist they certainly aren’t speechless. Their music speaks to you in ways that traditional lyrics could never do. Their influences range from fellow instrumentalists Pelican and Karma To Burn, then to Celtic Frost, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and even noting The Cure as well. While this seems like a broad range of influences the band’s sound isn’t scattered or all over the place, their music is refined and maintains cohesiveness. Sparrowmilk has recently released ‘Articles of Separation’ on February 15th 2017 via Kultland Recordings. This marks the bands debut, and has previously only released demo material. Their dominance of the instrumental metal genre begins now! Continue reading
