Review: BWAK DWAGON – ‘Underground and Passed Around’ [Album Stream]

 

 

BWAK DWAGON was forged in the rock n roll town of Cleveland, Ohio. The three piece band is made up of Matthew Clement on drums and vocals, Dave Busch on guitar, and Jason Robinson on bass. Together, they mix heavy riffs with haunting tones and lyrics. This powerful trio has plenty to offer and though this band may be small in numbers they are big in sound. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2014 and was released independently by the band. It is also now available on vinyl via Gotta Groove Records, I might add. The debut was recorded by Paul Maccarrone (Obnox) at 71st Door in Cleveland, OH and mastered by Charlie Loudin (The Pistolettes) at My Other Car Is The Space Time Continuum in Kent, OH. The band of course has had a strong string of live performances in and around the Cleveland area and has quickly garnered attention for their heavy and haunting sound. Just 2 years later the band has released a follow up to their debut titled ‘Plum Island’ which released in September of 2016. The band coming off the heels of a successful first album again went to Paul Maccarrone for recording and Charlie Loudin for mastering. The lyrical content is one of the strongest points within the Bwak Dwagon sound and those words are brought to life on paper and in voice by Matthew Clement. It’s not often we get a chance to hear the drummer show off his pipes while also beating his drum kit to shreds but Clement is able to easily accomplish this. The band’s brand new release is ‘Underground and Passed Around’ which released on January 26, 2019. Bwak Dwagon recorded the new album again with local producer Paul Maccarronne and again locally based Gotta Groove Records to press the vinyl. However, this album includes 3-D glasses to enhance the album art. “The color scheme [of the album art] has a lot of red and blue to it,” Clement explained to CleveScene. “There happened to be a pair of 3-D glasses in the room, and when we tried them on, the artwork looked great, so we decided to include a pair with the album. We have a gimmick of some sort with each record.” ‘Underground and Passed Around’ includes 12 well thought out tracks. Continue reading

Review: BLACK COFFEE – ‘Take One’ [Official Video]

 

Does anyone here miss the way classic rock sounds? There is a new wave of young artists in Rock and Roll today keeping the traditions of classic artists alive, such as Greta Van Fleet, Joyous Wolf, etc. Notably, Columbus, Ohio rockers Black Coffee burst on to the scene in April 2017 with no signs of slowing down. The Ohio young bloods released, ‘Take One,’ as an independent release this past April and with one listen all the way through it’s clear that the chemistry and musicianship displayed by these guys is unlike a lot of up and coming artists in today’s day and age. Continue reading

Rock On The Range 2018: DAY 1 [Review & Photo Gallery]

 

Body Count

 

Alas, Rock on the Range has come and gone but for those who were lucky enough to attend, the memories are very much alive!  I recently heard it said that 2018’s Rock on the Range was the biggest yet – and I can definitely see that to be true!  With the monstrous lineup that this year’s festivities held, the festival once again proved it really is “Where Rock Lives”!  Festival-goers were treated to incredible performances from huge acts including Stone Temple Pilots, A Perfect Circle, Tool, Alice In Chains, Godsmack, Trivium, too many great bands to name them all.  If you ask me, the fine folks at AEG and Danny Wimmer Presents knocked it out of the park with the lineup selection this year and really gave the fans what they want – a rock festival that actually rocks from start to finish!  Three days of nonstop music flooded the Columbus, OH air and minus a period of potential storms and a few light drizzles, the weather cooperated, for the most part, providing (sometimes intense) sunshine all weekend. For me, Day One was an early one.  We got to MAPRFRE Stadium pretty early to beat some of the traffic that was sure to build with every passing minute and were greeted by a cold, steady rain that still didn’t deter the several eager fans already waiting in line.  A side-note to anyone planning on going to Rock on the Range in the future, it is highly advisable to buy the parking pass before the show.  One of the downfalls of the festival was the $25/day parking fee, but that’s a small price to pay for the good times that were inside! Continue reading

An Interview With Matt McJunkins (A Perfect Circle, The Beta Machine & More) [Video]

Palm Springs, CA native, Matt McJunkins has become quite familiar amongst music fans everywhere – and for good reason. Matt has played, and still plays, for several bands including A Perfect Circle, Ashes Divide, Puscifer, The Beta Machine, Eagles of Death Metal, the list goes on. In 2008, Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle, Ashes Divide) approached Matt with an offer to join Ashes Divide, which he kindly accepted. After extensive touring in support of their debut album ‘Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright’, as well as touring with Puscifer, Matt was asked to hit the road with A Perfect Circle following the announcement of the band’s reunion in 2010. Matt has also sparked his own project alongside Jeff Friedl (A Perfect Circle, Puscifer), The Beta Machine, who joined A Perfect Circle on their recent tour in 2017.

 

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BLACK COFFEE’s “I Barely Know Her” Video Delivers 70’s Nostalgia To Your Ears!

This is something straight outta the 70s. From the big hair, the fashion and their hook driven retro sound  Black Coffee is putting a retro twist on modern rock. The music is definitely a throwback to rock and roll’s most formative years, it’s just that the production is much more cleaner and the sound is substantially more heavy. The band has a sound that makes you feel like you are blowing the dust off one of your favorite vinyls.

 Black Coffee formed in early 2017 after drummer Tommy McCullough introduced singer/bassist, Ehab Omran, to guitarist Justin Young. Within the first few days, these artists began songwriting and the chemistry was overwhelmingly apparent. With the release of  Black Coffee’s debut album, ‘Take One’, on April 21st, the Columbus, Ohio rockers definitely possess the sound, style, confidence and work ethic that created legends in music in the previous few decades.

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INKCARCERATION Festival Ticket Giveaway! [Entry Details Inside]

 

Metal and tattoos, it’s a perfect marriage isn’t it? This July Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival will bring to you the ultimate summer holiday getaway. It is a a one-of-a-kind destination event that presents to you heavy and hard rock music from over 30+ plus bands on two stages, with some big names from the industry, such as the likes of RISE AGAINSTA DAY TO REMEMBERBUSHBLACK LABEL SOCIETYCLUTCH and many more. It’s a star studded line-up. Adding more to the festival’s appeal, it will also host a tattoo festival inside of one of the country’s most infamous prisons, plus so much more. Continue reading

Inkcarceration Festival Announces Tattoo Artists & Searching For Up & Coming Bands!

Metal and tattoos, it’s a perfect marriage isn’t it? This July Inkcarceration Music and Tattoo Festival will bring to you the ultimate summer holiday getaway. It is a a one-of-a-kind destination event that presents to you heavy and hard rock music from over 30+ plus bands on two stages, with some big names from the industry, such as the likes of RISE AGAINST, A DAY TO REMEMBER, BUSH, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, CLUTCH and many more. It’s a star studded line-up. Adding more to the festival’s appeal, it will also host a tattoo festival inside of one of the country’s most infamous prisons, plus so much more. Continue reading

World’s Loudest Month Spotlight: SHAMAN’S HARVEST [Official Videos]

*Every Wednesday from now until Rock On The Range and Carolina Rebellion we will be showcasing an artist playing the festival to help you get to know the bands*

Today’s Artist is Shaman’s Harvest

Alright, folks, this is it!  The official introduction to everyone’s favorite time of year – FESTIVAL SEASON!  This Summer is already shaping up to be one of the heaviest, loudest, and most memorable one yet with several music festivals across the country; most of them packing some quite unbelievable, once-in-a-lifetime lineups!  As some of you may remember, last year we released festival spotlight segments each week to familiarize everyone with the bands they’ll see at those festivals.  Well, this time around, we’ll be focusing on two festivals taking place in the same month in particular.  Deemed the “World’s Loudest Month”, May 2018 will host Carolina Rebellion at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC May 4th-6th, and Rock On The Range in Columbus, OH on May 18th,19th, and 20th; both festivals courtesy of the always-pleasing Danny Wimmer Presents and AEG Presents.  We will be covering spotlights from both festivals in the weeks leading up to each, and to kick us off the right way this week, we’re looking at Shaman’s Harvest! Continue reading

Review: BWAK DWAGON – ‘Plum Island’ [Album Stream]

Photo Credit: JBradley

BWAK DWAGON was forged in the rock n roll town of Cleveland, Ohio. The three piece band is made up of Matthew Clement on drums and vocals, Dave Busch on guitar, and Jason Robinson on bass. Together, they mix heavy riffs with haunting tones and lyrics. This powerful trio has plenty to offer and though this band may be small in numbers they are big in sound. The band released their self-titled debut album in 2014 and was released independently by the band. It is also now available on vinyl via Gotta Groove Records I might add. The debut was recorded by Paul Maccarrone (Obnox) at 71st Door in Cleveland, OH and mastered by Charlie Loudin (The Pistolettes) at My Other Car Is The Space Time Continuum in Kent, OH. The band of course has had a strong string of live performances in and around the Cleveland area and has quickly drawn attention to their heavy and haunting sound. Just 2 years later the band has released a follow up to their debut titled ‘Plum Island’ which released in September of 2016. The band coming off the heels of a successful first album again went to Paul Maccarrone for recording and Charlie Loudin for mastering. The lyrical content is one of the strongest points within the Bwak Dwagon sound and those words are brought to life on paper and in voice by Matthew Clement. It’s not often we get a chance to hear the drummer show off his pipes while also beating his drum kit to shreds but Clement is able to easily accomplish this.

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Review: SPARROWMILK – ‘Articles of Separation’ [Album Stream]

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