Tag Archives: State of the Arts

Bonehawk!

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

This month’s state is Michigan!

The newly discovered beast called Bonehawk has escaped the confinement of the zoo. By zoo I mean Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are somewhat of a new band releasing their debut album in October of last year (2014) called “Albino Rhino”. One thing albino indicates is a rarity and that is what Bonehawk is. Every song has this simple yet complex arrangement. The first song I heard was ” Desert Sun” and I was hooked. I listened to it maybe 3 times before I moved on to another song. Vocalist Matt Helt sings with this overwhelming authority. It demands your attention but he makes it seem so natural at the same time. This is one of those bands that makes you want to kick your own ass for not knowing about them sooner. They released the debut album through Hornacious Wax Records, and it was recorded with Jim Diamond at Ghetto Recorders in Detroit, Michigan. You may be familiar with Jim Diamond as he worked with The White Stripes on their first two albums.

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Bonehawk is a band that everyone should give a chance, I promise you will not be let down. They have this vibe and sound that crosses barriers from rock to metal to psychedelic and blues. The guitar harmonies just bring everything together. The vocal style has this sense of calmness to it that is hard to explain. Songs like “Sexy Beast” are perfect examples of how everything can come together in a song. I am not normally a fan of instrumental songs. However, the title track “Albino Rhino” may have changed my mind. When you don’t include vocals in a song you really have to bring something special and they have done just that. The song immediately grabs your attention with these Sabbath like bass licks leading into the song.  Then the riffs kick in. The song is able to stand alone without lyrics, and that is a hard thing to do. We are hoping to catch these guys on the road soon if they come within a three state radius of us we will be there. We can’t wait to hear more of what they have to offer and I’m sure once you listen to them you will feel the same way.

Follow these guys on Facebook here! You can check them out on Bandcamp and buy the album here!

Blue Snaggletooth [Video]

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*This is part of our State Of The Arts series, showcasing bands every Monday from the state of the month*

The month’s state is Michigan!

Everyone has memories of the old days. The band Blue Snaggletooth reminds me of the last day of high school. They are that band that makes you want to roll your windows down and crank that shit as loud as possible. They are from present day Michigan, but sound more like they are from the 70’s. They are this big mesh of psychedelic classic rock and fuzzed out heavy metal. Most of the lyrical content of the band is “far out”. They have quite the sci-fi theme, even down to their name. The band is named after an obscure character in the Star Wars universe. Lead singer and guitarist Chris Taylor was previously in the bands Mazinga, and Powertrane. Chris formed the band in 2009 and he is the sole original member of the band. They currently have two albums out. The debut album “Dimension Thule” that was released in 2011. They then spent some time playing shows around Michigan and quickly built a fan base. They have this sound that makes listeners both young and old love them. Songs like “Star Flight” from the debut album are throwbacks to the early 70’s. The songs are so clean and classic, but it still has that grunge and grit that makes it stand out. The second and most recent release is entitled “Beyond Thule”. It came out in November 2014. There has been some progression from the rookie release, but it’s still that mash up of great sounds that they have truly honed and made their own. Its bands like this that prove continuously over and over that rock and roll is still alive and kicking ass. Gene Simmons (Kiss) famously said months ago that rock n roll was dead, if he would take the time to listen to bands like this he would be eating his words. Music is no longer the lazy man’s game, you have to search for the really good stuff. The harder they are to find the greater the reward. Blue Snaggletooth is currently in the process of booking an upcoming tour. Tell your local venue they need to book these guys… Give these guys a listen and bang your head to the sweet reward!


Keep up with Blue Snaggletooth!

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Twitter

Bandcamp

YouTube

http://www.bluesnaggletoothmusic.com/

Beneath Oblivion

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*This is part of our State Of The Arts series, showcasing bands every Monday from the state of the month*

This month’s state is Ohio.

Beneath Oblivion are based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. They have been together since 2003 and self released their first full length in 2006 titled “Existence Without Purpose”. The album they released in 2011  “From Man to Dust” is an incredible piece of doom from start to finish. The band defines funeral doom. The symphony of darkness on tracks like “Atomic Mother” capture you and have you listening and out of nowhere the vocals take hold of your throat keeping your attention. Each song seems to capture a darkness in its own way. The only way to convey the sound is like feeling each stage of death then hitchhiking your way back from hell. They are expecting another release soon. This band should not slip by anyone the vocals Scott T. Simpson brings to this album are flawlessly combined with the guitar work by himself and Allen L. Scott II. Nothing in the music is overdone, it’s the correct amount of everything. Bassist Keith Messerle and drummer Nate Bidwell play off each other like dirt beating down on a casket. When everything seems unbearably dark they let just a little light in, only so they can again bring you into the darkness again.

 

 

Follow Beneath Oblivion at:

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http://www.beneathoblivion.info/

 

The Great Iron Snake

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*This is part of our State Of The Arts series, showcasing bands every Monday from the state of the month*

This month’s state is Ohio.

Cleveland, Ohio is home of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, and Lebron James, but most importantly it’s home to one of Ohio’s best rock bands in The Great Iron Snake. The band is a trio of hard rocking guys that have some chemistry when it comes to being in a band together. The comradery and stage presence they have may seem like déjà vu, but that’s only because they are ¾’s of the band Red Giant. The guys have been together sporting this new band name since 2012. You have Damien Perry at the helm on vocals and rocking out his Gretsch White Falcon guitar that sounds absolutely amazing. Brian Skinner is setting the low tones on bass, and behind the kit is Eric Matthews on the sticks. The band recently released a single in February entitled “Pungent Porcelain”. Like a trucker in a roadside brothel, the song gets right to business. The guitar work leads the song through its paces, from start to finish it’s an uphill to downhill rhythm. Playing off every up tempo and downtempo change the song perfectly showcases the talents of the band. They have been playing live shows in and around the Cleveland area with some other bands we enjoy like Trouble, and Black Pussy (and no I’m not referring to the kind of black pussy you can see if you go to www.tubev.sex/categories/1160/black I am on about an actual band called Black Pussy, great choice for a name don’t you think). Presently The Great Iron Snake is unsigned to a label, which we don’t think will last very long. With a unique sound and with as much chemistry Damien, Eric and Brian have together it won’t be long before they are fighting away offers. Other than the one song “Pungent Porcelain” that has been recorded and is streaming on Bandcamp there are a few good quality live videos available of the band as well. The song “Elipsis” (which we will link below) has this great little bluesy groove to it that just has this amazing energy to it. We always say that the best way to see a band is live and in person. We look forward to catching these guys on the road soon.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegreatironsnake

Bandcamp: http://thegreatironsnake.bandcamp.com/releases