Comments Off on Review: -(16)-‘s Lifespan Of A Moth
Photo Credit: Shauna Montrucchio
Southern California-based veteran sludge act, -(16)-, return with their seventh full-length album. Entitled Lifespan Of A Moth, the offering is clearly the band’s heaviest, darkest, and most complex material to date. The album is the follow up to Deep Cuts From Dark Clouds and marks the bands 3rd release on Relapse Records. The band broke up for a period of time but their love for all things heavy brought them together again and the band reunited in 2007. The new album was self-produced by -(16)- and recorded with Jeff Forrest (Cattle Decapitation, The Locust) at Doubletime Recording Studio in San Diego, California. Lifespan Of A Moth is set for release this July 15th via Relapse on CD/LP/Digital. Physical pre-orders via Relapse.com can be found HERE; digital preorders are available through the band’s BandCamp page at THIS LOCATION.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Maine!
Take one listen and you may guess that this band comes from sunny Florida…. no sir… Hatred Alive comes to you from the great north. Rumford, Maine to be exact. Hatred Alive are one of those bands that is just so damn heavy it makes your jaw drop. Sometimes with extremely heavy music there is a major lack of creativity. That isn’t the case here. The very first introduction I had to the band was the track “God Hates Country Music”. The song begins with some old school country music and then suddenly delves into some skull crushing heaviness. “Fuck you and fuck the horse you rode in on” is just a little taste of the lyrics. Need I say more? I’m sure being a Kentucky native and surrounded by country music all the time makes this song appeal to me more so than some, but this music is for any fan of any style. While this particular song is what led me to this band I’ve been able to find other songs that show more proof that this band is exactly what metal heads crave. As of May the band was working on tracking some vocals for new material, which we are more than anxious to hear. Another amazing track “No Mercy” proves that the band is no one trick pony, as they perfect their death and groove style. If you are a fan of old school death metal then this is going to give you the hard on of a lifetime. The band is rounded out with amazing musicians that each add something special to the band. Chugging guitar riffs from Shannon Bates, sinister vocals and screams by Jeremy St. Peter, those thundering bass lines by Rob Bates and the amazing double bass drum kicks and beats by Nick Graham. If you are in/around Maine and have the opportunity to support this band live then i suggest you do so. If they are ever in my neck of the woods you can bet your sweet ass i’ll be there.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Maine!
Since this is the last week of our State of the Art: Maine series, I wanted something special. Something different. Something spectacularly good. I won’t lie. It took me hours upon hours to find what I was looking for. Hell, at more than one point I was about ready to give up and use others that were good, but not what I was looking for. So glad I kept looking because what I found is the best Roots Rock band I have heard in years. Brilliant guitar, soulful and emotive vocals; all done with the true feeling associated with 70’s Rock and Hard Rock that is all too often lost today and so hard to emulate. RC.Budaka is that band and their recently released debut CD “Right Hear Right Now” is way too damned good to be any band’s first album. Continue reading →
Comments Off on State of the Art: The Fall of Babylon
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Maine!
For this week’s State of the Art, I’m focusing on a four piece Thrash Metal band hailing from Biddeford, Maine. The Fall of Babylon has a sound that is truly their own. The members include lead Vocalist Arnold Labrack, Guitarist Alex Reed, Bassist Nick Mininni and Gavin Crespin on drums. The band has an astonishing gritty sound to their music that really draws you in and leaves you craving for more. The band is currently working on an album that they hope to release sometime later this year. The band is very diverse and their music really comes together. Music has always been a big part of the band members lives and they really strive to have a sound that people enjoy to hear. Their live shows are something you want to be sure to check out. As I have not experienced one first hand but from watching videos they definitely enjoy what they are doing and put a lot of effort in to making sure the crowd is enjoying the show too!
ProgressiveRock fans rejoice! SteveVantsis, DavidStewart, PJDourley, PaulHumphreys and RobinBoult along with JohnBeck and JohnMitchell have joined forces to create TILT. For the uninitiated, Vartisis, Stewart and Boult are better known for recording, writing and touring with legendary FISH for years. Yes, THAT FISH! SteveVantisis was also the primary songwriter for FISH’s “13thStar” and “FeastofConsequences”. With augmentation by ItBites keyboardist JohnBeck and guitarist JohnMitchell (LonelyRobot, Kino, Arena and ItBites), expectations are extremely high with their much anticipated release of “Hinterland” on June 30th, 2016. MetalNexus recently obtained a copy of it from Mr. Vantsis, and let me tell you, it is simply amazing!
Comments Off on Ripper Radio Spotlights And Interviews Our Friends Dollar Llama
Ripper Radio (Ripper Radio) has spotlighted our friends in Dollar Llama in their 100th podcast. We would like to thank Dollar Llama for the mad props and their continued support! Check it out!
Comments Off on Denner/Shermann “Masters of Evil”: A New Twist on Old School Metal!
When news started to circulate that the legendary guitar duo from MercyfulFate, MichaelDenner and HankShermann were putting together a supergroup called Denner/Shermann, there was a collective breath taken in the Metal world. When the line-up was completed with MercyfulFate, KingDiamond and DreamEvil drummer SnowyShaw, Demonica’sMarcGrabowski on bass and the spectacular vocal range of DeathDealer and CAGE vocalist SeanPeck, that breath was quickly taken away. With the band’s October 2015 release of the “Satan’sTomb” EP, all air was sucked out of the atmosphere with a huge gasp. This is the stuff Metalhead dreams and others’ nightmares are made of. Their EP was received with rave reviews and with a deafening scream for more material. That wish, thankfully, comes true June 24th, 2016 with the MetalBlade release of Denner/Sherann’s “MastersofEvil”.
Comments Off on 10 Years Of Whitechapel Culminates With “Mark Of The Blade”
Whitechapel was formed early in 2006 in Knoxville, TN. Damn. Ten years ago. Hard to believe that it has been so long since first hearing “TheSomaticDefilement” shortly after its release in 2007. Since then, Whitechapel has developed a huge, devoted fan base with their extreme brand of DeathcoreMetal, made a few line up changes, released five devastating albums and landed in the top ten of the BillboardTop200 with “OurEndlessWar” from 2014. Stepping up their game at every stage of their musical careers, the June 24, 2016, highly anticipated release of “MarkoftheBlade” marks not only a celebration of ten years together as a band but also a musical turning point.
The 3rd annual Louder Than Life festival will take place again soon in Louisville, Kentucky. Loudmouths from all over the country will make their trek to the Bluegrass state for a weekend filled with music, gourmet man food, craft beer and the best bourbon in the country. The festival promoters DWP has amassed a great lineup this year of great headlining acts and some of the best up and coming acts in music. There are also a couple groups on the lineup that you won’t get a chance to see live that often. Headliners Avenged Sevenfold, Slayer and The Cult will close out Saturday night while Slipknot, Disturbed and Korn have been tasked with putting the final touches on the final night of the festival on Sunday. Continue reading →
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Maine!
Lewiston, Maine. North of Portland, South of Augusta and Bangor. It is the second largest city in Maine with a population just South of 40,000. Only about 92 square miles and sits squarely in the middle of Androscoggin County. A quaint, historic town founded in 1854. Sigh. That is until you start digging around. Back in the corner, where the dust and cobwebs reside (and what is that aweful smell?!?) and it is found that this town is not immune from a brutal form of MelodicDeathMetaloutfit called RipFence.
