State of the Art: Everthrone

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

This month’s State is South Carolina!

So we have moved on to South Carolina for our State of the Art series for the month of October. Being the first state to ratify the Articles of the Confederation, the eighth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution and the first state to secede from the Union in 1860, South Carolina certainly holds strong historical significance. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, North Carolina and Georgia, S.C. has the 23^rd highest population at just shy of 5,000,000 people, 32, 020 square miles and the capital being Columbia. I have been all over this beautiful state and it ranks among the prettiest states I have ever been to. One place I have not been is to, however, is the rural town of McConnells, located in the center of the state, just south of North Carolina. With a population under 500, it is amazing that a band as good as Everthrone can be contained within its borders.

Founded in 2005, Everthrone is has been around for quite a while and has grown a hefty following by almost constantly playing shows, touring and putting out a quality of music that is absolutely incredible. Originally named Merzah, they released two critically acclaimed EPs by 2009. At this point, the band had morphed into what Everthrone has become today. In December of 2013, Everbthrone released their debut album, Evil Tongues that was produced by Jamie King, owner of The Basement Studio in Winston-Salem, NC who has also worked with The Contortionist, Between the Buried and Me, The Human Abstract, Scale the Summit, Chastain, The Devin Townsend Project among many, many other notable acts. This alone should speak volumes about the talent harnessed by Everthrone. Their unique form of Progressive Metal is heavy while remaining accessible by the symphonic use of pop-style synthesizers that were popularized by the so-called darkwave of the 1980’s. This unlikely match of musical styles has proven to be an extremely forward thinking move and a perfect way to showcase the band’s deep well of available talents. After supporting their debut for a couple of years, Everthrone joined forces with Don Debiase, Jr. at Standby Studios/Studio D in Cleveland, OH along with the production expertise of Jamie King once again to release The Dawning in the Fall of 2015. Now with Divebomb/Tribunal Records, vocalist Russell Plyler, guitarist Nevin McKeown, drummer Jeremy McKeown, keyboardist Chris Carland and Daniel Carner on bass continue to propagate their musical wizardry as their fan base continues to expand. While they have been compared to some of the best modern Progressive Metal bands around like Dream Theater, Amorphis, Symphony X, TYR, Warloard and Nightwish, Everthrone steps a little further outside the “Metal” box. Not only are keyboards used to create an unusual texture of rhythm, but screaming, virtuoso guitar work is built on the heaviest of drum and bass lines available anywhere. The real kicker here is the vocals. The harmonies are pure ear candy done with the operatic precision of Tarja Turunen, but with a powerful, male timber. I will admit that I normally prefer female vocalists in this type of music, but this is my one huge exception. It is magical and like nothing I have heard before. Lyrics tend toward the philosophical, being extremely intelligent, moving and mature without sounding artificial or sterile which is a line too often crossed. Amazing the emotion Plyler is able to exude without being overly dramatic and/or cheesy. Together, Everthrone have one of the biggest sounds created by any Metal act, to date. Complex yet accessible, heavy yet beautiful, emotive and honest. Truly stunning. They have it all. Another one of those bands that seem to be simply incapable of any level of mediocrity. Zero. They cannot be picked apart. Frightening how good they are, really. It is a wonder that I am just now discovering them since this is right up my alley. I must say I am a little bent but certainly better late then never, right?!?

I have stated it time and time again, but I love this series! Not only do bands get some well-deserved recognition, but I again find a band I really love. Everthrone is everything I like in a band and well worth my extensive listening time devoted to properly describing what I take away from them. Hit their website and media links below and be prepared to be wow’ed. Everthrone is nothing short of incredible!!!

ARTWORK/PHOTOS/LAYOUT for The Dawning
Cover art/Logo by Will Moss – Fresh Flesh
Photography by Jimmy Pruett for J Pruett Photography
Additional photography by Joey Kirkman for Joey Kirkman Photography 
Layout by Adam Peterson 

All things Everthrone can be found on: Web  Facebook  Twitter  BandCamp  Soundcloud  YouTube