Artist Showcase
One of our main goals here at Metal Nexus is to turn you on to new bands that you haven’t heard before.
Being a veteran along with both of my grandfathers (WWII), my Dad (during Vietnam), two of my brothers and two of my cousins, Memorial Day holds a very sacred and special place in my heart. I know first-hand that the blood of my Brothers and Sisters in Arms have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms that we, as a country, so often take for granted. It is painfully difficult to put into words what this sacred day truly means. Respect. Honor. Pride. Resilience. Espris de corps. Retrospect. All common and terribly inadequate descriptors for the precious value of human life bartered in the name of our country’s independence.
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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
I have always had the opinion that there is no sense fixing what ain’t broken. As those that know me and readers of my articles know, I am an old guy that has grown up listening to all types of music and have a passion for all things Metal: new stuff, old stuff, super heavy stuff, melodic stuff; I don’t care and I simply love it all. Truth be told though, if I am looking for something guaranteed to please, however, I drop back into music that never seems to get old: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Metal Church, Savatage, Flotsam and Jetsam, Overkill, Slayer; and on and on. These are the bands of my formative years that help keep me in a youthful state-of-mind. Again, if ain’t broken…
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We at Metal Nexus always pay attention to those that are watching what we are doing and writing and converse with those that choose to leave comments and messages for us. This is a big reason we do what we do. We love the music and those that have our same interests. A huge labor of love, shall we say. Well, every now and again, something that crosses our paths here unexpectedly. I was reviewing some of our posts and seeing if there were any band members watching our articles and came across William Lloyd Walker III, rhythm guitarist for Graveshadow. After about five minutes of poking around their website and Facebook page, I started listening to their music. Blown away. Simply floored. After contacting Mr. Walker, I was allowed access to their latest release “Nocturnal Resurrection”. After listening to it on a loop for the better part of three days, this band is deserving our readers’ attention as well.
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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
Looking for some new, wicked Metal for your ears? Digging Metalcore’s uber-heavy, stuttering, modern rhythms with 808 hits that you feel in your chest and crush your skull when played at the proper, too loud volume? Ready for something driving that reflects frustration of the world around us that drives straight to your soul? How about also offering solutions to said frustration for a change? If this is you, like it is for me; and, well, minus the “wicked” part, you NEED to check out Little Rock’s Becoming Saints! BOOM!
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This may be the oldest, most well-seasoned band that I am more than a little PO’ed about not crossing paths with earlier. These beasts should have had my attention for freaking years now! Once I heard Conquest though, I will not be forgetting them anytime soon… 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 Arkansas!
Man, let me tell you: Arkansas is turning out to be a state that is cultivating some seriously great and unique Metal bands. Anyone following our State of the Art series knows that we view it as an opportunity to expose ourselves to music that would normally never cross our radars and take it very seriously because many of these bands need to cross a lot of your radars as well. That being said, this week I would like to share with you a band from Malvern, AR called Undercover Devil.
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If you are a Metal fan out of Central Florida and don’t live under a rock you have surely heard of my next Mayfest feature band. Bar none, they are one of my favorite bands and not just because they are relatively local to me. Their music is incredible and all of the band members are beyond being just nice people. They are a true testament to a band that loves their fans as much as their fans love them. As stated by the band: “Our fans are what drive us. We want to create music that people love and connect with. The reaction from our fans at shows is priceless”. That’s right folks, I am talking about the mighty Meka Nism out of Orlando, FL.
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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
Hard to believe we are already in the month of May as we move onto the state of Arkansas for this month’s State of the Art series. As is the case with the other states that we have covered, it is always fun to search for new music where I would not normally look. A few of my current go-to bands have stemmed from my searches and have a definite feeling this is going to be another such case. The band is SwitchbacH.
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So, this being my final International Guitar Month spotlight, I toiled about who I wanted to cover. I wanted something special so I stopped and let my mind wander a bit. Who do I love? Who has moved me? Who has had my attention for years? Man, there are so many to choose from that are so deserving. Once Jason Becker’s name flashed across my mind, my breathing slowed and I comfortably knew who I needed to write about. Not a “want,” a “need”. This man holds a very dear place in my heart and I can only pray that my words even come close to giving this man’s story justice with my utmost respect…
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Here is another killer band out of Melbourne, FL that will be playing at Mayfest: Best Supporting Actor. This band’s sound is a formative mix of Punk (“less angry though” as Steve Keller so aptly points out), Alternative and Hard Rock/Metal guitar riffs with melodic vocals and a great old-school flavor I am really digging. Started in July of 2007 by drummer/vocalist Steve Keller and guitarist Wade Vargo after having “some song ideas [he] wanted to flush out”, they decided to form a band after the third time writing and recording their original tunes.
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