Author Archives: Fist

About Fist

Greetings and salutations. Call me Fist, I'm a proud Kentuckian and I've used metal to help me get through the suffering of living in the bible belt. I am an encyclopedia of metal. I'm a fan of all types of metal. My main goal here is to help people find more music they will fall in love with. Hope you enjoy our words! \m/

Interview with SKY KATZ (America’s Got Talent) & UNLOCKING THE TRUTH [Song Stream]

By | |
1 Comment

This month we have been showcasing artists from the state of New York in our State Of The Art Series, and this just so happens to be a two for one in regards to amazing New York based artists. America’s Got Talent Season 11 star Sky Katz has teamed up with Heavy Metal band Unlocking the Truth for intense new single “Rockstar”. We have seen it before when metal and hip hop team up with various examples like, Helmet and House of Pain, Jay Z and Linkin Park, Public Enemy and Anthrax, to Ice T and Slayer. In the metal world collaborations aren’t as common as they are in hip hop, pop or more mainstream music. Both Sky Katz and Unlocking The Truth have reached successful levels with their music at a very young age. Sky was recently on America’s Got Talent and made it through the first round and received overwhelming applause for her performance. Unlocking The Truth went from making viral videos on the streets in Times Square to opening up for veteran acts like Metallica and Guns N Roses. Both of these artists have made a name for themselves based solely on their talents. I can attest that Unlocking The Truth is the real deal, after seeing them live at 2016’s Carolina Rebellion Festival they put on one of the best performances of the weekend. This collaboration truly appeals to both the hip hop and metal communities. We felt that this song has great staying power and wanted to get more details on how the collaboration came about and how the artists were able to bring out the best in one another. We spoke with both Sky Katz, and members of Unlocking The Truth to get the lowdown about the formation of this super-collab that produced the song “Rockstar”.  Continue reading →

Review: HATE UNBOUND – ‘Plague’

By | |
Comments Off on Review: HATE UNBOUND – ‘Plague’

The Motor City’s HATE UNBOUND are like a high performance engine that keeps cranking. The band are the sonic equivalent of a booze fueled fist fight among friends. The band heralds a do it yourself attitude that has allowed them to lead the charge in defining today’s heavy metal landscape. Singer Art Giammarra, guitarist Daryl Mitchell, guitarist William Cundiff, bassist Sean Demura, and drummer Franklin “Foot” Hannah have a range of influences like Death and Lamb Of God. The members equally collaborate together to create their unique sound. After their formation in 2013 the band has performed along side acts like Beyond Creation, Rivers of Nihil, Warbringer, Havok, and Belphegor. HATE UNBOUND have made a name for themselves due to their energetic live performances. HATE UNBOUND released 3 track demo in July of 2015 and now things are about to heat up even more for the band. Their debut album ‘Plague’ was just released on February 17th via Inverse Records. ‘Plague’ was recorded, mixed and mastered during the spring and summer of 2016 at Elaire Studios in Detroit, Michigan. The process was delayed so HATE UNBOUND could perform at the New Jersey Metal Fest and Full Terror Assault festivals in the summer of 2016. Putting their album on hold shows to perform live shows the respect and admiration they have for their fans, and they do not disappoint when they take the stage either. HATE UNBOUND aren’t just another metal band, they are the keepers of all that is heavy. Continue reading →

DAYBREAK EMBRACE Release Video For “The Moment”!

By | |
Comments Off on DAYBREAK EMBRACE Release Video For “The Moment”!

Formed in 2009, Daybreak Embrace aims to become more than a genre. Though their foundation is firm on energetic Rock, the band members take pride in being true admirers of all music. They draw influences from bands in genres all over the board, they are true music fans and non-elitists. In 2010, Daybreak Embrace released their first EP, ‘Tomorrow Awaits’, under the direction of Producer Paul Trust, who also produced ‘Mercury’, their second EP that released in 2013. The South Florida based band has released an Official Music Video for their newest single, “The Moment.” Utilizing footage from their performance at Woodstock Poland 2016, “The Moment” was self-filmed and includes live stage shots as well as behind the scenes moments. Daybreak Embrace are one of those bands that truly appreciates their fans. Guitarist Kenny Figueroa said “The Moment” is a tribute to the fans and family gained on a cross-continent journey full of love, life and loud music.” Of course he isn’t the only member of the band that has been outspoken and thankful for their devoted fan base. Bassist Ryan “Fry” Dorries added “We realize that we are living dreams right now because of your love and support.”

Follow DAYBREAK EMBRACE on Facebook here.

ALL HELL Stream “Vampiric Lust” From Upcoming Album ‘The Grave Alchemist’

By | |
Comments Off on ALL HELL Stream “Vampiric Lust” From Upcoming Album ‘The Grave Alchemist’

ALL HELL formed back in 2013 in Asheville and have quickly amassed fans from all over. The style of music they play sounds more European than from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Their dark and eerie Blackened Thrash sound quickly becomes addictive. If there is any other bands out there claiming to be blackened thrash I can inform you now that they aren’t doing it nearly as good as these guys. With each chorus screamed and riff strummed my jaw drops a little more. The three piece band released their debut “The Devil’s Work”, in 2014. They wasted no time dropping their sophomore release titled “The Red Sect” on October 16th 2015. ALL HELL have now finalized their latest work ‘The Grave Alchemist’ which will be their debut for Prosthetic Records. The album was produced by Kris Hilbert (The Body), who worked with the band on their earlier release ‘The Red Sect’, and mixed and mastered by Joel Grind (Toxic Holocaust), ‘The Grave Alchemist’ will be available worldwide on April 14th. The new album is a twelve-track, narrative-driven, horror concept album that weaves a tale of alchemy, necromancy, and vampirism over the span of three centuries, ‘The Grave Alchemist’ is a potent blend of violence, mysticism, psychology, and the occult, distilled into an aural elixir of Blood and Gold. The context is not surprising at all on this album, as I’ve once seen them perform live with only candle light illuminating the room. The band not only worries about their sounds but also the surroundings in which it’s experienced. Vocalist Jacob Curwen holds nothing back on this newly released track “Vampiric Lust.” The rhythm throughout the songs and his demonic growl are ferocious. This track is just the beginning of what to expect from these North Carolina natives. ALL HELL have a savage sound that refuses to be tamed. Continue reading →

APE CAVE Release Video For “Ego Death”!

By | |
Comments Off on APE CAVE Release Video For “Ego Death”!

Ape Cave are a talented band from the musically rich city of Portland, Oregon. I have become addicted to their unique sound since hearing their latest release ‘Pillars of Evolution’. The album dropped on January 1st, 2016 getting the year off to an amazing start. The album boasts a mixture of both doom and psychedelia throughout. In addition to being a great album in general it also made my Best of 2016 list coming in at number 8. Ape Cave has now released a new video for the track “Ego Death” from that album. You can read the full review of the album here. The video was filmed by Karl Whinnery and Josh Whinnery of HKMusic. The video includes the band playing the song outdoors, and follows the lead character as he travels through a rural area experiencing various things. The lead character is freshly head shaven lead vocalist Nathan Nielson. The song has an overwhelmingly creepy tone that pairs well with the lead character. I’ve said before about their music that it would be a phenomenal soundtrack to a creepy thriller movie and it seems like the band has approached the video in that fashion.

Follow Ape Cave on Facebook here, and listen to the full album on Bandcamp.

Lifelines Tour: I PREVAIL, STARSET, VAMPS, AS LIONS And COVER YOUR TRACKS! Dates Released!

By | |
Comments Off on Lifelines Tour: I PREVAIL, STARSET, VAMPS, AS LIONS And COVER YOUR TRACKS! Dates Released!

I Prevail have announced that they will be headlining a North American tour this April and May with support Starset, Vamps, As Lions and Cover Your Tracks. I Prevail are currently headlining the North American ‘Lifelines Tour’ with support from Wage War, Islander and Assuming We Survive in support of their record ‘Lifelines’, which was released Oct. 21, 2016.  After I PREVAIL’S Taylor Swift cover propelled them to stardom they have been building off the success ever since. Their most recent effort ‘Lifelines’  landed at #15 on the Billboard 200. The band has continually surrounded themselves with amazing talent when putting together a touring package.  Continue reading →

Review: WOUNDVAC – ‘Infamy‘ [Album Stream]

By | |
Comments Off on Review: WOUNDVAC – ‘Infamy‘ [Album Stream]

WOUNDVAC is a hardcore/grind quartet from Phoenix, Arizona. The band formed in 2014 The band’s most predominant styles are hardcore and grind, but you also can hear some punk influence within their sound as well. The band has 7 varying format releases so far in short amount of time they have been formed. Everything was started with the bands ‘S/T’ EP that released in 2014, and then followed up with ‘DISGRACED CONVERT’ 7″ in 2015. In 2016 the band had 4 different releases. The first of which was a ‘WOUNDVAC // COLUMNIII Split’ 7″ that featured 2 tracks from WOUNDVAC and one from fellow the Arizona natives COLUMNIII. It was on this release that current vocalist Rich joined the band, taking the place of the bands original singer. The next release was the single “Sentient Cancer” which is features an array of political themed lyrics. Next was another split released in October of 2016, this time released on cassette. The ‘WOUNDVAC // GLITTERBOMB Split’ Cassette which featured 2 songs by each band. The 4th and final release of 2016 was a two track flexi disc release titled ‘They Eat Their Own Young / Rumination’. The flexi disc is a record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal turntable. Though the flexi disc was created in the 60’s their popularity was brought back by Decibel Magazines monthly flexi disc series that features exclusive songs. Now WOUNDVAC has started off the New Year strong with yet another release. ‘Infamy‘ was released on February 17, 2017. Drums recorded at Arcane Digital Recording with Ryan Butler (Exhumed, Ghoul, Nightrage), the Guitars, bass, and vocals were recorded and mixed by Kiel Siler and Additional vocal mixing by Zachary Rippy at Sound Signal Audio. The album was mastered by Ronald J. Llewellyn (The Freeze, Destruction Unit) of Welshman’s Pride. WOUNDVAC has not only proven that they have achieved the sound in which they have been progressing towards, but their vast discography in less than 3 years as an active band shows the immense work ethic they have.  Continue reading →

State Of The Art: New York’s DRY KILL LOGIC

By | |
Comments Off on State Of The Art: New York’s DRY KILL LOGIC

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

This month’s State is New York!

If you were listening to metal in the late 90’s and early 2000’s there is a good chance you are familiar with the band DRY KILL LOGIC. The band formed in Westchester, NY in 1995 under the name HINGE. It was in 1997 that the band would release their first EP titled ‘Cause Moshing Is Good Fun’ via Psychodrama Records – the band’s own label. The second EP ‘Elemental Evil’ (1999) is when the band truly started garnering attention. The impact of that EP led them to opening for some well-known bands including Coal Chamber, Incubus, Anthrax and System of a Down. In 2000, (still performing under the name HINGE) they signed a record deal with Roadrunner Records but soon after signing with the label, they were forced to change their name due to a recording studio owning the copyright to the same name. They briefly changed their name from HINGE to HINGE A.D., but ultimately settled upon DRY KILL LOGIC after the studio threatened legal action if they used the word “Hinge” anywhere in their name. It was around this same time that ‘The Darker Side Of Nonsense’ was released. The album was released both under the name HINGE, as well as DRY KILL LOGIC. From then on Dry Kill Logic singer Cliff Rigano, guitarist Scott Thompson, bassist Dave Kowatch, and drummer Phil Arcuri were known as DRY KILL LOGIC. The band boasted a huge amount of groove in their music and were sometimes placed in two genre categories; Nu metal and New Wave Of American Heavy Metal. Both genres are very fitting but the band is a multidimensional band that really exceeded the limitations of any genre. ‘The Darker Side of Nonsense’ went on to become one of the heaviest and most revered albums of the year. On October 5, 2004, the band released their second major album ‘The Dead And Dreaming’, via Psychodrama Music Group. This album included one of the bands’ all-time greatest hits, “Paper Tiger” which showcased the bands ability to be incredibly heavy while still having those melodic anchoring moments that made their music special. In June of 2006, the band produced, designed and directed their first DVD/EP combo, ‘The Magellan Complex’. By this time the band had wrangled in a huge fan base and the DVD had a tremendous amount of behind the scenes footage, interviews and exclusive content filmed while the band was on tour. It also included the music video for “Paper Tiger”. The band was often compared to Pantera throughout the years and especially during their rise to popularity. DRY KILL LOGIC always remained humble and in regards to the comparison stated “I am just delighted people are liking the record and I have heard and read some great comparisons with great bands. It is humbling to be in the same breath as Pantera” during an interview with MetalRage.com. Continue reading →

SOCIETY 1 Release “It’s Yours Now” Music Video (Featuring Sin Quirin of MINISTRY)

By | |
Comments Off on SOCIETY 1 Release “It’s Yours Now” Music Video (Featuring Sin Quirin of MINISTRY)

Photo Credit: Anabel DFlux

Southern California Industrial Metal band SOCIETY 1 have released a brand new music video for the song “It’s Yours Now” which features Ministry guitarist Sin Quirin. The song is from the bands upcoming album ‘Rise From The Dead’ scheduled for release this March on DSN Music. The video was directed by vocalist Lord Zane. SOCIETY 1 was founded in 1996 by the infamous Lord Zane on lead vocals, also features veteran guitarist Maxxxwell Carlisle, bassist Dirt Von Karloff, and drummer Iorden Mitev. “It feels good to be back at it again, like an old lover who fucked you better than anyone before or after” said Zane during a decadent signing party at the DSN Music complex in Malibu, CA. “Everyone has those moments when you resurrect and reinvent. This album Rise From The Dead is one of those moments.” The comeback for Zane follows a hiatus during which he established a successful Hollywood career as a music video director, working on projects with such acts as Zakk Wylde, John 5, Wayne Static, and Orgy. “For me this isn’t so much of a return for the band but more a return of my understanding of how necessary musical exploration is to my existence,” said Zane. The band is well known for their stage presence, especially Zane who sometimes inflicts pain on himself for the shock and amusement of fans. At Download Festival in 2005, Zane broke several records by performing the bands entire set suspended from 4 meat hooks through his back. While SOCIETY 1 us referenced as an industrial metal band this new track “It’s Yours Now” has much more of a groove filled grunge or 90’s rock sound. At times the song sounds hauntingly similar to the late Layne Staley fronted Alice In Chains. Though nothing can truly compare to seeing SOCIETY 1 in a live setting, this new video is a greatly directed piece of cinematography that showcases the band and a little bit of skin as an added bonus. Continue reading →

Review: SLOTH HERDER – ‘No Pity, No Sunrise’ [2 Tracks Streaming]

By | |
Comments Off on Review: SLOTH HERDER – ‘No Pity, No Sunrise’ [2 Tracks Streaming]

Frederick, Maryland based four piece SLOTH HERDER have been working steady at distilling their sound since their formation in 2009. The band quickly released two EP’s in 2012, ‘Sluggard’ and ‘Abandon Pop Sensibility’. The later of the two has been noted as being very obscure but also receive critical acclaim throughout the metal community. SLOTH HERDER is a band that doesn’t just think outside the box, they break the box. Their unique style has varying moments of influence from a cast of different genres. You will hear a grindcore style for moments and then hints of black metal sprinkled in, and then out of nowhere you will get a faint taste of doom in their mix. SLOTH HERDER will not be barricaded to one genre and the simplest way to define their sound is extreme. In addition, do not let the word “Sloth” in their name deceive you. Unlike the Central and South American mammal in their name, nothing about this band is slow. The follow-up their 2012 EP, ‘Abandon Pop Sensibility’, SLOTH HERDER’s ‘No Pity, No Sunrise’ released via Marland based Grimoire Records presents a monstrous, fourteen-track attack in just over thirty-five minutes delivered by vocalist Josh Lyon, bassist Luke Ibach, drummer Sean Wilhide, and guitarist Nick Craggs, and additional sounds by Ryan Neal. An unhinged surge of extreme metal that will appeal to a wide range of acts, from Antigama to Pyrrhon, Yautja to Gaza. The album also includes some amazing imagery within the cover art as well. It would surely be one of those albums you buy on a whim just because of the album art. ‘No Pity, No Sunrise’ was recorded by Noel Mueller in the Fall of 2016, who also mixed and mastered the album. ‘No Pity, No Sunrise’ will be released on March 24th in several formats including CD, pro-cassette, and digital download. Grimoire Records’ Noel Mueller, who also handles the recording of the label’s releases stated, “We’ve been talking to SLOTH HERDER and trying to record/release an album with them ever since we started Grimoire Records back in 2013. So yeah, we couldn’t be more stoked that four years later, the band finally decided to step into the Grimoire studio and recorded their long anticipated full length with us. The payoff is that much sweeter given how long we’ve been waiting for this to happen.” Continue reading →