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/

Review: Summer Slam 2016 Featuring BYZANTINE & More

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Scent Of Remains

Scent Of Remains

2016’s Summer Slam in Johnson City, Tennessee got started off with a bang. Promoter Sean Carden and sponsor Roberson’s Tennessee Mellomoon Moonshine put together an amazing line-up of bands from start to finish. If you wasn’t there to witness the onslaught of metal you should be ashamed of yourself.It was a perfect Friday night to throw some horns in the air. The night didn’t get off to a slow start by any means. Scent of Remains took the stage and began their set with speed and authority. The band had recently obtained a new singer, but after practicing with the band for a period of time he left the band leaving them without a singer for this show. However, original singer Michael Yates comes to the rescue and steps up and takes the mic . It shows how much chemistry and brotherhood the band has that he was able to come back play the show with them so they wouldn’t have to cancel. That is something that fans appreciate. The only reason he exited the band is because he relocated a couple hours away. Every note they struck was with complete perfection. The guitarist Jeremy Powers has an amazing playing style. He doesn’t play guitar he caresses it. His hands move in a way that just glues your eyes to him. Their aggressive in your face music style makes them one of Knoxville’s premier metal bands. If you haven’t heard the music look them up and get yourself a big whiff of Scent of Remains. Continue reading →

TED NUGENT To Kick Off Sonic Baptizm Tour!

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Nugent

Photo Credit: Brown Photography

Ted Nugent is one of rock-n-roll’s greatest guitar players. But that isn’t his only talent. When he isn’t holding a gun or bow he is cranking out amazing riffs on a 6 string. Ted Nugent holds a special place in the hearts of any rock n roll fan. The outspoken rocker is about to embark on a nationwide tour, in support of his most recent album ‘Shutup & Jam’ (2014). The album is his first studio album since 2007’s Love Grenade. If you haven’t had a chance to hear the song “She’s Gone” which features the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar I suggest you go check that out now. The Sonic Baptizm Tour kicks off July 1st in Phoenix, Arizona and runs until September 3rd in Muskogee, Oklahoma. If you are itching to meet the Motor City Mad Man you can pick up the Dangerous Zone VIP Experience here. It includes a backstage meet and greet, a VIP laminate, a photo of Ted for him to autograph, and the chance to take a picture with the man himself (with your own phone/camera). Uncle Ted continues to put his personal stamp on good ole American Rock with an extra dose of freedom. While some may recall one of Ted’s biggest hits “Cat Scratch Fever” he has many more hits to draw out of his holster. With his backing band of road worthy veterans he is making several stops across the country and giving some attention to smaller markets and cities that crave live music. One of the smallest cities on the tour is Pikeville, Kentucky on August 19th. The East Kentucky Expo Center will have Ted Nugent along with opening band Grimsley Rose. Tickets for that show available here. Stay tuned as we will have coverage of that show. The last day of the tour in Muskogee, Oklahoma will mark Ted’s 6,570th live show. It isn’t everyday you get a chance to see Ted Nugent live and in the flesh, don’t miss this opportunity. Continue reading →

Review: -(16)-‘s Lifespan Of A Moth

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Photo Credit: Shauna Montrucchio

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.

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State Of The Art: Hatred Alive

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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 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.

Follow them on Facebook here.

Louder Than Life 2016 Preview!

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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 →

CHICAGO OPEN AIR Brings Amazing Metal Lineup to Windy City!

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Chicago-IG-2.15

So I’ll admit that I was totally on board for Chicago Open Air when the only band they had announced was German power house Rammestein. But….. Once they revealed the rest of the lineup it sent chills down my spine. I think this is likely the heaviest festival that DWP has put on EVER. The rest of the bands added are over the top and make this inagural year for the festival one that you will not want to miss. It will be the go to event for metal heads that like their metal just a little on the heavy side. Overall, Chicago Open Air will feature performances by more than 40 bands, including Rammstein (did I mention it’s the group’s only 2016 U.S. performance and first Chicago show since 2012), Chicago’s own Disturbed (who recently returned from a 4-year hiatus with their #1 album Immortalized), global rock juggernauts Slipknot, Chevelle, Korn, Five Finger Death Punch, Ministry, Breaking Benjamin, Marilyn Manson, Gojira, Meshuggah, COC, Carcass, Hatebreed, and many more. The festival will also include Gourmet Man Food featuring local and regional cuisine, a craft beer village highlighting top brews from the region, other entertainment and fan experiences, and will be hosted by the metal ambassador himself Jose Mangin from SiriusXM.

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Are you sitting down? Because things just got better! There is now an official pre-party for Chicago Open Air as well that includes more amazingly talented bands. The Chicago Open Air Pre-Party: The official Chicago Open Air Pre-Party presented by 95 WIIL Rock and 100.7 QRock will be held at Concord Music Hall on Thursday, July 14. Otep headlines the show with Shaman’s Harvest, Islander and Through Fire supporting. Chicago Open Air ticket holders will have the opportunity to purchase discounted tickets in advance for $10. Regular tickets are $17. Go here for tickets. If you haven’t seen Islander they are one of the best up and coming live acts.

We wouldn’t miss this weekend of shows for anything. If we are still breathing we will be there, and if you call yourself a metal head you better be there too!

Website: www.ChicagoOpenAir.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/chiopenair

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chiopenair

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chiopenair

State of the Art: FIFTH FREEDOM

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Photo Credit: Sugar Skull Photography

Photo Credit: Sugar Skull Photography

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

This month’s State is Maine!

Great American rock bands have been on the decline in the music world for the past several years. Fifth Freedom have put the state of Maine on the map and brought some attention back to good old fashioned rock-n-roll. The band may call the great north home but their music has it’s roots in the south. The mixture of classic rock and southern rock is a great way to describe their sound. The band went on tour with Kentuckians Black Stone Cherry for two months, that tour put the spotlight on Fifth Freedom and brought some well deserved attention to the band. They have had various lineup changes through the bands existence but long time members Alan Jones (vocals/guitar) and Gary Marston (drums) have remained fully invested in the band. The group released their self titled debut in 2014 and it was an immediate success in the state of Maine.  It debuted at No.1 at Bull Moose music (a 12 location New England record store chain). Continue reading →

Review: RED CLOUD – Ursa Minor [Album Stream]

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redcloud

I’ve always said that the best music is sometimes harder to find. Well today i’ve been proven wrong. The best thing that can ever happen is when an amazing new band and album is essentially delivered directly to my front door. That’s what happened to me when singer/guitarist Aaron Williams sent me the new album ‘Ursa Minor’ by his band Red Cloud. The album was released independently by the band on May 24th, 2016. The band was formed in 2012 in Eugene, Oregon. This album is a follow up to 2013’s ‘The Cloud’s Sound EP’. Red Cloud just adds to the list of amazing bands that call the state of Oregon home. The band has this refreshing sound that gives them this overwhelming listen-ability. The straddle the fence when it comes to declaring them hard rock or metal. There are stoner rock and psychedelic elements in there but they have so much more to offer that you can’t really classify them with a few measly words. Continue reading →

Anniversary Giveaway!!!!

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This week (June 11th) makes one year ago that Metal Nexus first hit the interwebs, but music has been coursing through our veins since birth. We didn’t expect to amass the amount of readers that we have in our first year. Without all of YOU this would all be for nothing. Our goal has always been to bring new bands and music to your ears that you may not have found otherwise. As a way for us to show our appreciation to you we are giving away 4 huge prize packages to 4 lucky readers. Help us kick off year two with a bang. All of us at Metal Nexus appreciate YOU! Continue reading →

PLACE OF SKULLS Announce Tour!

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placeofskulls

Victor Griffin famously of Pentagram has announced some tour dates over the next few months for his other extremely kick ass band Place of Skulls. Founded in 2000 by Griffin, bass player Lee Abney and drummer Tim Tomacelli the three piece has turned heads since their debut. The tour will kick off on June 23rd in Harrisonburg, VA. They will make an appearance at the 2015 Maryland Doom Festival (See Below) which is a must see for any doom lover and then the tour will come to an end on August 20th in Murfreesboro, TN at the Tennessean Sludge Fest (See Below). The band is working on new material and we can’t wait to hear it. Don’t miss this opportunity to see them live if they are in your region. Continue reading →