*In this segment we put guitarists and bassists from every metal genre you could imagine in the spotlight!*
So, this is my first King of Strings spotlight and it will come as no shock to anyone who knows me, has ever met me, or has had a 30 second conversation with me, that I’ll be spotlighting bassist Ryan Martinie – formerly of Mudvayne and currently of Soften the Glare.
Hold onto your butts, people! Mudvayne is re-releasing one of the singularly best albums of all time! – ON VINYL!!!
Hundred Suns have announced their debut album, The Prestaliis, and upcoming tour dates! If y’all aren’t excited, I’m about to explain why you’re wrong and should be ashamed of yourselves.
Well folks, it would seem we have another “divorce” on our hands. As we all know, some relationships don’t make the long haul, but it’s still sad to witness. In this case, it is Scott Wilson announcing his departure from Tantric.
*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arizona!
GATECREEPER is a death metal band out of Tucson & Phoenix Arizona. They formed in 2013 with members Chase Mason on guitar, Metal Matt on drums, and Sean Mears on bass. In the early days they didn’t play a single show – they just wrote songs and recorded them. There was virtually no direction for this self-titled, 4 song EP, released in April of 2014. But, it turned out to be a great idea because they ended up with a fanbase before they played their first show.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is North Carolina!
Sun of Nile is a progressive metal band based out of Raleigh, North Carolina. They have been hitting the scene hard since 2015. After talking to these guys, I feel confident that Hollywood will someday make a movie about them. Their origin story is something to behold! You know how most bands come together because the founding members are childhood pals who ditched 3rd period English class to get stoned together? Well, that’s not the case for them. Get out your Kleenex because this is a story of woe, passion, determination, and saving the world like in that movie, Armageddon.
Canada’s hardcore punk band Comeback Kid has announced the release of their 6th full length studio album, ‘Outsider’, for September 8, 2017. Outsider will be released through Nuclear Blast records and New Damage records in Canada.
They’ve recently released a single from the album titled “Absolute” which features Devin Townsend. If this is any indication of what we should expect from the entire album, we’ll all be very happy. It thrashes, it pulsates, it absolutely screams punk-in-your-face-bold-radness! You can instantly picture yourself in the pit, screaming at the top of your lungs along with the band and beating the crap out of your fellow concert goers. Their previous work has been fantastic. Dare I even say, magnuflorious. But, ‘Absolute’ is a punk wet dream in comparison! It has all of the elements you look for – speed, thrashing guitars, screaming vocals, grinding bass, and pounding/earsplitting drums. The video is below. Do yourself a favor and turn it up to 11. Continue reading
The NYC prog metal band, Infinite Spectrum, recently kicked off their Theories of Flight north American tour opening for Fates Warning. They’re hitting cities throughout the east coast and midwest, with one show in Ontario, Canada.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is North Carolina!
Beyond the Fade is a band from Charlotte, North Carolina. They formed in 2006 under founder, Brandon Strickland. Current members, (Neil Jackson – vocals, Jason Tedder – guitar, Brandon Strickland, guitar), have been rocking the area and touring the country ever since. Having a heavy touring schedule, the band has seen numerous lineup changes, but the most notable was the addition of Neil Jackson on guitar and vocals in 2012. Beyond the Fade had previously played alongside his former band, so they knew it would be a good fit. In 2014 it was mutually agreed upon that Jackson would put down the guitar to become front man for the band. They’re quoted as saying they felt it would give him a stronger connection with the audience. And, it seems that it has! They’ve played with numerous national acts, including North Carolina’s Soften the Glare – fronted by bassist Ryan Martinie, as well as Skillet, Godsmack, and Motley Crew.
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Oregon!
Red Fang is a popular stoner metal band from Portland, Oregon. They’ve come a long way since forming in 2005. 2009 saw the release of their first album, ‘Red Fang’, released under Wantage Records. With a diverse mix, this was a strong first album. Giving fans a mix of sludge, metal, psych, and some death metal thrown in, it had something for every metal fan. “Good to Die” remains one of my favorites. Released in 2011 with Relapse Records, their second album, ‘Murder the Mountains‘ helped to further propel them into the spotlight. They were picked up for the 2011 Metalliance tour along with Helmet and Crowbar, as well as the Rock Star Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, opening for Godsmack, Disturbed, and Megadeath. Later in the year they were tapped to open for Mastodon for their 2011 and 2012 United States and European tours. Afterwards, they embarked on a headlining tour of Eastern Europe with Black Tusk. Really, not shabby at all! It’s very clear to see why they remain one of Portland’s most loved bands.
