Author Archives: Low Gain

About Low Gain

I'm just a teenager, living in Southern Illinois, that loves music in general. I love attending festivals as it feels like everyone comes together as a giant family. I also look forward to hearing new music and passing it onto the masses. In my free time I play guitar, basketball, and attend high school.

Chicago Open Air Spotlight: Code Orange [Official Videos]

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*Every week from now until Chicago Open Air gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Code Orange.

To close out the epic trio of hardcore acts on Saturday, May 18th, Code Orange brings their off the wall sound to the Chicago Open Air stage at SeatGeek Stadium. This group has been on my radar for quite a while. ‘I Am King’ dropped in 2014 and absolutely scared the hell out of me when it was released. The ferocity, fury, and anger that the record brought changed the way that I listened to extreme music. This was the last album that they released as Code Orange Kids before eventually dropping the “Kids” from their band name. I got to see the band once at this stage at Rock on the Range and was left thoroughly impressed. The ability that Jami Morgan had of controlling a crowd while killing it behind the kit was awing to watch. They have came a long way from then though in terms of live performances and with their music.

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Chicago Open Air Spotlight: Vein [Official Videos]

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*Every week from now until Chicago Open Air gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Vein.

On Saturday, May 18th, the fast rising hardcore band Vein makes their debut at Chicago Open Air. It’s going to be extremely interesting to see what the band is like performing in a large venue like SeatGeek Stadium as they usually play in much smaller venues so that people get the full experience of how intense they are live. Since forming in 2013, hardcore punk band Vein has made a strong case for themselves as one of the best up and coming metal bands out there right now. The quintet’s ability to put together crazy and unpredictable shows similar to The Dillinger Escape Plan has got their name out there to fans looking for a thrill in live performances. Touring with bands like Code Orange (also on Chicago Open Air) and Twitching Tongues gives you an idea of what you’ll be getting yourself into before going to see them.

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Chicago Open Air Spotlight: ALIEN WEAPONRY

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*Every Tuesday from now until Chicago Open Air gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Alien Weaponry.

On Sunday, May 19th, the young New Zealand thrashtastic trio in Alien Weaponry brings their immense sound to SeatGeek Stadium for Chicago Open Air. Brothers Henry and Lewis de Jong formed the band back in 2010 before they were even teenagers. The third member is Ethan Trembath. The trio bases a lot of their lyrics off of their Māori ancestry, which all three of them have. Most of their songs are also performed in the native language, te reo Māori. The band really took off last year and saw international success with the release of their debut album, ‘Tū’ via Napalm Records.

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ALL THAT REMAINS & ATTILA Crush The Apollo In Belvidere [Review and Photo Gallery]

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All That Remains

About a month and a half ago, one of the more off the wall tours I’ve seen this year was announced. All That Remains, Attila, Escape The Fate, and Sleep Signals announced a huge tour with 30 dates spanning across the United States. Each band brings something unique to the table for this tour. Sleep Signals brings their signature hard rock sound with strong hooks. Escape The Fate brings an intense mix of slamming post-hardcore, hard rock riffs, and a heavy alternation between screaming and clean vocals. Attila brings their well polished deathcore sound that launches crowds into a frenzy. It feels like a party the entire time these guys hit the stage. To close the show, All That Remains brings an eclectic blend of sounds as they have progressed over the years. They have those famous, shredding riffs from songs like “Six” and “Two Weeks” to calm, powerful ballads like “What If I Was Nothing”. As you can see, the bill is varied but still has something that connects each band at the same time. The tour gives you your fill of all areas of hard rock and makes for an explosive night of music. We were lucky enough to cover this show at The Apollo Theatre A.C. in Belvidere, IL on March 10, 2019. You check out our review of each band along with photos from each performance below.

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GIN BLOSSOMS Celebrate ‘New Miserable Experience’ In Chicago [Review & Photo Gallery]

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Gin Blossoms

For over 30 years, Arizona’s Gin Blossoms have been playing rock shows across the country. This run was a special one as they made the rounds performing their famous, multi-platinum album ‘New Miserable Experience’ in its entirety. They did this last year as well in 2018 to celebrate it’s 25 year anniversary. The tour was so successful that they decided to do it again this year while also having the tour presented by Sirius XM radio station Lithium. The alternative rock band was supported by the pop punk veterans in Punchline. We were lucky enough to “experience” the ‘New Miserable Experience’ at the House of Blues in Chicago on February 22nd. Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: BLEEKER

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Bleeker.

On Sunday, October 1st, Bleeker is coming to Louder Than Life all the way from Ontario, Canada. The band formed in 2003 but did not change their name to Bleeker until 2016. Taylor and Cole Perkins formed the band as brothers and continue to climb their way up the ladder of the rock scene. They were all young teenagers when they started so they are still a fairly young band despite being seasoned artists. They were originally called Bleeker Ridge but changed their name to just Bleeker when Dustin and Dan Steinke left the band in 2016. Their sound in their early days was strong enough to get them signed to Roadrunner Records in 2010. They released ‘Small Town Dead’ and later toured with acts like Papa Roach, Buckcherry, and Airbourne. They released one more album under Bleeker Ridge independently in 2013 before the name change. The new album marked the band’s rise back to the top for a second time. Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: BADFLOWER

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Badflower.

On Sunday, October 1st, hard rock band Badflower hits the Louder Than Life stage for the first time. The band started out just 4 years ago in Los Angeles. People immediately took note of their passionate, bluesy rock performances as they received high praise for a show they played with Kongos. They released their music video for “Soap” the following year via Hundred Hand Records. The video was even premiered on Loudwire, so the band was definitely being noticed by the right people at an early stage. The quartet has played on several Danny Wimmer Presents festivals including Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion, and Welcome To Rockville since signing with Republic Records last year. Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: BITERS

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is Biters.

On Sunday, October 1st, hard rock band Biters brings their deadly, catchy sound to Louder Than Life. This is a band that has been highly regarded as the new forerunners of rock’n’roll by many websites like Classic Rock, TeamRock, BlabberMouth, and more. It all started back in 2010 when the Atlanta quartet released their self-titled EP. This EP drew heavy influences from 70s artists like Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy. There is a cross on all of their records between glam rock, punk, and classic rock with big pop hooks to make for a very accessible sound. Their first three EPs were released on Underrated Records. Their fourth EP ‘Last of a Dying Breed dropped in 2012 via Pipeline Records. Although they were released on labels, Biters did most of everything on their own. They even had received notice from bands as big as Green Day at that stage in their career. Having four EPs out in just two years was a huge accomplishment, but many fans were getting anxious for a full length record. Three years later, they finally got that. Continue reading →

Louder Than Life Spotlight: HE IS LEGEND

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*Every Tuesday and Thursday from now until Louder Than Life gets here we will be releasing an article about a band playing the festival to get you familiar with them.*

Today’s artist is He Is Legend.

On Saturday, September 30th, He Is Legend brings their rock fury to the 4th annual Louder Than Life. The North Carolina quartet has been around since the early 90s but didn’t become He Is Legend until 2003. Before that, they were known by other names such as Stronghold, The Uriah’s Omen, and No One Wins. Their current name was taken from a book from the 1950s titled “I Am Legend” by Richard Matheson. You may be familiar with this work as it was spun into a movie back in 2007 featuring Will Smith. Solid State Records picked up the band only a year after their name change and they released ‘I Am Hollywood’ the same year. This record was really along the lines of that southern metal sound similar to Every Time I Die. Their sound really expands across several subgenres though including alternative metal, sludge metal, and hard rock. ‘I Am Hollywood’ featured several songs that the band still plays to this day like “Eating A Book”, “I Am Hollywood”, and the fan favorite “The Seduction”.  Two years later the band released ‘Suck Out The Poison’. This record took some fans by surprise as Schuylar Croom’s voice had changed a bit from the previous record. Check out “Attack of the Dungeon Witch” from it below. In 2009, the band switched labels to Tragic Hero Records and released ‘It Hates You’. After this, He Is Legend announced that they would be taking a hiatus as a band and that they didn’t know when they would return. Continue reading →

OTHERWISE Releases Two New Songs, Announces New Album [Song Streams]

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It has been about three years since ‘Peace At All Costs’, so that means it’s time for new music from hard rock band Otherwise! Yesterday, the band dropped their first new songs featuring new members Tony Carboney (Bass) and Brian Medeiros (Drums). “Angry Heart” and “Close to the Gods” are some of their heaviest songs yet and should have fans pumped to see what the Patrick brothers are about to deliver. You may have heard “Angry Heart” in the last week over on Sirius XM Octane’s “Test Drive”.  ‘Sleeping Lions’ will be released on September 22nd via Century Media Records. You can pre-order it on ther Pledge Music campaign here. Check out the two songs below along with album artwork and the album track list. Follow Otherwise on Facebook to stay up to date for more music coming very soon. Continue reading →