The much anticipated CD by Metal Church, aptly named “XI” is due for release on March 25th. With the return of singer Mike Howe, whose last release with the band was 1993’s “Hanging in the Balance”, those that have followed the band for as many years or more have been anxiously waiting to hear the result of this star-crossed reunion. Metal Nexus recently procured a pre-release copy for review and… But wait…
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is California!
Hailing from Los Angeles, Once Human is a brutal force in Metal to be reckoned with and not for the faint of heart. Formed in 2014 by music producer and guitarist extraordinaire Logan Mader (of Soulfly and Machine Head fame) after joining forces with Australian guitarist-turned-singer Lauren Hart, bassist Damian Rainauld and drummer Ralph Alexander. Shortly after the release of their debut album, The Life I Remember in August of 2015, Alexander was replaced on drums by Dillion Trollope. With the addition of Skyler Howren on guitars, the current line up was complete. Already touring with Fear Factory and soon with Death Angel, Once Human is proving that they have what it takes to propagate their very dark brand of music in the Metal world.
Coronal Mass Ejection recently dropped their instrumental, self-titled, five song EP. Recorded in less than eight hours, it boggles the mind to learn that such a rich and complex texture of sound comes from only a trio of very talented musicians: Vincent Sorgentoni on guitar, Steve DiEva on bass and Patrick Wiwel on drums. Also incredible is the fact that the band is in its infancy, coming together in December of 2015! Their music certainly does not reflect the band’s age.
Uli Jon Roth. Jennifer Batten. Andy Timmons. Drop the name of any of these guitar gods and adjectives like virtuosic, spectacular and legend are sure to abound. The stars and planets have aligned now that Uli Jon Roth has chosen to tour with Batten and Timmons on “The Ultimate Guitar Experience” tour. Big words in a day when there are so many good guitarists out there. On the second night of their tour at The Plaza LIVE in Orlando, excitement and awe was palpable in the line waiting to see these three phenoms. What was waiting for us inside was beyond what any of us could have expected. Continue reading
