Author Archives: Steve Savage

About Steve Savage

Writer and music enthusiast based out of the San Francisco Bay Area, always interested in discovering new and different music no matter what the genre. Hit me up anytime if you know about something I should be listening to or if you just wanna talk music in general. Peace!

Review: VEXES ‘Ancient Geometry’ [Track Stream]

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New Jersey post-metal band, Vexes is set to release their exciting full-length debut album, ‘Ancient Geometry’ on February 23, 2018.  The band originally formed in 2016, “from the ashes of A Life Once Lost, Vessl, Fury of Five, and Downstage,” according to their webpage.  Their sound is modern but proudly pays homage to their 90’s influences including Deftones, Cave In, Thrice, and Helmet.  For those of us who grew up in the era from where much of this music draws its inspiration, listening to this album will bring a warm sense of nostalgia as it transports you back into high school with your baggy jeans and Puma Suedes.  For newcomers, expect a moody and oftentimes melancholic hard rock/metal experience with powerfully melodic choruses and crooning vocals. Continue reading →

Review: HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY – ‘Arson’ [Track Stream]

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Austrian post-black metal band Harakiri for the Sky returns with their fourth full-length studio album, ‘Arson,’ set for a release date of February 16, 2018 on AOP Records.  In the studio, the band consists primarily of only two members – J.J. on vocals and M.S. handling all of the other instrumentation.  This time around though the duo brings in veteran death metal drummer, Kerim Lechner to contribute on drums.  It’s quite an impressive feat for three guys alone to create such an expansive and emotive array of melancholic and aggressive soundscapes presented on this record. Continue reading →

Review: PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS – ‘The Age of Absurdity’ [Track Stream]

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The long-anticipated, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons debut album, ‘The Age of Absurdity’ is catchy, golden-era hard rock with a modern-day shine.  Nuclear Blast is set to release this collection of eleven songs and one bonus track (“Silver Machine,” a Hawkwind cover) on January 26, 2018.  The album was recorded during the summer of 2017 and Phil Campbell had this to say about the process, “I am really excited for the fans to hear our debut record.  Every part of the process was done in Wales, from the writing to the recording, and even the artwork!”  ‘The Age of Absurdity’ was recorded at Rockfield Studios and Longwave Studios in Wales and produced by Romesh Dodanga (Motörhead, Bullet for my Valentine). Continue reading →

State Of The Art: Nebraska Death Metal Band GAROTED [Album Stream]

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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 Nebraska!

Garoted are a death metal band hailing from Lincoln, Nebraska.  Their style is brutally heavy and blazingly fast in the spirit of the classic, old-school American Death Metal greats.  With the speed and intensity of Deicide; the chaotic guitar melodies of Morbid Angel; the crushing breakdown heaviness of Suffocation; and some Cannibal Corpse technicality and gore thrown in for good measure; what you have is a sound that any fan of true death metal can find enjoyable. Continue reading →

Interview: Noor of NORTHWIND WOLVES “I See Some Of The Darkest Aspects Of Human Life On A Daily Basis Here In Los Angeles”

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Recently, I had the great opportunity to interview Noor, the lead vocalist, guitarist, keyboardist, and co-founding member of LA-based, black metal band, NorthWind Wolves. After reviewing NWW’s latest album, ‘Dark… Cold… Grim…‘ and being impressed by their music, I was honored to be able to speak directly to the man himself. He graciously opened up about everything including his own personal musical journey and influences, the origins of the band, and even helped clear up some misconceptions and rumors floating around the internet.
Noor’s story is definitely an enthralling one, and one that really speaks to the drive of a musician’s passion to pursue his art. With a deep look into the mind of a true black metaller, and without any further hesitation, please enjoy this riveting interview with Noor of NorthWind Wolves: Continue reading →

Review: HARM’S WAY – ‘Posthuman’ [Song Stream]

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Harm’s Way is a band that some may find difficult to categorize. Originally formed in Chicago, Illinois in 2006 as a casual side project playing fast-paced powerviolence and hardcore punk; the band has since gone through several metamorphoses, and over the years, have slowed down their pace and leaned more toward a down-tuned “metal” sound. We can throw around labels all day such as hardcore, metalcore, death metal, nu-metal, industrial, thrash metal, groove metal, sludge, and the list goes on and on. Certainly, influences of all these genres can be heard in their music. At the end of the day, from what I can tell though, these guys are just simply evolving their style to become the heaviest, most brutal, powerful, in-your-face sounding music they can come up with. There’s no frills or gimmicks; no wank-off guitar solos or whiney ballads; It’s – Just. Plain. Heavy. Whatever you decide to classify them as, Harm’s Way’s latest full-length studio album, ‘Posthuman,’ is the sonic equivalent of a brutally violent ass-beating by a ten-ton sledgehammer. Continue reading →

Review: NORTHWIND WOLVES – ‘Dark Cold Grim’ [Album Stream]

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NorthWind Wolves is a black metal band originating from sunny Los Angeles, California with a sound that feels deceivingly like something conjured from the iciest, deepest regions of Scandinavia. Their aptly-titled, second full-length studio album ‘Dark… Cold… Grim…,’ released on Sweden-based, Black Lion Records in 2017, is precisely as advertised – dark, cold, and grim. What first draws you in to the record is the excellent cover artwork consisting of a mist-engulfed, moonlit, gothic castle which effectively serves to immerse you, as the listener, into this world. The musical style is symphonic or folkish at times, gritty and nasty others, but overall is firmly rooted in an old-school, melodic black metal sound. Continue reading →

Review: MIST OF MISERY – ‘Fields of Isolation’ [Album Stream]

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Swedish symphonic black metal band, Mist of Misery release their latest EP, ‘Fields of Isolation’ on Black Lion Records as the second chapter of a two-part series to accompany ‘Shackled of Life,’ the first EP or “mini album” in the series, released earlier 2017. Originally formed in 2010, the quartet currently consists of Mortuz-Denatus on lead vocals and keyboards, Phlegathon on guitar, Livsnekraen on drums, and Damian on bass. On ‘Fields of Isolation,’ they attempt to answer the question, “What would happen if a Scandinavian black metal band in corpse paint partied with Beethoven and Bach?” Continue reading →

SABATON & KREATOR Announce North American Co-Headliner Tour!

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Swedish power metal champions, Sabaton and German thrash metal titans, Kreator team up for an epic North American co-headlining tour for early 2018. The Nuclear Blast label mates will be kicking off the outing on Thursday, February 8, 2018 at The Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona and finally wrapping up at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. Along the way, the two metal juggernauts will hit several other US and Canadian cities during the 24-date schedule. Continue reading →

Review: PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS – ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’ [Track Stream]

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When you think of “angry” music, what comes to mind? I have a few ideas – maybe some of mine are even the same as yours. Regardless of what you might be thinking “angry” music sounds like, this album will undoubtedly force you to rethink your definition. Philip H. Anselmo and the Illegals – ‘Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue’ is, unquestionably, some angry fucking music.

Philip H. Anselmo is a name that might seem familiar – you can remove the “H” if it’s throwing you off. If you’re reading this review, you’re more than likely aware of a band called Down. You may even have heard of another band called Superjoint. You also might know that, in addition to fronting both of these great bands, Anselmo may very well be one of the most prolific names in metal today – as well as the most headlined recently. In between also being one of the most entertaining interviews in the biz, Phil has consistently been working on multiple side project bands including Arson Anthem, Christ Inversion, Southern Isolation, Viking Crown, Eibon, Scour, and En Minor; and running his own label, Housecore Records. On top of all this, his resume includes being the former lead singer of, arguably one of the most influential metal bands of all time – Pantera. Continue reading →