This week we are featuring the almighty guitarist Andreas Kisser. He is mostly known for being the lead guitarist and back up vocalist for the Brazilian thrash metal band Sepultura but you might also know him from projects such as Hail!, Sexoturica and Brasil Rock Stars. Get right in!
*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 Black Map
Black Map has been making the rounds this year on the festival circuit. This years Carolina Rebellion was actually one of the bands first festival appearances of the year. We were there to see their dominating performance and the fans there loved them just as much as we did. Again we were able to see them at Chicago Open Air in July and once again they were one of the most dominating bands of the day. The alt metal trio unleashed their first songs in 2014. First, their 4-song EP titled ‘Driver’ was released in February and all 4 songs were included later on that year on their first full length album ‘…And We Explode’. They put off a heavy 90’s rock vibe with huge, blasting riffs and raw emotion all packed into one punch. Last year the band made a large breakthrough with the premiere of a new song “Run Rabbit Run”. This song took the airwaves by storm and told us to get ready for 2017 because Black Map is quickly on their way to the top. ‘In Droves’ dropped across the US on March 10th via eOne Music. The album was produced by Aaron Hellam at Hellman Sound. Consisting of members from the bands Far, The Trophy Fire, and dredg, the band does a solid job combining all of the project’s sounds into one.
*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 68′.
For those of us who plan on attending Louder Than Life in Louisville, KY this year, we can all safely assume there will be plenty of great music from artists you know and love, and some that may not be so familiar, but amazing nonetheless. Some are playing the festival for the first time, while some are returning for another year of good music, good food, and an all-around good time and of these, the name ’68 may be a little familiar – and for good reason. Continue reading
*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state*
This month’s state is Illinois!
Welcome back everyone to our weekly series of State of the Art! I’m happy to introduce a hell of a band today that I strongly want you all to checkout because these guys bring the heaviness. Say hello to SPIT! They are a five-piece metal band from the suburbs of Chicago, IL. They were founded in the fall of 2014, and they have set out to create music that is different from what is already available. SPIT consists of the assaulting vocals of Petros Massouros, Tom Aparici and Tyler Gargula shredding on guitars, Jimmy McClanahan providing those crunchy bass lines, and Brian Martinez tearing it up on drums. With their influences ranging from traditional metal music all the way to the new and aggressive sounds of hardcore, SPIT is working for something new to offer, with the hopes of continuing to play music to all who are interested.
For my fourth King of Strings I will be spotlighting Dan Crisafulli of the band Source. They are a Progressive metal band based in Boulder, Colorado and within a short 2 ½ years have already landed some impressive tours – most notably with HellYeah and In Flames last year. This may actually become my favorite spotlight because he’s the kind of diamond in the rough every music fan hopes to discover at some point.
L-R: Sam Kiszka, Josh Kiszka, Danny Wagner, Jake Kiszka
*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 Greta Van Fleet.
Greta Van Fleet – which took its name from one of the close-knit community’s town elders – is a hard rocking quartet whose creative ambitions and achievements reach far beyond the ages of the four band members, not all of them old enough to have voted in last November’s election. The band includes brothers Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar) and Sam Kiszka (bass, keyboards) and best friend drummer Danny Wagner – are dedicated to bringing real rock’n’roll back to the mainstream. The band delivers high-energy, sweaty, sexy rock’n’roll loaded with attitude and bravado that exemplifies each band member’s killer musical chops and Josh’s simply jaw-dropping voice. Greta Van Fleet bring back a throwback kind of sound that most old school metal heads thought was gone forever. Not only are they bringing it back in general but they are bringing this retro sound to the stage at Louder Than Life. Their four-song debut EP Black Smoke Rising was released on April 21, the group deftly straddles the line between timeless and future, sounding at once like many things you’ve heard before and also something you’ve never heard before. Some have even referred to the band as America’s next greatest rock band. The band doesn’t have an intense history or discography to tell you about as of right now. Greta Van Fleet is currently making their own history and you can be a part of the crowd when they take the stage in Louisville, Kentucky at Louder Than Life. Continue reading
*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
*This is a part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured state*
This month’s state is Illinois!
Ey yo people! Welcome back to the weekly edition of our State Of The Art series, where every Monday we get a bit generous and pull the curtains down and shed some limelight to the lesser known and underground bands who already are wrecking shit up at your local town or city, or even across oceans apart. Last month I highlighted the fast and punishing thrash metal band called WARHEAD from Phoenix, Arizona, which you can check it out HERE. Today I am here to rejuvenate your boring Monday with another kick ass band that has been stirring some major shit up since their self-titled, debut album came out in 2002. And especially, this year with their new highly acclaimed 2017 record, ‘Cloak Of Skies‘. This week’s band is Industrial/Doom-death metal outfit from the capital city Chicago, Illinois, DRUG HONKEY. You thought I’d be doing a hat-trick on thrash bands? Didn’t you? Well, this band really turned my head and got my attention real good, for all the new and genre breaking antics they’re up to.
*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
*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
