Comments Off on State Of The Art: ANNIHILATE THE HERO!
*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 to the kickoff of State Of The Art for August! I was the one who got the honor of selecting the state for this month and thought there’s no better of a time than now to showcase the talent from my home state of Illinois. I’d like to introduce you all to a band from my area of Southern Illinois, Annihilate The Hero. Annihilate The Hero is a three-piece metal band coming out of Carbondale, Illinois with influences coming from all types of metal : thrash, progressive, and death, with others sprinkled in. Their current line up consists of Thomas Henderson (Guitar/Vocals), Justin Malinee (Drums), and Tony Lamantia (Bass).
Comments Off on Louder Than Life Spotlight: HE IS LEGEND
*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 →
Comments Off on Louder Than Life Spotlight: PALISADES
*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 Palisades.
On Saturday, September 30th, electronic rock band Palisades will be opening up Louder Than Life. Palisades formed just six short years ago in New Jersey. The same year they formed, they put out their first taste of music with a four song EP. Their mix of electronic rock, alternative rock, and metalcore sound were enough to grab the attention of Rise Records. They were signed to the label in the same year. That same EP was released again later with Rise and the title was changed from ‘The Rise’ to ‘I’m Not Dying Today’. “Disclosure” and “Bury It” from the EP both received music videos. Two year later, the band dropped their debut album ‘Outcasts’. Check out “High & Low” from that record below. ‘Mind Games’ dropped in 2015 and was their heaviest record yet. It features their best combination of electronic music and rock to date. Louis Miceli sounds extremely similar to Tyler Carter of Issues at times on this record. The band went out on the Vans Warped Tour for their first time that same year to promote ‘Mind Games’.
Less than a year after ‘Mind Games’, bassist Brandon Reese and keyboardist Earl Halasan left the fold. Brandon Elgar was introduced as the new bassist and someone by the name of Graves would be on the turntables. Shortly after the changes in the bands were made, the band dropped one more song featuring the old members. “Fall” was a bit of foreshadowing with what direction the band was heading toward. They were starting to add more pop elements to their music while still maintaining their old sound. In January of this year, the band released their third full length album, ‘Palisades’. The record combined all of the work they had done into the past into one diverse record. “Let Down” is still the biggest hit on record as it continues to receive airplay on big stations like Sirius XM Octane. Check out that song and “Better Chemicals” (which just got a music video a few weeks ago) below. While the old material is great, Palisades has mainly been sticking to playing lots of material from the new album live.Don’t miss this band if you are a fan of bands like We Came As Romans, Crown The Empire, or I See Stars. This will be the band’s first time on a Danny Wimmer Presents festival. Buy your tickets to see Palisades at Louder Than Life this fall right here. Be sure to follow the band on Facebook for updates on new music and upcoming tours. Also like the festival page on Facebook to stay up to date with any changes in the lineup or any additions of experiences to the festival.
Palisades is:
Louis Miceli – Vocals
Matt Marshall – Guitar
Xavier Adames – Guitar
Graves – Producer/DJ
Brandon Elgar – Bass/Vocals
Aaron Rosa – Drums
*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!
We are on our final week of State of the Art in the great state of Arizona! There’s no better way to end it then with Yuma’s Beg For Life. The band was formed in 2006 and refers to their genre on Bandcamp as “Prison Hill Hardcore”. The band released their only full length in 2009 titled ‘Doomed’. It comes at you with full force for the entirety of the record. You can check out their video they did for “Means To An End” (the opener on the record) below. Three years later, the band released their EP ‘Mare Miseria’. The four songs on the EP showed the band’s capability to become heavier, faster, and better as they continued. Both records were released via Westcoast Worldwide Records. The band has been somewhat inactive since then, but it appears that they are gearing up for more music soon. Continue reading →
Comments Off on Louder Than Life Spotlight: FIRE FROM THE GODS
*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 Fire From The Gods.
On September 30th, Texas rap metal band Fire From The Gods hits Champions Park for the first time. The band formed in Austin, TX in 2010 and has really sprung onto the scene in the last year or so. Their album ‘Narrative’ had bangers like “Excuse Me” and “End Transmission” with AJ Channer controlling the flow of the songs with his blend of rap, reggae, and rock vocals to keep you on your toes. AJ Channer is actually the band’s second vocalist after he replaced Eric July who is now doing a project called Backwordz. Fire From The Gods has already played several major festivals this year like Rock on the Range, Carolina Rebellion, and Welcome to Rockville. They only continue to gain popularity as they’ve been playing on the Vans Warped Tour all summer as well. This isn’t just your typical, generic rap metal band. These guys have a message to go with their music that has been needed for a long time. Continue reading →
Comments Off on Louder Than Life Spotlight: THROUGH FIRE
*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 Through Fire.
On Saturday, September 30th, Nebraska hard rockers Through Fire will be hitting the stage at the 4th annual Louder Than Life. The band came to be just last year after the band Emphatic decided to change their name. If you’ve been listening to rock radio for the last few years, Emphatic might sound familiar. They had hits like “Put Down The Drink” and “Remember Me” that received a lot of air time. I don’t think they play any material from those days as they already have their full debut record out as Through Fire. ‘Breathe’ dropped last year and charted very well in the US for a debut rock artist’s release. Their song “Stronger” played a large part in this. It stayed atop Sirius XM Octane’s “Big Uns” list for many weeks. This will be the band’s second Danny Wimmer Presents festival. They opened up the inaugural Chicago Open Air festival last year right as their record was released. Continue reading →
Comments Off on State Of The Art : AMERICAN STANDARDS
*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!
When we found out what state would be featured for our weekly series of STATE OF THE ART, I automatically knew who I wanted to introduce to the world, the fantastic guys in AmericanStandards. American Standards is a chaotic hardcore band that you probably do not know and will kick yourself for not knowing them before today. But don’t be saddend by this, even I was late to the party, not discovering them until sometime in late 2016 when meeting their vocalist Brandon Kellum through the Facebook fan group for Dillinger Escape Plan, The Dillinger Compound. American Standards story is that of separation, loss and the adaptability that allows us to preserver. Formed in Phoenix, AZ in the summer of 2011, the band released their first album ‘Still Life’ through We Are Triumphant, an imprint of Victory Records. Musically, the record walked a fine line between subtle melody and raw chaos providing a platform for vocalist Brandon Kellum’s emotionally and politically charged lyrics. The band quickly became known for their intense live shows and undeniable work ethic playing over 300 shows to date.
*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.
Comments Off on Into The Grave Spotlight: AMON AMARTH!
Raise your goddamn horns for the vikings of Death Metal Amon Amarth, they will be headlining next to Arch Enemy and Overkill on the second day of Into The Grave. They will add another layer of heaviness to the festival as well as (hopefully) bring a viking ship with them and ofcourse some beer!
