This may be the oldest, most well-seasoned band that I am more than a little PO’ed about not crossing paths with earlier. These beasts should have had my attention for freaking years now! Once I heard Conquest though, I will not be forgetting them anytime soon… Continue reading
We finally get a taste of Katatonia’s upcoming album ‘The Fall of Hearts’ which is being released via Peaceville on May 20th. The song “Serein” is now out in lyric video form. The song is more of what Katatonia has been doing for years. Emotional lyrics, beautiful heavy music, and it’s all driven home with a great group of musicians. I’m sure the melodic metal will be another hit just like their previous releases. Jonas Renkse has one of the most emotionally charged melodic voices in metal today. You can feel the passion in his voice as he sings. The ‘Fall of Hearts’, the official follow-up to 2012’s acclaimed ‘Dead End Kings’, was recorded at Stockholm’s Studio Gröndahl and Tri-lamb Studio, and was self-produced by Katatonia’s Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse. Mixing and mastering duties were carried out by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Ihsahn, Devin Townsend) at Fascination Street Studios, with Karl Daniel Lidén (Switchblade, The Ocean, Greenleaf) brought in as engineer. Continue reading
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
Man, let me tell you: Arkansas is turning out to be a state that is cultivating some seriously great and unique Metal bands. Anyone following our State of the Art series knows that we view it as an opportunity to expose ourselves to music that would normally never cross our radars and take it very seriously because many of these bands need to cross a lot of your radars as well. That being said, this week I would like to share with you a band from Malvern, AR called Undercover Devil.
Recently, when Entheos was coming through here, I was given the opportunity to sit down with lead singer, Chaney Crabb. I was really looking forward to meeting her but really did not know what to expect and, honestly, felt a little intimidated. While she does write hopeful and positive lyrics, Entheos music, particularly her vocals are far from tame. I got to the venue early and we went next door where it was more quiet where we sat down and grabbed her a beer. With Mariachi music playing in the background I quickly learned that Ms. Crabb is charming, smart, soft spoken, quick with a smile and very sweet; a complete contrast to her in-your-face, on stage persona. What follows is our transcripted conversation instead of a sterile, question/response interview. This is what I learned about this rising star. Enjoy!
If you are a Metal fan out of Central Florida and don’t live under a rock you have surely heard of my next Mayfest feature band. Bar none, they are one of my favorite bands and not just because they are relatively local to me. Their music is incredible and all of the band members are beyond being just nice people. They are a true testament to a band that loves their fans as much as their fans love them. As stated by the band: “Our fans are what drive us. We want to create music that people love and connect with. The reaction from our fans at shows is priceless”. That’s right folks, I am talking about the mighty Meka Nism out of Orlando, FL.
The Acacia Strain will celebrate ten years since the release of the band’s third studio album ‘The Dead Walk,’ with the summer headline ‘Common Vision Tour’ that kicks off July 7th in Massachusetts. Supporting bands are Oceano, Knocked Loose, Culture Killer and To The Wind. The band will be throwing in some older songs into the mix in regards to their set list and they will also have some throwback merch that may only be available on this tour. VIP tickets are available here and general admission tickets go on sale this coming Friday 5/6. Continue reading
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Arkansas!
Hard to believe we are already in the month of May as we move onto the state of Arkansas for this month’s State of the Art series. As is the case with the other states that we have covered, it is always fun to search for new music where I would not normally look. A few of my current go-to bands have stemmed from my searches and have a definite feeling this is going to be another such case. The band is SwitchbacH.
After doing my first Colorado State of the Art article on Source for the month of April, singer/songwriter/guitarist Ben Gleason and band manager Brent Boutte contacted me, inviting me to a show on their tour with Trapt and Super Bob. After some back and forth, a move of venue and a three and half hour drive (seven hours of driving was well worth the trip), I was finally able to see the band that has grabbed so much of my attention this past month. The more I have listened to Source’s music, the more I am sucked into their musical poetry. They are not even close to getting old (probably begin to fade just in time for a new album).
Flaw has been back together for a few years now and touring all over the country. Three of the bands core member remain in the band. Vocalist Chris Volz, Guitarist Jay Daunt, and Ryan Jurhs have an amazing chemistry together that is seen and heard in their music. Drummer Corey Sturgill was a great addition to the band and he has helped add another dimension to the band, and he is an entertaining drummer to watch. The band has released one new single in the past year titled “Bleed Red” which dominated air play on Sirius XM Octane when it was released to them exclusively. This song shows the band can still put out emotionally driven heavy music that touches a nerve with any listener. The band last release major release was “Endangered Species” back in 2006. Flaw has a loyal fan base that has been craving new music for quite sometime and they just got the news they have been waiting for. We spoke to the band back in October at the Louder Than Life festival about the new album and their timeline to release it. The band signed a deal with Pavement Entertainment and have no announced a date for the release of their new album Divided We Fall. Continue reading
So, this being my final International Guitar Month spotlight, I toiled about who I wanted to cover. I wanted something special so I stopped and let my mind wander a bit. Who do I love? Who has moved me? Who has had my attention for years? Man, there are so many to choose from that are so deserving. Once Jason Becker’s name flashed across my mind, my breathing slowed and I comfortably knew who I needed to write about. Not a “want,” a “need”. This man holds a very dear place in my heart and I can only pray that my words even come close to giving this man’s story justice with my utmost respect…
