Sable Beldam

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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the state of  the month*

This month’s state is Illinois!

Sable Beldam is a vicious and brutal death metal band from Chicago. They formed in 2007 and have had numerous lineup changes over the years but the band is releasing some great material. They have toured throughout the U.S. and even played with another of our favorite bands Diamond Plate. So I’m sure the band has devastated fans, created some chaotic mosh pits and melted faces off with their all up in your grill brand of metal.

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Review: Dark Buddha Rising “Inversum”

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Photo by: Sasu Riikonen

Photo by: Sasu Riikonen

 

Dark Buddha Rising are a Finland based band that has been creating music since 2007. They are preparing to release their fifth studio album titled “Inversum”. The album is the follow up to their 2013 release “Dakhmandal”. The new album will be hitting shelves on September 25th and marks the band’s first release on their new label Neurot Recordings. Dark Buddha Rising is comprised of six members and have a very unique sound that really puts them outside the box when compared to other bands in the metal world. Continue reading →

Interview: John Aragonez of Long Beach Vagrant!

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Recently I was able to hear two of the new songs from the forth coming Long Beach Vagrant album “Death Be Thy Name” that released this week. Immediately I was impressed and was fortunate enough to get in touch with one of the members of the band. Drummer John Aragonez took the time to speak with me about everything going on with the band and what the future may hold for the California based metallers. (There was a technical problem when we were speaking on the phone the call was supposed to be recorded so I could later write the information out, Due to the error I’m not able to quote everything exactly, so the following is in my own words). As some of you may or may not know Long Beach Vagrant (formerly Vagrant) has been around since the 90’s and has opened for some amazing acts in their long tenure. John spent some time in the band about 5-6 years ago. He was living in the high desert and the distance from the other members in the band made it difficult for him to commit to the band. However, now he is fully invested in the band and brings a great amount of experience to the band. He has an amazing drumming style which you can hear on each song. Some drummers that he looks up to are Joey Jordison formerly of Slipknot and All That Remains drummer Jason Costa. The one original member of the band is Mike Pain, who is greatly influenced by horror movies. He also is a renowned artist and because of that the band has a lot of horror related lyrics. They have spent time touring with other horror based bands. We also mentioned that a lot of horror based bands perform at horror conventions around the country as well. It really helps define their audience and fan base since they have horror based lyrics. Instead of trying to garner the attention of a broad audience they can narrow down the field to people that are already passionate about the subject matter. The band also has two new members in Randy Blount on vocals and Rob Gresham on bass. John mentions that these two guys have really brought some new life into the new band, and the fact that they are younger has brought some new influences into the band as well.

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Review: Black Temple “It All Ends”

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Black Temple had my attention prior to even hearing one note of their music. There were several variables as to why they impressed me. The first being that they were declared the “most violent and energetic live act in Sweden.” I mean how impressive is that? I’m sure that captures the attention of most every metalhead. It’s been mentioned that the band has probably trashed more instruments and amplifiers than they can afford. Second, they were the first band being signed to the label Razzia Notes. One of the cool things about the new label is that it’s owned by Anders Fridén lead singer of the Gothenburg metal legends In Flames. Razzia also has a collaboration with Century Media as well so they will be distributing this album and possibly future albums. Anders himself is quoted with saying “”First time I heard BLACK TEMPLE, I freaked and I said to myself, ‘I gotta work with these guys somehow.” The trio has been together since 2010 and have a variety of influences which may contribute to their unique sound. Continue reading →

Review: Wildlights Self Titled Album [Now Streaming]

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Jason Shi & Johnny Collins

Jason Shi & Johnny Collins

Over the past several years we have seen the formation of super groups more often. Artists coming together creating an all star team of sorts and releasing material. Now we have a super duo. Jason Shi comes to us from the North Carolina based rock band ASG. They last released “Blood Drive” in 2013. We have been fortunate enough to catch ASG live on two occasions. Jason who also plays guitar has a clean singing voice that sounds just as pitch perfect in person as it does on the recordings. He brings to the table an amazing array of vocal tones that helps build a truly inspiring sound. The other all star in the duo is Johnny Collins from Thunderlip who also hails from the Tarheel State. They recently released Sunday Driving in January of this year (2015). The band has more of speed punk vibe, but has other elements that draws interest from outside the genre. Johnny’s drumming in the band is a staple of their sound and what really gives them that fast paced vibrant sound.

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All Them Witches Release New Song [Streaming]

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All Them Witches are preparing for another release after their sophomore album “Lightning At The Door” really turned heads. The band has saw success with their retro sound which helps them stand apart from the slew of other bands that are flooding the market. The band has successfully scored a slot on the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky that is usually more mainstream rock and metal. This may be a sign that the band is breaking into the mainstream, but at the same time able to maintain the sound we all grew to love. The band is set to release their 3rd album “Dying Surfer Meets His Maker”, on October 30 via New West Records. They have released a new song from the album (which is streaming below) titled “Dirt Preachers”. The song is more of exactly what any All Them Witches fan would want.

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Cariosus!

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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the state of the month*

This month’s state is Illinois!

It’s time to clean the shit out of your ears, because we are about to introduce you to a new band from the windy city of Chicago. Cariosus released their debut EP in February and it’s titled “Crime & Punishment.” When an album starts with an intro of Richard Ramirez quotes you just know you have stumbled onto something great. As if the Nightstalker intro wasn’t enough the album art work is equally amazing. The band has a major brutality that entombs you on every song. Then on a few songs particularly “Contra Mores” you get to see the melodic side of the band. Slowed down guitar picking leads you into growls and gutturals at first, then midway through the song there is more delicate picking and just a touch of clean singing. The clean singing helps break up the constant screaming so it doesn’t become repetitive. When it’s done in a minimalistic fashion like this I’m a huge fan of it. The singing doesn’t take anything away from the band, and actually keeps the heaviness intact by breaking the mold of what we are used to. Frontman Alex Pfister is a talented singer on both ends of the spectrum. Every instrument seems to play an integral part in the sound. The guitar parts at times seem to be battling each other back and forth. “Misanthrope” is a stand out song on the album, the lyrical content keeps you interested. “I hate everyone, I hate the things you say” I’m sure everyone can relate to this. And, for you morbid fucks it gets a little gory for you too. The album is 6 tracks that unleash this pure heaviness and great instrumentation. (If you buy the hardcopy cd you get an extra track) At times it will remind you of Carnifex, but their own twists that put them in a region all their own. “Voluptuary Eradication” is one of the best tracks on the album. The sound is all over the place and constantly changed pace. If you are in the Chicago area I suggest you get out and see these guys play. September 4th they will be playing with our good friends in Krisiun (Who I may add have a kick ass new album out) and several other bands on the Devastation of the Nation Tour. They have some kick ass shirt designs so make sure to pick up a shirt and a copy of the cd. Chicago won’t be able to contain this band forever and I fully expect them to garner a huge fan base as time progresses. Continue reading →

Asheville, NC: Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, Jasta & More….

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After finally releasing their first studio album in over 13 years Coal Chamber has organized one of the best touring lineups in recent years. Of course you have Coal Chamber, and co-headlining is Fear Factory who have a new album releasing August 7th entitled “Genexus”. The Devil You Know was on select dates of the tour and it features Howard Jones formerly of Killswitch Engage. On the date we were attending at The Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina we got Jasta. The band of course features the namesake of the band Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed and Kingdom of Sorrow fame. If you thought this was enough there are still two bands left. Motor City Metal band Saint Ridley was immediate support for the bands. They were also on Coal Chamber’s previous tour with Filter and Combichrist. The opening band was Los Angeles based nu metal band Madlife, who became the pleasant surprise of the night.

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Domestic Godzilla!

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*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the state of the month*

This month’s state is Illinois!

Chicago based groove rockers Domestic Godzilla formed in 2001. The band has a style and sound that really melds various genres together creating this beast of a band that has gained attention all across the Windy City and afar. One of the most recognizable elements of the band is the vocal style of singer Scott Coca. Moments pass and you have these beautifully sang melodies, by the time you blink it slams into these break neck screams that haunt your ear drums. Chicago was usually always a tour stop for national acts and DG often opened for national touring acts. The band released a video for the song “Guerrilla” in 2002. With each song the band’s sound changes so you don’t get anything repetitive. If you had to make comparisons the band sounds like a mixture of a much more brutal Incubus with elements similar the band Flaw, and a dash of Nothingface. Chicago natives loved the band and showed up in hoards to see them live. Unfortunately the band ended up going into a hiatus.

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