Tag Archives: Crossover

State Of The Art: Oklahoma’s AGGRAVATED NUISANCE [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 Oklahoma.*

The best part about this SOTA segment, for me, is the opportunity to discover gems in the world of underground music that I may have never come across otherwise. It’s like the equivalent of going to the record store back in the day and grabbing something purely based on the metalness of its album cover, popping it in the stereo, and then realizing you just randomly stumbled onto the sickest band that none of your friends know about yet – followed by the thrill of bragging about your discovery and blowing their minds with it. In this case, it’s Oklahoma City’s Aggravated Nuisance. Continue reading →

Review: SWORN ENEMY – ‘Gamechanger’ [Official Trailer]

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Queens, New York’s Sworn Enemy is set to drop their new album ‘Gamechanger’ via M-Theory Audio on April 5th, 2019. As veterans of the metallic hardcore game, the band consisting of Sal Lococo (vocals), Matt Garzilli (guitar), Mike Pucciarelli (bass), Jeff Cummings (guitar), and Taykwuan Jackson (drums) just celebrated the 15th anniversary of their debut album ‘As Real as It Gets’ last year. The new album, which will mark their eighth full length release, was produced by the one-and-only Robb Flynn (Machine Head) and engineered, mixed, and mastered by Zack Ohren (Suffocation, Fallujah, Warbringer). For fans of bands like Hatebreed, Biohazard, and Madball, ‘Gamechanger’ is an album that offers a similar street-level attitude and testosterone-fueled rage that is sure to quench the bloodthirst of old school loyalists as well as place Sworn Enemy prominently on the radar of new listeners. Continue reading →

Review: THE ACCUSED AD – ‘The Ghoul in The Mirror’ [Official Video]

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Blaine Cook (also known as The Wizard) is a musical figure who has been around since the 80’s. He started his music career fronting the Seattle based political punk band The Fartz, but he is perhaps best know for his time in Splatter Rock kings The Accused. Founded in 1981, The Accused were one of the most important bands of the time as they were one of the first to bridge the gap between Punk Rock and Thrash Metal which eventually lead to the creation of Crossover. Despite being an influence on everyone from Lamb of God, Cannibal Corpse, Dead Cross and Municipal Waste, The Accused largely remained underground and underappreciated. Fast forward to 2019 and we no longer have The Accused; but we do have something just as great: The Accused AD! This is a band that features the iconic vocals of Blaine Cook as well as the talents of Alex “Maggotbrain” Sibbald, Steve “The Beast” McVay, and Poison Idea drummer Mickey Widmere! Later this year, The band is scheduled to release a limited edition tape entitled ‘The Ghoul in the Mirror’ via Blackhouse Records Ltd. The album will be produced by Jack Endino (Nirvana, Toxic Holocaust) and mastered by Pig Destroyer’s Scott Hull! Continue reading →

Review: INSANITY ALERT – ‘666-Pack’ [Official Video + Tracks Streaming]

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Austrian crossover thrashers Insanity Alert will release their new full-length, ‘666-Pack’, on January 25th via Season Of Mist. “Forged in Innsbruck in 2011 and influenced by the likes of S.O.D., D.R.I., Suicidal Tendencies, Nuclear Assault, Bones Brigade, Municipal Waste, and Toxic Holocaust, Insanity Alert are the kind of people who know what to bring to a party: a big dose of humor with a dash of darkness, party tunes, and a six pack. It’s these ingredients that make up the basis of the band’s third full-length. A relentless, twenty-one-track ripper, ‘666-Pack’ brings the classic spirit of speed metal’s salad days back with savage metal precision. Ultra-catchy riffs, vicious vocals, and empowering gang vocals are packed into short, sharp rapid-fire attacks delivering everything great about thrash in spades.” ‘666-Pack’ was produced and mixed by Toni Meloni Loitsch (Die Toten Hosen, Silbermond, H-Blockx) at Nautilus Sounds Studio, mastered by Dan Randall (Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse) at Mammoth Sound Mastering and comes wrapped in the gruesome cover creation of Mark Riddick (Rotting Christ, Horrendous, Revocation, etc.). Continue reading →

HARM’S WAY At “Gilman” In Berkeley, CA With QUEENSWAY, VEIN, & RINGWORM [Review & Photo Gallery]

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Last Friday night (March 9th) I attended the Harm’s Way show at the Alternative Music Foundation in Berkeley, CA. The “Gilman,” as it is locally referred to because of its Gilman Street address, is a small, historical punk/hardcore venue that has hosted countless significant names in music for over the last thirty years. Groundbreaking and trendsetting acts that have gone on to receive huge notoriety or commercial success have roots that trace all the way back to early career performances there. Monumental names such as Green Day, The Offspring, AFI, Bad Religion, and Operation Ivy have all graced the Gilman stage at one time or another. Last Friday night, however, providing the metal-infused, adrenaline-fueled energy to lead today’s current generation of hardcore music was Chicago’s own Harm’s Way. Continue reading →

Review: LUCIFER-X – ‘Project Xtermination’ [Official Song Stream]

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Miles and oceans apart from the streets of San Francisco, the Bay Area, where thrash is said to have taken birth I bring to you a very talented and young band from the hills of Imphal, the capital of Manipur, an Indian state nestled amidst the serene and untouched greenery. LUCIFER-X are a five piece thrash metal outfit from the Asian nation of India and are already ravaging the local and national scene with their all new debut EP, titled, ‘Project Xtermination‘. It has just been a few days since its release on the 26th of September. After three years of it’s formation, the band have matured enough and are ready to deliver the first kill in the form of their debut EP. It’s fast, rude and an endless saga of thrash-tastic riff fest!

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MUNICIPAL WASTE Reveal New Album Details [New Single Stream]

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Big news coming out from cross over thrash giants, MUNICIPAL WASTE. Hailing all the way from Richmond, Virginia, USA, they are undoubtedly the fathers of crossover thrash metal, they quickly rose to fame after their debut album and now they’re one of the major cards out there. Thrash and punk comrades the wait is over and they have finally revealed their upcoming album since their 2012 chart buster album, ‘The Fatal Feast‘ that debuted #1 on the Billboard New Artists chart. ‘Slime and Punishment‘, their sixth feather on their thrash arsenal is slated to be released on the 23rd of June, this year out via Nuclear Blast Records.

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State Of The Art: Tennessee’s DAWN PATROL

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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 Tennessee!

Memphis, Tennessee’s DAWN PATROL help make crossover relevant again. Their ability to blend thrash and punk influences makes for amazing output from the band. The power trio is comprised of brothers Tommy Gonzales- Guitar/Vocals, Kyle Gonzales- Drums/Backup Vocals, and rounded out with Spencer Martin on Bass/Backup Vocals. The band lists some of their influences as Dead Kennedys, Exodus, Leftover Crack, and Megadeth. The band has released some independent EPs in the past but they consider ‘Democracy Delivered’ their debut as it’s when the band truly started finding their signature sound. The album was released on July 3, 2015.  Continue reading →

State of the Art: Dead By Wednesday

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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 Connecticut!

Connecticut is home to more than a handful of great bands. Dead By Wednesday is yet another great band that calls the state home. They formed back in 2005 and have 4 releases under their belt. The bands sound is a mixture of various elements and influences that really give their music that little something extra that pushes them over the edge and makes them great. Being from the state of Connecticut it’s not surprising they have bumped elbows with legends like Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed, Kingdom of Sorrow, Jasta). The bands initial debut album ‘Democracy is Dead’ was released on Jasta’s label Stillborn Records in 2005. The album was successful right out of the gate by selling more than 3,000 copies. Continue reading →

Pig Champion!

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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!

You ever heard a band for the first time and it gets you so pumped you just want to jump up and down and smack the shit out of someone? Please make sure your mother isn’t sitting in the room with you and I will introduce you to Pig Champion. The Chicago based crossover band has been tearing up the scene since 2010. The band has released two albums. In May of 2010 they released the debut “Oppression Breeds Violence” which I may add has some amazing cover art. That album has 13 tracks that length wise are more to the punk side of crossover. Most of the tracks average around 1 minute, except for a few standouts like “Apologies” and “I Do The Work” and the almost 4 minute brutal attack of “Bone In The Throat” before the Nixon resignation speech takes over the rest of the 20 minute track. Continue reading →