Louisville, Kentucky’s nu-metal heroes Flaw have been dominating stages since before the release of their debut ‘Through The Eyes’ in 2001. The band is now revived and better than ever. Their comeback release last year ‘Divided We Fall’ proves the band hasn’t lost their touch. Chris Volz and Jay Daunt are the core of the band and have led the charge of a nu-metal resurgence over the past two years. Flaw have toured relentlessly playing both as a supporting act and as a headliner and even made numerous festival appearances including back to back performances at Louder Than Life in their hometown and also Ink In The Clink. Still on the heels of their full length release the band has now finished up a companion EP to ‘Divided We Fall’ and it’s titled ‘United We Stand’. The 6 track EP includes 4 brand new tracks and two live tracks. Both live songs are from the ‘Through The Eyes’ album and include “Payback” and “Only The Strong”. The EP will be released September 1st via Pavement Entertainment. Continue reading →
Comments Off on AFTER THE DEPARTURE Release Self Titled EP!
After The Departure is an upcoming metalcore band from Leeds. England. They are currently unsigned but they will be signed before you can say the word breakdown. Talking about breakdowns this band has one of the most interesting and refreshing one’s in their music. If this isn’t a reason to check these guys out then knowing that they have released a new song ”Clarity” and that they will release their Self titled album today on the 17th of June. You can’t pass their debut EP ‘My Waking Hour’ though because it will launch you into something exciting and show you the roots of the band. Vocalist Phil Dearman with screamer Greg Forbes along side of guitarist and vocalist Jordan Saggu, guitarist Tom Wiseman, bassist Josh Godfrey and drummer Ben Hewitt will show you that they are coming to take over the stage so be aware!
Comments Off on Review: FUNERAL FOR THE MASSES – ‘Pitch Black’ [Official Video]
When we are talking about brutal Finnish death metal we are talking about Funeral For The Masses. This band is currently unsigned but has been rising higher and higher, so watch out! They are from the northern city of Oulu, Finland and I can tell you that this is a band you can add to the good Finnish bands. The band was founded in the winter of 2014 by Eemeli Bodde & Teemu Halmetoja. They have one vocalist, Teemu Halmetoja, guitarists Eemeli Bodde and Juho Näppä, bassist Aleksi Statsevich and on the drums we have Niko Väärälä.They recorded and produced everything themselves, it got mixed & mastered by Timfy James (Hacktavist, Old School Studios). They have done some tours in the past with one of the biggest metal festivals in Finland. The last years they have been busy finding their sound and this EP shows what they are trying to create, a brutal mix of dark vocals with a feeling of revenge and terror. If you are a fan of their 2 EP’s before this, ‘’Deal With The Devil’’ or ‘’Blood Donation’’, you will be running for this one.
Comments Off on Review: BROKENRAIL ‘Self-Titled EP’ [Video]
Alabama rockers BrokenRail have set out on a journey to create their own signature style of music. BrokenRail sets themselves apart with their own blend of post-grunge rock and other various elements that make them unique. The band consists of four members: Blake Clawson (vocals), Nelson Rezek (guitar), Dick Black (bass), and Alex Hilton (drums). The band has been working hard and simply want their music to be heard and they have succeeded in that already in such a short period of time. BrokenRail’s music has been featured on ESPN, NBC Sports, and, most recently, Tony Hawk’s RIDE Channel. Reaching millions of viewers, the band has already attained fans around the globe and were also nominated in their home state in 2016 for the Alabama Music Awards “Rock Artist Of The Year”. They have already been awarded the state’s highest musical achievement and now they look to take on the world. Continue reading →
Comments Off on State of the Art: Onward We March [EP Streaming]
*This is part of our State Of The Art series, showcasing bands every Monday from the featured State*
This month’s State is Texas!
The Dallas based band Onward We March has been using a do it yourself approach since their formation back in 2008. The five member group of Texans have a heavy progressive sound that originally started as a simply jam session in a living room that morphed into something so much more. The band released their debut album “The Golden Vine” in January of 2011 and that was just the beginning. Continue reading →
On the outskirts of Indianapolis, Indiana you will find one of the most appealing bands I have heard in some time. The band God Am formed in 2012 and have been putting in some major hours to hone their sound and get exactly where they want to be. The band released their debut EP on May 16th. The group have made waves throughout the region in Indiana and this EP is sure to turn those small waves into more of a tidal wave. After just finishing this EP the band is already hard at work a follow up to this debut and have 3 songs in the books written already. They will soon begin touring Indiana and surrounding areas and we can only hope a venue in our area will be lucky enough to book them. We had the honor of checking out the debut and are sure you will be just as impressed as we were. Continue reading →
Buffalo, New York is home to some iconic things. Wings, the neighboring city to Niagara Falls and the loveable losers the Buffalo Bills. Well soon enough the great Northern city will be put on the map yet again. The unbelievably kick ass doomsters Bastard Lord have released their debut EP via Twin Earth Records. The band has their own signature branded doom sound. The incredible riffs created by Mike Hermann are something of legendary status. On songs like “Wormwood” the guitar riffs teleport you toward the doom filled psychedelic vocals by singer and bassist David Braymiller. The song even lets the feedback shine through adding that raw edge to their music. The vocals aren’t all up front and in your face but slightly retreated from the instruments and it works beautifully. The bands overall sound is something fresh and fierce in the world of sludge and doom. They have taken inspiration from modern metal added their own twist and vibe and it has birthed what we now know as Bastard Lord. The first track on the album “Cimmerian” has an eerie riff that slowly trickles into full blown doom. The song is a 13 minute tour of what the band is all about. We only get 4 tracks on this EP, but it is a perfect example of what to expect with a full length. The three peice has really carved out a sound that is unmatched currently, especially in the North East. They are like a Frankenstein of Crowbar and Pallbearer with other little tid bits of kick ass thrown in here and there. If you are a fan of sludge, doom or anything psychedelic we fully recommend this album. I refer to Bastard Lord’s riffs as a sweet sweet nectar that is overwhelmingly addictive. We look very forward to catching these guys live and in the flesh.
Comments Off on Unsigned Band Review: Destroythm’s Self Titled EP
Have you ever wanted to hear the pure unfiltered sound of brutality? Well look no further. Destroythm brings it to your doorstep and crams it into your skull. The thundering drum beats and echoing guitar riffs are ecstasy to my ears. The new self-titled EP has 6 tracks for you to headbang to. The EP was released in July 2014 and how they have managed to go this long without being signed I will never know. I’m sure once their material starts to circulate they will have offers from various labels, as they have a sound that really has no competition to speak of. Continue reading →
Doom and sludge music usually has ties to the South. Something about our lifestyle and relaxed slow paced lives always churned out some of the slowest sludge around. There is a new destination in sludge. Pateros, Philippines is the home of sludge masters Hateure. The band actually started out as a progressive style metal band in 2007. They Released two albums in that vein of music (Makabagong Anyo ng Galit, 2010 and A Lustrous Danseur, 2013). It wasn’t long after that the band started to morph and change their sound. Eventually evolving into a doom/sludge/post metal band. They have released their new EP on July 13th, 2015 called “Body and Soil” and are in the process of finishing a full length album to release by the end of the year or early 2016. The EP currently out is 3 tracks, but it is more than enough music to let you know the direction this band is headed. Let me go ahead and tell you now that these guys aren’t playing around, they have found their true sound with sludge/doom and they will soon be climbing to the top of every metalheads favorite bands. The EP was mixed and mastered by guitarist Ronnel Vivo. The first track of the EP is an instrumental. I may be a little impatient but I couldn’t wait for the vocals to chime in even though the instrumental song and title track “Body & Soil” really is true to the sludge sound we all know. Track 2 “Reptilian Blues” is where we really get to business. The song spanning almost 12 glorious minutes is like music from a demented song bird to my ears. (That is a compliment by the way). The guitar work starts the song and these deep chords bellow out so low I can feel the vibrations in my chest. Suddenly we hear the might roar of singer Earl Palma and it was well worth the wait. He holds his own when it comes to comparing him to other sludge vocal legends. The guitar work is a perfect example of sludge, but it also has these groove based tones in it as well giving the track a feel that is truly the Hateure sound. One thing that is surprising is the sound they are able to get with just the one guitarist. The bassist Genesis Trinidad helps set pace in tandem with the solid rhythmic drum beats by Ronaldo Vivo Jr. The band as a whole is a group of musicians that have an amazing chemistry together. The EP is a great teaser for what we can expect in a full length. Anyone that even remotely likes Sludge or doom needs to give these guys a listen because you will become a fan instantly.
Artwork by Ronaldo S. Vivo Jr.
Body & Soil Tracklisting:
1 – Body & Soil
2 – Reptilian Blues
3 – Koleoptera
Comments Off on Savi0r Invulnerability EP – Review [Video]
Savi0r was a project created and founded by Adam V. Jones in 1997. He has since then added two other great musicians into the mix and formed this superior trio. The sound they have is like a melting pot of genres, just like city they hail from Los Angeles. The new three track EP “Invulnerability” was released in April. It brings together so many different elements, yet it works so well together. The album has an overall industrial feel musically that would remind you of Nine Inch Nails or Rammestein. The haunting yet melodic vocals by Adam Jones are what melds everything together. The song “Interlopers” starts out and just screams metal in your face, and before you realize it you are singing along to the song. Just like that throwback jam from the 80’s you like so much this song quickly has you head banging and moving around. The vocals change some on this track back and forth. He brings a sense of grit to his tone that brings out the metal edge in the song and then right back to those melodic sing along like lyrics. A video was just released for the track “Lead” which showcases some dark and eerie imagery which go hand in hand with the song. “Lead” is the stand out track on the EP, but the others aren’t very far behind. Each song features a somewhat different tone. Elements from metal, industrial, techno, alternative, synth, and black metal all seem to slither their way into each song. If you are a fan of Orgy or Skinny Puppy there is no doubt you will love this band and this EP, but they truly include something for everyone.
