Knocked Loose
Have you ever just been standing there, minding your own business when someone kicks you right square in the teeth? That’s exactly what Knocked Loose sounds like. These riffs are so grimy and down tuned so low that the neck of the guitar might as well snap due to lack of tension. They make you want to take a bite out of the sidewalk. Continue reading
Celtic-American punk rock band Dropkick Murphys formed in 1996 in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally the band just jammed for fun with a goal of blending the music they grew up with which included punk rock, Irish folk, rock and hardcore. It seems like a mess of genres to mix together but the sextet has created a genre all to themselves. Their band includes an array of different instruments that you won’t find on stage at a normal rock or hardcore show. Those include accordion, bagpipes, mandolin, bouzouki, keyboard, bodhran, piano, banjo, harmonica, tin whistle and then of course your everyday hard rocking guitar, bass, and drums. It helps that both Tim Brennan and Jeff DaRosa are multi-instrumentalists and can play 7 or more instruments each. In the bands storied career they have released 9 studio albums. The band’s first 5 albums were all released via independent punk record label Hellcat Records. Since 2007 the band has released everything on their own imprint label, Born & Bred via Alternative Distribution Alliance. Dropkick Murphys biggest hit thus far is “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” The track was featured on the start studded 2006 Academy Award-winning movie The Departed, and went on to become a Platinum-selling single. Dropkick Murphys is most well known for their super energetic live shows and are beloved in the city of Boston for their St. Patrick Day performances and their charity work in their local communities. The band’s charity The Claddagh Fund was founded by bassist and vocalist Ken Casey. Their mission statement states “The Claddagh Fund honors the three attributes of the Claddagh Ring: Friendship, Love & Loyalty. Our mission is to raise money for the most underfunded non-profit organizations that support the vulnerable populations in our communities.” For more information about the Claddagh Fund you can visit their website here. The band just wrapped up their headlining tour with support from Clutch, Hatebreed and Amigo The Devil. The band has been touring in support of their 2017 album “11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory.” Continue reading
New York Hardcore legends Agnostic Front have announced the release of the twelfth studio album, Get Loud!. The album is due out for release on November 8th via Nuclear Blast. In celebration of the release, Agnostic Front is also premiering the first single off the album with the lyric video, “Spray Painted Walls”.
Vocalist Roger Miret comments, “So excited for everyone to hear our new record GET LOUD! I really love the songs and it feels like a great mixture of what we have done our whole career! We put 100% into this from top to bottom! Everyone involved from start to finished just killed it! See you in the pit to celebrate these songs soon!”
Swing Low are a 4 piece Hardcore band from Fargo, North Dakota. These guys would make any old school hardcore fan proud with the music they have created. They include the basic elements of hardcore, but they also include their own spin and a modern take as well making them more unique than your average hardcore band. Fargo is one lucky city to have these guys playing shows around that area. Swing Low released their debut EP ‘MMXIV’ on September 21, 2014. The album was recorded at Howl Street Recordings by Shane Hochstetler (Satan’s Dealer, Corpse Donor, Speed Freaks). They followed that up with another EP titled ‘Learned Ignorace’ which released January 25, 2016. This time the band recorded with Aric Ficek at Winterland Studios. The next release by the band came on July 10, 2017 in the form of a split with the band War Prayer. Swing Low contributed two songs to the split including “Malice” and “Regression.” When the band was in the studio recording for the split they also recorded an additional track which they held onto for 6 months and released on January 6, 2018. The single was a cover of Disembodied’s “Gone.” Disembodied is a hardcore punk band that formed in 1995 in Minnesota. They reunited in 2008 and 2 of the founding members also formed Martyr A.D. when the band originally broke up. Last May Swing Low released 2 tracks on what they called the ‘Summer Promo.’ The two tracks include “Death Tax” and “Built From Shame” and is the most recent release from the band. One thing to note is that the band has recorded every release in a different studio and producer/mixer. I believe this has aided in keeping their music fresh and allows them to let their music progress. 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 Delaware.*
Known for being the first state in the union, Delaware is also home to a brutal band of maniacs called Cancer Priest. Since discovering the death metal/hardcore quintet consisting of Dennis McGonigal (vocals), Rich Strohm (guitar), Brent Lafferty (guitar), Adam Siatkowski (bass), and Evan Williams (drums), their music has been ripping up my headphones ever since. ‘Worldwide Cemetery,’ the band’s 2018 EP, is angry, violent, and chaotic to say the least. With just a five-song track list, whose total runtime is under 10 minutes, Cancer Priest delivers enough explosive riffage and verbal hatred to decimate a small city. Continue reading
Bryan Garris, vocalist for Knocked Loose, is the guest on this episode of the BREWtally Speaking Podcast!! Continue reading
Hatebreed
Hardcore heavyweights Hatebreed are celebrating 25 years of music. Two and a half decades worth of music that is certified to make you want to kick someone’s ass. In the world of hardcore and metal, that’s no small accomplishment. What better way to celebrate an achievement like this than to tour the country with some of the most influential bands from the world of underground music; Terror, Cro-Mags*, and Obituary. This tour stopped in Charlotte, North Carolina, last week to celebrate the last 25 years with a sold-out venue. Here’s how it went. Continue reading
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys announce their fall 2019, coast-to-coast US tour with Clutch, beginning September 20th at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Massachusetts. Joining for most dates will be Hatebreed, along with special guests Amigo the Devil and Russ Rankin of Good Riddance for select dates. The trek will end at the WAMU Theater in Seattle, Washington, on October 15th. Tickets for most dates go on sale Thursday (April 18th, 2019). Continue reading
Today’s artist is Knocked Loose.
On Saturday, May 18th, Kentucky hard hitters are bringing down their gritty, beatdown sound to the Chicago Open Air stage at SeatGeek Stadium. Similar to Vein, the heavy sounds of Knocked Loose typically just make their way into the small and dark venues to fit the type of music that they bring to the table. They have grown immensely in popularity though and are making their way up to larger venues. Before making their way to Chicago Open Air, the band will be on the road for roughly a month with The Acacia Strain, Harm’s Way, Sanction, and Higher Power. Their huge, heavy sound filled with slow-tempo breakdowns are sure to impress and devastate all the metalheads in the stadium that day to prep them for the bands following them like Code Orange and Meshuggah.
Of Virtue has been around since 2009 and has always looked for ways to help those who can’t express themselves and latest release ”No Control” is no different!
