Tag Archives: State of The Art

State Of The Art: Louisiana’s ORIFIST [Official Album Stream]

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

This month’s state is Louisiana!

Providing a powerful boost of energy and creativity to old school death metal, is New Orleans own, Orifist. The trio consisting of Devin Jones (guitar/vocals), Matt Fogarty (lead vocals), and Dominick Mora (drums) present a murderous sound, reminiscent of the classics, with names like Suffocation, Morbid Angel, and Death immediately coming to mind. Continue reading →

State Of The Art: Louisiana’s THE ARBITRARY [Track Stream]

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

This month’s state is Louisiana!

Any fans of progressive instrumental are severely missing out if The Arbitrary is not a part of their lives. The New Orleans two-piece has been self-releasing since 2015. Together, Jeffrey Fisher (guitar) and Adam Sauter (drums) have continued to boggle the brains of prog fans, yet quench the thirst for musical excellence with their 2017 EP ‘Identity.’ It may only be four songs, but those four songs are all the listener needs. A touch a djent, a brush of tech; it’s about time for a Ph.D. in music theory. Continue reading →

State Of The Art: GREYLOTUS [EP + Video Stream]

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

This month’s state is Maryland!

Welcome to the final installment of this months SOTA! I thought I would end this one with an artist that I believe will quite literally blow your mind. This is songwriting at its highest conceivable level, but what is most remarkable, is the fact that it is solely the work of one man! From Baltimore, Maryland, let me welcome the technical/blackened deathcore project Greylotus. January saw the release of the explosive debut EP ‘Savior’ which in my opinion is undoubtedly one of the most exciting releases of this year (up there with the likes of Inferi and Slugdge who have both dropped AOTY contenders) and forms the first part of a total 3 installments. Collectively the 3 EPs will form Greylotus’ debut full-length album, with work already underway on the second installement ‘Dawnfall’.  Continue reading →

State Of The Art : GATEWAY TO HELL [Album Stream]

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

This month’s state is Maryland!

Hey there, to our frequent State Of The Art segment reader, and Hi to you if you’re new to this segment. Welcome to our weekly dose of State Of The Art where we put some much deserved light on the unheard and unknown, and bring them out from the caverns of underground onto your computer screen. In my edition of the last SOTA article, I featured CROWN OF SORROW, from Georgia. And now, continuing my tryst with exploring the unexplored, today I present before you an amazing doom/stoner metal band, GATEWAY TO HELL from Baltimore, Maryland. They absolutely rip!

Maryland has an extensive legion of doom/stoner rock and metal bands all across the state, from the legends like THE OBSESSED, the American version of Black Sabbath, PENTAGRAM, EARTHRIDE, to the lesser known but equally musically proficient and kick-ass bands such as GATEWAY TO HELL. Maryland has always been a hotbed for metal’s most veteran sub genre. Alright enough of blabbering, let’s get to know more of GATEWAY TO HELL, rightaway!

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State Of The Art: VACANT [Debut EP Stream + Video Stream]

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Photo Credit – U.V. Photography

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

This month’s state is Georgia!

For this month’s final ‘State Of The Art’ for our featured state of Georgia, I thought I would take a look at a band that up until a year ago were a mindset, as opposed to a reality. Having thundered onto the scene quite literally out of nowhere after dropping their intense debut EP ‘In Retrospect’ in August last year, let me welcome Atlanta-based (yes, the place where it’s all happening!) metallers Vacant.

The quintet featuring Jaden Garrity (vocals), Christian Nowatzki (guitar), Daniel Norton (guitar), David Adler-Diaz (drums) and Gage Tindol (bass) have already created quite a storm in their hometown, which has seen them gain their place supporting Carnifex on the Atlanta date of the ‘Chaos & Carnage’ Tour. Featuring alongside Oceano, Spite, Buried Above Ground, Shadow of Intent and Shryne the event will take place on April 16th at the Masquerade, Atlanta – and I think it’s fair to say that they have certainly earned their place! (Tickets here)

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State Of The Art : CROWN OF SORROW [Album Stream]

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

This month’s state is Georgia!

Hey there! Welcome to this week’s edition of State Of The Art, where we help rupture your virginity about the unknown and the underground. We visit Georgia this month, yes! Home of Grammy winners MASTODON, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, R.E.M. etc. It’s evident that Georgia houses some incredibly talented musicians spanning all genres of music. I normally feature thrash, death bands when my turn on this segment comes. But today, just to break this monotony I chose to feature symphonic folk metal band CROWN OF SORROW from Fayetteville. Among the very few symphonic bands like those of DEVILWRAITH, KYLE MORRISON, AMIDST THE WITHERING, ETHIRIA etc. in the state of Georgia, today’s featured band CROWN OF SORROW is really working it’s way up the ranks of Georgia’s metal scene. It is really good and satisfying to see a band bring back the lost glory of good old classical and folk metal, in an age where thrash and death metal have been enjoying the throne for a bit long.

CROWN OF SORROW is a symphonic folk metal band that has a tinge of doom metal and surplus western classical elements in it, making it feel like a fine old wine. They are a fairly young outfit having released their first demo just in 2013, which featured three songs. With the demo working out for them, they released their debut full length record in 2015 titled, ‘Exile‘. Before all of this, the band was earlier named The Blasted Heath. What we know today as CROWN OF SORROW is a reincarnation that sought life when the former burned out in 2012 after hanging in on there since 2006. Let’s take a look at CROWN OF SORROW, shall we? Continue reading →

State Of The Art: Georgia’s GUILLOTINE [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 Georgia!

Atlanta-based Guillotine offers bass-heavy, blackened death/doom metal with heavy doses of groove. Weaved seamlessly into the band’s sound are a unique blend of musical influences such as old school American death metal, Scandinavian black metal, and Southern sludge. Their songs often bounce between slow/doomy evilness to mid-tempo aggression. While typically never delving into super high-velocity thrashing speeds or blast beats, alternately their use of grooving riffs and double-bass rhythms gives Guillotine a signature sound of their own that is equally dark and punishing. Continue reading →

State Of The Art: Vermont Metal/Hardcore Band VOICES IN VAIN [Track 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 Vermont!

Hailing from Northern Vermont, Voices in Vain offers “hard-hitting, experimental, metal/hardcore.” Originally formed in 2014, the band has released a self-titled EP and three singles. Their debut, full-length studio album, ‘Narcotics and Animal Instincts’ is anticipated to be released this summer.  At times sounding a bit Lamb of God – mixed up with metalcore breakdowns, separated by erratic, squealing guitar patterns and odd time signatures – their style is definitely unique and exciting. Continue reading →

State of the Art: Nebraska – Fallen Reign

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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 Nebraska!

On this week’s State of the Art spotlight of Metal from Nebraska, I would like to introduce a Progressive/Power Metal band that call Omaha home. Members include guitarist/vocalist Jody Kermoade, bass player Leigh Jamieson, drummer Andrew Pace and Rocky Pulley covering keyboards during live shows and will be featured on their forthcoming album. The band is Fallen Reign.

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State Of The Art: SURGIKILL

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

This month’s state is Kentucky!

Hello there mortals of the microcosm! A new Monday has dawned upon us and I can already tell most of you are already whining and frowning upon the inevitable. But, you’d be rather excited on the contrary to most of people if you’re an avid follower of our weekly State Of The Art segment. And today, I bring to you some horror laden and panic stricken death metal. From the state of Kentucky, today’s SOTA band is rising death metallers SURGIKILL. Remember the legendary Stevo de Caixao of the famed Illinois old school death metal band, IMPETIGO? Get outta the cave if you don’t and if you do then this is your jam. SURGIKILL is spearheaded by Stevo and treads along the similar lines of excruciating horrific death metal terror that his previous band were known for pulling off. SURGIKILL thrives on horror and gore based lyrical themes which are very common in the death metal genre but never old and stale, the plot and vibe is generally very dark, scary and sonically brutal and chaotic. Inspired by the Italian old-school horrors, revenge films, post apocalyptic imagery, and mental decay themes, the band successfully gels their theme and style of playing perfectly well. Heavy frenetic riffing, incessant , ruthless growling and hammering drums is what makes SURGIKILL the band they are today!

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