Tag Archives: Texas

BLACKTOP MOJO Release New Video For “Can’t Sleep” [Video Stream]

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Blacktop Mojo comes from the great state of Texas. The band had some of their roots in country music, but when forming decided to go with a more rock edge. The style in which they play combines elements of southern rock and 70’s classic rock, and they don’t forget the guitar solos either. Matt James provides the vocals within the band. He has a soulful sound that creates a overwhelming amount of passion within the songs. Though the band writes incredible original songs their covers is really what has helped propel their popularity. Blacktop Mojo covered Aerosmith’s classic song “Dream On” and it has climbed up the charts and impressed pretty much anyone that has heard it. The band has also covered songs by Phil Collins and Blind Melon. The Blind Melon cover of “No Rain” is what instantly made me a fan of the band. Blacktop Mojo has released ‘Burn The Ships’ in March of last year. The band teamed up with Muscle Shoals producer Jimmy Johnson for their highly anticipated sophomore outing. The album was released via the band’s label, Cuhmon Records. The band has now recently been working on a new album.

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BLACKTOP MOJO Release Video For “Prodigal”

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Texas hard rockers Blacktop Mojo have released a video for “Prodigal”, off their 2017 LP, Burn The Ships. Blending elements of country and 70s hard rock, Blacktop Mojo has a timeless sound that pairs well with any drink you got in your hand. Formed in 2012 by frontman Matt James and drummer Natan Gillis, the band eventually became a 5-piece with Matt Curtis on bass and Ryan Kiefer and Chuck Wepfer on guitars. After releasing I Am in 2014, they hit the road sharing the stage with acts like Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Black Stone Cherry, Drowning Pool, and many others.

With their sophomore album, Burn The Ships, they went into the studio with Muscle Shoals producer Jimmy Johnson. Released via their label Cuhmon Records the album received critical acclaim, hitting the Top 40 Billboard Active Rock Chart with singles “Where The Wind Blows” (#27) and the band’s cover of Aerosmith classic, “Dream On” (#31).

As for the video, according to frontman Matt James, the band had a good time with the video: “We had fun making the video with some of our good friends from our hometown acting out the main parts. We felt like the father-son dynamic in the video really reflected the song’s theme. The song is sort of autobiographical. It’s about the experience of growing up in a small town and always talking about ‘getting out’ one day. No matter where or how far you go, though, you always have a little bit of where you came from that you take with you.” This is the band’s second video from their successful sophomore release.

Blacktop Mojo spent most of their 2017/2018 touring, writing, and recording in “The Mojo Mansion” in their hometown of Palestine, Texas. While playing a show at Rock Allegiance 2018, frontman Matt James sat down with Metal Nexus to talk everything Blacktop Mojo. You can find that interview here. To keep up to date on Blacktop Mojo follow them on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Exclusive Premiere: BLACK THORN HALO Release “The Rising” Lyric Video

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Black Thorn Halo is a heavy metal/thrash metal band from Austin, Texas that was conceived in 2010 by vocalist Ralph Lopez and bassist Jack Krupski. Needing a line-up change to take the music to a new level, Lopez and Krupski brought in Whore of Babylon guitarist Craig Leach and drummer Eric Mulero. Clawing their way through the metal scene in Austin, San Antonio, and Central Texas, Black Thorn Halo is becoming a force to be reckoned with by having a brutal, tight, and energetic live show. These Texans are about to show you what metal is like in the Lone Star State.

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The Bucketlist with SHADOW OF WHALES

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*In this series we pose the age-old question to a wide array of music lovers. As fans of music, most of us keep a mental list of active bands we want to see live that we haven’t yet seen. The Bucketlist brings to you those lists of your favorite artists and why those bands mean so much to them*

Here at Metal Nexus, our goal is to bring the best in news, updates, and the goings-on with your favorite rock and metal groups.  As well as this, we also strive to bring attention to lesser-known bands that are just as talented.  As many of you know, our Bucketlist segment has shone light on many bands – from main acts on a festival lineup to festival openers and everyone in between.  Recently, Metal Nexus established contact with a great up and coming band that some may know, Shadow of Whales.  Admittedly, I had never heard the band, but after hearing a few songs, I was hooked immediately. Continue reading →

DROWNING POOL Vocalist Jasen Moreno Says He Used To Help Sell Merch For Them When They Played Local Gigs Together [Audio Interview]

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It’s hard to believe that DROWNING POOL vocalist JASEN MORENO is already 5 years into his tenure with the group. Jasen spent some time with METAL NEXUS at the ‘BLUE RIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL’ in Lynchburg, VA and he had a lot to talk about.  We discussed the ‘MAKE AMERICA ROCK AGAIN’ tour that DROWING POOL is currently in the middle of along with SCOTT STAPP of CREED, SICK PUPPIES, TRAPT and more.  Jasen also spoke about his long history with DROWNING POOL before he even joined the band.  He spoke candidly about how they played local gigs together in Texas before they hit the national scene.  He even went on to say that on occasion he would help watch their merch table for them.   Continue reading →

Victory Records Release Texas Strong T-Shirt For Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund!

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In response to the devastating events in Houston, TX and the surrounding area as a result of Hurricane Harvey, Victory Records will be raising money to donate with a limited edition t-shirt featuring the four bands that call Texas home: Reverend Horton Heat, Shattered Sun, Darkness Divided, and Seeker. The Texas Strong t-shirt is available for pre-order on VictoryMerch.com and will only be available for one week.
100% of proceeds will go to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund. Continue reading →

DEAD EARTH POLITICS Part Ways With Drummer!

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Austin, Texas-based metal group Dead Earth Politics have been compared to the likes of Lamb of God, Iron Maiden, Pantera and other legends, this band strikes at many cores. The band has become one of the top bands in the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal. They have their roots in the thrash metal genre, but at times also show signs of influence from traditional metal and power metal as well. Dead Earth Politics perfectly blends melodic vocals and vicious harsh screaming. The band announced today they have parted ways with drummer Mason Evans. The drummer co-founded Dead Earth Politics in 2005 with vocalist Ven Scott and contributed heavily to the band’s meteoric rise through the Austin metal scene. Evans was an integral part of the band and was on all Dead Earth Politics’ 5 releases the most recent being ‘The Mobius Hammersmith’ which will be the last album Evans will make an appearance on.  Continue reading →

Review: JIBE – ‘Epic Tales of Human Nature’ [Song Stream]

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After about 14 years, JIBE has finally returned to the scene to release their fourth full length record, ‘Epic Tales of Human Nature’. The band originally formed in the mid 90s and became legendary in the music scene of Dallas, Texas. Their unique alternative rock sound came from influences such as U2, Pearl Jam, and Jane’s Addiction. They had success on the radio in the southern US with hits like “I’ll Meet You Halfway” and “Yesterday’s Gone”. The band toured nearly nonstop throughout their career, hitting the road with artists like Kings of Leon, Marilyn Manson, and Jerry Cantrell. JIBE broke up in 2004 shortly after their third record ‘Uprising’ (2003). The band reunited for their first show back in September 2015 and began work on this new record the following year. ‘Epic Tales of Human Nature’ was recorded at Orb Studios in Austin, Texas and produced by Matt Noveskey. The album drops in two weeks on June 9th. Pre-order the record here. Continue reading →

Review: OF THE SUN – ‘Before A Human Path’ [Album Stream]

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Texas shredders Of The Sun have finally released their long awaited sophomore album ‘Before A Human Path’.  Their first release ‘A.M. Radio’ came out back in 2009 so long time fans have been left waiting for many years for this record. ‘Before A Human Path’ was self released by the band last Friday on April 14th. Describing themselves as “Southern Progressive Metal”, Of The Sun brings a creative new sound by being very experimental in the progressive and thrash genres while maintaining an extremely heavy groove in each track. The band has played with the likes of Intronaut, Devin Townsend, and Gorguts so you know they are serious. This 5 track album contains no filler and gets straight to the point of grabbing your attention. You can buy the record on Bandcamp or stream it below. See what the band had to say about the record below. Step into the world of Of The Sun now.

“With Before a Human Path, we pulled from personal extremes to convey a more colorful and varied storyline within the span of each song. Ultimately shunning conventional songwriting formula, we really dug in to unearth something we felt isn’t currently being done. We’re beyond excited to share it with you!.”

With only 5 tracks on ‘Before A Human Path’, the trio wastes no time diving into superb craftsmanship and songwriting with “The Tightrope Mile”. Several time changes are applied and trade offs between clean vocals and screams are transitioned flawlessly. The song will at times will be peaceful as if you are sitting on a beach before once again shooting you back into the slamming, tortured sounding verses in purgatory. “Nebulamorphous” begins with a beautifully composed shredding guitar intro from Patrick Duvall that could paint a song on its own. Of The Sun continues their large experimentation on the record here with several guitar effects and fervent drumming from Johnny Reed. David Duvall shows out with an equally impressive bass solo and keeps it flowing with the rest of the song. The groove that they bring while still being heavy as all can be is incredible and hard to find in metal. “Cantos” presents yet another side of the band with more clean vocals and creepy guitar melodies to give the listener another perspective of the band and how proficient they are at creating original material. The fourth track “A Soliloquy” is a rather angst-filled song with complicated rhythms. The song has several layers, constantly evolving and becoming heavier as it continues. I’m not usually a fan of breakdowns but Of The Sun makes it work here with the guitar and bass battling each other to produce an enormous sound. ‘Before A Human Path’ draws to a thunderous close with “The Limbless God”. This song holds massive weight on the record with the fierce riffage and impassioned screams from Duvall. Reed is unrelenting on the bass drum while David Duvall continues to grind out robust bass lines as we exit the world of Of The Sun. In just 5 tracks, this trio has proved they are here to stay in the metal universe and will wreck havoc at their shows. Be sure to check out the album below and to follow Of The Sun on Facebook.

Of the Sun is:
Patrick Duvall – Lead Vocals/Guitar
David Duvall – Bass/Vocals
Johnny Reed – Drums

‘Before A Human Path’ Track List
01. The Tightrope Mile
02. Nebulamorphous
03. Cantos
04. A Soliloquy
05. The Limbless God

A Killer Interview With Houston’s Love N War

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Love N War is a killer, Hard Rock/Heavy Metal outfit based out of Houston, TX that has been packing venues for years. Very popular, with a very cool, vintage Metal vibe, they are poised to explode onto the world stage. I recently was able to catch up with these vintage Metal monsters to get their perspective on the band, their music and where they are going. Enjoy what they had to say in our interview with this up and coming band.

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