3 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#35)

All three of these bands were at the recommendation of a friend of mine, and they all hail from my home state of Alabama!

1. Stay Lost: Post-hardcore. For fans of Underoath, Alexisonfire, Every Time I Die, etc. Stay Lost will be playing Nuclear Winter Fest in Columbus, Georgia, on January 21, 2023. For more news and show announcements, be sure to follow their socials! First, though, check out their latest single, “Fraudulent.”

2. Empire Springs: Progressive rock. For fans of Muse, The Mars Volta, Queensryche, etc. Empire Springs released their debut album The Luminescence in April, and they will be supporting Covet at Zydeco in Birmingham on December 9. Here is “Ascend,” one of my favorites from The Luminescence.

3. Reclaim the Empyre: Metal. For fans of Darkest Hour, Dying Wish, Lamb of God, etc. Reclaim the Empyre is going to be in Tallahassee, Florida, on December 10, as well as Nuclear Winter Fest along with Stay Lost and others in January. They released a new track entitled “Wake” back in July.

Bands You Should Know: Hot Gospel

Hot Gospel reached out to me via Instagram, requesting that I give them a listen. What they didn’t know is…they were already on my list of bands to check out. Based on my love of Asking Alexandria, Every Time I Die, and others, Hot Gospel seemed to fit the bill nicely.

I jumped on YouTube and listened to the songs available there, just to get a taste. I started with “Thanks For The Blood.” The opening riff hooked me immediately, and while I fully appreciate the growling screams, the clean vocals were very nice, reminiscent of early era M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold) mixed with Ben Bruce (Asking Alexandria). Honestly, the track filled me with the urge to dive into a mosh pit.

I followed the link to their Bandcamp for more. The best thing about Hot Gospel, in my humble opinion, is the fact that they don’t fall into the standard metal/hardcore sound. Many bands tend to become complacent, but thus far, Hot Gospel is nowhere close. They include the elements of several genres, then add their own unique twist to tie it all together.

I would highly recommend Hot Gospel to anyone who appreciates a fresh approach to a favorite genre. The band is currently recording a new EP, to be released in August/September. A single and music video will be out even sooner, so keep your eyes peeled; you know I’ll be sharing it here!

Check out the songs below and be sure to visit Hot Gospel on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and their official site. If you sign up for their mailing list, you will get free stuff and merch discount codes!

5 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#6)

1. Midnight Blackout

A post hardcore/math rock band from France. For fans of Every Time I Die, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Converge, etc. You can listen to their debut EP, Hangover, on Spotify or YouTube. For a taste of what you can expect, check out “Lorenzo.”

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2. Amerakin Overdose

AOD is a mix of industrial, hard rock, metal, and even a bit of pop. They hail from Oregon. For fans of Nine Inch Nails, Mushroomhead, Static-X, etc. Amerakin Overdose will be hitting the road for a summer tour, kicking off June 29th. Here is my favorite song from them, “Letting Go.”

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3. Advocates

A hard rock/metal/post hardcore band from Australia. For fans of early Atreyu, Memphis May Fire, Blessthefall, etc. Check out “Destructive Tendencies” from 2016’s The Complex Truth.

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4. Values

A melodic metal/hardcore band from the UK. For fans of early Asking Alexandria, Mastodon, Beartooth, etc. Listen to the latest single, “Hopeless,” below!

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5. Marquis of Vaudeville

A truly unique band from Dallas. Best described as alternative/carnivalesque rock/psychedelic punk cabaret. I don’t know how to do a “for fans of,” but perhaps I can say if you liked the music from The Devil’s Carnival, or just Emilie Autumn, you’ll like Marquis of Vaudeville. I’m sharing the first song I listened to, and I highly encourage you to check out more.

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