heavy metal

5 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#13)

July 4, 2018 — 1 Comment

This is the Alabama edition! We have a lot of talent in my home state and I wanted to share it with the rest of you!

1. Common Rarity

Self-proclaimed “alternative odd rock.” I discovered these guys when I added bassist JD Smalley on Facebook. (I always check out my FB friends’ bands.) For fans of The Cure, The Clash, The Smashing Pumpkins, etc. Common Rarity is currently working on their second album and booking shows to spread their brand of rock.

Facebook – Instagram – Spotify – Official Site

2. By All Means

Rock/Alternative/Heavy Metal. For fans of Sevendust, Shinedown, Tremonti, etc. By All Means have released the Buried EP, which you can hear on their official site or Soundcloud.

Official Site – Twitter – Facebook

3. Burn the Harlot

Hard Rock/Heavy Metal. For fans of Skindred, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice in Chains, etc. Burn the Harlot’s album Calm Before the Storm is now available!

Facebook — Instagram — Twitter

4. All or Nothing

Alternative/Metal. For fans of Escape the Fate, Black Veil Brides, Rise Against, etc. All or Nothing just released their self-titled EP, available on Spotify and iTunes. Listen to “Napalm” and “Mauled By Jackalopes” here:

Facebook – Instagram

5. Who Shot Lizzy?

Southern Rock/Country. I am familiar with Who Shot Lizzy? because of Roger Jones, who is an extremely talented musician that spans multiple genres. For fans of Zac Brown Band, David Allan Coe, Eric Church, etc. Who Shot Lizzy? is playing in Lyons, Georgia, at Kerrigan’s Lounge, July 5th — 7th.

Facebook — YouTube

5 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#11)

June 25, 2018 — Leave a comment

1. KAATO

A rock band hailing from Australia and Tennessee. For fans of classic rock such as Tom Petty, Rod Stewart, The Black Crowes, etc. Check out “High Time” from KAATO’s self-titled album.

Facebook – Twitter – YouTube

2. Awake At Last

A dark pop/hard rock/post-hardcore band from Delaware. For fans of Crown the Empire, Ice Nine Kills, Get Scared, etc. Awake At Last will be hitting the road in early July, including a few dates on Vans Warped Tour. Here are “King of the World” and “Never Be A Memory.”

Facebook – Twitter – YouTube – Instagram

3. Relapse Symphony

A rock band from Washington DC. For fans of Black Veil Brides, Vampires Everywhere!, I Prevail, etc. Relapse Symphony is busy working on new things; meanwhile, vocalist Bret Von Dehl has released an EP with his side project, Heathens. Listen to “One More Yesterday” and “Born To Burn.”

Facebook – Twitter – YouTube

4. Betrayer (UK)

A hardcore band from England. For fans of Slipknot, Hatebreed, Killswitch Engage, etc. Betrayer’s EP, Body of Integrity, will be released on June 28th. Check out the first two singles from the EP, “Integrity” and “Embodiment.”

Facebook – Twitter – YouTube

5. Badflower

A rock band from California. For fans of Led Zeppelin, Greta Van Fleet, The Band, etc. Badflower is currently on the road. Listen to their latest single, “Ghost,” and my favorite of their songs, “The Jester.”

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

5 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#9)

June 17, 2018 — Leave a comment

I decided to do a post honoring female-fronted bands. Most of those listed probably don’t need my help, but maybe this will help them gain a few new fans.

1. City of the Weak

A rock/alternative band from Minnesota. For fans of Paramore, The Distillers, Fit For Rivals, etc. City of the Weak is releasing their debut album, Pulling Teeth, on June 22nd. Check out their cover of Incubus’s “Pardon Me” and 2017’s “Ungrateful.”

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

2. Hail Sagan

An electronic rock band from California. For fans of Bring Me the Horizon, Flyleaf, The Relentless, etc. Hail Sagan is currently on The Beauty and the Beast Tour, alongside American Grim.

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

3. New Years Day

A hard rock band from California. For fans of Evanescence, The Pretty Reckless, etc. New Years Day will be on the road with In This Moment and Halestorm later this summer!

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

4. Stitched Up Heart

A rock band from California. Of a similar vibe to New Years Day, so if you like Evanescence, Halestorm, etc., give Stitched Up Heart a chance. The band has begun writing new stuff.

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

5. Butcher Babies

A metal band from California. For fans of Arch Enemy, Cradle of Filth, In This Moment, etc. Butcher Babies are playing the Gathering of the Juggalos, which is taking place July 18th – 21st in Ohio. They also just released their album Lilith. Check out the title track below.

Facebook – Instagram – Twitter – YouTube

Album Review: Tremonti’s A Dying Machine

June 9, 2018 — Leave a comment

Band: Tremonti

Album: A Dying Machine

Genre: Rock/Metal

Release Date: June 8, 2018

Standout Tracks: “Desolation,” “Traipse,” “A Dying Machine,” “Trust,” “The First The Last,” “As the Silence Becomes Me,” and “A Lot Like Sin”

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I have labeled half of the album as “standout,” if that is any indication of my love for Tremonti’s A Dying Machine. I had a pretty good idea from the moment the title track, which is the core of this rock opera, was released that I was going to adore this record, but nothing could have prepared me for the perfection that would soon be gracing my ears. A Dying Machine kicks off with the hard-hitting “Bringer of War” and carries the listener on an intriguing musical journey, concluding with the instrumental “Found.” In the middle is some of the best work I have heard from Tremonti.

While staying true to their metal influences with such songs as “From the Sky” and the blistering “The Day When Legions Burned,” Tremonti also takes a left turn into the unexpected (“Take You With Me”) and the emotional (“Desolation”). They have used everything in their creative arsenal to tell us this story.

A Dying Machine is the perfect lovechild of its predecessors, yet it surpasses all of them. With each album, the band — consisting of Mark Tremonti, Eric Friedman, and Garrett Whitlock — has evolved. Their musical prowess has reached new levels, enabling them to take chances that certainly have paid off. Mark has grown as a lyricist, and his vocals on this latest effort are magnificent. His performance on the title track from Dust, as well as “Unable to See,” heralded what was to come; however, he pushes himself further on A Dying Machine, using his voice to evoke emotion more than he ever has before.

I can’t praise Tremonti enough for their unwavering dedication to this new wave of metal, heavy and melodic, unafraid to include a softer, more vulnerable side, or to bring in elements that supposedly have no place in the genre (something Mark has been doing with Alter Bridge for years). These unique inclusions are what make Tremonti stand out. In fact, they make the band rise above many of its contemporaries.

Offering a breath of fresh air to the hard rock/metal scene, A Dying Machine is my pick for Album of the Year. I’m sure it’s no surprise that I rate this record 5/5 stars.

And keep your eyes open: there will be a book based on A Dying Machine.