Pinkly Smooth — “Mezmer”
heavy metal
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.”
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!
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.
Let’s Talk Covers (Asking Alexandria Edition)
I know I’ve been posting about Asking Alexandria a lot lately — and here’s another one!
But seriously. I stumbled across the video of them covering Ed Sheeran and it made me wonder what other covers they had done. So here we are.
1. “Perfect” (Ed Sheeran cover)
2. “What I’ve Done” (Linkin Park cover)
3. “Right Now” (Akon cover)
4. “Closer” (Nine Inch Nails cover)
5. “Duality” (Slipknot cover)
There are several more. Hop on over to YouTube and check them out. You won’t regret it.
Playlist Challenge, Day 385
Rammstein — “Mein Teil”
5 Bands/Artists You Should Be Following (#5)
1. Fortunate Me
A hardcore/metalcore band from Idaho. For fans of Asking Alexandria, Of Mice and Men, Every Time I Die, etc. Check out their latest video below.
And the song that turned me on to them:
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2. Copper Bones
A hard rock/metal two-piece band from Florida. For fans of good rock music! I literally don’t know who to compare them to; there’s a hint of Brother Cane with a touch of an almost classic rock sound. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to “The Vulture.”
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3. January Jane
A pop/rock band from NYC. Slightly reminiscent of Fun and Maroon 5, with catchy sing-along moments, strong vocals, and music you can dance to. January Jane is currently working on new music. In the meantime, listen to “Take the Lions On.”
Facebook — Instagram — Spotify
4. Echo Black
A dance rock band from New York. For fans of Blaqk Audio, Blutengel, Kill Hannah, etc. I would highly suggest listening to multiple songs before forming an opinion, because these guys bring something different to the table every time. Here’s the title track from their debut album, Dawn.
And also, “Perfect,” which I just love.
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5. October Ends
A melodic metal band from the UK. For fans of All That Remains, Bullet For My Valentine, Lamb of God, etc. Check out the latest video for the track “Dismissal.”
New Music (5/21 — 5/27)
Repentance: “Born to Choose”
Inglorious: “I Got a Feeling”
Primal Fear: “Hounds of Justice”
Harm’s Way: “Last Man”
Gruesome: “Fatal Illusions”
Dirty Machine: “Further From You”
Retox: “The Nature of Failure”
Motionless in White: “Voices”
Avatar: “The King Welcomes You to Avatar Country”
Black Tusk: “Agali”
Enter Shikari: “Undercover Agents”
The Armed: “Nowhere To Be Found”
Mike Shinoda ft. grandson: “Running From My Shadow”
Vein: “Demise Automation”
ASG: “Execution Thirst”
Polyphia: “G.O.A.T.”
State Champs: “Mine is Gold”
Bleeding Through: “End Us”
Lipz: “Get It On”
Dance Gavin Dance: “Care”
Powerwolf: “Demons Are a Girl’s Best Friend”
Khemmis: “Bloodletting”
Bad Wolves: “Zombie” (acoustic)
Asking Alexandria: “Alone in a Room”
Roses Unread: “After All”
Too Pure To Die: “Only the True Remain”
Butcher Babies: “Look What We’ve Done”
Will Burton: “Run Out of Road”
Band Crush Monday: Avenged Sevenfold
With Metal Hammer‘s announcement of a tribute to Avenged Sevenfold, entitled Hail to the Kings, and the fact that front man M. Shadows is in the new Ghost video, I decided to post a blog about the band that stole my heart in 2005.
My introduction to Avenged Sevenfold came during a difficult time in my life. At seventeen, I lost my boyfriend. I had some really great people helping me get through it, and one of those individuals played me Waking the Fallen. I was immediately in love. Over the years, I have met some of my best friends through a shared love of these guys.
So, in honor of my forever band crush, here are some photos of and my favorite videos from Avenged Sevenfold.
“Bat Country”
“Afterlife”
“Unholy Confessions”
“Hail to the King”
“Save Me”
“Exist”
“Acid Rain”
Abandon the Broken’s Debut EP Now Streaming!
Abandon the Broken is a metalcore/deathcore band from Raleigh, North Carolina. They have just released their debut EP, The Next Chapter, and posted several tracks to their YouTube page. Here are a couple of songs, just to get you started:
“The Next Chapter”
“Overseer”
“Inner Demons”
Review: Sevendust’s All I See Is War
Band: Sevendust
Album: All I See Is War
Genre: Rock/Metal
Release Date: May 11, 2018
Standout Tracks: “Descend,” “Moments,” “Not Original,” “Life Deceives You,” and “Medicated”
I am not one of the Sevendust faithful, so to speak. I don’t watch the calendar and count the days until the Georgian metal band’s next release. However, when I read Lou Brutus’s praise for All I See Is War, I knew I needed to check it out.
I was not disappointed. Though I found the first two tracks — “Dirty” and “Risen” — to be par for the course, there is something about the album as a whole that really appealed to me. The latter half, in particular, really jumps out.
I have always appreciated Lajon Witherspoon and company’s lack of fear when it comes to showing a softer side to their typically hard-hitting music (“Skeleton Song,” anyone?). Needless to say, the melodic heaviness and gorgeous crooning on tracks such as “Descend,” “Moments,” and “Life Deceives You” were the highlights for me.
All I See Is War has the staples that Sevendust fans have loved for the last two decades. Add in the time-relevant lyrics and the ratio of melancholy, ruthless, and groove-driven, and you get a record that is a must for any music collection.
As a side note, I would like to say that I don’t even have the words to describe “Not Original.” Lajon’s vocal delivery is worthy of chills, and the guitar work from Clint Lowery and John Connolly carry the soulful performance to new heights. It is definitely my favorite song on the album.
Overall, I would give All I See Is War 4/5 stars. A balance of old and new, there are plenty of interesting elements here that make me excited for the future of Sevendust.
RIP Ben Graves
I can’t believe I’m writing another one of these…
Ben Graves (Murderdolls, Dope, Pretty Boy Floyd, Davey Suicide) passed away on Wednesday, May 9th. His fiancée Lydia posted this on Facebook:
“This is incredibly hard for me to write this, but I know it is necessary because Ben has so many friends and fans.
Most of you don’t know that Ben has been battling cancer for the last 11 months. It was his decision to keep his health very quiet.
Ben passed away today, May 9th 2018, from complications due to his cancer. His diagnosis was grim but he fought a long and hard battle to try and beat it and overcome the odds. Some battles can’t be won no matter how hard you try.
Please respect me, his family and close friends while we grieve. Even though we knew it was eventually coming, the complication was sudden and very unexpected.
It’s devastating to lose someone you love more than yourself. My heart is broken, my heart died with him.
We will be taking him home to Massachusetts. I will organize a memorial for Ben’s LA friends, details to follow.”
Guys…I am at a loss. I’ve been a fan of Ben’s since 2002, when my best friend played me “Love at First Fright” by the Murderdolls (her discovery based on the fact that Joey Jordison was their guitarist).
Fuck cancer.
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