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Unsigned Bands of the Month - January, 2015...

1/28/2015

Million Dollar Fix – Psychedelephant
Calgary, AL

Band Members:
Logan Derby (Vocals, Guitar)
Keegan Costella (Vocals, Bass)
Jeff (Shibby) Smith (Drums)
Brad Weidlich (Lead Guitar)

Influences:
We’re into a broad variety from loads of different genres, but recently we've all been loving Mastodon's latest release Once More 'Round the Sun... can’t get enough of it and love the transition they have been doing, going from prog-metal to more of a hard rock vibe! Also love The Sword and Clutch, and kinda idolize Tim Sult's guitar playing, the bluesy swingy rock riffs are sick! Brad is super into thrash and listens to loads of Exodus and Lamb of God, and brings the choppier heavier riffs to the band. The Vancouver band Bison is another favorite, one of the raddest, heaviest bands out there in my opinion. And naturally Thin Lizzy, they are gods.

Describe your sound:
We are a beefed up, mid tempo hard rock band, that loves to layer on the fuzz and harmonies. We walk the line between punk and metal, keeping it heavy, while upbeat, fun, and groovy. We also mess around with tuning way down to glaze on a wee bit of that doom that everyone loves.

What’s next for Million Dollar Fix?
Currently we’re writing the follow up to our 2014 EP Psychedelephant and hope to hit the studio soon into 2015! Also can’t wait to hit the road again and take Million Dollar Fix around western Canada, and hope to start looking south to our pals in the U.S.A. Keep tuned for the new album, which is aimed to be released mid 2015!

http://milliondollarfixmusic.bandcamp.com

Siren - A Kingdom Aflame
Cincinnati, OH

Band members:
Dave Spicer (Guitars/Vocals)
Jared Compton (Guitars/Vocals)
Brandin Henize (Drums)
Sam Curtis (Bass)

Influences:
Heavy, black, and doom metal. A few of the biggest are Primordial, Grand Magus, The Sword, Watain, Baroness, Skeletonwitch, Immortal, Venomous Maximus, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and High on Fire.

Describe your sound:
As cliché as it is to say, it's hard to describe. It's a consistent blending of heavy metal and black/doom metal. The overwhelmingly "clean vocals" (which teeter between Matt Barlow and Matt Pike) mixed with black/doom guitar orchestration is one aspect that seems to stand out a lot and help define the sound. We're fans of chaotic and atmospheric metal, but can't resist traditional grooves and riffs as well. Each member comes from a different playing background, and each of those is loudly present. Layer all of that with lyrics concerning dark literature and hopelessness, and you have Siren.

What's next for Siren?
We are currently shopping around our debut album A Kingdom Aflame, which is entirely completed. We are hoping to release it in full, independently or otherwise, in very early 2015 and continue to promote it throughout North America and eventually further. Stay in-the-know by liking facebook.com/songofthesiren!

http://songofthesiren.bandcamp.com/

Odetosun - God's Forgotten Orbit
Augsburg, Bavaria

Band members:
Benny (Guitars, Bass, Synth)
Luke (Vocals)
Gunther (Drums)

Influences:
Well, the main influences are a lot of green and black tea. And sometimes, if it is to be really good then I grab the wine. And not to mention 70s progrock.

Describe your sound:
Phil of SonicAbuse recently wrote: “Odetosun play high energy progressive metal with elements of Tool, Gojira, Death and The Ocean all bound up in the band’s own uniquely powerful sound.” I like that description.

What's next for Odetosun?
We are currently working intensively on our next album which will be released at the end of spring this year. Results so far are getting quite interesting and progressive, I think.

http://odetosun.bandcamp.com/

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

1/27/2015

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This week's recommended new releases (01/27/15):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Exgenesis - Aphotic Veil EP (Rain Without End)

The international duo, comprised of members from Sweden and Columbia, unleash a massive fury of blackened doom on their debut EP. There is plenty of melody going on amid the punishing riffs and guttural vocals and haunting screams. While this record clocks in at just over 27 minutes, the potential shown by these guys is off the charts. I’m eager to see if they can harness that talent on a full-length recording in the (hopefully near) future.

Falloch - This Island, Our Funeral (Candlelight)

These guys take an absolute beating in the metal press and I can’t quite figure out why. After losing founding member Andy Marshall to his admittedly superior solo project Saor, the Irish post-metallers expanded to a four-piece for their second album. Sure, there’s not a whole lot of aggression in Falloch’s material, but that doesn’t mean they’re not heavy. The vocals are a bit grating at times, but there’s a ton of talent here. Good atmospheric background music.

Lord Dying - Poisoned Altars (Relapse)

If you dig that whole Portland, OR sludge scene and/or High on Fire, you’ll find plenty to like on the second album from this Portland quartet. Expect a shitload of killer riffs and the usual shouted vocals. The songs are all well-crafted and surprisingly tight for a sludge band, most likely due to the band spending the last year and a half out on the road. These dudes seem pretty pissed off about something and let’s hope it stays that way.

Night Demon - Curse of the Damned (Century Media)

Nothing really groundbreaking going on in the debut album from this Ventura, CA trio. They play NWOBHM-inspired classic metal and they do it quite well. This is a fun record, filled with chugging riffs, songs about Satan and catchy choruses. The vocals are pretty smooth and the presence of a single guitarist gives the bass plenty of room to breathe. All in all, this record is a killer trip back to 1981, when heavy metal was just heavy metal.

Shallow Rivers - The Leaden Ghost (Solitude Productions)

It’s getting to the point where I don’t even have to listen to Solitude Productions releases and I can just green light them right into the recommendations column every time. On their second album, this Moscow quartet delivers the standard level of Solitude excellence with a ferocious slab of doom/death metal with some atmospheric tendencies. The riffage is amazing and the seamless transitions keep the listener’s full attention for the entire hour’s worth of doom.

Sumokem - The Madness of Lu Shen Ti Vol. 1 (Handshake)

Little Rock, AR keeps pumping out quality doom bands. Must be a nice town. This quartet follows in the footsteps of Pallbearer and Rwake with a fantastic debut EP, a strange classification for an album that runs over 42 minutes. This is the first traditional doom record to make the list this year and it’s a winner. Sumokem combines the Pallbearer psych/doom sound with slightly heavier riffs and early Candlemass vocals. Also, it’s a concept album, so that’s neat.

Trial - Vessel (High Roller)

Much like Portland with their sludge and Little Rock with their doom, the Swedes have spawned a mini-scene of their own with the traditional heavy metal sound of bands like Portrait and In Solitude. The torch has been passed to Trial and the Trollhättan quintet doesn’t miss a beat. This is a big week for Candlemass worship, as these dudes join Sumokem with the Messiah Marcolin vocals. The songs owe obvious debt to Mercyful Fate, without sounding like a carbon copy.

Visigoth - The Revenant King (Metal Blade)

The Salt Lake City quintet plays power metal, but they don’t fall into the basic, tired pattern of triplets and tenor vocals that plagues the genre. Their debut album delves into the usual swords and sorcery malarkey, but with a darker edge. They’re kind of like a downtuned Manowar without the jackass piccolo bass solos. This record makes the list on the strength of “Iron Brotherhood”, the first track this year that actually caused me to pump my fist.

Voices - London (Candlelight)

Formed by three former members of Akercocke, this London quartet explores the realms of progressive, black and death metal on their second release. I never got into Akercocke, so I don’t know if this is in the same vein, but it’s one of the more ambitious releases I’ve heard in a while. It’s a very disjointed album, which makes it hard to classify and compare. There’s a lot going on here, with vocals and styles varying throughout. Give it a couple of tries to get the full effect.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

1/20/2015

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This week's recommended new releases (01/20/15):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Armageddon - Captivity & Devourment (Listenable)

I admit that I wouldn’t have paid much attention to this release were it not for the presence of Chris Amott, the on again/off again other half of Arch Enemy’s fantastic guitar duo. This release is the band’s 4th album, but their first in 13 years and features Amott as the sole founding member. It’s basically a standard melodeath record with hints of power metal scattered throughout. The vocals and the weirdo electronic elements don’t do much for me, but the guitar work is excellent enough to propel this one into the recommendations.

Chapel of Disease - The Mysterious Ways of Repetitive Art (FDA Rekotz)

The German quartet unleashes a fury of old-school death metal with doom influences on their second album. The death metal parts are pretty standard – massive riffs, double bass blasting, death growls – but the doomier parts are what really struck me when listening. When they slow the tempo down, they get about as creepy as it gets. The doom riffs, reserved drumming and solos combine to form a goosebump-inducing deluge. There have been plenty of solid (and not so solid) doom/death releases lately, but this one breaks the mold a bit.

Nachtreich/Spectral Lore - The Quivering Lights (Split) (Bindrune/Eihwaz)

I don’t usually review splits and I’ve never reviewed a neoclassical/folk/ambient album, even though I’ve enjoyed quite a few. However, this one is too good to keep to myself. Nachtreich, a German duo with two albums under their belts, sticks mainly to neoclassical stuff with piano and violins, but a little bit of black metal seeps in from time to time. Spectral Lore is the heavier side of the split, with the solo Greek musician featuring more traditional metal guitar work and vocals.

Satan's Host - Pre-dating God, Parts 1 & 2 (Moribund)

These dudes have been around since 1977, but I had never heard of them until now. The Denver quartet has released 8 previous full-length records and is fronted by the longtime vocalist of Jag Panzer. They pretty much just crank out some standard metal on this double album, but they’re all over the map, from power metal to classic heavy metal, with some more extreme elements at times. They kind of sound like the Ripper-era Iced Earth, which I enjoyed. These albums won’t end up on any year-end lists, but I had fun listening and I assume you will, too.

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This Week's Recommended New Releases...

1/13/2015

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This week's recommended new releases (01/13/15):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Convent Guilt - Guns For Hire (Shadow Kingdom)

This Australian quartet brings back the sound of killer NWOBHM-era metal on their debut album. With a barrage of dueling guitars, ripping riffs and smooth vocals, Convent Guilt harkens back to the past and pulls it off quite well. The choruses are loaded with hooks, providing a fun reprieve from the normal death and doom albums that come out every week. Don’t expect anything ground- breaking on this release, but if you like that classic metal sound, you’ll dig this one.

The Crown - Death Is Not Dead (Century Media)

As stalwarts of the Melodic Death Metal scene, this Swedish quartet can be counted upon to release a solid album every time out and their 8th album ranks up there with anything in their discography. Thrashy riffs combine with death metal drumming and aggressive vocals to create the standard Gothenburg-esque melodeath sound, but this doesn’t come off as a retread of the style or its 90’s heyday. These guys pretty much do one thing and they do it very well.

Ghoulgotha - The Deathmass Cloak (Dark Descent)

The San Diego trio spews forth a stunning slab of Doom/Death on their debut full-length release. The album’s 10 tracks lean more towards the death side, but there are some slower moments and the whole affair has an overwhelming doom feel. The riffage is absolutely brutal throughout, with thrash parts melding seamlessly with haunting single-note parts. The vocals remain in the guttural range throughout, which is to be expected. Very solid debut release.

Thorr-Axe - Gates of Winter (N/A)

If you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to this frigid winter, look no further than Bloomfield, Indiana’s stoner/doom quartet. On their second album, the doomsters unleash a killer barrage of massive riffs, thundering drums and face-melting solos. I’m a sucker for crushing doom metal with wintry, Viking themes, so I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. These dudes delivered the best album of the week, by a long shot. Can’t wait to see them live.

Witchrider - Unmountable Stairs (Fuzzorama)

Signed to Truckfighter’s Fuzzorama label for the release of their debut album, this Austrian quartet delivers massive doses of QOTSA worship and, of course, fuzz. I haven’t been especially enamored with a lot of straight-up stoner rock releases lately, but this one delivers for the most part. While I’m not a fan of the obvious Josh Homme vocals, the fuzz is warm and the riffs are rocking. If these guys can expand on their formula and develop their own sound, they’re going to be a force.

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This Week's Recommended New Release...

1/7/2015

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This week's recommended new release (01/06/15):
[Click on band name for samples and more info]

Sata Kaskelottia - Sata Kaskelottia (Inverse)
The debut album from this Helsinki quartet starts out as a pretty typical sludge record before the true progressive colors shine through. The stoner metal riffs are abundant and massive. The vocals are mostly the standard sludge shouting, but the lyrics are all in Finnish, so it doesn't really matter. The guitars are the star here and any fan of stoner, doom and/or sludge won't be disappointed. The Mastodon comparisons are probably too easy, but I can't really think of another comparable sound. But don't worry, these guys actually write good songs instead of aimlessly riffing and noodling. We're off to a very solid start so far in 2015 if this record is any indication.

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Unsigned Bands of the Month - January, 2015...

This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Releases...

This Week's Recommended New Release...

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