Exciter

EXCITER

EXCITER is a Canadian speed metal band from Ottawa, formed in 1978 and are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and a seminal influence of the thrash metal genre. Their 1983 debut record, Heavy Metal Maniac, is largely accepted as one of the first speed/thrash metal records and is quoted as being a main influence for some of the biggest names in metal today. Throughout the 80’s the band released several pivotal records on Megaforce, Noise, & Music For Nations and toured with the likes of Motorhead, Mercyful Fate, Manowar, Megadeth, & Accept. The band currently consists of original members Dan Beehler (drums/vocals) & Allan Johnson (bass) who are joined by guitarist Daniel Dekay. Known for their energetic, tight, and deafening performances, the band plays material from across their entire legendary Beehler fronted catalog & have remained very active with shows all over the world.

SLEEPY HOLLOW

THE RESURRECTION OF SLEEPY HOLLOW

Known, stylistically, for combining the elements of Power and Doom metal, America’s SLEEPY HOLLOW are, thus far, credited with three official releases; the self-titled “Sleepy Hollow” (1991) “A Legend Retold” (2000) and the “best of” collection “Rest In Pieces: 1989-1992″ (2002).

In August of 1989, vocalist Bob Mitchell formed SLEEPY HOLLOW with guitarist Steve

Stegg, bassist Steve Brink and drummer Tommy Wassman. December of ’89 saw the release of the infamous “89 demo” which remained as such up until October of 2000, when it was officially released on classic vinyl through the now defunct Old Metal Records under the title “A Legend Retold”.

Early on and throughout their entire first run, SLEEPY HOLLOW were privileged to share billing status with some of Heavy Metal’s most prominent national acts including Manowar, EZO, Nuclear Assault, Whiplash, Savatage, Non-Fiction, Wrathchild America and Pantera.

Eventually, the quartet had amassed a strong enough following to headline several self-managed tours throughout North America which, eventually, lead to securing a distribution deal with AZRA/Ironworks Records. In June of 1991, the self-titled “Sleepy Hollow” cd was unleashed. After its initial release, “Sleepy Hollow” had, at one point, reached number one on independent album charts in countries such as Belgium, France, Greece, Sweden, Portugal and Germany. They also received rave reviews and have appeared in magazines and fanzines worldwide, such as Metal Hammer Hungary, Metal Hammer Germany, Baphomet, Rock Hard, Thunderbolt Magazine, Den of Iniquity and many others.

Along with press coverage, the band received media attention in underground radio stations across the US as well as radio stations in several European countries including Germany, Sweden, Austria, Russia, France, Italy, Norway and Greece.

SLEEPY HOLLOW, have undoubtedly made its mark on the world of Heavy Metal. This classic band is enjoying renewed popularity in the new millennium. Through the years and in its most simplistic way the band became obscure, then obscurity became curiosity, then curiosity turned into demand. Now, they are a legend that was created by you, the fans!

So now we fast forward to the year 2011 After an absence of more than twenty years, the US traditional Heavy Metal band has reunited with its original line-up; Bob Mitchell (vocals), Steve Stegg (guitars), Steve Brink (bass guitars) and Tommy Wassman (drums).

Musically, the band picked up where it has left off as they have written new material and polished up some unfinished songs for their comeback album “SKULL THIRTEEN”. The recording sessions began on January 30th, 2011. The sessions wrapped up on April 27th.

During the making of “SKULL THIRTEEN”, it was discovered that original bassist Steve Brink would not be able to commit to the band in any capacity. However, Brink did contribute the artwork for the bands return album. While the mixing and mastering stages were in full swing, the band released its first video, “MIDNIGHT” on July 28th.

On August 3rd, it was announced that Symphony X bassist Mike LePond has joined the band as its new “live” bass player. A move that will help usher the band to the next level.

Along with the vinyl release (on HIGH ROLLER RECORDS), SLEEPY HOLLOW have signed an exclusive world-wide six year, three album deal with European label PURE STEEL RECORDS which is projecting a release for “SKULL THIRTEEN” on March of 2012.

The release will, subsequently, be followed by a string of live shows that will include a tour of Europe in 2012 that will culminate at the annual SWORDBROTHERS Festival in Andernach, Germany. Details on all will be forthcoming.

Andreas Lorenz, the general manager of Pure Steel Records stated; “SLEEPY HOLLOW are for all U.S. Metal fans a real legend. It´s a great honor for us to have this band on our label. Bob Mitchell is, for me, one of the best metal singers of all times. We know that the band will create a metal monster like the self-titled debut album”.

The band returned to the stage on Saturday November 5th and performed their first show in over twenty years at the METAL’CUSE Festival in Syracuse, New York. This show was followed by a co-headlining appearance at Reggies in Chicago, IL with Canadian Metal legends EXCITER along with former MANOWAR guitarist David Shenkel. The band wrapped up 2011 on Saturday December 10th at Bullits in Long Island, NY. This was to be Mike LePond’s final show with the band due to his commitments with Symphony X.

The band, based on LePond’s high recommendation, recruited bassist Alan D’Angelo who is now a full time member of SLEEPY HOLLOW. Rehearsals will resume in January for what promises to be the bands best year to date.

In the meantime let us welcome back to the Metal World SLEEPY HOLLOW! Visit them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

SLEEPY HOLLOW is:
Bob Mitchell-Vocals
Steve Stegg- Guitars
Alan D’Angelo- Bass Guitar
Tom Wassman- Drums

ULTRAHAZARD

Ultrahazard is a Chicago-based political punk band. We stand for unity and equality. We sing about topics ranging from feminism, solidarity among artists, class war, roller derby, and revolution. All four of us come from different musical backgrounds such as Riot Grrrl, Jazz, Punk, and Reggae but our music sounds like a mix of Star Fucking Hipsters, Bomb! The Music Industry, The Distillers, and We Are the Union.

UNACCOMPANIED MINORS

BAJAS

PURPLE DOOR

DARKROOM BALLERS

HAVE A NICE DAY

A progressive rock band made up of Max Kramer (bass) Evan Hirshorn (guitar) and Adam Hirshorn (drums)

DJ SIGMA

MENOZ

MR. WEST

RAMPAGE

M-DOK

LOUIECUE

DJ SEAN T

ESP

MAN THE DESTROYER

<iframe src=’http://www.reverbnation.com/widget_code/html_widget/artist_22181?widget_id=50&pwc[design]=default&pwc[background_color]=%23333333&pwc[included_songs]=1&pwc[photo]=1%2C0&pwc[size]=fit’ width=’100%’ height=’370′ class=’widget_iframe’ frameborder=’0′ scrolling=’no’></iframe>

COLD COCK JONES ALL STAR BAND

Wild Jesus & The Devil's Lettuce

WILD JESUS AND THE DEVIL’S LETTUCE

Wild Jesus and The Devil’s Lettuce Family Party Band is a community of musicians with the uncanny ability to surprise you every time they take the stage. As one might expect from such a strangely named group, Wild Jesus’ sound ranges from noir waltzes all the way to effects laden, impressionistic, psychedelic grooves.

MOD SUN

It can be far too easy to get caught in negativity in today’s world. We’re surrounded by it in the news, the media and even entertainment. And that’s what makes Mod Sun’s music and message all the more refreshing.

“It’s about empowerment. It’s about saying it’s okay to sit by yourself on a Friday night and make music. You’ll never be lonely if you love the person you’re alone with,” says the rapper, whose name stands for “Movement On Dreams Stand Under None.”

A Minnesota native, Mod grew up in a household that played everything from Bob Dylan to Prince, and that eclectic foundation has informed his musical journey. He started playing drums at age 13, and by 16, he began touring with a few bands, including the successful rock group Four Letter Lie.

But his heart told him to go after something else.

“I was in a state of comfort, touring and in a band, and I decided I wanted to totally change it up and do something I believed in,” the 27-year-old remembers.

So he gave up that steady gig to pick up the mic. Mod wrote his first song at age 19, and hasn’t looked back since. Over the last eight years, he has released six mixtapes and three EPs. He has collaborated with artists including Schoolboy Q, Nipsey Hussle and G-Eazy, and earned a spot as one of sixteen independent artists from around the world competing for the cover of Rolling Stone in 2011.

After his most recent release, 2012’s Happy As Fuck, he again proved his artistic versatility, by momentarily shifting his writing focus in a new direction: His book, Did I Ever Wake Up?

“It’s all about the fact of making your life a dream,” he says of the inspirational work. “I was a stubborn kid. You can never learn if you’re always right. It took all these things for me to become what I want to be.”

Now, the focus is again squarely on the music. He’s built plenty of momentum over the last year, thanks to videos for tracks like “My Hippy, “Free Love” and “Mushrooms.” And now, Mod is getting ready to deliver his Friend Base — because he has no fans, only friends — his debut album, which is due at the top of 2015, through Rostrum Records.

The music has grown, but the underlying message remains.
“No matter the amount of negativity you’re presented with, 5 minutes from now could be your best moment.”

AGNOSTIC FRONT

These rarely confronted and always respected leaders of hardcore were established as one of the meanest-sounding bands in the emerging punk genre, helping to initiate the term “hardcore,” and placing an entire uproar on the New York map by association. From the start, AGNOSTIC FRONT released a catalogue of fast and violent punk tunes consisting of distinctive and aggressive drumming, bass work, and a non-stop barrage of chaotic shouting. AGNOSTIC FRONT’s uncontrollable drumming and fuming guitars fill every minute like an onrushing storm of flailing limbs and incinerating transistors. The heavier paced balance between the energy and discipline of their earlier punk roots strikes a taut and vivid rock barrage that moshes in close formation. “It’s social politics,” Roger states. “The day-to-day reality of waking up, reading the newspaper, and walking around the neighborhood. It’s a hard stare on why the world is still one fucked-up place, and we tackle the very real shit that’s going down: gentrification’s running rampant, street justice, world destruction, working wages, and backs are still being stabbed.”
Long outliving their now-legendary contemporaries like Minor Threat, SSD, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, AGNOSTIC FRONT could easily live off their laurels, but their fight is yet over! Throughout their storied history, AGNOSTIC FRONT have been anything but a ravishing group of individuals living prosperously and content. In fact, the band is more akin to have experienced growing up in adverse streets, undergoing arduous times, serving time in prison, become inflicted with murdered friends, the list would go on perpetually. But while there are definite vestiges of the past affecting them, they manage to continue and expose the conflicts they had to undergo in a compellingly evocative approach by relating it to their views of the world today.

AGNOSTIC FRONT continues to be living embodiment that “hardcore for life” isn’t an empty slogan or a musical dead end. No one is born with tattoos. No one’s born hardcore. But when the ink or the music sets in, you’re changed. Their latest offering reaffirms that AGNOSTIC FRONT as a band, still operates like a musical razor blade. Regardless of their history, the proof is simple: AGNOSTIC FRONT’s anthems are hard, cutting, and the remarkable music continues to broaden with every release. “We support UNITY! We despise ignorance and hatred within our scene. The only people we should be at war with is those who oppress us, not with each other. Unite! Fight the system! Not ourselves! Believe – Hardcore!”

VERITAE

VERITAE is an extension of the alt-metal mixed with art-rock style amalgam popularized by Tool/NIN/APC. While similar to these bands in intensity and power VERITAE is dark and melodic with an ambient quality that incorporates intermittent strings, percussion and other instrumentation creating a vivid sonic soundscape.VERITAE is a Chicago-based band in pursuit of a higher standard of music and creative freedom and not to be bound by the limitations of any one member, Troy and Krystof disbanded their former project and with the addition of Maximiliano to help further their ambitions and dreams of something unique and powerful, each actively seeking to challenge themselves and their listeners through intense, inspiring and deepened performances and songwriting.

DJ DOMINION

RAM-Z

MAYHEM

WOE

MASSAKREN

LANDMINE MARATHON

MURS

SKI BEATZ

EXHUMED

Excreting their malignant essence onto an unsuspecting Metal scene in 1998 with their confrontational debut full-length, “Gore Metal”, Exhumed have since become synonymous with the genre they helped brand. Their signature sound, a savage blend of snarling, grinding down-tuned guitars, alternately abrasively screeched and grotesquely gurgled vocals, and pummeling, straightforward drumming, have become universally recognized as the hallmarks of the style now called Gore Metal. Taking these elements several steps beyond their previous works, including the barbarically stripped-down, in-your-face approach of their sophomore effort, “Slaughtercult”, Exhumed have returned with their third full-length album, “Anatomy is Destiny”.

HUGH CORNWELL (THE STRANGLERS) WITH CLEM BURKE (BLONDIE)

Hugh Cornwell is one of the UK’s finest song-writing talents and accomplished live performers. The original guitarist, singer and main songwriter in The Stranglers enjoyed massive UK and European success with ten hit albums and twenty-one top forty singles, etching himself into the UK’s musical psyche with Peaches, No More Heroes, Golden Brown, Always the Sun, Grip, Nice N Sleazy, Duchess, Walk on By, Strange Little Girl and Skin Deep.

Following rave reviews in the UK, Hugh Cornwell’s new studio album TOTEM AND TABOO is set to be released in the US on June 25th, via Red River Entertainment and through Red/SONY Distribution. Recorded at Electrical Audio Studios in Chicago, the album was engineered and mixed by the legendary Steve Albini.

In support of the album, Hugh will perform US dates in October and December 2013 and will feature the new songs, as well as classic Stranglers material.

The Handcuffs

THE HANDCUFFS

Led by drummer Brad Elvis (Screams, The Elvis Brothers, Big Hello, The Romantics) and vocalist/guitarist/saxophonist Chloe F. Orwell (Big Hello), Chicago’s The Handcuffs will be releasing their fourth studio album Burn The Rails. The 13-song album was tracked at Kingsize Sound Labs, Chicago with producer/engineer Mike Hagler (Wilco, Neko Case, Billy Bragg, Mavis Staples, My Morning Jacket, The Mekons). Burn The Rails is being released by Pravda Records in June on CD, download and via streaming platforms and later on 12″ vinyl.

For the the new album, The Handcuffs found inspiration from the heady, analog days of early 1970s rock & roll, weaving together elements of glam, indie, garage, art and blues rock. Inhabiting some of the same musical turf as T-Rex, Mott The Hoople, Roxy Music, The Raconteurs, P.J. Harvey, Led Zeppelin, and Patti Smith – all filtered through a modern lens – they deliver bold, sexy songs with memorable melodies and unexpected twists.

Guest keyboardist Morgan Fisher (Mott The Hoople) demonstrates his synthesizer and piano prowess on a couple of tracks on the new LP. The relationship with Fisher, a musical hero of the band, began after singer Orwell’s rave review of Mott The Hoople’s 2018 reunion tour went viral on social media, attracting the attention of Fisher, who got in contact. From there a creative collaboration was sparked, in-spite of an ocean separating the now real-life friends.

Finishing the record during the peak of the pandemic and lockdown, gave several of the songs an  inadvertent anthem-for-the-times feel – with themes of love and loss, heartache and hope, and even the great ideological divide that was as omnipresent as the virus.

Elvis and Orwell formed The Handcuffs from the ashes of Big Hello, their first band together, which released three indie label records and toured from coast to coast. Elvis’ career also includes a few major label go-arounds, arena tours, and a backstory that will be documented in a new autobiography in the near future. The duo’s eagerness to explore new sonic territory and evolve into an entity that aligned more with their ever-expanding influences and broad range of musical tastes prompted a change. The Handcuffs began as primarily a studio project, in which Elvis and Orwell wrote and recorded an abundance of material. During the process, they realized that they missed the live band experience, and so The Handcuffs as recording artists and a dynamic live band was born. Completing the line-up are bassist Emily Togni, lead guitarist Jeffrey Kmieciak, and keyboardist Alison Hinderliter, all of whom originate from different parts of the country, but have made Chicago their home.

THE DEAD SUPERHEROES ORCHESTRA

The Dead Superheroes Orchestra must be heard to be believed. A rock ensemble with dazzling string arrangements and a pitch-black wit, the DSO will take you on a journey from your hometown cemetery down to the depths of the Underworld, up to the cool, bare face of the moon, and back again. Dreamed up by brains steeped in Batman, Mozart, Dostoevsky and Dante, the Orchestra tells the tale of an angel and a boy who comes back from the dead. Their performances are part rock show, part chamber recital and part goth rock oratorio. A mad caucaphony of strings, guitars, drums, piano, and choir led by a melodramatic bass vocalist, the Dead Superheroes Orchestra is a band that entertains, perplexes and entrances audiences. The Dead Superheroes Orchestra were included in Mick Mercer’s book “Music to Die For”, published by Cherry Red Press. “I’ll spend my nights in the graveyard”, their first EP, is available for sale on iTunes.

BLOOD ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Starting out as an electronic band almost 9 years ago, the duo has now participated in Warped Tour twice, their CD Evolution topped the charts as #1 on the Billboard Top Electronic Charts, and #8 on the Top Independent Albums Chart. They were also able to attract the attention of Joel Madden from the well-loved band Good Charlotte, and the artist Deuce.

The dark Electronic duos sexual anthem caught the attention of many, but the emotional core is what has formed their fan base – The SGTC (slash gash terror crew). From the first CD, Lets Start A Riot, to their latest, CRUEL PORNOGHAPHY, their music has proven to have a deeper meaning than the sexual theme that first drew their fan base in. Due to this they were able to be part of an anti – bully campaign, give the various charities, and last year host an entire show in honor of a boy who was brutally beaten for his sexual preference. Sex sells – so they use it to get their message of acceptance, self help, and love out to the world.

BOTDFs main goal, as always, is to provide a safe haven for the outcasts, which was shown in their album Anthem of the Outcast. Their music, although sometimes just for fun, is a story of their lives and of the lives of those around them. As they take the world by storm they invite you, and anyone else who just doesn’t fit in, to join their family! Rise SGTC.

ANGELSPIT

Angelspit are an electro punk act hailing from Sydney, Australia, known for vicious distortion, biting lyrics and harsh drums. Angelspit have churned out eight releases over the past seven years and have shared the stage with acts such as KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, Sisters of Mercy and Nitzer Ebb. The band’s music and performance have been recognized and critically acclaimed through numerous media outlets.

The Angelspit lineup consists of Zoog and Destroyx, Valerie Gentile on guitar, Matt James on drums and The Liar on videography.

Ministry, KMDFM and many other bands have requested Angelspit remixes. In viral form, they reduce bandwidth to ash with a massive amount of web content including instructional “blipvert” videos, blogs, tutorials, downloadable stencils, forums and constant online interaction with their fans.Angelspit have played many major European festivals (Mera Luna, Summer Darkness, Wave Gothic Treffin and more), toured North America, Europe and UK twice and Australia 3 times. They have shared the stage with KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, Frontline Assembly, Front 242, Sisters of Mercy,Nitzer Ebb, Lords Of Acid, Architect, Legendry Pink Dots, Mortiis and many others.

Angelspit’s nine releases have been praised and slandered – including Best Release of 2009 from ReGen magazine, best AND worse new band simultaneously from the same magazine (Italy’s Ritual Magazine 2007 Reader’s Poll), hailed as genius and critised as an annoying fashion statement.
They have declared war on all things that hold back creativity and freedom of expression. Based in New York City and Berlin Germany, Angelspit continue to corrupt audiences with their perfectly kerned mayhem.

Fuck the Revolution. This is WAR.
ANGELSPIT.NET

LATE IN THE PLAYOFFS

Late in the Playoffs is a pop rock band based out of Chicago, IL. All in college, this group of four has been together since 2009 and already has played popular Chicago venues such as The Metro, Double Door, Reggie’s, Beat Kitchen, and Subterranean. The band is steadied by lead singer and rhythm guitarist Aaron Goldschmidt and after a number of lineup changes, the group was finally solidified with bassist Dan Schein, drummer Christian Ray, and original member Conor Page to fill lead guitar duties. After a lot of hard work and long hours, the group just completed work on their highly anticipated EP, “Everything I Know,” recorded with veteran engineers Mark Michalik (The Swellers, Fireworks) and Jamie Woolford (Let Go, Punchline, The Stereo). The album is a five-track journey about love, loss, and finding yourself paced by Goldschmidt’s relatable lyrics and loads of outstanding melodic moments from the rest of the band. Late in the Playoffs is garnering an abundance of praise for their latest work including, “Everything I Know is flawless and it’s a clear indication there is something special about Late In The Playoffs (Sean Reid – Under The Gun)” and “If smooth, stunningly catchy pop melodies were all anyone needed to succeed in the music industry, Late In the Playoffs would already be the biggest band in the scene (LateNightSing-Alongs.com).”

VIC SPENCER

Question: What is the result when you mix the wit of Sean Price, the comedic delivery of DOOM, the unorthodox approach of the late ODB, the lungs of B-Real, and the life experience of a group home resident hailing from the gritty Chicago’s East Side? Answer: SAVEMONEY and Brainiac Society crew’s own Vic Spencer.

THE BLED

DECODER

BURN THE REMAINS

Chicago’s Burn The Remains draws listeners in by making music with thought, emotion, passion, and dedication. Combining brutality with melody, BTR provides a visceral and raw side to educated songwriting.