NONPOINT
SURRENDER THE FALL
LOSING SCARLET
HUMAN STEW
The band Formed In October of 2009,went through a couple of lineup changes and this is where we are now.
UNLAWFUL TRADITIONS
LOUDNESS
Akira Takasaki / Guitar
Minoru Niihara / Vocal
Masayoshi Yamashita / Bass
Masayuki Suzuki / Drums
By the time they were introduced to the West by 1985’s Thunder in the East album, Japan’s Loudness had arguably already hit their peak. Their previous effort, Disillusion, was the fourth chart-topping release in their homeland, not to mention a critical triumph among members of the European press. But when faced with a contingency plan to conquer America, Loudness were gradually forced to alter their sound by unsuitable producers and clueless record company hacks, never coming close to translating their far-East success into Western stardom.
Guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi first played together during the mid-’70s in a mainstream rock band called Lazy. Unhappy with the band’s direction, the duo split and decided to follow in the footsteps of Bow Wow (the first ever Japanese heavy metal band), forming Loudness with vocalist Minoru Niihara and bass player Masayoshi Yamashita. Combining a classic metal approach with
Takasaki’s Eddie Van Halen-inspired guitar heroics, the band immediately scored local success with their first three albums, which were sung entirely in Japanese. But it wasn’t until the release of their first live album, Live-Loud-Alive, and fourth studio effort Disillusion that the group attracted any significant attention outside their homeland, eventually issuing an English version of Disillusion.
Lightning Strikes Atlantic Records soon came calling and the band’s international career began in earnest with 1985’s Thunder in the East, which sold quite well in the U.S. for its novelty value, giving the band false hopes about their acceptance by Western metal audiences. Subsequent efforts, Lightning Strikes and Hurricane Eyes, were “made to order” records geared for the American market, and saw the band slowly drifting away from their roots towards a more commercial, pop-metal sound. All to no avail, and after recording 1988’s independently-released Jealousy, the classic lineup’s glory years came to an end with the firing of Niihara and the arrival of American-born singer Mike Vescera for 1989’s Soldier of Fortune. 1991’s disappointing On the Prowl saw them resort to re-recording watered down versions of some of their Japan-only material and would be the last to feature Vescera, who briefly joined the temperamental Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s band.
Ghetto Machine Yamada Masaki, from rival Japanese metal band EZO, was brought in for Loudness’ 1992 self-titled effort, 1994’s Heavy Metal Hippies, and 1997’s Ghetto Machine. The latter saw the departure of the band’s long-time rhythm section being replaced by bassist Shibata Naoto and drummer Homma Hirotsugu. This lineup recorded two more albums, 1998’s Dragon and 1999’s Engine, after which it has been rumored that Takasaki welcomed back the original members for an as yet unconfirmed reunion.
DIRTY PASSION
SISTER SIN
JON YOUNG
SKEEZ
I.O.E.
CALLIKO
1IA’s PZY
YOUNG KEYS
CHICAGO RIO
Mario Gilmore (Chicago Rio) was born and raised on the south side of Chicago. Rapping for about 10 years now, he started in the basement with school yard friends like Dia Stone, Bread, and Sly Polaroid.
Later he linked up with friend Cha-Chee Tribune and formed the group N.B.A making serveral hot records before going on his own and forming Process of Progress Entertainment. Rio stepped back from the game in order to get the paper work and business in order for Process of Progress Entertain…
KOFI COSTARI
SULAIMAN
CHICAGO’S ARISTOCRATIC RAP LEADER. TREATED CREW REPRESENTATIVE. SULAIMAN SHABAZZ WAS BORN INTO THE FOLD OF CHICAGO’S SOUTH SIDE, TAUGHT BY THE DUALITY OF ITS PEOPLE, AND BLESSED WITH THE TALENT TO REPRESENT IT IN ALL FACETS.
DJS IBHAPPY & VIC LLOYD
AURA NOIR
PANZERFAUST
Panzerfaust is a Canadian black metal band formed in 2005 as an entity forged from the combined desire to create music and writing equally voided of their conventions. Categorically a black metal band, Panzerfaust however claims no devotional framework, and firmly holds an anti-theistic postion. Panzerfaust has NO ideology, but rather pursues ideas for the ideas themselves. In our view – nothing is sacred.
Let no man be saved from our judgment; only the dead have seen the end of the war.
HOD
J-LYN
N.E.P.H.E.W.
CHRIS SHIELDS
J.R. BLACK
CUNNINLYNGUISTS
HOMEBOY SANDMAN
SECOND CITY CITIZENS W/ MONTANA MACKS
AUGGIE THE 9TH
HEATHEN
Heathen is an American thrash metal band originating from the San Francisco Bay Area, active from 1984 to 1993 and again from 2001 onwards. Despite never achieving commercial success, the band is often credited – alongside Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel and Vio-Lence – as one of the leaders of the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and they have gone through several line-up changes, leaving guitarist Lee Altus as the only constant member. To date, Heathen has released three studio albums: Breaking the Silence (1987), Victims of Deception (1991) and The Evolution of Chaos (2009). The band is currently signed with Nuclear Blast Records and recently completed work on the follow up to The Evolution of Chaos.
WARBEAST
THE HOUNDS BELOW
The Detroit group The Hounds Below draw elements from their eclectic ’90s upbringing and old school love affair with 50’s rock n’ roll to arrive at a satisfying synthesis of rock and pop. Vocalist Jason Stollsteimer, bassist Jesse Shepherd-Bates, drummer Griffin Bastian and guitarist Skye Thrasher were born out of an assortment of bands from the suburbs of Detroit. The group got its touring start on the mid west bar circuit doing opening slot for bands like Airborne Toxic Event, BRMC, The Horrors, The Like, The Heavy and Fountains of Wayne. In the same year the band pressed 500 copies of a single on its own label, Intheact Records. The A-side was a Orbisonish ballad the other a Johnny Cash sounding burner hinting at their rock n’ roll tastes. Shortly after, they released an EP full of songs reminiscent of Modest Mouse, Jeff Buckley, The Smiths, Pixies and even Elvis. Since the release the band has been touring the US/Canada and are currently recording their first full length album before venturing to the UK/Euro in May 2012.
EIGHT BIT TIGER
THE PLASTIC BOOTS
MITCH MEAD
Mitch Mead’s songs are equal parts heartbreak and humor, misery and mirth, sci-fi and fantasy. And each one is roughly 25% alcohol by volume. This Michigan-born, Chicago-based singer/songwriter wields an energetic and highly literate brand of folk rock that is as much melancholy as it is euphoria. Call it what you will, this is folk music that refuses to sit down.
TADASHI
THE EARTH IS A MAN
GLORY SEASON
ROMANCING THE ANGELS
IGNITION
ABSTRACTION
CRUICKSHANK
THE ELEVATOR INCIDENT
PISS PISS PISS MOAN MOAN MOAN
LECHUGUILLAS
YELLOW THIEF
SNACKS
ANAL CUNT
EYE GOUGER
PAUCITIES
NOCTURNAL TORMENT
MORBID OBESITY
REAGAN YOUTH
REAGAN YOUTH, A BAND THAT STARTED BACK IN 1980 WHEN RONALD REAGAN WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT, THEY WANTED TO EXPOSE REAGAN AND HIS REPUBLICAN PARTY’S FASCIST TENDENCIES, THE EVILS OF SOCIETY AND EXPOSING THE HYPOCRISY OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT WITH MUSIC THAT ROCKED THE URGENCY OF THE MESSAGE. The band is playing again after reforming with a new solid line up consisting of original guitarist Paul Cripple, bassist Tibbie X, drummer Stig Whisper and the only vocalist who can deliver the words of truth and anarchy the way Dave Insurgent once did, Trey Oswald.