CRYPTODIRA
Progressive Death Metal/Post Metal from Long Island, NY.
STRAWBERRY GIRLS
Strawberry Girls is a 3-piece progressive instrumental rock band from Salinas, CA. They formed in April 2011, shortly after guitarist, Zachary Garren, parted ways with his previous band Dance Gavin Dance. Garren then became acquainted with drummer Benjamin Rosett and bass guitarist Ian Jennings and subsequently began writing and recording music as Strawberry Girls. They’ve released 3 self-recorded albums through Tragic Hero Records. They’re currently writing and demoing material for a new album coming in 2019. Over the past few years, they’ve toured with bands such as The Contortionist, Chon, Polyphia, mewithoutYou, Dance Gavin Dance, Pianos Become The Teeth, Silent Planet, Night Verses, Sianvar, Movements, A Lot Like Birds, and more.
LIGHTWEIGHTS
Lightweights is a Chicago based pop-punk band formed in 2016 through a Craigslist ad. Playing local shows and recording tunes as often as we can for your listening pleasure!
BEAR IN THE FOREST
Bear In the Forest, a.k.a. singer/songwriter Alberto Kanost, makes music that explores spaces between the organic and the synthetic.
STRIPLICKER
striplicker sprang forth from the ashes of the smoldering wreckage of the industrial music scene in san francisco to disseminate its message of rebirth through destruction. gnashing vocals, pounding electronics, screaming guitars and brutal percussion create a sonic landscape that perfectly embodies existential apocalypse. striplicker shares the aural ethos of aggressive electronic rock acts like nine inch nails, ministry and KMFDM. see them on tour with PSYCLON NINE this december!
ESOTERIK
Esoterik is an American Darkwave, Synth driven band located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The group was formed in early 2013 by Allison Eckfeldt and Brady Bledsoe. They combine Synthpop, Dark Wave and Electronic Dance.
GLASS APPLE BONZAI
Glass Apple Bonzai is the solo synthpop / synthwave project of the illustrious Daniel X. Belasco of Defence Mechanism.A sonic trip into the darker, moodier parts of the 1980’s synth movement.Aptly titled “Depressionwave” by some random person on the internet.If you like the 80’s then you’ll like this, honest.
INFINITY SHRED
Clara Warnaar
Damon Hardjowirogo
Nathan Ritholz
JASON KANE & THE JIVE
In 2013, Jason Kane started as an acoustic artist, travelling and playing wherever he could with whoever he could. One year later, he crossed paths with bassist Nick Jive and formed Jason Kane & The Jive. In the Spring of 2015, they released their 1st EP and proceeded to tear up the Texas rock scene. Over the course of the next two years, The Jive had the honor to share the stage with many iconic acts, such as Ace Frehley, Moxy, Y&T, Dokken, Uli Jon Roth, and The Winery Dogs.
By 2017, after going through a revolving door of musicians and line-up changes, Jason Kane & The Jive released their self-titled debut album. Combining vintage sounds with modern elements, tracks such as “Courthouse Blues, “Crystal Ball”, and “How I Do” breathed new life into San Antonio’s underground rock n’ roll legion. In September of that year, they joined forces with drummer Thomas Chapoy, completing the line-up and re-enforcing the idea of the “power trio” in rock n’ roll.
In May of 2018, the trio entered the studio to record their sophomore album “Hellacious Boogie”, a ferocious full-throttle rock record fueled with funk, soul, and blues. Two high-energy music videos from the album premiered in the Summer, and the album was subsequently released later that year on October 26th.
The band’s continued determination to create and conquer is possessed by nothing but the music they live, breathe, and love to play.
“Brothers and sisters; let me show you where it’s at.” – Jason Kane, Vocals/Guitars
THE GREEN LEAVES
Slambient band from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
FREQUENT SEAS
Three piece experimental/math rock band based in Chicago, IL.
ASIAHN
“A breath of fresh air”. That’s the phrase most often used to describe Asia Bryant. Whether referring to her phenomenal vocal range, her worldly songwriting perspective, her humble aura, or just the complex simplicity of her records, Asia has managed to be a refreshing change in an industry that badly needs a makeover. But, to know Asia’s story is to understand how she’s been so able to embrace change and thrive within it.
Since birth, it seems as if Asia has been in constant transition. At eight months old, Asia’s mother made the decision to move the family away from the crime and violence of inner city Patterson, NJ to the more family-oriented Carolinas, finally settling in Charleston, SC. “That move was big because most of my extended family was in New Jersey. I had no family in South Carolina and nothing I really knew was there”. Compound the move with the fact that her parents would divorce soon after, which came especially hard for the “daddy’s girl” who would never see her father again due to the strain of the separation. Then, fast forward a few years to top this rough period off with the tragic loss of her younger brother to an asthma attack. Asia says, “I guess music became a release, a way to get away from everything, a way to talk about what was going on without actually saying the words, I could just write songs about it.”
In 2001, Asia decided to take control of the many changes in her life. Determined to pursue her dreams, she spent the weekends of her 10th thru 12th grade years of high school taking Greyhound buses back and forth to Atlanta attempting to network with industry professionals. On one of those weekend treks, during a random stop at the popular Varsity restaurant, she ran into Craig A. King – a talented producer who has worked with Ray Charles, Quincy Jones, Kanye West, Aaliyah, Will Smith, and more. Only moments into their encounter, Craig decided to take Asia under his wing.
After working together for a few years, King introduced Asia to James “Choir Boi” Bennett – acclaimed, songwriter, producer and A&R for multi-platinum hip hop artist, Ludacris. The three decided to take Asia’s natural talent and develop a unique sound which she described as “prissy, edgy, hood”. She would go on to perform on stage alongside names such as Lyfe Jennings and Yung Joc. She also got her feet wet in arranging by arranging a choral performance for Ludacris’s VIBE awards performance of “Georgia”. Asia also headlined numerous shows of her own. Not to mention having the #1 song in the Carolina’s “Geechie” and being the voice of the big station in Charleston SC – Z-93.
But as time passed, the trio’s progress began to plateau and eventually stall all together. Feeling the need for change in order to regroup and reevaluate their current circumstances, Asia was prompted to return to Charleston, unsure when she’d return to Atlanta to complete her musical journey. Questions loomed.
Reluctant to return, even after a lengthy period of deliberation, Asia was pushed into one last ditch effort. She auditioned for a spot in a female R&B group that another multi-platinum hip hop artist, Young Jeezy, was putting together. Although Asia was against being in a group and knew her calling was as a solo artist, she obliged. During the audition, Asia’s amazing voice caught the attention of Nick Love, former VP of Marketing & Promotions for Jeezy’s record label.
Young Jeezy’s group never made it out of the starting gate but Nick and Asia kept in touch. Making no promises, Nick agreed to take her on as a client, only as a songwriter. But Nick’s partner, Tiffany Jones, saw something special in Asia and pushed to do more with her, as an artist. That decision proved wise.
After only 3 months, Asia was back in the mix churning out hooks and songs for several of the biggest, artists and producers in Atlanta. One of her most special creations, her single, “Can’t Help It” – a record that embodies Asia’s urban/alternative/world sound yet still oozes with the soul of all of those who have influenced her like Aaliyah, Mariah Carey, Tina Turner and Lalah Hathaway
Now, armed with a new look, a new direction, a new team, and a seemingly unlimited supply of fantastic new music, Asia is ready to conquer the charts and the world!!!
This is . . . ASIAHN.
SCUMFUCK
Dickie Allen – Vocals
Andrew Zink – All music and orchestrations
VULVODYNIA
Looking in a medical textbook will tell you the following: Vulvodynia is a chronic, severe vaginal pain with no identifiable cause. While the severe part is dead on, what a medical textbook won’t tell you is that Vulvodynia is also the pioneer in what is rapidly becoming Africa’s most eviscerating export: Slamming Brutal Death Metal. With lobotomizing, lurid riffs, skin-shredding blast beats and slams gruesome and filthy enough to induce septic shock, Vulvodynia are a lethal plague, spreading throughout the flesh of today’s heavy music scene—infecting one set of ears at a time, and leaving no survivors.
Vulvodynia have toured Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and played numerous festivals worldwide alongside some of the biggest names in metal crowning themselves as the KINGS OF AFRICAN METAL.
Duncan Bentley Vocals / Luke Haarhoff Guitar
Kris Xenopoulos Guitar / Lwandile Prusent Guitar
Chris Van Der Walt Bass / Thomas Hughes Drums
ELSIE BINX
ELSIE BINX was born when Kevin Wesley Williams and Erin Accomando began working together at The Sound Shop Studio in Macomb, Michigan in January of 2015. They set out to create the sound of a new pop/rock project. They and Aaron Golematis produced a 7-song album that would eventually bring together the group of musicians who call themselves ELSIE BINX (EBX for short) today.
Since releasing albums in 2015 and 2017, and a single in 2018, they’ve been playing out around the Metro Detroit area as a 6-7 piece band. They’ve travelled to Philadelphia, Chicago, Toledo, Fort Wayne, Tulsa, Amarillo, Phoenix, St. Louis, Denver, and most notably, the famous Whisky A Go-Go in West Hollywood, California, in both 2017 and 2018.
They’ve just announced their next tour in April 2019, and are set to hit a few new locations including Nebraska, Las Vegas and Minneapolis.
Stay tuned for their acoustic EP release in mid-2019.
Erin Accomando – Vocals
Phil Steuer – Guitar/Asst. Engineer
Jon Neville – Lead Guitar
Tom Harper – Bass
Darin Curtis – Drums
Jenazelle – Keys/Backup Vocals
Lish – Backup Vocals
Kevin Wesley Williams – Producer/Engineer
Roger Smith – Drum Tech/Production Asst
THE SCOTCH BONNETS
Punky reggae rockers from Baltimore whose infectious energy keeps the party jumping all night, The Scotch Bonnets have been bringing the heat and the good-love vibe since their debut in 2009. The crew is fearlessly lead by singer-guitarist Kristin Forbes aka Lady Hatchet, whose tunes blend classic Jamaican groves with a funky fresh approach to American singer-songwriting.
CLOAK
Four hungry souls from Atlanta, GA. -‘To Venomous Depths’ out now on SEASON OF MIST-
EMPYREAN THRONE
Empyrean Throne is a clandestine black metal order hailing from Lake Forest, California. Empyrean Throne is currently accepting shows and tour opportunities with other local and major label artists for 2018. New album “Chaosborne” OUT NOW!
DEATHRUN
Fastcore band from Joliet IL.
INFEST
Infest is an American hardcore punk band, formed in September 1986 by Joe Denunzio, Matt Domino, Dave Ring and Chris Clift. The band is considered to be pioneers of the dissonant hardcore style known as powerviolence. The term was coined by their guitarist Matt Domino, who first used it to describe his other band, Neanderthal with Eric Wood of Man is the Bastard. The Los Angeles quartet blended the ethos, speed and song structure of straight edge hardcore, along with the aggression and anger of bands like Negative Approach and Negative FX. Joe Denunzio’s vocals exhibited raw anger, with lyrical content about conformity, war, scene politics and socio-political issues. Infest did however differ from their peers in their fervent political stance and imagery, often depicting the tragedies of war and poverty, countering the obligatory “band in action” album covers common to the era. The group broke up in 1996, having played only a handful of shows within California.
On July 1, 1991, Infest recorded a live set for the Los Angeles radio station KXLU. This session was later released by Deep Six Records, who also released the No Man’s Slave LP in 2002. Instrumentals for the record were recorded during the summer of 1995 and vocals were recorded post-breakup in 2000.
On January 13, 2013, Infest played their first show since 1991 at The Echo, in Echo Park, California with bands such as ACxDC (Anti-Christ Demon Core), Barking Backwards, Fissure and Sordo. They were among the headliners at the 2013 editions of Maryland Deathfest and Chaos in Tejas respectively. In July 2013 Infest headlined the Destroy L.A. Hardcore Festival with California youth crew legends Chain of Strength. In July 2014, they headlined a one-off in Dallas, Texas at Vice Palace, along with Chicago-based outfit Weekend Nachos. The band has been performing frequently ever since, making their European debut at Netherlands Deathfest 2016.
LION BABE
LION BABE IS A NEW YORK BRED FUNK AND SOUL DUO COMPRISED OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY ARTIST JILLIAN HERVEY AND PRODUCER/DJ LUCAS GOODMAN, (ALSO KNOWN AS ASTRO RAW.) THE PAIR ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR UNIQUE SOUND AND LOOK AND ASSOCIATE THEMSELVES WITH THE TERM ‘FUTURISTIC NOSTALGIA’ TO DESCRIBE THEIR GENRE. LION BABE BLENDS VINTAGE COLORS WITH MODERN SONICS. THEY STARTED WITH THEIR BREAK OUT SINGLE “TREAT ME LIKE FIRE” IN 2012, WHICH QUICKLY GARNERED ATTENTION ACROSS THE GLOBE.
SINCE THEN, THE DUO HAS BEEN STEADILY RISING, AND HAVE RELEASED ONE LP TITLED “BEGIN” (2016 WITH UNIVERSAL) INCLUDING “WONDER WOMAN” PRODUCED BY PHARRELL WILLIAMS, ALONG WITH “JUMP HI” FEATURING CHILDISH GAMBINO. THEY FOLLOWED WITH THEIR MIX TAPE “SUN JOINT” FEATURING JUNGLEPUSSY, RAURY AND ANGEL HAZE. JILLIAN ALSO CO – WROTE AND SANG “HOURGLASS” ON THE GRAMMY NOMINATED DISCLOSURE ALBUM “CARACAL.” THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR MAGNETIC PERFORMANCES, BOTH AT INTIMATE FASHION AND ART PARTIES AS WELL AS MAJOR FESTIVALS LIKE GLASTONBURY AND THE MAIN STAGE AT COACHELLA. THEY HAVE ALSO PERFORMED ON TV FOR THE THE SOUL TRAIN AWARDS AND THE TODAY SHOW, (WHERE THEY PERFORMED THEIR COVER OF TOM JONES‘ HIT “SHE’S A LADY,” WHICH WAS ALSO USED FOR H&M’S GLOBAL CAMPAIGN)
IN 2018, LION BABE RELEASED SINGLES “ROCKETS” FEATURING MOE MOKS, “HONEY DEW” AND “HIT THE CEILING” WHICH WAS FEATURED ON HBO’S HIT SHOW “INSECURE.” THE DUO ALSO WROTE AN ORIGINAL SONG “JUST ME” FOR SEASON 3 OF “INSECURE” WHICH IS FEATURED ON THE SHOW’S SOUNDTRACK (CURATED BY RAPHAEL SAADIQ.)
THIS YEAR THEY HAVE RELEASED COVERS OF CLASSICS “GET INTO THE PARTY LIFE” BY LITTLE BEAVER AND CARLY SIMON‘S “WHY.” THIS HAS ALL LED UP TO THEIR NEW ALBUM “COSMIC WIND” FEATURING PRE – RELEASED RECORDS “THE WAVE” FEATURING LEIKELI47 AND THEIR NEWEST SINGLE “WESTERN WORLD” FEATURING WU-TANG CLAN‘S OWN “RAEKWON.”
“COSMIC WIND” IS A RECORD THAT SHOWCASES THE BANDS GROWTH AS ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS, AND IS ROOTED IN THEMES OF TRANSFORMATION AND INEVITABLE CHANGE.
PAUL GILBERT
Paul Brandon Gilbert, is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist. He is best known for being the co-founder of the band Mr. Big. He was also a member of Racer X, with whom he released several albums.
DEAD VINYL
Hayden Miller -//- Vocals
Tyler Vela -//- Lead Guitar
Zach Tucker -//- Bass Guitar
Parker Anderson -//- Drums
STONE MECCA
“Gritty, imprecise, and unapologetic AF the electric vibes of this L.A.-based artist and his old school cool are lustfully intoxicating.” – AFROPUNK
BLACK MAGIC FLOWER POWER
Quality Boogie Rock
JOINT DISLOCATION
2 piece noise power violence aka noisecore project from Florida relocated to Chicago with friends playing with us at times main suspects. Rush F & Brett R
IGNITE
“A War Against You” is the sound of IGNITE taking a stand and delivering a record without borders or boundaries. The much-anticipated follow-up to the Southern California band’s 2006 watershed moment, “Our Darkest Days”, “A War Against You” affirms that IGNITE is still rooted in the energy and melodicism of hardcore’s salad days, while proving themselves not merely a great punk or hardcore band, but a great band in their own right.
Formed in 1993 in the suburbs of Orange County during the height of Seattle Grunge and the Epitaph Records punk revival, IGNITE have made a career defying convention with against the grain music and thought provoking, politically charged lyricism. From prior efforts including “Call On My Brothers” (1995), “Past Our Means” (1996) and “A Place Called Home” (2000), the band’s records have distinguished themselves with complex arrangements, triumphant hooks and IGNITE’s calling card: frontman Zoli Teglas’ unmistakable, soaring vocals.
Not only have IGNITE become an international touring force, headlining sold-out venues and festivals across the world, but recent history also found the band members individually exploring new creative avenues that have only served to galvanize IGNITE itself. Most notably, Teglas took up vocal duties for Cali punk mainstays, Pennywise, whom he fronted on their critically well-received 2012 album “All Or Nothing”. “From the outside, it may have looked like we took our time between records, but it was probably the busiest time of our lives,” Brett Rasmussen (Bass) says. “Zoli played in Pennywise. Craig [Anderson Drums] was playing in Strife. Brian [Balchack – Guitar] was writing and recording with Into Another. I was touring with Nations Afire. But through it all, IGNITE continued to tour and grow.”
“Playing in Pennywise was amazing but playing in IGNITE I can focus just as much on the message as well as the music,” says Teglas, recounting his time outside of the IGNITE fold. “For 20 years, Pennywise had a message that their other singer [Jim Lindberg] wrote. I appreciate both bands and what they each have to say. I’m thankful for the time I had in Pennywise, but in IGNITE I can speak my mind about social issues. My calling has always been to play music to make a change. I still have that calling. As clichéd as it sounds, I still have that fire that burns inside of me.”
Cut to early 2014. IGNITE found themselves reenergized, rededicated and back in the studio with longtime producer, Cameron Webb (Motörhead). “This is the third record we’ve worked on with Cameron,” says Zoli. “He understands us as people and as a band better than almost anyone.” The sessions became a collective soul-searching for the band; who spent the better part of a year and a half writing songs for “A War Against You”. “When we started writing the album, we were kind of trying to force the record be a certain thing,” states Rasmussen. “Once we finally let go and let the songs happen like they were supposed to happen, the songs took their own direction.”
“IGNITE is in a different place from when they made ‘Our Darkest Days’,” says producer, Webb. “I think after being a band for a long time, it was healthy for them to go off and play in other bands and then bring those experiences back to make this record. They found out that Ignite is where their passion really lies.”
From the album’s strident opener, “Begin Again”, the inspirational “Where I’m From” to the driving “Nothing Can Stop Me”, which was written about a friend of the band’s battling cancer, “A War Against You” not only sums up the classic IGNITE sound but expands on it, proving the veteran band a musical force to be reckoned with. In fact, IGNITE have long distinguished themselves beyond the punk and hardcore sects, playing packed acoustic performances in Europe and Southern California. Recent years have even found the band sharing European festival stages with the likes of Twisted Sister and Rise Against, amongst countless others, and winning over the most varied of crowds every time.
“We’ve always tried to play to the most diverse crowds we can,” says Brett. “We’ve gone out on the road with punk and hardcore mainstays like Bad Religion, Misfits and Suicidal Tendencies but we have also ventured out with bands like Goldfinger, Sevendust, and of course, in Europe we play with tons of metal bands like Machine Head, In Flames and Motörhead.” In fact, Machine Head themselves, recently covered IGNITE’s classic “Our Darkest Days/Bleeding” on a recent release to critical and fan acclaim.
In true IGNITE fashion; “A War Against You” speaks volumes from both personal and political perspectives.
Teglas’ lyrics remain as positive and upbeat as ever, yet tempered with age and experience. “A lot of this album is an ode to my family, an ode to the immigrant struggle,” says the frontman, who has long written about his own Hungarian heritage in IGNITE’s lyrics; a topic that surfaces on the track, “Alive,” as well as the album’s haunting closing track, “Work.”
Current events including the Syrian refugee crisis in Europe as well as man’s ruination of the environment (which comes to the fore on the track, “The Suffering”) echoes throughout “A War Against You”. IGNITE has long been a band with a message and the new album broadcasts that news from the front in no uncertain terms. For example. “Oh No Not Again,” a massively anthemic track on the album, provides a stirring snapshot of life during the everyday wartime. On the meaning of the album’s title, “A War Against You”: “It’s about humanity and the sadness that war has always brought and how hard it is to be a bystander, a displaced person, an immigrant,” the frontman states. “That is ultimately all of us. The war-mongers make a ton of money and everyone else gets to pay to the price.”
“One of the first songs I ever wrote said; ‘Education without action does nothing’,” remarks Teglas, who is actively involved with Sea Shepherd as well as his own Pelican Rescue Team, which has rescued untold numbers of injured and endangered seabirds. For IGNITE’s frontman, this has always been a “more than music” proposition. “My calling has always been to play music to make a change,” says Teglas. “If I’m not going to do that then I shouldn’t be onstage.”
Two decades in, IGNITE are still screaming for change and here are the postcards from the war against you.
FUZZBUCKET
FuzzBucket is an original 4-piece, high-energy rock band hailing from the North Side of Chicago. Their sound screams driving guitars, thundering bass, and pounding drums. The band is comprised of Chuck Nesler (Guitar/Vocals), Joe Rosenfeld (Guitar), Ben Palmisano (Bass), and Teddy Thornhill (Drums). They all bring different musical styles bonded by a throwback sound guaranteed to make you bang your head and move your feet.
BIG BLOOD
Big Blood- plays Rock N Roll. Make no mistake, they’ve made all the mistakes following in the footsteps of a rich American music heritage . They are the conservers of a dying music tradition known as, KICK OUT THE JAMS MOTHER FUCKER!!
ATALA
After honing their chops in other touring bands, the members of ATALA came together in 2013 when frontman Kyle Stratton, who owns two tattoo shops in their hometown, met up with drummer Jeff Tedtaotao, the brother of one of his shop’s tattoo artists. After joining up with their first bassist, the band quickly linked up with producer Scott Reeder (Kyuss, The Obsessed), and released their self-titled first full-length in 2014. In 2016, the band followed up with the release of their well-received sophomore album, Shaman’s Path of the Serpent, this time with current producer Billy Anderson (Sleep, Melvins, Mastodon) at the helm. After the departure of their previous bassist, current bassist and fellow tattoo artist Dave Horn joined the ranks. Now signed to Salt of the Earth Records, ATALA seeks to reach new heights and expand their horizons with the 2018 release of Labyrinth of Ashmedai, their most charging and conceptualized offering yet. ATALA have truly found their path, and their groove, with Labyrinth of Ashmedai.
ATALA have performed at festivals such as Maryland Doom Fest and Holland’s Roadburn Festival, And have shared the stage with bands such as Pallbearer, Baroness, Chelsea Wolf, The Obsessed, Coven, 16, Coliseum, Green Jelly and many others.
MURNAU
Alex Riggen (guitar, vocals) and Nick Pompou (drums) joined together to form Murnau in 2006.
JAZZE
SHEEM KLUAF
DOMI V
TYTHEGUY
YUNG CHARC
FLIGHT
DC THE DON
B. LOU
DISPIRIT
Begun as a purely experimental improvisational outlet in 2000 after the demise of Weakling, and existing concurrently with The Gault and Asunder, John Gossard began creating music with drummer Peter Blair, born out the ashes of Weakling, but constantly morphing through other realms of dark music. After nearly a decade of fermentation, a few unstable lineups, and countless worldly distractions, 2009 saw a stable lineup form with Todd Meister and Nikhil Sarma entering the picture. With a full lineup, many the skeletons created from the old recorded improvisations became the basis for fully composed material. In 2010 the rehearsal/demo tape “Rehearsal at Oboroten” was released and the band began making occasional live appearances. In late 2011 N.S. exited the group due to conflicting prior commitments. Dispirit played a handful of shows after N.S. departure thanks to the help Sean McGrath (Impaled, Ghoul) to fulfill our prior commitments. In mid 2012 the band recruited Ryan Jencks (Deathroes, Sixes, Crash Worship) on second guitar and in late 2012 recorded a second demo, “111112”. In mid 2013 P.B. retired for the band, and Jason Bursesse (Cyanic, Black Fucking Cancer) joined them as session drums for select shows. In 2014 the band recruited Trevor Deschryver (Lycus, ex-Deafheaven (yeah quit your whining already!)) on drums, but for how long?
EMBRACE OF THORNS
EMBRACE OF THORNS started it’s nihilistic ,blasphemous way towards the grandeur of the final victory in 1998.The raging black/death manifestations are,since then,perpetually expanding and evolving,vomiting fire and curses,continuing the tradition of the incarnated forms of darkness that declared war on the unsuspected feeble zealots almost three decades ago in the temple of black/death vortex.
NECROVATION
A. Bünger – drums.
S. Gadd – Vox/guitar.
A. Wanstadius – bass.
THE AMERICAN REVIVAL
The American Revival came into this world as the backing band for Brandon Callies, but it soon grew wings of it’s own once the members began writing outside of the singer/songwriter genre. There is and aggressive undertone to this group’s style of rock n roll both musically and lyrically.
MAD SEASON “ABOVE”
“Mad Season was an American rock supergroup formed in 1994 as a side project of members of other bands in the Seattle grunge scene. The band’s principal members included guitarist Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, lead singer Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, drummer Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees and bassist John Baker Saunders. Mad Season released only one album, Above, in March 1995.” —
Performed by: Long Gone Day
SOMNURI
Somnuri do not keep their feet planted in surface reality. The Brooklyn-based outfit’s flavor of heavy metal stomps from genre to genre with the fervor and confidence of a band ready to cross thresholds of all that’s perceivable and possible. Somnuri comprises lead guitarist and singer Justin Sherrell, drummer and producer Phil SanGiacomo, guitarist and singer Chris Drapeau and bassist Mike Gaworecki. They’ve earned attention from publications including Revolver Magazine, BrooklynVegan, MetalSucks, MetalHammer, and others. Their latest effort is a testament to the band’s insatiable work ethic and cements them as one of heavy metal’s most exciting emerging acts.
Building off their previous two LPs, Somnuri has spent the last several years hard at work writing riffs and letting their ideas distill in a marathon session of putting the songs together. The final product is their new LP Desiderium, an odyssey through a black hole of sounds and heaviness, due out on MNRK Heavy and recorded at Gojira’s Silver Cord Studio. Dynamically, they’re at the top of their game, easily able to weave through different tempos and sounds, giving some well-trodden genres new roads to travel. “There’s never really stable ground in our songwriting,” SanGiacomo says. “But that’s what makes it exciting for us, we move all over the place and don’t have any limits for our sound.”
WIZZERD
Heavy Rock’n’Roll from the Mountains of Montana all the way to Space‽
Wizzerd is:
Guitar/Vocals – Jhalen Salazar
Guitar – Jamie Yeats
Drums – Sam Moore
Bass – Layne Matkovich
WOLF BLOOD
“Wolf Blood is indeed that brutal–’brutal’ as in smack-your-face loud rock-n-roll, amps on fire, packed house, broken glass, cops-breaking-up-the-party brutal.” –Homegrown Music Festival Field Guide, 2014
Formed in a dank basement during one of the coldest winters on record in Duluth, Minnesota, guitarist Mike Messina and drummer Jake Paulsrud (Dirty Horse/Dad’s Acid) started writing psycho-sludge experiments that sounded too stoned to be metal, and too baneful to be indie-rock. They recruited renown hard-core guitar sorceress Mindy Johnson (The Keep Aways) and magi-roots bassist Brian Wells (Dirty Horse) to flesh-out the menacing sound, and Wolf Blood came to life.
Their seven-song recording debut opens with the haunting single Witch. From there…you’re on your own for the next 35 feral, blood stained minutes.
WITCH RIPPER
“Witch Ripper take those Mastodon moments where the band is both heavy AND proggy and extrapolate them into full songs, and the results are positively excellent.” – VN of MetalSucks
“The vocals to me sound like if Scott Kelly and Brent Hinds had a homosexual love baby that learned only how to be awesome” – Miasma
“Witch Ripper channels the power of the riff at high-megawatt levels of addictive hookiness, but the music also delivers layers of memorable melodic complexity that make it stand out from the stoner crowd. You’ll be swallowed up in hard-rocking, hard-rolling jams one minute, stomped-on hard the next, and swimming off on astral streams the next. Also, it’s thick as a brick and heavy as fuck.” – I.S.Lander of NO CLEAN SINGING
DEMON LUNG
BLOOD CEREMONY
Since the release of their highly acclaimed sophomore 2011 album, Living With the Ancients, Blood Ceremony has been recognised as an internationally regarded live act. Having played main support toGhost on the majorly successful ‘13 Dates of Doom’ US tour, they concluded their debut headline European tour with a sell-out show in London.
After these live performances, Blood Ceremony enclosed themselves within a dank, tomb-like chamber to begin preparations for their third album. After a mind-numbing spell in the analogue womb of Toronto’s ProGold Studios, the band is now ready to unveil their newest, and most accomplished, musical offering:The Eldritch Dark.
Recorded and mixed by producer Ian Blurton (Cauldron, Cursed) and mastered by Canadian recording legend Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Crazy World of Arthur Brown), The Eldritch Dark is a full-length paean to the darker corners of folklore and legend. Containing eight tracks of black magic rock ‘n’ roll, the album crackles with the excitement of a nocturnal ritual.
Tales of witch-cult gatherings in wooded glens, pacts made in torch-lit abbeys and Victorian magic are accompanied by vintage-style hard rock riffs, snaking bass lines and stirring flute melodies.The Eldritch Dark also sees the band exploring a more folkier side of their sound; most evident in the hymn-like Lord Summerisle and the murderous early Fairport Convention tinged folk-rock epic, Ballad of the Weird Sisters. 19th century sorcerer, Oliver Haddo, makes a return appearance in the riff-hypnotic album closer,The Magician.
COVEN
Coven is an American rock band with occult lyrics formed in the late 1960s.
FRAYLE
Heavy, Low, & Witchy. Frayle is a doom band from Cleveland USA. They draw their inspiration from bands like Sleep, Portishead, Bjork, Kyuss, & Black Sabbath, Frayle makes music for the night sky.
FORMING THE VOID
Imagine you are a celestial traveler powering through the blinding lights at the end of the tunnel into the next world, crossing barriers of space and time without fear. Interdimensional shamanic sludge rockers Forming the Void are here to conjure an ecstatic trip of atmospheric wonder and immerse you in waves of psychedelia.
Topping the August Doom Charts, their fourth effort ‘Rift’ evokes the progressive and heavy tendencies of Mastodon and Torche, the psychedelic and soaring melodies of Pink Floyd, and rolling approach of Soundgarden. Swamp mud stuck to their feet as they trudge from South Central Louisiana, Forming the Void aren’t afraid to slow things to a crawl.
Their otherworldly sound has earned them spots on large festivals such as Psycho Las Vegas, Denver’s Electric Funeral Fest, EndHipEndIt, Stoner Jam at SXSW, Descendants of Crom, and Maryland Doom Fest. Transcend through space and time with Forming the Void as they traverse the cosmic murk.
TORCHE
Four guys playing the loudest and heaviest hard rock!!!
PORCUPINE
There are approximately seven million indie bands operating on planet Earth as of yesterday…..we are one of them.
GANSER
Ganser is a Chicago-based band equal parts Space Odyssey and Ghost World. Embracing a post-punk ethos with no wave’s minimal intimacy, they draw inspiration from visual language commonly associated with film and the shared art backgrounds of members Nadia Garofalo, Alicia Gaines, Brian Cundiff, and Charlie Landsman.
In 2018, Ganser released their debut LP Odd Talk (via No Trend Records), to favorable coverage from The New York Times, Billboard, Stereogum, and other publications. Building on their dissociative disorder namesake, the music is sometimes frenzied (“PSY OPS”), sometimes contemplative (“Revel”), probing on questions of anxiety, intimacy, and avoidance. Ganser continues to make bright black music for space transmissions and panic attacks, recently releasing single “Pastel,” which led to their inclusion on numerous year-end lists.
THE LINECUTTERS
The Linecutters are a three-piece band from the east valley that have been infecting the Phoenix area with their ska/punk infused sound one show at a time.
IMPURE
PIG’S BLOOD
Pig’s Blood is BESTIAL BLACK DEATH METAL from MILWAUKEE WI.
Horrible Person – Vocals
Hideous Destruktor/Goat Tryant – Lead Guitar
B.G. Blood Lunatic – Guitar
DrugPervertDeathHammer – Drums
S.M. Warstarter – Bass
FETID
The reanimated corpse of Of Corpse spewing forth from Seattle Washington.
PISSGRAVE
Philadelphia’s PISSGRAVE, one of the rawest, most depraved, immoral, and violent bands in present-day death metal follow up their 2015 “Suicidal Euphoria” debut LP with their new sophomore LP “Posthumous Humiliation”, an album even more dark, surreal, violent, and perverted than its infamous predecessor.
One again produced by Arthur Rizk, “Posthumous Humiliation” will cement PISSGRAVE’s reign in America’s underground death metal scene as not only one of the most sadistic death metal bands today but also one of the most singular bands in the genre (with the band’s live show attesting to such a claim respectively). Where PISSGRAVE’s slab of nauseating death metal terror is unlike anything going on in the scene today, pushing the sonic thresholds of the genre to new vomit-inducing levels.
“Posthumous Humiliation” ultimately is a disturbing and intense listen, a sonic skullfucking devoid of amusement and pleasure and a celebration of pure torment and misery.
WITCH VOMIT
Releases:
“Drowned in Filth” rehearsal demo. Released on cassette by Headsplit Records in 2012
“The Webs of Horror” Ep released in 2014 by Headsplit Records
MAUSOLEUM
The Undead Undertakers of ZombieCult Death Metal
DRUID LORD
Druid Lord arose from the mists in what is known by most as the year 2010. Whispers of demented souls throughout mankind’s short history formed a swirling pool of tortured and disturbing tales from which Druid Lord chose to derive their dreadful and woebegotten songs. With visions of the most insidious humans and their macabre rituals of pure evil Druid Lord began the foundation of what would soon come to be known as the Druid Death Cult. The foundation on which this death cult would be built would soon come to be understood as a twisted embodiment of both doom metal AND death metal. In doing so, Druid Lord drew the attention of not only the residents of this world but the feared attention of those inhabitants who reside in a world less-often visited. Unbeknownst to the members of Druid Lord these inhabitants reached through the long closed door between these two realms and took control of their fates. What began as a desperate attempt to channel the misery they had experienced by telling others with their music eventually exploded into a full scale onslaught of all humankind. Druid Lord’s members Pete Slate (lead/rhythm gtr), Elden Santos (drums), Tony Blakk (bass/vocals) and Chris Wickein (rhythm/lead gtr) knew the musical style of Druid Lord must be darker, heavier and much, much more punishing than anything to come before them. No, Druid Lord isn’t simply a doom band- nor just a death metal band. Druid Lord is a maniacal amalgamation of the two heaviest metals to surface in the cess pool of humanity. Doom/Death metal lives!!!
HALLOWED HALLS
Rock and Roll from Chicago, IL
NOPTOBER RUST
PULCHRA MORTE
Pulchra Morte (ˈpul.kʰra / ˈmɔr.te) – comprised of Adam Clemans (Skeletonwitch, Wolvhammer), John Porada (Wolvhammer, Abigail Williams), Jarrett Pritchard(Eulogy), Clayton Gore (Eulogy, Harkonin), and Jeffrey Breden (Leagues Below) – began in 2017 with the idea to rekindle a feeling that has become increasingly scarce in the dense landscape of extreme music today – formation of songs containing weight, atmosphere and feeling.
2019 began with the release of The critically-acclaimed debut album Divina Autem Et Aniles and continued with the performance of many shows throughout, including the Full Terror Assault Open Air Vfestival, as well as several sold-out shows in support of the 1349 / Uada / Cloak North American tour. We spent the majority of the year composing material for our follow-up album, entering the studio in September to begin work in earnest. While DAEA explored the many facets of death, for our next effort we wanted to pull the veil back a bit and expose more of our collective path and intention.
Ex Rosa Ceremonia, with cover art featuring a photo by Brian Sheehan/LGRDMN, conceptually refers to a need for a mental and spiritual renaissance. Looking back throughout history, there have been movements that inspired and created many metaphysical systems and philosophies that, upon deeper inspection, led us forward as a species in many ways, though hidden behind the curtain of magical order and secret society. As the near-sighted corral the blind and the masses happily stab their third eye with a constant diet of blue light among other things, we have arrived at a time that begs deeply for the need of an expanded consciousness. We see masses being led by the governing of robotic suggestions to align with your enemy based on alarmist response-seeking propaganda. A world of experts lacking substance, clamoring for the dopamine endorphin-guzzling pastime that becomes a virtual existence for many. Words like “influencer” and “trending” that are spoken instead of vomited, as they should be. The suggestion to “get in line” or be destroyed through character assassination. The record speaks of the power of unity when like minds join, the strength of a creature like us with nothing to lose when tenacity is put to the test with no alternative conceivable. People have become willingly blind to the power of the human mind when it is quieted and directed, when the bulb of the strobe light effect of media blitz hypnosis is smashed. The power of focus and purpose. And the rose of ceremony.
For ERC, drums were recorded to tape in the analog environment of Earth Analog studios (Clayton uses Pearl Drums, Paiste Cymbals, ACD pedals, Vater sticks). Guitars, bass, vocals, cellos, and everything else was recorded at New Constellation RMP (Jarrett and Jeff use ESP guitars, SIT strings, and Fowl Sounds pedals). The album was produced, engineered, and mixed by Jarrett Pritchard on New Constellation’s 1983 Trident 80B desk. Mastering was courtesy of Maor Appelbaum at Maor Appelbaum Mastering. The album features a guest lead from Jay Fernandez (Brutality), guest vocals from Heather Dykstra, cello once again courtesy of Naarah Strokosch, and backing vocals from a gang of dozens of folks known collectively as…
The Serpent’s Choir:
Jim Adolphson, Archaon, Jason Avery, Corey Barhorst, Dylan Barnes-Trout, Caleb Bergen, Jason Blackerby, Chase Brown, Mike Browning, Maria Burheim, Noah Cabitto, Matt Castro, Mike Connors, Blaine Cook, Vanessa Cordoba, Josh Crouse, Ross Dolan, Kim Dylla, Charles Elliott, Diane Farris, Damiano Fedeli, Andrew Gerrity, Matt Harvey, Dan Horton, Ryan Huff, John Jarvis, Øyvind Kaslegard, Espi Kvlt, Bruce Lamont, Jared Louche, Chris Lytle, Sage MacDonald, Scott MacDonald, Danielle Masek, Matt McClelland, Rob Miller, Karen Milligan, Sean Milligan, Erika Morgengrau, Jamey Morris, Nick Oliveri, Ravn, Billy C. Robinson, Blood Slaughter, Tor Stavenes, Jake Superchi, Eric Syre, Jeff Tandy, Scott Taysom, Oliver Thiel, Kyle Thomas, Mike Thompson, Terry Thornton, Tim Van Velthuysen, Rob Verret, Kevin Warhaft, Matt Wilson.
As it was in the beginning, the idea remains the same – feeling, atmosphere, songwriting, and weight with unabashed creativity above all else. We are in an excellent spot. We have the ability to create and record as often as we like, and will do exactly that.
THANTIFAXATH
Thantifaxath is a Canadian black metal band based in Toronto, Ontario. The band, which is signed to Dark Descent Records, consists of three anonymous members.
The band released their self-titled EP in 2011. The band’s debut album, Sacred White Noise, was released on April 15, 2014 via Dark Descent Records. The band premiered the album’s opening track, “The Bright White Nothing at the End of the Tunnel” via Soundcloud in February 2014, which gained attention from art and music websites such as Vice, BrooklynVegan and Sputnikmusic. The track “Where I End & the Hemlock Begins” was also released on Soundcloud.
In 2014, the band started touring with New York-based black metal band Castevet in North America. Despite touring, the band maintains its anonymity.
The band’s music has been described as “a batch of incendiary, discordant and blistering black metal.”On the band’s debut album, Doug Moore of Invisible Oranges wrote: “Sacred White Noise is both artsy and rooted in black metal, it’s pristinely performed, beautifully recorded, and far more expansive than any typical black metal album.” He also described it as “a thematically and harmonically frightening” record, while stating: “Progressive rock and outré noise run flanking maneuvers around the edges of a truly vicious frontal assault that borders on death metal in gravity.”
SILENT MONOLITH
Silent Monolith are purveyors of American slacker rock hailing from Nashville, TN.
Silent Monolith is:
KJ – Guitar/Vocals
Nate – Bass
Shania – Guitar
POOBAH
2018 Recording Band:
Jim Gustafson- Lead Vocals/ Guitar/ Songwriter/ Bass/Harp/Founding Member///…
Lori Powers- Percussion/ Vocals///…
Drums-Mike Fortino ///
Stage Manager,Techs-
David Harker,
Mike Kelley
Bass Subs: Daniel Tharp, Kevin McIlvaine, Woody Hupp
Jim Gustafson- Lead Vocals/ Guitar/ Songwriter/ Bass/Harp/Founding Member///…
Lori Powers- Percussion/ Vocals///…
Drums-Mike Fortino ///
Stage Manager,Techs-
David Harker,
Mike Kelley
Bass Subs: Daniel Tharp, Kevin McIlvaine, Woody Hupp
In Memorian Ken Watt rip, Husband of AnnaMarie Watt
