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
LEDGE
HATE FORCE
Dystopian Death Metal
FOREST NEVER WAKES
Midwestern roots with a gothic twist.
MURPHY’S LAWYER
Chris Murphy, leader and founder of Murphy’s Lawyer, is at home on the stage. He engages his audience with a commanding voice, driving guitar and natural wit as he shares his original music along with heartfelt interpretations of classic Irish folk songs.
STONED EVERGREEN TRAVELERS
Stoned Evergreen Travelers is a hellbilly rock band from Tacoma WA.
CATL.
this “gruesome twosome” (Perlich Post) is a stripped down, juke-joint blues band that will make you drink n’ sweat til you can’t drink n’ sweat no more. make catl proud.
SIERRA FERRELL
The first time I met Sierra, she asked me to dance at the Honky Tonk Tuesday night at the American Legion in Nashville. Of course i’d heard of her before – from various traveling bands and vagabonds who told me of her amazing old time singing and habit of blowing into (and out of) town.A jingle-janglin gypsy tornado of sound that doesn’t seem to care what the rules are, new & old fused seamless.
WE THE HEATHENS
When we find a sound we like, we try to some how find a way to play it on acoustic instruments. this band kinda formed out of nowhere.
JOCEPHUS AND THE GEORGE JONESTOWN MASSACRE
The link between Merle Haggard and Motorhead!
BRIDGE CITY SINNERS
The Bridge City Sinners are a rowdy folksy mosaic of banjo, ukulele, saw, clarinet, guitar, upright bass, & boot stoppin’ fever from Portland, Oregon.
THE HAWS
SAMM BONES
Samm bones, a traveler, writer and musician. Fresh off of her debut album release, “Can’t Sit Still.” Her music sews her heart on her sleeve, to go along with her Carhartts and lace. Telling tales of ragged travel. You can feel the strength of her life story through the rasp in her voice and powerful lyrics. If she’s not getting lost in the wild of Alaska, she’s probably touring in a town near you!
RENT STRIKE
Lansing, MI based lyric-driven DIY punk rock. Highfalutin and heavy, irreverent and playfully nihilistic, RENT STRIKE delivers on a promise that no one asked them to make.
DAVEY DYNAMITE & THE SALT CREEK DUO
NOW AND THEN I TRY TO PLAY MY SONGS WITH A FULL BAND. LUCKILY I HAVE AWESOME FRIENDS WHO HELP ME DO THAT.
THE SUBURBANISTS
The original Crust Folk Established 2012 in Chicago, IL
MODERN MAL
“Modern Mal are what might happen if blurry reincarnations of Leonard Cohen and Dolly Parton hooked up to form a bent Americana band in the Michigan north woods“
APES OF THE STATE
Apes of the State is an independent folk-pop-punk band from Lancaster, PA.
We are a bunch of kids who really aren’t kids anymore trying to do this music thing and just be happy in life.
40RTY AND JESSE’S ONE MAN BAND
40RTY, (pronounced, ˈfɔrti ) is a barefoot, beer soaked, outlaw folk punk singer based in Louisville, Kentucky. Combining traditional American clawhammer banjo with the defiance, abrasiveness and high-energy of modern punk rock, 40RTY takes no prisoners, as he holds audiences captive with his often paradoxical, yet deeply personal lyrics and intense banjo riffs. If music is the canvas on which a musician paints a picture, 40RTY’s music is a cracked mirror, where he shares his own reflections and stories from a life of struggle that has known: love, war, pain and friendship, all from under the boot of working class mediocrity.
ROCK BOTTOM STRING BAND
Formed in Central Texas in 2013, Rock Bottom String Band coalesced from a series of backyard jams and carport hangouts. Driven by DIY work ethic and an inclination toward the rowdier side of the genre, this indy, 5 piece, non-traditional bluegrass outfit has carved out a sound of it’s own they like to call “Boozegrass”. They have toured all across the United States, and bit in Mexico, with a live performance that leaves a lasting impression some have described as “the Beastie Boys of Bluegrass” or “Hee-Haw on acid”. Over the course of their time together the band has recorded 2 full length albums of original material, with a third forthcoming, and opend for notable acts from Emmylou Harris to the Dead Kennedys. With three singer/songwriters and multitude of musical influences, Rock Bottom String Band is connecting with wide ranging audiences from concert halls to bar room brawls, with no signs of slowing. Always forward. Never straight. RBSB til we die!
UNITY RISE
Riot Folk from South Florida
VIOGRESSION
Milwaukee Wisconsin Death Metal band. Formed in 1988.
Discography :
1st album ~ Expound & Exhort
2nd album ~ Passage
EP ~ a pure formality
Discography :
1st album ~ Expound & Exhort
2nd album ~ Passage
EP ~ a pure formality
ANARCHUS
Grindcore band from Mexico.
Founded in summer 1987 by by Adolfo (drums) and Pancho (bass & vocals).
SQUASH BOWELS
Grindcore band from Poland. Formed in April 1994.
BLOOD
Blood – Grindcore + Death Metal from Speyer since 1986
CLOUD RAT
Grinding to various degrees since 2009. Have put out many records and toured many places thanks to the help of many good friends. Curse ignorance, commit to the Void. Long live friendship.
GADGET
Though the band has generally flown under the radar, Gavle, Sweden’s GADGET has roots that trace back to 1997. The band have always included influences from every genre they’ve been fond of, like doom, sludge, hardcore punk, death metal, black metal and more, never letting genre boundaries stand in their way. GADGET have proven themselves to be a relentless force live as well as on record.
THE CORE
Sci-fi-inspired instrumental shred metal. With lasers.
BEDLEM
Bedlem is Paul Wandtke (Trivium’s former powerhouse), Joey Brassal (aka Trace), Mike Petrasek, and Brian Ahern.
ON THE SUN
Heavy like yer mama! We’re too old and too loud to be f*$king around anymore. We’ve all been in too many bands to mention and we’ve haunted too many stages around the city to even remember. We got it right this time. Come out and witness our rocktastic show and pick up a copy of our debut EP, “Solar Savior,” featuring the songs, “Fully Krausened,” “Everyone” and “Narrow Mind Party Plan.”
Derek Ault: vocals
Fred Nettnin: bass
Jay Septoski: guitar
Matt Torossi: drums and gong
THIS PINE BOX
This Pine Box was founded in spring of 2016 by Jake Knight (vocals/guitar).The band recorded and released their self titled EP, recorded by Phil Mehaffey at CyberTecknics in Dayton, Ohio. The EP gained traction when late radio station, WNKU featured tracks from the EP into rotation. In January 2017, This Pine Box was selected to be “Artist of the Month” by WNKU. During this time, the band added lead guitarist, Joe Tellmann and started recording their debut album. The band stayed busy, and performed multiple shows including Fountain Sqaure Concert Series, Uptown Music in Oxford, Ohio, and closing the inaugural Belleweather Festival following the performance by the Flaming Lips. The band released their debut album, “The Way Out,” in November 2018 with vinyl under Soul Step Records. The current lineup consists of Jake Knight (vocal/guitar), Joe Tellmann (guitar), Kevin Patrick (bass), and JP Demmel (drums).
DANGEROUS CHAIRS
Eclectic Dark Rock from the people who brought you Big Baby.
Vocals – Little Dave Merriman
Guitar/Vocals – Jim Mertz
Guitar/Vocals – Andy Cline
Bass/Vocals – Chris “The Kid” Landefeld
Drums – Brian Fee
RUDE BOY GEORGE
NYC’s new wave goes ska sensations
THE SKAPONES
Modern British 2-Tone champs first every US invasion!
DISPARAGER
“Disparager are from Brooklyn, New York and play metal or hardcore, or post-rock, or whatever you want to call it. Above all else though, Disparager are fucking badass. ” – Pure Grain Audio
BELLRINGER
Bellringer is the live vehicle for the music and collaborations of Mark Deutrom, based out of Austin, Texas.
Mark Deutrom, played with Clown Alley, Melvins, and SunnO))) and produced records for Neurosis, RKL, Raw Power, Melvins, and others.
BAD ASSETS
OI!, Punk, Rock N Roll Band from Detroit MI
GENOCIDE PACT
Death Metal from Washington, DC.
CARA DAWN
Cara Dawn is a Chicago native who has been singing since she was a child. After touring the United States, including an overseas USO tour, she returned to the states and began performing locally. She was a rising voice in the Chicago music scene when she stepped off stage to focus her time on raising her son. In 2011 Cara realized that she could no longer go without music in her life. She began studying with Gillian Kelly to find her voice again.
Her return to the stage has been well received, performing at various venues and events around the city. Cara has been working with a core group of musicians regularly for the last year and performs with them when not doing her solo projects or guest spots. She has been honing her songwriting skills and is currently working on her first solo album due out by the end of this year. Cara Dawn sings from her soul in every performance crafting a truly unique experience for the listener. Listen to her original song Free and look out for more Music and Events to come.
VRIED
VREID were formed in 2004. The Norwegian metal brigade rose from the ashes of WINDIR after the tragic perishing of the “Sognametal” legends with the declared mission of exploring new musical paths.
The Norsemen proved true to their words and have delivered 7 albums and one DVD, which each received high praise from critics and fans alike. VREID chose a course of constant evolution that is marked by thematically denoted phases regarding their often historically inspired lyrics.
This became particularly clear with albums number 3 and 4, ‘I Krig’ and ‘Milorg’, which both revolved around concepts dealing with resistance and liberation of Norway during World War II. With their following three records, VREID returned to their Norse roots, of which particularly their latest full-length, ‘Sólverv’ received highest critical acclaim.
VREID have hammered out their success partly by being a heavily touring band. The four-piece performed more than 500 shows in 25 countries so far. Their everlasting march to conquer new territories has led the Norwegians to headline tours in Europe, North America, Japan, and India.
Currently, the veterans are working on new material and will record their eighth opus this autumn. Composer and mastermind, Hváll has already announced that “…it will be one hell of an album. After more than 20 years of playing together our spirit is stronger than ever and we can hardly wait to get in studio again to give birth to our new creations”.
VREID’s style is often referred to as “black’n’roll” and Metal Hammer UK described their music as “a unique time travel in metal” as elements of 70’s rock, 80’s classic metal, and Norwegian black metal are all clearly audible.”
VREID will release their forthcoming album in 2018 via Season of Mist.
KALMAH
Melodic Death Metal (Extreme Metal) band from Pudasjärvi/Oulu (Finland).
CLOUD CRUISER
Cloud Cruiser is an alien and cryptozoology concept stoner rock band from Chicago,IL. We build worlds through stories and riffs. Bang your head and take a ride with us
TANDALERIA
Tandaleria is a singer, songwriter, producer, and event coordinator from the westside of Chicago. Tandaleria has been writing music since she was in the 4th grade, and has been coordinating indie events since 2012. Tandaleria has been taking vocal lessons and has been classically trained vocally since 2006. In 2016, she created an online music series, entitled “Sessions With Tandaleria” where she has been inviting up and coming indie artists to perform songs live in the studio written and produced by herself, accompanied by a group of local musicians who she entitled “The Sessions Band”.
DJ WIZZARD
Living life to the fullest each day and having no regrets at the end…🎧🎧🎵🎵💯💯
CASTER VOLOR
Caster Volor is a regionally touring Minneapolis, MN based shock rock band that performs a one of a kind over-the-top bombastic performance of hard rock & heavy metal through their unique industrial theater stage production featuring giant metallic wings, steel light pillars, light infused steel drum risers, metal smoke/confetti cannons, anthemic choruses, and high energy athletic maneuvers. Caster Volor embodies your favorite hard rock & heavy metal desires into one. The original hard rock quartet also performs the biggest hits from the 80’s-90’s hard rock era including Motley Crue, KISS, AC/DC, Billy Idol, WASP, Rob Zombie, Judas Priest, Rammstein, etc.
YACHT ROCK-ETTES
Chicago based musicians/performers combine to bring all the soft rock lovers out there the smooth tunes of the Yacht Rock genre.
JEFF SCOTT SOTO
From Heavy Metal to Funk to AOR and Pop, Jeff Scott Soto is a name that is hailed throughout the music industry as one of the most influential artists of the 21st Century!JSS began his professional musical life with Swedish guitar sensation Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s ‘Rising Force’ in 1984 at the age of 18 and has not stopped since; building a name for himself through many acts and projects that have culminated in his own successful solo career.
JURY OF FEARS
We bring heavy and melodic riffs with aggressive drumming and haunting vocals. We are true to our music and ourselves.
GROMULOUS
3-piece Heavy Metal band from Dayton, Ohio
Tate Matthews – Guitar/Vox
Bret Newland – Drums/Vox
Matt “Frizz” Szafranski – Bass
HIP HOP VIOLINIST RHETT PRICE
Rhett has garnered over 30 million views on his videos and received press inquiries/features from top publications including the Boston Globe, Cosmopolitan, Huffington Post and NY Post. With an ever-expanding social media following of over 250k, he has shared the stage and/or opened for such big names as T-Pain, Young Thug, Machine Gun Kelly, Aaron Carter and Dropkick Murphy’s to name a few. Rhett’s fresh sound and energetic performance are undeniable and leave a lasting impression everywhere his violin is heard. As a result, he has been sought out to perform events for, among others, TEDx, Matt Damon, Cheryl Tiegs and Tom Brady.
GREG ESSIG
Greg Essig is musician from Chicago, Illinois who is dedicated to perfecting his craft. Essig was born in 1990 and grew up in Plainfield Il. He attended Northern Illinois University for music performance. There he studied percussion and was fortunate to perform with some of the top ensembles there, including the NIU Steel Band and Jazz Ensemble. Upon graduation, he began performing regularly in Chicago playing with various artists spanning many different genres. In 2014 he became a member of the fusion group Marbin and toured extensively with them around the states. During this time Marbin opened for legendary guitarists Allan Holdsworth and Scott Henderson. Upon leaving the group Greg toured and performed with other artists such as The Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, and Sidewalk Chalk. In between tours, he keeps a busy schedule playing in his home town of Chicago performing with other local artists and corporate gigs. Greg is constantly on a mission to better his abilities as a musician and drummer. This is very evident in his performances, he clearly shows no signs of slowing down!
MINDLOSS
Anthony- Vocals
Steve- Drums, Vocals
Felix- Bass
Chris- Guitar, Vocals
SCORCHED
5 piece old school influenced death metal act from Delaware.
BEN DELAURENTIS
CHRIS SIEBOLD TRIO
This is Chris Siebold’s bio. He was raised by a rare breed of panther that lives in the desert.
Guitar: Chris Siebold
Bass: Larry Kohut
Drums: Gerald Dowd
ANGEL
Employing a dazzling mix of glam rock, hard rock, and progressive rock, Angel’s outrageous, white-satin-heavy image and equally over-the-top stage shows, made them one of the more colorful arena rock bands of the mid-’70s and early ’80s. Discovered by Kiss bass player Gene Simmons, the group issued their eponymous debut album in 1975, which hewed closer to prog rock than the glam pop that would inform future endeavors like On Earth as It Is in Heaven (1977) and Sinful (1979). The group went their separate ways in 1981, but re-formed in the late ’90s with a new lineup, and released two studio albums (1999’s In the Beginning and 2019’s Risen) and numerous compilations.
Formed in Washington, D.C., the group’s self-titled 1975 debut was recorded for the flamboyant Casablanca Records label — home to Kiss — with a line-up comprising Frank DiMino (vocals), Punky Meadows (guitar, ex-BUX), Gregg Giuffria (keyboards), Mickie Jones (bass, ex-BUX), and Barry Brandt (drums). A heady slab of heavy pomp rock with lengthy songs swathed in Giuffria’s atmospheric keyboards and featuring the longtime stage favorite “Tower,” it was followed in 1976 by Helluva Band, which continued in a similar vein, with the group’s famous white satin stage clothing making its debut on the album sleeve. On Earth as It Is in Heaven saw a distinct change in musical direction, as the band adopted a a more pop/rock-oriented sound, and introduced a clever logo that read identically when upside down.
1978’s White Hot, with Felix Robinson replacing Jones, was helped by Eddie Leonetti’s sympathetic production, and produced minor U.S. hits in “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore” and “The Winter Song.” Leonetti subsequently produced Sinful and the in-concert set Live Without a Net. Angel’s record sales never quite reflected their popularity as a live act, and a legal dispute with PolyGram prompted the band’s breakup in 1981. Giuffria attempted to revive the band in 1984, but the abortive reunion led to the formation of the more successful House of Lords. Robinson, meanwhile, appeared in an early White Lion line-up and played with 707. Brandt and DiMino re-formed Angel in the late ’90s to record In the Beginning, with the help of guitarist and songwriter Richard Marcello. They staged an Angel reunion of sorts by persuading former colleagues Robinson and Meadows to play on the track “Set Me Free.”
The group performed on and off during the early 2000s and issued a handful of compilation albums. In 2015 Frank DiMino released his first solo album, Old Habits Die Hard in which Punky Meadows guested on the track “Never Again”. Then in 2016 Punky Meadows with the help of Danny Farrow released his first solo album, Fallen Angel, in which Frank DiMino appeared on the track “Lost and Lonely”. In 2018, Meadows and DiMino toured under the name Punky Meadows & Frank DiMino of Angel which inevitably lead to the reformation of Angel now joined by Danny Farrow, Charlie Calv, Steve E. Ojane, and Billy Orrico. The newly reactivated Angel released their seventh studio effort, Risen, in October 2019, to rave reviews and landed them on numerous Billboard charts. The band has also just recorded a brand new studio album Once Upon A Time scheduled for release in April of 2023.
STARZ
All together Starz recorded four studio albums, Starz, Violation, Attention Shoppers, and Colesium Rock and gathered critical acclaim with their ability to mesh the smooth with the hard. “We loved pop melodies,” admitted Ranno in retrospect, “and we also loved heavy guitars. We liked to combine hooks with a harder edge. Our singer Michael Lee Smith had a great sense of melody. In the course of four albums, we only used orchestrations or keyboards once, preferring to mix heavy rock productions with melodic overtones.” Their success has been documented in the historical chapters of hard rock and heavy metal. In Kerrang’s critical listing of the 100 greatest heavy metal albums of all time, Starz was listed at #94, with Violation at #84. In a similar poll in Hit Parader magazine, Violation was listed at #82. Starz’s greatest asset was their live performance and until a chance meeting between Metal Blade’s founder and Starz guitarist Richie Ranno, one of rock’s greatest secrets was buried in the archives. At the height of their career, Starz released a special “radio only” live record intended for broadcast, bot not liscenced for sale. It was called Live In Louisville and only a scant 2,000 copies were pressed. It was heralded by Kerrang as the greatest live record never released! “One day” Richie said, “out of the blue, I got a letter from Brian Slagel, who wrote that he was a big Starz fan and was interested in re-releasing the Starz albums for the first time on CD. He asked if I owned the liscenses to any of the records, and I told him I had the rights to the live record.” Starz Live In Action is a combination of the famous Live In Louisville performance recorded in 1978 with another concert taped in Cleveland in 1977. Together it is over sixty-five minutes of classic Starz music, covering songs from all four studio albums and the famous “Waitin On You/Colesium Rock” medley which includes a clever collection of the greatest rock guitar riffs of all time. “We always considered ourselves a live band,” Richie confessed. “In fact, we toured with Peter Frampton in major halls before we even had any product to sell! We felt confident that we could get any audience up on their feet and got encores wherever we played.” This same spirit is captured on Starz Live In Action. If you are a Starz fan, this special recording is a must for your collection. If you are unaware of this great band, consider these thoughts. Many of the Eighties most successful bands were influenced by Starz, from Cinderella and Poison to Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe. Tom Keifer said the first concert he ever went to was a Starz show… “They really kicked ass,” he remembered. Jon Bon Jovi met guitarist Richie Ranno backstage at a Bon Jovi concert in New Jersey and took the time to tell 30,000 screaming fans that when he was young, he looked up to Starz. They were the band he imitated when practicing in the garage. In Jon’s words, “What ever your dreams may be, always shoot for the Starz!”
NUMERICAL CONTROL SOCIETY
NCS songs explore dark, bold, complex chords, incandescent melodies, delicate refrains, and languid, unexpected harmonies. In a review by the Chicago Doom Confederacy, their sound is described as “Noise and texture flutter, enticingly, beneath the all-consuming riff…If you like King Crimson and you like stoner rock, look no further.”
ELHAE
North Dakota-born and Georgia-raised singer, artist, and visionary ELHAE approaches R&B like a film director would, choosing every element carefully, ensuring an intricate level of cohesion, and building his own world. Since catching fire in 2015 on the independent Aura EP, he worked towards eventually architecting such a world. The follow-up All Have Fallen yielded fan favorites such as “Doesn’t Matter” [feat Kehlani] and “Needs,” which clocked 10 million-plus Spotify streams. In between, he garnered glowing praise from the likes of The Fader, Billboard, Vibe, The Source, and more as Sprite named him among its P.O.U.R. (Purveyors of Urban Reality) program. The 2017 sequel to Aura—Aura II EP—boasted “Drama,” “Something,” and the popular “Bang Your Line” [feat. Ty Dolla $ign]. The latter ignited 10.5 million Spotify streams and counting. Meanwhile, he lent his voice to high-profile collaborations with Lecrae, Eric Bellinger, and many others in addition to supporting blackbear on tour.
2018 saw him grace the stage of Coachella for the first time in front of 40,000 fans as he diligently worked on new tunes in Los Angeles, Miami, and Atlanta. Inspired by childhood favorite albums such as Kid Cudi’s Man on the Moon: The End of Day, Childish Gambino’s Because the Internet, and Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City, he developed an airtight vision with a detailed plotline for his next release. In 2019, the vision unfolds over the course of his twelve-track conceptual project, Trouble In Paradise [Atlantic Records], introduced by the intoxicating first single “Hennessy.” His sound is about to blow up on the biggest canvas
possible now.
XAVIER BREAKER
Drummer, composer and arranger, Xavier Breaker has played with various artists throughout his career including Joe Sample, Randy Crawford, Howard Hewitt, Lalah Hathaway, Ernie Watts, Joey DeFrancesco, Bob Mintzer, Brad Leali, and Jonathan Scales. He has also played for some of Chicago’s finest including Corey Wilkes, Kahil El Zabar, Dee Alexander, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Chicago Yestet, Sidewalk Chalk, and many others. The Xavier Breaker Coalition was formed in 2013 as an effort to design a group that can thrive in a variety of musical situations. The Coalition opened for many groups, including Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express and HBC (Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Dennis Chambers). They have been featured in many festivals including the Chicago Jazz Festival and have been the firstcall house band for the Keilworth “Saxophone Idol” competition since 2013. The Coalition released their debut album, “Dreamology,” in 2015. Xavier endorses Paiste Cymbals.
DISMALIMERENCE
Dismalimerence is a Progressive Atmospheric Black Metal band from Chicago, IL. Elijah Cirricione – Vocals & Guitar, Alex Quiroz – Guitar, Craig Hamburger – Bass, Graham Southern – Keyboards, & Peder Simon – Drums.
DUSK
Cult Classic Death/Doom Metal Band
WISCONSIN, USA
EST.1993