In the works of recording his debut studio album, “Just Another Day”, Larry Anthony is ready to show the world what he has up his sleeve.
Even before diving into the World of Music, Larry began writing songs; trying to say something worth listening to. Something that could make change for the better. After he was gifted a guitar, Larry began develop his abilities by playing with anyone that would let him. Once Larry performed at renowned Hometown venues such as the House of Blues and The Congress Theater with local favorites Gallery 81 and Interchange, he realized that he had to play his own music. He couldn’t wait any longer. Thanks to said decision, Larry is now stepping into a limelight of his own.
It’s easy to hear that Larry Anthony’s influence from the Blues greats of the 20th Century, as well as the pens of songwriting powerhouses such as John Mayer, Dave Matthews, and the Grateful Dead. Musically, Larry has worked to polish and expanded his approach, while still retaining the honest and organic sound of the coming title track, “Just Another Day”, a humble, mid-tempo anthem with a message.
Taking pride in honest lyrics, deep grooves, and unique live performances; Larry looks to carry the audience on a musical journey that is sure to move your heart and your hips.
Larry Anthony is an artist who wants to bring his music to you. Stay tuned, “Just Another Day” is soon to be recorded and released Spring 2017.
Jesse Dayton, unsung hero of American music, has defied categorization in his decades-spanning career. His chart-topping album with Samantha Fish, “Death Wish Blues,”marked a global hit and earned the duo a2024 Grammy nomination. Dayton, who has worked with legends as diverse as Johnny Cash, X,and Rob Zombie, is set to release a new album produced by Grammy winner Shooter Jennings(Brandi Carlisle, TonyaTucker). Balancing sharp songwriting with powerful guitar, the upcoming album reflects influences from ’70s Dylan and old Texas blues.Dayton, road warrior and troubadour,embraces a big, rowdy sound.His journey from a cult hero to a contemporary chart-topper will be on full display live, proving that for Jesse Dayton, there are no victory laps, only resurrections.
Elephants are a dynamic animal, both intelligent and gentle, but when riled up can be thunderous and powerful. The same has been said of Stampy and their unique sound. The Chicago-based quintet fuses together soulful grooves, dense vocal harmonies, and high energy guitar solos that roar through venues. Five long-time friends have come together to create a sound ‘where Steely Dan meets The Allman Brothers meets Wilco…. with a dab of Pet Sounds.’
Each time Stampy comes to the stage, it is “eclectic. Stampy’s original music appears to derive influences from across the musical spectrum.” Five seasoned singers and songwriters, all hailing from different musical backgrounds, have forged a sound that is truly unique and appealing to all fans of music. From the start, Stampy attracted fans in droves from all areas and genres of Chicago’s live music community. In just two months, the cost of their first album was funded entirely thanks to the contributions from their loyal fanbase.
Like a stampede, the band came running full speed out of the gate. Within months of inception the group was in the studio cutting their debut album and playing at some of Chicago’s most prestigious and historic venues. After self-producing their first album, the band brought in legendary sound guru, Fred Breitberg (Aretha Franklin, Neil Young, Curtis Mayfield), to mix and master it. Fred’s expertise put the finishing touches on a record that is making a statement.
Stampy finished out 2017 with a show alongside guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque. Martyrs in Chicago, IL. The quintet has also begun work on their second album, Expectations (2018). You will be able to hear each member being featured as a lead singer and primary songwriter on at least one song, showcasing the band’s immense creativity and vast musical perspective. Because of this, they have dug deeper on their new album. Songs are crafted in a thematic way. Subjects such as friendship, love, greed, inspiration, and faith will be represented. Keep posted for news surrounding the future release of Stampy’s second album.
Come witness the thunderous and powerful sound for yourself. The band’s live show was translated brilliantly to their debut record and will surely be continued on their second release. But to fully experience the dynamic range, the roaring guitar solos, intricate songwriting, and beautiful vocal harmonies, you must see Stampy perform live. They just might become your new favorite artist.
The Gentlemen’s Anti-Temperance League is a string quartet that brings the smoky rhythms and sizzling leads of Prohibition swing into the 21st century.
performing their version of “Pink Floyd Animals” in full plus more
From the west side of Chicago, comes this 4 pc psychedelic sludge machine. Their 2016 release “ego death” (DHU Records) received much acclaim on webzines like Metal Injection, The Illinois Reader, Outlaws of the Sun, and various others.
After some short midwest tours and a 3 year hiatus during covid times, FotB are nearly ready to release their newly recorded album to the world in mid 2024. It is a redux of Pink Floyds 1977 classic “Animals”. It was recorded at the famed Electrical Audio (owned by Steve Albini) and Hypercube in Sept/Oct 2023 and was engineered, co-produced and mixed by Sanford Parker.
Hailing from the underground scene of Chicago, this eclectic ensemble draws inspiration from avant garde music, classic jazz fusion with post-progressive sensibilities, infusing their music with cosmic vibrations and experimental fervor. Drummer Michael Rataj lays an energetic and ever-shifting rhythmic framework for tenor saxophonist/bassist Keith Wakefield and guitarist Erik Oldman to weave angular, contrapuntal melodies with ethereal textures augmented by loops and synthesizer explorations. Sons of Ra are not merely a band; they are sonic sorcerers, weaving spells of experimental brilliance that transcend the boundaries of traditional genres.
They’ve shared the stage with such artists as Stu Hamm, Sonar, Chester Thompson & Alphonso Johnson, and Consider the Source.
Sons of Ra released their EP “Cognitive” in 2020 and are currently in production for a six-part suite “Tropic of Cancer” and their first full-length release “Standard Deviation”, both planned for release in 2024.
Personnel Erik Oldman: Guitar/Bass/Synth Keith Wakefield: Bass Guitar/Tenor Saxophone/Synth
Michael Rataj: Drums
In association with the Chicago Zappa Collective, Chester’s Gorilla is pleased as punch to present Frank’s album “Broadway The Hard Way”. The album is culled from tour tapes of the election year 1988 and conclude with Frank urging the audience to “get yer butt out there and register to vote, please?” He was in full political and social attack mode after spending much time on Capitol Hill and in the press fighting against Tipper Gore’s campaign for Parental Advisory labels on music. The targets for his low esteem on this album include the Reverend Pat Robertson, Jesse Jackson, the Republican Party, Michael Jackson, the Reverend Pat Robertson, Elvis Presley, Presidents G. H. W. Bush and Nixon, and of course Pat Robertson again. As Frank would have done, we will change some lyrics to skewer the current cast of characters in the news.
Chester’s Gorilla is made up of, as Frank would say, some “pretty good musicians” who have worked with local heroes Hood Smoke, the Model Citizens, Steak House Mints, The Unknown New, The Renegades, M13, Kick The Cat, as well as A Prairie Home Companion, Howard Levy, and Dweezil Zappa.
HALF BAKER
MEAN SEAN
mean sean is a duck. Or a bird. Or a band. Or… something.
In short, Hollywood Bitch is the result of 4 everyday gigging musicians who decided to get together to perform what they thought would be a one off Halloween set as Stone Temple Pilots and accidentally had their set go over a little too well with their audience. So well in fact, that they were endlessly pestered to make their alter ego as a Stone Temple Pilots tribute into a permanent thing. You wanted the best STP tribute band in Chicago? You got the best! Current lineup starring J.P. Halloran and Nick Scelsi of Chicago’s raunchy far NW side power trio Downhole as Robert Deleo and Scott Weiland. Guitar sensation Pasquale Maurelli stars as Dean Deleo; and Tom Stukel of Sadie & The Stark stars as Eric Kretz. Hollywood Bitch’s set lists cover all years of the original lineup of STP’s musical catalogue; but the appearance and live performance usually tends to lean a little more in the direction of the band’s infamous 1999-2002 run. Hollywood Bitch is off the rails, out of control, and coming straight at you with all the stomp, sparkle, and crunch that is Stone Temple Pilots.
Mixing four-chord Ramones-inspired rock anthems with an unadulterated pornography fixation, the Nobodys have sprung forth from the fertile grounds of Colorado Springs to become the reigning Ron Jeremys of the punk rock world!
The Mr. T Experience (sometimes abbreviated MTX) is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California. They have released ten full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally.
The word gharana comes from the Hindu word ‘ghar,’ which means ‘house’ or ‘family.’ In music, the word takes on a deeper meaning, relating to a school or lineage of musicians.
Gharana is a trio consisting of Konrad Kupiec on guitar and sitar, Alex Farro on tabla and percussion, and Matt Ares on bass guitar. The group’s incarnation began when Alex and Konrad met while studying Indian classical music under the same teacher. Blending their studies of Indian music with jazz and rock influences, they’ve formed a young fusion band that will continue to grow and develop; much like the melody of a raga or the mathematical expansion of an Indian rhythm.
Gharana makes their debut performance September 11, 2016 at Reggie’s with the Alex Skolnick Trio.
Have taken the stage with such acts as: Soil, Silent Civilian, Future leaders of the world, Earthen Grave, Piranha, Gemini Syndrome, Dead Horse Trauma, the Browning. Shadows Fall, Straight line stitch, Hed P.E, Saliva
Law Of Keanu is a high energy, Three person, Chicago based band though their FrontMan or FrontWoman if You will, was actually born and raised in Michigan. Their sound comes from very strong Pop, Punk and even Folk influences.
They started playing music as a group in their early 20s. Each of them eager and ready to obtain the lives they envisioned for themselves and the only way they knew how to do that..was to play.
Black Sabbath was the epitome of heavy when I was young….. Led Zepplin…..Deep Purple……Pink Floyd, to me Black Sabbath was all that. Lord of the world is my favorite Sabbath song. It is probably the heaviest and plodding metal song ever written. I love all of their songs, but that one is my favorite. I first heard Sabbath when I was in Junior High. It was the Master of Reality album. As a whole album experience it blew me away!
I’ve always sang. I think I have Tourette Syndrome. Ozzy is so intense. Words would get stuck in my head and I had to scream them.
War Pigs is the first band I sang lead vocals for. In the past I’ve sang in the recording studio and back up vocals on stage. I actually auditioned to be the second guitarist. I was at Jeff Neal’s home recording studio and I listened to the guy who auditioned to be the singer a week earlier. I told Jeff I would like to sing a few songs. Jeff recorded it and said it sounded great. I don’t think I would have sang for them if it wasn’t for the first time we all got together. It went great and the rest is history.
I would never want to do this Black Sabbath Tribute with out Jeff, Dale, and Tom. It would never feel right for me. I am so happy that we can play to so many people to this day. The fans are the best!
Pretenders is the debut studio album by the British-American band the Pretenders, released on 7 January 1980 under Real Records (Sire Records in the United States). A combination of rock, punk and pop music, this album made the band famous. The album features the singles “Stop Your Sobbing”, “Kid” and “Brass in Pocket”.
CHRIS ISAAK “FOREVER BLUE”
Forever Blue is the fifth album by American rock and roll musician Chris Isaak, released in 1995. The album included three singles: the Grammy-nominated “Somebody’s Crying”; “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing,” which was featured in Stanley Kubrick’s final film, Eyes Wide Shut; and “Graduation Day,” featured in the 1996 film Beautiful Girls. In 1996, Forever Blue was also nominated for Best Rock Album.
Dead Larry’s powerful blend of high energy rock, dance and funk shakes the foundation of modern music. From rock driven sea shanties to pulsating dance beats. From Beatle-esque harmonies to spine chilling screams. From shake-yo-booty funk jams to orchestral themes of space and time travel. Dead Larry is one thing: Original. The band was formed in a basement in high school, and after nearly 10 years of writing, touring, and chasing the dream Dead Larry has a grown to be one of the most prominent independent rock bands coming out of the Midwest.
“An all too short set by psychedelic funk pop band, Dead Larry, from Iowa City, Iowa, was all I needed to realize where the great music truly was. Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Mark McGuiness screamed his lyrics with rock ‘n’ roll conviction to the raw and dark simplicity of the musical compromise that is the rest of the band. Each member worked their musical niche to create something greater than themselves that is Dead Larry.” – Travis Beck (The Daily Nebraskan) on Dead Larry’s set during 10,000 Lakes Festival 2008.
“Dead Larry’s music combines psychedelic rock, funk and pop to create a non-stop party.” – Tim Gavin (The Daily Iowan)
“Dead Larry is amazing! They have that rare combination of incredible diversity and substance, while still dropping funky beats that keep your booty moving!” – Mark Murphy, WookieFoot
Founded 1990 in Helsinki, AMORPHIS have worked their way to the apex of the European metal scene and won international renown. The band’s name, derived from “amorphous” (no determinate form or shape), has been programmatic for the pioneers of Finnish metal over the course of their 20-year career. Setting a diverse, intricate and unique style to their musical approach, often being described as “ahead of their time”, the band accrued a large and loyal international fan base. From their independently released demo “Disment of Soul” (1991) through the current releases, Amorphis have always fused elements of traditional heavy, death and doom metal with a great variety of non-metal influences, including folk, progressive and psychedelia, and managed to create an instantly recognizable sound of their own. The band’s break-through came in 1994 with “Tales From The Thousand Lakes”. The album won the band a massive fan base around the world, reaching a multitude of listeners among and beyond the metal community, and remains immensely popular to this day.
In the early stages of their career, Amorphis consisted of Tomi Koivusaari (guitarist and original vocalist), Esa Holopainen (guitars), Olli-Pekka Laine (bass), and Jan Rechberger (drums). Together they greatly affected the metal underground, gained recognition and soon scored a multi-album contract with Relapse Records. Shortly after, Amorphis released their debut album, “The Karelian Isthmus”. Receiving an impressive response, the band chose to venture further into melodic terrain, adding progressive keyboard sounds here and clean guest vocals (performed by Ville Tuomi of Kyyria) there. The result was the classic “Tales From The Thousand Lakes”, which to this day is considered to be one of the most groundbreaking albums in the doom/death genre. For the first time incorporating lyrics from the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala, the album also was the first true manifestation of the influential Amorphis sound: a seamless combination of intoxicating melodies and aggressive sounds delivered with both clean and harsh vocals.
The success of “Tales From The Thousand Lakes” provided Amorphis with the opportunity to tour the European continent several times, and followed by their first US tour in late 1994. Shortly thereafter, the band underwent some major musical and line-up changes. Continuing to feature lyrics based on traditional Finnish folk poetry, the third album “Elegy” introduced a new vocalist, Pasi Koskinen. This adjustment proclaimed a significant transformation in Amorphis’ career. Pasi’s unique vocals brought a new setting to the music, which now concentrated more on compelling keyboard atmospheres, psychedelic guitar sounds and a distinctive arrangement of the vocals, delivered by both Tomi and Pasi. Encouraged by popular and critical approval, the band members took three years to prepare their next album, honing the newfound style to perfection. “Tuonela” was liberally sprinkled with 1970s-style psychedelic touches and marked another great leap ahead for Amorphis, and its successor, “Am Universum” delved even further into progressive soundscapes.
In 2003, Amorphis released “Far From The Sun”. While closer to the band’s metal roots than the previous longplayer, the album was again very relaxed and melodic as ever, spiced with Far Eastern touches as well as progressive elements in the vein of Pink Floyd. In the late summer of 2004, long-time singer Pasi Koskinen left the band, and Tomi Joutsen (Sinisthra) joined around the end of the year. With a new singer and new energy, the band recorded “Eclipse”, an acclaimed masterpiece that combined the best-loved elements of Amorphis’ unique sound with fresh vigour. The album went straight to the top of the Finnish charts and was followed by triumphant live appearances all over Europe before the band retreated again to the recording studio.
“Eclipse” was followed by “Silent Waters” in the late summer of 2007. The dynamic and emotional range of the new songs, all of which were based on a single episode from the Kalevala, went beyond any of Amorphis’ earlier albums, yet at the same time hearkened back to the band’s past output in all its diversity. The release of the new album was preceded by a string of festival appearances – including Germany’s famous Wacken Open Air – and immediately followed by a five-week Finnish tour. The remainder of 2007 found Amorphis in Europe, Russia and Japan, whereas in 2008 they played in southeastern Europe, at a multitude of festivals and, during the fall, in the USA and Canada.
The new album “Skyforger” shares the lyrical concept of the two previous albums, its central character being Kalevala blacksmith Ilmarinen. Musically, the band soars to unprecedented heights; not abandoning the cherished ingredients of their sound but rather refining them, augmenting them with fresh elements, and delivering them with breathtaking passion and intensity. Both the album and the single “Silver Bride” went straight to number one in the Finnish charts, and the live qualities of the new songs were immediately tested and proven on the summer’s festival stages. In September, Amorphis went on their first-ever tour of Latin America, followed by the extensive Forging Europe Tour in the fall. In the summer of 2010, the band presented its first-ever live DVD, which includes two full shows recorded in 2009 as well as a career-spanning documentary. The release coincided with the 20th anniversary of Amorphis, which in addition was honored by a compilation of re-recorded classic tracks, released in September 2010.
Nostalgia, however, is not what this band is about. Granted, The Beginning Of Times (2011) showcases their trademark style in perfection, including plenty of reference to the death metal days, yet at the same time it proves that Amorphis have lost none of their progressive edge and experimental spirit. Doing honor to protagonist Väinämöinen, the Kalevala‘s central character whom myth credits for bringing music into the world, the band brought forth its most versatile and nuanced effort to date; in terms of performance and arrangements as well as rythms and sounds. Iikka Kahri, whose flute and saxophone already graced several songs on Skyforger, was back in the fold, Tomi Koivusaari added a few discreet touches of pedal steel guitar and Santeri balanced the 1970s prog and 1990s death elements with a synth vocabulary straight out of the eighties. More noticeable still was the addition of Netta Dahlberg’s backing vocals, which beautifully complement Tomi Joutsen’s lead – most poignantly on “Mermaid” and “Soothsayer” but also, for example, on the single You I Need. Besides another number one in Finland, The Beginning Of Times also earned Amorphis their first-ever Top 20 rating in Germany.
At the outset of the third decade, Amorphis continue their musical journey creative as ever – not confined to any predetermined shape, yet always instantly recognizable, always true to their own vision, and always unique.
On August 21, 2012, Amorphis announced on their website that a new album was in the works. On January 17, 2013, the band announced the title and release date for their next record. Circle was released on April 19 in Europe and April 30th in North America. On September 16, 2013, Circle won Metal Hammer´s “The Album of The Year” award. Esa Holopainen on the award, “For us, Album of the Year award is a great recognition for the work done so far. Especially when we got it from our 11th studioalbum.”
On August 4, 2014, Amorphis announced on their website and through social media that they would be playing a number of special Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows where their 1994 album would be performed in its entirety. Tales from the Thousand Lakes 20th Anniversary shows included festivals such as Wacken Open Air, Maryland Deathfest, and 70000 Tons of Metal with many other tour dates and festivals included.
The band began demoing new songs at the start of 2015, and in 4 March of that same year, it was announced that Amorphis will begin to record a new in album in April 2015, at Fascination Street Studio, Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren.
The lyrics will be written once again by Pekka Kainulainen, who says “Like ‘Kalevala’, they are descriptions of natural phenomena, seasons and the human mind. Reoccuring situations where hope and uncertainty alternate. Attempting to gain advice from higher powers. The poems do not form a complete story per se, but they are drawn together by a certain theme. We live under a red cloud and once again, time weighs us.”
The release of the new album will be followed by a world tour, starting with shows in the band’s home country of Finland, then other parts of Europe with Nightwish & Arch Enemy in November 2015.
In 15 June 2015, it was announced that the title for the twelfth studio full-length album is Under The Red Cloud, with the artwork and tracklist revealed and with a worldwide release date of 4 September 2015 by Nuclear Blast Records.
The Dead Hands are an alternative rock band from the Chicago area.
In June 2013 The Dead Hands won WGN’s Breakthrough Band worth a $10,000 recording at I.V. Labs in Chicago! They head off to the studio in November 2013.
The Following is from the August 1st 2013 issue of The Joliet Herald Newspaper.
Denise M. Baran a free lance writer for the paper interviews The Dead Hands.
“They just sounded different and that was pretty obvious during sound check,” said Tom Barnas, segment producer for Midday News. “Their vocals and their playing was tight. Their songs packed a punch. They just had this air about them.”
“It’s the only thing we have a good connection with,” Wilcox said. “We play from our heart and soul. Our name, The Dead Hands, means that we will never stop playing music until our hands die.”
At first, The Dead Hands concentrated on cover songs but after Wilcox shared an original he’d written, everyone wanted to focus their efforts on producing original songs.
“You can make good money playing covers,” Wilcox said, “but if you want to be known for your music, you have to play originals.”
The Dead Hands quickly recorded a music video and submitted it. Amazed, they watched it speed through the online viewer voting process to the Top Ten and then the Top Two.
Submissions came from all over the United States.
In 2012, the contest attracted a million hits on the web site, Barnas said.
“They put some camera onstage and said, ‘Play a couple of songs,’” Wilcox said. “They used clips from those songs through the news and they did some live interviews with us, too. It was pretty fun.”
Barnas could not stress enough the significance of winning this contest and he plans to bring The Dead Hands back on the air once they release their EP!!!!!!
Rebels in Stereo is a Chicago based punk rock band formed in May 2014 when Jimmy Natividad and Kristyne Operzedek from the punk outfit Warhellride decided to continue making music together after the band went hiatus. Witnessing their next project, Dead Scene Revival, being torn apart by egos and attitudes, Jimmy and Kristyne regrouped and aligned with guitarist Johnny Morzy. Through a revolving door of lineup changes, personal tribulations and setbacks from the trio, the band soldiered on and continued to write music. In June 2016, bassist Kevin Villani (Nightfall Radio) and vocalist Hillary (Syntheticism) joined the fold, rounding out a quintet delivering a rambunctious wall of sound mixed with complex pop sensibilities and raw emotion.
We are FACE YOUR MAKER, a 4 piece Deathcore/Slam influenced band based out of Los Angeles California, driven by world issues that the human race turns a blind eye to, hate, revenge, greed and exposing the hypocrisy of today’s society. Our sound blends with fast aggressiveness while keeping it heavy and violent. Our music can be described as lacerating, slamming heaviness, bone-crushing, grinding, and grimy grooves with a combination of chugging.
We strive to bring an intense energy to the stage that keeps the crowd moving, moshing, and head banging from start to finish. We work with likeminded artists to create merchandise that represents our sound.
Oginalii, (meaning “my friend” in Cherokee) was conceived between two friends in Nashville, Tenn. as a fruition of successful songwriting endeavors. Oginalii is now a full band of collaborative and unique musical talents and styles, playing together to create what others call an indie, psychedelic and native rock sound. Powerhouse vocals, tasty tasty guitar, a goddess of a drummer (who wrote this?) and a sound that can’t be compared. Just come to a show, and hang.
Radio City is the second album by the American rock group Big Star. Released in 1974, Radio City was recorded during 1973 at Memphis’ Ardent Studios. Though not a commercial success at the time, it is now recognized as a milestone album in the history of power pop music.
Rapper from VH1’s Black Ink Chicago.
I’m different from any other artist out there. I put my all in every song. I’m what you call a real MC. ALL I ASK FOR IS SUPPORT AND A LITTLE LOVE. IS THAT ALOT TO ASK PHOR?
An emerging Americana duo based in Kansas City, Mikal Shapiro and Chad Brothers deliver classic country and folk music alongside critically acclaimed originals. Strengthened by Shapiro’s lyrical prowess and Brothers world-class flat picking, the couple showcases their craft with simple harmonies, stellar guitar interplay and great chemistry.
Chad Brothers was raised in Winfield, Kansas, home of the International Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival. There he cut his chops on Pecan Grove stages and in late night picking circles. His approach to the guitar reflects a love for classic melodies, rock and roll, acoustic flat picking and an ear for invention.
Mikal Shapiro is a Kansas City songwriter whose musical influences span popular songs, psych rock, lounge and old time spirituals. A third generation storyteller, she draws inspiration from her travels, love life, and the state of the Union. She has toured extensively across the United States and recorded five albums including three solo albums.
The Kansas City Star, Deli Magazine and Wednesday MidDay Medley declared Mikal’s new album “The Musical” to be one of the top releases of 2015.
Named after the sky god of Mongolian shamanism, Tengger Cavalry blends overtone throat singing, Mongolian horse-head fiddle and other nomadic music tradition of Central Asia with heavy rock music, creating a crossover genre – Nomadic Folk Metal
Current lineup:
Nature Ganganbaigal (vocal & guitar), Alex Abayev (bass), Josh Schifris (drum), Uljmuren (fiddle) and Robert McLaughlin (fiddle).
Formed in 2012 in Denver USA, doomed heavy metal outfit KHEMMIS has released a body of work which paints a unique portrait of the human condition, weaving together influences from all corners of the metal music world. They transcend the genre boundaries of traditional doom metal with their elegant yet dramatic compositions and diverse array of influences.
Debut record Absolution earned the group outright critical praise from the underground, including a place on Decibel’s “Top 40 Albums of the Year” list. Hunted broke down even more barriers, earning KHEMMIS widespread recognition. The record received glowing reviews at MetalSucks, Metal Injection and Pitchfork, as well as a spot in Rolling Stone’s “20 Best Metal Albums of 2016” list and Decibel’s highly sought after “Album of the Year” accolade. Not many bands out there can boast about being compared to the likes of THIN LIZZY, ZZ TOP, PARADISE LOST, MY DYING BRIDE and JUDAS PRIEST.
In 2018, after wrapping up the Decibel Magazine Tour with Enslaved, Wolves In The Throne Room and Myrkur, the excitement for KHEMMIS’ third album Desolation was palpable across the metal spectrum. From the stadium-sized opening notes of “Bloodletting” to the epic closer “From Ruin, ”it is immediately evident that KHEMMIS again put distance between themselves and their earlier influences to inform a sound that is singularly their own. Though undeniably influenced by doom and classic metal, to tag the quartet with those labels doesn’t do justice to what they’ve accomplished. Theirs is a perfect representation of modern heavy metal that integrates the past in a way only possible with the faculty of hindsight. The album earned widespread critical praise from the global metal press and marked the band’s first appearance on the Billboard charts. Tours with The Black Dahlia Murder and Pig Destroyer, a series of headlining North American tours, as well as appearances at Roadburn, Heavy Montreal, and Domination Fest in Mexico City, expanded the growing legion of Khemmis fans around the world.
Restlessly awakening from the depths of a feverish slumber, KHEMMIS has returned with their fourth full length studio album, Deceiver, arriving via Nuclear Blast Records in November 2021. Six tracks of soul-awakening heaviness encapsulate a project nearly three years in the making. While the lyrical themes of Deceiver–sorrow, pain, longing for hope–will no doubt be familiar to longtime fans, these songs display a broader collection of musical influences than on any other KHEMMIS record to date. With a title that reflects the internal struggles that many of us battle in our daily lives, Deceiver is a ferociously honest and appetizingly raw piece of musical artistry which has already earned universal acclaim from publications around the world, including Metal Hammer, Decibel Magazine, Kerrang!, and many more.
When you hear it, it’s thick, it comes straight from the chest, and pulls you past that point of no return. Every lick and harmony is emotionally crafted to give you more than just a sonic experience, but a personal connection to what you hear. Royal won’t stand to stay between your ears. Royal will get in your gut and no one will be able to put out the flame.
In a time when the death metal genre has longed for acts that provide true innovation while maintaining the passion of the style’s forefathers, Wisconsin’s Ara has created a sound over the course of two releases that gives the genre the shot of artistic savagery it needs. Rather than littering their compositions with flurries of notes that champion an alienating complexity over songwriting craft and still not falling victim to the tongue in cheek homage riffing that makes up the old school revival, Ara delivers compositions that bear no compromise to the current sounds that pass for extreme and instead carves an identity for itself where few debut releases dare to tread.
The gospel of modern black metal has fallen upon deaf ears in the Middle West. The constant barrage of sonic masturbation has been disregarded as pedantic puppetry. A Hill to Die Upon has refused the banner of the hypocritical avant-garde in order to sow a new standard. Drawing on the philosophical treatises of ancient Greece, lyricist and drummer R. Michael Cook and his brother Adam have fashioned a new philosophy for their art. Carrying little for creating something new or unique, the brothers instead focus their energies on creating art that is honest and well honed, using art itself as the defining theme of lyrics and inspiration for the music. After three albums, A Hill to Die Upon is simply making art about art. The brothers are delving deep into a meta-artistic milieu which will be the furnace for the forging of their fourth work.
“All of these ignoble qualities in literature arise from one cause— from the passion for novel ideas which is the dominant craze among the writers of today…” – Longinus, On the Sublime
Along with releasing 3 full length albums, A Hill to Die Upon has toured all throughout the United States as well as played several shows and festivals in Mexico, England, Norway, Denmark, and Switzerland. AHTDU has shared the stage with such bands as Exhumed, Abigail Williams, Goatwhore, The Black Dahlia Murder, Abysmal Dawn, Ringworm, Black Anvil, Living Sacrifice and many more.
After years of wrapping her vocals around the intense and infectious beats of Group 1 Crew, Blanca’s voice moves center stage on her new album and the result is nothing short of uplifting. The debut self-titled release from multiple-award winning, critically acclaimed powerhouse vocalist, Blanca, is set to release on May 4, 2015. Lead single, Who I Am takes her signature sound to a new and distinct soul/pop, hip-hop vibe, indicating a different artistic direction, while opening the door to new collaborations with Reach Records Grammy-
Award winning rapper, Lecrae, and Tedashii and Blanca has already performed in front of over ½ million fans as part of Winter Jam 2015, which Pollstar named the number one most-attended tour in the world in quarter one for the past four years.
Kevin Burgess, now better known by his stage name KB, is a rapper. His latest EP 100 debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Christian Album Chart, #4 on Billboard’s Rap Chart and respectfully at #22 on Billboard’s coveted Top 200 Album Chart. He’s won a Dove Award (Nominated twice), been a Recording Academy featured artist on Grammy.com and has received critical acclaim from his peers and media such as Billboard Magazine and The Blaze. He’s toured nationally with Tenth Avenue North and is scheduled to join Trip Lee for the upcoming “Rise Tour.” But like so many musicians that came before him, KB, the rapper, almost never happened.
At birth, the doctor didn’t think he’d ever be able to talk or even speak clearly. Fortunately, KB was able to overcome this ailment, but hip-hop was frowned upon in his household, forcing the youngster to seek a safer instrument for musical expression. “I grew up in a structured military family. In my house, you couldn’t listen to hip-hop,” KB explains. “I used to hide in a closet and listen to it on my Walkman.” KB hails from Tampa, FL by way of an Air Force base close to East St. Louis. Along the way, KB, thirsting for an outlet for his love of music with a desperate need for expression, picked up the trumpet. Fast forward to the present and KB has already released a mixtape, a widely successful debut album and is working on his second hip-hop studio album. And in what was once considered the disfavored music of his childhood, KB has discovered redemption.
Jake Mack is an Americana and blues-based Rock artist out of Chicagoland specializing in original material and select covers. He is joined in his Trio by Zach Goforth – bass/vocal and Dan Knighten – drums. Heavily influenced by artists like The Who, Chris Whitley, Jason Isbell, and Sam & Dave, Jake Mack Trio ties these diverse styles together to create music that is gritty and soulful, yet at times, cleanly defined and refined.
Who knows how they will feel about us when they come back. Will they decide to give us more knowledge again, and moretechnical advancement and more civilization, or will they decide that we are no good, as happened at
the time of the Deluge, and try to get rid of us?
Reality Something is the joint effort of Elena Franklin, Kingsley Brock, Ethan Place and Bill Grasely, and is collectively based in Nashville, TN. Their self-titled EP, fronted entirely by Franklin and released in 2015, demonstrates a strong kinship to alternative rock, and the front women present therein. This is especially true lyrically; Franklin confesses and observes in diary-like fashion, as stark, honest and deliberate as the genre she typifies. Though new, the arcs here are clear and fully realized, the documentation relentless and explorative, with Franklin already prolific in her own manifestation of the DIY aesthetic. The additions of Brock– who for his part as lead guitarist, leans toward the warmer, expressionistic nature of 70s rock– and Place and Grasely (drums and bass, respectively), heavily significant in balancing and emphasizing their counterparts– come together to culminate in an outfit both that is timely, nostalgic, and vital.
