A year after the release of …Of Exile, Scythia delivered their EP For The Bear…. This extended play once again embodies their neo-classical folk metal with an oboe. What make Schytha’s sound “fun” is their use of group vocals. This gives it a “fun for everyone” type of vibe. While quite good, For The Bear only contains a few new songs, plus 3 remixes from their debut album …Of War. It’s a decent effort to tide fans over, but more new material is certainly desired. If you pick up a copy of this EP, shout along till you lose your voice!
Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, Abriosis has dominated the local death metal scene sharing the stage with established acts such as Hate Eternal, Origin, Abysmal Dawn, Vital Remains, and Jucifer to name a few. Through these shows the band has built a fan base and the support needed to release their powerful EP, Vessel.
Hardcore bands seem to always put on the most intense shows, I find. One of these such groups is none other then Solid State Records artists and Greensboro, NC natives, To Speak Of Wolves. This band simply destroys stages and homes with their hectic live performances. To assist with said destruction, guitarist Corey Doran uses a Sovtek Mig 60 Head in his rig. Check out why this head does the trick for his amazing sound!
Quebec is a province increasingly known for its killer metal bands. Groups such as Blackguard, The Agonist, Derelict, and Endast have risen from this part of French Canada each making a significant name for themselves within our growing loud music scene. Newly-formed metal act BornBroken could now also possibly join the ranks of these such bands affirming once again why Quebec is the place for metal!
In the far, far away land of British Columbia, Canada, there once was a group of boys (Ian Casselman, Mike Ayley, Matt Webb, and Josh Ramsay) who came together to create music under the moniker Marianas Trench. Every time they released new music, boys and girls everywhere listened with joy as MT took them on a musical journey. In 2011 Ever After was released and brought with it the highly popular singles “Haven’t Had Enough” and “Fallout”.
Every year fans wait for Warped Tour to hit their town for a day of punk, rock, pop, and metal. It is a day for the musical misfits to run wild. No Room For Rockstars is a documentary about the road festival in 2010. Hosting the film is Mitch Lucker (Suicide Silence), Christofer Drew Ingle (Never Shout Never), Mike Posner and Forever Came Calling. The film helps the viewer see the festival from a musician’s point of view. We can see the good and the bad aspects of the tour that can either make or break a group.
Anatomy Of I released their debut album, Substratum, in 2011 containing 10 thrashy death metal songs. The trio (Michael Dorrian, Dirk Verbeuren and Steve Di Giorgio), rip off heavy instrumentals and dirty growls. With their thrash elements, Dirk Verbeuren has been able to hasten the drums giving the songs a deadlier tone as it gets the listeners heart pumping. The only objection I have towards the recordings are the poor quality bass tracks toning down the aggression.
With a great response to Rushing Through The Sky, Schoolcraft has decided to record a cover of the smash hit “Change (In The House Of Flies)” from the behemoth Deftones. Take a listen and download the track below.
British Columbia has offspring-ed a vast amount of great metal bands such as Unleash The Archers, Without Mercy, 3 Inches Of Blood, and of course Titan’s Eve. The band recently released their sophomore album Life Apocalypse, following up their 2011 debut The Divine Equal.
The colour grey is not quite dark like black, nor light like white. The same goes for the band Greys. They’re not heavy like hardcore, but are also not soft like alternative. Instead they sit somewhere in the middle, a grey area, with a dirty yet soft sound that affords them an edgy rock vibe. As with the music, the band’s vocals also present a duality in that they are shouted, but also sung.
During Otep’s recent “Destroy To Create Tour”, they recorded their debut live album Sounds Like Armageddon. This release offers 11 songs spanning the band’s entire career (2001-2012) and includes hits such as “Blood Pigs”, “Confrontation”, “T.R.I.C.”, and many more.
California’s a legendary place for punk rock having birthed bands such as The Offspring, AFI, Guttermouth, and of course The Bombpops; the latter of whom recently released an EP entitled Stole The TV via Red Scare. This band features not one, but two female front women who are conveniently backed by two men. Can we say ABBA of punk rock?
St. Catharines alternative rockers Aria recently and independently released their full-length album We Are All Prisoners. The offering consists of 10 tracks that are each infused with melody and emotion. While the music may be simple, but as a unit the group have created a solid sound. The predominant focus for Aria is Bianca Dyrland’s voice which is both powerful and moody, and delivers an attitude that demands to be taken seriously.