Category: DJ Highlights

Besides “blegh!” gutturals are my other favorite things in a metal song. Gutturals are when the vocalist can hit a really low note that almost sounds distorted. These are insane and always make the song 10 times better. I love gutturals that transition into pig squeals. Pig squeals are sick as hell and I love when vocalist can hit gutturals live!! It is extremely hard to hit a low note live but some vocalists can hit them with ease (I love it).

Unanswered – Suicide Silence (featuring Phil Bozeman from Whitechapel)

When Mitch Lucker (former singer of Suicide Silence) passed away back in 2012, the band had a benefit concert for Lucker’s daughter and vocalists came out and did one song with the band in honor of Mitch. It was such a cool idea and I am happy that it was successful. Phil Bozeman came on stage to perform Unanswered. This song starts with a beating and it keeps pounding throughout the entire song. Bozeman’s voice is so powerful throughout, and he did some of the craziest gutturals. AND HE DID THEM LIVE!!! Phil is a boss. I wish Suicide Silence would record this song with Bozeman on vocals, it was lit.

The Somatic Defilement – Whitechapel

Okay, so you already know that Whitechapel was going to be on here because Bozeman is the king of gutturals. This song is off their first record (The Somatic Defilement) and it is started with a little drum solo and then the guitars kick in with a dark and heavy riff. Then, Bozeman yells into the mic. The song picks up and as expected, Bozeman does one of the nastiest gutturals ever. The music stops and all you can hear is his voice. IT IS INSANE!! Then the music kicks back in with a groovy riff and some blast beats… Love it!!! This song is amazing live btw.

*** HONORARY MENTION**** Brimstone off of Whitechapel’s new album, The Valley, is pretty sick, too.

Sworn Adherent – A Wake in Providence

The vocalist for this band always sounds like he is gutturalizing (is that a word? I’m going with it). His voice is strong and powerful and can go up to different ranges and speeds. This song has one of my favorite gutturals because it’s crispy and thick (sounds like I am describing bacon), and it is right before a beatdown!!! Also throughout the song, he does little pig squeals like “EEEPPP” with insane double bass and it’s just sick. I love it.

Kill or Be Killed – Spite

SPITE CULT AYYYEEEE!!!!! Spite is so good, if you haven’t seen them I highly suggest that you do. This song instantly kicks off, and then you can hear Darius, their vocalist, barking into the mic. You can’t help but to start jamming once that kicks in. Darius transitions his voice from yelling/screams to gutturals and pig squeals so easily and he can also do it live!!! He is one of my favorite vocalists because of his technique and stage presence.

Dwell – Traitors

Are you surprised that Traitors made it onto my list? Because I’m not. Their vocalist, Tyler, also has some of the best vocals that I have heard. He sounds like he is always doing gutturals because he usually uses a deeper voice in their songs. He has some killer lows throughout this song, and some insane pig squeals (mainly when he says “I scream”). You will not be disappointed with this song, I promise. And their singer sounds the same live!!! They are such a great band live and they always have some of the craziest mosh pits during their show.

What are some of your favorite songs that have gutturals?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW  

I listen to a lot of music, but if there is one thing that excites me the most (besides gutturals) are “BLEGHS” during a breakdown. There are a lot of bands that use “blegh!” in their songs to intensify the breakdown. I don’t know why but a good “blegh” makes the song 10 times better.

I will be counting down my top 5 favorite “bleghs.” Did any of your favorite songs make my list?

The River – Wage War  

This is one of the first songs I heard from Wage War. The song starts off immediately with a killer riff that you can’t help but mosh or headbang. Not even a minute into the song and we already hear a good ole “BLEGH!” and if you weren’t jamming before the “blegh,” you definitely will be afterward. Overall, this song is a banger and I highly suggest that if you haven’t listened to Wage War, start off with this song.

Lost In The Static – After The Burial

This song gives me Arabian vibes; think, a snake coming out of a basket type vibe. Lost In The Static have killer riffs that really groove and you can’t help but jam. The whole song is building up to the breakdown that will soon have a nasty “BLEGH” that will then lead to a killer breakdown. This song is great to see live, the pits are always impressive.

Dead – Chelsea Grin

This song is off Chelsea Grin’s most recent record, Eternal Nightmare, with new singer Tom Barber (former singer of Lorna Shore). This is the first song off the record, and what a great song they chose to start off with. You first hear the rattling of chains and then you hear a girl screaming. Then the music kicks in and you hear Tom growl. The riff continues and BOOM there’s a “BLEIGH” to kick off the song. I can’t think of any better way to start it off!   

Dark Days – Parkway Drive

This is one of my favorite songs by Parkway Drive because the combination of riffs, breakdowns, and vocals is absolutely perfect. The song builds up and will get the listener amped up, then when building up the energy, a “BLEGH” is thrown in during a groovy headbanging riff. This song also has a cool guitar solo that fits in well with the ongoing riff. Overall, this song is awesome and you should totally listen to it. 

Arrogance – Traitors

Once I found this band… oh my god. Traitors’ sound is very intense, brutal, and dark. They have some of the best chunky riffs and don’t even get me started on the vocals, they are insane!! Their singer can sound like that live – sometimes even better than on the record! Arrogance is one of my favorite songs because of how dark and chunky it is. The whole song has a heavy vibe to it with some 2 step type beat. Unlike the other songs, this “BLEGH” comes right at the end of the song and the singer drops an F-bomb just before it. How more metal can you get?

Did any of your favorite “BLEGHS” make my list? What are some of your favorite songs that include a good “blegh?”

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Now, I know that I say, “this is one of my favorite songs” a lot. But these songs below are my all-time favorite songs. These are some of the tunes that I can listen to and never get tired of them. The songs never fail to put me in a good mood, and if you ever see me listening to these songs, you will also see some terrible dance moves… you have been warned.

Fixated on Devastation – Dying Fetus

Okay, let me just say that Dying Fetus has got to be one of the greatest bands. It is crazy to me that THREE guys are producing this wall of sound. I remember when I first saw them live, I was in awe because I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing. The song starts off with blazing speed, then festers into a fat groove behind chanting barks. This song is a beating, and it is great. Both the bass player and the guitarists sing and they transition amongst the two beautifully. The song then ends immediately leaving you wanting more.

The Saw Is The Law – Whitechapel

C’mon… Do I really have to explain why this is one of my favorite songs?  Hint: look at my name (The Saw). This song has a killer riff that starts it off and it’s a bop. Phil Bozeman’s growls are always amazing and this song is no exception. This song just makes you want to bounce and the chorus is a great anthem to shout back at Phil and the band.

Chopped in Half – Obituary

Obituary is one of my favorite bands (and this song is off my favorite album, Cause of Death)!!! They sound great on all of their records but they sound even better live! The first three chords in the song immediately give away that the song is Chopped in Half. John Tardy has a distinct guttural that sounds like he is dying (which is so metal, btw) and after the second line, “feel the blood spill from your mouth” the song soon picks up with some double bass and starts to jam. This song is a banger and I can do a mean Jon Tardy impression. As a bonus, live, this song is usually followed by Turned Inside Out. So, you first are chopped in half, and then turned inside out.

Texas Blood Money – Upon A Burning Body

Speaking of anthems, this song is one of the best anthems that I have ever heard. The song starts off with them yelling, “the stars and stripes are big and bright *clap clap clap* deep in the hearts of Texas!” Then the song kicks in and I can imagine a circle pit in my mind. Now you wanna talk about a rowdy crowd?! When UABB play this song live, everyone goes crazy during the anathematic chorus, “everything is bigger in Texas, loaded double barrel blow you to pieces!!” UABB are big Pantera fans, and they lifted “Re. Spect. Walk.” in the background of this song. And to top it all off, UABB dedicated this song to yours truly during one of their shows.

Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie

When I was born, the radio would play this song all the time. And when I was 4, I made a choreographed dance where I would lay on the ground like I was dead and then walk around like I was, in fact, a living dead girl. Rob Zombie is always creating some groovy songs and you can’t help but dance when this song comes on. Baby Saw and adult Saw love this song. And no, I do not do my choreographed dance anymore.

Did any of your favorite songs make my list? What are your favorite songs of all-time?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

The industry is so cluttered nowadays that often times, trying to discover good new artists can be a chore. Many new artists, however, deserve all the recognition, specifically in the Underground scene. There are 5 artists specifically that take the cake for being a must listen right now in the industry.

 (1) Tierra Whack

Tierra has gotten increasing fame with her new single; Hungry Hippo which is an encaptivating hit for all who listen. Her soulful voice which frequents tenor contrasts her playful beats which in all, provides for a vibe like no other. Her songs range around 2 minutes which is weird but effective as after the song is over, you are dying to hear more.

(2) Lizzo

You may know her as the girl who pulled out a flute at the BET awards but, her music deserves all the praise as well. Her shouting vocals, fun lyrics, yet soulful vibe make her an exciting listen. She is inevitably on the come up and has received praise from figures as notable as Rihanna. Needless to say, you should give her a listen.

(3) Tia Corine

Tia is actually a local artist from Winston Salem, NC. Her bubblegum rap style is hard yet fun, and her beats are all headbangers while not even being that bass heavy. Yea, she’s just that good. Her single, Lotto, remains my favorite and most listen worthy song. Her portfolio isn’t too extensive as she is very early in her career yet, all of them are bops, literally. 

(4) Azizi Gibson

Azizi is one of my top 10 favs. His lyrics are fun yet, real. His production is flawless and bass heavy. His voice is melodic yet hard and his concepts are so authentic and fresh as they talk about ideas ranging from depression to how 1996 and 2006 were the best twerking eras. His most recent albums; Backward Books 2 and Xenophile are simply works of art so please, listen.

(5) Duckwrth

Duckwrth is an artist who has a lot of potential for going mainstream because he is very appealing to a multitude of audiences. His sound is very abstract as it consists of Techno influence as well as heavy Hip Hop influence. His voice is extremely charismatic and personal and his songs are in all, hella cool. He was featured on the Spiderman album in the song; ‘Start a Riot’ with Shaboozy though he is still technically an Underground artist…for now.

 -Lul Bulma

If you know me you know I love Robb Bank$. His clever anime references, his unbeatable flow, and his South Florida twang just create the perfect sounds. He has gone from a Tumblr boy to being signed by Rich Gang and he has stayed true to himself and his authenticity the whole time. From Mollyworld to C2 Death of My Teenage, Shaggy’s son has really become an underground superstar. However great I think Robb Bank$ is, many people still sleep on him so without further adieu, I am going to list the top three best Robb Bank$ that you should give a listen (in no particular order).

(1) I Need a 2nd on Mollyworld is definitely an all time fav. It’s just so smooth and provides such an easy listen. The lyrics are both comical and clever and they entice you to vibe with the music whether you know the song or not. Also, the end of the song features an audio clip beginning to explain why Griffith (Robb Bank$ alter ego and main character from the anime Berserk) did nothing wrong which is so cool to me.

(2) Below (ft. Austin Paul). This song is simply amazing. It mixes Austin Pau;’s smooth indie sound with Robb Bank$’s chill almost melodic twang. The song sounds very different from a lot of things I’ve ever heard before and transports you into a whole other dimension when blasting it in your car (In a good way).

(3) Pressure. This song is one of my favorites simply because of how he integrates anime references and remains sounding so hard. At the end of the first verse he raps; “Inside Sasuke, the outside Naruto… chakra flow Orochimaru, Hiraikotsu with the karma, who the f*** want it with Madara.” Though this may sound like a whole other language to some, if you watch Naruto you’ll be able to note that this is one of the hardest lines ever.

Disclaimer: These songs require parental advisory. Sorry kids :/

Lul Bulma

This generation of hip hop is notorious for being fashion-forward and a little out there. This trend began around the early 2010s, during the same time that social media began to integrate itself into pop culture. There are two artists that specifically spearheaded this movement; A$AP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator. Rocky’s fashion killa flare and Tyler’s straight up weirdness allowed rap culture to develop into something more than gangsta rap. But; who had a bigger influence? Before A$AP Rocky, wearing designer clothes as a male in hip hop was seen as gay. The farthest rappers would go as far as fashion was BAPE, which is a street-wear brand. When Rocky came out, he was so suave and charismatic, that everything he did was admirable, including being into fashion. Essentially, he made being a pretty boy cool for the first time ever. Because of his influence, we see all notable rappers rocking designer clothes regardless of what they’re wearing. Some (like Young Thug for example) have even modeled on the runway as thousands of fans watched in admiration. Though this is a pretty big contribution, the impact that Tyler, the Creator is pretty large as well. Though people don’t like to admit it, Tyler, the Creator was the first weirdo in rap to personify his odd sense of self through his music and be successful. His lyrics were wild and out of pocket yet, he became an admirable figure in the culture as he represented the purest form of authenticity. He made being weird cool. Before he was introduced into the scene, you had to wear Jordans and Polos and Nike socks to be in the in-crowd. Because of his influence, however, the in-crowd was redefined to shine a light on the kids who actually used to be considered weird. Vans, skating, graphic tees, and wearing a wide array of colors, became ‘it’ and dressing and acting like everybody else became lame. Though his influence is very vast, I still can’t discern whether he or A$AP changed the culture more. What do you think?

It was back in 2017 at the Carolina Rebellion that I met Jose Mangin. Who is he you ask? Mangin is SiriusXM’s Metal Ambassador and hosts SiriusXM Liquid Metal and Octane. Like myself, Mangin has been a metalhead his entire life. He is married and has 2 daughters. He is also a businessman! Sponsored by Mexican beer maker, Modelo, and co-owner of Riazul premium tequila, and rock ‘n roll clothing company Affliction.

He attended chemistry classes at the University of Arizona and attended the University of Tennessee for graduate school, pursuing a pharmacy degree. He began his radio career in college while working at his college radio station. He won an award for his on-air skills, and soon he left graduate school and moved to New Jersey to begin his new career.

I had not come up with the idea of The Saw, yet, when I met Mangin. I was still just a fan of metal, and Mangin has always been one of my favorite DJ’s because of his love for metal. I saw him on the ferris wheel and I waited by the exit so I could meet him. He was really cool and talked to me about metal music for a couple of minutes. I met him very briefly, but I remember that day as if it was yesterday.

I look up to Jose Mangin for many reasons. I see myself in him because we both grew up metalheads and have loved metal our whole lives. How we both got started in radio is similar, too, because I am now working at my college radio station. He gets to interview, see, and hang out with bands/artists that I have been a fan of for years. He has shown me that with hard work, I can achieve my dreams and continue The Saw’s Butcher Shop even after college.

One day I hope to see Jose Mangin again and tell him about my show and possibly interview him. I would love to sit down and talk to him about all things metal.

Who is your role model? Have you ever met them?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Throughout all of hip hop history, there are only a few artists that fans will identify as the GOAT (greatest of all time). For this generation, the most widely agreed upon of these artists are; Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Gucci Mane, Kid Cudi, and Young Thug. Of these four, Gucci Mane and Lil Wayne undoubtedly have the most influence on today’s rap culture, but who has more? Lil Wayne is notorious for his cultural impact. In fact, on his latest album, The Carter V, the song Dedicate boosts some of his most notable achievements (in terms of influence) including both his physical and lyrical impact. The most apparent impact Lil Wayne has given to the culture is his name. Though Lil Wayne was actually the second rapper to put ‘Lil’ in front of his name (proceeding Lil Troy by only a year), he is definitely the reason behind the large population of ‘Lil’ rappers today which include; Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby, Lil Pump, Lil Yachty, and countless others. Wayne was also one the first to make gang life cool (Behind Snoop Dogg). As bad as that sounds, before him, rappers did not often shout out gangs. Nowadays, there are thousands of rappers, underground and mainstream, who actively rep a gang whether they belong to it or not (like Young Thug for example with his constant mention of “Slime”, which is actually a gang reference). Wayne is also one of the first rappers to build a collaborative label run by artists in which all artists are successful (Young Money), which is seen now in labels like Quality Control and Bad Boy. More things that Wayne is credited for are; integrating face tats into rap culture and having merch develop into its own brand. He was notably also the first rapper to buy a Bugatti. This may seem like a lot of contributions yet when compared to those of Gucci Mane, it is hard to determine who had more. Though Lil Wayne is credited with integrating face tats into rap culture, Gucci Mane is credited with integrating face tats into pop culture. Before him, only gangster rappers would dare to tattoo their face but, after his notorious ice cream tattoo was displayed to the world, artists and icons everywhere seemed to start to get tattoos on their faces. Gucci’s largest contribution to the culture is Trap music. Gucci single-handedly created the Trap genre through rapping about trapping and making it sound cool for the first time. He also created the trap sound, emphasizing heavy beats and lyrics rather than melodies (you know what I’m talking about). Now don’t get me wrong, there was gangster rap before Gucci but, the act of trapping was never discussed and definitely never glorified. Through glorifying trap, Gucci inspired a new wave of artists to get rich through trapping and spend the money on a studio and other things to enhance their upcoming career. Gucci is also one of the first to make ad libs popular in rap culture. Through the iconic “BRR!”, we now have “SQUAD!”, “Thugger Thugger baby” and all of Migos’ various adlibs to name a few. Therefore, without Gucci, there would be no new wave of Atlanta music that hip hop is so fond of today. There would be no Young Thug, no Waka Flacka., no Young Nudy, no Migos, etc. So who had the bigger influence? Gucci or Wayne? I honestly have no clue.

-Lul Bulma

What’s good Butcher Crew? We all known Mount Rushmore, the massive National Memorial of some of the most important presidents of the United States. What are the bands, albums, and people that are the most important to you?

In these lists below, I give my top 4 bands, albums, songs, and people, etc. that have influenced me the most; my own Mount Rushmores. Now, these may not be the most influential to readers but, here is insight into my musical tastes.

If you could create your own metal Mount Rushmore, who/what bands would you put on it?

Metalcore Bands:

As I Lay Dying

Asking Alexandria

Miss May I

Parkway Drive

Deathcore Bands:

Job For a Cowboy

Whitechapel

Suicide Silence

Carnifex

Death Metal Bands:

Death

Obituary

Cannibal Corpse

Dying Fetus

Clean Vocals:

King Diamond (Mercyful Fate)

Corey Taylor (Slipknot, Stone Sour)

Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden)

Matt Heafy (Trivium)

Guttural Vocals:

Phil Bozeman (Whitechapel)

(Old) Chris Barnes (ex-Cannibal Corpse, Six Feet Under)

Darius Tehrani (Spite)

CJ McMahon (Thy Art Is Murder)

Guitarist:

Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders)

Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)

Dimebag Darrell (Pantera)

Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society)

Bassist:

Cliff Burton (Metallica)

Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister (Motorhead)

Reginald Arvizu “Fieldy” (Korn)

Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)

Drummer:

Joey Jordinson (Slipknot)

Lee Stanton (Thy Art Is Muder)

Chris Adler (Lamb of God)

Daniel Erlandsson (Arch Enemy)

Best Hair:

Levi Benton (Miss May I)

Lenny Bruce (Dust Bolt)

Peter Steele (Type O Negative)

Trevor Perez (Obituary)

Best Live Performance:

Wage War

Attila

Alice Cooper

Metallica

Well-known Songs (General Public):

Walk (Pantera)

Enter Sandman (Metallica)

Back In Black (AC/DC)

Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)  

Well-known Songs (For Me):

Chopped in Half (Obituary)

The Saw Is the Law (Whitechapel)

Forgive and Forget (Miss May I)

Evisceration Plague (Cannibal Corpse)

Best Album (General Public):

Reign in Blood (Slayer)

Metallica [“The Black Album"] (Metallica)

Cowboys From Hell (Pantera)

Van Halen (Van Halen)

Best Album (For Me):

Dirt (Alice in Chains)

Hartford County Misery (Boundaries)

Deathless (Miss May I)

Korn (Korn)

Stay Metal,

THE SAW