Category: Band/Artist Profile

An in-depth look at bands and solo artists

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Band/Artist Profile

Band Highlight: While She Sleeps

While She Sleeps is one of the most underrated metalcore bands out there right now. Their carefully crafted melodies, pop hooks, and aggressive breakdowns give them a refreshing sound that perfectly combines styles from bands like Architects and Northlane. I saw these guys in February of this year and went into it without many expectations, and it turned out to be the best concert I had EVER been to. They entered the stage and immediately unleashed their aggression, excitement, and passion unlike anything I had ever seen with their new song FAKERS PLAGUE. The audience absorbed that energy and threw it right back, not hesitating to open the pit and sing along. People were hugging one another, sitting on shoulders, headbanging, screaming together, and becoming totally lost in the music. All of which is normal for a metalcore show, but the positive energy that flowed within the audience and between the audience and stage was undeniable. Each member of the band was smiling and laughing in the midst of the chaos the entire set. I followed the progression of their tour on social media and their shows just seemed to get more and more wild until the singer was hanging upside down from the rafters and the guitarist crowd surfed during his solos. 

While She Sleeps formed in Sheffield, England in 2006 and includes vocalist Lawrence “Loz” Taylor, guitarists Sean Long and Mat Welsh, bassist Aaran McKenzie, and drummer Adam Savage. Loz Taylor came into the band as the lead vocalist for their third EP that was recorded in a home studio. The band grew in popularity as they toured extensively across the UK and Europe and eventually won the Kerrang! Awards 2012. When asked the origin of their band name, Taylor explained it was inspired by a story of a woman murdering her husband while he slept and changed it to “she” instead of “he”. Taylor also indicated that “she” can be used as a reference to a sunken ship or vehicle, as they are often referred to with a feminine pronoun. While She Sleeps has shared the stage with bands like Bring Me the Horizon, Bleed from Within, Betraying the Martyrs, Asking Alexandria, Motionless in White, and Thy Art Is Murder. They’ve gone back to their punk-rock, DIY roots and started their own label called Sleep Brothers in order to regain total control over their process. Their newest album So What? is proof that these guys know exactly how to bring their music to the next level. I highly recommend checking them out and seeing them live if you get the chance. This band is explosive.

-Sarah 

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Band/Artist Profile

Artist Spotlight: The Internet

My favorite tracks: Hold On, Special Affair, Dontcha, They Say 

Listen if you like: Phony Ppl, Steve Lacy, Noname 

The Internet is an L.A.-based group which blends together a mixture of R&B soul, hip-hop, electronica, and funk to create the most inspired music out there. It all began in late 2011 when some of the members of Odd Future decided to create a side-project under Odd Future Records. Thus the album Purple Naked Ladies was birthed. Together, the members of The Internet masterfully create a sound unlike any other in the modern R&B scene. Although the band was founded primarily by Syd, along with Christopher Smith, Matt Martians, and Patrick Paige, they were joined by Steve Lacy in 2015. The Internet has a total of four albums, Purple Naked Ladies (2011), Feel Good (2013), Ego Death (2015), and Hive Mind (2018). Ego Death was nominated for a Grammy in 2015 and the band has received clout throughout the alternative hip-hop circles and beyond. 

While I truly appreciate all of the albums The Internet has made, I especially adore Ego Death. I love Steve Lacy’s contributions to the production of the album and think highly of it, as one of the most smooth and well-made R&B-hip-hop albums of my lifetime. Syd’s vocals and the electronic-inspired melodies blend together perfectly. Ego Death is a unique experience of an album. Since high school, these songs have brought me comfort in times of struggle and have allowed me to embrace the weirdness and beauty of life. If you’re looking for some tracks to start out with, I highly recommend Just Sayin/I Tried and Palace/Curse, which are my go-tos to this day whenever I need a mood boost. All this said, I do enjoy the entirety of the band’s discography, which is extremely rare for me. Check the band out, and you’ll see why. I appreciate the emotional ties I have with each album and I continuously hope to see new projects from them soon. 

– Miranda 

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Despised Icon

The first time I heard Despised Icon was a few years ago and I loved their sound. When I was getting into deathcore, they were one of the main bands that would appear. I have never seen Despised Icon and I am hoping that one day I will be able to. I decided to take a look at their history since they released a killer album in late 2019. When I heard their new record, Purgatory, I fell in love with the band all over again.

Despised Icon is a Canadian deathcore band from Montreal, Quebec. They formed in 2002 and the band is known for Alex Pelletier’s (drummer) blasting technique, as well as dual vocals from Alex Erian and Steve Marois. Erian does the mid-range growls while Marois does the high-pitched shrieks. In 2010, the band disbanded, but reformed back in 2014.

Despised Icon was signed to Galy Records in 2002 and released their debut album Consumed by Your Poison in October of that year. They had a few changed within their lineup in 2004 and recorded a self-financed EP, Syndicated Murderers. In 2005, the group signed to Century Media and released their second album, The Healing Process. Fast forward to 2016, the band signed with Nuclear Blast and are currently on that label.

Current members:

Steve Marois (vocals), Alex Erian (vocals), Eric Jarrin (lead guitar), Alex Pelletier (drums), Bend Landreville (rhythm guitar), and Sebastien Piché (bass).

Discography:

Consumed By Your Poison (2002), The Healing Process (2005), The III’s of Modern Man (2007), Day of Mourning (2009), Beast (2016), and Purgatory (2019).

Favorite songs: Slow Burning, Day of Mourning, and Furtive Monologue.

Have you seen Despised Icon? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Fit For A King

Fit For A King (FFAK) were one of the bands that I found randomly. I was going to go see Chelsea Grin in Greensboro one year and FFAK were on tour with them! I started listening to them when I discovered that they would be on tour. They have that traditional metalcore sound: Growls, screams, clean vocals, and anathematic chorus’ and riffs.

Fit For A King is one of the newer metalcore bands that I really enjoy. They have a good combination of soft sounds with heavier sounds and breakdowns. FFAK has a lot of catchy songs and their stage show is awesome! I have seen them a couple of times in Greensboro and also at Warped Tour. Their bass player will run around, jump around, and just do crazy stuff while on stage. It is very entertaining! I met the band during one of their runs through Greensboro, and they’re some really great guys.

The members that form Fit For A King are Ryan Kirby (vocalist), Jared Easterling (drums), Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary (bass), Bobby Lynge (guitarist), and Daniel Gailey (guitarist). FFAK is an American metalcore band founded in Tyler, Texas in 2007 by their drummer, Easterling and others who are not in the band today. The band performed locally, and in 2009 they decided to tour full-time. With a few member changes, in July 2012, FFAK signed to Solid State Records and has released their remaining albums with this label.

They released two independent EP’s: Fit for a king (2008) and Awaken the Vesper (2009). They released one independent album in 2011 titled Descendants. Once they signed with Solid State Records, the band released 5 full-lengths: Creation/Destruction (2013), Descendants – Redux (2013), Slave to Nothing (2014), Deathgrip (2016), and Dark Skies (2018).

Favorite songs: Backbreaker, Pissed Off, Stacking Bodies, and Slave to Nothing.

Have you seen Fit For A King? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Spite

Spite is one of the most impressive bands that I have seen live. They have so much energy and the crowd goes crazy for them! Their music is so intense and Darius’ vocals are insane! He can transition from inhales to exhales with ease and he is a wild man on stage! He will run around, wiggle his eyebrows, and will be in the crowd’s face all the time. He is a perfect definition of a frontman! I have seen Spite four times (three times at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro and once at the Ramkat in Winston-Salem) and they always surprise me. I definitely recommend seeing them.

Spite is known as an American deathcore band out of Southern California. They employ a blend of death metal, metalcore, and a new wave of nu metal within their deathcore realm. They formed in the Bay Area with Darius Tehrani (vocals), Stephen Mallory (bass), Alex Tehrani (guitar), and Cody Fuentes (drums). They dropped their independent EP, Misery, in 2015 before they signed to Stay Sick Recordings, a label created by Attila frontman, Chris Fronzak.

With their release of their first full-length, Nothing is Beautiful, in 2017 they drew comparisons to over deathcore heavy hitters – Thy Art Is Murder, The Acacia Strain, and Suicide Silence. Spite continues to push the bar for heavy music with each album that they release.

Spite has released one EP and 2 full-length albums: Misery (2015), Nothing Is Beautiful (2017), and Root of All Evil (2019).

Favorite songs: Kill or Be Killed and The Root of All Evil.

Have you seen Spite? What are your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW  

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Abbath

Photo by Courtney Breen @chewing.glass on Instagram

Abbath (the band) was formed in Bergen, Norway in 2015 by Abbath (the person; Abbath Doom Occulta). Their genre is Black Metal,  but their sound is not that easy to nail down (no pun intended). They are definitely Black Metal. Yet, they fuse German Thrash and symphonic to form a blistering, crushing sound. Combined with the howling, screeching, rasp of Abbath’s vocals and devastating guitar playing, they are definitely distinct in the metal scene.

Abbath (the person) is Olve Eikemo (a.k.a., Abbath Doom Occulta). He, along with Harold Naevdal (a.k.a. Demonaz Doom Occulta), were the founders of the legendary Black Metal band Immortal. As one of the groundbreaking artists in the dark world of Black Metal, Abbath worked with the giants of the genre; drummers like Hellhammer, Armagedda, Horgh, Padden, and Grim; guitarists like Demonaz, Tore Bretsath, and Varg Vikernes; and bassists like Apollyon, Iscariah, Ares, and Saroth; and bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, and the band the began it all, Mayhem.

Abbath (the band) has had so many different members in it’s short life that only Abbath (the person) is original – the original “Creature” (drums), and a couple of drummers donning the “Creature" mask, bass players like King Ov Hell and Mia Wallace, and several great guitarists (too numerous to mention). As of this writing, Abbath (the band) is: Abbath (the person – guitar, vocals), Ole Andre’ Farstad (guitar), Rusty Cornell (bass), and Ukri Suvilehto (drums).

It is this lineup that I witnessed a few months ago when Abbath (the person and the band) came to Raleigh with Obituary (check-out my show review). H.O.L.Y C.R.A.P! What an awesome stage performance by the band, and an unforgettable performance by the person! Now, if you’ve never seen them, Abbath (the person) reminds me of a much darker, more evil, bringing the hordes of Hell with him, Gene Simmons. Not only the face paint (“corpse paint” for Abbath), but the stage persona and presence is incredible. The band was not overcome by this, however, as each was truly impressive in their own right.

Abbath (the band) has two studio albums, Abbath (2016) and Outstrider (2019). I know that Black Metal is an acquired taste, but Abbath do it well. Especially live! If you get a chance to check them out, recorded and/or live, do it! You won’t regret it!

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Pantera

Ahhh yes, Pantera, the band that opened the door for many bands that we listen to today. When Pantera first hit the scene, there was nobody like them. No band had the riffs and grooves like Pantera did. Now, when listening to bands, you can hear the influence that Dimebag Darrell (RIP) had on their music. He invented a whole new way to play and it would seem that his mind continuously thought of killer, crushing riffs. Phil brought a hardcore edge and sense of vocal rage to these riffs. Darrell’s brother, Vinnie, played some of the cleanest drums I have ever heard, writing most songs with his brother. And Rex masterfully thumped with anything and everything that developed. If I had to name one single thing that made Pantera special it would be the fact that this is a band where everyone was equally talented so no one outshined the other. Each seemed larger than life.

Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas that formed in 1981. Their best known lineup is Vinnie Paul (drummer) (RIP), “Dimebag” Darrell Paul (guitarist) (RIP), Rex Brown (bass), and Phil Anselmo (vocalist). They are credited for being part of the second wave of thrash metal. But they became much more than a thrash metal band, they offered metal the fury and force that propelled it into the powerhouse genre that it became. Pantera gets the credit for forming a metal formula which would inspire hundreds of bands to follow.

Before becoming the heavy hitters that we know and love now, they started as a glam metal band and released three albums in the mid 1980s with founding member Terry Glaze as vocalist. When looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Anselmo in late 1986. They went on hiatus in 2001 and were disband by the Abbott brothers in 2003. The brothers went on to form Damageplan, while Anselmo continued several side projects. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a fan. Vinnie Paul went on to form Hellyeah after his brother’s death. Vinnie Paul died of heart failure in 2018.  

Pantera has 5 full-length albums: Cowboys from Hell (1990), Vulgar Display of Power (1992), Far Beyond Driven (1994), The Great Southern Trendkill (1996), and Reinventing the Steel (2000).

Favorite songs: This Love, 5 Minutes Alone, Walk, Cemetery Gates, and Cowboys from Hell.

What are your favorite Pantera songs? Did you have a chance to see them live?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Whitechapel

Are you guys surprised that Whitechapel is my band of the week? Because I’m not. Whitechapel’s song, The Saw Is The Law, influenced my DJ name, The Saw. During my senior year of high school, “where we come from, the saw is the law” was my senior quote and I wrote it in the sand at the beach for the whole world to know that the saw is the law. I even have a saw blade tattooed on my shoulder blade, so you can say that I am a pretty big Whitechapel fan. This is because Whitechapel was one of the first deathcore bands that I got into. My brother used to play them when I was younger, and when I started to get into the music myself, they were one of the first bands I went back and listened to. I love their overall sound and how the music and vocals blend beautifully together. I also love their evolution, musically. They have tried different things on their most recent album, The Valley, and even though it is different from their previous records, they keep their theme of brutality.

I have seen Whitechapel four times, and every time they impress me. They always put on a great show and Bozeman’s voice is so powerful and strong and I don’t know how he can do his gutturals live. The entire band is in the crowd’s face throughout the whole show and it makes the crowd rowdier and more exciting. I got to meet Whitechapel and it was great to finally meet one of my favorite bands. They were so nice and they were all smiles when I told them that mg DJ name was influenced by them. When I said that I go to NC State, Bozeman said “go Wolfpack” and it honestly made my day.

Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee and was founded in 2006. They got their name after the Whitechapel district in East London, England, referring to the series of murders committed by Jack the Ripper. They are signed to Metal Blade Records and have released seven albums: The Somatic Defilement (2007), This Is Exile (2008), A New Era of Corruption (2010), Whitechapel (2012), Our Endless War (2014),  Mark of the Blade (2016), and The Valley (2019).

Whitechapel has stated that they are influenced by a wide range of bands. A few are Cannibal Corpse, Meshuggah, Slipknot, Dying Fetus, Pantera, Slayer, Despised Icon, Nile, Behemoth, Amon Amarth, Morbid Angel, and Cattle Decapitation. You can hear these variety of influences within their music. Phil Bozeman (vocalist) stated in an interview that him and Ben Savage (lead guitarist) are more into death metal, Zach Householder (guitarist) is more into epic black metal, and Alex Wade (rhythm guitar) is more into hardcore. Within the guitars, you can hear the different riffs that represent their taste in music.

Current members: Phil Bozeman (vocals), Ben Savage (lead guitar), Alex Wade (rhythm guitar), Gabe Crisp (bass), Zach Householder (third guitar), and their touring drummer, Alex Rüdinger.

Favorite songs: The Saw Is The Law, The Somatic Defilement, Mark of the Blade, Elitist Ones, Brimstone, and Black Bear.

Have you seen Whitechapel live? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

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Band/Artist Profile

Artist of the Week: Tash Sultana

Tash Sultana is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, described as a one-person band. Sultana grew up in Melbourne and has been playing the guitar since the age of three. She began her music career through busking (street performing) and gained a lot of attention from that. Sultana can play 20 instruments, including guitar, bass, trumpet, flute, percussion, and saxophone. Sultana is nonbinary and uses the pronouns they. They self-described themselves as a drug addict, at the age of 17, they developed drug-induced psychosis. Later in 2017, they were diagnosed with laryngitis.

Sultana shared a video on social media of them playing a song and within five days, gained one million views. They won the J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year and had two tracks voted into the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2016 with their hit songs Jungle (No.3) and Notion (No. 32). They recorded the single Jungle at their home and gained over 40 million views. They then went into the studio and began working on the EP release, Notion, which was released in 2016. Their first full-length album, Flow State, was released on August 31, 2018. In 2019, they released 3 singles: Can’t Buy Happiness, Talk It Out, and Daydreaming.

When watching videos of Sultana playing, it looks like they lose themselves in the music. Their whole entire body is embraced within the music and you can see how much they put into performing. I first heard them back in 2018 when they released their album Flow State, and the first song I heard was Blackbird. When I first listened to that song, I was watching it on YouTube and the album cover would move while the song played. It was so trippy, and I got stuck in a trance watching the video and listening to them playing an acoustic guitar solo. When they started singing a few minutes within the song, I got chills. From that point on, I fell in love with their music.

Favorite songs: Murder To The Mind, Blackbird, Pink Moon, and Cigarettes.

What is your favorite Tash Sultana song?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

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Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Megadeth

Out of the “Big Four,” Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer, my favorite would have to be Megadeth. Although I grew up listening to all four bands, Megadeth always stuck out. My parents tell the story (and have videos) of me as a toddler, marching around with my hands in the air dancing to Crush ‘Em by Megadeth. This was the only song that could get me out of any mood that I was in. I could be eating, sitting in the car, watching tv, or playing and when Crush ‘Em would come on, I would stop everything that I was doing to jam out to the song. I have seen Megadeth live twice. The first time was with my dad in Charlotte when I was 8 and I saw them at the Carolina Rebellion! I got on the jumbo screen during the rebellion because of my headbanging, it was awesome.

Megadeth is a thrash band from Los Angeles, California. Guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson formed the band in 1983, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. In. 1985, Megadeth released their debut album, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground scene. They then released a number of platinum-selling albums, such as Rust in Peace (1990) and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums brought along worldwide tours and public recognition.

Megadeth has sold 38 million records worldwide and received 12 Grammy nomiations. In 2017, Megadeth won their first Grammy Award for their song, Dystopia, in Best Metal Performance category. When they were walking up to accept their award, the orchestra played a Metallica song (which if you are in the loop of the relationship between Metallica and Megadeth, this was taboo).

Megadeth has released 17 albums: Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good (1985), Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?(1986), So Far, So Good… So What?(1988), Rust In Peace(1990), Countdown To Extinction(1992), Youthanasia(1994), Hidden Treasures(1995), Cryptic Wrtings(1997), Risk(1999), The World Needs a Hero(2001), Still Alive… And Well?(2002), The System Has Failed(2004), United Abomination(2007), Endgame(2009), Th1rt3een(2011), Super Collider(2013), and Dystopia(2016).

Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019. He recently received a clean bill of health from his doctors, after completing chemo/radiation.

Favorite songs: Crush ‘Em, Angry Again, Symphony Of Destruction, A Tout Le Monde, and Poisonous Shadows.

What is your favorite Megadeth song? Have you seen them live?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW