Yola, born Yolanda Quartey, is a 36 year old Bristol, UK native. She has worked in the music business since the early 2000s backing for artists such as Massive Attack, The Chemical Brothers, and Iggy Azalea. In 2010, she joined Bristol band, Phantom Limb, as lead vocalist. She left the band when her artistic work began being put down by the rest of the band. To pair with her vocals, Yola began learning guitar and writing her own songs. In 2016, she released her first EP, Orphan Offering, but it did not reach audiences enough to make much of a name for herself outside of the Bristol scene.
After Orphan Offering, Yola continued to develop her sound. She teamed up with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and began crafting her debut album, Walk Through Fire. Named after a real-life experience of setting her kitchen on fire, Walk Through Fire serves as a metaphor for the artist leaving her old life behind and emerging as a transformed musician in the industry. The album is full of stories of heartbreak and turning the page on past relationships. Her style is colorful, integrating genres from singer-songer/American, to r&b, to pop, to the sounds of Muscle Shoals. The album is both heartwarmingly nostalgic and refreshingly modern. Through Walk Through Fire, Yola has made a name for herself in the music industry and left audiences excited for what she has to come.
On January 7, 2020 we lost one of the most prolific drummers of all time. Neil Peart, best known as the drummer and primary lyricist of RUSH, died from brain cancer (glioblastoma).
Peart was born in Hamilton, Ontario on September 12, 1952. He first began in music with piano lessons, something he would later say had no impact on him. He was always drumming on various things around the house as a child, so at 13 his parents bought him drum sticks, promising that if he practiced for a year they would buy him a drum set. He began taking lessons on his new kit at 14. By his late teens Peart had played in several local bands
At 18, he moved to England hoping to further his career. It took about a year and a half before he became frustrated and returned to Canada. He joined a band named Hush, and they toured the Southern Ontario bar circuit. Soon, though, he heard that a rising band, RUSH, needed a new drummer to replace the band’s original, John Rutsey. Peart officially joined the band on July 29, 1974. Two weeks later Peart and RUSH were on tour, beginning in Pittsburgh, PA.
The band had one record out when Peart arrived, and in 1975 Fly by Night was their first offering with Peart. It was considered a successful record, though the next (Caress of Steel) was not. In 1976 RUSH released their breakthrough album, 2112, and the rest is history. The band has 19 studio albums, with ten exceeding one million copies sold in the US. They are ranked third for the “most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band" – Billboard.
Peart’s drumming style is fascinating! Its foundation is the rock bands of the 60’s and 70’s (John Bonham, Led Zeplin ; Ginger Baker, Cream). Into this solid base he added Jazz and Big Band techniques and styles. He played while holding his sticks butt-end out, giving him bigger sound and greater rimshot. Sometimes he played with a traditional grip and others with matched grip. His drum kits were 360 degrees around him, rotating to reverse the layout of the drums, with as many as 40+ drums.
Neil Peart – “The Goat" as he was affectionately known; “your favorite drummer’s favorite drummer,” other musicians would say; Variety wrote, “Widely considered one of the most innovative drummers in Rock history.” USA Today considered him “one of the best Rock drummers of all time, alongside John Bonham, Ringo Star (The Beatles), Keith Moon (The Who), Ginger Baker, and Stewart Copeland (The Police).” Best known for his “technical proficiency,” he was the youngest inductee into the Modern Drummers Hall of Fame in 1983. Over 40 years with RUSH… You are missed, sir.
Cannibal Corpse is one of the bands that I grew up listening to. My dad would play them all the time because they are one of his favorite bands. I distinctly remember hearing Hammer Smashed Face growing up (and also hearing the Radio Disney version which is hilarious!!!). I also remember seeing Cannibal Corpse on Ace Ventura’s Pet Detective when Ace was in the club. Cannibal Corpse was the band playing and is one of Jim Carrey’s favorite bands!!
Cannibal Corpse is one of the bands that helped develop the Death Metal scene. Originally from Buffalo, New York, the band moved to Tampa, Florida (where American Death Metal was just starting and picking up steam) so they could join this movement. Corpse formed in 1988 and the band has released 14 studio albums: Eaten Back To Life (1990), Butchered At Birth (1991), Tomb of the Mutilated (1992), The Bleeding (1994), Vile (1996), Gallery Of Suicide (1998), Bloodthirst (1999), Gore Obsessed (2002), The Wretched Spawn (2004), Kill (2006), Evisceration Plague (2009), Torture (2012), A Skeletal Domain (2014), and Red Before Black (2017).
Corpse has had little radio and television exposure throughout their career, but developed a cult following after their second and third records were released in 1991 and 1992. As of 2015, they achieved worldwide sales of two million units for combined sales of all their albums. This makes them the top-selling Death Metal band of all time.
Bassist Alex Webster came up with the name Cannibal Corpse. They have had several lineup changes in the band and only Webster and Paul Mazurkiewicz (drummer) are original members. The lyrics are drawn heavily on horror fiction and horror films. Their original singer, Chris Barnes, wrote the lyrics for the band, but when he left and was replaced by George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher, so Paul started writing most of the lyrics (and you can tell the difference in the lyrical content between the two writers). One thing that hasn’t changed is the solid beatings and groovy riffs like only Cannibal Corpse can deliver.
Here is how I explain their sound to someone who (oddly enough) hasn’t heard them: Pound. Pound. Roar! Groovy riff. Gutteral! Scream!! Pound. Pound.
I have seen Cannibal Corpse a handful of times (my favorite time I saw them was on Valentines Day, in Wilmington, NC where they toured with Obituary and Cryptopsy). Around age 8, I met Corpsegrinder (yes his neck is that big in person) and I also met their drummer, Paul! I told Paul that I saw them on Ace Ventura’s Pet Detective. He laughed and said, “That was a long time ago.” And it was a long time ago, now, that he said that!
Have you seen Cannibal Corpse? What is your favorite song? Mine is Evisceration Plague.
Ahh, Slipknot, one of the bands that got many people into metal for the first time. When talking to my friends and interviewing members of local bands, almost all of them said that the band that got them interested into metal was, in fact, Slipknot. I found this really interesting and I am trying to figure out why this band has influenced so many people and others did not.
I believe that one of the reasons that Slipknot was the first band that got a lot of people into metal is because they are VERY different. I haven’t seen or heard a band that sounds like Slipknot or that looks like Slipknot. I think this is what attracts people to them because it is like they are characters of a show. They set themselves apart from all the other bands in this realm of music and it refreshing to see. I have seen Slipknot twice: once at the Carolina Rebellion and on their tour with Marilyn Manson and Of Mice & Men.
Slipknot is from Des Moines, Iowa and was founded in 1995. After several lineup changes, the band settled on nine members: Shawn Crahan, Joey Jordison, Paul Gray, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root. Paul Gray died on May 24, 2010 and was replaced by Donnie Steele (2010-2014).
Slipknot is known for their attention-grabbing image, aggressive style of music, and high intensity stage performance. They rose to fame with the release of their debut album, Slipknot, in 1999. Their 2001 follow up album, Iowa, made the band even more popular. Their stage show is what also contributed to their success.
Slipknot is considered a Nu Metal band but their sound distances them from other Nu Metal bands, such as Korn. They describe their sound as “metal metal” and link the connection to Nu Metal as a coincidence since they emerged when that wave of metal was also emerging.
The members perform wearing unique, individual facemasks and matching uniforms. Each member is typically assigned and referred to by a number based on their role in the band (#0 through #8), although this practice has not been used since the death of Paul Gray. The concept of wearing masks on stage derived from Shawn Crahan. Corey Taylor stated that it’s their way of becoming more intimate with the music. It is a way for the band to escape their normal and everyday lives. The uniforms and masks change when they release a new album.
Slipknot has 6 full length albums: Slipknot (1999), Iowa (2001), Vol. 3 Subliminal Verses (2004), All Hope is Gone (2008), .5: The Gray Chapter (2014), and We Are Not Your Kind (2019).
Have you seen Slipknot? What is your favorite Slipknot song?
Suicide Silence is a band that has gone through a lot of changes throughout the years: mainly, Mitch Lucker passing. But before we get into that, let’s look back at the history of Suicide Silence.
Suicide Silence is an American Deathcore band from Riverside, California. The band formed in 2002 and has released 5 albums and 1 EP in their discography: The Cleansing (2008), No Time To Bleed (2009), The Black Crown (2011), You Can’t Stop Me (2014), Sacred Words (2015), and Suicide Silence (2017). They have recently released a few singles in 2019: Feel Alive, Love Me To Death, and Meltdown. In 2009, they were awarded Revolver’s Golden God award for “Best New Talent.”
During the time the band was formed in 2002, it was a side project made up of musicians from other bands. After their demo, Death Awaits, they recorded a self-titled EP, and a few other songs. While on Century Media Records, in 2006, they recorded their first full-length album, The Cleansing. It was the bestselling debut albums in Century Media history. They then played at the Mayhem Festival and also went on tour with Parkway Drive, A Day to Remember, and The Acacia Strain.
The band then started to record No Time To Bleed and in April, they won Revolver’s Golden God award for “Most Innovative Band.” In 2011, the band started to record The Black Crown which was released July 12, 2011. This was the last record with Mitch Lucker on vocals.
Mitch Lucker passed away on November 1, 2012 due to a motorcycle crash. His passing was a huge shock to the metal community. That December, the band performed a memorial show in honor of Lucker and the money from the show went into an account for Lucker’s daughter, Kennedy, so she can use the money to go to school. At the memorial show, the friends of the band who were vocalists of other heavy bands, performed one song alongside the rest of the band. The show can be viewed on YouTube and the audio is out on Suicide Silence’s Spotify page. I thought this show was a cool way to honor Lucker because it was in a way that I believe he would enjoy; people jamming and moshing to his songs. It was great to see the metal community come together during this time.
Suicide Silence then brought Hernan “Eddie” Hermida into the band as vocalist and a lot of people were skeptic. Will the band sound the same? No. Like any other band, they too, must adapt and evolve. A lot of people were not a fan of the band’s new sound and they did voice their opinion about it when the band released their self-titled album in 2017. Since then, the band has not created another album, but has dropped live versions of songs and covers. In late 2019, they did release a few singles and stated that a new album is coming soon.
Did you get the chance to see Suicide Silence with Mitch Lucker?
Knocked Loose is easily one of my favorite bands because of their energy both on record and live. They have a distinct sound that anyone can recognize (mainly Bryan Garris’ voice), but also their heavy hitting riffs. Immediately when you listen to them, it’s like they are in your face and barking at you. They don’t hold anything back on any of their songs. There has been some debate on what genre they are and people have different reasons to justify both. Some believe they are a metalcore band, while others believe that they are a hardcore band. I can see how they could be considered both – either hardcore or metalcore – because of their sound. I would argue that they are metalcore because of Garris’ vocals, but I would say that they are hardcore because of their chunky 2-step riffs. Now, people disagree with me and that’s okay, this is simply my opinion.
Granted, I have no idea what any genre any band is for 3 reasons: one, there are too many sub-genres of music. Two, the technicality of what qualifies a band as a particular genre is baffling and confusing. And three, I really don’t care what genre any band is. If it’s heavy, then I like it. When I play Knocked Loose during my set, I play them in my hardcore (The Meat Grinder) simply because they fit the overall sound of that set more than my metalcore (Diamond Cuts) set. But putting genres aside, in the scene, we can agree that Knocked Loose is awesome and no matter what genre they are, you can jam out to it and have a good time.
Knocked Loose is from Oldham County, Kentucky, formed in 2013 and are currently signed to Pure Noise Records. They released their first studio EP, Pop Culture, in 2014. They also did a split release with Damaged Goods on No Luck Records. And in 2016, the band dropped their first full length titled, Laugh Tracks. They released their second full length in 2019 titled, A Different Shade of Blue. You can hear the evolution of the band just by listening to their music; primarily on their newest record. Their sound is angrier and darker, which I really like. They still have their signature breakdowns and Garris’ very familiar voice.
They have gotten a lot of attention, here, recently, and for good reason. They have been on stacked line-ups such as tours with A Day to Remember, Every Time I Die, Parkway Drive, and Thy Art is Murder. They have also been on a few Warped Tours and also played a handful of festivals. I got to see them when they played at Epicenter in Rockingham, NC last May. If you haven’t seen them live, I definitely recommend that you do. They sound the same live and their energy will wear you the hell out.
Knocked Loose is one of my mom’s favorite bands, too; after she got into a fender bender and her tooth got knocked loose. She was laughing at the fact that she used their band name and it was accurate! She finally got to see them at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro last month and she was not disappointed.
Members:
Bryan Garris – Vocalist
Cole Crutchfield – rhythm guitar, and backup vocals
Isaac Hale – lead guitar, and backup vocals
Kevin Otten – Bass
Kevin Kaine – Drums
Favorite songs: Guilded By the Moon, Forget Your Name, All My Friends, Separate, and Counting Worms
Have you seen Knocked Loose? What are some of your favorite songs?
Ahh, this band…. After The Burial (ATB) is one of my favorite Djent bands. Their overall sound is technical and melodic. The vocals are strong and passionate. Overall 10/10 band.
The first time I saw them was back in 2016 for the Sumerian Records 10 Years in Black tour with Asking Alexandria, Born of Osiris, I See Stars, and (one of my all-time faves) Upon A Burning Body. I primarily went for Upon A Burning Body, but once ATB stepped on stage, I was in awe!!! Their stage presence is AWESOME and never they fail to put on a great show. Since then, I have seen ATB probably 5 times and they never get old. I remember one time I saw ATB, I was at Arizona Pete’s in Greensboro and I was in the front for their set, I was headbanging and jamming the entire time. Their guitarist, Trent, kept throwing guitar picks at me so I have tons of ATB picks now!
ATB is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are signed to Sumerian Records and have released six full-length albums: Forging a Future Self (2006), Rareform [Re-Issue] (2008), In Dreams (2010), Wolves Within (2013), Dig Deep (2016), and Evergreen (2019). To me, Dig Deep is probably one of their best albums, not because of the sound of the record (which is awesome) but the story behind the album. In 2015, founder and rhythm guitarist, Justin Lowe (RIP), was found dead. He was missing and a hiker found his body beneath a bridge. His car was found on the side of the bridge. Authorities believe that the cause of his death was with a fall.
This was a hard time for the band because they were working on their upcoming album, Dig Deep. The band said that they weren’t going to finish the album but with the love and support from their fans, they decided to finish it after all. There is so much emotion on this album and I am so proud of this band for sticking together and being there for one another. You can also hear the same emotion and aggression on their latest album, Evergreen, which their vocalist, Anthony Notarmaso, said to be a continuation of Dig Deep. One of my favorite songs off of Dig Deep is Laurentian Ghosts. The opening riff you hear is actually a mix done by Lowe and was added to the song. It gave me chills when I first heard it.
Overall, this band is great. I love what they stand for, their courage, and their fight to press on and continue to make music. Respect.
Modern Diet has grown to be one of my absolute favorite bands. I first heard the band back in 2016 with their song ‘Red Eye’. That song is still one of the first I mention when people ask what my favorite song is. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when they released a 5 track album earlier this year, they’ve also released two singles since. Personally my all time favorite tracks of theirs are that Red Eye song and Echo Parade, I’d definitely recommend those two if you’re interested.
I would describe their sound as indie rock, but the vocals and instrumentation definitely have a unique style about them that is hard to describe, you’ll know a Modern Diet song when you hear it. I’ve always loved their lyrics too, it’s not too ambiguous but not too obvious, it’s like that perfect mix of poetry and chaos that makes you really think. I love focusing on their lyrics when I listen but I always get lost in the music too. I’ve played their music on one of my radio shows before and they actually saw it on my instagram story and reached out to give me a download of their newest album on bandcamp, so I’d say their pretty cool people and I can’t wait to see what this New York based band does next.
Miss May I was the first band that got me into heavier music in general. When I first heard Miss May I, I was with my cousin and he was playing Relentless Chaos and 14-year-old me loved what I was hearing. It was the perfect blend of harmony and heaviness.
Miss May I was the first band that I went and saw alone. Back in 2015, I went to Warped Tour in Charlotte just to see them! I got to meet the band at Warped Tour and they are the most genuine guys I have ever met. They were so nice and down to earth and I really enjoyed talking to them. At Warped Tour, I was in the front for their set and I was singing the words back to them; their singer, Levi Benton, pointed at me and when he ran into the crowd during Hey Mister, he was right in front of me. What a great first show (alone) experience.
From there, I have seen Miss May I two other times: at the Filmore in Charlotte, when they went on tour with Thy Art Is Murder, In Hearts Wake, and Parkway Drive. I also saw them in Greensboro on their headlining tour with Upon A Burning Body, Kublai Khan, and Currents. I met the band again at that show and they were just as nice as the first time I met them. They put hearts around their signatures when they signed my ticket at Warped Tour and on my poster when I saw them in Greensboro. I love them.
The band formed in 2007 and are from Troy, Ohio. They signed with Rise Records in 2008, released their debut album, Apologies Are for the Weak while the band was still in high school. Their song, Forgive and Forget, is featured in Saw VI and Apologies are for the Weak is featured in the video game Saints Row: The Third.
The band has kept the same lineup since its formation. Their bassist, Ryna Neff, left the band in 2007 but rejoined in 2009 and has stayed ever since! Since then, Miss May I has released 5 other albums: Monument (2010), At Heart (2012), Rise of the Lion (2014), Deathless (2015), and Shadows Inside (2017). The band left Rise Records in 2016 and signed with SharpTone Records.
In other news regarding the band, their singer, Levi and his wife JoJo, just had their first child! JoJo gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and named her Jax. I am so happy for the both of them and can’t wait to see where this path of their life leads them! Relationship goals af.
Leikeli47 (pronounced La-kay-lay) is a both Virginia and Brookyln raised rapper, singer and producer. Leikeli47 has never released her real name and wears a mask made of bandana, denim or other cloth material for all public appearances. Her “tom-boy” style of baggy pants, denim, hoodies, chains and butter colored Timbs mesh well with her waist length braids, eyelashes that are highlighted by her mask’s concealment of her other features and her lyrics about acrylic nails, men and braids (tuh’da flo). Leikeli47, when performing and in her music, effectively brings out the bad bitch in all of her listeners. Her lyrics exude confidence and attitude while simultaneously allowing her listeners into her life and black life which makes up for her concealed image. Her sophomore album, “Wash & Set” (2017) is the first in an upcoming trilogy, with “Acrylic” (2018) being the second in her “Beauty Series.” In this series she draws on black spaces such as nail salons and barbershops to relate to her listeners and to normalize these spaces. She is definitely a quickly up and coming rapper with an amazing flow, great lyrics and a mysterious image. I can’t wait to see what she does next.
My favorite tracks by her: Top Down, Don’t do it, Girl Blunt, CIAA, No Reload, Miss Me and Ho
