More Great Metal

It's been too long since I have done a blog about Metal, so here are some of the Metal groups that have been catching my attention lately.

U.S.A.

The 36 Crazyfists 2015 album Time and Trauma Is definitely worth picking up, in fact it has gained a place on my list of best Metal albums of 2015.

Beautifully heavy and dark Time and Trauma is a scorching blast of Punk inspired Metal that is more than worth a listen. It is always a great find when you find a good heavy band that is worth listening to, and 36 Crazyfists fits those criteria perfectly.

Earlier this year these Alaskan Metalheads have been banging heads in South Africa at Krank'd Up.

The Hard Rock/Metal outfit known as Thirteen put out one damn good rocking album in March of this year. It is a collection of kick ass songs that they have produced, and several of them they released different versions of the same song but with different feels and singers.

I know I wrote about this album before but the reason I mention it again is the newest offering Thirteen has released.

Save Rock and Roll contains two tracks last month: Insanity, a barn burner of a single with plenty of punch; and El Diablo, a gun slinging and hard drinking track. Both are excellent offerings from this great up and coming band.

Thirteen continues to release high quality and catchy Rocking tunes, and fans have not had to wait for long to hear their next piece. I think they have a great sound and look forward to listening to anything that they produce.  Http://www.thirteenband.com

U.K.

The Sun Never Set is a 6 piece kick ass band from the good old U.K. These Brits advertise their sound as "savagery with a post-metal spirit." What I have to say about that is first Metal still lives and I love the savagery.

Their EP is a sweet mix of; screams, machine gun drums, walls of distortion, and melodic lead riffs. It is well worth a listen and can be found on bandcamp.

This band is a fiery foursome out of London, England that is all shiny and brand new. Just formed in February of this year, and their first album is due out Feb 2016.  If the rest of the album sounds as good as their song Shut It Down the release will be one hell of a Rocker.

If good old fashioned Metal is your music of choice than you should check out Killit, and Rock out like the devil's music has finally buried pop music under it's heel. 

RUSSIA

If you need your Metal to be heavier than Hell and twice as poignant than Fitcage is for you. Formed in 2007 this Death Metal entity exploded on the underground scene with a vengeance, with the release of their album Pigumanity.  

Not content to just scream about the impending death of mankind, these doomsayers use every hellish squeal to expose the corporate and societal culling of us all. While you still have the freedom to listen to Fitcage, for if the governments have their way we all be having out fits in a cage.

CANADA

The Classic 1980's Thrash Metal pioneers Exciter have returned with a vengeance, and they are here to show those young posers just how to mosh. That is right John Ricci, Dan Beehler, and Alan Johnson, the original members of Exciter, are back together.

John Ricci promised new material to erupt from the reunification of these Thrash titans. Until then get out there and get your hands on the classic Exciter albums.

Oh, and as John Ricci said in the band messages for February 8 2015, "Hope to see you soon with Horns high and fists in the air!

This Metalcore band from Calgary, Alberta, Canada is damn heavy. From The Wolves, is a crushing force of unrestrained Metal, that is perfect to bang your head or mosh to.

I love promoting kick ass Metal bands out of Canada more than anything, and these five guys prove that it is worth it. If you want to hear what I mean check out their bandcamp site and feast upon the Metal that is From The Wolves.

Videos on Facebook

What can I say? Canada Kicks Ass!

Limestone Blues Festival

The month of August ended with a huge blues blast in Kingston, Ontario. Unlike the befuddled Ottawa event, the Limestone City did it right with actual blues musicians. It was an amazing ensemble of top notch talent that filled the downtown streets with great music and merriment. 

Unfortunately I was not able to catch all the acts that played the festival, and there were quite a few acts that played at the event. Just picture three days full of live blues music from early morning to late into the night. The following are the highlights that I was able to witness.

Thursday Aug 27th 2015

The weekend long festival began on Thursday night with non other than this years Juno nominee for Blues Album of the Year, JW Jones. JW proved right from the first time he strummed the first notes from his golden axe that he is able to play any damn thing that you could possible think of and make it sound great.

I was fortunate enough to attend the the VIP Party that he preformed at to kick off the event. On that night the Tir Nan Og Irish Pub downtown was the place to be. JW played some of the hits from his Juno nominated album, and several blues classics. His band was perfectly in the groove and he wailed away on the guitar like a man possessed. It was a night to remember.

Let's just say he is an act that seeing just once was not enough, so later that night I made sure not to miss both his outdoor gig at Confederation Park, in-front of the iconic city hall, and his late night show back at the NOG.

He has a knack for energizing his audience and amazing them with his exceptional playing. If you ever get the chance to see this Canadian Bluesman and his impressive band don't miss it!

To get you in the mood I attached a video below of JW Jones playing with the great Buddy Guy earlier this year...

Friday August 28th 2015

 Friday night the blues festival shut down the upper part of Princess avenue in Kingston and lit up the street with even more exceptional blues.

The lovely and talented Canadian blues front-woman Samantha Martin and Delta Sugar enchanted the crowded street. They played and sang their hearts out to the delight of the crowd. It was a wonderful mix of gospel tinged blues with fantastic back up singing.

Samantha's voice has been compared to the classic rock goddess Janis Joplin. You can hear it when she kicks out a smoking single like "I Won't Justify."

It was a beautifully clear day for an open air concert and Samantha and Delta Sugar made the most of it, kept the crowd excited, and played until the sun when down

As the full moon shone bright and full, Lil' Ed and the Blues Imperials brought the sweet classic sounds of Southern Blues. Lil' Ed's got that deep iconic Bluesman voice and his band was on fire.

There is nothing like walking a city street at night that is filled with the sweetly sorrowful sounds of a damn good blues band.

People were dancing in the street and swaying along to the groove. It was a magical night that could not have been any better if they tried.

If you ever want to see the best Blues North of New Orleans make sure to visit the Limestone City in late August during the Blues festival. Unlike our Ottawa neighbors we will treat you with some real blues.

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As I mentioned above these are just a few of the great acts that graced the stages during the Limestone Blues Festival. You easily could fill your days from dawn to dusk with good music and good local cuisine at the event. I also have to say that the few acts that I met in person were very personable and appreciative of their fans.

A big thank you to JW Jones for allowing me to create some artwork for him, and  for the amazing access to him and his band. Not to mention, the copy of his great Juno nominated album Belmont Boulevard.

Also a big thank you to Samantha Martin for taking precious time from her extremely busy schedule to meet with me. Thank you also to Delta sugar who signed my copy of  the print of the artwork that I had done for them.

More thanks to Bagot leather Goods in Kingston for the passes for the festival. 

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Well that is it for now. Thank you for reading.

Kevin Sweeney

Sovereign Metal

Sovereign Council had a release party Saturday at The Mansion. The local Kingston Symphonic Metal band has had international success and recognition with their first album New Reign. 

Laniakea, the new CD, is already gaining attention.

"Laniakea is the name of our local galactic supercluster; home to our Milky Way. That’s why we went for a very galactic-looking cover for the album. I won’t say anything else about that at the moment because I don’t want to give too much away. Other than that, I really hope our album will speak for itself.”

These five talented musicians are giving a Canadian spin to the Symphonic Metal genre, and it is a great addition.

You can get Laniakea on the store on their Facebook page, so what are you waiting for? Click here.

Did You Say You Want More Metal?

Scenes Of Brutality Vol.1 is a compilation of malevolent Metal that those Metal Masters Theatre Nocturne brought to my attention. A product of the pairing of Metal Devastation Radio and the band Post Mortal Possession, it brings together 17 "brutal, crunchy, grinding, slamming, nasty, vile sounding metal bands from PA, NY, OH and WV."

Each group donated one song to the album and each of them are using it as free advertising for spreading the Metal gospel, and getting more interest in the Pennsylvanian Metal scene. " Its meant to generate shows and draw support to local underground music and create a surge in the underground."





So if you want some more growling and screaming underground Metal in your life, do yourself a favor and go get the free download.

If you got some extra cash and you want to support a good cause; All donations made for this compilation will go directly to helping out long time metal supporter Chris Dissell in his fight against cancer so know you money will be well spent!

Hell, it has one of our favorite nasty Metal bands Theatre Nocturne on it, is there any better reason to get the album for free on bandcamp.

While you are at it, check out Theatre Nocturne's 2014 release Depictions Of Life And Death. It is a great Death Metal offering on bandcamp too. 

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 Since I'm informing you on Scenes Of Brutality Vol.1, I thought you might like to know a little more about Post Mortal Possession. These five guys from Pittsburgh have plenty of experience in the underground Metal scene, spawning from several different previous Metal outfits.

They formed out of the bowels of Hell back in October 2013 and have been striving ever since to expand the underground Metal community.

Post Mortal Possession's 2014 EP Possessing Entity is a bloody pit of screams, heavy rhythms, and Death Metal growls. You can find the first track from the album, "The Harvest" on Scenes Of Brutality Vol.1. 

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One of the bands on Scenes Of Brutality Vol.1 that caught my attention was Victims of Contagion. They refer to themselves as a Technical Death Metal group. What really surprised me from their track "Subservience" was the incredible musicianship of the band. Not only were they quite proficient at cranking out Death Metal but they also incorporate other technically difficult styles of music within the Metal onslaught.

Going back to the song "Subservience" they actually incorporated some excellently played Fusion Jazz within the mix. It elevated my respect for the band immediately once I heard it.

Their 2014 EP Parasitic Unborn is available on bandcamp. It is full of grinding Metal and pleasant musical surprises, it is Definitely worth picking up.

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If your looking for some more recent Metal, than check out Piranha's 2015 Junk Punch EP. It has four tracks of Metal that takes inspiration from Korn and Death Metal. It includes two excellent Metal anthems "Dayzed" and "(F**k) That Shit."

Shortly after the release Piranha were excited to find themselves playing alongside groups like Sevendust and GWAR.

The rest of this year will be all about touring to promote the EP and hopefully trying some new material to build a full album for their next release.

Check out this upcoming Metal band and pick up Junk Punch.

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Forever Still The female lead Metal powerhouse from Copenhagen Denmark released a 3 track EP earlier this year. Save Me is a great example of the versatility of this group. Mellow or Rocking this band can do it all and with style.

The song "Breath In" off of Save Me is a perfect example of the versatility I mentioned. Within this track Maja Schønning, lead vocals, shows just how she can change from a smooth and lovely to loud and Raw.

Earlier this month Forever Still released a new video for their song "Awake The Fire" which is also the first track on the Save Me EP. 

You can download the EP for FREE on bandcamp.

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There is a lot more... but that is it for today.  Thank you for reading and keep that Metal flowing.

Kevin Sweeney

Some Good Beer and Great New Rock!

Today at Red House, a great local Kingston bar, I was able to meet with Kingston's one and only Greg Ball to talk about his upcoming album and the state of music today. We settled in at one of the bar tables with a couple beers and started to chat about his new release due out later this month.

The title is still up in the air Greg mentioned. Originally the CD was to be called Alter Ego but the band and label are discussing if that is going to be the final name of the release. This is the third third album that Greg Ball will be producing on the Ching label (Paul Langlois' record label,) and recorded at the legendary Bathouse studio.

Between the end of 2013 and the present Greg has been involved in two very successful cross Canada tours; one with Paul Langlois and the most recent with Rocket Surgery and Ruben deGroot.  Greg remarked that he feels very lucky to have been on both of those tours and found that everything and everyone just seemed to click in place for both.

Known for his ability to produce catchy authentic songs Greg mentioned that his songwriting has changed a lot over the years. He said that now his songwriting is all about a band centered dynamic,

 where everyone has input on every step of the songwriting process. It allows for more diversity in ideas and a more unified sound to their tracks.

Together the band feels that this new album, soon to be released, will be the the one that gets them some attention outside of the immediate Kingston area. They definitely deserve it.

When we approached the subject everyone has on their mind, money, he said that he would not have been able to get as far as he has if his motive for creating music is to get rich. Instead he writes and sings for the love of the art form and the response he receives from his loyal fans.

At that point we ended up having a surprising interruption. His drummer, Rob Radford, just happened to walk into the local watering hole. It just goes to show you how popular the Red House is. We all talked about how the band needs new T-shirts done up, and then continued the interview.

Greg told me that Rob is the foundation of the band, his talent for laying out a great beat for a song idea is beyond equal. "He is sure to become a legend one day."

Before we ended the small interview, Greg went over some upcoming dates that he is playing here in Kingston; such as this Thursday at Pan Chancho.




For only $25 you get a delicious Pan Chancho feast and a show by one of the best bands that Kingston has to offer.

Everyone who goes to Thursday's show will be witness to only the second time that the band will play live my favorite tune by the group, Carnivore. It should be a great show

Greg really surprised me when he allowed me to get a listen to his new album before it's even out, and it is even better than his last. This new effort has Greg and the boys putting out a rockier mix than either Mr. Rightplace or Excessive Until August. For you die-hard Greg Ball fans, don't worry he still has a bit of that Greg Ball twang ringing through the tracks.

The songs on this beauty are catchy and lyrical as ever. Even if you have not heard anything by these guys you are going to want to pick up this album. If this record does not open up new audiences for Greg Ball and his band then the rest of the world is tone deaf!

Make sure to keep watch on Greg Ball's twitter and facebook accounts for upcoming shows and the release date for the new CD. Take it from someone who has already heard it, the new Greg Ball album that you will want to pick up.

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If you are looking for a great place with pleasant service and welcoming atmosphere, not to mention several cold brews on tap, go to Red House. It is smack dab downtown, not even a block away from the hub of Princess Street and King Street.

The fries were every bit as tasty as fry truck fries, and that is saying something.

Also, it is one of the only places in town where you can have local rock star Greg Ball serve you your drink. So what are you waiting for, come on down to Red House tonight.

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I would like to thank Greg Ball for meeting me and discussing his music, and the staff of the Red House for a perfect atmosphere for the interview. As for everyone reading this, buy the CD and thank you for reading.

Kevin Sweeney

The Best of 2015 So Far...

The Best Rock Albums of 2015 So Far

Moses Nose The Burning Bush is a great Rock and Roll album that begins with the statement "Rock or be Rocked Upon!" Full of steaming guitars and a more hooks than a fisherman's lure box, it is one hell of a release for 2015.

This is an album that I can not stop listening to. Its sonic assault just makes you want to see these Monterey, CA boys live.

If you are a fan of good old straight forward Rock and Roll than this is an album for you. They even have it listed on bandcamp on a name your price link. This is the type of Rock that should be on the radio, and is worth way more than they are asking!  

I start this list with Royale - ...As Long As The Money Lasted. There are many things about this album that have put it very high on my list of favorite albums for 2015. It is a well crafted piece of sonic art, that does not have a single bad track. 

Did I mention that the band gave the digital tracks for the album free from their web site? On top of that they are even had the balls to state that they are introducing a new genre of music with the release of this masterpiece; they call their style Yacht Metal.

What I can say about this album is that it is definitely worth picking up, even if you end up having to pay for it.

Next up in the Rock and Roll category is a band that have consistently delivered great alternative Rock ever since their incredible We Are Not Alone release in 2004. Breaking Benjamin have delivered another amazing offering of emotionally powerful songs that rage and bleed all over the album. 

Again they have managed to produce a collection of tunes without a single clunker in the bunch. If you are already a fan of Breaking Benjamin this will be a must have, and if you have not heard these guys it is even more of a necessity that you pick up this album.

I would say that Dark Before Dawn  is every bit as good as any of their previous masterpieces.

Listening to  Freedom Hawk - Into Your Mind  is like finding an old Ozzy album that you overlooked. Their fuzz filled psychedelic Rock is an extremely pleasant reminder of the 1970's Hard Rock that gave birth to Heavy Metal. Hell, their singer T.R. Morton even sounds a bit like the Ozzman.  

Into Your Mind is a wonderful head trip that will make you want to crank the speakers and pass around the reefer. 

I was incredibly enthused when I found this gem, and if you like 70's stoner rock than I am sure that this will be a great album for you too.

Now where is that "medical marijuana?" 

Valise - Young Bloomer is a great album for when you are in a much more relaxed mood and you just want to ease into the night. It weaves a multi-textural sonic tapestry that is as comfortable as your favorite quilt.

Full of cool instrumentation and smooth guitars Young Bloomer eases you into it's arms and keeps you there. At no time does this release ever dip into the sickeningly sweet pop sentimentality that other mellow Rock groups fall into. Instead these guys from Dallas, TX deliver moving tracks like "Monster" that manage to keep you falling into a great groove.

The Best Metal Albums of 2015 So Far

I have to start the Metal list with Hatebeak - Number Of The Beak. Yes, I realize that the cover is basically a rip off of Maiden's Number Of The Beast, but they have got to be the most interesting and creative Metalheads I have heard in quite a while. 

Maybe I should mention that the singer for this rip roaring Metal band is a parrot. Yes, I mean a real live bird, and damn is he great. This is no Polly want a cracker parrot. This is one guttural growling fowl. The combination of screaming bird and Death Metal works like a fist in a metal gantlet.

The more I listened to this album the more I loved it. It is a great departure from the normal growling singing of the majority of the bands of the genre.

Kevin Byrne's one man dark symphonic masterpiece Sonus Mortis - War Prophecy  is a wonderfully heavy offering of Death Metal that echos with the cathedralesque hymns of damnation. It makes for an excellent addition to the unholy tomes of the genre.

It is amazing that no Metal label has signed this mad genius already, especially since he pretty much does everything himself.

If you are a Death Metal fan than check Sonus Mortis out and pick up this album.
You can find this album on his bandcamp page.

My next choice for best Metal album is from

Barque Of Dante - Lasting Forever. This Chinese Power Metal band has delivered a great piece of pure Heavy Metal. I have not heard anything that hearkens back to the glory days of the NWOBHM since the 2004 Evil Dreams - The Book Of Heavy Metal.

Lasting Forever is like Valhalla it begins with an orchestral flight on Valkyrie wings and settles into a hall of Metal with swords drawn and chalices raised in glorious abandon.

The guitar work is exquisite and the combination of fast paced pounding drums and soaring vocals bring to mind Iron Maiden.

Next up is Napalm Death - Apex Predator-Easy Meat. It is full of the loud roaring mayhem that these bastards are known for. Both heavy and infectious this album is a must for those who love their Metal extreme.

This album has to have one of the best cover images that I have seen in a long while. It is perfect for this eardrum mashing release. If grindcore is your Metal of choice you can not do any better than this album so far this year.

 Apex Predator-Easy Meat is not a mindless mash of guitars and screams, it manages to infuse the madness with socially critical content and well constructed rhythms to keep the album interesting from beginning to end.

Paradise Lost is a Goth/Doom Metal band from the UK that has been dredging up the doom since 1988. This latest release is intended to be a return to the bands roots and they have managed to do just that.

You just have to hear their track "Punishment Through Time." It has a great groove that just begs one to bang your head.

The Plague Within is a great collection of melodic tales of anguish and torment that pick apart the human experience. The juxtaposition of melody and distortion overload delivers a beautifully dense atmosphere for the listener. So go ahead and embrace your inner darkness and pick up this great release.

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Well that is it for now, but there are some promising upcoming releases that may just end up extending this list: Kingston's symphonic Metal group Sovereign Council is releasing a new album in August; Blessthefall has a new one coming out in September; Huntress is planning on raining down some new arrows of Metal also in September; and Local boys PS I Love You are delivering some new Rock later this month.

Until then, thank you for reading and keep that good music coming.

Kevin Sweeney

Bands to Catch This Summer!

Royale

   

Royale's album ... As Long As The Money Lasted is one of the best albums that I have heard produced this year. It is excellent from the first track right on through to the last one. From just one listen I am certain that you will agree that Royale is a band that you should go and see. These four guys from Chicago are not only making great music but releasing it on Vinyl (my preferred medium for music.) They have taken their love of 1970's slick melody infused rock and roll and modernized it. What they have come up with they call Yacht Metal, and it is one smooth ride. You can almost see the vast sea around you as the guitars echo like waves, and the rhythm propels you forward through each track on their album.  

Maybe part of the reason they play so well together is that three out of the four of them are brothers. Joe, Nate, and Zach Bauman began the band by teaming up with bassist Marc Najjar in order to "make the heaviest music that they could that would inspire some serious baby making." I am not sure if it worked for them but they made some great tunes.

I highly encourage anyone reading this to go and get their album and follow them.

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Hateful Bones

Hateful Bones is one of those rare bands that are able to connect to their listeners both sonically and lyrically. Their blues based hard rock beautifully connects to their ferocity of subject matter.  

Hateful Bones is not the angst ridden teenage rock that is plentiful out in the heavier genres of rock. These are the bones that have lived and struggled under the weight of a hard fought life.  that is left with the memories and pain that have matured through strife.

High Octane hits like "Finally", "Proud Man", and "No-refund" prove that these guys can rock out just as good as anyone else out there. I also really like how when they slow down for songs like "Damn Shame" the don't let up on the attitude.

Check these guys out and if you have the chance to see them live don't pass it up.

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The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer

If you are looking for a great blues band than you can't go wrong with the Vancouver duo of Shawn Hall and Matthew Rogers, otherwise known as The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer.

Their live gigs are something that has to be witnessed, many have said that they play rocking blues like it should be played. 

You can hear their LP's on their website, but I got to warn you, that once you hear them you are going to want to get them. Their mix of funk and soul filled blues is infectious and full of hooks.

 I love the artwork that they use for their posters and albums. It is worth it to check out there website just for the poster art alone, let alone the music.

 Recently they opened up a songwriting competition that is still open to enter until 15 Jul 2015. For the lucky one who produces "a song with a real fine melody" the band is offering a workshop with them that will end in a professionally polished recording.

They are keeping busy playing every blues filled festival from Vancouver Island to Quebec City this summer. Hopefully it will mean even more coverage for this amazing band. You can find their full listings of upcoming shows on their website.

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Greg Ball

I can't end this list without including a local Kingston boy. We are eagerly awaiting Greg Ball's newest album, Alter Ego, which is supposed to be released this month. As soon as I get my grubby hands on it I will write a review on it.

CBC has said that Greg is "armed with a unique, appealing voice and a bunch of well written songs under his belt." The thing they missed in the intro to Greg is that he has a distinct Canadian sound to his music. 

If this new album follows the path of his previous ones is going to be even better than the last. He has always managed to improve upon his past efforts. Until then Big Kris from KROCK in Kingston will be releasing a podcast with an interview with Greg soon, so keep an eye open for it on BigKrisradio.com. 

If you have the chance go and see him live. He is often setting up stage around the Kingston area, so if you are anywhere near here keep an eye on his twitter feed and come on out to enjoy some great music.

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There will be more coming but that is it for now. Thank you for reading and keep the music flowing cause the new generations need growing.

Kevin Sweeney