Clinging To The Trees Of A Forest Fire
formed in 2006. Their first full-length, “Omega Drunk On The Blood Of Alpha” was released in 2008 on Debello Recordings. CTTTOAFF also has a self released EP entitled “Harmonies From Bleeding Mouths” (2006) and is in the process of writing/recording for another release this year.
Voted one of the best metal bands in Denver 2008, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, Omega Drunk on the Blood of Alpha (Debello Recordings). With a sound that’s every bit as brutal and unsettling as the cover art on this debut and as convoluted as the act’s moniker, Trees has risen the ranks to become a titan of Denver metal. It hardly surprising to see Flatline Audio’s name on this one. Dave Ottero’s recorded some of the best metal records to ever to come out of Colorado, including this one!
Confined To The Shadows
was started early in 2008 with one goal in mind; to shut all the other bands down. We were tired of all the other bands in the area getting credit for not being good. Sounds harsh but that is the motivation that drives Confined To The Shadows. We are not saying that we are the best band in the world but we do know that we have what it really takes to "make it" in the music industry. It’s not just about writing songs and hoping people listen to it, that doesn’t make anyone any money. We are here to let people hear, feel and connect with what we write and to make as much money for ourselves, our record label, endorsements, etc. as possible.
We have been described as a mix of Impending Doom, The Acacia Strain, and Whitechapel by our friends at shows and in our MySpace comments. We have a drive to make the catchiest, heaviest, most fun music we can because ultimately thats what sells and what people really want to hear. They don’t want to hear about your break up 4 years ago…at least we don’t. We want our music to be easily understandable for our fans so they can really listen but we want to have enough complicated parts to make other musicians jealous.
We are also very proud of our eqiupment. We are a 4 piece band that often has nicer equipment than most "big" bands that we have played with in the past. Our vocalist, Caleb Finlay has his own Shure wireless mic. Guitarist Michael Crain, plays a 7 string Agile with 2 matching 4×12 Vader cabinets. Bassist Josh Chapel, plays a 5 string Carvin bass with 2 matching 8×10 Carvin cabinets. All of the guitar, bass, and vocal rigs are in one (HEAVY) Crown case. Drummer Jason Bowden, has 3 endorsements that he strictly uses which are Shine drums, Soultone cymbals, and Grindstix drumsticks. We also have a Chevy van and large trailer so we are ready to drop everything and go out and tour the country. We have what it takes…we know it.
Deadspeak
February 2007 marks the rebirth of Rocky Mountain powerhouse Deadspeak with the addition of drummer Chris Andon Guenther. Originally formed by guitarists Eric Worthington and Than Wilson as well as vocalist Keith Coombes in Oct. ’97 (under the moniker TRUTH until 2002 with the inception of bassist Cassie Begay), they have recorded and self-released a total of 5 albums (2 e.p.’s and 3 full-lengths).
Since then they have diligently performed up and down the Rocky Mountain area headlining venues as well as sharing the stage with such acts as The Red Chord, Cephalic Carnage, Vital Remains, Toxic Holocaust, The Funeral Pyre, Gaza, Nunslaughter, Chimaira as well as opening the Summer Slaughter Tour package in Denver CO June of 2007.
This September, Deadspeak released of their newest cd entitled "Invective 12:29" – a 4-song sample that inadvertantly blurs the lines of grind, death, black and thrash with all out technical violence. With these 4 songs, and 6 more on the way, Deadspeak is ramping up pre-production in preparation to record a new full-length album early spring of 2010 with a tentative release date of mid-summer 2010. Prepare for unrest. You can order Invective 12:29 ep from myspace.com/deadspeak666, just click on the link to enter the online store.
Descent of the Dead
is the result of a group of friends who started a death metal band and took over their High School. As everyone went their own ways after School, brothers and bandmates Luke Wotawa (drums) and Griffin Wotawa (guitar) continued to write music together and got friends Mike Merill on bass and Kenny Griffiths on guitar. The current lineup was solidified in 2009 with the addition of Jesse Herzenach on vocals. Shortly after, the band recorded three demo tracks, engineered by Ian Jekelis. The songs went far beyond anything previously written by them in terms of speed, heaviness, and catchiness. With the debut of these tracks the band saw positive turnouts at their local shows and sold out their second stage appearances to both California Metalfest and Summer Slaugther at the Grove in Anaheim, CA.
As a group consisting of brothers and friends the band keeps a humorous outlook on their work. Like when they applied to play at California Metalfest and won over the promoter by comparing their music to a banana split. Descent of the Dead continues to write and play new music, some of which will be released in early 2010 in a short-run 5-Track EP disc. This will include the three songs produced by Jekelis ("Torment" being one of them) and two new ones which more fully express the band’s authentic sound. With aspirations to expand and possibly take their act to the road, the group focuses on offering the community fresh and hard hitting tracks that make performances exciting for crowds to watch and for the band to play. Keep listening, your support is appreciated!
Graves of Valor
(ex-Through the Eyes of the Dead) explode to the forefront of the modern extreme metal scene with their Relapse debut ‘Salarian Gate’. The quintet’s razor-sharp attack melds a traditional metal spirit with 21st century extremity to establish Graves of Valor as one of the most promising new death metal bands in years. As songs such as “Locusta”, “Pestilence”, and the title track prove, ‘Salarian Gate’ is a massive debut and one of the best death metal albums of 2009.
Impious
was formed back in 1994, the band has released two albums through classic and now defunct label Black Sun Records, and one album through Hammerheart Records. Impious in concert is always a crushing experience. During a tour in 2003 a convincing performance in Germany, generated an interest from Metal Blade Records. Impious inked a deal with the label in 2004.
Death Domination is the band’s third release for Metal Blade and is by far their strongest effort so far. The title for the album just came naturally. “When I first heard the demo songs I just thought ‘holy shit’! The title Death Domination was the first thing that came to mind” says bass player Erik Peterson. It’s a rock solid statement of fast and furious metal, indeed. When it was time to start working on new material the band simply sat down and discussed the visions of all five members. It didn’t take long to realize that everyone shared the same vision. Brutal attitude was the answer, the call, and the passion. The outcome is a truly convincing and honest album.
And even if the energy and speed is so prominent, the hooks are still all there. Each song just has those parts that grab you and won’t let go. Guitarist and songwriter Valle Adzic comments “Death Domination is our Reign In Blood, a fierce and short attack of pure death and thrash metal that’s like a hit in your face by a couple of brass knuckles”.
And with Death Domination the lyrics have become a more prominent part of Impious’ sound. Drummer Mikael Norén comments; “The lyrics are on a whole new level. I really feel that there’s a substantial truth behind every meaning, as some songs deal with issues that we feel very strong about”. Martin Åkesson adds “I’ve never been much of a poet myself, but this time I’ve co-written the lyrics for each and every song on the album. This really helped me to get a whole different feeling when recording my vocals. I felt so much more confident and I think that shines through on the album”.
The band also brought in old time friends Johan Lindstrand (One Man Army, ex-The Crown) and Andreas Nilsson (Hope Over Fear) for additional spice by doing some guest vocals.
The album was recorded at Studio Deadline and features a heavy and solid production that fits both the band and the songs just perfectly. “It was a breeze to record this album, at least my part. For the first time all the five of us were deeply involved already at the pre-production stage, so when it was time to start rehearsing and recording the album everything just came naturally” Mikael adds.
Last House on The Left
has managed to build one of the most die-hard fan-bases in the underground extreme scene completely “do-it yourself” with a sound all their own – a paradoxical paradigm shift in a world of monotonous metal. Sharing the stage with bands such as Vital Remains, Decapitated, Exhumed, All Shall Perish, Suffocation, Shadows Fall, Suicide Silence just to name a few. Last House on The Left has proved time and time again that they can hang with some of the biggest names in metal.
In late 2006, Last House on The Left inked a deal with Siege of Amida Records. shortly after the release of their EP “The Road Leads to Nowhere.” The self-produced and distributed album quickly sold out of all original copies without a single tour under their belt concluding that fans of true metal are still ravenous for gritty 70’s horror flick themed music.
After writing and inevitably scratching nearly an entire album’s worth of material, the band decided that for their debut album they needed to shift gears and crank up the intensity. In early 2007 they began pre-production for their new leviathan, “Among Flies” – an album consisting of 11 tracks, including matured versions of select old favorites from their EP. The album’s title track is written as if to be an omitted chapter from William Golding’s “The Lord of the Flies.” Traces of themes from the book are scattered throughout the remainder of the album as well. Last House on The Left was more than fortunate to formulate an all-star cast for “Among Flies” which features artwork by the legendary Simon Bisely (DC, Verotik, Marvel Comics), mixing by Grammy Award winning Neil Kernon (Nevermore, Cannibal Corpse, Judas Priest), and mastering done by Alan Douches (Mastodon, Nile, The Red Chord).
In the midst of pre-production for “Among Flies,” Last House on The Left received the invitation of a lifetime to open for the all-mighty Danzig in a sold out hometown venue. Now, with “Among Flies” on the horizon, Last House on The Left plans on spreading in infestation across the land, restoring hope in contemporary metal to thousands around the world in the process. There is truly something for everyone on the album. Last House on The Left’s sound cannot be pigeon-holed, it cannot be sub-classified, and it can simply only be described as “metal for the masses.”
Metal has always meant to be a counter-response to the safety of mainstream music, not revile in the gluttony of it; with Last House on The Left, you won’t find any tight pants, eyeliner or any filler, but simply five devoted musicians with nothing to prove but their love for dark, progressive, heavy metal, and their competency at creating it.
Purge At Dawn
A fast-rising, ambitious young band from Clearlake, CA (about 100 miles north of San Francisco), Purge at Dawn is quickly making a name for itself. "These guys are young, but they’re f**king incredible," is a common reaction.
One listen to demo tracks like "Domestic Domicile" and "Gardens Of The Night" and you hear why Purge is set to surge: the music is a whirlwind of off-time death metal, groovy guitar riffs, heavy breakdowns and beastly vocals. The unique, progressive style echoes bands like The Faceless and Deeds of Flesh. But the guys’ influences are much broader: They listen to everything from jazz to rap.
The band’s free-thinking, non-judgmental philosophy helps it create an unjaded sound. "We play what we like and don’t criticize other music," says drummer Josh Coonce. Guitarist Brian Erckenbrack sums up the group’s attitude: "My philosophy is to play and do what feels fun for me." Look for a debut CD sometime in 2010.
Contact: www.myspace.com/purgeatdawn
Purge at Dawn is: Raymond Jones, guitar – Josh Coonce, drums – Brian Erckenbrack, guitar – Richey Bronson, vocals – Luie Gamboa, bass
The Binary Code
The fine folks behind much-loved metal blog MetalSucks are proud to announce that they will be working with up-and-coming New Jersey progressive death metallers The Binary Code to release the band’s debut full-length, "Suspension of Disbelief." Engineered by Paulie Cutri & The Binary Code’s own Jesse Zuretti, the record will be a digital-only release and is due to drop December 15, 2009, and features a bang-up mixing job courtesy of Kevin Antreassian (Number Twelve Looks Like You, Knife the Glitter).
The Binary Code have been tearing it up all across the Garden State since 2004, self-releasing a string of demos and playing countless shows with the likes of Decapitated, Necrographist, the Red Chord, Converge, Pig Destroyer, Between the Buried and Me, Cannibal Corpse, and Despised Icon up and down the East Coast. Their punishing blend of death metal ferocity, jazzy experimentation, progressive exploration, multihued atmospheres, and hardcore aggression has already won them considerable acclaim as much as their jaw-dropping technical proficiency and dizzying musical skill have made heads spin. Name-checking Meshuggah and Gojira as often as they rep Opeth and Between the Buried and Me, and adding in their own unique interpretations and influences along the way, these Jersey boys are poised to become new leaders in the field of modern American death metal. This is tech-death with SOUL.
MetalSucks co-honcho Vince Neilstein commented, "We are extremely proud to have The Binary Code’s "Suspension of Disbelief" as the first-ever official MetalSucks digital musical release. It’s not that we’re looking to get into the record label field… we most certainly aren’t. It’s that The Binary Code are so fucking good that we felt we had to do anything necessary to bring this band to the public. The precision, soul, musical prowess and astonishing power of their live shows are what drew us to The Binary Code in the first place, so we’re psyched that "Suspension of Disbelief" captures all of that energy on record."
The Binary Code guitarist and graphic designer Jesse Zuretti added, "After nearly a year, we are extremely excited to announce that we’ll finally be releasing our first official album exclusively through our favorite, and most excellent metal news herald, Metal Sucks. New, as well as re-recorded songs, will be featured on the digital album, entitled, "Suspension of Disbelief". We couldn’t be more grateful for the confidence invested in our music by the MS emperors."
The Binary Code will be ravaging the nation alongside French experimental metallers Hypono5e and Relapse death-thrashers Revocation on the Metalsucks-sponsored ‘Metal As Art’ Tour. The tour kicks off in New York City on January 6, and runs all across the nation, ending up back in dirty Jersey in February.
The Despised
Founded in early 1995 by members of several of Atlanta’s punk & metal bands, The Despised blend fierce punk chord structures, powerful hardcore vocals and aggressive guitar driven rhythms to produce one of the most relentless, unforgiving hardcore/punk bands to ever take the stage. Blend the raw brutality and power of Slayer with the grit of Motorhead songwriting, throw in the punk-rock mayhem of The Exploited and the hardcore vengeance of Agnostic Front and you’ve got The Despised! Characterized by many reviews as very fast, very hard, very mean, hardcore/punk; The Despised have left a lasting impression on fans across America, Europe and Japan with their ‘80’s style brutal, fast, unrelenting hardcore. They have completed six overseas tours with three European and three Japanese tours under their belt in addition to having played the 2008 Punk & Disorderly Festival in Berlin in front of over 5,000 people.
The Despised has shared the stage with everyone from Bad Brains, Submachine, Gang Green, Subhumans, GBH, Antiseen, Hellstomper, The Queers, Nashville Pussy, Mastodon, The Business, The Meatmen, Joe Coffee, Discharge and Vice Squad along with many others lost in the alcoholic haze…They recently got a "shout out" and ringing endorsement from the Reverend Paul Bearer (Sheer Terror/Joe Coffee) as being "the best fuckin’ hardcore band since Poison Idea!"
"This isn’t that pull-up-your-goddamned-sagging-pants, nü-metal, craptacular OzFest “hardcore.” And it sure as shit ain’t that mesh-trucker-cap-pulled-to-the-side-of-your-head-with-an-H2O-hoodie-on-in-90-degree-heat “hardcore,” either. No, F#CK alla that. This is “get in, or get the fuck out” hardcore. The real deal. This is The Despised." –Designated Dale (Razorcake Issue#43)
The band’s web-site can be found at www.despisedatlanta.com or at www.myspace.com/despisedatlanta
All inquiries should be sent to shayne [at] despisedatlanta.com
The Despised is: Rot-knee – Vocals, Dave Whitworth – Bass & Vocals, Matt Matson – Guitar, Shayne Huff – Drums and all management/business duties.
Vaulting
is a Grindcore/Metal Band from Wiesbaden, Germany. They are: Felix Kisseler (Vocals), Sebastian Gathof (Drums), Matthias Gathof (Guitar) and Martin Scheele (Guitar).
Vaulting was founded in the winter of 2006, when the brothers Matthias and Sebastian, who wanted to found a band for a while, were completed by Phillip, Julien and Felix. The priority on studying was more important to Julien and Phillip, that is why they left the band after a while. Martin replaced Julien for the second guitar . Just the search for a bass player is yet to fulfill.
The musical aspect is a mix of Grindcore and Metal. There are no dogmata for the songwriting, they compose what the band members like. Each song is a product of their permanent development on technical and personal levels. The lyrics have lots of methapors and are written with passion by Felix. After a self produced Demo in 2007, the first EP called „Epilog“ was produced in summer 2008. It contains 8 songs and was recorded in the CKB Studio in Essen, Germany.
In 2009 the latest EP „Modus humanis“ followed. It was recorded in the famous „Rape of Harmonies“ Studio. With its five songs, it reflects the bands latest development and stands for Vaultings own and destroying potential.
The band has opened for bands like: All Shall Perish, Aborted and Sworn Enemy. Vaulting built a little but constant Fan-base because of numerous shows in different parts of Germany, and knows how to win more interest through energetic Live shows.
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