VISIONAIRE
MIKEY CLASSIC
Singer/Songwriter for The Goddamn Gallows.
DRAMA JUNKIES
GEOFF FARINA
Geoff Farina is a professional musician currently living and working in Chicago, the home of Atavistic, Southern Records, Schuba’s Tavern, the Fireside Bowl, and other institutions that patronized Geoff’s bands during the indie-rock heyday of the 1990s. Geoff continues to write original music, release records on small labels, and tour the US, Europe, and Japan as a soloist and with his current band Glorytellers. He also performs the solo guitar arrangements of Mississippi John Hurt, Elizabeth Cotton, Blind Arthur Blake, Sylvester Weaver, Blind Willie Johnson, William Moore, Bayless Rose, Norman Blake, Clarence White, Doc Watson, and other seminal American steel-string guitarists. Geoff performs in the Piedmont, Delta, and flatpicking guitar styles developed in the southeastern United States before WWII, using period instruments from his personal collection of vintage Martin, Gibson, National, and Stella guitars. The Last Kind Words, Geoff’s duo with mandolinist and American & Country Tune Book author Kenneth P.W. Rainey, emulate the Monroe Brothers, the Blue Sky Boys, and other classic guitar/mandolin combos from the 1930s and 1940s. Geoff’s duo with guitarist/songwriter Chris Brokaw recently released a collection of pre-WWII blues, rags, and spirituals called The Angel’s Message To Me.
Geoff teaches music history at DePaul University, where his courses include That High Lonesome Sound: Bluegrass 1936-1972 and What Were The Blues? 1920-1960. He has also taught music history and music theory at Colby College and the University of Maine, and English composition at the University of Massachusetts. Geoff’s own music education includes a BA from Berklee College of Music, an MA from the University of Massachusetts, and private studies with Guggenheim fellow Roswell Rudd and guitar virtuoso Ben Monder.
Geoff is probably best known for the genre-flouting guitar style he developed during his 12 years fronting Boston’s Karate, or as one-half of The Secret Stars, the seminal early-90s duo that circulated home-made cassettes of original songs now covered by the likes of Ida and Death Cab for Cutie. Since the early 90s, he has played on 40 releases, and performed at more than 1000 venues in 20 countries, including the Brussels Botanical Gardens, Denmark’s massive Roskilde Festival, MTV Europe’s Supersonic, and NPR’s Talk of the Nation radio show. More recently Geoff has recorded 3 albums with the Roman punk/folk group Ardecore, and composed original music for Cinamazero’s annual Schermo Sonoro festival in Pordenone. Geoff’s music has also appeared in Staccato Purr of the Exhaust, a film featured in the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, and Andrew Gillis’ 2000 film Security, Colorado, a film produced under the constraints of the Danish Dogme 95 Manifesto. Geoff has collaborated with musicians Michael Zerang, Massimo Pupillo, Dan Littleton, Luther Gray, Frank Rosaly, Nathan McBride, Allan Chase, Taylor Ho Bynum, Rebecca Gates, performance artist Jed Speare, and dancer Alissa Cardone.
FRANK BANG AND THE SECRET STASH
“Frank Bang has a blue soul and a rock and roll heart. He plays that guitar like he was born with it in his hand” -Tom Marker 93XRT Chicago
Whether it be… Alone and acoustic…. Amped up and rocking with “The Secret Stash” …. Or playing guitar and singing in the All Chicago Blues Band “Cook County Kings”. Frank Bang is devoted to the music of his youth. His heart is pure rock and roll, but his soul screams the blues. Like Mike Bloomfield and many more before him, it was the combination of raw talent, hard work and devotion that earned him respect, and a following, among blues loyalists. Blues guitar master Buddy Guy chose Frank to play blues guitar alongside him on his national and world tours. When you hear him play you will understand why.
For Frank, being on the road with Buddy Guy was an advanced education in the blues, especially in the fields of guitar mastery and showmanship. The experience has not only honed his ability with traditional material to that of a true journeyman, it has strengthened his contemporary guitar presence. As well as opening up Frank to musical influences from Rock to Country, Blues and Soul music. On the road, he has jammed with some of Rock and Roll’s great legends including The Rolling Stones, Carlos Santana, Robert Plant, Jimmy Vaughan, R.E.M. John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, to name a few. He has performed on the Tonight Show, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and numerous European and American television specials, including a documentary on BRAVO and Jules Holland “Live”, for the BBC. His dozens of live radio broadcasts include shows on Mancow, KFOG, KBCO and E Town.
THE SWEETNESS
CALLI DOLLINGER
Calli Dollinger was born in East Texas, the swampy industrial wasteland also responsible for the howls and hisses of the late Janis Joplin. Described by Time Out Chicago as “the back room ghost of a classic rock chanteuse”, Calli developed her swamp-rock meets psych-pop sound, while growing up in Austin, Texas, and later, as a student at Emerson College, in Boston, Massachusetts.
Calli Dollinger is based in Chicago, IL and will release an EP later this year, produced by the Grammy award winning, Stuart Sikes, who has previously worked with country legend Loretta Lynn, Cat Power, Jack White, and Modest Mouse.
BOB WAYNE
After a long hard run, down the roads across this land. Bob Wayne gathered up some outlaws, and they formed themselves a band. Now every day is different, every player every show. Will you see a bearded lady? Unless you go, you’ll never know. So come one, yeah, come all. When this ho down comes around. Who know’s, you could be an outlaw too! Lettin out that carnie sound.
THE LAWRENCE PETERS OUTFIT
Lawrence Peters is a singer, songwriter, drummer and America’s preeminent electric washboard player, with a musical career spanning twenty-plus years. He was a key player in the Lawrence, Kansas music scene before moving to Chicago in 1992. Since then, he has recorded or performed with dozens of bands, including The Lawrence Peters Outfit, Magnolia Electric Company, Plastic Crimewave Sound, Velcro Lewis Group, The Golden Horse Ranch Band, Eiren Caffall, Mar Caribe, and Tijuana Hercules. Lawrence’s main musical passion is deep-rooted American country music, but he also plays acid punk, swamp rock, Shaker-modern, and Western-pirate-surf music, and somehow gets away with it. In his spare time he volunteers for CHIRP Radio.
JAWS
SVETLANAS
SHIFT
With the future on the horizon, so emerges change. Birth and Death of all things. it is now 2012, and from Chicago comes the punk rock band Shift.
Shift started in early 2011 by Joe Hibbs (Guitar), with later additions being Dan O’Brien (Bass), Mike Miles (Vox), and Dennis Michael (Drums) and right out of the gates recorded our first album in less than 6 months. When you are driving around your Dodge Dart, pop in Shift’s first album “Issues and Addictions” and crank it. You car will be instantly transformed into a Trans-Am going 140 mph….
Un-clear your head and listen to SHIFT.
SCALDING HOT ACID
SUNSPOT
CTA “CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY”
TOWER OF POWER “FUNKLAND”
DEAD PLEASURES
PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY
Persistence Of Memory is an up and coming hard rock band out of the Chicago land area. Singer Jennifer Imparato, Drummer Justin Luebek, Lead Guitarist Dan Bikar, Rhythm Guitarist Grant Forkenbrock, and Bassist Keith Hensley, join musical abilities together to create a dark melodic sound glorified by meaningful lyrics.
With themes of love, loss, and life, POM reaches their audience through their ears and into their hearts. POM has spent their first year together expanding their fan base and touring all over Illinois. Playing over 30 venues in 7 months, professionally recording their 5 song EP, winning the House Of Blues “Battle Of The Bands”, Having a 2 page color article in “Bar Life” magazine, Interviewing on 3 radio stations, and hitting the stage with national acts Adema, Tantric, and Eve To Adam, POM has hit the ground running and they aren’t planning on stopping!
The band is currently working on their first full length album “Minds-Eye” that should be recorded and mastered by Spring 2012.They are also filming their first music video to their hit single “Alone” that should be ready by December 2011.
The members of POM have some big goals set for 2012. Besides the release of their first CD, POM plans on going national and touring in California, Vegas, Texas, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Florida. Lead singer Jeni Imparato comments “We want to show the US that we are here and we are ready to take on the world with rock and roll!”
This highly driven, self-motivated band hopes to get signed by a recognized label before the end of 2012 and jump on a main stage at “Warped Tour” in 2013.
With a strong, goal oriented mindset, powerful music, dedicated members and adoring fans, its no wonder why POM has been making such big leaps in the pursuit of their dreams.
SPACEHOLE
THE JOYRIDERS
Craig, Murdo. Dunsy & Rick, The Joyriders circa 1864
As Rome burned and Nero behaved like Nigel Kennedy at a toga party, one suspects that the cyclonic soundtrack playing in the emperor’s noodle may well have approximated the Joyriders – frenetic, hypnotic, psychotic, pneumatic. HAH! You know the drill. For only the looniest of tunes could accompany the bonfire of the calamities, and who better to bring the noise than Edinburgh’s fiercest and finest, if most feckless of firestarters?
THE WALKING SHADOWS
These songs are a knife in your heart; irrational revolution and crumbling ruins. Gothic-art rock rebels from neo-depression era Chicago: The Walking Shadows. Obsessed with Shakespeare, Ovid, and ex-lovers, the Walking Shadows scream their abashed poetics with a dark mythos that haunts you like doomy guitars and all your favorite demons. Their abrasive verse—“This is not poetry, because you’re not that pretty”—will scare you to uneasiness and move you to sing along.
The band play their collection of horror stories and love songs with high energy and high gain. Craig Winston, the band’s gaunt and towering axe-man, with his brooding bass voice, is already being hailed by bloggers as a guitar hero and captivating front-man. Across the stage he is mirrored by his identical twin and keyboardist, Mark Winston, who rocks and sways with the sound of his synths. John Sturm’s drums thunder with Adam Hubbell’s bass giving the Walking Shadows their tightly knit live sound.
The Shadows have performed throughout the midwest and into New England; in Chicago at Goose Island Brew Pub, Schuba’s, Reggie’s, Elbo Room, Red Line Tap, the Abbey Pub, and Martyrs’; Kitty Cat Klub and Cause in Minneapolis; Cicero’s in St. Louis; Club Garibaldi in Milwaukee; and Tommy Doyle’s in Boston. Craig Was interviewed by Loud Loop Press for their “take five” feature with The Walking Shadows. Chicago music blog “Southside on the town” says the band is “dramatically beautiful within its symphonic-toned metal rock sound.”
SALINE
Saline is an American rock band from the south suburbs of Chicago, IL, who formed in the summer of 2010. Saline is Connie Dizonno as lead vocals, Adam Noreen as lead vocals and rhythm guitarist, Tim Olejnik as lead guitarist, Derrick Mayes as bassist, and Tyler Caprio as the Drummer. Saline is a band of friends who became a family. Writing songs about the ups and downs in life with powerful vocals, melodic guitar and bass lines and strong backbone drums. Saline recently released full length album, “The Day You Came to Me,” featuring Black Heart | Black Lungs and Setting the Pace.
A BLURRED CITY SIGHT
GRACE THE DAMNED
DISTRICT 22
ODONROT
BENEATH THE STARES
PSYCHOPATHIC DAZE
ELECTRIC CHILDREN
Jack Waterman, WA, United States
DAVE HILTEBRAD & CHRIS SIEBOLD
THE STRIKERS
THE MOOD
PERSEIDE
SHERWOOD BLUES WORKSHOP
THE BOOM BANG
COLLECTORS
Collectors are a four piece from Chicago, consisting of Michael Mazza (lead vox, rhythm guitar), Kurt Neuswanger (bass, vox), Big Red Prester (drums) and Scott Tuccori (lead guitar, vox). With influences such as Blur, The Replacements and Cheap Trick, their sound is the optimum intersection of indie rock and power pop, delivered with the energy of punk.
HELLBOUND GLORY
As their name alludes, Hellbound Glory is well on their way to proving they are a force to be reckoned with in the country music. Fusing superior song writing and hard living characters with a hard-edged country honky tonk sound. The group is known for its instrumental dexterity, while vivacious frontman Leroy and his compadres are also notorious for their down-home, good-old-boy attitude. This type of attitude and song writing chops, to back it up, have won over fans far and wide. Whether they are playing in front of two hundred or two thousand, Hellbound Glory delivers on their performance and leaves audiences begging for more as they envelop the crowd with Leroy’s powerful story telling and showmanship.
Throughout the mid 2000’s, Hellbound Glory began defining their indie Americana sound, before that was even a genre. They were moderately successful, but they never had a breakthrough hit on the country charts. But the new album “Damaged Goods” is set to change all that. Hellbound Glory knew there was an audience for Real Country and they stuck to their guns writing and recording songs full of grit, character and about problems facing rural America.
CHEATIN HEART
HENCHMEN
Henchmen are doing the dirty work of bringing real rock and roll back to the forefront of todays stale, cookie cutter, music scene. Their sound is as hard hitting and ruthless as their name implies. Drawing from a never ending list of musical influences, Henchmen have created a sound that exudes nothing but pure rock, with no rules or boundaries. …Isn’t that the way rock n roll should be?
THE LIMIT CLUB
Dark, rocking, gloomy, energetic, frantic, good-looking, humble, and certainly worthy of your hard-earned money.
TRUCKFIGHTERS
If you are interested in groovy, stoner-influenced, progressive and melodic hard rock you probably know about Truckfighters already. “The best band that ever existed” as Josh Homme said in the 2011 “fuzzomentary” Truckfighters. You might also know the story about how Niklas ‘Dango‘ Källgren teamed up with bassist and vocalist Oskar ‘Ozo’ Cedermalm in a worn down rehearsal space in Örebro, Sweden in 2001 and how the first song they ever recorded, Desert Cruiser, since then has gone on to become a desert rock anthem. You probably also know that the band itself has gone on to release five full length albums and played sold out shows on four continents. Truckfighters have become a fundament in the ‘stoner rock/metal’ sub-genre with fans all over the world enjoying the crazy live shows and the fuzzy sounds… After more than 20 years as a band it is safe to say the touring is less frequent than the most intense years of the band. Just as safe as is it to say that the shows will be better than ever and as always with a hell of a fuzzy sound! If you can’t get enough check out Mr.Dango’s other project ENIGMA EXPERIENCE 🤘
VALLEY OF THE SUN
Ryan Ferrier-Guitar/Vocals
Aaron Boyer-Drums
Chris Sweeney-Bass and Keys
Josh Pilot-Guitar
WAR BRIDES
ABBI RAJASEKHAR
Abbi Rajasekhar has been performing music for as long as she can remember. When she first began singing for audiences she was barely strong enough to hold the microphone by herself. Abbi really began writing her own music while she was in highschool and self released her first full length album, Anywhere, when she was 18 years old. Since then she moved to Chicago and has never stopped performing. In 2007 she put out her sophomore full length release, Make Sure. With this album she has toured all over the Midwest and East Coast charming audiences with her unique, soulful voice and relevant, poignant lyrics. The buzzing of crowds across in bars across the country have faded to silence as audiences become wrapped up in the passion of her heartfelt story telling ballads and the intimacy of her performance. In March of 2011, Abbi released a 7 song EP, The Living Room which has been one of the most rewarding projects Abbi has ever worked on. Over the years many of Abbi’s favorite and most memorable performances have been house shows. When fans have become friends and opened up their homes and their living rooms for intimate, truthful nights of music. The Living Room was recorded and produced with these house shows in mind in an attempt to replicate those small wonderful shows. One undeniable quality of any of Abbi’s performances is the joy and gratitude bursting out of her as she sings. She is so thankful for every opportunity to sing and for every new person she gets to meet at her shows that as you watch her performance you are watching her slowly fall in love with everyone in the room. In August of 2011 Abbi is incredibly excited finally be releasing her 3rd full length album, The Young Adult. This album is a huge step for Abbi and she can’t wait for everyone to fill their ears with it.
THE CONSONANCE
The Consonance formed in the winter of 2008 in Edmonton, Alberta. There they embraced their disparate influences, recognized their common creative instincts, and agreed to explore music on their own terms.
The strength of The Consonance’s sound is their synergy: their music seems to be denser than only six voices. What results is an inspired blend of impressionist harmonies and sublime grooves: a truly unique sound that defies classification.
After three independent releases, radio appearances across Western Canada, and countless performances spanning the breadth of North America, they’ve defined their creative voice, and they’re putting it to good use. Together, they are Consonance incarnate, and they are much greater than the sum of their parts.
3 IN COUNTING
Glen Ellyn’s 3 In Counting stands out in that its star is already on the rise. 3 In Counting is an acoustic rock/pop/jam band from the Chicago suburbs, and since their formation in 2005 has worked hard to gain fans by crafting songs with interesting lyrics, seamless vocals, and well thought out instrumentation.
SHADY GRADY & THE NOBODIES
Hailing from Chicago, IL, Shady Grady & The Nobodies (SGN) play a uniquely diverse brand of funk, blues, and rock. Beginning in a high school band room, guitarist Bill Grady, keyboardist Jack Weisenberger, and drummer Jimmy Walsh would jam late into the night after their high school jazz band rehearsals. After years of improvising in the blues and jazz styles, the three enlisted funk bassist Mike Palma to join them. Their newfound blue-funk sound gave birth to Shady Grady & The Nobodies, the newest and funkiest member of the Chicago music scene.
LED ZEPPELIN “LED ZEPPELIN II”
PINK FLOYD “ANIMALS”
THE BUNNIES
TINY MAGNETS
DAVE Z MARSALEK EXPERIENCE
CONVOY
Convoy is a Chicago based band that plays music described as “Swamp Rock”. The guys are notorious for hang out with the crowd before and after shows.
The band was formed in the fall of 2009. Convoy plays straight ahead rock and roll originals. Some of their influences are: Clutch, Corrosion of Conformity, Pantera, and Black Label Society.
The band is comprised of versatile seasoned musicians. Brian Corbin is the singer, rhythm guitarist, and song writer of Convoy’s original music. Brian grew up in Kentucky and then moved to Chicago when he was a teen. His passion for southern rock is evident when he sings Convoy’s originals. He’s vocals are filled with raw emotion.
Mike Getz is the drummer. Mike is from the Chicago southside area. Mike has been playing drums for over 20 years. Mike is an energetic player and thrives on motivating the crowd. You’ll hear is screams echoing off of the crowd.
Dan Thompson (Big D) is the bassist and backup singer. Big D is also from the Chicago southside area. He has been a playing professional for over 25 years. Big D is a versatile bass player that can run the gamut from Blues to Metal, and industrial music. Big D holds down the bottom end of the group.
Johnny Daniel is the lead guitarist and backup vocals. Johnny grew up on the northside of Chicago. Johnny is a multi-talented musician who plays guitar, bass, keyboard, and sings. He is a walking jukebox. He has an impressive musical history. He is also the producer of Convoy’s albums. He’s leads are memorizing.
MEAN TANGERINE
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY
HUNTERS
MANHOOD
SAMUEL WYATT
CRAZY & THE BRAINS
Party/Punk /Anti-Folk “Dont Need No Snacks” available now on Baldy Longhair Records
THE JUKEBOX ROMANTICS
MELLOW BLUES DUO
DAVID HAYES & THE PROJECT
David Hayes & the Project is a unique and original rock band based in Chicago. The band is comprised of Midwest musicians who have worked together in multiple projects throughout the years. David Hayes (guitar, keys, & vocals) is a native of Rockford, Illinois and has lived in Chicago for nearly a decade. He is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago who teaches private music lessons, and composes original music in multiple genres. He released his first album “In With the Old” in 2010, and is releasing a twin album “Out With the New” in 2011. The Project includes Graham Burris (bass, vocals), Mike Lim (keys), and Christian Chamberlain (drums). Graham Burris is another Rockford native who performs with multiple bands in Chicago, and has collaborated with Grammy award winner Lupe Fiasco. Michael Lim hails from Detroit, Michigan and is also a graduate of Columbia College Chicago. He also composes original music for his project known as The Lims. Christian Chamberlain is from Morton, Illinois and also keeps a tight beat in multiple bands. He is beginning to start his own drum and bass project as well. Together David Hayes and the Project create a unified progressive sound that keeps the listeners interested.
RYAN DOYLE
SLEEPY KITTY
Sleepy Kitty is more than a band: it’s an all-in multi-media artistic collaboration. After spending the ’90s drumming in Harvey Danger (London/Polygram), and the ’00s in Chicago’s Bound Stems(Flameshovel), Sult heard Brubeck’s voice in her band, Stiletto Attack, and couldn’t shake it. Strictly for fun, they started mashing weird sound experiments into their natural pop instincts, and quickly had a batch of art-cracked, catchy songs. At the same time, they were designing and printing t-shirts and rock posters together. They called it all Sleepy Kitty—and they now run both their band and their print shop out of a formerly abandoned brewery on St. Louis’s Cherokee Street, which has since become the city’s unofficial printers’ row (you can check out their print work at sleepykittyarts.com). After two self-released EPs—Hustlin’ Kets (2007) and What I Learned This Summer (2009)—and some great opening slots for the Dresden Dolls, Chuck Berry, and Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Sleepy Kitty caught the ear of Euclid Records’ Joe Schwab. The band’s live show is a whirlwind: Brubeck loops her vocals live, crafting walls of girl-group harmonies above the tube-driven blast of her vintage Super Reverb. Sult plays at the edge of the stage with her—when he can contain himself to his drum throne. Infinity City transmits the power of their live show but reveals their canny control of pop architecture: “Gimme a Chantz!” opens with a theatrical flourish before bounding into a crowd of surging ’90s-era harmonies; garage-cranked “Speaking Politely” makes way for the delicately observed details of city-breakup ode “NYC Really Has It All,” and the Velvets/Fab Four mash note “Seventeen” revels in their influences.
COWBOY INDIAN BEAR
OLD WORLDS
ROCKET MINER
Rocket Miner, formed in February 2011, is original members Larry Hryn and Chip Wortel and Chris Ruffolo tackling the expansive guitar work. Joining them to hold down the rock solid rhythm section is Danny Garcia on drums and TJ Fulfer on bass and Ken Pendola on vocals and samples.
Their first record “Songs for an October Sky” was self released as a demo, before being picked up and re-released by Oxide Tones Records in October 4, 2011. Following that release they embarked on a Midwest/East Coast tour, with performances at some of Chicago’s top venues. The band released their record “Elegy” via Shunu Records in 2014. Rocket Miner has shared the stage with other great bands such as Laberinto, The End of the Ocean, Junius, Trioscapes, the Life and Times, You.may.die.in.the.desert, and many more.
Currently Rocket Miner’s newest release, ‘The Long Goodbye’ is due on on May 4 2018 on Shunu Records. It’s a follow up to their 2014 critically acclaimed ‘Elegy’ LP. The band is looking forward to promoting ‘The Long Goodbye’ with their memorable and bombastic live shows.
TEN FOOT POLECATS
Their sound, though hard to define, has been referred to as “punk-blues”, “gutbucket soul”and “explosive stomp and groove”. This high-octane trio from Boston, MA has been touring the country for the past five years, taking their unique form of roots music (influenced by the sounds of the northern Mississippi hill country) to cafes, restaurants, record stores, rock clubs, theatres, festivals and back yard parties, and playing for anyone who will listen. In 2010, they released their first full-length CD, “I Get Blamed For Everything I Do” (Hillgrass Bluebilly Records). Their new album, “Undertow” (also on Hillgrass), will be officially released in March/April 2013.
SHA-BOOM!
BACK ALLEY RIOT
After toiling away for years on the Northwest side of Chicago, Back Alley Riot busted down the doors of the punk rock scene, when original members, Mike Nakis (vocals/guitar), Matt Jankiewizc (drums), and Danny Starks (guitar/vocals), hooked up with bassist Russell Katzenmaier. Their sound unites blue-collar story telling with stage-shaking power chords, creating punk rock songs with a down-home twist. Back Alley Riot blends punk, rock, and southern boogie with an explosive live show that will leave you breathless and begging for more. With standout tracks like “Gasoline On The Fire” and “Gunfight”, fueled by Russell Katzenmaiers
jaw-dropping bass lines, Danny Starks’ raunchy chord attacks, and Matt Jankiewicz’s relentless drumming, look for Back Alley Riot to cause a ruckus in the rock landscape for years to come.
EVERLENE
ANDY COOK & THE WANDERLOONS
JOHNNY SKETCH & THE DIRTY NOTES
Well, Carnival is behind us and it’s ’bout time to get crawfish season into full swing, and that means it’s the perfect time to get to dancing with Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes!!! Coming up are some great opportunities to get that done, starting March 2nd with Sketch’s first appearance at Irvin Mayfield’s new I Club in the JW Marriott on Canal Street in the French Quarter. Looking for a party on St. Paddy’s Day? How ’bout JSDN rocking all night long at the Maple Leaf? ‘Nuff said. And make sure you come out to the Tulane Quad for a rockin’ FREE show on March 23rd at 4:30, then it’s off to Key West at the end of the month to rock the Green Parrot one more time before Festival season gets under way…
JOHNNY UNICORN
HATE ETERNAL
Started in 1997 by one of Decibel Magazine’s Top 20 Death Metal Guitarists of All Time, Erik Rutan (of Morbid Angel & Ripping Corpse), HATE ETERNAL has easily become one of the most prominent names in the extreme metal scene with Terrorizer Magazine recognizing the group as one of the Top 8 Bands of the last Decade! Erik Rutan, J.J. Hrubovcak and Chason Westmoreland weave complex riffs, devastating drums, and truly ferocious vocals into a new masterpiece – INFERUS. The new album is already listed as one of the most anticipated albums of 2015. It’s heavy, it’s catchy, it’s innovative!
Though the band has experienced great success since its beginning in 1997, HATE ETERNAL are no strangers to turmoil and strife. In 2002, Erik chipped vertebrae in his neck in a van accident on tour and spent the next couple of months out of commission. During this period, band members withdrew from tours mere weeks from start date. This included a tour on which a London show was filmed for the band’s first-ever live DVD. Replacements were found and the tours continued on as planned. One of the most unfortunate events was the untimely passing of bassist and dear friend, Jared Anderson, who passed in October 2006 while in talks to rejoin the band. None of the issues ever kept HATE ETERNAL from its trajectory. Almost three years after the metal masterpiece, “I, Monarch”, HATE ETERNAL returned to the death metal scene with a new record. Fury and Flames, the band’s fourth studio album, marked the start of a new chapter in HATE ETERNAL’s already illustrious career. Fury and Flames was hailed as a diverse, heavy, chaotic and emotionally fueled record and saw the band on the road in the U.S. and Europe including the large European summer festival circuit (Party San, Summer Breeze and Brutal Assault).
For the writing and recording of Phoenix Amongst the Ashes, HATE ETERNAL recruited J.J. Hrubovcak on bass to join the devastating trio. In terms of the writing on Phoenix Amongst the Ashes, Rutan stated “it was my goal to expand upon what the band has done in the past, and add new dynamics and twists to the traditional, dissonant HATE ETERNAL style, yet keep it in the same vein. It took the three of us really pushing ourselves, and digging deep into the essence of who we are as musicians and writers and players to create something very unique and special.” The touring cycle for this record took the band to Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central and South America as well as the standard U.S. and European tours.
Following Jade Simonetto’s departure, the band recruited Chason Westmoreland on drums and signed with Season of Mist for release of their sixth full-length masterpiece titled Infernus. It was recorded at frontman Erik Rutan’s own Mana Recording Studios in St. Petersburg, FL with mastering handled by Alan Douches of West West Side. This time, artist Eliran Kantor (Hatebreed, Testament, Soulfly) was recruited to create the lavish cover art.
Regarding the recording and the signing, Rutan comments: “We are ecstatic about how the recording for our new album has been coming out so far, and our new label and home Season of Mist. We’ve worked very hard on crafting these songs to reflect our path, from our past to the present, and the journey of HATE ETERNAL and its members. Writing this album was a long and arduous process. It took a tremendous amount of determination, blood, and sweat to bring this all to fruition. We’re super proud of what we’ve accomplished creatively, and excited at the prospect of releasing what we feel is our most powerful HATE ETERNAL material to date. Now it is time to bring this all to life! The recording process so far has been fantastic. I’ve never felt so focused and determined on a HATE ETERNAL record, and I know that this will be an album our listeners and supporters will truly appreciate. It represents an important milestone for me personally since 15 years ago both HATE ETERNAL began recording its first album and Mana Recording Studios was born. We have so much more news to share with you over the coming months. We cannot wait for you to hear this album!”
HATE ETERNAL have been one of the leading death metal acts worldwide for over eighteen years. The band’s full-length albums are considered crucial genre touchstones, and HATE ETERNAL are a proven headliner on major stages across five continents.
ORIGIN
United States-based tech-death masters Origin strike again with their new album, Chaosmos. The long-standing outfit celebrate not only a return to Nuclear Blast but also ring in their 25th year on Chaosmos. The same fury, brutality, and musical savvy that brought Origin critical acclaim and a devout fanbase on Unparalleled Universe (2017), Antithesis (2008), and Origin (2000) returns with reinvigorated intensity, passion, and skill. In 2022, the group—Paul Ryan (guitars/backing vocals), Mike Flores (bass/backing vocals), John Longstreth (drums), and Jason Keyser (lead vocals)—are undeterred by unprecedented roadblocks and global uncertainty as they push forward. Indeed, Origin’s new-era shock and awe mission is complete on Chaosmos.
“The music of Origin is a fusion of order and disorder. Our music is viewed as a meaningless assemblage of infinite perspectives,” posits guitarist/vocalist Paul Ryan with cosmic import.
Formed in Topeka, Kansas, in 1997, Origin have eight full-length albums to their name. The group buzzed early with their 1998 EP, A Coming into Existence (Original Records). Fans of high-caliber death metal and record label representatives had noticed. It was after Origin joined luminaries Nile, Cryptopsy, and Gorguts on the 1998 Death Across America Tour that a monster was unleashed. In 2000, Origin signed to Relapse Records, issuing four full-length albums in Origin, Informis Infinitas Inhumanitas (2002), Echoes of Decimation (2005), and the Billboard-charting Antithesis. While on the label, the group gigged incessantly, appearing on such notable tours as Death Across America 2000, Relapse Contamination Tour 2008, The Summer Slaughter Tour North America 2009, and several successful European runs. Additionally, guitarist/vocalist Paul Ryan was listed on Decibel’s Top 20 Death Metal Guitarists list in 2007. Origin’s subsequent albums Entity (2011), Omnipresent (2014), and Unparalleled Universe garnered praise in Metal Hammer, Allmusic, and Exclaim!, while occupying prime slots on the Occupation Domination 2012, the Devastation on the Nation, and The Hell Over Europe tours. Chaosmos yet again sees Origin’s technically apt death metal in scarily superlative form.
“It’s our third album with the same lineup,” Ryan says. “And I personally feel it’s a continuation of who the band is currently. At the start of 2021, people started talking about a new Origin album, and I wasn’t sure if the world was literally ready for it due to lockdowns/restrictions. In March, I told myself, ‘I will write one song per month until I finish the album.’ When it was completed, I sent over what I had written to the rest of the band. From that point forward, our collective alchemy resulted in what you hear on Chaosmos.”
POLYFUSE
POLYFUSE is the creative outlet of musician and sound designer Justin McGrath. The spread of music genres under this alias are quite wide and range from the evocative long-form dark ambient piece “One Quiet Moment” to modern Industrial Dance to the jagged, broken-glass-to-your-throat analog Acid of the No One Will Come To Save Us and Output albums, and even a large catalogue of film-score style pieces. Together with Surachai he runs Trash_Audio
THE DEAD ROOM
The Dead Room: this where I’m supposed to be all clever & smart like, isn’t it? Hmmm… let’s see. We’re from Chicago. Founded by S@int and now joined on stage by Napalm Bettie and Turner Xie (Negutyv Xeiro.) What more could you possibly want written here? Let’s go, Start a Riot. Start a Revolution.