1. Shores Of Acheron - The Existing One (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
Genre: Progressive Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4wqKuXULSHKpeghwscfPRD?si=JUJ8S9r5Q3yWroLwUkLUfg
Shores Of Acheron is a fully independent progressive deathcore outfit from Baton Rouge, LA. Forming in 2012, the band released its first debut EP titled “End Of Reign” with themes of governmental tyranny coupled with heavy riffing, blistering fast drums, and distinguished guttural vocals. In the following year, Shores Of Acheron played on the Sumerian Records Stage at Mayhem Festival, supporting headliner acts, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Mastodon, and Amon Amarth. Throughout the rest of this year and 2014 the band focused strongly on gigging regionally and seeking any opportunity for tours. During the summer of 2015 Shores Of Acheron would release its second record “Ira”, a Latin translation of the English word “Anger” or “Wrath”. This record would encompass a heavier and more dissonant tone, including more tyrannical undertones as well as themes of emotional anger. After the release of their final single “Mind’s Eye” in 2016, Shores Of Acheron would break for what seemed like an indefinite hiatus. However, the band would inevitably return to the metal community in 2021 with a full length album announcement, which has now become The Existing One.
2. The Design Abstract - Transhuman Ascendant (Ontario, Canada)
Genre: Melodic Death Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4iXzRbXiR3TmHsV9OabNil?si=0tS2tWIqR2KmYiSWDBDFpg
The Design Abstract is a Melodic Death Metal band using electronic and symphonic elements in their music to emphasize the science-fiction narratives told each album, often creating a cinematic listening experience.
3. Cherry Slide - I Had a Green Light (New York, New York)
Genre: Post-Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3QdT3mpuEhpQskwPOHXQ9o?si=nUSRDDdtRyaKjyIPbp4Fcg
Cherry Slide is the solo music project of British born Dale Humphries, now living and recording in New York City. Having previously released ambient and heavier post-rock albums between 2007 and 2017, it was time for a change of pace, and so in 2018, Cherry Slide was born.
4. Crowning & Eyelet - Split (Chicago/ Baltimore, Illinois/ Maryland)
Genre: emoviolence Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/6TxIgPonMtGFC4yjhmmhqE?si=_5180mzpRhWXebai5Sl3Tw
"The raw, expressionist DIY screamo scene continues to thrive, and two of its most promising bands have just come together for a new split 7″. Chicago trio Crowning, whose membership includes Frail Body frontman Lowell Shaffer, released their debut album Survival/Sickness in 2020. Last year, they dropped a split with Singapore’s NAEDR. Baltimore’s Eyelet released their own full-length debut The Devil Shining Out Your Eyes at the very end of 2021. Today, those two bands join forces. The new Crowning/Eyelet split has two songs apiece from both bands. Crowning’s tracks “Mu” and “Hy Brasil” are short and brutally disorienting, while Eyelet’s “Gross Abandon” and “Argus Of Concrete” are fierce and metallic and at least a little bit epic. For me, the big winner here is “Gross Abandon,” which sounds like the kind of thing that might echo over dusty rubble in the post-apocalypse, but feel free to make your own choices when you stream the split below." - Tom Breihan @ Stereogum
5. An Empty City - To Whom or Whither Should My Darkness Flee (Guangzhou, China)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1gUVoo3Puie3aEse7eKn7T?si=eC--UWJ-QNiNZFR8ZxiS-Q
We are An Empty City from China
6. Across The Divide - Eternal (Paris, France)
Genre: Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0nSiDv4EGEzX8Gozbw5Qxe?si=OGtpmOURSt-Vt7yK9qGimA
ACROSS THE DIVIDE is a metal band from Paris, France.
7. BrokenTeeth - 추락은 천천히 (How to Sink Slowly) (Seoul, South Korea)
Genre: Indie Rock / Shoegaze Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5kNGExA70Z5twMjo7mFYrW?si=NqI6wg1ITbuqX6LSsbhXGQ
Seoul Noise
8. Gorillaz - Cracker Island (London, United Kingdom)
Genre: Rock/Hip-hop/Pop/Alternative/Experimental Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3AA28KZvwAUcZuOKwyblJQ?si=Tkgb7zsaQJq634lds-80Jg
Created by musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz is singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle. The BRIT and Grammy-winning virtual band formed following a collision of mishaps, meetings and pure luck to blow up a pre-digital world with their colourful backstory and ground-breaking virtual ways. Based at Kong Studios in West London, Gorillaz settled into a life of musical innovation with an eye-wateringly exciting roster of collaborators, a list that includes musical legends, geniuses and future stars from Elton John to Little Simz, MF Doom to Jean-Michel Jarre, Grace Jones to slowthai, Kali Uchis to Sidiki Diabaté, plus so many more. With seven albums to their name, Gorillaz (2001), Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010), The Fall (2011), Humanz (2017), The Now Now (2018) and Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez (2020), Gorillaz is a truly global phenomenon, achieving success in entirely new and unique ways, touring the world from San Diego to Syria, Montevideo to Manchester and winning numerous awards including the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor. The band are recognized by The Guinness Book Of World Records as the planet’s Most Successful Virtual Act.
9. Shame - Food for Worms (South London, United Kingdom)
Genre: Post-Punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4IeWU3NYBI9mISFVhzXG8f?si=b-IivMWoS2eDgMoo4MUxzA
If Songs of Praise was fuelled by teenage vitriol and Drunk Tank Pink delved into a different kind of psychological intensity, then Food for Worms sees shame enter a new, surreal landscape, and becomes, what frontman Steen describes as: “the Lamborghini of shame records.” The band’s third studio album sees shame enter a new, surreal landscape, as reflected in the cover art designed by acclaimed artist Marcel Dzama. It’s suggestive of what is left unsaid, what lies beneath the surface, the farcical and fantastical everyday that we are living in, in a society where both everything and nothing is possible. Recording each track live meant a kind of surrender: here, the rough edges give the album its texture; the mistakes are more interesting than perfection. In a way, it harkens back to the title itself and the way that with this record, the band are embracing frailty and, by doing so, are tapping into a new source of bravery. For the first time, the band are not delving inwards, but seeking to capture the world around them. “I don’t think you can be in your own head forever,” says Steen. A conversation after one of their gigs with a friend prompted a stray thought that he held onto: “It’s weird, isn’t it? Popular music is always about love, heartbreak, or yourself. There isn’t much about your mates.” In many ways, the album is an ode to friendship, a documentation of the dynamic that only five people who have grown up together and grown so close, against all odds can share.
10. Real Friends - There's Nothing Worse Than Too Late (Tinley Park, Illinois)
Genre: Pop-Punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dEtLwgmSI0hmfwTSjy8cw?si=n148iF-GQ4OG2uFp1tzNRw
there's nothing worse than too late.
11. 7 H. Target - Yantra Creating (Нижний Новгород, Russia)
Genre: Brutal Death Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1u9WmQesE5Av9Biq1681ON?si=7SgwuO3vQmSygYxY7YPeOA
7 H.Target is a band that breaks the standard BDM formula, creating something unique, all-out aggression combined with abstract and atmospheric forms. The "Yantra Creating" album is a conceptually new stage in the development of the band, both musically and lyrically, performing a mixture of Brutal/Slam/Tech DM with Indian influences.
12. To The Grave - Director’s Cuts (Sydney, Australia)
Genre: Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3jr9qsKWQjf3iMNQ3rWVDQ?si=Qz3uqmCiTnW_noGRVb-oHA
The sophomore album from Australia's biggest hype beast. At the forefront of Australia's Deathcore scene, TO THE GRAVE are an essential prospect for fans of Chelsea Grin, Brand of Sacrifice, Thy Art is Murder and Vulvodynia.
13. They Grieve - To Which I Bore Witness (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Genre: Drone Metal / Doom Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1SozAdibU9gFdkeBW3vtMN?si=APuwwKQHSTKl1VfYwYX2CA
They Grieve is a two-piece doom, drone, and post-metal band based in Ottawa, Canada. Drawing influence from both minimalist ambient music and down-tempo metal, they blend warm synthesizers, electronics, and lofty guitar drones into mournful hymns and monolithic dirges with urgency, tension, and weight. Members Gary Thibert (guitars, bass, vocals) and Deniz Güvenç (percussion, synthesizers, electronics, vocals) formed They Grieve in 2015 with the intent to experiment with new forms and processes for songwriting, collaboration, and improvisation. Their first EP, I Made My Sacrifice Accordingly, was self-recorded and self-released in late 2016. In 2018, the EP was re-released with an added bonus track and accompanying music video through Transcending Records. They Grieve are set to release their first full-length album entitled To Which I Bore Witness in February 2023 through Silent Pendulum Records. Recorded at Apartment 2 with Topon Das of Fuck the Facts, this album presents a marked change in the band’s sound. Moving away from the harsh-noise influence on their first album, To Which I Bore Witness unveils a much more refined approach to texture and atmosphere while simultaneously shifting to a slower, heavier pace. Employing a nuanced sense of harmony, the result is an emotional, dynamic, and doom-laden take on post-metal.
14. Heavensgate - And All I Loved, I Loved Alone (Melbourne, Australia)
Genre: Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5xxpBuljNlb95kr6fcf6hj?si=8q6vaqrUSrWSpE6mt4LLtg
AND ALL I LOVED, I LOVED ALONE'
15. Going Off - What Makes You Tick? (Manchester, United Kingdom)
Genre: Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2xCCFcGLx1oUlS1AMtfBo9?si=gNXZwEdnRvmZyi4MSXT1fg
Hardcore Punk from Manchester, UK
16. Bottomfeeders - Fear & Self Loathing (Venice, Florida)
Genre: Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5m5wxWSEtKwbUfvayiEL9a?si=2r5IRoJZTfa3FJVtUhQf8w
Bottomfeeders is a four piece Metal band hailing from Venice Florida that infuses the soul crushing blast beats and breakdowns of 'Deathcore' with the groove and atmosphere of 'Nu Metal' FFO: Bodysnatcher, Spite, Alpha Wolf
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1. Lost Trees - Luminescent (EP) (Orlando, Florida)
Genre: Post-hardcore / metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3FiojLhf8IBZPXUT3j1SRx?si=bUmyWU-jQwSq2BG9ixfWzQ
FFO: Dance Gavin Dance, We Came as Romans
2. Vampire Squid - Plasmic (Corona, California)
Genre: Progressive Death Metal/Mathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4M6OZIq2yFruBLe3F0o8a3?si=yNN_fiLKQKKeWXsi_AnkrQ
Vampire Squid is a Southern California-based Death Metal/Mathcore outfit started by members Andrew Virrueta and Jake Sprinkle. The idea stemmed from creating a nautical-themed joke band when the two were in high school. As the creation of the first record progressed at that time, they realized that they wanted to make more serious music while maintaining the light-hearted and ironic edge that they had created. The lyrical and musical content of the first record proceeds its concepts throughout the following three records in the form of motif. At ages 18 and 19, they created and released their 2nd record, "Sea's Control" six months after their debut record. This album was much closer to the vision that was attempting to be achieved from their self-titled debut. Still in an explorative phase, the two continued to the drawing board. In 2014, Vampire Squid released their 3rd record, which they feel is their best, most fluent record thus far. Its use of lyrical callbacks as well as many musical callbacks fully tie the entire trilogy of records together. "Nautilus World" is the record that put the band more on the radar within the Death Metal community and helped get the band much more known. Now in 2023, their new EP Plasmic is here to cause quite a stir.
3. Dadcap - tvanas (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Genre: Emo / Alternative indie Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7d7KKWiRBU3K8JoMBM4Mqz?si=tIGutpkYQvOlogrjEU-F_A
dadcap is a female fronted alternative rock band based in Vilnius, Lithuania. By using introspective lyrics and heavy rhythms that often delve into themes of self-discovery, growth, love, and heartbreak dadcap's aim is to capture the emotions of the coming-of-age crisis in their songs.
“We provide a general amount of positive emotion
4. Woe Bather - Oh Achlys Please Love Me Once More (Houston, Texas)
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/48wS7RqcbPGbCAZZMI9tkA?si=tZzKN9wVSWmlMlrzExcEcw
One person black metal please love me once more..
5. Theophonos - Nightmare Visions (Detroit, Michigan)
Genre: Black Metal / Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4c4MbW4TFGyKMhbRWmra8c?si=JP0VwffqTxGrZiKYLqrcTg 
6. Girl Scout - Real Life Human Garbage (Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre: Indie Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4CbghtwTo6bvxk5QacvRrE?si=xXmFScrCRCakZ96P1aUc2Q
It's a tale as old as time: four young people meet while studying. In this tale our protagonists are Swedish and became acquainted at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm not too long ago. They studied Jazz, they played together. First two of our friends "formed a duo in an attempt to earn money, playing mostly evergreens and covering anything from the Beatles to Burt Bacharach at cocktail events and openings", but soon enough, after they started performing original songs, their enthusiasm got contagious and they became a four piece. The grapevine is buzzing already, Girl Scout have been making a name of themselves in the last months playing live shows around the UK and Scandinavia, supporting Holly Humberstone and securing first festival spots. "Where can I find your music!?!?" is the most asked question underneath their social posts, alas they didn't have any songs out – until now. The wait is finally over. Emma Jansson (guitar, vocals), Evelina Arvidsson Eklind (bass, vocals), Per Lindberg (drums) and Viktor Spasov (guitar) are ready to release their Debut album "Real Life Human Garbage"
7. Aglo - Into The Maze (Melbourne, Australia)
Genre: Doom Metal / Sludge Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/68WnceB5GYYHmwvsUot9wf?si=xMB8kS0iQTatXyju3fZ-1w
Aaron Osborne - Total Assimilation
8. Child - Meditations In Filth (Gothenburg/Stockholm, Sweden)
Genre: Deathgrind Punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1U8rqyuzM93pfSQ1eoxzEE?si=0ncqc31xSs63XrohJuLTRg
Back in 2015, Alex (Grand Cadaver) and Albin had an idea to play some sonic, extreme music and the foundations to CHILD was set. In 2018 they recruited Jocke (ex. Mr. Death) on vocals and performed their first show. Spontaneous rehearsals and writing sessions followed. And in 2021 they completed the line-up with Per (Division of Laura Lee) on guitar and Staffan (Let Them Hang) on bass. Later that winter they entered Welfare Sounds and recorded their debut album which will be released February 16 2023 via EAT Heavy Records.
9. New Pagans - Making Circles Of Our Own (Belfast, Ireland)
Genre: Indie Rock / Alternative Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6T3ilEGTNIHzq1x92GDkaK?si=H68oemRGTDyrY1dv-j89XA
New Pagans are a rock band based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. They have released their critically acclaimed debut album The Seed, The Vessel, The Roots and All, via Big Scary Monsters. Throughout their debut album, New Pagans use their creative influence to challenge past and present issues surrounding relationships, equality, history, and gender, all wrapped up in their alternative, post-punk, indie rock style. Now they arrive with their latest Album "Making Circles Of Our Own".
10. Ulthar - Anthronomicon & Helionomicon (Oakland, California)
Genre: Blackened Death Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6s1hQzoXYdEjYdJiHbu1iZ?si=rf2LgN1ETROjPxktWAiEIw
Over the course of their first two albums, ‘Cosmovore’ and ‘Providence’, Ulthar carved out a unique niche on the spectrum of underground metal, forging a grotesquely elegant hybrid of Technical Death Metal alchemy and Black Metal’s stinging blizzard winds, all with the acerbic color of the absurdist’s brush. Nearly 3 years on from ‘Providence’, a burst of deadly creativity has resulted in TWO new albums, to be released simultaneously.' Anthronomicon’ embodies the continued progression of Ulthar’s mastery over its art - always evolving, refining and pushing forward. From the opening blasts and twisting mania of ‘Cephalopohre’ Ulthar baffle with angular warped riffage, dipping in and out of various dimensional spheres. Off-kilter multi-directional turns veer swiftly and violently as though about to come apart at the seams only to reshape again and again into ever more monumental forms. Each of Anthronomicon’s 8 tracks represent a fractious piece of a larger puzzle, each a maze unto itself that when taken together allow one to traverse this inverted surrealist conundrum. Having reached albums three and four concurrently, and having many other bands and albums under their collective belts, the three seasoned players that comprise Ulthar have not been content to play things straightforward, to be just another Death Metal band among thousands. Rather the band continuously seeks and executes with more compulsive complexity, more nuance and in pursuit of a persistent ascension to a transcendent and incongruous world beyond the mundane; a place of euphoric exultation and bewildering awe.
11. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags (Scotland, United Kingdom)
Genre: Black Metal / Speed Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6FfZaHz07OsknWNdtdan5R?si=RkCR_kYyT56algM_WcLuVw
Hellripper is a Scottish one-man black/speed metal band influenced by the likes of Venom, Sodom, Darkthrone, Metallica etc. With the release of the debut EP 'The Manifestation of Evil' at the start of 2015, the band have made their statement clear... Total mayhem! 2015 and 2016 saw the release of an EP and couple of splits to positive reviews in the underground as well as the assembly of a live line-up. The band's debut album 'Coagulating Darkness' was released in April 2017 to acclaim in the underground as well as positive reviews from the likes of Metal Hammer and Noisey with the former claiming Hellripper to be “Scotland's King of the arcane mosh”. 2018 saw the the band sign to US-based record label 'Reaper Metal Productions' - a division of 'Hells Headbangers Records' and, the release of a 4-track EP in April 2019 through the label followed along with their first European tour in support of the release. At the end of 2019, the band signed a deal with Peaceville Records and released their second album 'The Affair of the Poisons' in October 2020 to critical acclaim and led to the band's first appearance on the US Billboard Chart. 2023 will mark the release of Hellripper's 3rd full-length album, 'Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags' - a record inspired by the darker side of Scottish history and folklore, with the title itself is taken from a line in the Robert Burns poem, ‘Address to the Deil’.
12. See You Next Tuesday - Distractions (Michigan)
Genre: Grind / Chaotic Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2j5thxS6vaOqDNEAh0SFEx?si=S9rRpflcTtW7gieG0Hlcbw
Formed in 2004, See You Next Tuesday made their mark in the world of extreme metal with the release of their albums Parasite and Intervals, both on Ferret Music. Pushing forth on controlled chaos, the band has been able to evolve since their initial output and Distractions finds them delving into a modern grindcore sound. The 13 songs on the record are full of fast and heavy guitars and an invigorating vocal performance from Fox. The true standout is in the drum work, provided by Slavik, displaying a maniacally bold use of blast beats that perfectly intertwine with his home-made samples. Distractions was recorded at Slavik’s home studio where he also handled production and mixing, and was mastered by Josh Schroeder. Much of the material on Distractions focuses on struggles with mental health, while a few songs explore more sensual themes. Leaning into the euphemism of the band name, the opening track “How Sensitive” reclaims what some might deem as offensive and makes it just a word. Lead single “Hey Look, No Crying” fixates on the feeling of slowly moving towards your death, encompassing the sonic energy of descending into the afterlife. Songs like “Glad To Be Unhappy” and “Call Me Irresponsible” use synthesizers for more frantic moments, while “Day In The Life Of A Fool” feeds into that more structured mayhem. Following suit of closing with a slower song on the band’s previous releases, the record ends with “Strange Music”, a nearly eight-minute long track fueled by doom.
13. Graphic Nature - A Mind Waiting to Die (London, United Kingdom)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0QUcDHMfwBsMAufKXbzhkH?si=iQ7JWySoQ1mpXR8K9qO3eQ 
14. Enisum - Forgotten Mountains (Italy)
Genre: Black Metal / Ambient Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0NnzRoaRPWmhsKWgo5AN9l?si=-5jfVy9YTE6iHr3oizSgmw
Almost four years after Moth's Illusion, Arpitanian black metal veterans Enisum, from northern Italy, are back with a brand new studio album, the fifth in their career.
Forgotten Mountains is a journey through mountains and life, a path that leads Man to the highest peak, to face his own existence and its meaning. Enisum’s new album consists of eight atmospheric gems for fans of Wolves In The Throne Room, Earth And Pillars and the most intimate and naturalistic side of black metal.
15. Winds Of Tragedy - Hating Life (Santiago, Chile)
Genre: Black Metal / Doom Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3FfL6hHqIKOzqoPLFBj5e5?si=Jw6n7X8DRIWXxa3TQGIm3w
Black / Doom Metal from the bottom of the world.
16. Half Me - Soma (Hamburg, Germany)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4LNvQot1CDYC3kWGW144XC?si=X-d-MPh9TxS9c4ZC6dvt6Q
A depraved mind; seeking forgiveness; shifting from delusion to purpose; finding solace in acceptance. Hailing from Hamburg, Germany, Half Me are one of the newest additions to the Arising Empire roster. The band alternates from gut wrenching breakdowns to brutal riffs and merciless, yet elegant vocals all while blending in 90's nu-metal highlights and audio samples. Half Me has their sights set on releasing the highly anticipated debut album 'Soma' and are sure to make it worth the wait. With their dedication to crafting a fresh sound and their determined work ethic, they are a band to keep an eye out for.
17. Oceans End (Holiday, Florida)
Genre: Whatever-Core Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1nYyd6CziMdSEGEiXMqj37?si=DhW6gvOEQN2nIxxaGKJ1jA
With a sound that reminisces from Tooth & Nail favorites to modern heavyweights The Ghost Inside, Florida’s Oceans End spent 2022 demonstrating a relentless work ethic for playing shows and launching debut single "Try Not To Die" Between crushing breakdowns and uptempo, pop punk style hooks, Oceans End brings a refreshing blend of “core” that spends less time genre defining and more time delivering undeniably catchy singalong style hooks. With a passion-driven message behind each lyric and bouncy rhythms, the band harkens to modern classics like Senses Fail and Stick To Your Guns while leaving listeners invigorated by the genre bending originality not often found within the scene. Steamrolling into 2023 with extensive touring as well as February’s forthcoming release of debut EP “So Tell Me About Yourself”, Oceans End shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Runs of shows down both East and West Coasts, a music video for the EP’s single Diverge Collide, and festival slots within coming months solidify the year as a monumental one for the Tampa natives, promising even more in the works.
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As part of our mission to inspire the local art community, we created the Artist Endorsement Project. With this project, we work closely with artists of all types to create a customized endorsement package that meets the needs of our most valued clients.
1. UNITY TX - World of Malice (Dallas, Texas)
Genre: Hardcore / Hip-Hop Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3uPce3TKw7cjheMNhuhNs9?si=lLXIIzeeTsaGdyIm-qimdw
THIS IS ROC MUSIC! UNITYTXROC.COM
2. Paramore - This Is Why (Franklin, Tennessee)
Genre: Pop/Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/74XFHRwlV6OrjEM0A2NCMF?si=Msu_PurGQva0PUOcp_-gAg
Paramore is a band that formed in 2003 in a quiet town that is now known as Nashville, TN. Still in junior high, music made up 100% of their extracurricular time. Until eventually, they all left for tour in the middle of a school year and thank heaven music would eventually work out for them. No one understood how a band so un-country could be from this strange little town called Nashville, nor how a bunch of kids so small could play their angst-filled songs so proudly. Much time has passed since those innocent days. Life has worn its grooves into the record that is Paramore's collective life. If you look closely, you can see that the members of Paramore all have very sexy dark circles under their eyes now... and surprisingly, haven't all quit music after years of sexism in the media, soap opera-worthy drama, and nearly 15 years inside the brutal beast that is the music industry. Paramore still reside in their beloved home of Nashville, TN, which these days looks a lot more like a construction site than a well-kept secret. They spend most their days and nights sitting on the porch together laughing or crying... reminiscing, daydreaming, or trying desperately to just stay present.
3. In Flames - Foregone (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Genre: Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/57ylwQTnFnIhJh4nu4rxCs?si=1nfhDnrvQSWfChIILkgApg
In Flames represent the best of metal’s past, present, and future. In Flames are as vital and even more energized today than when they unleashed classics like Come Clarity and Clayman in decades past. The band built a stunning reputation with devastating, crowd-moving, inspired performances around the world at every major rock and metal festival imaginable, headlining multiple treks, and touring with the likes of Slipknot, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Killswitch Engage, Within Temptation, and Lamb Of God. They regularly headline some of the biggest stages and festivals in the world. Foregone, the furious fourteenth studio album, combines the greatest aggressive, metallic, and melodic strengths of their landmark records with the seasoned songwriting of their postmodern era. A sense of pride, accomplishment, and continued vitality are evident every time the band takes the stage, and all over Foregone. Melodic death metal pioneers and innovative purveyors of groove, the artistry, influence, stature, and future of In Flames loom as large as the heavy metal horizon itself.
4. Pierce The Veil - The Jaws of Life (San Diego, California)
Genre: Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4iJLPqClelZOBCBifm8Fzv?si=nAAPpI5ITBidhcgCyZ9QkQ
Right now, Pierce the Veil are at their most raw, crackling with urgency and immediacy. Never predictable, always engaging, Pierce the Veil continue to soar on the strength of highly potent energy, rich musicality, and a scrappy sense of authentic exuberant ambition that's frankly unrivaled. Frontman Vic Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Preciado put volatile, angsty, confessional emotions into the music, which is why their songs resonate with so many. "No matter where the band performs, fans will show up," wrote Loudwire. "When you see Pierce The Veil live, you'll understand why."PTV's evolution from album to album is nothing less than stunning. The early buzz generated by A Flair for the Dramatic (2007) made its follow-up one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. Selfish Machines shot to No.1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. The Chicago Tribune saluted Collide with the Sky for its "post-hardcore punk with more than a few nods to Queen." They became a true arena act on Misadventures, selling out huge venues without losing the intimate connection with their fans. Pierce the Veil have long cemented their status as one of the most exciting and relevant acts in their genre — by constantly evolving.
5. Narrow Head - Moments of Clarity (Dallas, Texas)
Genre: Grunge Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4g6ODwOQYRZLsP89kEoBIu?si=bCShJcq9Q-ushgPeZCVi7w
"‘How good does it feel?’ asks Narrow Head frontman Jacob Duarte on The Real, the first track on Moments Of Clarity. It’s a fitting question for an album with a sensual sound that draws you inexorably into its warm cocoon. The Houston band’s dreamy sonics will be familiar to anyone who heard their last album, 2020’s 12th House Rock, as will their primary influences, chiefly the woozy grandeur of Siamese Dream-era Smashing Pumpkins and the shoegaze-adjacent post-hardcore of bands like Hum and Failure. This time, though, there’s a stronger sense of melody at play, along with a deeper well of emotion. The brooding lyrics of songs like the title-track and Trepanation reflect hard times in Jacob’s personal life, with the album offering a panoply of coping methods, from hiding away to howling with rage. Much of this is expressed via dream-grunge ennui, often sounding like a prettier counterpart to NOTHING, but there is variety here too. Sunday and Fine Day up the tempo, while the provenance of The Word’s wonky noises can be traced back to shoegaze pioneers My Bloody Valentine. Heaviness makes its presence felt elsewhere: the rumbling grooves of Gearhead evoke the likes of Deftones or Quicksand, while the relentless Flesh & Solitude boasts an almost industrial quality. Perhaps the biggest surprise arrives on closing track Soft To Touch, its shuffling breakbeats moving Narrow Head into unexpected trip hop turf, a stylistic curveball which is at least in keeping with the preponderance of ’90s references throughout. To answer Jacob’s question, how good does it feel? Like a hearty embrace from a band proving themselves capable of great things, mate. Thanks for asking." - Olly Thomas at Kerrang!
6. Distant - Heritage (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Genre: Downtempo Deathcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dfpBi0QvO9FmlhBK6XHwJ?si=_TkgfHzNTwCa_CO9l7TFfQ
DISTANT is a 5-piece crushing DOWNTEMPO DEATHCORE band hailing from Rotterdam, The Netherlands and Bratislava, Slovakia. Few bands combine energy, intensity and extreme brutality the way that deathcore juggernauts Distant do. Even fewer bands are able to crush the listener in such an immersive, conceptual experience joined not only by thematic lyricism but a novel of written lore to accompany it. Distant, however, are one of those bands that are able to do both—and then some. Hailing in one part from Rotterdam, The Netherlands and the other from Bratislava, Slovakia, Distant combines elements of hyper-dissonant downtempo deathcore, slamming brutal death metal, and beatdown to create a vicious world of heaviness. Since their inception in 2014 the band has taken the heavy music world by storm, lashing out with their debut EP, Slither, in 2015, followed by their critically acclaimed breakout release, Tsukuyomi, in 2017. Over the next two years, the band would shift focus into a more diverse beast as heard on their Unique Leader Records debut full length, Tyrannotophia. Driven by continuing their legacy of riveting-yet-ravenously aggressive music, Distant would dominate 2020 and 2021 with two EPs which would ultimately become chapters one and two of their three-part, hour-plus, crushing deathcore epic Aeons Of Oblivion—an adventure that expands infinitely upon the world of Tyrannotophia. Aeons Of Oblivion would not enter into the world alone, however, as 2021’s novel “The Rise of Tyrannotophia” would be the first written plunge into Distant’s fictional universe, covering the lore behind both Tyrannotophia and Aeons Of Oblivion. Inspired by tales of the dark ages and the occult, Distant portrays themselves as “something more than just a brutal band, but a band with a story to tell and to leave behind”.
While Distant’s fictional universe of Tyrannotophia might be simple lore for now, it‘s only a matter of time before we’re all bound to be living in it.
7. Frozen Dawn - The Decline of the Enlightened Gods (Spain)
Genre: Death Metal / Black Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Nzhc8q6fxlcJyH1bGZhLv?si=EIloZPO8S5-uOUplkNz2YA
For a decade and a half, Frozen Dawn have been perfecting their sound which can be described as stirring, intense and scathing black metal tempered with melody and soaring leads. The members have used their experience in notable bands to create something that not only pays earnest tribute to the classic bands such as Dissection, Necrophobic, Sacramentum and Naglfar but also sounds contemporary in terms of structure and execution. They've bolstered the sound with death metal influences and even added slight thrash touches, ensuring that the music remains powerful, incisive and compelling. The momentum remains unabated as the band pummels its way through nine elaborate tracks and a fitting cover of Necrophobic. Many bands have attempted to recreate this sound with varying degrees of success but clearly Frozen Dawn have excelled at it which is mainly due to their knack for meticulous songwriting that straddles heaviness with emotion, allowing them to enhance the expression and maintain the much-needed diversity for the style. This album is easily Frozen Dawn's best one yet and is head and shoulders above the rest of them where this kind of music goes in recent memory.
8. Big Laugh - Consume Me (Milwaukee, Wisconsin)
Genre: Hardcore/Punk Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5xvWaAraKZdkRbY2qBip5c?si=mduRhTqWTzSM-omyQFWQJA
For decades, the upper Midwest of the United States has been a hotspot for hardcore bands that bend genres and refuse to stick to tired formulas, producing acts like Husker Du and Die Kreuzen. Milwaukee, WI's Big Laugh is here to continue that tradition, with a sound that finds them as much at home playing DIY shows in dingy basements as playing large clubs alongside some of hardcore and punk's luminaries. With high ambitions, Big Laugh is centered on creating whatever they want however they want, and "Consume Me" is just the next step for this young band.
9. Actus Reus - Mens Rea, Pt.1 (Atlanta, Georgia)
Genre: Metalcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/4RHtqQfXFTGdM30Gba9uKe?si=l9hF_2MXS8mrVOPteuhOdw
We’re Actus Reus (AEP) from Atlanta, Georgia. We play metal.
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1. Sanguisugabogg - Homicidal Ecstasy (Ohio)
Genre: Brutal Death Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0n98EIfTSiyxUZHUojHykN?si=ZdtAynqsSO6QRXFmL0dTNQ
DOWN TUNED DRUG DEATH
2. Dream State - Untethered (Wales, United Kingdom)
Genre: Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3PPxT6AXgPvvajfvP1LQtw?si=nSsj58NuSmaDuNRDUQtRtQ
"‘Untethered’ is confident, exciting and pushing the band’s sound in a new direction. Dream State aren’t just back, they’re essential."
Dream State are back with a new line up and a new EP. 'Untethered' is out this Friday. - Ian Kenworthy from Punktastic
3. Osiah - Chronos (Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom)
Genre: Death Metal / Black Metal Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4zdj6e05Eh8uLVJ6V0V3Mu?si=4knXQpNqR3WaCf1rgQ-aIw
Hailing from the extreme music melting pot that is the North East of England, Osiah transcend the deathcore label with what could possibly be the most torturous barrage of filth the UK has produced in recent years. Crushingly intense breakdowns and deathly chops tread a familiar path, but jarringly detuned guitars, unpredictable tempo changes and vocals that range from wide-ranging pitched screams to commanding guttural bowel openers add an extra evil to the sound that cannot be put in words.
4. Not Scientists - Staring at the sun (Lyon, France)
Genre: Indie Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0fHTYbsxk3Wo0P8NgWVGCW?si=MEemYc1uQ3Kw09l4fV3TpQ
Not Scientists was created ten years ago in the shadow of the French Alps. After releasing a first EP and first album, The split EP shared with the legendary Hard- Ons in 2017 hinted at the tone of their second album released the next year on the German labels Kidnap Music and Rookie Records. With slower tempos and New Wave influences, the broadened palette displayed on Golden Staples is surprising and captivating. The first lockdown linked to the global pandemic made their voluntary and temporary break from touring both mandatory and more lengthy than they had intended. They took full advantage of the enforced isolation and idleness to fully explore their creative process. Staring At the Sun is the gleaming result. Staring at the Sun is an ode to New Wave melodies - a tribute to The Cure and Killing Joke - and is the flagship of a band that is driving hard into uncharted seas. «Like Gods We Feast» or «Secrets» sum up the fantastic change of direction: the addition of loops and synthesizers, the persistence of an indestructible rhythm section, the intertwining counterpoint of sparkling guitar melodies...Backed by Kicking Records (France), Kidnap Records and Rookie Records (Germany) Not Scientists have left the beaten path and are careening headlong into the creative underbrush, blazing a new path and leaving shredded convention in their wake.
5. All Out War - Celestial Rot (Newburgh, New York)
Genre: Metalcore/Hardcore Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/34jZDyPFvvXhL4YeBICAiV?si=vT1mYw_iQOimTwmOKOwoqQ
ALL OUT WAR has assaulted the masses with their punishing brand of metallic crossover aggression, documented through a multitude of recordings, including piles of singles and EPs and seven subsequent LPs since 1991.To get a taste of All Out War's musical style, envision the savage raw intensity of hardcore colliding head on with the brutality of metal. From the very beginning the band has established themselves as one of the most devastating units in underground music. Constantly pushing the boundaries, All Out War has gotten more extreme with each release. Their arsenal of recorded misanthropy and waves of touring, has led the band to become a respected staple act for metal and hardcore fans worldwide. All Out War is comfortable in many circles. The five piece has not only crossed over and spit in the faces of the closed-minded, but has been a dominant force in both genres Time has only honed the band's killing capabilities. As savage as they come All Out War continues their malicious onslaught into another decade. With no sign of slowing down, All Out War embarks on another campaign of total destruction on the unsuspecting masses. Beware, you have been warned.
6. Somebody's Child - S/T (Dublin, Ireland)
Genre: Indie Rock Music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5b84ozqhKiJG9LN1IjVac1?si=GN1UbIOETLaI4ZMS9MZCuw
Starting his musical journey aged five in Paris, Cian Godfrey (aka Somebody’s Child) took to playing the piano in the family apartment. Upon moving back to Ireland, he gained an interest in songwriting, enabling him to tell his own stories. These narratives often reflect upon difficult mental health experiences, as well as the endearing happenings of a youngster growing up in Dublin. A groundbreaking voice in the Dublin music scene, Somebody's Child has fast become one of the hottest prospects in Ireland, with early singles receiving enthusiastic support from national radio (RTE Rising Artist 2020). An appearance on The Late Late Show followed, as well as an opening slot for Kaiser Chiefs at Dublin’s Arena just before the Covid shutdown. The band’s snappy and energetic live show had already been creating a word-of-mouth buzz by the time of Somebody’s Child’s debut headline tour at the back end of 2021, which culminated in sold out shows in London (Colours), Dublin (Button Factory) and more. It wasn’t long before seminal NYC indie label Frenchkiss Records (The Drums, Local Natives) came knocking, signing the band and putting them into the studio with Mikko Gordon (The Smile, ISLAND) in London - the resulting album, "Somebody's Child", will be released on February 3rd, 2023.
Want to be featured on a blog post?
As part of our mission to inspire the local art community, we created the Artist Endorsement Project. With this project, we work closely with artists of all types to create a customized endorsement package that meets the needs of our most valued clients.
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