Band Of The Week

Band Of The Week (Updated): Spirit In The Room

I’ve written about Spirit in the Room many times before and it’s because they are awesome and deserve your attention. This group is the brainchild of vocalist and multi instrumentalist Dennis R. Sanders and to put it bluntly, they are fan-fucking-tastic. Spirit in the Room has been described as “If Nick Cave, Lemmy, Elvis, Harry Dean Stanton and Iggy, had a child in a church gone mad.” I’d say that’s pretty spot on. Throw in a bit of The Doors, Black Sabbath and some very out there experimental bands and you have the recipe for what makes Spirit in the Room so damn good. Their live shows are volatile and full of piss and vinegar that will leave you talking about the band for days, even weeks to come. Today, February 8th, Spirit in the Room has released Volume 1 of their EP series. The three tracks on Volume 1, set a tone and leave you wanting a whole hell of a lot more. There is an energy about the new music from Dennis that truly feels inspired and makes a statement as to what this band is capable of. I personally can’t wait for the other parts to come out. It’s one of my most anticipated albums er EP’s of the year. Do yourselves a favor and take a listen to Spirit in the Room and let the music take you places you haven’t been. You won’t be sorry.

Spirit In The Room- Volume I:

Band Of The Week: Moon Tooth

The band I’m presenting to you this week is going to rock your world. They are heavy, aggressive, progressive and absolutely badass. I’d like to introduce you all to your new favorite band, Moon Tooth. Straight up, these guys are awesome. The four members of Moon Tooth, John Carbone (vocals), Nick Lee (guitars), Vincent Romanelli (bass) and Ray Marte (drums) are not only are they masters of their instruments and rip and shred but, their ability to write great songs makes them truly standout. They remind me a bit of Mastodon meets The Dillinger Escape Plan with a ton of melody and 70’s prog. Their 2016 debut album, Chromaparagon is pretty damn great from start to finish. I could use many adjectives to describe how good it is but, you should just listen and you’ll understand why Moon Tooth is great. Now in 2019, Moon Tooth is gearing up to unleash a new album entitled Crux (out March 29th). The first single released, “Trust” is the logical next step for the band and it crushes. The band worked with Lamb of God’s Mark Morton and producer Machine (Lamb Of God, Every Time I Die, King Crimson, etc) on Crux. Speaking on the new album singer John Carbone said “This album is about not giving up. It’s about the furious hope that brings fighters back to their feet again and again. Having answered the call to adventure, having grappled with what will surely be only the first set of trials, having sacrificed and lost so much, ‘Crux’ finds the band at a tipping point. There is nothing left but for the old life to die and the new, true life to begin.” A description like that shows that Moon Tooth are creating lasting music and albums with depth and true artistic expression. Personally, I’m stoked on Moon Tooth and can’t wait for this album and them to tour.

Moon Tooth- Trust:

Moon Tooth- Chromaparagon:

Tour Dates with Mark Morton and Light The Torch:

3/13 — Richmond, VA — Broadberry
3/14 — Philadelphia, PA — Underground Arts
3/15 — Toronto, ON — Lees Palace
3/16 — Montreal, QC — Astral
3/18 — Boston, MA — Brighton Music Hall
3/19 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theater
3/21 — Chicago, IL — Bottom Lounge
3/23 — Colorado Springs, CO — Black Sheep
3/25 — Los Angeles, CA — Roxy
3/26 — Phoenix, AZ — Club Red

Band Of The Week: Low Lives

Over the last few years there has been a real resurgence of the 90’s sound. Rock bands are starting to really embrace the realness of guitars, bass and drums again. It’s quite nice to hear that quiet to loud noise again. One band I’ve had my eye on for a bit now has truly honed in on that style is the band Lowlives. They have this In Utero era Nirvana sound mixed with a bit of a Silverchair vibe to their sound. The gents in Lowlives have the quiet to loud dynamics down to a science and they have the right amount of melody added to it to make it modern and not stuck in nostalgia. In August of 2018, Lowlives released their Burn Forever EP, which was produced and mixed by Beau Burchell (Saosin, The Bronx, etc) and it’s quite the hard hitting listening experience. Lowlives from everything I’ve seen, are quite the live band as well. Their high energy and passion for what they’ve created emits through each member and out to the audience.

Lowlives- Burn Forever EP:

Lowlives- Maida Vale Session:

Band Of The Week: Deathchant

There are a ton of people out in the world that keep saying “rock music is dead.” Well guess what, it’s not, not by a longshot. Recently, I came across a band that not only proves that rock music is alive and well but, also packs quite a punch. That band is called Deathchant and they kick major ass. They’ve been dubbed psychedelic rock, proto-metal, doom, stoner metal, noise-punk, hard rock, and everything in between, but if you ask them, Deathchant is just, “rock and roll with psychedelic influences.” I couldn’t agree more. Sure they have a “harder” edge to them but, they are rock n roll through and through. Their self titled debut release (out via King Volume Records) is a hard hitting, loud, bombastic record. There is a really cool melodic tinge to the songs and vibe to go along with the psychedelic atmosphere dripping along. Deathchant are the real deal. The album is full of the heaviness you’d want but also the right amount of melody to make this record memorable and standout.

Deathchant-Deathchant:

Band Of The Week: Greek Fire

I find it quite fascinating when side projects become the full time project. Sometimes the music and feelings you get from working on something outside of what you’ve been doing for many years is just what you need to rediscover your love and passion for it all. There is a band called Greek Fire that has morphed into quite the band. Formed in 2008 by Philip “Moon” Sneed, Ryan Phillips (both formerly of Story Of The Year, though Ryan is no longer part of Greek Fire), Mark Joseph Roth, and Johnny Venus, Greek Fire have built a reputation for delivering enigmatic live performances and cinematic rock with soaring melodies. Since their inception, Greek Fire have been making a name for themselves with their Lost/Found EP, the full length Deus Ex Machina as well as their new albums Orientation and upcoming release, Broken. Greek Fire reminds me a bit of Muse before their transition during The Resistance album. There’s definitely a balance to the rock element to go along with the electronic aspect.

Greek Fire- Orientation:

Greek Fire- Deus Ex Machina:

Band Of The Week: Wrong

The 90’s sound has influenced and inspired so many bands. That distinct guitar sound or the was the bass rumbles to the way the drums punch, there is no denying that “that” sound changed the world. There is a band hailing from Florida, that has captured the essence of the 90’s sound and expanded on it in a very cool experimental and noisy sort of way. The band is called WRONG and they are badass. Made up of members of Torche and Kylesa, WRONG has taken inspiration from 90’s stalwarts Helmet and Unsane and made bombastic heavy rock. Their new album entitled Feel Great, is rifftastic and full of groove that will get your head banging and your feet moving. Wrong is unrelenting and aggressive yet they understand the dynamics of their craft.

Wrong- Feels Great:

Wrong- Pustile:

Wrong- Gape:

New Release: Memento- Legacy

A while back I posted about how the band Memento was back and well, they officially are. The have released their first new song in many years and it’s fan-fucking-tastic. This new track entitled “Legacy” is one hell of a rocker. The vocals and lyrics of singer Justin Stewart Cotta are top notch. He hasn’t lost a step at all. The riffs and leads of guitarist Jason “Space” Smith are killer. He’s always had a knack for writing catchy yet riff-tastic jams. If this is just the beginning for what’s to come for Memento, then the future looks pretty bright. Welcome back gents!!!

Memento- Legacy:

Memento- Beginnings (Debut Album):

Band Of The Week: Street Sects

Since the explosion of electronic music in the last decade, I’ve noticed a resurgence of industrial music, which makes me happy. Industrial inspired bands like Youth Code, Khost, and Fact Pattern have brought the style back and are killing it. Now, there is another band that is really taking industrial music to a different level and they are called Street Sects. Formed in 2013 by vocalist Leo Ashline and multi-instrumentalist Shaun Ringsmuth, Street Sects have taken industrial music and mixed in punk rock, ambience and chaos to create a sound that stands out among the others. Their new album The Kicking Mule (out October 26) has a style that is inspired by bands like Roxy Music and Brian Eno as well as Berlin-era Bowie and Pretty Hate Machine era Nine Inch Nails. The songs are intense and full of life. One listen and you’ll have the sudden urge to get up and move. Singer Leo Ashline’s vocals are reminiscent of the like of Brian Molko of Placebo and Low/Station To Station era Bowie. Street Sects are a band that have found their own niche with The Kicking Mule and have successfully created a sound that will instantly capture those listening.

Street Sects- In For A World Of Hurt:

Street Sects- The Drifter:

Street Sects- Still Between Lovers:

Band Of The Week: Tombstones In Their Eyes

The other day while I was sifting through my list of bands to check out, there was a band name that caught my eye and raised my curiosity level. That band is called Tombstones In Their Eyes and they are radical! Based in Los Angeles, this psychedelic rock band has crafted a sound that is part psychedelic, part stoner rock, mixed with a bit of shoegaze and ambience. Tombstones In Their Eyes are expressive not just in the soundscapes and riffs they create but in the way the vocals, lyrics and melodies all come together. At times while listening you get sucked into a trance that resembles a lullaby. It’s truly a visceral listening experience. Their 2017 EP Fear is so damn good. It’s the perfect end of night album or for a soothing drive on an open road. On their newest EP Nothing Here, the band gets even grittier and the songs hit like a ton of bricks but, in a way that is still calming to your senses. Tombstones In Their Eyes is a band that has a real knack for creating great music and art. It’s real and full of life. Check them out!

Tombstones In Their Eyes- Nothing Here EP:

Tombstones In Their Eyes- Fear EP:

Band Of The Week: Primitive Weapons

The post-hardcore genre has grown by leaps and bounds. This genre has fast become one of the most prominent ones in heavy music. There is a band from New York that is leaving their mark and giving post-hardcore a more melodic/space rock tinge, and that band is Primitive Weapons. The bands newest material is expansive and full of heaviness without giving up on their roots. Two songs “Keep The Lights On” and “Normalcy Bias” have been released from their upcoming album, Surrender Yourself. These songs show the growth and evolution of a band that is more than just your run of the mill post-hardcore band. The mix of hardcore, metal, and melody is what is making Primitive Weapons a force to be reckoned with.

Primitive Weapons- Keep The Lights On:

Primitive Weapons- Normalcy Bias:

Primitive Weapons- The Future Of Death:

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