JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Lars Ulrich’s 59th birthday.
Tag: metal
Throwback: Happy 77th Birthday, Lemmy!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 77th anniversary of Lemmy Kilmister’s birth.
Austin-based doom metal outfit Slumbering Sun — Monte Luna’s James Clarke (vocals), Destroyer of Light’s Keegan Kjeldsen (guitar), Temptress‘ Kelsey Wilson (guitar), Monte Luna‘s and Scorpion Child‘s Garth Condit (bass) and Destroyer of Light’s Penny Turner (drums) — is an All-Star band featuring members of Texas’ underground metal scene.
As the story goes, after the breakup of their previous band, James Clarke and Keegan Kjeldsen resolved to forget the pain of an album that would never be released, by creating something new. They decided to start a new band — and with an album that Kjeldsen wrote between work on other projects. The pair continued the creative process at their rehearsal space with a few songs strummed on a clean, electric guitar: Clarke began to write melodies with the pair finishing lyrics.
Clarke and Kjeldsen recruited Temptress’ Kelsey Wilson, who made the commute from Dallas for writing and recruiting process. Scorpion Child’s Garth Condit and Destroyer of Light’s Penny Turner. who played in other bands with Clarke and Kjeldsen respectively were recruited to be the band’s rhythm section — and from that point on, Slumbering Sun was a full-fledged band.
Slated for a February 24, 2023 CD, cassette and digital release with a vinyl release over the summer, because of pressing plant delays, the Austin-based doom metal outfit’s full-length debut The Ever-Living Fire was recorded in a week-long recording session this past summer. Sonically, The Ever-Living Fire sees the members of Slumbering Sun exploring broader melodies while being inspired by Celtic folk, doom metal like Warning, as well as beloved 90s classics like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains.
The Ever-Living Fire‘s first single “Liminal Bridges” is an expansive and towering song centered around three distinct segments — an atmospheric introduction featuring swirling, shoegazer-like textures followed by stormy power chord-driven riffage, thunderous drumming paired with Clarke’s melodic crooning and some enormous, arena rock friendly hooks. “Liminal Bridges” sonically brings The Sword and others to mind — but with a prog rock-leaning sensibility.
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Founded by drummer Rip Ryder in 2019, and split between Brisbane and Australia’s Gold Coast, Aussie hard rock outfit Scandal Tree‘s original lineup featured Ryder, along with Flaky, Jase and Adam. Back in 2020, the quartet recorded their debut, self-titled EP with Cian Warbrick at Smooth Edge Recording.
After the departure of longtime members Jase and Adam, the remaining members of the band asked themselves whether it was time to close up shop and move on — or to go all in. “We felt that Scandal Tree was more than just the sum of its parts, but a more encompassing vision. There was something more there musically that we (Rip and Flaky) wanted to explore. A creative potential still yet to be untapped and unleashed upon the world,” the band’s founding member explains,
After searching for members for the band’s second lineup, the band’s remaining members found Matty (vocals), Joe (bass) and Wayne (guitar), which expanded the band from their original quartet to a quintet. In late 2021, the band recorded “Nothin’ to Lose” with Nik Carpenter at Core Studios and was released earlier this year to critical applause from broadcasters, playlist curators, critics and even publicists.
The Aussie rockers sophomore EP Layin’ Down Your Cards is rooted in everyday realties — with the EP’s material seeing the band navigating life as best as they can, and at full throttle paired with high-energy riffage. The EP’s latest single, the brash “One Way Home” is a big power chord-driven ripper, full of rousing, arena rock friendly choruses and hooks that brings Headbanger’s Ball, AC/DC and Amyl and the Sniffers to mind. In other words, nasty, gritty rock meant to be played loudly — and to raise your beer while shouting along.
Rising Kent, UK-based quartet Pryma blends heavy rock with heavy metal influences paired with meaningful lyricism and melodic vocals with a darker, menacing edge. The band prides themselves on a honest approach to their music, and an energetic live show, which has helped them gain a loyal fanbase — while earning them regular gigs across their native UK.
The British metal outfit has released a nubmer of singles, which has led to radio airplay and attention from the press and across social media. Building upon a growing profile, the band’s debut EP UNCAGED is slated for a November 25, 2022 release. The EP’s lead single “1:23:45” begins with an acoustic guitar-based intro before quickly morphing into a mosh pit friendly ripper centered around enormous power chord-driven riffage that will bring Headbanger’s Ball to mind. But the song is given a modern feel with a feral and unhinged vocal performance that sees Pyrma’s frontperson alternating between melodic verses, guttural howled choruses and hooks. Play this one very loud!
Live Footage: JOVM Mainstays LohArano Performs “Mangina” at Le Club Rodez
Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — formed over seven years ago. And since their formation they’ve developed a unique, boundary pushing sound that sees the band pairing elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky and Salegy with heavy metal.
LohArano’s sound and approach represents a bold generation of Malagasy young people that honors and respects the traditions and practices of their elders – but are also inspired by contemporary Western genres and styles.
Over the past few years, the Malagasy metal trio have been extremely busy:
- Their self-titled EP featured “Tandrroka,” a mosh pit friendly ripper, featuring rumbling, down-tuned bass lines, thunderous drumming, scorching guitar riffs and Ravoajanahary’s feral Karen O-like vocals.
- They quickly followed up with their full-length debut LohAmboto, which featured the System of a Down-like album title track “LohAmboto,” another mosh-pit friendly ripper that saw the band gently refining and honing their sound.
- The JOVM mainstays closed out last year with their first European tour — and it included a set at Trans Musicales in Rennes, France, which the band filmed and released as a concert film. The concert film features their debut single Andrambavitany,” the aforementioned “Tandrroka” and “LohAmboto,” as well as material off their full-length debut performed with a feral intensity.
- This year, the Malagasy JOVM mainstays along with their label Libertalia Music released a five-song live EP recorded from their Trans Musicales set last year. The EP featured “Ts’Izy,” an explosive synthesis of metal, nu-metal and hip-hop that channeled Rage Against the Machine — but while being decidedly African.
During the band’s headlining European tour last year, the band stopped at Rodez, France-based Le Club Rodez, where they filmed live footage of the band performing “Mangina,” an expansive song centered around alternating quiet and loud sections. The quiet, dream-like sections featuring glistening guitars and Ravoajanahary’s plaintive delivery. The loud sections sees the band at their furious, mosh pit friendly ripping best. Structurally and sonically, “Mangina” sees the trio pairing shoegazer-influenced textures with Metallica-meets-punk rock riffage.
Throwback: Happy 75th Birthday, Brian Johnson!
JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Brian Johnson’s 75th birthday.
Antananarivo, Madagascar-based trio LohArano — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — formed over seven years ago, and in that time, they’ve developed a unique, forward-thinking and boundary pushing sound that sees them pairing elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky and Salegy with heavy metal.
The band’s sound and approach represents a bold, young generation of Malagasy young people that honors and respects the traditions and practices of their elders but are also inspired by contemporary Western music genres and styles.
Over the past handful of years, the Malagasy metal outfit has been very busy: They released a self-titled EP, which fueaterd “Tandrroka,” a mosh pit friendly ripper, featuring rumbling, down-tuned bass lines, thunderous drumming, scorching guitar riffs and Ravoajanahary’s feral Karen O-like vocals.
They quickly followed up with their full-length debut LohAmboto, which featured the System of a Down-like album title track “LohAmboto,” another mosh-pit friendly ripper that sees the band refining and honing their unique, global take on metal.
The JOVM mainstays closed out last year with their first European tour — and it included a set at Trans Musicales in Rennes, France, which the band filmed and released as a concert film. The concert film features their debut single Andrambavitany,” the aforementioned “Tandrroka” and “LohAmboto,” as well as material off their full-length debut performed with a feral intensity.
The Malagasy JOVM mainstays and their label Libertalia Music will be releasing a five song live EP from their Trans Musicales set. “Ts’Izy,” the live EP’s first single, is one explosive synthesis of metal, nu metal and hip-hop that channels Rage Against the Machine — but while being decidedly African.
