5 artists you need to know: March 2023 | Revolver

5 artists you need to know: March 2023

From apocalyptic doom to caustic hardcore
castle rat CROP PROMO 2023 , Brendan Miller
Castle Rat, 2023
photograph by Brendan Miller

Here at Revolver, we pride ourselves in living on the cutting edge of heavy music, from metal and hardcore to industrial and hip-hop, and we try to keep you on the front line, too, by giving you a deep look at the innovative noisemakers poised to shape the sound and the scene. To that end, we've rounded up a handful of musicians who, we think, are on the rise across several different genres. From apocalyptic doom to caustic hardcore, here are five artists you'll want to get on now.

Castle Rat 2023 press vertical UNCROPPED, Brendan Miller
photograph by Brendan Miller

Castle Rat

RIYL Black Sabbath, the Sword, Electric Wizard
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Brooklyn's Castle Rat play retro stoner metal that worships at the alter of Sabbath, not just musically but production-wise, as well. Their songs have that brittle, acid-soaked feel that's unique to Seventies metal, and those who aim to recreate it like the now-defunct Sword. The fun of Castle Rat is that they play these riffs while decked out in theatrical costumes — chain mail, plague masks and horned crowns are among their elaborate garb — and they fully lean into the fantasy by crafting their very own lore to go along with the music. Modern metal always needs more camp. Castle Rat deliver.
QUOTE "Each member of the band plays a character onstage," says vocalist Riley Pinkerton. "We have The Count on lead guitar, The Plague Doctor on bass, the All Seeing Druid on drums, The Rat Queen on lead vocals and guitar, along with their arch nemesis, Death Herself: The Rat Reaperess, who pursues them into The Realm at every show. The goal of Castle Rat is to expand The Realm into its own universe, welcoming all those who seek to join us in stepping into this alternate reality." We're in.

Gel 2023 press UNCROPPED, Angel Tumalan
GEL
photograph by Angel Tumalan

GEL

RIYL Negative Approach, Scowl, Poison Idea
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Within the last year, GEL have broken out of the basement hardcore circuit and rushed to the forefront of the exploding American hardcore renaissance. Scuzzy, reverb-soaked and blinded by rage, the New Jersey band play a nasty breed of Eighties-style hardcore that's sunk its hooks into old-school skankers and caveman karate moshers alike. Their debut LP, Only Constant, will for sure be one of 2023's defining opuses.
QUOTE "When we started GEL, our only intention was to have fun," says guitarist Anthony Webster. "I didn't think we'd ever pull off writing an LP, doing a full U.S. tour, touring Europe, supporting some of our favorite bands, etc. If I could just continue to see new kids finding happiness and comfort at our shows, and all future hardcore shows, I'll be happy. I know hardcore isn't for everybody, but I want the door to be cracked for the people who want it or need it."

Maul 2023 press UNCROPPED, Jason Dahlke
Maul
photograph by Jason Dahlke

Maul

RIYL Obituary, Gatecreeper, Aspyhx
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE We named Maul's toweringly ugly 2022 debut, Seraphic Punishment, one of the 10 best death-metal albums of the year, and apparently others agreed. Newly signed by extreme-metal tastemakers 20 Buck Spin, the North Dakota crushers are poised to make waves in the current groundswell of young death-metal bands. Drawing from elements of doom without slowing their sound to a halt, Maul's sound is uncompromisingly brutal — and in a way that feels fresh among their more overtly hardcore-influenced peers.
QUOTE "Death metal in itself and the legacy acts of the genre are not something that directly influences our writing at all," says vocalist Garrett Alvarado. "I would say, as a whole, we're inspired by the swelling wave of underground death metal from the last five to six years. Bands like Sanguisabogg, Frozen Soul, Fuming Mouth, 200 Stab Wounds, Gates to Hell and our hometown gang Phobophilic, who are all holding it down for the next up — the right now really — and touring like crazy."

Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean 2023 promo photo UNCROPPED
Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean

Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean

RIYL Neurosis, Cult of Luna, Amenra
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Save your bong rips for a different band, Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean make doom metal for end times. The Massachusetts quartet summon a Kraken of gnashing, all-consuming noise that trudges, plods and cleanses the ears with torrential force and volume. The cover art for their upcoming debut, Obsession Destruction, was one of the final commissions from the late, great Mariusz Lewandowski, and the earth-shattering visual tells you all you need to know about the sound.
QUOTE "On the whole, the album is about the arc of growth in life when you start moving from being who you were to who you want to be," the band explain of the album's theme. "Shedding a past skin, destroying the parts of yourself that you don't like. Learning how to move and grow through the world and all its chaos." The group's M.O. is a little more straightforward: "We write uncompromising, aggressive music and we usually play it a little too loud."

Truth Cult press 2023 UNCROPPED, Skylar Watkins
Truth Cult
photograph by Skylar Watkins

Truth Cult

RIYL Title Fight, Angel Du$t, Rites of Spring
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE For the last decade-plus, Baltimore hardcore has been associated with the heavy, NYHC stylings channeled by Trapped Under Ice, Turnstile, End It, etc. Truth Cult are throwing it back to the sounds that defined Capital Region hardcore in the Eighties and Nineties. Signed to Pop Wig Records (run by Trapped Under Ice/Angel Du$t frontman Justice Tripp), the quintet's melodic yet squirmy, emotional yet fun sound is laced with a proto-punk fizz à la the Stooges and MC5. Call it punk, call it hardcore, call it rock — whatever, just make sure you move.
QUOTE "Amazing" is how guitarist Ian Marshall describes being involved in the Charm City hardcore scene. "Baltimore has a lot of variety and energy. A lot of the bands don't sound like one another, but keep driving each other forward. Everybody got that bounce." If Truth Cult's name sounds familiar, then you're probably a Dischord Records fan: "It is cribbed from a Lungfish song, local heroes of esoteric, apocalypse punk."