Here at Revolver, we pride ourselves in living on the cutting edge of heavy music, from metal and hardcore to industrial and goth, 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. Spanning from Long Island death/grind/hardcore hybridists (Blame God) to a screamo band with the chops and emotion to live up to the genre leaders of yesteryear (Frail Body), here are five artists you'll want to get on now before everyone else does.
FRAIL BODY
RIYL pg.99, Saetia, Combatwoundedveteran
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE With an urgency found in classic screamo, Frail Body execute dramatic, spazzy, grind-kissed hardcore like some of the best out there, never shying away from hooks or influences from the punk, garage and post-rock genres. Expansive and explosive.
QUOTE "Deathwish Inc. has always from day one been the label that we felt would suit this project best," vocalist-guitarist Lowell Shaffer says of the band's new home. "The three of us all grew up listening to and purchasing the records of most of the bands that Deathwish has signed and collaborated with. We all agree that seeing our name counted as a compatriot amongst bands which inspired the creation of this project is both the achievement of goals beyond what we thought was attainable for a small screamo band in the Midwest, and simultaneously the donning of an obligation to do everything in our power to carry the label's heritage of unparalleled excellence forward."
Quayde LaHüe
RIYL Judas Priest, Scorpions, Christian Mistress
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE With punchy songwriting and a throwback style that feels of an era long ago yet never latches to any singular band too hard, Quayde LaHüe feels every bit as urgent as Christian Mistress, the band's predecessor and previous home to 50 percent of its members.
QUOTE "To be totally honest, I don't really seek out new music, regional or otherwise," admits bassist Reuben Storey, rather unsurprisingly considering his band's retro sound, when asked about the strong Pacific Northwestern metal scene as of late. "Historically, the Northwest has always been a hotbed for heavy metal — so maybe it's the water?"
PLAGUE YEARS
RIYL Iron Age, Cro-Mags, Kreator
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Crossover thrash with a touch of evil, these Detroit boys shouldn't just be lumped in with the legions of Power Trip sound-alikes. Plague Years are genuinely mean in a Kreator, Sodom and early Slayer kinda way.
QUOTE "Key bands for us [from the local Detroit scene] are Build and Destroy, RZL DZL, Cold as Life, the Black Dahlia Murder, Breaking Wheel, Negative Approach, Hellmouth and Manic Outburst," guitarist Eric Lauder enthuses. "[But] we also listen to a lot of rap from here like Icewear Vezzo, Sada Baby, FMB DZ and LOM Rambo."
GULCH
RIYL Xibalba, Trap Them, Cursed
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Somewhere between misanthropic black-metal crew Craft, vile European grind terrorists Regurgitate and good old-fashioned d-beat hardcore sits Gulch, a furious melange of all things nasty and the logical next step following bands like Cursed and Trap Them. Gnarly, unrelenting and venomous.
QUOTE "I'm inspired more so by listening to other artists talk about their writing process than actual music," says guitarist Cole Kakimoto. "Every time someone tells me, 'Oh, you were inspired by such and such band when you wrote this riff, right?" I never know who they are talking about. I don't listen to a ton of the 'staple' hardcore or metal bands. I think that's why Gulch has such a unique sound. Because I'm ignorant to a lot of classic hardcore/metal bands, I'm less likely to rip off anyone's style or sound. I know a lot of bands will just straight-up take riffs from older records and they think people won't notice. That's the lamest shit I've ever heard. If you aren't bringing original ideas to the table, don't be a band at all. Go be a cover band somewhere else."
BLAME GOD
RIYL Human Remains, Assück, Deadguy
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Deadguy's daring experimentalism and solid songwriting — their ability to push the envelope while still remaining cohesive — were the band's strongest attributes. Blame God have those same qualities in spades, ably mixing grind, death metal, hardcore and more into a singular, boiling-over cauldron of hate.
QUOTE "I met Trevor Strnad at a gig in his home city Detroit when I was touring with Castle Freak," drummer Sam Shereck says, explaining how the Black Dahlia Murder singer came to appear on Blame God's song "Conquest of Mecca." "We kept in touch ever since. He moved to New York a couple years after. I always fucked with him because he's a true supporter of underground shit and he's really open-minded at the same time. There's so much sick heavy shit out there and he wants it all. That is my approach, too. Doesn't matter if it's death metal, hardcore or hardstyle techno. If it goes, it goes."
