Unsigned and Unholy: Side Effects May Include, Brian Maillard, Rotting Hills

Side Effects May Include are very different from the bands we usually feature in this space, but something about their music caught me.  Those dissonant chordal voicings, the slightly arhythmic drums, the singer’s bizarre half-croon/half-scream… this was a nice breath of fresh air.

Yeah, there’s an overabundance of instrumental metal out there these days, and Brian Maillard‘s work borders on extremely cheesy, but, once again, there’s something here that grabbed me. Total Dream Theater-style balladry worship here, but I’m totally OK with it. Great guitar work/tone.

Rotting Hills play deliciously sinister-sounding mip-tempo doom, almost like they’re Pelican’s evil younger brother (except with vocals). They’ve only got one track up on their Bandcamp (linked above, embedded below), but it’s a real doozy.