THE BLOGRONAUT SHARES HIS FAVORITE UNSIGNED BANDS
Having an outlet through a prominent web media site like metalsucks.net is a blessing in so many ways. It took a while for me to realize, but honestly having my shitty ideas read by thousands of shitty people is a power that I should harness and use to project something positive onto the metal scene. Since Metallica haven’t called me about ghost writing their next album yet, I figure I should still try to do some good for the heavy music community and turn you people on to some bands who don’t have a label buying ad space on Metalsucks. Here is a list of bands I am angry at the public for not liking:
Admiral Angry – I met one of these guys at a show here in LA and he gave me a copy of their album Buster. Just to put this into perspective, I get a lot of cds to check out, and 99.99999% of the time the shit is in the black hole known as my car’s back seat within three minutes. This cd has not left my regular driving rotation in like six months. Try to imagine Nothing/Catch 33-era Meshuggah’s heaviness and precision mixed with Eyehategod’s layabout nihilism. Disgustingly heavy, groovy, and pissed. “Buster” is seriously one of the best albums I have ever heard, and the sad thing (to me) is that no one will ever hear it due to a variety of factors that I wish I could pinpoint. Check out the songs on myspace, but also go order the cd here.
Exhausted Prayer – This is a Los Angeles band that have been around for quite a while now, and have been making some of the most interesting, catchy, and just generally deep sounding progressive black metal since way before US black metal became an acceptable subgenre to show interest in. It seriously kills me that more people don’t know about them. This is clever progressive black metal on par with “Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk” Emperor (except no keyboards) or “The Madrigal Of Night” by Ulver. Exhausted Prayer are one of those bands that at times makes me feel completely inadequate and want to quit writing music. They had an album released by Dwell in the US, and that is probably why you’ve never heard of them. They have been recording a new album for like two years now, so keep an eye out for that. Or better yet, if you’re a label put it out!
National Sunday Law – Its like when you’d go play Super Mario Brothers at a friend’s house and the fucking guy is using both the Powerglove AND the Gyromite robot. Two guys with lots of toys, making awesome atmospheric rock/metal. I actually played ice hockey with the drummer when we were like nine years old, and we were reunited a couple years ago at a show we played together here in LA. Thankfully, he is a much better drummer than goaltender. They just released their first full length, La Storia Di Cannibali, after more than a year-long recording process (which obviously paid off), and you should pick it up through them.
-SD
