UNSIGNED AND UNHOLY: THE ARMED, THIS TIME IT’S WAR, VYATHIST

There’s more good unsigned metal out there than there’s time to listen to it, so I’ll stop yapping so you can get to listening: this week’s slate features The Armed, This Time It’s War and Vyathist. As it so happens, two of these bands were written about by two separate “Run MetalSucks For A Day” contest winners in consecutive years. Maybe Axl and I should just quit.

• The Armed: The MS reader known as “Crack Hitler” proved he knew a thing or two when he wrote about and interviewed The Armed after winning the 2010 “Run MetalSucks For a Day” contest. Detroit’s finest — as if the scene on their album cover, above, could’ve been shot anywhere OTHER than Detroit — are back with a new EP called Young & Beautiful, which you can download entirely for free from their Bandcamp page. The Armed fit snugly between the racuous, spazzed out noise of The Dillinger Escape Plan and the dirty, southern-tinged boogie-inspired punk of Every Time I Die.
  
• This Time It’s War: My initial reaction upon receiving an email from This Time It’s War — featured by 2011 MS “Run MetalSucks For a Day” Contest winner Justin Gosnell — was to groan at their band name, but one listen to their new song “Man, The Destroyer” shut me right up. The new track, from the forthcoming EP Terror Plots, due November 12th, is progressive and melodic in a way that doesn’t follow any trends and isn’t cheesy at all; it’s a great mix of instrumental ability and songwriting sensibility. Will definitely be keeping an eye on this band.

Man, The Destroyer (preview) by This Time It’s War

• Vyathist: This is MS reader Shane Gillis’ band, THE Shane Gillis of Behemoth Vocal Cover Contest fame, the father of the youngest (and cutest) metal fan we’ve ever seen, and key informant for countless MetalSucks articles. Vyathist are thrashy in the traditional Metallica / Megadeth vein, but they’ve also got a slight melodic bent that owes a little something to ’90s alternative. Check out the new album Faceless, Dreamless for free at Bandcamp and let Shane know what you think.

-VN