New England Bands That Can Drink You Under The Table According to Leather Lung’s Mike Vickers
In just a few hours, the world will finally get to hear Graveside Grin, the raucous, booze-fueled, and hazy new album from Leather Lung. If you know anything about the dudes behind the tunes, you know vocalist Mike Vickers and the guys enjoy a cold brew and a little smoke from time to time. Having spent the last 12 years tearing shit up, they’ve come to appreciate the fellow New Englanders that make kick ass music while throwing a few back themselves.
In celebration of the new record and in a bid to pay it forward, Vickers shared five bands from New England that you may or may not have heard of before, but could totally outdrink your ass any given night. After checking these guys out myself, I agree — these motherfuckers are the real deal.
So check out the bands below, with additional commentary provided by Vickers himself. Play their music loud. That should get you in the mood to rip through Graveside Grin when it comes out tomorrow on streaming platforms and wherever you get your music these days.
High Command (Worcester, MA)
Do you like swords? Do you like beer-drenched thrash metal? If so, you love High Command. I’ve seen these guys toss a 30-rack worth of beers into a crowd. I’ve seen them pull up to a gig in an armored vehicle wielding handles of Hennessy. Their guitarist Ryan is a fellow thumb-gunner. High Command parties.
Mast (Portland, ME)
Brand new badass band from Maine who play a hard-hitting stomp in the vein of Buzzov•en, Sourvein and Eyehategod. But don’t get confused, this ain’t southern sludge. These boys are from frigid cold Maine, and that chill comes through the music. We’ve drank long into the night with these boys, raging under the “freezing moon.” They can hang.
Swamphead (Boston, MA)
Down tuned dirge music is alive and well thanks to bands like Swamphead. Not only are their riffs completely soaked in beer, but Chris (guitar/vocals) is a head brewer at Widowmaker Brewery. This band embodies the feeling of having an ice cold tall boy in your hand, a roach between your lips, and two eyes rolled back in your head as you bang your head off your shoulders.
Mother Iron Horse (Salem, MA)
Our fellow Modelo-loving freaks! Our brothers. These guys are what metal from New England sounds like. It’s mean, weathered, and will kick your ass! We’ve played countless gigs together, toured together, and probably drank 1000+ Modelos together.
Face First (Boston, MA)
Imagine if Mike Muir wanted a Colt 45 instead of a Pepsi? That’s Face First. These guys are thrash metal punks and their energy is infectious. It’s music that makes you want to chug your beer and huck it blindly across the pit. Me and Joe (drummer) have sat around drinking beers and talking heavy metal till our sentences stopped being coherent.
