FRANCESCO ARTUSATO, EVAN BREWER MAKE SUMERIAN THE “IT” INSTRU-METALIST LABEL

Something I need to keep reminding myself: every generic shit band that sells a fuckton of records enables their record label to take risks on way more creative, fulfilling, interesting and inevitably far less commercially successful artists. It’s a sad fact, but thems the breaks: shitty commercially successful metal bands for teeny boppers generate tons of money, and without that money we’d see a lot less of the good stuff coming down the pike. For every Vampires Everywhere there’s a Nachtmystium, for every System Divide there’s The Ocean, for every Nickelback there’s an Opeth, for every <insert Victory band here> there’s a Jungle Rot… and for every Asking Alexandria there’s a Francesco Artusato and Evan Brewer.

Sumerian Records recently announced the pseudo-Animals as Leaders side project T.R.A.M., a wonky experimental band that’s more jazz than metal. Their latest signings are All Shall Perish shredder Francesco Artusato, who joined the band prior to their Summer Slaughter run in 2010, and bass whiz Evan Brewer, known for his ridiculous solo bass videos, low-end in Animosity, and recently announced as the newest member of The Faceless. The market for these kinds of acts is limited — extremely limited, especially for a bass player… raise your hand if you’ve listened to a bassist’s solo record that isn’t Billy Sheehan! — but if there’s any label that can get scene kids into this kind of instru-metal it’s probably Sumerian. And that is a great thing. Golf clap! Thank you, Asking Alexandria, for your investment in music that’s actually good.

Check out the Francesco Artusato track “Chaos and the Primordial” via his Facebook page from the album of the same name, set to come out on June 28th. No Evan Brewer album jams are available yet but there are these two rad videos of Evan showing off (one is posted above); his album Alone will also come out on June 28th.

-VN