If you have followed my work at First Angel Media at all in the past year, you have probably picked up on the fact that I have an unnatural love for two specific kinds of Metal subgenres: Alternative Metal and Mathcore. Runts have recently dropped their debut EP and I am in my car as…
Read More
On this week’s Find You Muse(ic) we have groove masters Paradigm and their lyric video “Die Trying“. With sounds akin to that of Pantera and Machine Head, “Die Trying” proves to be a heavy hitter packed with fantastic riffs that serves as a tribute to our men and women in the armed forces. The lyric…
Read More
On this week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we bring you Nazareth, Pennsylvania’s Enda Vera and their new single “Burn”. Caught somewhere between Emo and Post Hardcore bravado and brooding Post Grunge antics, “Burn” is a slow burner (no pun intended) that swells and exudes the emotions of a human being at the end of their rope….
Read More
Arguably one of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s heaviest, Post Mortal Posession have just released their brand new single “Gates of Lyssa” exclusively through Slam Worldwide and boy, is it a grinding barrage of Slam and Brutal Death Metal. If Waking the Cadaver and Embryonic Devourment had invested in modern recording production, you would get a glimpse of…
Read More
On this week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we have repeat offenders The Fading Light. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based Indie rockers just dropped a brand new video for their single “Ten Years” and we couldn’t be more excited to share it! “Ten Years” rocks with the best parts of 90’s radio such as The Goo Goo Dolls,…
Read More
We have a very special Find Your Muse(ic) this week over here at FAM. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based guitarist Andy Oddo has been rather busy as of late and well…..everywhere to be frank. Having recently joined local Alternative Metal titans Transcendance and with his other project Victoria Fire picking up steam rather quickly, it goes without…
Read More
So we have quite the surprise for all of you from First Angel Media. Today, we unleash a fantastic and haunting cover of The Cranberries’ hit song “Zombie” performed by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania rockers amplifiers. Amplifiers. have been working their way up the ranks of the Pittsburgh scene for quite some time now, wooing audiences with…
Read More
One of my favorite things about my job at First Angel Media is the little gems I get handed along the way. With the way the market is nowadays, it’s all too common that bands with stellar music come out of the gate with strong material, but somehow manage to slip through the cracks and…
Read More
On this week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we have Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Hip Hop artist Lo and his single “One Up“. Featuring a melodic back drop and a visceral rhyme scheme, Lo holds nothing back as he exercises his demons and spills his guts about his past and battle with depression. For as much angst that hangs…
Read More
If you have followed my work at First Angel Media at all in the past year, you have probably picked up on the fact that I have an unnatural love for two specific kinds of Metal subgenres: Alternative Metal and Mathcore. Runts have recently dropped their debut EP and I am in my car as…
Read More
Kittanning, Pennsylvania based rock outfit A Common Crown have been pretty busy as of late, dropping their new single “Awake” recently and slating to release their upcoming album The Reckoning this weekend. Their rise in the Pittsburgh scene has been somewhat of a slow burner, having really branched out within the last year and establishing…
Read More
North Carolina Thrashers Outliar are back at it again with the arrival of their new EP Thrashing the Vault. After reviewing their previous effort, I have been greatly looking forward to the arrival of this release. So, let us round up the dead and feast on what Outliar has brought forth with this release……… ….and…
Read More
On this week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we have Pittsburgh based Power Metal outfit Iron Brigade and their debut single “Out of the Urn“. Featuring a blistering gallop and melodic lead guitars, Iron Brigade charge through unabashed with technical flair and melodic gusto. The band sets the perfect backdrop for singer Jared Carns to lead the…
Read More
On this week’s “Find your Muse(ic)” we have Progressive Metal shredders Viking Guitar and their homage to the video game classic Legend of Zelda! With an excellent play through video, we see the band do what they do best with ease and finesse: shred that 7 string thing! With the progressive and technical tendencies of…
Read More
The ground was shaking in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on the night on January 11th at Cattivo. Twist of Fate Productions rang in the new year with one banger of a show that surely marks one of the best line-ups the company has put together in its short but prolific existence. To be point blank, if you…
Read More
Within the last couple of years there has been a strong resurgence of Stoner and Doom Metal within the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania scene. Today we are going to take a look at new kids on the block Makeshift Urn with their debut Self-Titled EP. To start off, Makeshift Urn was a rather refreshing listen. I dabble…
Read More
On this week’s “Find Your Muse(ic)” we have Vice Grips by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Skies of Terra. Vice Grips serves as a powerful single with exercises in emotional exorcism cast from the sounds of post-hardcore madness and metalcore groove. Opening up with a rather catchy bass lick and melodic vocals, it doesn’t take long for Skies…
Read More
Post-hardcore kids Skies of Terra have begun to make their impression on the scene here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania this past year. With an emotionally charged and diverse sound via their album Lunar, there’s a reason the name Skies of Terra has begun making its way around the City of Steel. The most notable thing about…
Read More
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania rockers The Crowning just dropped their brand new single “All I Want”. With blistering melodic tendencies and soaring vocals, the band waste no time gripping your brain and not letting go. With an amazing backdrop musically and a massive yet emotional chorus, The Crowning more than prove their salt here. Somewhere between hard…
Read More
2019 has been an amazing year of music within the realms of independent and underground artists. With so much amazing talent that has come across my path over here at First Angel Media, I can’t help but be excited for what new music 2020 has in store! Here is my Top 10 releases of 2019…
Read More
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based rap/metal duo East Koast Craziez are back at it again with the release of their upcoming Ep “Mudpit Monsters”. With their spastic energy and murderous intent, the duo plan to devour all those who dare step in their path with their horror tinged brand of hip hop. Mudpit Monsters is a gruesome affair…
Read More
On this week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we have 9 Stitch Method with their single “Ceiling” off of their album “Jaywalking Somnambulist“. Ceiling hits straight for the gut with punishing groove and technical guitar work along with the menacing vocal work that the band have become known for. The infamous duo have had a rather proactive and…
Read More
Ohio-based black metal fanatics Plagueweilder have just dropped their newest album Suffering From Self Inflicted Wounds. With its lo-fi tendencies and dark atmosphere, the band aims to unleash their fury on the underground with this release. To be point blank, Plaguweilder’s newest batch of tunes are ungodly (no pun intended) to say the least. Nothing…
Read More
Noise pranksters and mathematicians On Pink have recently dropped their Ep “Scarlett“. With their brand of experimental shenanigans and obscure noise manipulation, the New York based trio set out to expand their horizons and bring something new to the table with the release of their new Ep. “Scarlett” is the kind of release that is filled…
Read More
Find Your Muse(ic): Video of the Week – Silk 9 “Find My Way” Pittsburgh rock n’ roll titans Silk 9 are back at it again with their brand new video “Find My Way”. With its “light in the darkness” tinged lyrics and augmented power chords, the band pave the way for quite the emotional rocker….
Read More
So I’ve said it once, I’ve said it twice, and I’ll probably say it many more times……..Ohio is a breeding ground for excellent heavy metal. Dubbing themselves “ambient metalcore”, Columbus, Ohio’s Fear Culture are no exception with their EP “Room to Breathe“. I’ll say this like I do in most of my reviews, Fear Culture…
Read More
Something gruesome comes this way from the wicked west. Washington-based horrorcore act Lyrizone is about to drop his highly anticipated debut album (ironically) titled “Sweet Relief”. With a molotov cocktail of deprecating catharsis, slasher film aesthetic, and schizophrenic charisma, Lyrizone’s “Sweet Relief” promises to be quite the opposite of it’s title……. I want to start off…
Read More
#findyourmuse – Heartsick “Shadow” Heartsick have dropped the brand spanking new video for their single “Shadow“, and boy is it a doozy. Featuring a dark industrial vibe, the track creeps and crawls with enough emotional anguish to wake the dead. Heavy, low tuned guitars crush and pound with rhythmic precision amongst the band’s electronic and…
Read More
#findyourmuse: Icons of Industry – “When the Sky Fell” Icons of Industry from Austin, Texas show they are more than a force to be dealt with on their new video “When the Sky Fell“. The band rock like the better parts of Jet and The Black Keys during a bout of “Roid Rage”, and swag…
Read More
A new contender in the black metal community has emerged from the depths of hell named Horse Drawn. When this was given to me, I was quite excited as I was on night shift. Listening and taking notes on this demo sampler was gonna carry me the rest of the night and boy was I…
Read More
#findyourmuse Supertired – Sunday This week on Find Your Muse we are bringing you Supertired’s new single Sunday. Ranging from various styles of emo, indie, and pop; Sunday offers many arrays of emotion in their most timid form. There is a certain emotional duality that comes with Supertired’s brand of laid back emo-pop and this…
Read More
This week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we present you with California one man power act Divine Era and his new video “Vanity of Vanities”. Divine Era offers us a dense slab of groove metal very akin to the likes of Pantera and Canadian metalcore act Threat Signal that will keep you rocking for days. The song…
Read More
It is no surprise that I have been seeing the band Ignition Point pop up more and more lately. With an energetic live show and a knack for metalcore tendencies, the band are sure to be a hit with the Pittsburgh metal scene as they grow. I’ve always considered these guys a sort of hidden…
Read More
Find Your Muse(ic): Video of the Week Losing September – “Rise of the Loser” Alternative metal heads and modern day pirates, Losing September, have recently dropped the video for their anthemic single “Rise of the Loser”. The title strikes a chord with the band, aptly sharing a name with their popular music festival held each…
Read More
As Descendants of Crom approaches not far off in the distance I can hear a rumble and see a fog descending. It’s a rumble that shakes the earth beneath my feet and has an unsettling vibe about it. It’s a dark fog that smells of whiskey and cheap cigarettes; thick and dense with a whole…
Read More
Music truly is an amazing thing. You can express the same emotion within the construct of various sounds and moods. You can take an expression and blow it out of the water to blistering heights and volumes or pull it back to a quiet whisper to the get the same point across. Singapore screamo/emoviolence act…
Read More
It’s amazing how an idea can be born out of nothing. It’s amazing how that idea can begin to grow and prosper given the right amount of work ethic and dedication. Often times when this happens, time evades us as we become busy with progression and losing sight of all we have accomplished along the…
Read More
Find Your MUSE(ic): The Fading Light – “I Will” Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania alternative rockers The Fading Light recently dropped a new video for their single “I Will” and boy is it a scorcher. The track tells the tale of a long distance relationship as it wears it’s heart on it’s sleeve throughout the heavily acoustic arrangement….
Read More
New doom/stoner punks Coma are an emerging entity in the Pittsburgh Doom Metal scene. Having released their debut Ep “Saturnalian” back in the yesteryear known as 2018, the band have been busy writing a new album and crushing stages across the tri-state area. With a punishing Ep like “Saturnalian“, its plain as day why Coma will…
Read More
Find Your Muse(ic): Video of the Week – Love The Hate “Could Have Known” **JUST RELEASED** Today on “Find Your Muse(ic)” we are excited to premiere the brand new music video for “Could Have Known” by hard rockers Love the Hate. Featuring superb vocals and instrumentals, the band rock hard with intense melodic sensibilities and…
Read More
Pittsburgh “Brown Note” architects, Aspirant, have been taking over the Pittsburgh hardcore scene as of late. You would be hard pressed to find a recent show flier that doesn’t have their logo plastered on it; with the release of their debut Ep “Defeatist”, I don’t see this trio of panic chord enthusiasts slowing down anytime…
Read More
Often times when the metal genre is mentioned, the state of Ohio comes to mind. Having a rich metal scene featuring bands like Mushroomhead, Affiance, and A Killer’s Confession to name a few; I have a funny suspicion it won’t be long before Cleveland’s Pillars will be amongst those ranks. The band just released their…
Read More
FIND YOUR MUSE(IC):Video of The Week – Turtle Race by Working Breed Mixing a variation of soul and progressive rock; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Working Breed are making their mark with lead single “Turtle Race” from their upcoming album “Hieroglyphica”. With captivating melodic movements and time changes akin to A Perfect Circle, Working Breed guide you on an…
Read More
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania art rock quintet Working Breed are about to unleash their debut album “Hieroglyphica”. With their diverse and eclectic sound, the band plans to hit the stage hard and heavy Saturday, August 24th in support of their blood, sweat, and tears. Let’s make this clear, upon a passing glance “Hieroglyphica” sounds and gleams like…
Read More
Texas has been a breeding ground for amazing talent (as it always has); and indie rock lads Black Hole Bears are no different. Having released their debut self titled EP earlier this year, the boys have put the pedal to the metal and hit the ground running. If you are looking for something rigid, experimental,…
Read More
Something dark and sinister comes this way from the plains of Cleveland, Ohio. Doom metal enthusiasts Frayle have recently dropped their new release “Dead Inside” and are taking the genre by storm with their brand of dense, ambient groove. I’ll say it and get it out of the way: while Frayle is more than competent…
Read More
Find Your Muse(ic)/#findyourmuse Skippy Ickum – “Almost Famous” Today on Find Your Muse we look back at ” Almost Famous” by the infamous king of horrorcore, Skippy Ickum. Starting off with a somber hook, Ickum hypnotizes the listener before dragging them under with his barrage of technical bars and vulgar, yet introspective lyrics. Covering a…
Read More
“Beyond the Glow” by Greywalker is this weeks Find your MUSE(ic) video feature! In recent years Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Greywalker have started to become something of a household name amongst the ranks of it’s metal scene. The band’s new music video “Beyond the Glow” is a pretty damn good representation as to why the band’s popularity…
Read More
Something wicked comes this way from the deep south. Texas prog aficionados “Color Chemistry” are about to unleash their new album “A Light Above” and plan to hit hard from just about every angle with their take on synthy prog rock and metal. Where do I even begin to start with this…
Read More
Let’s face it, we live in a day and age where musically……..originality is hard to come by. That’s not saying bands don’t try to break the mold, but we live in a time where almost everything has been done and every genre has been mixed and matched to form a new sub genre. Every now…
Read More
Post hardcore aficionados “Secret Eyes” have recently dropped the video for their newest single “Never Gave A Damn” and boy is it a scorcher. With sounds echoing the halls of 00’s era post hardcore and emo flavored rock, your inner goth kid will be dancing with joy like it was the Myspace era all over…
Read More
This week on Find Your Muse(ic) we take a look at the song “Claudia” by Delaware’s seafaring beast Bastion’s Wake. Featuring chunky dropped tuned alt metal, enriched guitar melodies, and symphonic elements…it is a welcome change of pace in the world of metal we have today. What will catch the ear most about “Claudia” is…
Read More
North Carolina death metal/thrash titans Outliar are about to hit the road and make their way to our neck of the woods in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I was handed their album “Taste the Blood” at a show I was playing a couple weeks ago and asked to do a write up on it. While I was excited,…
Read More
In the past few years, the underground sludge and doom metal scene in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has begun to really thrive. A newer band has emerged recently, having dropped their sophomore album in the back half of 2018, and it is a welcome addition to the Pittsburgh scene. Today we take a look at “Cultivating Mass”…
Read More
Philadelphia nu-thrash/hard rock outfit Infinity have recently dropped their debut album “Awakening“. With a commanding presence and a knack for melody and blistering technicality, the band are ready to hit the road and not look back with their brand of aggro-thrash. While “Awakening” doesn’t rewrite the handbook on old school thrash in any way, shape,…
Read More
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania doom dwellers “Salt the Snail ” have just released a trippy new video for their single “Nightcrawlers“. Featuring a single riff that elevates and cascades throughout the track, the title is more than fitting for the composition the band have comprised. With haunting vocals that wouldn’t be out of place on a Radiohead…
Read More
Ever have an angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other? Ever wonder what it would be like if they actually worked together instead of whispering conflicting narratives in your ear? My friends I’m here to tell you that unison would sound like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania based trio Dematus‘ Ep “Ghost Carnivale”. Dematus has…
Read More
Pittsburgh experimental juggernauts Prime 8 have emerged with a brand new Ep aptly titled “Metamorphosis“. Having recently signed to Brutal Business Entertainment, the band are hitting the ground running with their fresh batch of auditory tomfoolery. “Metamorphosis” definitely doesn’t waste any time showing its experimental colors. Ranging from the trudging dirge of stoner metal to…
Read More
Pittsburgh seems to be entering a phase of new talent emerging on the scene. Enter newcomers 30 Days of Pain. Featuring veterans of the Pittsburgh circuit over the last decade or so, the band are ready to throw their hand in the mix and take to the stage for their debut appearance at Yinzfest on…
Read More
Today’s show review from the First Angel camp is going to be a little different. Today you get a bird’s eye view of a performer and a fan. A menacing fly that was hopping wall to wall if you will. The crazy part about this review is that I almost didn’t have a show to…
Read More
Catharsis is an amazing thing as it comes in all shapes, sounds, and sizes. Sometimes the process leads to an angelic beauty of release while other times turning into a violent purging of sorts. Illinois based one man experimental cyber-grind outfit Fetish Hotel opts to put both in a blender all the while laughing maniacally…
Read More
Feast on the Fallen – “Boneyard” This week’s Find Your Muse(ic) we are rocking “Boneyard” by Steel City’s Feast on the Fallen. “Boneyard” comes in like a 10 ton hammer and sledges away for its 4 minute duration, waking up the dead in the process. Metallic hardcore laced with it’s murky death metal vibe pulses…
Read More
Feel like a dose of nostalgia sprinkled with a refreshing take on your rock n’ roll? Look no further than Canadian rock trio Danko Jones‘ new album “A Rock Supreme“. It’s easy to tell Danko Jones has been around the block for a minute (since ’96 to be exact). With a tight, punk infused sound…
Read More
Seven – Vision/Down Progressive/Alt Metal Atlanta, GA This week’s Find Your Muse(ic) features prog-rocker Seven and his new single Vision/Down. Seven offers us a familiar yet refreshing take on some prog tinged alt metal and a glimpse of what’s to come off of his upcoming album. If you dig the grooves of metallic prog like Sydonia,…
Read More
In the mood to get some angst out with some croon and swoon? Libson, Ohio alternative rockers Three Vultures may just be the fix you’re looking for. They have recently dropped their new album Rebirth and they are aiming for the heartstrings and jugular. Rebirth rocks likes the best parts of 2003. Bearing a heavy post grunge/nu…
Read More
Pittsburgh alt metal guitarist Andy Oddo has been a rather busy man in recent years. His current project (Victoria Fire) have released a promising demo as they gear up to hit the stage. Today we are going to look at something different from Mr. Oddo though…..a little gem he released in the back half of…
Read More
Turn off your radio and forget what you know about the mainstream. Follow me down into depths the of the underground, a place where many fair weather listeners not dare to tread. Today we take a preview at the infamous Demo Demon’s brand new album “Blackout-Chapter 3“. The album “Blackout” is a purging of sorts,…
Read More
Like your metal with a touch of ambience and proggy djent? Maybe some mentally deranged and psychotic vocals served on the side? New Chicago based outfit “Psithurism” have just released their debut EP and it might just be the flavor your looking for……. The guys waste little to no time getting down to what they…
Read More
Sometimes you come across an album so dense it takes you and pushes you out in front of the proverbial bus. Sometimes you find an album so heavy and caustic you can’t help but wonder how someone could create something that dark. Well ladies and gentlemen, Alberta’s grind mathematicians Spurn have delivered just that album…
Read More
Sometimes in order to find the beauty in something you need to strip away the glitz and glam and break it down to bare bones. When doing this you find all the imperfections and the true face value of something for what it really is. Mckeesport rockabilly grunge act Garage Space offer us just that…
Read More
With a lot of buzz and hustle, Pittsburgh alt metal act Reign of Z are gearing up for the release of their debut Ep “Mirrors and Memoirs”. Having a sold out show ready for their release and a busy schedule, it’s pretty easy to say these guys are ready to hit the ground running. I’ll…
Read More
Discontent with the world around you? Feel like opening up a can of whoop ass? Well good news, Pittsburgh metal act Conflict Cycle have just the soundtrack for your pent up aggression. The kings of groove are back and have recently dropped their sophomore album Dark Days Ahead. Mixing southern metal riffs and metalcore (think…
Read More
Coming from across the pond in Germany, Caynug has recently dropped a mammoth of an album titled “Mental Junkyard”. With amazing production and stellar songwriting spanning across multiple genres, “Mental Junkyard” is another notch in the belt of an already excellent catalog for Caynug. “Mental Junkyard” plays out like a soundtrack in the mind of…
Read More
Feast on the Fallen Metal No Saviors Pittsburgh Zombie-core act Feast on the Fallen/ are back at it again with their new Ep “No Saviors”. With better production and matured songwriting, Feast have come back to stomp and pillage all within their path. With an intro track and 3 news songs, Feast on the Fallen…
Read More
Victoria Fire Alternative Hard Rock New kids on the block Victoria Fire have come out of the gate swinging with a fresh new demo. While being only a two track demo, these guys more than prove that they will be a force amongst the Pittsburgh scene once they get their bearings. Victoria Fire presents us with…
Read More
Something sludgy comes this way from Kingston, New York. Stoner rock giants Geezer have dropped their newest Ep “Spiral Fires” to infect the masses with their brand of cosmic doom. So grab your closest pair of headphones, turn off the lights, and immerse yourself in the sonic journey that awaits you. “Spiral Fires” is an…
Read More
Vetis The Invitation From the woods of West Virginia, horror metal juggernauts Vetis have emerged to haunt your dreams with their newest sonic assault “The Invitation”. This album is a must have for any metal fan, playing out like a walk in the woods at night with that suspicious feeling something or someone is watching…
Read More
From the other side of the tracks in Scranton, Pennsylvania comes Traverse the Abyss with a brand new self titled EP. “Traverse the Abyss” is a fun, brutal Ep to rock out to. The band shows they have plenty of tricks up their sleeves in melding various sub genres of metal on this release. From…
Read More
This has been an album long time coming and I’m stoked to finally get my hands on it. Everrett, Pennsylvania’s Paradigm have finally dropped the follow up to their 2014 self titled album. The album “Monolith” plays like an album crafted in the twisted distorted mind of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. With a very…
Read More
Hailing from the 814, Erie Pennsylvania’s Human Delusion have just unleashed a leviathan of an album aptly titled “Depravity“. From the moment I hit play on the album’s intro track “Sentenced”, I knew I was gonna be in for a wild ride. Pennsylvania’s metal scene has been a breeding ground for amazing metal as of lately…
Read More