Q & A

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? (GG) Thanks for having me. Our latest single, a re-imagining of 90’s anthem “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette, just dropped on 2/8 on all streaming platforms. We are also on the Madness and Mayhem Tout with Mushroomhead, Hellzapoppin and Ventana from 2/15 thru 3/17. XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? (GG) This current iteration of Worldwide Panic has been together since 2016, I joined in 2017, and our lead guitarist, George Patmas, joined in 2018. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? (GG)I started getting into music as a teenager, in the heyday of the nü-metal movement. I had a few friends that played guitar and I thought it was the coolest thing so I dropped hints to my parents that...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Adz: Our latest release is a brand new LP called Race Against The Sun: Part One. It was released on February the 1st, through Pavement Entertainment. This record is our most diverse and colourful record so far.   XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Adz: The current line up has been together since 2014. We became Dethonator in 2009, and there was a fair bit of cutting teeth and honing craft before that under different names as well.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Adz: When much younger, I discovered Iron Maiden by accident, on the soundtrack to a computer game. After early years of playing classical and listening to popular music it was like a piece of...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Grass: First of all thanks so much for XS Rock for giving us the opportunity to do this. We have the physical CD release of our debut Fresh Grass EP coming out on February 23rd which we’re all excited about. It was released last October on digital and streaming but we wanted to give it a proper hard copy release. We’re also currently writing some new music for a full length that we hope to record this upcoming spring or summer. We’re all really happy with the new music we’re writing as well which is awesome. As far as shows go we have one up in Boston on February 22nd with some good friends of ours, a band called Heavy Hands and they’re great. This will be our first show outside of...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements?   May Undead: Hello XS Rock, it's a pleasure to be here bringing good news! Our Highlight for 2019 are our appearance in Rock in Rio , the biggest music and entertainment event in the world . Chuck Billy, Testament vocalist, will be our special guest in a Jaming with us and Claustrofobia., on the same date, the World Stage will have Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Megadeth and Sepultura. also invite all headbangers to come with us to this important Latin American music festivals : In June 16 we arrive to Honduras for BACKLINE FEST  we represent Brazil besides 19  bands from countries like Spain, Argentina, Honduras and more in 2 days Of pure metal. November 30 we return to cental america  for MEXICO METAL FEST, for this eddition the festival have a extreme and exclusive line-up, we will share the...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Jay: We released our debut album, “This Side Of Hell” via Pavement. The first video, “Down In The Dirt” is out on Youtube and that single is getting picked up by lots of radio stations . We have just announced an Australian tour and will be announcing tours for Europe and the U.K soon and looking at US dates so a lot going on! D.A: The next few months are gonna be massive for us. We've got This Side Of  Hell out on the 25th of Jan, Our album launch on the 2nd of Feb at the Woolly Mammoth In Brisbane, kicking off our Aus/NZ tour, our super secret project later in May, and we're working on 2 international tours. And that's not even including my day job as a stripper. I'm...

USURPER have recorded 5 full length albums, 1 mini album, 1 rarities CD and toured 17 different countries around the world. USURPER'S blend of 80's inspired thrash metal, classic heavy metal anthems, over-the-top chaos and hints of dark, melodic atmosphere have been a trademark of the band since day one. USURPER doesn't preach any political/religious ideologies, or sing about any socially relevant topics. Topics such as: werewolves, monster folklore, alien invasions, ancient civilizations, ancient battles, cryptozoological creatures, hauntings, prophecies, time travel, and the paranormal in addition to their trademark 'Metal Anthems' are the essence of Usurper's words, which when combined with the music, and artwork create a strange fantasy world of dark heavy metal horror.   XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? DT: The new Usurper album, Lords Of The Permafrost, will be coming out in March on...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Rev: I have a new album called "Bakwash" that was just just released in November 2018. It is my first solo album. It features myself (Rev Jones) on Vocals & Bass, Jim Dofka (Dofka, Leather Leone) on guitar, and Jeff Martin (Badlands, MSG, Racer X) on drums. This album is full of heavy rock songs with catchy riffs, intense vocals, pounding drums, and lots of Insane over the top bass & guitar soloing.  I'm very pleased with it, and I think everyone that is into music from Rock to Metal should give it a listen, there's a something for pretty much everyone on this album. You can stream my new album at https://revjones.hearnow.com You can purchase the album at one of these: Available on CD (USA and CAN) = http://revjones.bigcartel.com/ Digital Download (world wide) = https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bakwash/1438599660...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Mike: We had a EP, "Misanthropic Sedition”, come out 12/15/2018 and our LP, “Thanatophobia”, will be out 2/1/2019.     XS ROCK: How long has the band been together?  Mike: 9 years total. 8 years as myself and 1 year with Anthony.     XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Mike: For it to be an outlet for a lot of negative energy in me.     XS ROCK: What is your music background?  Mike: None, self-taught.     XS ROCK: What image do you think your music conveys?  Mike: Death and Misanthropy     XS ROCK: What are your immediate music career goals? (Next 1 to 3 years.)  Mike: Plays some shows and write more material when inspiration strikes.     XS ROCK: What are...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Brandon: We have a new album, our first full length, coming out February 1st, 2019. This album is three years in the making and features our best material yet. The meaning behind Unbreakable is about struggling and getting kicked to the ground, finding the will to get up and fight, and learning from those experiences. The first single (and title track) is already on all streaming services and stores, and the official video is on our Youtube channel.   https://youtu.be/ih3P7W9rV3o   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Brandon: Coming up on 7 years.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Brandon: To be able to create. To share ideas, open minds, and leave a positive legacy on this planet.   XS...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Dominick: Our album, Post Dystopian Leisure Music, will be released in February. After that we plan on making videos and touring behind it.     XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Dominick: Well the original lineup was formed in 2011. The current lineup has been together since 2016.     XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Dominick: Honestly to play songs no one else will play. We started as a cover band doing 90s music. Everyone else in Vegas was playing 80s hair metal and we were bored with it. For me, I wanted a way to express myself. I have a lot of nervous energy and it seemed like the best way to let it out. Troy: I would jam with friends when I was a...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Danny: We had a line-up change late 2018 and with the addition of Nikki it’s gonna help us proceed and advance in many new things, material and touring wise. As for shows, we’re currently in talks for some cool tours around Europe and maybe also the states again. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Danny: Align the Tide has been around since late 2015, me being the founder was a bit of a pain in the ass to find the perfect band members for you to be safe to call family. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Danny: I’ve always wanted to be in a band just to follow my dad’s footsteps, so yeah considering Kyle & I have...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Madame Mayhem: Just released my new single “Broken”. I co-wrote the song with Keith Wallen (Breaking Benjamin). Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) and Ray Luzier (KoRn) are playing on the track as well. I am really excited about it and hope everyone has a chance to take a listen to it!  It was also just announced that we are playing ROCK USA festival on July 19, 2019.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Madame Mayhem: I have been doing this for a while now.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Madame Mayhem: It’s what I’ve always wanted to do.   XS ROCK: Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience? Madame Mayhem: I love...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Petey: We are getting closer to finishing up the mixing process of our new album entitled, Humanatti with Josh Johnson at Great Interstellar Studios. We just acquired a new member on guitar, Cameron Murrell, and we are excited to have him in the band, he has helped with this new album and will be on it too. We just released our newest music video for our single, Nuclear Hollywood. It was shot, produced, and directed by Todd Jenkins, which you can find him on the MacGyver TV show. Todd Jenkins also wrote, produced, acted, and directed in the movie Cherokee Creek (found on most digital video outlets) which features two of our songs, Sick Smile and of course Nuclear Hollywood.     XS ROCK: Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Petey: We just released our newest music video...

Born from the desire to make an indelible mark on the world of rock and metal, O.D.D. was formed in 2013. Their collective desire to write heavy groove oriented songs combined with a melodic vocal layer is one thing that sets this crew apart from the hordes of others trying (but failing) to make a mark. Based out of Atlanta, GA, O.D.D. is a no frills, in your face act providing an arena-like experience to audiences everywhere. Compared by music critics to Kings-X, vintage Metallica, and early Motley Crue, this band reigns true to the 80’s fun and energy mixed with today’s heavy modern standards in a sound that will have audiences out of their seats with fists in the air! With their last EP, “The Disorder,” reaching #228 on the North American College & Community Radio Char and impressively having licensed their music by The Discovery Network, MTV, and...

  XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Brandon: Well 2018 was a big year for us in that we finally finished and released our self-titled debut album. It was completely DIY and took a considerable amount of work, but we persevered and got it out! On the heels of this release we are continuing the search for a full-time vocalist to perform live locally and beyond. The only project on the horizon would be our second full length album which we are aiming for a late 2019 or early 2020 release.  Eric: The biggest news of late is the release of our self-titled debut album, available on all digital platforms, and on CD Digipak. More recently we have been adding to our line-up in preparation for live shows. We also plan on beginning recording for our next album early in 2019....

XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Matt Limberg: Jake and I have been playing as The Native Howl since 2013, and Josh and I have been playing together as Clean as Dirt since 2008. Alex: Josh and I also played with Chandler’s classic metal band Ancient Chaos multiple times in high school, so there’s plenty of musical history between us all. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? The Native Howl: To use our music to bring happiness and relief to our listeners. XS ROCK: Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience? Josh: It changes, day to day, honestly… writing new music brings emotional renewal, while playing live seems to bring spiritual renewal. XS ROCK: Do you have any outrageous tour stories from the road? If so, please fill us in. Matt:...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Jim: 2018 was a big year for us. We've been working on a ton of new material and tracked our new record live at Earth Analog in Tolono, IL back in March. Since then we've put out a 7" split via Failure Records and Tapes and also re-released our EP Wabash War Machine which has been sold out.  Pre-orders are now available for the full length via Failure Records and Tapes (https://failurerecordstapes.bigcartel.com/) and CDs have started shipping. Digital copies will be available on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, ect December 25th and the vinyl starts shipping January 25th. We've got a ton of shows planned for 2019 and have already confirmed Peru, IN / Indianapolis, IN / Tolono, IL / Bloomington, IL / Louisville, KY / and Saint Louis, MO   XS ROCK:...

  XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Trout: We’re playing a pretty big local show here in Detroit with Chapstik in December 28th. They’ve been around for quite sometime but they also haven’t been together for years so this is a reunion show for them.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Trout: Our two year anniversary was a week ago on December 3rd.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Trout:It’s something I feel like we all have to do. Simply the best medicine for anything.   XS ROCK: Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience? Trout: It really depends on where we are as a band. We’ve been slacking on the writing aspect lately but that’s okay...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Darren: We are about to release our first single and video. We’re playing Trees Saturday December 22d and Rocklahoma in the spring of 2019.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Jason: We have been together for about one year now but we’ve all known each other and been fans of each other prior to staring this band.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Jared: Our motivation was seeing live bands and wanting to go out and perform.   XS ROCK: Which do you prefer? Writing new songs and recording or playing for a live audience? Matthew: We try love both because they’re both totally necessary to do be a musician in a band. The studio is kind of like...

  XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Reid: Right now, as far as Knightmare goes, we're hard at work on our fourth full length album, which we will announce the name at a later time. We're currently in the studio and have about 3 songs tracked for it and are expecting to release a single in the month or so, so be on the lookout! We're very excited about it and can't wait for everyone to hear it   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Reid: has been together about ten years. Anthony (bass player/lead singer), Jared (guitar) and myself formed it back in 2009 when we were fresh out of high school. I hadn't even graduated at the time we started jamming   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Angel:  We have been asked this quite a bit recently and I'm happy people are taking great interest in us. Right now we are not planning any live shows for the remainder of the year, the reason being is because we are still doing some behind the scenes work, we are gearing up with equipment as well as prepping for our very first music video for which we Extremely Excited to finally do. Plus we are also working on right now our next Album which will be Full Length, which we are also very excited about. Also, we are expanding our Merch Lineup with brand new awesome stuff. There is much more but it would take too much time to go into. We are very ambitious performers, we strive to give the...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? A.C. Hall: New LP titled 1000 Miles of Mud, slated to be released December 14, 2018 on Corpseflower Records.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? A.C. Hall: Six years, but I officially joined in February of 2013.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? A.C. Hall: I was always a drummer but after having a conversation with John about potentially putting together a Captain Beefheart tribute band to play a Halloween show, for which I wanted to sing, he asked if I would want to try doing vocals in his new group instead, so I did. I had no real experience, but I figured it out, wrote some lyrics, and after a few trial practices, they asked me to join...

The Distinguished Order Of Disobedience (The DOOD) are a stand out in the Florida metal Scene. The band has been steadily attracting fans over the last few years and have just released a new album. I had the opportunity to do a Q & A interview with Brian and discuss all things metal. XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements?   BRIAN: We just released a new album- BUTTERCUP!!! at the end of October, very excited about it, right now we are working on a few videos from some of the cuts, and planning on starting a tour in the spring.  Looking forward to possibly extending our tour from the U.S. to some dates in Europe over the summer.   XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? BRIAN: The Distinguished Order Of Disobedience (The D.O.O.D.) has...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Grayson: I just released a new EP called EARTHSHIP! It’s quite the departure from my previous material, but the fans seem to be loving it. I’m grateful to be able to make whatever kind of music I want whenever I want. I’m also working on a regional Colorado tour and a Midwestern tour with a band called The Airway in May.   XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together or have you been writing and performing? Grayson: As of November 2018, I’ve been writing and performing for 15 years. I’ve almost been playing guitar for 20, singing for 8, and lyric writing for 15.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Grayson: I honestly just couldn’t escape the pull to...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? DK- Hail XS Rock crew!! Thanx for the killer support, but damn... 23 questions?!! I hope you have enough memory in your computer to store my answers or cut down a big enough tree for all the paper you will need! If nobody has heard yet, we have a new album getting released November 30, 2018 through Metal Age Productions (Slovakia). As well as the back catalog on re issue through same label, all with vinyl and new sick cover art. Go to these links for all information on those and check them out https://metalageproductions.bandcamp.com/ http://www.metalage.sk/ We are planning a European Perversion Tour May 10-26, 2019 with Sacrificial Slaughter (US), Devine Defilement (Iceland) and Bastard Asylum (US) with a couple confirmed fests... Nice To Eat You Death Fest (Cz) and Rock The Hell Fest...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements?  We have a new album titled "Revelations" coming out on 11/16/18. It will be available everywhere including Spotify, Itunes, Google Music, and Amazon. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together?  The bands have been together for about 3 years now. XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band?  We are all lifelong musicians and wanted to start a project where we could really be ourselves and write the music we wanted to hear. Our main goal has always been to have fun with it and not to let it become a job, per se. XS ROCK: What is your music background?  We all have different backgrounds. Some of us are self-taught and others professionally trained. We all had that moment at a...

How long has the band been together? Joe: Martyr Art has existed (in some shape or form) since 2004. Tell me about the latest band news. Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Joe: My new album ‘FearFaith Machines’ will see it’s worldwide release on November 22nd, 2019 (in physical and digital formats). Working on some really cool non-Martyr Art projects as well, but it’s a little too soon to officially announce anything at this time. What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Joe: Metallica. As a kid, I use to pour over all the Metallica magazines ('91-92' era). They were so cool, bad ass and I loved their music. I eventually rented the dual VHS copy of 'Metallica: A Year and a Half in the Life of...' and was blown away by everything. It was really my first true behind-the-scenes exposure to...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Vulturic Eye: We are releasing our 2nd EP ‘Crucifixion of Hope’ this month. It is a statement of nihilistic intensity. Despite the utter futility of any of our endeavors (or anyone else’s for that matter), it remains a beacon of twisted light amidst the morass of insipid, uninspired dross that calls itself music.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Vulturic Eye: The band is new but the motivation to create is longstanding. This is just another withered branch on our complex and multi-layered musical tree. Despite its inherent futility, creating our own sounds is an itch that we cannot stop scratching.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Vulturic Eye: We have played music from the cradle, it is innate and...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements?  Nicklas Jasson: Right now we’re writing and arrange songs for our forthcoming full-length album that we’ll start recording at the beginning of 2019.    XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together?  NJ: Since early 2017.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band?  NJ:  From the start, we just hooked up to jam but we noticed very quickly that we all drew our influences from the same kind of music and from there we shaped the band.    XS ROCK: What is your music background?  NJ: I and drummer Nicklas Dahlgren have played with each other in different bands for 15years, Singer/Bassist Markus Åsland played in other great bands before we started this band!    XS ROCK: What image do you...

Chicago based Metal Band BEDLEM, founded by ex TRIVIUM touring powerhouse PAUL WANDTKE,  has released their first single, "Epidemic," off of their upcoming debut LP BACK TO BEDLEM. Bedlem is a bombastic display of groove via Joey Brassal's catchy guitar style and Paul Wandtke's monstrous drum kit abilities complimented by Brian Ahern's bass lines. Their melodic hooks are stringed in with poetic lyric content via vocalist Mike Petrasek's lyrical vision. There's no doubt that this quartet from Chicago, IL is the next up and coming act from the Windy City.   XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Mike: We just finished our debut album, titled “Back To Bedlem”. It will be released October 31st.  We have an album release show November 16th in Braidwood at Top Fuel Saloon.  The focus has been the album, and now that that’s finished, we...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Brigitte: We have a big show coming up on November 15th at the Viper Room here in Los Angeles! You can get tickets for it on our website, abolethband.net. We’re also working on some new videos, planning the next tour, and we just started writing for our next release!   XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Brigitte: The current lineup formed in 2018, but I started the band in 2016 with a few past members. https://youtu.be/TCaLpVEuLFE XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Brigitte: We’ve all been playing since we were kids, and we’re all obsessed with music to the point where we can’t imagine doing anything else. So here we are!   XS ROCK: What image do you think...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Katie: On November 7th we're releasing the Blues Americana album "Take it With You" XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Katie: Only about a year, as I (Katie Knipp) have been a solo act for the better part of 20 years.  I have had the pleasure of working with different musicians in different areas of California on specific projects and we remain great friends.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Katie: To sing my high end off, write songs, and make people feel stuff   XS ROCK: What is your music background? Katie: I am a closet opera singer!  No joke.  I use it as sort of a vocal workout to sing my main style, which is blues/jazz/rock. ...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements?  Jonathan Habermacher “The new music video that we just released, “Stuck on Repeat”, is the last release of the three different songs released this year. Our next big show is one that we threw together ourselves to raise money for the Arizona Humane Society and is our 3rd year in a row to donate to them. The show is on November, 10th and is over at Pub Rock Live.” Kody Rattler “We’ve released three new singles in the last few months, check those out on our YouTube! As for the next show, we’re hosting a benefit show for the AZ Humane Society. Tickets are $10 each and all proceeds will be donated to the shelter. This is our third year raising money for AHS and we’re hitting it harder than ever!  ...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Nick: Hey, thanks for taking an interest in us. Regarding upcoming news, we have a two song EP entitled "Ex Nihilo" being released on our Totenhaus Recordings label on December 7th, 2018. Soon after, we will begin pre-production on our third full length album. We have a few shows in LA coming up in (October 19 and December 2) so, if anyone's interested, they can check out facebook.com/deathkingsmusic for details.     XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Nick: We formed in the second half of 2011, so roughly seven years.     XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Nick: For starting this band, I was looking to find a new way to express the thoughts and ideas swirling in my...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Ryan:  We just played our last show for a while with Unleash The Archers and Striker.  It was an amazing show for us to be a part of as we have been following UTA for a few years now.  For the next few months we are focusing like a laser on the next album.  The studio session is booked for the end of November so now it’s a matter of going over and perfecting every facet of the new material.  In the meantime, we are reissuing our first album to include a couple live tracks recorded at a gig in our hometown of Sioux Falls as a thank you to our fans who have been so awesome to us these last few years.     XS ROCK: How long has the band...

Often when we do a Q & A interview, it's with a single member of the band, but recently we caught up with Tantric and the entire band answered our questions collectively. Tantric just released their 7th studio album Mercury Retrograde and are out on tour supporting this great album.   XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Tantric just released “Mercury Retrograde” (Oct 5 on all digital mediums, Walmart, FYE and Meijer store outlets on Pavement Entertainment). We are launching a new tour 10/10 thru 11/18 with Wayland, Talia and Paralandra. This is the Official “Mercury Retrograde” Tour with a release party 10/20 in Bradley IL at the Looney Bin.   XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Tantric has been around since the late 90’s. After Days of the New dissolved, those 3 guys...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Chris: Well, Crawling for Carrion is a brand new project. Rake and Roads is the first release under that name and comes out 9th November. Its 2 cover songs - Rake by Townes Van Zandt and Roads by Portishead, both done in a heavier sludgy style. I have plans to do more similar releases in the future but the next thing I'm working on after this is an ambient album which I'm halfway through writing. XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Chris: Its not a band in the traditional sense but I started working on the arrangement for Rake sometime last year and Roads earlier this year. I asked various friends I'd met from bands over the years to help out with vocals, drums etc. The songs came together...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Darin: Yes there is lots happening even though we are just getting Greyhawk off the ground!   We have our debut EP called RIDE OUT that is about to be released on October 18th, as well as sharing the stage with the legendary GRIM REAPER here in Seattle on that exact same day!  Pretty great way t o celebrate a release if you ask me.  We are also booking shows right into the new year in Canada, Oregon and various other places, so come see us when we are in your neighborhood.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Darin: Well myself (Darin) and Jesse got together and decided to write songs together in late 2016, but the band lineup as it is now has only been together for about...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Steven Parent: We just released a new single entitled Retrograde, and it features Matt Good of the band From First to Last on vocals for a guest appearance. He also recorded, produced, mixed, and mastered the tune. We've got several other tunes we recorded with him that we're looking forward to releasing soon. XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together?  Kegan DeBacker: We have been a band for about 4 years now. We originally formed under the name Cordelia and spent all that time cultivating our sound and playing shows. Our original drummer, Austin Drolet left the band after about 2 years due to personal reasons, and Steven Parent has been writing drums ever since. With the exception of Austin, we have all stayed in the band since its...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Our New album “Crashing Down” just released October 12th.   It is released through Pavement Since Halloween 2014, Todd and I, Eric Sheffield joined 2015, Lance Debord Joined Entertainment and Sony records. We also have a video out “Millennial” on YouTube, another completed to release near January, and working on more. We will be touring Early next year, announcement coming soon.  -Jarrod Evans     XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? 2017, and Scott “Scooter” Moore 2018. Note that we all had played in other bands previously Todd Lance and Scott together previously in a few bands. When Lance joined us, in 2017 that’s when we really started as a band in the same direction -Jarrod Evans       XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Stephen: Our latest band news is that we have a record coming out on Vanishing Point. A really cool Japanese label - maybe the best label in Japan. We also have a record release party at Hank's Saloon in Brooklyn on October 27th! Everyone should try to come!   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Stephen: This incarnation of Swilson has been together about 2 years. But Swilson has been an entity in one form or another since 2011.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Stephen: The easy answer is the drugs, the sex, the financial independence. The more difficult answer is to satisfy an existential longing for some kind of relief from life's eternal questions.   XS ROCK: What...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Daniel: We have a few local-ish dates coming up and are working on booking more. The biggest news is the album release on December 7th, we’re gearing up for that and working out details to hopefully get some physical copies ready for then!   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Daniel: The band originally started during Christmas 2010/2011 (I didn’t join until August of 2011).   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being in a band? Daniel: We all knew each other from school and shared similar interest musically, so it was the natural thing to do really. Initially the band was conceived as basically a very stupid Anal Cunt rip-off with lots of short songs and dumb inside jokes. We still have the jokes...

An icon, a globetrotter, an innovator and an outstanding performer, Federico Ágreda Álvarez is a multi-talented award-winning keyboardist, DJ, composer, producer and remixer, best known for his Rock infused Electronic Dance Music one-man-DJ project Zardonic, seamlessly encompassing Glitch Hop, Breakbeat, Electro House, Dubstep, Drum & Bass and Hardcore Techno with shredding Metal guitars and commanding vocals. Check out my interview with him below:     XS ROCK: Hi Zardonic! What’s the latest news? We saw your new album “Become” is gaining a lot of traction! Zardonic: It’s been pretty interesting! I sure busted my ass to get that record done, but I struggled so much to finish it that I almost came to hate it when it was done and had zero expectations for it. To my surprise, it debuted at #1 on the iTunes Electronic charts in Russia (considering nobody buys music in Russia that is almost a miracle...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? We just recently released our new album, The Introspect, on September 15th. We played a quintuple CD release show with other locals including Apprentice and Truent. Vancouver Island natives Forever Frost and Liberatia joined us and it was an absolute banger! The feedback we’ve heard about the show and the album has been tremendous. We have things lined up for the rest of 2018, including playing with a huge influence of ours, Neck of the Woods, on November 24th at the Astoria. Looking into 2019, we are organizing some shows in Vancouver in January and looking towards Vancouver Island in February.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? This band has been around for a long time but has existed in a variety of different formats. Peter and Michael brought Technical...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Jon: The latest news for us is that our debut album is now available on CD and digital download. You can order either format through our Bandcamp page at  https://losttribesofthemoon1.bandcamp.com/releases   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Jon: I started writing the material for what became the 3 main songs on our debut album in late 2015. Once I had the songs ready for a band, it actually took a while to settle on a lineup that could function as a live band and also move forward in a progressive state. We finally hit the stage in Sept 2017 and have collected quite a few gigs in that time. The current lineup Is the strongest one yet.   XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for starting or being...

Sure, we all have our bumps in life, but NewClue has been through the trenches. As formed in the very late 80’s, (and after about 6 years) all disbursed and went their separate ways. Neil (the vocalist) almost died, when he slammed his motorcycle into a telephone pole back in 2000. With TBI, he had to learn to walk & talk (as well as sing) all over again. With the reformation of yesteryear’s "NoClue", the band rejoined into today’s "NewClue". The guys came back, full circle. Neil's heartwarming story, and his willingness to never give up on a dream, fueled the fire and sparked the embers for pure passion and the love for music.  "Here is the reason that he lived and what they have to give…" XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Neil: We are a “writing &...

XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Luke: For The Darkest Hearts it’s been a year with globally getting people familiar with the “Mississippi Devil” single and recently the “Mississippi Devil” lyric video was released and can be found on YouTube, Vevo and Vimeo. On the horizon, The Darkest Hearts is currently in the studio writing and recording a new record for next year.   XS ROCK: So how long has the band been together? Luke: The Darkest Hearts released their first single “Disappear” in 2014 it wasn’t until late 2015 when the full live band emerged.     XS ROCK: What was your main motivation for originally starting or being in a band? Luke: It seemed like one of the best ways to be creative, rebellious and have a voice with a chance to change the world.  ...

Massive Scar Era is a band that kicked off in 2005 from the scenic seaside city of Alexandria, Egypt. Cherine Amr was driven with the idea of forming a metal band out of her passion for playing guitar and singing since she was a teenager. Due to her Family’s restrictions, she was only allowed to play music with girls, so the only way for her to play music was to form an all-girls band. After a few false starts at maintaining a cohesive band, she found in the violinist Nancy Mounir her musical companion. They clicked straightaway even with their distinct musical backgrounds. Influenced by both metal, classical and Egyptian music; the band started to garner interest from audiences who were absorbed by the fusion of all those elements. MSE kept on exploring that unique mix of influences and rehearse a diverse and large number of songs. The curiosity of...

Three bright youths and a grizzled veteran have formed an elite team of reptilian metal maniacs in order to induce headbanging in no trifling amounts. That band is Children Of The Reptile....check out our interview with Ozzie Darden, vocalist and guitarist below: XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Ozzie: We just put out a full length record called “The End” which you can get at https://cotr.bandcamp.com/album/the-end. Got a few local gigs with some new friends, and beyond that, just working on new music for the next one.   XS ROCK: How long has the band been together? Ozzie: We really got started in 2010, with some peaks and valleys in terms of activity. Had to replace a drummer, and it took a long time to find the right guy, over a year. Right now we’re on a big...

Tommy Concrete is a name that resonates within the metal and punk scene, both within his native Scotland and further afield. His resume is eclectic, from his time in legendary punks The Exploited to fronting Man of the Hour, playing with Jackal-Headed Guard of the Dead, publishing a horror novel based on extreme metal tape trading, and his own diverse solo work. It is in this last bracket that we turn our attention to, as his fifth album Unrelaxed is just around the corner - with a potent narrative driving it. Unrelaxed will be released via Howling Invocations, on digital platforms, and a run of 100 limited edition numbered digipack   XS ROCK: Tell me about the latest band news? Any new projects coming out, live shows or announcements? Tommy: My latest album 'Unrelaxed' is due to be released through Howling Invocations on October 19th 2018. It is part one of a...