Ever seen a xylosynth player before? We didn’t until we saw Oni a few months back It was a strange thing to behold – a technical death metal band with a xylophone player that wasn’t exactly playing a xylophone took some getting used to. Earlier today, Metal Injection premiered a video playthrough of the band’s Johnny DeAngelis shredding “Barnburner” from the band’s forthcoming Ironshore album. It’s fascinating to watch him play, and it’s amazing how spot on he is. We’re just going to call him the best xylosynth player ever, mostly because we’ve never seen any other ones. You’ll have plenty of chances to see them as they’re currently on tour with Exmortus, will link up with Children of Bodom on their tour later this month, then will play some UK dates with Devil You Know. Check the tour dates after the video. Here’s what DeAngelis says about his unique instrument:
“Everyone is always asking me at our shows, ‘what the hell is a xylosynth?’, so I’m glad that our fans can finally see the instrument demonstrated clearly. It’s definitely built and played like a xylophone, but it’s essentially a traditional synthesizer which allows me to play with a wide range of sound options. Everything from solo/lead parts to more textured stuff, like when I’m riffing with the guitars. This ‘Barn Burner’ video is a really good example of what I bring to the table in Oni.”
Nov. 17 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Thunder Alley
Nov. 18 – Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room
Nov. 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
Nov. 20 – Indianapolis, IN @ 5th Quarter
Nov. 21 – Westland, MI @ The Token Lounge
Oni “I Worship Chaos Tour” dates
w/ Children Of Bodom, Abbath & Exmortus
Nov. 23 – Quebec City, QC @ L’Imperial Bell
Nov. 24 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
Nov. 25 – Toronto, ON @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
Nov. 26 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
Nov. 28 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Nov. 29 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave – Eagles Ballroom
Nov. 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights
Dec. 2 – Denver, CO @ The Summit Music Hall
Dec. 3 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
Dec. 5 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
Dec. 6 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Dec. 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Pressroom
Dec. 9 – Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live!
Dec. 10 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theater
Dec. 11 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Dec. 13 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Heaven)
Dec. 14 – Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
Dec. 16 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
Dec. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
Dec. 18 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Dec. 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ Warsaw
Oni tour dates
w/ Devil You Know
Jan. 10 – Milton Keynes, UK – Crauford Arms
Jan. 11 – Norwich, UK – Waterfront Studio
Jan 12 – York, UK – Fibbers
Jan. 13 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute 2
Jan. 14 – Manchester, UK – Sound Control
Jan. 15 – Chester, UK – The Live Rooms
Jan. 17 – Glasgow, Scotland – G2
Jan. 18 – Newcastle, UK – The Cluny
Jan. 19 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
Jan. 20 – Sheffield, UK – Corporation
Jan. 22 – London, UK – Underworld
Jan. 23 – Swansea, Wales – The Scene
Jan. 24 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
Jan. 25 – Southampton, UK – Engine Rooms
