With the Mayhem Fest well underway, we’re taking the opportunity to focus on a couple of younger bands that are making big waves as part of this year’s incarnation of the summer tour. With a list mostly populated by underground artists, this is a good chance for you to become acquainted with some young talent that may soon be all over the radar. If you haven’t already seen these artists on Mayhem, then check out these albums and see how you like them!
Battlecross, War of Will (Metal Blade)
Battlecross are from the Detroit area of Michigan, and like many younger metal bands from smaller metropolitan areas, Battlecross has adopted the modern American style of melodic death metal, blended together with technical elements and a thrash influence interwoven throughout. Battlecross was signed to Metal Blade in 2011, and soon after, they released Pursuit of Honor. The strength of that album got them signed onto the Trespass America Festival Tour last year, as well as the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Cruise that was eventually cancelled. They started off 2013 even stronger, opening for In Flames’ “Another Year, Another Tour” run and playing the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, before being asked to join Metallica’s Orion Music + More Festival. Somehow, in the midst of all that touring, Battlecross found time to record War of Will, with session help from ex-The Black Dahlia Murder drummer Shannon Lucas. Their current touring dummer is no less impressive, as the band signed on Six Feet Under skinsman Kevin Talley for all of their touring since NEMHF.
Butcher Babies, Goliath (Century Media)
The main claim that Butcher Babies has for fame is that lead singers Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey are former Playboy models. They’re also known for playing almost completely nude, which certainly attracts plenty of male attention during live shows. However, the thing that got Butcher Babies noticed in the first place was a YouTube video of their cover of Pantera’s classic “Fucking Hostile”, which is a difficult track to play for even the most talented metal musicians due to its speed and rhythm changes. So anyone claiming that the band doesn’t have talent is not aware of just what they can do. With a contemporary thrash style that exudes plenty of influence from the genre’s originators, Butcher Babies may just mark the beginning of a new chapter in the West Coast thrash saga.
Also being released this week:
Sirenia, Perils of the Deep Blue (Nuclear Blast)
Flyleaf, Who We Are (A&M/Octone)
Like Moths to Flames, An Eye for an Eye (Rise)
Letlive, The Blackest Beautiful (Epitaph)
Coffins, The Fleshland (Relapse)
The Burial, In the Taking of Flesh (Facedown)
Soul Embraced, Mythos (Rottweiler)
Girl on Fire, Not Broken (Century Media)
Lord Dying, Summon the Faithless (Relapse)
My Heart to Fear, Algorithm (Solid State)
Speaking the King’s, Here to Stay (Nuclear Blast)
Monsters Scare You, Die a Legend (Century Media)
Unkind, Pelon Juuret (Relapse)
Erimha, Reign Through Immortality (Victory)
Marauder, Elegy of Blood (Pitch Black)
Wilson, Full Blast Fuckery (Easy Killer)
Pest, The Crowning Horror (Agonia)
Arrayan Path, IV: Stigmata (Pitch Black)
Nitrovolt, Panzer (Mausoleum)
Next Week: We get treated to yet another new project from the mind of Phil Anselmo, among other exciting new releases. Come on back and check it all out!
