With its new disc Salazar Brothers, local band Rising Conviction takes a step toward being in Ozzfest someday. The band has been creating a straightforward hard rock sound since 2000, although this latest release has more of a jam-session feel, with lengthy tracks, smooth transitions, and short interludes that are…
Pouyan Afkary is oblivious to how successful he is. He’s a 19-year-old kid who graduated from Highland High School in Gilbert two years ago and immediately left for a life on the road with five of his classmates — the other members of emo-rock band Scary Kids Scaring Kids. After…
Bane frontman Aaron Bedard can wear a purple sweater with an appliqué teddy bear onstage and the tattooed folks in the crowd won’t say a word. Bane just has that kind of rep. This Boston hardcore band, started in 1995 as a side project for Converge guitarist Aaron Dalbec and…
6/23-6/26The Bible rocks, dude. (Surely all that thumping has got to create a wicked beat . . .) And if you’re watching a performance of the long-running musical Godspell, then you know that the Bible really can rawk, man. Moon Valley Productions raises the roof on Thursday, June 23, at…
The essential hardcore sound makes us think of living in New Jersey — kind of like the shirt that says, “New Jersey: Only the strong survive.” But guess what? West Coasters are strong as well. Just ask Seattle’s Champion. Signed to the frequently impressive Bridge Nine Records (Death Before Dishonor,…
As I Lay Dying was the first hardcore band signed to Metal Blade Records. And with Shadows Are Security, its sophomore effort, the quintet has amped up the metal, utilizing a more classic thrash sound. As I Lay Dying also maintains its metalcore foundation, but unlike others in the genre,…
Ever wish New Wave had survived in the mainstream? As long as you were in it for the synth and not the Day-Glo, The Epoxies may give you what you need. The female-fronted band offers an updated version of that early ’80s sound, infusing poppy synthesizer beats, catchy punk flavor,…
Attention, (guys in) Tight Pants Brigade! Behold Bullet Train to Vegas — your new leader. The Los Angeles-based band’s We Put Scissors Where Our Mouths Are is a creative and spastic art damage record with intense guitar work dominating 11 tracks. The variation of sharp and clean styles (from hardcore…
The lineup for Phoenix Fest is damn good, but there is something you must know. This is not the show to kick back at the bar with a beer. You will be lonely in the 21-and-over section. Tough hardcore band Embrace Today is leading new legions of straight-edge kids with…
There are always some old-school characters at local hardcore punk shows (think Northside Kings) telling the youngsters how it was back in the day, how much better the pits were in the prime years of Agnostic Front and Sick of It All. However, this is one show where those types…
Have you ever dreamed of being on stage singing with your favorite band? Sure you have. Pretty much everybody dances in their underwear, crooning into a hairbrush/spatula/spoon — whether they’d admit it or not. Some of the punk-rock elite decided it’d be hella fun to let fans live out their…
Death By Stereo is the punk rock band that metalheads dig, because it has an edge — aggressive guitar riffs, and hard and fast drumming that’s typical for hardcore punk bands such as A.F.I., and Shai Hulud. But while Death By Stereo sounds chaotic, its lyrics are generally serious and…
All our favorite local bands play weekend shows. Unfortunately, the shows aren’t often at the same place. Traipsing from Tempe to Phoenix and back again in an attempt to catch more than one killer live set on a Friday night isn’t fun — at least not every weekend. But luckily,…
It’s safe to call Ferret Music a metal and hardcore label. After all, the owner is the lead singer of NORA; the big band on the label is Every Time I Die; and Killswitch Engage got its start with Ferret. But somehow, Boys Night Out was scooped up by the…
While you may not hear an obvious Smashing Pumpkins influence when listening to Stiletto Formal, the Phoenix indie-core band says it gets all gooey over Corgan and crew. On its MySpace profile, the band declares that the Smashing Pumpkins are one of their collective favorite bands. Good thing, too. Stiletto…
If you dig B-movies, bands that care more about their fans than money (as long as those fans are purchasing beer), and fast music, you need to be at The Attic on Friday night. The Groovie Ghoulies will be joined by a handful of local hooligans to give you a…
Life in Pictures has been making the trek from Prescott into Phoenix to play metal for a few years now. But beyond making a name in the local community, the band has caught the attention of Tim Lambesis, vocalist for the rising Christian metalcore band As I Lay Dying, who…
Have you ever complained about the lack of unity in the Phoenix music community? Well, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. The guys in positive hardcore band Where Eagles Dare borrowed some friends’ trailer for a tour, and then came back to our fair city to…
It’s nice to finally hear a local band living up to its hype. With Up, Ember Coast has proven it has what it takes to play with the nationals. The disc kicks off with the catchiest and most radio-friendly “On My Mark.” Vocalist Sean Brennan uses breath control to add…
Go ahead and schedule some time with a chiropractor, because after Metal Devastation Fest’s intense headbanging session, your neck will be misaligned. The folks from the “most Satanic brutal store” in the Valley have recruited great death- and grind-metal bands to pummel Phoenix on April 8 and 9. The lineup’s…
Killswitch Engage’s music pulls no punches. It’s fast, heavy and doesn’t let up. Yet somehow this Massachusetts band was tapped to headline the Taste of Chaos tour with My Chemical Romance and The Used, two hardcore punk-rock bands that share Killswitch’s tendency to have fun on stage. Case in point:…
Roadrunner Records is celebrating its 25th anniversary by sending some of its favorite baby bands all over the country. In previous years, the tour had acts like Chimaira and Machine Head, but this year’s lineup is the most diverse so far, with both metal and hardcore bands. Deserving special attention…
