10 Phoenix metal bands you should be blasting

As a publication, we at Phoenix New Times try and present a wide array of cultural coverage. It's our goal to talk about bands from across the musical spectrum with equal parts passion and authority. Do we maybe cover some sounds more than others? Sure, it's the nature of the beast that some scenes (like punk and indie rock, for instance) might rise above. But we've also got quite the metal scene across the Valley, and more can be done to uplift these acts. So, we've assembled a primer of sorts of metal bands — some you may know, some that are new, and others that you might've forgotten. Either way, here's hoping you find a band to latch onto — and maybe spread the love, as it were.

Gatecreeper

Genre: Death Metal

There's a case to be made that Gatecreeper are the most prominent members of the Valley's metal scene. Since they debuted circa 2013, they've maintained a regular release of singles and LPs, including those through famed labels like Nuclear Blast and Relapse Records. They've gigged and toured constantly; as of early 2023, they were in the midst of shows way down in Australia. But more than any of those accolades, it's their music that makes them such vital members of the scene — undeniably forceful and endlessly dissonant, and yet under all that rage and bravado there's a certain depth and context that some bands just can't muster. They are beacons of the scene, and a reason why Valley metal deserves more buzz.

Archetypes Collide

Genre: Metalcore

You might not know Archetypes Collide, but this collective has been chugging away since 2013. In that time they've released a handful of EPs and toured a bunch. (They've got another extended U.S. outing slated for later this summer.) But they've only just recently released their debut self-titled album as of late March 2023 — luckily, this 12-track effort proves why some things are worth such a wait. Whether it's the more playful bits of electronic sampling/experimentation, or the massive hooks layered into the walls of crushing noise, Archetypes Collide know how to bring the fury and the emotion in grand fashion. If this is what they've done in the first decade, it'll be interesting to see what happens in the second.

Vehemence

Genre: Death/Black Metal

In a scene of some long-running bands, Vehemence are old pros in the truest sense of the word. They've been together since 1997, back when the metal scene in Phoenix was a tad insular and operating under a Wild West mentality. Yet they've weathered the storm, and just recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of "God Was Created" with a giant-sized reissue. While that LP is older than some current bands in the scene, it continues to prove why Vehemence are the godfathers of Arizona metal. It is the very definition of complex, often operatic/theatrical metal that delivers the skull-cracking rage alongside true feats of musicality. And to think, this one LP is just a drop in the bucket of their pulverizing and powerful discography.

Ardent Nova

Genre: Melodeath/Thrash Metal

If you're an extra-savvy student of the local and/or regional metal scene, you may recognize the duo of Ardent Nova from Pagan Thunder and Draconis. (In fact, this band is effectively a direct continuation of the former.) Even if you're entirely unfamiliar, they're still relatively new enough in their career as Ardent Nova. Guitarist-singer Mike Pardi and drummer Ryan Gallagher are truly a force to be reckoned with; they bring a sense of cohesion and interplay that makes every snarl and smashing cymbal feel all the more dense in its tone and feel. Yet because they're just two members, they craft songs that maintain that direct feel and a true visceral quality. They're old pros making new music, and it's a truly thrilling prospect.

Sacred Reich

Genre: Groove Metal

When it comes to elders among the Valley scene, Sacred Reich are the undisputed winners. Since the band's debut way back in 1985, they've gone through some ups and downs — breaking up in 2000 only to reconvene in 2006 — as well as their fair share of members. (Original guitarist Jason Rainey passed away in spring 2020.) Yet as they proved with their latest album, 2019's "Awakening," the band remained focused on the music above the rest of the noise. It's a sound indebted more to an old-school, groove-centric approach, but it's their robust technicality and cohesiveness as a band that makes them so dang compelling. They don't need to bring the fury every moment, and they know how to control a crowd with nuance and depth — and they've got the battle scars to prove it.

Sanguine Imperator

Genre: Black Metal

Here's the first proper band who lean as much into gimmickry as huge guitars. The awesomely named Sanguine Imperator draws influence from "lores of the Vampire Counts from the Warhammer world." Which means they tend to dress in black (even more than some other groups) and embrace gothic imagery and tones. Yet don't let that fool you — the band more than brings the noise with their latest album, 2022's "The World Will Drown in Blood." Song titles like "Sons of Abhorash" and "The Empty Graves of Sylvania" are nice gimmicks but the vampire lore is quickly consumed by walls of crushing guitars and machine gun-like drums. A little theatricality goes a long way in a scene that's often decidedly working-class.

THORN

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal

According to the Encyclopaedia Metallum, THORN are not to be confused with a Florida metalcore group or the Texas-based power metal outfit. Once you get past the name, it doesn't take long for this young-ish outfit (they formed circa 2020) to set themselves apart. On one hand, it's the imagery; their album titles and covers, including last year's "Entanglement of Symbiotic Dread," have an especially gnarly aesthetic. But, again, it's ultimately the music that shows just how novel our THORN has become in just a few years. Songs like "Murking Throne of Paranoia" (awesome name!) slash away nuance and subtlety for an all-out barrage of noise that'll peel your skin off. This THORN will stick, and in the very best way possible.

FLUIDS

Genre: Death Metal/Grindcore

You may recall we celebrated FLUIDS in early 2020 with "Chunked." Since then, the band's remained perpetually busy, releasing a slew of singles and EPs/LPs, most recently October 2022's "Piled III: The Threepile." In fact, in 2022 they released not only that project but two splits (with Fulci and Nunslaughter) as well as "Fluids of Death 2" and "Until It Shines." So, is this a case of quantity over quality? Not at all — every new FLUIDS release proves to be a tight and kinetic stream of cacophonous noise. If anything, they seem to get better and more cohesive with each new release, something that's impressive for a band that's only a few years old. Who knows what another year (and, like, five or six new releases) might hold?

Incite

Genre: Thrash Metal

Incite are a proper legacy act; frontman Richie Cavalera is the stepson of the famed Max Cavalera (of Soulfly and Cavalera Conspiracy). But before you sling accusations of "nepo baby," Cavalera and the rest of Incite — the band's had a few lineup changes over the years — have been going strong since 2004. In that time, they've toured the world and released six full-length LPs, including this spring's "Wake Up Dead" (which conveniently features a cameo from Max Cavalera.) Maybe there's something at least moderately familiar to Incite, but as they prove on this LP, they bring an impatience and tenacity that makes their sound all the more unpredictable and disarming. Metal is the family business, and business is very good.

Goya

Genre: Stoner/Doom Metal

Compared to other bands, Goya don't really bring the ferocity. Instead, inspired by bands like Sleep and Black Sabbath, they go for a more "subtle" approach to heavy metal intensity. The result is albums like their most recent, 2021's "The Universe Wails." Here, these mostly acoustic cuts demonstrate the understated technicality and distinct '60s/'70s sheen of their music. The end result means Goya might be outliers in a way, but that outsider status fits them well and adds a little something new to the scene at large. Here's hoping they release a new full-length in the near future. (They may truly be emphasizing the "stoner" in stoner metal these days.) But in the meantime, Goya remain a compelling name in the Valley's scene.