Emissary have their second single of the year out now. With “Caldera,” the stoner-prog metal band go entirely instrumental, getting loud and clangorous just as the name of the track would suggest. Resonant guitars crash like a volcanic eruption, with midtempo riffage rolling like rivers of lava. We can imagine that this song and previous single “Line of Sight” are the sign of something bigger in the works to come from Emissary, so stay tuned!
Tag: Progressive
AUDIO: Emissary – “Line of Sight”
Stoner/prog metal band Emissary released their first single of 2023. It’s a slow burner, gradually embellishing the patient melody with louder and tighter dynamics, a guitar solo, shifting rhythms and roaring vocals. The band has demonstrated their versatility over the years; this tune may not be as heavy as a lot of their previous stuff, but it embraces the band’s prog sensibilities and still retains metallic elements. One cut from Emissary usually means there’s more to come soon – stay tuned!
AUDIO: Emissary – “Convocation Day”
Stoner-prog rockers Emissary have out yet another single. This one’s a pounding exercise that blazes a trail into bloodthirsty guitar solos and mercilessly growled vocals, feeling like one’s judgment day. Emissary are likely working on something bigger with this being their third new track since last summer’s album “Cerulean,” so be on the look out for more heaviness from them soon.
AUDIO: Nick Hill – “Farrago”
Progressive metal artist Nick Hill released a new album this week. It’s eight tracks of gnarly instrumental riffage, complete with rattling drums and thrashing speed. There’s a keen sense of epic adventure here, like you’re embarking on a treacherous journey through a storm or getting ready to head out to battle. Whichever scenario you envision, Nick Hill delivers your soundtrack to badassery with “Farrago.”
AUDIO: Lost Tribes of the Moon – “Unleash the Berserkers”
Progressive metal band Lost Tribes of the Moon have their first single out in three years. Inspired by Clive Barker’s “Nightbreed,” the song spans over eight minutes, blazing a trail of epic riffage and occult vocals. The lyrics detail the lives of cursed underground monsters that are awakening and hungering for flesh. Hopefully it’s the sign of more to come soon from Lost Tribes of the Moon – stay tuned.
AUDIO: Golyat – “In My Blood”
Atmospheric black metal project Golyat, a solo endeavor of Bob Schaab’s, has a new single out today. Featuring drums from The Black Dahlia Murder’s Alan Cassidy, this track boils with madness and bloodthirsty urges. It’s about failing God because you’re fueled by greed and sin. If you’re looking for something ferocious yet textural, give Golyat’s new track a listen.
AUDIO: Wonderful Bluffer – “Goddess of War”
Bluesy prog rockers Wonderful Bluffer are out with their debut single. They tell the story of an ancient people calling upon a goddess to aid them in the struggle against invading forces. Joe Joe Scott’s guitar solo symbolizes the peoples’ secret weapon, while Christian Fritz-Klaus’ vocals are the war cries that the people stand fast from. It’s a tale of comradery and perseverance against oppression, guided by a divine matriarch, told in no better way than punchy rock and roll. We’re excited about Wonderful Bluffer’s vigor here; we look forward to their upcoming EP.
AUDIO: Arctic Sleep – “By the Horns”
Post-prog metal project Arctic Sleep has two new original compositions out, inspired by the Scout Comics series “By the Horns.” The first track, “Blade Through Your Heart,” revolves around being unable to move past painful memories and being tempted to bring everyone down with you, while the second track “Maybe Magic Won’t Die A Horrible Death Today” is more vague but implies that hope is not completely lost. If you like your metal atmospheric and subtly provocative, Arctic Sleep’s delightful EP will have you craving a fantastical adventure today.
AUDIO: Wurk – “Ignition”
Funk-prog rockers Wurk have a new song out this week. Written during the 2020 election, it’s about how American politicians lie to and deceive the people. Many of us have become apathetic towards the bipartisan capitalist system in the last year, but Wurk is here to turn those sentiments into a funky uptempo jam. With a wicked saxophone solo in the second half, this tune turns those bad feelings into good ones. We look forward to what Wurk has coming in 2021.
AUDIO: Encarsia – “But the good of the scorpion is not the frog, yes?”
Djent-prog metal band Encarsia don’t hold back on their new single. Both songs bring a relentlessly tortured, hellish energy from vocalist Tom Olwig, as well as melodic darkness from bewitched guitar riffs and dooming percussion. Encarsia seem like a band you’ll end up in the mosh pit for, whether you intended to be in it or not. We hope to catch one of their shows someday and look forward to what else they’re working on.
AUDIO: Conundrum – “Is As, There Was”
Prog-psych rockers Conundrum are out with their long-awaited sophomore EP. Beginning with a vibrant and ambient soundscape, the first track features space-like vocals that bring us into an intergalactic daydream. The second track, featuring Mike Neumeyer on vibraphone, is shorter but brings more complex and jazzy instrumentation. The third track had been the EP’s lead single and is a satire of flat-earth conspiracy theorists (“truth is opinion, deny the proof in front of you”). The final track is the longest and brings the heaviest aggression with gritty guitarwork and adventurous drumming. Overall, Conundrum succeed in taking us on a planetary excursion that musters mind-bending auditory fantasies.
AUDIO: Conundrum – “Phlat Earth”
Psych-prog rockers Conundrum have been hard at work at their EP “Is As, There Was” this year and they’re out with the project’s single. Since their last release four years ago, they’ve added keyboardist Eric Klosterman. The song lampoons flat-earthers with tongue-in-cheek lyrics about Earth’s natural wonders and “truth being opinion.” Swelling into an extended jam that sounds like the band is climbing up imaginary mountains and flying over made-up waters, the track fully realizes a crafty genius between Conundrum’s members. The full EP is out on the 28th.
AUDIO: Chief – “The Galleon”
In the world of streaming and shorter attention spans, the concept album feels like a dying breed, appearing few and far between in this era. However, “The Galleon” by local metal band Chief is a rare sighting of this endangered species, with the trio putting together an album that is over four years in the making. Opening with a title track that is a nine-minute epic, and then following up with a pair of tracks that combined clock in at around three and a half minutes, Chief blend old school metal and new school mentalities, leaving things wide open creatively for the act. At times, “The Galleon” feels less like an album and more like the score to an accompanying novel, complete with nautical sound effects and underlying elements that paint the picture of the scene that the band is trying to create. “The Galleon” is a journey, and a story that is best heard from start to finish. Check out the album here below:
VIDEO: Mr. Nice Guy With Conundrum
One of our contributors, Ben Slowey, is more than on top of the local music scene. In addition to his work for Breaking And Entering, he also hosts the Mr. Nice Guy podcast, an interview-based show that reaches out to Milwaukeeans for conversations about what motivates them. Many of these shows fittingly involve the local music scene, and we’ll be sharing some of them here as well.
This time around, Ben talks with psych-prog-jam band Conundrum – Owen Benkowski, Charlie Celenza, and Alex Klosterman (Eric Klosterman not present). Their last album “Physiognomy” came out in 2016 and they are currently working on a new EP. They discussed their individual paths crossing from a young age that led to Conundrum’s formation, recording their jams, their prog-rock influences, the new material, and frozen pizza. You can check out more episodes of Mr. Nice Guy on YouTube, and check out this interview below:
AUDIO: Ahab’s Ghost – “Curse”
It’s been four years since Ahab’s Ghost put out “Wasted Forever, Ferociously Stoned”, and they recently put out a powerful third full-length to follow that up, “Curse”. The eleven track album is everything you want from a metal album, especially if you’re an old-school metalhead. Equipped with punishing riffs and an ever-driving backbeat, you know from the opening of “Swords Of Fury” what kind of album we’re getting this time around from the band. If you want a straight-up power metal album, this is your jam right here. Check out “Curse” below:
AUDIO: Neocaveman – “Bacchanalia”
If you were at the October edition of our “An Evening With” concert series, you know that local prog-rock standouts Neocaveman are capable of making elaborate, captivating songs with a driving energy behind them. That comes out in the band’s latest record, “Bacchanalia”, which was released at the beginning of the month. Gems like “Troubles” bring the best of both worlds to the record, with intricate guitar parts weaving their way into a song that could just be a straight up alt-rock jam on its own. It’s that added depth that gives Neocaveman their sound, and makes records like this one feel just a step or two beyond your average rock record. Within ten tracks, the band manages to blow minds several times over, as the attention to detail comes out in the final product. Check out “Bacchanalia” below:
INTERVIEW: Rocket Paloma
Rocket Paloma are taking Summerfest in a big way this year. The band not only played their first show at the festival on Wednesday as part of the Emerging Artists Series, but will be playing the Rebel Stage later on as well. We caught up with the band backstage before their first Summerfest gig, and you can check that out below, as well as the band’s new single, “Ghosted”:
You can also view this video on our IGTV Channel.
AUDIO: Tapebenders – “We Are All Gone”
The eclectic, progressive band that is Tapebenders is back with a new EP, with a bit of a new direction as well. “We Are All Gone” feels like a slightly stripped down version of the sound that was so massive on the band’s last release, “Set Your Life On Fire”. That doesn’t mean any quality is lost, though; the band still produces intricately layered psych tracks that are as gripping as the previous album, varying tones and within their songs. If this is your introduction to the band’s body of work, it’s definitely a great place to start, and if you’re a long-time fan, you’ll be appreciative of where the band heads sonically on this EP. In either case, this is definitely worth your time. Check out “We Are All Gone” below:
AUDIO: Rocket Paloma – “Dingus”
Fresh off of their debut EP, Rocket Paloma are back with a new single, “Dingus”. The track is a live recording, which comes from a recent appearance on WMSE’s Local/Live. If you’ve seen Rocket Paloma live, this is a track that often makes their set list, but hadn’t been included on the EP. This is one of the more brash tracks from the band, anchored around a low, grinding guitar riff. For a live performance, though, everyone is completely on point here. Check out the chugging, aggressive jam that is “Dingus” below:
INTERVIEW: Nick Ward of Flaccid
The adventures of a touring band is something that a lot of local acts have yet to experience. For Illinois band Flaccid, however, the adventure has been the road, and welcoming bands to play in their home state, as well. On April 29th, Flaccid’s road comes through Up & Under for a show with Milwaukee’s The Young Revelators, and we caught up with drummer Nick Ward to talk about the band, as well as touring. Check out what he had to say:
B&E: Introduce yourselves! Who are you?
WARD: We are: Nolan Kelly-Guitar, Jack Kendrick-Guitar, Kyle Woith-Bass, CJ Kelly (no relation to Nolan)-Keys, Nick Ward-Drums
B&E: For those that haven’t heard Flaccid before, what bands are you influenced by?
WARD: Our influences are across the board from classic rock to hip hop and soul, jam music, jazz, funk, fusion, little bit of bluegrass. Each member has fairly unique tastes in music, which really lends itself to an eclectic sound.
B&E: How did you meet The Young Revelators?
WARD: We met The Young Revelators online and played with them at Fire on the Water back in January (I hope they aren’t catfishing us).
B&E: We always like to hear about bands’ misadventures on the road. What’s the worst tour story you have?
WARD: The worst (funny) thing that has happened to us on the road was two years ago. We finished playing in Denver and had a gig in San Diego 30 some odd hours later. Nolan was driving and stopped at a rest stop by the Colorado border. He got out and slept in the grass at the rest stop, and at some point in the night Jack also got out and laid in the grass. In the morning, I woke up about 20 minutes down the road to no Jack in the back seat. So we realize we left Jack at the rest stop and turn around the next opportunity we had and went back to get him. When we got back to the rest stop, Jack was still asleep in the grass. Nolan goes to wake Jack up, and against what we all said, told him that we had left him there. Jack looks up at Nolan with tears in his eyes and says “Thanks for coming back for me man.” We went on to drive straight through to California.
B&E: The band started out playing basement shows, and you’ve played all the way up to the festival stages. Which do you prefer, and why?
WARD: Both have their merits and there is a lot of over lap between basement and festival shows compared to bar gigs. The band and audience are more free to do as they please in both of these environments, which is something that we really enjoy. Basement shows are cool because they’re just a big party and there’s not set times. The energy in a good basement show is insane as well. Playing at an outdoor festival though, with production and such, is really musically satisfying and can have a really good energy flow as well. On balance, I would say I prefer playing festivals but I still love a good house show.
B&E: Lastly, you’re coming to Milwaukee. What’s your beer of choice?
WARD: Historically, Hamm’s has been the beer of choice of Flaccid. We tried to get them to sponsor us, but they didn’t call us back so we’re open to any other beer endorsements.
You can check out Flaccid on their website and Facebook.
VIDEO: Time King – “Main Street”
When discussing genres like progressive rock, the use of visuals can help a band out tenfold as opposed to more mainstream genres. However, in the case of Long Island based band Time King, both their new single, “Main Street” and the video for it are absolutely stunning, and the two compliment each other well. Filmed by Nico Moreno, the video mixes silhouetted band members, gritty analog video, and a stellar, crisp song to boot. Led by frontman Kalvin Rodriguez, Time King functions as an incredibly tight band, and they manage to capture the energy of a live performance on this single. Everything about this video is wonderfully done, and you definitely need to check it out below:
AUDIO: Gauss – “Thalweg”
With a mix of the best of punk rock energy and prog rock style, Milwaukee’s Gauss is a breath of fresh air. The band has put out a release annually for the last four years, but for many, “Thalweg”, which was released earlier this month, will serve as a fitting introduction to their eclectic blend of indie. “Thalweg” is a monster from the jump, as opening track “Deeper Than Blue” cuts to the chase, with an crazy alchemy of frantic guitars and horns. Tracks like “Stumbling Block” carry on this frantic pace, and the title track does a great job of trying to encapsulate most of the band’s sound(s). This release should definitely be a stepping stone for the band, as “Thalweg” could easily compete with many, if not all, mainstream indie records that have come out this year. Check out the 7-track release below and listen for yourself:
AUDIO: Neocaveman – “Neocaveman”
After building a name for themselves through several shows and appearances, Neocaveman have put together their self-titled debut EP. Complete with progressive guitar licks and soothing vocals, this is five tracks that you’ll keep on repeat. You can definitely hear some influences from both the indie rock and prog rock worlds, and that comes seeping out of every song. There’s some passionate musicianship from start to finish, which comes out in both the vocals and drum fills that sound absolutely pounded into the drumkit. With Milwaukee’s increased affection for jam bands and melodic indie, this band will feel right at home to fans of the genre, and I would hope to see Neocaveman opening up for some of the major bands in the not-so-distant future. Be prepared to be blown away by this impressive EP. Check it out below:
VIDEO: Group of the Altos Live at Cheer Up Charlies (SXSW 2015)
Wednesday was my first experience seeing Milwaukee’s extra-large Group of the Altos, and it was definitely just that; an experience. The 15(I think?) piece group has multiples of just about every instrument, making for a larger-than-life sound that translates to their live performance. The group features Milwaukee emcee Klassik as well, both for his verses as well as his saxophone talent, as seen in the first clip. Also, there was a slight chance of rain yesterday, so my apologies to the Altos that got hidden behind tarps in the mad scramble that ensues during the second video.
“Fucks With Us”
“To: Savior”
AUDIO: Royale – “Inland Sea”
Chicago’s Royale is back, with some brand new music that is as catchy as ever. “Inland Sea” starts off softer, but builds up to a bang. This is a band that knows how to bring you into a song. While it feels like they’re just jamming their way through this one, it’s all one big build up. This is all leading up to the band’s next album, due out in November. The band also says that they are starting to write their next project, too. Unbelievable work ethic. Check out “Inland Sea” below:
