Suicide Silence is an American extreme metal band from Riverside, California. The group consists of vocalist Mitch Lucker, guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, drummer Alex Lopez and bassist Dan Kenny. Formed in 2002, the band has released three full-length studio albums, one EP and seven music videos. The group has been met with a great amount of praise and favorable reviews while even during 2009, Suicide Silence was awarded with the Revolver Golden God award for "Best New Talent".

Dance Gavin Dance is an American post-hardcore band formed in Sacramento, California in 2005. They released four full length studio albums and one EP. Their latest effort, Downtown Battle Mountain II was released on March 8, 2011.

Sometimes a sweeping change within an entity is all that is needed for all the cards to fall into place. In the case of metal-hardcore outfit The Word Alive, by gaining a dynamic new vocalist, it was just the catalyst the group needed to take their next steps forward in their burgeoning career.

Feeling a bit stagnant in their progression beforehand, the addition of vocalist Tyler Smith (ex- Greeley Estates, In Fear and Faith) catapulted the band's ambitions to the forefront. With this initiation, their goals and aspirations were much more a reality, and they set to work on what would become their forthcoming debut EP, Empire.

Recorded with producer Andrew Wade in Ocala, FL, and to be released July 21st on Fearless Records, Empire is an intimately personal album for Smith, whose impassioned lyrical subjects range from dissolving relationships to the struggles he was battling privately. Enhanced by furious guitar wizardry courtesy of shredders Tony Pizzuti and Zack Hansen, as well as rapid-fire drumming brought to life by Tony Aguilera, the EP is a non-stop sonic assault that is at once powerful and unpredictable.

From the shadows of Los Angeles, Winds of Plague has been hitting the West Coast indie music scene for the last three years. They offer up fast and heavy hardcore melodies served with an attitude that gets your attention every time. This young band brings energy, emotion, and mayhem to the stage. Their dark blend of eerie keyboards, insane drumming, and snarling vocals, which flow into slow, brutal breakdowns are their signature sound. Winds of Plague is built on principles, both musically and lyrically. Musically they stretch beyond the boundaries of the cookie-cutter metal found on CD racks today. Their fresh approach to the use of keyboards as the backbone for their songs ensures that they will not be confused with the overwhelming metal-mania emerging lately into the hardcore scene. Lyrically they go beyond complaints of broken hearts and being swallowed by the cold darkness, exploring themes of human nature which transcend the adolescent tales of love lost and mistaken identity, which are found as so many anthems for bands today.

With their first CD "A Cold Day in Hell" on Life Sentence Records, Winds of Plague is ready to bring their unique sound to the table and break all boundaries. Scheduled for a summer release, the CD will be the kick-off for a full US tour. Winds of Plague is an enthusiastic touring band, and is easily recognized in cities throughout the western US. A tour across the country will bring them further recognition and no doubt push them through the ranks to receive the acclaim that they deserve.

Stick to Your Guns is a 5 piece hardcore band from Orange County, California. Very heavily influenced by the orange county hardcore scene, their music, message, style, and sound can perhaps be compared to bands like Bleeding Through and Throwdown.

Currently they are signed to Century Media/Sumerian records and have released two full-length albums to date. "Comes From The Heart", their most recent release, was released May 13, 2008 through Century Media.
They are currently on a headlining tour with Gwen Stacy, Attack Attack!, Mychildren Mybride, and Agraceful!

Members:

* Jesse Barnett - Vocals
* Schmidty from Kansas City - Drums
* Reid Haymond - Bass
* Alex Barnett - Guitar
* Ryan "The Dog" Nelson - Guitar

Party death metal rockers Attila formed in their hometown of Atlanta in 2005, meeting each other at their high school and through mutual friends. Their mutual love of music (and partying) brought the guys together to form what would eventually become the fourth imprint on the Artery Foundation/Razor & Tie joint venture, Artery Recordings.

When the guys set out to name their newly formed band, they knew they were looking for a simple, one word name that didn't imply the typical death metal cliché terms such as "blood, dying, and darkness." One day they found themselves in a bookstore passing around a book about Attila the Hun, and so Attila was born.

Over the years Attila has gone through a few lineup changes, but founding members Fronz and Sean have remained a constant staple. For the past two years, the band has consisted of Fronz (vocals), Nate (guitar), Chris (guitar), Sean (drums) and Paul (bass). This lineup really brought together Attila's sound and image that they are known for today. The band began touring full time and as of summer 2010, has been on the road almost non-stop for two years.

Attila released two prior albums, Fallacy and Soundtrack To A Party, on Statik Factory Records, and have previously toured with Arsonists Get All The Girls, See You Next Tuesday, Chelsea Grin, America Me, and We Are The End. RAGE, Attila's Artery Recording/Razor & Tie debut will be released May 11, 2010, and is a unique mix of heavy music infused with elements that make each song fun to listen to and put the listener in the mood to party. "The title can be perceived in many ways, one obviously being a state of extreme anger, and the other being the slang meaning – to party! I have always been a fan of play-on-words and double meanings, and that's what drew me to this title more than anything," Fronz commented.

While Attila certainly evokes thoughts of partying, the band is trying to expand the public's immediate thoughts about party metal through RAGE. They describe the album and their overall take on music as a way of letting loose and having fun, and allowing the listener to take away that message in whatever context they find fitting. As Fronz said, "All we want is for the listener to have a fun experience, and that is the main message behind RAGE."

In today's hardcore/metal scene, it's easy for anyone to become jaded by the constant clones of, what is basically, the same band with hundreds of different names. We've all heard it; the same riff accompanied by the growling vocals and simultaneous "chug-chug" breakdowns. So, we wait and maybe search the music section on Myspace for a breath of fresh air. Thankfully, hidden in the obscure depths of the internet are bands that give this genre hope, and if you look hard enough, you can find them.

One of these noteworthy bands is Lansing, Michigan's well kept secret, For the Fallen Dreams. Formed in late 2003 and recently signing with Rise Records (The Devil Wears Prada, Drop Dead Gorgeous) in the summer of 2007, these young men show incredible promise through songs that showcase poignant and powerful writing, both lyrically and musically while still staying in touch with their hardcore/metal roots. Their music displays a well-done balance of metal and melody. Guitarists, Jim Hocking and Chris Cain show a variety of ranges while shifting back and forth between hard-hitting metal riffs and some rather melodic guitar lines. Given their ability to draw the listener in with brutally honest lyrics about life, relationships, and struggle, the band shows solidarity for their future as a band to be taken seriously.

With 2010 shaping up to be a pretty big year for For the Fallen Dreams, I think we'll be hearing a lot more from them. Dylan, Jim, Chris, Joe and Andrew certainly seem to be on their way to setting the bar for the future of hardcore.

It is no coincidence that listeners of Stray From The Path will often have a difficult time confining them to a specific genre. The Long Island outfit, has made it a point to remain unpredictable, intricate, and intelligent. Listeners can expect their Sumerian Records debut 'Villains' to surpass the gratuitous and/or contrived music that is all too common today, and instead perform articulate songs that refuse to compromise their precision, honesty, and genuine desire to impress. Expect "Villains" to arrive in stores everywhere May 13th!

It is unusual for a band to be equally influenced by hard-hitting groups like He Is Legend and Diecast, as well as the epic balladry of musicals like Les Miserables and Phantom. Yet, on Ice Nine Kills' debut album, Last Chance to Make Amends (Out Now), the sound of earth-shattering double bass drums and lacerating guitar riffs on a song like Last Words, share space with ballads like Chapter Two that gently move the listener with little more than a soft piano and a clean guitar.

Ice Nine Kills, The band, named after the ultimate weapon of mass destruction- the Ice Nine isotope from Kurt Vonneguts novel, Cats Cradle -will, like its namesake, awe you. The group seamlessly weaves the soaring melodies of punk rock and emo with the raw emotion and aggression of post hardcore and metal, creating in the process a refreshing sound that both soothes and knocks-over the listener.

Even in their most aggressive of moments, Ice Nine Kills, unlike many bands in todays scene, does not rely on unnecessary screaming to make up for lack of depth or meaning. The whole screaming thing seems really played out these days, everyone is doing it excessively. We try to only use an aggressive vocal style when it fits the part, and when it truly intensifies the song, says Jeremy.

The band provides the listener with multi textured guitar hooks, a dual vocal attack, and a pummeling rhythm section which takes the listener by the throat, and refuses to let go We try and tell our stories not only with our lyrics but with our music as well, says Jeremy, who pens the lyrics for INK. Every song I write comes from either personal experience or that of a close friend. Of course some of the stories are exaggerated, but they are all based on things that I have been through, I think thats why kids can relate to our band.


THE PAST
Ice Nine Kills was founded by Jeremy and Spencer in 2002, in a small town on the Massachusetts coast. After several member changes, the band got lucky in the winter of 2003 when drummer Grant Newsted, a highly skilled and technical drummer from Petoskey Michigan, responded to a flier the band had posted at Berklee College of music. The line up was finalized in fall 2004 when long-time friend Hobie Boeschenstein, a skilled guitarist, took over bass and back up vocal duties.


THE PRESENT
The self-produced new album explodes from the very first track Last Words, a socially relevant song that deals with the excessive pressure that many parents put on their kids to achieve unreasonable goals, and the consequences that can ensue. The band also showcases its dark sense of humor with the song, Murders and Acquisitions, a tongue-and-cheek tale of a jealous ex boyfriend who takes revenge to a level you dont want to know about, but cant help listening to. This track owes its macabre theme, no doubt, to the bands love of horror movies, which influence not only the musical expression but sometimes, the bands hair color.

As energy charged as their new album is, Ice Nine Kills cannot be fully appreciated until they are seen in a live evironment. The band not only writes enthralling music, but their live show crackles with an explosive energy. Yet, with this band, energy is not an excuse for out of time, unfocused amateurism. They are always playing extremely tight and on time. I think a lot of bands these days either lack energy when they play live in order to concentrate more on playing tight, or some bands just go nuts on stage and dont play competently. With a lot of hard work, I think we have found the perfect middle ground, says Jeremy.

Unlike most groups, the band members try to reply to each and every email they receive, allowing them to forge an unusually strong bond with their fans and create an incredibly loyal following. Our fans are really supportive of what we do, and we consider them as much a part of this band as we are, says Spencer.


THE FUTURE…
Its obvious from their intensity and dedication that these boys are in this for the long haul. As Spencer said in a recent interview, Were not going to stop until every person that might enjoy our music gets a chance to hear us. There are so many great bands out there that never get discovered. We dont believe in just being lucky. We'll make our own luck.