ERRA, Aviana, et Caskets

Hopefully it’s going to become a far more mainstream proposition in the near future, but at this point in time the underground sensation of modern heavy music is without a shadow of a doubt progressive metal. There are more and more bands with a predilection for ever changing tempos and time signatures crossed with guttural growls and breakdowns than ever before. While it may sound like underground music personified, the following it’s gotten in the past couple of years on both sides of the pond is growing at a rate of knots thanks to word of mouth, constant touring and some incredible music. Birmingham, Alabama’s very own ERRA are a band that personify the latter two aspects and are also one of the surprisingly few bands that are making the sound their own by expertly adding elements of death metal and post hardcore to the already potent brew. It’s a combination that leads to some incredible live shows with something for every fan of heavy music, beautiful melodic moments, ridiculously heavy drops and riffs to die for. They’re the complete package and the best part is that these guys live for what they do, whether they become the biggest name in metal history or not is beside the point, they will be playing whether ten or ten thousand people turn up to watch them. So with that in mind, there’s no excuse to miss them the next chance you get. Highly recommended.

Currents is one of the best performances for their genre you will ever see. They don't even have to try to get the crowd hyped. The vocalist occasionally passed the mic into the crowd to let them sing because they knew the words and what resulted was an all out pit for the mic. It was crazy fun chaos, even though they are a local band and this was a smaller venue, they have such a devoted following that the entire room was moving during their entire set. They even got pressured to perform an encore, and even though they didn't have one planned, the crowd was more than excited enough to hear one of the songs they played again. After their set, they came down and talked to members of the crowd. They are exceptionally friendly and some of the nicest guys in a band I've met. If you like metalcore, djent, and other similar genres, I heartily encourage you to check out this amazing band!