Didn’t think I’d ever see a “RIYL” for the band Leatherface and then when it’s combined alongside the likes of Jawbreaker and Joan Jett, I just kind of figured it would blow my hair back a bit. Sure did. Hailing from the crowded punk scene in Boston, Deadly Sins bring experience in Brendan Maguire (Reach the Sky) and Stephanie Dougherty (female vocals w/Dropkick Murphys on occasion–best known for their single “The Dirty Glass”), and Billy Brown (Crash and Burn). Their fiery brand of gut-wrenching harmonies attest to their superb version of nuanced melodic punk. Songs like “Barely Breathing” no doubt will offer the sort of phat riffage and throaty vocal sing-a-longs at any Boston pub worthy of this group’s performance.
British slop punkers XX Teens had their latest produced by the U.K.’s own Sheffield-based Ross Orton (Fat Truckers, MIA). Swampy melodies are smelted with Lemmy-oriented hymns and stripped down rhythms. The guitars are often quite dense but yet somewhat poppy still. Churning rock ‘n’ roll that will appeal to late 40-somethings as well as their kids.
Oct. 27 - Bourbon St. New Port Richie, Florida
Oct. 28 - Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
Oct. 30 - Ground Zero Spartanburg, South Carolina
Nov. 02 - Starland Ballroom Sayreville, New Jersey
Nov. 04 - Blender @ Gramercy Theater New York, New York
Nov. 05 – Crocodile Rock Allentown, PA
Nov. 06 – Webster Theater, Hartford, CT
Nov. 14 - Pierre’s Ft. Wayne, Indiana
Nov. 15 - Intersection Grand Rapids, Michigan
Nov. 16 - Pop’s Sauget, Illinois
Nov. 18 - Scout Bar Beaumont, Texas
Nov. 20 - Scout Bar San Antonio, Texas
Nov. 21 - Scout Bar Houston, Texas
Nov. 22 - Ridglea Theater Dallas, Texas
Nov. 23 - Tequila Jungle Lubbock, Texas
Nov. 25 - Gators Farmington, New Mexico
Nov. 26 – Black Sheep Colorado Springs, Colorado
Nov. 30 - Key Club Los Angeles, California
Stirring orchestrated mayhem starts off this heavy metal album that is filled to the brim with pure adrenaline, melodic overtures, and tons of double bass kick drum insanity. Having worked on this saga for over a decade, Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer has been laying the foundations for one of metal’s most epic concept albums. I always find it thrilling to hear an honest soap opera come to life via a rock opera/metal opera. “I Walk Alone” seems to be an opposing force to the band’s well known single “I Walk Among You” which pushed the group up to the top shining spotlight of metal music. Good stuff.