Update: Machete Recording Debut LP

(Photo courtesy of the band's Facebook)

Derry's Machete, a highly energetic and riff-driven "Mexican metal" band, has finally entered the studio to record some songs after being a band for nearly four years. Although no release date has been mentioned, the band had a session with Will Killingsworth at Dead Air Studios this past Sunday to work on the new material.

(Photo courtesy of Andrew Ralston)

Youth Funeral played a house show with these guys this past summer (from which the above photo was taken) and they were excellent. As heavy as they were loud, the band shifted from fast-paced riffs to crushingly slow, Electric Wizard or My America-esque breaks.

More information will be posted as it surfaces.

Band Spotlight: Green Bastard's King Creature

(Photograph courtesy of Green Bastard's Facebook)

Durham, NH'S Green Bastard released a new 2-song demo today, titled King Creature. Ever since they released their first demo in the summer of last year, I've been eagerly awaiting to hear more from Green Bastard, curious how they would grow and develop. It is with great pleasure that I can say their latest offering improves on the heavy, thick stoner-metal sound that they established on their first release.

Opening track "Usurper King" begins with a thickly-distorted guitar riff that repeatedly drones for a few minutes, reminiscent of many other bands in the genre a la Electric Wizard or Bongzilla, before the song fully kicks in and everything is amplified tenfold. The effect is expectedly crushing and powerful and then, in the final third of the song, the bass leads the track into a sped-up, thrash territory, where the vocals are screamed (if this is still Spencer, he has transitioned well from the deep, Sleep-esque singing he used on the first EP to this new style).

The second song, "Zant," is more similar to Green Bastard's first release, featuring the same sung vocals that they originally had. However, this offering has more of a heavy rockin' feel, more similar to bands such as Red Fang than Sleep.The vocals have the perfect amount of dirt in them to compliment the fast and groove-heavy instrumentation until, again, the song sees a change in the final third; now, the instruments take the lead, playing a brooding and crushing bridge before ending with an instrumental repetition of the song's verse.

The new demo is short but executed wonderfully, smoothly blending elements of metal and rock n' roll to advance the band a logical step forward -- be sure to keep track of Green Bastard on their Facebook to stay updated with their future shows and releases, as they deserve the support.