The Black Moods
Full of rock energy with loud guitar crunch tones site The Black Moods. Creating a buzz and success on their second album, Sunshine, the band’s title track hit the Top 20 at #17 on Billboards Active Rock charts with previous singles like “Bad News” “Bella Donna” and “Whatcha Got” all reaching the Top 30. The Black Moods have an urgent tight songwriting approach that barrels through riffing classic rock energy and blunt lyrics about internal conflict and romantic desires. Sunshine was recorded with Grammy award-winning producer Johnny Karkazis, who converted their rehearsal space into a makeshift studio to capture the band’s sound at the source. The record has allowed The Black Moods to tour alongside diverse acts including The Doors’ Robbie Krieger, Gin Blossoms, Shinedown, Jane’s Addiction and many more.
While in quarantine the band has moved their home studio to the Ozarks, which is the hometown of vocalist/guitarist Josh Kennedy so they can focus on writing and recording their next release. This next effort will feature a remotely recorded track with the legendary producer, Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones) which has fans sitting at the edge of their seats.
Creating this record was definitely challenging, fun, and time-consuming. This was our first time meeting and working with Johnny (Karkazis). When he showed up at our studio to start pre-production, one of the first things that he said was that he was going to challenge us. His job was to take what we already had and make it ‘cooler.’ We would always say, ‘that’s good, but it can be cooler.
Josh Kennedy to All Access Music
Keep up with the latest from The Black Moods on their website and make sure to listen to their rock anthem tracks below.
The Black Moods rock out with Ernie Ball Cobalt Skinny Top Heavy Bottom electric strings and Regular Slinky bass strings.
The Flatliners
It’s a rare thing to see a band that’s been together for about 15 years, with all original members, but Canada’s The Flatliners is one of them. Rooted in the DIY punk rock ethos, the quartet has been crisscrossing the world from basements and music halls in Canada and the US, to festivals like Reading and Leeds and more overseas, serving up a guitar-heavy punk rock vibe that seamlessly adjusts from circle pit fast, to anthemic slower tempos. Regardless of speed, lead singer and guitarist Chris Cresswell is one of those rare talents that can push their vocal performance to a guttural yell while still holding melody, allowing you to sing or yell, depending on your mood.
Since their formation in 2002, The Flatliners have released five full-length albums, nine singles, and EPs, and have appeared on multiple compilations. More impressively, the band has both evolved from their straight-ahead punk rock roots to include some slower tempos with just as much passion and drive, while still staying true to their roots by mixing in those fast DIY punk tracks and ideals from 2002. In the band’s latest release, Inviting the Light, they bring matured life experiences and tour life.
Inviting Light is about trying to keep up with life around you but also wading through the potential bullshit of people thinking that a digital landscape is more important than their friends. It’s inevitable that you’re fighting for people’s attention now, whether you’re a band or an individual, and there’s not as much value placed on face-to-face human interaction as there is in elevating the profile.
Chris Cresswell to Alt Press
With quite the discography already built, thousands of miles toured under their belt, and more music brewing, The Flatliners have become a staple in the punk rock scene with no plans of going away.
The Flatliners use Power Slinky electric guitar strings and Regular Slinky bass strings.
Power Trip
Caution. If you don’t enjoy thrash, move on. Power Trip is a band of Texans that want to play fast and heavy while stage-diving into eternity. It’s the punk/hardcore mentality of inclusion, brought to the thrash metal scene. Power Trip clearly takes their queues from bands like early Metallica, Anthrax, and Exodus, but also pulls influences from bands like Cro-Mags, Sick Of It All, Killing Time and DRI. Creating their own sound that crosses effortlessly between the metal, thrash, hardcore, and even punk scenes.
The furious double picking, bass breaks, gang vocals, and guitar solos create tracks that could have come out in the early or mid-80s just as easily in the early 2020s, and it still would have crushed with no question. Power Trip signed to Southern Lord Records in 2013, home to bands like Sun O))), High On Fire, Darkest Hour and more. The band really got on the radar after touring with Lamb of God and Anthrax, surprising even themselves with the expectance of their unique thrash/hardcore styles on a normally purest thrash metal scene. Typically, this genre is reserved for people who just want to cause a ruckus and mosh, and bands have no issue serving those desires. But Power Trip, and vocalist Riley Gale, find their home in the forward-thinking ideals of the hardcore/punk scene alongside other Ernie Ball bands like Code Orange and Turnstile, even using spoken words by veteran Congressman John Lewis in his lyrics.
Take a look at your life, tell me to what do you aspire? I want to know how far you’re willing to go.
“If Not Us Than Who” from Power Trip’s Nightmare Logic
While Power Trip is certainly a band you can mosh with, stage dive, and headbang to, they are also a band that serves knowledge and idealistic awareness, packaged in an aggressive and catchy as hell package. Power Trip will be hitting the road in 2021 with Lamb of God and Kreator so make sure to catch their tour schedule here. Until then, you can mosh to their tracks below.
Power Trip uses Super Slinky electric guitar strings and Regular Slinky bass strings to create their hard-hitting sound.
The Suicide Machines
A band that made its way to the forefront in the mid to late ’90s, mixing upstroke guitars and gravelly vocals, always full throttle and supercharged was the respected ska-punk band The Suicide Machines. After 15 years of making music, the band took a 3-year hiatus and reconnected to play an occasional local show. When they found their stride again, The Suicide Machines surprised their fans by releasing their seventh album Revolution Spring, the latest record since 2005’s War Profiteering Is Killing Us All.
Their most recent record Revolution Spring was co-produced with Ernie Ball Family member Roger Lima of Less Than Jake. The band was able to successfully whittle down 30 new songs to 16 tracks and recorded the album at Rancho Recordo (ran by Marc Jacob Hudson, who plays bass for Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers). A band with as much history as The Suicide Machines have had a trunk full of inspiration which has been shaped by the years of touring and writing. This collection of new songs spans various spontaneity and high energy punk. Showcased in a variety of anthems and new optimistic songs, with lyrics that dive deep into personal life experiences and relevant punk music. In this record, The Suicide Machines bring social awareness to the forefront and showcase their ability to get their fanbase mobilized which hasn’t changed from band’s early days.
A lot of it is very personal – about how I am and where I am now and how I got where I am now mentally. I kind of wanted to leave my children with an understanding of who I am as an older person. Maybe years from now when I’ve passed away, they can pick up the record and look at the lyrics and listen to it and, if they didn’t already know exactly, go ‘Okay, so this is what dad is about’.
Jason Navarro (vocalist) to Kerrang!
Stay up-to-date with The Suicide Machines on their website and make sure to listen and pay witness to their groundbreaking and heartfelt musical efforts below.
The Suicide Machines skank and fight for change with Ernie Ball Classic Rock and Roll Super Slinky and Classic Rock and Roll Regular Slinky electric guitar strings, and Regular Slinky bass strings.
Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers
The ever-so groovy and smooth, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers are a group of young multi-talented musicians that are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The band brings flowery dance party music with filthy groove-driven funk to Motown and folk Americana. The ever-changing genre-bending group shines, as the musicianship blends these music styles and which across effortlessly. The band was formed after Seeker Ryan Hoger found magic with leader and songsmith Joe Hertler. The Rainbow Seekers quickly found out that they were like-minded individuals and joined together to form a dynamic musical partnership that includes multi instrumentalists; Micah Bracken and Aaron Stinson on saxophone, Bambis on the thunderous bass, and Ryan McMahon holding down the beat on the drums.
Creating gatherings and pleasing fans from all walks of life, the group notably played Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, and Summer Camp. With an all hands on deck style of playing to their live show, the group showcases high energy antics and brings a relentless welcoming approach to ensure a memorable time.
I see music as something that’s very social and meant to be shared with other people, both in terms of the audience hearing you and the community within the band.
Joe Hertler to Headphone Nation
For all of the latest updates on Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers you can check out their official website here, and make sure to tune into their latest tracks below.
Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers set the mood with Ernie Ball Regular Slinky electric guitar strings, Super Slinky bass strings, and the new VPJR Tuner pedal.
English
Chinese (Traditional)
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Russian
Spanish