Death Metal MusicMusic and Culture on the Edge

Cleveland resident Evan Linger believes his thrash band Skeletonwitch doesn't so much reinvent the heavy-metal wheel as it enjoys a familiar ride. The hard-hitting quintet has booked a Grog Shop show. Also, local folk-pop singer-songwriter Mike Uva is back in action with his backing band The Bad Eyes scheduled to play the Beachland Tavern.

Savannah, Georgia, hardly seems like it should be a rock and roll Mecca, let alone one with an extreme metal jones. But the hard rockin’ quintet Kylesa hails from this Deep South olde towne, so it just goes to show…something. Kylesa, at least, showed what it’s made of on the black stage Sunday: a doom metal skeleton, thrash metal muscles, death metal blood and a psychedelic skull. Basically ...

If you play hard enough, you don't have to play long. That was the lesson from the 72-minute performance by Iggy and the Stooges on Sunday night at the packed Riviera Theatre. The quintet's aural blitzkrieg was brief but violent, briskly paced and brutally loud. The 16-song concert included all eight tunes from 1973's proto-punk classic, "Raw Power."

When Richmond, Virginia quintet Lamb of God began recording their last album Sacrament in 2006, there was friction within the ranks. Some of the members were dealing with personal issues that bled through into their band activity, and tensions were frequently high. “We weren’t really firing on all cylinders,” admits guitarist Mark Morton. Fortunately, Lamb of God were still able to battle through their demons and frustrations and craft a fierce and surging slab of vindictive groove metal.

NO one has suggested putting a torch on the stage. In fact, it's probably safe to say Chris Adler and his Lamb of God cohorts would find the whole thing a little embarrassing. The Richmond, Va., quintet has always shied away from the various tags and titles that the media have tried to stick on the group -- the future of metal, the leaders of New Wave of American Heavy Metal ... or even the ...