Unfortunately this band is no more. Singer Ray-Ray snuffed it in early 2011 after overdosing on heroin. It really is a pity, as The Mayan Factor’s music is a real treat to the ear!

The band, from Baltimore, Maryland played a progressive sort of Rock characterized by the use of ethnic instruments and acoustic guitars, while still sounding solid and heavy. The main contributor to the band’s feel, in my opinion and based on listening to only a handful of songs, is the bass-acoustic guitar combination that creates immense depth. Over the course of the band’s career they released two albums; In Lake ‘ch (2003) and 44 (2005). Will serve up a song or two after the jump!

Credits to Rufio for directing our attention towards this group!

If there’s one band that has been shaping my musical taste through the years that I’ve been actively listening to music, it’s Soundgarden.

The Seattle-based band started out in 1984, but didn’t see much success until the early nineties, when Grunge gained its position as a popular Rock subgenre. People tend to refer to their third and fourth albums when they speak about the band and praise their work. Badmotorfinger and Superunknown are indeed great records, but actually there’s another album which I think is even better, and which is the one that got me into the band. It’s the last album the band put out; Down on the Upside from 1996.

It wasn’t quite so successful in terms of sales as Superunknown, which had Black Hole Sun as a huge selling point, but it still did pretty good. And one of the copies they sold went to my dad, who was looking for ”the album that had Black Hole Sun on it”, but didn’t pay a lot attention in the record store. He didn’t play it much, but I did! Rediscovering it the other day I found out that I still dig the living shit out of this thing! Figured I’d write down why.

It’s been awhile since we rocked out, eh? I say we ease back into it with some Occult Rock. Our vehicle for this blasphemous journey will be Austin, Texas’ Ancient VVisdom. Formed in 2009 they put out their debut full-length, A Godlike Inferno, in 2011. I’ve got two official videos for songs off that album lined up ahead.

Nosebreaker. On the cover is a picture of a French Bulldog. Those don’t have a nose.

That aside, Nosebreaker is the debut EP of a Belgian, Brussels-based psychedelic Rock outfit called Coubiac. Or as they put it themselves, ”Heavy Chaos Rock”. The band is four dudes, P, F, S and HP, responsible for drums, guitars, vocals and bass respectively. I know no more. Let me briefly shine my light on Nosebreaker.

If you’re a fan of Tool, you’ll love this – or perhaps hate it for sometimes being a copy. Another link dumped by Rufio!

Rishloo, out of Seattle, formed in 2002 and aims to push the boundaries of Rock. Indeed, this isn’t really Metal. But it isn’t really Rock either. Well, sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. What I can say is that it’s mostly psychedelic and progressive, sometimes nuts and freaky. In short, it’s absolutely great!

There are many bands that can be lauded for their innovation and eccentricity, able to meld together seemingly opposing styles into a unique blend that feels more like an adventure than a collection of songs. Unfortunately, UK groove metallers Place Of The Hidden God have not quite reached this plateau, although certainly not for want of trying. The band describe the album as a journey fully open to interpretation both lyrically and musically, symbolizing struggle against control either as a personal or government-wide vendetta (appropriate enough in this current political climate). Taking two parts polyrhythmic rumbles of Meshuggah / The Ocean with one part Down / Lamb Of God, they tread the line between groovy Math Metal and Djent with their début album In Liberating the Conscience, We Free Ourselves from Restraint. Go read/watch!

So I’m getting involved in some top secret Metal blogging business that is about to unfold within the next two months or so. It will be landscape changing and all that shit, but right now I’ll keep you in the dark and laugh at you silently. Did I tell you ‘Asshole’ is my middle name? Anyfuck, one thing leads to another and for some not to be disclosed reason we end up at Brent Petrie. Who the hell is Brent Petrie?

He’s a musician. And no, I have no idea if that name of his is short for Brent petroleum. In fact, there’s much else I don’t know about him and for that reason I’ll limit myself to mentioning what I do know. Like that he’s Canadian – I think – and that he is the sole crewmember of his project…, named Brent Petrie. Simplicity can be refreshing, can’t it?!

These guys are good! Phase Reverse. I had never heard of these guys before, but I’m glad I did now, despite that they are ”not quite Metal, not quite Rock, but the best of both”. I guess that’ll depend on your point of reference. If you look back in music history and think about bands like Sabbath, this will definitely fall within your definition of Metal. If by Metal the first think you think of is gutturals, it won’t. In any case that band itself says ”our music is just Rock… Heavy Rock”.

In the end I don’t care much, this stuff has struck a chord in me and that’s all that matters. Out of Athens, Greece, these three boys don’t come from where their music would make you expect them to be from. That’s because they have intertwined their Retal / Mock with a thick, juicy, Bourbon-lovin’ Southern influence. How that becomes apparent? Well, music-technically I have no fuckin’ idea. It’s just an atmosphere they breathe and a feeling you get as a listener.

When I first saw the title of this album I was kind of confused. Never, ever did I see an alternative rock/metal outfit sing about gore. Because yeah, grinding organs is not something one does daily, doesn’t one? However, after hearing the lyrics to the title song, I was reassured, and images of meat pies filled with human body parts were left to the bin.

First of all, I’m very impressed by the graphical concept and design these guys display on their website and album. Congratulations guys, this is top notch.

Up for some more gentle stuff, anyone? Well you should be, because when I start throwing around gentle stuff it’s always of exceptional quality. In this case it’s not even that gentle, but in terms of quality it’s way up there with the champs. Goddess Gagged sports a rare mixture of all kinds of flavors of Rock and Metal, yielding something truly unique.

That’s not completely what I expected when I covered the band in our Rockin’ Out With series. We covered a song titled Sink or Swim in that, and needless to say that was primarily Rocky. But breathing in the full seven-song release now I get all the other elements thrown at me. Resurfaces is the Bombay-based outfit’s debut record and it’s a must-hear.