You may have noticed that our primary blog is now rarely updated with content other than our Band of the Month poll. We, the Unleash the Furies staff, have noticed it to, and so, after discussing the issue, we’ve decided to close down our blog. Whether this is temporary or permanent remains to be seen, but the unfortunate fact is that all of us are busy with work, school, or other projects and cannot keep up the blog in the way that we believe it deserves.

But fear not! This is far from the end of Unleash the Furies, but for now we’ll limit ourselves to bringing you all of our latest discoveries, new videos, and general news from your favorite up-and-coming bands through our Facebook page. We’ll also continue to run our Band of the Month and Readers’ Choice polls on our Facebook, so if you haven’t “liked” us yet, you certainly should!

We’re currently in the process of transferring all of our Band of the Month winner features over to Facebook and will close the site when that is finished, which should be soon.

We want to thank all of you readers for your support over the last two years and we hope that you’ll continue to follow us on Facebook and help us find promising new bands to share with the world!

Happy New Year,
Max, Mimi, Sara, Robin, and Frozen Angel

This gothic-symphonic rock outfit from Mexico jumped to an early lead in the poll. And, to make a short story even shorter, they held the lead right up to the final day. So, felicitaciones to Nostra Morte for becoming our first Band of the Month for 2013!

Click here to visit Nostra Morte’s Band of the Month page.

Here is the final vote tally:

1. Nostra Morte –  1,277 votes (81.7%)
2. Huldre –  108 votes (6.91%)
3. Ophidian Spell – 67 votes (4.29%)
4. Romantic Rebel – 57  votes (3.65%)
5. Céphée Lyra– 54 votes (3.45%)

Wow, now we have to think about 2013! Here are our nominees for the honor of Band Of The Month in January:

• Blaine The Mono, an alternative rock band from Orlando, Florida, USA. A band that’s only been together for less than 2 years, Blaine The Mono released their debut EP, Vices In Verses,in December.
• Elferya, a symphonic metal band from Lausanne, Switzerland. Last month, Elferya self-released their first full-length album, The Straight And Narrow.
• Immanent, a progressive metal band from Paris, France. Immanent’s debut album, In Acedia, was released on November 27th and was recorded at Fortress Studios in London, United Kingdom.
• To-Mera, a progressive metal band from London, United Kingdom. To-Mera independently released Exile, their third full-length album and fourth release overall, in September.
• Weeping Silence, a gothic doom metal band from the island nation of Malta. Weeping Silence released their third album, For The Unsung, in October via Ravenheart Records, and recently announced Diane Camenzuli as their new female vocalist.

Starting this month, we’re no longer using PollDaddy and WordPress for our Band Of The Month Polls. Instead, we’re using the Question option on the official Unleash The Furies Facebook page. Click here to visit us on Facebook. Voting ends on Thursday, January 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on Facebook or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

This was the closest Band Of The Month Poll we’ve had in UtF history! We watched this one closely to the very end because both of the French bands, Markize and Venturia, made huge runs for the top. And with 1 hour – yes, 1 hour – to go, Venturia finally pulled away to take the title of Band Of The Month for December 2012. Congrats to the melodic prog metallers from Montpellier! And hey, how about Venturia and Markize play a gig together in 2013? We think that would be fantastic. *hint hint*

Click here to visit Venturia’s Band of the Month page.

Here is the final vote tally:

1. Venturia – 3,759 votes (45.39%)
2. Markize – 3,537 votes (42.71%)
3. Armonight – 896 votes (10.49%)
4. Thought Machine – 64 votes (0.77%)
5. Triaxis – 52 votes (0.63%)

Wow, now we have to think about 2013! Here are our nominees for the honor of Band Of The Month in January:

• Céphée Lyra, a gothic progressive metal band from Rhône-Alpes, France. Céphée Lyra recently released Privati Honoris Causa, their second EP and their third recording overall.
• Huldre, a folk metal band from Copenhagen, Denmark. In October, Huldre released their debut album, Intet Menneskebarn, via Gateway Music.
• Nostra Morte, a gothic symphonic metal act from Tepic, Mexico. Nostra Morte released their debut album, Sin Retorno, earlier this year via Skarlet Records.
• Ophidian Spell, a symphonic death metal band from Strasbourg, France. Ophidian Spell independently released their self-titled debut EP in October and have a music video out for the song “Lost Souls.”
• Romantic Rebel, a hard rock quartet from Chicago, Illinois, USA. Romantic Rebel recently released their self-titled debut EP, which features a guest appearance by drummer Matt Walker (formerly of Smashing Pumpkins, Filter, and Morrissey).

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through New Year’s Eve – Monday, December 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

This was another fun poll – and unpredictable, too! Four different bands had the lead at different points during the month. But, in the end, Canadian alternative metallers Apparatus received the most votes. And now they’re our November 2012 Band of the Month!

Click here to visit Apparatus’ Band of the Month page.

Here is the final vote tally:

1. Apparatus – 495 votes (46.88%)
2. The Mystery– 341 votes (32.29%)
3. Seven Kingdoms – 162 votes (15.34%)
4. Pursuing The End – 42 votes (3.98%)
5. Destiny Potato – 16 votes (1.52%)

Time to reveal the nominees for our December 2012 Band of the Month Poll! And they are:

• Armonight, a melodic rock band from Vicenza, Italy. Armonight released their second album, Tales From The Heart, through Ravenheart Music in September.
• Markize, a trilingual electro-rock band from Paris, France. Markize will celebrate the release of their self-titled second album on November 16 with a party / concert at Le Zèbre de Belleville in Paris.
• Thought Machine, a “cyber metal” (modern / industrial) band from Milano, Italy. Thought Machine independently released their self-titled debut album in May to critical acclaim.
• Triaxis, a heavy metal band from South Wales, United Kingdom. Triaxis released their second album, Rage And Retribution, in October through Rocksector Records.
• Venturia, a melodic progressive metal band from Montpellier, France. Venturia released their third album, Dawn of a New Era, in September through Lion Music.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through Friday, November 30th!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Well, this was a fun poll to watch! The lead for this poll switched between three different bands, until Danish symphonic metallers Akoma and Mexican alt-prog metallers El Cuervo de Poe pulled away midway through September. Fans made strong pushes in the last few days for both bands. And in the end, El Cuervo de Poe emerged as the Band of the Month for October 2012!

Click here to visit El Cuervo de Poe’s Band of the Month page. And here’s an interesting fact: El Cuervo de Poe is the first Band of the Month winner to perform most of their songs in a language other than English.

The complete results are as follows:

1. El Cuervo de Poe – 833 votes (42.5%)
2. Akoma – 768 votes (39.18%)
3. The Forsaken Creation – 244 votes (12.45%)
4. Embracing Soul – 65 votes (3.32%)
5. Stone Cold Outlaw – 50 votes (2.55%)

So, who are our nominees for the November 2012 Band of the Month Poll? Here they are, without further ado:

• Apparatus, an alternative metal band from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Apparatus self-released their second album, Evolution, on September 8th.
• Destiny Potato, a Djent metal band from Belgrade, Serbia. Destiny Potato will release their highly anticipated debut EPsoon through Century Media Records. In the meantime, the band will play at EuroBlast in Cologne, Germany on October 21st.
• Pursuing The End, a symphonic metal band from Parma, Italy. Pursuing The End released a three-track EP, Withering, in early September. The band is currently working on their first full-length album.
• Seven Kingdoms, a power metal band from DeLand, Florida, United States. On October 9^th, Seven Kingdoms will release The Fire Is Mine, their second album with female singer Sabrina Valentine and their third album overall.
• The Mystery, a melodic heavy metal band from Heiligenhaus, Germany. The Mystery released their second album, Apocalypse 666, on September 8th via Pure Steel Records / Pure Legends Records.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day through the spookiest day of the year – Wednesday, October 31^st (a.k.a. Halloween)!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Which brings me to today’s featured video, “Remember” by Leah. This lady is a rock/metal singer-songwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada whose influences range from the biggest names in the female-fronted scene to new age pioneers Loreena McKennitt and Enya. (I think I also hear hints of Mariah Carey in Leah’s voice… Does anyone else agree?) And on “Remember,” you get both ends of Leah’s spectrum. Soft vocalizations and soulful cries, minimal instrumentation and full-out rock – even though “Remember” is only 4 minutes long, you have to listen to the whole song in order to absorb its beauty. Or maybe you’ll be captivated right away, just as I was.

If you like “Remember,” visit Leah’s official website to listen to her debut CD, Of Earth & Angels, in its entirety!

~ Sara

Another month has gone by, and so has another UtF Band of the Month Poll. And once again, we’re surprised by the results. Our staff had never heard of this progressive power metal band from Bosnia & Herzegovina until one of our readers nominated them. Then we watched as Heaven Rain stormed to a commanding lead and kept it that way to the end. So, the September 2012 Band of the Month crown goes to Heaven Rain!

Click here to visit Heaven Rain’s Band of the Month page.

Here are the complete poll results:

1. Heaven Rain – 160 votes (59.26%)
2. Dorota Malek –   70 votes (25.93%)
3. Crystal Viper – 21 votes (7.78%)
4. Kontrust – 13 votes (4.81%)
5. White Skull –  6 votes (2.22%)

Time to reveal our nominees for the October 2012 Band of the Month! Your choices are:

• Akoma, a symphonic metal band from Silkeborg, Denmark. Akoma self-released their second EP, The Other Side, in March and is currently working on material for their first full-length album.
• El Cuervo de Poe, a gothic alternative metal band from Guadalajara, Mexico. February was a busy month for El Cuervo de Poe, as they opened for one of Within Temptation’s Mexican shows and released their second album Ex Libris.
• Embracing Soul, a gothic rock/metal band from Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada. Embracing Soul released their second EP, Luna, via Illusive Records in July.
• Stone Cold Outlaw, a hard rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Stone Cold Outlaw has a three-track, self-titled EP out now and is currently booking shows in their local area for the fall.
• The Forsaken Creation, an ambient metal project from Paris, France. Comprised of singer Anne-Emmanuelle and instrumentalist Eric Valley, The Forsaken Creation released its debut EP, Fragments, in May.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Sunday, September 30th!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

We thought this month’s Dame-Nation 2012 themed poll would be a close call. Turns out that it became a battle between two of Chicago’s up-and-coming hard rock bands: Burning Eve and 4Without. And after one day of Burning Eve at the top, 4Without fans came back with a vengeance. That’s why 4Without is our Band of the Month for August 2012!

Click here to visit 4Without’s Band of the Month page.

Thanks again to everyone who showed their support for Dame-Nation 2012 by voting! Here are the complete results:

1. 4Without –  851 votes (58.61%)
2. Burning Eve –  490 votes (33.75%)
3. Schoolcraft – 33 votes (2.27%)
4. Persistence of Memory – 28 votes (1.93%)
5. A.D.D. –  26 votes (1.79%)
6. (tie) MindShatter – 8 votes (0.55%)
7. (tie for 6) Last Red Ransom – 8 votes (0.55%)
8. Virulence Factor – 5 votes (0.34%)
9. DeadMansWake – 3 votes (0.21%)

Onto our September 2012 poll! Your choices are:

• Crystal Viper, a Polish heavy metal band. Crystal Viper released their fourth full-length album Crimen Excepta via AFM Records in April.
• Dorota Malek, a hard rock / metal singer from Wels, Austria. Her full-length debut album Dayphobia was released this past March via Noisehead Records.
• Heaven Rain, a progressive power metal band from Banja Luka, Bosnia. Their third release Second Sun is their first full-length album with current singer Miona Graorac.
• Kontrust, a cross-over band rock/metal band from Ried and Vienna, Austria. Although Kontrust have been around for several years, their popularity exploded in mid-2012 with the release of their new album Second Hand Wonderland.
• White Skull, an Italian heavy metal band. White Skull recently premiered the music video for “Red Devil,” the first single from their latest album Under This Flag.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Friday, August 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

This month’s poll was a lot tighter than the final numbers show. Orlando, FL alternative rockers Ideal Zero had a close yet comfortable lead up until the last couple days. That’s when fans for French prog/goth rockers Wedingoth rallied together for a commanding win. Slow yet steady wins the race? Maybe so. Either way, Wedingoth is our July 2012 Band of the Month!

Click here to visit Wedingoth’s Band of the Month page.

Here are the final results for the July poll:

1. Wedingoth –  1,004 votes (45.8%)
2. Ideal Zero –  811 votes (37%)
3. Astral Tears –  164 votes (7.48%)
4. Dawn of Destiny – 156 votes (7.12%)
5. Embassy of Silence – 57 votes (2.6%)

Since we’re still in a Dame-Nation 2012 state of mind, our next Band of the Month Poll features all nine bands from this year’s line-up! The nominees are:

• 4Without, a hard rock band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Analog Digital Disorder (A.D.D.), a hard rock / metal band from Lockport, Illinois, USA.
• Burning Eve, a hard rock / metal band from Elk Grove Village, Illinois, USA.
• DeadMansWake, a hard rock / metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Last Red Ransom, an industrial metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
• MindShatter, a hard rock band from Joliet, Illinois, USA.
• Persistence of Memory, a hard rock / metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Schoolcraft, a symphonic pop project led by Lindz Riot of Mary And The Black Lamb out of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Virulence Factor, a melodic metal band from Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Visit our WordPress site and scroll down to find the poll on the right-hand sidebar. Vote once a day, every day through Tuesday, July 31st!

Which bands would you like to see featured in our next Band of the Month Poll? Let us know by posting a suggestion on our Facebook page or emailing us at unleashthefuriesmetal@gmail.com.

Uhm, have we mentioned recently how excited we are to partner again with the mighty Dame-Nation festival in Chicago, and introduce you to the hottest up-and-coming female-fronted bands in North America?  Come join us on Saturday, June 30, 2012 at the Abbey pub for a night of bone-rattling metal and rock!  If you can’t be there in person to throw some horns and bang your head until your brains leak out, show some metal love by checking out the gals and guys on the line-up.

Come meet Chicago locals, Virulence Factor, which was also a new band to us.  Virulence Factor is a heavy/melodic metal band with female lead vocals, but also male vocalists with (as the describe on their Facebook page) “tasteful keyboard/piano parts, soaring leads from both guitarists, and a groove-driven rhythm section.” Formed in 2008, the band started out as a male-fronted band that recorded a five-song demo album.  After the departure of one of the founding members, the band went on hiatus before resurrecting itself with frontwoman, Deborah Villanueva, securely behind the mic.  In April 2012, Virulence Factor added a keyboardist to the mix, so Dame-Nation attendees will be among the first to see the band’s new line-up.

Virulence Factor are busily working on new material, so check them out!

Virulence Factor are:

• Deborah Villanueva — lead vocals
• Mark Villanueva — guitars/vocals
• Jackson “Jax” Fabros — guitars/vocals
• Justin Fernandez – bass/vocals
• Rick Madison — drums
• Joseph Connors — keyboards/piano

You can check out Virulence Factor on their Facebook and ReverbNation profiles.

We’d love to hear what you think of the band! (robin)