Our July 2012 Band of the Month Is…

Wedingoth

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.

Check It Out: Burning Eve

Next up on our list of Dame-Nation 2012 bands is another group of hometown favorites: Burning Eve!

Burning Eve are a melodic metal quartet from Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The band was formed by guitarist Kenn and bassist / keyboardist Jeremy in 2008. However, it wasn’t until when Polish-born singer Toyah joined in 2010 that the line-up was complete and the songs began to take shape. Since then, Burning Eve has played a number of local gigs and recorded a self-titled, three-track EP, which was released on May 25th. The band’s Facebook profile also mentions an upcoming full-length album called Mirrors, but I haven’t been able to find more information on that…

Burning Even has described their sound as a “female fronted powerhouse that can blow your socks off one minute, and then send chills down your spine the next.” (That quote comes from the band”s recent interview at Hail The Hero, which you can read here.) Based on the three EP tracks on Burning Eve’s ReverbNation page, I have to agree with that description. Each song offers a different flavor of melodic metal. “Bleeding” is a radio-friendly anthem with terrific guitar hooks and electrifying vocals from Toyah. She really shows off her talents on “Serpent,” shouting and belting it out over thunderous riffs and dynamic rhythms. I really like the mix of grit and sassiness that oozes from “Serpent,” so much that I’d call it my favorite Burning Eve song so far. Finally, there’s the ballad “Embrace.” This one is quieter and brooding and has an acoustic rock-soul vibe for the first minute-and-a-half before the full band kicks in.

Below is Burning Eve’s recently released video for “Embrace.” Don’t panic when you hear silence at the beginning – the song doesn’t start playing until 0:27 seconds.

Burning Eve are:

• Toyah: Vocals
• Kenny: Guitar, Backing Vocals
• Jeremy: Bass, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
• Michael: Guitar

(Hmmmm, does that mean that Burning Eve is looking for a full-time drummer?)

Check out Burning Eve at their official website as well as on Facebook, ReverbNation, Twitter, and YouTube. And remember: Dame-Nation 2012 is at The Abbey in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, June 30th – 2 weeks from today!

~ Sara

Check It Out: Persistence of Memory

Before we get too far into our Dame-Nation 2012 Check It Out series, we should mention that two bands previously covered here at Unleash The Furies are returning to this year’s festival. DEADMANSWAKE is making their fourth Dame-Nation appearance, while Lindz Riot of Mary And The Black Lamb will bring her solo project Schoolcraft to Chicago for its US debut. So, congrats to both bands for making it onto this year’s bill!

Now… It’s time for Persistence of Memory!

Hard rockers Persistence of Memory have been making a name for themselves in the Chicago area for the past couple years. They’ve done so with their vision of a dark, melodic sound highlighted by personal lyrics. Despite being unsigned and relatively young compared to some bands, Persistence of Memory keep making – and achieving – one goal after another. Professionally record a 5-track EP titled Mind’s Eye? Check. Win the Chicago House of Blues’ Battle of the Bands competition? Check. Play at over 30 venues in 7 months, with the likes of Adrenaline Mob, A.D.D., Tantric, and Adema? Now that’s ambitious!

What exactly does Persistence of Memory sound like? Not sassy or oozing with attitude, as their promo photos may imply. I’d call their music emotionally charged hard rock with melodic female vocals and harsh male vocals. That doesn’t quite cover it, though. The band’s list of influences is long and varied: 30 Seconds to Mars, Evanescence, HIM, In This Moment, Guns ‘N Roses, Avenged Sevenfold, and Stone Sour are just a few. Jennifer’s singing style is melodic and lightly sensual, and her lyrics can be brooding, courageous, or angry. She admits on the band’s website that she’s not afraid to sing about upbeat topics as well as more melancholic ones, including her father’s death. To quote from her bio: “Jeni strongly believes the best time to write a song is when something significantly affects you because your emotions will fill up the paper without you having to create them.”

Each song on the band’s Mind’s Eye shows a different side of Persistence of Memory. “Pirate Ship” has a ska rock feel that reminds me of No Doubt, while “Cast Your Stone” and “Fade Away” seesaw between metallic crunch and softer melodic moments. My favorite track by far is “Ruin” because it’s full of surprises. Pianos, cinematic keys, Jeni trading cleanly sung lines with drummer Justin Luebeck’s grunts, tempo changes – and I won’t tell you how long it is. Just listen to it, and prepare for a rollercoaster ride.

Here’s the music video that POM shot for “Alone,” the single from Mind’s Eye. It gives you a taste of their sound and a glimpse of their in-your-face stage presence. And – *ahem* – a little sauciness, too!

At the moment, Persistence of Memory are finishing their first full-length album, which they plan to release before the end of 2012. The band also hopes to be signed to a record label before year’s end and earn a spot on the 2013 Warped Tour. (I told you they’re ambitious!) Based on their track record so far, I wouldn’t be surprised if both goals become reality for Persistence of Memory.

Persistence of Memory are:

• Jennifer Imparato – Lead Vocals
• Dan Bikar – Lead Guitar / Back-up Vocals
• Grant Forkenbrock – Rhythm Guitar
• Justin Luebeck – Drums / Screams
• Keith Hensley – Bass

Learn more about Persistence of Memory now at their official website as well as their Myspace, Facebook, ReverbNation, Twitter, and YouTube pages. And don’t forget: Dame-Nation 2012 is at The Abbey in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, June 30th!

~ Sara

Check It Out: Last Red Ransom

Unleash the Furies is tickled pink (in a properly bad-ass, metal way) to once again be a promotional sponsor for the mighty Dame-Nation festival, which is celebrating its fourth year of burning Chicago to cinders with an inferno of up-and-coming female-fronted metal and rock.  Circle your calendar and plan on being there on Saturday, June 30th!  But even if you cannot make it there in person, you can still be there in metal spirit by supporting the festival and the bands on the line-up.

We’d like to introduce you to Dame-Nation newcomers, Last Red Ransom from Atlanta, Georgia.  LRR’s debut album, Sleep Well Sweet Vanity, moves effortlessly between industrial soundscapes, metal riffs, silky vocals and lung-splitting screams, with a male and female singer — Charlotte Kelli and Saint — sharing vocal duties (although female vocals predominate).  I rather like the switch-up of hearing a band where the male vocalist sings solely in ”clean” mode, while the female vocalist alternates between smooth melodic vocals and banshee screams.  Oh, and did we mention that Charlotte also switches between the keyboards and guitar, while singing?  As someone with all the talent of a sock monkey, watching the the guitar-keyboard-sing-scream acrobatics is more than a little impressive.

Last Red Ransom holds a special place in my heart because I have seen them perform numerous times, in venues ranging from seedy joints (where I had to convert all my pictures to black-and-white to obscure the grime on the ceiling and walls) to the largest metal venue in Atlanta.  No matter where they play or the size of the crowd, these guys always pour their hearts into their live shows.  In fact, it was at a LRR show that I focused on the percussions for the first time, after being swept away by Adair’s ferocious drumming.  Zakk joined as the bassist in late 2011, and now adds a thrum of menace to the tracks.

Last Red Ransom are hard at work on their upcoming album, and (hopefully) will give Dame-Nation attendees a sneak peek at some of their new material!

Last Red Ransom is:

• Charlotte Kelli - vocals, keyboard and guitar
• Saint - vocals and guitar
• Adair - drums
• Zakk – bass

You can check out Sleep Well Sweet Vanity on Last Red Ransom’s Facebook and ReverbNation profiles.

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