With Dead Throne, the groups fourth studio album due out mid August, he technically proficient, guitar-driven American metal band The Devil Wears Prada has turned a corner, by turning up the aggression and turning on the emotions. Dead Throne is the product of hard work and The Devil Wears Prada’s inevitable musical evolution, which tends to focus more on the band’s unique, punishing dual-vocal assault this time around. “We aim to give listeners and fans something they can enjoy, but we’ll also always make songs we personally stand behind,” says frontman Mike Hranica. “We’d write differently if we were purely trying to sell albums: that’s just not how it works for us. No compromises.” Dead Throne finally takes hold of what the band has merely hinted at in the past, and fans both old and new will quickly see this album for what it is — a brilliant, emotional, captivating and brutal journey brought forth from the heart of a band that won’t conform to the latest trends. Ultimately, Dead Throne tackles issues of failed relationships and perseverance of faith.
NOFX with Dillinger Four, Masked Intruder, The Implants
If someone were to walk into a store and pick up their very first punk record today, they could do much worse than NOFX, This quartet, fronted by Fat Mike, plays fast-paced pop punk, mixed with elements of ska and hardcore. The overall attitude of the band dwells heavily on traditional punk and DIY ideologies. Fat Mike is a very charismatic frontman for a band – depending on your definition of charisma, that is. He is bold and often snarky and sarcastic, as well as often blatantly political. They are great qualities for a punk rock band that is out to make people think and push a few buttons. NOFX has been a testament to the potential of a punk band on an independent label to enjoy popularity and success.
Formed in Berkeley, California and relocating to Los Angeles, NOFX steered clear of major labels and commercial exposure over the course of their career, recording an impressive number of full-length albums plus an assortment of EPs and singles. They have made a few videos, but have not given permission for them to be played on mainstream channels like MTV or VH1. In addition to the blatantly political nature of the band’s lyrics, Fat Mike is also politically active. He launched Punk Voter, a collection of punk labels, bands and fans that seeks to educate and inform America’s youth and get them to vote. Specifically, their goal at one time was to vote George W Bush out of office, but even after his reelection, Punk Voter still continued to actively educating young voters about issues that affect them.
August Burns Red with Bless The Fall, Defeater, Beartooth
Since launching out of Manheim, PA, the industrious outfit has successfully transitioned from shake-up-the-field upstarts to one of the biggest names worldwide in the genre. On stages across the U.S. to Europe, Japan, Australia, South America and more, from renowned fests such as UK’s Download Festival to the Warped Tour, which they join again in 2013 as a mainstage act, AUGUST BURNS RED have spent years taking their music and message directly to fans, and in the process have grown into one of the leading forces in the modern metal scene, a fact bolstered by their 1.4 million Facebook fans and more than half- million albums sold. With so many bands in the heavy music scene seemingly intent on madness, AUGUST BURNS RED aren’t afraid to branch out, weaving in elements of other influences from punk to indie to rock. The band artfully blend piano, cello, violin, trumpet, various percussive elements and more into their sonic arsenal, taking their music to new aesthetic heights and contorting the boundaries of heavy music. “At the end of the day we are still a very heavy band,” explains guitarist and principal songwriter JB Brubaker. “We still have plenty of really heavy stuff, techy odd meter riffs, and all the stuff that people have come to expect from us, it just has a lot more surprises along the way.” Even if some people don’t realize that music needs to be saved from falling neatly into easily digestible boxes, this band is doing its part anyhow without a hint of cynicism. There’s an earnest sincerity behind AUGUST BURNS RED’s desire to continue to warp the constraints of what it means to be a metal band. “With every album we want to get better as musicians, as songwriters, as performers. We all genuinely love what we are doing and that is great motivation to always try to improve and expand,” Brubaker says. “I think our best days are still ahead.”