Fast Finds

Welcome back to Grownman's Fast Finds. A place where I highlight the best bands I've heard this week(mostly on bandcamp). For the past few weeks I've incorporated some new and classic stuff into this column. Hell, if it's not broken, I wont fix it. So once again this week, we check out an up and comer WOE, a classic DROPDEAD's ST and a bit of both with the new split EP by EXHUMED and Iron Reagan. Let me tell you folks, you can't go wrong with any of these. Strap in, hold onto the "Oh shit" handle and let's get to it.

WOE - WITHDRAWAL
This is a really interesting mix of black metal and post hardcore. There is so much energy in the music right from the start. It's as blistering as Converge and as dark as Dimmu Borgir. I absolutely get behind bands that take two completely different styles, combine them and make them sound authentic. The future is bright as a burning church steeple for Black Metal with bands like this blazing paths and crossing boundaries.


DROPDEAD - SELF TITLED 1993
So around 1994, I started to venture out to the city of Providence. I had transitioned from my high school wallflower phase to a college hardcore show going fanatic. You could hardly toss a red stripe bottle without hitting someone wearing a Dropdead emblazoned tshirt during those days. This is a classic album. One of the biggest(most respected underground) bands to ever come out of Providence, known worldwide amongst numerous grindcore bands and fans alike. I had the opportunity to chat with the lead singer in an AOL chat room of all things back in the late 90's, so this takes me back quite a few years. Like I said, simply a classic.


Exhumed / Iron Reagan - Split
Both Exhumed and Iron Reagan's 2013 releases are in my top 10 list of the year. These guys are touring together in early 2014 and what better way to start the year off but with a Split EP. Although coming from two different spectrums of metal( Exhumed = Death/Iron Reagan = Crossover) they completely compliment each other's sounds. If this is any indication of what we can expect in the new year, 2014 has the rumblings to be another great year for crossover and death metal.