Features
10 Underground Bands From The American South That You Need To Listen To
Here are 10 bands reminding the world that the American south is a hotbed of riffs, grooves, and darkness.
Enjoy this raging slab of southern fury from the up-and-coming extreme metal crew.
If you go so far as to name yourself simply 'I am', you better not be playing some esoteric noisegaze -- you should have the riffs to back up a name that confident. Thankfully, Texas' I Am are worthy of their moniker, playing a vicious, to-the-point flavor of groove-heavy death metal that doesn't scrimp on energy and weight. Devoid of pretension and brimming with tangible anger, the band's music is an angry headbanger's dream, and their upcoming new album Hard 2 Kill is a must-hear whirlwind of genuinely pissed-off music.
Case in point, I Am's new video for Burn Slow doesn't fuck around. The song is a pummeling barrage of swinging riffs and hoarse snarls, and its video features the band looking sweaty and enthralled in front of a blazing pyre. It's a reminder that not every band needs a gimmick or an elaborate sci-fi theme for every song and video--sometimes, evil music simply goes best with a dangerous inferno.
According to frontman Andrew Hilleman, "This song embodies all evil incarnate — staring into its eyes and not even knowing what's looking back at you. What I feel is so inhumane and disgusting. The song speaks for itself. No means 'no.'"
Right the fuck on.
Check out the exclusive premiere of "Burn Slow" below:
Take a look at the awesome cover art for Hard 2 Kill:
And make sure to get your eye socket sonically punched in by I Am at one of the dates below:
RECORD RELEASE SHOWS WITH CREEPING DEATH:
11/2 — Houston, Texas — The White Swan
11/3 — Dallas, Texas — The Prophet Bar
11/4 — San Antonio, Texas — The Guillotine
WITH INGESTED + ENTERPRISE EARTH:
11/6 — Pittsburgh, PA — Cattivo
11/7 — Rochester, NY — Montage Music Hall
11/8 — Waterford, NY — Chrome
11/9 —Hartford, CT — Webster Underground
11/10 — Brooklyn, NY — The Kingsland
11/11 — Philadelphia, PA — Voltage Lounge
11/12 — Virginia Beach, VA — Shaka's Live
11/13 — Greensboro, NC — Blind Tiger
11/14 — Greenville, SC — The Firmament
11/15 — Tampa, FL — Crowbar
11/16 —Margate, FL — O'Malley's
11/17 — Orlando, FL — Soundbar
11/18 — Acworth, GA — Connect Live
11/19 — New Orleans, LA — Gasa Gasa
11/21 — Austin, TX — Come And Take It Live
WITH UNEARTH + FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY:
11/23 — Denver, CO — Oriental Theater
11/24 — Salt Lake City, UT — The Complex
11/26 — Seattle, WA — El Corazon
11/27 — Portland, OR — Dante's
11/28 — Sacramento, CA — Holy Diver
11/29 — San Diego, CA — Brick By Brick
11/30 — Los Angeles, CA — Union
12/1 — Mesa, AZ — Club Red
***
I Am's new album Hard 2 Kill drops this Friday, 11/2, on 1126 Records. Preorder it here.
WORDS: Chris Krovatin