Proudest Angel- Fan Contest for Upcoming House of Blues Show.

Post #358

Proudest Angel are headling the House of Blues, Chicago on March 29th. They want you to know about it and share it! From now through this Saturday, March 17th anybody that uses #proudestangel on social media will be entered into a drawing for 2 tickets to the show, 2 shirts and downloads of both their albums.


-

-

So jump onto your facebooks, instagrams, and twitters and spread the word for #proudestangel and their House of Blues show on March 29th!!!

Proudest Angel Video Shoot! (Sunday, August 13th at 10:00 am)

Post #350

Proudest Angel, reigning Independent Band of the Year, are filming a video for their upcoming single 'We Had Fun' on Sunday August 13th starting at 10:00am. Extras are wanted!!! The venue is the Elbo Room on Chicago's North Side. Not busy? Drop on in and be in a music video!

This is a FREE EVENT! If you're not tied down by work-schedules, hobbies, or ropes then there's really no excuse to miss this chance for 15 minutes of fame!

Proudest Angel Hit the South Side, Saturday, May 20th , 2017

Post 348

This Saturday, May 20th, 2017, Independent Band of the Year PROUDEST ANGEL return to the Chicago local scene, performing an all-ages show along with Johnny and the Rocks and Sinister Fate at Damien's Den, 13445 S Brainard Ave, on Chicago's south side!

Cover is only $6!!

Show Starts at 9pm...

Don't miss it!

Proudest Angel-The Soundtrack to Your Next Bad Decision (2016)

Post # 347

Proudest Angel had been broken up for over a decade before the paths of former members would meander back together and bring some new faces into the fold. Enter 2016, and a reunion of sorts for this underground heavy rock band has commenced. This time around, who knows where it will go, but so far they already have a collection of new recordings in the books: The Soundtrack to Your Next Bad Decision.

Their style is a raw and heavy, riff-driven fusion of alt-rock and metal. Vocalist Bill Paimon was previously in Sutured Psyche, another band I've reviewed on this blog before. His vocal style remains consistent from that band to this, but the instrumentation and direction of the band is heavier. For all intents and purposes it is fair to think of Proudest Angel as a 'heavier Sutured Psyche', for those familiar with them. However, Proudest Angel's original iteration predates Sutured Psyche's. Their early recordings can be found on their CD, Skeletons From the Closet. I may review those songs later on, but now is a time to focus on their new recording.

With The Soundtrack To Your Next Bad Decision you get a good sampling of what Proudest Angel have to offer. For those who know them from their early days, the sounds are familiar. They primarily deliver some heavy riffs in a mid-tempo song structure. They do include a couple songs (Anathema, Canto Dolor) with melodic clean guitars, or slower tempos, but they always come back to the faster heavier formula in the end. They even have an unusual choice of a cover song; Lady Gaga's 'I Like It Rough'.

The Soundtrack To Your Next Bad Decision should be enough to remind the old fans of what Proudest Angel were, as well as showing them what they have now become. As they continue to play shows in the Chicagoland area and write new songs it will be interesting to see where they go from here.

Track Listing:
Civilly Feral- This one is their first single, and music video, in support of this release. A groove-heavy headbangin' tune.

Starlight- One of my favorite tracks. Fast, heavy, and they mix things up with a cool breakdown segment.

Anathema-Although still electric and heavy, this song had melodic riffs that show off Proudest Angel's versatile side. Long-time fans may be reminded of their song 'Wayfaring Stranger'...

Shoulda Known Better-This one is a straight-up rock and roller of a song!

Canto Dolor-This one is closer to a true ballad than Proudest Angel have come before. Clean guitars, and slower tempos let you know this band has a little more to offer...

I Like It Rough (Lady Gaga cover)-Here they take Gaga's pop-song and reinvent it with a heavy metal palate. The fact that it is sung by a guy make all the lyrical innuendo more curious...

We Had Fun-This one is a slower-tempo grinder of a track for the most part but  there is a point about 3 minutes in where they skip over to a double-time feel.

This release is also available at:
Amazon
iTunes

Congratulations to Proudest Angel-2016/17 Independent Band of the Year

Post #345


On November 15th the annual Independent Band of the Year readers-poll contest concluded and Proudest Angel from Chicago, IL won by virtue of getting the most votes. This was another exciting year, and again was an outreach effort as there were bands featured not just from the Chicago and Indiana music scenes, but also from Spain and England! I want to thank all the bands for being a part of another competitive year of promoting independent heavy music through this contest. I hope your fans continue to follow this site.

Proudest Angel will become the featured band on this site for the 2017 calendar year starting in January. They will have a link to their primary website in the sidebar, announcements posted here ahead of each show they play, a review forthcoming of 'The Soundtrack to Your Next Bad Decision'- their first album since 2002, and other content as opportunity presents.


They also will get to nominate a band for the next 3 Independent Band readers polls. For now, you can follow their events and announcements on their facebook page, and stream their album online at their Bandcamp page.


Thanks again, and Happy Headbanging!

2016 Independent Band of the Year Reader's Poll

Post #342

It is time once again for the Independent Band of the Year poll here at HappyHeadbanger.com! From now through November 15th the poll is open for voting. This year we have a field of bands that in addition to the music scene in Chicago and the surrounding ares, also reaches out to some countries in Europe! I think you'll enjoy all of these bands if you take a couple minutes to listen to a song from each of them. Vote for your favorite! Vote for a couple favorites! Share with your friends and on your favorite social media platform. At the end of the polling period, only 1 will become HappyHeadbanger's next Independent Band of the Year...

-DISSONA (Chicago IL, Progressive Metal)
This band is a progressive metal band from Chicago who put their own spin on the tones and song structures that you can have in metal. Parts of their songs sound like some elements of thrash, or ambient progressive rock, or hardcore, or symphonic metal, but then they go beyond and deliver something completely new.

Check out the song 'Another Sky'

-OCCULT DECEIVER (Indianapolis, IN, Blackened-Death Metal/Thrash Metal)
This Indiana band is perhaps the most extreme metal band I've featured yet. Their vocal style ranges from the true guttural growls of death metal to the shrieking screams of black metal. If death metal is your preference, you need look no further. Check out Occult Deceiver and prepare for some serious extreme metal!

Check out the song 'Shattered Soul'

-ARES (Indianapolis, IN, Metalcore/Hardcore)
This band is a metalcore band in a style similar to bands like Fit For a King, or The Devil Wears Prada. Ares keep the vocal ratio heavily in favor of the hardcore screams, but melodic vocals are interspersed here and there.

Check out the title-track from their new CD, 'Fall of the King'

-EVIL ENGINE (Chicago, IL, Punk Rock)
This band delivers Punk Rock music akin to Bad Religion, with the twist of a female vocalist. They hit on all cylinders and fuse raw emotion with riffs and melody.

Check out their song 'Father'

-PROUDEST ANGEL (Chicago, IL, Metal/Hard Rock)
This band hits you with a raw and heavy tone, rocking out riffs that are right between a heavy punk rock and groove metal. Some melodic guitar phrases bring texture to a couple songs, and a deep vocal melody round out their formula.

-Check out their song 'Civilly Feral'

-WARG (Zaragoza, Spain, Epic Thrash Metal)
This band from Spain call their style 'Epic Thrash Metal', and true there are thrash riffs at the base of each song's foundation, but they incorporate elements of hardcore, folk, symphonic and operatic metal into different songs. Hearing is believing, so click the link below to hear for yourself

Check out the song 'Ancient Times'

-SUFFER NO FOOLS (Ealing, London, UK, Metalcore)
A melodic metalcore band from the London area of the UK, Suffer No Fools mix it up with some heavy riffs, melodic phrasing, clean tones, and a scratchy vocal performance that sometimes could fit in with 'post-grunge'.

Check out the song 'Prey'


Click the box next to your favorite band(s) in the right hand column to record your vote. Share this link with more and more friends to spread the word and encourage them to vote as well!

HappyHeadbanger Fest 2016: Live at Elbo Room, September 3rd.

Post #341

On September 3rd, 2016, history was made as the first-ever Happyheadbanger Fest was held in Chicago at the Elbo Room on the north side of the city. 5 bands came out and played their hearts out for the faithful followers of independent music who came, saw, and rocked out with them. The evening was recorded live, and may be available in the future either through this blog or directly through the bands who performed. For now, I'll review the music that was played on this night.

The opening act was Fist to the Sky, the band who won my Independent Band of the Year contest in 2012. Brothers Mike and Phil Sylvester played an 'acoustic' set to open the show, as their drummer was unavailable for this night. They started off the night with a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Simple Man'. They actually sounded close to the Shinedown version of this song. From there they mixed it up with some of their old songs, some newer original songs, a couple more covers, and even a song or two from their own side-projects.

With the crowd warmed up it was time for the next act... Next band up was Threatening The Order, a female-fronted metal band from Chicago. They played a fast and heavy set. The crowd got into it, there were fists in the air, and heads were banging. Their songs were driven by heavy riffs, and the singer brought a melodic element to each song. They did perform both songs they have available on their Reverbnation page to stream/download; 'Something to Prove', and 'Soul Inside'. They closed with another favorite track, 'Hold Your Breath'

Third band up, right in the middle of the line-up, was MEDIUMS. This was another change of pace for the evening. Mediums are a blues-rock band who have already drawn comparisons to Ben Folds with their sound. Having just started playing shows earlier this year, they filled in on short notice for another band that had to cancel. They kept things up-beat and kept the crowd into the music. They were quite entertaining, particularly their guitarist Henry Van Loon, who played a Hendrix-ish guitar solo at one point, complete with teeth-picking and behind-the-head playing. Even when one guitarist had a string break during their set, the rest of the band improvised a drum-solo and jam session while he re-strung his instrument, and they never missed a beat!

 The penultimate band of the night was Scars Of Armageddon, the current Independent Band of the Year on this site. They also played the most intense style of metal thus far, and they melted faces with their shredding progressive power metal. I recently reviewed their debut CD Never Sleep... Again, and they played 2 tracks from that release, including my personal favorite, 'Our Dying Day'. They also played several new songs from their follow-up CD which they are recording currently. Fists were pumping, heads were banging, and the crowd's energy was at its peak thus far.

Last but not least, was Proudest Angel, a Chicago-based metal-rock-punk band that gave the first ever HappyHeadbanger Fest an energetic and thrilling final set. Prior to their latest release, The Soundtrack to Your Next Bad Decision, Proudest Angel last released new music back in 2003. They played a couple songs from both their newer and older releases, but they also surprised us with a cool cover of Stabbing Westward's 'Shame', cleverly arranged as part of a medley with their own original song 'Starlight'. They hit us early and often with heavy riffs and powerful vocals. They closed their set with one of their older classics, 'Brink'.

And then it was in the books. HappyHeadbanger Fest 2016 had become reality, and hopefully marks the beginning of a tradition. In any event, this show was filmed and recorded. There may be audio and/or video material from this evening of independent rock and metal music available for you at some point in the future. Keep following Happyheadbanger.com, and keep up with local and independent bands near and far. Support your local scene wherever you are... Happy Headbanging to all!

Setlists for each band were as follows:
FIST TO THE SKY
-Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
-Count Your Blessings
-Life So Free (War Horseman cover)
-Done With You
-Untitled
-One Dance (Drake cover)
-Forever We Will Stand
-Forever and After
-Not After Tonight

THREATENING THE ORDER
-Price to Pay
-Mistaken
-Something to Prove
-Soul Inside
-Casting Molds
-Slave
-Buried
-Hold Your Breath

MEDIUMS
-If You Love a City
-Let Me In
-I Can't Take It Any More
-Only in Moonlight
-No Name #7
-Well Wishing
-Good Time
-Girlia
-Chasin' The Blues

SCARS OF ARMAGEDDON
-Dead End
-Never Sleep Again
-Our Dying Day
-A Good Day To Die
-Lockdown

PROUDEST ANGEL
-Shoulda Known Better
-The Hyena
-Anathema
-Chaos
-Whole Again
-Civilly Feral
-Shamelight (A medley of Starlight and Shame by Stabbing Westward)
-We Had Fun
-Brink

HappyHeadbanger Fest Preview 5: Proudest Angel

Post #339

Proudest Angel are a re-formed groove-metal/punk-metal band from Chicago. Performing at the first-ever HappyHeadbanger Fest, they're promoting their first album of new material since 2002. Entitled 'The Soundtrack to Your Next Bad Decision', it is available on their bandcamp page to stream or download. Here is their new music video: Civilly Feral.

HappyHeadbanger Fest - 2016, at Elbo Room, Chicago. Saturday, September 3rd.

Post # 333

A rock and metal music fest that will primarily feature the independent bands featured here on this blog for the past seven years... HappyHeadbanger Fest will be sure to satiate every Chicago metal-head's need for headbanging! Featuring 3 previous winners of my 'Independent Band of the Year' annual contest, plus members from other previously featured bands, and a couple bands to be featured in this year's upcoming Independent Band of the Year Reader's Poll, this fest is as much about promoting the Chicago and surrounding area's music scene as it is about that scene supporting this blog in return.

In just under 3 weeks, Scars of Armageddon, the current Band of the Year, will be performing, along with previous Bands of the Year Her Name Is Mercy and Fist To The Sky. Other bands performing include Threatening The Order, Mediums, and Proudest Angel!

6 Independent Metal and Punk Rock bands! Fully Amped and Unplugged sets on 2 stages! MC'd by the Happy Headbanger Himself! This brand new music fest will have something for everyone...

HappyHeadbanger Fest will be at Elbo Room in Chicago on September 3rd at 8pm (doors open at 7pm). Tickets are $9.00 in advance through the Elbo Room's Ticket page, or direct from them bands if you're following them. Tickets will be $10 at the door.

Follow HappyHeadbanger on Facebook, the HappyHeadbanger Fest event page, The Elbo Room, and any of the bands performing to keep updated on this one-of-a-kind, and First Ever HappyHeadbanger Fest!

(Recent Update: Due to unforseen circumstances there has been a change in this line-up. Mediums has replaced Evil Engine for HappyHeadbanger Fest 2016.)

4WITHOUT, Sinister Fate, Proudest Angel, Evil Engine. 4-30-16

Post # 328

On Saturday April 30th, at Smiler Coogan's on Chicago's northwest side, 4 local Chicago bands got together to put on a kick-ass metal show (with a hint of punk!) Presented by Rebel Radio in conjunction with the venue, the 4 band line-up easily caught my eye, since I had previously reviewed works from members of 3 of the 4 bands, and only missed seeing the 4th band previously because I was out-of-state during Dame-Nation 2012. This was an excellent opportunity to see 4 bands at once, all of which I had interest in covering...

The opening act of the evening was Evil Engine, a 4-piece punk-rock act who are busy recording their debut EP. Their line-up features 2 members from Deadmanswake, previously reviewed here at www.happyheadbanger.com and a former Independent Band of the Year from 2010!

Their set was intense; packed with fast tempos and kinetic stage-presence in every song, they got me headbanging early! At one point their bassist even jumped into the crowd and kept on playing... They played many songs from this forthcoming EP, my personal favorite being 'Father', a demo track for which they made a lyric video previously this year. Another highlight for me was their cover of the Ramones' 'Pet Sematary', inspired by the Stephen King novel and film.

Next was Proudest Angel, a band featuring 2 members from Sutured Psyche, another band I've reviewed here before.

Although they are working on new material to be released soon, they are actually a re-tooled version of the band, and had recorded a couple EP's from 2000-2002. Their set featured mostly material from those early recordings plus a couple new ones. Their best number in my opinion was 'Whole Again', also available to hear in a youtube video.

Then came the dark and demented Sinister Fate! I had seen this band once before, and was looking forward to see what they had in store. They are known for incorporating a DIY-pyrotechnic display into their live sets, and this show didn't disappoint! They had two stage-dancers/performers who added a visually impressive spark-thrower display...

Their traditional metal/thrash metal style was easy to bang your head to, and they of course closed with their anthem to their favorite curse word: 'I Love to Say Fuck!', a cover of The Murderdolls song.
(**It should be noted that vocalist Dave Bates had been running a fever of 103 earlier in the day. In addition to delivering a great performance on vocals here with Sinister Fate, he ALSO played drums for Proudest Angel in the previous set! That is some true, heavy-metal style dedication to the fans of live music. Much respect to ya Dave!)

The last band of the evening was 4Without, a female-fronted metal band with roots from the Czech Republic. As I mentioned previously, they were part of the line-up for Chicago's female-fronted-metal fest Dame-Nation, a concert series I often covered here, however this was the first time I got to see them live.

They delivered numerous tracks from their own self-produced CD, Line of Love. Their style is melodic metal, or heavy-hard rock. One highlight from their set was 'Move On'. Click the song title to see their youtube video for it!

Setlists for this night's performance from each band are as follows...

Evil Engine Setlist:
Father
Degeneration
Resistance
My God's Bigger Than Your God
Radio
Pet Sematary
Egression
Ugly Public

Proudest Angel Setlist:
Shoulda Known Better
Civilly Feral
Anathema
Ex Chrysalis
Brink
Starlight
Canto Dolor
I Like It Rough (Lady Gaga Cover)
Whole Again
We Had Fun

Sinister Fate Setlist:
Trust/Obey
Decay
Sympathy From the Devil
Hellbound
Zombie Bomb
S and M Anthem
Drop Dead Goregous
Gore Whore
Natural-Born Killer
Dragstrip Dragula
Fetish
I Love to Say Fuck!

4Without Setlist:
Line of Love
Running Away
Sweet Bite
Territory
Desire
Personal Jesus
Where I Belong
Kill Him 1st
Move On
Life