Tetrarch-Unstable (2021)

 Post #394

In 2021, Tetrarch released Unstable, their follow-up to 2017's Freak, and on this release the band show much consistency and growth as they tighten their grip on their trademark sound. They also continue to impress with their music videos, of which they now have for 4 different tracks from Unstable.

Unstable opens with "I'm Not Right", a blisteringly heavy number that picks up right where Freak left off without missing a beat! This is also one of the 4 official music videos I mentioned. I will link to a couple of those at the end of this post.

While Tetrarch are great at writing those fast-paced shred-fest hardcore songs, they also deliver quite a few songs with a more moderate tempo on this album. "You Never Listen" is one of those songs. It's still quite heavy, don't get me wrong, but they can switch up their delivery as good as any band out there.

One of my favorite elements of heavy metal music has always been guitar solos. While most of the time you can hear Diamond Rowe's lead guitar reverberating in the background throughout most of their songs- again channeling an eerie mood-setting vibe in a style similar to Korn, there are several songs here where she shows off her chops with some shredding guitar solos. Check out the tracks "Sick of You", "Addicted", or "Pushed Down" for some of her best soloing techniques. If I'd compare her style to a well-known guitarist, I'd pick a late-era Dimebag Darrell. Keep on shredding Diamond!

Not to leave behind another element of metalcore, blast-beat drumming, you should really hear the song "Take a Look Inside". Staccato power chords mirror the driving beat of the bass drums and bass guitar in this song. Their drummer, Ruban Limas' technical skills cannot be questioned after hearing this one! If I have any song to compare this one to, it might be "Primal Concrete Sledge" by Pantera. I love the powerful, relentless groove it gives!

Lastly I'll mention the closing number, "Trust Me", which is a bit of a departure from the rest of the tracks, in that is slows the tempo way down, and projects dark and ominous moods. This gothic alt-metal brilliance in its own right, and the drummer drives the rhythm mainly with loud cymbal crashes throughout, almost like Black Sabbath's "War Pigs", but slower and heavier.

Recommended tracks from Unstable:

-I'm Not Right

-You Never Listen

-Sick of You

-Stitch Me Up

-Pushed Down (this one has a chorus that just begs to become an anthem: "We are the psychos, the untouchables!")

Now for those promised music videos, but first, you should be sure you check out Tetrarch's Youtube channel and subscribe so you don't miss out on their next awesome video!

Here are their videos for "I'm Not Right" and "Stitch Me Up"

Tetrarch-Freak (2017)

 Post #393

Tetrarch spent their time from 2013 to 2017 relocating (they moved from Georgia to L.A.) and also reinventing themselves. Their early EPs might have fallen comfortably inside the 'metalcore' subgenre, but by the time they dropped Freak it was clear they'd discovered a new calling and were headed in a  new direction...

The album opens with the title track, "Freak"- an aggressive hardcore song that puts some of their new formula on display. Diamond Rowe's guitar leads emulate an eerie vibe that seems to channel Korn's Brian 'Head' Welch. Vocalist Josh Fore pours forth emotion with ever line. His voice could be compared to Chester Bennington when singing melodically,  or Corey Taylor when screaming. If this sounds like a promising formula of sounds for a metal-head, that's because it is! Plus you have to love the bridge lyric: "In the darkness the strange becomes ordinary..."

The next track, "Spit", takes them a step closer to Korn-esque alt-metal, as Fore employs new inflections in his vocal delivery, bringing comparisons to Jonathan Davis to mind. However, as the 3rd track, "Pull the Trigger" unfurls, we are once again blown away with an assault of aggressive metal. 

The rest of the album continues in this fashion, swaying back and forth between hardcore, brutal metal riffs, and eerie, haunting melodies. Drums and bass that bludgeon the senses relentlessly, guitars that can shred in one moment and entice the mind the next, and a masterful blend of melodic and hardcore vocals, this band gives us a great metal album with Freak. If you crave this blending of angst and aggression, then please do yourself the favor of checking out this band!

Their Music video for the title track:

Other recommended tracks from Freak:

-Pull the Trigger

-Oddity

-Break the Trend* (this is a personal favorite- very close in style to their previous metalcore/thrash sound)

-Torn Apart (a little softer sound on this closing track, but still very dark in the pictures painted both in sound and lyrics)

Watch for my review of their new album Unstable coming soon!

Tetrarch- The Will to Fight and Relentless (EP's 2011, 2013)

Post #392

Tetrarch first came on my radar in 2011. I was on the lookout for independent bands to feature in my annual reader's poll contest for Independent Band of the Year, and somewhere, somehow I had heard their track 'We are the Hunters', and it blew me away. This was around the time I was diving deep into melodic metalcore bands like Trivium, All That Remains, Atreyu, and Killswitch Engage. Tetrarch reminded me of all of those bands, but also with more thrash metal influences. Riffs that will pummel your ears, and tempo that is... well... relentless, and powerful vocals that blend screams with melodies. And a singer who has drawn comparisons to both Corey Taylor and the late Chester Bennington. Needless to say, this review is long overdue, and more reviews of their recent work will be coming soon!

This song turned out to be from their debut EP, The Will to Fight. I loved every track on this EP, and I became an instant fan. These guys fit right in with all the newer bands of metalcore I had just been discovering. While these recording may no longer be available for direct download, I believe you can still find them on youtube, so I'll embed the links to those songs for your enjoyment here. Happy Headbanging!

Though it may no longer be available through iTunes, you can find the complete album on youtube to stream. Every track is worth recommending.
The song titles are:
We are the Hunters

The Will to Fight

Set to Flames

Sons of the Sea

Two years later they released a 2nd EP entitled Relentless, and it was every bit as awesome as the first.

This EP may also be unavailable on iTunes. Still, you can try youtube for tracking these gems down...

The song titles are:
Final Words

Leave Me Alone

Relentless

Take Your Best Shot

Watch for reviews of their newer albums Freak and Unstable, coming soon!

'Independent Band of the Year' Reader's Poll 2012!

Post #216
It is time once again for the most anticipated reader's poll of the year! The contest where YOU decide which independent rock-or-metal band will become the next 'Honorary Vice President' of this blog, and reap the benefits of that title; including music reviews, interviews, event promotions, and possible live show reviews. Once again I have gathered a very talented set of seven unsigned, independent hard rock/heavy metal bands from across the country and around the world to compete for your votes.

This year's contestants are...

Fist To The Sky (Chicago, IL)
(Melodic Metal)
A thrash-inspired, melodic-metal band from the Chicago music scene. It is easy to hear the influence of artists like Avenged Sevenfold and Metallica in their sound. Winning a couple battle-of-the-bands contests recently, these guys are on the rise...
Check out 'Down Into Hell' or 'Another Lesson Learned' on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/fisttothesky/app_155326481208883

Indolent (McHenry, IL)
(Classic Metal/Thrash)
This band provides a good shot-in-the-arm of metal's timeless core elements: shredding riffs, classic guitar solos, dominant vocals and good 'ole aggression. When asked about their influences, they simply say 'the greats...'
Check out 'Undone' or 'Left Behind' or on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/indolentworld?fref=ts

The Atrocities (Kenosha, WI)
(Ska-Punk)
This punk/metal/ska quartet from the remote suburban sprawl between Chicago and Milwaukee brings cutting-edge and confrontational lyrics into play with a classic hardcore-punk rock sound. Bringing anti-racist and anti-sexist messages to their growing fan-base is their mission.
Check out 'Martyrdom Superstardom' or 'Comfortable When Dead' on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-ATROCITIES/117340811633563?sk=app_2405167945

Shield Of Wings (Chicago, IL)
(Symphonic Metal)
Ever hear of Nightwish? Epica? Well, they better watch out for Shield of Wings! Soaring, operatic female vocals, tempered with occasional death-metal backing vocals, this band truly knows how to fuse the beautiful  elements of metal with the brutal ones!
Check out 'Solarium' or 'Carnival Mirror' on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shield-of-Wings/122216464509802?sk=app_2405167945

Tetrarch (Atlanta, GA)
(Thrash/Hardcore)
This band can shred with the best of them! Furious tempos, heavy riffs, a blend of hardcore and melodic vocals. Imagine the riffs of Trivium with the vocals of Bullet For My Valentine. Your bones will resonate!
Check out 'We Are The Hunters' or 'The Will to Fight' on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/tetrarchga/app_178091127385

In Serenity (St. Louis, MO)
(Female-Fronted Metalcore)
This band incorporates technical guitar work and keyboards along with a mix of melodic and hardcore vocal elements to get their signature sound. Picture the best parts of In This Moment and Halestorm, fused at the core perhaps...
Check out 'Ghost Town' or 'Blackheart' on their facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-Serenity/150729918341124?sk=app_2405167945

BaleScream (Newcastle, Australia)
(Melodic Death/Hardcore/Thrash)
These guys may be the heaviest contestant this year. A thrashy, melodic death-metal band from down-under... That's right, I'm featuring an independent band from Australia for the first time! Bone-crushing riffs and aggressive vocals galore!
Check out 'Kusanagi' or 'Cyclonic Terror' on their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/BalescreamBand/app_2405167945

So there you have it! This year's field of contestants. Check out each one, and vote for your favorite in this month's reader's poll.

Good luck to all the bands. May the best band win!