Here are the third and final set of 5 from 15 bands, in no particular order, that make me believe the future of hard rock and metal is looking very bright indeed. If you want to hear their music, click on the band name and it will take you to their respective Reverbnation or Myspace page.
New York City is home to many great and wonderful things, but my favorite thing about New York City is a 5 man band known as the Dirty Pearls. Once again I can’t take credit for finding out about The Dirty Pearls myself, that credit goes to the one and only Jay Ryan from The Sexy Armpit; in fact Jay gets credit for introducing me to 2 bands on this list, but more on that a little later. The Dirty Pearls are made up of Tommy London/Lead Vocals, Tommy Mokas/Lead Guitar, Johnny B./Lead Guitar, Dougie Wright/Bass, and Mr. Marty E./Drums have supported Jet, New York Dolls, Bret Michaels to name a few and have built a loyal following up and down the East Coast for their dynamic live show. Their music reminds me of 70′s arena rock mixed with a little of The Electric Angels with a modern edge and filled with that famous New York swagger and attitude. The Dirty Pearls have released 2 E.P.s that are available on Itunes and are must haves with songs like “Rockstarlivin’” “Happy New Year”, and “Sucker For A Sequel”. The band recently wrapped recording sessions for their full length debut produced by David Kahne which is scheduled for release in Spring 2011 and titled “Whether You Like It or Not” and will feature the outstanding “New York City Is A Drug”. The Dirty Pearls are another band that I think are going to be huge with a capital H; it’s just a matter of time.
There’s no doubt social media has forever changed the way bands and fans find and connect to each other. A prime example would be Miami/San Juan foursome Message To Venus; I found out about Jandre Nadal/Vocals & Guitars, John Feliciano/Guitars, Edgar Ramos/Bass and JuanMa Font/Drums when the band started following me on Twitter. I checked out their Myspace page and was throughly impressed by the bands take on modern rock, but it wasn’t until I played their single “Cold & Gray” for the first time on one of my radio shows that I realized how fabulous Message To Venus really are; it literally left me covered in goose bumps and from that day forward I have been a hardcore fan of the band. Message To Venus are currently putting the finishing touches on their E.P. titled “The Envelope” due for release early 2011 and are already planning to follow the E.P. up with a full length release titled “Victims & Villains”. When the world is finally able to get its hands on Message To Venus’s music I have little doubt it will be blown away by their music like I am.
Jay Ryan’s second contribution to my list comes in the form of New Jersey’s Scarlet Carson. Santino *Hollywood*/ Vocals, Stone/Lead Guitar, Tommy Licore/Rhythm Guitar, Mike O’Mayhem/Bass, and
Raab/ Drums play their brand of modern edged Jersey rock just the way I like it, down & dirty with hooks galore that get stuck in your head and no matter what you do you can’t get them out. 2010 was already a big year for Scarlet Carson, they released their second album “Burn It All” which features the scorching “West Coast Dreamer”, “The Drinking Song”, and “Sex, Drugs & Rock N’ Roll”, but the guys also played for a sold out crowd at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ w/ Papa Roach, Adelitas Way, and Automatic Fire, won the 2010 Break Contest hosted by Linc Star Records (Bamboozle / Live Nation) out of 6000 applicants and 480 competing acts in April 2010, performed on 4 stages including the Main Stage at The 2010 Bamboozle festival at The Meadowlands, and were nominated for Best Rock Band of 2010 by Asbury Park Music Awards. 2011 looks to be just as big as the band is preparing a new record for release and plenty more shows up and down the East Coast Their albums “Not So Innocent” from 2008 and the previously mentioned “Burn It All” are available on Itunes and definitely worth picking up. If you like Dirty Jersey rock you absolutely, positively can not go wrong with Scarlet Carson…remember that name because you are going to be hearing a lot in 201 and beyond.
To many Oklahoma City’s Aurora Sky is already a known name thanks to the radio success of their debut single “Just Like You”, but the story of Aurora Sky actually goes back to 2007 when singer Andrew West, guitarist Chris Shy and synth-keyboardist Arjavh Aleson decided to break away from their previous band and put together a band whose influences were more in line with the bands the guys in Aurora Sky loved like Shinedown, Breaking Benjamin, Filter, and Sevendust to name a few. While the band was working to perfect their style of modern influenced rock n’ roll they were able to get a little all-star help in the form of Clint Lowery; which led to the band also enlisting the services of Glen Sobel, Justin Walden, and eventually producer Ben Grosse. In July of 2010 Aurora Sky recorded their self-financed debut E.P. “Just You & Me”. Once they returned to Oklahoma City after the recording sessions the band began to search for musicians to fill out the Aurora Sky line-up; which now consist of Andrew “Gambit” West – Lead Vocals/Guitar, Chris Shy – Guitars/Vocals, Arjavh Aleson – Synths/Programming, Toby Weston – Drums, and Kit Mauldin – Bass. The band is currently shopping their E.P. to various labels, but it will be only a matter of time before Aurora Sky is stealing the airwaves from the bigger name bands with songs like “Give In To You” and “Slowing Me Down”.
Imagine if Alice Cooper and Dave Mustaine had a rock n’ roll lovechild… that lovechild would be vocalist Marz Nova from Toronto’s traditional heavy metal band The Worshyp and traditional heavy metal is a mark this group of international headbangers; Marz Nova, Thor Rune/Guitars, Mig Diablo/Bass Guitar, KK Devina -/Drums & Percussion wear on their rock n’ roll sleeves proudly; with songs like “Left For Dead”, “Manic’s Mantra”, and “Under Surveillance” the release of their debut album “Kingdom Earth” is going to be an event of epic proportions and those songs are just scratching the surface of what the band has to offer on “Kingdom Earth”. Heavy, well written melodic and sometimes epic songs fill the album from beginning to end that fans of real heavy metal will rejoice for at first listen and second listen and over and over again. Remember The Worshyp because it is only a matter of time before the band unleashes “Kingdom Earth” and reminds us all why we chose to worship at the altar of rock n’ roll in the first place.
Bonus Band To Watch: Wildstreet
New York rockers Wildstreet are about to unleash their second E.P. “Wildstreet II Faster…Louder…” and you better hold on tight because it is going to be one hell of a ride. I am a fan of the band’s self titled debut, but there after hearing the tracks on “Wildstreet II Faster…Louder…” there is no doubt in my mind it is a far superior album compared to the debut. While the Def Leppard influence is still present, it doesn’t overwhelm this album like it did the debut and the songs are heavier, dirtier, and more raw, but still filled with hooks galore and catchy as hell. If songs like “Shake It”, “Poison Kiss”, and “Cocked & Ready” don’t get your heart pumping and feet moving. you should go see the doctor because I’m pretty sure you could be considered legally dead. The band which is made up of Eric Jayk – Lead Vocals, Lead Guitar, Aaron Joos – Guitar, Vocals, Ali Hassan – Bass, Vocals, Brian Beck – Drums are still looking for a replacement for the departed Keith Robert, but once all the pieces are in place you can guarantee these New Yorkers are going to be hitting the road hard and heavy to spread their form of rock n’ roll sleaze from coast to coast and I for one want to be right there on the front row, fist pumping and singing my lungs out from start to finish.
Message to Venus has my 100% support!
Thanks for the shout! Great list!
Hi,
worshyp and wild street scores more on the video