Virtues

These guys are a hardcore/metalcore band from Portland, USA. Virtues consists of Shawn Scheck (vocals), Blake Cropley (guitar) and Peter Bruns (drums) but when the band plays gigs they bring in Garret Dodgion (guitar) and Kevin Parke (bass/vocals).

The band formed around five months ago when Shawn decided that he wanted to take his music to another level. After he left his previous band, Bury Your Horses, due to disagreements he thought it was time to part ways and start from scratch. It took a few months to sort out the line-up but everything seemed to fall into place. The name Virtues was a perfect fit with the way Shawn feels about the band.

They describe their sound as heavy and simple but still incorporate catchy riffs and modern effects. To form their music they’ve used influences from bands such as Like Moths To Flames, The Plot In You and Motionless In White. To help with the lyrics, Shawn uses influences from bands such as Smashing Pumpkins and Stray From The Path.

These guys really do have something special. They deserve way more recognition than what they already have and most of all, they deserve your support. After you’ve read this and then gone on to listen to their music, you should help to spread the word. I started UNSIGNED AND UNHOLY to help show you guys and girls that there are so many better artists out there than what you see plastered all over the media and they need blogs like mine and fans like you to help get their name out there. So after you’ve read this you should tweet, share or even go old school and spread the word face-to-face with someone.

They’re currently recording their debut EP “TH3 FORGOTT3N” with Steven Riverman at the Stand Alone studio but head on over to their Facebook page and listen to the demo for their song “Imm0rtal” and also their cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream”.

Vera Grace

Next up on UNSIGNED AND UNHOLY we have the metalcore band Vera Grace from Oxfordshire. The band consists of Stephen Nulty (vocals), Jonjo Williams (guitar), Chris Thirtle (guitar), Aaron Godfray (bass) and last but not least Josh Williams (drums).

The band was formed back in February 2011 and didn’t waste any time getting their music out there. In the same month they formed they released their debut single and then went on to playing gigs around the country to help spread the word. Then on October 6^th the band released a debut EP named “Rotations” which consisted of five tracks.
Since then the band continued to gig around the country and have recently released a new single called “Dark Hearts” which was released in March.

Their influences from bands such as Underoath, Misery Signals and Confide shine through in their music. This post is about promoting their latest single “Dark Hearts” and just by listening to it you can tell that Vera Grace is a very impressive band both technically and passionately. These guys prove through their music that they love what they do as well as be brilliant at doing it. Another thing I love about this band is the way they’ve managed to create a song that both compliment the vocalist and the instrumentals.

These guys are definitely worth your attention and support and I expect big things for them in the future. To listen to “Dark Hearts” as well as their other songs you should visit their Facebook and Soundcloud pages.

 

When The Lights Go Out

Next up we have the five piece Metalcore band from Portland, Oregon (USA). This band consists of Ernell Pearson (vocals), Jon Headley (guitar), Zakk Laiblin (guitar), Zach Brinkmeyer (drums) and David Taylor (bass/vocals).

Back in the winter of 2010 Ernell decided it was time to form a band that consisted of undying passion, perfect musical chemistry and bucket loads of dedication. It took a while to bring together a strong line up but in the end you can tell it was definitely worth it. All of the members are vital and talented parts of WTLGO’s strong sound and all bring something unique to the table.

In December 2011, WTLGO decided it was time to record. The band entered the studio with Josh Oliveri (vocalist of Call Us Forgotten) and Neil Engle (Alesana, Dance Gavin Dance, Between The Buried And Me) to record their single, (which has newly been released) “The Gauntlet”. They didn’t just stop with the single though, they’re also recording the rest of their EP entitled “From The Shadows, They Came” at The Goat Shed Studio as well.
As well as their single, WTLGO also have a cover of “Fuck You” by Cee-Lo Green available for you lovely people to download for free.

The Gauntlet is a very catchy, brutal and technically brilliant single. When I first listened to it I was hooked from start to finish because you can tell by just listening to these guys that they love what they’re doing, they’re amazing at what they do and they’re definitely going to be here for a very long time.
WTLGO’s music is not made for money, they make songs and play gigs so that they can be heard, that they can lift people’s spirits and play music to people who appreciate their hard work.

When The Lights Go Out have many pages that you can go to where you can stay up-to-date with the latest news and music so check out their Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Bandcamp.

Jakob Deist

Jakob Deist Oelofse, the South African born singer/songwriter, started off originally as a solo performer and started making music in late 2008. He released his four track debut EP, “As Bold As The World”, three months later and then after two years of working on his own sound and maturing as an artist, he started to record his second EP entitled “The Owl & The Crow”.
His second EP has not been released yet since when it came to recording, Jakob realised that the tracks needed more than a solo set up so he brought in Kerill Teslia on bass and Steve McGeary on drums. “The Owl & The Crow” will be the six track introduction needed to showcase Jakob Deist as a band.

Jakob Deist received a great response after releasing “Time To Move On” in September 2011 and will also have a few exciting months ahead of them with the release of the new single “Here Now” next month and the release of the EP in July/August.

With a captivating voice and a band to back it up, Jakob Deist is destined for big things. Now I’ve listened to the new single and I guarantee that when you listen to it you will not be disappointed. Everything about Jakob Deist’s music is pure and beautiful that you can’t help but get yourself lost in their talent.

To listen to some of Jakob’s work and to be kept up-to-date with the latest news and music then please visit the website or you can also go to the Facebook page.

Big News for Defy All Reason

These guys were featured on the blog about a month ago and if you would like to read the post then click HERE. Defy All Reason, the four piece Heavy Rock band from Wales, has just announced some amazing news that they would like to share with everyone so here it goes…

First of all after a lot of begging, pleading and “sexual favours”, they’ve managed to get enough votes to play at this year’s Liverpool Tattoo Convention which is great.
They even have some bigger news which is …*drum roll*… they’ve just been signed to Satellite Records! I’m so happy for them because they really do deserve it. It just goes to show that if you have a dream, a talent and are willing to put in the hard work then you can achieve anything.

I wish Defy All Reason the best of the luck in the future. Also if you haven’t listened to their music yet then please go to their FACEBOOK page.

Head 13

These guys are a four piece rock/metal band based in Liverpool which consists of Kenny Stone (vocals), James Gordon (guitar), Ian Mason Jones (bass) and Norm Walker (drums).

Head 13 was formed in early 2011 after a name change and the band going from pub gigs and cover songs to writing and recording their own debut album. The album entitled “Broken Man” is now released and ready for you lovely people to buy so please click on their BANDCAMP page now and start typing in those bank details because this is one album worth buying.
“Broken Man” was released in January 2012 and consists of twelve tracks of their own original material. They’ve also released their first music video for their song “Broken Man” so if you want to hear great music as well as see the vocalist topless then please click HERE.

Each member of the band is experienced in this lovely world of music. Hailing from the USA, vocalist Kenny has gigged and recorded on both sides of the Atlantic. Guitarist James is a guitar teacher who has played gigs across Europe and the UK and he’s also toured with the punk band Blitzkrieg. Bassist Ian has toured with bands such as Ugly Kid Joe, Ocean Colour Scene and Napalm Death. Drummer Norm is also no stranger to the music world, he’s “pounded the skins” with signed acts Si-an and Contagious as well as touring all over the UK and Europe with acts such as Whitesnake.

The band’s sound is influenced by different rock and metal bands such as Soundgarden, Killswitch Engage, Disturbed, Blackstone Cherry, Rage Against The Machine and AC/DC. Each song on the album is perfectly put together, each instrument is well played and the vocalist makes you want to do nothing but stop and listen. What really stands out to me about this band is that each member is talented in their own right and the fact that they’ve managed to bring together their abilities in such a way has produced a mind blowing album.

They’ve managed to welcome the beauty of social media with open arms so go to their WEBSITE , FACEBOOK page, TWITTER page and YOUTUBE page to be kept up-to-date with the goings on, upcoming news and gigs, videos and “Where’s Mace?”.

Since Monroe

These guys are a four piece Rock/Grunge band from Birmingham who have been described as being “tighter than an Indie boys jeans”. The band consists of Trig (guitar/vocals), Andy (guitar/vocals), Matt (bass/vocals), James (drums/occasional vocals).

The band was formed back in March 2011 when Andy and James has a musical vision to write catchy, simple and riff driven music that would reach out to a mass audience and used influences from bands like Foo Fighters, Weezer and Nirvana to make that happen.
They’ve already had great success thanks to the help of radio stations and the internet. They had a track of the week on Amazing FM’s Rock Show and were said to be Band of the Week on Noize Level Critical.

Their debut EP, Lost Generation, is out now for you lovely people to download and they’ve also booked a tour to back up the release.
What I love about the EP is the fact that they’ve managed to bring back Grunge but give it a Pop edge. Their hooks and riffs leave you in awe and their lyrics are catchy enough to be stuck in your head for days.

Go to their FACEBOOK page or their WEBSITE now to listen to their EP and let me know what you guys think! Below is the video for their (and my favourite) song “DJ”.

The Electric Modern

Next up we have The Electric Modern who are an Indie Rock band from Hertfordshire. This band consists of Dean Canty (vocals/guitar), Adam Sullivan (guitar/synth/vocals), Henry Marsden (bass) and Jon Mytom-Hart (drums).

Formed in 2008, The Electric Modern have played many shows around the UK and have also been recording material. Then in 2011 they released a three track EP entitled “Motives” which showcases the band’s love of writing catchy and uplifting indie rock-pop. The EP was to show the new direction that the band had gone down with more refined songs compared to their earlier material.

The band has already received a lot of recognition through radio and other different types of media. They were picked by Vibe Radio to pay at the annual firework display and performed to over 30,000 people. They’ve also recorded a studio session for BBC introducing and then performed two songs live on air. They’ve been featured on online blogs such as Alter the Press and Alwayz Therro and were also featured in the January 2012 issue of the American magazine Alternative Press.

I was pleasantly surprised by this band. They are all clearly talented when it comes to playing this type of music. The vocals are clear, the lyrics are catchy and all of the other elements fit together perfectly to create some great songs. They’ve definitely proved that this hype about “guitar music being dead” is absolute bullshit.

The Electric Modern are now working on new material and they also hope to tour throughout 2012. So all you need to do now is head over to their FACEBOOK page and their WEBSITE to see more info on The Electric Modern’s successes and to also listen to their music.

Supporters of Unsigned and Unholy!

As you can probably tell (since I keep bombarding Twitter and Facebook with it), the power of social media is vital to keep Unsigned and Unholy alive. If you support the blog and want it to carry on then please like and share the Facebook page and follow the Twitter page.

Your continuous support is what is keeping Unsigned and Unholy alive and for that I am eternally grateful but we need to keep spreading the word. Let’s help give more recognition to the talented and hard-working unsigned acts and not the shit that’s in the charts!

Thank you,
Chelsea Rhoades.

Karma Killers

When you mix earth-trembling vocals with powerful guitar riffs, killer bass lines and heart-racing beats you get yourself a very talented band called Karma Killers.

These guys are a four piece hard rock band based in the North West of England with Jose (vocals), Sam (guitar), Simon (bass) and last but not least Jonny (drums). Brought together in the summer of 2010 the band set out to revolutionise British rock music with their raw and sleazy yet powerful and emotional sound.

The band has brought an amazing mix of new and old musical influences to the table when it comes to creating their sound. Using the different styles of bands such as Machine Head, Ozzy Osbourne, Led Zeppelin and Guns n Roses to inspire them is definitely a recipe for greatness.
Each song oozes style and the only way I can really describe their sound to you is to imagine if Black Stone Cherry and Shinedown had a love child.

So all you have to do now is go and check out Karma Killers and let them blow your mind.
If you want to listen to their music then head to their WEBSITE or go and Like their FACEBOOK page. They only have two rough recordings on there but on the 5^th April, Karma Killers will be releasing their EP at Manchester Grand Central.
After the EP is released there will be follow up singles and videos for you lucky people throughout the year. They will also be touring through Spring/Summer if you fancy seeing them live.