Bradley Zorgdrager

Much has been written about Bad Omens’ comparisons to scene giants such as Bring Me The Horizon, Beartooth, Underoath or Slipknot—quite a diverse pool from which to draw. Sure, those bands have all flirted with metalcore, but the ultimate unifier is their ability to transcend heavy music in general, be that in style, appeal or both. As such, t...

Deathcore is one of metal’s most maligned and misunderstood subgenres. That makes it sound a hell of a lot like a teenager, but it’s actually approaching adulthood if it’s not already there. (That all depends on when you think it started.) In honor of its...

Post-hardcore is especially rich in concept albums. Perhaps that’s because the immense vocal palette—from tender crooning to raw screaming—lends itself to expressing emotions. The music similarly matches. Sure, metalcore can deliver crushing breakdowns, but it rarely gets as intimate as this companion genre. There’s also the...

Being in a band ain’t easy. You’ve got many creative personalities in a massive tug of war. Oh yeah, then you have to live with each other and those decisions on the road for months on end. Lineup changes aren’t uncommon, though a vocalist switch-up has the possibility to be the most debilitating. Some bands h...

The second single from August Burns Red’s Guardians features a guitar lead that resembles the theme from Spider-Man: The Animated Series. However, the parallel was a mere coincidence according to the man who wrote the music for “Bones,” guitarist JB Brubaker, while lyric writer Brent Rambler hears A Perfect Circle in the instruments’ effects. The latter axman is al...

Fifteen years ago, Job For A Cowboy marked their arrival on the extreme-metal scene not with a bang but with a squeal. The Doom EP was a breakdown-laden statement, and extreme music would never be the same—for better or worse.  And you better believe that everyone had their opinion on that, something that was easily determined by their friendship status on Myspace. The socia...