boredandmusicalinpittsburgh

It’s All About The Music For Pittsburgh’s Own Leek Lone

June 20, 2019 by boredandmusicalinpittsburgh, posted in Announcement/News

Interview with rising Pittsburgh rapper Leek Lone from Bored In Pittsburgh

The most telling moment of my talk with local rapper Leek
Lone (the stage name of Malik Malone) occurred after the interview had
officially ended and we were about to go our separate ways. I can’t quote
exactly, since I had stopped recording by that point, but he said something
along the lines of, “Just make it about the music. People don’t need to know
stuff about me.” Ironically enough, that moment reveals a lot about Malone both
as a person and as an artist. The same message that runs throughout his new
album blckboyfromaroundtheway is also
clear in everyday conversation: for Malone, music is the means and the end, the
alpha and the omega, the journey and the destination. So, in a way, it’s almost
impossible to separate the music from the person. I’ll do my best here, though.
I’m not including any pictures—they aren’t necessary—and I’m not…

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Guest Post From Bored In Pittsburgh-Destroyer Of Light-Falling Star

May 29, 2019May 30, 2019 by boredandmusicalinpittsburgh, posted in Music, New Release, Streaming

Austin, TX’s Destroyer Of Light are a group that ties the past to the present, merging the crushing instrumentals of modern day doom with the soaring vocals and guitar solos of classic metal acts like Dio. One look at the dramatic, mythologic artwork for the newly released Mors Aeterna (Argonauta Records), and it’s clear that the members of this band have a real soft spot for the 80’s.

Hell, the riff that kicks off album opener “Falling Star” is downright bluesy, like Stevie Ray Vaughn playing a flaming guitar at the gates of the underworld while the three-headed dog Cerberus prowls behind him. Frontman Steve Colca sounds like a slightly more intelligible Brent Hinds (of Mastodon fame), and, come to think of it, the sludgy, stoner metal vibe the group conjures on this song does kind of remind me of a less proggy take on that classic Atlanta band’s sound.

The artwork for Mors Aeterna also demonstrates the best thing about Destroyer of Light: they know how to have some fun. The scene looks like something from an especially crowded John Martin painting; a Zeus-looking dude paddles a boat across choppy waters, fending off the submerged Damned with an oar while Death himself stands at the prow; looming behind all of this is a massive, many-armed, scythe-baring aquatic she-monster. It’s so excessive that it’s actually kind of awesome. Similarly, Destroyer of Light’s anthemic vocals, massive riffs, and lyrics about “realms of spirits,” “the face of death,” etc. are so dramatic that they transcend pure gloom n’ doom, making for a good time. Great song and band.

Check out more Destroyer of Light: https://destroyeroflight.bandcamp.com/

Check out Bored In Pittsburgh: https://boredinpittsburgh.home.blog/

Guest Post from Bored In Pittsburgh-Bull Of Apis Bull of Bronze-What Awaits Us (A Void Is But An Open Mouth)

May 14, 2019 by boredandmusicalinpittsburgh, posted in Music, New Release, Streaming

Guest Post from Bored In Pittsburgh

Today’s listen is a new release coming to us from “mountains and maws in Colorado and Washington.” Bull Of Apis Bull Of Bronze is a black metal band from out West, and they’ve harnessed a truly powerful force with the song “What Awaits Us (A Void Is But An Open Mouth).” A nearly eleven minute epic, the song features everything from brooding, atmospheric guitar interludes to pummeling blast beats and anguished, howled vocals, and ends with an outro that sounds like an earthquake happening in outer space. It’s an intense listen, but it doesn’t drag, despite its hefty run time.

The song is elevated by some poetic and evocative lyrics from vocalist and synthesizer-ist Achaierei; they touch on themes of destruction and rebirth, as well as transcendence from false beliefs and traditional patterns of thinking. Also I didn’t know that “At the end of all things is a mouth made of light/Teeth dripping like stars/Sharp as the edges of our perception,” but I’m looking forward to seeing that some day, because it sounds pretty wild. In all seriousness, I respect the members of Bull Of Apis Bull Of Bronze for being open about their anti-oppresion message (and packaging it along with such gripping music), and look forward to hearing more from them.

Check out Bull Of Apis Bull Of Bronze on Bandcamp: https://bullofapisbullofbronze.bandcamp.com/releases

and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BullOfApisCO/

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Daily Discovery-Mirage-Prism

May 13, 2019 by boredandmusicalinpittsburgh, posted in Announcement/News

Bored In Pittsburgh

I have a huge soft spot for all things screamo/emo/hardcore/metal/etc; I used to listen to a ton of that stuff in high school (much to my mom’s chagrin–Happy Mother’s Day, by the way!) because the anguished shouts and impassioned, soaring choruses matched the absurd levels of conflicting emotions that came with being an angsty teen. Like, nobody understood me, man! I’ve remained attached to bands like A Day To Remember, Hawthorne Heights, Silverstein, We Came As Romans, and (especially) Saosin as I’ve gotten older, mostly because those bands make some of the most cathartic music out there. When you’ve had a long, crappy day, there’s something to be said for cranking up some jaggedly melodic tunes and listening to a dude scream away his frustrations like you only wish you could. “Prism,” off the newself-titled EP by the Los Angeles band Mirage, was the perfect song to listen to…

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Guest Post From Bored In Pittsburgh-Brought To The Water-Creator, Destroyer

May 10, 2019 by boredandmusicalinpittsburgh, posted in Music, New Release, Streaming

By Ben Gibbons of Bored In Pittsburgh

If I were a betting man, I’d put some money on the possibility that the members of Winston Salem, NC’s Brought To The Water are big Deafheaven fans. From the fact that they’re named after a song by the popular San Fran metal band, to the strong resemblance between the cover art for the newly released Oblivion EP and 2013’s Sunbather, to Brought To The Water’s strong experimental streak…it’s a safe guess.

That’s not to say that this band is derivative, though; I’d go so far as to say that “Creator, Destroyer” is stranger than anything I’ve heard from Deafheaven. The song kicks off with an atmospheric three minute intro featuring harmonized vocals, a sample that sounds like some infernal machine revving up and then dying, and legitimately jazzy guitar and keyboard flourishes. Then comes the ass-kicking in the form of molten guitar riffs, punishing drum fills, and vocals that vacillate between Killswitch Engage-esque and My Chemical Romance-ish.

I was baffled when I first listened to “Creator, Destroyer,” since it packs so many styles and influences together into a relatively short runtime. After a few more plays through, I’ve grown to appreciate it for its sheer weirdness and willingness to push the sonic envelope. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s interested in the more bizarre side of heavy music.