Poised and Ready for 2017

So far all of our blogs have been about albums we love, be it in the past or in the present, but this post is unique in that it is looking to the future. I'm not Nostradamus, I can't nor will I ever have the ability to tell you when the world will end or when disasters will impose their will on humanity. What I can tell you though is who to keep on your radar for 2017; these are some artists I think could really blow up next year.

Bungler

I came to listen to Bungler because of my unhealthy love for the band Great American Ghost. GAG has come through Colorado a few times and the shows I've attended I talk to them afterwards every time. Whether its a show where I'm one of 80 people or one of three people, but that is beside the point. We were talking music and they mentioned this band Bungler and said they were going to tour with them, so I thought I would check them out. What. The. Fuck. These dudes caught me off guard. Its heavy, its angry, its unorthodox, it is everything I love about hardcore. Earlier this week they announced they are opening for Every Time I Die at their annual Christmas show. So if you're lucky enough to go to that show make sure you do your homework and listen to these guys. Take a page out of their book, "reach in and destroy yourself" in the pit at that show. They also announced signing with Inner Strength Records and will have a new record entitled The Nature of Being New out on March 3rd. I guess it is a pretty easy prediction for me to make considering how successfully they're closing out 2016. Congratulations to them though, they'll be making a splash in a town near you on their tour listed below: 

Less Art

Less Art? Who is that? Exactly. The only reason I have the slightest idea of who this is is due to the fact that I never got over the untimely demise of Curl Up And Die (don't ask "who is that?" again, I don't have time to explain). I've been following their former vocalist Mike Minnick ever since and have yet to regret it. As if that wasn't enough, I found out that Less Art also consists of two members of Thrice, as well as two members of Kolwoon Walled City. They recently finished recording their first album which will drop some time next year. If you're curious to know what they sound like here is their self description from their twitter bio: "Soft. Heavy. Quiet. Loud. Feels." I'm not sure what that means, but I sure don't want to wait to find out. 

Bottomfed

I've mentioned in previous posts that bandcamp is the best invention for finding music. Everybody loves spotify, but guess what? You can't fucking find new shit on spotify. I found Bottomfed about two years ago and was immediately taken back. Their first ep caught my eye (ear is a more fitting body part to use) as well as their split with a band called From The Makers Of. Those first two ep's are fun, they're heavy, and the vocals are stellar. It sounded like they split vocals between a few members and it gave them a lot of range to play around with different sounds. They released Impatient Pile of Bones about a year later, and a week or so ago they released a single split West Berlin. Musically, they're getting better and better and they're starting to find themselves the more they write. I'm excited to see what they have in store for the future. Go listen and prepare yourself to get the fuck down. 

West Berlin

I discovered West Berlin in a very similar way to how I found Bungler. Bottomfed mentioned them in a tweet, I checked them out, and I'll be damned if anyone can tell me I'm wrong about these guys kicking ass. Mmmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm, these dudes have been busy. Based on what I can gather these guys started back in April of this year (2016) and they have yet to stop writing music. They released The Northern Misery in March, a single titled Age in July, and the split with Bottomfed mentioned above. This. Shit. Slays. I downloaded their first release before boarding my flight home from Michigan back in November; what a mistake that was. It took all of my being to not start a pit on the plane. I listened to it about 15 times on my way back, and I have yet to stop. 

With that said, I can't wait to check this post out about a year from now and tell everybody I was right. Even if I'm not, each of these artists have something unique and special that they put into their work. It is something that I am grateful for and appreciate every single day. Thank you all for doing what you do.