Our first stop, much like last month, is in the wonderfully vibrant land of France. Grab a shovel and start digging, folks. You see, in France, there’s this underground movement that’s just bursting with a fresh new way of looking at dark, dreary, and doomy metal. Will it be underground for long? I doubt it. As of a few weeks ago, digging themselves out of the muck and mire long enough to grab a pen with their gore encrusted fingers,
End. signed a deal with
Metal Blade. Oh yeah, baby! Anything that’s gonna’ get more ears tuned into what’s going on in France has got to be a good thing. Seriously, friends . . . the French metal scene is the most happening music scene since all that melodic death stuff started trickling out of Sweden. Keep it tuned here, folks, in the coming weeks I’ll be shedding a light in some of the darkest corners of this country and, provided that these bands don’t crush the hated light with their massive riffs, I’ll be showing you some fascinating stuff. But for the time being, check out the tune, “Enigma of the Unknown,” and feel the weight of a thousand tones slowly squeeze the air from your lungs. All right . . . pack ‘em up. Give your best wishes to
End. and follow me as we head north a bit.
www.myspace.com/end1freefr 
Freaking their way out of Warsaw, Poland, we have the one and only progressive metal sounds of
Riverside. If you haven’t heard them before, they have a bit of semblance to
Porcupine Tree. Well, a little while back, they released a live album called
Reality Dream. Check out the tune “Volte Face” on their page and you’ll hear a metalized, quasi-funk rocker that eventually melds into a tune with some serious ‘80’s edgey pop atmospheres. They fuse a bunch of influences into their music and always keep it interesting, and hearing this live material gives me the yearning to catch a live performance or two before I die. For the time being, I think I’ll just pick up the CD/DVD set. Also of note, the band is doing a vinyl release of “Out of Myself.” This album is a truly strong set of songs and there’s something endearing about it being on vinyl. Additional warmth, maybe? I don’t know, but we’ll see soon enough.
www.myspace.com/riversidepl 
Speaking of
Porcupine Tree, the mastery of
Steven Wilson is at it once again. This time, he’s going at it alone. Wilson has an album that’s inching it’s way to daylight and as a nifty little gift to all of us patient fans, he’s posted a video for the first single, “Harmony Korine.” Much like the work that he’s done with
PT, this solo stuff is brimming with ambient textures and beautiful vocal melodies. Not as heavy as the Tree in a metallic sense, but it’s definitely got some weightiness to it that can’t be ignored. The album,
Insurgents, will be released on March 9th, so head over to his page and do a pre-order thing. Do what you have to. The music sounds incredible, and as I’ve said in the past, anything that the good Mr. Wilson touches turns to gold. In a down global economy, isn’t that what we all really need?
www.myspace.com/therealstevenwilson 
Also on March 9th and coming out of England is the new album from progressive rocking, harmonic vocal, semi-electronic band,
Pure Reason Revolution. These guys mix it up exceptionally well. I wouldn’t even think about putting them near my metal collection, but they have an edginess to them that makes me associate them with some of the darker arts. Other than that,
PRR have a nice up tempo dance groove going on, and the once the vocals kick into the multi-layered thing that they do, well . . . it’s a good night to all. The sampler that they have posted on their page has some great excerpts from the upcoming album. And, for a tune from their past that will simply blow your mind, give “Victorious Cupid” a spin. Awesome stuff!
www.myspace.com/purereasonrevolution 
Back across the pond as we land on another planet. New York City and all areas beyond. Always fun, always an adventure, and always home to quality tunes. The first band that we’re checking out is called
SOS. These guys have this interesting blend of sleazy barroom blues with more than a fair share of hardcore punk. One minute I think I hear the strains of
AC/DC, and then I suddenly hear the tormented howl of
Henry Rollins over an
Excel grooved metal riff. These guys flat out rock it! Their album
Adult Situations is well worth more than a casual listen. It’s a highly addictive all out rocker that shows some unique takes on an otherwise beaten down genre. Don’t make me tell you twice. Check ‘em out and show ‘em some love.
www.myspace.com/sosnyc 
Our chums in
Sonic Bliss have just finished working on their first video for the song, “Babe, I’m Dying.” I don’t know much outside of that, but I look forward to one day sitting at my Ripple desk, sucking down a hot cup of joe, throwing unreviewable CD’s at the off time gyration of Racer’s hip as he tries to dance to tunes blaring over our sound system. Of course, through all of this, I’ll be trying to watch the new
Sonic Bliss video. If you haven’t picked up
Loved to Death yet, go back, read my review of the album, and then go out and get it. If you don’t want to spend the time reading my words, go by the bands page and hear the tunes. Yeah . . . that sensation you feel in your pants is actually your wallet being removed by the sheer force of the music. The wallets getting lighter, isn’t it?
www.myspace.com/sonicblis 
Now, for you Waveriders who like it a little harder and heavier, and let’s call it more experimental, here’s a fantastic sounding outfit called
Seth.Ect. They have that heavy industrial thing going on similar in vein as
Rammstein, but with less fire. Actually, I can’t claim that last statement as fact. I haven’t yet seen these guys in a live setting, so I have no idea what a live experience would be like. Who knows? Maybe they’d decide to go the opposite direction and shoot water in every direction. Of course, this could lead to electrical issues, which would ultimately lead to more fire. Anyway . . . I dig how these guys use a wider variety of instruments to meet their creative end. Much more musical and less imposing than I expected, but so damn welcome to these weary ears of mine.
www.myspace.com/sethect
What’s say we head west a bit and keep our devil horns poised? Excellent! Camped out in Evansville, Indiana, we have the metallic soundings of
Anthem For A Massacre. These guys have that brutally heavy, detuned sound going with some pretty interesting melodies mixed in for good measure. Tracks like “Pull the Trigger” and “I’m in Hell” are great examples of how the band meshes that immensely dense riffage with more melodic moments. They’re looking at recording a follow up to
Pull the Trigger in the earlier portion of 2009 and then hammering the highways of these great States through the summer. You’ll want to keep an ear out for more from these guys.
www.myspace.com/anthemforamassacre 
This next band is for anyone who can’t seem to get enough of
David Gilmour or
Pink Floyd. Down in that massive state of Texas, we have
Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers playing that mellowed out, quasi-psychedelic and spacey rock that the aforementioned artists carved in stone. If you’re not careful, you may just think that you’re listening to Gilmour sing the lyrics to songs like “Let Go” or “Sacred Moon’s Light.” The tunes on their album,
Terra Nocturne, are of the most mellow variety and nothing ever really starts kicking your ass in a true rock ‘n roll sense, but that’s not what this music is about. It’s so much more introspective and soulful. The guitar solos are rich with flavor and deep in tone. This is great music to chill out to. Highly recommended.
www.myspace.com/solsurfers 
As we make our way across the Deep South, I want to make a stop in Birmingham, Alabama, and introduce you to another wonderful new talent going by the name of
Christopher Morrison. This dude is a singer/songwriter type, strumming away on an acoustic guitar and bearing his soul to the masses. On his page, you’ll find a number of demo tunes to soak in. Now, I know how all you Waveriders lover supporting artists by going and spending your hard earned money on their music, so what the good Mr. Morrison is doing is allowing us to download his music for free. Yes . . . free. All you have to do is go to his page and follow the link to a page that allows you to download something like 15 or 20 tunes! How awesome is that? Don’t forget to thank Christopher on the way out.
www.myspace.com/christophermorrisonmusic 
Now, I’m not sure that these guys are actually located in Georgia, but they always remind me of the Atlanta sweltering summer, so . . . we’re just gonna’ pay some homage to
Gov’t Mule while we make our way to the Atlantic Ocean. The
Mule, as I’m sure you remember from a few months ago, have a new bassist in tow, and are tucked away in a studio as they record a new album. I’m sure you all know my love for this band, so you can imagine my excitement for a new offering of southern fried jam rock. Hell, drop the southern fried jam part. The
Mule are simply rock. Few do it as well as these cats, and I expect that the new album will be just as impressive as
High & Mighty, which you all know was near perfect. Stay tuned. More Mule in 2009?
www.myspace.com/govtmule 
Our final stop on this little adventure is in Charlotte, North Carolina, where we will stop to visit the experimentally ambient tones of
Mountains Among Us. These guys have this awesome ambient thing going on that’s filled with so much tension that you just expect it to explode. I’ve never heard music that held this much tension for this long, and constantly shifts to put pressure against some alternate surface. This is trippy stuff and their earlier releases can be found on
Forbidden Empire Records.
Mountains Among Us are preparing a new album for us in the near future, so be prepared to be overwhelmed the sounds coming from these guys. I’m tellin’ ya’, folks . . . MySpace is a treasure trove of great and unheralded music. See you next month!
www.myspace.com/experimentalautumn 
Has it been a month already? Holy crap . . . where does the time go? Well, no matter. I’ve been busy all the same. I’ve mapped out another fantastic voyage for y’all and I fully expect you to come back from this journey with a list of music to interest your rabid addiction to fine music. This month’s trek will lead us back to France for a spell, take us into Poland to hear about some vinyl, then across to England to watch a video, and then ultimately, back to the States for some home grown flavor and more jams than MC5 could ever kick out. You know the drill by now, Waveriders. Seats and trays, floatation devices and all that jargon. Racer . . . pull down on that lever over there. Slowly now. That’s it . . . good man! We’re off!
Our first stop, much like last month, is in the wonderfully vibrant land of France. Grab a shovel and start digging, folks. You see, in France, there’s this underground movement that’s just bursting with a fresh new way of looking at dark, dreary, and doomy metal. Will it be underground for long? I doubt it. As of a few weeks ago, digging themselves out of the muck and mire long enough to grab a pen with their gore encrusted fingers, End. signed a deal with Metal Blade. Oh yeah, baby! Anything that’s gonna’ get more ears tuned into what’s going on in France has got to be a good thing. Seriously, friends . . . the French metal scene is the most happening music scene since all that melodic death stuff started trickling out of Sweden. Keep it tuned here, folks, in the coming weeks I’ll be shedding a light in some of the darkest corners of this country and, provided that these bands don’t crush the hated light with their massive riffs, I’ll be showing you some fascinating stuff. But for the time being, check out the tune, “Enigma of the Unknown,” and feel the weight of a thousand tones slowly squeeze the air from your lungs. All right . . . pack ‘em up. Give your best wishes to End. and follow me as we head north a bit. www.myspace.com/end1freefr 
Freaking their way out of Warsaw, Poland, we have the one and only progressive metal sounds of Riverside. If you haven’t heard them before, they have a bit of semblance to Porcupine Tree. Well, a little while back, they released a live album called Reality Dream. Check out the tune “Volte Face” on their page and you’ll hear a metalized, quasi-funk rocker that eventually melds into a tune with some serious ‘80’s edgey pop atmospheres. They fuse a bunch of influences into their music and always keep it interesting, and hearing this live material gives me the yearning to catch a live performance or two before I die. For the time being, I think I’ll just pick up the CD/DVD set. Also of note, the band is doing a vinyl release of “Out of Myself.” This album is a truly strong set of songs and there’s something endearing about it being on vinyl. Additional warmth, maybe? I don’t know, but we’ll see soon enough. www.myspace.com/riversidepl 
Speaking of Porcupine Tree, the mastery of Steven Wilson is at it once again. This time, he’s going at it alone. Wilson has an album that’s inching it’s way to daylight and as a nifty little gift to all of us patient fans, he’s posted a video for the first single, “Harmony Korine.” Much like the work that he’s done with PT, this solo stuff is brimming with ambient textures and beautiful vocal melodies. Not as heavy as the Tree in a metallic sense, but it’s definitely got some weightiness to it that can’t be ignored. The album, Insurgents, will be released on March 9th, so head over to his page and do a pre-order thing. Do what you have to. The music sounds incredible, and as I’ve said in the past, anything that the good Mr. Wilson touches turns to gold. In a down global economy, isn’t that what we all really need? www.myspace.com/therealstevenwilson 
Also on March 9th and coming out of England is the new album from progressive rocking, harmonic vocal, semi-electronic band, Pure Reason Revolution. These guys mix it up exceptionally well. I wouldn’t even think about putting them near my metal collection, but they have an edginess to them that makes me associate them with some of the darker arts. Other than that, PRR have a nice up tempo dance groove going on, and the once the vocals kick into the multi-layered thing that they do, well . . . it’s a good night to all. The sampler that they have posted on their page has some great excerpts from the upcoming album. And, for a tune from their past that will simply blow your mind, give “Victorious Cupid” a spin. Awesome stuff! www.myspace.com/purereasonrevolution 
Back across the pond as we land on another planet. New York City and all areas beyond. Always fun, always an adventure, and always home to quality tunes. The first band that we’re checking out is called SOS. These guys have this interesting blend of sleazy barroom blues with more than a fair share of hardcore punk. One minute I think I hear the strains of AC/DC, and then I suddenly hear the tormented howl of Henry Rollins over an Excel grooved metal riff. These guys flat out rock it! Their album Adult Situations is well worth more than a casual listen. It’s a highly addictive all out rocker that shows some unique takes on an otherwise beaten down genre. Don’t make me tell you twice. Check ‘em out and show ‘em some love. www.myspace.com/sosnyc 
Our chums in Sonic Bliss have just finished working on their first video for the song, “Babe, I’m Dying.” I don’t know much outside of that, but I look forward to one day sitting at my Ripple desk, sucking down a hot cup of joe, throwing unreviewable CD’s at the off time gyration of Racer’s hip as he tries to dance to tunes blaring over our sound system. Of course, through all of this, I’ll be trying to watch the new Sonic Bliss video. If you haven’t picked up Loved to Death yet, go back, read my review of the album, and then go out and get it. If you don’t want to spend the time reading my words, go by the bands page and hear the tunes. Yeah . . . that sensation you feel in your pants is actually your wallet being removed by the sheer force of the music. The wallets getting lighter, isn’t it? www.myspace.com/sonicblis 
Now, for you Waveriders who like it a little harder and heavier, and let’s call it more experimental, here’s a fantastic sounding outfit called Seth.Ect. They have that heavy industrial thing going on similar in vein as Rammstein, but with less fire. Actually, I can’t claim that last statement as fact. I haven’t yet seen these guys in a live setting, so I have no idea what a live experience would be like. Who knows? Maybe they’d decide to go the opposite direction and shoot water in every direction. Of course, this could lead to electrical issues, which would ultimately lead to more fire. Anyway . . . I dig how these guys use a wider variety of instruments to meet their creative end. Much more musical and less imposing than I expected, but so damn welcome to these weary ears of mine. www.myspace.com/sethect
What’s say we head west a bit and keep our devil horns poised? Excellent! Camped out in Evansville, Indiana, we have the metallic soundings of Anthem For A Massacre. These guys have that brutally heavy, detuned sound going with some pretty interesting melodies mixed in for good measure. Tracks like “Pull the Trigger” and “I’m in Hell” are great examples of how the band meshes that immensely dense riffage with more melodic moments. They’re looking at recording a follow up to Pull the Trigger in the earlier portion of 2009 and then hammering the highways of these great States through the summer. You’ll want to keep an ear out for more from these guys. www.myspace.com/anthemforamassacre 
This next band is for anyone who can’t seem to get enough of David Gilmour or Pink Floyd. Down in that massive state of Texas, we have Lynn Stokes & Sol Surfers playing that mellowed out, quasi-psychedelic and spacey rock that the aforementioned artists carved in stone. If you’re not careful, you may just think that you’re listening to Gilmour sing the lyrics to songs like “Let Go” or “Sacred Moon’s Light.” The tunes on their album, Terra Nocturne, are of the most mellow variety and nothing ever really starts kicking your ass in a true rock ‘n roll sense, but that’s not what this music is about. It’s so much more introspective and soulful. The guitar solos are rich with flavor and deep in tone. This is great music to chill out to. Highly recommended. www.myspace.com/solsurfers 
As we make our way across the Deep South, I want to make a stop in Birmingham, Alabama, and introduce you to another wonderful new talent going by the name of Christopher Morrison. This dude is a singer/songwriter type, strumming away on an acoustic guitar and bearing his soul to the masses. On his page, you’ll find a number of demo tunes to soak in. Now, I know how all you Waveriders lover supporting artists by going and spending your hard earned money on their music, so what the good Mr. Morrison is doing is allowing us to download his music for free. Yes . . . free. All you have to do is go to his page and follow the link to a page that allows you to download something like 15 or 20 tunes! How awesome is that? Don’t forget to thank Christopher on the way out. www.myspace.com/christophermorrisonmusic 
Now, I’m not sure that these guys are actually located in Georgia, but they always remind me of the Atlanta sweltering summer, so . . . we’re just gonna’ pay some homage to Gov’t Mule while we make our way to the Atlantic Ocean. The Mule, as I’m sure you remember from a few months ago, have a new bassist in tow, and are tucked away in a studio as they record a new album. I’m sure you all know my love for this band, so you can imagine my excitement for a new offering of southern fried jam rock. Hell, drop the southern fried jam part. The Mule are simply rock. Few do it as well as these cats, and I expect that the new album will be just as impressive as High & Mighty, which you all know was near perfect. Stay tuned. More Mule in 2009? www.myspace.com/govtmule 
Our final stop on this little adventure is in Charlotte, North Carolina, where we will stop to visit the experimentally ambient tones of Mountains Among Us. These guys have this awesome ambient thing going on that’s filled with so much tension that you just expect it to explode. I’ve never heard music that held this much tension for this long, and constantly shifts to put pressure against some alternate surface. This is trippy stuff and their earlier releases can be found on Forbidden Empire Records. Mountains Among Us are preparing a new album for us in the near future, so be prepared to be overwhelmed the sounds coming from these guys. I’m tellin’ ya’, folks . . . MySpace is a treasure trove of great and unheralded music. See you next month! www.myspace.com/experimentalautumn
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