Tie for 1. 

Whiskey Six-American Grit...one of the best produced local albums I have heard in years. From start to finish this album shows what tenacity this band has...they are explosive with great classic sounding riffs. They bring so much to the table with American Grit and push who they are to a level that many have not achieved here in the Valley of the Sun. 

Fifth Density-Morality In Question... 
a band that will raise the bar in progressive metal in Arizona. Their first album, a concept album no less, is ambitious; smartly written with delicious lyrical content and a brutality that is unmatched in the Arizona scene. I was unaware this band even existed until a post came across my facebook one day with a teaser track. I was in love from first listen to the technicality of the layers, being that I am a huge progressive metal listener, I would have never thought this was a local Arizona Band. They have the sensibility of European Progressive bands like Hypno5e, HORD and undertonality of Gojira.

2. Pelvic Meatlof - Stronger Than You 
i have always loved this band, however...after waiting for what seemed like 100 years for a new album...I love them even more. Stronger than You...is just that strong, brutal, in your face metal so eargasmically produced it will make you want to slap a baby. Rich Fourmy on vocals hits your eardrums with what metal is all about... brutality. I would have waited 200 years for this, they have set the bar very high for bands in the scene to produce quality music. These guys do it right, they do it for themselves...not for a label...a radio station...or the like and it shows with the true craftsmanship they have put into this album.

3. Vivicide - Sanctuary a group of modern day progressive death metal pioneers take melody and groove and give you infectious, full on technical and brutal voluntary earhole violation

4. VEX - Vitriolum 
There is so much happening in this album, I don't know where to begin. My first impression was a vocalist so different than anything I have ever heard in the Arizona scene. DL has incredible range and maturity in his vocals and he tells a story with his voice that many other artists today either are not willing or can not. The musicality of this album is an incredible layering of sonic eargams; from the crunchy guitars, space sounds, a middle eastern sound, unusual bass lines...there is a progressive feel to some of the tracks that I really enjoyed. I am a very visual listener, my first vision while listening was that I was transported somewhere other than Phoenix, with veils being blown by hot winds, sands whipping and swirling about my feet.

Tie for 5.

Twin giant - Sin Nombre 
is rifftastic with a deep sludginess that finds its way under your door and gets stuck in your brain for eternity. They are loud, heavy and don't apologize for being that way...they will kick your ears from Phoenix to Flagstaff and back.

Black Orchid - Wake...True DIY metallers with 5 independent releases under their belts, the release of Wake is raw, honest and brutal. They combine melodic death metal, metalcore, deathcore, thrash, heavy and modern metal into their own sound...Black Orchid.

Arizona Local Top 5 of 2013

Epic Music Store Ad

Hellishfest Promo

Dave Sheldon ( Exes For Eyes) Dan Angermaier Black Angel Down) and Sex Johnson (Sex, With Friends) will be joining me for the pilot of Spotlight on You! This is a monthly series featuring members of bands from all over, talking about themselves! They get to tell you who they are, what they like to listen to, who they were influenced by as musicians, and talk to the other guests on the panel about anything...THEY WANT TO!

cynluscious