by rudyards | September 21st, 2013
Morgue City (Houston, TX)
https://morguecity.net
Morgue City is a band that has gone through many many changes in sound and personnel. Like any successful project in the entertainment world it must be made up of resilient and determined people. This is the case with Morgue City. The band that has a rock attack intensity as well as a more sinister edge as it delves into the darker realms of noiz and it’s concurrent drones. Some of the Morgue City sound is very pop rock oriented but there is always a deviant grind of sound laced in the song work. The band consists of two musicians with a very long history in the music business. Founder, SPIKE the Percussionist, is known from a long list of projects that include Astrogenic Hallucinauting, Childman, Doggebi, Delicate Terror and as the music director for the world renowned flesh suspension group Constructs of Ritual Evolution – CoRE. The lead guitar and vocals are handled by Raul who is a multi instrumentalist and has a long history of studio work and touring. Raul hails from such bands as M-87 and was the former bass player for Bozo Porno Circus. The result is a musical conglomeration both hauntingly familiar and refreshingly new as well as powerful and beautifully dark. Combine the likes of everything from classical to jazz and gloom to power noiz with catchy lyrics, sophisticated beats, and musically diverse melodies and the result is Morgue City.
Vanilla Sugar (Houston, TX)
https://www.facebook.com/vanillasugarmusic
Jessica Perry and Cortnii have been creating music together for years. Vanilla Sugar came about when the two decided to go for a more experimental sound. Needing the right members, the duo went on a search to complete an all female band. KB was brought into the mix through a fan who happened to come to a previous performance. Finally, the group was almost complete. There was just one piece missing. The trio decided they need a guitarist. After searching through ads everywhere, they came across Vanessa V. Vanessa completed the sound. The line up was complete. Vanilla Sugar’s current mission is to spread their music across the world by doing multiple tours, expanding their fan base, and eventually getting signed to a label.
The Abyss (Houston, TX)
https://www.theabyssband.com/
The Abyss is a Dark Alternative Rock band based in Houston, Texas. The Abyss was founded in 2007 by Sean Ozz and Ronnie Kopal who’d been friends since high school. The members of The Abyss are all veteran musicians, who each bring years of experience and a huge amount of talent to the team.
Being influenced by the darker side of rock music, The Abyss diverts from the path of normalcy in the creation of their music, while forming a sound and style that is unique; and to the left of the mainstream. Heavily influenced by visual art, the sound of The Abyss captures the dark emotion from life; into something that can be felt through sound. The Abyss strives to capture the emotion and feeling that today’s mainstream music has seemingly forgotten.
Musical Influences include The Cure, Jane’s Addiction, Radiohead, Joy Division, Muse, P.I.L, and The Smashing Pumpkins just to name a select few.
The Abyss have quickly established themselves as a crediblele live act, having shared the stage with P.I.L (Public Image Limited), ORGY, Boys Don’t Cry, The Razorblade Dolls, The Scars Heal in Time, and have made multiple performances for the Houston Zombie Walk, and The Houston Press Music Awards.
The Abyss has been Nominated three years running (2011, 2012 & 2013) for Best Modern Rock and Best Rock in the Houston Press Music Awards. The Abyss stands on their own, upon a sea of imitators; in a new world of dark alternative music.
Opulent (Houston, TX)
https://www.opulentmusic.com
Opulent began in the summer of 2000, currently now with 12 years of writing and countless performances, Opulent has sculpted its sound to be every essence of the word. Combining numerous styles into the OPULENT sound, the group prides itself for having no two songs sound the same, a constituent in design. Truly, “A Diversity of Form”. A sad song or a Song that fuels the soul, OPULENT’s music comes from the heart, whether it be; love, hate, lust or anger, emotion is a definite element. Scary rhythms and haunting Vocals have a home in the entwined synthesized soundscape, Beautiful and Horrific. Additional “Voices” have been conjoined to create a mixture of absinthe-induced Metal, Industrial, with sounds that are Rock solid. Allison Scott coins the phrase Kauffin-Rock. However, To classify, you would have to hear it for yourself. Friends,Freaks, and Fiends alike, Prepare yourself for Opulent !!!