Local Loft Episode 307

"The new groups are not concerned with what there is to be learned" (Joe Strummer 1978)

I can't totally agree with Strummer here. Many Chicago area original metal, punk & alternative rock bands are serious in learning and growing their music future. Bands who constantly experiment with different styles and even genres. Their plenty of examples of learning something new, especially Through N Through. The four man hardcore metal band from Chicago's Little Village is learning to mix progressive metal of the 70s and 80s with a fierce aggressive nu metal groove. It not just unclean vocals, there are moments of melodic progressive hard rock like Savatage. Guitarist Reuben Garza joins me as Through N Through gets ready for to give an unwrapped gift of hard-hitting metal with gory (yet funny) images, as they co headline Holiday Of Horror, hosted as always by the masters of murder metal, Macabre, Saturday, December 23rd at Reggie's Rock Club & Music Joint.

Aweful rocks through the looking glass in a new psychedelic music video take on a classic Disney fairytale. While Downhill Runner rocks, not skis, through a delicious mound of tortilla shelled ground beef at a pre-Christmas edition of Punk Rock Tacos in Villa Park this Friday.

There won't be mountains of snow this Xmas, seven years ago this week, there was a heave accumulation outside Wire in Berwyn, and five Chicagoland metal acts piled up inside, including Road's End. The ethnic metal act from the north Side brought a Polish touch (but not bilingual) to their music. We rock back to it.

Go ahead and snoop, peruse this advanced holiday gift of original Chicago area metal, punk, alternative rock & power pop. The unwrapping includes:

Through N Though-I.C.E. Breaker

Through N Through-Scarface

Macabre-The Big Bad Wolf

Aweful-Just Like Me

The Kozmic Kicks-Love The Insane

Michael Riser-Ride (Live in the Kat 105.5 studio 6/16/11)

M & R Rush-Heavy Metal Christmas

Heartsfield-(featuring Jim Peterik) Lost In A Daze Dream

The Ides Of March-Sharing Christmas

Downhill Runner-Euthanasia

Material Issue-Merry Christmas Will Do

Road's End (interview form Wire in Berwyn Local Loft Episode 45 12/10/16)

Road's End-The Descent

Road's End-S-21