So, one band I’ve been hearing much about on the metal scene in Jersey is a band out of Toms River called Eye Of Anubis. I mean, these guys are just about as underground as underground can get, and their music is what I like to call “filthy!” In my world, being called a “filthy” is a huge compliment. Many of the bands I’ve written about in the past 14 years have ranked pretty high on the “Filth-O-Meter” and Eye Of Anubis leaves my ears just dripping of filth. I listened to a few tracks off of the band’s 2013 release, The Plague, and as I listened to songs like “Crown Of The Deformed,” “Purge The Weak,” and “God Obsolete,” I couldn’t stop thinking, “Why don’t bands write shit like this anymore?” Eye Of Anubis was a breath of fresh “filthy” air when it comes to thrash metal.
According to their bio, Eye Of Anubis was formed by drummer Jeff Rosario and guitarist Robert Babcock back in 2010. They set out to find a group of like-minded, ambitious musicians whose soul intention was to create metal, rock shows, and above all, have fun while they were doing it. They found these qualities in guitarist John Dynarski, singer Eugene Pistilli and bassist Kyle Yannon. The sound they created with Jeff’s thunderous grooves, Rob’s merciless riffs, Kyle’s lock on Jeff’s foot, and Eugene’s thrashy vocals is the end result on The Plague, and it’s ear-popping delicious! Did that even make any sense?
Anyway, Eye Of Anubis’ momentum has landed them a slot on this year’s Shore Metal Madness III featuring my boys Stagger, Scars Of Envy, Ominous, Continuum, Cyperna, Dead Wings, Through The Grey, Paralysis and The Gates Of Ivory at the Brighton Bar in Long Branch, NJ this Saturday (3/14). For more on Eye Of Anubis and to get your face ripped off by this “filthy” band from Toms River, log onto eyeofanubis.net. If you love thrash metal keep your eye out for these guys! Trust me!
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
One of the guys who continually sends me updates about his band (yes, this is a knock on those of you who wonder why I never write about your band), Steve Bello wanted to remind me that his new website is up and running, where you can find a slew of new shows posted. Steve tells me that the site is starting to get some pretty good traffic, so he was pretty excited about that. Check it out at steviehimself.wix.com/bello1969 and catch my favorite guitar whiz and his band, Steve Bello Band, at Hartley’s in North Arlington, NJ next Saturday night (3/21).
Queen V is currently working her ass off in Los Angeles at Studio 606. Sound familiar? It should! That’s the studio owned by the Foo Fighters and the studio depicted in the documentary Sound City, a film from Foo Fighters head honcho Dave Grohl. V said, “Recording at Studio 606 was absolutely a highlight of my musical career! Thinking of all the amazing artists that have recorded through this (Neve) console makes me feel truly blessed to be a part of its history now.” I have to admit…a little bit jealous! I can’t wait to hear this new music from Queen V. For more on the Queen, visit QueenV.com.
And finally, my bros from Anaka have finally released their long-awaited brand new CD, The Unwavering. All I can is, “Wow!” This CD is a nice kick in the nuts! Watching Anaka grow through the years, it seems they’ve finally hit their stride with this new batch of songs on The Unwavering. Some of my favorites include “Deathborn,” the guitar work in “Murder Of Crows” is outstanding and my favorite on this whole metal record, believe it or not, is a ballad called “Damage.” Singer Jimmy Pallis really showcased a side of his voice I never knew he had. The song was a cross between Metallica’s “Fade To Black” meets Pantera’s “Cemetary Gates.” It doesn’t get any better than that! Download Anaka’s The Unwavering now on iTunes or contact the band at anaka.net for a hard copy of the CD now!
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
3/11—Ascending From Ashes/Sinertia/NettyRose/The Empty Frame/Prodigal Sons—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
3/12—J.Rad/Otherwise/Eternity Fallen/Terra Stigma—Revolution Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
3/13—Killcode/Mother—Maxwell’s Tavern, Hoboken, NJ
3/13—Krown Point/Crash NY/Casey Honig/Sliver Spade—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/14—Shore Metal Madness III featuring: Stagger/Scars of Envy/Ominous/Continuum/Cyperna/Dead Wings/Through the Grey/Paralysis/The Gates of Ivory/Eye Of Anubis—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
3/14—For the Kill/Steel Reign/Cause of Affliction/Threatpoint—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
3/14—Zire’s War/Diecast—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
3/14—Warhammer—Tavern on the Lake, Hightstown, NJ
3/15—Doyle/Zire’s War/Black Irish/True Will/HoneyTrap/Demon Boy/Murdersmile—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
3/19—Ronin/Leeds/Ascending From Ashes/Out of Ashes/High Octane—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
3/20—Cracked Alice/Vajra/A Midnight Tragedy—Mercury Lounge, NYC
3/21—Drowning Pool/Adrenaline Mob/Full Devil Jacket/Scottish Widows/Common Wealth/Brand of Julez/Raftree—Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
3/21—Know Your Enemy/Flowers To Flames/Ocean Of Illusions/Negative Sky/Unkempt Herald/Under the Red Hood—Tenth Street Live, Kenilworth, NJ
3/21—Steve Bello Band—Hartley’s, North Arlington, NJ
3/22—J.Rad/Frank Hannon (from Tesla)—Blackthorn 51, Elmhurst, NY
3/27—BioHazard/Zire’s War/Sword Enemy—Revolution Bar and Music Hall, Amityville, NY
3/28—Thanantotic Desire—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
4/3—Reborn Divided/Circuit Of Suns/Beyond Treachery/Midnite Hellion/Bow To The Fallen/Sicada/Centralia—The Backstage at Championship Bar, Trenton, NJ
4/3—Audio Empire CD Release Party/Reality Suite—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
4/3—End of an Era—The Headliner Night Club, Neptune, NJ
4/15—Metalfier/Atom Strange/Michael Schenker—Gramercy Theatre, NYC
4/18—Steve Bello Band—Roxy and Duke’s Roadhouse, Dunellen, NJ
4/18—Ryan Chiarella and The New Breed/Pat Travers Band—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
4/24—Steve Bello Band—Shortway’s Barn, Hawthorne, NJ
