Another Round Bar and Grill – Richmond, VA

FREE METAL FRIDAY!! This should be a thing all over the country to encourage local and regional bands to get out and show off their style. I love that Another Round incentivizes bands and fans to come out for a night of cool music. No cover should be getting more people in the door and leave them with a few extra budgeted bucks to tip the staff and buy merch. The only issue with this night was that two bands had to drop unexpectedly, but one extra did jump on the bill, so we still got three killer bands rocking the night away. This is a great way to get new bands hooked up with new fans and Another Round should be seen as a trend setter!

Part Death

Band Members:

  • Jhavie Lahor – Vocals
  • Rudy Lagman – Guitars
  • Remi Ichwantoro – Bass
  • Jesse Roeshner – Drums/Backing Vocals

Setlist:

  1. Intro – Prophecy
  2. Perfecting Insanity
  3. Death Metal Alliance
  4. Carnal Disposal
  5. Gallows
  6. Unstable Reality

Fort Washington, MD sent Part Death, a band that is heavily influenced by… you guessed it, Death Metal. Styling themselves as Old School Death, they brought some nice grooves to the stage, frequently shifting through Thrash, Death, and Melodic Metal to spice up their set. They also tend to be part jam band, taking some time to do extended instrumental sections, giving Jhavie time to get the crowd pumped up. They set the tone for the night by bringing a intensity and energy, engaging the audience and setting the bar for the rest of the bands.

Musically, they brought the old School Death. They incorporated other elements to make sure you knew they could do more than just scream and play fast. Those shifts through other sub-genres like Thrash and Melodic Metal were seamless, driven by fast-paced bass shifts and excellent drumming. Remi and Jesse were nicely in tune for the tempos, driving the songs hard and giving Rudy time to work through some killer riffs and nice, shreddy solos and lead work. I don’t think I heard any clean vocals out of Jhavie.

Overall, the show was a lot of fun and well executed. There were cool breakdowns, a couple of minor dips into Black Metal, and lots of chanting/throwing up the horns. Both the band and the crowd were actively engaged in fun and frivolity, making for a cool night. The band is a great group of guys and you should definitely check out their music and visit their socials to see when they might be playing in your area.

Cranium Drain

Band Members:

  • Youssef – Vocals
  • Randy – Guitars
  • Cassie – Bass/Backing Vocals
  • Fabio – Drums/Backing Vocals

Setlist:

  1. Solo Mania
  2. Shieldmaiden
  3. Petrichor
  4. Lycans
  5. Corpuscular
  6. Black Acid

When you chat with the band, they will tell you their sound generally fits into the Black/Thrash Metal realm, but they are oh so much more than just that. You hear a lot of shredding from the guitarist that fits the style and establishes their bona fides, but they also cross over into NWOBHM, Melodic, and Progressive Metal. Cranium Drain had a high bar to clear after the first band brought the fire. This was not a problem as all four band members were fueled by a desire to give the best show they could.

Youssef brought mostly harsh vocals, though he did go up to clean with heavy distortion as well. Some of the backing vocals were a bit cleaner as well. Fabio, sitting on the throne in back, is heavily influenced by one of my favorite bands, Helloween. This brought in a Power Metal style of drumming at times, stepping away from blast beats and into a more melodic, yet fast as hell, style of skin bashing.

Randy on guitar is quite the virtuoso. He’s a lover of technique, not just speed, so his playing hit a lot of great tones and fit into the composition with passion and precision. Cassie is a phenomenal bass player. She was responsible for much of the Prog Metal leanings in the music, hammering out some excellent phrases on a gorgeous Rickenbacker bass. Paradiso’s bassist went total fanboy on the instrument. Cassie is fleet of finger and has great tone. Together with Randy and Fabio, they brought a new blend of Heavy Metal to the stage and left most of us in the audience with our collective jaws on the ground. Follow this band and check them out live. You will not regret it.

Paradiso

Band Members:

  • Fran – Vocals/Guitars
  • Phil – Bass/Vocals
  • Nathan – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Justice
  2. Dying For What?
  3. Dime A Dozen
  4. Nothing
  5. Troops Of Doom
  6. Churchhill
  7. Acid Rain
  8. Conditioned
  9. Run
  10. Secuestrador

These guys think they play Alternative metal with Thrash and Death being the primary influences. That is true to a certain degree, but also throw in some Hardcore attitude and Speed Metal pacing. They had some cool drops in the songs that allowed the bass to take the lead and show out a little. They also slowed everything down a few times and added in some Doom sounds, even putting in at least one breakdown for fun. Like the other bands, they are not defined by a single genre or style; you can hear the different influences that each of the band members bring to the table.

Fran brought a lot of shredding to bear with his guitar playing, often shifting into Melodic and even Groove Metal. Go figure, these guys love Pantera and Megadeth, so you hear the influence in the songs, especially around his solos. Phil is fast, but quite accurate, with his bass playing. He also adds his voice to the mix with some lead and some backing vocals. Together, those two get a lot of notes pumping out of the speakers, but they have nothing on Nathan.

Nathan is in a league of his own. The Energizer Bunny threw up a white flag, surrendering to the new king of speed drumming. He was in constant motion, but always appeared in control. His craft is amazing and he damn sure makes Phil and Fran stay in top shape. They all blended well, nothing felt out of synch. They had an energy and passion that washed over the crowd and pleasantly surprised the other bands.

All three bands left this night as fans of each other. It’s always cool to see when groups that have never played together walk out as friends and fans of each other. Don’t be surprised if you see these guys on the same bill again somewhere. They all clicked, and while they may have meshed well for each other, the fans won the night getting to hear three bands throw down and deliver everything a Metal show should be.