MetalView

By Mike Vanek

SAVE METAL IN MODESTO

2015 has been a interesting year in the metal scene… What started with great promise has dwindled down to the bleakest of futures. Modesto has shunned the metal scene. We only have 2 bars to play at which many people in the downtown community are choosing to boycott due to an incident at the MAMA awards. Businesses refuse to hang our flyers and attendees at our shows are starting to dwindle as well. Some shows do well while most do not. With infighting between promoters an unwillingness on the part of veteran bands, bands breaking up, and a lack of new bands in the area the future looks bleak for what once used to be the flagship of the Modesto music community. But alas there is a light of hope.

Bands like 2015 MAMA award winners NOTHING BUT LOSERS fight the good fight with help from Perfect Nightmare, Sworn to The Black, and Stigmurder and Etched in Stone we have a glimmer of hope. In 2015 Nothing But Losers added former Brutal Innocence drummer Dave Ussery on a interim basis while Aaron Jones toured the country with Etched in Stone and when Jones returned, “Lunchbox” as Dave is known moved over to percussion duties and the band is now working on a new set that vocalist Jojo Rush promises “may actually turn people metal” they will be traveling back to the Fresno area to open for Puddle of Mud. Merced’s Stigmurder has welcomed former Rebels Mother bassist “Topher” to the fold and the continue to play shows all over California. Merced’s Cursed also struck gold in the Fresno area this year and opened for Exodus twice among others. Manteca’s Fortress entered the studio with money they won from a huge 5 round battle of the bands and Forever Obscured and Sworn to The Black have both released albums this year which are available on Spotify & ITunes. So there is hope for our metal scene but we need more or else metal in Modesto will be a memory like cruising McHenry and The Modesto A’s…

#SAVEMETALINMODESTO

We need more bands like 17Ten, Sovereign, and Dragons of The West to bring the spirit back to Modesto

Thanks all for me this month as always Keep One Foot in the Gutter and one Fist in the GOLD!!