@brandonspeck

If you don’t already listen to Seeking 7, you need to be. The North Mississippi rockers aren’t hard to find.

Go to YouTube. Go to Facebook.

Or just sit down and be patient. The band will release “Chaos Before The Fall” digitally on Feb. 9 and physically on Feb. 13. It comes nearly four years after The Surface EP. Saw them live once and it only certified wanting to buy new music. Hard sound, heavy live.

Failed in an attempt to interview them for this site a while back. I’ll be trying to catch up with them around the release date.

Supports local music, sure. But support great music. That’s what this is.

@brandonspeck

To Live As Wolves released this video for “Leech” in October and it’s about time we all started paying attention.

New York metalcore, the linked video is a lyric video. The driving beats are enough on their own to play and enjoy but the lyrics are my favorite so far of 2016.

“We were the doubted. We were the hurt.”

@brandonspeck

Do your Thursday a favor and check out Indianapolis hard rock band September Sky.

I’ve only gone through clips of their material, but everything I’ve heard is quick to break into very heavy guitars, pounding drums and vocals that complement it. It is a great blend of hard rock and metal, plus this video for “Fallacy” is sick.

The band – click here to connect via Facebook and Twitter – is offering a free download of “Fallacy” for a limited time.

Watch the video and get the download. Hope these guys head south sometime this winter for a show or two.

@brandonspeck

Killswitch Engage announced the Mar. 11 release of Incarnate as well as more than a month of dates with Memphis May Fire and 36 Crazyfists.

The only show close to me is Mar. 21 in Nashville. Jesse Leach said late last year the band was looking toward March for the release. That promise was kept.

Here is the first single, “Strength of the Mind.”

As a Jan. 15 surprise drop, Lecrae dropped the third leg of his “Church Clothes” mixtapes. Listening to it on Spotify right now. It is also available on iTunes.

On Feb. 11, the Rock & Worship Road Show will be at Southaven’s Landers Center.

For a rock fan, it is hit-and-miss, sort of like Winter Jam. You have to sit through some bands the youth kiddies will like and you won’t. But as I did at Winter Jam, I’ll sit there to see 30 minutes of Family Force 5. Amazing live show. The crunk rockers are an absolute treat to watch.

Shot this in Tupelo at Winter Jam and below is the making of that song’s video.

@brandonspeck

Guns N’ Roses will headline the two Saturdays of Coachella in April and for the first time since 1993, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan will share a stage with Axl Rose.

Here is the rest of the much anticipated story from Loudwire.

@brandonspeck

I was digging around and stumbled upon this rock blog by Maria Haskins. Canadian rock band Old James caught my attention.

Didn’t take long to like them. Old James is a funky mix of old and new metal and Brian Stephenson’s stout, stout vocals.

Hope these guys head south to Memphis, Tupelo or Nashville sometime this winter.

The band’s Facebook page has a clip if a recent show. And you can pick up an EP on iTunes.

@brandonspeck

Metallica frontman James Hetfield released his Top 10 Thingz of 2015. Included on the list is pop star Justin Bieber wearing a Metallica shirt. You can see the whole list on the band’s blog.

Or you can just stare at this heavy metal moment for a while, as Biebs left Barney’s in style.