WAYFARER (Century Media) is the pre-eminent Western American Metal band. Composed of four black clad players from Denver, Colorado, the band’s sound draws from the deep wells of black metal, gothic country, and a mericana - creating a thunderous and uniquely American genre of metal all to their own.After ten years of existence, the band presents AMERICAN GOTHIC - a defining statement of Western heavy music that explores the dark soul of the nation itself. This time working alongside accomplished producer Arthur Rizk (EternalChampion, Kreator) the band brings an aggressive and expansive vision to life in a new full length LP.Led by powerful riffing, bleak melodic sensibilities, and pointed songwriting, this record serves as a funeral for theAmerican dream. Caked in dust, and buried deep in blood and gunpowder, it paints a brutal and beautiful portrait,and sees WAYFARER elevate their unique and genuine brand of metal to new heights.“What we have now is a world full of oil drillers, and railroad barons. Cattle thieves and company men. This is the new American Gothic.”

 

 

In 2014, Melissa Moore birthed the idea for the Gothic Rock Heavy Metalband Sonja while having an existential meltdown on a strung out flight home from Melbourne to Philadelphia. After calling drummer Grzesiek Czapla upon landing and later inviting bassist Ben Brand, the power trio plunged deep into secret places where fear and pain were transformed into obsessive pophook-laced metal. The years that followed were filled with ruinous sexuality,gender apocalypse, casual encounters, generosity, discretion, danger, desire,paranoia, passion, and endless rock n roll."Loud Arriver" is the band’s 2022 debut full length that was released on CruzDel Sur Music (mixed by Arthur Rizk). Featuring the Zev Deans directed music video for "Nylon Nights", Sonja began the perpetual cycle of touring the US and Europe. Festival and tour appearances continue as the bandwrites their follow up album and are pulled deeper into submission to their goddess, Heavy Metal.

 

 

Aerial Ruin, based in Portland, Oregon is the mostly acoustic solo project of Erik Moggridge whose current and former bands include Stygian Bough and Old Grandad. Erik has also collaborated with Bell Witch, Panopticon and Osi and the Jupiter amongst others. 

Aerial Ruin has released multiple albums and splits and engaged in extensive DIY touring in North America and Europe.