Two of the best unsigned bands are Luurch and Evilleaf. I don’t mean unsigned bands in North Carolina, I mean in the whole scene. I’ve been fans of both over the past year, and with every release and live performance, I still can’t believe neither of them are on one of the popular labels.
So when both bands sent me a copy of Undead Queen (ft, Sara Sage of Evilleaf), I was beyond curious. I was full on psyched up to hear what this devious duo could come up with. How good is it? It’s good enough that I’m starting to think I need to keep track of the best singles of the year, because this one goes straight to the top!
If you don’t know Luurch, that’s something you need to fix right now. Here’s a link to get ya started. If you’ve read this blog before, at some point you’ve come across how I feel about Evilleaf. Again, if you haven’t, here’s another link.
I think both Luurch and Evilleaf are excellent examples of what the future has in store for the heavy underground. Luurch is one of those bands that takes a kitchen sink approach to their craft: a little bit hard-core, a little bit noise, a little bit doom. They throw it all together extremely well, and somehow still manage to be one of the best live acts I’ve seen over the past two years. Their music is never predictable, and the fact that they can re-create it in a live setting is remarkarble.
Evilleaf take some more traditional Doom approach with their own unique twists and turns. They’re fronted by the incredible Sara Sage, who is classically trained and disciplined voice always takes a shocking turn when she goes into her blackened death metal persona. It’s even more shocking live!
Undead Queen is like the best of both worlds. I also think it’s the best song that Luurch has ever written, which is saying a lot! As always, I’ll let you make your own mind up as to how awesome it is. But for me, it’s like they accidentally rediscovered early Celtic Frost with unique core changes and unexpected melodic turns. It’s brutal, it’s fun, and yet it has a sense of groove reminds me of the best of the obscure stuff from the early to mid 1980s.
Oh, and those of you within driving distance of Gastonia, North Carolina are in for a treat on October 29, when both Luurch and Evilleaf join forces with Skull Servant and the legendary Grave Next Door for a Night of Doom at The Rooster. It’s one of the best lineups to hit Gastonia… ever!
Even if you can’t make it to Gastonia, you owe it to yourself to check out this single, and kick yourself for missing an opportunity to see it happen live…
It is impressive what Sara Sage can do with her voice!