Metal

Bryn Terranova: “Fueled By Fate” (feat. Natalia Nekare)

Progressive metal and drum n bass. Two high octane genres that we here at KUTX could be a lot better at curating. Just for today, though, we’re getting some local help from a whole new world of both styles.

We’re talking about Austin’s Bryn Terranova, who on top of her time as a graphic designer and a consistent cat foster parent, has also recently been making a name for herself as a pretty kickass vocalist-producer. Terranova introduced us to her complex, frenetic sound back in April with her debut streaming single “Lost in Echos” – a must-hear for any upbeat electronic enthusiast. In the month-plus since it dropped, “Lost in Echos” has kept our blood pumping and our heart rate at a healthy high, but Bryn Terranova’s newest really ratchets up the aggression by smelting some much appreciated metal into the mix.

With the help of Pulso Critico vocalist Natalia Nekare, Terranova’s sophomore installation “Fueled By Fate” is unfalteringly ferocious from front to back. Down to the choice of kick drum tones and pairing of saturated synths and distorted guitar, “Fueled By Fate” does a great job of blurring the lines between synthetic and organic, DnB and prog metal, and emotional and unhinged. Whether you’re speeding down the highway, flying through the gates of Valhalla, or just getting some work done, “Fueled By Fate” will put your gear into overdrive and keep your motor roaring whenever you need a double dose of sonic adrenaline.

Trip Cigs: “Comeback Kid”

When a seasoned musician wades out of their genre comfort zone, you love to hear it. Because the technical expertise, jam stamina, and songwriting skills are already in place, but opening the gate to different inspirations and influences is always a welcome breath of fresh air.

So let’s talk Rod Gator, who – as you might’ve guessed from his stage surname – leans on his steamy Louisiana bayou upbringing for a swamp-swept sound. Gator’s kept us sated with his own stuff as recently as last September with the release of his LP Conqueror. Interestingly enough, that was also ’round about the same time Gator linked up with fellow Sagebrush door staffer Leo Lydon (lead guitarist/vocalist of Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol) for a songwriting session. Sparks flew, heaviness ensued, and with the addition of Nico and Willie Jansen, the southern metal endeavor Trip Cigs was born.

Fast forward to a couple weeks back, when the quartet opened up the stable for Trip Cigs’ debut EP Hoss. Heavy without being excessively brutal, swampy without getting bogged down in sludge, this record’s got an incredibly thick consistency to it. And since it maintains that session energy so effectively, its best recommended to set aside fifteen minutes to appreciate the EP in full. Definitely take a deep breath before saddling up and dig into whatever stirrups you may have on hand, ’cause with minimal space between songs, and a bucking start to each of its six tracks right out the gate, this thing is a steed who needs no speed. If you’ve only got time for one quick ride, get a feel for Hoss with Trip Cigs’ very first foal, “Comeback Kid”.

Souls Extolled: “Just Dreams”

On behalf of KUTX, here’s a confession of sorts: we could lean a little more on the heavier stuff. And I’m not saying that just because I’m rocking the long, windmill-ready thrash hair right now. There really are some sensational prog metal (or at least hard rock-adjacent) songwriters sprinkled across Austin. Exhibit A: Souls Extolled. This three-piece exercises a regiment of all kinds of stuff; indie, alternative, grunge, ska, and punk have all been on the platter since the group’s inception in 2019. Souls Extolled plans on springing right into 2023 with their next full-length MMXXII or “twenty twenty two” phonetically. The record is set to drop on New Year’s Day 2023 and as such, Souls Extolled is expected at venues across the country over the next few weeks, with a tour kickoff 8PM tonight at The Mohawk (ahead of The Dead Coats at 9 and The Holy Death Trio at 10). Can’t convince your ear drums to bear the Atlas task of a full in-person set? No problem. Just stretch out into the aether with MMXXII‘s incandescent and honestly almost-operatic eleventh offering, “Just Dreams”.

Texas Standard: November 29, 2021

With a big rise in COVID-19 cases in New Mexico and pediatric cases up in El Paso, experts raise red flags for Texas. In time for the holidays, growing warnings about COVID-19 in Texas as the President announces new steps amid the spread of a new variant. We’ll have the latest. Also, with the infrastructure bill, the push for electric vehicles in one of the nation’s top gasoline consuming states, you know the one. Plus a conversation with the mother of a Texas elementary school student pushing for changes in how the stories of Indigenous people and Native Americans are taught. And a college football outlook and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: June 7, 2021

Wins in Texas for the GOP this weekend, but also some party turmoil. Who’s in charge? We’ll take a closer look. Also, we’ve been living with COVID-19 for a long, hard while now. But we’re continuing to learn about it. What some Texas researchers say the virus does to hide in your body. And a big international business deal in Houston has some scratching their heads and could pose some risks for those living in the area. We’ll explore. Plus, we’ll take a look at a San Antonio business and the hard lessons its learned during the pandemic. And what exactly is critical race theory and how will recent moves affect what’s taught in Texas classrooms? We’ll hear from an educator. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard: