Editor’s Note: This article reflects on United Blood’s return back in April 2025 and is a preview of what is in store for 2026. Words and photos by Cristian Espinoza The sleeping giant walks the earth again. After a five-year hiatus, United Blood returned to Richmond,...
Last year, Richmond got a taste of the power-thrash metal band, Buzzard Dust, when they released their debut self-titled EP. And now, they’re back to celebrate the release of their first full-length album at Strange Matter this weekend. The members of Buzzard Dust are no newcomers to the scene, including Harrison Christy (vocals), Miguel Falcon...
If you’re into heavy music and you live in Richmond, chances are you’re already familiar with Dave Witte’s drumming. Witte joined RVA institution Municipal Waste in 2004, and has remained in the band since then. While his history with that band is impressive, he has an extensive and diverse CV outside of it. He was a part of the now-legendary...
As a hardcore kid that grew up going to shows in the mid-‘80s, having a fest like United Blood in my hometown makes this city very special to me and by the looks of it, it appears a good amount of people, both young and old, feel the same way. Now in its eleventh year, United Blood has become one of the most anticipated events of the year for...
Deep in the woods down a long, long gravel driveway off a long winding road in Varina, sits “The Shed”, the studio and hangout spot for Black Naked Wings. Now it may look a little rough around the edges, but once you step inside its filled to the brim with eclectic gadgets like a replica of the Star Trek captain’s chair replica, vintage guitars...
After an almost three year dry-spell, Mastodon returns with a deeply personal new record in Empire of the Sand. Formed in the late 90s, Mastodon made waves with a pair of concept records in the early 00s - 2002's Remission and 2004's Leviathan, the later of which garnered massive praise from metal mags nationwide. 2006's Blood Mountain continued...
For a band quintessential to the pop punk burst of the early 2000s, Say Anything has been vigilant in its capacity for recreation - for holding true to a fundamental attitude, which could be described as sentimental amity behind an impish smirk, without epitomizing the sound that once made them the generators of angsty anthems like those from the...
If you’re new to the world of instrumental metal music, you may not have heard of DC's Animals As Leaders, a reference to Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael. And if you’re new and near a device like most people are, you might soon find yourself, jaw dropped, seeing this trio of progressive musicians with advanced playing techniques unfurled, slicing through...
Most metal-savvy people in Richmond are at least somewhat aware of Cannabis Corpse, and are therefore aware of Josh Hall, or Hallhammer, through his drum work with Cannabis Corpse and Six Feet Under. On the other side of the recording booth, Hallhammer has also made a name for himself through work with Municipal Waste, Bat, and Iron Regan and if...
Richmond is getting doused in sludge on August 8 when The Melvins grace The Broadberry with their brand of punk jams. The Melvins, forming in the 1980s, have been a staple of punk music since riding the waves of Washington grunge popularity into national embrace. The Melvins, not far from their 2016 release, Basses Loaded, an album featuring a...
