BandWagon Magazine - February 2023 - Tanner Usrey

Phantomstone Azrael

will recognize two things immediately: Phantomstone has a lot of experience playing metal, and a lot of experience studying the genre.

The latest release from the Greeley, Colorado five-piece is a five-song EP by the name of Azrael, and it’s about as metal as it gets.

Any metalhead will tell you that metal on the whole is a sprawling family tree of subgenres that includes every conceivable band from its inception to today. To expand on this, any true metalhead, despite their specific tastes, can undoubtedly recognize the frontrunners of every one of these subgenres as well as their contribution to the metal way of life.

Upon hitting play on Phantomstone’s latest EP, the aforementioned connoisseurs

Let’s start with the first thing; Phantomstone’s members have all been around, and as those in attendance at their EP release show on December 30 at the Moxi Theater can surely attest, they know how to play. While the band itself was just born in 2019, each member has independently brutalized speakers across Colorado since their own, respective childhoods.

Unified, they bring it even harder, and the proof is in the EP. It promises to terrorize your sound system with the dueling tremolo picking and dive bombs from guitarists KellMan and Andy “Doc” Wade, heavy picked bass courtesy of Todd “El Spidero” Dack, the double kicks and blast beats of drummer Morgan

“MadMan” Mayfield, as well as the powerful uncleanliness of Austin “Phricktion” Frick’s brutal vocals.

Next, we’ll address the obvious fact that Phantomstone is extremely well-versed in the world of metal; veritable scholars of their predecessors.

Throughout Azrael, seasoned “metalphiles” will pick up on those history lessons and references across the entirety of the genre. Elements of death metal, classic thrash, black metal, and even rap rock abound. The record pays homage to the greats with guitar dive bombs reminiscent of classic Slayer and Pantera, shouts and unclean vocals that

sound like they could be lifted from records by Anthrax and Lamb of God, respectively, and even some moments of angsty rap metal that undoubtedly serve as a hat tip to Rage Against the Machine.

In all, Azrael was a long time in the making, whether anyone realized it or not, and the wait has been worth it. Scoring accolades like a spot on The Viking in the Wilderness Spotify playlist in the month since its release, the EP has hammer-smashed faces across Colorado and beyond like a barreling, titanium meteor.

Azrael is out now. Listen wherever you stream music and visit phantomstone.net formore.

Nate Wilde BandWagon Magazine

HITS THE ROAD & TAKES IT HOME

BY DAN ENGLAND

Tanner Usrey swears he’s excited to be on the road and enjoying the fruits of being an up-and-coming artist.

It’s just that the road is tough, with its dingy truck-stop bathrooms, road signs that somehow qualify as scenery and a bitter loneliness hard enough to bite Bob Seger. It’s no surprise, then, that “Take Me Home,” what Usrey calls his breakthrough hit, is about that gnawing loneliness brought on by the road and touring.

But like a loaded big rig on a downhill slope, Usrey didn't stop once that hit broke out: his latest, “Pick Up Your Phone,” also deals with the road blues, employing a dark and painful country lamentation that didn’t seem to go away in the time between releases. “Take Me Home” was released in August of last year; “Pick Up Your Phone,” hit in November.

Those two are two of his bigger hits on streaming services, although “Come Back Down” and “Beautiful Lies” surpass both by about 10 million listens a piece on Spotify. Funny thing is, the song that’s gotten him the most attention lately was one he recorded two years ago, and he didn’t have to do much to get it out there.

That one’s called “The Light,” and the song, released in 2020, wound up on the season four finale of the TV show Yellowstone starring Kevin Costner, keeping company with the likes of Dolly Parton, Zach Bryan and Lainey Wilson. He allegedly wasn’t even going to record that one, but his bass player convinced him to do it.

But somehow, Usrey doesn’t sound like pure country. He grew up in Prosper, Texas but loves Skynyrd and the Stones and doesn’t sing with too much twang: His voice brings to mind just as many soulful and sorrowful AM Gold acts such as Dan Fogelberg. His “natural” sounding voice came, well, naturally to him, he claims. And he says he doesn’t try to sound like anyone or force it into a genre. He simply writes and sings from the heart with wider-spread influences than one might expect.

“There’s a little bit of something in there for everyone,” Usrey said. And that little bit is a sincerity; an x-factor which is no doubt the grounds for his growing appeal and recent attention. And the time is now to harness that attention and keep the wheels turning.

Lots of songs are hitting now for Usrey, who is considered one of the most up-and-coming country acts of the year. The country-focused blog Whiskey Riff named “Beautiful Lies” (Usrey’s re-worked duet with Graycie York) the Best Collaboration of the Year, and The Ranch, a top Texas country station, named “Take Me Home” the Song of

He remains on the road, and he admits he gets tired at times, but he’s also looking forward to his upcoming tour dates in the region. He will play a string of shows across Colorado in Colorado Springs, Greeley and Denver as well as an appearance in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

And though he sings a passionate

BANDWAGON

FRIDAY,

SATURDAY, FEB 25 AT THE OUTLAW SALOON IN CHEYENNE, WY

SUNDAY, FEB 26 AT THE BLACK BUZZARD IN DENVER, CO

“I THOUGHT IT WAS TOO DIFFERENT,” USREY SAID IN AN INTERVIEW WITH BANDWAGON. “AT THE TIME IT JUST SEEMED … OFF. BUT IT’S DEFINITELY BIG LIVE NOW – AND A FUN SONG TO SING.”

PRESENTS THE TANNER USREY MOUNTAIN TOUR ‘23: THURSDAY, FEB 23 AT VULTURES IN COLORADO SPRINGS, CO

FEB 24 AT THE MOXI THEATER IN GREELEY, CO

always strikes the right notes.

Music lovers will find plenty of chances to tap their toes in Greeley, from Friday Fests to the Union Colony Civic Center lineup. From Mariachi bands to bluegrass, Greeley has a mix of vibrant sounds. Classical lovers can look forward to a new season from the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. And local venues like the Moxi Theater have a full calendar of acts to get out and see. No matter your musical sensibilities, Greeley has every reason for you to keep tuning in throughout the year.

CHECK OUT THE FULL CALENDAR OF MUSIC EVENTS AT MYGREELEY.COM

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD | JAN. 13 Union Colony Civic Center

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY |FEB. 4 Union Colony Civic Center

THE COLLECTION

BETTER TO GET LOST THAN NEVER TO HAVE LIVED AT ALL

On the last day of 2021 David Wimbish, a millennial, posted a viral video on TikTok.

“Compared to anything else we’ve ever posted, it took off. I’m still getting so many notifications on my phone — every day, even every hour,” he told BandWagon.

In the video, Wimbish, the lead singer and songwriter for North Carolina-based alt/pop band The Collection, spins around in a rolling desk chair and lip syncs the words to a snippet of a demo.

“I’m losing my attention while the whole world dies. Been scrolling through addictions with no appetite,” Wimbish sings.

BY GABE ALLEN

The demo is a perfect snapshot of what The Collection does best. The instrumentation is catchy and neatly arranged (though not yet imbued with the energy of the full band), and Wimbish inhabits the unambiguous emotion of the song with his vocal performance. The lyrics are not shrouded in metaphor. They are intense, vulnerable and painfully relatable (“another lockdown stuck inside this shit town I can’t find a way round my intrusive thoughts now”)

Though gen Z is just catching on, The Collection has been making music for more than a decade. Last time BandWagon talked with Wimbish, both he and the band

were going through a sea change. He was in the middle of a divorce and healing from a nearly debilitating mountain biking accident, while the band had been pared down from its original 12 members to a few key players.

In the years since, things have gotten better. Wimbish is free from injuries aside from intermittent neck pain that is often induced by his on-stage theatrics. In 2019 The Collection was selected as “top shelf judge’s pick” for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest and the band recently picked up with the same management team that brought The Lumineers to fame. Still, as things started to solidify for The Collection, the world around them fell victim to a global pandemic.

Wimbish laughed. Music is what helps him process what has happened, he explained. It is his tool for healing and reflection.

Healing is front and center on The Collection’s latest single “Get Lost.” In it, Wimbish meditates on the process of shedding people’s expectations and perceptions in order to find authenticity. It’s something that he has had to do over and over again.

“There have been many times, whether around substance, getting divorced, or coming out, where folks have told me that I've ‘lost my way,’” Wimbish wrote in the liner notes.

During his divorce, Wimbish was overwhelmed by messages and invocations from members of the conservative community that he was raised in. It seemed like everyone had an opinion about what he was doing, while no one wanted to hear how he was doing. It was hard not to give in to the pressure.

When asked how he had been able to keep making music through his lowest

“I went from someone who was trying to please everyone, to someone who is open and outspoken about my sexuality,” he told BandWagon later.

In the music video for “Get Lost,” Wimbish’s journey unfolds visually. As the camera follows him down a country road, characters roam in and out of the shot. “I wanted it to grow from this child-like pleasure to more adult eroticism,” Wimbish said.

Over the course of the song, kiddie pools and bubbles give way to smoke bombs and a passionate kiss. “Why are you so afraid of pleasure,” he sings.

This celebration of pleasure is on full display at the Collection’s live shows. Wimbish twirls his mic stand theatrically from among the folds of flowing white clothing and band members bounce around the stage wildly during instrumental breaks. Huge grins and perspiration are the band’s unofficial uniform.

While their music is centered around Wimbish, The Collection is undoubtedly a team. They are magnanimous with each other and abide by a “no sarcasm” rule while on tour. This attitude of acceptance — just the way you are — is central to the band’s message. It’s what has earned them die-hard fans and even a viral TikTok moment. With Wimbish at the helm, The Collection fosters a safe space to let loose, be yourself and “get lost.”

“The feeling of things falling apart has never really stopped,” Wimbish admitted. “I’ve had to integrate the realization that nothing is forever. I’m just trying to be more present for the good things when they’re here.”

points,

BANDWAGON PHOTO OF THE MONTH | LAINEY WILSON THE BEACON CLUB 1-21-23 | PHOTO - JAKE HOFFMAN