Straight Line Stitch

Metal is a hard genre to reinvent. So many thousands of bands have already done things in so many similar ways. And let's face it, there are only so many ways you can do a good scream or growl. So it was a surprise to me when I saw a video titled "Black Veil" by Straight Line Stitch, a band I had never heard of. Not only was the lead singer a woman, she was also African-American and had an eyebrow-raising voice, not to mention awesome hair. This was a totally different take on a genre that is heavily dominated by white guys, and I had to check it out. These guys are originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, which puts them at even more of an outlier on the heavy metal charts. Their guitar style is very reminiscent of early Dimebag Darrell, and lead singer Alexis Brown's voice goes from angelic one moment to a hellacious scream the next. Check out the interview with Brown about the origins of the band, from puregrainaudio.com. These guys also have an album coming out March 22, The Fight of Our Lives. I'll post their latest video, "Never See the Day", off their 2008 album, When Skies Wash Ashore, as well as their just-released song, "Conversion." If this song is any indication, this sophomore effort will be a strong one.