Jeff and I are back with round 2 of Swapped Bands — where we each bring 3 underground metal bands the other has NEVER heard and force a live reaction. This episode covers deathcore, technical death metal, melodic death metal, and progressive metal from bands flying way under the radar. [200-char cutoff lands here]
This time Jeff hits me with Goroh (a hardcore/deathcore EP that channels The Acacia Strain and Knocked Loose with barked Accuser-style vocals and heavy breakdowns), Bore (2000s metalcore in the ETID / From a Second Story Window lane with creative riffing and fried mid-range vocals), and Feed's standout track that leans hard into that same ETID-inspired chaos with genuinely great clean vocal work mixed in.
I bring three bands that deserve way more ears: Entropist, a progressive death metal band out of Denver, Colorado, whose debut concept album "The Vision" blends fantastical storytelling with real emotional weight — think The Contortionist, Rivers of Nihil, and Meshuggah influence. Reeking Aura, an atmospheric death metal act from the NY/NJ scene now signed to Profound Lore Records, bringing a raw, melodic take on death/doom with their new record "On the Promise of the Moon." And Art|Est, a technical deathcore band out of Leipzig, Germany, whose debut "Evil Embodiment" pulls in Archspire and Cannibal Corpse comparisons with heavy environmental-destruction themes.
We give honest, unfiltered first reactions to every track — no scripts, no sugarcoating — and talk about what works, what doesn't, and which of these bands you should actually go check out next.
New episodes of The Metal Maniacs drop weekly — subscribe so you don't miss the next Swapped Bands episode.
Get episodes early-https://www.patreon.com/cw/TheMetalManiacsPodcastFollow us here-https://tr.ee/YA-9eUZGnCSupport Our Sponsor- https://www.starkrealestatemi.com/
