Illinois Entertainer March 2016 | Page 45

Continued from page 40 interlude on “Loves Got Nothing On Me,” the band pushes musical boundaries yolked with hard rock passion. – Kelley Simms Appearing: 4/1 at Double Door, Chicago. 8 SUNFLOWER BEAN Human Ceremony (Fat Possum) Brooklyn New York’s Sunflower Bean seem to revel in youthful, reckless abandon. The versatile trio have both the arrogance and the naivety to try whatever the hell they want on Human Ceremony, their long -playing debut. The music is drawn from influences as diverse as '60s psychedelic (“2013”), Nuggets-infused rockers (“I Was Home”), aggressive indie (“Come On”) and even a hint of new wave (“Creation Myth”). To their credit, the trio seem quite adept bouncing from one genre to the next without the slightest hint of self-consciousness or fear. Throughout the 11 tracks, singer/bassist Julia Cumming, singer/guitarist Nick Kivlen and drummer Jacob Faber make a glorious racket together. There is little-or no-window dressing on the songs which gives them nowhere to hide, allowing the slinky, serpentine hooks to sink their talons into the listener. The result is undistilled bliss, or, at the very least, youthful panache. – Curt Baran Appearing: 3/3 at Schubas, Chicago. 7 Continued from page 34 Mosh: What’s next for COB? The band has been together over 2 decades, what do you hope to accomplish next? Alexi Laiho: Just non-stop touring around the globe until its time to start working on a new album. COB doesn't take a lot of breaks, so we'll keep busy as hell! COB Appears 3/17 at Aragon Ballroom with Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies and Havok. MOSH-WORTHY: Lost Society Braindead (Nuclear Blast), Holy Grail Times of Pride and Peril (Prosthetic Records), The New Roses Dead Man's Voice (Napalm Records). MOSH-WORTHY…LIVE: Helloween (Concord Music Hall, 03/04), Black Tusk, Holy Grail, The Black Swan (Reggies Rock Club, 03/05), Steve Grimmett’s Grim Reaper, Wrath, Iron Finger, Reign (Reggies Rock Club, 03/30). MENTION-WORTHY: Seattle experimental prog metal band, Rhine, has just self-released their ambitious sophomore album, An Outsider, while Connecticut-based rock band Crossing Rubicon, featuring ex-All That Remains bassist Jeanne Sagan, has just released its hard-rocking debut album, No Less Than Everything. march 2016 illinoisentertainer.com 45