After their most successful year (releasing their debut album Vae Victus under MegaForce Records and touring Europe), the heavy metal band IKILLYA decided to treat fans to a free show, at one of the first places they ever played, The Trash Bar. They had some very special guest with them as well, fellow metal acts Horizon Edge, Steel Reign and Shitkill.
Horizon Edge, a brand new project formed by Alekhine’s Guns bassist Daniel Martinez along with lead singer Diana, guitarist Mars and drummer Sam. The band combines a fusion of heavy metal with symphonic metal, which lead singer Diana accompanies with classically trained vocals, giving the music a dark, haunting feeling. A band that distinguishes itself from the rest and one everyone should watch out for!
Steel Reign came up on stage shortly after. The Long Island natives (Allan Mendez, Joey Cantanese, Frank Harris, Pat Babino, Pat Foote) are sure to catch anyone’s attention, with lead singer Joey Cantanese’s dramatic makeup and his screaming vocals. Cantanese also shocked everyone when he said “I don’t know if you guys have seen on the news about officer Ramos, but, I worked with officer Ramos for two years. And he actually came out to see Steel Reign a couple of times. I guess you can all figure out what I do outside of this. And so yeah, we’re not all bad. This next one is for officer Ramos.” In that moment, one could feel the appreciation amongst the audience for the band, knowing that they too have a life outside of the show. Steel Reign left not only the best of their musical ability on stage, but their heart as well.
Next up was Shitkill, a young band consisting of lead singer Josh Musto, bassist Karina Rykman, guitarist Danny Chpatchev and drummer Damien Moffitt. A band who’s also had a very successful year, opening up for heavyweights like Twelve Foot Ninja, the Cro-Mags, Eyehategod, and D.R.I., as well as releasing their EP The New Breed. The band who states they’re “not at all happy with the current trends in heavy music”, make it very clear with the intensity of their sound and stage presence. From the moment the band steps foot on stage, you can feel these guys are serious and passionate about their music, and the genre. Not to mention, their music is HEAVY, so heavy it’ll be inevitable to simply head bang along to the drummers beat and the catchy guitar riffs. At a young age, this band has already accomplished so much and it isn’t hard to believe that these guys will reach great heights in the years to come. A band everyone should check out!
Finally, the band who put the whole show together, IKILLYA hit the stage. Lead singer Jason Lekberg very graciously and humbled, thanked the audience stating that the band has had an amazing year and felt like they should treat their fans to a free show. What better place to do it than at one of the very first venues they played at, The Trash Bar? The band has had a killer 2014, getting signed to MegaForce Records, releasing their debut album Vae Victus, and touring Europe in its support. The band who has been on tour non-stop, couldn’t deny their hometown, and had to make it’s way back to NYC. The band played songs off of their album including “Vae Victus”, “Of The Most Magnificent” and “Jekyll Better Hyde”, a song which fans always join in to sing. IKILLYA never fails to please the crowd, with an unforgettable stage presence, amazing guitar skills, powerful vocals and inspiring lyrics. A band that truly has the whole package. After such a successful 2014, we cannot wait to see what IKILLYA has in store for its fans in the upcoming year!
Check out more photos below!
HORIZON EDGE:
STEEL REIGN:
SHITKILL:
IKILLYA:
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