The Evolution of Metal Rag.
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Black Flag Warned Us: “White Minority” Was Supposed to Sound Absurd
More than forty years after Black Flag released “White Minority,” the song somehow feels less like a relic of early hardcore and more like something written for the political climate we are living in right now.
No Raza hits Chapel of Bones, Raleigh NC on 9.16.2026
Originally formed in Colombia in 1997 and now based in Florida, No Raza has spent nearly three decades building death metal around something bigger than brutality. Anti-racism, human rights, discrimination, social consciousness and the idea that we're all human sit at the heart of a band whose name tells you exactly where they stand.
We love Whores. The Atlanta band played in support of Eyehategod at Chapel of Bones in Raleigh, NC on Monday night (09.21.2026). This is where things changed for me. This is where I felt my face melting. That feeling only comes along rarely in music, at least without the aid of fungal accommodations.
There is a bit of irony in having Bay Area thrash metal legends Heathen headline a show at a place with Chapel in the name. On Monday, July 27, Heathen came to Chapel of Bones in Raleigh to throw down, and throw down they did, with support from Lafayette, Louisiana’s Void and Raleigh, North Carolina’s Outliar. This was probably the thrashiest night I have experienced at Chapel of Bones in the past year.
Heathen played plenty of fan favorites, including “Dying Season,” “Open the Grave,” “Heathen’s Song,” and “Hypnotized.” They also played their new cover of Iron Maiden’s “The Prisoner,” which was released less than two weeks before the show. So, as a fan, you definitely got what you came for. They played to the fans, fed off the energy, and did all the other clichés you can think of. But they themselves are not cliché, to be clear. Formed in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1984, Heathen is a core force and part of the origin story behind the thrash genre.
Saturday night at Chapel of Bones in Raleigh belonged to Broadslab.
The hometown crew celebrated the release of their new record, The Fifth Essence, and if there was ever a band that deserved to pack a room for an album release, it’s these guys.
I’ve listened to The Fifth Essence several times since it dropped on the 26th and I’ll keep it simple. This album is a must hear from beginning to end.
When I saw Swollen Teeth on the bill with Chained, Claymore, Turn Cold, Leverage, and Selfish Means at Chapel of Bones in Raleigh, I honestly did not know exactly what to expect. A masked band with a Slipknot connection can go one of two ways. It can feel like a gimmick, or it can feel like something real.
Swollen Teeth landed firmly in the second category.
One thing I love about going to shows is discovering bands that somehow slipped under my radar. Father’s Day at Chapel of Bones gave me another one of those moments when Long Island’s Restless Spirit took the stage supporting GOZU on what is essentially the final stretch of their national tour together.
Father’s Day in Raleigh usually means cookouts, family gatherings, and a quiet evening. On June 21st, a solid crowd chose something a little louder and headed to Chapel of Bones for a lineup that represented three different corners of the heavy underground. Boston’s GOZU, Long Island’s Restless Spirit, and North Carolina’s own Crystal Spiders and Archaos delivered a night built on riffs, groove, and volume.
Selfish Means performs live at The Chapel of Bones, Raleigh NC
Selfish Means delivers blue-collar hardcore punk with street-level grit and zero excess. Fast riffs, blunt-force vocals, and songs built for packed floors and pile-ons. One of the newer North Carolina bands worth keeping an eye on.
Chained (NC - Hardcore) headlined a power house show at the Chapel of Bones in Raleigh, NC - 6.11.2026
Supported by Claymore, Turn Cold, Leverage, Swollen Teeth, and Selfish Means.
Militia2Six full interview for their “Trapped in the Murk” EP release is now available on our Youtube channel.
If you aren’t listening to the new drop “And Everything Was Dark” by Downswing, well you are doing it wrong.
Downswing is hard-hitting Albany, NY outfit blending hardcore bite with modern metalcore hooks; since 2017 and signed to MNRK Heavy.
Tuesday night, Turnstile played Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC, with Obituary, Angel Du$t and Agnostic Front in support.
Agnostic Front held it down. The sound was phenomenal. Roger had the crowd going, and Vinnie was grooving and working the crowd right alongside him. Mike Gallo was jumping around on bass and pounding out heavy riffs. Craig Silverman kept the riffing steady and worked the stage with Vinnie. Behind them, Danny Lamagna kept time like a metronome and kept it all flowing. They ran through a lot of the favorites and closed with a killer cover of the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop."