States of Metal: Utah Metal! 

Whoo! My state! I admit we don't really have a big reputation for metal, but there are a few bands here and there, like you've mentioned. I will admit that I am a member of the LDS Church, and I do want to clarify that the garments are not "magic armor" but simply a representation of the promises we've made with God. We don't believe these clothes will protect us from fire or violence or evil or anything like that. Other religions have similar things where they wear certain things or change their appearance in certain ways. At the end of the day, it's just underwear that also is a symbol of our commitment to the faith. The Provo Soak is mostly an urban legend. Maybe it happens, but it is certainly not something we do regularly or consider to be allowable in the faith. Just another bad meme that's gone viral on the internet without folks actually checking if it's true. Oh, and yes, we are "allowed to have fun." Frankly, we have tons of nerds, into things like D&D and Doctor Who and Star Wars and the Princess Bride (seriously, you could probably quote that movie anywhere in the state and folks will recognize it!). And yes, there are Mormon Metalheads. I'm part of a Facebook group with that specific name, and I've discussed metal across the internet with both Mormons and Non-Mormons alike. We do exist! [plays the gif of "There are dozens of us!"] Visigoth is awesome! Definitely more of a US power metal band. Very epic, with doom elements! As as D&D nerd, I love their song "Dungeon Master." 😁 And I do like Blood Star for being an interesting side band. I wondered if you would like it because it's solid, NWOBHM-style metal. I admit I haven't heard of the others (probably because I'm paying too much attention to European Power Metal), but I'll check them out. I would recommend checking out a band called Sonic Brew. They're a sludgy/southern metal band, similar to Black Label Society. The album Masters of Destruction is pretty cool. www.metal-archives.com/bands/Sonic_Brew/3540320679 Now, I'm sure that, by admitting that I'm a member of the LDS Church on the internet, I'll get some backlash (it almost always happens), but if you really think we can't handle doing dark, evil things, then I recommend you look up Sandy Peterson. He's a Mormon who worked on the classic Doom games, and was a massive influence on the first Quake, with all the Lovecraftian horror stuff (which makes sense, since he created stuff for the Call of Cthulhu TTRPG). He would later go on to make the first two Age of Empires games as well. (Oh, and any D&D fans out there? The whole Ravenloft setting, with the Curse of Strahd, was also originally created by a Mormon!) So yeah, we're not a bunch of holed up Puritans who have disdain for anything that looks or sounds evil. I promise!!

Jake Rogers from Visigoth is in 2 other bands worth checking out - Gallowbraid & Caladan Brood. You might already know that though. Great work as always!

One of my favorite Salt Lake City bands is Eagle Twin! Some excellent doom metal. Plus the guitarist/vocalist also has a really awesome experimental band called Iceburn that has more recently released a two track album that also forays into the doom genre. You should give them a listen! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

"rusty barbwire flossing your brain through your ear holes" lol well done Nick. I checked a couple of these out. I liked Visigoth and Blood Star. But it was Deathblow that I really got into. I felt like I couldn't stop that album and after each song was eager to hear the next song. Good catchy thrash.

Cool overview of the most notable Utah metal bands. I have lived in Utah for 18 years and do vocal for a metal band called Uncross. There are a lot of great bands coming out of this area like Egregore from Ogden and more hardcore stuff like Ribbons and Narc. All good stuff you might dig. Cheers, Nick!

The Beehive state. Wow. Who would have thought Metal would be in that state?

I have Visigoths albums, awesome band🤘🏽

Hell yeah my home state! Thanks for the shout out. We might be a weird Christian Uber conservative shit hole but we put out a surprising amount of killer music! Glad you picked up The Otolith. I love that album. Also Cult leader is an absolute must, and that Substained EP is a favorite. Since others worth mentioning are Caladan Brood, Gallowbraid, Yaotl Mitclan, Tomb of Belial, Last, Eagle Twin, Moon Wizard, Alghoul, Making Fuck(all time great name right there), Moray, Egregore, Necrowolf, Sacreligion, and the OGs who only put out a demo in 88 Baphomet!

SLC is one fucking wild city! Drivers there suck though! Everybody will pass you when you're already driving 90.

The bulk of filming for the 1984 footloose movie was done in Payson Utah lol

We are talking about Cult Leader and that’s great, because they are definitely one of my favorite bands in recent history. I’ll say that the Nothing for Us Here EP is gnarly! I love all their albums and music, but that EP smokes. Tracks like Skin Crawler and Indoctrinator’s Deathbed completely slay. I definitely love Lightless Walk and it’s a damn near perfect album. A Patient Man has even more of the goth Michael Gira vocals, which rule. A completely devastating and crushing band. Looking very much forward to the new material. The latest single is badass. Also their split with END slaps. Love this channel Nick, you rule buddy!!

Dude, I live in Utah. I grew up near D.C. and participated in the local Punk and Hardcore scenes. The people in Utah are WHACKED. I'm not a fan at all. Of course there are cool people everywhere, but here it's few and far between. The music... Meh.

I hope you guys are planning on going over the Cavalera Conspiracy-Schizophrenia re-recorded album this weekend

Are you planning on making more discography rankings? Those are definitely my favorite videos from the channel

Utah has some great metal bands. Gaza was an amazing band that took metalcore and combined it with sludge metal and grindcore. It sucks about the controversy regarding the singer but at least the other members formed Cult Leader who are also great. That debut Cult Leader album is good but the follow up A Patient Man is even better. Visigoth is an amazing band that takes lots of influence from traditional heavy metal like Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road. That debut the Revenant King is amazing but the follow up Conqueror’s Oath is even better.

I have heard Cult Leader they are pretty cool. That video 'To Archlys' with the creepy witch and he sounds like the guy from The Crash Test Dummies. lol the other songs are very different. lol

I'll have to check out that Blood Star album again. I remember really, really liking it when it came out... but I forgot about it.

So what happens when you get skid marks in the magic underwear? Lol

Visigoth are semi power metal i guess but more in the american CIrith Ungol way and it does come off as cheesey just actual cheese not cheese wiz.

This is a killer list of albums man got them added to my music and will check them out

super cool mornman madness love those Undies!!!!

So it’s the footloose state? Lol