Friday night, Dublin's was the home of three local metal bands, who performed for a small group of people and showed them what they were made of. I was there for two of the bands, Not Yet Fallen and How the World Ends, and was very impressed. I can now add two new bands to my large plethora of musical love affairs.

Local band How the World Ends started the night out, and really took me by surprise. They looked like a bunch of teenagers, the vocalist no taller than my shoulders, but wow, he could really sing. The instrumentals were great, don't get me wrong, but all I could focus on was the frontman. They are a metal band, and he had the voice and scream of some of the most popular vocalists in the metal scene. It was just so powerful and so harmonic and melodic, and it completely blew me away. That, combined with the drum beats and guitar strums, made the band very successful. The vocalist wore a Lamb of God hoody, and with his voice and potential, I can see him landing a spot in a hugely popular band just like that soon. I will definitely be keeping up on this band. I have high hopes for them and want nothing but good things to come for them.

They put on a good performance, including songs "Betrayed and Forgotten" and "Dismemberment." They had slow and fast songs, and others that incorporated both. Their music is complete with awesome breakdowns, and they were entertained by random moshers who were sometimes accompanied by others, and sometimes not. They were a very entrancing band and I thoroughly enjoyed listening.

Unfortunately, I have not yet found any websites or information online for them, but as soon as I do I will update this blog.

Upstate Metal Mafia quintet Not Yet Fallen performed second. I've seen them play before, and am

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 friends with all of the members. I've actually been lucky to enough to sit in and watch their practices, and see how songs and music get made, which is amazing. I've seen the ups and downs of five personalities clashing and uniting, and have witnessed music being created right in front of my eyes and ears. It's been amazing so far, and no band is without their fights and struggles, but it has made them the awesome band that they are today. They are part of the Upstate Metal Mafia, which is a group of about seven local metal bands that are going through the same experiences and troubles, and they often perform at shows together. They are their own family and have each other for support, which is huge for a struggling band.

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Drummer Kyle is surprising, because he's more of a sporty jock, but yet plays heavy metal, and plays it well. It's like he's two people in one body, which gives him the best of both worlds. He's very voiced and is highly involved in the writing process and is not afraid to say what's on his mind. For the most part, he's a goofball, with a little bit of serious mixed in. He gives the band a more complex look and feel, which I think equals them out well.

Bassist Tom is quiet, but voices his opinion (sometimes by yelling) when

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 necessary. His voice is deep and raspy, but he makes it known when he has to. He doesn't so much like to fool around as to just do what he's supposed to do and be on his way. He's a father, so he knows what he needs to do to provide for his children, but yet he also does what he loves so that everything in his world is happy and taken care of. He may be intimidating to some on the outside, but beneath the surface, you can see his genuine spirit and love for music.

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Guitarist A.J., who will be leaving the band soon due to work, makes me laugh. He's child-size: short and thin, and I always tease him about it, but he's really just a fun-loving guy who loves playing guitar and metal. He's truly talented and gets completely into the music. His face becomes serious and sometimes even turns red, and you can just tell the metal is running through his veins, making itself known on his face. He loves to go into the crowd and play, and also put down his guitar to mosh in the crowd to his own music, as well as to other bands, even if he's the only one doing it. I know the band, as well as myself, will miss him when he leaves.

Guitarist Eric is greatly influenced by Nirvana, Megadeath, Hatebreed and Dimebag Darrell, and his life

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 basically revolves around music. He has his quiet times, but once you open him up and get him talking, he never stops. He talks about music like I do, with true passion and love for it. He is very talented and creative, and enjoys all forms of art, including tattooing, as he is an artist in East Greenbush. He's a sweet, caring, giving guy who wants nothing more in life than to be surrounded by music. It's saved his life and is what keeps him going everyday.

Vocalist Bryan is Kyle's brother, and they definitely have their similarities and differecnes to eachother. Besides physical similarities,

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Bryan, being the vocalist, is also not afraid to say what's on his mind and voice his opinion. The band sometimes rags on him for just talking into the microphone instead of without it. He can have a temper, as he's a no bullshit kind of guy, but won't leave without working things out. He's witty and entertaining and can very well work a stage, no matter how big or small. I always think of him as a monkey or frog, because of the way he sits, moves and jumps on stage. He can squat down to the floor but then jump right up to the sky, and can move back and forth which in that same position. He has great energy and a great scream and completes the band.

As a whole, Not Yet Fallen are amazing. They performed their entire set, including songs "Evil Ways,"

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 "Six" (my favorite song) and "New Torture." Despite their fights and differences, they come together and are a cohesive unit on stage that truly deliver, and get positive feedback. They are always a joy to watch and listen to and I never want them to finish. They've been together for over a year now and I really hope they stay strong as a band, because they have huge potential to make it big in the metal world, and believe me when I say I will be there for every step leading up to that.

Friday night was one that was filled with pure metal, and good metal at that. These two bands were very successful and could definitely make it big, but when it comes to metal, it's not about the fame or glamour, it's solely about the music, and How the World Ends and Not Yet Fallen are the epitome of that, and I can't wait to see what becomes of them.

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