1. Vegas the name of a short-lived collaboration by Dave Stewart (Eurythmics) and Terry Hall (Specials AKA, Fun Boy Three, etc.) - it produced one album in 1992 and a few singles which fifteen years later still proves to be a worthwhile effort.


2.Hailing from the dense swamps of Temse, Belgium, this foursome of elaborate hatchet men is always in the mood to heat things up a notch. In the midst of a generic landscape of hardcore and punkrock-outfits, this combo paved their own unyielding conduit. Spiced with vivaciousness a la Erase Errata, the invigorating skirmishes of Les Savy Fav and oozing Unwound-esque chunks of megahertz, this band excels without becoming a brazen epigone. They display healing as well as poisoning qualities, all under the thick varnish of sheer aesthetics. It’s the mesmerizing soundtrack for a journey through some depraved casino. Nurturing compulsion in a booty shaking procedure. Without a possible refund.

(Thanks to Flip)


...Inspired by everyone from Throbbing Gristle via GISM to Integrity, Vegas’ brand of traditional metalcore is complemented by an edgy willingness to experiment, as well as a slew of subversive conceptual activity...”

Vegas gave life to their artistic vision shortly after the dawn of the new millennium. With creative fires ignited by the physically confrontational nature of Japanese punks G.I.S.M. via the unrepentant early-80's ferocity of bands like Life's Blood and Negative Approach, the group channels their raw metallic attack through the intense apocalyptic tenets of the "holy terror" hardcore spearheaded in the 90's by the legendary Integrity (whose enigmatic frontman Dwid joins forces with vocalist and lyricist T on "Rhythm of Decline"). Such musical aesthetics and abstract introspective lyrical explorations seem to have been all but forgotten by today's contemporary breed, while thriving in the subversive climate of Vegas' allegiance to branching out from the foundations of traditional metallic hardcore by undertaking calculated experiments with avant-garde dynamics reminiscent of fringe acts such as Throbbing Gristle or flirtations with apocalyptic folk, indicating the band’s diverse potential. Expanding on some of their darker and more somber interests in Roses Never Fade - a side project that includes members of Integrity and Pale Creation - ensuring that the focus of Vegas remains rooted in the bitter pessimism and base aggression that should appeal to any fan of traditional, no-holds-barred metallic hardcore.