LEO Weekly has Spotify playlists for each Listen Local column featuring selected
tracks from each reviewed release. Check them out here!
Bug Bot
Metalmorphosis – album
I had the opportunity to meet the guys and gal in Bug Bot when we all appeared on episode 3 of The Whenever Show with Donnie Vagrant, (which you should go watch, the link is right there). Although I’ve seen their band name on a lot of local shows, I had yet to hear them. Turns out they were yet another band that I let slip under the radar for far too long, as I was very impressed with their musical chops and unique sound. Initial impressions were heavy 90’s post-grunge sound along the lines of L7 and Babes in Toyland, but Bug Bot’s sound runs deeper than that.
Opener “Mournings” sets the pace for the album. Heavy without being metal, definitely punk influenced, and features a great walking bass line throughout. Following track “Walking Away” has a heavy blues groove swagger to it. “Abuser” hits hard with a bit chaotic riffs and catchy as fuck hooks. “Caterpillar” slows it down for a breather with a 90’s-ish indie/alt-rock backbone. “Stabbed” kicks it all back up a notch with a 90’s SoCal punk feel not far removed from early Rancid. A cover of NOFX’s “Dinosaurs Will Die” keeps the 90’s SoCal punk vibe rolling along. The final three songs are from a 2022 recording session that was never released until now and give a glimpse into the band’s earlier sound. “Witch” is far more along the grunge lines. “Clark Kent” is a punk rock banger that brings to mind Descendents. “SugarMeat” closes out the album with a great flowing alt-indie rock feel.
With catchy songs that stick in your head and excellent musicianship, Metalmorphosis needs to be on your playlist!
facebook.com/p/Bug-Bot-100078766463068
Cell Intruder
Den of Deformity – EP
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 40 years since death metal, black metal, and grindcore burst forth from the depths of hell to spread its plague amongst the metal and hardcore scenes. What’s even harder to believe is that there is still such a vibrant scene for these styles of music, (ok, maybe “vibrant” isn’t the best term to use). But there are still tons of bands out there making their mark on these scenes worldwide, with more forming every day.
Describing themselves as “a modern brutal death metal band with an old-school edge” that draws inspiration “from the barbarity of bands like Devourment and Mortician,” Louisville’s Cell Intruder is an excellent example of the youth keeping these scenes alive. Seeing words such as “exsanguination,” “mandibulectomy,” and “pharyngeal” used in their lyrics alongside brutal blast beats, guttural vocals, and bone-crunching riffs immediately brought to mind Carcass’ 1989 morbid masterpiece Symphonies of Sickness, (to this day, it’s hard for me to sit behind the drums and not start playing the intro to “Ruptured in Purulence” out of habit). And with song titles like “Algal Asphyxiation,” “Blunt Force Cranial Dissection,” “SWARMED. DISMEMBERED. DEVOURED.” “Homicidal Drug Trance,” and “Regurgitivore,” it’s not hard to tell what you’re in for before the first note is played.
Five songs and less than 15 minutes in length, Den of Deformity keeps things short and bullshit-free. No filler, just meat. But make no mistake; this is highly skilled songwriting here. Time changes come fast and furious, keeping things from getting stagnant while numerous song hooks dig into you like the Cenobites’ chains from Hellraiser. Gore-obsessed, brutally heavy, and expertly played, Cell Intruder is here to rip you apart in the best way possible!
linktr.ee/cellintruder
CROP
S.S.R.I. – album
Unsettling. Uncomfortable. Emotional and disturbing. Lexington’s CROP have not only created one of the deepest, darkest, sickeningly sludgy and uncompromisingly heavy sounds I’ve ever heard, they’ve fucking mastered it! Building on the doom metal foundation developed on their 2021 self-titled EP, S.S.R.I. is full-on blackened, extra-crispy, greasy, Southern fried stoner sludge at its best! A true masterpiece of misery. Kicking off with the mood-setting instrumental “Flatline,” things escalate quickly with “Formaldehyde,” which hits with all the subtlety of a brick to the face. Things don’t get any lighter with “Goddamn,” “10-56,” “Alone,” the aptly-titled instrumental “Breath,” which gives a quick breather before the powerhouse closer “Break.”
This isn’t heavy in a death metal, brutal way, it’s fucking heavier! Slow, plodding, dirgy, dirty, ugly, suffocation music with depressive, self-loathing lyrics dealing with heartbreak, loneliness, addiction, and suicidal contemplation brought to life by vocalist Marc Phillips’ raw, strained, grit and gravel-style, yet emotive and powerful-as-fuck vocals. Lines like “When no one cares you’re alive, you’ll never die” (“Formaldehyde”), “Depending how you feel about livin’, yeah you might be wasting time” (“Goddamn”), “Sick and tired of being sick and tired. Sick of being at all” (“10-56”) leave little to the imagination.
The thing is, this isn’t just heavy for the sake of heavy. There is true emotion behind all of it. The band is capable of riffs that rip you apart from the inside out, yet also skilled enough to wrap it in delicate, darkly beautiful textures in a way that no other band playing sludgy doom metal are quite capable of. S.S.R.I. is an all-out assault mentally, emotionally, and even physically. The kind of music you need to prepare yourself for before hitting play. But it is a hell of an experience.
linktr.ee/legalizecrop
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Hannan
“Deliver Me” – single
Although there are a hell of a lot of great bands in Louisville, I don’t know of any that come close to bringing the level of professionalism to every aspect of their music quite like Hannan does. The musicianship, songwriting, recording, production, stage presence, all of it right down to the smallest details of the artwork, no expense is spared and no effort is rushed. It’s always top-tier excellence with these guys at a level that a majority of major label, worldwide touring bands aren’t even at.
Obviously, their latest single, (and first release since 2024’s full-length Last Disguise), is no exception. In fact, they’ve even managed to top themselves! “Deliver Me” is their catchiest tune yet with rock-solid hooks, outstanding musicianship, and thanks to producers Paul Bartolome (Asking Alexandria) and Marshall Bastin (3 Doors Down), their richest production to date. Graham Hannan’s vocals are smoother, Kris Kerr’s guitar is crunchier, Josh Smart’s bass is thicker, and Dean Dufresne’s drums are punchier than ever before; giving a truer representation of what you experience when you hear these guys live, (and it is most certainly an experience).
This is tight-as-hell, highly polished, top-notch professional, arena-ready, modern alt/hard rock with roots in early 80’s metal that sinks its fangs into you from the moment it starts and holds you there until the last note. I don’t normally point out guitar solos, but when Kris Kerr shreds his all-too-short one at the 2:13 mark, visions of Randy Rhoads hit me. That, my friends, is spectacular work!
The band plans on releasing a few more singles over the coming months, culminating in an EP release sometime in the near future. In the meantime, turn this all the way the fuck up!
hannanmusic.us
JT Leon and Cyntrix
Make Believe (& More Sounds) – single/EP
When Cyntrix (Richard Stottman) of Louisville shared a demo with JT Leon of Liverpool, UK back in 2012, the two teenagers had no idea at the time that it would kick off a 13-year journey of friendship, loss, growth, and artistic evolution. Over the years, the two artists would return to the track again and again, reshaping it with new perspectives. Now, in 2025, that journey culminates with the release of the finished product; the queer alt-pop anthem “Make Believe,” a slow-burning track about queer defiance and holding onto hope in a collapsing world.
“This is a song about survival. About choosing to keep going when everything tells you to give up. About dissociation, queerness, and the power of imagining a better version of yourself” said vocalist and lyricist JT Leon. “The lyrics resonate even more with what’s going on in the world. The most recent, ongoing pushbacks on LGBTQ+ rights, the emboldening of fascist politics, and the ever-present climate breakdown, they all underscore the anxiety here – an anxiety that could drown you in a sea of inaction, if you let it take too much hold.”
For the music, composer Cyntrix said “I focused on building a dynamic sonic landscape, one that starts small and intimate, then swells into an atmospheric climax. I wanted it to feel like the walls were closing in and opening up at the same time.”
And it works! The blend of lush ambient synths with emotionally raw vocals and a swelling electronic backdrop that fuses bedroom-pop intimacy with cinematic atmosphere that combines elements of dreampop, electronica, and EDM to create an intense, immersive, wonderfully beautiful soundscape.
cyntrixproductions.com/music
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Plague IX
“Oh Fuck Who Cares” – single
Subtlety has never been one of Plague IX’s strong suits. Clocking in at 1:38, (not sure if that’s a Misfits nod or just a happy coincidence), “Oh Fuck Who Cares” takes exactly 8 seconds before pummeling you with an old-school punk rock assault that is as equally as pissed off as it is fun.
The thing I really love about Plague IX is that while they are punk rock through and through, there is an underlying influence of proto-punk bands like The Stooges and MC5, and a hint of early metal in the vein of Motorhead. Mix that with a bit of garage punk like New Bomb Turks and The Pagans, and top it off with a hefty dose of hardcore punk such as Black Flag and Misfits, and you’ve got yourself an idea of Plague IX’s sound.
The track, with its Skibidi Toilet-esque cover art, (I have a 13-year old son, I know about these things), lyrics revolving around gun culture in America, unironically released on July 4th, and (I think) will be on their upcoming album The Fine Art of Denial; Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Gun – which I learned about by watching their performance and interview on episode 4 of The Whenever Show with Donnie Vagrant, which you can watch for yourself on YouTube right now, (yes, I’m name-dropping that show for a 2nd time in this round of reviews) – is nothing short of a great way to spend a minute-and-a-half of your life.
Turn3
I’m Getting’ There – album
I’m a big fan of bands putting out albums that are overall cohesive, yet every song stands on its own with its own groove, own style, own pace, and own identity. And this is precisely why I keep coming back to spin Turn3’s debut full-length album I’m Getting’ There. And don’t let the word “debut” fool you, these guys have been jamming together for over 2 decades, although they’ve only started releasing their original material over the past five years with two EPs and a handful of singles.
Made up of veteran Louisville music scene musicians, Turn3 features former members of Whatever Will, (if you were around Louisville in the 90’s, then you definitely remember that band), and Lava/Atlantic Records recording artists Outspoken, among others. Overall, their sound bridges the gap between classic rock and modern alt-rock, but there is so much more to it than that.
From the throwback radio rock of album opener “Savor,” the acoustic power ballad “Time Goes On,” the blues rock groove of title track “I’m Getting’ There,” the pop punk-ish “Favorite Band,” hard rock stomper “Fall From Grace,” 80’s-ish rocker “On My Way,” the mid-90’s alt-rock flow of “Right Amount,” the soulful funk groove of “Joyfield,” the modern alt-rock kicker “Wound,” and the R&B meets country rock of closer “Three Simple Words,” I’m Getting’ There is an album that doesn’t let up for a second. Not a single filler song to be found here; every one of these 10 tracks could be rock radio hits right now if there were still a music industry left.
Exemplary musicianship and songwriting skills, powerful storytelling, heartfelt lyrics, and soaring melodies make I’m Getting’ There an album you can’t ignore.
turn3.rocks
Turner
“Hooking Up” – single
Future legendary Louisville band Turner returns with the follow up to their debut single “Jump In,” and damn, you are in for a hell of an earworm here! The band’s sophomore single, “Hooking Up,” is just a big, bouncy, upbeat, ball of fun that’ll have you smiling at the lyrics, nodding your head to the rhythm, humming along, and by halfway though, up on your feet and dancing. It’s infectious in the best way.
My first thoughts on hearing this were to draw comparisons to Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta” and Spacehog’s “In The Meantime,” (even if you don’t recognize those band names, you know the songs, trust me). Not so much in how “Hooking Up” sounds, but in its spirit. It’s that carefree, bubbly, youthful energy in this song that brought me back to that mid-to-late 90’s post-grunge movement where a whole slew of alternative rock bands with pop sensibilities were snatched up and churned out one after another by the major labels looking for the next big thing, resulting in a ridiculous amount of one-hit wonders.
But I digress. This isn’t that.
With influences of alt-rock, indie rock, grunge, emo, punk, and a penchant for writing catchy-as-fuck tunes, Turner brings to mind everything great about music from the 90’s through today. It’s nostalgic yet modern; the kind of sound that appeals to all ages from 15 to 50. And above all else, they’re just flat out goddamn fun! You need this in your life.
instagram.com/turnertheband
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This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2025.