5 Killer Seattle Bands That Deserve Your Attention

Written by No​é Loyola

When you think of Seattle's music scene, your first thought might be grunge. Grunge didn't die, but it metamorphosed into a myriad of new rock genres that are thriving throughout the current scene. This blog gives you a glimpse of some of the most unique rock, indie and metal acts in Seattle  today.

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​If you think Seattle, one of the things that comes to mind is music. And if you think Seattle music, your first thought might be grunge. The city was an important historical hub thanks to it giving birth to the iconic genre. To this day, hearing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” on the radio gets most singing along. And most likely you have a friend who is a diehard grunge fan that has played Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and the rest in their car for you one too many times (or maybe that’s you!)

Yes, grunge is great. I also love singing YEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIYEEE along with “Lithium”. But there is more, much more. Grunge as we know it didn’t die, but breeded, merged and metamorphosed into many forms and shapes. Today, the rock, indie, and metal scenes in Seattle are ripe with talent. Having lived in Seattle for a little bit more than a year, I had the fortune to experience them first hand, and to discover some of its hidden treasures.

I’ll share my five favorite currently active bands in Seattle. I won’t include bands that have made it big (like Fleet Foxes or Bell Witch, both awesome), but will rather focus on the names that deserve some recognition.
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Fungal Abyss

​Music is one of the art forms that can best create a sense of place when correctly utilized. Slow, incremental buildups and the usage of musical textures as elements of a landscape can transport any listener to another world if they choose to close their eyes. Fungal Abyss is a band that excels at this, using improvisation to give birth to profoundly uplifting experiences.

Inspired by the teachings of the sacred Teonanactl mushroom, the band creates sprawling psychedelic compositions that take you on a spiritual journey through space and within the psyche. The growth of their music is organic, like a plant that extends its roots underground and raises its intertwined branches upwards to the sun. Changes come so gradually that they are often imperceptible, but looking back shows that the piece is much different than what it used to be.

Electronics and bass are used to give the songs texture and driving force, while guitars and percussions are the main drivers of their narrative, going from subtle flourishes to gripping climaxes. The band’s catalogue is also diverse, with albums like “Karma Suture” jumping into the action much quicker. 

If you enjoy being carried away by atmospheric experiences, look no further and dive into the Fungal Abyss. You might discover much about the world and yourself.
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Zen Mother

​Journeys can be awe inspiring and blissful. But they can also be anxiety ridden, bumpy rides where the uncertain must be faced. Though scary, these kinds of trips can help us better face the unknown, coming to terms with what is different and learning how to embrace it. Zen Mother, through their bizarre usage of guitar distortion and electronics, take the listener through agitating sonic landscapes.

The group’s music is hazy and dreamy, flowing from quiet passages to loud guitar drones, from hypnotic mantras to chaotic instrumentations. Zen Mother will catch you off guard often, but will never do so in a jarring way. Their diverse playing style is cohesive and part of multifaceted narrative that is truly engrossing.

Added to the textures of the instruments, Khot’s and Wolcott’s vocals enhance the moodiness of the songs, appearing as specters that utter chilling premonitions. 

Besides Zen Mother, be sure to check out Monika Khot’s solo project, Nordra, which showcases her power of expression in a more electronically focused project.

Sandrider

If there is one band in Seattle that is carrying the grunge with them today, it is Sandrider. Infusing their sound with the heaviness and distortion of stoner rock, the band produces an angsty, energetic, and extremely amusing flavor of rock n’ roll. The music is straight to the point, focused on delivering pummeling riffs and catchy hooks that will immediately grab your attention. This isn’t music to mull over to; it is music to jump and scream your lungs out.

Their live performances are always filled with returning fans. I have seen them three times already myself. Why? Because their shows are unbelievably fun. The loud guitars, deliciously toned bass, F1 racing paced drums, and relatable screams of the band become more than the sum of their parts, oozing crazy amounts of energy. Some ungodly electricity courses through the audience and makes us go insane. A mosh pit emerges, where every one of its participants sports an ecstatic smile.

Sandrider know what makes rock n’ roll intriguing and capitalize on it with their talent as musicians. Their songs have everything you would want in a solid banger: triumphant riffs that carry you to shout along choruses, satisfying drum fills, and thrilling instrumental passages. This is music appropriate for high speed driving, furious housekeeping, or fraternal beer chugging. Get together with some friends and revel in the freakish energy of Sandrider.

Voidthrone

Photo by Noe Loyola

I am a big fan of the bleak and dissonant forms of black metal that have become more prominent since Deathspell Omega brought them to the ears of a wider audience of metalheads. Unpleasant and bizarre noises are a difficult weapon to wield, but when properly utilized, can drench the listener in disquieting atmosphere. 

Out of the black metal bands I’ve seen in Seattle, Voidthrone is the one that has left the biggest impression on me. Even though their catalogue is small, their songs are well realized, traversing a myriad of twisted passages with technical prowess. Their layered instrumentation takes cues from death and black metal to create songs that are unrelenting and anxiety ridden. The breakneck drumming keeps the tracks moving while the guitars and bass contort into delirious shapes.

At the forefront of this madness is vocalist Zhenya Frolov, whose tormented screams will rend your eardrums, and perhaps your soul. In live shows, his presence is even more pronounced. Drenched in blood-like fluorescent substances, he twists as he screeches, while his giant eyeballs observe with a sharp focus, so intensely that you feel they might pop out of his corpse painted face any second.

If you have a craving for nuanced, wretched metal, please go ahead and take a seat in the Voidthrone and revel in the dementia.
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Spacebag

Photo by Noe Loyola

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Ever wondered how it would feel to jump into hyperspeed? To pass by thousands of stars in a fraction of a second, exhilaratingly taking in the wonders of the universe? This is what comes to mind when I listen to Spacebag, a space-prog collective from Seattle that will knock your socks off.

Make no mistake, Spacebag are massive prog nerds having a blast. Their music is as much a portrayal of intergalactic craziness as it is a display of its composers’ mind-boggling technical prowess. Guitar solos come and go in matter of seconds, keys flurry maniacally, and drums pass by as debris in an asteroid field. Seeing them pull this insanity flawlessly is intoxicating and mania inducing.

They are not very active, playing a few shows locally every year, and having released their last album, Pareidolia, in 2015. However, I keep coming back to the album to travel into space every once in a while. And their live shows are dazzling, making every second a valuable opportunity to observe them moving their fingers like advanced aliens while playing their instruments. No matter how I approach Spacebag, I always end up in a good mood. It is clear while watching and listening that they are the ones enjoying this buffoonery the most.

Honorable Mentions

Cavurn

Dark funeral doom/death from the depths.
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Xoth

Sci-fi blackened trash/death that is instrumentally succulent
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Great Falls

Elaborate, noisy, and adventurous post-hardcore.
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​Black Ferns

A shoegazy post-punk outfit that delivers catchy rock n’ roll tracks.
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Walrus Machine

A chaotic noise quartet that bewilders with their live improvisations
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