Virginia is for lovers — lovers of high-grade heavy-metal intensity, that is!
Tucked into the middle of the Eastern Seaboard, it’s reasonable to suggest that Virginia has been overshadowed by the heavy scenes that surround it in New York, Washington, D.C. and throughout Florida. And yet, the state has also produced some of the most enduring, world-conquering metal forces of the 21st century thus far.
Indeed, from gold-selling metal gospelists, to theatrically plasma-spilling gorehounds, to unerringly chilling grunge-sludge units, plenty of memorable acts have been raised by the side of the James.
So, we asked Revolver readers to reflect on their favorite acts from Richmond to Roanoke, and they ranked the best bands from the Old Dominion accordingly.
Windhand
Over here at Revolver, we know which way the wind is blowing — and, for the purposes of this fan poll, we got a big whiff of doom-metal veterans Windhand right from the jump.
Founded by former members of deceptively-monikered fellow Virginians Alabama Thunder Pussy, Windhand made their name through a series of albums that twist the elemental moodiness of lead vocalist Dorthia Cottrell around psychedelically sludge-soupy gloom-grunge riffs.
While Windhand still gig, it’s been seven years since the band’s last full-length release. Our readers seem more than ready for the band to make their next Eternal Return.
Municipal Waste
Thrashin’ has been Municipal Waste’s business since the early Aughts, and business remains good. Indeed, they stained the public conscious long ago to become one of Virginia’s most riotously fun-loving metal entities.
Much-loved by shrednecks and the chemically altered, the act have spent the past couple of decades celebrating crossover thrash and keg-party culture. Their hefty catalog of face-rippers comes doused in radioactive splatter and septic filth, while gruff-throated vocalist Tony Foresta fires off caustic-yet-comical lines on violently headbanging nights.
Division of Mind
The hive mind came together this week to salute the thick-riffed, imposingly-bounced sound of hardcore head-wreckers Division of Mind. Notably, the conversation on our socials began through someone who knows a thing or two about Virginia’s local, craft-artisanal heaviness: none other than Lamb of God vocalist Randy Blythe, who cast his vote for the band.
While the group have yet to officially follow up the beefy beatdowns of their 2019 self-titled debut LP, minds will no doubt be blown when they do.
GWAR
While the ranks of the shock-rocking Scumdogs are seemingly pulled from all corners of the universe, we’d be remiss to not add that the group’s helpless human slaves have pretty much resided in Richmond since the blood-thirsty group of jizz-moppers officially started their earth-conquering campaign in 1984.
Despite their desires to utterly degrade and decapitate us — dealer’s choice on the order of this — GWAR have been fan favorites on the scene for decades. Hell, we’re still consistently lining up in droves to get doused in all kinds of bodily fluids by current cuttlefish-swinging vocalist Blöthar the Berserker and his band of axe-wielding metal maniacs.
In other words: Heavy-music fans aren’t sick of GWAR just yet.
Lamb of God
It’s so goddamn easy to write this — obviously Lamb of God are the winners of this week’s poll.
Few bands — from Virginia or otherwise, to be honest — have climbed the heights of heavy metal quite like the ever-loved, yet ever-oppressive Richmond quintet, and our readers have confirmed this with an overwhelming amount of votes. The argument, as it were, has been laid to rest.
From their ass-thrashing Burn the Priest proto-period, to the ungodly early Aughts rebrand that throttled them to the frontlines of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal, and into their current position as veteran menaces, Lamb of God have been a top-tier demolition crew for three decades, and show no signs of letting up.