Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to bands that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Mark Trueack.
METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:
MARK TRUEACK: UNITOPIA (yu-nih-to-pi-E): meaning living together as one in a place of ideal perfection especially in law, government and social conditions.
Originally based in Adelaide, South Australia, members are spread wide, Thailand, and the USA Unitopia endeavours to draw from the heart and soul of the listener thought provoking topics such as environmental awareness, political and social upheaval and the hectic pace of life and human relationships in a positive and uplifting light. Using progressive themes as a framework, Unitopia’s music includes elements of world, classical, jazz, heavy rock, and groove. Sean Timms also his project Southern Empire while Mark Trueack has his special The United Progressive Fraternity. Other Members include Steve Unruh (Resistor, Samuri of Prog, and UPF along side Mark. Chester Thompson (Genesis, Frank Zappa, Phil Collins and Weather Report and our fab Stick man Don Schiff.
METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?
MARK TRUEACK: There are many, they include John Martyn, Peter Gabriel, Moody Blues, Steve Wilson, Rush, Genesis just to name a few.
METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?
MARK TRUEACK: “Journey’s Groove – An Adventure In Life”, I am not sure if your readers will like a chill album, but I wanted to get away from mainstream prog and rock as I felt these songs need a special presentation. However, if your readers love good story telling with groove and soul this is the album, there are many stories that people will relate to, because its about real life experiences.
METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?
MARK TRUEACK: With regards to live shows, I am not thinking solo now but there is talk of a tour sometime next year with Unitopia to back the upcoming album “Spark.”
METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?
MARK TRUEACK: I may tour my next album as it will have a very art-fusion about it. The album “Breaking down the Barriers” 2027. In April 2026, we will be releasing a Rock Opera called “7 Deadly Sins” through OOB Records.
Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “new music showcase,” the feature where I introduce you to bands that readers of this site may find interesting. This time I have a Q&A with Lake Mar/e.
METAL ANARCHY: Tell me a little about your band:
LAKE MAR/E: The origin story of Lake Mar/e starts with 4 musicians with a passion for playing music who struggled over the years to find the right people to play with. Because we all believe in the music we can write together, we navigate the difficulties of being a band with members in three different states; what we get in return—the joy of creating emotionally beautiful ugly music—is impossible to find anywhere with anybody!
Lake Mar/e started as the recording project of Stephen Bialkowski (guitar) and Eric Howerton (vocals) after they began playing guitar together in Stephen’s living room around 2015. In 2021, they released their first single “The Blurred Lens,” hiring Muscle Shoals, AL drummer Nick Sibley to record drums for the track. After struggling to find a name with a meaning they liked, Eric and Stephen agreed that a moniker with a more symbolic or even unknowable meaning (and pronunciation? How do you say “mar/e”?!”) embraced a lot of playfulness and surrealistic qualities that they appreciated in all art. In one interpretation, the band name can be about the place each song takes you, a place you don’t know and can’t quite picture. In another, it’s the name of a strange, aquatic horse-like beast.
With Stephen’s wide-ranging compositional abilities and Eric’s experience as a writer and lyricist, the brutal instrumental experimentalism of “The Blurred Lens” was worded not as anger or rage at the frustrations of misconception/misperception, but as a loud and unpleasant sense of astonishment that the senses are wholly unreliable. Eric and Stephen would likely have put together a live act and developed more material after the song’s release, but unfortunately by this time Eric had moved to Stillwater, OK due to a change in employment. For a short time, Lake Mar/e went into a lull.
But when Kris Bashaw (bass player of Sand, a disbanded west-coast hard alternative act) and Stephen’s Logan-based project fell afoul due to conflicts with their local singer, they decided to approach Eric with the idea of reviving Lake Mar/e and turning the recording project into a performing act despite the geographic hurdles. Because of Eric’s flexible schedule, he was able to fly into town to practice and perform during the winter and summer breaks, (and he was happy to do so to get in some skiing!) and the band played their first show together in December of 2023, flying in Nick Sibley to bash it out on the drums. After the performances, the band convinced Nick to join full time. Since then, we’ve gigged every summer and winter, playing shows in Utah, Idaho, and Nevada. We’ve demoed all the tracks for our album, and have been taking our time with the final recordings, letting the songs emerge and change if necessary. We’re hoping to make a music video soon, release more tracks, and “The Blurred Lens” was also recently featured in the short film “Go Down, Diller,” which Eric co-wrote with director Andrew Bateman.
Shorter answer:
We’re a loud, proggy, psychedelic metal band that likes to make music you can scream and sing along to. Ripping solos, thoughtful lyrics, and drums you can’t ignore.
Eric (vocals) and Stephen (guitars) met weekly for a year or so to write a songs, but then Eric accepted a new position several states away. The project went on hold for years but was officially revived in 2023 when Kris (bass) and Nick (drums) joined Lake Mar/e.
Stephen Bialkowski (UT) – Shredding guitars since 92′, in various local jazz/blues/metal/classical/(experi)mental bands…but mostly metal
Eric Howerton (OK) – Sang in several metal bands in UT and TX prior to LM; professor and writer
Kris Bashaw (UT) – Previously played bass for Sand; unofficial manager and mediator
Nicholas Sibley (AL) – Obsessively dedicated drummer with over 30,000 hours of practice under his belt
METAL ANARCHY: Who are your main influences?
LAKE MAR/E: There’s so many known and unknown influences. For Eric and Stephen, Between the Buried and Me and progressive rock is definitely something we pay attention to, as is the work of Mike Patton. We like to think of loud music as music that can push at the extremes of what heaviness or volume or intensity can accomplish, and artists that help expand how loudness is used is something we’re drawn to. Eric goes gaga for the Dillinger Escape Plan and Tesseract. Kris loves Iron Maiden, and he and Stephen also share a love for Megadeth. Everyone in the band is a fan of grunge giants like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains. Nick is really into a huge range of music, from alternative rock to metal to jazz—he’s probably qualified to be a music historian and has studied with some truly phenomenal drummers!
Art and literature also influence us. Things that are unsettling but thoughtful. The work of David Lynch for example. Eric and Kris love the novel “Frankenstein.” More on that below.
METAL ANARCHY: What is your latest release and why should readers of this site check it out?
LAKE MAR/E: Our latest release is “Reanimatrix” and at least one reading is that it’s a song for anyone who’s ever been fortunate (wink) enough to experience the horrific pleasures of an on again/off again relationship. It’s also just a brutal song and Stephen rips it on the solo! Lyrically, the song is told from the perspective of a sort of Frankenstein-esque wretch who is coming to realize that being put to death and then revived again and again and again may not be the most pleasant experience. It’s a gruesome, song about love as a gothic monster.
METAL ANARCHY: What can people expect when they go to your live shows?
LAKE MAR/E: We pride ourselves on our performances. Even though we don’t get to jam together as much as most other bands, performance-wise this means that when we do play live we have a lot of pent up energy and passion that we release on stage. We want to have fun, and we want you to have fun and feel something. We like to interact with the audience and let them know that we’re not there to scream at them, we’re there to scream with them!
METAL ANARCHY: Where do you see your band heading in 5 years?
LAKE MAR/E: We want to be writing more music, releasing more music, supporting other artists and local scenes, coming up with cool imagery, and feeling fulfilled physically and mentally. And we hope that means we’re producing content you guys will like.
We would love to be playing festivals in the next couple years too, and we would love to gig more outside of Utah and the Northwest. We have shows coming up in Nashville, Memphis, and Tuscumbia, AL in December of 2025, so check those out. And if you want to schedule a regional tour with us this summer or winter 2026, get in touch!
Matt Zane has received a cease and desist after vowing to continue with his unauthorized documentary on Wayne Static (Static-X) and Tera Wray. This news comes after the families of the late married couple objected to the film.
Zane shared the following press release:
‘The estate and family of late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static have issued a cease and desist letter to filmmaker Matt Zane, following their recent public statement in which they “strenuously object” to Zane’s announcement of an unauthorized documentary focusing on Wayne Static and his wife, Tera Wray.
The legal notice arrived just days after the family made clear they were prepared to take action to halt any unapproved production. In a statement, the families said, “We are not interested in the further development of any unauthorized biography or documentary…”
Zane, however, remains defiant.
“This won’t stop me. I’m ready and willing to take this as far as it goes. If it ends up in court, so be it. This movie will be made and released if it’s the last thing that I do,” said Zane.
Zane has also questioned why his project has been singled out when multiple unauthorized documentaries about Wayne Static already exist online.
“If you go to YouTube right now you’ll see multiple unauthorized documentaries about Wayne Static with hundreds of thousands of views. None of them were threatened with legal action. I’m the only one served with a cease and desist letter — and I haven’t even started production yet. Why am I being singled out?” Zane stated.
“Since this all started, it made me remember something Wayne told me once that’s helped me stay focused. I actually searched to see if I still had the email so I could relay it properly,” said Zane.
According to Zane, Wayne Static wrote:
“I’ve always felt people are too dumb to understand what’s really going on around us. It seems like you share that feeling.”
As tensions escalate, the dispute appears far from over. Whether resolved privately or in court, Zane insists the documentary will move forward — setting the stage for a highly publicized clash between an artist’s estate and a filmmaker claiming to honor his late friend’s legacy.’
Nefarious the project featuring guitarist Rick Hunolt (ex-Exodus), guitarist Doug Piercy (ex-Heathen), bassist Tom Gears (ex-Blind Illusion), and drummer Will Carroll (Death Angel), have shared a lyric video for a new version of their song “Day After.” The updated track is the band’s first to feature new vocalist Sean Rivera (Coffin Hunters).
Piercy commented on recruiting Rivera:
“We wanted someone who could be in the room with us — creating, rehearsing, and ready to play. It’s hard to get tight as a band when they can’t rehearse on the regular. The Bay Area has always thrived on that energy, and now we’ve got it. Long-distance situations can get complicated when there’s simply no communication.”
Hunolt continued:
“Sean Rivera has brought Nefarious to the next level. The metal gods gave us a true musical wizard. Not only is he an amazing singer, and absolute stellar musician (guitar, keyboards),but he is an amazing human to work with and I can’t wait for you all to hear this man sing. C’ya on the road in ’26 .. Lfgoooooo!”
Rivera added:
“When Doug and Rick reached out to me and asked if I wanted to try out for Nefarious on vocals, I was excited and nervous. Everyone in the band are fantastic players and have such seasoned musical histories, and stepping into that felt really significant to me. After listening to the album I thought the songs were great and knew it was a project I wanted to be a part of. Thankfully, everyone liked what my vocals added and I was really stoked when they asked me to join. They’re all really great people and have been super supportive with the whole process of learning the songs and becoming a part of the band. I feel really fortunate to be given this opportunity and I’m really excited for all we can accomplish together on the road ahead!”
Metallica have shared pro-shot footage of “Fuel” from their November 30 show at the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar. You can check that out below. The track appears on the band’s 1997 album “Reload.”
Slow Crush have announced a North American tour with She’s Green and Spite House. Here’s the dates:
03/13 San Diego, CA – SOMA Sidestage
03/14 Santa Ana, CA – Observatory (Ebb & Flow Festival)
03/16 San Jose, CA – The Ritz
03/17 Boise, ID – Shrine Ballroom
03/18 Eugene, OR – WOW Hall
03/20 Spokane, WA – District
03/21 Tacoma, WA – Airport Tavern
03/22 Vancouver, BC – The Pearl
03/24 Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
03/25 Fresno, CA – Strummers
03/27 Las Vegas, NV – Grey Witch
03/28 Tucson, AZ – Hotel Congress
Gouge Away have released a new EP titled “Live At BBC.” The effort features a 2024 set recorded at Maida Vale for BBC Radio 1’s “The Rock Show With Daniel P Carter.”
“Live At BBC” Track Listing:
01. “Deep Sage” (BBC Live Version)
02. “Maybe Blue” (BBC Live Version)
03. “Newtau” (BBC Live Version)
04. “No Release” (BBC Live Version)
The band commented:
“Daniel P Carter had us record this live session for The Rock show on BBC Radio 1. We were on tour in the UK and always wanted to record a session at BBC so we were thrilled for the opportunity. The session was recorded live and mixed in a few hours. Then we asked the engineer to give us a tour of the whole studio which was a really special experience. When you’re there you can feel so much history under one roof.”
In other news, the group have also revealed that they will be opening for Wednesday during a spring North American tour. Here’s the dates for that run:
03/13 Knoxville, TN – Mill & Mine
03/14 Atlanta, GA – Variety Playhouse
03/15 Nashville, TN – Brooklyn Bowl
03/17 New Orleans, LA – Tipitina’s
03/19 Austin, TX – Emo’s
03/20 Dallas, TX – Granada Theatre
03/21 Oklahoma City, OK – Beer City Music Hall
03/22 Lawrence, KS – Granada Theater
03/24 St. Louis, MO – Del03/Hall
03/26 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
03/27 Milwaukee, WI – Turner Hall
03/28 Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue
03/30 Columbus, OH – The King of Clubs
03/31 Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall
04/01 Boston, MA – Roadrunner
04/04 Asheville, NC – Orange Peel
04/05 Winston-Salem, NC – Ramkat
04/21 Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
04/22 Portland, OR – Revolution Hall
04/23 Seattle, WA – The Moore
04/24 Vancouver, BC – The Vogue
They also have a couple of dates booked with Foo Fighters and Queens Of The Stone Age:
09/20 Vancouver, BC – BC Place
09/26 Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium
Biffy Clyro’s James Johnston has revealed that he will be taking a break from the band. The bassist made the decision to deal with his mental health and addiction issues.
Johnston said the following:
“To everyone,
I am heartbroken to let you know that will I not be joining the band on the upcoming tours. For some time, I have been living with mental health problems which have led to addiction issues that I have kept concealed for a long time. This has caused significant problems for myself and everyone around me – the time has come to properly address my illnesses and deal with them.
I am extremely sorry to Simon & Ben and thank them for their continued love, patience, support and understanding throughout this time.
I have recently started to receive the professional help I need and would like to reassure you all that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
To all our fans, your support means so much to me and in the meantime, our dear friend Naomi Macleod will be taking care of bass duties, and I cannot think of a better person for the job.
Battle Beast have parted ways with Noora Louhimo. The singer is exiting the group “to focus on her solo career.”
Battle Beast commented:
“After six albums and 13 incredible years together, we announce that Noora Louhimo is leaving Battle Beast to focus on her solo career. While we are saddened by her departure, we fully support her decision to pursue new creative paths—something she hasn’t been able to explore wholeheartedly with the demanding schedule of Battle Beast.”
Louhimo continued:
“For 13 years I got to grow, learn, develop and explore with Battle Beast who I am as a musician and as a person. And now my heart desires more adventures, and flying with my own wings towards my dreams that I can only pursue if I give them my full attention. Life is full of different eras and now it is time for a new one. I am forever grateful and love Battle Beast and our fans. This is not the end, this is a beginning of a new adventure for both of us. See you soon Little Beasts!”
The group also added:
“We are deeply thankful for the music, the tours, and the magic we created together. These memories will never be tarnished nor forgotten, and we wish Noora nothing but success and happiness on her path forward.
We know you—our fans—will miss Noora as much as we do. But rest assured: the flight of Battle Beast continues, and so does Noora’s, now simply on a different trajectory.
A new era begins. We will announce the new voice of Battle Beast tomorrow on December 16th.
With gratitude and love,
Noora, Janne, Eero, Juuso, Joona & Pyry”
Metal Anarchy 
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