Age of Fire/ Mind Razer

Age of Fire
https://ageoffire.bandcamp.com/album/shades-of-shadow

Formed in South Florida in 1988, Age of Fire set out to create their own style of Heavy Metal. To date, they have music that touches on thrash, symphonic, melodic and progressive metal. Their music has been heard on over 1,000 traditional and satellite radio stations around the world. The band continues to be featured in international media.

Mind Razer (NJ)
https://officialmindrazer.bandcamp.com/album/better-dead-demo
The story of Mindrazer begins years before their official formation, when a high school marching band’s rendition of Tool served as the catalyst for the meeting of Nick DeFuria (Rhythm Guitar/Lead Vocals) and Brian Weissman (Drums/Percussion). Though the two experimented with different ideas for a metal band, things truly got off the ground in their college years, when they met Vin “Hawky” Verducci (Bass), and formed a Thrash trio that would become Mindrazer.

Though the trio had potential, and could finally begin to gig, it would take some time to iron out the kinks of their sound, and transform from amateur imitators of metal giants to instant classics in their own right. Over the course of their college years, they would tighten their chops, expand their songwriting palette, refine their showmanship, experiment with a couple different lead guitarists, and develop a new image, with a new name to boot. By the point of their graduation, The band took the name Mindrazer, titled after a monster inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and tabletop RPGs, but with unique lore developed by the band. Khøwyrd, the band’s abominable yet whimsical mascot, perfectly encapsulates the spirit the band has cultivated. Frontman Nick’s soaring, operatic vocals tackle the horrors of history, society, and the human imagination – at once in all seriousness, and all in good fun, as only a great metal band can.