LET THE GUILTY HANG (new myspace soon)

In Southern West Virginia, our history has blood on its hands. Many wars have been waged, from families battling for territorial rights to clashes between business and labor, resulting in near-civil war. The battles of yester-year have come full circle to see poverty take rise in the region, by way of industry deleting the union foothold, set in place by years of bloodshed and heartache. With poverty at its zenith and unemployment at an all-time high, its easy to see how hopelessness and despair can rise to the surface.
Born out of those same mountains that, for better or worse, secluded this area for years, Let the Guilty Hang arrived on the local metal scene quickly displaying songs that combine the attitude of traditional thrash metal, the intensity of the Gothenburg Sound, and the melodic aspects of modern American heavy metal. Let the Guilty Hang formed in early 2005 with a lineup consisting of a whos who of the local West Virginia music scene. Beevare, former bassist for Huntington, WV-based band Lifter, who would serve as the lead guitarist for Let the Guilty Hang, and Daniel Johnson, then-drummer for roots-rock band Guinness Clarkes Wine, began playing together with a shared passion to write music more in line with their personal tastes. After several attempts with other musicians, they vowed to seek out other musicians with similar ideologies and musical ability. The first tapped was Derek Maynard, ex-vocalist for Product of Society. Although Maynard hadnt been on stage in years, he maintained visibility in the local scene. His harsh, aggressive vocals bring a formidable presence to the band. The search for a bassist ended with the addition of Adam Angst, the singer for then-touring West Virginia punk rockers Out of Nowhere. Adam brought sensible bass playing and melodic singing, the defining characteristic of the band, to the table. After several rehearsals, the need for a second guitarist was apparent. The addition came in the form of Joe Baer. Joe, former member of local legendary hardcore band Born for Eternity (which also included Angst on drums), brought a huge black metal influence to the band. His playing rounded out the sound of the band.
After several months of pre-production, it was time to play live. One of the first shows would set the stage for the future of the band. An opportunity to perform as main support on an Ozzfest off-date with heavy metal titans As I Lay Dying, The Black Dahlia Murder, It Dies Today, and The Haunted. Within weeks, another opportunity to perform to a capacity crowd came in the form of a Chum (Century Media) reunion show with West Virginia tech-metal heroes Byzantine rounding out the roster. The band has gone on to perform several shows bringing a high-energy, fun-filled riff fest to venues all over the region.
The band currently recorded their debut album The Unspeakable at Studio 101 with Aaron Fisher producing and engineering and Byzantine front man Chris Ojeda sitting in the production chair for the first time. Using www.myspace.com, the band has been able to transcend the borders of rural Appalachia to amass a worldwide following. Upon the CDs release, the band plans to take the live show to larger markets and pursue a national recording contract. The gallows await. Let the Guilty Hang.