And now for something completely different…
If you’ve been following bluegrass more than a few years, you’ll have heard a number of hybrids mixing it with country music, or folk, old time, rock, hip hop, or jazz. We’ve seen acoustic heavy metal from The Stash Band, but it has fallen to Michigan’s Native Howl to develop an effective mashup of thrash metal and banjo driven grass. It’s thrash grass!
The Native Howl is the brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Alex Holycross and guitarist/banjoist Jake Sawicki who formed the group in 2013. They worked as a twosome for a few years, but with the addition of Josh LeMieux on drums and Mark Chandler on bass, they now have the full component needed to realize the sound they had in mind.
You can hear the elements of both styles in their music, and Holycross has the vocal power to deliver it effectively.
Check out this video of Thunderhead, the opening track on their EP, Thrash Grass.
Additional videos can be viewed on their web site or YouTube channel.
