Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From Their Spring Tour!!

Having just wrapped up their most extensive tour run yet, it's a good time to play catch-up on what St. Ignace deathcore quartet Heavy Lies The Crown have been up to as of late! Before said tour began, the guys played a one-off concert in Alpena (almost 3 hours southeast of the Soo) on April 4th, where they opened for Living Unwell at Friendly Foodees, with singer Brandon West and guitarist Jaxon Massaway updating "you filthy crowners" about the show before they hit the road in this video. The Max Headroom-esque post-production effects and pitch changes didn't really seem necessary for a 49 seconds-long concert plug in a vehicle, but hey, it's different! The show reportedly went well but media from it was not immediately forthcoming on Facebook. After a couple weeks' break, Brandon and Jaxon filmed another promotional video on 4/20, where they plugged the tour ahead.

You also get a clip of their friends & tourmates in Influence, plus a cameo from Brandon's dog (always welcomed!), and while there is a lot of superfluous camera zooming, it got the word out for fans near the tour stops! Two days later, H.L.T.C. revealed on their Facebook page that we "are throwing most of our songs aside for this run", opting to instead play 20 minutes of established songs before "running improv and changing who plays what" (remember, Brandon, Jaxon, and Blaze can all play multiple instruments). This may be due to new bassist Bubba Hillz being unavailable for the tour run, as he's not pictured in photos from the shows, and they revealed that they were utilizing guest bassists during the tour, but they never made a statement as to why he missed out. Hopefully all is well, and Bubba is still pictured in the band's current profile photo! After posting this video of helicopters flying overhead, we did get a live video from show #1!

A brief video shot in vertical "selfie" mode by Influence frontman Brandon Billups was uploaded from the Eaton Rapids Craft Company concert, which features H.L.T.C. mid-breakdown during their set. The guest bassist here was Emily Barnett from the Athens metalcore band Fault Of The People, who played the early stops of this tour. Alas, this clip is vertical, 15 seconds long, has the band deep in the background, and isn't crystal clear anyway (and I have no idea why the cartoony cowboy hat in the upper left corner and the caption were necessary in post), but what we hear sounds brutal, and the fans moshing are definitely having fun, so give this a watch below!

After sharing a video of the guys passing a bunch of cops at night on the highway, Heavy revealed that their fill-in bassist for the Influence HQ concert in Taylor on April 25th was Greg Lanier from their friends in Detroit metal band Nothing After This (guitarist Rob Vandewiele had filled in on bass with H.L.T.C. last fall already). As teased in this video with Jaxon looking at a bass drum outside, the guys were heading out of state for a show at Legacy Ink Tattoos & Body Piercings (seriously) in Lima, Ohio on April 26th. You can see the interior of the venue in this video of between-set mingling, but good thing it didn't feature actual performances, as it was uploaded sideways. For an actual video, the guys posted this 40 seconds-long clip of them playing their song "Friend" with a friend of the band on guest vocals, namely Nothing After This drummer Jay Clemons, who was touring with Influence on this run.

Jay was singing (well, screaming) on stage while Brandon made the rounds inside the parlor with mic in hand. Given the length, the quick camera movements, and the (sadly) vertical orientation, I can't tell you who the guest bassist was in Lima, and I didn't even see one on this particular song. Not an ideal look at this song in progress, but Jay delivers some brutal lead vocals here, and Legacy Ink sure looks like a fun venue for concerts with very distinct art on the walls, so check it out below!

After a day off, the guys and Influence hit the road for their Illinois debut at Magoo's Bar in Bedford Park (outside of Chicago) on April 28th, with Brandon and Jaxon again getting the word out in this video. While mostly hyping that night's show, Jaxon did reveal that he bought a new guitar, and that Heavy Lies The Crown would be posting vlogs after the tour ended. It has since ended, so has that come to pass? Stay tuned! Along with assorted photos and a brief video of Justin Luebeck from the Chicago death metal band Dead & Buried, they finally featured drummer Blaze Beairl in a new post that wasn't concert video after the Chicagoland date, with this photo showing Blaze's bandaged hand after their set (he also sang at one point, as part of H.L.T.C.'s plans for members to switch instruments for much of it). The band's next two shows were in Manitowoc and West Allis, Wisconsin on April 29th & 30th.

Media from these shows (nor their return to The Delft Theater in Escanaba) wasn't immediate beyond this 7 seconds-long clip of what appears to be silent B-roll that was used on the video screen at one of the Wisconsin dates. We'll close with a 6+ minutes-long video from the tour finale at The Jordan Inn in East Jordan, Michigan (2 hours south of here) filmed by Blaze's mom/ex-Exit 808 bandmate Amy Beach, featuring no guest bassist at all, but Jay Clemons was guesting on vocals again early. This captures the role switching angle well, as everyone is singing at points here!  As this is a live-stream, you likely have until around June 3rd to watch it, but it's a fun glimpse (if a vertical one), so check it out below... while you can!

There's more to touch on from Heavy Lies The Crown now that the tour is over and they can get their media from the run online, so stay tuned for more from then hopefully soon! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From March 2026!!

Let's end March 2026 with a look at what St. Ignace deathcore quartet Heavy Lies The Crown have been up to this month! Before they kicked off their March tour run, they posted this vertical video on their Facebook page on March 2nd featuring jam footage of the band (sans Bubba), with Brandon manning the camera in literal selfie-mode at one point. Obviously, this is just a teaser, and I do have a hunch that there's a lot more that Brandon filmed here before it was edited down to 12 seconds, but give it a watch below!

On March 5th, the guys began their first tour run of 2026, which saw them play four Lower Peninsula dates in four days, none closer to the Soo than the tour opener in Bay City on the 5th. All four dates saw Heavy Lies The Crown play alongside their friends in Detroit metalcore band Nothing After This, whose bassist Rob Vandewiele served as a temporary fill-in with H.L.T.C. at their final 2025 gigs. Frontman Brandon West shot this 5 seconds-long video of everyone in their tour vehicle en route to Bay City, and it was raining en route, so they definitely didn't need the sunglasses seen in this video! Updates from that night's show or the March 6th concert in Chesterfield didn't immediately follow, but on the 7th, Brandon starred in this vertical update video, where he highlighted how the first two shows went, which also let them debut not just Bubba on bass, but also their new live rig, and things were loud on night #2.

Apparently, there was monsoon-level rain and tornado sightings in their area, and while their tonneau cover protecting their merchandise was torn, it's obviously a good thing that Heavy survived the heavy forecast intact! The guys had spent the night in Chesterfield and were on their way for show #3 in Battle Creek after that video went up, so give the update video a watch at this link! In their first live video with their current lineup, they posted this 18 second video from the Battle Creek show at The Music Factory, and while short and dark, it's a solid horizontal video that I wish was uploaded in a longer form factor! Give it a watch for yourselves below!

After "stomping their ground and making prints" in Battle Creek, Brandon starred in this vertical update video from the tour vehicle on March 8th to reflect on the previous night's gig, but he's hard to hear for much of the minute-long runtime (my best guess is he accidentally covered the microphone while recording). He also plugged the tour finale that night in Grand Rapids, and they definitely posted some neat photos on Facebook after the fact, so crawl their Facebook page since March 6th to see what they have uploaded from the four dates! Their next uploaded video from the tour comes from Heavy Lies The Crown's concert on March 6th at The Diesel Concert Lounge in Chesterfield (technically New Baltimore), which was their second and longest concert video with their current lineup as of its its upload on the 11th. Thankfully also horizontal (if still shorter than I'd like), it is a high quality recording while it lasts, and it sees the guys playing part of their classic title track "Knucklebutter".

The video description compares Brandon's scream here to a dolphin, raven, and/or a robot shutting down, but regardless, he has some power in that voice, so give this H.L.T.C. video a watch for yourselves below!

Unfortunately, their two most recent videos (a highlight of clips from the tour from March 15th and a similar longer video from March 20th) can't be embedded here because Facebook content matched the backing audio on both, as the band opted to sub in their newest studio original "Rewind" rather than let the raw concert audio speak for itself. This is high quality footage, why not post it in unedited raw form, especially to show off the new lineup for more than 38 seconds? The longer of the two (which also isn't forcibly crammed into the vertical "Reel" dimensions with pillarboxing) also has road footage from the tour and some video of the guys hanging out between concerts, so it's a nice sampler of what they got up to downstate, even if you don't actually hear what happened! In their most recent Facebook update, Heavy announced a surprise concert for this Saturday in Alpena, so what should you know there?

The guys will be among the openers for Alpena nu metal band Living Unwell at a "local DIY metal show" at Friendly Foodees, and while not their closest scheduled concert to the Soo ahead (their East Jordan show on May 3rd is a half hour closer), it is good to see Brandon, Jaxon, Bubba, and Blaze playing another Northern Michigan date! Click here for more details if you're interested in the near 3 hour drive downstate on Saturday, and we are now caught up for Heavy Lies The Crown updates (again), so stay tuned for more from them when it rolls in! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From Late February 2026!!

Let's play catch-up with St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore quartet Heavy Lies The Crown on this Sunday afternoon, so what have the guys been up to over the past month+? While we left off with their new bassist reveal on February 16th, we actually skipped over a big teaser from three days prior, namely a new single of theirs named "Rewind" that was being uploaded (via Distrokid) to major streaming platforms. Why they didn't delay the "Notions" release a couple of weeks to include this song, I don't know, but it officially premiered publically on February 20th. The band shared a preview of the song with this 15 second clip of them jamming, and while it is in black & white and not visibly synced with "Rewind", it is notable as the first public video featuring new bassist Bubba Hillz (who still hasn't been acknowledged by name that I have seen). It's high quality video, why not post more of it?

As "Rewind" isn't (yet?) guaranteed to be on an upcoming album or EP, I'll give it a quick review, and it definitely signals H.L.T.C. getting heavier and crunchier with djentier riffs and more death growling, and it's a tight package overall that also really gives the drumming some space to show off (granted, I am not 100% certain on who is drumming here, given that Brandon, Jaxon, and Blaze can all drum). A guitar solo might have broken things up a little, but if you like how their music has been drifting in recent months, you'll wanna check "Rewind" out below or at the usual streaming haunts!

On February 20th, Heavy Lies The Crown revealed that they will take part in the Influence The Crown tour in late April & early May alongside their friends in Detroit alt-metal band Influence, who you may recognize as playing at Brandon's birthday concert in St. Ignace this past August. Arguably the widest scale tour that Heavy have undertaken yet (complete with rare gigs out of state), the roughly clockwise routing will start in the Lower Peninsula with shows in Eaton Township and Taylor on April 24th & 25th, followed by gigs in Lima, Ohio and Bedford Park, Illinois. They end April with two shows in Wisconsin before returning to The Delft Theater in Escanaba on May 1st. This U.P. gig actually won't be the closest stop on this tour for the guys, as the route ends at The Jordan Inn in East Jordan outside of Charlevoix (2 hours south of the Soo) on May 3rd, so keep that close-ish concert in mind if you wanna see the current lineup, at least before August! 

Around that same time, H.L.T.C. launched their official Instagram page, and in an exclusive upload there that is not on Facebook, they posted this video on February 21st of them at a jam space, giving us our most substantial look at the band's current lineup on video yet. Uniquely filmed from a high vantage point above Blaze's drum kit (yes, it's vertical, but it's quite an angle!), the pink lighting is a little strong, but you can't fault them for giving this a distinct angle and viewpoint! If you want a more natural (if still vertical) look at this jam, this Facebook video has a 10 second snippet from that day. I stress that the Instagram video is a "look" because the video is synced to the studio version of their older original song "Friend", and there are points that don't line up with the song. Still, for how this video is shot, don't bypass it, so give it a watch below, and follow them on Instagram above!

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As they have done occasionally in the past, Heavy Lies The Crown tried their hand at a contest of sorts to get named as openers for a big Michigan metal concert asking for submissions, this time the Arankai concert in Grand Rapids on June 5th. Submissions are ongoing, so head to Opnr to join their "Fan-Claim" to get on this bill! Surprisingly, it took this long into an H.L.T.C. post to address a vertical update video from frontman Brandon West, who posted this clip onto their Facebook page on February 27th to talk about the aforementioned "Rewind", so what did he reveal? After noting that it was "kind of a dud, it seems like" (I assume he's referencing its streaming counts so far), he reveals that his daughter Valkyrie helped co-write the song and appears as a backing vocalist on the choruses. I didn't pick up on that when first listening, but it is neat that father and daughter worked on a song together like this!

To close, we have one more new video from the band's Facebook page, this time from their show at The Sanctuary in Hamtramck (outside of Detroit) in November of last year, which was their penultimate gig with drummer/guitarist Kaycee Mason and brief fill-in bassist Rob Vandewiele. Purportedly one of "a lot of clips (that) we just haven't been posting" that was shot by an unidentified member of Influence, the video uniquely sees Brandon sitting beside Kaycee and letting him sing part of this song while drumming, before Brandon heads back to the front of the stage to rock out. Only 55 seconds long, but well shot with some neat looks at the stage and audience, so check this video out for yourselves below!

That's all for now, but we'll pick things back up with Heavy with their activity and touring this month, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS tomorrow! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From January-February 2026!!

It's time to dive back into the world of St. Ignace metalcore band Heavy Lies The Crown in today's post, so what have they been up to since we left off with them? On January 27th, frontman Brandon West starred in this vertical update video where he remarked on how good their streaming numbers have beenc, and promoted the then-impending release of their new EP "Notions" on Friday, January 30th. He also further elaborated on why guitarist/drummer Kaycee Mason and bassist Christian Cook left the band, primarily citing their distance (both currently live in the Lower Peninsula) as impairing their availability for gigs and rehearsals, let alone upgrading their concert setup and staging with a full band reliably present to practice, though creative differences were also cited. The video ends with Brandon teasing their March tour run in Southeast Michigan and plans to put out new band merchandise.

Bookending that update video were two rehearsal clips featuring guitarist Jaxon Massaway and drummer Blaze Beairl in a lighting-overpowered room, but the first video runs for just six seconds and the second, while 5x the length, feels like filler between songs (regardless, both are vertical). I assume Brandon filmed those, and he starred in another update video from his vehicle on January 28th, where he optimistically talked about the band's progress as of late, including their planned online store, their higher streaming hits, their shift in goals, and the EP release two days from then. Brandon also addresses H.L.T.C.'s bassist position, where he notes that while the plan at the time was still to have Rob Vandewiele from Detroit's Nothing After This to fill in for concerts, he noted that there was a local bassist that they were going to try out that weekend. Good updates across the board, so give these videos a watch above & below!

As promised, Heavy Lies The Crown released their new EP "Notions" to major streaming services on January 30th, so what should you know there? Featuring artwork designed by Christian before his departure, the EP is credited to the North Shore Audio imprint, and while full performer credits aren't given, Brandon produced and Jaxon mixed/engineered the material. The five-song EP compiles most of the band's one-off singles released since mid-2024, with the exception of "These Walls". I haven't seen a reason as to why the song was omitted, but the band had begun work on "These Walls" in 2020 or 2021, and it was co-written by ex-guitarist Nathan Switzer, who finished his parts before he left the band in August 2024, so his involvement and/or the band's sonic evolution may explain things. All of the usual mainstream streaming sites host "Notions", but can you actually buy the EP anywhere?

Yes, you can buy it on mp3 format via iTunes for $4.95, so consider doing so to support the guys extra! "Notions" is absolutely up for a review on the SMS, but we are in a massive backlog for new album releases, and as Handsome Sandwich, The Realignment Project, Pillory, Viscera, Mike Haggith, and A.S.D.P. all put out albums for sale prior, Heavy Lies The Crown are currently slotted in for September. It's coming, but we were blessed with a lot of local metal, hard rock, and punk albums in mid-late 2025! Give the opening/title track a listen below, and hear more from "Notions" above!

Entering a new month, Brandon starred in another vertical update video on February 7th where he teased "sharing some news here soon about an upcoming change for (the band) that's pretty big (and) pretty awesome", while also promising "new photos, new merch, new everything". The "upcoming change" appears to be the teased bassist that they were trying out shortly after the EP release, and he was unveiled in photos posted to their Facebook page on February 16th. His name on Facebook is given as Bubba Hillz, but I haven't seen the band credit him by name in any posts or tags yet. Regardless, before he moved up here, Bubba played bass in the South Florida deathcore band Tracheotomy in the early 2020s, and if he is accurately credited, he performed as "Jay Jealousy" on their debut singles in 2021. Hopefully we get clarification for his name/credits from the band soon!

There is media online featuring Bubba/Jay, not to mention his songs with Tracheotomy, and he has the skill set to fit in with Brandon, Christian, and Blaze, so we'll look at their first videos with him when we next look at Heavy Lies The Crown on the SMS later this month! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From Last Month!!

After the USA men's hockey team's gold medal win this morning, it's only fitting that today's post is 100% related to the Eastern U.P., specifically St. Ignace deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown, so what have they been up to since we last left off with them early last month? Well, on January 14th, frontman Brandon West starred in another vertical update video for their Facebook page, where "Bad Lighting Brandon" hyped their previously announced March tour loop in the Lower Peninsula. That same night, another video was posted where Brandon was literally mixing and mastering a song on a laptop while waiting for his daughter. Brandon was back in the vehicle for another update video the following day, where he revealed that their new single "Notions" would be released on major streaming services tomorrow (January 16th), while also saying that it is "definitely a different vibe and a different take on Heavy Lies The Crown for sure."

No definitive word on whether the song being worked on in the vehicle on the 14th was "Notions" or even a new song, but regardless, the single dropped as scheduled in all of the usual streaming haunts, with artwork provided by then-bassist Christian Cook (a.k.a. Christian Bailey). In their next major updates, Brandon and guitarist Jaxon Massaway starred in videos linked here, here, and here where they asked fans in the Bay City, Chesterfield, and Battle Creek areas if they knew of haunted or spooky locations that they could visit when they arrive there for their shows in early March. Paranormal tourism, scouting music video shoot locations, or something else? Whatever the case, message the band above if you have any ideas! Grand Rapids didn't get their own similar video, but Brandon asked in this clip for suggestions for all locations in that regard as well as for arcades in the four towns.

Each of those videos features the opening to their song "Road To Detroit" as background audio, which continues in this clip featuring Jaxon tracking music. Mostly shot from behind or at close angles (with a cameo from Brandon's hand, I assume), this teases the band's recent studio work well, but the last clip in the video is horizontal and pillarboxed where the rest is vertical. I know it's 9 seconds long, but commit to one orientation! Give it a watch for yourselves below!

On January 23rd, Heavy Lies The Crown confirmed that the previously teased "Notions" EP would drop on major streaming services the following week, calling it "a glued version of what we have to offer at this moment". Two days later, Brandon starred in this update video (horizontal, at that) where he noted that their newest released music is all a year old, and they went through a phase of not liking the songs but ultimately decided to put everything out, with certain instruments and vocals re-recorded to perfect the final product. Brandon did tease possibly posting behind the scenes content to show the evolution, which would be interesting! Before the EP could come out, H.L.T.C. announced big lineup changes on January 26th, as they have parted ways with guitarist/drummer Kaycee Mason and the aforementioned Christian Cook, though they left the door open to guest appearances in the future.

Given their location, the band cited "finding member(s) that are dedicated and to be fair spending a lot of money to go to a single show" re: their lineup changes, but did not elaborate on the reasoning further. Christian had been Heavy's bassist since replacing Danny Tucker in 2022, though he missed their most recent Lower Peninsula gigs in mid-November, while Kaycee replaced Nathan Switzer on guitar in mid-2024 and also took over on drums during Blaze Beairl's live absences for much of last year. Surprising news to hear of their departures, especially as Kaycee played drums in November, but hopefully we hear more music from them soon! Announced as taking over as their "permanent fill in on bass" was Rob Vandewiele from the Detroit metal band Nothing After This, who sat in for Christian in their November concerts, but the band recently confirmed one more lineup change that we'll get into next time.

When we next get into Heavy Lies The Crown on the SMS, we'll talk about the "Notions" EP, their newest lineup change, and their newest tour announcements, so stay tuned for more from them in the coming days, and give "Notions" a listen below in advance of the whole EP! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From Late December & Early January!!

To kick off a new month at the SMS, let's finish playing catch-up on what St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown have been up to this winter! While the band mostly took December off from public updates, they did return with new videos on December 27th, starting with this video of the guys opening for Born Of Osiris at The Crofoot Ballroom in Pontiac on November 7th, which was shot by Sara LaBeau for her personal Facebook page but only shared to the band's Facebook page over a month later. Sara said that this was shot at "Greenwall Hall", which is not the name of any of the venues at the Crofoot complex. Based on photos, this is more likely The Pike Room, which is not where last year's Born Of Osiris/H.L.T.C. show took place (that was in the Vernors Room there). The video proper features the band's 2025 lineup (sans Kaycee) during a breakdown, and there's no sign of teased guest DJ Dirty6, at least from what little we see here.

Sadly, this video is both short and vertical, so we don't get the best look at the guys in action, but it's a brutal performance for what we do get, so give it a watch for yourselves below!

Later on December 27th, the band resumed posting new Facebook updates of their own, with this brief update video featuring singer Brandon West (with his dog!) announcing that their new single would be released in two weeks, and would be titled "Notions". Not only that, it was to be part of their new EP of the same name coming out in January! He talked up how "music will be flowing" now that guitarist Jaxon Massaway had caught up to learn old material and write new stuff. Two vertical teaser videos (linked here & here) followed, featuring Jaxon working at a tracking computer while "Notions" played in the background, but black-and-white interview videos (horizontal ones, no less!) followed on the 30th & 31st, where Brandon and Jaxon answered questions about "Notions", documentary style. The shorter video features Brandon addressing the tougher lines to sing on the song...

...why the "Notions" single was released next, what took the longest to get right with the song, the biggest change in the band (from "guitar shredding and... melting your face off to pure, now it's aggression, pushing", with an emphasis on being fun to play in concert), and where he sees the band heading next, with Brandon teasing the tour date lengths coming up for 2026 but not individual shows/locations. He closes by saying that you can hear the new single "literally everywhere", which I highly doubt, but that's a common complaint of mine with anyone who claims that. The longer video is embedded below, and features both Jaxon and Brandon on camera. Here, they discuss what inspired the themes of "Notions", how their creative process evolved, what was different here compared to prior albums, how "Notions" evolved in studio, what's new from prior recordings, their current mindset, ...

Brandon's headspace when recording "Notions", what they want listeners to get from the new music, one word to describe "Notions", and what they try to find when songwriting. You can tell that the guys are proud of this EP to be giving it this kind of pre-release hype, and while it would have been nice to hear from the other band members here, it sets the tone well and gives some good insight without giving too much away. Check out the longer interview clip below and see more above!

On January 5th, another update video from "Brando here" sees him walking home from practice at night while hyping up "Notions" and its release in "two weeks", and how he hoped everyone would like it. Three days later, Brandon updated fans as to their first shows of 2026 via this video, which will see them on a four show loop in the Lower Peninsula, and he teased more about the bands and locations in this video from January 14th. The shows were fully detailed in this post on the 19th, which will see them rock venues in Bay City, Chesterfield, Battle Creek, and Grand Rapids from March 5th-8th (the closest of the four to here is Bay City, just under 4 hours south of the Soo). All four shows will see H.L.T.C. playing alongside Detroit metalcore band Nothing After This, whose guitarist Rob Vandewiele filled in on bass with Heavy for their most recent shows in mid-November, and is expected to do so again for this run.

We'll detail more on what this means re: Heavy Lies The Crown's full lineup when we next talk about them, as there's too much to cover in one post, but we'll go over the release of the "Notions" EP and their 2026 lineup when we next look at the band on the SMS! For now, give Brandon's update video from January 8th a watch below, and we'll pick things back up on the 14th to talk about "Notions" proper! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From Late November 2025!!

In light of a big recent announcement from St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown, we might as well continue playing catch-up on their recent activity, so what have Brandon and crew been up to since we left off with their mid-November concerts downstate? On November 17th, frontman Brandon West starred in this vertical update video from their Facebook page where he noted the they filmed a lot of concert footage and "studio updates" during the previous weekend's concerts, and teased that "we're gonna start, like, a vlog thing, or try" in an attempt to post and keep up with recent video footage. If that bears out, it will be neat to see everything! On November 21st, they asked fsns who they'd like to see H.L.T.C. play shows with, so if you have any ideas, head to that post! The following day, they claimed to be "taking our live performances to the next level".

Given their place in the Upper Peninsula, they noted that "we sometimes feel a bit isolated, but it's also what makes us unique". With the vast majority of their concerts being on the road, they do stand out to audiences afar! They teased possibly filming their practice for social media that day, and that bore out on November 23rd when they began uploading GoPro videos from "The Skely house". The short clips feature Brandon, Jaxon, and Blaze performing on camera (no Christian or Kaycee), and you can watch the shorter second one here, and the longer first one below. The biggest reveal here beyond the song-in-progress is that Brandon shaved his beard before this jam session, though it grew back by the next time we saw him on camera. He was filming the videos in the first place, so he isn't a focus, but it is odd to see him clean shaven. What we hear doesn't sound bad at all, so give these a watch above & below!

On November 24th, the band shared videos from their the pop-up concert with four other bands at the Influence The Band Headquarters in Taylor (outside of Detroit) ten days prior, which devolved into an open jam featuring intermixing of band members for individual songs. Obviously only partially local now, but click here to watch what I.H.Q. got on camera, and see where Brandon, Jaxon, and Kaycee fit in! Four days later, the band posted a brand new original song onto major streaming services named "Road To Detroit", which is their fifth single to date that isn't on their prior albums (joining "These Walls", "Marble Skin", "Shame", and "Happy Fun Fun"). The guys wrote this on a trip on the I-75 towards one of their concerts at The Sanctuary in Hamtramck (just outside of Detroit), and it is "probably the most meaningful song" of theirs so far. I'll hold comment pending our review of their next release, but give it a listen!

Interestingly, Brandon starred in this video for the band's new YouTube channel where he sings along to the studio track while using a banana as a "microphone". Fun little diversion, but if I was Brandon, I'd have used an instrumental version of the song (it's his own band's song, he must have access to one) so he wasn't double tracking with himself. In their last update in November 2025, they posted this video of guitarist/ex-drummer Jaxon Massaway tracking a new original song's breakdown at a computer. In the comments, he noted that "they ain't ready for this one", so if you say that, you're obviously building anticipation for a reason! No idea why it had to be black & white, but check out this teaser below!

Heavy Lies The Crown took most of December off from new band updates, only resurfacing with brand new content after Christmas, so we'll pick things back up there next time as we continue making up lost ground! Sty tuned for more from them and other local bands on the site soon! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates & Videos From Mid-November 2025!!

It's been way too long, so let's get caught up on what St. Ignace, Michigan deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown were up to late last month! When we left off with them in mid-November, they were en route to Southeast Michigan for gigs in Hamtramck and Battle Creek, and after the former concert at The Music Factory on the 12th, frontman Brandon West uploaded the video below to their Facebook page, which he filmed mid-song during their own set in selfie-mode! The vertically shot (but partially sideways) clip features brief appearances by guitarist Jaxon Massaway and Kaycee Mason, who was behind the drumkit (no word on why Blaze missed that weekend's gigs). At the angles that Brandon shot from, we do not see guest bassist Rob Vandewiele (of Detroit's Nothing After This), who was filling in for an absent Christian Cook. Short but unique look at H.L.T.C. in concert, and it's brutal while it lasts, so give it a watch below!

Next up, here's more videos from The Sanctuary, this time from the band's new official YouTube channel! Content from it has only sporadically been acknowledged on their Facebook page, but videos from the show were belatedly posted there last month, allowing us to actually see the band with Rob on guest bass, and thanks to the more plentiful footage than usual for them, we can see more of the instrument variance between on-stage performers. This video was as a four-piece with Brandon also playing rhythm guitar, while this 9 minute video has Brandon just on vocals, and that's how the 11 minute video (opening with "*69") starts too, but for the last song, everyone but Rob swaps roles (Jaxon on vocals, Kaycee on guitar, and Brandon on drums). Jaxon's harsh vocals are more drowned out in the mix than Brandon's were, but if you're familiar with his own solo music (which I am behind to talk about more on here), you will approve!

It's great to see official video that backs up the plugs that they like to swap instruments and vocal duties during sets, and the filmer got some solid footage from both the floor and on the stage proper! I'm actually going to embed the fourth Hamtramck video below, as it features an impromptu guest drummer, namely Alex Fuhr, a guitarist in the Warren, Michigan metal band Neverender. He was literally called up to replace Brandon right before the song began, and here, Brandon and Jaxon share vocal duties while Kaycee handles guitar. The filmer hung out behind Alex to get some unique band's-eye views, and Alex hung in well on a brutal song! Give this and more from The Sanctuary a watch above & below!

Right after the selfie video above, Brandon (or "Brando", as it were) starred in this solo update video to plug their pop-up gig with four other bands at the Influence The Band Headquarters in Taylor (outside of Detroit) on November 14th, and again teased the angle that impromptu guest performers were welcomed. That appeared to have been an early matinee concert, as in the next video from that afternoon, he and the band were prepping to drive east for their concert opening for Saving Vice at The Music Factory in Battle Creek. He noted there that "they were finishing up on some... backing tracks and click tracks and stuff" to up their game, and also reminded everyone of the guest bassist situation for this run of shows. A video from the Battle Creek concert was posted next, and while Kaycee is on drums, it's actually of Detroit metal band Influence, who he is also a member of and also opened this concert.

Kudos to guitarist Jay Daniels for wearing one of Heavy Lies The Crown's limited-run hockey jerseys that night! Their next video was actually a clip of Brandon panning around inside The Music Factory and ending at Influence's merchandise table, followed by this short vertical video of a person in an H.L.T.C. jersey (maybe Jay again?) being jokingly flipped off when approaching a merch table. To cap off this post, we have one more video from Heavy's YouTube channel to share here, as they uploaded one 8 minute video from Battle Creek, featuring Brandon on vocals, Jaxon on guitar, Kaycee on drums, and Rob on bass throughout. The video quality is really good here and compliments their sound, though they really should identify what songs are performed in the videos for fans' sake so they know what to look for. Good stuff and as heavy as fans should expect, so check out their Music Factory set below!

We have more to share from November (let alone December and January) from Heavy Lies The Crown, so stay tuned for that in the near future, and weekend concert previews next! Thanks everyone!

Heavy Lies The Crown Updates From October-November 2025!!

I'm in Michigan seeing family for a Christmas vacation this week, so why not focus on an Easter Upper Peninsula band for today's post, namely St. Ignace deathcore band Heavy Lies The Crown! When we last left off with them, the guys were hyping their return to The Vernors Room at The Crofoot Ballroom downstate in Pontiac, where they were slated to open for Born Of Osiris once again on November 7th. Five second teaser videos on their Facebook page in the following days confirmed frontman Brandon West's earlier mention that his old high school classmate Tyler "Dirty6" Chambers was flying in from Colorado to be a guest DJ for this set, marking the first time they had a live mixer on stage with them since drummer Blaze Beairl's debut with H.L.T.C., which was also when they opened for Born Of Osiris last year. On October 27th, Brandon and guitarist Jaxon Massaway starred in this video where they attempted to promote the concert.

I stress, "attempted", as they kept breaking into laughter when trying to set it up, especially from Brandon's amusing term that he came up with (and quickly regretted) for their fans. Amusing watch, so click here to give it a look! Jaxon was able to get a proper promotional video from his vehicle that same day, where he noted the stacked lineup and ticket availability from band members, but did not mention Dirty6. The next day, Brandon uploaded a brief vertical video where he reminded fans to check out their newest singles "Shame" and "Happy Fun Fun", and he addressed why their runtime is short, saying "it replicates... the whole entire songs (and) it's the same duration as we are & the length of what we are". Read into that however you like, but the video seemed to cut off mid sentence too. Embedded below is a new 6+ minute update video from Brandon, where he notes two more concerts coming up on November 12th & 14th that Dirty6 might also have guested on.

You may also see guest singers jump up on stage on an impromptu basis too, and Brandon reminded everyone that the band has four drummers in its ranks to allow for instrument swapping! I think Christian is the only one who can't drum. The November 12th show saw them return to The Sanctuary in Hamtramck (where they opened for Living Dissection in October), this time opening for Vermont metalcore band Saving Vice. Two days later, they headed back to The Music Factory in Battle Creek for the first time since March, but he didn't elaborate on that concert in this video. After reminding the whole "impromptu guests can join us to sing" angle, he also brings up that their album recording sessions are ongoing, even if they're just been releasing one-off singles as of late. Good to see fall plans continuing to fall into place at that point, so give Brandon's update video a watch below!

In an update video shot from his vehicle on November 2nd, Brandon was waiting to pick up guitarist Jaxon Massaway for rehearsals for the Born Of Osiris concert (he showed up early because of Daylight Savings Time), and he noted what the official lineup will be for this concert, though note that he did not mention guitarist/drummer Kaycee Mason as taking part in this show. No word on if his status with the band has changed, but he was in the "Happy Fun Fun" video from October. The Born Of Osiris show was a success, as you can see in this video shot by an H.L.T.C. band member (I love The Vernors Room's layout!), and photos of the guys hanging out with Born Of Osiris were posted to Facebook in the aftermath. Embedded below is a (horizontal!) update video that Brandon shot while en route to the Hamtramck show outside of Detroit on the 12th, where he noted that the Battle Creek show on the 14th also saw them open for Saving Vice.

A pop-up gig at the practice space of Detroit metal band Influence was also slotted in between the two. Bassist Christian Cook was unavailable to make the Battle Creek trip on the 14th, so Rob Vandewiele of the Detroit metal band Nothing After This filled in for that show on short notice. Kudos to Rob for helping out! Dirty6 was not referenced either, for the record. The rest of the video was just hype for the show and to buy tickets/merchandise. We'll have more from Heavy Lies The Crown's trifecta of downstate November concerts soon, but give this update video a watch below, and stay tuned for more news and notes on the SMS this week! Thanks everyone!