The only person I ever knew from Toledo, Ohio used to paint a pretty grim picture of the place. The only celebrity to ever escape its confines, he told me, was Katie Holmes – and look at her now.

Little wonder, then, that a band as ferocious as From the Shallows would emerge from Toledo. They’re not quite as good a deathcore band as All Shall Perish or Despised Icon, but they’re also a couple of albums behind those dudes. Drummer David’s blast beats are nice, but I’m especially impressed by lead guitarist Marco, who seems just out of reach of realizing that, even in death metal, bluesy leads are best.

File From the Shallows under “band to watch.”

Visit From the Shallows on MySpace.

-AR