Waxed

Blurring the edges of genre and pushing the boundaries of modern metal, thrash, hardcore, punk and rock and roll, the five-piece hard rock band Waxed has spent years melting faces in the American South and ripping its native Nashville’s scene to shreds with a heavy pour of immaculate riffage, raucous live energy and in-your-face attitude. Formed in the mid-2010’s by guitarist Davis Haley and frontman Luc Richards when they were teenagers, Waxed’s lineup ebbed and flowed before being cemented as a quintet, with Will Alley joining on bass, Ian Sundstrom on drums and Luc’s older brother Noel Richards on guitar. Making good on the promise laid out by the 2022 debut album Give Up, and

challenging what we think about conventional genres and blurring the lines between them. Call it what you will — metal, sludge, thrash, hardcore, whatever — at the end of the day Waxed retains a singular focus, delivering an uncompromising live show. Waxed is sure to be on the brain of every serious listener of hard rock and roll in 2026 and beyond.

MAANTA RAAY is a psychedelic, power trio from Nashville, Tennessee. Their self-titled debut was released in the summer of 2025 on No Sabes, distributed by Revolver in the USA, and Forte in the UK/Europe. Mason Hadley (b), Carlos Ortiz (d), and Chet Weise (g/v) have shared bills with the likes of Boris, Earthless, Minami Deutsch, Melvins, and Napalm Death.