Oklahoma City based powerhouse VANGOUGH may be named after a post-impressionistic artist, come from a conservative bastion of the U.S. and draw inspiration from heavy guitar driven 90's metal bands; yet driven by the explosive, cutting edge vision of guitarist and lead vocalist Clay Withrow, the band's incisive and infectious songs and intense energy requires adjectives far beyond words that describe mainstream artists. So here's an opening attempt: committed to drawing listeners into their melodies before totally upending the tea table, they spit fiery madness by drenching your ears with a purple sunrise of melodic cocaine and a not-so-subtle approach to reading you the story behind today's headlines.

Originally formed around Withrow's well-received 2007 solo debut and evolving over two incredible discs through a small series of key personnel changes, Vangough - whose current killer lineup includes drummer Brandon Lopez, keyboardist Corey Mast and bassist Jeren Martin - combines the groovy attitude of southern metal stalwarts Pantera and the quirkiness of progressive leaders Dream Theater with melodies inspired by early video game music such as Mega Man. Their vintage synth sound harkens back to Genesis and King Crimson, giving them a slightly classic rock feel while retaining the freshness of a forward thinking contemporary band.

With their newly completed third album, the grandiose "Kingdom Of Ruin", VANGOUGH have taken their conceptual visions another step ahead. The story of The Rabbit Kingdom is about a man who is stepping through the veil of two realities. One of his human life and the other a land where rabbits rule in an idyllic forest kingdom. Through the course of the story he begins to realize his link to this other world and has to come to the difficult decision if he should stay a human or take his place as the rightful heir to the throne in this faraway kingdom. Musically influenced by everything from older prog rock acts like King Crimson and ELP to modern day Flower Kings, over metal bands like Pain of Salvation, Evergrey and Pantera, VANGOUGH embraces it all. With the concept split in two halfs; one "metal" and one "rock" oriented, "Kingdom Of Ruin" is sure to become a landmark on the current music scene and a staple for future progressive bands.