Rising Forces USA was formed in early 2006 by husband and wife metal fans Matt and Andrea Bankes. To help them out they sought the services of close friend Keith Horning and South Jersey-based college radio metal DJ Mike Taylor, another trusted friend. The original idea behind Rising Forces USA was to cover all forms and genres of heavy metal music. The four decided on the title “One Metal Nation” for their new venture. However, something happened along the way that changed the mission of the new web site and the name. At a few of the shows they attended, the four friends noticed a few hungry unsigned acts sharing the stage with the bigger headliners. Those bands delivered great performances that at times rivaled, if not exceeded, the intensity of the headliners. Realizing they had stumbled upon an underground metal scene that they did not know existed in the United States, they figured why not focus on the unsigned metal talent! These bands deserve to be covered and heard by all metal fans in the U.S. and around the world. An idea was born…

Since the launch of the Rising Forces USA in the summer of 2006, we have had the great honor of meeting many hard working and hard playing metal musicians who are hungry for recognition and hungry to get their music out to the metal masses. We have gone on the road in search of new and exciting bands that push the envelope of the genre. We have reviewed many awesome albums and demos and have given fans the opportunity to read about these up-and-coming contenders via interviews we conduct and the reviews we write. With the help of Mike Taylor’s radio show Metal Gods, we used the airwaves as a means to give exposure to some of the great artists we cover. In late 2006, Taylor ended his radio show and has decided to pursue other interests. We wish him all the best in his future endeavors. Thank you, Mike! You’re the man!

The goals of Rising Forces USA are to cover and report on all forms of underground/unsigned/independent/small label metal in the USA and around the world. Heavy metal is in the underground, and we want to focus on those bands who fight for the recognition on the small stages and smoke-filled halls of the bars and clubs of this great country. In our opinion, that is where the very soul of the music we love and fight for lives and breathes. We hope to cover many great “rising forces” in the metal world and give them a platform where you can read their interviews, hear their music and see pictures of these killer metal maniacs giving their blood, sweat and tears on the stage. You can also read reviews, find links to purchase the albums and hear the music, and visit the bands on their own web sites. We want to be the place where musicians, fans, and record companies alike can find and read about the “rising forces” of metal. We hope that the increased exposure that we will try to generate will lead to more fans, more gigs, and hopefully record contracts! Our dedication to the metal underground will never be compromised.

We continue to put out the call for music from all hungry and hardworking underground metal bands across the world…from New York City to London and everywhere in between! We want to hear from you!

Since our formation, the response that we have gotten from fans and bands alike has been nothing short of remarkable. We hope that we have introduced new fans to these hard charging metal warriors. We also hope that record labels have used our webzine as a place to discover new talent. We feel that if we have reached one fan, or if we have helped one band get noticed, that we have been successful. Thanks a million to all have supported us! You all rule!