All the Rage

Hardcore/Metal

The Esoteric

Last fall, the Esoteric released Subverter, a hardcore album heavy on foul, second-person exclamations such as The scene is dead, and so are you, alongside literary references to the late fellow Lawrencian William S. Burroughs. The band's righteous approach was rewarded by MTV2's Headbangers' Ball, which placed the video for "Your New Burden" on its best-of-2006 list. Following a nearly two-year touring bender, the Esoteric is lying low this summer but will be back to point a finger in your face. the-esoteric.com

The Leo Project

By adding a crunchy backdrop to Tech N9ne's "Riot Maker," singer-guitarist Tyler Lyon helped redeem the deeply sullied rap-metal genre. His band, the Leo Project, stocked the 2006-07 calendar with impressive — if not quite as miraculous — achievements. After reissuing its debut, The Burning, now bolstered with acoustic tracks on which Lyon demonstrates that sensitive singing is not synonymous with whining, the Leo Project began work on a follow-up full-length, due later this year. The group rates as the area's go-to local opener for airwaves-friendly hard-rock touring acts, most recently Papa Roach. myspace.com/theleoproject

Moir

Moiré turns 10 this year, marking a decade of giving metal fans what they truly want — music that sounds like it comes from hell. The cover of the band's latest album, Public Execution, is appropriately adorned with a guillotine image, and the sounds found inside are a history of real metal: the dual guitars of the '80s, the machine-gun drums of the '90s and the horrifying screams of today. No one around these parts offers metalheads more ruthless punishment. moiremetal.com

Out of the Suffering

With a singer who goes by the name of Graves, and with Bible-ripping lyrics and a dual-guitar attack savage enough to turn household pets feral, Out of the Suffering oozes metal credibility like a brain-shot zombie leaking gore. The group executes its high-speed grinds with daunting technicality, and Graves manages to enunciate while gargling brimstone. Molech's Dustin Albright, who booked the band for his Phantasm Fest in June, notes another point of interest: "Their bassist is a really pretty lady. But c'mon, fellas, don't be that guy." myspace.com/outofthesuffering

Sicadis

Cicadas rank as the insect kingdom's noise rockers, producing an undulating drone for summer nights. The Kansas City quintet Sicadis draws inspiration from the feedback-replicating swarms, though it switches the spelling in suitably brutal metal fashion. Featuring former members of Evermourn and Raise the Remains, Sicadis incorporates thrash tempos, thudding hardcore riffs and two-pronged guitar harmonies. In the past year, Sicadis has weathered several personnel changes and released its debut EP, highlighted by the incendiary track "Slay the Masses." myspace.com/sicadis

Hip-Hop

Approach

Since making his move from Lawrence to Kansas City and blessing us with a mix titled The Nu, Approach has been keeping quiet — only because he's been prepping new projects for late '07. The list includes his second solo album, Welcome To Share; the long-anticipated Will Do with California rapper Oh No; and a mysterious new crew known as Chocolate Gamma. Sounds like the smooth baritone will be holding down his honeycomb well into 2008. myspace.com/approach

Gunn Jakc

Patience is a virtue, but for Gunn Jakc, it's a thing of the past. After spending years honing his craft and making appearances on other artists' records, he finally got a record to peddle. The KC rapper is at his best when bouncing his verbal acrobatics off other MCs, but he proves with 144 Killahurtz that he's no slouch on his own. myspace.com/gunn jakc

Joe Good

In early March of this year, an anvil was dropped on the collective chest of the KC hip-hop scene: Joe Good announced his indefinite retirement from rapping, citing a desire to focus on other pursuits and a decline in his passion for making music. Although this move saddened many, Joe exited with a strong salvo in 2006's Hi May I Help You, a solo shot that showed him at the apex of his lyrical game. innatesounds.com

Mac Lethal

Syllables on steroids are this local rap maestro's calling card, but it's the substance behind the wordplay that makes Mac Lethal's verses so memorably cutting. Local hip-hop heads continue to await Mac's long-overdue Rhymesayers debut, 11:11. In the meantime, at least, they've had his three independently released Love Potion collections to sip on. myspace.com/maclethal

Reach

Most rappers are positive only about themselves — how well they rhyme, pimp, bust a cap in a rival's ass, slap bitches, drive around in fancy cars and so forth. Reach's positivity extends to the outside world. Next to his family and friends, this MC loves nothing more than the Kansas City hip-hop scene. He books more shows than any rap act in town, rhymes about his love for his roots, and defends the music he believes in against the cries of narrow-minded haters (see: Jason Whitlock). But none of that would matter if his flow were weak, his beats lame or his live show boring. When he gets too old to rap, Reach should run for office. myspace.com/reach

Jazz