While the scene here may have a lot in common with many of the other scenes attached to larger cities in the Midwest, there are also many things that make our scene stand out. Not least of which is the fact that our region of the state is absolutely saturated with hard working and talented original bands. With noshortage of metal friendly venues in the area, if you can’t find a good metal show or two every weekend then you're just not paying attention!  One of the bands that helped to define the scene in the early days was none other than local thrash legends Ugly But Proud. They were on the cutting edge of a new sound that was closing in on the midwest fast from both coasts. Playing every chance they got they quickly amassed a large group of dedicated followers, all clad in denim jackets complete with their "Walt" patches on the back. Some die-hard fans even went so far as to tattoo Walt on their arms. Granted, this kind of thing is not all that uncommon these days but you have to think how much less acceptable tattoos and metal music was back in the eighties. That was some serious dedication for sure! For those who are asking themselves 'who the hell is Walt', let me explain. Walt was U.B.P.'s mascot, a terrifyingly muscular fish with razor-sharp teeth, a "born to thrash tattoo" on his arm and an undying love for thrash music! read more here