Examining a life through the media we consume. Coffee essential, but not mandatory
I wasn't prepared the first time I heard False. The mysterious Minnesota sextet's debut EP is two 12-minute tracks of churning, propulsive USBM and it bounced off my brain when I first gave it a listen. I don't think I tried more than twice before leaving it to sit unplayed in my iTunes library. Then... Continue Reading →
There's probably a huge cross section of folks who see Amanda Palmer covering Radiohead and all their toxic buttons are pressed at once. I know I've seen a lot of venom directed toward Radiohead in the metal community for some unknown reason, and Amanda Palmer seems to be a magnet for vitriol and anger, whether... Continue Reading →
This is what I know: Ghostlimb's Infrastructure was the first album I bought on Bandcamp. I was probably drawn by the connection to Graf Orlock, who share in Justin Smith a common member, but the music pulses with an angry hardcore energy that is in direct opposition to the film reference-laden grindcore Graf Orlock was... Continue Reading →
Over at Nine Circles I love the cover but bemoan the lack of spark in the doom sections of Druid Lord's new full length Grotesque Offerings. There is a lot that works, but there's also a lot that feels hashed together: all frayed edges and rough ideas. Comes together in the faster moments, though. You... Continue Reading →
There was a time, a long time, where I didn't read any fantasy. It was my lifeblood as a kid, reading and re-reading Tolkien, Terry Brooks's Shanara series, and dozens upon dozens of careful perusals through my tattered copies of my Dungeons & Dragons tombs. I used to take colored pencils so I could bring... Continue Reading →
Over at Nine Circles I fall hard for the crust-punk hardcore doom charge of Cleveland, Ohio trio Pillärs. Debut full-length Abandoned is a righteous voice rising above the tumultuous thrum of 2018, with lyrics that touch on everything from loss to spiritualism and faith, but never loses sight of the fact it has to first... Continue Reading →
Stranded Below Nirvana 