Originally released in 2005, Chris Lastovicka’s classical album Fortune Has Turned now has a new and improved version coming out in April via Ahari Press. The compositions for piano, strings, horn, and voice offer listeners a stark, emotional journey into the human psyche. Says Lastovicka of the quest to remix and remaster, “When I was thinking about who… Continue reading Album Review: Chris Lastovicka’s Fortune Has Turned (Remixed)
Author: Jessie May
Album Review: Brave’s the calm | the storm
Washington DC prog rockers Brave released their sophomore album the calm | the storm on January 8th to positive reviews from AlternativeNation.net, Dead Rhetoric, and now this very blog. The layered compositions feature active bass, interactive string and keyboard lines, and rich vocals. Singer and co-founder Michelle Schrotz says of the album, “These songs represent ‘life stories’ and lyrically… Continue reading Album Review: Brave’s the calm | the storm
AltCtrlToob Video Premiere: Auditory Armory Covers Type O Negative’s “Love You To Death”
Florida alternative metal band Auditory Armory pays homage to their influences with a thoughtfully produced interpretation of Type O Negative’s “Love You To Death.” Their black and white version takes cues from the imagery in original song’s video, but notably replaces the heavy metal love scenes with shots of vocalist April Rose singing at the door… Continue reading AltCtrlToob Video Premiere: Auditory Armory Covers Type O Negative’s “Love You To Death”
Album Review: Thunderbird Divine’s Magnasonic
Thunderbird Divine’s debut full length Magnasonic, released on CD this month through Connecticut label Salt of the Earth Records, offers four tracks of spaced out stoner rock grooves that are sure to please genre enthusiasts. But what distinguishes this Philadelphia outfit from the pack? First of all, TBD experiments with nontraditional instrumentation right from their… Continue reading Album Review: Thunderbird Divine’s Magnasonic
HEXVESSEL Delivers Thoughtful Pagan Folk with All Tree
Sometimes I’m jealous of artists who have “rich heritage,” living in storied places bursting with legend, alive with the magick of olde… And meanwhile, here I am in suburbia, the native mythology of my location annihilated centuries ago, my own “heritage” a mishmash of European cultures I have no connection with, and my natural habitat… Continue reading HEXVESSEL Delivers Thoughtful Pagan Folk with All Tree
Album Review: Ossuarium’s Living Tomb
Sometimes I think I’ve gotten too old to listen to death metal; my taste has gravitated towards groovier, less jarring metal subgenres. But when I heard about a new release coming up on 20 Buck Spin — the label of my boyfriends Khemmis — for a “death/doom” band called Ossuarium, I figured I’d give it a,… Continue reading Album Review: Ossuarium’s Living Tomb
Show Me Your Patches: The Editor Takes Round One
Happy New Year, readers! 2018 saw the success of a guest column series called Nerd Talk, drawing bands from all over the globe to discuss their favorite books, movies, and video games. While Nerd Talk will continue, we will also try out a new guest column series: Show Me Your Patches, where we invite bands… Continue reading Show Me Your Patches: The Editor Takes Round One