Music Reviews

Self-Released 2014

Right from the very first notes of the opening song "Darkness Befalls This Cursed Land", you know you're in for a trip down metal lane. The classic fade in sets you up for the righteous metal saga that Procession so eloquently weaves from beginning to end.

I really dig the way that no riff sounds rushed. The spacing accomplished in these arrangements are brilliantly suited for Josh McConnell's classically-highish metal vocals. I quite like when and where you can find the vocals in the midst of all of these tasty hooks.

Sub Pop, 2015

SRA 2014

The debut album by Philly rockers Hound allows each of us to scratch our rock itch, to indulge in an album that is relentless rock 'n' roll. Out Of Time consists of ten tracks, six of which are under three minutes in length. At less than twenty-eight minutes, this album doesn't allow for any superfluous bells or whistles, there's rockin' to be done.

Our Love is Dan Snaith's fourth LP, and first in four years, under his Caribou moniker. Throughout the 10 tracks of the album, Snaith creates a rich tapestry of sounds that have a warmth and richness to them that envelops the listener at each turn. It's always quite amazing to find artists who can take the seemingly cold and calculating (computers, software programs, electronic equipment, and so on) and manipulate them to ultimately achieve a sound that offers a kind of 21st Century campfire warmth.

Mass Appeal Records, 2014

It's a tense time in the world. We are constantly inundated and bombarded by selected news and pop culture controversies with the lines between the two becoming more blurred. It's increasingly hard to tell what's important or to discern when real news descends into just another form of entertainment for those who live to be outraged. Surely, there must be a saviour somewhere in the midst of this chaos, waiting to save us from this madness?
 

Space Invader is ex-KISS guitarist Ace Frehley's newest release; it's the Spaceman's first solo LP in five years. While this album won't blast you off into space, you can be sure it will transport you back in time, a quantum leap if you will, into the body of a sexually-frustrated teenage boy.

Highways, Heartaches and Time Well Wasted is the newest release by musician Lisa LeBlanc. According to LeBlanc, this six track EP was inspired by her travels through the U.S. in the beat generation tradition. It consists of five original tracks and her take on the American folk song "Katie Cruel". This EP surges ahead with a raw and at times grungy musical aesthetic, which is propelled by Lisa's powerful and pleading vocals.