As many of your dear readers will undoubtedly agree, fantastical escapism is a potent elixir with a massively significant appeal. The opportunity to leave behind the doldrums and anxieties of the cursed real world, even if ever so briefly, is an opportunity worth taking every damn time. A little adventure is more often than not the balm to sooth our burnout, and, as such, we scribes spend a lot of time imagining worlds and characters that exist outside the stringent lines of reality. Call us nerds if you want. Hell, we welcome it. We wear the label proudly. The same rings true, I can only imagine, for L.A.'s own Loot The Body. Overtly inspired by the dungeon-crawlin' world of, well, Dungeons and Dragons, this one-man adventuring party writes rockin' tunes about the various flora, fauna, and fantastical tribulations of the franchise in question. His latest 6-track EP, the appropriately entitled Hex Volume 1, is a little more hefty and riff-centric than prior work, but no less enjoyable. Indeed, for metalheads like us, this foray into a slightly more aggressive sonic arena goes down reeeeal smooth. Introductions out of the way, we're very pleased to present here today the music video for opening track "White Plume Mountain." Check it out below, and, as always, we'll catch ye on the other side!
0 Comments
When it comes to the music lurking in our humble halls, we Villagers have been happy, as of late, to abide in the presence of doom and gloom. But all things must change, and today's change comes in the form of...an alt-rock ballad? Not our typical fare, but upon receiving this track some time back, I was quite taken with its deceptively confident approach and (equally deceptive) replayability. Said track--"Dragon Of The West"--comes to us courtesy of one Underking, a versatile outfit that, by virtue of seemingly disparate influences, is actually a little hard to describe in a quick sound-bite. Their early stuff is more classically "metal," but this track delves deep into the mellow waters of the emotive rock ballad--promo material mentions both Meat Loaf and Judas Priest's softer side, which certainly applies, albeit with a significant orchestral bent. As if that wasn't enough, this thing is inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender. And, like, it has a wicked cool visualizer. Sign me up. Rather than scaring you all away with excessive explanation, how about you just give it a listen for yourself? Check out the subtly mighty "Dragon Of The West" below, and, once you've had your fill, I'll meet you on the other side.
And now, for something a little (if not completely) different. As ye keenest of readers may remember, we reviewed Icarus, a damn fine EP from Richmond's Conductor some time ago. The band's confident ability to harness the best qualities of multiple genres in one cohesive whole were a big draw, and so when the vocalist/guitarist for said outfit, Jason Roberts, approached me with a track from his new project, I had to bite. "Different from Conductor," he said. "But hopefully you'll dig it." And so the hook was set.
As it turns out, the CAPS-LOVING CHNNLR is, in fact, quite a different animal, both sonically and aesthetically. This duo--also comprising one Jeremy Brooks--takes a significantly lighter edge. But that certainly isn't a bad thing, and, rest assured, I do indeed dig it. Incorporating elements of shoegaze, dreampop, and good ol' indie rock, CHNNLR frankly occupies a musical space with which I am quite unfamiliar. But unfamiliarity breeds opportunity, and here we are, honored to be presenting "FAVORITE LIGHT," the excellent first single from CRYSALIS, CHNNLR's forthcoming debut EP. |
Welcome!We provide thoughtful reviews of music that is heavy, gloomy...and loud enough to wake us from slumber. Written by a highfalutin peasantry. What are ye
|