Harbinger’s Killer Picks – July 2024

With half of the year in the books, I’m shaking things up a bit going forward. Welcome to the first edition of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks. Similar to what I used to do for the Bandcamp Friday Roundup, on the last Saturday of every month, I’ll give you my thoughts on five picks of what I consider are the best albums I’ve encountered during that month. It’ll consist of recently released and upcoming records. This column will replace the Musings and Rapid-Fire Reviews columns. I will no longer do lengthy reviews of specific albums. Anyway, does anyone ever read those entirely apart from the labels/bands/PR firms who submitted the albums? Instead, I’ll share my opinions and comments with you in one concise paragraph. It’ll be like a monthly magazine presenting you its picks for the best upcoming records with links to purchase the LP on Bandcamp, when available, or other platforms. So, without further ado, here is the first issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks!

First, Flat Black, Canadian guitarist Jason Hook’s new band, just released their debut LP, Dark Side of the Brain, last week. Hook is best known as the former lead guitarist of heavy metal band Five Finger Death Punch. I’ve never been a big fan of FFDP, but based on the handful of singles I’d heard from Flat Black in the last couple of months, I was hooked, no pun intended. Jason Hook is an underrated guitarist and he put together a stellar band. Dark Side of the Brain is a banger of an album featuring thirteen awesome hard rock and metal tunes, with a few slower-paced numbers and even a ballad of sorts. Singer Wrex Horton shows a lot of promise as the lead vocalist and the band sounds tight. Strangely enough, the only song I didn’t care too much for is “Nothing to Some” featuring Corey Taylor of Slipknot fame. Chock-full of arena-ready anthems, this is a solid album from top to bottom and it keeps getting better with every new spin.

Flat Black on Bandcamp: https://flatblackmusic.bandcamp.com/album/dark-side-of-the-brain

Second, Wizard Tattoo, the Indianapolis-based prog metal project by multi-instrumentalist one-man army Bram the Bard, is back with a new concept EP titled Living Just for Dying which was released yesterday. It continues in the same vein as his debut LP from last summer, Fables of the Damned. I love the vibe of the project, the artwork that goes along with it, and how great in every aspect of the craft Bram actually is. This four-song collection is just as great as the previous album. The only song I didn’t care for—and this is based on my personal preference—is “Tomorrow Dies”, a black metal song. In the span of four songs, we go through acoustic classic rock style to prog rock to metal by way of grunge to deliver a very eclectic EP.

Wizard Tattoo on Bandcamp: https://wizardtattoo.bandcamp.com/album/living-just-for-dying

Third, the mighty Ripple Music, as part of their “Beneath the Desert Floor” series, has seen fit to re-release Fireball Ministry’s third LP, Their Rock Is Not Our Rock, on August 9^th. Believe it or not, I’d never heard of this band before and what a fine surprise it was to plunge head-first into this nearly twenty-year old LP without prior knowledge of any of the songs. The big hit on this record back in the day was “The Broken” which was featured in the video game WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, and I can tell you that it’s not even the best song on the album. So, you’re in for a treat if you dug that song. It’s a strong LP from a kick-ass band, and it actually made me curious to hear their previous efforts. Fireball Ministry’s entire catalogue does not disappoint and this particular LP is a great pick for a re-release and serves as a perfect introduction to this talented stoner metal quartet.

Fireball Ministry on Bandcamp: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/beneath-the-desert-floor-chapter-4-fireball-ministry-their-rock-is-not-our-rock

Fourth, All For Metal, a phenomenal six-piece heavy metal/power metal band—or heroic metal as I like to call it—will unleash their sophomore LP, Gods of Metal (Year of the Dragon), on August 23^rd. All For Metal absolutely blew me away here! Hailing from Germany and Italy, the dual vocal threat of Tom “Tetzel” Schmidt and Antonio Calanna are a force to be reckoned with. If you enjoy bands like Manowar, you’ll have a blast with this record. I’ve been listening to it non-stop ever since it dropped in my inbox and it’s even cracked my Top Five favourite albums of the year list. Full of melodic anthems, catchy choruses, fiery guitar solos, infectious energy, and a larger than life sound, Gods of Metal is a bona fide metal masterpiece.

All For Metal Online: https://allformetal.rpm.link/godsofmetalWE

Fifth, Black Sites, a prog metal trio out of Chicago, Illinois, will release their fourth LP titled The Promised Land? on September 6^th.  Black Sites perform a cool blend of prog metal, hard rock, and old school metal. They draw inspiration from Voivod and Black Sabbath and it makes for a great sound. I haven’t heard their previous records, but this one is a polished affair featuring a crop of seven top-tier songs. If you enjoyed their first two singles, the excellent, galloping “World on Fire” and the darker, proggier “Descent”, then it’s safe to say you’ll have a good time with The Promised Land?. It’s a very diverse record that showcases just how skillful this trio is.

Black Sites on Bandcamp: https://blacksites.bandcamp.com/album/the-promised-land

That’s it, folks! The first issue of the Harbinger’s Killer Picks comes to an end. I hope you like the new format and that it’ll make you discover some awesome albums over the months to come. See you next month, and in the meantime, crank up the tunes!

Short Story Time: Vengeance Is Mine

It’s the first Saturday of July, so it’s Short Story Time! This month’s novella is widely considered to be my very best one: Vengeance Is Mine. I spent a couple months researching everything about Jack the Ripper prior to writing it and my attention to details, times, locations, and names of the victims make this one historical fiction. Here's the lowdown on it:

“First published as part of the multi-author novella collection Creeping Shadows in 2009 and reprinted in Alan Draven’s 2012 collection Spooky Showcase, now a stand-alone novella: Vengeance Is Mine.

Alan Draven’s classic re-telling of the Jack the Ripper murders—with a twist! London 1888. Jack the Ripper leaves a trail of mutilated bodies as he terrorizes the district of Whitechapel and baffles the authorities. From beyond death, one of his victims returns to haunt him and shows him the meaning of living in fear.”

You can download it as a free PDF right here. If you’ve missed the previous installments of Short Story Time, you can download each tale at the links below. Until next month, stay scared!

“The Dark Emissaries” is a novella about a girl named Harmony who returns to Bitternest for a friend’s funeral. She encounters a strange man who only goes out at night that tells her there are dark beings sucking the life out of Bitternest’s inhabitants and turning them into stone. They are called the Dark Emissaries and a sign that they are but a taste of much worse things to come. Harmony will learn that she has a bigger role to play in the fight against the Dark Emissaries.

“Cellar Door” is a novella about a court proofreader who picks up white noise on the recording of a transcript: A girl says ‘Help’ and ‘Find Cellar Door’ on it. He begins to dig deeper and discovers troubling details about a little girl that went missing in Bitternest. He embarks on an investigation to uncover the truth and answer the ultimate question: ‘What is Cellar Door?’”

“A Madman’s Atonement” is a story about a serial killer in Bitternest. That’s all I’ll say about it. It’s become a fan-favourite over the years and I’m damn proud of this one.

"Beyond the Doomed Cave", is a Bradburyesque Gothic coming-of-age tale about a witch in a churchyard.

“Silently It Creeps” is a short and nasty, creepy little tale about the monster under the bed.

“The Chilling Hour” is a tale about Nick Kubrick, a horror DJ who investigates and debunks supernatural myths in his spare time in the foggy city of Bitternest, Louisiana. He would go on to star in his own novel, Nocturnal Offerings, a few years later.

“The Errand” is a tale about a man who goes through the woods of Bitternest to run an errand and will see the course of his life altered forever.

“Hershell’s Motel” is a strange tale about an unusual motel where, you guessed it, bizarre things happen.

“The Rattling Man” is a coming of age Halloween tale. Do you believe in the bogeyman? Do you believe in the Rattling Man? Find out who or what he is!

“Crimson Nightmares” is my take on the “Halloween” movie series. Written and initially published digitally back in 2011, this 106-page novella picks up 33 years after the events of the second "Halloween" film from 1981, the night when Michael Myers terrorized Laurie Strode (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) and the residents of Haddonfield, Illinois. It follows little Lindsey Wallace, the little girl Laurie Strode babysat in the first “Halloween” (1978) film, who is all grown-up now and bears the scars of that terrible night to this day. She has moved to my fictitious town of Bitternest, Louisiana to get away from her past and has been leading a quiet life, that is until something inside Michael Myers snaps and he comes looking for her on Halloween. Add to that a killer clown with an agenda of his own and it’s a Halloween you won’t soon forget. It’ll be a showdown for the ages when Michael Myers comes to the eerie city of Bitternest.

“The Bypassed Mind”, a romantic suspense/fantasy story with some hypnosis thrown in for good measure that was directly inspired by the late, great Richard Matheson's novel Bid Time Return also adapted as the film "Somewhere in Time".

“Breaking and Entering”, the story of a man who enters people’s homes just for kicks, never stealing anything, just to see what goes on behind closed doors. One day he’ll stumble upon something that will change his life forever…

“Scapegoat”, a tale about the Curse of the Cubs, the love of baseball, some time travel, and a whole lot of nostalgia. Even if you're not into baseball, this fantasy tale filled with mystery is sure to entertain you.

Last but not least, fans of Conan and Dungeons & Dragons can also download a PDF of the first two tales of the ongoing adventures of my Sword & Sorcery character AMOK right here.