Rapid Fire Reviews: Dead Feathers

Dead Feathers is a psychedelic rock quintet from Chicago, Illinois. They’ll be releasing their sophomore LP, a follow-up to 2019’s All is Lost, via the mighty Ripple Music on September 22^nd. This new record, Full Circle, showcases Marissa Allen’s soulful vocals in all their glory. This gal is in a league of her own, backed up by a group of skillful musicians that deliver nothing short of brilliant results.

We always complain that male lead singers nowadays don’t have the distinctive vocal talents of singers of the past decades such as Freddie Mercury, Ronnie James Dio, Steve Perry, Bruce Dickinson and many others. Not so with female singers. In recent years, I’ve encountered a plethora of leading ladies whose vocal talents seem to be boundless. Marissa Allen is one of those women. From the get-go, you’re immediately put under her spell as she sings for our pleasure. The title track has to be my personal favourite of the album; it’s simply a sensational song in every way. “Lightning” is another highlight, with its cool ‘60s vibe. “Daughters” is a gorgeous slow gem that picks up momentum as it goes along. Dead Feathers really are direct descendants of Jefferson Airplane and Fairport Convention. There’s a 1:44 minute instrumental interlude, “One Year Before the Island”, which seems to be an ongoing trend for bands to have on their LPs these days. It’s followed by “The Swell”, which is psychedelic rock at its finest that’ll have listeners bewitched by Marissa’s entrancing voice. A very poetic song that’s a tad on the long side, running at 7:19. “Robbery” is a good song, kind of a jam session, but my least favourite track of the LP. While Marissa’s vocal gifts are on full display here, it does suffer from a lengthy runtime of 9:53. Track number 7, “Galapagos”, brings the curtains down, leaving us with a dreamy song that gets my vote as the second best tune of the album.

Full Circle is a solid LP that sounds retro and fresh at the same time. Fans of the band will absolutely love this new crop of songs from an exceptionally talented band. A couple of the songs could have their runtime trimmed a bit, in my humble opinion. Nitpicks aside, Dead Feathers is definitely one of the best bands working in the psychedelic rock genre today. Marissa Allen channels the legendary Grace Slick at times and truly is a huge talent. Groovy and full of fuzz, Full Circle is bound to climb its way to the top albums of the year before 2023 is through.

Ripple Music’s Dead Feathers Bandcamp Pages: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/full-circle

https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/all-is-lost

Dead Feathers on Bandcamp: https://deadfeatherschicago.bandcamp.com 

Rapid Fire Reviews: Imperium

Imperium is a five-piece heavy metal band which hails from South-West London. On September 23^rd, the quintet will unleash their special blend of British steel with their second EP, When Kings Meet. It is their follow-up to their self-titled debut EP released in August of 2022.

Now this is my kind of music, folks! Old school metal/thrash metal done right. From the opening title track, displaying huge metal riffs and guitar prowess, to “Desperate Screams”, my personal favourite song on here with its shades of Megadeth and superb guitar solo, to the pure meat and potatoes metal of “Capable of Murder”, to the powerful and catchy first single, “Iron Thunder”, it’s a solid metal outing. To top things off, the band gives us two tracks that were recorded live at last year’s Bloodstock Open Air (“Capable of Murder” and “When Kings Meet”). While the sound quality of those is closer to a bootleg, it does capture the raw and ferocious presence the band has as a live act. Good times! My only gripe is that it would’ve been more fun to hear live renditions of songs from their first EP to have more variety instead of two tracks from the current EP played live.

Imperium is a force to be reckoned with. When Kings Meet is a slab of raging metal paying homage to its roots while putting their own spin on it. Fans of Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax will really dig Imperium and their new EP. They also sound like a really cool band to see live. At the time of writing this, When Kings Meet isn’t up for pre-order yet on Bandcamp, but stay tuned to their account for news and updates. This six-track EP comes highly recommended.

Imperium on Bandcamp: https://imperiummetal.bandcamp.com/ 

Rapid Fire Reviews: Opensight

Progressive metal/cinematic band Opensight will be releasing a special Director’s Cut of their 2022 album/fictional soundtrack Mondo Fiction on August 25^th. The UK quartet will be expanding the original 13-track LP to a massive 23 tracks! The original vocal tracks remain but an instrumental version of each song will now be added as part of Mondo Fiction plus an alternate version of the song “Villain.”

I’m new to this band and what they’ve done here is really cool. I find that any of the songs work well, whether it be in their original form or their new instrumental counterparts. I’ll highlight some of the tracks that left a solid impression on me, regardless of the version. “The Great Silence” has a cool exploitation flick feel to it. “Plot Twist” has a fun surf rock vibe reminiscent of classic secret agent movies. “Primitive Principle” is a head-bobbing prog rock tune, and one of my faves of the LP. “Villain” has a catchy riff and channels spy movies of old. And the final track of the songs and instrumentals is a splendid cover of the classic James Bond theme from “Thunderball”, originally sung by Tom Jones. Overall, this Director’s Cut brings the running time to the length of a movie, past the hour and a half mark, and it’s time well spent.

Mondo Fiction is a terrific musical homage to the spy, crime, horror, and exploitation movies of the golden age of cinema. Fans of prog rock/metal and imaginary soundtracks alike are sure to dig this album. It’s like taking a trip to the movies and to the past decades of prog rock with its plethora of instruments, its unusual time signatures, and poetic lyrics. Keep an open mind and give Opensight’s latest a spin, it’s like listening to a soundtrack to a movie in your head! The upcoming LP isn’t listed on Bandcamp yet (only the original version is), but follow the band to stay tuned to future updates and releases.

Opensight on Bandcamp: https://opensight.bandcamp.com/music 

Sword & Sorcery Roundup – August 2023

It’s been about six months since my last Sword & Sorcery Roundup and there has been a lot going on in the genre lately. It’s well overdue for me to do an overview of what’s out there in terms of books, audiobooks, and comic books. Let’s look at it chronologically starting from June’s releases all the way to upcoming offerings in October.

First, Amateur Magazine of Pulp Sword and Sorcery, Whetstone, published its summer issue, number 7, back in June as a free PDF. It features exciting tales from B. Harlan Crawford, Benjamin A. Simmons, Ciarán Laverty, Sharang Inamdar, Robert Webb, Stew Shearer, M. S. Swift, Barry R. Donnelly, Ian Weeber, George Jacobs, Curtis Ellett, and Jason M Waltz. You can get this free 84-page Sword & Sorcery extravaganza right here.

Second, back in June, my alter ego, Alan Draven, published a pair of Sword & Sorcery short stories to introduce my new character, Amok. These two novelettes serve as an introduction to Amok and his world. There will be six more novelettes to come which will be available by the end of 2024 in a novel-length collection of the complete eight tales chronicling Amok’s quest to find answers about his past. Also included are four beautiful illustrations spread throughout the booklet to give you an idea of what Amok and his friend Goyiir look like. If you like what you read, then I hope you’ll join me for the full ride come November/December 2024 and purchase Amok the Powerful in print or Kindle. In the meantime, enjoy Amok’s first two tales and spread the word to anyone you know who’s into Sword & Sorcery, Conan, or Dungeons & Dragons. You can download the free 76-page PDF over here.

Third, in July, editors James Moore, Allison Pang, and Dan Brereton unleashed SwordPlay, an anthology featuring thirteen tales of Sword & Sorcery. Mixing classic with unconventional approaches, SwordPlay collects into a single volume a group of tales like you've never experienced, while retaining a familiar feel all fans of the genre will recognize. Including original tales by the following authors: Cliff Biggers, Dan Brereton, Cullen Bunn, Michael Burke, Richard Dansky, Christopher Golden, Steven Grant, Tonia Laird, Bracken Macleod, James A. Moore, Allison Pang, Linda Robertson Reinhardt, and Charles R. Rutledge, with illustrations by Dan Brereton. Available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle, grab your copy here.

Fourth, Dungeons & Dragons fans rejoice: the second tome of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s new Dragonlance Destinies trilogy landed last week. Here’s the official synopsis for Dragons of Fate: “A clash of powerful magical forces sets off the Graygem of Gargath, sending Destina Rosethorn and her companions deeper into the past than she intended—to the age of Huma Dragonsbane and the Third Dragon War. Now, with the Device of Time Journeying shattered, they must find another way back to their own era before the Graygem irrevocably alters history and the Third Dragon War ends in defeat for the forces of good. While the battle rages on, Destina tries desperately to make amends and prevent disaster. Raistlin and Sturm encounter their heroes Huma and Magius, and must reconcile the myths with the men. And Tasslehoff, shocked that the Knights of Solamnia have never heard of dragonlances, sets out to find the famed weapons. But as the forces of the Dark Queen close in on the High Clerist’s Tower, Destina’s party must return to their own timeline together—or not at all.” The book is available in hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook on Amazon.

Fifth, after much anticipation, at last Conan the Barbarian #1 saw the light of day last week. Issue #0 on Free Comic Book Day had whetted our appetites and Titan Comics and its creative team of writer Jim Zub and artist Robert De La Torre followed it up with a sensational first issue featuring everyone’s favourite Cimmerian. Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders? From the first to last panel, it was an exhilarating experience to read this comic book. Robert E. Howard would be proud to know that the legacy of his beloved barbarian is in good hands. On a side note, I think it’s awesome that there aren’t any ads throughout the comic other than Titan or Conan-related products. I am eagerly awaiting issue 2! You can find the comic at your local comic book shop or check it out at Titan Comics’ official Website.

Sixth, also released last week, my personal favourite Sword & Sorcery magazine, Savage Realms Monthly, put out Book 8 of its audiobook series. Three fabulous tales from three authors expertly-narrated by the always reliable Moose Matson. “Victory for the Hawk” by veteran author Toni V. Sweeney deals with the reminiscences of a man about events that shaped his future including a curse, a duel, and a dragon. A strong tale that made me want to hear more stories from this fantasy world. “Kimrotath’s Curse” by Ciarán Laverty is about a warrior who seeks revenge on a wizard who has cursed him. I always love tales of revenge, and this engaging story delivered the goods. “Captain Black & the Senator” by Kell Myers sees the return of Kara Black, a character first introduced in the first issue of SRM. It’s a tale of an ongoing war in the near future against an alien race with political implications this time around. While I did enjoy this story set in Kara Black’s world, it doesn’t feel like a S&S tale to me. Since there are only three spots for stories in every issue, I’d rather have a more traditional Sword & Sorcery tale, but that’s just my opinion. On top of the always great author interviews, we also get a new feature from editor William Miller this month: “Five Indispensable Tips to Finish Your First Draft.” This is a really cool addition to the magazine which is consumed by many aspiring authors. Hopefully we’ll be getting more articles on the craft of writing from Mr. Miller in future issues. The entire package is skillfully narrated by Moose Matson who’s become a permanent fixture as the voice of Savage Realms Monthly. By now, he’s like the Crypt-Keeper in Tales from the Crypt and I just can’t imagine having an issue of SRM not read by him. You can pick up SRM Book 8 in print, Kindle or audiobook right here. 

Seventh and last for today, Swords in the Shadows is an anthology that features twenty-one stories with a bloody stake driven into the heart of both the horror and fantasy camps. Herein, you will find fantasy worlds, brave warriors, fabulous creatures, wondrous magic. But you will also uncover bloodcurdling chills, spine-tingling horror, and an examination of those things that truly terrify. The Cullen Bunn-edited anthology includes stories from: Mike Oliveri, L.C. Mortimer, Stephen Graham Jones, Justin C. Key, Mary SanGiovanni, Wile E. Young, Jonathan Janz, Glenn Parris, Heath Amodio, Allison Pang, Josh Roberts, Aaron Conaway, Hailey Piper, Brian Keene, Charles R. Rutledge, Steven L. Shrewsbury, JimmyZ Johnston, Scott Schmidt, James A. Moore, Joe R. Lansdale, Rena Mason, and Jonathan Maberry. You can pre-order it as a paperback or eBook right here.

There you have it, folks! The second edition of Sword & Sorcery Roundup comes to a close. I hope you’ll find some cool S&S tales to sink your teeth into. Come back often for upcoming news and reviews of Sword & Sorcery stuff right here on the Harbinger of D.O.O.M. Blog. Until next time, happy reading! 

Short Story Time: Breaking and Entering

Greetings! It's the first Saturday of the month so it's time for another FREE short story from yours truly! Today I give you “Breaking and Entering”, which was originally published in NexGen Pulp Magazine way back in 2008 and reprinted in 2010 in my collection The Bitternest Chronicles. It was also adapted as a short film directed by Jonathan Dubsky in 2010. It’s 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…

You can download this 13-page short story as a free PDF right here. I'll see you again on September 2^nd for another free story. Until then, enjoy “Breaking and Entering” and if you missed last month's story, “Scapegoat”, you can get it at this location. 

August Is Here and So's Bandcamp Friday!

Bandcamp Friday returns this month after a brief summer hiatus. You know how it goes: Bandcamp waives its revenue share and all the money goes directly to the artists and labels for a full 24 hours. As I like to do, here are my Top Five picks to help you discover some great tunes for this last month of summer.

First off, Mario Infantes’s magical instrumental dungeon synth album Antidote to a Turbulent Mind was released on July 7^th. If you haven’t heard this gem yet, your ears are in for a treat! Read my thoughts on it here and pick it up right here.

Second, the mighty Ripple Music unleashed the much anticipated third LP, After the Fall, from Thunder Horse on July 21^st and it’s an easy pick for the Top Ten Albums of the Year! Read what I thought of it here and grab it over here.

Third, Aussie hard rock duo Spectre released their most accomplished EP yet last weekend via powerhouse indie metal label Dying Victims Productions. Lonesome Gambler is a phenomenal throwback to late ‘70s/early ‘80s hard rock/metal. I discuss it here and you can dive into it right here.

Fourth, another Aussie band, Big Red Fire Truck, are finally releasing their latest EP, Trouble in Paradise, today and it’s chock-full of bangers! Fans of Van Halen, Aerosmith, and Bon Jovi will find plenty to love with this set of tunes. Read my thoughts on it here and show the band some love right here.

Fifth and final, a 2-song split featuring Canuck sensation AAWKS and Texas’s AIWASS titled The Eastern Scrolls will see the light of day on August 25^th via Black Throne Productions. This psychedelic trip is not one to be missed! You can check out what I thought of it here. A Bandcamp page for the EP has yet to surface, but stay tuned to AAWKS and AIWASS’s pages for all the latest news about it.

AAWKS on Bandcamp: https://aawks.bandcamp.com/

AIWASS on Bandcamp: https://aiwassband.bandcamp.com/

Another edition of Bandcamp Friday is in the books! Show your support toward those hard-working bands and labels that bring us so much great music to liven the soundtrack of our lives. Until next time, keep dropping by all month long as I’ll have lots of goodies for you in August. Enjoy the tunes! 

Musings: Spectre - Lonesome Gambler

It’s been a minute since my last music review on the blog. To be honest, nothing that landed in my inbox in the past two weeks got me excited to write until my favourite indie metal label, Dying Victims Productions (Venator, Running Maiden, Raptore, Animalize, and many more), released Spectre’s latest EP, Lonesome Gambler, last Friday. Spectre is an Australian duo consisting of Will Spectre and David Harrington-George. Lonesome Gambler is a four-track EP available digitally, but if you purchase the CD or tape versions, it includes five bonus tracks collecting the entire output from the band. I’ll have all the details below.

Spectre and Lonesome Gambler have been on my radar ever since pre-orders went up earlier this year. They have a unique sound that I really dig. Old school, late ‘70s/early ‘80s hard rock with a bit of NWOBHM thrown in to sweeten the deal. “Hero of the Illusion” has a sound deeply steeped in classic rock circa 1979-1980 and it sets the tone for the remainder of this brilliant set of songs. “Wolfbane” is a stellar track with equally strong vintage vibes. The title track follows, a terrific slower-paced, nostalgia-tinted song. “Turning the Wheel” is a synth-driven rock anthem reminiscent of Blue Oyster Cult, featuring superb guitar work. This is where the EP ends if you don’t get it on physical media, but have no fear, the five bonus tracks are available on Dying Victims’ Bandcamp and Spectre’s own Bandcamp for a couple of bucks.

We continue at song number 5 from the previous release, 2022’s two-song single released on Dying Victims, “Drifter”, a kick-ass, catchy rocker and its B-side, “The Black Jewel”, a song about the time of the knights. Both tunes are fantastic. Next up, available through Spectre’s own Bandcamp, we have the 2018 single, “Hard Attacks”, a solid classic rock track, albeit sounding less-polished than the songs found on Lonesome Gambler and Drifter. The last two songs are taken from the two-song 2017 debut release, “Silver Invaders”, a cool NWOBHM song with hints of early Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, and its B-side, “Stand Alone”, a fun head-bobbing tune to take us out.

Dying Victims continues to hit home runs with these signings of some of the best hard rock, speed metal, thrash metal, and trad metal bands. Spectre delivers their best release yet and I highly recommend picking up the album on CD to get all nine songs. Otherwise, buy the four different releases digitally to have the entire collection, it’s well worth it! Lonesome Gambler just cracked my top ten albums of the year so far, it’s that great! Give these Aussies a spin, you’ll thank me later.

Dying Victims Productions’ Lonesome Gambler Page on Bandcamp: https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/lonesome-gambler

Dying Victims Productions’ Drifter/The Black Jewel Page on Bandcamp: https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/album/spectre-drifter-the-black-jewel

Spectre on Bandcamp: https://hcrspectre.bandcamp.com/ 

Audiobook Showcase: Weird Tales #367 – Cosmic Horror Issue

Weird Tales Magazine number 367 is a special issue focusing on Cosmic Horror. This is the follow-up issue to the Sword & Sorcery special I reviewed back in January. Weird Tales is celebrating its 100^th anniversary this year and they’re going all out, culminating with a very special issue this coming October which will feature classic as well as new stories. So, without further ado, let’s have a look at what’s included in #367.

Table of Contents

“The Eyrie” by Jonathan Maberry

“The City in the Sea: A Hellboy Story” by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden

“When the Stars Are Right: The Weird Tales Origins of Cosmic Horror” by Nicholas Diak

“A Ghost Story for Christmas” by Paul Cornell

“The Forest Gate” by Samantha Underhill

“Night Fishing” by Caitlin R. Kiernan

“The Traveler” by Francesco Tignini

“Cosmic vs Abrahamic Horror” by F. Paul Wilson

“The Last Bonneville” by F. Paul Wilson

“Lost Generations” by Angela Yuriko Smith

“Concerto in Five Movements” by Ramsey Campbell

“Mozaika” by Nancy Kilpatrick

“Inkblot Succubus” by Nikki Sixx

“Laid to Rest” by Tim Lebbon

“Call of the Void - L’appel du vide” by Carol Gyzander

Cosmic Horror is one of my favourite subgenres of horror. When I first started writing my own horror stories, aside from John Carpenter’s original Halloween film, H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos is what got me into horror and made me want to be a writer. Even if I’ve pretty much stopped reading horror in the past ten years (for the most part, modern horror doesn’t resonate with me), I’m still very fond of Cosmic Horror tales and this special issue had me at hello. When it comes to short stories, especially in the horror genre, I’m extremely picky, so take my opinion on the included tales with a grain of salt.

Like most short story magazines/collections, we have a mixed bag of great to not-so-good tales. There are also a couple of articles that are all terrific and a few flash fiction pieces. The magazine opens as is Weird Tales tradition with editor Jonathan Maberry’s “The Eyrie” serving as a foreword to introduce the theme of the issue. As for the other articles, Nicholas Diak talks about the Weird Tales origins of Cosmic Horror in “When the Stars Are Right.” He discusses the works of the greats like H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, and what might be considered the first Cosmic Horror set of tales in Robert W. Chambers’ “King in Yellow.” The other non-fiction piece is “Cosmic vs Abrahamic Horror” by F. Paul Wilson who discusses ancient religions and their place in horror with their motifs of revenge, biblical evil, and the living dead which are steeped in Abrahamic tradition. A very insightful piece.

I’ll get to the short stories in a moment, but first, let’s get the flash fiction out of the way. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t care for flash fiction. It’s too short to develop any sort of cohesive, engaging narrative and frankly, I really don’t understand the point of it. If it’s your thing, you’ll find in this issue the following flash fic: “The Forest Gate”, “Lost Generations”, and “Inkblot Succubus” penned by Motley Crue’s bassist Nikki Sixx. And now for the pièce de résistance—the short stories. I’ll divide them into two groups: the good to great, and not-so-good.

The good to great: “The City in the Sea: A Hellboy Story” by Hellboy creator Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden. I’m not too familiar with Hellboy, having only read a handful of Mignola’s comics back in the ‘90s, and I haven’t seen any of the movies, but I really dug this tale. It made me want to seek more Hellboy stories. “The Traveler” was quite short but delivered the goods. An engaging tale about a traveler investigating a bright light in the woods at night and weirdness ensues. “The Last Bonneville” by the always reliable F. Paul Wilson gets my vote for best story of the lot. A man hitches a ride and claims to have been the fourth astronaut on Apollo 8. A tale that piques the reader’s curiosity from the get-go and sustains it for the duration with a very satisfying ending. “Mozaika” about an artist who is consumed by her mosaics while she slowly realizes that there is something seriously wrong happening to the outside world was captivating and kept me engaged until the end. “Call of the Void - L’appel du vide” is the story of a woman taking pictures of the Medusa Formation, feeling drawn to it as strange occurrences ensue. This tale felt fresh and fit perfectly with the theme of Cosmic Horror.

The not so good: “A Ghost Story for Christmas” is an homage of sorts to M.R. James, one of the finest ghost story writers that ever lived. While well-written, I didn’t find this tale about a door leading to nowhere particularly engaging. “Night Fishing”, a story about a patient who sees a psychologist and talks about fishing stories while he keeps dark confessions to himself. It never really grabbed me and eventually fell flat. “Concerto in Five Movements” had a great premise—featuring a piper, a sacrifice, and a concert hall—but ultimately failed to live up to my expectations of what a great scribe like Ramsey Campbell can do. “Laid to Rest” by the great Tim Lebbon was a bit of a dud for me. It follows a team on a space expedition who encounters a severe storm. I really wanted to like it, but in the end, I found it to be a forgettable tale.

To bring this collection of tales to life, we have a plethora of the industry’s best narrators all doing a fantastic job reading and acting out the various characters and situations found in the aforementioned stories. Every tale/piece is read by a different narrator, including Scott Brick, Robert Fass, James Anderson Foster, Heath Miller, Neil Hellegers, Roger Clark, Joe Hempel, Edoardo Ballerini, Eunice Wong, Simon Vance, Holly Adams, Chris Henry Coffey, Ralph Lister, and Natalie Naudus. The audiobook version runs a few minutes shy of six hours, making for a very entertaining one-sitting or couple of evenings/afternoons worth of audio play.

There you have it! Those are my thoughts on this special Cosmic Horror issue from the fine folks at Weird Tales. It’s an instant recommendation for fans of Weird Tales, Cosmic Horror, and I think fans of horror in general will enjoy this issue as well. As I said, I’m really picky when it comes to short fiction, so you might find a few of the tales I didn’t care for to be quite interesting. Mileage may vary. I’ll be looking forward to the special October issue; I’m sure it’ll be a wonderful way to commemorate 100 years of Weird Tales.

Rating: Three and a half stars out of five

Get your copy on Audible 

Weird Tales’ Official Website: https://www.weirdtales.com/

Musings: Suspiriorum and AAWKS & AIWASS

Time for a double shot of Musings featuring not two, but three bands! First off, a Texan supergroup of sorts by the name of Suspiriorum featuring Tim Driscoll on lead guitars (of Runescarred), Suzy Bravo on vocals (of Witchcryer), Steve Colca on rhythm guitars (of Destroyer of Light), Joseph Maniscalco on bass and synth (ex-member of Hinayana), and Adrian Voorhees on drums. Their self-titled debut EP is a blend of progressive and occult rock with horror-themed lyrics and atmosphere.

The three-track EP (four tracks if you get it on CD) covers a good range of musical styles. “Regina Di Sangue” is a haunting song and a homage to classic horror flicks. “Mother Suspiriorum” evokes and is inspired by the great Dario Argento film Suspiria and is a terrific classic rock tune. “The Dark Knows” has a riff to die for and is an all-around kick-ass song. The bonus CD-only track is a gorgeous rendition of Blue Öyster Cult’s lesser-known gem “I Love the Night.” It’s a shame that it’s a bonus track as it surpasses the original in my humble opinion.

Suspiriorum is definitely a band to keep an eye on. Their EP is a superb taste of things to come. Fans of Blue Öyster Cult, Coven, Italian prog/occult bands like Goblin and Claudio Simonetti will really dig this mini-album. It plays like a horror movie soundtrack from the days of classic Giallos from Argento, Bava, Fulci, and Martino. Pick it up today!

Suspiriorum on Bandcamp: https://suspiriorum.bandcamp.com/album/suspiriorum

Next up is a 28-minute, two-song split featuring AAWKS and AIWASS. Readers of this blog are no stranger to Canuck trio AAWKS; their phenomenal Heavy on the Cosmic debut LP landed in my Top Five albums of the year in 2022 and I’ve covered them a lot last year. Texas’ one-man army AIWASS I’d heard of, but had never gotten a chance to sample his music. I’ve heard a lot of good things about their 2021 outing, Wayward Gods. The two entities join forces to deliver a stellar psychedelic EP titled The Eastern Scrolls. It’s a concept album which explores the life and legend of Russian mystic Madame Helena Blavatsky. She was best known as one of the founders of Theosophy, a spiritual movement based in the ancient tradition of occultism and the esoteric doctrines of Hermeticism and Neoplatonism.

AAWKS, formerly a quartet and now a trio, is composed of Kris Dzierzbicki on vocals/guitar, Roberto Paraíso on bass, and Randylin Babic on drums. They kick off the collaboration with the song “1831.” This song has that trademark spacey, distorted AAWKS sound that we love from them and they manage to sustain an otherworldly vibe for the duration of the 14 and a half-minute runtime. It gets extra fuzzy and heavy at the halfway mark to later quiet down and go all zen on us to put the listeners into a musical trance.

AIWASS’s track is titled “The Unholy Books” and has a runtime of 13 minutes. From the get-go, it’s a hypnotic song with a quasi-Middle Eastern vibe. It is the quieter flipside of AAWKS’s fuzzier track. The vocals feel ethereal at times and add an extra layer to this esoteric sonic number. The song’s final three minutes feature an entrancing guitar-driven instrumental. The two songs are drastically different yet fit perfectly well together for this concept album. It’s like having night follow day, a perfect order of things.

The Eastern Scrolls is a brilliant collaboration between two of today’s most ground-breaking bands. We are treated to such an eclectic array of musical genres ranging from psychedelic rock to doom to desert rock and even prog. It’s heavy, it’s spacey, it’s meditative, and most of all, it’s spellbinding; it’ll take you on a trip you’ll want to take over and over again. Fans of Monolord, Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Fu Manchu will love what AAWKS and AIWASS have to offer. The Eastern Scrolls will be out on August 25th via Black Throne Productions.

AAWKS on Bandcamp: https://aawks.bandcamp.com/

AIWASS on Bandcamp: https://aiwassband.bandcamp.com/ 

Rapid Fire Reviews: Mario Infantes

When Mario Infantes’s instrumental solo album Antidote to a Turbulent Mind landed in my inbox, I was skeptical at first. I receive a lot of instrumental LPs for review consideration and the vast majority of the time I sample a few tracks, they sound generic, and I decline to review them. Not so with Cult of Lilith’s lead singer Mario Infantes’s upcoming album. Antidote to a Turbulent Mind will be released this Friday, July 7^th via Lost Future Records and it’s more than worthy of your time and money.

This synth-driven journey begins with “Antidote”, a terrific atmospheric intro that sets the tone for the entire record. The next two tracks, “Ecstatica” and “Draumavatn”, give off strong Vangelis, Kitaro, and Tangerine Dream vibes, sounding magical and mysterious. “Explore the Woods…” and “…And Find My Grotto”, the LP’s first and second singles respectively, are dreamy, immersive pieces with nature sounds full of catchy rhythms. “Pulso” is both meditative and entrancing—a gem of a tune. “Purrxistence” is probably my favourite song; it has an aura of nostalgia that you can easily lose yourself in. The closing track and third single, “Inexplicably Long Winter”, is a contemplative piece and a fitting exit song.

Antidote to a Turbulent Mind is a phenomenal dungeon synth/ambient album. It plays like a concept album and an imaginary movie soundtrack. It often reminded me of Tangerine Dream’s wonderful Legend film score from 1985. Fans of electronic music, movie soundtracks, ambient/experimental music will find a lot to love here. It’s the perfect album to listen to while you write, draw/paint, when you want to meditate or simply enjoy with some good headphones while drinking a glass of wine. Take it for a spin, you’ll be glad you did!

Mario Infantes on Bandcamp: https://marioinfantes.bandcamp.com/album/antidote-to-a-turbulent-mind