INTERVIEW: Four Stroke Baron Talk “Data Diamond”


Four Stroke Baron defy convention and boldly go where few bands have gone before with the smirking and cinematic future shock brilliance of Data Diamond. The falsetto and manipulated vocals on “1000 Threads” paired with heavy sci-fi Nu groove makes you feel adrift in space. It is a swan dive into embracing the chaos, mutating and adapting while trying to find yourself. Certain moments feel like the dark guitars of Korn, Once Human, or Gojira suddenly morphed into Massive Attack. 

There is so much here for repeated listens and it was cool to get to talk about the new album with the band. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Insect Ark – Raw Blood Singing


On Raw Blood Singing (Debemur Morti Productions), Insect Ark returns with an otherworldly and compelling sci-fi landscape of noir, subtle menace and mystery.  Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: MTVoid (Tool) – Matter’s Knot, Pt.1


 

Tool’s bassist Justin Chancellor and Polish Alt-Metal outfit Sweet Noise’s frontman Peter Mohamed first met at a European music festival. A shared desire to collaborate in some way or another finally came to fruition in 2013 with MTVoid’s first album, Nothing’s Matter. Now ten years on the pair release their follow up, Matter’s Knot, Pt.1 (Lobal Orning).   

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Body with OAA – Enemy of Love


Does your office or day job have that one annoying guy who wants to talk about heavy music with you because he noticed your Iron Maiden patch on your backpack? You know the guy. He’s the dude who keeps telling you about how he saw Disturbed at Ozzfest 2001 and regales you with tall tales about his exploits in the “mosh pit.” Well, next time he approaches your desk and asks what you’re jamming to do yourself a favor and throw on The Body’s latest collaboration (this time with OAA), Enemy of Love (Thrill Jockey). You’re welcome.Continue reading


One Year Ago The Dillinger Escape Plan Played Their Final Show


It has been a year since the final notes of The Dillinger Escape Plan’s final live performance of their twenty-year career rang out at a sweaty, bloodstained, tears and beers soaked Terminal Five in New York City. While bands reunite all the time and no one should ever say “never”, this one retirement is pretty final. Ghost Cult staff was in attendance all three nights for the final dates of their illustrious career, it still felt so surreal at the time. As Ghost Cult scribe Hans Lopez penned so eloquently in his review of 2016’s Dissociation (Party Smasher Inc.) Dillinger was one of the most polarizing, but also most important bands of all time. Those final shows were performances for the ages. Thoughtfully planned, immaculately performed, with the highest levels of musicianship, a total disregard for the human condition, and most of all fun. Dillinger proved in the final throws of ecstasy and art that music can be dangerous, fun, and emotional all at once, without selling out or sacrificing anything. Our worlds are still rocked a year later., and no, it’s still not okay that they are gone. Thanks for the bruises on our bodies and scars in our minds, Dillinger Escape Plan.Continue reading


White Moth Black Butterfly – Atone


With such a rich and diverse musical landscape at our fingertips, it is often the nonlinear artists that truly stand out. The ones that, far from sticking to rigid formulae, offer and showcase encompassing palettes; often shared with audiences and showing they aren’t limited to one style or sound. Truly a worldwide venture, White Moth Black Butterfly is one such entity that offers an alternate creative outlet to a contingent across all four corners of the globe. Consisting of Dan Tompkins of TesseracT, Keshav Dhar of India’s Skyharbor; plus Randy Slaugh and Jordan Turner; WMBB was born from a love for less rock-based but still progressive and experimental music, but always felt somewhat sidelined if not creatively immersive. On the evidence of new album Atone (Kscope) and their joining with Kscope, it now feels like this is an entirely serious entity.Continue reading


The Dillinger Escape Plan – Dissociation


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If anything, The Dillinger Escape Plan’s latest LP, Dissociation (Party Smasher Inc), serves as a comprehensive anthology of the various dynamics and styles that this New Jersey act has explored in just about 20 years of existence. This is further compounded by the recent announcement that Dissociation will be the last release before the band collectively buys the farm, so to speak.Continue reading