Ghost Cult Magazine Mourns Photographer Melina Dellamarggio

Posted on August 22, 2016 by News Team

Ghost Cult Magazine is mourning the loss of our dear friend and photographer Melina Dellamarggio of Melina D Photography, who passed away this weekend at age 29. Known for her keen photographic eye, artistic passion, and caring demeanor; Melina won over fans, friends, peers and legendary artists alike. She only worked with Ghost Cult for a year and a half, but she was an invaluable member of our staff, covering huge national tours, festivals, underground acts, and music industry events. Her concert photography and writing was also featured in Loudwire, The Phoenix New Times, as well as local and national television outlets and magazines. Melina was also an award-winning nature photographer, a talented visual artist, and started shooting sporting events such as NASCAR, and motocross in the last year. She was devoted to several causes such as animal rescue relief and was also a mentor and a leader among the concert photography community. She touched many people’s lives and she was loved by many. According to her family, a memorial will be planed for the Phoenix, AZ area at a later date. We will continue to keep her light alive through her work and will honor her forever in these pages. You can see some samples of her work below: Continue reading →

On The Road… with Eight Bells

Posted on February 12, 2016 by News Team

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In just a few short weeks this year is already proving to be full of tectonic level shifts in the musical and metaphysical landscape of our lives. We often start looking at the calendar for the next year of releases in late fall with a mix of anticipation and at times, bracing anxiety. Before we hear one note of new music, the questions start gnawing at us. What new alliances are formed? What new music to pick up first? What about my old favorite bands? Will anything challenge the status-quo of typical sub-genre doldrums. If your tastes are anything like ours, these questions can all be answered with two words: Eight Bells. Hailing mostly from Portland, OR and made up of members of SubArachnoid Space, Curezum, Immortal Bird, and Thrawsunblat; their musical make up is an uncommon mix of spacey psychedelic rock and brooding, otherworldly heaviness. Eight Bells kicked off 2016 with a string of shows to support their new album Landless out on February 12^th from Battleground Records, one of the must hear underground releases 2016. Melynda Jackson and Haley Westeiner trade riffs and parts intermingle like a dank, earthy swamp. When they sing together, it’s outright majestic. Recent addition Rae Amitay brings in her considerable range behind the kit. In the run up of west coast dates before joining up with Voivod and Vektor across the rest of the country, we caught the trio at The Yucca Tap Room in Tempe, AZ. Their intimate show was captured here by Melina Dellamarggio of Melina D Photography for Ghost Cult.

Eight Bells, by Melina D Photography

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The NAMM Show 2016 Recap

Posted on February 5, 2016 by News Team

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Once again Ghost Cult, along with the entire music industry it seems, invaded Anaheim, CA for The National Association of Music Merchants, a.k.a. THE NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention center. Taking over the town and part of greater Los Angeles at Night, NAMM is becoming more and more of a yearly pilgrimage for brands, gear heads and artists. Autograph and selfie-seeking fans are also starting to dip in to part of the main weekend, with really only the first two days being “industry only types”. That dynamic is expected to change in 2017 when fans have free range for the entire event. In the mean time the name of the game is networking and wheeler dealer action between manufacturers, merchants and artist reps. The main action is at the booths where the big name gear companies show their new wares, and artists from the up and coming to the legendary vie for attention and props. All day long it’s a schmooze fest and a meeting of the minds in terms of gear mavens, and artists jamming. At night it is the special events such as this years’ NAMM Jam, Tribute to Randy Rhodes, and other events, many held for charity that pack the clubs at a more-exclusive-than-usual for L.A., clip. Whatever your motivation for attending, THE NAMM Show, and its summer-time counterpart can’t be beat for an awesome industry experience and eye-popping star power all in one place. Thanks to Melina Dellamarggio of Melina D Photography or covering it for us this years and bringing us there with her amazing photo set!