EP REVIEW: Crosses – Permanent.Radiant


 

Crosses, or ††† if you prefer, really prefers foreplay to making love. The synthwave and electro-rock music duo made up of Deftones’ frontman Chino Moreno and Far producer/ multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez has been teasing us for over a year with singles, a top-tier cover, and pulse-quickening videos as they readied their new EP, Permanent.Radiant (Warner Music Group). Fit in and around Chino’s heavy schedule with Deftones and Shaun’s producing work, the new EP continues to build upon the path they laid out, minus former collaborator Chuck Doom, who has departed the project. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Lykotonon – Promethean Pathology


 

Lykotonon are a Denver side-project composed of members from Blood Incantation, Wayfaerer and Stormkeep to name but a few. The band, who have assumed aliases for the purposes of the project; pseudonyms so unusual that they give Elon Musk‘s son X Æ A-12 a run for his money.

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ALBUM REVIEW: MCC [Magna Carta Cartel] – The Dying Option


 

Martin Persner, formerly a guitarist with Swedish occult metal sensation Ghost – he was “Omega” among the band’s anonymous line-up of Nameless Ghouls – has resurrected an old project (founded back in 2006) to deliver a full-length album of soft, electro-fied rock that is dramatic and atmospheric at times, but without the considerable peaks of his “other” band.

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Crosses (ft Members of Deftones, Far) Share a New Single and Video for “Sensation” – New EP Incoming


After dropping new singles and covers in the last year, ††† – a.k.a. Crosses, the duo made up of Deftones’ Chino Moreno and producer/multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez recently announced their forthcoming EP Permanent Radiant, due for release on December 9th and share a new track and sexy video for “Sensation” – which you can watch now! 

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ALBUM REVIEW: We Are Magonia – Triangle Unicode


Darkwave and synth have been seeing a push in popularity thanks to the hugely successful Netflix series, Stranger Things. The television show which is set in the eighties opening theme has acted as a gateway into synthwave with more and more people checking out the dark and ominous blend of electronic sound. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: Devin Townsend – Lightwork


 

It’s been three years since Canadian musical contortionist Devin Townsend confused the hell out of everyone with Empath, an album of such relentless eclecticism and stupefying eccentricity that even now it remains almost beyond comprehension. A kitchen sink album in every respect, our heroic Canuck threw literally everything into the mix. From death metal and jazz to Chad Kroeger and cats, Empath was the mindfuck to end all mindfucks.

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Crosses (ft Members of Deftones, Far) ) Share a New Video and Single “Vivien” – New EP Incoming


After dropping new singles and covers in the last year, ††† – a.k.a. Crosses, the duo made up of Deftones’ Chino Moreno and producer/multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez have announced their forthcoming EP Permanent Radiant, due for release on December 9th and share a new track and video titled “Vivien.” Watch the video now and stream the single and pre-save the EP on all DSPs now! 

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CONCERT REVIEW: Carpenter Brut – Sierra Live at Brooklyn Steel 


 

Deep in the heart of Williamsburg, Brooklyn with a nice long walk from the train, I’ve finally made it to Brooklyn Steel for a night of French musical goodness. Carpenter Brut can be considered both the name of the keyboardist/mastermind who perfers to be anonymous and also the name of the group itself. Take your pick. Starting the two-band bill night was Sierra who is making her American debut on this tour. Her EDM and Darkwave tones set the vibe perfectly for this moody dance night. She also was the sole vocalist performing live at this show. Armed with her DJ rig, drum pads, and hypnotic beats; Sierra is someone I’d like to see again.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Thotcrime – D1G1T4L_DR1FT


 

Sometimes as a metalhead or underground fan it is easy to forget that not everyone knows what you mean when you describe things in ever smaller concentric circles of references, sub-genres or in-jokes. It seems totally clear to me what I mean when I say that Elvenking‘s ‘Silence de Mort’ sounds like if Megadeth had colorful power melodic hooks and a singer who wasn’t such a born-again know it all douche, but some folks might stare blankly at that description and blink at oncoming traffic. 

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ALBUM REVIEW: The Ever Living – Artificial Devices


The contradictions of crafting an album using the very technologies and processes the band had previously railed against are but one small element of the complicated and interesting layers that make up Artificial Devices, the self-released second full-length composition of London duo Andrei Alan (guitars/bass/programming) and Chris Bevan Lee (keys/vocals/programming) collectively known as The Ever Living (I promised myself no Mumm-ra comments, but here I am in the intro… I can’t help it, every time I see the band name…).

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