Join us as we continue with this revived Hellbound tradition – our monthly staff picks/playlists. Every few weeks we ask our regular and longtime contributors to weigh in on what they’re listening to, watching, going to see… Expect a few quirks and idiosyncrasies now and then, but these are our standard staff pick categories:
Listening to – an album, ep or song from the library shelves (something that isn’t new)
New release – a worthy album, ep or song released within the past couple of months
Live – a recently enjoyed or highly anticipated live recording or gig
Non-metal – an album, ep or song of choice from the non-metal world
Wild card – a recommendation outside of or beyond the above picks
HELLBOUND RECOMMENDS
Bianca Bobescu
Listening to: Septicflesh – Codex Omega (Season of Mist, 2017)
New release: Parkway Drive – Reverence (Epitaph)
Live: Hellfest Open Air (www.hellfest.fr)
Non-metal: Zaz – “Je veux”
Wild card: reading – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Steve Earles
Listening to: Deepest Purple: The Very Best of Deep Purple. So many bands today have no songs; not Purple, a masterclass in what heavy music should be.
New Release: Sleep – The Sciences (Third Man Records). Heavier than a dwarf star, Sleep are metal without any of its weaknesses.
Live: Pink Floyd – Live At Pompeii (1973). Far out!
Non Metal: Drive soundtrack by Cliff Martinez (2011). Excellent synthwave soundtrack.
Wild Card: Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). Made with innocence, despite being set in outer space it reminded me of Indiana Jones, heroic and exciting I recommend it highly. Form your own opinion; don’t rely on others.
Gruesome Greg
Listening to: Sleep – Dopesmoker (1998)
New release: Sleep – The Sciences (Third Man Records, green vinyl)
Live: Sleep @ Danforth Music Hall, July 30
Non-metal: Sleep – “Some Grass”
Wild card: unable to sleep in anticipation of Sleep
Rob Hughes
Listening to: Deep Purple—Fireball (Warner Bros)
New Release: Zevious—Lowlands (Nefarious Industries)
Live: Neurosis w/Converge and Amenra, July 7 at the Commodore Ballroom
Non-metal: Kensington Gore—Hexagon (More Than Human)
Wild Card: Letterkenny, Season 5
Sean Palmerston
Listening to: Voivod – Dimension Hatross (1988)
New release: Dark Incognito – World Requiem LP (Funeral Hymns)
Live: Slayer, Napalm Death and more, upcoming at Darien Lake Amphitheater on Friday, August 3
Non-metal: Jerry Garcia – Before The Dead 4CD boxed set (Round Records, 2018)
Wild card: X – Wild Gift (1981)
Daniel Smith
Listening to: Disma – Towards The Megalith (Profound Lore Records, 2011) profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/towards-the-megalith
New release: Judas Iscariot – An Ancient Starry Sky (Elegy Records) (previously lost album) judasiscariotusbm.bandcamp.com/album/an-ancient-starry-sky
Live: Sleep, An Evening With @ The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, ON (July 30, 2018) (SOLD OUT) www.facebook.com/events/1014852601999288
Non-metal: Rosalía – PIENSO EN TU MIRÁ (Cap.3: Celos) www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_4coiRG_BI
Wild card: Josh Ritter – “Miles Away” (single) (Pytheas Recordings, 2018) www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kilve_HUksQ
Laura Wiebe
Listening to: Long Distance Calling – Boundless (InsideOut, 2018)
New release: Astral Witch – Astral Witch
astralwitch.bandcamp.com/album/astral-witch
Live: Witch Mountain, Völur & Smoulder @ The Garrison, August 4
www.ticketfly.com/event/1678836-witch-mountain-toronto
Non-metal: Thanks to a Videostream ad for Super Troopers 2 I’ve had Abba’s “Super Trouper” (1980) chiming on and off in my brain for a couple of weeks.
Wild card: The Good Place (Season 1, 2017-2018)
Adam Wills
Listening to: Mournful Congregation – The Incubus Of Karma (20 Buck Spin)
New release: Zeal & Ardor – Stranger Fruit (MVKA Music)
Non-metal: Daniel Cavanagh – Monochrome (Kscope, 2017)
Wildcard: Schitt’s Creek (Season 4, 2018)
