Join us as we continue with this revived Hellbound tradition – our monthly staff picks/playlists. Every few weeks we ask our 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.
HELLBOUND RECOMMENDS
Bill Adams
Listening to: Bass Drum of Death – Just Business
Rough, rugged, rocky and raw. As I listen right now, it feels like Bass Drum of Death and Just Business might be the new breath that rock has so desperately needed for about a decade.
New release: Deadpool 2 score
That this film score album managed to draw an explicit content warning was what got me interested in the Deadpool 2 score at first, but it didn’t take long for the compositions to really grab and hold my interest. The easiest way to phrase it is that this album successfully rethinks the normally pretty staid form of score releases and ends up presenting an artifact that can rightly be called post-modern in the way each track keeps to the basic paradigm of score presentations but tweeks it just enough to make it seem fresh and new in spirit, disposition and form.
Non-metal: Arthur Buck – s/t
Full honesty and complete disclosure, I’ve been a really big fan of R.E.M. for a really long time and approached this new album with no small amount of trepidation. I didn’t want to risk sullying my memory of Peter Buck. Turns out that I needn’t have worried though; by crossing Buck’s instantly recognizable guitar tone (which, let’s be honest, helped inspire almost an entire generation of indie songwriters) with Joe Arthur’s bluesy,backwoods soul, this album finds a great sound that can satiated R.E.M. fans without coming off as derivative in the slightest.
Wild card: Binge-watching old episodes of HBO’s Tales From The Crypt. Why? Because it’s like codeine; it gets you wired and makes you smile.
Bianca Bobescu
Listening to: PARADISE LOST – “No Hope In Sight” (The Plague Within, 2015)
New release: Tremonti – A dying machine (8 June 2018, Napalm Records)
Live: The One Armed Man live at Lixing les Rouhling, France
Non-metal: The One Armed Man – “Black Hills” (Flying Cow Prod, 2014)
Genre: Rock’n Roll / Folk / Bluegrass.
Steve Earles
Listening to: NWOBHM
Killer 2CD compilation of, as you’d expect from the title, New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands. Not having heard them the first time around I was blown away, not just by the quality of the music but its joyous spirit.
Live: Dolan’s Limerick, with the mighty Conan, metal in its rawest and primeval form, no frill, just sheer heaviness.
Non-metal: John Carpenter’s Christine soundtrack on Death Waltz. I actually like that film (King’s books are usually too long to incorporate every sacred utterance into a film, so Carpenter did a pretty good job). The music itself is a fabulous slice of Carpenter at his best, and I look forward to his soundtrack to the new Halloween this… Halloween.
Wild card: Calvary starring Brendan Gleeson, a harsh and merciless look at everyday life, at people’s true hidden nature, their shadow sides. Far more disturbing than any so-called horror film.
Gene Gaona
Listening to: Gruesome – Savage Land (Relapse Records, 2015)
New release: Jungle Rot – Jungle Rot (2018)
Live: Iron Maiden – Live After Death
Non-metal: Bar-Kays – “Soul Finger”
Gruesome Greg
Listening to: Monster Magnet – Superjudge
New release: La Chinga – Beyond the Sky
Live: Black Tusk/Whores/WhiteNails @ Lee’s Palace
Non-metal: Cody Jinks – I’m Not the Devil
Wild card: Going to see if I can digest a $100 gold burger at the CNE. Stay tuned…
Keith Lloyd
Listening to: Thünderkok – Kokaine
I got the chance to be introduced to this band in a live setting a few weeks ago, and they played one of the most over the top, high energy sets I have seen in quite some time. Somehow they were able to capture this energy on record! I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for their next release!
New release: Powerwolf – The Sacrament of Sin
The Sacrament of Sin is one of those albums where everything comes together perfectly for a band. The album is brilliantly produced and mixed, the songs are strong, with just enough of a hook to keep you listening.
Live: Devin Townsend Project – Ocean Machine Live At The Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv
I believe that Devin Townsend is one of the most under appreciated Canadian musicians around. Devin Townsend Project – Ocean Machine Live At The Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv is one of the most mind bending, fascinating, and generally epic live performances I have seen in some time!
Non-metal: The Darkness – Pinewood Smile
Pinewood Smile is a true return to form for The Darkness. There is not a single track off this album that I don’t enjoy listening to. I’m glad after all these years, they can still remind me of Spinal Tap.
Wild card: Ketography
It’s been an exciting year for me so far. I was front row for Judas Priest/Saxon, but most of all, I got my photography business up and running, thanks to help from family, friends and the fine folks here at Hellbound!
Daniel Smith
Listening to: Deathspell Omega – Paracletus (NoEvDia. 2010)
New Release: Mortuous – Through Wilderness (Tankcrimes. 2018)
Live: Suffocation and Cattle Decapitation at Lee’s Palace in Toronto on October 24, 2018
Non-Metal: Denzel Curry – TA13OO (P.H. Recordings. 2018)
Wild Card: Tokyo Story – Written and Directed by Yasujiro Ozu
Laura Wiebe
Listening to: Judas Priest – Firepower (Epic, 2018)
New release: Clutch – Book of Bad Decisions, especially “In Walks Barbarella” (Weathermaker Music, 7 September 2018)
Live: Judas Priest / Deep Purple at FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton – Aug 27, 2018
Non-metal: Howard Jones – “Everlasting Love” from Cross That Line (1989)
Wild card: WNBA playoff action via WNBA League Pass
Adam Wills
Listening to: Arcturus – The Sham Mirrors (The End Records, 2002)
New release: Panopticon – The Scars of Man on the Once Nameless Wilderness (Bindrune Recordings)
Live: Judas Priest / Deep Purple at FirstOntario Centre, Hamilton – Aug 27, 2018
Non-metal: Oldboy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Jo Yeong-wook
Wild card: Wellington Paranormal (Jemaine Clement, Taika Waititi)
