It sure is getting hot out there, isn’t it? I do not mean the weather. Before I introduce you to the next featured artists on The Bl@ck List, I feel compelled to start with a check-in first. Are you okay? How are you holding up? It takes courage to turn on the news anymore. The monumental moves made for and against us as citizens in these (somewhat) United States seem to separate us from our...
By Chip Dominick The COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost all aspects of life. It has hurt – to a varying degree – a wide variety of industries. No industry may have been hit as hard as the music industry. In this article, we will take a look at three ways that COVID-19 has devastated the music industry and four opportunities for artists to emerge from the pandemic stronger than ever. THREE WAYS COVID-19 HAS...
Call me stubborn, I know I am. Say I’m trapped in some dream world of rainbows and unicorns not looking at reality? Yeah, it’s been said before, but you know what? My hope, love, sunshine and rainbows attitude is wrapped around a spine of steel and a heart made of fire so if you aren’t ready for some hard truth of the positive type, and my own personal brand of a Come-to-Jesus moment about music...
Hey Pittsburgh – Wanna go for a drive?? Pittsburgh’s own Leprosy is set to take to the stage at 2020 Rage Fest at Mohawk Place in Buffalo, New York on August 15th – along with Inoculation, Vile Tyrant, and Buffalo’s own Debrained. Leprosy was formed in 1988 in Pittsburgh PA since then they have been storming stages with their gore inspired stage presents, horror filled lyrics and violating fans eardrums. If you’re in the Buffalo...
Dethlehem describes themselves as a D&D campaign that came to life and formed a metal band. They are releasing a new album called Maelstrom of the Emerald Dragon on July 17th. It will be a concept album, which will satisfy those who are a fan of those formats like I am. The story of the album is about the warriors of Dethlehem who are summoned by an ancient wizard who tasks them with defeating the evil...
Today I’m here to talk about my favorite albums of all time that would be the industrial/electric Rock album by Celldweller. This album is called End of an Empire that came out all the way back in 2015. This album comes out in four sections, “Time”, “Love”, “Dreams” and “Death”. This album has a mixture of some storytelling sections along with its music, so if you have the deluxe edition of the album you’re looking...
Here is the newest video from Pleading the Fifth for their song “Bowser”. Definitely a fun little video to watch that is full of goofy imagery, and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I very much recommend checking it out as it is a pick-me-up for anyone who needs a laugh or a chuckle, and the song is quite catchy as well!! You can check out more from Pleading the Fifth at their...
Summer may be one of the best seasons to release an album or single. Whatever is released carries the potential to become a summer hit if it has the right, warm energy. The release must have a sense of summer nostalgia; it has to transport the listener to late summer nights of riding around in cars and jumping in pools. For emerging artist, Alt Bloom, that’s exactly the feeling his new EP, Astronaut Complex, provokes. ...
The Bl@ck List: A Growing List of Black Musicians, Artists, Writers, And Then Some The Second Wave – Soul, Summer Reading, and Sun Signs – Oh My! written by Alicia Lynn It is no secret that the summer break of 2020 has been lacking the luster of its predecessors. From plague to murder hornets, it seems a fresh batch of stress greets us each morning before we can even get our coffee. In avoidance of...
Familiarity can be comforting. Repetition can calm the mind and soothe anxiety by giving you the idea that because you know what’s going to happen, everything is going to be okay. A lot of people turn to familiar music to get their head in the right place when everything seems to be going awry, while others accept chaos and harness it, using it as an opportunity to bravely push forward into unfamiliar territory, creating new...
Today, I thought I would feature this very fitting video from Panic Priest, something that hits home for all of us. Right now, we have all dealt with being separated from friends and family due to the Covid outbreak. We have all dealt with feelings of loneliness and isolation. And with the threat of another shutdown looming over heads, we are continuing to cope with these feelings The video and song explores themes of separation...
The Bl@ck List: A Growing List of Black Musicians, Artists, Writers, And Then Some written by Alicia Lynn This is an interesting time to be alive, isn’t it? I think we can all agree on that much. Keen as I am to get on with discussing the inspiring artists I’m about to present to you (and I will), I can’t figure a way around establishing that specific truth between us first. Common ground, you know?...
Yes, he’s at it again. Those who savored Dave Wheeler’s delectable licks in his former band, Carousel, a Pittsburgh act that remain one my personal local favorites ever, have an obvious reason to get excited over his new project, Limousine Beach. Think of the inaugural EP (part of a series of “concept” pieces) as the first course in a 70’s Metal tasting menu that will leave your belly gnawing for more. I recently spoke with...
Filter is no stranger to politically charged music, for example their most famous song “Hey Man, Nice Shot”. The band was formed as an industrial metal band in 1993 by Richard Patrick, who is the brother of the actor Robert Patrick, and they released 7 albums the last one being in 2016. Their music was developed to make a statement, and they gained quite a popular following, with the debut album Short Bus being the...
Ryder is releasing another single off of their album Killer Karma, which is now slated for release in August of 2020, called “Slave For Love”. It will be available June 9th, and the single contains an acoustic version as well. “Slave to Love” is a pretty fun to listen to, and I found it catchy. You definitely get a feel for what direction they are going for with the record as a whole. Highly recommend...
Post Mortal Possession recently released “Catacombs of Bedlam”, which in’t your ordinary album but a journey through an institutionalized hell and, as our writer Josh Doran put it, “A relentlessly brutal horror show”. We asked him to give it a review and he broke it down for us… Catacombs of Bedlam by Post Mortal Possession 1. “Demented” Introducing the concept of the album, this track paints a picture of the story of Bedlam, a...
At the end of Martin Popoff’s excellent, poignant 2006 book about Dio titled Light Beyond The Black, a work I highly recommend to any heavy metal fan, Popoff states… “One day, Ronnie won’t be there championing the common cause — a cause dear to his heart because it’s dear to yours. Experience it and enjoy it while you can.” That was the first thing that came to mind when I read the news that Ronnie...
