I put significant pressure on myself to get Christmas shopping well out of the way, striving to be finished before turning the calendar over to December. Why is that? Maybe it’s so I can get back to relaxing and immersing myself into my hobbies once again, as it’s been a while since I’ve last made … Continue reading Another Christmas Mixtape
Category: Rock
When Musicians Write Back
I get such joy out of reading back issues of old magazines. This isn’t just exclusive to music magazines. I love digging through Starlog magazines to read on-set reports from movies and discovering science fiction or horror, and I occasionally enjoy combing through old sports magazines and game programs to get more historical context about … Continue reading When Musicians Write Back
Classic Lineup Cards: Nevermore
Nevermore is one of those bands that, despite not having been in existence since 2011, I will continue to fly the flag for. In fact, when I reacquired many of their albums that I used to own in college, that box set actually came with a flag that I could wave! In a noteworthy announcement … Continue reading Classic Lineup Cards: Nevermore
Dime
December 8, 2004. It’s twenty years to the day since Darrell Abbott was senselessly murdered in front of an adoring crowd at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio while performing with Damageplan. I won’t go over the harrowing details of that night nor will I name the perpetrator, as that information can be found elsewhere. … Continue reading Dime
When Two Become One: Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti
AC/DC’s Back In Black. Van Halen’s self-titled debut. Guns ‘N’ Roses’ Appettite for Destruction. Deep Purple’s Machine Head. Some of the best-known (and best-selling) rock albums of all time, each of them oft-considered to be their finest respective recorded works. Led Zeppelin is one of those bands that does not have a universal “best album”. … Continue reading When Two Become One: Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti
Deep In The Discography: The Last Temptation by Alice Cooper
It’s rather common for listeners of rock music to get locked into sticking to the classics. All artists peak commercially, with the duration of that peak varying from artist-to-artist. Alice Cooper has been a memorable pop-culture reference and household name ever since he first broke into the mainstream, but from an album popularity perspective, he … Continue reading Deep In The Discography: The Last Temptation by Alice Cooper
Alternate Album Cover Art VIII
As one might get the idea from my ongoing Alternate Album Cover Art series (click here for the previous article of the type), I love looking at album covers! Despite the excess of these as an overall percentage of my posts on this site, something in recent weeks provoked me into covering more album covers … Continue reading Alternate Album Cover Art VIII
Classic Lineup Cards: Slayer
If you’ve read a variety of my previous posts, you know that I’m a trading card collector. In my love of card collecting, I’ve mocked up some theoretical trading cards of my own, most often taking inspiration from existing sports card designs. That’s not the approach I’m going to be taken here. Today, I’m going … Continue reading Classic Lineup Cards: Slayer
The Production Pride of Canada
When I saw that July the 1st was approaching, I felt the urge to put something Canadian together. Canada Day could probably hold a more special place in my heart, but no matter what country you are born or raised in, you keep getting mixed signals about how much nationalism one is supposed to have. … Continue reading The Production Pride of Canada
Alternate Album Cover Art VII
No need for a grandiose introduction on this post. Given that I’ve gone down this road six times before (see volumes I, II, III, IV, V, and VI of this series), I’ll get right to the heart of the matter and go over five additional albums and their covers, continuing to explore various ways musicians … Continue reading Alternate Album Cover Art VII
Classic Lineup Trading Cards: Armored Saint
Everybody has a handful of musicians and bands that they’ll lean on when discussing those who were underrated or didn’t get a good enough break. Among those in the hard rock and heavy metal genres, Armored Saint is one of my go-tos in that regard. I truly feel that they could have been America’s answer … Continue reading Classic Lineup Trading Cards: Armored Saint
Keys To Enjoying A Concert (and Proper Etiquette)
If you’re at all like me, a new year leads to new concert experiences. As of today, I’ve got Depeche Mode, Enslaved / Insomnium, and Herbie Hancock shows marked on the calendar, and I highly anticipate seeing what other events sprout up in Toronto and the surrounding area in the coming months. While I maintain … Continue reading Keys To Enjoying A Concert (and Proper Etiquette)
Armchair Maestro 