Hey! Listen to Gygax!

Eden Kupermintz
News
While "don't judge a book by its cover" is one of the most often repeated cliches, we all commit the sin of prejudgement on a daily basis. There's nothing to it; the vast amount of information and culture we c... Read More...

Satan – Cruel Magic

Eden Kupermintz
Reviews
When metal was having another of its golden ages, like the one we're having these days, it spawned so many new bands that even some of the more important among them have been somewhat forgotten by the scene as... Read More...

Love Letter – Playing Prog Rock Fucking Loud

Eden Kupermintz
Listen To This!, Love Letter
You know the part: the drums, thick and resonating, pick up pace, the bass licks in anticipation of the crescendo and all of a sudden the synths are there, Hammond goodness washing over the soaring guitar parts as the vocals explode into a high note. This structure of "ensemble buildup", where the entire band join forces to form the climax of a track, is a staple of many genres but progressive rock has always been the best at it. King Crimson's "Starless", Yes's "Heart of the Sunrise", Wishbone Ash's "Warrior" (containing one of the world's most famous and most forgotten solos), Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and many, many other tracks and albums come to mind. Even younger bands operating today and paying homage to the style (like Malady, Wobbler, Witchcraft and more) adopt the prominence of the climax and full band collaboration.

Love Letter – Iron Maiden’s Powerslave

Eden Kupermintz
Love Letter
The year is 1984 and Iron Maiden are in an interesting position. Hot off the tails of two great releases and their first major tour, the band are starting to feel the pressures and joys of success at the same time. This is a crucible in which many bands have faltered, unable to reproduce the original sound which garnered them their first modicums of recognition. Line-ups shake, creative differences being to tear at the structure of the sound, as each member brings forth their own vision as to what the future should contain. In this situation, there were many divergent paths down which Iron Maiden's story could have gone; they had already faced several major line-up changes and their future was anything but secure. They could have easily broken up or lost track of what made their first albums work. But, instead, they made Powerslave.