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5 Bands That I Wish Were Still Together

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We all know that sinking feeling of disappointment, despair, and sadness when a film that we’re looking forward to is put in developmental hell or is shoved to the side with an unknown release date. After all, it took years for Trick ‘r Treat to be released and look what we’d been missing that whole time! This wouldn’t be a problem had we simply not known about the movie being made in the first place, am I right? But then, to quote the great Bob Ross, “Gotta have opposites dark and light… It’s like in life. Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come.” I’d rather know about films that are planned on being made and then never see them than not know about them at all. It makes me appreciate what I do have all the more.

It’s the same with music and bands. Having had them, I find myself always wanting more and more, especially from artists whose music is fascinating and takes you on a journey. Alas, just like any project, things can simply come to an end and we, the consumers, are left with what exists and a dream of what could be.

Below are five bands that I desperately miss. After checking them out (and hopefully really giving their discography a shot), let me know some of the bands that you miss and wish would come back to release new music!

People in Planes

If you’ve never heard of this Welsh alt-rock band, I won’t blame you. They weren’t huge but MAN did they create some stellar and exciting music. Their album As Far As The Eye Can See is one of my favorite albums and is one that I can put on and not skip a single track. The band officially broke up in 2013 but they hadn’t released any new material since 2009, so their loss reaches further back.

A Perfect Circle

We’ve been gifted one new song in 2013 and that’s it since the two new tracks offered on 2004’s eMOTIVe. The last real album that they’ve released was 2003’s Thirteenth Step, which was simply incredible. There have been talks that the band is working on new material but that’s been the rumor for a while now. Until something solid comes out, I’m not holding my breath. I’ll simply dream of a day when it comes true.

Speaking of APC, if guitarist Billy Howerdel could also release another Ashes Divide album, I wouldn’t object.

The Haunted

Okay, so this one technically isn’t fair because they’re still a band. However, the current formation is nowhere close to what it used to be. And personally – god, I’m so ready to catch a ton of flack for this – I prefer the Peter Dolving-era over anything that Marco Aro offered. Yeah, it’s heavier and more vicious with Aro but with Dolving it was far more interesting and complex. It was the kind of metal that I could play for people who don’t like that style of music and yet they’d appreciate it and want to know more.

Porcupine Tree

Again, I’m slightly cheating here because they never said that they’ve broken up. However, it’s been over six years since The Incident, which is twice as long as the longest time between two of their albums. With that kind of distance and seeing each member going off and doing their own thing – drummer Gavin Harrison is working with King Crimson, bassist Colin Edwin has several projects, including O.R.k. and Metallic Taste of Blood, Richard Barbieri recently reissued his Jansen & Barbieri album Stone to Flesh, and guitarist/vocalist Steven Wilson has several solo albums under his belt – it’s hard to imagine them all forming together to create something new. That’s a shame because many of their tracks are absolute masterpieces and even their mediocre work is leaps and bounds above most music released today.

Rage Against The Machine

In times such as these, I think that a new RATM would be more relevant than ever. I may not agree with their views and politics on every matter but they brought a lot of issues to light and created discussions where none were being had. That alone is something that makes me crave their presence.

Considering it’s been just over 16 years since The Battle of Los Angeles, their last album with original music, and taking into account that seemingly none of the band have any interest in getting back together, any hope for something to come from the LA-based rap metal group is pretty much wasted. But that doesn’t mean we can’t wish upon a shooting star every once in a while.

Managing editor/music guy/social media fella of Bloody-Disgusting

Editorials

5 Deep Cut Horror Movies to Seek Out in April 2024

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horror
Pictured: 'The Uncanny'

New month, new horror recommendations from Deep Cuts Rising. This installment features selections reflecting the month of April 2024.

Regardless of how they came to be here, or what they’re about, these past movies can generally be considered overlooked, forgotten or unknown.

This month’s offerings include telepathic plants, ecological horrors, and a lot of killer cats.


The Uncanny (1977)

horror

Pictured: The Uncanny (1977)

Directed by Denis Héroux.

The Uncanny is a two-for kind of deal: it works for both National Pet Day (April 11) and Tell a Story Day (April 27). Here we have Peter Cushing‘s character talking at length about the evils of cats, with his three examples fleshing out this singular anthology. And while this film is often mistaken for an Amicus production, it was, in fact, made by The Rank Organisation. However, Amicus co-founder Milton Subotsky was also a co-producer.

The Uncanny has a tendency to be one-note in its execution and story styles; vengeful felines come up more than once in the film. Even so, these macabre, cat-centric segments told in EC Comics fashion are more entertaining than not.

Watch The Uncanny at streaming sites such as SCREAMBOX.


The Kirlian Witness (1979)

horror

Pictured: The Kirlian Witness (1979)

Directed by Jonathan Sarno.

The Kirlian Witness (also known as The Plants are Watching) fits the bill when looking for something to watch on International Plant Appreciation Day (April 13). Similar to Eyes of Laura Mars, this film’s story is built on pseudoscience. More specifically, Kirlian photography. Nancy Snyder‘s character Rilla hopes to use this technique — revealing the energy field, or aura, of people and other animate things — to solve her sister’s murder. However, the only witness to the sister’s death, apart from the mysterious killer, is a plant. Rilla’s bizarre investigation eventually leads her to a startling discovery.

Jonathan Sarno’s film is a certified slow-burn, but it’s also intriguing and good-looking. This oddball of crime-solving horror is, at the very least, unique.

The Kirlian Witness is available for rental/purchase (under its alias) at digital retailers like Apple TV.


Scream for Help (1984)

horror

Pictured: Scream for Help (1984)

Directed by Michael Winner.

For Scream Day this year (April 24), why not visit Scream for Help? In this teenage thriller filtered through Death Wish, a Nancy Drew type suspects her stepfather is up to no good. And when her suspicions are proven right, she and her mother have to fight for their lives.

Scream for Help had the makings of a standard ’80s teen-slasher, but this turned out to be more like an “afterschool special meets home invasion” flick. And a hilarious one at that. It was likely not Michael Winner’s intention for this film to be so laugh-a-minute — star Lolita Lorre, bless her heart, has the funniest deliveries — however, trying to keep a straight face during his cinematic hot mess is impossible. Tom Holland‘s script was straight up murdered. Still and all, this is an entertaining disasterpiece that would have been an entirely different film had the original director, Richard Franklin, stayed on (rather than going off to direct Link).

The HD restoration of Scream for Help is available on Blu-ray from Scream Factory, but the digital version is standard-def.


Penumbra (2012)

Pictured: Penumbra (2012)

Directed by Ramiro García Bogliano & Adrián García Bogliano.

While it’s advised not to stare at the sun during the solar eclipse on April 8, fans of satirical horror are encouraged to give Penumbra, an Argentinian-Mexican film featuring an imminent solar eclipse, a watch. The unsubtle artwork suggests a straightforward survival story, however, the actual product is quite different and twisty. Cristina Brondo plays a prickly businesswoman who may have made her last sale; her new client has ulterior motives.

Surely some viewers will be put off by the protagonist of Penumbra, whose behavior in anticipation of the ominous eclipse is problematic. Yet, strangely enough, her being an imperfect victim adds something to the film, whereas a more pristine character would have made the whole experience less gripping.

Penumbra is currently available on AMC+.


Strange Nature (2018)

Pictured: Strange Nature (2018)

Directed by James Ojala.

For a less known eco-horror film to watch this Earth Day (April 22), Strange Nature tells its story with both urgency and force. Here, the late Lisa Sheridan (of FreakyLinks) played a struggling single mother looking into a local anomaly: mutated frogs. Soon enough, the cause of this abnormality extends beyond the water and creates other threats for the town’s human residents.

This truly indie production has its obvious limitations, yet the story — one based on a real life incident in Minnesota — and characters compensate for any visual flaws. The practical effects for the mutant beast are also admirable, given the meager resources available.

Strange Nature is currently streaming on Tubi.


No genre is as prolific as horror, so it’s understandable that movies fall through the cracks all the time. That is where this recurring column, Deep Cuts Rising, comes in. Each installment of this series will spotlight several unsung or obscure movies from the past — some from way back when, and others from not so long ago — that could use more attention.

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