Editorials
Most Anticipated Albums Of 2014
It’s down to the final hours of 2013 and after appreciating what this year has given us it’s time to think ahead to what 2014 will be able to offer. There are some amazing albums that are slated for this upcoming year and I’ve listed a few that stand out for me. Check out the list below and make sure to let me know what albums you can’t wait to hear!
Yeah, I put these guys on my Most Anticipated Albums Of 2013. No, they didn’t release Thrones this year. That doesn’t change the fact that I want my grubby hands all over this album, the sooner the better. Hopefully the album will come out before I have to seriously fill out those damn AARP brochures I keep getting in the mail.
2012’s Weather Systems is a work of pure honest beauty and art and it was my Album Of The Year. Having spoken with multi-instrumentalist Danny Cavanagh about the upcoming album, I can say that I have nothing but the highest of expectations.
Pure f@%king blasphemous, heretical metal. Gimme more. Gimme it all.
Not only are Cattle Decapitation one of the most talented bands in the metal world, they’re also some of the nicest guys I’ve ever met. Their previous album Monolith Of Inhumanity was critically acclaimed (rightfully so) and the hopes for their next album are sky high.
Having already released two EPs, this project from Deftones‘ Chino Moreno, Far‘s Shaun Lopes, and Chuck Doom has attracted huge amounts of interest. After all, the music already released is fantastic, a strange, eerie industrial trip hop with hard rock flavors that compliment each other perfectly. I’m thoroughly excited for this album, which just so conveniently comes out February 11th.
This is and always has been my favorite TV show. The characters are endlessly charming and story is intoxicating, each episode pulling the viewer deeper and deeper into the quaint yet oddly supernatural mystery. And what tied it all together was Angelo Badalamenti’s amazing jazz noir score. I will be lined up and eagerly awaiting my chance to pre-order whatever amazing edition Death Waltz has in store.
Say whatever you want but I really enjoyed Sounds Of A Playground Fading. Yes, it’s not how the band sounded when Whoracle or The Jester’s Race came out but who can honestly expect a band to stay completely stuck in the same mindset while the rest of the world grows around them? The band has consistently released solid music and I’m always ready for more!
The return of the prog rock masters was one of the biggest announcements of this year, stunning fans (including myself) who were under the impression that Robert Fripp was through with music. Their return is easily one of the most anticipated releases of the year!
The Hunter was a triumph of progressive-tinged metal, a work that is considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of this generation. So it’s no surprise that everyone is on pins and needles awaiting its follow up. On top of being incredibly excited for the new album I find myself just as excited for the band’s ridiculous and amazing music videos that I’m sure will be a part of the promotional push!
So this album isn’t expected until early 2015 but you never know with Metallica! Besides, how awesome would it be to have an album come out ahead of schedule, especially since it’s been over five years since Death Magnetic?
Luckily this release won’t take that long to get to my ears since it’s slated to be released on January 21st. So, just hold my breath, wait a little bit, and then I get to enjoy a new album from the Scottish post-rock legends.
Many people basically loathed Heritage but I saw it as a logical and natural continuation of the band and their musical stylings. Still, I’d love to hear something a bit more sinister and vicious, traits which signer/guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt has stated the new album will possess.
Once again, we cross our fingers and hope that everything works out so that these prog-metal giants can all gather together to release their fifth full length studio album. After all, it’s only been nearly eight years since 10,000 Days. Just…just give it to us already.
A definitive vinyl OST reissue to one of the most beloved horror franchises of all time? Gimme. Gimme right now. But in all seriousness, Waxwork Records is known for their immaculate care and attention to detail with their releases, so I know that this reissue is in fantastic hands. Now for a release date…
I’ve already got mine pre-ordered. Do you? I mean, this soundtrack is stunning. If you’ve seen the film then you know what I’m talking about. And if you haven’t seen it, get thee to Amazon, buy a copy (don’t argue with me here), and proceed to punch yourself in the face until the package arrives. Hopefully you’ll be able to see out of them swollen eyeballs to enjoy the film. But what matters is that your ears should be just fine to enjoy Krzysztof Komeda’s stunning score.
Terminal Twilight is an album that I still recommend as being something truly fantastic and enjoyable. It’s also got a ton of elements that are nods and homages to 70’s and 80’s synth-heavy horror soundtracks, so the fact that many horror fans don’t listen to it more just astounds me. It’s because of this sheer enjoyment that I get from listening to this album that I cannot wait for it’s follow up.
Late Love was one of the strongest debut albums I’ve ever heard from a band and I have no doubt that these Icelandic rockers can put together a sophomore album that’ll just blows my socks right off.
Editorials
‘The Vampire Lestat’ Concert Event Launches New Season With The Ultimate Expression Of Fandom
There are thousands of passionate fans decked out in gothic chic and champing at the bit like feral creatures. They’re screaming for Lestat, a legendary vampire-turned-rock star, as if the entire crowd has been glamored into submission.
The entire experience is magic, but not because some supernatural thrall has been activated. What’s going on is even more special. It’s the power of the effusive fandom that’s been authentically assembled by AMC’s sublime Immortal Universe, namely Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire, now, The Vampire Lestat.
The Vampire Lestat is far from the first Anne Rice adaptation, and it’s not as if there’s been a lack of erotic vampire material for audiences to sink their teeth into. On June 2nd, during a one-night-only spectacle, New York City’s prestigious Beacon Theatre shook from Sam Reid’s bravado performance and an audience full of adoring fans who had already memorized Lestat’s songs.
It’s clear that The Vampire Lestat just hits differently than its predecessors. It’s become more than just a TV series at this point, and this opulent display of ego, swagger, and pure sex is the perfect way to premiere the new season and give back to the fans who helped make Interview with the Vampire/The Vampire Lestat such a breakout success. It’s exactly the sort of hyperbolized hedonism that would make Lestat cackle.
For all intents and purposes, AMC has successfully created the illusion that this concert/premiere is just one of the many destinations on Lestat and his band’s 54-stop tour that is simultaneously playing out on this season of television. It’s such a sophisticated and thorough level of interactive fan engagement that the audience doesn’t just understand, but also manages to accentuate through its involvement.
It’s a level of seamless synergy that’s not unlike the give-and-take relationship of vampire and victim.
Before the concert started, “LeStans” were sitting in the Beacon and flipping through a fake Rolling Stone issue with Lestat emblazoned on the cover, complete with interviews with the undead frontman inside. Other fans were admiring the vinyl pressing of Lestat’s EP as they walked past a section of undead band merch. Fandom and fantasy blur together, and it all becomes this elaborate, immersive experience. Fan celebration, erotic gothic fantasy, and a lavish rock concert transform into one beautiful thing.
To this point, AMC Global Media’s Chief Content Officer and President of AMC Studios, Dan McDermott, introduced the event by reiterating to fans, “You are the heartbeat of the series.” That’s abundantly clear on nights like this as that heartbeat collectively pulses to this performance. In terms of how AMC engages with The Vampire Lestat’s fans, it’s as bold a reinvention as the season itself.
This intuitive gamble speaks to AMC’s creativity in this department and a fandom that is eager to seize such opportunities. It’s the same innovation that led to zombie walks for The Walking Dead and real-life Los Pollos Hermanos restaurant pop-ups from Breaking Bad. It’s a great way to pump up the audience for The Vampire Lestat and then maintain that enthusiasm for the whole season.
For most series, a rock ‘n’ roll concert just doesn’t make any sense as a promotional tool. The Vampire Lestat finds itself in a very unique position where it can deliver an excellent concert at an iconic theater, but also use it to showcase The Vampire Lestat’s music by Daniel Hart (who was shredding on stage alongside Reid and the rest of their band) and, more than anything, Sam Reid’s endless charisma.
The way in which Reid feeds off of the crowd’s energy, modulating his performance and giving different sections of the Beacon life, is a perfect distillation of the series’ thoughtful relationship with its audience and how it’s become such a breakout success for AMC. AMC Studios President Dan McDermott emphasized that the fans are the reason that the show is still here and why an event like this is even possible. It’s rare to see a series in which every single cog in the machine is so perfectly attuned to its fans. Reid’s fans already cheer whenever they see him, so why not translate that to a concert setting?
It’s clear in this season of television that Reid was born to be a rock star, but it’s surreal to see him effortlessly command the stage — and the audience — at every step of the concert. He recites Shakespeare monologues and bitches out Armand between songs, all while the audience screams in support. For the duration of this concert, Reid is Lestat, and he’s given thousands of fans a memory that’s as immortal as any vampire.
Now bring on the encore and get this show on the road!
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