Ghost Cult’s Chris Small (aka Smallz, Papa Smallz) has been an essential member of our live coverage team this year and chipped in a few other types of reviews over the years as well. When he is not voraciously consuming heavy music, he is also a dad, documents underground rap shows, and streams on Twitch. Here are his top 20 albums of 2022 list! Peace and Chicken grease, as Chris would say…
Press on, intrepid reader, to find out our top albums of 2022, as voted for by the cast, crew and hangers-on of the good ship Ghost Cult. Over 275 albums were nominated (including one stray and errant vote for Stryper… we’ve had words), some people lauded albums as the greatest of all time that no one else noticed, other albums picked up a steady stream of votes across the board without tickling the top of anyone’s charts, but through it all, we’ve been able to compile our team list of the best 75 albums of the year. And there are some absolute corkers, here. 75 of them, to be exact…
As we move into the meaty part of the Ghost Cult albums of the year for 2022 (as chosen solely by the team that dedicate their time to promote, analyse and share the love for the great alternative music that we exist to talk about), we find a mix of old favourites and a sprinkling of new rising and shining stars…Continue reading
Since their inception in 2010, Polyphia have proven to be an ever-moving entity; one that is hugely (and purposefully) hard to pigeonhole, even across the duration of each album. Armed with potent musicianship across the board, the band have ever expanded their sound from their early days culminating currently to a cauldron of styles and tones across. It is likely you will hear this about many artists but it is a sentiment that reigns entirely true on Remember That You Will Die (Rise Records).
In a new feature here, we recap the biggest stories of the week here at Ghost Cult! We went to 12, because fuck it, it’s our list! This week Slipknot keeps ruling, footage from the Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins tribute show in LA, an Alice in Chains classic hits 30, Metallica books one more special gig this year, Desertfest 2023’s first lineup announced, help for Karyn Crisis, interviews with KEN Mode, and Pathos & Logos, Polyphia, a King Crimson documentary is geetting a big release in theaters, and more! Continue reading
Polyphia, Polyphia, Polyphia. What can you really say that hasn’t already been said? Well, if the show that they had at The Paradise is any indication… you can say a whole hell of a lot more! Because let me tell you something, I have never in my life seen a line that wrapped around the building twice to try to get into see a show at The Paradise when it was already sold out before the line started. Polyphia is a band that has been doing more for guitar driven instrumental music in the current day and age of rock, than I think anyone is even close to admitting to. Every tour they go on, be it here in states or in other countries, sell out almost instantly. They have some of the most innovative records to date that are much more than meet the eye while Tim Henson and Scott LePage may actually be the reincarnations Steve Vai and Joe Satriani with the mind of a wacked out Hip-Hop producer for a millennial ear. They sold out the club and there were people begging for tickets outside the whole night, let’s dive into this night shall we?
As the follow-up to the big debut, there is a lot on the line for any artist’s second album, but Mothica wasn’t afraid to jump the gun creatively with her concept record Nocturnal (releasing via her own imprint with Rise Records, Heavy Heart Records). While her last album Blue Hour explored the developmental period of becoming sober, Nocturnal dwells on the dark aftermath and search for a new meaning. With a whopping seventeen tracks including an introduction and three interludes, she took a risk with an unconventional album format – one that overall worked out in her favor.
The new Babymetal album starts off with a funky blend of techno video game and chunky 90s metal power chords. It then whiplashes into some futuristic techno power metal thing. The effect is a dizzying display of aural assault. If you aren’t into mind-bending disparate genre mixing, then you probably won’t like Metal Galaxy (earMusic/BMD Fox Records). Continue reading
Global metal sensation BABYMETAL has shared a new music video for their single ‘Shanti Shanti Shanti’ from their upcoming album Metal Galaxy out October 11th via earMUSIC. The track comes in the midst of their North American tour that culminates in their first US arena show at The Forum in Los Angles on album release day, where they will bring their huge, Japanese-style production to the States for the first time. Metal Galaxy coming October 11th, features Joakim Brodén of Sabaton, Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy, guitarists Tim Henson and Scott LePage from Polyphia, Thai-rapper F.HERO and B’z guitarist Tak Matsumoto (full tracklisting below). Watch the video now!Continue reading
Check out all of today’s new releases in the music world you need to know about, from your friends at Ghost Cult!Continue reading