A death Cinematic- Corrosions of Traveled Daydreams CS (Tycho Magnetic Anomalies)

Just over two months ago, I was fortunate enough to interview a death cinematic, who briefly made mention of a future cassette release from Tycho Magnetic Anomalies. Such a short time later, I find that a copy of this cassette has made its way into my hands (and many other copies are available for purchase), and I'm finding myself surprised once again by an artist whose music has already been in my thoughts for years. As always, a death cinematic has outdone himself with both presentation and music. This is his first cassette release, and he has transitioned quite nicely from digital to analog with this album.

a death cinematic has always had an audience with the drone metal community despite lack of any direct "heavy metal" sections in the songs, but the very first moments of "Corrosions of Traveled Daydreams" consist of a nearly galloping riff that lasts just long enough to disintegrate into cleaner, gentler territory than I've usually heard from this artist. The contrast between two new extremes presented here had already gained my interest, but even without context of a death cinematic's other releases, this album impresses me. Clean guitars seamlessly integrate with the hum of gently rolling drones, and melancholic notes stretch slowly across percussive static. Despite the melody so often displayed, this is not so much a reflection of joy as it is the aural equivalent of the last glimmer of hope. These are not songs for the victorious nearly in the sense that these are songs for survivors. If there is any beauty at all, it is only in the knowledge that the world will continue its course regardless of humanity's intentions. Desolation and rebuilding have long been at the heart of a death cinematic's sound. With this release, the two have merged into a sort of functional emptiness. From soft to entirely jagged, the sounds and colors swirl and  soar through a bleak and unchanging landscape. The world a death cinematic shares here may be covered in soot, but its rivers still run and the roots of the trees still grow. The song titles and sonic paintings tell of a human race that has lost itself in a way that would make Cormac McCarthy smile, if he's capable of such a thing. There is little good left in humanity, and nature will eventually undo our messes when we finally finish destroying ourselves, at least if I've been listening properly.

Perhaps my words have been a bit abstract here, but when dealing with music of this nature, I find concepts and feelings become stronger than genres and ideas. a death cinematic works just as much in textures and blurred sounds as with defined song structures and discernible instrumentation. To limit a review to simply touching upon the musical characteristics would be a disservice to music that is created with such a visual and conceptual approach. In fact, accompanying this album are a set of photographs and vellum prints, along with a poem, an etched wood box, and decals with the album cover's trademark dead bird. The entire experience of this album is both humbling and impressive, and demonstrates an expertise that I hope to witness again soon. This release has been limited to a mere 60 copies, yet some are still available from the label at this time. As a reviewer and lover of music, it's my duty to recommend you purchase this before they sell out.

Jason Hodge- Hope Has Abandoned Us Cassette (Enemata Productions)

Sometimes when examining an album, I get the feeling that there's a greater context to the music than might initially be given. Whether it's lyrical themes for some bands or a larger sense of purpose associated with a particular album, knowing the background story can deepen one's appreciation for a piece of music. Jason Hodge's recent release,"Hope Has Abandoned Us," is absolutely an album whose value and weight grow immensely with proper background information. This cassette was recorded during a dark period in his life shortly following the death of his grandfather and the flooding of his surviving grandmother's home. While many artists would be content to merely use grief or frustration as a catalyst for creating something, Jason Hodge decided to record a large portion of this album in the abandoned building, utilizing items found in the house as part of this cathartic and dense recording.

The A-side contains the track "Carried on Crippled Wings/Forcing Pieces to Fit," which is a dark and seething journey that makes me envision a world entirely in grayscale. Musicians whose works fall under the general umbrella of "noise" often tend to feel disconnected, but Jason Hodge's music seems personal, urgent, and even somewhat desperate and frustrated. There is a tension that impresses itself upon the listener. This isn't harsh noise, nor is this mellow drone. What this music does is convey emotions in a genre that often lacks them. If anything, I feel almost overwhelmed by the swelling sounds presented in this first side, which attack like waves against a flimsy barrier. As hasty structures tend to do, the sound barrier gives way after a few minutes to a rolling terror of lower frequencies akin to the engine of an aircraft or the base of a waterfall. The rest of the song continues as some sort of violent deterioration, with scraping percussion fighting with the rolling noises of water or heavy machinery for aural dominance until everything has been ruined and the chaos slowly fades beneath its own weight. The intensity is unparalleled without resorting to some of the easy shock tactics of the genre, which is what makes this tape so compelling. Even at its most aggressive, this album never becomes a barrier of assorted frequencies, nor does a violent vocalization ever make an appearance. Not that those ideas or sounds are necessarily bad, but many artists fall back on them as safety nets where bolder sounds might have worked just as well. The B-side here is home of "Hymn for a Hollow Body," which appropriately enough is a slightly more tonal track, although it is entirely cold and distant, with much of the song's first few minutes sound something like echoes of wind in a cave. The song progresses into an almost mechanical howl which constructs a great rolling emptiness of sorts, a center of nothingness in the song around which all the other sounds revolve. By the time this turbulent tape has ended, the subtle hum of speakers conveying silence is a welcome comfort in which I bask for a few minutes. In a way, the phantom sounds constructed by my brain after this album are almost the perfect counterbalance to the chaos it inflicted. I feel that perhaps this whole album was designed with such a purpose: to force so much pain out that nothing but cathartic bliss remains by the end.

Copies of this tape are currently available from Enemata Productions and are well worth obtaining while they're still available. Keep an eye out for Jason's upcoming releases; he's a very efficient and productive musician and he seems to pop up on new labels all the time.

100th Post Commemorative: A Retrospective Glance at A Pregnant Light's Discography

It's been just shy of seven months since I started this blog, and I realize I haven't had much occasion to geek out on one of my personal favorite artists, A Pregnant Light. Since this is my 100th post, I feel it's important for me to share something I love, regardless of ease of purchase. A Pregnant Light was one of the first artists that helped me rediscover my love of extreme music, specifically in the analog format, and their discography has grown rapidly over the past year or so. Initially I declined to review new APL releases, as they often sold out before I'd receive my copy in the mail. With APL's home label, Colloquial Sound Recordings, deciding to repress a few tapes and open up certain releases for digital sale, I feel that there is no better time than the present for me to do a retrospective review of this compelling artist's brief yet prolific career.

I was fortunate enough to discover this band before their first cassette, The Feast of Clipped Wings, had sold out. Upon hearing the sample of the opening track, "Under Consult of the Dragon," I was immediately sold on this band's ferocious mix of melodic hardcore and aggressive black metal. The urgent pace set on this album has its roots in hardcore punk, yet the jagged and beautiful riffs here seem to come from a darker, more introspective place. Another remarkable thing that caught my attention was the completely reckless and passionate vocal style, which has a cathartic intensity that is seldom found in black metal, more often reserved for masochistic groups like Pig Destroyer or Converge. Despite the sense of vulnerability I find within this album, I can't help but feel like these songs have become my own personal anthems of strength, helping to overcome things I had once imagined as insurmountable. While A Pregnant Light has released many fantastic cassettes since this first assault, this album still holds a high position in my heart and its personality and the quality of personal strength can be heard in most of APL's other offerings.

Following an album as fast and passionate as The Feast of Clipped Wings would prove challenging for most bands, but with the subsequent split with black noise artist SADOS entitled The Sky Conspired Against Thee Before Thy Bones Had Dried, APL proved to be a band with more than one voice. Rather than dialing in a track or two that might not have fit on the first album, APL offers up the monstrous "Draining Fragrance," which fills its nearly ten minutes in length with a sonic journey through a familiar ferocity and a new sense of self-restraint, tension, and uneasiness. The song begins as if it's caught in the midst of a storm yet soon finds a source of shelter, a place from which the song grows and climbs through valleys of ambiance and textured melody upward towards a massive peak before crawling away to die in solitude. While the b-side of the tape belongs to SADOS, to ignore their involvement in this release is folly. "Frail" is a beautiful yet chilling fusion of power electronics and fuzzy black metal that serves as a surprisingly appropriate pairing with APL's soaring contribution. The purity of the atmosphere SADOS craft is supreme and I'm eager to hear more from this artist, who seems to have been dormant since this mighty release. This tape is neither available for purchase nor download at the moment, but keep an eye out for this gem. It's well worth obtaining.

APL's third offering is another split, this time with UK horde Obscure Lupine Quietus. APL's two tracks here present more of the black metal aesthetic than either previous release, but are still distinctive much like any other APL work. "Burning Basin" opens things up with a relentless energy, and "On A Banquet Table" follows up with well-arranged majesty, presenting the closest thing to atmospheric black metal I've heard from thisartist. While not necessarily the darkest album APL has released, these tracks feel most appropriate when played after the sun has set. Flipping the tape over presents Obscure Lupine Quietus, who contribute two tracks of raw, mid-paced black metal perfection. "Ascension Through Cold Mists" lives up to its name with shrill aggressive vocals and icy leads carving themselves into memory with vicious precision. While this is the only OLQ release I've heard, I'm certain that their others are equally chilling and worth my while. The second edition of this magnificent tape is currently available, so snag it while you can.

As if the many faces of A Pregnant Light aren't already apparent with the first three releases, the fourth tape, entitled Live to Tell, pays direct homage to one of popular music's most polarizing divas, Madonna. While the second press of this tape is now available with a fourth track, I don't yet own a copy of the newer edition and am therefore not qualified to discuss the nature of this newest offering, but the three tracks on the original version show a band just as unafraid of criticism as Madonna herself. While the black metal community might shun an artist for releasing a tape like this, I've always viewed extreme music as a place of both rebellion and acceptance. If our community cannot embrace an act of rebellion against itself, perhaps we're becoming a bit closed-minded. The two original tracks here highlight a dark beauty that is commonly found in post-punk and new wave, as shown on "Possession of Diamond," which incorporates these uncommon melodies without losing sight of A Pregnant Light's trademark intensity. The Madonna cover features guest musicians from Amber Asylum joining in to create a stunning rendition, complete with haunting organ and female vocals exploring another new territory for this adventurous band.

After a tape like Live to Tell, A Pregnant Light had pretty much set a standard for unpredictable yet high quality music. While anything would seem expected at this point, the bar was raised yet again shortly after with two new tapes released at the same time. With greater quantities than the other new release, Death My Hanging Doorway, is a 21 minute offering of futility and passion. If previous epics hadn't already made it apparent that A Pregnant Light exists with the primary purpose of generating pure expression, this album takes all prior sonic blueprints and melds them together into something so intense that it leaves me exhausted. This album makes a stronger representation of unified sound, with the drums showing more clarity and variation than ever before, creating the sensation of a full band more than many solo artists could hope to achieve. If any album from A Pregnant Light sounds like inner turmoil, this is it. There's an almost ambitious element to the pain presented here, a ritualistic negativity of sorts, but not necessarily a release from whatever suffering is at the music's core. The first edition came bound with rope in a unique and beautiful presentation, and is available from Handmade Birds. Copies of this tape's second edition are available again, and I strongly recommend purchasing one while possible.

Released at the same time as Death My Hanging Doorway, but in a limited edition of 33 is quite possibly A Pregnant Light's most surprising release, Most High Place. The three tracks on this cassette are by far the darkest things I've heard from this artist, although anything resembling the punk and metal aesthetic is absent here. If Death My Hanging Doorway was a self-punishment of some sort, Most High Place is where A Pregnant Light has hidden away to recover in the shadows. The disarming quiet here reminds me of The Cure circa Faith or perhaps even the most reflective moments of early Nine Inch Nails. Stripped electronic percussion and sparse guitars provide a smoky backdrop for distant vocals that exist somewhere between a whisper and a distant rasp. Black metal fans might scoff at this album, but I find it to be a dark refuge from all chaos outside of myself. No samples of this album exist for the public's ears, nor is this tape available for purchase. The first edition came packaged in an envelope with cards hinting at the album's message. Perhaps a second edition will shed even more light at some time.

Not two weeks after the dual release, A Pregnant Light released St. Emaciation, which is something of a return to the style presented between the first two releases.The fur-clad woman on the cover hints at the dichotomy of beauty and ugliness presented within as she wears the skin of another creature while attempting to convey sensuality. The two tracks here are melodic and swirling pieces of gorgeous, mid-paced black metal. "Creation Rhythm" has the steady pace of a heartbeat driving its beauty onward. "Fertility Cult" is even slower, a crawling testament to A Pregnant Light's mastery of extreme atmospheres. This is currently available as a digital download and is well worth the investment.

The most recent output from A Pregnant Light is the brief and ferocious album, Hear the Slow, Slow Shadow. Recorded in the haze of a drunken afternoon, this is possibly the most stripped down and aggressive thing I've heard from this project to date. Every song flows together, yet each individual piece is abrupt and urgent. Songs like "Down Sanity" linger around long enough to tear out your throat and leave before you've had the chance to realize it. This one's also currently unavailable but will probably see a second release in some format given enough time.

So there you have it. I'm super stoked on this artist's work. Colloquial Sound has always impressed me with the consistency of their artists, but this one in particular has a very special place in my heart and in my music library. The picture above is my complete APL collection. See that shirt? Those are still available as well, and are super comfy, so grab one if you're into it. Anyway, thanks to all of my readers for sticking around this long. I didn't expect to write more than five posts before giving up, but clearly I've been on a bit of a roll. Maybe we'll see a few hundred more in years to come. Thanks everybody, I'll be back with a series of posts very soon.

Blood of the Moon- "MMXII" CS (Wohrt Records)

Tampa-based Wohrt Records has been a source of surprise and inspiration to me for the past couple of years in which I've resided here. Wohrt frequently releases music by bands I've never heard of who manage to completely annihilate most of the competition. Blood of the Moon are a self-described Heathen Horde from New Zealand, and this short yet brutal demo is no exception to the tradition of quality that Wohrt has established. In a genre where original names are running short, the band's name alone manages to evoke an ominous image, and the music presented within absolutely fits the bill.

This cassette holds three tracks, one of which is an introduction. The introductory track alone captivates me as a listener, with some of the coldest riffs I've heard in a while setting the pace for the brief onslaught to come. The first full track, "Conquered and Forgotten," (perhaps a nod to the mighty Judas Iscariot?) is the aural equivalent of pure punishment. This song is a perfect sonic representation of both the ultimate chaos of war as well as the torture often received by prisoners of war. Many black metal bands play with imagery of war, torture, and the like, but few bands can actually capture the haunting essence of the battlefield and the horror of man killing man, but Blood of the Moon have successfully created a sense of fear, terror, and hatred that takes my mind to darker places than my own eyes have seen. The closer, "Desecrate Upon Thee" carves itself into the listener's ear with equal brutality and skill. I've been nodding along the whole time while writing this review, and on all prior listens. I know of few bands from New Zealand, but all of them are worthy forces. I feel that Blood of the Moon is in good company then, as they've already earned my respect with this brief offering of hatred and venom.

Wohrt has initially released this in a batch of 100 cassettes, with the first twenty containing a back patch and the remaining 80 containing standard sized patches, all of which are beautifully crafted. Much of the stock remains at the time of this publication and I urge my readers to obtain this cassette while Blood of the Moon is still a young force. I imagine that in years to come this release will grow in value and become a valuable collector's item.

New Label Alert: Male Activity

Today I thought I'd try something new. I don't see this being a regular feature, but I recently became acquainted with this new label from Winnipeg and felt that it'd be nice to do something of a profile on each of their three releases. Each of these tapes is out in incredibly limited quantities (less than 30) and each is distinctive and enjoyable. Without further rambling on my part, here's your quick introduction to Male Activity.

First off, we've got MA:001, a split between Gashkadin and wet nurse. Gashkadin holds down the a-side with three tracks. The music is dense and ominous, evoking a world obscured by billowing smoke. There may be cries for help in the distance, but the likelihood of understanding or helping those on the other side of the cassette is nonexistent. In the last track on the first side of the tape, the yelling becomes clearer as it cuts through screeching feedback. By the time the song ends, the voice becomes buried again, and I feel as though I've escaped some kind of violent fate. Wet Nurse. takes the b-side to a noticeably more depressing place, with some distant melodies joining the mix alongside squealing static and yells of desperation. The tape (or possibly just this side, it's hard to tell by the inlay) is dedicated to the memory of an individual named Sidney Bradford. This almost sounds like a cathartic release for the loss of a friend, but I might be looking too far into it. Regardless, this tape is a fantastic beginning for this label and I'm totally sold.

MA:002 distinguishes itself from the first tape quite nicely, a good omen for this label which proves that they aren't focusing on just one aspect of sonic madness. The second tape is an untitled release by Bedroom Suite, a slightly more calming experience than MA:001.  Subtle piano and crackly loops drone their way across a slowly shifting landscape in the first untitled track, much like the motion of sand dunes which grow and change shape with the winds. The album as a whole has a feeling of remembrance, but isn't quite nostalgic. Instead I almost feel like I'm eavesdropping on a sonic representation of somebody's regrets. There is certainly a depressing and haunting atmosphere here, but as someone who spends a lot of time with darker music, I find this to be overall soothing and highly enjoyable and this will definitely appeal to folks who don't normally delve into the noise and drone genres. As of the time of this article's posting, this cassette has officially sold out. Keep an eye out for more from this artist.

MA:003 is the most recently release from this label, and it's another solid tape to round out an already promising roster of noise artists. This tape, "I" by Khfiva, is perhaps the warmest and most inviting of the three tapes in the initial Male Activity batch. Gentle drones hum back and forth while occasional percussion and clamor occur in the background. Whereas Bedroom Suite is depressingly mellow, this album is slightly less mellow yet seems to come from a more inviting place. For the uninitiated, this might be the most welcoming of the three tapes, although I wouldn't turn anybody away from any of these fantastic albums.

In case I haven't made it clear enough, you should probably rush to Male Activity's bigcartel page for a chance to grab these before they sell out. If they haven't sold out by the time this post reaches your collective eyes, I'm hoping that my kind words will change the scenario.

Music Review: Breathing Problem- "Reactive Attachment Disorder" CS (Wohrt Records)

Today's post came to me rather unexpectedly. When I heard there would be a new Breathing Problem tape released on Wohrt Records, I knew I had to have it. I was told I'd be in for a depressing experience with this album, but even the most intense of warnings couldn't come close. This is a collection of bleak noise and melancholy sound textures that will instantly darken even the brightest of days, and I love it.

This album brings no semblance of purity, joy, or safety. Breathing Problem skips any pretenses by opening the album up with a track that sounds like the listener has walked in during the middle of something bleak and hideous. Let me make it clear that while I often describe black metal albums on here as being hideous, filthy, or dark, the darkness here goes deeper than anything most metal bands would convey. This album delves into some terribly unpleasant territory that makes me feel rather unsettled, with tracks like "Chemical Aversion" boldly describing some of the sickest thoughts and perversions I've heard committed to tape. If the music didn't carry enough depression and futility by itself, a quick glance and the lyrical content instantly makes me uneasy. The moments with clarity and structure are some of the most terrifying here, as drug addiction, physical abuse, torture, and decay are fetishized with no apology. There are many bands whose music conveys an idea or concept that could trouble some folks, but Breathing Problem do it with conviction. As a fan of challenging and uncomfortable music, I'm thrilled to hear something so truly hideous, but this is definitely not an easy listening experience for even these hardened ears. The music is surprisingly soothing at times for the attitudes conveyed here, but it does little to soften the sensation of being slowly smothered by a parent or other trusted authority figure. 

If you're eager for a depressing journey through textured noise of every nature, then I urge you to obtain this cassette immediately, as I expect all 100 copies will sell out within 24 hours. Supplementing the suffocating experience is some of Wohrt's finest packaging yet. My copy came with a zine-style book, professionally printed with lyrics and graphic imagery. In addition, each package comes with a Breathing Problem button and a small paper poster. If you haven't yet heard any of Breathing Problem's output, this is an excellent release to start your collection. Since the official release has just gone live, I recommend grabbing it as soon as you're able.

Free Music Friday: Abhean- "Recollections"

We're starting off 2013's Free Music Friday with a release from a younger label than I typically cover. I had the pleasure of obtaining a copy of Abhean's cassette from Cloister Recordings a month or two ago, but hadn't yet written a proper review due to holiday madness, school, and the like. Now that things are slightly mellower here, I'm able to properly convey the beauty and brilliance of this recording.

This album focuses heavily on nature and natural themes, both in song title and atmosphere. It's very rare that I get the feeling of actually being out in the woods from music, but this release does it quite successfully. "Dreams of Rain" especially captivates and draws me in, with its steady drumbeat setting the stage for the soothing and tranquil sounds of rainfall in a forest.While the whole album brings me serenity, there is an underlying darkness present throughout this recording. Just as being immersed by nature can be beautiful, there can be dangers that hide just outside of our vision. From start to finish, this is an actual journey more than just an attempt at conveying a feeling.  The closing track is a bonus recording from a live performance, and it's certainly the most intense and unsettling track here. Especially after the trance-like state the preceding tracks created for me, this song caught me off guard, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

As always with Free Music Friday, there's a free download available from Abhean's bandcamp, however I must also recommend the cassette for purchase from Cloister Recordings. In addition to being a beautifully packaged cassette, this tape comes with an 11x17 poster. They're limited to 100 copies, so you should get on it quickly.

Music Review: Din of Awakening- "Demo II" Cassette

Din of Awakening are an entity that have been drawing my interest for a relatively short span of time. Just a few months ago, I'd never heard of them. After noticing their debut cassette was featured on SVN OKKLT, I decided to give them some attention. An initial listen didn't fully capture my attention, yet I felt compelled to listen again. The first demo from Din of Awakening eventually grew on me, with its hazy and oppressive songs pairing nicely with its obvious inspiration from cult film Begotten. When I learned they had a second demo being released so shortly after, I was quite excited and decided to obtain a copy for myself. As a shared release from Fallen Empire in the US and Mordgrimm in the UK, this is another promising release from this young one-man project.

This second slab of filth is instantly very different. These three untitled tracks carry a strong death metal influence that the first demo lacked. Vocals are more present and aggressive and there's a greater sense of urgency here. The packaging is well designed yet sparse, primarily calling for support for the Animal Liberation Front, a group whose intense and urgent message pairs quite well with the aggression presented on this demo. The first track switches between melodic leads and bass heavy beat downs that would put modern day hardcore bands to shame in the best way possible. The second track comes in more slowly yet with equal aggression and almost has a groove you can pick out and move along with. About halfway in the volume drops considerably, making time for a quick bass solo before the entire song comes back with redoubled force and purpose. The shift in music gave me a slight alarm and I believe it was intentional. The unpredictable nature of this music is what makes it so compelling, after all. The closing track opens with feedback and fuzzy riffs that remind me of material from the first Din of Awakening demo, yet the production here is still much meatier and more balanced. This is probably the most typically black metal track on the album, although it's currently my personal favorite.

If you're interested in hearing these three hideous enigmas, you can listen in full before making a purchase. As with a handful of other recently reviewed albums, this cassette can be obtained in the Fallen Empire store for the pretty reasonable price of five dollars. With such a prolific project, I expect there will be many more Din of Awakening albums to come. Get on board before these sell out. For a beer pairing, I recommend any thick, dark beer. Even a standard Guinness will do the trick. You want something intense and thick, just like this music.

Free Music Friday: Powerviolence USA compilation

This one's been waiting to be posted for a good little while. Physical copies of this tape are no longer available, however you can purchase it for the price you see fit on the bandcamp page. First off, this thrasher has eighteen bands in less than half an hour. How can you ignore the opportunity to find a few new favorite bands in such a short period of time? I know I discovered a few new favorites of my own from this little gem.  With a name like USA Powerviolence, these are obviously short, aggressive songs, but there's more variety within this genre than an outsider may imagine. From slow and chunky with hoarse yells to blastbeats and high pitched shrieks, this collection does a good job of showcasing the diverse and intense community of underground American powerviolence, grind, and hardcore bands.

While every single band on this cassette is ferocious and ready to tear the listener's head off, there were a few that definitely stood out for me. The violent 39 seconds of noise from Necklacing are worth serious mention. It's some of the most chaotic and memorable grind I've heard in quite a while. Everything about this song sounds absolutely desperate in the best way possible. Also, the group immediately after, Gorilla Pussy, were shockingly good. I was expecting to be disappointed by a band with such a name, but this is a perfect example of grind and punk done right. They keep things fresh by changing the pace and atmosphere frequently rather than locking into one groove and sticking with it. I also have to give a nod to a pre-existing favorite (and the reason I bought this cassette initially), False Light for being as impressive as always. If you aren't already familiar with them, get on it now. Finally, I couldn't help but make mention of PxBxS. These guys are a name I'd never even heard before but their contribution to this compilation blew me away. It opens with a chilling sample that gives way to some of the most peculiar and wonderful hardcore I've heard in quite a while. Rather than simply going for the throat with speed, the two tracks from PxBxS had me on my toes and paying full attention. I'm keeping an eye out for future releases from these guys without a doubt.

As always, give it a listen and do your part to support the artists that you feel deserve it. I've got a couple new packages here at home so expect more reviews of excellent new music soon.