Vanna will be celebrating 20 years of “The Search Party Never Came” on that run.
The post Being As An Ocean, Vanna, Upon Your Dead Body & Lowheaven To Tour In July appeared first on Theprp.com.
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Unlocking Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Secret Magic
Derek Trucks tells UCR about their newest album, Future Soul, and how artists like Eric Clapton and the Allman Brothers Band have fueled their "lifelong pursuit" of music. Continue reading… -
Five Finger Death Punch Preview New Single “Eye Of The Storm”
Forecasted for later this month.
The post Five Finger Death Punch Preview New Single “Eye Of The Storm” appeared first on Theprp.com.
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She’s In Charge: Cindy Sherman, Director of Her Own Image
In the patriarchal theater of contemporary art and photography, women typically served as the passive muse. Cindy Sherman shattered that dynamic and mastered the art of identity. She took complete ownership of the camera, the lighting, the wardrobe, and the narrative, establishing herself as the absolute director of her own image.
Emerging in the late 1970s, Sherman hijacked the visual language of cinema with her groundbreaking work Untitled Film Stills. She transformed herself into a catalog of classic female archetypes like the weeping housewife, the stranded ingenue, and the femme fatale. By holding the shutter release cable in her own hand, often visibly in the frame, she signaled to the world her role as the unseen puppet master. She mimicked the male gaze specifically to expose its artificial and manufactured nature.
As the decades progressed, she aggressively pushed her artistic boundaries. In her 1981 Centerfolds series, she utilized the dimensions of men’s magazines to display anxiety and vulnerability, turning the voyeuristic gaze back on the viewer. Through her later History Portraits and Society Portraits, she applied grotesque prosthetics and heavy theatrical makeup to mock the revered history of Western art and the modern obsession with youth. She bypassed the demand for female beauty to cement her status as the brilliant architect of her own transformations.
Her story radiates empowerment through her systematic elimination of the middleman. Society constantly attempts to dictate female identity and appearance. Sherman seized total autonomy over her representation, proving the ability to manipulate restrictive stereotypes and forge them into high art. She is simultaneously the artist and the canvas, the director and the star, demonstrating that true power originates from dictating your own narrative.
Every woman navigates a complex wardrobe of societal roles and expectations every single day. Cindy Sherman’s legacy is a brilliant reminder of our inherent power to set the stage and decide which version of ourselves receives the spotlight. When the world attempts to frame you, you possess the ultimate authority to take the camera, change the lens, and direct the masterpiece yourself.
Disclaimer: Featured image is a stock image of a photographer and does not represent Cindy Sherman
The post She’s In Charge: Cindy Sherman, Director of Her Own Image first appeared on FemMetal – Goddesses of Metal.
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Gig Review: Smash Into Pieces / Enemy Inside / Dark Divine – Garage, Glasgow (4th May 2026)
The last time that I think Smash Into Pieces were in town was in November 2023, when I had another engagement and the gig was covered by Kristal and Jack. I wasn’t going to miss this return visit in a larger venue, and after the release of their rather good ArmaHeaven album (review here). The queue for … Continue reading Gig Review: Smash Into Pieces / Enemy Inside / Dark Divine – Garage, Glasgow (4th May 2026) -
Kat Moss Addresses The Disappearance Of Scowl And The Band’s Current Status
While Scowl have kept their absence this year low-key, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. The melodic hardcore band, who last played live in December of 2025, vacated their touring plans for 2026. That move left fans wondering if the group had broken up, especially when a member of the outfit began looking for gigs elsewhere on…
The post Kat Moss Addresses The Disappearance Of Scowl And The Band’s Current Status appeared first on Theprp.com.
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Opensight Track By Track Run Down of ‘The Outfit’
Opensight Track By Track Run Down of ‘The Outfit’
OPENSIGHT are braced to drop their brand new album, The Outfit, on Friday 15th May via Inertial Music. We exclusively caught up with the band and asked them for a track by track breakdown of the songs that make up the album:
Procesión de la Muerte – This is us trying to do a Morricone-style Mexican standoff intro — the kind of funeral-duel music that builds right before characters draw their guns. The working title (‘Death March’) felt too cliché, so in the studio our drummer asked how it would sound in Spanish. The full Colombian-accented reply made everyone smile, and Procesión de la Muerte instantly felt right. Its melodic theme returns in the next song ‘Killer Outfit’ to tie the opening together and give the album some continuity.
Killer Outfit – Killer Outfit throws caution to the wind about a powerful presence — magnetic and maybe even dangerous — and touches upon what makes someone stand out in a world that expects everyone to blend in. It’s that revelatory moment of seeing things clearly and embracing one’s true self, when innocence fades and there’s no turning back. Musically, the dramatic riffs and wah-guitar interludes were inspired by Japanese crime films from the 60s and 70s. The title ties into the album name and works as a play on words: it can describe someone’s striking presence… or a bunch of sharp-dressed mischievers…
In Plain Sight – One can move through the world unnoticed even — or perhaps especially — when carrying something different inside. It’s about clarity of vision and discovering that same hidden fire in others. The notion of The Director’s Cult as a quiet circle of people with an “open sight” (those about to see) began to reveal itself with this song. Musically, we see it as a mix between a John Barry or Lalo Schifrin crime-thriller theme with an 80s Hard Rock/Heavy Metal edge, complete with a catchy melodic chorus and both guitars trading solos.
Defying Eye – Defying Eye describes the awakening moment when one’s true self can’t be contained anymore — the point where the inner spark insists on rising, no matter how much the world tries to tame one’s heart into the commonplace. It also hints at the risk of being ostracised as different, or even insane, simply for being unmistakably passionate. Musically, it channels empowering 80s Metal energy with big refrains, memorable vocal melodies, a twin-guitar harmony after the first solo, and a dramatic crime-film motif played on surf-rock-style guitars and intricate bass lines, all drenched in atmosphere.
Iris (I Rise) – This song has a main riff inspired by Italian Giallo film scores and was built around it, with a bombastic orchestral section in the middle that gets pretty dramatic. Lyrically, it deals with the idea of eyes being the window to the soul — to one’s true essence. That inner presence finally rises, powerfully and inevitably, burning bright and cutting through everything in its way. It’s the true self pushing through, or The Director calling from within. The truth lies within, but sometimes truth hurts.Broken Vow – Broken Vow hints at the emotional reality of watching someone abandon what once mattered to them. A sad reflection of someone who once shared your passion but gave up on it. It’s the symbolic return to conformity after abandoning one’s calling, even when deep down they know there’s nothing out there for them. People who were once close can suddenly feel like perfect strangers. Musically, the chorus riff takes inspiration from Ennio Morricone’s The Sicilian Clan, and there’s a bombastic double-kick section heightens the drama. Instead of a traditional solo, there’s an atmospheric two-part guitar harmony leading into a church-like VOX Continental passage.
Mantra – Mantra carries a strong Spaghetti Western intention, built around chant-like vocals that rely on repetition. Like a mirage in the desert, people often repeat comforting mantras that aren’t necessarily real but help them cope — until the disillusionment hits. The drums lean into a more tribal, atmospheric feel that drives the dark, hypnotic pulse, contrasting with the heavier sections, especially the melodic vocal refrain that’s unexpectedly funky and far less mean-spirited.
The Director’s Curse – This short instrumental began as an outro to Mantra. It evokes angst and disorientation — nightmarish hallucinations, confusion, and a feeling of wandering in a no-man’s-land in the desert. It keeps the mirage-like atmosphere but shifts into something more lo-fi and unsettling, with a melody that remains strangely pleasant despite the unease.
Final Cut – Despite the title, Final Cut was probably the first song completed for the album. Built on funky “car-chase” wah guitars and an upbeat rhythm, it reflects on the things we leave behind — how life choices eventually narrow into one clear, decisive action, a closing statement before one’s time is up.
Heist – Sonically, this song leans more towards a Euro-Crime Film or Cop-Drama score, which fits with the title. Although the ‘heist’ relates more to the idea of how personal things that are precious become fragile the moment they’re revealed, and how certain forces in the world try to strip away what one loves most when they notice it. The track uses only two verses sung in two-part harmonies before exploding into a bombastic finale, complete with eerie theremin lines floating over the heavier sections.
Delusion – This is the most intimate song on the album, soaked in melancholic clean guitars, deep melodic bass lines and textured drums over a bed of atmospheric keyboards. The mood is mainly melancholic but tinged with angst. The words lament an emotional battle with self-doubt, the loss of identity, and the disappointment of realising what one has become under the spell of the world around. The guitar licks at the end were mostly improvised, but they carry a very personal feel and close the album on that intimate note.”
For more on Opensight, check out:
The post Opensight Track By Track Run Down of ‘The Outfit’ appeared first on The Razor's Edge.
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Action Bronson – “Peppers” (Feat. Roc Marciano)
Are we witnessing the Action Bronsonaissance? “Triceratops,” the NYC rap foodie’s recent collab with Paul Wall and Lil Yachty, was fire. So is the next single from Planet Frog, Bronson’s new LP out this week. “Peppers” pairs him with fellow New York emcee extraordinare Roc Marciano, both of them flexing in their signature styles over…
The post Action Bronson – “Peppers” (Feat. Roc Marciano) appeared first on Stereogum.
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Full Album Stream: laCasta –Olibanvm
Crusty Italian black metalists laCasta have been at it for more than a decade but are only now following up their 2020 debut In Aeturnvm with a new batch of sonic ugliness called Olibanvm (aka Frankincense). This relentless quartet—Marino Martellotta (bass), Sbrough (drums), Mario Morgante (guitars), Alessandro Donnaloia (vocals/synths)—are offering here a sneak peek of the nine tracks (in 34 minutes) that comprise their latest effort. It’s a suffocating and wretched concoction of black metal savagery and crusty hardcore intensity, traversing from blast beats to thudding, mid-tempo crunch, all accompanied by Donnaloia’s enraged, primal exortations.
Olibanvm was recorded, mixed and mastered by Sebastiano Lillo and Paolo Palmieri at Slap Studio in South Italy, 2025. It’s set for release on CD and digitally via Argonauta Records on May 8. Place your preorder here.
The band discussses the origin of the album title here:
“Frankincense (olibanum), the true incense, embodies the sacred and the cruel, summed in a powerful triad: Ancient as Egypt, Red as Blood, Precious as Gold. Born from deliberate wounds in the resilient Boswellia tree, its milky sap hardens into gem-like ‘tears.’ Once burned for pharaohs and deities, now it rises in funeral rites, each wisp of smoke carrying prayers, guiding souls and lingering as the scent of farewell and the mystery of death.”
The post Full Album Stream: laCasta –<em>Olibanvm</em> appeared first on Decibel Magazine.
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Album Review: Krishna – Absence Of Loss
Album Review: Krishna – Absence Of Loss
Reviewed by Oli Gonzalez
Hailing from sunny Malta, we have post-metal exponents Krishna. Even the term post-metal seems a little reductionist as the word doesn’t fully encapsulate the vast blend of drone, ambient progressive, psychedelic and other sub genres that have influenced the band’s far-reaching sound. Previous efforts such as “Headless” demonstrate this broad and densely layered sound. This record in particular demonstrates the duo’s defiance and downright refusal to stick to traditional songwriting conventions as the album is comprised of a solitary 50 minute monolithic effort! Likely to deter casual spectators and lovers of music pumped out by the charts whilst being like catnip to those who seek something more unconventional and expansive in their music. “Absence Of Loss” is the band’s third release and aims to build on this foundation and demonstrate what they can bring to the world of alternative music.
Like anything in life, you can always view it from a glass half-empty point of view and reduce something to its bare constituent parts. Some may label the music as repetitive, especially with the pace of the song’s progressing like a glacial drip, and immediately write the album off. The 3 song’s hovering round the 25 minute may well certainly deter playlist curators and most radios.
Though here’s an alternative take. Whilst the music is indeed very gradual in its progression, think of it like a great stew or cooking Christmas dinner. Sure, you could throw something in the microwave, but it will be less satisfying than a meal you know you’ve had to graft and truly work for.
That’s how it feels here. Stick through these gradual progressions and you’ll be rewarded with huge cathartic bursts and hugely satisfying crescendos that make the investment in time feel absolutely worth it! Take ‘Abaddon’ for instance. The first 15 minutes or so allows you indulge in a seemingly minimalistic passage with intricate hypnotic guitar and bass lines intertwine to provide a deceptively complex tapestry, with the glass like tones being as aesthetic as they are soothing. The net result is a rather opulent passage that guides you into a relaxed trance like state, especially with the dynamics consistent and comforting. Then in the latter stages of the song, your eardrums will be flooded with the most infectious crunching grooves and chunky guitar riffs, sounding like something from the Mastadon playbook! 25 minutes pass way faster than 25 minutes should do! Though you won’t fully appreciate this crushing finale without going through the first passage.
‘Cryogenic Tomb’ is another example of this slow yet rewarding build, but provides a showcase of guitarist Tim’s vast knowledge of the effects pedals, carving out some rather delightful guitar tones, as introspective as they are atmospheric! Though the distortion comes out in the latter stages, shifting the point of attack and texture of the song. The album’s title track build’s on the theme of introspection, with ‘Absence Of Loss’ feeling bleak, austere, and melancholic in it’s delivery in the outset, before gradually morphing into something more aggressive and abrasive. When, once again, the wall of distortion closes in on you, the dynamics become less sombre, and the undertone becoming more urgent and frantic with each passing note! A gripping crescendo that is again best enjoyed when the song is listened to in whole!
Look, there’s no use sugarcoating this. Some people will simply not be into this kind of music, nor will they have the desire to sit through 25 minute songs! Though for some, this is a triumph in experimental music, demonstrating creativity and artistic expression that are truly boundless.
The post Album Review: Krishna – Absence Of Loss appeared first on The Razor's Edge.