Demigod is coming to theaters and On Demand on Friday, October 15, 2021. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Just in time for the Halloween season, Demigod, starring Rachel Nichols, Jeremy London, and Elena Sanchez opens nationwide in theaters and On Demand on Friday, October 15, 2021. Upon the death of her grandfather, a woman and her husband return to her birthplace in Germany’s Black Forest, only to find a terrifying secret awaits them. Directed by Miles Doleac. (Demigod, 2021)
After her grandfather dies, Robin (Rachel Nichols) and her husband Leo (Yohance Myles) travel to Germany to return to her childhood home in the Black Forest. She grew up there surrounded by the wonders of the forest and has memories of spending time with her grandfather. The more time she spends there, the clearer those memories become and they are not all pleasant ones. Soon after, a group of local witches captures the couple and they, along with other captured locals, become part of an ancient hunting ritual meant to appease Cernunnos. Cernunnos was an ancient Celtic god who represented nature, flora and fauna, and fertility. He is frequently depicted in Celtic art wearing stag antlers or horns and usually a torc around his neck.
Demigod is a horror movie composed mostly of suspenseful horror instead of the type of horror that scares people and haunts them after the movie is over. The Black Forest is the perfect location for this type of dark movie that centers around witches, a demigod, and winter solstice rituals. It also provides excellent cinematography that envelops the action and makes it come alive. Cernunnos’ dark red eyes stand out against the bleak background for dramatic purposes. Having a group of people struggling to survive reveals the strength of the human survival instinct and how far they are willing to go to protect a loved one. Prepare for a plot twist at the end.
Overall, Demigod is entertaining, suspenseful, and at times creepy. The violence is not too graphic, which might otherwise turn off more sensitive viewers. At only an hour and a half long, the story is short and to the point. There is some German dialogue with subtitles.
Digital platforms: iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu, Xbox/Microsoft, Comcast/Xfinity, and more. Demigod, 2021 1 hr. 35 min.
*The author received an opportunity to pre-screen this movie for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
‘This Bright Future: A Memoir’ by Bobby Hall, a.k.a. Logic. Photo: amazon
Bobby Hall, a.k.a. Logic, is a Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artist, author, actor, streamer, and film producer. In addition to his three number-one albums, ten platinum singles, and billions of streams, Hall’s debut book, “Supermarket,” made him the first hip-hop artist to have a #1 New York Times bestselling novel. His new book “This Bright Future: A Memoir” is a raw and unfiltered journey into the life and mind of Bobby Hall who emerged from the wreckage of a horrifically abusive childhood to become an era-defining artist of our tumultuous age. (amazon, 2021)
“This Bright Future: A Memoir” – A self-described orphan with parents, Bobby Hall began life as Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, the only child of an alcoholic, mentally ill mother on welfare and an absent, crack-addicted father. After enduring seventeen years of abuse and neglect, Bobby ran away from home and—with nothing more than a discarded laptop and a ninth-grade education—he found his voice in the world of hip-hop and a new home in a place he never expected: the untamed and uncharted wilderness of the social media age. In the message boards and livestreams of this brave new world, Bobby became Logic, transforming a childhood of violence, anger, and trauma into music that spread a resilient message of peace, love, and positivity. His songs would touch the lives of millions, taking him to dizzying heights of success, where the wounds of his childhood and the perils of Internet fame would nearly be his undoing. A landmark achievement in an already remarkable career, “This Bright Future” looks back on Bobby’s extraordinary life with lacerating humor and fearless honesty. Heart-wrenching yet ultimately uplifting, this book completes the incredible true story and transformation of a human being who, against all odds, refused to be broken.
‘Taco Treats For A Cause’ coupon booklets contain five coupons for a free Bean and Cheese taco. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.
Available now, Taco Cabana is treating guests this Halloween season with the return of its popular Bean and Cheese taco coupon booklets. For a limited time and while supplies last, guests can purchase the booklets for $2 each at all Taco Cabana restaurants across Texas now through October 31, 2021. Each booklet will include five coupons for a free TC classic Bean and Cheese taco. (Taco Cabana, 2021)
The $2 donation from each booklet sold will directly benefit local food banks in San Antonio, Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and El Paso. Coupons are redeemable for free TC Bean and Cheese tacos (one per person, per visit) through November 30, 2021. Coupons may be redeemed in-restaurant or via TC’s convenient drive-thru.
Taco Cabana, a subsidiary of YTC Enterprises, LLC, was founded in 1978. The brand specializes in Tex-Mex-inspired food including enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, flautas, tacos, flour tortillas and a selection of made-from-scratch salsas and sauces. Restaurants feature open-display cooking, a selection of beer and tequila margaritas, patio dining, drive-thru windows, curbside pick-up and delivery. As of October 1, 2021, Taco Cabana operates 142 company-owned restaurants in Texas.
Taco Cabana’s Halloween coupon booklets. Photo: Taco Cabana, used with permission.
Oxtail Mash Up will benefit the community while enriching cultural identity. Photo: Oxtail Mash Up, used with permission.
Oxtail Mash Up, Houston’s coveted culinary mash is back and this year there will be a boozy twist and big national names. On Sunday, November 14 Houston chefs and prized bartenders will come together for a ‘mash up’ of food, drink, art, and music in celebration of the culinary diversity of oxtail and the playfulness of punch. This spirited competition of both food and drink will take place in the lush garden of Project Row Houses, where resident artists will exhibit in the venerable open studios aimed at “encouraging artists to extend their practice outside of the studio into the social context.” Not only are event attendees invited to drink, dine, and dance, but also to step into each exhibit being fully encapsulated by the power of both culinary and resident art. (Oxtail Mashup, 2021)
A percentage of proceeds raised throughout the evening will benefit Project Row Houses and Texas’ Children’s Sickle Cell Anemia programs throughout Houston. Under the glow of Project Row Houses, chefs and bartenders will go head-to-head in two inventive competitions where both judges and attendees crown the evening’s winners.
The Oxtail Mash Up is a culinary competition that brings together some of the industries’ favorite chefs, bartenders, and DJs for an evening of food and drink all for charity. Founded in 2017, this spirited competition is the brainchild of Shakti Baum and partner Warren Luckett, and held in the lush garden of Project Row Houses. The event brings awareness to Texas Children’s Sickle Cell Anemia program and its effects on the African American Community.
Oxtail Mashup welcomes the local-supporting community to gather at Project Row Houses from 6p.m. – 10p.m. on Sunday, November 14, 2021 for an evening tasting event filled with luscious chef-prepared oxtail, custom-crafted punches, black-owned/black-crafted wines, Houston craft beer, and more. Project Row Houses installations will be open and DJ Melodic will be spinning for the season’ premiere evening experience.
EAT: Fourteen chefs will pull from their diverse roots as well as gastronomic inspirations in a challenge to create stellar oxtail creations. Each chef will battle it out for smack-talking rights (people’s choice wins $500) as well as a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico (judges choice).
DRINK: Five bartenders will set the mode onto ‘Island Time’ as they work with previously selected spirits and locally sourced ingredients to craft Tiki-inspired punches. Attendees will crown the best barkeep of the night while our panel of experts selects their own winner for a grand prize of $500 cash. To bring the heat, Oxtail Mashup cofounders – chef, instructor, and event creator Shakti Baum and Black Restaurant Week Founder Warren Luckett – have invited Houston food and drink stars to battle against nationally recognized names. With each chef and bar star a master of their craft and leaders within the industry.
2021 OXTAIL MASHUP CHEFS ● Andre Burns – Burns BBQ (Houston, TX) ● Andremica Braggs – One Feisty Chef (Houston, TX) ● Curtis Evans – EMI Dinner Series / Everybody Eats Philly (Philadelphia, PA) ● Don Bowie – Taste Bar / Rare HTX (Houston, TX) ● Javani King – JKO Kitchen (Houston, TX and Oxtail Mashup 2018 winner) ● Jonny Rhodes – Broham Soul Food and Grocery / Restaurant Indigo (Houston, TX) ● Mark Clayton – Squable (Houston, TX) ● Nicola Blaque – The Jerk Shack / Mi Roti (San Antonio, TX) ● Ossume Collins – KISS (Houston, TX) ● Rishi Singh – Hotel Derek (Houston, TX) ● Robert Butts – Twisted Soul Cookhouse + Pours (Atlanta, GA) (additional chefs to be announced in the coming weeks)
2021 OXTAIL MASH UP BARTENDERS ● Ryan Perry – Rabbit Got the Gun (Houston, TX) ● Jamal Rashad – Slush (Atlanta, GA) (additional bartenders to be announced in the coming weeks)
VIP Event tickets cost $135 and include admission and early entry into the Third Annual Oxtail Mashup event, unlimited sampling of all chef-prepared bites, complimentary cocktails + Hot Toddy Bar (must be 21 or over to consume alcoholic beverages), entry into all Project Row Houses installations, and one parking pass.
General Admission event tickets cost $75 and include admission into the Third Annual Oxtail Mashup event, one sample of each chef-prepared bite, five cocktail tickets + Hot Toddy Bar (must be 21 or over to consume alcoholic beverages, and entry into all Project Row Houses installations).
Project Row Houses is a community platform that enriches lives through art with an emphasis on cultural identity and its impact on the urban landscape. We engage neighbors, artists, and enterprises in collective creative action to help materialize sustainable opportunities in marginalized communities.
Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West hosts Los Callejeros De San Anto on October 24, 2021. Photo: Briscoe Western Art Museum, used with permission.
From the banks of the River Walk, travel to Northern Mexico as you enjoy a night of music under the stars at the Briscoe’s “Sips and Sounds of the West” Norteño Night on October 24. Celebrating all things vaquero in honor of Hispanic heritage and the Briscoe’s fantastic fall exhibition, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo: Contemporary Photography of the Northern Mexican Cowboy, the Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds series will spotlight Norteño music with band Los Callejeros De San Anto in the museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden at 6p.m. The ticketed event is a night of music, drinks and tacos under the stars. (Briscoe Western Art Museum, 2021)
Launched by Piñata Protest front man Alvaro Del Norte with bandmates Jose Morales on bajo sexton, bassist Richie Brown and Chris Ramirez on drums, Los Callejeros De San Anto blends well known influences of Conjunto and Norteño into the perfect Tex-Mex street band and is “abuela approved.” Sips and Sounds of the West: Norteño Night tickets are $15 for museum members and $25 for non-members. Each ticket includes two complimentary beer tickets. Food Truck fare is available for purchase from Dona Kika’s Tacos & Gorditas.
Norteño music is native to the Mexican state of Sonora, the birthplace of the modern cowboy featured in Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo. Making its United States debut at the Briscoe, the exhibition details a legacy with profound influence on the American West. With almost sixty images that span more than twenty years of the lives of the vaqueros, Vaqueros de la Cruz del Diablo features celebrated photographer Werner Segarra inviting audiences to peer into the world of the Norteño Cowboys, not as a casual tourist, but as an intimate observer. The exhibition is open to the public through January 24, 2022, and is included with museum admission.
Courtesy photo, used with permission
The Briscoe’s Sips and Sounds of the West series highlights the soundtrack of the West through live music while surrounded by the beauty of the garden’s fantastic bronze sculptures and lush greenery. The museum’s McNutt Sculpture Garden is an oasis featuring a beautiful courtyard surrounded by bronze sculptures depicting iconic figures of the American West. The sculpture garden offers the perfect respite during any River Walk visit, with tables, chairs and benches to rest and enjoy the view. With the lights of downtown in the background and stars overhead, the garden becomes magical at night, making it the perfect spot for a date night or a night out with friends.
Preserving and presenting the art, history and culture of the American West through engaging exhibitions, educational programs and public events reflective of the region’s rich traditions and shared heritage, the Briscoe Western Art Museum is located on the San Antonio River Walk at 210 W. Market Street in the beautifully restored 1930s former San Antonio Public Library building. Named in honor of the late Texas Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. and his wife, Janey Slaughter Briscoe, the museum includes the three-story Jack Guenther Pavilion, used for event rentals and programs, and the outdoor McNutt Sculpture Garden.
‘The Wilkes Insurrection’ is Robbie Bach’s thrilling new novel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Robbie Bachis best known for founding and leading the team that created the Xbox. Today he is an entertaining storyteller and catalyzing voice who writes books and speaks to audiences on leadership, creativity, strategy, and civic issues. In 2015, he published his first book,” Xbox Revisited: A Game Plan for Corporate and Civic Renewal.”
His first novel The Wilkes Insurrection, released this week, is a contemporary thriller of anarchic obsession and heroic ambition and a perfect blend of heartless villains, complex but captivating protagonists, and political intrigue.
The Wilkes Insurrection begins with a Prologue that has an unnamed antagonist fleeing from the authorities as they are about to storm his apartment. He manages to slip by using a disguise and activates a car bomb as a distraction so he can get away.
The first chapter is then set at Newark Liberty International Airport, April 16, 2019 and John Humboldt is about to board a flight. Everything goes as planned until just outside Omaha, Nebraska, when commercial Flight 209 violently crashes onto the Offutt Air Force Base runway. While going through the wreckage, Major Tamika Smith manages to rescue a survivor who was thrown from the plane – John Humboldt. This airplane crash is just one of many acts of mayhem planned by an elusive extremist determined to destroy America at all costs.
The deadly attacks continue and are connected but there are no clear clues as to who may be to blame. A dark web hacker, Bryce Roscovitch, is just one player and he must confront his own conscience as the attacks become increasingly personal. At the center of it all is Major Tamika Smith whose own tragic past constantly haunts her and she must decide if she is willing to put it all aside for the greater good. Loved ones are lost and relationships are formed but in the end, the country is still standing.
Some of the best political thrillers take place in our current turbulent environment and The Wilkes Insurrection is no exception. Set from 2019 to the end of the past presidential election, it contains the perfect mix of villains and heroes, and even anti-heroes.
Right from the first page, the action comes at the reader full blown and does not let go. The action is fast paced and the language is easy to understand and being mostly dialogue driven, the story flows effortlessly from page to page.
While the good guys’ characters are deeply developed, complex, and relatable, Ford Wilkes, the main villain, is one dimensional with no redeeming qualities, which makes it easy for readers to dislike him. Bryce is a little more conflicted. He may understand that he is on the wrong side of the law and does not care who gets hurt, but deep down he is battling his own demons. What stands out the most is the heartbreaking moment when John Humboldt is sending his last texts to friends and family in the middle of the crash. The plane is going down but he takes the time to help and comfort the elderly couple sitting next to him.
With exciting action and interesting characters, Robbie Bach’s excellent debut novel is hard to put down until the thrilling conclusion. The Wilkes Insurrection is a classic good versus evil tale with a feel-good ending and is recommended for readers who enjoy the best of Brad Thor, David Baldacci, and Robert Ludlum. Hopefully, this will turn into a series so readers can read more about Major Tamika Smith’s heartbreaking yet heroic story.
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
Image from Postcards From The Border series. Photo: Joel Salcido, used with permission.
Agarita is “bringing the music to you” with the announcement of its new 2021-22 concert season offering six free community concerts across San Antonio expanding its reach, further exploring its relationship between music and art. (Agarita, 2021)
An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement, and free, adventurous programming.
On August 24, Agarita created an American Impressionism experience at San Antonio Museum of Art. The season continues with a hosted fall event at Carver Community Cultural Center, telling a more genuine story of our Texas border with Mexico featuring Joel Salcido Ruiz, photographer and Oscar Cásares, writer. The season will end in June with a unique performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Goldberg Variations in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word.
Collaborators for the new season also include a unique concert experience inspired by the art and process of renowned local glass-blower Gini Garcia and an innovative, electronic musical work for Agarita that interacts with the sounds and flow of San Antonio’s rivers with artist and composer Nadia Botello.
“Agarita continues to share an immense drive, passion, and willingness to unite the arts and empower artists in San Antonio. By offering these six unique, free concert experiences, we hope to continue to uplift the community with inspiring art and music during this challenging and ever evolving time.” – Marisa Bushman, viola and Agarita co-president.
Postcards from the Border Date: Friday, October 15, 2021 Time: 7:30p.m. – 8:45p.m. Location: Carver Community Cultural Center, 226 N Hackberry, San Antonio, TX 78202 Collaborator: Joel Salcido Ruiz, photographer; Oscar Cásares, writer Description: Inspired to tell a more genuine story of our Texas border with Mexico, photographer Joel Salcido and writer Oscar Cásares traveled the length of the Rio Grande River, resulting in the series “Postcards From The Border,” which appeared in Texas Monthly. Agarita will pair music to these beautiful and poignant images, narrated by Oscar Cásares. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita Celebrates SAMA’s 40th Date: Sunday, December 12, 2021 Time: 11a.m. – 12:15p.m. Location: San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 West Jones Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215 Collaborator: Highlights of SAMA’s permanent collection Description: Agarita returns to the San Antonio Museum of Art for a concert celebrating the museum’s 40th anniversary. Musical selections will reflect artworks on display in the special exhibit. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita + Gini Garcia, Glass Artist Date: Saturday, February 5, 2022 Time: 7p.m. – 8:15p.m. Location: TBD Collaborator: Gini Garcia, glass artist Description: The art of glass-blowing is one of spontaneous, improvisatory process met with intricate design and planning. Join Agarita’s collaboration with renowned local glass-blower Gini Garcia for a concert inspired by her art and process. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita + Nadia Botello, Composer Date: Friday, May 6, 2022 Time: 7:30p.m. Location: TBD Collaborator: Nadia Botello, composer Description: Composer Nadia Botello creates an innovative, electronic musical work for Agarita that interacts with the sounds and flow of San Antonio’s rivers. Immerse yourself in this ear-opening, hydrating program. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Variations on The Goldberg Variations Date: Saturday, June 18, 2022 Time: 7:30p.m. – 9p.m. Location: The Chapel of the Incarnate Word, 4503 Broadway, San Antonio, TX 78209 Description: For a unique performance of J.S. Bach’s masterpiece The Goldberg Variations in the Chapel of the Incarnate Word, Agarita will mix Dmitry Sitkovesky’s String Trio arrangement with Bach’s original harpsichord instrumentation. This concert is FREE and open to the public.
Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It collaborates with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí, and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.
As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.
Legoland Discovery Center and Sea Life San Antonio have special events for the month of October. Photo: google
Throughout October, Legoland Discovery Center San Antonio and Sea Life San Antonio will offer fun events and opportunities for kids of all ages, as well as adults, to celebrate the season at the two family attractions inside the Shops at Rivercenter. (Merlin Entertainments, 2021)
• Legoland Discovery Center Brick or Treat. Mini-master builders will have SPOOK-TACULAR fun beginning October 8 through the end of the month at the ultimate indoor LEGO® playground. Families can learn to build spooky LEGO® creations with expert Builders at a Halloween-themed creative workshop, snap pics with a 6-foot DUPLO® pumpkin, and take a guess at how many pumpkins, ghosts, and skeletons are in MINILAND® San Antonio to win BRICKTASTIC prizes. All kids entering Legoland Discovery Center will receive a skeleton LEGO mini figure while supplies last.
• Legoland Discovery Center Adult Night: On Friday, October 22 from 6p.m. – 8:30p.m., adults will have the chance to unleash their inner kid for a night. Kids-at-heart will enjoy full access to the attraction rides, LEGO building contests, food and drinks by LandShark Bar & Grill, a family-friendly costume contest, and Miniland Scavenger Hunt with LEGO prizes and more.
• Sea Life Underwater Pumpkin Patch Scavenger Hunt: In celebration of Fish-or-Treat, from October 8 through the end of the month, guests of Sea Life San Antonio will enjoy the under-the-sea scavenger hunt experience while rays, sharks and sea creatures swim overhead in over 160,000 gallons of water.
Sea Life Aquarium and Legoland Discovery Center San Antonio 849 E. Commerce St. San Antonio, TX
Single day tickets and annual passes for Sea Life San Antonio are available online as are single day tickets and annual passes for Legoland Discovery Center. Combination annual passes to both attractions are also available on both websites.
Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe’s number one and the world’s second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin operates 137 attractions, 22 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 24 countries across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its employees.
Maja Francis brings Swedish emo country pop to the forefront with debut full-length album A Pink Soft Mess. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
In taking a step back from her signature synth-laden, sparkling pop music, Swedish singer and songwriter Maja Francis rediscovered her roots—and her piano—while writing songs for her full-length debut album A Pink Soft Mess. Released worldwide last month, A Pink Soft Mess finds the daughter of a record store owner embracing her melancholy and emotional country-pop sound which matches brilliantly with the album’s shimmering pink design themes—fitting for an artist often described as “Emo Dolly Parton.” Recorded with and produced by Johannes Runemark and David Wikberg together with Maja Francis, A Pink Soft Mess can be streamed or purchased right now at this link. (Maja Francis, 2021)
A Pink Soft Mess opens with the previously released single, “Anxious Angel,” which fans may have heard on Netflix’s acclaimed series Love & Anarchy. “This song is to all my fellow anxious angels,” says Francis. “To make us feel less lonely.” “Tiny Tornados” comes next; the first song Francis wrote on her way back to loving music again. “I opened up to fall in love with writing songs and singing them again,” she recalls of the writing of “Tiny Tornados.” “It’s also kind of a tribute to my ADHD, and how it feels to live with the constant ups and downs.” Also included is a stellar cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” a song which has always made Francis “feel physical sensations.” “I love when music does that to you. Like…shakes you around like a snow globe,” she says. “I think Kate wrote this song for a movie about birth from a man’s perspective. But for me it’s about loss. Losing someone or yourself—and how painful that is.”
Album single “PMS Party” is the low-key women’s anthem of the year. “I’m having a PMS party and nobody’s invited / I wanna be lonely and do whatever I want.” “I wrote ‘PMS Party’ on a moody PMS day, it’s the fastest song I’ve ever written,” recalls Francis. “I didn’t know if the boys in the studio would get it but I took it with me the next day, they loved it and after a while I found them in a room singing ‘pms party’ backing vocals.” The final single from A Pink Soft Mess, “Mama,” is an unreleased collaboration with Johanna and Klara Söderberg—better known as First Aid Kit. A tribute to Francis’s mother, “Mama” is about feeling a mom’s love and learning how to reciprocate it. “Now that I’m all grown up, I understand so much more about her struggles and her pain, and I also see so much of myself in her,” says Francis about her “mama.” Fans should also stay tuned for an upcoming music video for “Mama.”
When it is all said and done, A Pink Soft Mess is distinctive, emotional, personal, the result of a variety of strong sources of inspiration, experiences, and collaborations. With this new material, Francis has abandoned the world where music creation is captivated by demands and expectations and where commercial success becomes the only significant point of assessment. Now, when Francis returns with her new music, it comes straight from the heart.
A Pink Soft Mess Track list: 1. Anxious Angel 2. Tiny Tornados 3. PMS Party 4. Mama (ft. First Aid Kit) 5. Lava Love 6. This Woman’s Work 7. Lucky 8. Emo Butterfly 9. How Are We Doing
Zych’s Dante’s Inferno Part I will be released on October 22, 2021. Photo: Metal Assault Records.
Happy October, heavy metal fans! Here are this month’s upcoming new releases from Metal Assault Records. (Metal Assault Records, 2021)
ZYCH Solo artist Zych’s eponymous debut album, the epic progressive power masterpiece Dante’s Inferno Part I, will be released October 22 via Metal Assault Records. The album’s second single “Canto V – Lust” is now live, along with an awe-inspiring guitar play through video. Pre-orders for the album (digital, CD, merch bundles) are available now.
Dante’s Inferno Part I will begin a series of solo albums dedicated to the poetry of Dante Alighieri. Unlike other albums based on Dante’s Inferno, this album goes in-depth into each canto. The album is nearly 70 minutes long with eight intense songs (No fillers). This is a progressive metal album that drops the boundaries between all genres. Every track takes on its own direction with an all-star musical cast of internationally well-known musicians. Also included for each song will be a work from a well-established visual artist. This is a heavy metal soundscape as you read the first eight cantos of The Inferno.
Dante’s Inferno Part I track listing: 1. Canto I – Overture (8:56) 2. Canto II – Gates Of Sorrow (5:23) 3. Canto III – All Hope Abandon (8:27) 4. Canto IV – Limbo (10:04) 5. Canto V – Lust (6:37) 6. Canto VI – The Gluttonous (8:24) 7. Canto VII – The Avaricious & The Wrathful (9:08) 8. Canto VIII – Into the Depths of Hell (11:21) Total Runtime: 1:08:20
DAEMONELIX A collaboration between musicians from the US, Canada, Australia and Spain, Daemonelix will release their four-track stomper Devil’s Corkscrew on October 15, 2021 via Metal Assault Records. Engineered and mixed by bassist / rhythm guitarist Derek W. Phillips and mastered by the prolific Maor Appelbaum (Candlemass, Armored Saint, Faith No More, Halford, Dream Theater and several others), Devil’s Corkscrew will be released on digipack CD and digital platforms. CDs, merch bundles and digital downloads are now available for pre-order.
Exhibiting a wide range of influences from Black Sabbath to Tool to Clutch to Lamb Of God and everything in between, Daemonelix has created a sound that is as unique as it is instantly identifiable. Devil’s Corkscrew hits the listener hard with elements of doom, death and groove metal, among several other styles and sub-genres within the heavy music spectrum. Romanian artist Mihai Manescu a.k.a. Obsidian Nibs designed the cover art for Devil’s Corkscrew.
Devil’s Corkscrew track listing: 1. Daemonelix (3:57) 2. Raise Crows (3:37) 3. In the Name of Freedom (5:02) 4. Sing For The Moon (5:58)
Daemonelix is: Vocals – Ana Garcia Lopez (Spain) Bass / Guitar – Derek W. Phillips (USA) Drums – Pat Labuda (Canada) Lead Guitar – Andrew Luddy (Australia)
ABSOLUM Louisiana heavy metal band Absolum will unleash their debut album Grand DesignOctober 15 via Metal Assault Records. The album’s second single + video “Black To Red” is now live, and pre-orders for the album (digital, CD, merch bundle) are now available. Tearing through the confines a single sub-genre; Absolum bellows with aggression and groove on Grand Design. Thick, heavy and thrashy, Absolum exhibits a broad range of talent across each track while maintaining their distinctly Louisiana metal vibe throughout the album.
Grand Design track listing: 1. Believer (4:09) 2. Grand Design (3:48) 3. Chemical Abyss (3:29) 4. Black to Red (5:34) 5. The Apath (2:58) 6. Exordium (3:26) 7. Thin Skin (2:43) 8. Bloodlust (4:07)
Total Runtime: 30:14
VANDALIZER New York City heavy rock ‘n rollers Vandalizer will release their three-song spinner Ride on October 29, 2021 on Metal Assault Records. The anticipated EP is available to pre-order now and will be issued on cassette tape and on all digital platforms. Pre-orders include exclusive merch bundles in addition to the release format of your choice, available now.
On Ride, Vandalizer mixes 1980s NWOBHM with the sounds of ’70s Punk N’ Roll for an exhilarating listen. Stream the EP’s lead single “Time Can’t Count” originally premiered September 3 and is now on YouTube. Vandalizer first entered the scene with their debut EP New Curse in 2015, followed by the Desensitize EP in 2017, giving listeners concise doses of exactly what they describe themselves as – a thoroughly enjoyable hybrid of old-school punk, rock ‘n roll and heavy metal.
VANDALIZER is: Mike McWilliams: Vocals/Guitar Stosh McMichael: Drums/Backup Vocals Sam Harris: Bass/Backup Vocals
SA Examiner 