Jay Rohr
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Titanic Topics in I’m a Virgo Season 1
Throughout its first season I’m a Virgo tackles some titanic issues: Wrestling with the nature of identity, social perceptions and how media influences them, capitalist exploitation, and the overall existential crises inherent in existence, just to name a few. The undercurrent throughout all these topics being a search for genuine human connection. Yet, it cleverly […] More
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in Premieres
I’m a Virgo Starts Large (Episode 1 Review)
I’m a Virgo is a series primed to satirize society in a way that is gold. Recently premiered on Amazon Prime Video, the first episode establishes a multifaceted look at so many things prevalent in the modern world nothing contemporary is spared. Yet, it also feels like a criticism that fires back across time. Furthermore, […] More
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in Music
Voltagehawk — Modern Gasoline Feeds a Fresh Fire in Electric Thunder
Voltagehawk comes in screaming with Electric Thunder, a dirty grease rock adventure that brings a crackling blues vibe to sci-fi soundscapes. This eclectic electric assortment of tracks is essentially a garage band but don’t be fooled by such a simplistic term. Distorted guitars and ambient tones combine with hard hitting drums and driving bass to […] More
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Coming Back Around the Fur: A Look at the Deftones’ Second Album 25 Years Later
Evolution is never more apparent than on Around the Fur by the Deftones. It could be called a coming-of-age album as the Sacramento, California quartet grew into the sound that would define their career. In addition, the music they created elevated the heavy metal genre in ways that can’t be overstated. On Around the Fur […] More
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Sizzle for the Season with the Spice Girls “2 Become 1”
When the Spice Girls served up the single “2 Become 1” 25 years ago, it arrived in time to get its hooks in the holidays. The smooth ballad delivered a dose of sonic sensuality perfect for fueling fireside romance on long winter nights. The fact it connects to Christmas may seem a slender thread, but […] More
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in Music
“Night Crawler” is a Thrilling Terror by Judas Priest
Few sonic nightmares come to life as vividly as the Judas Priest epic “Night Crawler.” Though some may point to the Grand Guignol in death metal extremes, they fail to appreciate the refined fright fuel seeping out of speakers thanks to this track. In the hellish gallery of horror portraits, “Night Crawler” deserves a place […] More
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in Music
The Dead Come Alive Hearing Finnegan’s Wake
As a kid, I never realized the winding road listening to “Finnegan’s Wake” would take me down. First along avenues of Irish clichés then into dark tombs of disappointment, where the truth isn’t better buried. The song may not have been what I perceived as a child, but what I believed it to be seeded […] More
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Ten Remarkable Bands with Glorious Gimmicks
Saying a band has a gimmick can border on insulting. It implies the music isn’t the draw. Take away the masks, pyro, dildos, and makeup, there’s nothing worth noticing. Perhaps there’s some truth to that, but at the same time, a band’s gimmick can be an honest extension of the performers. Something that enhances the […] More
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in Music
Coming from Pantera’s The Great Southern Trendkill
Many won’t make it far beyond the opening scream of The Great Southern Trendkill. Still, those who endure, let alone enjoy that ear drum eradicating intro will never be the same. It opens with a primal cry which seems defiant, but as the record progresses, songs reveal a terrible sadness beneath the rage. A lyrical […] More
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in Music
Helloween’s Helloween Is the Most Helloween Album Yet
If only one thing could be said about Helloween’s sixteenth studio album, it’s that this is the most Helloween record of their career. That’s why it could only be self-titled, Helloween. Such observations are sure to whet the appetite of fans and catch the curiosity of others. What it means, though, is melodic power metal […] More
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in Music
Return to The Time of the Oath with Helloween
There’s still power in The Time of the Oath. 25 years since its release, Helloween’s seventh studio album possesses a biting strength and refreshing sincerity. Powered by a lyrical depth and fun too often missing from modern metal, The Time of the Oath belongs to a different era, but one sadly lost when juxtaposed against […] More
