Welcome to our Staff Picks Page! In each issue you'll find various Soundtracks, CDs, DVDs, and Books that our Staff are recommend! If you're interested in purchasing one of the items, just click on the picture, and you'll be taken to Amazon.com.
Matthew Bain Picks...
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre soundtrack is an interesting mixture of rock, metal, and death metal music, with highlights/previously unreleased tracks from Nothingface and Static-X. This disc will remain one of the best extreme music soundtracks of the year, only defamed by its attachment to one of the years worst films - a mere wet-t-shirt, gore, inane-chatter filled parody of Tobe Hooper's meisterwork.
Akercocke's new disc, Choronzon, is named after a somewhat anthropomorphic and evil monkey in Robert Nyes Faust Mythos. Akercocke is like a soundtrack to the more climactic parts of Lovecraft's Cthulhu stories. If anything, this is the horrid "cacophony" that Lovecraft always mentioned, which seemed to accompany Cthonian experiences. This is a scary disc to listen to, given its extreme metal/borderline death metal sounds at times, and its sacrificial, Satanic sound; then again, tracks like "Leviathan" evince the band as a melodic powerhouse, demonstrating their ability to make beautiful, as well as atrocious, music.
Jennifer Charron Picks...
Kushiel's Chosen by Jacqueline Carey is an excellent fantasy
novel; a heroic tale of love that is breath taking and moving, in a
world that has been brilliantly created. This is definitely a novel
for those who truly love to read because it is one that they will not
forget.
Cabin Fever directed and written by Eli Roth and starring Rider
Strong, is sure to be a flick you're not
going to want to miss. Blood, guts, etc., its an all around great horror
movie, and an awesome start for a new filmmaker.
Chimera by Delerium, a group from Vancouver, B.C.
Their music is very much like that of Engima. It's relaxing, moving, and the lyrics are well written. Chimera, their latest advance, is a great record. My favorite tracks are "after all,"
"Orbit of me" "Truly," and "Love." Science Fiction fans are bound to enjoy
Delerium because of their mix of beats, and tranquil lyrics.
AJ McIntosh Picks...
Hyperion by Dan Simmons - "On the eve of Armageddon, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set forth on a final voyage to Hyperion seeking the answers to the unsolved riddles of their lives. Each carries a desperate hope--and a terrible secret. And one may hold the fate of humanity in his hands."
Allie McKnight Picks...
Firefly, naturally. Because Joss Whedon is bloody brilliant. And the cast rocked.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation - Best workout music ever. Pretty good for writing when there's killing or violence to be done, too. Great stuff. If you liked the Matrix soundtrack, you should like this one too.
Kristine Smith's Code of Conduct - Outstanding series start. See my review! I LOVED this book and the heroine is one of my all time favorites.
Angela Silliman Picks...
Buffy: The Vampire Slayer - Season One - If you haven't gotten into Buffy yet, or were just a mediocore Fan of the show, I seriously recommend jumping head first into Sunnydale with Buffy - Season One. This 3-DVD box set is sure to please anyone who likes witty heros and an enjoyable mix of comedy and drama.
The Gunslinger by Stephen King - Even if you're not a big Stephen King fan, you shouldn't miss his Dark Tower series. Very interesting characters and settings; once you read the first few pages, you'll be hooked.
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