Devin Townsend Project - "Deconstruction" album

Metal fans worth their weight already know that Vancouver's Devin Townsend is one of the most talented and versatile players in the genre. "Deconstruction" is his newest project, and it corrals players from bands like Soilwork, Opeth, Emperor, Gojira, Dillinger Escape Plan, Gwar, Meshuggah, and others. It's a huge thrash metal concept album-slash-opera, with huge production, bludgeoning riffs, and plenty of humor. (HevyDevy Records)

Justin Brock-Jones "Valley Falls"

Hailing from a decidedly non-metropolitan part of Illinois, writer (and longtime Goatsden friend) Justin Brock-Jones has been honing his literary craft for some years now. As evidenced by his appearance in the fine 2009 horror/zombie anthology, "The Anthology Of The Living Dead" (which, by the way, featured a foreword by the immortal Forrest J. Ackerman), he's ready to embark on his first full-length novel.

"Valley Falls" is just that. It's a tale that involves, according to the press info, a journalism student who uncovers a mysterious small mining town overrun by vampires. I'd expect drama, plenty of blood, sex, and all the things that make vampires (and horror in general) so appealing.

Check out further info here:

Createspace page

Amazon page

Decree - "Fateless" CD

Every few years, Vancouver electronic producer Chris Peterson (known for his work with Front Line Assembly) gathers some friends and unleashes his heavier, denser, and blacker industrial and noise work as Decree. "Fateless" is the band's third release, and it opens with the bleakly majestic "Finite Years", marrying thunderous martial drums with maniacal declarations and grinding guitars. "The Prey" is a slow-churn descent into a nihilistic abyss. "Bloodthirst" is another intense blast of dynamic Sturm-und-Drang that's as orchestral as it is feral. "Night And Fog" is blistering, paranoid noise that would be amazing in a horror film. "Faded Glory" ends it all with a 7-minute torrent of overloaded rhythms, noise, densely-mixed grind, and shouted vox. Intimidating? Yes. Powerful? Certainly. Cleansing? Definitely. Decree are a powerhouse that mops the floor with all the dance-club bands masquerading as "industrial". (Artoffact Records)

Decree official site

"British Royal Weddings Of The 20th Century" DVD

Quick cash-grab compilation of public domain footage of 19 royal weddings over the last century, from 1919 to the 1986 union of Prince Andrew and Miss Sarah Ferguson. If newsreel footage of throngs of English people pulsing to catch a glimpse of a royal bride or groom sounds like a fascinating way to spend 3 hours, be my guest. And while it may be of some convenience to have this historical footage compiled onto one disc, "British Royal Weddings" is of limited, marginal interest to any but the most ardent and dedicated Anglophile. (Cherry Red/Strike Force Entertainment)

Neil Young - "Here We Are In The Years - Neil Young's Music Box" DVD

A 2-hour unauthorized analysis of Young's musical influences, this one isn't so much a bio of the Canadian rock renaissance man as it is a look at what the man himself was listening to at various stages in his long and storied career. There's no interviews with Neil himself, only a series of journalists, writers, and historians who examine (with critical eyes and ears) the various facets and periods of Young's music.

Beginning with the early rock and roll and rhythm-and-blues (Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, Chuck Berry), the disc travels into folk (Dylan, Ian and Sylvia) to punk (Sex Pistols) to electronics (Kraftwerk, Devo) and "grunge" (Pearl Jam, Nirvana). "Here We Are..." is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at an influential and ever-evolving artist who has always followed his own muse. Young is a musical treasure, and this examination of what inspired him is a must for any serious fan. (Chrome Dreams via MVD Visual)

Neil Young official site

"Rivers Of A Lost Coast" DVD (director: Justin Coupe and Palmer Taylor)

A moving and provocative documentary here, examining the rise of West Coast fly fishing in the 40s and 50s, and the maverick steelhead and salmon fishermen who started a sporting revolution. As subsequent droughts and industrial progress decimated the once-fertile Russian River in the 70s, many of the fishing legends came to realize the need for conservation and ecological restoration, and since then, many have become tireless defenders of the river's bountiful fish populations.

Fly fisherman, actor, and activist Tom Skerritt narrates this well-done, and well-illustrated history of fly fishing, and the wild and wooly characters that made it what it was. There are tons of candid interviews, tons of historical videos and photos, and some amazing stories that you won't soon forget.

Even from a non-fisherman's point of view, this is a riveting and intelligent history lesson, and a very worthy watch.

(MVD Visual)

Rivers Of A Lost Coast official site

Yes - "Yesspeak" 2xDVD

Narrated (often with overzealous enthusiasm) by rock legend Roger Daltrey himself, this nearly 3-hour, double-disc set documents the 35th anniversary tour of English prog-rock dinosaurs Yes. Members Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Alan White, Rick Wakeman, and Chris Squire are captured via a wealth of candid interviews, live clips, and behind-the-scenes footage. As well as looking at the band's tour, we are treated to a well-illustrated history of the band, presented by the members themselves. And even though I've never been a fan, per se, of Yes, this is without a doubt one of the most comprehensive and definitive rock bios I've ever seen. Anyone with even a passing interest in Yes' history should pick this one up, pronto. (MVD Visual)

Yes official site