The Stuff Dreams Are Made of

As the name suggests, psychedelic/progressive outfit Karmic Juggernaut is an overwhelming force of sound. Formed initially as a quartet in 2004, the Asbury Park-based group has amassed a reputation for their eclectic style, musicianship, unique stage performances, inventive songwriting, and innovative solar-powered recordings using the Sun Lab Studio. Karmic Juggernaut has been performing since 2005 with guitarists James McCaffrey and Randy Preston, and drummer Kevin Grossman. Bassist Cody McCorry joined in 2012, and vocalist Daimon Santa Maria and keyboardist Jake Hughes in 2017. They have released one full-length album and three previous EP’s, and have shared the stage with many major acts in the music community including Umphrey’s McGree, Bernie Worrell, moe., Keller Williams, Marco Benevento, and many others.

As the name suggests, psychedelic/progressive outfit Karmic Juggernaut is an overwhelming force of sound. Formed as a quartet in 2004, the Asbury Park-based group has amassed a reputation for their eclectic style, musicianship, unique stage performances, and innovative solar-powered recordings using the Sun Lab Studio.

If your ideal vocal recording places the performer next to your seat and your ideal vocal performance has the performer singing directly into your ear, this disc by mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená will be just about ideal. No matter what the repertoire – and Kozená performs everything from Bach to Gounod to Shostakovich – and no matter what the context – and Kozená takes on everything from song to opera to oratorio – Kozená is right next to the listener, singing straight into his/her ear. Given her exceedingly warm tone, her extremely rich delivery, and her extraordinarily sibilant pronunciation, Kozená's intimate delivery may be too much for those with heart conditions or those all too easily affected by singers. But for those made of sterner stuff, Kozená's performances here will be the stuff dreams are made of.

If your ideal vocal recording places the performer next to your seat and your ideal vocal performance has the performer singing directly into your ear, this disc by mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kozená will be just about ideal. No matter what the repertoire and Kozená performs everything from Bach to Gounod to Shostakovich and no matter what the context and Kozená takes on everything from song to opera to oratorio Kozená is right next to the listener, singing straight into his/her ear.

For Denmark's Volbeat, the truly classic rock era existed from 1953 to about 1986: from Chuck Berry and Elvis to the heyday of punk rock and thrash metal, with periods in between where rockabilly, surf, glam, and hard rock flourished. Volbeat possess the chops, imagination, and swagger to carry it off in front of 50,000 European fans. Rewind, Replay, Rebound is the band's seventh album; it's appreciably different from what they've done before, but not completely. Volbeat, led by songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist Michael Poulson, have brought in even more hooks and sophisticated melodies without losing their ability to riff and roar with the best of the metal pack, thanks in no small part to ex-Anthrax lead guitarist Rob Caggiano.