A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

  • So What Am I Doing Now?

    Now Playing: Rapture by Elvenking So it’s October, and the first month of the new academic year has come and gone here in Canada. But what does that mean for me? Well, a couple of things. I’m taking a year or so off from university (it’s complicated), and instead going to a college here in…

  • Collaboration in Music: Important Aspects of Creation in Art

    Now Playing: Nightfall by Blind Guardian So as an artist, there are a few things to consider in one’s approach to creation. (I will make a note here that within the realm of music, my area of expertise, both performance and composition are acts of creation. I will expand on this later.) One aspect, yes,…

  • Arts and Paganism: How to Connect with the Divine through Creation

    Now Playing: The Wolves Will Be Howling Your Name by Elvenking So I’m a Germanic polytheist and, in more recent times, a Lokean. This means that I follow a (loosely) reconstructed version of the religion from northern Europe, and that I specifically work with the deity Loki. On the surface, this has little to do…

  • Instrumental Desires: The Bass Flute

    Now Playing: Nascence by Austin Wintory Many musicians have various desires concerning specific instruments, usually more high end versions of one they already play. However, things can get fun when a specific song causes someone to want to buy a new instrument. Video game soundtracks can be a really useful way to show off various…

  • Range Practice: Singing Baritone in a Genre of Tenors

    Now Playing: Stormseeker by Heroik In the realm of singing, there are six main categories of voice range: soprano, mezzo-soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass. Each of these ranges, split into two broader categories of treble/higher (soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto) and lower (tenor, baritone, and bass). Each range has a distinct sound and range, though…

  • The Grand Inferno: My Thoughts on the New Tungsten Album

    Now Playing: Anger by Tungsten So, the much awaited fourth studio album from Swedish power metal band Tungsten is here. (I know, it was released on the 8th, but I’ve been busy with other posts that had to go out sooner.) Now, this album is interesting, with almost half of it being released as singles…

  • Silliness in Metal: Writing Fun Music in a Heavy Genre

    Now Playing: Ask A Silly Question by Elvenking Something I feel is underrated and not discussed enough is the necessity for levity and silliness in metal. Not to be confused with meme or shitpost metal, because that’s an entirely different thing. As metal is often a very serious genre, I generally find that it can…

  • Recycling Lyrics and Doing It Well in Metal

    Now Playing: A Cloak of Dusk by Elvenking When writing music, lyrics can get a little tricky. Between balancing the story, the rhythmic quality of the words, and how the words sound together overall, it’s not a task that comes easily to everyone. But there is a trick that some people use to make it…

  • Solitary Practice: Dealing with Loneliness as a Pagan

    Now Playing: The Solitaire by Elvenking Dealing with loneliness as a pagan can get really weird. While one can experience this for other reasons, the loneliness that can come directly from being a pagan is another beast entirely. Now, I’m an introvert, so I enjoy spending time by myself doing my own thing and not…

  • The Inherently Political Nature of Art

    Now Playing: Elvenlegions by Elvenking Throughout history, we can see discussions of political themes within art, ranging from a comedic look at history to playing with gender roles to open criticism of current political leaders to a critical look at social issues affecting the modern human being. Now, whether or not some people want to…