Death Metal MusicMusic and Culture on the Edge

When Jeremy Wagner put his heavy metal/rock-and-roll life behind him, the North Barrington resident turned his talents in another direction. And like his music, his debut novel explores dark themes.

Black Country Communion, the English-American rock supergroup featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes , blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham , and keyboardist Derek Sherinian , was voted "Best New Band of the Last 10 Years" by VH1 Classic's That Metal Show.

6FRI Tortue Tortue is a roots rock collaboration featuring the familiar faces and talents of Blake Castille, Lee Tedrow, Phil Kaelin, and Danny Kimball.

The Music Recital Hall could have used a velvet rope and bouncer as it welcomed a full house and waiting guests for the fourth annual Songwriter Showcase held Thursday. An overwhelmingly large audience turned out to watch student performers show off their talents through their original songs in a concert that raises money for students in the Music Industry Studies program.

Fans of Oklahoma’s diverse music scene could find plenty to celebrate in 2008, with stand-out debuts in the alt-pop, country and folk genres.It also was the year when many big-name talents successfully reinvented themselves, whether it was Metallica returning to its thrash roots or Coldplay revealing unexpected depth.From top-sellers to indie releases, here’s the list of the compact discs that ...