Featuring Carmen Elise Espenæs (Midnattsol) and the ex-The Sins of Thy Beloved duo Stig Johansen and Anders Thue, Savn is a new comer band to the Gothic Metal/Rock scene that delivers a very imposing debut self-titled released. With a sound based on ‘older’ Gothic Metal/Rock from the late 90’s and early 2000’s, the band has a very familiar vibe to Theatre of Tragedy, Tristania, and The Sins of Thy Beloved. Packed with guest appearances, this is one release you don’t want to miss in 2014. With the digipack version including two bonus tracks, the ‘growling version’ of “Hang On” and “The Demons in Me”, fans of the genre will get their fair share of amazing music with this release. As a whole, Savn’s self-titled debut release greatly gives a modern sound to ‘old school’ Gothic Metal/Rock. With the masterful keyboards of Ander Thue and Stig Johansen’s musical vision, the band has managed to fill the void left by all of the bands going to more symphonic territories. If you like Tristania, Sirena, TSOTB, ToT, etc., you will love this album, so be sure to not miss it.

Swedish heavy metal act PORTRAIT release its new album, "Crossroads", on April 25 in Europe and April 29 in North America via Metal Blade Records. PORTRAIT comments: "'Crossroads' is a sevenfold blessing and curse upon a dying music scene, an album imbued with something untouchable and yet undeniable.

Native American activist and singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie makes an incredible comeback on this recording after 16 years away from the studio. Busting all myths about dippy folkies, Sainte-Marie takes on the still-hot topic of Indian oppression while exploring sonic ground that is completely unexpected…

This reissue commemorates the 50th anniversary of Grainger’s death in February 1961. Harmonium, four guitars, two mandolas, two mandolins, two ukuleles, piccolo, three clarinets, bass clarinet, bassoon, contrabassoon, two alto saxophones, horn, strings, piano, baritone and choir: and that’s just the scoring for one piece, the famous sea shanty Shallow Brown. Grainger’s Jungle Book cycle was recorded here (for the original Hyperion release) for the first time. The eleven contrasting movements vividly portray the sentiments of Kipling’s poetry and Grainger wrote of the cycle that it was ‘composed as a protest against civilization’.

Leopold Stokowski had a particular love for Falla's El Amor Brujo. In Oliver Daniel's biography of Stokowski (A Counterpoint of View), soprano Rose Bampton spoke of Stokowski working with her in preparation for a Philadelphia Orchestra concert, telling her the plot in such a "hair-raising" manner that she was left "white and shocked." Stokowski also selected El Amor Brujo for his return to the Philadelphia Orchestra after a 19 year hiatus in January 1959.