The Orange Spotlight

G. Emil Reutter Broken Shells & Hope (StoneGarden.net Publishing, Feb 2008)

"He had learned years ago to escape to the shore and let the calm water and sunshine of the bay take reality away." from Fast Food

There is an old saying, 'You can't judge a book by its cover', and that is honestly the first thought that came my mind when I pull the latest collection from Pennsylvania writer G. Emil Reutter from its envelope. Lately I have been thinking a lot about the appearance of books, the thought, the colors, the image, the font, the overall style, and I believe that all of these factors directly impact your impression of the text, at least initially. You see if I hadn't already been a fan of Reutter's work, I may not have picked up this book. It would have been a shame, too because this collection is quite good.

Containing pieces of fiction ranging in length from a paragraph to four or five pages, Broken Shells & Hope is a collection of stories and poems of the everyday and the not-so-everyday alike. A few of the topics include mass murder, romance, loneliness, kindness, death, a blonde being held at knife point while in a shower, love, hole diggers, and much more. There are twists, and comical endings around every corner, and always an interesting story to read. For someone living a hectic, project filled life, Broken Shells makes perfect sense.

For more information on G. Emil Reutter visit his website or his blog, and to purchase his latest collection visit StoneGarden.net.

The Sword Gods of the Earth (Kemado Records, 4/1/08)

There is an old saying, 'You can't judge a book by its cover', and on Gods of the Earth, The Sword, prove that saying dead wrong. This cover is classic heavy metal, with the lightening bolt, storm filled sky, symbolically arranged tree stumps, and of course the hand of a earth breaking through the ground holding a colossal sword. One look and you know exactly what to expect. On opening the cover you see an all black CD with only a circle of swords shining through. Hardcore all the way, there is no other way to look at it. You put the cd in your player, and really only except to hear one thing, ROCK!

The album opens with "The Sundering", and a few gentle acoustic guitar strums, rhythmic but quiet. This may have been deceptive if I had never heard a heavy metal album before. At 0:31 it explodes, and the album doesn't let all from that point on. Guitars soar and roar and growl, as The Sword tell tales with their aggressive sonic explosions. If you are looking for something to listen to pre or post-Guitar Hero, get the air guitar ready, get your fist pumping, and crank up THE SWORD!

Gods of the Earth

The Sundering/The Frost-Giant's Daughter/How Heavy the Axe/Lords/Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians (mp3)/To Take The Black/Maiden, Mother and Crone/Under the Boughs/The Black River/The White Sea