Recently, mainstream hip-hop music feels more and more detached from its initial values and roots. Just like many other movements that achieve commercial success and become exposed to a wider audience, there’s a lot of hip-hop music that simply feels like nothing else but a heartless entertainment product, deprived of deeper meaning, a message, and passion. However, with so much music being released on a daily basis of course there are multiple examples of how to balance catering to a…

Metal music, at least in its purest form, is usually vocal-centered. Good hooks, epic chorus and neatly written verses are how you usually grab the listener’s attention and tell them your story. To do all of that instrumentally you need some great musicianship sprinkled with next-level songwriting. Exactly this is the case with ‘Riding Along The Wastelands’, an epic instrumental piece by Boston, Massachusetts-based guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Rithiya Khiev. With a strong background in music – everything from guitarist, drummer,…