ALBUMS

THEN:

Iron Maiden fans know the value of a good literary influence—heavy metal is full of them—and Mastodon’s 2004 concept album is one of the best newer examples, loosely based on Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. It’s a crunchy, tasty classic metal slice of toast slathered with growling vocals and double-kick-drum punch. 

NOW:

High Country—The Sword

In the post-modern era, metal isn’t just metal—it’s a meaty stew of styles and influences…the more the merrier.  Austin’s The Sword, formed in 2003, excels at making everything old new again, and their sound is a trippy alchemy of Sabbath and progressive. Their new album High Country digs into Southern rock, throwing in influences from Thin Lizzy and ZZ Top. 

BOOKS

THEN:

 The Belly of Paris by Emile Zola

Anthony Bourdain described this 1873 classic by one of France’s most celebrated authors as “the Citizen Kane of foodie books.” An escaped convict becomes a food inspector at the 21-acre Les Halles market, and within this chaotic setting Zola’s talent for vivid description truly shines. 

NOW: 

Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way through Great Books by Carla Nicolletti

Butcher, chef and writer Carla Nicoletti cooks her way through 50 books that changed her life—achieving soft-boiled egg perfection by way of Jane Austen’s Emma, Moby Dick-inspired clam chowder, and the breakfast sausage in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods, among many others. This book is the place where comfort food and comfort reading combine. 

DVDs

THEN: 

 The Road Warrior

Released in 1980, the original Mad Max movie had a limited theatrical release in the U.S., eventually gaining a cult fan base on cable TV. When Warner released Mad Max 2 in 1981, they worried that a sequel would confuse American audiences unfamiliar with the original, so they renamed it The Road Warrior. Today it stands as a hallmark of gonzo action cinema, and harkens back to that golden age when Mel Gibson was still a handsome and gifted actor. Road Warrior is George Miller’s finest hour. 

NOW:

Mad Max: Fury Road

After the Mad Max trilogy, George Miller went on an animation sabbatical with Babe and Happy Feet. Fans were skeptical that Miller still had the juice for the new Max sequel Fury Road, but Miller clearly had juice to spare. Fury Road is a cinematic experience like no other: Director Paul Verhoeven said on Twitter that, “it was like having petrol and joy sprayed directly into my face.” If you didn’t see it in the theater, shame on you. Make it right by checking it out on DVD. It won’t disappoint.