A great text in the Quietus about the movie 'Sound of Metal' about a metal drummer losing his hearing. "Yet this film asserts the beauty of silence. The sound design immerses us in the surf of Ruben’s [main character] ears, forcing the undeaf onto [director]Marder’s subtitles, or leaving hearing suspended, making us question how we use noise to avoid life" - Soma Ghosh writes, adding "our worship of the physicality of rock has silenced the deafness in our midst, though deaf artists have shaped Romantic music since Beethoven".

"'Sound of Metal' is a painful, thoughtful, sombre film that telescopes a long story into just a few months" - Guardian's critic writes reviewing a movie about a metal band drummer going deaf. Bradshaw believes the movie is trying too much, with the main actor (and musician) Riz Ahmed giving a "typically fierce and focused performance" which "clarifies the drama and delivers the meaning of Ruben’s final epiphany. He gives the film energy and point". So, worth watching thanks to the musician, right Mr. Bradshaw?

The music movie 'Sound of Metal' about a drummer who goes deaf is nominated for an Oscar in the best picture category, the Academy has revealed. The lead actor from that movie, British musician and actor Riz Ahmed, is nominated for his leading role in that movie. Chadwick Boseman, who died last year, is up against him in the same category for his performance in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'. Also, Viola Davis is nominated in the Actress in a Leading Role category for her performance in 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', as well as Andra Day for 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are nominated twice in the Original Score category, with 'Mank' and 'Soul' - Jon Batiste joins them in the latter. Also, in the same category, nominated are Terence Blanchard with 'Da 5 Bloods', Emile Mosseri with 'Minari', and 'News of the World' by James Newton Howard. In the Original song category nominated are: 'Fight For You' from 'Judas and the Black Messiah', 'Hear My Voice' from 'The Trial of the Chicago 7', 'Husavik' from 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga', 'lo Sì (Seen)' from 'The Life Ahead (La Vita Davanti a Se)', and 'Speak Now'" from 'One Night in Miami…'.

British musician and actor Riz Ahmed is nominated for a Golden Globe in the Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama category for his role as a metal-drummer losing his hearing in 'The Sound of Metal', CNN reports. Another music movie in the same category - 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom', with Chadwick Boseman. Viola Davis is nominated in the female category with the same movie, as well as Andra Day in 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are nominated - twice - in the Best Original Score category - for the biopic 'Mank', and, next to Jon Batiste, in the animated movie 'Soul'. The other nominees are Alexandre Desplat for 'The Midnight Sky', Ludwig Göransson for 'Tenet', and James Newton Howard for 'News Of The World'. Directorial debut by Sia, 'Music' with Kate Hudson, is nominated in Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy. In Best Original Song - Motion Picture the nominees are: 'Fight For You' by H.E.R., from 'Judas And The Black Messiah', 'Hear My Voice' by Daniel Pemberton from 'The Trial Of The Chicago', 'Io Sì (Seen)' by Diane Warren from 'The Life Ahead', 'Speak Now' by Leslie Odom Jr and Sam Ashworth from 'One Night In Miami...', and 'Tigress & Tweed' by Andra Day and Raphael Saadiq from 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'. Check out all the nominees - here.

British actor and MC Riz Ahmed is critically lauded for his portrayal of a drummer who goes deaf in movie 'Sound of Metal', but the role also broadened himself. "When I started talking about things in my life or even in [the character] Ruben's life that were emotional, I found myself really physically getting emotional, tearing up at times in a way that I would not have if I was just verbally communicating", Ahmed said, adding - "in some ways, a fuller kind of communication — a more embodied kind of communication — is possible within deaf culture and signing culture".

'Looked Over Your Shoulder' is signed by Busta Rhymes, when maybe it's more a Kendrick Lamar/Michael Jackson song (it heavily samples 'I'll Be There'); 'Happy' is Danny Elfman's first new song in 36 years, accompanied by a spooky video; 'Babylon Exists' by The Late One is an activist reggae ballad with a strong political message; yet another protest song 'New America' sees the underestimated newcomer A$AP Twelvyy getting a helping mic from Conway the Machine; Karen O and Willie Nelson covered the iconic David Bowie and Queen classic 'Under Pressure'; an awesome video of icy soundworld by Dan Holdsworth for a Patten song 'Cerulean'; R-Mean features Method Man in good form on 'Circus'; 'Evans a Gift' by Loud Tides is a smoothy jazzy song; Riz Ahmed is moody, affirming the basics on 'Once Kings'; Patrick Watson drops a soothing piano on 'Lost With You'.

"UK hip-hop and albums bemoaning the current state of things are two crowded markets: 'The Long Goodbye' is potent, original and timely enough to stand out in both" - Alexis Petridis argues in favor of his latest album of the week choice, a great record lyrically. Telegraph declares Riz Ahmed a "master rapper" for his "angry, funny, clever and, at times, swaggeringly brutal examination of a national identity crisis", whereas the NME likes the sonic side of the album - "the high-tempo, energetic sounds throughout match Ahmed’s razor-sharp lyrics and fast-paced rhymes".