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audiObelisk: Apostle of Solitude Stream New Demo Track “Whore’s Wings”

Posted in audiObelisk on July 30th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Anyone who got hip to Indianapolis trad doom four-piece Apostle of Solitude’s Demo 2012 when it was streamed here last year is going to want to pay attention to what they’re doing in this demo for the new song “Whore’s Wings.”

For those who heard that demo — if you didn’t, click that link and dig in; I do regularly — “Whore’s Wings” is going to be an immediate departure from the metered chugging of “Good Riddance” and the catchy woes of “Blackest of Times” and “Die Vicar Die.” Beginning with “Iron” Bob Fouts‘ bass, the track soon opens to a fast, aggressive and driving riff that sets the tone for the next five minutes to come. Apostle of Solitude retain the bleak atmosphere of the prior demo cuts — that bodes well for the album whenever it surfaces — but with jabbing verse lines from guitarist/vocalist Chuck Brown and an emerging headbang-ready chorus, “Whore’s Wings” stands among the most upbeat tracks the band has ever written.

The versatility suits them well. Fouts and drummer Corey Webb pummel in the rhythm section, and Brown and fellow-guitarist/vocalist Steve Janiak manage to inject a melody into the hook that’s dark even as it’s rushing by en route to a midsection breakdown and subsequent solo, which is followed by some heads-down extreme chugging, shades of black metal showing through, and a return to the chorus to end off with a lasting impression.

To be blunt, whatever it may or may not be saying about the plight of sex workers, the song rules. I don’t know what Apostle of Solitude have planned in terms of recording their next record, when, where or how it might happen or what label will be lucky enough to handle the release, but between the quality of the material on Demo 2012 and the willingness to branch out musically into classic fist-pumping metal they show on “Whore’s Wings,” I can’t wait to find out what the rest of their third album might hold.

Here’s hoping the wait isn’t much longer. Enjoy this one:

Apostle of Solitude, “Whore’s Wings” demo

Apostle of Solitude on Thee Facebooks

Apostle of Solitude on Soundcloud

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Live Review: The Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 in Brooklyn, 07.27.13

Posted in Reviews on July 29th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Though most of the acts were out-of-town imports, there was a strong familial vibe at The Acheron even before The Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 got started. Not knowing what traffic wonders awaited on a Saturday evening — could be nothing, could be armageddon — I headed into Brooklyn early so as to catch the start of the nine-band bill and got there well in advance of commencement. Plenty of time to sit outside and chat with fest organizer Brendan Burns, who’d later take the stage with his band Wasted Theory, Pat Harrington of Geezer and the Electric Beard of Doom podcast — who were among the presenters of the show along with The Obelisk, Small Stone Records, Wendigo and Burns‘ own Snakecharmer Booking — the cats from Lo-Pan and plenty of others coming through.

It was still sunny out with a few hours of daylight to come, but people were beginning to assemble. Word of the show had spread pretty well, so although people came and went throughout the evening and seemed to split their time between The Acheron‘s venue room and The Anchord Inn, which occupies the other half of the space, there wasn’t any point where I’d say it cleared out, and right up to when Lo-Pan took the stage as headliners, there was a steady build of heads filling the room. The bar next to the stage was certainly busy all night.

Soon enough, though, it was time to go inside as the night started to get underway with Philly merchants of stone, Wizard Eye. From there, it was a one-after-the-next succession of heavy. Here’s how it all went down:

Wizard Eye

They’re veterans of Eye of the Stoned Goat by now, but where the second installment earlier this year in Delaware had them teamed with fellow Philadelphia natives Heavy Temple, Thee Nosebleeds and Clamfight, in Brooklyn, they were on their own in representing the City of Brotherly Love. Not only that, but it was their third show with new drummer Mike in the trio with the dreaded guitarist/vocalist Erik Caplan and bassist/backing vocalist Dave. If there was any anxiety on their part, they didn’t show it. Wizard Eye seemed as comfortable as ever as they nestled into their thick, air-pushing Sleep-style stoner grooves, Caplan moving from his guitar to the theremin at just the moment when it seemed the former wouldn’t deliver anymore wail than that which had already been extracted from it. My overarching impression of the band remains the same as when I saw them in February — they need to get an album out. It’s time and even being 33 percent new, their presentation was tight enough to make me think they’re more than ready to go. Hopefully soon.

Geezer

If Wizard Eye were the stonerly start, then NYC’s Geezer were the answer for anyone looking for a taste of blues, guitarist/vocalist Pat Harrington working in a liberal use of slide while bassist Freddy Villano and drummer Turco filled out a heavy rocking stomp behind the classically fuzzed distortion and gravelly vocals. The band is still fresh off the release of their impressive 2013 Gage EP (discussed here), and they brought that jammier sensibility to their set, seeming right at home in slower progressions that they made move when they needed them to and offering unpretentious drinkin’ man’s music well met by the getting-started crowd. Harrington‘s was among the most believable “whiskey-soaked” style singing that I’ve heard in years, and he and Villano (who also play in Gaggle of Cocks together) obviously had years’ worth of chemistry working in their favor, despite Geezer being a relatively recent advent. Closer “Ghost Rider Solar Plexus” was a highlight, and as they’re reportedly working on a vinyl release for Gage, they seem to be building some momentum going into whatever they have in the works for after that. A solid blues-based heavy rock jam is something I’ll never argue with, and Geezer had that in spades.

Wasted Theory


Up from their home in Bear, Delaware, double-guitar unit Wasted Theory handled themselves well on The Acheron‘s stage, as Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 organizer Brendan Burns sat back for drums behind guitarist/vocalist Jackson, lead guitarist M. Kramer and bassist J., the four-piece striking hard on a balance of post-Down Southern metal and more driving stoner fare. They seemed in good spirits after having performed about a month ago at the Moving the Earth festival in Baltimore, and as they hit into songs off this year’s GodSpeed EP and Jackson swung his guitar around his back, they seemed to have come far even since I got my first glimpse of them earlier this year, locking in some fervent Pepper Keenan-style chugging on guitar while J. gave the riffs a thick foundation to rest on. They were energetic and engaged the whole way through, and though they didn’t pull in the biggest crowd of the night, they capped off with a motor-boogieing new song, Jackson half on guitar, that positioned them well coming out of GodSpeed. By the time they were done with their short set, the fest seemed like it was moving along quickly.

Borracho


I’d reviewed it the day before, so I don’t think Borracho‘s second album, Oculus, would’ve been any fresher on my mind if I’d listened to it on the way to the show. The D.C.-based trio had been out the weekend before for a set of four gigs with Lo-Pan, so I expected they’d be pretty tight and they did not disappoint. Owing to time constraints, they only played three or four songs, starting out with “Empty” and “Stockpile,” the opener and centerpiece from Oculus. Guitarist Steve Fisher has taken to the vocalist role well, and he seemed right at home on both of the Oculus cuts, the set as well giving me a whole new appreciation for the richness of bassist Tim Martin‘s tone. Dense and packed with low end push, it created the waves on which Borracho‘s slower grooves rode, punctuated and given further physicality during the jammier stretches of “Stockpile” by drummer Mario Trubiano. Dipping back to their 2011 debut, Splitting Sky, the trio capped off with the quick burst of “Concentric Circles,” Fisher showing no hesitation to deliver the lines shouting up into a dangling microphone, Motörhead-style. The earlier sets were all pretty short — 25 minutes for the first couple bands, then 30 for the next several — but Borracho had enough time to pack in maximum riffage and give anyone there who’d never seen them before a good idea of where they were coming from as a three-piece.

Lord Fowl

Here’s where I’m at with New Haven, Connecticut, four-piece Lord Fowl. They’re so tight and so professional that on stage they look like they could be playing one of those all-day amphitheater commercial radio shows with a goofy name. You know the ones: “WFUK presents the Summer Fling this Saturday at the Giant Corporate Bank Park,” and so on. Only snag is Lord Fowl don’t suck and all those bands do. It’s been over two years since I first saw them, and while they may not have the same kind of surprise factor going as they did that night, my enjoyment for what they do has only increased as they’ve gotten signed to Small Stone and last year released, Moon Queen (review here). Opening with the same wow-that-cop-is-saying-some-racist-shit sample that starts the song on the album, they kicked into the funk-riffed “Dirty Driving” as guitarists Vechel Jaynes and Mike Pellegrino traded off vocal parts, setting the tone for the rest of their all-too-short set. “Split” and “Hollow Horn” were welcome inclusions, bassist John Conine and drummer Don Freeman locking in with the starts and stops of the latter, balancing classic rock and modern heavy off each other with born-to-do-it ease. I asked Jaynes afterwards and he said a new record’s in the works, which was some of the best news I heard all night.

Supermachine

To my knowledge, no such award was handed out, but if Eye of the Stoned Goat wanted to start handing out prizes for the prettiest guitars, one would almost certainly have gone to Supermachine‘s Jay Fortin. I don’t even play guitar and the sight of his gold-trimmed, hollow-body Gretsch had me in awe, both in look and sound. As Fortin, bassist Dave Jarvis, drummer Mike McNeil and vocalist David Nebbia stepped into the New Hampshire biker rock groove of “Buffalo,” I could hear a touch of the tonality Fortin and Jarvis brought to their prior outfit together, Scissorfight, and while I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to listen to Supermachine and not consider that context — which isn’t really fair to the band, who are going for a different style altogether; it’s also why I’ve not to date reviewed their self-titled debut — there’s no doubt they’re a crisp, clear-headed and heavy four-piece who can put together a dead-on, ballsy set. “Crutch” was absurdly catchy and correspondingly full sounding, new song “Broiled Alive” was, well, also those things, and I came away from their set glad I had seen them before and had some sense of what to expect, since it allowed me more of a chance to relax and take Supermachine in on their own level. That being the case, I wondered if maybe repeat exposure would continue the trend, and if so, I could think of far worse things.

Black Black Black

The first two words in the page of notes I took during the Black Black Black set were “holy” and “shit.” The only New York band on the bill besides Geezer — also the only other act playing Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 besides Geezer that I hadn’t seen live before — Black Black Black took the stage in unassuming-enough fashion and proceeded to demolish the space around them. It was like they decided to bring their self-titled debut (see here, here and here) to life and then punch everyone in the face with it. “Light Light Light” crushed in a manner that threw down a gauntlet that dared Gozu and Lo-Pan to match its weight, and “Pentagram On,” “Wisdom, Knowledge and Fucked,” the raging “ReDeath” and “Son of Bad” brought a zero-genre-allegiance sonic versatility that was lethal in kind to the band’s presentation of the material. As their time wore on — it went quickly, make no mistake — and guitarist Jacob Cox manipulated feedback to add atmosphere to the pummel, I tried to think back to the last time I got a recommendation as good as when Jesse Bartz from Lo-Pan put me onto them. I couldn’t come up with anything. With no loss of energy or assault in their delivery, Black Black Black — Cox, vocalist Jason Alexander Byers, bassist Jonathan Swafford and drummer Jeff Ottenbacher — included two new songs near the end, the latter of which offset a shuffling riff with vocals that bordered on airy before they shifted into their final round of intense bludgeoning. It was, in short, a fucking delight.

Gozu

It made a strange kind of sense to me as I watched Boston’s Gozu load onto the stage that, last weekend, I should be in Boston watching The Brought Low at a show which members of Gozu were attending just to hang out, while this weekend, I’m in New York watching Gozu, who are from Boston, and here’s Ben Smith from The Brought Low, come to check out the gig. I feel like there’s some element of symmetry there and I just don’t have a brain able to process mathematics complex enough to enjoy it. Nonetheless, at The Acheron, Gozu played the heaviest set I’ve ever seen them play. Whether it was “Bald Bull,” the thrashing “Charles Bronson Pinchot” or the boogie-ready “Snake Plissken” from this year’s The Fury of a Patient Man (review here), or “Regal Beagle” from their 2010 Locust Season debut, everything they played seemed to pack some extra bite, and particularly in the case of drummer Barry Spillberg, the band hand-delivered a rager that set back some of their soul influence in favor of showing off hardcore roots, closing out with “Mr. Riddle” from Locust Season, which had thrust enough to its groove alone to justify Gozu’s place on the bill. I don’t generally think of Gozu as putting such an emphasis on heaviness — yeah, they’re a heavy rock band and guitarists Marc Gaffney and Doug Sherman and bassist Jay Grotto obviously have heft to their tones — but this was a different league entirely. They were almost metal, but if metal pulled its head out of its ass and remembered how good it felt to groove every now and again. Whatever symmetry I may have enjoyed in seeing them in New York this weekend, that was trumped easily by their actual performance, which was downright threatening.

Lo-Pan

It had been a long day. Lo-Pan were slated to hit the stage at midnight, and by the time they did — give or take a few minutes, but basically on time — I was long since beat, but already eight bands deep, there was no way I was missing anything the Ohio fuzz rockers had to offer. And I was even gladder I didn’t cut out early once they actually started playing; the setlist was packed with new material. “Eastern Seas” and “Colossus” were aired — familiar titles from recent shows — but “Hunters,” which if I’m not mistaken Jeff Martin said was being played for the first time (don’t quote me), brought out guttural, soulful shouts from the singer powerful enough to cut through the volume of the three players — bassist Scott Thompson, drummer Jesse Bartz and guitarist Brian “It’s His Tone, We’re Just Living in It” Fristoe — positioned in front of him. Light moshing occurred, which I guess is what happens when people 25 and under show up to gigs. New songs were joined by the familiar rush of “Deciduous” and “Generations” from 2011’s there’s-no-hyperbole-left-for-me-to-use-so-I’ll-just-say-it’s-fucking-awesome Small Stone debut, Salvador (review here), but Lo-Pan returned to new material to close out, ending off their set with “The Duke,” on which Martin‘s voice was presented sort of answering itself in delay. The final locked-in groove of that song justified its position as the finale, but when Lo-Pan were done, the shouts of “one more!” were immediate. Bartz had already gotten off the stage, but he came back up and Martin said they’d only do one more if someone bought Scott a shot of whiskey. It arrived during the first verse of “Kurtz” and was fed into his mouth as he played. More moshing ensued — heathens! — and Lo-Pan capped a killer night with a spectacle well worth sticking around to see. Until next time.

The efforts of Brendan Burns in making Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 happen are worth reiterating and commending. The Acheron also made an excellent host for the show — the sound straight through left nothing wanting in either volume, devastation or clarity — and each of the bands stepped up to deliver a fitting answer to the one in front of them, starting with Wizard Eye and ending with Lo-Pan. I got out of Brooklyn on the quick since it was already pushing 1AM, got back to my humble river valley a little after two and crashed out, satisfied that there was no more I could’ve asked of the night.

More pics after the jump. Thanks for reading.

Read more »

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Mansion Join Lineup for Roadburn 2014

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 29th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

I’m not at all going to claim to have heard Finnish cult rockers Mansion prior to seeing the news that they’ve been added to the Roadburn 2014 lineup, but listening to their debut EP, We Shall Live, they seem to be picking up some of the chaotic swirl left behind in the wake of The Devil’s Blood‘s demise, mixing in elements of classic heavy progressive rock and driving riffs alongside an otherworldly sense of dark spiritualism.

The band (for lack of a better word) will reportedly have We Shall Live out on vinyl at some point, presumably before their slot at Roadburn, which is set for Saturday, April 12. The official announcement and EP stream follow:

Finland’s Mansion To Bring End-Time Cult To Roadburn 2014

There are artists that exude sheer attitude, others lunacy, but a select few have a distinct aura of mystery about them. We at Roadburn are delighted to have been given the chance to lift the shroud of ambiguity surrounding Finland’s Mansion. Seemingly arising out of the blue earlier this year, their four-song EP We Shall Live made an instant impression on us, with its perfect balance of crystal-clear guitar and melodic, ethereal vocals.

The quartet of songs so far released all revolve around a real-life End Time cult, and we have no doubt that these musicians will entrance all who attend their performance on Saturday 12th April at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

We predict an experience of spellbinding, morbid hymns to enthrall and delight! If Coven had a bastard child with Caravan, the result might be something akin to Mansion, but the only way to truly know their power is to experience it – we can’t wait!

Mansion, We Shall Live (2013)

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Friday Full-Length: Lamprey, The Burden of Beasts

Posted in Bootleg Theater on July 26th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Lamprey, The Burden of Beasts (2012)

I had Lamprey on my mind this week as I was writing about acts like Curse the SunThe Flying Eyes and Borracho, and I consider the Portland two-bass trio in a similar (sonically diverse) league of underground heavy acts more or less waiting for someone to take notice of how together their shit actually is. Lamprey might have a little further to go before they really nail it down like the other two I just mentioned, but I dug their The Burden of Beasts EP anyway when I first streamed it last year and it seemed to me it was worth a revisit as this Friday night makes its way into Saturday morning.

This coming week, I’ll have my review up of the Vista Chino record, and probably an interview with Thomas Bellier of Blaak Heat Shujaa, but Monday starts out with a review of The Eye of the Stoned Goat 3 in Brooklyn at The Acheron tomorrow night. Lo-Pan, Gozu, Black Black Black, the aforementioned BorrachoSupermachineLord Fowl, Wizard Eye, Geezer, Wasted Theory. Check out the event page if you haven’t:

https://www.facebook.com/events/353125964803490/

Though I hesitate to mention it out of superstition that the whole thing will fall through, I’m thinking of the gig tomorrow as my last hurrah in New York before the big move to Massachusetts, which — again, I’m cringing as I type for fear of jinxing it — is set for Thursday. Whoever it is is slated to come hook up the internet Thursday afternoon, so hopefully I’ll be up and running for work whatnot (this being whatnot) on Friday. Either way, I expect some tumult in the middle of the week, but I’ll do my best to keep up as always. You know how it is.

But I’ve been looking forward to the Stoned Goat show, so unless a piano falls on my head between now and then, I’ll be at The Acheron. Hope to see you there.

And even if you’re not in the area, I hope you have a great and safe weekend and find someplace with a bit of rock and roll going down.

The Obelisk Forum

The Obelisk Radio

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Buried Treasure: Cheap Thrills and Soundcentral in Montreal

Posted in Buried Treasure on July 26th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Had I been there longer than two days, I probably would’ve visited more shops than I did, but as it was, two weeks ago, The Patient Mrs. and I escaped to Montreal for a couple days and as is my habit in places I’ve never been before, I decided to do some CD shopping. I asked and was immediately given many helpful pointers on Thee Facebooks, and that was excellent, but again, with limited time, limited funds and a limited ability on my part to be like, “No honey I don’t want to go take a walk by the river I want to go sift through musty record stores,” I picked the two that showed the most immediate promise: Cheap Thrills on Metcalfe St. and Soundcentral on Rue Coloniale.

Cheap Thrills was first since it was closer to where I was staying. Located on the second floor of its building — an older structure surrounded by taller, newer ones, it looks a little bit like something out of a time warp — getting there required a walk up a staircase that was warped almost to the point of psychedelia but proved to be worth the risk. A table of used paperbacks outside the door provided greeting and inside, a varied selection of vinyl and CDs and more books (half the store was dedicated to books, half to music) awaited perusal. The LPs looked like the way to go, but I wasn’t looking to pick up vinyl and so, finding nothing in metal, waded through the retro section hoping for Chicken Shack or some other heavy ’70s obscurity.

There were a couple that piqued my interest, but nothing so much so that I actually bought it. Tapes were behind the counter and I looked at some of them as well, but well, it was early, I was only halfway through my coffee and barely awake. It wasn’t until I found the cheapo bin — three discs for $5 — that I started to really feel inspired. Going for some local flavor, I grabbed the 2007 Blackhorse full-length from native dronegazers Aun, and was dumbfounded when I stumbled on a copy of the 1999 outing from Floridian sludgers Cavity, Supercollider. Not only was it that album, but the original Man’s Ruin pressing. Yeah, I already owned it, but it seemed like an issue of principle. No way I could leave it there. I didn’t wind up hitting that three for $5 special, but between those and some books The Patient Mrs. picked up, I felt like I did reasonably well.

My magical track-my-movements-and-tell-me-where-to-go robot (aka my phone) didn’t work above the border, so finding Soundcentral was something of a challenge, but it worked out in the end. I knew I was in the right place when, as I started to check out the bins by the door, the dude behind the counter took one look at my Vitus shirt and told me the sludgy, doomy, stoner stuff was in the back. Off I went. Sure enough, up a couple stairs — Soundcentral is deceptively spacious, but creatively laid out, and again, there are books in back (also VHS tapes) — and around the hardcore section, there was a pretty wide variety of heavy styles, used and new, neatly enough organized and running a full gamut of subgenres.

Montreal has a history of diverse metal, from Cryptopsy to The Great Sabatini, but I knew from the modicum of research I did beforehand that Soundcentral was the official distro point for local trio Dopethrone, and having bought their two prior offerings at Roadburn 2012, I knew I didn’t want to leave without picking up a physical copy of the third. The aptly-titled III was readily on hand, so I snagged that, and have been delighting in its Bongzilla-style stone-sludge ever since. For further Montreal-atry, I got Hell in Montreal by Mister Bones, who are from — wait for it — Montreal, and veering from the local stuff, was glad to find a CD copy of Egypt‘s 2013 return outing, Become the Sun (review here), and the 2012 debut, Wild Beyond Belief!, by Virginian outfit Satan’s Satyrs.

Those four probably would’ve been enough to send me out of Soundcentral confident I’d come out on the winning end, but my interest was also piqued by a self-titled outing in a sleeve by a band called Gruel. Normally, I wouldn’t shell out the cash for something in a sleeve — at a show, maybe — just as a moral standpoint, but already being out of my element in an unfamiliar city, I went with my gut and picked it up. The UK band released it in 2009 and played their last show in 2011, it was limited to 500 copies and it’s got a vicious threatening ambience to its sludge, something like Thou but with the additional off-puttingness of being an hour’s worth of material broken into four tracks that are slabs of 15 minutes apiece. Vinyl sides, in other words. On CD they make for a formidable challenge.

Knowing nothing about that, I got it basically just for the fun of taking a chance on it and on my way out, was given a copy of Coloniale, an also-limited 2010 3.5″ CDR from local and affiliated instrumentalists Squalor. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to play it when the time came — those tiny CDs can be trouble — but it wound up working fine in my laptop, and Squalor‘s garage-sounding noise-rock hit with suitable bombast. There are just three tracks on it, sort of like the compact disc version of a 7″ with one song on one side and two shorter ones on the other, but though the sound was raw the band kept my attention anyway, middle cut “Dos de Mayo” holding a line somewhere between psychedelia and caustic punk. They’ve reportedly got a new one in the works, so that’s something to keep an eye out for.

By the time I was done in Soundcentral, the afternoon was starting to wear on. Plans to hit the contemporary art museum proved ambitious and were tossed in favor of a nap. Poutine dinner and a semi-comatose walk by the aforementioned river followed, and in the morning, The Patient Mrs. and I started the long drive back down south. We’d talked about hitting Montreal for about a decade before we finally got to do it — we’ve stopped a few times over the years because of the sheer distracting gorgeousness of the Adirondacks — but if I make it back anytime soon, at least I’ll know where to get my shopping in.

Squalor, Coloniale (2010)

Cheap Thrills website

Soundcentral website

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Mos Generator Release In Concert Live Vinyl on Lay Bare Recordings

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 26th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Recorded earlier this year in Nuremberg, the new live vinyl In Concert captures revived Washington heavy rockers Mos Generator on their tour earlier this year with Saint Vitus. It’s also the first release on the newly-formed Lay Bare Recordings, which is a label project spearheaded by Désirée Hanssen of Roadburn/Burning World Records. Ms. Hanssen posted the following update this morning, and as you can see, her new label is off to a gorgeous start.

Mos Generator are also in the process of recording a new studio album, so stay tuned for more on that:

I am extremely delighted to announce that i made it to start my own record label. Let me introduce you to:

Lay Bare Recordings
from low ‘n slow to hard ‘n heavy!

Lay Bare Recordings is focussed on VINYL and supports bands that i think have an added value in the underground and unconventional music scene. I am very devoted to bring those sounds to a wider audience.

The music styles that Lay Bare Recordings will be promoting, are from artists who put their heart and soul in their music. Songs and music made with passion, vigor and quality.

Do you know a band, or are you part of a band that will feel at home in what Lay Bare Recordings represents?

Send me a link & message. I am always looking for new bands & songs that speak to me.

So spread the news or give me your thoughts.

LBR 001: Mos Generator in concert (live at Rockfabrik Nürnberg, 25-03-2013)

Tony Reed comments: “This was show 21 in a row of a 26 city tour. We were in the best shape we have ever been in as a live band and i think it shows on this recording.”

Its a Limited Edition run of 300 handnumbered units pressed on 180g virgin vinyl, single LP with some fine artwork from Mr-Frumpy Frumpedia. And the beautiful label art from Igor van Vijfeyken. The releases will be distributed by Burning World Records.

http://burningworldrecords.com/artist/mos-generator

Mos Generator, “Cosmic Ark” official video

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Borracho, Oculus: Into the Eye

Posted in Reviews on July 26th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Released digitally as a prelude to vinyl coming this fall on Strange Magic Records in the US and No Balls Records in Germany, Oculus is the second full-length album from Washington, D.C.-based heavy riffers Borracho. Strictly speaking, it’s the first new material they’ve presented since their 2011 debut, Splitting Sky (review here), though they’ve had numerous outings between to keep up the rather considerable momentum that album brought them, including the Circulos Concentricos 7″, A 10″ EP for the track “Plunge/Return,” which was left off the vinyl version of Splitting Sky, and earlier this year, a 7″ called Mob Gathering that included some of their earliest recordings, but more important, it’s the first release they’ve had as a trio since losing guitarist/vocalist Noah last year. Continuing on playing shows instrumentally at first, guitarist Steve Fisher gradually stepped into the vocal role, backed occasionally as Noah was by bassist Tim Martin, with Mario Trubiano holding down the band’s prime stonerly groove on drums. That’s not the only difference either. Where Splitting Sky reached close to an hour in length, as much as it continues to follow Borracho‘s rallying cry of “repetitive heavy grooves,” Oculus checks in at a vinyl-prime 35:49, over 21 minutes shorter, and is comprised of four extended tracks and the brief penultimate “Eye” noisy instrumental interlude leading the way to closer “I’ve Come for it All.” In no small part because of its length, Splitting Sky was a big time grower for me, but between the more concise feel of Oculus and the ease with which Fisher has made the transition to handling vocals in addition to guitar, the second outing makes an immediate positive impression. As regards the overall sound of it and the production, Borracho‘s methodology hasn’t much changed — strong hooks over heavy riffs — and the recording here sounds full and professional as did that of Splitting Sky, but with two years of growth, some touring and the experience of the first album behind them, Oculus wins out over its predecessor in every category but length — and in terms of letting each track make the most lasting individual impression, it wins out in that as well.

The album takes its title from the Latin word for eye, though in what context Borracho mean to use it — the phrase “eye of the storm” comes to mind first, particularly with the shifts they’ve undergone in the roughly two years since their first album — I don’t know. Opener “Empty” (7:30) starts out calmly enough, with Martin setting an intro pattern through the bassline that Trubiano soon punctuates, Fisher following shortly thereafter with ambient lead notes. There is a layer early into the track either of synth or far-back vocals that adds to the atmosphere, and soon, Borracho are underway with a build and a crash into thick, open-feeling riffing that serves as the central progression for most of the song, the band building, working around it, returning, playing off a riff worthy of the attention over the course of more than the first four minutes until two hits right around 4:40 bring in a faster, purely stoner figure that will carry them through the remainder. It’s almost as though “Empty” were two tracks, the one leading to the next, but ultimately it matters little, since what though it actually makes up most of the track turns out to be the intro is so easy to get lost in and since Fisher‘s vocals are so right on once the verse starts. With Martin‘s righteously thickened Fu Manchu groove behind, he follows the riff for the verse and switches to layered shouting in the chorus. Stylistically and on paper, it’s not so different from what Noah did on Splitting Sky, but Fisher‘s approach is less gravelly and seems natural in the context of the material. That proves no less the case as highlight “Know the Score” (7:18) starts up with a light Southern touch of acoustic guitar and unfolds to one of Oculus‘ several landmark riffs. Fisher is more immediately forward, and he, Trubiano and Martin are locked into the movement of the song from the start, but the turn to the chorus makes for a genuine demonstration both of their chemistry and of the strength in songcraft that has led to their finding such welcome reception in the heavy rock underground. It is organic, readily familiar, more complex than it sounds and more than ably delivered. Following a round of “yeah-yeah”s the second time through, a long-sustained organ note — a little out of nowhere but not at all interrupting the flow — eases the transition into the insistent next section, the line “I think you missed again” repeated as Borracho march past the midpoint en route to a raucous bridge that returns to the chorus riff. As they build up, Trubiano tosses in some double-kick to add to the rush, and when they turn back to the initial verse riff and follow with a final chorus, it’s a surprise and a bookend that once again shows their songwriting prowess. The end with a crash and a well-earned ringout.

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Snail Part Ways with Lead Guitarist Eric Clausen

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 25th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

And then there were three… again. Lead guitarist Eric Clausen joined up with Snail founders Mark Johnson (guitar/vocals), bassist Matt Lynch (bass) and Marty Dodson (drums) when they reformed in 2008 to release the stellar sophomore outing, Blood (review here), the next year on MeteorCity. A fully reformed four-piece, if one spread somewhat geographically between California and Seattle on the West Coast, Snail issued their worthy follow-up in the form of third album, Terminus (review here), and today, even as their fourth is in progress — more on that below — the band announced that Clausen has left to focus on his own projects, one of which, Division Process, has a new record of its own in the can.

I’m not sure where in the process of making that fourth offering, titled Feral, Snail actually are, but having been fortunate enough to see them with Clausen in the lineup, I know he added a considerable amount to the band. Nonetheless, there’s a certain amount of enjoyable symmetry to them winding up a trio after starting out that way with the release of their self-titled debut (review here) back in the early ’90s.

Here’s how it is:

It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that our friend and bandmate Eric Clausen will be leaving Snail. We will continue to support him in his many musical endeavors and wish him the success that he deserves.

Says Eric – “I’ve decided to devote my time to my own projects. I loved my time with my bros and wish Snail all the best and will continue to show my support of them.”

You’ll be able to hear more from Eric soon as he will be releasing a new CD under the name Division Process.

In other news, Snail have revealed the songs that will appear on Feral when it is released:

Snail, Feral tracklisting
Smoke the deathless
Derail
Born in captivity
Thou art that
Fast woman
A mustard seed
Psilocybe
Building a haunted house
Come home

Snail, The ’93-’94 Blood Demos (2012)

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