It’s a quick post from London heavy rock trio Stubb, but it serves as a reminder of yet another record set to arrive in the coming months worth watching out for. Actually, there’s no release date yet, but I’m hoping this one makes it out before the end of the year. Stubb‘s 2012 self-titled debut (review here) was a winter album, and if their second outing and first for Ripple Music, Cry of the Ocean, follows suit, I’ll take it.

Stubb recorded the album at Skyhammer Studios, owned by Jon Davis of Conan, and Cry of the Ocean will mark the first recorded appearance by drummer Tom Fyfe, who came aboard to replace Chris West (also ex-Trippy Wicked), who played on the first record and subsequent single, Under a Spell (review here). Fyfe joins guitarist/vocalist Jack Dickinson and bassist/vocalist Peter Holland, who now also plays in Elephant Tree.

So yes, Stubb‘s sophomore full-length will find the band in a different situation than did their debut, and opening with a two-parter — even, let’s say if part one is an intro and part two is the song itself — speaks to a progressive ambition on their part, but I have little doubt that the songwriting will deliver, and if you heard the first record, you know that’s what it’s all about with these guys. Well, that and the thick-bottom grooves they lock in along the way.

Will keep you apprised when I get more info on the release — things like the art, arrival date, and so on — but here’s the tracklist, courtesy of the band:

These are the song titles in order for our new album ‘Cry Of The Ocean’

Cry Of The Ocean Part 1
Cry Of The Ocean Part 2
Heavy Blue Sky
Sail Forever
Heartbreaker
Devil’s Brew
Snake Eyes
You’ll Never Know

http://stubbrock.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/Stubbrock
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Stubb, “Under a Spell”

Of all the bands Wino‘s played guitar in, The Obsessed have always struck me as the most stripped down. If it wasn’t so slow and thick, you could almost call it punk in form. Riffs, verses, choruses, solos — The Obsessed never got too fancy, never strayed from rock and roll, never fell into pretense. They just rocked. Then they stopped. Then they started again. Then they stopped again. And so on.

That cycle seems to have hit a “stopped again” point, particularly with the reunion of Spirit Caravan this year. When they got back together in 2012, The Obsessed did a full European tour, but nothing in the US to compare with the month-plus Spirit Caravan spent on the road this spring. Maybe that’s due in part to Spirit Caravan‘s higher profile — they’ve always been a fan favorite, and bassist Dave Sherman‘s stage presence and tenure fronting Earthride has only increased interest in Spirit Caravan since their early ’00s breakup — but either way, aside from the appearance at Maryland Deathfest XI last year, from which this week’s Wino Wednesday clip comes, The Obsessed haven’t done much in the States for their reunion. With both Spirit Caravan and Saint Vitus currently active, it’s hard to know where The Obsessed might fit in.

Still, the safe bet is that they will — if not now, at some point — reemerge. Formed as Warhorse in 1976, The Obsessed has been a home base to which Wino has returned several times over his journeyman’s years between projects, and “Skybone,” which was the centerpiece of their to-date final outing, 1994’s The Church Within, shines light on a lot of what has always worked best about the band. It is unremittingly straightforward, an easy groove to ride along with and that asks little indulgence in return. Obscure lyrically, but irresistibly riffed, and bassist Reid Raley and drummer Greg Rogers, though both lower volume in the video than Wino‘s guitar (it was filmed on his side of the stage), nail down the nod on the sleeper favorite.

Enjoy:

The Obsessed, “Skybone” live at Maryland Deathfest XI, May 25, 2013

I don’t know if Oslo four-piece Lonely Kamel are talking about their hometown or some other locale with their new album title, Shit City, but wherever it might be, they’re not leaving much mystery in terms of how they feel about it. The Norwegian heavy rockers will release their fourth full-length this September on Napalm Records as their second outing for the label’s riffy imprint, Spinning Goblin Productions.

The provocatively titled long-player follows three years after Dust Devil (track stream here) and while no audio has yet surfaced from it, the Vance Kelly artwork and, well, the fact that it’s called Shit City speak to maybe some more aggressive tendencies coming through from the band. Could be that the Roadburn and Høstsabbat veterans are getting angrier as they go on, or the title could be an inside gag and chosen for nothing more than a laugh. That’s the magic of album titles, folks. There you have it.

Info on Shit City — everything except the latitude and longitude — follows here, courtesy of the PR wire:

LONELY KAMEL Reveal Title, Track Listing, Artwork & Release Dates of New Album

This camel is certainly not a lone voice in the wilderness. Especially since LONELY KAMEL indeed sound like a desert, but in truth come from Norway. Today they unveil the details of their upcoming album! Shit City is set to be released on 1st September in the UK & 9th September CAN/USA via Napalm Records. LONELY KAMEL clearly belong to the spearhead of the European rock scene. Check out the details of the upcoming album:

Track Listing:
1. Shit City
2. White Lines
3. Is It Over
4. I Feel Sick
5. Seal The Perimeter
6. Freezing
7. BFD
8. Nightjar
9. Falling Down

Release Dates:
27.08.2014 NOR/SWE
29.08.2014 G/A/S, BENELUX & FIN
01.09.2014 UK & Rest of Europe
03.09.2014 ESP

For More Info Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/lonelykamel
https://www.facebook.com/AvkStudios
http://www.napalmrecords.com/

Lonely Kamel, Dust Devil (2011)

Northern England trio Coltsblood launched last summer with the Beyond the Lake of Madness demo tape (review here) and immediately demanded attention via their crushingly slow, excruciatingly heavy, thoroughly doomed approach. That two track release, as though eaten by a larger undersea monster, has been subsumed into the three-piece’s Candlelight Records debut full-length, Into the Unfathomable Abyss, which furthers the brutal largesse of the demo, stretching out to nearly an hour’s runtime and finding some variety — in sound if not overall mood — by incorporating a few faster parts here and there. The album, which was recorded at Skyhammer Studios with Chris Fielding (Electric Wizard, Conan, Primordial, etc.) and features nightmarishly detailed cover art by former Grief bassist/vocalist Eric Harrison, pits longer pieces like “Beneath Black Skies” (14:09) and “Abyss of Aching Insanity” (12:29) from the demo against shorter ones, those two together with the penultimate “Ulfeonar” (a paltry 11:31) forming an unholy trio of slow-cooking heft that provides atmosphere the way one thinks of water filling lungs. Shorter cuts are interspersed around them, though by the end of the record, the timing works out that even the “shorter cuts” have topped eight minutes, as the closer “Return to the Lake of Madness” (8:31) rounds out no less grueling than “Ulfeonar” before it. Still, earlier on, the noisy intro “Valhalla Awaits” (2:17) the faster “Blood” (2:20) and the building instrumental “Grievous Molestation” (6:52) are well placed to give a breath of air before the next dive back into the heart of the titular abyss, which at its grimmest could rival anything put forth by Ahab, but seems bent toward more sonic diversity. Comprised at the time of bassist/vocalist John McNulty (ex-Conan, ex-Black Magician), guitarist Jemma McNulty and drummer Steve Primeau — the latter since replaced by Jay Plested, also of Black Magician — Coltsblood affirm the potential of their demo while distinguishing themselves among the more extreme end of doom’s practitioners.

Play slow enough and things just start to sound like they’re falling apart. Nothing against that, but Coltsblood never quite get there, even as John‘s throaty shouts echo over the crawling earlier stretches of “Ulfeonar.” The intent is vicious, tectonic heaviness, but Into the Unfathomable Abyss still has a groove to it. One can hear shades of Conan‘s tonal dominance in the quicker parts of that song or “Blood” earlier on, but as the blackened scream about halfway through “Beneath Black Skies” and the bulk of Coltsblood‘s lumbering rollout shows, they’re on a different trip, even if they do manage to sneak a shuffle riff in there every now and again. The McNultys make a devastating pair, tonally, and when Jemma‘s guitar takes an airy solo over the steady rumble, the effect is more mournful than psychedelic, a noisy chaos emerging in the last two minutes of “Beneath Black Skies” to set up the blastbeaten charge of “Blood,” which is in and out in nearly one-seventh of the time but no less wretched-sounding — and yes, I mean that as a compliment. Even here, Coltsblood aren’t void of melody, but even that seems to have been twisted into something dark, a drawn out, plotted lead reminding of some of Nile‘s grandiose soloing. As a centerpiece, “Abyss of Aching Insanity” provides the album’s least compromised lurch, feedback and crash working in tandem to seer the consciousness before the next measure cycles through, Primeau more or less taking the opposite approach from “Blood” and playing as slow and open as possible. About halfway through, everything drops out but the bass, and for a moment, the album leaves you alone in the desolation, presumably to ponder how on earth you ever went so deep to start with. Jemma takes a layered solo when the guitars and drums return, but there isn’t really meant to be any release of the tension, and there isn’t.

Read more »

Next Tuesday, July 1, is the release date for Corrosion of Conformity‘s aptly-titled ninth album, IX, which also serves as the band’s second full-length through Candlelight Records since their reboot with the trio lineup of bassist/vocalist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin, following on the heels of their 2012 self-titled (review here) and subsequent, Scion A/V-sponsored Megalodon EP. The latter, which was also released in 2012, seemed to solidify many of the ideas of the former, and helped to affirm the grooves and the varied approach that C.O.C., now 30 years on from their first album, Eye for an Eye, would present. IX (short review here), is consistent in progressing this roughness of sound and steady, rolling feel, but as cuts like “Denmark Vesey” and “Tarquinius Superbus” show, C.O.C. never completely let go of their roots in hardcore punk. Knowing that at any point they could immediately take off at top speed adds an element of danger to the proceedings, and Dean, Weatherman and Mullin sound only too happy to revel in it.

The latter track, which appears deep into IX‘s side B sandwiched between the high-grade Southern heavy rock of “The Hanged Man” and “Who You Need to Blame,” is particularly interesting for how directly it plays one side off the other, its five-and-a-half-minute runtime split between raging forward motion and righteous nod. It serves to summarize what C.O.C. have done best since coming back as a trio, which is to foster an approach simple enough in its elements but based around a quality of songwriting that speaks to the band’s legacy both in albums like 1985’s Animosity and 1996’s Wiseblood while still forming something new from them. In both their style and how they’re developing within it, Corrosion of Conformity circa 2014 are geared toward a natural sound and focused on capturing a live feel in their recordings. As an album, IX not only succeeds in this, but shows the band sounding more comfortable and confident in their approach as well.

We were on a bit of a rough line in terms of connection, but in the interview that follows, Dean discusses how they’ve arrived where they are, including their longtime collaboration with producer John Custer, with whom Dean worked on this album as an audio engineer, the progression they’ve undertaken since the self-titled was put together, touring, and how finalizing material in the studio as it’s being recorded can help give a record a sense of spontaneity. Also discussed at the end is Dean‘s time in Kyuss-offshoot Vista Chino and what the future might hold there. After some drama with the booking, Corrosion of Conformity will head to Australia this summer, and they have plans in the works for a West Coast tour this fall and will no doubt continue to support IX for the foreseeable future, keeping their momentum going at a clip to match their speediest riffing.

Full Q&A is after the jump. Please enjoy.

Read more »

UK cult-psych/garage doom progenitors Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats will embark on their first US tour this fall. Already slated for European shows this August, they’ll subsequently arrive Stateside in support of their third album, Mind Control (review here). Already veterans of Roadburn, Uncle Acid supported Black Sabbath on tour in the UK and Europe this past winter, completed another full run this spring, and most recently appeared at Maryland Death Fest last month.

Dates and whatnots follow, just off the PR wire:

UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS Announce First North American Tour

UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS, one of the most talked about rock bands currently in existence, and an enigma in the international underground scene, released their third album Mind Control last year via Metal Blade Records/ Rise Above Records in North America. The reviews were phenomenal and UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS began to take North America by storm. The band recently concluded a highly successful tour of Europe and the UK as well as sold out dates in New Zealand and Australia.

In support of Mind Control, UNCLE ACID played North America for the first time this May as part of the Maryland Deathfest. After the amazing reception and breathtaking performance, UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS are set to return to North America this fall for a full North American tour. The tour kicks off September 24th in Philadelphia, PA and runs through October 11th in Los Angeles, CA. Danava will provide support on the tour and tickets go on sale this Friday June 27th.

UNCLE ACID commented on the upcoming tour:
“Deadbeats of North America! We’re very pleased to announce our first tour of the U.S. and Canada. It’s been a long time coming but we’re looking forward to finally destroying your minds!”

Mind Control is a concept album with a theme that makes the acts and intentions of the likes of Charles Manson and Jim Jones seem like petty crimes. What makes Mind Control scarier than most albums is that it doesn’t seem as sinister on the surface as it really is deep down, within the core of its black acid-drenched world of pain and torture.

Imagine the original Alice Cooper band jamming in a cell with early Black Sabbath and the Stooges, whilst sitting on murder charges and you may get a glimpse into their fuzzed up world of exploding tube amps and cymbal smashing mayhem. However, this enticing act of musical manipulation is merely the icing upon a very sick cake.

Recorded at the legendary Chapel Studios over an autumnal full moon using the finest western electrical technology, engineer Jim Spencer (Bert Jansch, Robert Wyatt) has captured perfectly the bands live sound of saturated fuzz, mind-bending riffs and 60’s vocal harmonies.

UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS North American Tour:
9/24: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
9/25: Cambridge, MA @ Middle East
9/26: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom
9/27: Montreal, QC @ Il Motore
9/28: Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace
9/30: Chicago, IL @ Subterranean
10/1: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
10/3: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
10/4: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
10/6: Seattle, WA @ Neumos
10/7: Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw
10/8: Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
10/10: San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
10/11: Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy Theater

http://acidcoven.com/
https://www.facebook.com/uncleacid/
http://www.riseaboverecords.com/

Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, “I’ll Cut You Down” Live at Maryland Deathfest 2014

I think we’re still a ways off from getting a release date for the long-awaited debut from Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, but that the mix has been finalized and the album has entered the mastering stage is news of progress, and I’ll take what I can get. The Tad Doyle-fronted outfit released their demo (review here) and a split with Mico de Noche (review here) in 2009, which just to save you the math, was five years ago.

So yeah, this one’s been a while in the making, though Brothers of the Sonic Cloth (who are also my most comfortable t-shirt) have been playing shows most of that time and Doyle has also recorded other bands at his Studio Witch Ape, including the Lumbar project, in which he also took part with Aaron Edge and YOB‘s Mike Scheidt. Better delayed than never, and I have the feeling once the record — which was recorded by Billy Anderson — arrives, I won’t give a shit how long it’s been since the demo came out.

Still, the sooner the better. Their update:

Recording update: We have the final mixes for the record and we are extremely satisfied with the Billy Anderson mix treatments that we did at Everything Hz. Nine songs have been mixed.

Billy has been a excellent to work with and has added dimensions and sonic depths that only he could have brought to these songs. When a band talks about having a fourth member, (a mix engineer/recording engineer/soundman) that have contributed to the music in such a way that it brings out things in the mix and out of the songs that is greater than the sum of it’s parts, we know what that means.

We will be working with Billy in the future for our next recording. In the meantime, we can’t wait to find a home for these songs with a record label that understands us and is willing to back us to get this music to the people. Next up is analog mastering with Justin Weis at Trakworx!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brothers-of-the-Sonic-Cloth/63586406187
http://www.taddoyle.com/

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, “I Am”

The tenure of UK doomers The Wounded Kings — now approaching the decade mark — has been tumultuous to say the least. Multi-instrumentalist and founder Steve Mills has gone from working in a duo, to a full band, to a completely different full band, to being the lone founder, and today, to welcoming back his co-founder, vocalist George Birch, who sang on the band’s earliest studio recordings, including their 2008 Embrace of the Narrow House debut.

If I mention that album specifically, it’s because that album is specifically worth mentioning. It was the foundation point for the often bizarre, murky and cultish progression The Wounded Kings would subsequently undertake. Now, Birch rejoins the band as a replacement for frontwoman Sharie Neyland, whose eerie croon was key to the atmospheric complexities of 2011’s In the Chapel of the Black Hand (review here) and earlier-2014’s excellent Consolamentum (review here) full-lengths.

The Wounded Kings are slated to headline Dutch Doom Days at the end of October and have other touring commitments in the works, so it looks like Birch has his work cut out for him in coming back. The band announced Neyland‘s departure and his return thusly:

BAND STATEMENT:

As of now, Sharie Neyland is no longer a member of the band.
She has left for personal reasons. Obviously this came as a shock as we have show commitments and a European tour with dates to honour.
With all this in mind we knew we had to bring out the big guns…

ORIGINAL TWK VOCALIST GEORGE BIRCH IS BACK!
(Embrace of the Narrow House, Shadow over Atlantis and An introduction to the Black Arts Split 12”with COUGH)

If you wondered what George would have sounded like, what his take would have been on the new material, or you never got to see tracks like ‘The Baptism of Atlantis’ performed live… Well this is your chance!!!

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER…. OUR LIVE SET WILL FEATURE SONGS FROM ALL 4 OF OUR ALBUMS…….

SEE YOU THERE…………

Please share this with anyone you feel will be interested to know.

https://www.facebook.com/thewoundedkings
http://candlelightrecordsusa.com/site/

The Wounded Kings, Consolamentum (2014)