Posted in Whathaveyou on August 28th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
If you follow the varied work of guitarist Chad Davis (Hour of 13, Tasha-Yar, etc.), then you probably at some point in the last year or two saw The Sabbathian namedropped as a project in the making. Their debut EP, Ritual Rites, has been a while coming, and apparently the band’s new label, Svart, is looking to make up for some lost time. All the better, what with the three-track offering reveling as it does in bleak, classic doom the likes of which Davis seems to be able to so readily conjure.
Doubtless part of the delay in putting the whole thing together — if you want to call it a delay; sometimes these things just take a minute to get going — was in coordinating with vocalist Anette Gulbrandsen, who is based in Norway while Davis and guitarist Joey Downs reside in North Carolina. Whatever the case, the vinyl/download will be out shortly and it’ll look like this:
THE SABBATHIAN to release SVART debut, feature Hour of 13 member
Today, Svart Records announces September 3rd as the international release date for The Sabbathian’s debut mini-album, Ritual Rites, to be released on vinyl and digital formats. The Sabbathian comprise two fundamental elements: doom metal, and the occult forces of nature and energy. These elements brought together three individuals in the form of The Sabbathian. Taking their roots to the core of true, heavy, darkened metal, The Sabbathian draw an unparalleled ion from the likes of Candlemass and Black Sabbath, all while retaining a sound very personable to them. Formed by Chad Davis (Hour of 13), the journey is to create music for the hours of darkness and gloom.
Joined by guitarist Joey Downs (Altar Blood), his contribution adds the element of power and everything the sense of heavy. Featuring the sheer vocal beauty of Anette Gulbrandsen (Leave’s Eyes, Nattsol, Mäctätus) at the forefront, her alto/soprano vocal stylings bring forth medieval choirs and haunting apparitions that complete what is The Sabbathian: a journey into darkness, a voyage into the cosmic void unknown. With Ritual Rites, The Sabbathianhave arrived as a force to be reckoned with in the world of modern-day occult doom rock, and will remain the top contender until death. First proof can be heard HERE. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:
Tracklisting for The Sabbathian’s Ritual Rites 1. Ancient’s Curse 2. Ritual Rites 3. Nightshade Eternal
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 28th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
I don’t mind telling you I’ve been waiting for Alunah‘s new album for what feels like I really long time. The reality of the situation is that the Birmingham four-piece’s third offering and Napalm Records debut, Awakening the Forest, arrives just two years after their previous full-length, White Hoarhound(review here), but as I’ve continued to enjoy that record since first hearing it, my affection for it only growing with the passing months, it seems much longer. I’m not sure what my ideal follow-up to White Hoarhound would’ve sounded like — or, more to the point, I can’t think of a way in which Awakening the Forestisn’t it.
For those who, like me, were fans of the last one or of 2010’s Call of Avernus(review here) before that, the riffs of Dave and Soph Day retain their bounce, and new bassist Dan Burchmore falls in step thickly with drummer Jake Mason to craft a lumbering but still nod-ready groove. At the same time, there’s clear progression evident. The band is more patient, the pieces that make up the memorable six songs more languid. In general, they sound like they’ve been working since White Hoarhoundcame out, which of course is precisely the case whether one thinks in the sense of getting on the road for shows or bringing in Burchmore and solidifying their lineup. Alunah come across as more comfortable with their psychedelic side — fitting for their consistently pastoral thematic — but Awakening the Forestpresents some of their most doomed material as well.
To wit, the rollout of “Heavy Bough.” At just under six minutes, it’s among the shortest songs on Awakening the Forest(only “The Mask of Herne” is shorter, and by five seconds), and marked out by the lead and rhythm interplay of Soph and Dave‘s guitars as well as Soph‘s riff-riding verse and more open chorus. On an album full of hooks, “Heavy Bough” stands out for its nature worship and for its still-grounded take, sandwiched between the more ethereal opener “Bricket Wood Coven” and the side A finale title-track, but if it’s the first you’re hearing of the album, then its primary function will be to remind of just how easily an Alunah track can get stuck in your head. If this is your first experience with the band, all the better you’ve found them at this moment.
Please find “Heavy Bough” on the player below, and enjoy:
Alunah will release Awakening the Foreston Oct. 6 in the UK and Oct. 7 in North America. The album was recorded by Greg Chandler (Esoteric) and mixed and mastered by Tony Reed (Mos Generator), and is available now to preorder. More info at the links.
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Fuzzorama Records has been touting the virtues of Austrian rockers Witchrider for most of this year — even before they picked up the band for an EP release this Spring, and when it comes to fuzz, there are few parties worldwide who know what they’re talking about as well as the guys from Truckfighters, so yeah, I’ve had the name on my mind for a while. We’ll finally get to find out what Witchrider are all about this fall when their debut LP, UnmountableStairs, is released by the label.
Not surprisingly, Truckfighters will take Witchrider out on tour around the time of the album’s release — you’d almost think these things were planned in advance — and you can find those dates and more about the release below, as well as “Black” from their EP, which will also appear on the debut.
To the PR wire:
WITCHRIDER DEBUT ALBUM AND EUROPEAN TOUR ANNOUNCED!
Fast rising Euro stone rocksters ‘Witchrider’ release ‘Unmountable Stairs’ on Monday 3rd November through Fuzzorama Records/Code7/PHD, and tour throughout Europe with Truckfighters.
When listening to Witchrider, you can not help but be drawn in by their magnetism. They have a haunting beauty that proves to engulf and ignite. As frontman Daniel Dorninger says, “the thing about making music is, there are no boundaries. It’s like a spirit of emotions that eventually passes through your body…you never know what you’re gonna’ end up with”.
Formed in 2012 and hailing from Graz, Austria, Portsmouth, Witchrider sport a mutual love for the quirky riffage of heavyweights QOTSA and Eagles Of Death Metal, as well as an affection for the dark elements of Soundgarden. Siphoning fuel from these powerhouses, Witchrider offer a genuinely refreshing take on their own brand of stripped down, fuzzed up alternative rock.
Living and breathing their music is crucial to the four-piece, and as such, they are constantly writing and honing their craft. “Being able to work on music all the time is essential for all of us. That’s why we record most of our stuff at home if we can. There’s even a freakin’ drum kit next to my bed!”, states drummer Michael Hirschmugl.
Although the songs work with each other as a collective piece of work, Witchrider’s music is diverse and has an array of influences. “I always found musical style not really that important. What counts the most is whether you can identify yourself with the music or not. I know I can and I am happy about every person who can as well. I think that’s what makes music ‘cool’”, says Hans-Peter.
As well as basking in the writing process, the band are supremely dedicated to playing live and fans will have ample opportunity to see the quintet as they hit the road this autumn supporting label mates ‘Truckfighters’. For a complete list of all European shows, check outwww.facebook.com/witchriderband
In early 2014, Witchrider signed to Truckfighters’ Fuzzorama Records and they now release their new album ‘Unmountable Stairs’ on Monday 3rd November. With eleven killer cuts of low-strung scuzzy alt-rock, the record contorts and burrows itself deep into your skull. Look out for new single ‘I’m Outta Breath’, and don’t miss the band on tour throughout October and November.
WITCHRIDER LIVE (as main support to Truckfighters): Nov 10 – Brudenell LEEDS Nov 11 – Sound Control MANCHESTER Nov 12 – King Tuts Wah Wah Hut GLASGOW Nov 13 – The Basement NOTTINGHAM Nov 14 – O2 Academy Islington LONDON Nov 15 Hard Rock Hell – PWLLHELI Nov 16 – Oobleck BIRMINGHAM
Posted in audiObelisk on August 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
I’m always happy to post streams from Roadburn, and I think I’ve made that clear over the last half-decade, but this batch in particular features two of my favorite performances from this year’s fest, namely Brooklyn’s Hull, who played Day One, and Boston’s Gozu, who played Day Three. The two bands are pretty far from each other sonically and aesthetically, but both are fantastic at what they do and for me represent where I come from (the New York area) and where I’m at now (the Boston area). So in addition to having enjoyed watching these guys wreck up Stage01 and the Green Room, respectively, I’m happy now to have the chance to revisit those memories. Heavy riffs and fuzzy feelings.
Also cool to hear Mansion‘s set again, which was something of a sleeper, and Carlton Melton, who were so psyched out I almost broke a vinyl-buying embargo, as well as acts I missed like E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr, New Keepers of the Water Towers and ASG. As ever, all the sets were recorded by the venerable Marcel van de Vondervoort and his team, and they’ll be available into perpetuity so that future generations can know just how much they suck in comparison to the rock and roll we beheld.
So behold:
ASG – Live at Roadburn 2014
Carlton Melton – Live at Roadburn 2014
E-musikgruppe Lux Ohr – Live at Roadburn 2014
Gozu – Live at Roadburn 2014
Hull – Live at Roadburn 2014
Mansion – Live at Roadburn 2014
Nicklas Barker & Reine Fiske – Live at Roadburn 2014
New Keepers Of The Water Towers – Live at Roadburn 2014
Thanks as always to Walter and the Roadburn crew for permission to host the streams. To check out past streams from Roadburn 2014 click here, here and/or here, and to read the coverage from this year’s fest, click here.
According to the raw interwebular research I was able to put together — i.e., I Googled it — The Hidden Hand played the release show for their second album, Mother Teacher Destroyer, on Oct. 29, 2004, at the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. If I’m wrong about that, I hope you’ll at least give me credit for trying to track down when this clip of “The Crossing,” the opening track from that record, was played. Whenever it was, bassist Bruce Falkinburg absolutely nails the vocals, and even in the “uploaded five years ago” quality, the song sounds pretty righteous.
Their 2003 debut, Divine Propaganda, was rawer, and 2007’s swansong, The Resurrection of Whiskey Foote, more ambitious, but to me, Mother Teacher Destroyerwas the quintessential outing from The Hidden Hand during their all-too-short run from 2003-2007. Not only did it have the rawness and progressive sensibilities in near-perfect balance, but the tracks themselves were so memorable, both individually and how they fed into each other, that the album remains high on my list of favorite Wino-related releases. I’ve featured the album before, so I won’t belabor the point, but it was the right offering at the right moment.
All the better, then, to get a glimpse of that moment nearly a decade later, by checking out this video of “The Crossing” from the release show. Wino, Falkinburg and drummer Dave Hennessy are in top form — you can see them nail the tricky change shortly before the long guitar solo kicks in — and it seems fair to think this was if not as good as they got, then probably close to it. I still consider The Hidden Hand probably the least appreciated of the bands Wino has been in, the stalled-out and largely forgotten Premonition 13 notwithstanding, and something like this is a real treat at least for me, and I hope for you as well.
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Today I couldn’t be more pleased to announce that even though they already spent nine days in a van with me earlier this year, Kings Destroy have been kind and charitable enough to invite me back along with them as they rejoin Pentagram and Radio Moscow for a Midwest/East Coast tour to follow-up on the West Coast dates this past spring. Coming along this time will be reunited proto-metallers Bang, and I’m all the more thrilled and honored to have been invited back by the KD guys for this second round with their participation.
Once again I’ll get to see places I’ve never seen, meet people I’ve spoken to for years, and watch killer bands night after night as they refine what they do in the best way possible. I can’t wait to get back out and see cities like Chicago and Minneapolis for the first time. It’s going to be incredible. Of course, I’ll have my laptop and my camera along for the trip, and I will update and review as the trip plays out.
Radio Moscow gave the dates. They’ll do the whole tour save for the NYC show at the Gramercy Theater, for which Blood Ceremony will fill in. The full run is as follows:
USA DATES supporting PENTAGRAM this October! Also joining us are legendary 70’s proto-metal hard rockers BANG and Kings Destroy! So stoked to be part of this amazing tour. Dates below. See you soon!
10/23/14 Chicago IL @ Reggie’s 10/24/14 Minneapolis MN @ Mill City Nights 10/25/14 Grand Rapids MI @ Pyramid Scheme 10/27/14 Cleveland OH @ House of Blues 10/28/14 Pittsburgh PA @ Mr Smalls Theater 10/29/14 Baltimore MD @ Soundstage 10/30/14 Philadelphia PA @ Johnny Brendas 11/01/14 New York NY @ Gramercy Theater* 11/02/14 Providence RI @ The Met
Posted in Reviews on August 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
I parked behind what used to be Boston’s legendary punk venue The Rat and made my way over a bridge across the Masspike, which cuts right through the city, and down a street behind Fenway Park to the House of Blues. It was Sunday night. The evening prior, I’d been in Pennsylvania watching All Them Witches, King Buffalo and King Dead (review here) win hearts and minds at The Living Room in Stroudsburg. I was beat from the drive, but this was Sleep, and some things you just don’t miss when you’re lucky enough to get the chance to see them.
House of Blues. Big. Corporate, but clearly run by professionals. Mezzanine tickets cost more, I think. The privilege of standing further away at a premium. Uh huh. I walked in and over to the crowded merch area — even Sleep‘s t-shirts seemed to cause a mosh pit to break out — and found Arik Roper selling vinyl, pillowcases, posters, etc. He seemed to be busy all night, and for good reason. Sleep‘s new single, “The Clarity” (review here), had just gotten a 12″ release, and legitimately it was sweet looking. Then, poof, it was gone.
Run down though I was — and, if I’m honest, still am — I’d have had a hard time pretending not to be excited for this show. Anytime Sleep comes around, it’s a special occasion, something to be celebrated, and the support slot being filled by a one-off Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket jam only added to the appeal, the influential San Diego trio — it seems fair to think of them at this point as a nexus for the current crop of heavy psych bands coming out of that area — teaming up with J. Mascis (Heavy Blanket, Witch, Dinosaur Jr.) for what if I’m not mistaken was the first time since their performance at Roadburn 2012 (Sleep also played that year), a staggering landmark of jammed heavy recently issued as the Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket, In a Dutch Hazevinyl and CD (review here). As far as nights go, I knew this was going to be a good one.
There was no grand introduction as Earthless — guitarist Isaiah Mitchell (also Golden Void), bassist Mike Egington and drummer Mario Rubalcaba — took the stage, no “Guess who this is!” posturing. They rolled in, turned on their amps, Rubalcaba took his seat behind the drums, in front of the riser that Sleep‘s Jason Roeder would soon occupy, and slammed into 45 minutes of straight jamming. The interplay between Mitchell and Mascis, who shared a side of the stage, was unbelievable, and as Egington and Rubalcaba locked a foundation down early, the guitarists set about tripping out solos and effects washes and riffs that would carry through for the entirety of the cosmic exploration. Whatever you might’ve called the piece — “In a Fenway Haze?” — it moved up and down and sideways, was molten in its changes and overwhelming in its sprawl.
The thing to do was to lose yourself in it. That’s harder in a live space — at least sober — than when listening to a record, but if anyone was ever going to take you on a ride, it was these cats. And they did. Even the big rock finish of the set was about five minutes long, everything huge, swirling and terrifying in both cohesion and scale. I dug it, I dug it, I dug it, and I’m willing to bet six new bands formed in the crowd while Earthless Meets Heavy Blanket played. All the better. Sleep would be on a different rip when they came out, but were no less glorious, the kings of stoner riffing riding high both on the new single and on the promise of an inaugural Australian tour to come, and a couple more shows on this run as well. Bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros (also Om), guitarist Matt Pike (also High on Fire) and Roeder (also Neurosis) came out after a short break, and it was plain from the start of opener “Sonic Titan” that everyone was having a really good time on stage.
I think back to the first time I saw Sleep, four years ago in Brooklyn. They killed. God damn were they loud. But watching them play, you could see the differences in how they handled themselves on stage. Cisneros came across like he might’ve with Om, a very contemplative, subdued presence. Pike, in contrast, was battle-axe brazen, everything one might expect from watching a High on Fire gig. As the two founding members of the band with Roeder between them, the split in personality was evident, right there to be seen. At House of Blues, it was just the opposite. Not only in how Cisneros and Pike interacted, but in their individual presences and in how solid the three-piece was with Roeder, Sleep weren’t so much a reunion act whose members went on to find success in other bands. That disparity was nonexistent. They were a vital trio, reveling in their classic material — Sleep’s Holy Mountainfeatured heavily with “From Beyond” and “Holy Mountain” early and “Aquarian” and “Dragonaut” after delving into “Dopesmoker” — but more than ever that I’ve seen them, very obviously ready to move forward as well.
Perhaps that was most evident in Cisneros‘ performance. He toyed with the rhythm of his vocal delivery for “Dopesmoker” and elsewhere — the clarion lines “Drop out of life with bong in hand/Follow the smoke toward the riff-filled land” marked by a sustained, almost growling “drop” — and when the stoner caravan of “From Beyond” arrived, it did so with delighted emphasis on “stoner.” Predictably, at some point late in the set, someone tossed a joint on stage, and Pike, who had an electric cigarette on standby, gave it over to Cisneros, who lit up and earned a round of applause for it. He was far from the only one in the room.
“Dragonaut” got the biggest response of the night, which one would expect, but for me, seeing them play “The Clarity” complete with the sampled, compressed intro of its central riff, was a particular highlight, and the appeal of watching Sleep perform their first new recorded material in over a decade’s time wasn’t lost on the crowd either. They closed out with a wash of noise and riffs in “Antarcticans Thawed” and “Cultivator,” as if to further emphasize the vitality and relevance of their project and its ongoing nature. By then, House of Blues was a place of worship, and anywhere Sleep wanted to go, the place was ready to follow. Their utter command of their sound, the joy and chemistry they conveyed in delivering it, and the sheer volume with which they did were remarkable. Even before they were done I found myself asking what could’ve been better, any sense of impartiality I might posture having been reduced to a pummeled mush of fanboy glee.
Feedback carried over after they were done, but those who hadn’t left still showed appreciation after the amps were turned off — pretty sure that was Stoneburner‘s Damon Kelly I saw tech’ing, and if so, I wonder if he was in charge of the endearingly fake setlist at the front of the stage with some choice Montrose song titles like “Rock the Nation” and “Clown Woman” — and there was a short cry for one more song before the house lights came up. Soon enough, it was time to mill out and back across that highway-spanning bridge to the car, the bounce of “Dragonaut” still holding sway on my consciousness, though, admittedly, that seems to be a permanent condition.
Posted in audiObelisk on August 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Among the many Main Stage acts on the Roadburn lineup this year, few bands left the kind of impression Richmond, Virginia’s Windhand seemed to leave. After their set, which was on the third day of the fest proper, Saturday, April 12, you could hear their name being talked about for the rest of the evening outside the 013 in Tilburg: “Dude, did you see Windhand?” The five-piece had obviously made an impression with their 2013 Relapse label debut, Soma(review here), and they followed that up with a blistering live set that, come the fall, will be available as an exclusive vinyl release on Burning World Records and Outer Battery Records.
The opener from that set, recorded and mixed by Marcel van de Vondervoort and mastered by James Plotkin, was “Orchard,” but that’s only if you want to be technical about it. Really, the opener for the set was about a solid minute of gut-wrenching feedback from which the initial riff eventually oozed. Soon enough, Windhand are underway with the track’s doomly lurch, but they’re barely there at all before you can hear the audience get into it on the recording. Roadburn may have been a stop for Windhand on a longer tour, one that seems nearly endless with the road-time the band puts in — they’re out again in the States next month (dates below) — but after listening to the captured results, there can be little question it was a landmark both for them and for those who got to see them play.
If you were there, Live at Roadburn 2014is a chance to relive that moment. If you weren’t there, it’s still about as quality a live recording of Windhand as you’re going to get, so I don’t really see how you could lose. The LP is available now to preorder, and you can hear “Orchard” on the player below. Please enjoy:
Windhand will release the vinyl-only Live at Roadburn 2014 late September/October on Burning World Records (EU preorder here) and Outer Battery Records (US preorder here). The pressing is limited to 400 copies in the US. Windhand also head out on tour starting Sept. 4 with All Them Witches. Dates follow:
Windhand tour with All Them Witches: 9/4 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar 9/5 Pittsburgh, PA – 31st St Pub 9/6 Akron, OH – Musica 9/7 Columbus, OH – The Basement 9/9 Iowa City, IA – Gabe’s 9/10 Chicago, IL – Cobra Lounge 9/11 Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock 9/12 Milwaukee, WI – Metal Grill 9/13 Ferndale, MI – Loving Touch 9/14 Toronto, ON – Coda 9/16 Ottawa, ON – Cafe Dekcuf 9/17 Montreal, QC – Petit Campus 9/18 Cambridge, MA – Middle East (upstairs) 9/19 Providence, RI – AS220 9/20 Brooklyn, NY – Saint Vitus Bar
