Long-running Greek heavy rockers Nightstalker will release their seventh album, As Above so Below, next month on Oak Island Records. Now at the 25-year mark since their 1991 demo and with origins that reach further back than that, the Athens-based outfit led by vocalist Argy and bassist Andreas Lagios also return to European shores in terms of their label; their last offering was 2012’s Dead Rock Commandos (streamed here) on Small Stone, and before that was 2009’s Superfreak (review here) on Meteorcity. As Above so Below finds the four-piece digging into unpretentious heavy rock vibes, their nine tracks/42 minutes straightforward to a point one would almost be tempted to call unassuming were it not for the quality of their craft and hooks, which is apparent from opener “Naked Fire” onward in the focus on catchy choruses, grade-A riffing and placing Argy‘s vocals forward in the mix ahead of Tolis Motsios‘ guitar, Lagios‘ bass and Dinos Roulos‘ drums.

Establishing an early shuffle in the leadoff, As Above so Below builds outward as it continues on from those organ-inclusive classic heavy rock vibes in a variety of moods across songs like second cut “Space Matter,” which seems to be in direct conversation with the underlying rumble of early Kyuss but ultimately becomes something more psychedelically daring in the guitar, and “Zombie Hour,” with a darker atmosphere, some howling from Argy in the chorus and harder-hitting finish. By then the course is set. Nightstalker make no attempts to hide where their heart lies stylistically or to coat their impulses in irony — this is heavy rock for heavy rockers, and the rest be damned.

“The Dog that No-One Wanted” is a standout for its background vocals and repetitions of the hook, “My girl’s so/My girl’s so beautiful/My girl’s so beautiful to me,” which in the context of the song makes me think it’s actually about the titular dog, so points there for charm, and while centerpiece “Deeper” is shorter, it also ranges a little further melodically, earning its place. Because Nightstalker are so solidified in their processes, because their songwriting is so apparent, their work can be deceptive and come across as flat on the first listen, but it’s not. It’s just professional. “Deeper” is a good example, with its interweaving lead and rhythm guitar layers, Argy‘s vocals in a call and response echo, and a push toward the finish that surprises with the amount of energy behind it.

One almost turns around and says, “Hey wait a minute, this kicks ass.” That’s been my experience all along with Nightstalker, and it holds firm on As Above so Below, but it’s really just a result of the band knowing what they want to do and then executing that flawlessly. To wit, “Forever Stoned” is pulled off with such a smooth groove and its hook is so well delivered that one might almost miss the nuance in Lagios‘ bass performance, or the little flourish of effects that are added to the vocals. Things like this add appeal to multiple listens, and as the subsequent “We Belong to the Dead” starts off its more brooding first half with just Argy and the Motsios, the full rush kicking in around the halfway mark, the momentum that Nightstalker have built for themselves is all the more palpable as they head into the rolling riff that ends out and leads to closing duo “My Electric Head” and “Blue Turns to Black,” both the only tracks on As Above so Below over six minutes.

But for the fact that Nightstalker have such a clear penchant for structure, I wouldn’t necessarily make much of pairing the two longest cuts on the album at the end, but it seems plain that they’re going for immersion at the finish line with “My Electric Head” and “Blue Turns to Black,” the former working its way into one of the record’s most vital stomps and the latter bookending the organ arrangement of the opener with one of its own for an overall grander feel. For what it’s worth, immersion is what they get. It’s not hypnotic jammy psychedelia by any means, but what Nightstalker bring to their material at the finale of this seventh offering resonates as an expansion of the earlier forms of “Zombie Hour” or “Deeper,” in addition of course to “Naked Fire.” By the time the organ rings out to cap “Blue Turns to Black,” they’ve come a deceptively long way from that boogie-down opener, but more than a quarter-century on from getting together, Nightstalker know exactly just what the hell they’re doing, exactly just how the hell to do it and exactly why. As Above so Below is a direct affirmation of that and its arrival is welcome.

Below, you can stream a track premiere of “Space Matter” from the album and see some brief comment from Argy on what the song is about. Nightstalker will tour Europe in Spring 2017.

Please enjoy:

Nightstalker, “Space Matter”

Argy on “Space Matter”:

“I always thought that everything is made from the same materials. We are stardust and water. We are all living on a closed spherical blue planet, spinning around in deep space!

This album is all about the ups and downs, the ins and outs, the good things and bad things that we experience in our life.”

Nightstalker is:
Argy (Vocals)
Andreas Lagios (Bass)
Tolis Motsios (Guitars)
Dinos Roulos (Drums)

Nightstalker on Thee Facebooks

Nightstalker on Bandcamp

Nightstalker website

Oak Island Records at Kozmik Artifactz

I guess that’s one that Black Bombaim can cross off their collective bucket list. The always adventurous Portuguese psychedelic jammers have just released a new collaborative LP with free jazz saxophonist Peter Brötzmann, whose experimental deeds span decades and remain ever forward-thinking. Issued on CD/DL with vinyl due out Nov. 15 via Lovers & Lollypops and Shhpuma, the full-length offering breaks down into four component parts. It was, of course, recorded live and I’d suspect a good deal if not all of it came together on the spot, but what must have been a challenging record to mix results in a fluid combination of can-go-anywhere horn and guitar wash atop a rock solid rhythmic foundation in bass and drums.

There are a couple moments when Brötzmann — whose catalog boasts more than 100 albums and collaborations going back to 1967 — even takes a back seat to let Black Bombaim carry the groove, but at no point is either party phoning in their weirdness. They mean it through and through, on all sides, and present a vision of psychedelic fusion that’s rarely heard even amongst the bravest of jams.

It’s streaming in full now courtesy of Lovers & Lollypops, and you can hear it under the release info below if you’re up for a trip:

Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann

This is not a secret anymore: we recorded a full-length with Peter Brötzmann earlier this year. The record is eponymous and was released via Lovers & Lollypops and Shhpuma.

Tracklisting:
1. Part I 13:04
2. Part II 08:41
3. Part III 11:32
4. Part IV 07:07

Recorded live at Estúdios Sá da Bandeira by João Brandão and José Arantes. Mixed by José Arantes at B-House Studios. Mastered by Chris Hardman. Produced by Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann. Executive production by Travassos (Shhpuma) and Joaquim Durães (Lovers & Lollypops). Design by Sérgio Couto. Special thanks to Pedro Costa.

https://www.facebook.com/blackbombaim/
http://store.loversandlollypops.net/album/black-bombaim-peter-br-tzmann
http://www.loversandlollypops.net/
http://shhpuma.com/

Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann, Black Bombaim & Peter Brötzmann (2016)

Today, Swedish upstart riffers Vokonis announce their plans to enter Studio Underjord in November to begin recording their second full-length. If there’s a reason not to look forward to what these cats do next, I absolutely can’t think of it. Earlier this year, they broke out of the gate with Olde One Ascending (review here), which already has a place on my list of 2016’s best debut full-lengths, to be posted in December. By then, presumably, the tracking will be done on what’s been titled The Sunken Djinn, which will be produced by Joona Hassinen, which should be all the more exciting if you know any of the three bands listed below with whom he’s worked in the past. No minor names there as regards tone.

That’s an asset for Vokonis as well — tone — and as they continue to move forward from their beginnings under the moniker Creedsmen Arise, it’s been exciting so far to watch and hear them come into their own and find their sound in that great undulating sea of plus-sized riffage. More to come on this one, including art, audio, etc., but for now, here’s the statement of intent from the band and the tracklisting for The Sunken Djinn as it stands today:

In November of 2016 the Swedish stoner metal outfit Vokonis will enter the studio to record their second album.

This will be done at Studio Underjord with producer Joona Hassinen, who have previously worked with artists such as Tombstones, Ocean Chief and Skraeckoedlan.

The album which is titled “The Sunken Djinn” feature a more up-tempo and aggressive approach than the debut album “Olde One Ascending”.

‘The Sunken Djinn’ Tracklist:
-The Sunken Djinn
-Calling from the Core
-Blood Vortex
-Zilleon’s Eyes
-Rapturous
-Architect of Despair

Vokonis is in search of a label to publish the album and aims for The Sunken Djinn to be released during the first half of 2017.

VOKONIS is:
Simona Ohlsson: Vocals, Guitar
Emil Larsson: Drums
Jonte Johansson: Bass, Backing vocals

Vokonis, Olde One Ascending (2016)

It’s the kind of record one might be tempted to refer to as a ‘slab,’ and the announcement has come through that the debut release from Washington bashers Black Bone Exorcism, Crack the Bone, Break the Heart, will be released on CD through DHU Records on Oct. 29. For you vinyl heads — and I know you’re out there — it’s looking like the first part of 2017, though I don’t have an exact date as yet. Black Bone Exorcism will celebrate the coming of the CD/DL version by joining forces with none other than Brothers of the Sonic Cloth at in Fremont, WA. Should be an evening of much tonal heft and revelry in deeply-weighted plunder. If you’re not sure just what the hell that means, check out “Unknown, Against Light” below.

Black Bone Exorcism posted the following update about the signing and other doings:

Black Bone Exorcism is VERY proud to announce that we have signed an international vinyl distribution deal with D.H.U. Records. D.H.U. has been a HUGE force in supporting the heavy DIY scene all over the world, and it’s an honor to be part of the Blackened Filth that they will be infecting this dark planet with! The vinyl release is set for early 2017, so be on the lookout for it’s availability both at shows and in our online merch shop (opening soon).

Our self released recording “Crack the Bone, Break the Heart” will be unleashed on October 29th, 2016, opening up for none other than Brothers of the Sonic Cloth at our new favorite joint, Substation in Fremont.

Again, we are beyond stoked to be part of the D.H.U. Tribe! They will truly help us get our art to places we could never touch, and this has been our mission since day one.

For now, we give you a taste of what is to come. View the sorrow and crushing force that will change your view of the world in our Album Trailer below. Thank you to everyone that has supported us over the past 3 years. This is just the beginning…

Dave Krön: Guitar & Vocals
Brandon Wilder: Guitar & Samples
Keith Greer: Drums
Mike Lee: Bass

https://www.facebook.com/blackboneexorcism/
http://instagram.com/bbxorcism
http://twitter.com/bbexorcism
https://soundcloud.com/blackboneexorcism/tracks
https://www.facebook.com/DHURecords/
http://darkhedonisticunionrecords.bigcartel.com/

[Click play above to stream Yeti on Horseback’s The Great Dying in full. Album is out Sept. 30 on Medusa Crush Recordings.]

If you were thinking of, say, tuning high and playing fast, Canadian four-piece Yeti on Horseback strongly advise against it. The Ontario atmosludgers make their debut via Medusa Crush Recordings with The Great Dying, a title that seems to nod — emphasis on “nod” throughout — in the direction of YOB‘s expanses, though Yeti on Horseback are altogether darker and more unipolar in their vocal extremity, despite some variety between screams and growls.

An initials-only lineup of RP (guitar/vocals), MS (guitar), NS (bass) and SR (drums) execute six tracks, only one of them under nine minutes long — the interlude “Lynch (A Prelude)” (2:43) that precedes “Elephant Man” (12:43) — and from the second that opener “Tree of Death” (9:23) kicks in its chug from the quiet intro, they plummet downward into a cavernous sonic punishment. So grueling is the course of The Great Dying‘s 63 minutes that one might get lost along the way in Yeti on Horseback‘s morass of screams, rolling semi-cosmic doom groove and unremitting bleakness of mood. It’s a lot to take in, in other words.

They do change things up somewhat, in the aforementioned interlude (or prelude) and in the song that follows, adding cleaner guest vocals, but there’s a root in RP‘s vocals that’s metal and somebody in this band listened to or continues to listen to Devin Townsend — I promise I’m not just saying that because they’re Canadian — so there’s a bit more going on either way than just a doom band making doom that sounds like other doom.

For example, there’s sludge. Lots of it. It would be unfair to compare Yeti on Horseback directly to Eyehategod, as it’s about the laziest line one can draw for anything low-toned and screaming, but to go with their metallic side, they have a raw sensibility that seems to come from a mindset of the subgenre. As “Tree of Death” rolls through one part and another en route to the lumbering 14-minute longest cut “Viking Mushroom Tea,” the plod that emerges becomes a defining aspect of what the band does, along with the disaffection their output feels intended to convey.

Guitars offer some lead/chug interplay early behind the layered screams in the early march of “Viking Mushroom Tea,” but the chug remains primary until the guitars drop out to whispers over the drums, the band gradually making their way back to fully-weighted fare in the middle third of the track, getting there with surprisingly little ceremony.

A dirge is at the core of “Viking Mushroom Tea” — appropriate enough to the title’s reference — and held even in the quiet stretch by the drums, and though the immediate guitar line in the subsequent “Fables and Lies” (11:03) is faster and riffed in Mike Scheidt-style, the bell sounds that complement it build on that theme. A highlight for its cyclical drum performance, the near-centerpiece proves patient despite its more uptempo beginning, breaking after three minutes to a moment of quiet before smashing in effectively to its verse, which holds sway firmly.

They shift again into faster riffing and finish with another smooth transition to that verse progression, ending, naturally, with a return of the bells, but the journey along the path they’ve set remains engaging in that meant-to-be-a-slow-and-a-challenge kind of way. If it was pleasing to the ear all the time, it wouldn’t be sludge. They’d be doing it wrong. They’re not.

All the same, there’s a palpable sense of catching breath as “Lynch (A Prelude)” takes hold with its samples from director David Lynch‘s 1980 masterpiece, The Elephant Man, leading into the famous lines, “I am not an elephant! I am not an animal! I am a human being!” at the start of “Elephant Man” itself that underscore the feelings of otherness conveyed throughout The Great Dying.

That summation, and the grand intro of “Elephant Man” itself would seem to be fitting for a closer, but Yeti on Horseback clearly didn’t come this far to half-ass it at the finish, so while “Elephant Man” features the album’s best lead work and arguably its largest and most effective chugging, in addition to the aforementioned guest vocals, and pushes a sense of arrangement about as far as the band goes here, it works in concert with actual-closer “Dragged down to Hell” (13:24), which was previously released as a digital single.

Granted, it feels somewhat tacked on, but it’s hard to hold that against Yeti on Horseback, who’ve made no attempt to hide their will toward working in longer forms and use the last track to strip everything back down to its basic components and draw the record to a rumbling, churning, crashing finish, the last minute-plus given to a stretch of low-end noise.

Given that The Great Dying is their debut, Yeti on Horseback have put together an impressively cohesive collection culled no doubt from their four years’ experience discovering their aesthetic breadth as a unit. They have room to grow, but have set themselves up well for that in any number of directions — tuning low and playing slow isn’t a bad place to start — and if this is the kind of crushing they’re going to do at the outset, then it’s only going to be worthwhile to pay attention to what comes next.

Yeti on Horseback on Thee Facebooks

Yeti on Horseback on Bandcamp

Medusa Crush Recordings on Bandcamp

Medusa Crush Recordings on Thee Facebooks

I bought Horse‘s Horse years ago — I know it was a long time because it was before I was able to look up what it was on my phone and I had to pick it up on spec based on the cover and year of release — but it seems like that 1970 self-titled debut/swansong from the London outfit is only part of what makes up For Twisted Minds Only, which Rise Above Relics is issuing/reissuing on Oct. 14. As to the title, I have to wonder if that’s the original name of the album restored or a new one for the collection as a whole, but in any case, for you classic heavy rock heads, if this is one you don’t know, it’s well worth checking out.

From the PR wire:

Rise Above Relics to Release HORSE’s For Twisted Minds Only October 14th

Formed in South London during the late sixties, HORSE were a band creating occult influenced progressive hard rock, ahead of its time. Guitarist Rod Roach had briefly played in an incarnation of British psych-rock legends Andromeda before forming Horse with other key member, vocalist Adrian Hawkins. Alongside bassist Colin Standring, the band also featured legendary drummer Ric Parnell, later of Atomic Rooster (amongst many others) and future star of This is Spinal Tap (aka Mick Shrimpton)!

A favorite amongst collectors for many years (with original mint copies today trading in excess of £400), Horse is an album long overdue an official reissue. Recorded in 1969, originally released in 1970 and bootlegged countless times from scratchy vinyl transfers, Rise Above Relics can finally present you with this detailed release mastered and cut directly from the original master tapes. Featuring a treasure trove of previously unheard/unreleased material, For Twisted Minds Only is certain to have connoisseurs and collectors of the period literally frothing at the bit.

The album is available for pre-order on Amazon in CD and Vinyl formats.

This first ever official reissue includes a detailed booklet of the bands history, as well as a tasty selection of previously unheard tracks! Comes housed in previously unseen original artwork by Roger Wootton of Comus.

1. The Sacrifice
2. See The People Creeping Round
3. And I Have Loved You
4. Freedom Rider
5. Lost Control
6. To Greet The Sun
7. The Journey
8. Heat Of The Summer
9. Gypsy Queen
10. Step Out Of Line
11. Autumn (previously unreleased)
12. Winchester Town/Dreams Turn to Ashes (previously unreleased)
13. Born to be Wild (previously unreleased)
14. Picture of Innocence (previously unreleased)
15. She Brings Peace (previously unreleased)
16. Anthems to the Sea (previously unreleased)

*vinyl edition will include further bonus tracks!

http://www.riseaboverecords.com/artists/relicsartists/
https://www.facebook.com/riseaboverecords/
https://twitter.com/riseaboverecord

Horse, “The Sacrifice”

Kind of hard to get a sense from the video for the track, but the leadoff and longest piece on The Re-Stoned‘s latest collection, Reptiles Return, is actually pretty colorful. And by that I mean the clip isn’t. Black and white for the duration, it nonetheless fades smoothly into and out of various shots mostly of founding guitarist Ilya Lipkin — also a mysterious robed figure in the woods — as it complements the song’s dreamy tones and heavy psychedelic warmth. The Moscow-based outfit released Reptiles Return in August on Clostridium Records and also have it out as a limited box edition through Rushus Records accompanied by the band’s first outing, 2010’s Return to the Reptiles.

The titular similarity is, of course, no coincidence. Return to the Reptiles was The Re-Stoned‘s first outing and Reptiles Return, if I read it right, seems to be Lipkin‘s way of going back to the start in an attempt to rebuild and expand on the foundation that release laid down. “Return” seems to have been one of the ones re-recorded entirely — it’s two minutes longer here than in the original version — but it works well opening the always adventurous instrumentalists’ first full-length since 2014’s Totems (review here), which came out on R.A.I.G. as the band’s fourth album overall. And to hear them tell it, as they do below, there’s much more to come as well in the form of a new double-LP, so all the better.

Not sure I’d call the video a cinematic masterwork, but it gets the job done and is a cool chance to check out the track, so either way, please enjoy:

The Re-Stoned, “Return” official video

Idea, Producing & Original graphics by Ilya Lipkin, Camera by Wolfsblood, Video Editing by Arkadiy Fedotov.

Special thanks to Vasily Arzamastsev, Wolfsblood, Arkadiy Fedotov, CSBR, Maltvormast and Andrey Kiselev.

Ilya Lipkin – guitars, bass
Ivan Fedotov – drums
Mixed by Ilya Lipkin, Mastered by Janne Stark and Ilya Lipkin. Released on the album “Reptiles Return” /Clostridium Records – CR 022/ Rushus records – RR 03 / 2016

“Reptiles Return”- vinyl release of 8 tracks LP (Clostridium Records – CR 022) and 10 tracks on limited edition CD-R with “Reptiles” BOX Set (Rushus records – RR 03). This time the Grandmaster of this Moscow psychedelic fuzz orchestra Ilya Lipkin and associates made an attempt to rethink the legacy of the primal days of the band – the very first EP “Return to the Reptiles” with one track remixed, two – re-recorded a new and two more – remastered. The new album also includes new songs (4 in vinyl version and 6 in digital) covering more broad sonic space – acoustic pieces and psychedelic soundscapes which have been composed and recorded over the period of the last three years. “Reptiles Return” is a good appetizer for those fans tired of waiting for the brand new double LP due to release in the nearest future.

The Re-Stoned on Bandcamp

The Re-Stoned on Thee Facebooks

Clostridium Records

The final addition to the lineup for Up in Smoke 2016, which starts this Friday at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland? Camping space. Namely the floor of the venue, which will be cleaned after the last band finishes each night so that fest goers can grab their sleeping bags and bed down for the night, only to find breakfast waiting when they roll back to consciousness the next morning. I’ve never slept on a venue floor before. That would be a new one. But provided they get the beer/other fluids up, which I’ve no doubt they’ll be able to do because it’s Switzerland and things like that increase the likelihood that anyone gives a shit about what they’re doing, it seems like a cool way to achieve total immersion in a festival atmosphere. I’ve never gone camping either, though, so don’t necessarily take my word as an expert or anything.

With the festival’s most massive lineup yet, Up in Smoke 2016 kicks off this Friday. A new trailer for the fest with some 1000mods in it has been posted and you can find that under the camping info and complete billing below:

SOUND OF LIBERATION and Z7 KONZERTFABRIK PRATTELN proudly present the 4th edition of UP IN SMOKE INDOOR FESTIVAL on September 30th and October 1st 2016! Musical Highlights include Electric Wizard, Yob, Truckfighters, Pentagram and many many more.

Many of you asked for the chance to sleep over in the venue, like we offered in the last editions. Here´s the procedure:

After the last band is done playing, we will go on partying with Dj music for another hour. Then afterwards, we will ask everybody to step out of the main hall for a few minutes. The floor will be cleaned and covered with a sheet so that the place gets clean for all our “in site – campers”. If you want to sleep over in the venue, you should bring your sleeping bag and camping mat. Upon your arrival on the festival site you can store your belongings in the wardrobe and get it back for the night.

In the morning, we will offer you a nice breakfast with coffee/tea, bread and breadrolls, meat and cheese and sweet stuff to get you in shape for the next festival day! The price for sleep over and breakfast is 15.- CHF per person/night. There´s no option of separate bookings like ” only sleep over and no breakfast” or “only breakfast”.

Up in Smoke 2016 Final Line Up
Electric Wizard
Pentagram
Truckfighters
YOB
Elder
Greenleaf
Monkey 3
Cough
Black Cobra
1000mods
Yawning Man
Fatso Jetson
Dyse
Wucan
Desert Mountain Tribe
Giobia
High Fighter
Mother’s Cake
Ephedra

Also not to forget: No overlapping set times, sleep over/breakfast possibiity in the venue + some more specials to be announced soon to sweeten you the “TWO NOT TO BE MISSED DAYS OF VOLUME WORSHIP” !!! Grab your ticket (2-day passes) right now on our website, on www.z-7.ch and on our Facebook (tab ‘Buy Tickets’). If you prefer to buy an original, real hard-ticket, our partner Woolheads is selling them!

http://woolheads.com/cms/shop-2/festivalmerchandise/up-in-smoke-the-indoor-festival-vol-iv-ticket/
http://www.upinsmoke.de/eventinfo-indoor-festival
https://www.facebook.com/UpInSmokeIndoorFestivalInZ7
https://www.soundofliberation.com

Up in Smoke 2016, festival trailer