Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 19th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Youngstown on my mind…
As I type this, I’m getting ready to head out to Days of the Doomed III in Wisconsin, and I can’t get on Route 80 and head out past Pennsylvania without at least tipping my hat — note: I never wear hats; ask me about it sometime — to Youngstown, Ohio, which played host to the glory days of the Emissions from the Monolith festival. Held at the Nyabinghi and masterminded by Greg Barratt (also at the time of Tone Deaf Touring), it was for many a Memorial Day weekend unlike any other.
I only had the opportunity to go once, in 2006, where as well as humbly introducing myself to Johnny Arzgarth and handing him a demo from my band, I was “voted off the island” by a buddy of mine who I’m pretty sure was on shrooms at the time. Can’t lie, that still hurts a little, but I guess I had it coming.
But Emissions was the place to be, and as I anticipate driving past Youngstown and maybe making it my stopping point as I divide up the trip to Days of the Doomed III (which has its own atmosphere; less weed, more beer), it seemed only prudent to dig up some Emissions footage for Wino Wednesday. There isn’t much out there, but The Hidden Hand played in 2004 — I actually posted another clip from the set for the second Wino Wednesday post ever — and though the quality isn’t great, I’m sure there are attendees whose memories are even fuzzier. It went like that sometimes.
Spirit Caravan also were supposed to play in 2001, but no dice there. In any case, whether you ever got to Emissions or not — there are some who speak of it as a religious experience; a Hajj of riffs — I hope you enjoy “The Last Tree,” which appeared on the first Hidden Hand album, Divine Propaganda, in 2003, and I hope you have a great Wino Wednesday:
The Hidden Hand, “The Last Tree” live at Emissions from the Monolith VI, 2004
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 17th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Unsurprisingly, the My Sleeping Karma 20-minute tour documentary My Sleeping Karma: A Tour Video really makes me want to see My Sleeping Karma. Maybe that’s not fair, since I wanted to see the German heavy psych instrumentalists already, but let’s just say that after watching the footage chronicling their tour last fall supporting Monster Magnet – also supporting their fourth album, Soma (review here), which was their first for Napalm Records – my wanting to see them hasn’t diminished. Quite the contrary.
Maybe one of these days they’ll come to the States or I’ll be lucky enough to get back to Europe at a time when we can cross paths, but in the meantime, My Sleeping Karma: A Tour Video — compiled and edited by Tim Bohnenstingl of StonerRock.eu — does an excellent job of conveying the atmosphere on the road with the band and what they’re able to deliver in a live setting, which looks to be plenty.
Check out the full documentary below, followed by some more info on its creation, courtesy of Bohnenstingl himself:
My Sleeping Karma: A Tour Video
This 20 minute tour documentary was filmed over six days on tour, following My Sleeping Karma non stop. Hamburg, Paris, London, Manchester, Stuttgart. It focuses on the live shows, but also allows the audience to experience one day of a normal band on the road : Driving long distances, soundchecks, press interviews, photoshootings, load outs, jamming and just being yourself. All this is combined with interviews by the band commenting on the tour life and the “Flow” which My Sleeping Karma are kind of famous for in the underground scene.
“It was not only a pleasure and honour to be on tour with Monster Magnet, the band which brought me to the so called Stoner Rock, but much more so: My Sleeping Karma, one of the bands which still keeps me so interested in this flourishing genre. I had a lot of fun with the nicest people, I hope you will too while watching the movie.”. Tim, stonerrock.eu
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 12th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
The track “Then You Win” by prolific, always-busy Russian heavy rockers The Grand Astoria was released as a digital single earlier this year (streamed here), but as there’s a new 7″ version of the single out as a precursor to their latest full-length, Punkadelica Supreme, the St. Petersburg-based weirdo revelers decided they’d put together a video for it as well. Culled from footage from some recent shows in their native land, “Then You Win” gives those of us who may never get to see the band live some view of what we’re missing.
From the looks of it, plenty. The Grand Astoria never shy away from injecting their material with a healthy individualized sensibility, and “Then You Win” sets ’90s-style guitar crunch against some off-kilter melodies, resulting in a feel that — true to the upcoming album — isn’t quite punk, isn’t quite psych, somehow relatable to the Melvins but not seeming remotely interested in actually sounding like them. One of my favorite things about the band is that I have a hard time classifying them, and as they make ready to release Punkadelica Supreme, that doesn’t seem to have dissipated in the slightest.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 12th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Reissued in 2006 on CD through MeteorCity and vinyl through 20 Buck Spin, the 1991 Lunar Wombsophomore outing by The Obsessed still seems underappreciated on repeat listens. It was the recorded debut of the lineup of drummer Greg Rogers, bassist Scott Reeder and guitarist/vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich — then winding down his tenure with Saint Vitus following the release of V in 1990 — and indeed the only album this trio would put out. By the time The Obsessed got around to releasing the follow-up, 1994′s The Church Within, Reeder was long since departed to Kyuss and replaced by Guy Pinhas.
Reeder winds up a major contributor to Lunar Womb, whether it’s his bass coming to the fore on the later “No Mas” or his taking lead vocals on second track “Bardo” or side B’s “Back to Zero,” but the album is best taken as a whole and on that level, it’s easy to see how it became so central to the blueprint of modern traditional doom. From Wino‘s dreary riffing on the title-track to the faster rush of “Spew” and the ultra-primitive “No Blame” to the muffled heartbeat noises that cap closer “Embryo,” the completeness of Lunar Wombas both an overarching flow of songs and a collection of individual standouts isn’t to be overlooked.
It’s easy to argue the enduring appeal of Lunar Womb and its tracks is part of why The Obsessed have been able to reunite to such fanfare at fests like Roadburn and this year’s Maryland Deathfest (video posted here). With production from the band along with Mathias Schneeberger and the striking Saturn Devouring His Son (circa 1819) cover art by Spanish painter Francisco de Goya, the album taps into a timeless sphere of doom that’s perhaps even more resonant with 22 years of hindsight than it was at the time. After hosting the band’s 1990 self-titled debut a couple weeks back, it seems only fair to give some follow-up.
Here’s The Obsessed‘s Lunar Wombin its entirety. Enjoy and have a great Wino Wednesday:
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 11th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
1:28AM
Same logo, new decade. New York City-based doom outfit Blood Farmers‘ last new-ish release was a reissue of their demo Permanent Brain Damage that came out through Japan’sLeaf Hound Records in 2004. The tracks for that were recorded circa 1991. Their only full-length to date was 1995′s Blood Farmers, which came out on Hellhound Records (reissued by Leaf Hound in 2008), but tonight the trio of bassist/vocalist Eli Brown, guitarist Dave Szulkin (also The Disease Concept) and drummer Tad Leger (also Lucertola) have unveiled their latest work, “Headless Eyes,” and made available their first studio recording in 18 years.
I’ll give you a second to think about where you were in 1995.
“Headless Eyes” comes from Blood Farmers‘ forthcoming sophomore outing of the same name, and while I don’t have a release date handy for the album Headless Eyes, I’ve been fortunate enough to catch Blood Farmers live a couple times now — at Days of the Doomed II last year, at Stoner Hands of Doom XI in 2011, and at Roadburn that same year — I can attest that the band brings a suitably plodding, horror-obsessed atmosphere to the song that’s done justice by the studio version. One big difference is the use of sampling to go along with Brown‘s lyrics, and of course the clips come from the 1971 movie, Headless Eyes, in which a deranged artist loses an eye while robbing somebody and becomes a serial killer who — spoiler alert — gouges out ladies’ eyes with a spoon.
In the song, the samples at several points coincide directly with Brown‘s vocals, and that gives a cool, almost echoing effect to go along with the lumbering riff and rhythm. Just before the eight minute mark, Leger counts in a faster solo section reminiscent of the churning break in Sabbath‘s “Sweet Leaf,” and they put it to some good use. Not to be missed.
More on the album as I hear it. In the meantime, doom on this:
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 10th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
London-based psych-soul metallers Vodun – who remain hard enough to pin down that “psych-soul metal” really is the best I can come up with — release a new single today in the form of the Superhot Records two-tracker Oya. By some amazing coincidence, the three-piece have a video for the track “Oya” that’s also just been unveiled. I mean, really, what are the chances? You’d almost swear these things were planned out in advance.
Contrary to what the name Triple A Films might tell, you, the production value on the “Oya” clip is professional grade, and there’s a pretty clear narrative ark that — as ever — really takes a turn for the weird when the eggplant gets involved. I feel like I’m still trying to get a handle on what Vodun are going for, but I know it’s fascinating. Feel free to check out the video below for “Oya” and peruse the PR wire info that follows to see if you agree.
Vodun, “Oya” official video
Vodun release video for new single, “OYA”, out now on Superhot Records
London heavy-psych-soul trio Vodun have released a mind-bending video for their new download-only single, OYA, released today through Superhot Records.
The single follows the band’s self-released Eat Up the Sun EP from earlier this year. While the technical, heavy riffing can still be heard, there’s a stronger focus on powerful, soaring vocals than the guitar driven EP.
Featuring two members of one of London’s finest underground bands, Invasion, who disbanded in 2011, Vodun have taken the basic blueprint of that band, added a huge West African voodoo influence and ramped up the intensity across the board. Chan (vocals) and Zel (drums) found a kindred spirit in Oli (guitar) and emerged as a more technically accomplished, musically aggressive and energetic band.
Vodun are touring the UK with fellow Londoners Ghold in June. Catch them live on the following dates for a truly spiritual live show.
WED 26th – MANCHESTER – Wahlbar, Fallowfield THUR 27th – LEEDS – Santiagos FRI 28th – NOTTINGHAM – Stuck on a Name Studios SAT 29th – LONDON – The Windmill, Brixton
Superhot Records is run by musicians Chris West (Trippy Wicked/Groan) and Leigh Jones (Groan). They are committed to bringing the best from all ends of the underground heavy music spectrum to people’s attention in a way that makes it easy for fans to find and listen to new heavy music.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 10th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Puny Human, “Greasin’ the Wheel” tour video
I had thought I’d close last week out with this recently-uploaded tour video of New York City heavy rockers Puny Human, but I never actually got to close out the week at all. Got home late Friday night, had to get up early Saturday (I’ll explain) and by Sunday, might as well hold off till Monday morning and use it to open the week instead. Come to think of it, Puny Human make a pretty fitting week-opener anyhow, what with the upbeat your-life-isn’t-totally-hopeless good times and all that, working against whatever Monday drear might otherwise be making itself known.
These guys have been on my mind anyway of late, as especially since the untimely passing of frontman Jim Starace — who holds the record in my mind for looking like he’s having the best time on stage playing stoner rock. What with the move to Massachusetts impending, looming, I’m-not-freaking-out-but-there-it-is-ing, a band like Puny Human has come to stand in for a bygone day of NYC heavy circa the middle of the last decade before everything moved to Brooklyn that I’ve been indulging in some romanticism toward. Puny Human, Atomic Number 76, hell, even The Brought Low, who continue to deliver those goods and who are on my checklist of “things I must see before I leave the NY metro area.” Also on that list, Generation Records and the Highline.
Actually, that’s the whole list. It’s a short one.
It’s a pretty crazy week coming up, at least if the three tasks I’m working on simultaneously right now are anything to go by. Keep an eye out later today for a review of the Kings Destroy record release show this past Friday, which Windhand and Clamfight also played. Later this week, reviews of Cultura Tres and Church of Misery, some Buried Treasure along the way, a Dust interview with Marky Ramone if I have time to transcribe it (a crapshoot, but I’ll do my best), some streaming sludge from Italian misanthropes Grime, a Vodun video later today, a new bio for Larman Clamor that I’m set to write probably tomorrow, and on and on. Rest assured, if I have to ignore work piling up from one or both of my jobs to get posts up, I will. Ha.
Time to get to it, though. I hope you had a great and safe weekend. Thanks again to everyone who bought a Clamfight CD during the final push over the last couple days, and I hope the bastards don’t get you down as the next few days play out — that nobody uncovers a casino about to be built five miles down the road from the house you just got an offer accepted on, etc. I’ll be checking back in a bit with that show review, so stay tuned.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 5th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
About a year ago, I asked former Earthride/Weed is Weed frontman and former Spirit Caravan bassist Dave Sherman to list out his five favorite Spirit Caravan tracks for a special Wino Wednesday post. He did not disappoint, and included in his list was “Sea Legs” from 1999′s classic Jug Fulla Sundebut full-length. Sherman noted in his pick that in the lyrics, Wino was talking about him and drummer Gary Isom with the line, “A well done iguana and a real heavy gnome.”
The line has stuck with me ever since, one of those things that floats in the head and comes and goes, so I decided for this week’s Wino Wednesday to grab a clip of Spirit Caravan doing “Sea Legs” and focus on the lyrics to the song. I didn’t type these out myself, but as you can see, that above quote is far from the only golden line in here. Between the talk of magic crafts and sacred trees, the “two-wheeled sled of molten chrome” and escaping the deluge, it comes through loud and clear that Wino took his motorcycle pretty seriously at the time. Right on.
Here are the words:
Sea Legs From the warm unknown into the cold beyond Message of spirit is what’s drivin’ me on Climbing through the sea On a magic craft from a sacred tree Sea legs, earthfin Bolt and hammer gonna do them in I’ve got a two-wheeled sled of molten chrome A well done iguana and a real heavy gnome Gliding over fear, the opposite of beyond is here From the paradise driven To escape the deluge Revealed the mysteries given In exchange for refuge Climbing through the sea In my side car rides my Atlantean queen Trick it out!
And here’s Wino, Sherman and Isom performing “Sea Legs” live in Cleveland, Ohio, an astounding 13 years ago. Have a great Wino Wednesday:
Spirit Caravan, “Sea Legs” Live in Cleveland, OH, 2000
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 4th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
I continue to dig the hell out of Baltimore heavy psych rockers The Flying Eyes. The still-youngin’ four-piece will release their third full-length, Lowlands, on July 26, 2013, through Berlin’s Nois-O-Lution Records. To herald its arrival and precede a European tour with Brooklyn’s Golden Animals (more on that in the coming weeks), The Flying Eyes have just posted a new video for the song “Under Iron Feet” from Lowlands, that you can find below with some background on the band in case you missed their two albums to date, 2011′s Done So Wrong(review here) and their 2009 self-titled debut (review here).
Things to watch for: The Conan-esque wheel being pushed while the band plays atop, silhouettes, and grade A heavy psych rock that shows The Flying Eyes have obviously been paying attention to how it’s done during their extensive road time in Europe.
Enjoy:
The Flying Eyes, “Under Iron Feet” official video
THE FLYING EYES are a heavy, psychedelic rock band hailing from Baltimore, Maryland. Their name comes from a 1962 science fiction novel about giant, disembodied eyes that descend from outer space to control humanity.
The Flying Eyes have played supporting gigs with national acts such as Dead Meadow, The Raveonettes, The Black Angels and Dan Auerbach among many others. They founded and host “Farm Fest”, a DIY music festival in the Maryland countryside. Farm Fest 2012 (“Farmageddon”) featured Black Moth Super Rainbow, Celebration and White Hills.
The Flying Eyes have achieved a notable following in Europe with sold out club tours and highlights including: the Burg Herzberg Festival (sharing the main stage with Jeff Beck and Hawkwind), an appearance on the legendary Rockpalast television show, the Orange Blossom Special festival (DE), Stoned From The Underground (DE) and Trutnov Open Air (CZ). They are currently finishing their album “Lowlands” (produced by Rob Girardi and mixed by “Frenchie” Smith who discovered them at SXSW), which was paid for entirely through the support of their loyal social media following. The band plans to support the release of the album with another European tour in late Summer 2013.
02.08.2013 – DE Bad Kötzting, Voidfest 03.08.2013 – DE Stuttgart, Zwölfzehn 04.08.2013 – DE Dresden, Chemiefabrik 06.08.2013 – DE Halle/Saale, Hühnermanhattan 07.08.2013 – DE Berlin, Festsaal Kreuzberg 08.08.2013 – DE Frankfurt/M., Nachtleben 09.08.2013 – CH Vinelz, Open Air am Bieler See 10.08.2013 – CH Sargans, Out In The Gurin 13.08.2013 – DE Kassel, H.Schmiede 14.08.2013 – DE Riegsee, Private Open Air 15.08.2013 – DE Ludwigshafen, Club London Underground 16.08.2013 – DE Nürnberg, Misty Mountain Festival 17.08.2013 – DE Groß Lindow, Open Air Groß Lindow 19.08.2013 – PL Szczecin, Morion* 20.08.2013 – PL Zielona Gora, Rock-Out* 21.08.2013 – PL Poznan, Pod Minoga* 22.08.2013 – PL Gdynia, Desdemona* 23.08.2013 – PL Warszawa, Harenda* 24.08.2013 – PL Krakow, tba* 29.08.2013 – DE Jena, Black Night * 30.08.2013 – DE Schüttorf, Komplex* 31.08.2013 – BE Brussels, DNA Café * 01.09.2013 – BE Wortel, Jeugdklub ‘t Slot* 02.09.2013 – DE Hannover, Mephisto @ faust * 03.09.2013 – DE Bremen, Meisenfrei* 04.09.2013 – DE Bielefeld, Forum* 05.09.2013 – DE Ahaus, Logo * 06.09.2013 – DE Siegen, Vortex* 07.09.2013 – DE Hamburg, Haus III70* 09.09.2013 – DE Freiburg, White Rabbit * 10.09.2013 – DE München, Backstage * 17.09.2013 – CH Genève, Le Kab * 18.09.2013 – ES Barcelona, Rocksound* 19.09.2013 – ES Madrid, La Boite* 20.09.2013 – ES Leon, Taberna Belfast* 21.09.2013 – ES Hondarribia, Psilocybenea* 23.09.2013 – FR Chambéry, Brin De Zinc * 24.09.2013 – DE Konstanz, Kulturladen* 27.09.2013 – DE Kiel, Schaubude* * = w/ Golden Animals
The Flying Eyes Adam Bufano- Guitar Mac Hewitt- Bass and Vocals Will Kelly- Vocals and Guitar Elias Mays Schutzman- Drums
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 3rd, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Venezuelan atmospheric sludgers Cultura Tres continue their creeping threat with a new video for the song “Es Mi Sangre.” The track comes from the recently-issued new album, Rezando al Miedo, which is out via Devouter Records in the UK, and more subdued than some of their material, it shows the incredible tension that the Maracay four-piece are able to build up over the course of a single track.
Fittingly, the video is no less atmospheric than the song itself. As noted in the PR wire info below, it features the paintings of Damian Michaels, including the screaming faces of the cover, tying in with the band’s long-running themes of colonial religious oppression and strife.
Dig it:
Cultura Tres, “Es Mi Sangre” official video
CULTURA TRES Release New Video For “Es Mi Sangre”
The South American sludge metal keeps showing its ugly face – following the premiere of Cultura Tres’ third album “Rezando Al Miedo” the Venezuelans come up with the first video supporting this release.
“Es Mi Sangre” displays once more the band’s twisted, uncomfortable take on the genre. A more melodic side of Cultura Tres can be heard, but in this instance it is darker and more disturbing.
The imagery of the video has been enhanced by the paintings of Damian Michaels; an artist known for his vast collection of dark surrealism. Damian’s art blends perfectly with the Latin American witchery vibe which is omnipresent within the style of Cultura Tres.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 3rd, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Next time I’m sitting around being bored, feeling like there’s nothing to do but park my ass somewhere and wait for a baseball game to start, someone please remind me there are people out there like Tony Reed who manage to use downtime for the purposes of kicking ass instead of being a whiny jerk. Kudos to the Mos Generator/Stone Axe multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and producer for giving us all a lesson in DIY ethics with his take on the Pentagram classic “Forever My Queen,” which he recorded — as he intimates in the video info — more or less just for the hell of it:
I had a couple of hours to kill one day so i recorded this Pentagram song. I filmed as i did the takes so these are the actual takes from the song.
Blamo. I will not tell you some of the BS lines I’ve drawn on to-do lists just to be able to cross them out and tell myself I had a productive day, but suffice it to say, none of them have ever resulted in a cover as solid and professional sounding as this one, let alone a pro-quality edited video of me recording said cover, cut together perfectly with the finished audio. Were I wearing a hat, rest assured, it would be duly doffed.
Enjoy Tony Reed‘s “Forever My Queen,” and then go check out his bands and buy his albums, because they rule and because he obviously deserves the money more than the rest of us. Well done, Mr. Reed.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 1st, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Unida, The Great Divide (2001)
It was a pretty noisy day, but at the end of it, I wound up with the desert on my mind, so to close out it’s the lost Unida album from 2001, The Great Divide. I’ve seen a few different incarnations of this album, which was to be the band’s debut on American Recordings before being shelved following producer Rick Rubin‘s move from Sony to Island Def Jam, but whether it’s called The Great Divideor For the Working Manor presented as part of the El Coyote compilation, it’s still among the lost classics of desert rock, right there with Yawning Man‘s early demos, Across the River‘s demos and, well, the rest of the genre, I guess. Either way, “King” and “Glory Out” for a righteous win. Also, “Slaylina.” Also, the rest of the genre.
Ha.
A quick time check has it heading toward two in the morning. Whoops. I got back a bit ago from seeing Tarpit Boogie, Infernal Overdrive, Black Thai and Mighty High — in that order — at The Grand Victory in Brooklyn, which was an excellent reminder of why it is I drag my ass out to shows in the first place. Good night with good friends, cool tunes and a great vibe all around. I’ll have a somewhat more comprehensive review with pics on Monday, but that’s the gist of it. Any night I get to see Mighty High play “Chemical Warpigs” is a good night.
Along with that, next week I’ll be reviewing the new Queens of the Stone Age, which is a post I’ve already been writing in my head for a couple weeks now. It’ll be a relief to exorcise that particular demon, though I don’t think even that will get those songs out of my head. “I sat by the ocean/And drank a potion, baby, to erase you…”
Keep an eye out for that if you’re so inclined. I’ve also got a slew of email interviews I need to get out. I’d say I’ll do that this weekend and hopefully have something back before next week is out, but I’m driving — wait for it — back up to Massachusetts tomorrow to continue the house hunt with The Patient Mrs., so whether or not I’ll actually have time on the other side of that, I don’t really know. Gotta find a place to live. Her job starts in September. Time’s a factor.
So while that’s taking some time, I nonetheless appreciate your continued support and checking in on the site, sharing links, posting stuff to Thee Facebooks, retweeting or favoriting or whatever it is one does on Twitter (I’m still not really sure yet what’s going on over there, but I appreciate everybody who’s followed me so far), emailing — I’m still caught up on emails! — commenting, really any kind of interacting or even just clicking a link to get here and checking it out, it’s all mind-boggling to me and I’m astounded and grateful.
Wherever you are and wherever you might be headed, I wish you a great and safe weekend. As always, we’ll see you back here Monday for more good times. Until then, I’ll be digging on these:
Posted in Bootleg Theater on May 30th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Kind of an interesting turn here as regards Swedish retro trio Vidunder, whose self-titled debut was released this week on Crusher Records, since the heavy classic rockers not only take influence from the usual heavy ’70s suspects — your earliest Pentagram, Sabbath, Blue Cheer and Budgie — but also from the league of European bands who’ve already come up under that influence. Most particularly in Vidunder‘s case, it’s Graveyard and Kadavar.
They’re not the first act to come along with a flair for the modern end of the retro aesthetic, but it’s fascinating to see that happening across the last year or so as more bands crop up in this vein. Invariably, this will lead to the continued evolution of the sound — I think last year’s Legend already proves Witchcraft were bored of ’70s vintage-isms — as the forebears of the style search out new modes of expression, while newcomers like Vidunder here help affirm the notion of classic heavy as a modern subgenre and not just a couple acts who have a thing for bellbottoms.
Whether or not that’s how it plays out, I guess we’ll have to wait and see, but I’ll take some catchy Graveyard-style rock in the interim, and Vidunder certainly have that going on. It’s going to be a sad day when disco comes to Örebro:
Posted in Bootleg Theater on May 30th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
With a limited CD version of their Wood and Wire split with acoustic alter ego project Coma Wall forthcoming, morose UK doomers Undersmile have released a new video for the track “Soil” from the release. Wood and Wire (track premiere here) came out on Shaman Recordings earlier this year and the CD will be released by Future Noise with Coma Wall reinterpreting the Undersmile track “Big Wow.”
No word yet on preorders for the CD version, but check out the “Soil” clip below directed by M. Arthur Wickson and the PR wire info that follows:
Undersmile, “Soil” official video
UNDERSMILE Premier New Video For The Track ‘Soil’ On The Sleeping Shaman
UNDERSMILE and director M. Arthur Wickson are very happy to present the music video for the song “Soil” taken from the band’s recent split EP ‘Wood & Wire’, released on beautiful transparent purple 12” vinyl by Shaman Recordings.
The video was filmed in the spring of 2013 at various locations, but primarily in and around Shaken Oak Farm where the band recorded their half of the split with acoustic alter-egos COMA WALL. Directed and edited by M. Arthur Wickson (who also produced the band’s previous music video for “Milk”), the “Soil” video attempts to capture more of the band’s live energy – apt for a song that has recently become a staple of their live set. Check out the premierover on The Sleeping Shaman.
In other news, UNDERSMILE are also extremely pleased to announce that a limited edition CD of ‘Wood & Wire‘ is to be released in June/July on Future Noise Recordings, the label which also released last year’s ‘Narwhal‘. The CD will feature an exclusive bonus track in the form of COMA WALL’s take on UNDERSMILE’s “Big Wow,” as well as more artwork (the original concept sketches) from the talented Craig Bryant. Pre-orders will be available soon via Future Noise Recordings.
The CD tracklisting is: 1. Coma Wall – Summer 2. Coma Wall – You Are My Death 3. Coma Wall – Big Wow (bonus track) 4. Coma Wall – Cutter’s Choice 5. Undersmile – Soil 6. Undersmile – Killer Bob 7. Undersmile – Hives
UNDERSMILE and COMA WALL only have a handful of live dates left in 2013 as both bands will be taking a break, with UNDERSMILE soon to be recording a song for a 12” split with Nottingham’s titanic duo Bismuth and COMA WALL beginning to make plans for their next release. Their upcoming dates are as follows:
1st June – Gullivers in Manchester – Undersmile with Ishmael, Grimpen Mire and Bastard of the Skies *this may be Ishmael’s last ever gig 29th June – Summer Sizzler all-dayer @ the Windmill, Brixton – Undersmile & Coma Wall will be performing with a great line-up of other bands *Undersmile’s final gig of the year 21st July – The Racehorse, Northampton – Coma Wall with M E R R I N and Nick Hudson – a night of music and improvised video 9th – 11th August – SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL @ Brazier’s Park, Oxford – Coma Wall.
‘Wood & Wire’ will be available on vinyl at all of the above dates, and the CD will hopefully be available from the Summer Sizzler onwards.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on May 29th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Sandwiched in the rather considerable Stage 1 lineup by Weedeater and the Melvins, with Down headlining, The Obsessed played Maryland Deathfest XI this past Saturday as part of a far reaching roster of talent that found them joined on other stages by acts like Aosoth, Weekend Nachos and Broken Hope. Just in case you had any idea what to expect, ever, I guess.
The footage below was filmed by Frank Huang, whose venerable dedication over the years has resulted in a staggering catalog of clips you can check out here (among other places), and who caught The Obsessed just as they were starting into “Hiding Mask” from 1991′s Lunar Womb. I don’t know where that was in the set, and if he was just using the fest’s backline — one of these years I’ll get to an MDF, I swear it — but it’s kind of cool to see and hear Wino playing through Emperor heads and cabs, which capture the low end of his fuzz really well. “Hiding Mask” has that quintessential mid-paced groove that a lot of The Obsessed‘s stuff nestled into, and though the vocals are down in the video, you can still get a feel for what the trio were getting up to this weekend.
Speaking of “the trio,” you might note bassist Reid Raley in place of Guy Pinhas, who’s currently playing with Victor Griffin in In~Graved, who recently returned from a European tour that included stops at both Desertfests, Roadburn and Doom Shall Rise and who will also be playing Days of the Doomed III next month in Wisconsin — so yeah, plenty busy. Raley you might recognize from Arkansas’ Rwake, but he fits in well with Wino and drummer Greg Rogers, both of whom kill it on “Hiding Mask” and “Mourning” from 1994′s The Church Within, which follows immediately.
This video has been making the rounds on Thee Facebooks — unless my feed is just unusually Wino-centric, which is possible — but as it’s so brandy new, I thought it was worth including it here for Wino Wednesday as well. Enjoy:
The Obsessed, “Hiding Mask” & “Mourning” at MDF XI, May 25, 2013
