Posted in Whathaveyou on August 23rd, 2017 by JJ Koczan
French style-blender heavy rockers Dot Legacy have a considerable string of dates lined up as they continue to support their 2016 sophomore full-length, To the Others (review here). Over the course of the next two months, they’ll play throughout not only their native France, but Germany, Switzerland, Romania, Denmark and Belgium as well, making a stop on Oct. 20 in Berlin for the Setalight Festival, which is hosted by their label, Setalight Records.
That’s a bill they’ll share with Mars Red Sky, Mother’s Cake, Stoner Train, The Legendary Flower Punk, Lucifer in the Sky with Diamonds, Cosmic Fall and others, and it should make for a highlight of the tour as a whole, which rounds out just two nights later. It was put together by Total Volume Booking, and you’ll find the poster and dates below:
Dot Legacy – European Tour
Pick any of your favourite musical genre and put it in front of Rock, Dot Legacy will make it happen.
These four young French rockers make you dance with a solid fuzzed-out & rock base. Since 2014 they have fought to find a unique mark and sound. After four European and one Brazil tour, they have developed a crazy stage act of fury energy. Dot Legacy released their first album on Setalight Records (Germany) in June 2014 and has just released their second album TO THE OTHERS November 2016, with Setalight.
EUROPE HERE WE GO! 25/08 : FR, Nantes / La Scène Michelet 02/09 : SW, Luzern / Treibhaus Luzern Festival 03/09 : FR, Reims / LE Dropkick BAR 15/09 : DE, Dresden / Chemiefabrik Dresden (Chemo) 16/09 : DE, Wurzburg / Immerhin Würzburg 20/09 : FR, Strasbourg / L’elastic Bar 21/09 : SW, Zurich / Ebrietas 22/09 : FR, Lyon / Bar des Capucins 23/09 : FR, Fumel / Pavillon Fumel 28/09 : DE, Mannheim / Kurzbar 29/09 : DE, Ulm / Hexenhaus Ulm 30/09 : DE, Munich / TBC 04/10 : RO, Cluj-Napoca / The Shelter 05/10 : RO, Bucharest / Quantic 06/10 : RO, Timisoara / DAOS club 07/10 : TBC 12/10 : TBC 13/10 : DE, Hannover / SubKultur – Hannover 14/10 : DK, Copenhagen / Spillestedet Stengade 18/10 : DE, Kiel / Die Pumpe 19/10 : DE, Ilmenau / Baracke 5 e.V. 20/10 : DE, Berlin / Setalight Festival 2017 in Berlin 21/10 : DE, Halle (Saale) / Rockpool eV 22/10 : BE, Ghent / Muziekcentrum Kinky Star
Dot Legacy is: Damien Quintard – Lead Vocal, Bass Arnaud Merckling – Guitar, Keyboard, Back Vocals John Defontaine – Guitar, Back Vocals Arthur Menard – Drums, Back Vocals
Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 13th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
“Horizon” is the opening track from Dot Legacy‘s late-2016 second album, To the Others (review here), and it finds the Parisian heavy fuzz enthusiasts embarking on the first of several risks they’ll take across the record’s genre-hopping course. No way around it, there’s a bit of rapping going on here.
Now, as somebody who lived through the ’90s, that’s what we call a big red flag. Hard not to have post-trauma flashbacks of Limp Bizkit covering George Michael in a protest-too-much display of knuckle-dragging tough-guy heteronormativity, but on any level you want to approach it, that’s not what’s happening here, and certainly in the context of To the Others, it’s not where Dot Legacy‘s intentions lie on the Setalight Records release. “Horizon” sets the tone of energy to which the rest of the album soon responds in deeply varied forms, and if anything the rapping in the opener is an immediate communication to listeners that there’s nothing off the table in terms of where they might go.
That’s very much how the record plays out in its wake, and while I’m willing to admit it’s kind of scary to imagine that rap-rocking impulses might one day rear their heads again, I genuinely think we’re safe. It’s gonna be okay.
Dot Legacy — the four-piece of vocalist/bassist Damien Quintard, guitarist/keyboardist/backing vocalist Arnaud Merckling, guitarist/backing vocalist John Defontaine and drummer/backing vocalist Arthur Menard — worked with WIPS (Web Interactive Promotion Site) to put together an interactive video for “Horizon.” If you go to the special site they’ve set up, you can see a version of the clip in which arrows pop up that let you basically choose your own adventure and create the narrative of the video itself.
It’s timed, so you have to pay attention as you make your way through, but it’s actually a pretty cool idea and it’s something special from the band, who’ve already put out clips for “Pioneer” (posted here), “Story of Fame” (posted here) and “211” (posted here) to represent the various sides of To the Others. Something special for a song that has a few surprises of its own up its sleeve.
You can see the regular version of the video premiering below, followed by more info about the interactive project, which also includes a bunch of behind-the-scenes bonus footage and other goodies.
Experience DOT LEGACY’s highly acclaimed single “HORIZON” like never before. On this website you will be constantly creating your own version of the video clip, each time changing the story line, and launching you deeper into the musical space Dot Legacy created for you.
The website also contains amazing access to Bonus material!
– LIVE 360° video of Dot Legacy’s show in Brussels, along with Multi Cam footage – Two fun and crazy interviews of the Band including on 360° candy eating frenzy madness! – An interactive map to follow with personal videos of Dot Legacy in all the cites they played in on their tour with TRUCKFIGTHERS (rated PG 18) – A mixing console to do your OWN MIX of HORIZON! Discover all the seperated track that made this song possible and fuzzy as hell! – The Making of: go behind the curtain and discover how the video clip was shot. Meet the talented team of WIPS!
Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 1st, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Parisian four-piece Dot Legacy issued their second full-length, To the Others (review here), last fall on Setalight Records, and with it, set themselves on a bold course of genre defiance/melding. Each track seemed to offer a different persona, tied together through energy of performance and a core underlying purpose in execution — Dot Legacy were putting on a show; it was theatrical from start to finish. As they took to the road supporting Truckfighters around the album’s release, they seemed intent on bringing that show to life.
The band themselves related each cut on To the Others to explosions as part of a rocket launch, and fair enough for the force of their delivery on songs like “211” and the penultimate “Story of Fame.” “Story of Fame” is duly relevant here, since Dot Legacy‘s new video, for closer “Pioneer,” follows one for that track (posted here) and seems to be intended as a sequel of sorts for it. Fair enough since one song follows the other on the record, but like the music itself, the two clips wind up working on different themes despite making use of distinctly cool-toned colors — greens and blues, etc. These aren’t the only videos Dot Legacy have done for To the Others — in October, they also had one for “211” (posted here) — but the notion of “Pioneer” being intended to sit directly alongside “Story of Fame” adds intrigue and an avenue for listener/viewer interpretation, and that’s never a bad thing.
Because, as noted, the record is so varied, I’ve included the full Bandcamp stream at the bottom of this post. Not something I usually do for video posts, but I think it’s justified in this case, especially since a lot of the impact of “Pioneer” comes in context of To the Others as a whole, the song’s initial brooding reminding of something Nine Inch Nails might’ve brought to The Fragile before it takes on a still-wistful push in the guitar, further distinguished through a dramatic vocal arrangement, as well as guitar and piano interplay. As a wrap for the here-then-there-then-over-here To the Others it’s all the more resonant, but even approached on its own, as a single, three-plus-minute work, it tends to stay with you after it’s finished. Take a look and a listen and see if you don’t agree.
And please, enjoy:
Dot Legacy, “Pioneer” official video
From the new album “To The Others”, Setalight Records – November 2016 Pioneer is the 2nd Part of a Duo-logy with the song “Story Of Fame.”
Directed by MARTY % Starring Quentin Lasbazeilles D.O.P. Alexandre Thimonier
Posted in Reviews on December 29th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
We continue with day four of the Quarterly Review. This batch is numbers 31-40 of the total 60, not that the numbers really mean anything. I know it’s list season — believe me, I know — but there’s no actual ranking going on. It’s just basically so I can keep track and remember what day it is. That’s not to say this is done off the cuff. Actually, there’s an embarrassing amount of planning behind these things. Months. And when I start actually getting the posts ready and realize I’ve slated the same record on two different days — something that’s happened no fewer than three times so far, needing each time to be corrected — it’s a clear demonstration of the value of my planning. Ha. Anyway, we press on. Together. Into the thick of it. Thanks for reading.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
Crowbar, The Serpent Only Lies
More than 25 years and 11 albums into a landmark career that helped prove the existence of the hairy beast known as “sludge metal,” Crowbar don’t owe anyone anything, and since returning to activity with 2011’s Sever the Wicked Hand (review here) and 2014’s Symmetry in Black, they’ve played like it. Their third post-resurgence outing is The Serpent Only Lies (on eOne Heavy), and though it works largely to form – that is, Crowbar are going to sound like Crowbar: low, slow, seeming to lurch even when dug into fits of gallop on “I am the Storm” or the early going of “The Enemy Beside You” – one still finds progression especially in the vocal approach of frontman and founder Kirk Windstein, who self-harmonizes effectively on the title-track’s standout hook as well as the later pair “On Holy Ground” and “Song of the Dunes,” the latter also resoundingly spacious in a way that offsets much of The Serpent Only Lies’ head-down intensity. This might be flourish or a companion to the core Crowbar sound that remains intact throughout, but the truth is it’s not like it needs to be there – Crowbar’s audience would still go to the shows even if the band stopped growing – but it’s entirely to the credit of the New Orleans legends that more than a quarter-century later they continue to progress. I guess that’s how Crowbar gets to be Crowbar.
Depending on what you count as a full-length, The Fall of Hearts (on Peaceville) is either the 10th or 11th studio record from Sweden’s Katatonia. It follows 2013’s acoustic Dethroned and Uncrowned, which reenvisioned 2012’s Dead End Kings and brings forth over an hour of new material from founding duo Jonas Renkse (vocals/guitar/etc.) and Anders “Blakkheim” Nyström (guitar/backing vocals), as well as Niklas Sandin (bass) and Daniel Moilanen (drums), who, working with engineer KarlDaniel Lidén (ex-Greenleaf, Demon Cleaner), continue to proffer resonant melancholy in abundance. As a band, Katatonia have had a number of different phases over the years, from their deathly beginnings through the later moves into melody, but as it stands on songs like “Decima,” with its acoustic and mellotron arrangement, and the seven-minute “Serac,” which plays back and forth between serene and some of The Fall of Hearts’ most intense thrust, they remain among heavy metal’s most recognizable acts. There is no one else who sounds like them, and they sound not quite like anyone else. This collection might be more about gradual steps forward than radical shifts in approach, but Katatonia have found a way to preach to their converted and keep growing at the same time, and that’s to be commended.
Issued via Robustfellow in a range of physical editions from an oversized CD digipak to cassette bundles, the two-song I. AM. Deathless EP from yet-underrated Ukrainian progressive ritualists Ethereal Riffian warrants the ceremony with which it arrives. Its two tracks, “Drum of the Deathless” (6:19) and “Sword of the Deathless” (9:57) closed and opened, respectively, the prior 2016 live outing, Youniversal Voice (review here), and in their studio form they bring to bear a vision of psychedelic metal given to atmospheric breadth that comes at the expense neither of purpose nor impact. The opener proves the more immediate of the pair, but as “Sword of the Deathless” plays out, it finds prog-metal swirl amid low-end starts and stops intertwined layers of multi-channel spoken word, acoustic and electric guitar and percussive tension, so that as it heads into its payoff and melodic finish, the resolution is both satisfying and something of a relief from the cacophony preceding. Forward-thinking and of marked substance, I. AM. Deathless offers a quick glimpse at the band’s scope and invites listeners to dive deep therein.
There isn’t much that’s off-limits to Parisian heavy rockers Dot Legacy. To wit, the near-rap-rock mania of opener “Horizon” from their second LP, To the Others (on Setalight Records), and the laid-back psych-lounge vibes that follow on “Grey Cardinal,” only to be swept away in crashes and chants later, leading to the driving desert punkery of “211.” Three songs, three distinct feels, and Dot Legacy only get weirder from there as they toy with fuzzed momentum on “5314” and “Dakota” before the dreamy post-rock meandering of “The Twelve,” the prog-pop of “Story of Fame” and piano-laden psych-drama of closer “Pioneer.” In 35 minutes, the four-piece cover more ground than most bands do in their whole careers, but that becomes even more admirable in that they manage not to just be all over the place, but to provide a consistent quality of songwriting to complement all that quirk. Add to that the attention to detail in vocal harmonies and arrangements, and as they follow-up their 2014 self-titled debut (review here), they reveal a clear sense of a master plan at work under all the brashness and genre-hopping.
Self-released by the Los Angeles trio in late-2015 and picked up for a vinyl issue through Ripple Music, the self-titled debut from Salem’s Bend leaves little wonder as to why with its classic sensibility and the vibe proliferated by the natural-toned nod of a song like “Silverstruck.” Though still prone to a bit of Hendrix-style shred when it comes to lead guitar, the three-piece of Bobby (guitar/vocals), Kevin (bass) and Zach (drums) depart from some of the post-Radio Moscow all-thrust boogie in favor of more laid back fair and on that cut and the later “Sun and Mist,” which hits into a satisfying apex in its second half without feeling overcooked, as well as the six-minute finale “A Tip of Salem,” which nods through its initial movement before bursting out toward the end. In a crowded SoCal scene, just about anything Salem’s Bend can do to stand apart will serve them, and the fluidity they hone across these seven tracks sets them up to do just that.
Given the personnel involved, the black ‘n’ roll extremity of Thonian Horde’s self-titled debut full-length will no doubt come as a surprise to listeners. Formed in Boonsboro, Maryland, by bassist/vocalist Ron “Fezz” McGinnis (Pale Divine, Admiral Browning, etc.), guitarists Darren “Dirty” Waters (Weed is Weed) and Dan “D-Mize” Mize (Faith in Jane), and drummer Tyler “The Beast” Lee (Weed is Weed), one might expect high-order Frederick-style post-The Obsessed doom. Thonian Horde have more in common with Immortal on their centerpiece track “Darkest Nights Shadow,” and even as the closing “Psychonaut” finds a rock groove in its chorus, it does so with the hooky edge of Satyricon more than any of the members’ other outfits. No doubt that’s the point: doing something different. Indeed, the nine-tracker is a refreshing aesthetic reboot for the scene from whence it comes, holding fast to their region’s crucial lack of pretense even as they brazenly walk their own path – left-hand, of course.
I don’t know about you, but I missed out on Hopp/Förtvivlan, which was the 2015 debut full-length from Swedish rockers Second Sun, so to have Gaphals provide gentle encouragement to check it out by getting behind the two-songer single Tachyonregenerator is most welcome. Both cuts included – “Tachyonregenerator” and “Tror Faktiskt På Dig” – bask in classic vibe without being overly showy when it comes to retroism, and are marked out by the inclusion of organ amid the natural-sounding guitar, drums and bass, the vocals presented in Swedish across both pieces. It’s a quick eight-minutes perfect for the 7” pressing it’s been given, but again, makes enough of an impression that one is inclined toward further investigation, and given that, I can’t call it anything other than a success. I’ll go ahead and chalk up one more quality Swedish act to keep track of, because Second Sun offer tight-knit progressive leanings in a crisp package on Tachyonregenerator, and even if I’m late to the party, I’m glad I got to hear it.
Some pretty clear self-awareness demonstrated in Ten Ton Slug’s self-released debut EP, Brutal Gluttonous Beast. The Galway, Ireland, five-piece had a prior live-recorded two-tracker, but these four songs mark their first studio outing, and as they draw together massive sludge riffing and more extreme, death metal-style growls, there’s precious little one might say to more accurately describe a track like “Trollhunter” – the opener and longest on the release (immediate points) – than that it lives up to the title, its second-half slowdown lurch prefacing a similar move in “Bloodburns” before the more rampaging “Subterranean” and noise-soaked burl of “Unit” take hold. Intense and vicious, but not necessarily unhinged, Brutal Gluttonous Beast finds Ten Ton Slug sounding remarkably sure in their approach, and one will await the news of their traveling to England to record with Chris Fielding at Skyhammer, since that seems to be the kind of presentation for which the tonal onslaught here is begging.
A half-decade after releasing their self-titled EP (review here), Eindhoven heavy/noise rockers Komatsu reemerge on Argonauta Records with the follow-up full-length, Recipe for Murder One. Boasting a guest appearance from Nick Oliveri on the suitably tumultuous “Lockdown,” the album leaves little to wonder what’s in that recipe in the darker-desert vibe of “So How’s About Billy” and “There Must be Something in Your Water,” which teases airy serenity in its first half only to go full-throttle for the second, but as the bass-driven lumber of the title-track and subtle melodic expansion of “The Sea is Calm Today” show, Komatsu haven’t wasted the last five years, instead constructing their own take on sonic density and sludge impulses that seems to hit with formidable impact regardless of tempo or tension level, both of which prove to be fluid elements at the four-piece’s disposal. They get the point across quickly in the stomp of “The Long Way Home,” but find suitable resolution in the nod of closer “Breathe,” rounding out a debut of significant character and depth with one last surprise in ambience it’s only fair to call progressive.
The Blue Sunshine Family Band, The Blue Sunshine Family Band
A double-guitar instrumental four-piece from Santa Rosa, California, The Blue Sunshine Family Band make their debut with a six-song/51-minute self-titled. Tracks presented as Roman numerals “I” through “VI,” though whether or not they’re actually the first six pieces the band has written, I couldn’t say. Either way, the impression immediately draws from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” – that great king of nod riffs – and first-name-only guitarists Billy and Kevin, bassist Matt and drummer Quinten build outward from there, dipping below the eight-minute mark only on “V” (7:14) as they unfurl solid grooves and tonal heft, seeming to leave room for vocals either consciously or not. The converted will find engagement and immersion in the crash and swinging turn of “IV,” as well as the David Paul Seymour cover art, and if The Blue Sunshine Family Band is the sound of this foursome getting their feet under them, they manage to accomplish that preliminary feat and then some in these tracks.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on October 11th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
It’s been, what, weeks, since Dot Legacylast unveiled a video for their upcoming second album, To the Others? Fair enough for the quick turnaround on a follow-up to “Story of Fame,” and “211” takes more of a GoPro, capture-the-live-set approach than did that previous video outing, so I can get the Parisian four-piece wanting to give a different look ahead of the album’s Nov. 25 release on Setalight Records. Likewise, I’ll take a different approach to writing about it.
By no means an exhaustive list, but here are three things to like about Dot Legacy‘s new video for the track “211”:
1. Riotousness.
It makes complete sense to me that Dot Legacy would be hitting the road with Truckfighters following the album’s release. If you’re gonna go out, go out with the masters of the form. In tone and in the apparent fervency of their live execution, Dot Legacy show themselves to have learned distinctly from the Swedish trio’s methods — yet not simply aped them either — so it seems only fair that the two acts should give each other workout on stages across Europe this fall. Would be an interesting run to see.
2. Brashness.
As you listen to “211,” note the ease with which Dot Legacy twist from the high-octane initial burst of the song to its calmer midsection and then to the audience sing-along portion nearer the end? You know how a band does that? By doing it. There’s one way to pull off hard left turns like that in songwriting, and that’s with clearheaded confidence, which is something Dot Legacy display all across To the Others.
3. The Hook.
Both “Story of Fame” and their 2014 self-titled debut (review here) had plenty to offer in terms of songwriting as well, but I think especially if you pair the two new tracks together you can get a sense of the progression Dot Legacy have willfully undertaken over the last two years. That growth comes from time on the road, to be sure, but there are a lot of bands who tour and not all of them are able to translate that into the kind of productive forward step in the studio that they are here.
Just some stuff to think about as you make your way through. Dot Legacy are in the process of wrapping a tour with Valley of the Sun and as noted they’ll head out again next month alongside Truckfighters and the new configuration of Deville. Find the remaining dates for the current tour and for the next one under the clip below.
And please enjoy:
Dot Legacy, “211” official video
Dot Legacy live:
Remaining dates with Valley of the Sun: 11/10 – Cluj-Napoca, Romania – The Shelter 12/10 – Bucharest, Romania – Fabrica Club 13/10 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Mixtape 14/10 – Larissa, Greece – Stage Club 15/10 – Athens, Greece – Death Disco
With Truckfighters & Deville – Plus more dates to be announced soon… 25/11 – Koln, Germany – Underground 26/11 – Nancy, France – Le Hublot 27/11 – Paris, France – Venue TBA 28/11 – Nantes, France – Venue TBA 4/12 – Birmingham, UK – Rainbow 5/12 – Glasgow, UK – King Tuts 6/12 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms 7/12 – Bristol, UK – Thekla 8/12 – Manchester, UK – The Ruby Lounge 9/12 – London, UK – Islington Academy 10/12 – Brighton, UK – Green Door Store
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 21st, 2016 by JJ Koczan
Lots of news from Parisian heavy rockers Dot Legacy. Most pressing is the fact that they start their tour with Valley of the Sun tomorrow in the UK, but they’ve also unveiled a new video for “Story of Fame” — because, yes, you know you want to hear the riff from “Raining Blood” reworked as lounge fuzz; yes you do, don’t even lie and say you don’t — and announced the album from whence it comes, titled To the Others and due out Nov. 25 on Setalight Records. The new outing is the follow-up to their 2014 self-titled debut (review here), and when they’re done with the Valley of the Sun tour, they’ll be out with Truckfighters and Deville in Nov. and Dec., finishing up where they started in the UK just before the holiday season kicks in.
The first record was right on and I’ll look forward to hopefully getting to hear the second, but you can check out the “Story of Fame” video below to get a sampling and dig into the info that follows here, courtesy of the PR wire:
DOT LEGACY announce new album and tours with Truckfighters and Valley Of The Sun
When Dot Legacy formed in 2009 in a Parisian basement, little did the fuzzed-out French quartet know that their seemingly unattainable dream to one day release albums, tour the world and share stages with some of rock’s finest was in fact anything but impossible.
Over seven years on and with countless gigs clocked up over several European and South American tours with the likes of Blues Pills, Mars Red Sky and Truckfighters, the band returns this November with To The Others, the follow up to their hugely impressive 2014 self-titled debut.
Inspired by the space race and mankind’s desire to discover, To The Others pursues two avenues of exploration; complete freedom of composition and collective creativity. Written by the band while on the road and recorded and produced by bass player/vocalist and Emmy Award-winner Damien Quintard the album not only captures the gain-addled fury of the band’s esoteric brand of “Energy Rock”, it also displays two distinct sides to Dot Legacy. The one side that uniquely seeks to experiment and weave multifaceted arrangements out of great ideas and impressive musicianship, and the other that simply aims to rock out and make you dance.
To support the release of the album, the band will be taking part in two massive tours with Valley Of The Sun and Truckfighters, hitting more than thirty-five European cites between September and December (For the list of confirmed dates so far see below.)
To The Others will receive a worldwide release on 25th November 2016 via Germany’s Setalight Records.
Tour Dates: With Valley Of The Sun… 22/9 – Manchester, UK – Rebellion (Presented by Snuff Lane) 23/9 – Bristol, UK – The Mother’s Ruin (Presented by Snuff Lane) 24/9 – London, UK – The Unicorn (Presented by Snuff Lane) 25/09 – Amsterdam, NL – The Cave 27/9 – Malle, Belgium – Jeugdhuis Babylon 28/9 – Ghent, Belgium – Kinky Star 29/9 – Caen, France – La Demeuree 30/9 – Nantes, France – La Scene Michelet 1/10 – Paris, France – Espace B 3/10 – Poitiers, France – Le Cluricaume Cafe 4/10 – Olten, Switzerland – Le Coq d’Or 5/10 – Munich, Germany – 8 Below 6/10 – Berlin, Germany – Urban Spree 7/10 – Halle, Germany – Rockpool eV 8/10 – Chemnitz, Germany – Zukunft 11/10 – Cluj-Napoca, Romania – The Shelter 12/10 – Bucharest, Romania – Fabrica Club 13/10 – Sofia, Bulgaria – Mixtape 14/10 – Larissa, Greece – Stage Club 15/10 – Athens, Greece – Death Disco
With Truckfighters & Deville – Plus more dates to be announced soon… 25/11 – Koln, Germany – Underground 26/11 – Nancy, France – Le Hublot 27/11 – Paris, France – Venue TBA 28/11 – Nantes, France – Venue TBA 4/12 – Birmingham, UK – Rainbow 5/12 – Glasgow, UK – King Tuts 6/12 – Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms 7/12 – Bristol, UK – Thekla 8/12 – Manchester, UK – The Ruby Lounge 9/12 – London, UK – Islington Academy 10/12 – Brighton, UK – Green Door Store
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 13th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
This September, Ohio heavy rockers Valley of the Sun continue their Euro-minded focus with a tour supporting their latest album, Volume Rock (review here). That record, released by Fuzzorama, has come out since the band was last on European turf earlier this Spring, and not that it necessarily needed to, but it reaffirmed Valley of the Sun‘s general kickassness, marking the next step in the progression of their songwriting while holding onto the crisp presentation that has made their work to-date so refreshing sounding.
They’ll team up with Parisian rockers Dot legacy — who from what I hear have a new album of their own currently in progress — for the tour, which is presented by Total Volume Agency. Whenever it might arrive, their next outing will be the follow-up to their 2014 self-titled debut (review here), which was issued on Setalight Records.
Valley of the Sun offered some comment on heading abroad once again. Find that followed by the dates below:
“We’re really excited to be headed back to Europe to continue the support of our latest album, Volume Rock, hitting a lot of territories we missed last Spring. We’re equally as excited that our good friends in Dot Legacy will be along for the ride!” — Valley of the Sun.
Tour booked by Total Volume Agency: 22/09 UK Manchester / Rebellion 23/09 UK London / TBA 24/09 UK Bristol / TBA 26/09 AVAILABLE 27/09 BE Malle / Jeugdhuis Babylon 28/09 BE Gent / Kinky Star 29/09 FR Caen / La Demeurée 30/09 FR Nantes / La Scène Michelet 01/10 FR Paris / Espace B 03/10 FR Poitiers / Le Cluricaume 04/10 CH Olten / Le Coq d’Or *EXCLUSIVE SWISS SHOW* 05/10 AVAILABLE 06/10 DE Berlin / Urban Spree 07/10 DE Halle (Saale) / Rockpool eV 08/10 DE Chemnitz / Zukunft 09/10 AVAILABLE 11/10 RO Cluj-Napoca / The Shelter 12/10 RO Bucharest / Fabrica Club 13/10 BG Sofia / Mixtape 14/10 GR / TBC 15/10 GR Athens / Death Disco
Valley Of The Sun: Aaron Boyer – Drums Ringo Jones – Bass Chris Harrison – Guitar Ryan Ferrier – Guitar, Vocals
Posted in Reviews on January 2nd, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Yesterday was pretty rough. Some excellent stuff in that batch of 10 discs, but man, by the end of it I don’t mind telling you I was dragging more than a bit of ass. I guess that’s to be expected. Still, I think that, as a project, this was worthwhile. There was a lot of stuff — too much — sitting around that was going to go undiscussed coming out of 2014, and now here we are, it’s the New Year, and I feel like at least a small percentage of what came my way got its due. Small victories.
So this is it. Reviews 41-50. After this, there isn’t much from 2014 that I’ll be looking back on; it’s mostly stuff to come, which is a different matter entirely. I’m sure we won’t be out of Jan. before I’m behind again in a major way, but what the hell, at least I’m trying, and at least there’s 50 discs that showed up on my desk that can be put on the shelf instead. Yes, it’s a very complex filing system. Ask me sometime and I’ll tell you all about it. Until then, let’s finish it like the final battle from Highlander. There can be only… 10… more…?
Okay maybe not.
Thanks for reading.
The Re-Stoned, Totems
Helmed since 2008 by the multifaceted Ilya Lipkin, Moscow mostly-instrumentalists The Re-Stoned release their fourth album in the form of Totems on R.A.I.G., a 58-minute wide-breadth journey into heavy rock groove with touches of psychedelia, plotted jazz-jamming and a raw tonal sensibility. Wo Fat guitarist/vocalist Kent Stump contributes a noteworthy solo to “Old Times,” and along with bassist Alexander Romanov, Lipkin (who himself handles the artwork design, guitar, bass, shaman drum, jew’s harp, mandala and some voice work) employs a guest drummer, percussionist and didgeridoo player, so there’s a measure of variety to the proceedings, be it the jerky pauses in “Shaman” or the earlier effects-laden exploration of “Chakras.” “Old Times” has a bit of funk to it even before Stump’s arrival, and the acoustics of “Melting Stones,” which follows, border on cowboy Americana. They’ve never had the most vibrant production, but The Re-Stoned manage to convey a natural feel and confidence as they progress, the creative growth of Lipkin always at the center of what they do.
For his second album under the moniker Anthroprophh, guitarist/vocalist Paul Allen (also of The Heads) brings in a rhythm section to aid him in his time-to-get-really-weird purposes. Thus, bassist Gareth Turner and drummer Jesse Webb, who together form the duo Big Naturals, add to the strangeness of songs like “2013 and She Told Me I was Die” on Anthroprophh’s Outside the Circle, a 45-minute excursion into warped sensibilities and things meant to go awry. Songs are made to be broken, and that happens with drones, sudden shifts in atmosphere, some smooth transitions, some jagged, all designed to transport and ignite stagnation. It does not get any less bizarre as Outside the Circle moves toward its nine-minute title-track, but one doesn’t imagine Allen would have it any other way, and one wouldn’t have it any other way from him. I call a fair amount of music adventurous for deviating from the norm. Anthroprophh makes most of that sound silly in comparison with its buzzsaw guitar and raw experimental display.
Saskatoon four-piece Lavagoat continue to challenge themselves even as they bludgeon eardrums. Their single-track CD EP, Weird Menace, pulls together six individual songs recorded mostly live in their rehearsal space with a purposeful drive toward rawness and a horror thematic. Sure enough, where their 2012 LP, Monoliths of Mars (review here) and 2010 self-titled debut (review here) offered increasing stylistic complexity, Weird Menace steps forward atmospherically by pulling back on the production value. Murky screams permeate “Ectoplasm” only to be immediately offset by the low growls and deathly groove of “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” presented as nasty as possible. There are still some touches of flourish in the guitar – one can’t completely cast off a creative development, even when trying really, really hard – but to call Weird Menace’s regressive experimentalism anything but a success would be undervaluing the turn they’ve made and how smoothly they’ve made it. Note: a follow-up LP, Ageless Nonsense (actually recorded earlier than this EP), has already been released.
Limited to 50 CD copies and presented in an oversize sleeve, soon-to-be-picked-up-by-somebody Colorado five-piece Ketch’s self-titled debut demo/EP is death-doom brutal and doom-death grooving. Vocalist Zach Salmans and guitarist Clay Cushman (who also recorded) trade off growls and screams over plus-sized, malevolent riffs and guitarist Jeremy Winters, bassist Dave Borrusch and drummer David Csicsely (also of The Flight of Sleipnir) only add to the pummel, which hits a particularly vicious moment in the grueling second half of “Counting Sunsets,” a dirge of low growls giving way to churning, nodding despair. Beginning with 9:18 longest cut “Shimmering Lights” (immediate points), Ketch deliver a precision extremity that even on this initial offering makes its villainous intent plain with volume and overarching drear. The midsection stomp of “Chemical Despondency” and the gurgle in closer “13 Coils” affirm that Ketch have found their stylistic niche and are ready to begin developing their sound from it. One looks forward to the growth of this already maddening approach. Bonus points for no obvious Lovecraft references.
Somewhere between death, black and doom metals, one finds Rhode Island three-piece Eternal Khan exploring cosmic, existential, literary and mythological themes on their self-released debut full-length, A Poisoned Psalm, the jewel case edition of which includes both lyrics and liner note explanations of each of its seven tracks. It’s an ambitious take from a trio who seem destined at some point to write a concept album – maybe based on Faust, maybe not – but the actual songs live up to the lofty presentation, be it the suitable gallop of “Raging Host,” despondent push of centerpiece “The Tower” or double-kick bleakness of “Void of Light and Reconciliation.” Guitarist/vocalist N. Wood, guitarist T. Phrathep and drummer D. Murphy mash their various styles well, but there’s room to grow here too, and I’d wonder how “The Black Stork” might work with an element of drone brought into the mix to add to the atmosphere and provide contrast to the various sides of Eternal Khan’s extremity. Even without, A Poisoned Psalm serves vigorous notice.
Rife with ‘70s swagger and easy-rolling blues grooves, Get Pure is the third record from Columbus, Ohio trio Mount Carmel, and it goes down as smooth as one could ask, the guitar work of Matthew Reed, bass of his brother, Patrick Reed (since out of the band and replaced by Nick Tolford) and drums of James McCain meshing with a natural, classic power trio dynamic only furthered by the vocals, as laid back as Leaf Hound but with an underlying bluesiness on cuts like “One More Morning” and “No Pot to Piss.” At 11 tracks and a vinyl-minded 35 minutes, neither the album as a whole nor its component tracks overstay their welcome, and late pushers like “Hangin’ On” and “Fear Me Now” leave the listener wanting more while closer “Yeah You Mama” bookends with opener “Gold” in hey-baby-ism and irrefutable rhythmic swing. Comfortable in its mid-pace boogie, Get Pure offers a party vibe without being needlessly raucous, and its laid back mood becomes one of its greatest assets.
One could hardly accuse Stockholm classic proggers Pocket Size of living up to their name on Exposed Undercurrents, their second album. Even putting aside the expansive fullness of their sound itself, there are nine people in the lineup. It would have to be some pocket. The group is led by guitarist Peder Pedersen, whose own contributions are met by arrangements of saxophone, Hammond B-3, flute, theremin and so on as the 11 tracks of Exposed Undercurrents play off intricately-conceived purposes to engaging ends. One is reminded some of Hypnos 69’s takes on elder King Crimson, but Pocket Size have less of a heavy rock stylistic base and are more purely prog. A clean production – this is clearly a band that wants you to hear everything happening at any given moment – serves the 54-minute offering well, and though it’s by no means free of indulgence, Exposed Undercurrents is imaginative in both the paths it follows and those it creates, the joy of craftsmanship clearly at the core of its process.
Though it’s actually only about 41 minutes, I doubt if Zoltan’s Sixty Minute Zoom would benefit from the extra time in terms of getting its point across. The instrumental London trio of keyboardist Andy Thompson, bassist/keyboardist Matt Thompson and drummer/keyboardist Andrew Prestidge revel in ‘70s synth soundtrack stylizations. For good measure I’ll name-check Goblin as a central influence on “Uzumaki,” the second of Sixty Minute Zoom’s five inclusions, but John Carpenter’s clearly had a hand as well in brazenly cinematic texturing of synth and the late-‘70s/early-‘80s vibe. The various washes culminate in the side B-consuming 21-minute stretch of “The Integral,” which is broken into separate movements but flows smoothly between them, pulsations and drones interweaving for a classic atmosphere of tension and balance of the chemistry between the Thompsons and Prestidge and the progressive, immersive sound they create. Fans of earlier Zombi will find much to chew on, but Zoltan dive even further into soundtrack-style ambience. All that’s missing is Lori Cardille running down a dimly lit hallway.
Offered as a nine-track full-length plus a four-song bonus EP, the self-titled debut from Madison, Wisconsin’s The Garza meters out noise rock punishment with sludgy ferocity. A trio of notable pedigree – drummer/vocalist Magma (Bongzilla, Aquilonian), guitarist Shawn Blackler (Brainerd, Striking Irwin), and bassist Nate Bush (ex-Droids Attack, ex-Bongzilla) – they fluidly pull together post-hardcore elements and Crowbar-esque turns while retaining a core of punk rock. “Rage” is a solid example of this, but it’s true of just about all of the album proper, which largely holds to its approach, adding some melody to the seven-minute pre-bonus-tracks closer “Kingdoms End” and varying tempo here and there around its destructive central ideology. The four bonus tracks are of a similar mind as well, Magma switching up his vocals every now and then to add variety to proceedings that otherwise prove vehemently assured of their position. I’m not sure if the extra cuts help reinforce the album’s rawness or detract from the closer, but The Garza aren’t exactly light on impact either way.
Dot Legacy’s self-titled Setalight Records debut, particularly for a green-backed CD with vinyl-style grooves on front, is not nearly as stoned as one might think. The Parisian foursome of Damien Quintard (vocals/bass/recording), Arnaud Merckling (guitar/keys/vocals), John Defontaine (guitar/vocals) and Romain Mottier (drums/vocals) employ a broad range on the 46-minute album’s nine tracks, from the shoegaze post-rock of “The Passage” to the driving heavy psych of “Gorilla Train Station,” all the while holding firm to a creative reasoning geared toward individuality. If they wound up adopting “The Midnight Weirdos” as a nom de guerre, I wouldn’t be surprised, but in fact there’s little sense that at any point Dot Legacy aren’t in full command of where their material is headed. All the better for the surprising opening duo of “Kennedy” and “Think of a Name,” which shift between reverb-soaked meditation and vibrant, hook-laden heavy rock. A fascinating and original-ish debut that could be the start of something special. They should hit the festival circuit hard and not look back.
