A word about the image above. ‘AI art’ has become a thing people argue about on the internet. Like everything. Fine. I made the above image with a prompt through whatever Microsoft is calling its bot this week and got what I wanted. I didn’t have to talk to anyone or pay anyone in anything more than the personal data you compromise every time you use the internet for anything, and it was done. I could never draw, but when I finished, I felt like I’d at least taken part in some way in making this thing. And telling a computer what to make and seeing what it gets right and wrong is fascinating. You might feel a bit like you’re painting with words, which as someone who could never draw but could construct a sentence, I can appreciate.

I’m a big supporter of human creativity, and yes, corporations who already hold creative professionals — writers, editors, graphic designers, etc. — in such outward contempt will be only too happy to replace them with robots. I was there when magazines died; I know how that goes. But instead of being reactionaries and calling for never-gonna-happen-anyway bans, isn’t it maybe worth acknowledging that there’s no going back in time, that AI art isn’t going anywhere, and that it might just have valid creative uses? I don’t feel like I need to defend myself for making or using the image above, but I did try to get a human artist first and it didn’t work out. In the hard reality of limited minutes, how much should I really chase when there’s an easier way to get what I want? And how much can people be expected to live up to that shifting moral obligation in the long term?

The future will laugh at us, inevitably, either way. And fair enough with the world we’re leaving them.

Quarterly Review #11-20:

—

Lord Dying, Clandestine Transcendence

While bearing the tonal force of their roots in doom, Portland’s Lord Dying have nonetheless willfully become a crucial purveyor of forward-thinking death metal, driven by extremity but refusing to subdue its own impulses to fit with genre. At 12 songs and an hour’s runtime, Clandestine Transcendence neither is nor is supposed to be a minor undertaking, but with a melodic declaration in “Unto Becoming” that’ll elicit knowing nods from Virus fans and a mentality of creative reach that’s worthy of comparison to Enslaved, Lord Dying showcase mastery of the style the four-piece of guitarist/vocalist Erik Olson, guitarist Chris Evans, bassist/vocalist Alyssa Maucere and drummer Kevin Swartz explored with vigilance on 2019’s Mysterium Tremendum (review here), and an ability to depart from aggression without losing their intensity or impact on “Dancing on the Emptiness” or in the payoff of “Break in the Clouds (In the Darkness of Our Minds).” They may be headed toward too-weird-for-everybody megaprogmetal ultimately, but the challenges-to-stylistic-homogeny of their material are only part of what gives Clandestine Transcendence its crux, and in fostering the call-and-response onslaught of “Facing the Incomprehensible” alongside the epic reach of “A Bond Broken by Death,” they cast their own mold as unique within or without of the heavy underground sphere.

Lord Dying on Facebook

MNRK Heavy website

—

Black Glow, Black Glow

The late-2023 self-titled debut from Black Glow marks a new beginning for Monterrey, Mexico, guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Gina Rios, formerly of Spacegoat, and something of a creative redirect, taking on a sound that is less indebted to boogie and classic doom but that has clearly learned the lessons of its influences. Also credited with producing (Victor “KB” Velazquez recorded, mixed and mastered, which doesn’t invalidate the credit), Rios is a strong enough performer to carry the five-song EP/short-LP on her own, but thankfully bassist Oscar Saucedo and drummer Octavio Diliegros bring tonal fullness to the breadth of atmosphere in the rolling closer “Obscured Jail,” reaching past seven minutes with fluidity that adds to Black Glow‘s aspects of purpose and craft, which are significant despite being the band’s first outing. As a vehicle for Rios‘ songwriting, Black Glow sound immediately like they can evolve in ways Spacegoat likely couldn’t or wouldn’t have, and that prospect is all the more enticing with the accomplishments displayed here.

Black Glow on Facebook

Black Glow on Bandcamp

—

Cracked Machine, Wormwood

Between the leadoff of “Into the Chronosphere” and “The Glowing Sea,” “Return to Antares,” “Burning Mountain” and “Desert Haze,” UK instrumentalists Cracked Machine aren’t short on destinations for the journey that is their fourth full-length, Wormwood, but with more angular texturing on “Eigenstate” and the blend of tonal float — yes, even the bass — and terrestrial groove wrought in the closing title-track, the band manage to emphasize plot as well as a sense of freedom endemic to jam-born heavy psychedelia. That is to say, as second cut “Song of Artemis” gives brooding reply to the energetic “Into the Chronosphere,” which is loosely krautrocky in its dug-in feel and exploratory as part of that, they are not trying to pretend this material just happened. Layers of effects and a purposeful reach between its low and high ends in the solo of “The Glowing Sea” — with the drums holding the two together, as one would hope — and subsequent section of standalone guitar as the start of a linear build that spreads wide sonically rather than overpowering with volume speaks to a dynamic that’s about more than just loud or quiet, and the keyboard holding notes in the culmination of “Burning Mountain” is nothing if not purposeful in its shimmering resonance. They may be headed all over the place, but I think that’s just a sign Cracked Machine know how to get there.

Cracked Machine on Facebook

Cracked Machine on Bandcamp

—

Per Wiberg, The Serpent’s Here

Currently also of Kamchatka and Spiritual Beggars and maybe Switchblade, the career arc of Per Wiberg (also ex-Opeth, live work and/or studio contributions for Candlemass, Grand Magus, Arch Enemy, mostly on keys or organ) varies widely in style within a heavy sphere, and it should be no surprise that his solo work is likewise multifaceted. Following on from 2021’s EP, All Is Well In the Land of the Living But for the Rest of Us… Lights Out (review here), the six-song and 41-minute (seven/47 with the bonus track Warrior Soul cover “The Losers”) finds cohesion in a thread of progressive styles that allows Wiberg to explore what might be a Gary Numan influence in the verses of “The Serpent’s Here” itself while emerging with a heavy, catchy and melodic chorus marked by a driving riff. The eight-minute “Blackguards Stand Silent” works in movements across a structural departure as the rhythm section of Mikael Tuominen (Kungens Män) and drummer Tor Sjödén (Viagra Boys) get a subtle workout, and “He Just Disappeared” pushes into the cinematic on a patient line of drone, a contemplative departure after the melancholic piano of “This House is Someone Else’s Now” that allows “Follow the Unknown” to cap the album-proper with a return to the full-band feel and a pointed grace of keys and synth, clearly working to its creator’s own high standard.

Per Wiberg on Facebook

Despotz Records website

—

Swell O, Morning Haze

Bremen, Germany’s Swell O released their apparently-recorded-in-a-day debut album, Morning Haze, in Feb. 2023 and followed with a vinyl release this past Fall on Clostridium Records, and if there’s anything clouding their vision as regards songwriting, it didn’t make it onto the record. Proffering solid, engaging, festival-ready desert-style heavy rock, “Hitchhiker” sweeps down the open highway of its own riff while “Black Cat” tips hat to Fu Manchu, the title-track veers into pop-punkish uptempoism in a way “Shine Through” contrasts with less shove and more ambience. The seven-minute “Summit” extrapolates a lean toward the psychedelic from Kyussian foundations, but the crux on Morning Haze is straightforward and aware of where it wants its songs to be aesthetically. It’s not a revolution in that regard, but it’s not supposed to be, and for all its in-genre loyalism, Morning Haze demonstrates an emergent persona in the modernized ’90s fuzz-crunch semi-blowout of “Venom” at the end, which wraps a salvo that started with “Hitchhiker” and lets Swell O make the most of their over-quickly 31-minute first LP.

Swell O on Facebook

Clostridium Records store

—

Cower, Celestial Devastation

Accounting for everything from goth to post-hardcore to the churn of Godflesh in an encompassing interpretation of post-punk, London outfit Cower could fill this space with pedigree alone and manage to nonetheless make a distinct impression across the nine songs of Celestial Devastation. Organic and sad on “We Need to Have the Talk,” inorganic and sad on “Hard-Coded in the Souls of Men,” electronic anti-chic before the guitar surge in “Buffeted by Solar Winds,” and bringing fresh perspective to Kataonia-style depressive metal in “Aging Stallions,” it’s a album that willfully shirks genre — a few of them, actually — in service to its songs, as between the software-driven title-track and the downer-New-Wave-as-doom centerpiece “Deathless and Free,” Cower embark on an apparent critique of tech as integrated into current life (though I can’t find a lyric sheet) and approach from seemingly divergent angles without losing track of the larger picture of the LP’s atmosphere. Celestial Devastation is the second album from the trio, comprised of Tom Lacey, Wayne Adams (who also produced, as he will) and Gareth Thomas. Expect them to continue to define and refine this style as they move forward, and expect it to become even more their own than it is here. A band like this, if they last, almost can’t help but grow.

Cower’s Linktr.ee

Human Worth on Bandcamp

—

HORSEN3CK, Heavy Spells

Boston’s HORSEN3CK, who’ve gone all-caps and traded their second ‘e’ for a ‘3’ since unveiling the included-here “Something’s Broken” as a debut standalone single this January, make a rousing four-song statement of intent even as the lineup shifts from piece to piece around the core duo of Tim Catz and Jeremy Hemond, best known together for their work as the rhythm section of Roadsaw. With their maybe-not-right-now bandmate Ian Ross adding guitar to “Something’s Broken” and a different lead vocalist on each song, Heavy Spells has inherent variety even before “Haunted Heart” exalts its darker mood with pulls reminiscent of Alice in Chains‘ “Frogs.” With Catz taking a turn on vocals, “Golden Ghost” is punk under its surface class, and though “Haunted Heart” grows in its crescendo, its greater impact is in the vibe, which is richer for the shift in approach. “Thirst” rounds out with a particular brashness, but nowhere HORSEN3CK go feels even vaguely out of their reach. Alright guys. Concept proved, now go do a full-length. When they do, I’ll be intrigued to see if the lineup solidifies.

HORSEN3CK on Facebook

HORSEN3CK on Bandcamp

—

Troll Teeth, Sluagh Vol. 1

New Jersey doom rockers Troll Teeth‘s stated goal with Sluagh Vol. 1 was to find a sound the character of which would be defined in part by its rawer, retro-styled recording. The resultant four-song outing, which was their second EP of 2023 behind Underground Vol. 1, doesn’t actually veer into vintage-style ’70s worship, but lives up to the premise just the same in its abiding rawness. “3 Shots for a 6 Shooter” brings a Queens of the Stone Age-style vocal melody over an instrumental that’s meaner than anything that band ever put to tape, while nine-minute opener “1,000 Ton Brick” feels very clearly titled in honor of its own roll. It might be the heaviest stretch on the EP but for the rumbling low distortion spliced in among the psychedelic unfolding of 16-minute closer “Purgatory,” which submerges the listener in its course after “Here Lies” seems to build and build and build through the entirety of its still-hooky execution. With its title referencing the original name of the band and a focus on older material, the rougher presentation suits the songs, though it’s not like there’s a pristine “1,000 Ton Brick” out there to compare it to. Whether there will be at Sluagh Vol. 2 at any point, I don’t know, but even the intentionality of realizing his material in the recording process argues in favor of future revisits.

Troll Teeth on Facebook

Electric Talon Records store

—

Black Ocean’s Edge, Call of the Sirens

Celebrating their own dark side in the opener “Wicked Voice,” German heavy rockers Black Ocean’s Edge keep the proceedings relatively friendly on Call of the Sirens, their debut long-player behind 2022’s Dive Deep EP, at least as regards accessibility and the catchiness of their craft. Vibrant and consistent in tone, the Ulm four-piece find room for the classic rock of “Leather ‘n’ Velvet” and the that-might-be-actual-flute-laced prog-psych payoff of “Lion in a Cage” between the second two of the three parts that comprise the title-track, which departs from the heavy blues rock of “Drift” or “Cold Black Water,” which is the centerpiece and longest inclusion at 7:43 and sets its classic-heavy influences to work with a forward-looking perspective. At 42 minutes and nine tracks, Call of the Sirens feels professional in how it reaches out to its audience, and it leaves little to doubt from Black Ocean’s Edge as regards songwriting, production or style. They may refine and sharpen their approach over time, and with these songs as where they’re coming from, they’ll be in that much better position to hit the ears of the converted.

Note: this album is out in April and I couldn’t find cover art. Band photo above is by Matija Kasalo.

Black Ocean’s Edge on Facebook

Black Ocean’s Edge on Bandcamp

—

SONS OF ZÖKU, ËNDL​Ë​SS

If an album could ask you, musically, why you’re in such a hurry — and not like hurrying to work, really in a hurry, like in how you live — the mellow psych and acid folk proffered by Adelaide, Australia’s SONS OF ZÖKU on their second full-length, ËNDL​Ë​SS, might just be doing that. Don’t take that to mean the album is still or staid though, because they’re not through “Moonlight” after the intro before the bass gets funky behind all that serene melody, and when you’re worshiping the sun that’s all the more reason to dance by the moon. Harmonies resonate in “Earth Chant” (and all around) atop initially quiet guitar noodling, and the adventures in arrangement continue in the various chimes and percussion instruments, the touch of Easternism in “Kuhnoo” and the keyboard-fueled melodic payoff to the pastoralism of “Hunters.” With flute and a rhythmic delivery to its group vocal, “O Saber” borders on the tribal, while “Yumi” digs on cosmic prog insistence in a way that calls to mind the underappreciated Death Hawks and finds its way in a concluding instrumental stretch that doesn’t lose its spontaneous feel despite being more cogent than improv generally comes across. “Lonesome Tale” is a melancholy-vibe-reprise centered around acoustic guitar and “Nu Poeme” gives a sense of grandeur that is unto itself without going much past four minutes in the doing. Such triumphs are rare more broadly but become almost commonplace as SONS OF ZÖKU set their own context with a sound harnessing the inspiration of decades directing itself toward an optimistic future.

SONS OF ZÖKU on Facebook

Copper Feast Records store

—

Norwegian heavy rockers Masheena released their debut album, West Coast Hard Rock, this past Friday, Sept. 1, through Majestic Mountain Records. From the heavy hotbed of Bergen — home to, among others, Enslaved, Slomosa, Strange Horizon, Green Sky Accident, Bismarck, Kryptograf, Melt Motif, on and on across a range of genres — the four-piece of Luis-Alberto Salomon, Tarjei A. Heggernes (formerly Lost at Last), drummer Gerhard “Armagedda” Herfindal (ex-Immortal, I, etc.) and Ole Andre “El Mago” Farstad (Abbath) offer eight tracks in a 35-minute salvo of immediately-pro-shop performance and production.

The latter was helmed by producer Iver Sandøy (also drums/vocals in Enslaved), and when you add in a mix/master by thrice-over Clutch producer Machine, the output sounds as clear, sharp and full as any larger-scale, commercially relevant offering, without necessarily being that thing. In terms of general sound, one might recognize elements of latter-day Alice in Chains in Masheena tracks like “Under the Same Sun,” the semi-acoustic harmonies in “Looks Like a Man” (video premiere below) and the more-acoustic-but-still-not-completely-unplugged “Sun Remains” on side B, where the early vocals lug a Jerry Cantrell-esque burden.

That is only part of the conversation Masheena are having, however. Being on Norway’s west coast, they’re positioning themselves in terms of place and giving name to the varied style they show throughout these songs, richly melodic, able to be huge or intimate, deep-toned but accessible in its structure and presentation. From the hooky launch of opener “1979” — not a Smashing Pumpkins cover, thankfully; the PR wire tagged it as KISS-meets-Sabbath and I ain’t arguing — they’re also speaking to a sense of Gen-X nostalgia in rock and roll and communing with various aspects of American West Coast rock, from desert heavy and grunge to the sitar-laced psych flourish of “Where Are You Now,” engaging modernity in the lyrics of “Five Seconds of Fame” while at the same time tapping into a rocker strut of a lead line that becomes an increasingly spacious solo as the band gallops through the “Okay/It’s okay” reassurance in the back half, double-kick drum providing extra push and maybe showing some of the band’s metallic roots in making that choice, but not interrupting the flow or putting aggressive elements where the songs don’t want them.

Side A’s got hooks. Side B’s got hooks. Rest assured, here be hooks. West Coast Hard Rock isn’t trying to challenge its audience so much as carry it, and as broad as the layered chorus of “Under the Same Sun” is, Masheena never come remotely close to losing themselves or meandering from their purpose in craft. True, starting off with “1979” carries some risk in alienating post-Millennial heads, but (1:) that’ll last about as long as it takes to press play on the record and (2:) it’s likely honest to the band’s experience and what drove them to start this project in the first place, so I’m not about to knock it. And there’s a bit of burl in the repeated delivery of the title-line in “Looks Like a Man,” but rather than some chestbeating hyper-masculine trumpeting, the lyrics unfold a story about blacking out, maybe-murder, and the police investigation through its three verses as the electric/acoustic guitar blend gives a lush feel as they creep into the building chorus.

There, as well as in “Sun Remains” before and after the fuzz kicks in, in the breadth of the finale’s later reaches and in the relative thrust of the three-and-a-half-minute “Remember the Rain” just before, Masheena‘s songs are extroverted in their intention to affect the listener and loaded with aural details, little things here and there — the held bass note under the shuffle in “Five Seconds of Fame,” or the vocal arrangements in “Under the Same Sun” and “Looks Like a Man,” for example — to be found on repeat visits, which honestly seem to be the whole goal for the LP. To keep you coming back.

Masheena would seem to have built the material accordingly. From Sahg noted below to Grand Magus to any number of other examples, they exist as part of a decades-long history of Scandinavian heavy rock acts comprised of dudes from extreme metal outfits, but that’s only part of the story here. In concept, Masheena have more in common with their Motorpsycho-adacent countrymen Spidergawd, in that the material is straightforward on its face, still has an atmosphere — sun’s out, if you couldn’t tell — and rocks in such a way as to remind one that that’s all it needs to do when done well enough, which it is.

That’s probably more than one would reasonably ask of a newer band, even considering the context of pedigree/production, and they still get there in impressive and inviting fashion, with a batch of songs that are dynamic up to the last moments of “Where Are You Now,” with a heavy-prog roll and consuming, weighted, spacious and crashing outreach. It’ll probably be a few years before they follow it up, and when they do, it will be exciting to see how they grow their approach since four of these tracks — I’m going with side A — were from their initial demo, but West Coast Hard Rock sets its standard for longevity, and might just have delivered it. I’ll let you know in half a decade. Ha.

Video for “Looks Like a Man” premieres below, followed by more from the PR wire. Please enjoy:

Masheena, “Looks Like a Man” video premiere

Masheena on “Looks Like a Man”:

This video was shot over three hectic days on location in the North Coast of the Dominican Republic. Shot, directed and edited by New York -based director Lex Lukas, and video features members from Bergen’s Lovebugs and local rapper El Tampa.

In this video we follow the misadventures of former Austrian police detective Franz Hölzer (@derkommisarfranz) trying to solve a case and keep himself together in a tropical paradise. In between pristine beaches, lush tropical vegetation and pool parties we witness his failed interactions with locals, tourists and expats alike.

Video for the track “Looks Like A Man” from the album “West Coast Hard Rock” out on @majesticmountainrecords (vinyl) @TalonRecordsUSA (CD and cassette) Evil Noise Recordings (cassette) and on all digital platforms. Filmed and Edited by @LexLukas1 / @OutDuhBoxMedia. Story by Masheena and Lex Lukas. Featuring performances by @eltampa7133 and @norwegianlovebugs. Filmed on location in The Dominican Republic.

In 2021, Luis-Alberto Salomon started sharing demos with his longtime friend Tarjei A. Heggernes. Before Masheena, Luis had been a vocal and instrumental cornerstone in Royal Rooster, while Tarjei played bass and drove the rhythm for Lost at Last. Seeing the potential in the demos, Tarjei jumped on board, and also roped in Gerhard Herfindal, better known as Armagedda; A legendary drummer, who has played with formidable acts such as Immortal, I, and Demonaz. The ensemble was completed with the inclusion of Luis’s friend, multi-instrumentalist Ole Andre Farstad aka “El Mago”, current lead guitarist for Abbath.

The group soon decided to form a band, and the raw mixes of their initial four songs, originally slated to form an EP, piqued the interest of the revered label Majestic Mountain Records. Impressed with the sound, the label urged the band to develop a full-length album.

The recording sessions took place at Solslottet Studio in the band’s hometown of Bergen, Norway, with the assistance of another long-time friend, the award-winning producer and Enslaved drummer, Iver Sandøy. For the crucial process of mixing and mastering, they turned to the industry titan known as Machine. As a Clutch fan, Tarjei relished the opportunity to collaborate with the wizard who had shaped the sound of legendary albums like Blast Tyrant and Earth Rocker.

Regarding the album’s title and artwork, Tarjei aka “El Profesor” provides an insight: “Bergen is renowned for its diverse musical genres, from Black Metal to Tropical House. However, the west coast of Norway has always nurtured a vibrant hard rock scene, boasting bands like Kvelertak, Audrey Horne, Sahg, Kal-El, and more. We also draw inspiration from the (US) west coast rock of the ‘70s, the ‘80s LA scene, and the Seattle-based hard rock of the ‘90s. West Coast Hard Rock! For the artwork, we commissioned LA tattoo artist Chon Hernandez, known for his work on Clutch’s Blast Tyrant cover. We requested coastal elements and a potential robot. The resulting hand-drawn masterpiece was nothing short of astonishing, exceeding our wildest dreams!”

Masheena on Facebook

Masheena on Instagram

Masheena on Tiktok

Masheena on Bandcamp

Masheena Linktr.ee

Majestic Mountain Records store

Majestic Mountain Records on Instagram

Majestic Mountain Records on Facebook

Evil Noise Recordings store

Evil Noise Recordings on Facebook

Evil Noise Recordings on Instagram

Electric Talon Records store

Electric Talon Records on Facebook

Electric Talon Records on Instagram

Quezon City, Philippines-based stoner rockers Polymerase will release their complete Dreams & Realities I & II collection on June 20 through Sliptrick Records. There’s a fair amount of parsing to be done in order to understand the construction of the 88-minute release, which combines the two eight-song outings, Dreams & Realities I, which was released earlier this year as a standalone EP, and the not-yet-unveiled Dreams & Realities II, a follow-up working under the same modus. If you’re doing the match and figuring out that for each half of the total Dreams & Realities to be circa-44 minutes and an EP doesn’t make sense, that’s where said modus comes into play, since the last four of the eight songs on each part are instrumental versions of the four songs preceding. So, Dreams & Realities I brings opener/longest track (immediate points) “Space Carousel” (7:09), “The Sage” (5:57), “Blade of the Demon God” (3:51) and “Evil Hand” (6:40), and then loops back to a sans-vocal/sans-Apollo-11-launch-sample “Space Carousel” (6:40), and so on. The same goes for Dreams & Realities II, with “Children of Terra” (5:43), “Dreams and Realities” (5:34), “Zodiac Queen” (5:35) and “Riding the Crystals of Heaven” (4:09) coupled with the same songs minus the vocal tracks.

It’s a fascinating experiment on the part of the band — guitarist/vocalist Vincent Jose, bassist Bobby Legaspi and drummer Ziggy Cerda (Fabio Allessandrini plays on “Evil Hand”) — and it is striking to realize just how much the listener is inclined to fill in when the vocals aren’t there to lead through verses and choruses. “Blade of the Demon God” loses its hook, though you can still almost hear it even when it’s not there, but a deep-mixed layer of lead guitar is revealed beneath the main riff, and “Dreams and Realities” seems to answer back by letting that same lead layer float overtop instead of being buried. The personalities of the songs are changed as “The Sage,” which seems to be communing with earlier Devin Townsend in its distorted clarity, gives up the harsher barks from Jose that highlight its metallic underpinnings to become an exploration of soloing later on. And while the opening of “Zodiac Queen” wobbles like Nirvana‘s “Come as You Are,” the harder crashes more prominent in the instrumental version of the chorus, the runs of double-kick drumming, and steady, sharp execution speak also to roots in harder metals on the part of the band.

Because each piece cycles through twice, one in listening will pick up and recognize parts in the instrumentals from their vocalized counterparts, whether it’s the snare runs behind the mellow guitar on “Evil Hand” before it reopens to the double-kick chorus or the weirdo blowout of “Riding the Crystals of Heaven,” which is trad metal and garage stoner in kind and feels somehow also inspired by New Wave in its vocal melody, but that instrumentally centers the relatively earthbound groove on which that melody would otherwise rest. The songs invariably end up in conversation with themselves, each one asking what the vocals add here, what guitar, bass and drums are doing there, and how one derives mood and perceives intention from that. Floating between Dreams & Realities II and I, one finds “Children of Terra” an almost mournful, perhaps suitably apocalyptic procession that takes the distortion of “The Sage” and sets it to a riff that could just as easily be declarative black metal, but holds to rock in its rhythm and stretches out in the concluding solo, echoing a bit the mood of “Evil Hand” as it closes the first part’s A and B sides.

I’ll confess I don’t know the recording circumstance for the full collection. Dreams & Realities I was self-produced at Glasstone Studio and Prince of the Arrow Records, both in Quezon City, and Normand Yu at Glasstone handled mixing and mastering, but whether Dreams & Realities II was done at the same time, I can’t say. The two parts are fairly consistent in sound — you could easily put the four with-voice songs from each together and have a straightforward single-LP — but longer songs surround the relatively brief charge of “Blade of the Demon God,” where on Dreams & Realities II there’s some less disparity in track length as the songs are between four and five-plus minutes. But that also just be how they chose to organize the outcome of a single session as well, and considering how much thought obviously went into the presentation of the entirety of Dreams & Realities I & II, it wouldn’t be out of character for the ordering to be likewise purposeful. But one way or the other, from the warm fuzz of “Space Carousel” and classic-in-the-’90s-sense-feeling solo there to the last howling, galloping wash that’s the culmination as Polymerase indeed ride out the groove of “Riding the Crystals of Heaven,” the broader sense is one of exploring different ideas in heavy songwriting and figuring out how to manifest their influences through their own (figurative) voice. They’re getting there.

In 2021, Polymerase offered the four-song EP Unostentatious (review here) and set themselves on the path that’s thus far brought them here. Their style is still in development and one can hear they’re searching to find that balance between heavy metal and heavy rock, but that’s part of what makes Dreams & Realities I & II exciting, since while they’re doing that they’re also showing a willingness to mess with the form of the material itself, which not every band is ready or brave enough to do. Imagine being a singer and saying, “Okay, now one without the vocals.” Easier when you’re also playing guitar, but still. That evident lack of ego will only serve them well as they continue their progression from here, whether that’s toward a proper full-length or another four-songer or something else, and the desire to put the songs first while also changing the intention behind individual pieces, being able to harness an atmospheric impression in a raw recording, conveying melody and craft with DIY spirit and the fervency of the converted. There are moments where the audio is rough, but it’s a deep passion driving the material and it comes through as duly unabashed. They advise getting stoned and listening. Addled or lucid, Dreams & Realities I & II is a righteous compiling of Polymerase‘s themes, aural and other, and a significant forward step on their hopefully ongoing journey.

The complete Dreams & Realities I & II can be streamed on the player below, followed by more PR wire background on the narrative taking place across the two EPs and more.

Enjoy:

Polymerase, Dreams & Realities I & II album premiere

Dreams And Realities is a two part album project by Philippine stoner rock group Polymerase. The band started recording in 2021 and the idea was to create a story of a traveler in space that was able to experience time differently thus the track Space Carousel. Other tracks such as Blade Of The Demon God, The Sage and Evil Hand are part of the journey where the traveler in space was able to reflect within himself and then becoming a sage using the negative and positive force of the universe through the blade of the demon god. Evil Hand is the representation of the dark emotions of the human nature, even though humanity will strive to be good there will be an ego that will pull him down into himself which will either be for his survival or for selfish reasons.

Part II is about the psychiatric aspect of the project. The beginning is the continuing journey reflecting the society thus the creation of Children Of Terra. It is the process of questioning what has become of humanity itself. It is like asking what have we been doing for the past years that would make our lives significant in all existence. Dreams And Realities is a track where a certain individual gets lost in his own dreams that opens up a new reality for him. The person gets lost in his own reality and he cannot perceive what is real in his waking life, thus becoming schizophrenic. The track, Zodiac Queen is the devotion of a person to someone in his darkest situation. It is where at the point of addiction for a certain person, even the relationship becomes too toxic that he still stays until eventually getting eaten by the darkness that he himself has given. The last track is about experimental drugs that enhances your psychic potential. It is all about traveling within yourself and finding a peace resembling heaven.

All tracks have instrumental counterpart so if one person smokes while listening he/she would be able to reflect more through the vibrations of the music.

Dreams And Realities I Tracklist:
01. Space Carousel
02. The Sage
03. Blade Of The Demon God
04. Evil Hand
05. Space Carousel (Instrumental)
06. The Sage (Instrumental)
07. Blade Of The Demon God (Instrumental)
08. Evil Hand (Instrumental)

Dreams And Realities II Tracklist:
01. Children Of Terra
02. Dreams And Realities
03. Zodiac Queen
04. Riding The Crystals Of Heaven
05. Children Of Terra (Instrumental)
06. Dreams And Realities (Instrumental)
07. Zodiac Queen (Instrumental)
08. Riding The Crystals Of Heaven (Instrumental)

Dreams And Realities [I & II] Released June 20th, 2023 via Sliptrick Records

Polymerase are:
Vincent Jose – Guitars/Vocals
Bobby Legaspi – Bass/Guitars
Eugene Castro – Drums
Allan Paul Galiga – Session Bassist

Fabio Allesandrini – Drums on “Evil Hand”

Polymerase, “Blade of the Demon God” official video

Polymerase on Facebook

Polymerase on YouTube

Polymerase on Bandcamp

Sliptrick Records on Facebook

Sliptrick Records on Instagram

Sliptrick Records website

If you work in an office, or you ever have, or you’ve ever spoken to someone who has or does or whatever — which is everybody, is what I’m saying — then you’ll probably have a good idea of why I cringe at saying “happy Friday” as though the end of a workweek’s slog is a holiday even with the next week peering just over the horizon beyond the next 48 hours of not-your-boss time. Nonetheless, we’re at the end of this week, hitting 50 records covered in this Quarterly Review, and while I’ll spend a decent portion of the upcoming weekend working on wrapping it up on Monday and Tuesday, I’m grateful for the ability to breathe a bit in doing that more than I have throughout this week.

I’ll say as much in closing out the week as well, but thanks for reading. As always, I hope you enjoy.

Quarterly Review #41-50:

Black Helium, UM

It’s just too cool for the planet. Earth needs to step up its game if it wants to be able handle what London’s Black Helium are dishing out across their five-song third record, UM, from the sprawl and heavy hippie rock of “Another Heaven” to the utter doom that rises to prominence in that 12-minute-ish cut and the oblivion-bound boogie, blowout, and bonfire that is 15:47 closer “The Keys to Red Skeleton’s House (Open the Door)” on the other end, never mind the u-shaped kosmiche march of “I Saw God,” the shorter, stranger, organ-led centerpiece “Dungeon Head” or the motorik “Summer of Hair” that’s so teeth-grindingly tense by the time it’s done you can feel it in your toes. These are but glimpses of the substance that comprises the 45-minute out-there-out-there-out-there stretch of UM, which by the way is also a party? And you’re invited? I think? Yeah, you can go, but the rest of these fools gotta get right if they want to hang with the likes of “I Saw God,” because Black Helium do it weird for the weirdos and the planet might be round but that duddn’t mean it’s not also square. Good thing Black Helium remembered to bring the launch codes. Fire it up. We’re outta here and off to better, trippier, meltier places. Fortunately they’re able to steer the ship as well as set its controls to the heart of the sun.

Black Helium on Facebook

Riot Season Records store

—

 

Seismic, The Time Machine

A demo recording of a single, 29-minute track that’s slated to appear on Seismic‘s debut full-length based around the works of H.G. Wells sometime later this year — yeah, it’s safe to say there’s a bit of context that goes along with understanding where the Philadelphia instrumentalist trio/live-foursome are coming from on “The Time Machine.” Nonetheless, the reach of the song itself — which moves from its hypnotic beginning at about five minutes in to a solo-topped stretch that then gives over to thud-thud-thud pounding heft before embarking on an adventure 30,000 leagues under the drone, only to rise and riff again, doom. the. fuck. on., and recede to minimalist meditation before resolving in mystique-bent distortion and lumber — is significant, and more than enough to stand on its own considering that in this apparently-demo version, its sound is grippingly full. As to what else might be in store for the above-mentioned LP or when it might land, I have no idea and won’t speculate — I’m just going by what they say about it — but I know enough at this point in my life to understand that when a band comes along and hits you with a half-hour sledgehammering to the frontal cortex as a sign of things to come, it’s going to be worth keeping track of what they do next. If you haven’t heard “The Time Machine” yet, consider this a heads up to their heads up.

Seismic on Facebook

Seismic linktree

—

 

These Beasts, Cares, Wills, Wants

Something of an awaited first long-player from Chicago’s These Beasts, who crush the Sanford Parker-produced Cares, Wills, Wants with modern edge and fluidity moving between heavier rock and sludge metal, the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Chris Roo, bassist/vocalist Todd Fabian and drummer Keith Anderson scratching a similar itch in intensity and aggression as did L.A. sludgecore pummelers -(16)- late last year, but with their own shimmer in the guitar on “Nervous Fingers,” post-Baroness melody in “Cocaine Footprints,” and tonal heft worthy of Floor on the likes of “Blind Eyes” and the more purely caustic noise rock of “Ten Dollars and Zero Effort.” “Code Name” dizzies at the outset, while “Trap Door” closes and tops out at over seven minutes, perhaps taking its title from the moment when, as it enters its final minute, the bottom drops out and the listener is eaten alive. Beautifully destructive, it’s also somehow what I wish post-hardcore had been in the 2000s, ripping and gnarling on “Southpaw” while still having space among the righteously maddening, Neurot-tribal percussion work to welcome former Pelican guitarist Dallas Thomas for a guest spot. Next wave of artsy Chicago heavy noise? Sign me up. And I don’t know if that’s Roo or Fabian with the harsh scream, but it’s a good one. You can hear the mucus trying to save the throat from itself. Vocal cords, right down the trap door.

These Beasts on Facebook

Magnetic Eye Records store

—

 

Ajeeb, Refractions

Comprised of Cucho Segura on guitar and vocals, Sara Gdm on bass and drummer Rafa Pacheco, Ajeeb are the first band from the Canary Islands to be written about here, and their second album — issued through no fewer than 10 record labels, some of which are linked below — is the 11-song/42-minute Refractions, reminding in heavy fashion that the roots of grunge were in noisy punk all along. There’s some kick behind songs like “Far Enough” and “Mold,” and the later “Stuck for Decades” reminds of grainy festival videos where moshing was just people running into each other — whereas on “Mustard Surfing” someone might get punched in the head — but the listening experience goes deeper the further in you get, with side B offering a more dug-in take with the even-more-grunge “Slow-Vakia” building on “Oh Well” two songs earlier and leading into the low-end shovefest “Stuck for Decades,” which you think is going to let you breathe and then doesn’t, the noisier “Double Somersault” and closer/longest song “Tail Chasing” (5:13) taking the blink-and-it’s-over quiet part in “Amnesia” and building it out over a dynamic finish. The more you listen, the more you’re gonna hear, of course, but on the most basic level, the adaptable nature of their sound results in a markedly individual take. It’s the kind of thing 10 labels might want to release.

Ajeeb on Facebook

Spinda Records website

Clever Eagle Records website

The Ghost is Clear Records website

Violence in the Veins website

—

 

OAK, Disintegrate

One might be tempted to think of Porto-based funeral doomers OAK as a side-project for guitarist/vocalist Guilherme Henriques, bassist Lucas Ferrand and drummer Pedro Soares, the first two of whom play currently and the latter formerly of also-on-Season–of–Mist extreme metallers Gaerea, but that does nothing to take away from the substance of the single-song full-length Disintegrate, which plies its heft in emotionality, ambience and tone alike. Throughout 44 minutes, the three-piece run an album’s worth of a gamut in terms of tempo, volume, ebbs and flows, staying grim all the while but allowing for the existence of beauty in that darkness, no less at some of the most willfully grueling moments. The rise and fall around 20 minutes in, going from double-kick-infused metallurgy to minimal standalone guitar and rebuilding toward death-growl-topped nod some six minutes later, is worth the price of admission alone, but the tortured ending, with flourish either of lead guitar or keys behind the shouted layers before moving into tremolo payoff and the quieter contemplation that post-scripts, shouldn’t be missed either. Like any offering of such extremity, Disintegrate won’t be for everyone, but it makes even the air you breathe feel heavier as it draws you into the melancholic shade it casts.

OAK on Facebook

Season of Mist store

—

 

Ultra Void, Mother of Doom

“Are we cursed?” “Is this living?” “Are we dying?” These are the questions asked after the on-rhythm sampled orgasmic moaning abates on the slow-undulating title-track of Ultra Void‘s Mother of Doom. Billed as an EP, the five-songer skirts the line of full-length consideration at 31 minutes — all the more for its molten flow as punctuated by the programmed drums — and finds the Brooklynite outfit revamped as a solo-project for Jihef Garnero, who moves from that leadoff to let the big riff do most of the talking in the stoned-metal “Sic Mundus Creatus Est” and the raw self-jam of the nine-minute “Måntår,” which holds back its vocals for later and is duly hypnotic for it. Shorter and more rocking, “Squares & Circles” maintains the weirdo vibe just the same, and at just three and a half minutes, “Special K” closes out in similar fashion with perhaps more swing in the rhythm. With those last two songs offsetting the down-the-life-drain spirit of the first three, Mother of Doom seems experimental in its construction — Garnero feeling his way into this new incarnation of the band and perhaps also recording and mixing himself in this context — but the disillusion comes through as organic, and whether we’re living or dying (spoiler: dying), that gives these songs the decisive “ugh” with which they seem to view the world around them.

Ultra Void on Facebook

Ultra Void on Bandcamp

—

 

Aktopasa, Journey to the Pink Planet

Italian trio Aktopasa — also stylized as Akṭōpasa, if you’re in a fancy mood — seem to revel in the breakout moments on their second long-player and Argonauta label debut, Journey to the Pink Planet, as heard in the crescendo nod and boogie, respectively, of post-intro opener “Calima” (10:27) and closer “Foreign Lane” (10:45), the album’s two longest tracks and purposefully-placed bookends around the other songs. Elsewhere, the Venice-based almost-entirely-instrumentalists drift early in “It’s Not the Reason” — which actually features the record’s only vocals near its own end, contributed by Mattia Filippetto — and tick boxes around the tenets of heavy psychedelic microgenre, from the post-Colour Haze floating intimacy at the start of “Agarthi” to the fuzzy and fluid jam that branches out from it and the subsequent “Sirdarja” with its tabla and either sitar or guitar-as-sitar outset and warm-toned, semi-improv-sounding jazzier conclusion. From “Alif” (the intro) into “Calima” and “Lunar Eclipse,” the intent is to hypnotize and carry the listener through, and Aktopasa do so effectively, giving the chemistry between guitarist Lorenzo Barutta, bassist Silvio Tozzato and drummer Marco Sebastiano Alessi a suitably natural showcase and finding peace in the process, at least sonically-speaking, that’s then fleshed out over the remainder. A record to breathe with.

Aktopasa on Facebook

Argonauta Records store

—

 

Troll Teeth, Underground Vol. 1

There’s heavy metal somewhere factored into the sound of Philadelphia’s Troll Teeth, but where it resides changes. The band — who here work as a four-piece for the first time — unveil their Underground Vol. 1 EP with four songs, and each one has a different take. In “Cher Ami,” the question is what would’ve happened if Queens of the Stone Age were in the NWOBHM. In “Expired,” it’s whether or not the howling of the two guitars will actually melt the chug that offsets it. It doesn’t, but it comes close to overwhelming in the process. On “Broken Toy” it’s can something be desert rock because of the drums alone, and in the six-minute closer “Garden of Pillars” it’s Alice in Chains with a (more) doomly reimagining and greater melodic reach in vocals as compared to the other three songs, but filled out with a metallic shred that I guess is a luxury of having two guitars on a record when you haven’t done so before. Blink and you’ll miss its 17-minute runtime, but Troll Teeth have four LPs out through Electric Talon, including 2022’s Hanged, Drawn, & Quartered, so there’s plenty more to dig into should you be so inclined. Still, if the idea behind Underground Vol. 1 was to scope out whether the band works as constructed here, the concept is proven. Yes, it works. Now go write more songs.

Troll Teeth on Facebook

Electric Talon Records store

—

 

Finis Hominis, Sordidum Est

Lead track “Jukai” hasn’t exploded yet before Finis Hominis‘ Sordidum Est EP has unveiled the caustic nature of its bite in scathing feedback, and what ensues from there gives little letup in the oppressive, extreme sludge brutality, which makes even the minute-long “Cavum Nigrum” sample-topped drone interlude claustrophobic, never mind the assault that takes place — fast first, then slow, then crying, then slow, then dead — on nine-minute capper “Lorem Ipsum.” The bass hum that begins centerpiece “Improportionatus” is a thread throughout that 7:58 piece, the foundation on which the rest of the song resides, the indecipherable-even-if-they-were-in-English growls and throat-tearing shouts perfectly suited to the heft of the nastiness surrounding. “Jukai” has some swing in the middle but hearing it is still like trying to inhale concrete, and “Sinne Floribus” is even meaner and rawer, the Brazilian trio resolving in a devastating and noise-caked, visceral regardless of pace or crash, united in its alienated feel and aural punishment. And it’s their first EP! Jesus. Unless they’re actually as unhinged as they at times sound — possible, but difficult — I wouldn’t at all expect it to be their last. A band like this doesn’t happen unless the people behind it feel like it needs to, and most likely it does.

Finis Hominis on Facebook

Abraxas Produtora on Instagram

—

 

Space Shepherds, Losing Time Finding Space

With its title maybe referring to the communion among players and the music they’re making in the moment of its own heavy psych jams, Losing Time Finding Space is the second studio full-length from Belfast instrumentalist unit Space Shepherds. The improvised-sounding troupe seem to have a lineup no less fluid than the material they unfurl, but the keyboard in “Ending the Beginning (Pt. 1)” gives a cinematic ambience to the midsection, and the fact that they even included an intro and interlude — both under two minutes long — next to tracks the shortest of which is 12:57 shows a sense of humor and personality to go along with all that out-there cosmic exploratory seeking. Together comprising a title-track, “Losing Time…” (17:34) and “…Finding Space” (13:27) are unsurprisingly an album unto themselves, and being split like “Ending the Beginning” speaks perhaps of a 2LP edition to come, or at very least is emblematic of the mindset with which they’re approaching their work. That is to say, as they move forward with these kinds of mellow-lysergic jams, they’re not unmindful either of the listener’s involvement in the experience or the prospect of realizing them in the physical as well as digital realms. For now, an hour’s worth of longform psychedelic immersion will do nicely, thank you very much.

Space Shepherds on Facebook

Space Shepherds on Bandcamp

—

 

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Aaron Lewis of When the Deadbolt Breaks

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Musically, I used to consider what I or we (When the Deadbolt Breaks), does as experimental, psychedelic doom, but now I feel it has evolved into so much more, that I have a hard time classifying it.  Which, I thoroughly enjoy.  Music and art is subjective and means something different to everyone, so to categorize it and tell someone what it is seems self-defeating.   We started doing this band 15 years ago.  I wrote the first riff to the first When the Deadbolt Breaks song while I was co-DJ’ing at a local radio station, and I tried to incorporate it into a few bands over the year or two, and it didn’t work.  It was too slow, and oddball for what those bands were doing. Eventually, I decided to write a record based around the entire feeling of that one riff.    A drummer and myself started recording ideas, and they kept getting more and more unique, heavy and spacey.  That eventually became our first record, “In the Ruins, No Light Shall Shine”.   We’ve kept at it.

Describe your first musical memory.

This is maybe not my first, but certainly one of the best.  I remember being in 3rd grade, and I had a small handheld tape recorder that I brought with me everywhere.  It was one of those blue and white ones with the huge buttons, and my friend had stolen the first Black Sabbath cassette from his brother.  So we decided to listen to it at lunch on the playground.  I remember hearing the song Black Sabbath for the first time that day.  I had no idea what the hell was happening.  It was a bright sunny day out, but when the intro to that tune began, it was like the clouds rolled in and something evil were coming.   It was an amazing feeling and that feeling has never left. It made a huge impression on me and helped to mold my musical tastes.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Playing Stoner Hands of Doom Fest in Youngstown Ohio at Nyabinghi & The Kennefit at CBGB’s while I was playing guitar for Cable are easily two of the most amazing shows I have ever played.  I am sure there are plenty more to come, but the opportunity to play with Cable and do those shows came at the right time, and I will always be grateful for that.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

Lately, this seems to happen a lot.  I am not a religious person at all, in fact, I despise organized religion, but I do believe in being good to those who deserve it, and just not being a prick in general.   But the more time goes on, the more I realize that this is not an easy thing to ask from people.   But, I roll with the flow, and avoid what needs to be avoided in order to keep my head up.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

It’s a gateway drug for sure.  With my photography and music, if I don’t take chances I fear that I will become stagnant and boring.  Trying new things, stepping out of that comfort zone, only lends itself to strengthening a vision and opening the door for new possibilities that may not have otherwise been found.   If that makes sense at all…

How do you define success?

Happiness.  I am not rich by any means, but I am doing the job that I dreamed of as a kid, I play in bands that I love and enjoy working with, and both my music and photography have introduced me to some amazing experiences and people.  I consider that to be a great success.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

I remember when I was younger, my friends and I were tripping on LSD, and the girl I was with had gotten sick, and threw up everywhere… I can’t say that I wish I hadn’t seen it, but that’s a lot to work with when you’re on a trip.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

As for musically, When the Deadbolt Breaks has already started with an idea for our 10th record, and it is going to be something really unique when we get it all down. But, as a bondage photographer I am working on plans for a pretty crazy shoot.  I don’t want to get into details here, but it will be a weird accomplishment if I can make it happen.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

Personally I know that art is subjective, but I feel like the essential function is to evoke emotion. No matter if that emotion is to just relax and be calm, get excited and throw shit, art is here for us to feel… or not feel.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Work-wise, I have had a great opportunity to begin working with a new client that could be the beginning of something I have been trying to obtain for a long time.  I am very much looking forward to where this is all going to go.

https://www.facebook.com/WhentheDeadboltBreaks/
https://whenthedeadboltbreaks.bandcamp.com/
www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/argonautarecords
https://www.facebook.com/TalonRecordsUSA/
https://talonrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/
https://www.electrictalonrecords.com/

When The Deadbolt Breaks, As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy (2021)

Back in May, long-running Connecticut atmospheric/extreme doomers When the Deadbolt Breaks announced they’d release their next full-length, As Hope Valley Burns, through Argonauta Records. I’m still not sure when that’s actually coming out, but the band, along with Electric Talon Records, have set an Oct. 31 arrival for As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy, a companion-piece/continuation to the album itself. So. It’s entirely possible As Hope Valley Burns will be out by the time As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy is issued. Definitely possible. But you might also be getting what they call ‘part two’ before ‘part one’ arrives.

This is very much in the vein of Deadbolt. For over a decade and a half and amid a rotating cast around founding gutiarist/vocalist Aaron Lewis, the band have explored the darker recesses of doom — sometimes they’re downright creepy — and have refused any and all compromise or attempt to inhibit that mission. Their years have brought them into alignment with labels like Salt of the Earth, Sliptrick, Spare Change, FuzzTown and Ear One, and the expanses they’ve created have no doubt alienated as many as they’ve swallowed whole. That’s just how they do.

You can stream “I Live in the Dirt” on the player at the bottom of the post. PR wire info follows:

WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS to Release As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy

Connecticut psychedelic doom band WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS have joined forces with Electric Talon Records for the release of their 9th album, As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy. Featuring four original tracks and a mind-bending cover of THE DOORS’ “Not to Touch the Earth,” As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy ushers in a new era of doom.

Stream album track “I Live In The Dirt” at https://talonrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/track/i-live-in-dirt

Electric Talon Records will release As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy on digital, CD and vinyl formats on October 31.

As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy is the second chapter of a story that starts with As Hope Valley Burns (to be released in late 2021 by Argonauta Records). The band comments on the dual releases:

“’As Hope Valley Burns’ and ‘As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy,’ are unique albums for WHEN THE DEADBOLT BREAKS. We have pushed our boundaries sonically. Originally recorded with the intention of a 10-song record, we found that the length of the songs did not fit the time frame of a single release. The decision was made to split the songs up, and release it as essentially, part one and part two. The heavy is heavier, and the mellow, spacial parts are even more so. Akin to our first few records, we have returned to more aggressive drumming, and psychedelic spaces, yet this record has a certain depth and maturity to it that was missing in the past.”

The album was written and recorded during the early part of the pandemic, sonically reflects uncertainty and hopelessness with massive volume. With gorgeous artwork crafted by Leanne Peters, and layout by the infamous Bill Kole, this album is a monstrous sculpture of beauty, angst and despair.

Music for As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy was recorded and produced at Room SevenZeroEight. Drums were recorded and produced at Project 7:06 by Rob Birkbeck. The album was mastered by Juno-Six.

TRACK LISTING:
1) I Live In The Dirt
2) Cleanse the Death
3) Gods Eyes
4) Forever in the Fire
5) Not to Touch the Earth

Recorded by: Aaron Lewis at Project 7:06 HQ (except drums)
Engineered and mixed by: Aaron Lewis at Room Sevenzeroeight
Mastered by: Juno-Six
Cover Image by: Leanne Peters
CD Layout by: Bill Kole

Personnel:
Aaron Lewis: Guitar & Vocals
Charlie Platteborze: Bass & Vocals
Rob Birkbeck: Drums
Steve Wieda: Synth/Soundscapes
Ambler Leigh: Additional Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/WhentheDeadboltBreaks/
https://whenthedeadboltbreaks.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TalonRecordsUSA/
https://talonrecordsusa.bandcamp.com/
https://www.electrictalonrecords.com/

When The Deadbolt Breaks, As Hope Valley Burns: Eulogy (2021)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Wax Mekanix

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I’m a shameless songwriter, singer, guitarist, drummer, producer, engineer, and percussionist. I basically do two different things musically.

I’m primarily a solo rock artist with a current hankerin’ for heavy guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. But that may change depending on whatever creative breeze hits me. If you listen closely to what I do, you’ll hear hints of pop, folk, country, and blues. I’m an American born in the 20th century, so my musical DNA is infused with all of the influences that implies.

In general, my recent work is considered heavy rock exhibiting some contemporary and some classic qualities. Specifically, I create, what I like to call, high-velocity folk music. This does not necessarily mean it’s acoustic. My new album from Electric Talon Records is called Mobocracy. It’s a focused, strident, snarling, slamming, howling stew that’s being described as edgy, atypical, three-dimensional, groovy, literate, and of and for its time.

I was trying to create a set of contemporary songs with connective tissue made of my decades of history, experience, and influences. My open-minded, brave, and adventurous audience knows to be prepared for some sonic and thematic swerves, depending on what is influencing me when I make records. So, although “Mobocracy” sounds like it does, my next record is shaping up to sound unlike it. This is exciting for me and keeps me creatively healthy, inspired, and looking toward the musical horizon. In the final analysis, I trust my instincts that this is what anyone wants from me that is interested in what I do.

On the other hand I’m a founding member of American cult rock quartet, Nitro. Not the L.A. glam hairband that graced the MTV airwaves in the late ’80s. Dana, John, Brad, and I formed Nitro in 1980.

By deliberate design, the scope of all of the Nitro records (Lethal, Lethal + II, Volatile Activity, etc.) is sonically and thematically concentrated to result in high intensity, aggressive, loud, shameless songs that take in our four different sets of skill and influences. We then filter it through those personal lenses and throw it back and forth at each other with the tools we each are expected to swing. When we do that, rinse, and repeat enough times, we hit an equilibrium that our four very different perspectives agree on. It really does feel a lot like trying to break a horse by democracy.

Although I’m a bit puzzled by it, I’m grateful that our cult-like records are held in such high regard. At the risk of making more out of it than it really is, we have a unique, modest pedigree because of the fact that Nitro was on the tip of the spear as part of America’s answer to the first cries of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. So I’m thankful for that.

When I work on solo stuff like “Mobocracy”, it’s more of a dictatorship. The huge difference is that I don’t have to be diplomatic or forge some kind of sympathetic compromise to get to where I’m going with my records.

When I step outside of Nitro, I don’t have a static lineup to my band, so it depends on what/where I’m playing. There are so many inspiring creative people in the world to discover, so this is the appeal of flying solo in the way that I do it.

The goal of Mobocracy was directly tied to the times I found myself in when I was writing the songs. America was radically transforming right before my eyes. History shows us that artists will not let this kind of tectonic shift in American life pass without comment. I’m just commenting now. I wanted to design something that felt and read like the aggression, anger, and dark turmoil that most of America, and probably the world, was feeling.

Describe your first musical memory.

1966. I was not yet four years old and was holding my mother’s hand as we walked through the five-and-dime store of our town. In the distance, across the aisles, coming from the record department, were the strains of a new release, “Yellow Submarine” by The Beatles. It was joyous, funny, and a perfect sing-song moment, custom made for a toddler. I was captivated and thrilled. I skipped along beside my mom, and instantly was singing, “we all live in a yellow submarine!” Less than three minutes of priceless bliss.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Certain gigs or recording sessions come to mind, but honestly, it’s the rebirth of creativity just about every time I write new music. It’s an evergreen thing. It wonderful that there is always something new, different, and exciting on the horizon. This is a glorious gift that I have been given.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

January 6th, 2021. I consider myself a typical American citizen. I’m a pragmatic moderate realist with both conservative and liberal views. Until this date, I assumed that the majority of thoughtful American citizens, regardless of political leanings, would not do anything that would put at risk, the wellbeing of the foundation of our rare , albeit imperfect, democratic system of government. I was wrong and have been forever recalibrated. Some Americans, if given the opportunity, will use any and all means to achieve whatever political ends they desire. They will act regardless of the harm to the nation and/or fellow citizens. Unfortunately, the proverbial genie is out of the bottle and a paradigm shift has occurred, and precedent established, for better or worse.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

In my opinion, at the core, creative expression and artistic pursuits are a trip. An open-ended journey through life. Sometimes it takes the form of temporary transient satisfaction of writing a cool riff or lyric. Other times it is just about the possibility of creating something new, fresh, and uncharted. The fact that I have the opportunity to be creative. I can’t imagine my life without this possibility. I go long stretches without creating but always know that the chance of revisiting it is there. That’s a powerful comfort for me. Both aspects have always been cathartic for me and make me who I am. At the risk of being excessively dramatic, I feel really fortunate to have it in my life.

How do you define success?

Musical/creative success to me can be summed up simply. Self-sustaining. If the activity (writing, recording, and/or performing) generates resources sufficient to perpetuate it, then I’m happy. Independent of fame or fortune, the work is the point for me and was/is always in my crosshairs.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Frankly, nothing. Some things are hard to see, but I don’t regret seeing anything since it all has served to shape me in some way. Deliberate or serendipitous experiences make us who we are and how we interact with each other, so I try to see value in them all.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

Creatively, this is the essence of why I do what I do. It’s all about the horizon for me. Specifically, as a musicians, it’s exciting to know that there is the possibility of magnificent amazing new music that can be created in the future if I want to pursue it. This evergreen nature of art is one of the most intoxicating aspects, and great forces that drives me to continue to do it. Sometimes I dream about music that I have yet to create and I wake reinvigorated, refreshed, and excited about the possibilities ahead.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I have two answers that are related. 1. All that my work has to do is satisfy me. This not meant to be a cliché or some kind of ego trip. My thinking is, if I satisfy myself, then any audience that is interested in my work, will understand and appreciate it on some level. 2. I have always seen my responsibility as artist being to make the ordinary extraordinary and the ordinary extraordinary, using the skills and tools of my trade.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

In these odd sideways times of Covid, and on a macro level, I am eager for the tribal social experiences of restaurants, sporting events, concerts, parks, public travel, beaches, etc. One a personal and micro level, I am looking forward to again being physically close to those I care about without being concerned for their health. Specifically, hugging people.

http://facebook.com/WaximMekanix
http://twitter.com/waxmekanix
https://waxmekanix.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TalonRecordsUSA/
https://www.instagram.com/talonrecordsusa/
https://electrictalonrecords.bigcartel.com/

Wax Mekanix, “Black” official video

New Cumberland, Pennsylvania, trio Almost Honest release their sophomore full-length, Seiches and Sirens, through Electric Talon Records on March 22. There’s riffs and shenanigans a-plenty on the 10-track/45-minute album, and from the sharp-edged opening gallop and chug of “Fools Gold Flesh,” they toast elements of heavy rock, progressive metal, and the odd bit of thrash for a blend they call “groovy sexy Viking funk doom rock.” The cumbersome genre designation could be taken for what it is, but it’s also emblematic of the tongue-in-cheek vibe that a lot of Seiches and Sirens — which was produced by Gary Conahan at Dynamo Audio in Lancaster — carries across in songs like “Interstellar Executive” or “Dancing Shaman and the Psychedelic Cactus,” or “Call of the Mothman.” And the self-awareness extends as well to their imprint, Electric Talon Records, as some of their fuzz could easily be traced to a Valley of the Sun influence. These are all catchy, mostly uptempo heavy rockers reminding a bit of some of what Howling Giant or Bloodcow bring to bear in terms of nerd-meets-riffs sensibility in storytelling. Helping distinguish Almost Honest — even their choice of Megadeth songs to name themselves after kind of forces one to ask if they’re serious — from that set are the triad vocals of guitarist Shayne Reed, bassist Seth Jackson and drummer Quinten Spangler, who fluidly split off during verses and effectively make use of trades like that in “Fools Gold Flesh” or “Stonecutter,” where the melodic singing gives way to almost Scissorfight-style narration.

I’m honestly not sure where the “Viking” part comes in, but as Reed, Jackson and Spangler careen and crash through songs like “Whale Bones” and the penultimate “Wiwadvhv” — for which I’d love to see a lyric sheet — Seiches and Sirens derives an all-the-more varied identity from its shifts in vocals, and much like New Cumberland itself is situated west of Philadelphia and still a good distance east of Pittsburgh, so too do Almost Honest‘s brand of heavy draw aspects of punk and metal and rock into its fray. “Jenny Greenteeth” is the longest inclusion on the album at 6:43, and it gives over to militaristic snare near the halfway point only to embark on a particularly engaging and plus-sized bounce riff in an instrumental section that in turn ends up back in the chorus with keyboard accompaniment. One could call that a show of craft and structure, but by the time they’re that deep into the tracklisting, Almost Honest have long since demonstrated their mettle in that regard, and whether it’s the early Giraffes-style swagger of “Keystone” or the sheer WTF-ery of “Dancing Shaman and the Psychedelic Cactus,” their gleeful weirdness never comes at the expense of songwriting. You’ll pardon me if I avoid the “some of these songs are goofy as hell but the band is serious” cliché, but in the balance between the two sides, it’s character put to use in making songs and not the other way around.

“Stonecutter,” which you can hear premiering below, emphasizes that well. Bursting to life from an opening gong hit, the track makes good use of its vocal variety, with a melody following the guitar in the chorus and lines spoken both by the title character and the spirit itself he’s speaking to, while holding itself together instrumentally and building momentum toward a faster payoff later. It’s immediately catchy, and so represents Seiches and Sirens well in that regard, and also shows off the personality very much at play throughout the entire record. Good fun.

Almost Honest will be touring weekender-style throughout the Spring after the arrival of Seiches and Sirens on March 22. You’ll find those dates, as well as some comment from the band about “Stonecutter,” beneath the player that follows.

Please enjoy:

Almost Honest on “Stonecutter”:

“The song was inspired by a Japanese folktale about a stonecutter who was tired of living an average life. What is different in our version however is that it features a funky doom-ridden twist on the tale. I love the groovy jams, angry spirits, and a chorus that you can sing along to as you work. They don’t call us a groovy sexy Viking funk doom rock band for nothing.” — Quinten Spangler

“I enjoy the fact that we have all been assigned different characters or roles during the song. Quinten is the mountain spirit, Seth is the narrator, and I am the stonecutter. Doing this makes the song feel alive and it gives it more story. I also like to refer to it as Almost Honest the musical. Hit us up Broadway.” — Shayne Reed

Seiches and Sirens by Almost Honest is officially released on 22nd March 2019 through Electric Talon Records.

Pre-order the album here – https://almosthonestpa.bandcamp.com

Almost Honest live:
Mar 22 JB Lovedraft’s Harrisburg, PA
Mar 23 The Pinch Washington, DC
Mar 30 Black Forge Coffee Pittsburgh, PA
Mar 31 123 Pleasant Street Morgantown, WV
Apr 13 Gold Sounds Bar Brooklyn, NY
Apr 26 Cherry Street Station Wallingford, CT
Apr 27 13th Floor Music Lounge Florence, MA
May 17 Westside Bowl Youngstown, OH
May 18 Rosen Krown Rochester, NY

Almost Honest are:
Shayne Reed – Guitar/Vocals
Seth Jackson – Bass/Vocals
Quinten Spangler – Percussion/Vocals

Almost Honest on Facebook

Almost Honest on Instagram

Almost Honest on Twitter

Almost Honest on Bandcamp

Almost Honest website