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Ceremony of Sludge X Lineup Announced; Tickets Now Available

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 28th, 2021 by JJ Koczan

Tenth one, huh? And final? Why, I remember when the first Ceremony of Sludge was announced, put together at the ambitious behest of members of Lamprey, who played, and Captain Couch Records. Well, even with the lost year in 2021 — they got to sneak one in for March 2020 before lockdowns happened — doing anything like putting together a festival 10 times, even an intentionally small one, is an accomplishment of which to be proud. I wish them nothing but the best in February, and I hope that this is actually able to happen as scheduled.

There are no bands shared between the first and last lineups for Ceremony of Sludge — and here I should say that the usual never-say-never applies here as with most things concerning rock and/or roll — though that would be fun. There are veterans though in Witch Mountain, Glasghote, and Mane of the Cur, and I think Lord Dying might’ve played at some point too, as well as members of A//tar in other bands. And while we’re talking about it, these bands rule. I’d be well into seeing Breath and ILS and Maximum Mad. Ceremony of Sludge always knew what was good in Portland, not the least because it was a part of making it happen.

Congrats on 10 editions and a job well done. Maybe this is it, maybe not, but if it is, all the more reason to celebrate.

Lineup follows:

Ceremony of Sludge x lineup Square

CEREMONY OF SLUDGE X – Feb. 25 & 26

This is the end, friends: the tenth and FINAL Ceremony Of Sludge! It’s been a blast celebrating Portland’s (and beyond) heaviest bands with you all this past decade – we hope you’ll join us one last time.

Tickets: https://ceremonyofsludge.ticketleap.com

Night 1 – Feb. 25
Lord Dying
Maximum Mad
Glasghote
ILS

Night 2 – Feb. 26
Witch Mountain
A//tar
Breath
Mane of the Cur

https://www.facebook.com/ceremonyofsludge/
https://instagram.com/ceremonyofsludge
https://ceremonyofsludge.ticketleap.com/

Lord Dying, Mysterium Tremendum (2019)

Witch Mountain, “Priceless Pain”

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Hound the Wolves & Glasghote Stream Split LP in its Entirety

Posted in audiObelisk on July 31st, 2019 by JJ Koczan

hound the wolves

glasghote (Photo by William Corwin)

Portland, Oregon, five-piece Hound the Wolves and trio Glasghote will release their new split LP on Monochord Records this Friday, Aug. 2. As one might expect, the two bands share more in common than a hometown, as each group takes its own angle toward post-metallic vibes. Over the course of two songs apiece resulting in a total 31-minute run, the split veers through broad-running atmospherics and an at-times surprising melodic awareness en route to a feedback-soaked crush that would make Conan blush, which of course is a kind of atmosphere unto itself. Either way you go — and each band has clearly made its own choice in that regard; Glasghote‘s work is so deep in low-end it actually demands you turn it up just to hear it properly — the sense of aesthetic runs no less thick than the tones, as Hound the Wolves pull away from some of the more direct Americana of their 2018 debut, Camera Obscura (discussed here), in favor of a still vast but less earthly space.

This process begins with 12-minute opener “Godhead” unfolding the longest and broadest of the inclusions on the split, holding a tension in its bassline even as the guitar stretches out over parts unknown and echoing vocal proclamations recalling earlier Rwake‘s semi-spoken approach in its quieter moments that soon gives over to a more outwardly heavy sway. There are layers at work in clean vocals and screams and louder guitar, bass, drums, synth, etc., but by its eighth minute, “Godhead” has receded and it chooses never to get quite so active again, its initial linear build proving more parabolic as the track goes on. At 7:45, which is also longer than either of Glasghote‘s songs, “Live Through the Day, Run Through the Night” is more even-tempered and given to a post-rock drift rather than the two extremes of the prior track. They are a patient enough band to pull it off, ultimately, and the soulfully fuzzed solo in the second half alone is worth the price of admission, capturing perhaps the wistfulness inherent in Americana without giving over to the actual tropes of the style.

Hound the Wolves Glasghote SplitGlasghote announce their arrival with a riff. As well they should. The let’s-go-CROSH trio skirt the line of abrasion on “Croatoan,” which along with the subsequent “Eye of Ra” was recorded by none other than Billy Anderson, but their plays toward extremity across what turns out to be a relatively short 11 minutes divided over the two songs is fun-brutal rather than no-fun-brutal, and their revelry in psychotic tone and riffage is as immersive as it sounds like a good time to wield. One supposes they’re stylistically less complex than Hound the Wolves — again, Conan are a big influence, right down to the higher- and lower-register shouts that cut through the morass of guitar and bass on “Eye of Ra” — but as they follow-up their 2018 Doom Stew Records debut, Rite of the Siren, the three-piece go full-on into the aural grime and cull righteousness from it, their screamier edge signifying some root in West Coast noise or perhaps more metallic fare, but still put to welcome use amidst all the surrounding punishment. And there is plenty of that to be had in that 11 minutes. They pack it in pretty tight.

And just in case the point hasn’t gotten across, the split brings out two different takes on post-modern heavy, with Hound the Wolves bringing a more contemplative approach to exploring desolation and Glasghote gleefully crafting that desolation through the violence of their material — come to think of it, perhaps the order of appearance should’ve been switched; something about “Godhead” has an “aftermath”-type feel to it — but neither is out of place alongside the other, and someone who snags one of the limited CDs pressed by Monochord likely won’t have any trouble making the leap between them, such as it is. At the same time, the fact that their approaches are different enough means that they avoid the sense of competition that splits can sometimes bring out between acts who are more similar, so that Hound the Wolves only complement Glasghote and Glasghote only do the same for Hound the Wolves. That, to me, seems like a much better system.

Again, release date is Aug. 2, which is Friday. They’ve got a release show in Portland and everything. The full offering is streaming below, and you’ll find all the recording background and whatnot beneath that, courtesy of the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

What started as an art project among friends has transformed into the full-blown heavy rock experience of Portland’s Hound the Wolves. Formed in 2015, Hound the Wolves pulls euphonic inspiration from the mysterious and clandestine maneuvers that occur behind the shroud of darkness. Principal songwriter Juan Carlos Caceres incorporates occultism, numerology, and sacred geometry as leitmotifs in the band’s songs, while the perseverance of man, acceptance of societal ills, and the discovery of light in darkness are written as recurring lyrical themes. These elements find themselves translated sonically through droned patterns; earthy and worldly rhythmic density; and meditative, cyclical repetition that make for a haunted psych-metal experience.

Glasghote is a sludge/doom metal band hailing from Portland, OR. Glasghote formed in 2017 in the basement of founding members Jake Shaffer (guitar and vocals) and Jordan Huston (drums) with the addition of Chad Johnson (bass) coming just a few months later. Glasghote emerged on the Portland local scene with bone shattering tones and a wall of sound in tow. In one short year Glasghote signed with Doom Stew Records and released their debut full length Rite of the Siren. The band pulls influences from Thou, Primitive Man, High on Fire.

Track Listing:
1. Hound The Wolves — “Godhead”
2. Hound The Wolves — “Live Through The Day, Run Through The Night”
3. Glasghote — “Croatoan”
4. Glasghote — “Eye of Ra”

Produced by Hound the Wolves and TRIANGLES. Graphic design by Matt Howl, based on a photograph by Kristin Lee.

HTW’s songs were written and arranged by Hound The Wolves with lyrics by Juan Carlos Caceres. The songs were tracked by Jeanot Lewis-Rolland at the Magic Closet and JLR Audio Productions, mixed by Jeanot Lewis-Rolland, and mastered by Ryan Foster at Foster Mastering.

Glasghote’s songs were tracked, mixed, and mastered by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Melvins, Weedeater) at Hallowed Halls Recording Studio.

Upcoming Live Performances
8/2 @ Tonic Lounge in Portland, OR — Hound The Wolves, Glasghote, WILL
8/8 @ Substation in Seattle, WA — DANGG, Hound The Wolves, Glasghote, Darkmysticwoods

Hound The Wolves are:
Tim Burke – lap steel, drones, soundscapes
Juan Carlos Caceres – Guitar, vocals, words
Cory DeCaire – Bass
Ryan McPhaill – Drums
Nate Wright – Moog, aux percussion

Glasghote are:
Jake Shaffer – Guitar and Vocals
Chad Johnson – Bass
Jordan Huston – Drums

Hound the Wolves on Thee Facebooks

Hound the Wolves on Bandcamp

Glasghote on Thee Facebooks

Glasghote on Bandcamp

Monochord Records on Thee Facebooks

Monochord Records on Bandcamp

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Ceremony of Sludge VIII Set for March 8-9 with Holy Grove, Megaton Leviathan, Young Hunter, Disenchanter & More

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 18th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

ceremony of sludge viii banner

The years go quick, it seems, as Ceremony of Sludge marks its eighth in celebrating Portland’s native heavy boom. Ceremony of Sludge VIII hits the Kenton Club in that storied Oregon hotbed on March 8 and 9 and has a lineup across those two nights that’s bound to please tone-seekers of sundry stripes. Maximum Mad and Hair Puller sit atop the Friday bill, while Saturday will be overseen by Holy Grove and Megaton Leviathan, so indeed, there will be righteousness to spare, and as the likes of Young HunterDisenchanterGlasghoteHound the WolvesA//tar and Pet Weapon round out the full roster, it’s two nights, five bands each, that fit well into the now veteran event’s gameplan of quality over quantity, Ceremony of Sludge no less defined than ever by its lack of filler.

Past years have been filmed as well — I’ve hosted videos here on occasion over the years and been glad to do it — but it looks like 2019’s edition will be pressed up as a DVD compilation, which is all the more right on. Coming to a merch table near you.

Info for the shows came down the PR wire. Note if you will that both nights are dirt cheap:

ceremony of sludge viii poster

Ceremony of Sludge VIII Comes to World Famous Kenton Club, Portland

CEREMONY OF SLUDGE VIII
MARCH 8th and 9th at World Famous Kenton Club | Portland, OR
$10/night

Portland Heavy Seen presents Ceremony Of Sludge VIII, to be held March 8th and 9th at The World Famous Kenton Club in Portland, Oregon. Now in its eighth year, Ceremony Of Sludge continues the annual celebration of showcasing Portland’s heaviest bands and filming the performances for a future DVD release.

Ceremony of Sludge VI lineup:

March 8th
Maximum Mad
Hair Puller
Young Hunter
A//tar
Pet Weapon

March 9th
Holy Grove
Megaton Leviathan
Glasghote
Disenchanter
Hound The Wolves

https://www.facebook.com/ceremonyofsludge
https://www.facebook.com/events/507836499682519/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfJ2t6pqUm5W2w4qIk5zifA

Pet Weapon, Live at Kenton Club, Portland, OR

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