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Strange New Dawn to Release New Nights of Euphoria Nov. 24; “Fortune Bringer” Video Posted

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 12th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

Drifting in form with effects-laced guitars and keyboards to complement the melodic focus in the vocals, Strange New Dawn‘s introduction to their forthcoming New Nights of Euphoria album in the lead single “Fortune Bringer” is nonetheless inescapably metallic. You can hear it in the way the song seems anchored structurally despite having so much float, and that sense of the epic that the PR wire relates to Candlemass — not arguing — is part of it as well. That the band’s pedigree includes time in outfits like In the Woods and Green Carnation makes sense, though again, what’s brought to that is a psychedelia that strongly distinguishes “Fortune Bringer.”

As I wasn’t previously familiar with the work for Strange New Dawn, I’ll look forward to checking out how the proggy edge here develops across the whole album, but it seems I’ve got some homework to do in the interim, as ever.

From the PR wire:

strange new dawn new nights of euphoria

Strange New Dawn rises from Norway with ex-founding members of Green Carnation and In The Woods

8.9. Strange New Dawn: Fortune Bringer (digital)
https://orcd.co/1xovzlv

24.11. Strange New Dawn: New Nights of Euphoria LP/CD (pre-order)
https://www.svartrecords.com/en/product/strange-new-dawn-new-nights-of-euphoria/11814

Founding members of In The Woods and Green Carnation return to their classic origins in Strange New Dawn. Heavy psychedelic and progressive Doom, Strange New Dawn from Kristiansand, Norway unveils epic new album New Nights of Euphoria set for release via Svart Records on 24th of November 2023.

Strange New Dawn, born from the minds of visionary artists, from such legendary bands as Green Carnation and In The Woods takes you on a cosmic journey with their highly-anticipated album, New Nights of Euphoria. Strange New Dawn has redefined the sound of their past to create an ethereal, genre-blending experience that is bound to leave listeners in awe.

The band’s inception traces back to the year 2000 when the idea took root in the mind of Xbotteri. However, it wasn’t until 2012 that this idea blossomed into reality, with Xbotteri recruiting CM Botteri on bass (both founding members of Green Carnation and In The Woods), Sven Rothe on drums, and the powerhouse vocals of Geir Solli (formerly of Green Carnation). This star chamber of talents, culminated in the creation of New Nights of Euphoria, that pushes the boundaries of heavy Prog Metal, creating something entirely new with fascinatingly familiar origins.

Through the twists and turns of the creative process, some original members embarked on personal journeys of their own, making room for fresh talent. An old friend, Ex-Royal, took the helm as the vocalist, and Sven’s brother, Muld, joined on keys and samples, adding a layer of depth and creativity that reinvigorated the band and helped make New Nights of Euphoria richer and more eclectic in form. The addition of Bjørn Harstad (known as lead guitarist from In The Woods and Green Carnation) as the lead guitarist in Strange New Dawn solidified the band’s foundation.

With Xbotteri as the primary songwriter, Strange New Dawn’s sound naturally carries the echoes of In The Woods, which will delight fans who have missed that definitive signature. However, New Nights of Euphoria also ventures into a diverse array of genres, with an unwavering focus on creating atmospheres that captivate the heart and soul.

The album’s recording journey, spanning just under a year, was marked by trial and error, but the end result is nothing short of mesmerizing. To craft their harmonious resonance, Strange New Dawn chose to work on drums, guitars, bass, keys, and sample at Burnhill Studios which provided the ideal setting for their deep expedition into unknown musical landscapes, while Ex-Royal and Bjørn Harstad sculpted vocal and guitar magic at Endre Kirkesola’s Dub Studio.

“Fortune Bringer,” a track inspired by the earlier works of In The Woods, was the final gem added to New Nights of Euphoria. With lyrics penned nearly two decades ago by Ex-Royal and Muld, the sprawling epic track delves into global issues that should resonate with everyone in the current age, giving Strange New Dawn an eager and fresh impetus.

Strange New Dawn’s mission is clear: to provide listeners with an uplifting perspective on the world, coupled with a deeply euphoric journey through their musical landscape. The excitement felt by the bands emergence is shared equally between listener and creators: “We are thrilled with the album and believe we’ve created something truly special,” says Xbotteri. “Our collaboration has been exceptional, and this journey has been a source of inspiration and fulfilment for all of us.”

Drawing inspiration from luminaries like Pink Floyd, Candlemass, Arcturus, and Thule, as well as sci-fi films, esoteric documentaries, and cosmic literature, Strange New Dawn has harnessed their collective creativity to craft a sonic odyssey that defies boundaries.

New Nights of Euphoria is a testament to the boundless creativity of Strange New Dawn, and as with their past work, it is destined to be a milestone in the world of heavy music. Look out for this Strange New Dawn rising!

https://www.facebook.com/Strangenewdawnnorway/
https://strangenewdawncom.bandzoogle.com/home

www.svartrecords.com
www.facebook.com/svartrecords
www.youtube.com/svartrecords

Strange New Dawn, “Fortune Bringer” official video

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Leafy, Leafy: Go Fuzz Go (Plus Full Album Stream)

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on December 5th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

leafy-leafy-700

[Click play above to stream Leafy’s self-titled debut in full. Album is out Dec. 9 on More Fuzz Records.]

Because they’re so effective when they lock into a forward drive like that in the chorus of second cut “Can You See Them,” it’s easy to lose sight of the largesse in atmosphere and the wall of fuzz that Norwegian heavy rockers Leafy bring to their More Fuzz Records self-titled debut. But that largesse is there and is a constant in tying the six-track/33-minute offering together, the band’s post-Truckfighters momentum-minded grooves propelled through by guitarist/backing vocalist Josh “Mr. Yoshi” Bisama, whose riffing is front and center throughout with support from bassist Enyeto Kotori (since replaced by Marcus “Marco el Róbalo” Billington), drummer Per “Señor Pedro” Arne Solvik and vocalist Ryan “Mr. Leafy” Matthew Moen, whose nicknames would seem to underscore the point of the Örebroan influence but don’t wholly lose themselves in a single-mindedness of approach.

Make no mistake, they’ve got heavy rock on their minds, and that’s the core of their execution. The six songs on Leafy bring forth high order, weighted, modern desert rock thrust with efficiency, but they also reach out as much as they hammer down. Particularly with Moen‘s burly, semi-bluesy vocal style, Leafy remind of London’s Steak, whose 2014 debut, Slab City, worked in similar function to bring a Kyuss-style desert symposium to fruition while casting their own persona through the interpretation. And as their first outing, Leafy give a sense of where they’re coming from in the Orange Goblin-esque alcoholic regret of “No Gnome” and the broader progression of extended closer “Felt Like Dying.”

One might get the sense that Leafy are preaching to the converted, and they may well be. Especially with Leafy being their first album, I don’t necessarily have an issue with that. It’s how genre tropes are developed and how audience habits are reinforced; how the substance of a style takes shape. Clearly the Kristiansand rockers are in the process of figuring out where they want to be within heavy rock, and in addition to forcing one’s hand in thinking of groups like Wo Fat1000mods, and a next-gen band like the aforementioned Steak as influential in league with more established groups like Orange Goblin, these tracks brim with a density of fuzz and thrust that one hears just as soon as opener “Wild Cherokee” kicks in from its quieter intro. Right away, Moen and Bisama work fluidly together on vocals, right away the audience is acknowledged — “we hope you will enjoy the show” — and right away guitar establishes itself as the engine that makes the band go.

“Wild Cherokee” introduces many of the moves Leafy will make throughout, and certainly brings the listener into their tonal world, but if side A has a highlight, it’s “Can You See Them.” The second longest cut on Leafy at 6:20 it careens and shuffles at a faster clip and boasts a memorable dual-vocal interplay in its hook and a fullness of sound — credit to Kotori and Solvik for thickening and making it move, respectively — and is among the most striking impressions the record makes, even unto its big finish, which successfully conveys the this-is-something-you-should-watch-on-a-stage vibe that, for a group like Leafy, is probably just what they should be telling those checking out the album at this point. The subsequent “Puzzled Skin” reinforces the energy in “Can You See Them” and rounds out the intended side A with another push further distinguished by its quick solo in the back half.

leafy

And if there was any doubt that Leafy had vinyl symmetry in mind with the album’s structure, the subdued guitar intro of “No Gnome” should answer it handily. Missing only the count-in stick clicks from Solvik that began the opener, it seems to be in direct conversation with “Wild Cherokee” — it also happens to be the exact same length at 3:54, but it’s hard to imagine that’s not a coincidence; bands rarely write songs down to the second in my experience — though it builds more fluidly from that beginning and ultimately finds its own path, entering full tonal presence after about a minute in but moving back to a bluesier and more open feel for the next verse. Lyrically, it’s a booze story, and perhaps more than any of the other cuts, it’s a showcase for Moen‘s vocals, which can be harrowing for a singer the first time out. He approaches the task with apparent confidence over the softer proceedings behind him and that makes the song’s later payoff even more satisfying as it sets up the quiet finish of “No Gnome” and transitions into the drum/bass-led beginning of “Fallen Leaf.”

Maybe it’s an expected uptick in the dudely vibrancy from the track before it that takes its time getting going — a nascent patience in development — but it still ultimately works to revives the momentum of “Puzzled Skin” effectively, playing between chugging tension in its verse and a chorus release before a righteously crashing ending, and with the eight-minute “Felt Like Dying” closing out Leafy behind it, makes sense in its place. For its added length, the four-piece’s finishing move doesn’t ask much by way of indulgence on the part of the listener, instead rewarding those who’ve stuck it out with another highlight hook and a more open-feeling plotted jam in the back half that builds into the last chorus payoff and ends cold on guitar squibblies that seem to say the “show” to which listeners were being welcomed on “Wild Cherokee” is over.

Fair enough. In the end, Leafy‘s Leafy comes across less geared toward innovation than capturing the moment at which the band get their feet under them, sonically speaking. But it does capture that moment, absolutely, and considering Leafy have only been together for a year, it’s all the more an impressively cohesive collection that only benefits from the clearheadedness of its intent. That is to say, Leafy very obviously came into their first release with ideas about who they are as a band and what kind of ruckus they want to make. The task before them now is to grow from the solid foundation they’ve laid down in these tracks and to continue to refine the identity they convey through this material, and in that, to hopefully hold fast to this self-titled’s lack of pretense.

Leafy on Thee Facebooks

Leafy on Instagram

Leafy on Bandcamp

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More Fuzz Records website

More Fuzz Records on Bandcamp

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Leafy Sign to More Fuzz Records; Self-Titled Debut out Dec. 9

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 17th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

Norwegian four-piece Leafy are pretty clearly keyed in on an oldschool stoner rock aesthetic, but the closest comparison point I can think of in listening to the streaming tracks “Can You See Them” and “Felt Like Dying” from their impending self-titled debut — the latter is the finale; no minor giveaway — is London’s Steak, who took similar influence from the desert on their first record and worked to make it their own through songcraft and various nuances. In the case of “Felt Like Dying” particularly, that comes through in Truckfighters-style fuzz (one assumes that Swedish troupe are also an influence on the “Mr.”-style nicknames) met with just a touch of grunge, but there are any number of lines to be drawn as the cycle of straightforward European heavy rock seems to be resetting itself through a new generation of acts.

Something to continue to watch for in the months (and years) to come. Meanwhile, Leafy‘s self-titled debut will be out Dec. 9 on More Fuzz Records. I put together the following from the label’s announcement and the band’s bio, if you’d like to be informed:

leafy

Leafy from Norway sign to More Fuzz Records

As you’ll be able to hear on the blog, they have a strong Northern Europe Stoner Rock sound that will hook you in instantly! Think burning fuzzy riffs with high Temperature Level ala early-Truckfighters or Dozer.

After several live performances on the southern Norwegian local scene, this hard hitting band quickly made a name for themselves and planted a seed. Leafy, fronted by Ryan Matthew Moen on vocals delivers unpolished Stoner Rock that takes you back to the original Nothern Europe style. With an array of pedals, guitarist Josh Bisama creates an atmospheric pressure while loudly leading over the groovy fuzz-laced bass, handled by Marcus Billington.

The musical energies combined from these four free-spirited individuals could not be arranged without the heavy rhythm section controlled by Per Arne Solvik. Inspired by observations, interactions and experiences, the lyrical aspect is often aimed at society, its inhabitants and a possible revival of the lost connection, delivered soulfully by the lead singer. Follow us on the journey, as we unfold the flower of life, from a single seed!

This is so cool, the family is getting bigger ;)

Mr. Fuzz

Releases December 9, 2016.

Leafy are :
Ryan “Mr. Leafy” Matthew Moen – Vocals
Josh ” Mr. Yoshi” Bisama – Guitars & Vocals
Per “Señor Pedro” Arne Solvik – Drums
Marcus “Marco el Róbalo” Billington – Bass
Enyeto Kotori – Bass (on the album)

https://www.facebook.com/weareleafy/
https://leafy420.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.instagram.com/leafy.official/
https://www.facebook.com/morefuzzrecords/
https://morefuzzrecords.bandcamp.com/

Leafy, Leafy (2016)

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