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Boss Keloid Perform Melted on the Inch Live in Studio

Posted in Bootleg Theater on July 4th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

boss keloid

I’d like to think more bands would do this if they had access to the resources to make it happen, but the truth is most bands do. It’s easy enough to put word out on thee social medias that you’re looking for a couple cameras to film, and if you’ve made an album, chances are you have access to a studio or mixing board of some kind already, so there you go. Live-in-studio performance video. So why don’t more acts put out live performance videos, either of individual songs or, as UK progressive heavy rockers Boss Keloid have, their full albums? I think they’re intimidated.

It’s kind of a scary thought, isn’t it? You just put your heart, time, effort and money into making the best record you can possibly make. It’s out, you feel really good about it even after the pain in the ass that was mixing, waiting for the master, and so on. Reviews are good. Now you’re supposed to get back in the studio and play the whole thing live and film it? Fuck that. Book a show, pick your favorites, play ’em live, sell some vinyl and kick ass. Nothing wrong with that approach — people do it every day. Boss Keloid, though, don’t seem like the type to shy away from a good challenge.

The Wigan five-piece released their latest outing, Melted on the Inch (review here), earlier this year on Holy Roar Records, and it presented a bold step forward in their sound and approach overall. Their songwriting has grown to be more thoughtful and aware of the full-album flow of which each track is a part, and their movements within songs have become more nuanced without losing their central edge or their effective conveyance of tonal weight. In an absolutely saturated UK heavy underground, Boss Keloid stand out with an individualized approach and a bravery of style that obviously extends to their willingness to bring their material to life in the rawest of gotta-prove-it settings. Because if Melted on the Inch didn’t work, there’s just about no way to hide that fact while engaged in a project like this.

They emerge unscathed, however, and in the 41-minute clip, they run through each of the album’s six tracks and give proof positive of their creative energy and forward thinking mindset. If you don’t feel like watching the full video, the audio of the session is also streaming at Boss Keloid‘s Bandcamp, and I’ve included the player near the bottom of this post for your streaming convenience. Well worth your time, in any case.

Dig it:

Boss Keloid, Melted on the Inch live at Alien Sound Studio

“Melted On The Inch” – Live In Full at Alien Sound Studio – 2018

Audio recorded, mixed and mastered by Mark Wainwright at:
Alien Sound Studio, Cock Farm, Spa Ln, Lathom, Ormskirk L40 6JQ
aliensound.co.uk

Footage by Chris Bibby at shootsyou.com

Produced and edited by Ste Arands

Melted On The Inch is six anthemic tracks showcasing a matured, evolved BOSS KELOID, as the Wigan based quintet continue to flirt with new genres. Littered with unmistakably Boss Keloidy riffs, Melted On The Inch disrupts notions of genre and song structure. This is rousing, heavy-tinged progressive rock as BOSS KELOID daringly hold, dip and release the reins of the mighty riff whilst Alex Hurst’s bellowing, primal vocals, which are more dynamic than ever, enthrallingly envelop each track. These are undoubtedly the biggest, most intense songs BOSS KELOID have ever written.

Melted On The Inch is now available from Holy Roar Records in the UK/EU here and Deathwish Inc in the USA here.

Buy “Melted On The Inch” here: http://smarturl.it/BOSSKELOID

Boss Keloid is:
Ste Arands – Drums and Percussion
Alex Hurst – Vocals and Guitar
Matthew Milne – Keyboards
Charlie Seisay – Bass
Paul Swarbrick – Guitar

Boss Keloid, Melted on the Inch: Live at Alien Sound Studios

Boss Keloid on Thee Facebooks

Boss Keloid on Instagram

Boss Keloid on Bandcamp

Holy Roar Records website

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Quarterly Review: The Atlas Moth, Across Tundras, The Wizards of Delight, Against the Grain, Our Solar System, Dommengang, Boss Keloid, Holy Smoke, Sabel, Blackwater Prophet

Posted in Reviews on April 4th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

Quarterly-Review-Spring-2018

This is a crucial moment in any Quarterly Review. Today we hit the halfway point one way or the other. I still haven’t decided if this will be a 50- or 60-album edition; kind of playing it by ear, but either way, today’s a landmark in my mind in terms of how far to go vs. how far we’ve come. Uphill vs. downhill to some extent, but I don’t want to give the impression that I’m either half-assing it from here on out or that I don’t enjoy the challenge of reviewing 10 records in a day, one after the next, for (at least) five days in a row. I’ve always been a glutton for a bit of self-flagellation. Ha.

Alright, let’s dive in.

Quarterly Review #21-30:

The Atlas Moth, Coma Noir

the atlas moth coma noir

If one still wants to consider Chicago’s The Atlas Moth post-metal after hearing Coma Noir, at least do them the courtesy of emphasizing the “metal” part of that equation. For their debut on Prosthetic Records and fourth full-length overall, the five-piece worked with producer Sanford Parker to solidify a progressive metal sound that, whether in the harsh and weighted impact of the opening title-track or the later interplay between guitarists Stavros Giannopoulos and David Kush on screams and cleaner vocals in “Furious Gold,” seems to take cues from groups like a less manic Strapping Young Lad and a less watered-down Mastodon more than Isis or Neurosis. With prominent synth from Andrew Ragin (also guitar), and the solid roll from the rhythm section of bassist Alex Klein and drummer Mike Miczek, the band brings revitalized edge to “The Streets of Bombay,” and even on the slower, more atmospheric closer “Chloroform,” they’ve never sounded more lethal. It suits them.

The Atlas Moth on Thee Facebooks

Prosthetic Records webstore

 

Across Tundras, Tumbleweeds III

across tundras tumbleweeds iii

A collection of odds and ends from Across Tundras, the 10-track/52-minute Tumbleweeds III may or may not sate anyone hoping for a follow-up to 2013’s Electric Relics (review here), but it provides some curio fodder along the way to be sure, from raw opener “Final Breath over Venom Falls” to the acoustic-percussion jam “Bullet in the Butt” to the fuller roll of “Cold Ride” and later demos for “Spinning Through the Cosmic Dust,” “Hijo del Desierto,” “Stone Crazy Horse” and “The Stacked Plain,” which later became “Seasick Serenade” on Electric Relics, it’s at very least something for fans to dig into and a fascinating listen, as Across Tundras’ rambling sound is almost eerily suited to a home-recording vibe, as the “Stone Crazy Horse” demo, featuring vocalist Shannon Allie-Murphy along with frontman Tanner Olson, sounds all the more folksome as a result of its lack of production polish. Closing with Bob Dylan’s “The Ballad of Hollis Brown,” then, could hardly be more appropriate. Still waiting for a proper long-player to surface, but happy at this point to take what comes.

Across Tundras on Thee Facebooks

Across Tundras on Bandcamp

 

The Wizards of Delight, The Wizards of Delight

the wizards of delight the wizards of delight

Like a chicanery-laced dusty vinyl with a naked lady on the cover, The Wizards of Delight emerge from the London underground to solidly declare “We’ve got the rock ‘n’ rollz.” And yes, they spell it with a ‘z.’ The presence of frontman Andreas “Mazzereth” Maslen will be familiar to anyone who ever even briefly encountered Groan – dude makes an impression, to be sure – and the four tracks he and the surrounding five-piece of guitarists/backing vocalists Dan Green’s Myth and Lenny Ray, bassist/backing vocalist Eponymous, organist/backing vocalist Henry and drummer Reece bring is both funky and classically heavy, “Gypsy” referencing Dio Sabbath in the first line while “Mountain Woman” brings a heavy ‘70s shuffle to answer the way-un-P.C. “Shogun Messiah,” which seems to be working under the thesis that because it sounds like it’s from 40 years ago, they can get away with it. I’ll give them that the track is, to an unfortunate degree, catchy. As to the rest, give me the groove of “We Got the Rock ‘n’ Rollz” any day. It’s been a while since anyone so brazenly interpreted Mk. II Deep Purple and actually pulled it off.

The Wizards of Delight on Thee Facebooks

APF Records website

 

Against the Grain, Cheated Death

against the grain cheated death

Hard-touring Detroit heavy rockers Against the Grain are known for speed, and rightly so. When they burst into high gear, as on “Sacrifice,” “No Sleep,” “Last Chance,” “Rolling Stone,” “Enough’s Not Enough,” and “Jaded and Faded” from their latest offering and Ripple Music debut, Cheated Death. The follow-up to 2015’s Road Warriors (review here) sees them no less infectious in their live energy, but it’s hard to ignore the more versatile approach that seems to be growing in their sound, from the classic rocking “Smoke” to the near-centerpiece “Devils and Angels” which ballads-out its boozy regrets before entering into an effective mid-paced build that rounds out in choice dual-soloing. Likewise, though they open at a good clip with the title-track, closer “Into the Light” finds a middle ground between thrust and groove. The truth is Against the Grain have never been just about speed, but they’ve never so directly benefited from a dynamic approach as they do on Cheated Death either.

Against the Grain on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

 

Our Solar System, Origins

our solar system origins

Immediate kudos to Stockholm-based psychedelic progressive explorers Our Solar System – aka Vårt Solsystem – for opening their third full-length for Beyond Beyond is Beyond, the five-track/41-minute Origins, with the side-consuming 21-minute “Vulkanen.” One could hardly ask for more effective immersion in the band’s world of patiently unfurled, languid psychedelia, and with the accompaniment of “Babalon Rising,” the jazz-prog tracklist centerpiece “En Bit Av Det Tredje Klotet,” the birdsong-laced “Naturligt Samspel” and the semi-freaked-out melodic wash of “Monte Verita” on side B, a full, rich, and mind-expanding cosmos is engaged, free of restriction even as it remains thoroughly lysergic, and adherent to no structural will so much as the will to adventure into the unknown, to find out where one progression leads. As regards the long- and short-form material on Origins, it leads far, far out, and if you don’t come out the other side wanting to own everything the band has ever released, you’re decidedly in the wrong.

Our Solar System on Thee Facebooks

Beyond Beyond is Beyond website

 

Dommengang, Love Jail

dommengang love jail

Once calling Brooklyn Home, Los Angeles trio Dommengang waste no time in getting down to the business of boogie on their second album for Thrill Jockey, Love Jail. Produced by Tim Green (The Fucking Champs), the 10-track/50-minute long-player has all the room for organ/guitar mashups, righteous West Coast vibes and easy-flowing classic heavy rock one could hope for, and in the opening salvo of “Pastel City,” “Lovely Place” and “Lone Pine,” the three-piece of guitarist Dan “Sig” Wilson, bassist Brian Markham, and drummer Adam Bulgasem reaffirm mellow bluesiness as well on the title-track and dig into ‘90s-style alt bliss on the penultimate “Color out of Space.” There’s a welcoming air throughout that holds steady regardless of tempo, and in heavier moments like the second half of “I’m out Mine,” the band resonates with fuzz and noisy elements that bring just enough danger to the proceedings to keep the listener riveted. Classy, but not too classy, in other words.

Dommengang on Thee Facebooks

Thrill Jockey Records website

 

Boss Keloid, Melted on the Inch

boss keloid melted on the inch

It would seem that Wigan, UK, outfit Boss Keloid — newly signed to Holy Roar Records for the release of their third LP, Melted on the Inch – internalized a few crucial lessons from their sophomore outing, 2016’s Herb Your Enthusiasm (review here). At six tracks and 40 minutes, Melted on the Inch is about 20 minutes shorter than its predecessor. Its title isn’t a weed pun. Its cover art conveys a work of dimensionality, and most importantly, the album itself turns to be precisely that. Taking a significant step toward a more progressive sound, Boss Keloid maintain the heft of their prior outing but base it around material that, frankly, is more complex and dynamic. I won’t say that “Tarku Shavel” and “Lokannok” are without their elements of self-indulgence, but neither should they be for the five-piece to do justice to the multifaceted nature of their purpose. They still roar when they want to, but Boss Keloid strike with breadth on Melted on the Inch as well as sheer impact.

Boss Keloid on Thee Facebooks

Holy Roar Records website

 

Holy Smoke, Pipe Dream

holy smoke pipe dream

After forming in 2015, Philadelphia’s exclamatory Holy Smoke! issued their first three-track release, It’s a Demo! (review here) the next year and showed marked stylistic promise in cuts like “Rinse and Repeat” and “Blue Dreams.” Both of those tracks, as it happens, stand at the opening of the band’s latest EP, the five-song Pipe Dream, and reaffirm the potential in the group. The opener (also the longest track once again; immediate points) is a tale of workaday redundancy, the very sort of monotony that the rest of the offering seems to leave behind in favor of post-grunge heavy rock, marked by the wah-bass on finale “Asch Backwards” and the brooding sensibility of the prior “Golden Retriever,” which surges in its midsection like a lost Alice in Chains demo only to end quiet once again, a departure from the linearity of centerpiece “Missing the Mark” just before. Less psychedelic than their initial impression conveyed, they seem to have undertaken the work of crafting their own sonic niche in Philly’s increasingly crowded scene, and there’s nothing on Pipe Dream to make one think it’s not a realistic possibility they’ll get there.

Holy Smoke on Thee Facebooks

Holy Smoke on Bandcamp

 

Sabel, Re-Generation

sabel re-generation

Sabel know what they want to be and then are that thing. Their third album, Re-Generation, arrives via Oak Island Records as six tracks of to-the-converted stonerism, and from opener/longest track (immediate points) “In the Walls of Eryx,” the Swedish trio do little more than ask their listeners to smell the smoke emanating from their speaker cabinets (oddly sweet), and hone walls of fuzz that each seem to be bigger than the last. There are some elements of earliest Electric Wizard at play in “Atlantean” or the sneering “Voodoo Woman,” but belters like “Interstellar Minddweller” and “Green Priestess” stave off their sounding overly derivative, and though at the end of Re-Generation’s 42-minute run, one might feel as though they need a shower, the record itself proves well worth the dive into the muck. The band would seem to have carved their own descriptor with the title of their self-released 2015 LP, Hard Doom, and that’s as good as anything I could come up with, so let’s roll with it. They seem to.

Sabel on Thee Facebooks

Oak Island Records on Thee Facebooks

 

Blackwater Prophet, As I Watch it Freeze

blackwater prophet as i watch it freeze

Cheers to Christian Peters of Samsara Blues Experiment for putting me onto Spokane, Washington’s Blackwater Prophet, who with the seven-track As I Watch it Freeze collect various tracks recorded between 2015 and 2017. Thus something of a compilation, the 40-minute outing wants nothing for overarching flow, “In My Passing Time” leading off with a mellow psych-blues spirit that only grows more classic-feeling through “House of Stone” and the gorgeously pastoral “The Swamp.” The band have two proper full-lengths out, and if they wanted to count As I Watch it Freeze as their third, I don’t think they’d find much argument, as centerpiece “Gold in the Palm” opens like a gateway leading to the increasingly resonant “Careworn Crow,” the fuzzy swing of “Eating the Sun” and finally, the title-track itself, which answers the acoustics of “The Swamp” earlier while adding flourish of volume-swelling and swirling electric guitar and late choral vocals that only make the proceedings seem all the more complete in their engagement.

Blackwater Prophet on Thee Facebooks

Blackwater Prophet on Bandcamp

 

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Boss Keloid Sign to Holy Roar Records; Melted on the Inch Album Teaser Posted

Posted in Whathaveyou on December 6th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

One has to wonder just how much of the vibe the new teaser for Boss Keloid‘s impending third album, Melted on the Inch, can actually serve to summarize the release. The Wigan, UK, five-piece have signed to Holy Roar Records to issue the record — and kudos and judos on that, as it’s a good fit — but even if one goes by their woefully cartoon-titted 2016 sophomore effort, Herb Your Enthusiasm (review here), as an example, it’s hard to think of a single minute-long stretch that could capture what it was all about. It was just too all over the place. Though, to be fair, the impression I get from the clip below is that when all is said and done much the same will apply to Melted on the Inch, so maybe the teaser is doing its job after all.

Okay, I talked myself into it. We’re all good now.

Boss Keloid‘s Melted on the Inch will be out Spring 2018 via Holy Roar Records.

The PR wire remains clearheaded on the subject, as always:

boss keloid

British Heavy Prog Psych Chiefs BOSS KELOID Sign To Holy Roar Records; Announce New Album

British heavy prog psych chiefs BOSS KELOID have signed a worldwide deal with Holy Roar Records and are set to release their highly anticipated third album in Spring 2018.

After earning acclaimed reviews for Herb Your Enthusiasm (2016) and The Calming Influence of Teeth (2013), BOSS KELOID’s notoriety for producing heavy and magnificently multilayered music has continued to grow. Having joined Holy Roar’s outstanding roster the quintet is poised to continue the momentum that’s been building since their formation in 2010. Now the band are set to take on the world with the release of Melted On The Inch, an evolution in sound and style from the band’s previously relentlessly heavy psych sludge to a dominant multi-dimensional progressive force.

The band comments: “We are delighted to be signing to Holy Roar for the release of our new album, Melted On The Inch. They’re a progressive and passionate label with an ethos that we strongly admire and relate to, so it’s really cool that they’ve shown a great deal of interest and passion in our music. It’s an honour to join such a musically strong and diverse roster.

For us, Melted On The Inch is a strong progression from Herb Your Enthusiasm. It draws from a much wider pond of influence than our previous. It is more progressive, more uplifting, more melancholic, more emotional, more dynamic, there is a greater emphasis on light and shade, it is heavier, it is more delicate, it has more beauty, it has more darkness.“

In addition to their critically acclaimed releases, BOSS KELOID have become revered for their devastatingly heavy live shows, gigging and touring extensively with an array of artists such as Bongzilla, John Garcia, Crowbar, Scissorfight, Bongripper, Conan, Mars Red Sky and Raging Speedhorn plus appearing at renowned festivals such as Bloodstock, ArcTanGent, Deserfest London, Hammerfest, HRH Doom Vs Stoner and Uprising.

More details for Melted On The Inch will be revealed soon.

https://www.facebook.com/bosskeloidband
https://twitter.com/bosskeloid
http://www.bosskeloid.bandcamp.com/
http://www.holyroarrecords.com/
https://www.facebook.com/holyroarrecords/

Boss Keloid, Melted on the Inch teaser

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