The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the varied responses of publics and governments worldwide, and the disruption to lives and livelihoods has reached a scale that is unprecedented. Whatever the month or the month after or the future itself brings, more than one generation will bear the mark of having lived through this time, and art, artists, and those who provide the support system to help uphold them have all been affected.
In continuing the Days of Rona feature, it remains pivotal to give a varied human perspective on these events and these responses. It is important to remind ourselves that whether someone is devastated or untouched, sick or well, we are all thinking, feeling people with lives we want to live again, whatever renewed shape they might take from this point onward. We all have to embrace a new normal. What will that be and how will we get there?
Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan
Days of Rona: Mike IX Williams of EyeHateGod (New Orleans, Louisiana)
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How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?
Same as everyone, some shows cancelled. We were taking the rest of the year off anyway, except for two different Psycho Fest shows and a couple make up gigs. So no tours were booked. We just came back from Europe from the Napalm Death tour and got back in America right in the middle of the madness. Everybody is healthy and safe. In fact Jim is all buff now. Weightlifting looks good on him!
What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?
I really don’t know because I’ve made up my own rules; stay the fuck away from humans, wear a mask and a black bandana with black gloves only, if I go outside. My mind has been in isolation since I figured out how to put an Alice Cooper record on the turntable so I’m fine with this. Can’t wait to tour again though, but it takes what it takes. No rush if it will flatten this thing.
How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?
It’s awful. Club workers, promoters, booking agents, recording studios, engineers, sound persons, record stores, roadies, drum techs, tour managers, merch sales people and more… All out of work for now. If the Ramones were alive, the guy who was the pinhead and carried the Gabba Gabba Hey sign would be out of work…
It’s an all around bummer.
What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?
I’ve been working on more writing and spoken word stuff, I’m playing guitar and doing artwork as well. I know the other guys are writing. I need to find a studio open as I need to finish vocals on the new EyeHateGod album. This time off was supposed to be for that, but everything is closed as of now. I’ll do them in a garage with Protools if someone will hook me up. EHG will be back out on the road possibly end of the year (Psycho Smokeout in October?) but definitely next year. We want everyone to be safe and healthy and buy our merch from www.eyehategod.ee
There’s a USA store and a European store. Keep your masks on and social distance for the rest of your lives, I am..!
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 12th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Hey, I’m down for a Kirk Windstein record. Why the hell not? After 30-plus years of sludging it out in Crowbar, I’d say the dude has well earned the right to give it a shot. And the title-track for Windstein‘s Dream in Motion is streaming now and it sounds cool a little bit more mellow kind of way than Crowbar has been for the most part over their last couple records, which have veered more toward an aggressive modern metal sound, but what I really want to hear is The Man Himself taking on “Aqualung.” I love that record. And who the hell wouldn’t want to hear Windstein‘s voice telling that story? That’s an anchor for the record right there, but I’m intrigued at the whole thing as well, of course. If the title-track is anything to go by, what started as an impulse to do an acoustic record clearly became something much more complex.
The PR wire brings details and that video:
Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein to Release Debut Solo LP, ‘Dream in Motion’, January 24, 2020
Revered Southern Metal Progenitor Unveils Music Video for Highly-Anticipated LP’s Title Track; Album Art and Track Listing Revealed
Kirk Windstein, the highly respected sludge metal pioneer and unmistakable earthmoving bellow of Crowbar, stomps forward as a solo artist for the very first time. On January 24, 2020, Entertainment One (eOne) will proudly release ‘Dream in Motion’, Windstein’s singular debut and a recording that sees the Dark Lord of the Southern Riff stretch his creative wings and strengthen his indelible legacy.
A first taste of what Kirk’s solo debut holds in store can be experienced now as Windstein drops a video for the record’s title track. Directed by Justin Reich (Black Label Society, Royal Thunder), “Dream in Motion” makes its debut via Consequence of Sound/Heavy Consequence. Watch Kirk Windstein’s “Dream in Motion” video at this location.
Recorded in Windstein’s native Louisiana over a period of two years between tours and over holidays, ‘Dream in Motion’ is a powerfully moving recording that pulls from every corner of the riff king’s three-decade-plus career. The LP owns a lyrical depth, emotional weight, and musical muscle forged from the fires of thousands of worldwide live shows, a well-earned reputation for creating the melancholic melody that has become synonymous with New Orleans heavy metal, and a reflection on a life well-lived. Windstein’s solo foray is a heartfelt throwback to album-oriented-rock supremacy, eschewing the predictable acoustic record route for a more straight-ahead guitars approach, albeit one that’s no less soulful or meditative than Crowbar fans expect. Kirk handled all vocal duties, guitars, and bass on the album, with drums and effects by longtime producing partner and collaborator, Duane Simoneaux (Crowbar, Down, Exhorder).
The idea to record a solo album started out as, ‘I’m going to do an acoustic record,’ but that’s just so cliché, you know?” says Windstein. “Nothing against that, but It’s been done a million times. But I had been thinking about doing something a little more mellow for some time. It’s something I wanted to do, I needed to do. It’s another side of my songwriting, my personality. It’s another side of me. It’s something I did for myself. It’s not even that this isn’t heavy, because there are bits and pieces that are very heavy. But even the heaviest riff on this is something I couldn’t really do in Crowbar. If some Crowbar fans don’t like it, I’ll understand. But I hope people dig it.”
The end result is simply stunning. Single note guitar work, simple power chords, clean tones, thundering five string bass guitar, and standard tuning with nary a “drop” to be heard. “Dream in Motion,” which opens the record, is a barn burning rock n’ roll song with just a taste of aggressive attitude. “Hollow Dying Man” is all vibe, with huge melodies and a hardscrabble blue-collar authenticity. The record closes with a faithful rendition of one of Windstein’s most enduring favorites: “Aqualung,” the title track of Jethro Tull’s 1971 conceptual masterpiece.
Track listing:
1.) Dream In Motion 2.) Hollow Dying Man 3.) Once Again 4.) Enemy In Disguise 5.) The World You Know 6.) Toxic 7.) The Healing 8.) Necropolis 9.) The Ugly Truth 10.) Aqualung (Jethro Tull cover)
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 20th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Can it really be true that Crowbar have never been to Australia? They’ve been a band for nearly 30 years — longer if you count their time as The Slugs circa 1989 — and they’ve toured hard for much of that tenure. Not for Time Heals Nothing or Broken Glass? Damned odd.
But there you have it. The coming July stretch of three shows will reportedly be the New Orleans sludge kingpins’ first on Aussie soil, and having seen them less than a week ago as well as a few months back, I’ll happily note it’s a good time to catch Crowbar live. The band are locked in and the sets run a gamut from new material to old, and whether or not you think of Crowbar as a classic band, I guarantee by the time Kirk Windstein is done singing “Planets Collide,” you’ll be converted. Still pretty astounded they’ve never been there before, but hey, if the PR wire says it, who am I to argue?
Cheers to Your Mate Bookings on making it happen.
Dates follow:
Crowbar – Australia Tour 2019
Your Mate Bookings in conjunction with Get on the Stage and Fuzz Factory Touring proudly present the Pioneers of Sludge Metal, all the way from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA…. CROWBAR.
With a career spanning close to 30 years of astonishing sorrow and heavy riffage, Crowbar will finally make their debut in Australia this coming July 2019.
Releasing 11 studio albums, coupled with singles and music videos on various labels across the globe, Crowbar are inarguably considered in the heavy metal world as the undisputed heavyweight kings of Sludge. Current members of Crowbar include the Beard of Doom himself Kirk Windstein (Ex-DOWN feat Phil Anselmo) on guitar and vocals, Matt Brunson (Ex-Kingdom of Sorrow) on guitar, Tommy Buckley on drums and Shane Wesley on bass.
With only three shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne at their respective venues this tour is sure to sell out and stand as one of the most monolithic doses of sludge Australia has ever witnessed.
Crowbar Australia 2019: Thursday July 25th – Crowbar, Brisbane Friday July 26th – Crowbar, Sydney Saturday July 27th – Max Watts, Melbourne
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 31st, 2018 by JJ Koczan
I have to think a couple of the rooms Eyehategod and The Obsessed are playing together next month won’t be the same after they go. Not that places like Geno’s in Maine and Ottobar in Baltimore haven’t seen their fair share of comings and goings, but if any single gig was going to leave a scar, this pairing might. It’s a pretty insane bill if you think about it. Two legendary bands, from the most dug-in doom of The Obsessed to the history-of-violence sludge of Eyehategod, and yeah, it’s pretty much a two-band festival doing the East Coast circuit. At very least, it’s the kind of show that those fortunate enough to see it talk about incessantly, much to the annoyance of those around them at whatever their next gig is who weren’t so lucky.
Not that that kind of thing has ever happened to me or anything. You know. Hypotheticals. The PR wire has this:
THE OBSESSED: Doom Rock Icons Confirm September Tour With Eyehategod
Doom rock icons THE OBSESSED will take to the streets next month on a near-two-week US tour alongside Eyehategod. The journey kicks off September 12th in Hamden, Connecticut and runs through September 24th in Memphis, Tennessee. See all confirmed dates below.
View a tour trailer, created by Chariot Of Black Moth, At THIS LOCATION.
THE OBSESSED w/ Eyehategod: 9/12/2018 Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT 9/13/2018 Middle East – Cambridge, MA 9/14/2018 Brooklyn Bazaar – Brooklyn, NY 9/15/2018 Ottobar – Baltimore, MD 9/16/2018 The Pour House – Raleigh, NC 9/17/2018 Voltage Lounge – Philadelphia, PA 9/18/2018 Geno’s Rock Club – Portland, ME 9/19/2018 Buffalo’s Mohawk Place – Buffalo, NY 9/20/2018 Northside Yacht Club – Cincinnati, OH 9/21/2018 Sanctuary – Detroit, MI 9/22/2018 Spirit Hall – Pittsburgh, PA 9/23/2018 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL 9/24/2018 Growler’s – Memphis, TN
Originally released in 1990 and out-of-print for almost two decades, THE OBSESSED’s now-legendary self-titled debut was completely remastered by Relapse Records last fall. The collection boasts previously unreleased bonus tracks, including the highly-sought after four-track Concrete Cancer demo (1984), expanded artwork, never-before-seen photos, and extended liner notes from frontman Scott “Wino” Weinrich making for a true piece of doom rock history.
The deluxe 2xCD version of the record includes a bonus disc containing the Concrete Cancer demo as well as a full live set from 1985 in Washington, D.C.. The Concrete Cancer demo is also available separately as a limited-edition LP.
In the spring of 2017, THE OBSESSED unleashed Sacred, the band’s first studio album in over twenty years. With renewed energy and purpose, THE OBSESSED sounds heavier and more relevant than ever before. On Sacred, the band doubles down on enormous, heaving riffs and pummeling low-end across twelve tracks of eternal doom. Rounded out by Wino’s lyrical honesty and iconic throaty vocals, Sacred is an album that further pushes THE OBSESSED into the annals of heavy metal history, well worth the two-plus decade wait. The band performs once again as three piece featuring Wino, Reid Raley and Brian Costantino.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 19th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Well now, this seems ambitious. That’s not me trying to be backhanded or say I think it can’t or won’t happen — Eyehategod have spent the entirety of their 30-year career of sticking a collective middle finger in the face of the universe, and in so doing helped to define an essential element of what sludge became in their wake — just that as frontman Mike Williams comes back from a liver transplant, a 39-date US tour is a hell of a way to do it. Granted, if anyone can, it’s Williams, and it’s Eyehategod — on whom the universe has consistent shit in response to the aforementioned middle finger — but again, pretty ambitious.
They’ll play with Phobia, Cro-Mags, Negative Approach, The Obsessed, Pig Destroyer and others on the run, the dates for which appear below, hand-delivered by the PR wire:
EYEHATEGOD Announces Left To Starve Summer Tour With Negative Approach, Cro-Mags, And More On Select Dates
EYEHATEGOD will kick off a thirty-nine-date US mega tour next month. The Left To Starve summer takeover will commence on August 1st, run through September 13th, and includes performances with Capitalist Casualties, Phobia, Primitive Man, Negative Approach, Antiseen, Cro-Mags, Pig Destroyer, The Obsessed, and Mountain Of Wizard on select dates! The journey also marks frontman Mike IX Williams’ lengthiest tour since undergoing liver transplant surgery this past December.
Comments IX Williams, “This band, for better or worse, has endured a mind-numbing and brain-expanding thirty years of making some of the most criminally riff filled and abhorrent sounds ever heard on the planet earth. No middle ground; EYEHATEGOD is either wonderfully loved or instinctively hated. Predicting the future accidentally and preaching the end time message, see the band LIVE now before something else bad happens…”
EYEHATEGOD – Left To Starve Summer Tour: 8/01/2017 Boozers – Corpus Christi, TX 8/02/2017 Lowbrow – El Paso, TX 8/03/2017 Club Red – Phoenix, AZ w/ Capitalist Casualties, Phobia 8/04/2017 Dive Bar – Las Vegas, NV w/ Capitalist Casualties, Phobia 8/05/2017 Los Globos – Los Angeles, CA w/ Capitalist Casualties, Phobia 8/06/2017 Blue Lamp – Sacramento, CA w/ Capitalist Casualties 8/07/2017 Elbow Room – San Francisco, CA w/ Capitalist Casualties 8/08/2017 Dante’s – Portland, OR w/ Capitalist Casualties 8/09/2017 El Corazon – Seattle, WA w/ Capitalist Casualties 8/11/2017 Marquis Theater – Denver, CO w/ Primitive Man 8/12/2017 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM w/ Primitive Man 8/13/2017 Korova – San Antonio, TX w/ Negative Approach 8/14/2017 Trees – Dallas, TX w/ Negative Approach 8/15/2017 89th Street – Oklahoma City, OK w/ Negative Approach 8/16/2017 The Gig – Beaumont, TX w/ Negative Approach 8/18/2017 South Port – New Orleans, LA w/ Negative Approach 8/19/2017 Ground Zero – Spartanburg, SC w/ Antiseen, Negative Approach 8/20/2017 The Muse – Wilmington, NC w/ Negative Approach 8/21/2017 The Earl – Atlanta, GA w/ Negative Approach 8/22/2017 Broadberry – Richmond, VA w/ Negative Approach 8/24/2017 Middle East – Boston, MA w/ Cro-Mags 8/25/2017 Montage – Rochester, NY w/ Cro-Mags 8/26/2017 Cafe 611 – Frederick, MD w/ Cro-Mags, Pig Destroyer 8/27/2017 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY w/ Cro-Mags 8/28/2017 Chameleon Club – Lancaster, PA w/ Cro-Mags 8/30/2017 Mexicali – Teaneck, NJ w/ Cro-Mags 8/31/2017 Outpost – Kent, OH w/ Cro-Mags 9/01/2017 Spirit Hall – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Cro-Mags 9/02/2017 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL w/ Cro-Mags 9/03/2017 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL w/ Cro-Mags 9/04/2017 Triple Rock Social Club – Minneapolis, MN w/ Cro-Mags 9/05/2017 Rock Island Brewing – Rock Island, IL w/ Cro-Mags 9/06/2017 Club El – Detroit, MI w/ Cro-Mags 9/08/2017 Ace Of Cups – Columbus, OH w/ The Obsessed, Mountain Of Wizard 9/09/2017 The Pinch – Washington, DC w/ The Obsessed, Mountain Of Wizard 9/10/2017 Golden Pony – Harrionsburg, VA w/ The Obsessed, Mountain Of Wizard 9/11/2017 Ziggys – Chattanooga, TN w/ Mountain Of Wizard 9/12/2017 Sidetracks – Huntsville, AL w/ Mountain Of Wizard 9/13/2017 Vinyl Music Hall – Pensacola, FL w/ Mountain Of Wizard
The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight, The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight (2000)
Hard to believe nobody has stepped up to reissue the 2000 self-titled debut and only outing to-date from The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight, and likewise that some true believer heading a festival at home or abroad hasn’t convinced guitarist Jimmy Bower to play a reunion show under the weighty banner. Because even 17 years later, listening to this record, it’s as much a party as it is a collection of songs. True tonally to peer outfits like Spirit Caravan, Corrosion of Conformity and maybe even Sixty Watt Shaman in some of its Southern elements, the differentiating factor with The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight was the jam, and while the band may or may not have been started as a side-project from Bower looking to continue to scratch a groovier itch coming off his initial run in Southern metal supergroup Down, bringing on board Eyehategod bandmate Joe LaCaze (drums, R.I.P. 2013), bassist Andy Sheppard, fellow guitarist Paul Webb and keyboardist Ross Karpelman — whose organ work proves so crucial throughout to songs like “Ride Out” and “Trapeze” — they immediately made themselves stand out by being even more of and about their place: New Orleans. To wit, album opener “Swamp Jam” — as apt a description of their style as you’re going to come across — starts at a parade.
Let’s just assume that’s Mardi Gras, because even if it isn’t, it kicks off an absolute blast of a time. The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight was prescient in its incorporation of classic ’70s influences, and the dynamic between Bower and his cohorts comes through all the more as an instrumental band, since the jams just flow openly without the need for a rigid verse/chorus structure, allowing “Swamp Jam” to trip out in its second half, Sheppard‘s bassline holding it together as Karpelman‘s keys drive a sort of miniaturized Purple-tinged Made in Japan exploration. The tone thusly set, the band only pushes deeper into good vibes and heavy grooves. “Electrode” is the shortest track at five minutes and winds its way into some boogie, hitting into starts and stops that would seem a direct precursor for the kinds of funk Clutch would be proffering six years later, and “Ride Out” follows by smoothing its initial thrust into a slow-motion nod, the guitars milking every riff cycle for all it’s worth ahead of the aforementioned “Trapeze” delving into direct key-and-guitar conversation — not to mention the welcome advent of some cowbell from LaCaze. Also one of the more extended tracks at 7:25 along with “Swamp Jam” at the outset and 10-minute closer “El Niño Brown” still to come, “Trapeze” emphasizes how much The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight thrived in a longer-form context, and while they dip back into more straight-ahead fare with “A Fool’s Outfit,” putting some space between “Trapeze” and the finale, by then the vibe is so spread out that they basically can go wherever they want. If you’ve ever in your life uttered the phrase, “It’s all good,” side B of The Mystick Krewe of Clearlight would be a good reason why. Or side A, for that matter.
They had two splits out after the record, both in 2001. If you can get it, the Acid King split on Man’s Ruin is an absolute monster, both bands utterly on fire, and their let’s-cover-Skynyrd-and-we’ll-get-Pepper–Keenan-to-sing-on-it shared 7″ with The Obsessed on Southern Lord is as righteous as the concept sounds. But that’s it to-date, though a post just over a year ago on a seemingly official Thee Facebooks page read simply, “Riffs are being written….” and listed the band’s lineup as Bower on drums along with Aaron Hill, Webb and Kevin Bond (Superjoint, ex-Floodgate) on guitar, Sheppard on bass and Karpelman once again on keys, so who knows, maybe something will manifest. Particularly after revisiting the self-titled, you wouldn’t find me arguing. Let the parade begin again.
As always, I hope you enjoy.
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Next week is the Quarterly Review, and even as I’m signing off for today ahead of not posting tomorrow or Sunday, I’ve already begun and will be continuing to put it together as much as possible over the weekend. It’s 50 reviews this time, Monday to Friday. I could’ve added a sixth day again, but opted not to. Maybe next time. Probably not. For some reason, that extra 10 writeups made a really big difference in my head last time out.
There was supposed to be a Six Dumb Questions interview today with Doctor Cyclops along with a full-stream of their new album, but technical complications prevented it from coming together in time. So it goes. I’m sure as soon as this post goes live the embed code will come through. Because that’s pretty much how things happen these days. EDIT: Exactly what happened.
Anyhoo, that will be up Monday, in addition to the first day of the Quarterly Review, which is abbreviated in my notes as QR1. Here’s the rest of what’s on tap for the week to come, all subject to change as usual:
Mon.: QR1, Doctor Cyclops Six Dumb Questions, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard video.
Tue.: QR2, MotherSloth video premiere.
Wed.: QR3, The Whims of the Great Magnet Six Dumb Questions/song premiere, Devil to Pay video premiere/tour announcement.
Thu.: QR4, Here Lies Man track premiere.
Fri.: QR5, Lacertilia video premiere.
Pure. Fucking. Chaos. It’s gonna be a lot to put together, and I’m thinking about taking next Friday off work in no small part just to crash out after doing all of that nonsense — and of course news and whatever else on top of it — throughout the week, but yeah. That’s the plan. It’ll all work out as much as it’s going to, and if some stuff doesn’t, like that Doctor Cyclops thing today, there will be other stuff to step in and take the place of whatever falls out. So much music. No money in writing about any of it. No way to make a living off doing this.
Speaking of, you may notice the All That is Heavy sponsorship link is gone. Deal didn’t really work out to be that beneficial for either party, so we called it off. Just like that. If you managed to get 15 percent off an order, I hope you got some good stuff. Of course I still support Dan and his endeavors all the way and recommend ATiH for your heavy shopping needs happily.
What else? I don’t know. Roadburn’s coming. I’m basically counting the days until that happens, as one does.
Family coming north this weekend, which will be good. My sister and oldest nephew. Looking forward to seeing them both, getting up in the morning to work on Quarterly Review stuff, having good coffee and drinking it slowly, and generally chilling out, hopefully getting my head right and so on. Maybe watch some baseball. Weekend stuff. You know.
Whatever you’re up to, please have a great time and a safe time. Have fun, be careful out there and stay tuned for an absolute onslaught of music starting on Monday. It’s gonna be a marathon but it’s gonna be awesome.
Thanks for reading, and please check out the forum and radio stream.
Posted in Reviews on December 29th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
We continue with day four of the Quarterly Review. This batch is numbers 31-40 of the total 60, not that the numbers really mean anything. I know it’s list season — believe me, I know — but there’s no actual ranking going on. It’s just basically so I can keep track and remember what day it is. That’s not to say this is done off the cuff. Actually, there’s an embarrassing amount of planning behind these things. Months. And when I start actually getting the posts ready and realize I’ve slated the same record on two different days — something that’s happened no fewer than three times so far, needing each time to be corrected — it’s a clear demonstration of the value of my planning. Ha. Anyway, we press on. Together. Into the thick of it. Thanks for reading.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
Crowbar, The Serpent Only Lies
More than 25 years and 11 albums into a landmark career that helped prove the existence of the hairy beast known as “sludge metal,” Crowbar don’t owe anyone anything, and since returning to activity with 2011’s Sever the Wicked Hand (review here) and 2014’s Symmetry in Black, they’ve played like it. Their third post-resurgence outing is The Serpent Only Lies (on eOne Heavy), and though it works largely to form – that is, Crowbar are going to sound like Crowbar: low, slow, seeming to lurch even when dug into fits of gallop on “I am the Storm” or the early going of “The Enemy Beside You” – one still finds progression especially in the vocal approach of frontman and founder Kirk Windstein, who self-harmonizes effectively on the title-track’s standout hook as well as the later pair “On Holy Ground” and “Song of the Dunes,” the latter also resoundingly spacious in a way that offsets much of The Serpent Only Lies’ head-down intensity. This might be flourish or a companion to the core Crowbar sound that remains intact throughout, but the truth is it’s not like it needs to be there – Crowbar’s audience would still go to the shows even if the band stopped growing – but it’s entirely to the credit of the New Orleans legends that more than a quarter-century later they continue to progress. I guess that’s how Crowbar gets to be Crowbar.
Depending on what you count as a full-length, The Fall of Hearts (on Peaceville) is either the 10th or 11th studio record from Sweden’s Katatonia. It follows 2013’s acoustic Dethroned and Uncrowned, which reenvisioned 2012’s Dead End Kings and brings forth over an hour of new material from founding duo Jonas Renkse (vocals/guitar/etc.) and Anders “Blakkheim” Nyström (guitar/backing vocals), as well as Niklas Sandin (bass) and Daniel Moilanen (drums), who, working with engineer KarlDaniel Lidén (ex-Greenleaf, Demon Cleaner), continue to proffer resonant melancholy in abundance. As a band, Katatonia have had a number of different phases over the years, from their deathly beginnings through the later moves into melody, but as it stands on songs like “Decima,” with its acoustic and mellotron arrangement, and the seven-minute “Serac,” which plays back and forth between serene and some of The Fall of Hearts’ most intense thrust, they remain among heavy metal’s most recognizable acts. There is no one else who sounds like them, and they sound not quite like anyone else. This collection might be more about gradual steps forward than radical shifts in approach, but Katatonia have found a way to preach to their converted and keep growing at the same time, and that’s to be commended.
Issued via Robustfellow in a range of physical editions from an oversized CD digipak to cassette bundles, the two-song I. AM. Deathless EP from yet-underrated Ukrainian progressive ritualists Ethereal Riffian warrants the ceremony with which it arrives. Its two tracks, “Drum of the Deathless” (6:19) and “Sword of the Deathless” (9:57) closed and opened, respectively, the prior 2016 live outing, Youniversal Voice (review here), and in their studio form they bring to bear a vision of psychedelic metal given to atmospheric breadth that comes at the expense neither of purpose nor impact. The opener proves the more immediate of the pair, but as “Sword of the Deathless” plays out, it finds prog-metal swirl amid low-end starts and stops intertwined layers of multi-channel spoken word, acoustic and electric guitar and percussive tension, so that as it heads into its payoff and melodic finish, the resolution is both satisfying and something of a relief from the cacophony preceding. Forward-thinking and of marked substance, I. AM. Deathless offers a quick glimpse at the band’s scope and invites listeners to dive deep therein.
There isn’t much that’s off-limits to Parisian heavy rockers Dot Legacy. To wit, the near-rap-rock mania of opener “Horizon” from their second LP, To the Others (on Setalight Records), and the laid-back psych-lounge vibes that follow on “Grey Cardinal,” only to be swept away in crashes and chants later, leading to the driving desert punkery of “211.” Three songs, three distinct feels, and Dot Legacy only get weirder from there as they toy with fuzzed momentum on “5314” and “Dakota” before the dreamy post-rock meandering of “The Twelve,” the prog-pop of “Story of Fame” and piano-laden psych-drama of closer “Pioneer.” In 35 minutes, the four-piece cover more ground than most bands do in their whole careers, but that becomes even more admirable in that they manage not to just be all over the place, but to provide a consistent quality of songwriting to complement all that quirk. Add to that the attention to detail in vocal harmonies and arrangements, and as they follow-up their 2014 self-titled debut (review here), they reveal a clear sense of a master plan at work under all the brashness and genre-hopping.
Self-released by the Los Angeles trio in late-2015 and picked up for a vinyl issue through Ripple Music, the self-titled debut from Salem’s Bend leaves little wonder as to why with its classic sensibility and the vibe proliferated by the natural-toned nod of a song like “Silverstruck.” Though still prone to a bit of Hendrix-style shred when it comes to lead guitar, the three-piece of Bobby (guitar/vocals), Kevin (bass) and Zach (drums) depart from some of the post-Radio Moscow all-thrust boogie in favor of more laid back fair and on that cut and the later “Sun and Mist,” which hits into a satisfying apex in its second half without feeling overcooked, as well as the six-minute finale “A Tip of Salem,” which nods through its initial movement before bursting out toward the end. In a crowded SoCal scene, just about anything Salem’s Bend can do to stand apart will serve them, and the fluidity they hone across these seven tracks sets them up to do just that.
Given the personnel involved, the black ‘n’ roll extremity of Thonian Horde’s self-titled debut full-length will no doubt come as a surprise to listeners. Formed in Boonsboro, Maryland, by bassist/vocalist Ron “Fezz” McGinnis (Pale Divine, Admiral Browning, etc.), guitarists Darren “Dirty” Waters (Weed is Weed) and Dan “D-Mize” Mize (Faith in Jane), and drummer Tyler “The Beast” Lee (Weed is Weed), one might expect high-order Frederick-style post-The Obsessed doom. Thonian Horde have more in common with Immortal on their centerpiece track “Darkest Nights Shadow,” and even as the closing “Psychonaut” finds a rock groove in its chorus, it does so with the hooky edge of Satyricon more than any of the members’ other outfits. No doubt that’s the point: doing something different. Indeed, the nine-tracker is a refreshing aesthetic reboot for the scene from whence it comes, holding fast to their region’s crucial lack of pretense even as they brazenly walk their own path – left-hand, of course.
I don’t know about you, but I missed out on Hopp/Förtvivlan, which was the 2015 debut full-length from Swedish rockers Second Sun, so to have Gaphals provide gentle encouragement to check it out by getting behind the two-songer single Tachyonregenerator is most welcome. Both cuts included – “Tachyonregenerator” and “Tror Faktiskt På Dig” – bask in classic vibe without being overly showy when it comes to retroism, and are marked out by the inclusion of organ amid the natural-sounding guitar, drums and bass, the vocals presented in Swedish across both pieces. It’s a quick eight-minutes perfect for the 7” pressing it’s been given, but again, makes enough of an impression that one is inclined toward further investigation, and given that, I can’t call it anything other than a success. I’ll go ahead and chalk up one more quality Swedish act to keep track of, because Second Sun offer tight-knit progressive leanings in a crisp package on Tachyonregenerator, and even if I’m late to the party, I’m glad I got to hear it.
Some pretty clear self-awareness demonstrated in Ten Ton Slug’s self-released debut EP, Brutal Gluttonous Beast. The Galway, Ireland, five-piece had a prior live-recorded two-tracker, but these four songs mark their first studio outing, and as they draw together massive sludge riffing and more extreme, death metal-style growls, there’s precious little one might say to more accurately describe a track like “Trollhunter” – the opener and longest on the release (immediate points) – than that it lives up to the title, its second-half slowdown lurch prefacing a similar move in “Bloodburns” before the more rampaging “Subterranean” and noise-soaked burl of “Unit” take hold. Intense and vicious, but not necessarily unhinged, Brutal Gluttonous Beast finds Ten Ton Slug sounding remarkably sure in their approach, and one will await the news of their traveling to England to record with Chris Fielding at Skyhammer, since that seems to be the kind of presentation for which the tonal onslaught here is begging.
A half-decade after releasing their self-titled EP (review here), Eindhoven heavy/noise rockers Komatsu reemerge on Argonauta Records with the follow-up full-length, Recipe for Murder One. Boasting a guest appearance from Nick Oliveri on the suitably tumultuous “Lockdown,” the album leaves little to wonder what’s in that recipe in the darker-desert vibe of “So How’s About Billy” and “There Must be Something in Your Water,” which teases airy serenity in its first half only to go full-throttle for the second, but as the bass-driven lumber of the title-track and subtle melodic expansion of “The Sea is Calm Today” show, Komatsu haven’t wasted the last five years, instead constructing their own take on sonic density and sludge impulses that seems to hit with formidable impact regardless of tempo or tension level, both of which prove to be fluid elements at the four-piece’s disposal. They get the point across quickly in the stomp of “The Long Way Home,” but find suitable resolution in the nod of closer “Breathe,” rounding out a debut of significant character and depth with one last surprise in ambience it’s only fair to call progressive.
The Blue Sunshine Family Band, The Blue Sunshine Family Band
A double-guitar instrumental four-piece from Santa Rosa, California, The Blue Sunshine Family Band make their debut with a six-song/51-minute self-titled. Tracks presented as Roman numerals “I” through “VI,” though whether or not they’re actually the first six pieces the band has written, I couldn’t say. Either way, the impression immediately draws from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” – that great king of nod riffs – and first-name-only guitarists Billy and Kevin, bassist Matt and drummer Quinten build outward from there, dipping below the eight-minute mark only on “V” (7:14) as they unfurl solid grooves and tonal heft, seeming to leave room for vocals either consciously or not. The converted will find engagement and immersion in the crash and swinging turn of “IV,” as well as the David Paul Seymour cover art, and if The Blue Sunshine Family Band is the sound of this foursome getting their feet under them, they manage to accomplish that preliminary feat and then some in these tracks.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on November 3rd, 2016 by JJ Koczan
In case you didn’t feel the earth shake at the time, New Orleans sludge progenitors Crowbar released their latest album, The Serpent Only Lies, last week. Out through eOne Heavy, it follows 2014’s Symmetry in Black and 2011’s Sever the Wicked Hand (review here) as the Kirk Windstein-led outfit continue their progression from an ’00s metal style back toward the lurching and roughed-up Sabbathian plod of their earliest work. One can hear that process taking place in the track “Falling While Rising,” which in addition to the sound, also provides a signature Crowbar approach in its downer lyric and Windstein‘s unmistakably guttural vocals.
The Serpent Only Lies is the 11th Crowbar album, so it’s not surprised to find them sounding very much in their element on it, but like the most landmark of multi-decade-spanning metal bands — your Iron Maidens, your Slayers; groups who’ve influenced a generation — their delivery remains powerful. Fact is, Crowbar belong in that class of acts, even if their aesthetic has always been in search of something rawer, and “Falling While Rising” demonstrates their root contribution to what sludge became in their wake, both around the fertile New Orleans scene and worldwide. As many acts who’ve tried, there’s still nobody who does Crowbar better than Crowbar.
They’ve got tour dates with Goatwhore newly announced for December. You’ll find them under the video and the PR wire info below.
Please enjoy:
Crowbar, “Falling While Rising” official video
NOLA legends CROWBAR have debuted their music video for “Falling While Rising” today. Directed by Justin Reich (ACE FREHLEY, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY), this is the first video installment from the band off their new LP.
Crowbar released The Serpent Only Lies, on October 28, 2016 via Entertainment One (eOne) in North America and via SPV overseas. “We are so excited about our 11th studio record! The Serpent Only Lies is a powerful follow up,” says frontman and guitarist Kirk Windstein. “Eliran Kantor did a brilliant job with the artwork!”
The band announced co-headlining tour dates with NOLA neighbors GOATWHORE, capping off the calendar year with style. “This upcoming tour is one that we’re all looking forward to!,” says Kirk Windstein. “These are our Brothers. Hell, Sammy Duet was in Crowbar for a few of our best records! To the fans of both bands, here’s your early Christmas present! and we are super stoked to have Lillake on this tour with us!”
Crowbar w/ Goatwhore & Lillake tour dates: 12.02.16 Little Rock, AR – Rev Room 12.03.16 Tulsa, OK – The Shrine 12.04.16 St. Louis, MO – Fubar 12.05.16 Indianapolis, IN – 5th Quarter 12.06.16 Ft. Wayne, IN – The Hub 12.07.16 Morgantown, WV – 123 Pleasant Street 12.08.16 Harrisonburg, VA – The Golden Pony 12.09.16 Richmond, VA – Broadberry 12.10.16 Durham, NC – Motorco 12.11.16 Johnson City, TN – Capones 12.12.16 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade 12.13.16 Savannah, GA – Jinx 12.14.16 Macon, GA – Macon Venue Project
