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Indica Blues Premiere “We Are Doomed” Video; Album Out Feb. 12

Posted in Bootleg Theater on December 14th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

indica blues

Oxford, UK, heavy rockers Indica Blues will issue their second album, We Are Doomed, on Feb. 12, 2021, through APF Records. And amid the righteous rumble of its prominent bassline, the core message of the title-track could hardly come through clearer? That message? We’re fucking doomed — duh. A fitting product of the year it was written and recorded, one can only wonder what kind of universe will greet We Are Doomed upon its release, the four-piece not exactly needing to look far for relevant subject matter, be it global political instability — that Brexit deadline looms and will be past by the time the record’s out, unless it gets pushed back again — environmental collapse, economic collapse, global pandemic, etc.

Hey, did you see that the second person who got the COVID-19 vaccine in Britain was named William Shakespeare? That was fun right? No dipshit, the world’s ending. Nothing is fun.

Well, not exactly nothing. To wit, the slow-motion-Nebula rolling groove of “We Are Doomed” is a darn good time,indica blues we are doomed and if you’re going to mark the coming of the apocalypse, you might as well make it catchy, which Indica Blues — guitarists Tom Pilsworth (also vocals) and John Slaymaker, bassist Andrew Haines-Villalta and drummer Rich Walker — do in fine fashion. Beginning with an air-raid siren of feedback the chunky-style riff-led plod of the verse stomps its way into the first chorus with little time to waste, a full mix only bolstering the feeling of the inexorable march forward into who the hell knows what — at least what after the next chorus and the echoing solo, anyhow.

I haven’t had the pleasure of hearing the full album yet — we’re still more than two months from the release, so fair enough — but it’s worth noting that the video below is for the “single edit” of the track in question, and given the teaser Indica Blues posted on their social media, it seems the LP version starts with what seems to be a sample of an English warning about the coming blitz. It’s not in the clip below, so I’m working off the assumption that that’s the difference between the single and album versions, but either way, that teaser is a stirring reminder that this feeling that things have never been quite as dire as they are now is nothing new, and as regards apocalypses, each generation seems to make its own, just as Indica Blues here channel the anxieties of our age into a World War III plot thread.

Comforting if not exactly optimistic, but hell’s bells, the record’s called We Are Doomed, so what do you want?

Enjoy the video:

Indica Blues, “We Are Doomed” official video premiere

Tom Pilsworth on “We Are Doomed”:

“This song is our vision of near future nuclear annihilation, written in response to the chaotic world events of the last four years. We spent six hours in pouring rain at an abandoned cold war missile facility with director Josh Horwood and his team, and he couldn’t have done a better job. We hope people enjoy watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Video by Josh Horwood
Recorded and mixed by Steve “Geezer” Watkins at Wormwood Studios
Mastered by Tim Turan at Turan Audio

As the world reels from a deadly pandemic and the U.S veers towards civil war, 13,890 nuclear weapons lie dormant. In their first single since signing to APF records, Indica Blues’ imagine a catastrophic very-near-future scenario in which current world events lead to all-out war and nuclear annihilation: We Are Doomed.

Indica Blues began life with the four track EP ‘Towers Rising,’ released by guitarist and vocalist Tom Pilsworth. Tom joined forces with John Slaymaker (previously of U.K stoner underground legends Caravan of Whores) and the pair recruited Andrew Haines-Vilalta and Ed Glenn on drums, releasing the ‘Ruins on the Shore’ EP in 2016, featuring eye popping art work from Brazilian graphic artist Cristiano Suarez.

Rich Walker replaced Ed Glenn on drums, and a debut album ‘Hymns for a Dying Realm,’ was released in 2018 to further underground acclaim. In 2020 the band announced they had signed to APF records and will release a second album, ‘We Are Doomed’ in 2021, with Cristiano Suarez once again lending his unique artwork.

We Are Doomed is released on 12th February (APF Records).

Indica Blues are:
Andrew Haines-Villalta – Bass
Tom Pilsworth – Guitar, Vocals
John Slaymaker – Guitar
Rich Walker – Drums

Indica Blues on Thee Facebooks

Indica Blues on Instagram

Indica Blues on Bandcamp

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APF Records BigCartel store

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Wall Premiere Black Sabbath Cover “Electric Funeral”

Posted in audiObelisk on December 7th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

wall

Preorders are up now through APF Records for the self-titled debut EP from ungoogleable Oxford, UK, two-piece Wall. The instrumentalist duo is comprised of bassist/guitarist Ryan Cole and drummer Elliot Cole, and with these five songs set to release Jan. 15, the brothers — also known for their work in Desert Storm — make the most of quarantine-era restlessness and the inability to perform live. Idle hands put to better use pummeling with riffs and no doubt pissing off neighbors while practicing at home. A lot of bands will tell you to listen loud, and I’m not saying it’s all the way, 100-percent necessary, you-can’t-enjoy-Wall-otherwise, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the experience.

It’s a 20-minute run, and most of that time is spent engaging full-on aural crush. To what should be the surprise of no one, Mama Cole’s boys have the musical conversation down. Chemistry? They’re brothers. They’ve probably been playing music together since they realized they had ears to hear the noise they were making. And noise, as it happens, plays a decent-sized role in what’s happening throughout Wall‘s EP. They start off at a gallop with “Wrath of the Serpent,” but while brash, the opener is somewhat deceptive as well in terms of hinting at what follows. Under all that drive is a pretty significant tonal weight — only bolstered by Elliot‘s drums, which sound damn near perfect for this kind of style; kudos to engineer Jimmy Hetherington at Shonk Studios for going wall wallabove and beyond both in terms of capturing the sounds and recording during the plague — and that’s what comes to the fore on “Sonic Mass.”

There’s still some speed as Wall dig deeper into the proceedings, but “Sonic Mass” is more about the impact than shove as it builds up from its intro and proceeds on its turning course. The bass isn’t happenstance here though layered in by Ryan along with the guitar, and centerpiece “Obsidian” demonstrates that most plainly of all. It is the slowest of the four original inclusions on the offering, and even as the guitar brings out a few lead lines calling to mind some of Forming the Void‘s combo of rolling groove and Middle Eastern guitar inflection, there’s a current of low end beneath that comes out all the more in the subsequent chug and unfurled mega-nod. At 5:39, “Obsidian” is the longest piece on Wall, and it could easily be longer, fading as it does riding out that massive groove. Its doing so brings about the more rocking twist in the plot that is “Legion,” cowbell and all. Departing some of the early-Mastodon plod of the proceedings thus far, “Legion” still moves with plenty of force behind it, but is put to more of a classic-heavy vibe, and its Sabbathian stops in the first half ahead of the heads-down Karma to Burn shove in the second could hardly be more appropriate as a lead-in for the closing cover of “Electric Funeral.”

Stuck in your house during quarantine? I don’t Wall are the only ones who’ve sought comfort in something of a falling back to the root of it all, and if “Electric Funeral” isn’t that, I don’t know what is. The mega-classic is vocalist by Dave Oglesby of The Grand Mal, in which the Coles also feature, and while it’s plenty loyal, neither is it lacking in persona of its own. It’s a friggin’ Black Sabbath cover, tracked by family in a time of global crisis. I’m sorry, but if you don’t get where they’re coming from here, you might be sociopath.

Once again, the release date is Jan. 15, and all the preorder-type info is below if you’re the sort to handle things ahead of time. In the player that follows, you’ll find the premiere of “Electric Funeral” as well as more PR wire info and some comment from the band.

Enjoy:

Wall, “Electric Funeral” official track premiere

APF is delighted to present the debut, eponymous EP by Wall. It will be released on 15th January 2021. First single Wrath of the Serpent was released digitally on all platforms on 26th October.

Pre-order links:
https://apfrecords.co.uk/bands/wall
https://wallbandrocks.bandcamp.com

Elliot and Ryan Cole have been stalwarts of the international stoner doom scene since they formed Desert Storm a decade ago in their home town of Oxford, releasing five albums with that band and touring Europe like dogs ever since. They are two parts of the quintet which is The Grand Mal, also signed to APF Records, whose self-titled debut was released in 2019.

Their latest project Wall was conceived during lockdown. Frustrated at not being able to tour, and stuck at home together, Elliot and Ryan found themselves seeking a substantially creative way to kill the boredom. Over the course of a few weeks Ryan wrote the riffs whilst Elliot sat next to him slapping his hands on his knees to create the grooves. As soon as it was safe to do so, they entered Shonk Studios in Oxford with engineer Jimmy Hetherington and laid down the intoxicating mix of riff and groove with which we now present you.

Wall is a five track EP chock full of Iommi-worshipping instrumental sludge doom. The homage to Black Sabbath is manifest in an electrifying cover of Electric Funeral, featuring vocals by The Grand Mal’s Dave-O. The duo’s sludge roots are present and correct, particularly on the raging fourth track Legion, and there’s a nod to both their other band Desert Storm and Karma To Burn (with whom the lads have toured) on the mighty Obsidian.

Ryan Cole says of the EP:

‘We’re pretty happy with how the EP turned out. We went into the studio with 4 tracks and decided to do a Black Sabbath cover as well. We had never jammed them properly, as it was all written unplugged at home. Wall was initially started as a covid lockdown project, but we’re up for touring and writing more for sure…we’ll what happens!’

Wall is:
Ryan Cole – guitar / bass
Elliot Cole – drums
Dave Oglesby – vocals on Electric Funeral

Wall on Thee Facebooks

Wall on Instagram

Wall on Bandcamp

APF Records on Thee Facebooks

APF Records on Instagram

APF Records on Bandcamp

APF Records website

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Indica Blues Announce We Are Doomed out This Winter

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 13th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

The first Indica Blues full-length, Hymns for a Dying Realm, bleeds its affinity for doom through riff after riff, whether it’s the classic charge of “Knight’s Return” or the lumbering of “Scum River” or the searing at the end of “Psychedelic Haze,” and to expect anything less of We Are Doomed, which will be the Oxford, UK, four-piece’s follow-up to that debut, just seems silly. Particularly as the new record is being issued through APF Records, whose presence in the well-populated underground of the United Kingdom has only grown in recent years, with a consistency of quality maintained across a swath of styles. I could go on here, but you know the story. And if you don’t, the record’s streaming down below.

We Are Doomed — a sentiment it’s getting increasingly difficult to argue against — will be out this winter with APF‘s stamp of approval behind it.

The label’s announcement follows here:

indica blues

** Indica Blues sign to APF Records **

We’re no stranger to the heaviest and grooviest tones Oxford has to offer at APF Records – see Desert Storm and The Grand Mal – which is why we’re all the more eager to get better acquainted as we welcome the city’s heavy-psych doomsters Indica Blues to the APF family.

Formed in Oxford in 2014, Indica Blues are a monolithic trip. On their previous releases – 2016’s Ruins On The Shore EP and debut full-length, 2018’s Hymns for a Dying Realm – a real love for the entire stoner-doom pantheon, from Kyuss to Electric Wizard, shines through, along with, unsurprisingly, a healthy respect for the blues. Deservedly, those early releases earned both praise from respected outlets of the scene as well as tasty support slots with some of our favourite acts around; notably Elder, Samsara Blues Experiment and Mars Red Sky.

But that is just the beginning.

APF are beyond stoked to be releasing Indica Blues’ upcoming sophomore full-length, currently expected to drop around the winter of 2020/21 – and let us tell you now, it’s huge. Recorded by Steve “Geezer” Watkins at Woodworm Studios and mastered by Tim Turan at Turan Audio, it delivers on the promise of being their most massive sounding release to date, with chunkier riffs, groovier hooks, wider ranging vocal stylings and more ethereal melodic deviations than have come before. So be sure to check out yet another member of the growing “Roxford” revolution and get the Indica Blues today.

Indica Blues are:
Andrew Haines-Villata – Bass
Tom Pilsworth – Vocals, Guitar
John Slaymaker – Guitar
Rich Walker – Drums

http://www.facebook.com/Indicabluesuk
https://indicablues.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/apfrecords
https://www.instagram.com/apfrecords/
https://apfrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://apfrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.apfrecords.co.uk/

Indica Blues, Hymns for a Dying Realm (2018)

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Days of Rona: Ryan Cole of Desert Storm

Posted in Features on April 28th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Ryan Cole of Desert Storm

Days of Rona: Ryan Cole of Desert Storm (Oxford, England)

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?

It’s proving very difficult and has affected us as a band like most others it seems. Our new album Omens is out May 1st and was also supposed to be the first date of our three-week UK/European tour to promote it, which included a slot at London’s Desertfest. All shows are cancelled and we’re working hard to reschedule the tour for October. The two shows in Netherlands will now be in January 2021.

I also feel that our PR could be slightly affected too, magazine’s like Kerrang! Have postponed their issues for three months, and I’d be surprised if more don’t follow. I do of course completely understand why they have taken those steps and measures, and Claire [Bernadet] at Purple Sage PR is working as hard as she can to secure reviews/features, etc., which we appreciate. The Covid-19 is crippling a lot of businesses, economies as well as people’s lives… but it is what it is. It’s very difficult as an underground band that has put in a lot of time, money and effort.

Luckily the five of us in the band are in good health as things stand, and we’ll just have to hope we can pick things back up again when it all blows over.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

In UK it’s all a bit odd… Many people have been furloughed and are isolating, but there are lot that are not taking it seriously, not complying with rules and advice. I think we’d benefit by more draconian measures and enforce a stricter lockdown. Hopefully the sooner that happens, the sooner we’ll be past the peak and see a fall in cases. I still think things won’t revert back to normal until August/September, but only time will tell.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

Yeah it’s really bad. Some people have lost jobs, or had to deal with pay cuts. A lot of bands are out of pocket and promoters/festivals have cancelled many events/festivals. We are so lucky to have a great NHS here in UK though. Doctors and nurses that are working around the clock to help people. It’s also nice to see people volunteering and helping more vulnerable people like the sick and elderly. It’s bizarre to be alive during a pandemic like this. It feels something out of a movie like 12 Monkeys or Stephen King’s The Stand!

It’s strange how our new video for the track “Black Bile” depicts the Black Plague… another pandemic. Strange timing…

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

We’d just like people to know that we are working hard to be on the road again soon, and if people want to help us, they can check out our new music on YouTube, Spotify or Bandcamp and pre-order the album, which would be greatly appreciated in these tough times. It would also help support our label APF Records. One thing about isolation which is a positive, is that it gives people the opportunity to explore more music.

www.facebook.com/desertstormuk
www.desertstorm.bandcamp.com
www.instagram.com/desertstormuk
www.youtube.com/desertstormuk
www.desertstormband.com
www.desertstorm.bigcartel.com

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Desert Storm Premiere “Black Bile” Video from New Album Omens

Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 3rd, 2020 by JJ Koczan

desert storm

Just last night at the Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool, UK sludge metallers Desert Storm wrapped up a tour with veterans of the form Raging Speedhorn that began on Jan. 25, and with their new video for “Black Bile,” they bring word of a follow-up to their 2018 third album, Sentinels (review here). The new LP is called Omens and will be out May 1 through respected Britriff purveyor APF Records.

They’ll celebrate, naturally, with more shows. They play Desertfest London that weekend — it wasn’t on their list of tour dates I think because the fest hasn’t announced its day-splits yet, but since they’re booked elsewhere for May 1 and 2, I surmised they’d be in London on the third; apologies if I’m in error — and they’ll also headline the first night of Southwest Heavyfest 2020 with Sail and a bunch of bands with markedly-less-readable logos. There’s also a European tour in May and June (dates below) and a Fall tour of Europe in the works and they won’t by any means be the first for the Oxford five-piece, who appeared at Keep it Low in Munich this past October and have brought their hard-burl riffing hither and yon for over a decade at this point. You’ll note I called Raging Speedhorn veterans in the paragraph above. Four LPs and going on 13 years deep into their tenure, one can only say the same about Desert Storm themselves. They’ve been around.

Omens was recorded by Steve Watkins at Woodworm Studios, who also did some work on Sentinels, specifically on that album’s opener “Journey’s End.” One can hear some of the same tonal sensibility emerge in “Black Bile” in the new video, and though Desert Storm aren’t strangers to incorporating melodic vocals alongside the more gruff approach of Matthew Ryan, they bring that to a different place in the new track, more fluid with the rest of what surrounds and naturally integrated into the songwriting. That bodes well for Omens as a whole, but they’ve ever been a band to just do one thing straight across the entirety of a release, so it’s a wait-and-see kind of thing for how it’ll all play out.

May 1 it is.

As for the video: Cinematic in its photography, directed by Josh Horwood. It’s plague beaks and ominous running through the woods, being taken over by evil, murder, and so on. You know how it goes. Apparently this kind of thing just happens all the time in the UK. Good thing they have the NHS.

Enjoy the clip:

Desert Storm, “Black Bile” official video premiere

Elliot Cole on “Black Bile”:

“Black Bile lyrically is based around the idea of the black plague. In the video the plague doctor is also represented as a grim reaper / Freddy Kruegger type menace…haunting the sick in their dreams. Musically the song is one of the heaviest, yet most progressive songs we have written.”

Taken from the album Omens, released by APF Records 1st May 2020.

Order the album from:
https://desertstorm.bandcamp.com/
https://apfrecords.co.uk/shop

Recorded & mixed by Steve ‘Geezer’ Watkins at Woodworm Studios between August – December 2019.
Mastered January 2020 by Tim Turan @ Turan Audio.

Video by Josh Horwood

Desert Storm have been making a name for themselves since they formed in late 2007. From the beginning the band have worked hard…with 3 albums and relentless touring of the UK & Europe with the likes of Karma To Burn, Nashville Pussy, Peter Pan Speedrock, Honky and Hang The Bastard as well as support slots to the likes of Orange Goblin, Red Fang, American Head Charge, Weedeater, Crowbar, Mondo Generator, The Atomic Bitchwax and festival appearances at Bloodstock Festival, Hammerfest, Hard Rock Hell, Giants of Rock, The Bulldog Bash, Desertfest (UK/DE) & Roadkill Festival.

In early 2018 Desert Storm released their fourth album, Sentinels, on APF Records and spent much of the next two years playing live in support of it – including tours with Karma To Burn, Boss Keloid and Raging Speedhorn and support slots to Corrosion of Conformity, Skindred and Komatsu.

The quintet entered the studio again in late 2019 and return on 1st May 2020 with their fifth album, Omens. To celebrate the release they play at Desertfest London before heading out on a European tour with UK dates to follow in November.

desert storm tour

Desert Storm release shows:
MAY 1 Firehouse, Southampton, UK w/ The Earl of Mars, Under, Grand Mal
MAY 2 Southwest Heavyfest 2020 The Cobblestones, Bridgwater, UK
MAY 3 Desertfest London, London, UK

Desert Storm is:
Matthew Ryan – Vocals
Ryan Cole – Guitar
Chris White – Guitar / Bass / Keyboards / Backing Vocals
Elliot Cole – Drums
Chris Benoist – Bass

Desert Storm on Thee Facebooks

Desert Storm on Instagram

Desert Storm on Bandcamp

Desert Storm website

APF Records on Thee Facebooks

APF Records on Instagram

APF Records on Bandcamp

APF Records website

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The Grand Mal Premiere “Burning Truth” from Self-Titled Debut out Oct. 18

Posted in audiObelisk, Whathaveyou on August 5th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

the grand mal

It is one of the oldest stories in rock and roll: players from two bands get together; new band is made. So it is that Dave-O and Rob Glenn of Mother Corona and Elliot and Ryan Cole of Desert Storm have joined forces under the banner of APF Records as The Grand Mal. Their self-titled debut is a 52-minute 10-tracker that the Oxford-based unit will release on Oct. 18 ahead of appearances at Manchester’s Sophie Lancaster Festival and APF‘s own all-dayer, which I hear is quite the party. All the better, as one could say the same of the record itself, with the band dipping into grassroots heavy rock groove and brash delivery, not shy about grit in cuts like “No Man’s Land” or the swinging fuzzo-stomper “Liquid Death,” but at the same time shooting for more than party rock vibes. On vocals, Dave-O is a metal-rooted John Garcia, while the band behind him makes an aesthetic of their rawness, with the later slower roll in “Eschaton” coming across extra thick ahead of the driving rocker “Black Spiral” and more out-there closer “Significant.”

Yeah, it’s a first record, but The Grand Mal aren’t exactly taking tentative baby-steps here so much as honing classic rocking sneer with a modern weight behind it. It’s a combo that brooks little argument, and fun as it is, as the album plays through, it only seems to build on the early rocking start of “Explode,” “No Man’s Land” and “Burning Truth,” the last of which you can stream as a track premiere at the bottom of this post, because the proof, ultimately, is in the riffing.

Preorders are up from APF. Have at it:

the grand mal the grand mal

APF Records is thrilled to announce the signing of Oxford-based heavy hitters The Grand Mal, and with it the release of their self-titled debut album this October.

Featuring twin brothers Ryan and Elliot Cole from rising stoner metal behemoths Desert Storm, the decision to back this promising new project was a “no-brainer” according to Andrew Field; peddler of some of the UK’s finest rock/metal underground albums in recent memory on his Manchester-based label.

“I’ve been Desert Storm’s biggest fan since I discovered their music six years ago, which is why I signed them in 2017,” he explains. “Elliot and Ryan approached me about releasing The Grand Mal’s debut and I jumped on it. It’s a joy to continue my relationship with them and I’m excited that APF Records is putting out this stunning release.”

Complimenting the Cole brothers in The Grand Mal are Mother Corona vocalist Dave-O and bassist Rob Glenn. Their first single – ‘Burning Truth’ – is both indebted and in line with the colossal riffs and big grooves of the quartet’s collective influences. Inspired by bands such as Black Sabbath, Kyuss, Soundgarden and Royal Blood, as Butthole Surfers’ JD Pinkus put it best. “The Grand Mal is like Queens of the Stone Age mixed with 80’s Ozzy.”

The Grand Mal’s self-titled debut album is released on Friday, 18th October through APF Records and can be pre-ordered here https://apfrecords.bigcartel.com/.

LIVE:
6/9/19 – The Facebar – Reading, UK
28/9/19 – O2 Academy2 (w. Evil Scarecrow) – Oxford, UK
26/10/19 – The Underground (w. Desert Storm) – Bradford, UK
22/11/19 – The Port Mahon (w. Gnome) – Oxford, UK
23/11/19 – Rebellion (Sophie Lancaster Festival) – Manchester, UK
2/02/20 – The Bread Shed (APF All-Dayer) – Manchester, UK

TRACK LISTING:
1. Explode
2. No Man’s Land
3. Burning Truth
4. Synapse Transmission
5. Liquid & Dust
6. Glitch
7. Pig In The Python
8. Eschaton
9. Black Spiral
10. Significant

THE GRAND MAL: Dave-O (Vocals), Ryan Cole (Guitar), Elliot Cole (Drums), Rob Glenn (Bass)

https://www.facebook.com/thegrandmal/
https://thegrandmal.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/apfrecords/
http://apfrecords.bigcartel.com/

The Grand Mal, “Burning Truth” official premiere

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Bad Blood Recovery to Release “Silver Shroud” Single Tomorrow; Video Streaming Now

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 29th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

bad blood recovery title=

Tomorrow marks the release of the first single by Oxford, UK-based five-piece Bad Blood Recovery, whose sound takes bluesy groove and melds it together with a thorough heavy rock vibe. Releasing through Future Noise Recordings, the band has already unveiled the track “Silver Shroud” in a recently-posted video that you can see below, and the whole affair is designed as a teaser to set the stage for a debut EP to be issued sometime next year. I don’t know what their show plans are or what the rest of their material might sound like — heavy blues leaves a lot of room between the words “heavy” and “blues” for bands to go a-wanderin’ — but “Silver Shroud” has a cool feel and a central riff that’s already stuck in my head, so yeah, it made sense to me to share it. I’ll hope to have more to come on these guys as we get toward the EP release in 2019.

Until then, the PR wire takes you home:

bad blood recovery silver shroud

Bad Blood Recovery “Silver Shroud” Single

Oxford based Bad Blood Recovery will release their debut single, Silver Shroud, on November 30th via Future Noise Recordings, from their forthcoming EP, to be released in 2019.

Bad Blood Recovery were born from a chance conversation between Sean and Jimmy. Their previous bands had disbanded, and discussing plans, influences and the concept of heavy raw blues was inspirational and exciting. Muddy Waters’ Electric Mud and the Howlin’ Wolf album were ground zero for the initial creation.

With the addition of Sean’s former bandmates Alex and Ed, the vision started to take shape. Jimmy’s former cohort Dave on bass completed the solid line up. Fusing malevolent guitars and a powerful rhythm section Bad Blood Recovery was unleashed.

Lyrical inspiration taken from illness and a long battle with cancer, tales of modern living, love, lust and redemption. Classical imagery woven throughout the music all add up to heavy, raw, honest music from the soul. Our families are our driving force; this music is a tribute to them and our life experiences.

Bad Blood Recovery is:
Sean – Vocals/Svengali
Jimmy – Lead Guitar/Noise
Dave – Bass
Alex – Drums/Percussion
Ed – Rhythm Guitar/Noise

facebook.com/bad.blood.recovery
twitter.com/BBRdeathblues
Instagram.com/badbloodrecovery
https://www.facebook.com/Future-Noise-Recordings-141470275887035/
www.future-noise.co.uk

Bad Blood Recovery, “Silver Shroud” official video

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Quarterly Review: Glanville, Destroyer of Light, The Re-Stoned, Ruff Majik, Soldat Hans, High Priestess, Weed Demon, Desert Storm, Ancient Altar, Black Box Warning

Posted in Reviews on July 17th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

quarterly-review-CALIFORNIA-LANDSCAPE-Julian-Rix-1851-1903

So Day 1’s done and it’s time to move on to Day 2. Feeling stressed and totally overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff still to be done? Why yes, I am. Thanks for asking. In the past, I used to handle the Quarterly Review well ahead of time. It’s always a lot to get through, but the week before, I’d be setting up back ends, chasing down links and Bandcamp players, starting reviews, etc., so that when it came time, all I had to do was the writing and plug it all into a post and I was set.

There was some prep-work done this past weekend, but especially this time, with my old laptop having been stolen in May, it’s all been way more jazz-improv. I was still adding releases as of last Friday, and writing beforehand? Shit. With the baby having just figured out how to climb? Not bloody likely. Accordingly, here we are, with much to do.

It’ll get done. I haven’t flubbed a Quarterly Review yet, and if I took an extra day to get there, I’m under no delusion that anyone else would care. So there you go. Let’s hit it for Day 2:

Quarterly Review #11-20:

Glanville, First Blood

glanville first blood

First Blood is the aptly-titled five-song debut EP from Glanville, a newcomer dual-guitar outfit with established players Philip Michel (The Earwix) on lead and Christopher West (Named by the Sun, ex-Stubb, etc.) on rhythm, Wight’s Peter-Philipp Schierhorn on bass and René Hofmann on vocals, and Thomas Hoffman (ex-Bushfire) on drums. Based in Germany and the UK, the group present 23 minutes of material on their first outing, drawing from the guitar-led likes of Thin Lizzy and Judas Priest to capture early metal and present it with a heavy rocking soulfulness and modern production. The most raucous of the cuts might be centerpiece “Durga the Great,” but neither “God is Dead” nor “Dancing on Fire” before nor “Demons” and “Time to Go” after want for action, and especially the latter builds to a furious head to close out the release. Hofmann as a standalone singer wants for nothing in range or approach, and the band behind him obviously build on their collective experience to dig into a stylistic nuance rarely executed with such confidence. They’ve found a place willfully between and are working to make it theirs. Can’t ask for more than that.

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Destroyer of Light, Hopeless

destroyer of light hopeless

Having just recently signed to Argonauta Records for a new album in 2019, Austin doomers Destroyer of Light follow their 2017 long-player, Chamber of Horrors (review here), with a further auditory assault in the lumbering Hopeless. Psychedelic and yet still somehow traditional doom lingers in the brain after “Nyx” and “Drowned” have finished – the latter with an Alan Watts sample discussing alcoholism – and the band moves into demos for Chamber of Horrors cuts “Into the Smoke,” “Lux Crusher” and “Buried Alive.” Between the two previously unreleased songs and those three demos, Hopeless pushes to 39 minutes, but it’s probably still fair to call it an EP because of the makeup. Either way, from the miserable plod of “Nyx,” in which each chug in the riff cycle seems to count another woe, to the rolling nod early and surprising melody late in “Drowned,” Hopeless is anything but. Anticipation was already pretty high for Destroyer of Light’s next record after the last one, but all Hopeless does is show further depth of approach and more cleverly-wielded atmospheric murk. And the more it sounds like there’s no escape, the more Destroyer of Light seem to be in their element.

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The Re-Stoned, Stories of the Astral Lizard

the re-stonEd stories of the astral lizard

The inevitable question is “Why a lizard?” and if you make it four minutes into 11-minute opener “Fractal Panorama” and don’t have your answer, go back ad start over. Moscow heavy psych instrumentalists The Re-Stoned intend the reptile as a spirit guide for their new outing Stories of the Astral Lizard (on Oak Island Records), which follows quickly behind their late-2017 offering, Chronoclasm (review here), and given the ultra-patient desert vibes in the opener, the acoustic-laced folk-prog of “Mental Print for Free,” the languid meander of “A Companion from the Outside,” the swirling sprawl of the 16-minute “Two Astral Projections” and the final cowpoke drift of “The Heather Carnival,” one might indeed just find a lizard sunning its belly amid all the atmospheric evocations and hallucinatory vibes. I’ll take “Two Astral Projections” as the highlight, but mostly because the extra length allows the band to really dig in, but really the whole album feeds together gorgeously and is a new level of achievement when it comes to atmosphere for The Re-Stoned, who were already underappreciated and find themselves only more so now.

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Ruff Majik, Seasons

Ruff Majik Seasons

Right on fuzz, right on groove, right on vibe – there isn’t much else one might say about Ruff Majik’s Seasons (on Rock Freaks Records and Forbidden Place Records) beyond “right on.” Heavy rock with twists of psychedelia, the Pretoria, South Africa, three-piece of Johni Holliday, Jimi Glass and Benni Manchino make their home on the lines of various subgenres, but wherever they go, the proceedings remain decisively heavy. To wit, a cut like “Breathing Ghosts” or the later “Birds Stole My Eyes” might dig into shuffle boogie or extreme-metal-derived thrust, but there’s a chemistry between the members and a resonant looseness that ties the material together, and as the last 14 of the total 66 minutes are dedicated to “Asleep in the Leaves,” there’s plenty of progressive weirdness in which to bask, one song moving through the next such that neither “Hanami Sakura (And the Ritual Suicide” nor the semi-doom-plodding “The Deep Blue” nor the funky twists of “Tar Black Blood” come across as predictable. Seasons might take a few listens to sink in, but it’s easily worth that effort.

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Soldat Hans, Es Taut

SOLDAT HANS ES TAUT-750

Hyperbole-worthy post-ism from Switzerland’s Soldat Hans makes their sophomore outing, Es Taut – on Wolves and Vibrancy Records as a 2LP – a forward thinking highlight. As rich in atmosphere as Crippled Black Phoenix and as lethal as Converge or Neurosis or anyone else you might dare to put next to them, the six-piece made their debut with 2014’s Dress Rehearsal (review here) and served notice of their cross-genre ambitiousness. Es Taut finds them four years later outclassing themselves and most of the rest of the planet across three extended tracks – “Story of the Flood” (26:15), “Schoner Zerbirst, Part I” (8:03) and “Schoner Zerbirst, Part II” (18:56) – that sprawl out with a confidence, poise and abrasion that is nothing short of masterful. Es Taut may be a case of a band outdoing their forebears, but whatever their legacy becomes and however many people take notice, Soldat Hans singlehandedly breathe life into the form of post-metal and prove utterly vital in so doing, not only making it their own, but pushing forward into something new in ambience and heft. This is what a band sounds like while making themselves indispensable.

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High Priestess, High Priestess

high priestess high priestess

Calling to order a nod that’s immersive from the opening strains of leadoff/longest-track “Firefly” (still immediate points), Los Angeles trio High Priestess build out the psych-doom ritualizing of their 2017 demo (review here) to make their self-titled full-length debut through Ripple Music. The difference between the demo and the album in terms of what’s included comes down to artwork and the track “Take the Blame,” which adds its bell-of-the-ride swing between the atmosphere and melodic focus of “Banshee” and the spacious roller “Mother Forgive Me.” Potential is writ large throughout from guitarist/vocalist Katie Gilchrest, bassist/vocalist Mariana Fiel and drummer Megan Mullins, as it was on their demo, and even the harsh growls/screams on “Despise” seem to have found their place within the proceedings. As they wrap with the guitar-led jam of “Earth Dive,” High Priestess put the finishing touch on what’s hands-down one of 2018’s best debut albums and offer a reminder that as much potential as there is in their sound for future development, the accomplishments here are considerable unto themselves.

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Weed Demon, Astrological Passages

weed demon astrological passages

Four tracks of gurgling riffy plunder pervade Astrological Passages, the 41-minute – longer if you get the digital version or the tape/CD, which includes the 7:24 “Dominion of Oblivion” – debut album from Columbus, Ohio’s Weed Demon. Delivered on vinyl through Electric Valley Records, the nodder/plodder carves out a cave for itself within a mountain of tonally thick stoner metal riffing, infusing a sense of sludge with shouted and growled vocals from guitarists Andy and Brian and bassist Jordan – only drummer Chris doesn’t get a mic – and an overarching sense of bludgeoning that’s Sleep-derived if not Sleep-adjacent in terms of its actual sound. Nasty? Why, yes it is, but as “Sigil of the Black Moon” heads toward the midpoint of its 10-minute run, the repetitive groove assault makes the band’s intention plain: worship weed, worship riff. They get faster on “Primordial Genocide” and even sneak a bit of speed in amidst the crawl before the banjo takes hold in the second half of 12-minute closer “Jettisoned” – more Americana sludge please; thank you – but they never lose sight of their mission, and it’s the uniting factor that makes their debut hit like the brick to the head that it is.

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Desert Storm, Sentinels

desert storm sentinels

With Sentinels, Oxford, UK, five-piece Desert Storm pass a decade since making their self-titled debut in 2008. They followed that with 2010’s Forked Tongues (review here), 2013’s Horizontal Life and 2014’s Omniscient (review here), and though they had a single out in 2014 on H42 Records as a split with Suns of Thunder (review here) in 2016, Sentinels is their first outing on APF Records and their first long-player in four years. Burl has always been an important factor in what they do, and the High on Fire-meets-Orange Goblin slamming of “The Brawl” backs that up, but Desert Storm have left much of the hyper-dudeliness behind in favor of a more complex approach, and while Sentinels isn’t a minor undertaking at 10 songs and 51 minutes, longer cuts like “Kingdom of Horns” and “Convulsion” demonstrate the maturity they’ve brought to bear, even as the one-two punch of “Drifter”  and “The Extrovert” offer swinging-fist hooks and beard-worthy chug that assures any and all testosterone quotas are met.

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Ancient Altar, Cosmic Purge/Foie Gras

ancient altar cosmic purge foie gras

Based in Los Angeles, Ancient AltarScott Carlson (bass/vocals), Barry Kavener (guitar/vocals), Jesse Boldt (guitar) and Etay Levy (drums) – were last heard from on 2015’s dug-in atmosludger Dead Earth (review here), and they return lo these several years later with the two-tracker Cosmic Purge/Foie Gras, pushing into more extreme crush-of-riff with an abandon that’s anything but reckless. On the contrary, there’s some clear development in the 10-minute “Cosmic Purge” and 13-minute “Foie Gras,” rolling out oppressive grooves with blended screams/shouts and cleaner vocals. As with the last album, a drive toward individuality is central here, and Ancient Altar get there in tone while bringing forth a sense of scope to a sound so regularly thought of as closed off or off-putting in general. In its early going, “Foie Gras” hypnotizes with echoing melody and spaciousness only to resolve itself in a deeply weighted dirge march, furthering the pummel of “Cosmic Purge” itself. I don’t know if the EP – on vinyl through Black Voodoo Records, CD on Transcendental Void Records – will lead toward another album or not, but the sense of progression in Ancient Altar’s style is right there waiting to be heard, so here’s hoping.

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Black Box Warning, Attendre la Mort

black box warning attendre la mort

Listen to it on headphones and the kickdrum on Black Box Warning’s Attendre la Mort is downright painful. Next-level blown-out aggro pulsations. Brutal in a physical sense. The rest of the band doesn’t follow far behind in that regard. Riffs are viscous and violent in noise rock tradition, but denser in their tone despite some underlying punkishness, and the vocals are likewise distorted and abrasive. The five-song/23-minute EP’s title translates to “Waiting for Death,” and each of the tracks is a dose: Opener “5 mg” is followed by “4 mg,” “1 mg,” “2 mg” and “3 mg.” Unsurprisingly, pills are a theme, particularly on “4 mg,” and the sense of violent threat is clear in “2 mg” and 3 mg,” which boast lines like, “Watch them all scream/Watch your enemy bleeded,” and “You are the pig/I am the butcher,” respectively. Between the lyrical and the general aural cruelty, the dis-ease is consuming and unmitigated, sludge becoming a slow-motion grindcore, and that’s clearly the point. Not stabbing, but gouging.

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