Richmond doom cultists Windhand made their debut on Relapse Records earlier this year in the form of the Reflection of the Negative split with fellow Virginians Cough, with whom they now share bassist Parker Chandler. Their 2011 self-titled debut came out on Forcefield Records (was streamed here) and they’ve now announced that the follow-up sophomore outing, also their solo debut on Relapse, is finished and will be out this fall.

They previously announced a round of dates for June that I suspect is the first of many to come, and all that info, plus the tour poster, can be found right below this very line. No, seriously, it’s there. Just scroll down. Hell, you probably don’t even need to. Just look. I promise it’s there:

WINDHAND: Complete New Album

Map Out Summer Tour

In 2012, backwoods psychedelic doom band Windhand released their self-titled LP & it was met with critical acclaim.The band is putting the finishing touches on their second LP for Relapse, due out this fall, which was recorded & mixed by the band’s own Garrett Morris at The Darkroom & mastered by James Plotkin, in their hometown of Richmond, VA. The band will trek across North America this summer ushering their audiences into their menacing grooves & showcasing songs from their upcoming album.

About Windhand
Formed in 2009, Richmond, VA’s Windhand (Asechiah Bogdan – Guitar, Parker Chandler – Bass, Dorthia Cottrell – Vocals, Garrett Morris – Guitar, and Ryan Wolfe – Drums) play what has been described as a tinnitus inducing mix of eerie psychedelia and haunting ambient doom. 2012 saw the release of their critically acclaimed, self-titled debut LP via Forcefield Records. A subsequent heavy dose of East Coast touring followed, culminating with a four week U.S. tour in August of that year.

Tour
06/05 – Baltimore, MD – Ottobar
06/06 – Philadelphia, PA – Golden Tea House
06/07 – Brooklyn, NY – St. Vitus Bar
06/08 – Providence, RI – AS220 !
06/09 – Boston, MA – O’Brien’s
06/10 – Cherry Valley, NY – Steve’s Koi Pond
06/11 – Buffalo, NY – Vault Art Space
06/12 – Pittsburgh, PA – Gooski’s
06/13 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
06/14 – Chicago, IL – Ultra Lounge
06/15 – St. Paul, MN – The Turf Club
06/16 – Milwaukee, WI – Quarter’s Rock n Roll
06/17 – Indianapolis, IN – The Sinking Ship #
06/18 – Newport, KY – South Gate Revival House
06/19  -Nashville, TN – The End %
06/20 – Knoxville, TN – The Pilot Light %
06/21 – Raleigh, NC – Slim’s $
06/22 – Richmond, VA – Strange Matter $

! = w/ Elder and Morne
# = w/ Skeletonwitch
% = w/ Generation of Vipers
$ = w/ Inter Arma

Windhand & Cough, Reflection of the Negative Split (2013)

These are busy times for Richmond, VA, cult doomers Windhand. They’ve got a split coming out April 15 with like-minded sludgers Cough (more on that here), they’ve just signed toRelapse Records, and even as they put out this announcement of a run of shows to take place this June, the five-piece have issued an update concerning the recording process for their sophomore full-length, reportedly due out this fall. Oh, and they’ll be touring for that too.

Given the timing on the album, the June shows will likely make for a good opportunity to check out some new material before it comes out, and not that you really needed an excuse to check out Windhand live, but I guess it never hurts to have one handy.

The info rolled out via Thee Facebooks with much nonchalance:

We are in the process of recording a new album to be released this fall which will be followed up with a full US tour this fall. Details concerning this tour will be handled at a LATER date. Thanks.

Windhand June 2013 Tour
June 5th-Baltimore @ Ottobar Upstair’s
6th-Philadelphia @ Golden Tea House
7th-Brooklyn @ St. Vitus Bar
8th-Providence @ AS220
9th-Boston @ O’Briens’s
10th-Private Coy Pond Jazz Sesh (day off)
11th-Buffalo @ The Funeral Home
12th-Pittsburgh @ Gooski’s
13th-Columbus @ Ace of Cups
14th-Chicago @ Ultra Lounge
15th-Minneapolis @ The Turf Club
16th-Milwaukee @ Riverwest Public House
17th-Indianapolis @ The Melody Inn
18th-Cincinnati @ South Gate Revival House
19th-Nashville TBA
20th-Knoxville @ The Pilot Light
21st-Raleigh @ Slim’s
22nd-Richmond @ Strange Matter

There are few ideals that strike me as being as American as blending metal genres. Here Europe works so hard in defining and distinguishing characteristics, creating and reinforcing traditions, and then those ideas make it across the Atlantic and Americans go, “What if we put these things together?” and Europe, like the mustachioed police chief in a buddy cop comedy, gets all flustered and is like, “You can’t do that!” but the scrappy Americans — let’s say, played by a young, mulletted, less-creepy Mel Gibson — are already out the door and on tour with their blackened crust doom grind or some such improbable brew.

Put Richmond, Virginia-based five-piece Inter Arma in the Mel Gibson role and you might have a beginning point for understanding the kind of gleeful line-crossing that takes place on their Relapse Records label debut (second album overall), Sky Burial, a dynamic 67-minute melting pot that seems to want nothing so much as to turn preconceived stylistic notions on their head. This ethic isn’t dissimilar to that which typified Inter Arma‘s 2010 Forcefield Records full-length debut, Sundown (review here), just more cohesively the band’s own and more realized in terms of the overarching ambience. The 67 minutes, played out over eight tracks — four of which top 10 minutes long — are a resonant journey to undertake, and the echoes they leave ring even more massive than the guitar tones of Steven Russell and Trey Dalton.

The band — completed by drummer T.J. Childers (also The Might Could), bassist Joe Kerkes and vocalist Mike Paparo — would be hard-pressed to summarize the full breadth of Sky Burial in just one track, but the gradually unfolding intro to later cut “Westward” and the thudding, reverb laden post-metal oppression that ensues over the song’s 9:48 are as good a place to start as any. Elsewhere one might find black metal squibblies and blasts or doomed marching, but “Westward” accounts for a point on the record where Inter Arma seem most in their own element, Paparo‘s screams buried under a rising tide of vicious, insistently-rhythmic, somehow-psychedelic heft.

When the payoff hits, the effect is surprisingly cosmic, so check out “Westward” on the player here, and enjoy the commentary from Dalton and Paparo that follows. Inter Arma hit the road this weekend with Mutilation Rites, and those tour dates can also be found on the poster below:

Guitarist Trey Dalton on “Westward”

This is actually the last song we wrote before heading down to Nashville. If I remember correctly we finished the framework maybe a week before we left, if that. It all sort of came together while we were recording, though. With that being said, I’m the kind of dude who likes to write out a guitar solo well ahead of time. You know, craft it according to the needs of the song, but I wasn’t able to for this one. We had to rear back and shoot from the hip which put me out of my comfort zone. I’m pretty happy with how that part turned out, though. Surprised even. And because we wrote it so shortly before leaving Mike had no chance to do anything lyrically until we were there. TJ had this idea during the noisy bridge part that Mike should almost preach in a stream of consciousness kind of way. I love how that part came together. Given the songs relative infancy I think it turned out better than I initially thought it would.

Vocalist Mike Paparo on “Westward”

On our first U.S. tour in July of 2010 (with our brothers in blood Bastard Sapling) we were flying through the Mojave desert, 7 deep, in our dank van. The sun had gone down and it was still a solid 110+ degrees outside. All of the windows were down and it felt like a giant hair dryer was blowing in. The heat was getting to all of us. We passed through some particularly odd, desolate area blasting UFOmammut’s “Snailking” and the clouds started to come alive. Strange flashes of light started illuminating the night sky. Being that the Mojave is littered with military installations my mind started to wander. Was it heat lightning? Was it some sort of weapons testing? It was probably the former, but hey one can imagine. Too me, it was an almost psychedelic experience. When I first heard the opening of the song, it made me think back to this experience. I concocted a story around it. The imagery projected in the lyrics is a direct reference to this memory. As for the rest of the lyrical inspiration (i.e. most of the female narration)…well, that’s just going to have to remain a secret!

Inter Arma & Mutilation Rites on Tour

3/9 Cincy By The Slice – Cincinnati, OH
3/10 Cobra Lounge – Chicago, IL
3/11 Fubar – St Louis, MO
3/13-3/16 SXSW – Austin, TX
3/18 War Room – El Paso, TX
3/19 Chasers – Phoenix, AZ
3/20 Moustache Bar – Tijuana, Mexico
3/21 Slidebar – Fullerton, CA
3/22 Mayas – Corona, CA
3/23 Rock City – Camarillo, CA
3/24 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
3/25 Colony – Sacramento, CA
3/26 Highline – Seattle, WA
3/27 The Shakedown – Bellingham, WA
3/28 Rotture – Portland, OR
3/29 The Shredder – Boise, ID
3/30 Burt’s Tiki Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
3/31 Aqualungs – Denver, CO
4/01 Vaudeville Mews – Des Moines, IA
4/02 Medusa – Minneapolis, MN
4/03 High Noon – Madison, WI
4/04 Franks Power Plant – Milwaukee, WI

Inter Arma on Thee Facebooks

Relapse Records

Unparalleled in its support for underground heavy, the Stoner Hands of Doom fest has begun to unveil the lineup and other info for the 2013 edition, SHoD XIII. The traveling fest, which in 2012 took place at the El n Gee in New London, CT, heads south this year, to Richmond, Virginia, where it will take over Strange Matter on Nov. 7-10.

I’ve never been to Richmond that I can recall, and this seems like a pretty good occasion to go. Fest organizer Rob Levey has begun the preliminary announcements of things like the above dates and locale and a basic list of bands that should give some idea of where SHoD is headed musically. Dig it:

We are almost there we have secured a place for SHoD XIII it will be held Veterans Day weekend Nov 7th – 10th the location is a mid atlantic city in the south but not the deep south. There will be some limitations this year on time so won’t be able to have as many bands as usual.

Wow I tell you our supporters are awesome anyway the club we are doing this year’s SHoD is called Strange Matter in Richmond Virginia here are the list so far either definite or very close.

Admiral Browning
Beelzefuzz
Fire Faithful
Pike Possum
Wizard Eye
Backwoods Payback
Demonaut
Stone Magnum
Wasted Theory
Planetoid
Deadweight
Second Grave

Be around 20 more when we are done talk to you soon.

Congrats to Virginian cult doomers Windhand (which boasts members of Cough and The Might Could in its ranks) on forging an alliance with Burning World Records for the 2013 release of their upcoming, yet-untitled sophomore LP. Last year, Windhand released their self-titled debut, which also came out on vinyl this past spring, and as they’ve spent pretty much every moment since building momentum and successfully spreading their gospel of eerie psychedelia, you can expect the second album will earn a solid response. One more to look forward to.

The Burning World Records website had this to say:

WINDHAND to release second album on Burning World Records in 2013

Burning World Records is proud to present another signing for the new year. Virginia based Windhand are joining ranks with Conan, Slomatics, Black Magician and Lustmord among others. Why we signed them? Just read some quotes below from reviews for their first album (listen to the album on Bandcamp below) and tell us what is not to like.

The album is scheduled for a June 2013 release so you’ll have to wait a while before it’s out but we heard through the grapevine there will be some other Windhand releases to keep you warm till the summer.

Richmond-based cult sludgers Cough will play Jus Oborn of Electric Wizard‘s curated event at Roadburn 2013. The Virginian outfit have been at the fore of the post-Electric Wizard pack, reveling in horrific atmospheres and massive, droning riffs, so they’re a good fit on what’s quickly becoming an eclectic bill. Their last release was an ultra-badass 2010 split vinyl on Forcefield Records with like-minded British purveyors The Wounded Kings (review here), and I don’t know if maybe they’ll have new material on hand by April, but it’s worth hoping for.

In addition to Cough, Witch Mountain will play Roadburn and Sabbath Assembly, Hexvessel, Crown and Tombstoned have joined the lineup as well.

This came courtesy of the fest’s website:

“Firstly, raise your withered stumps and welcome ye brothers of the bong, Richmond, Virginia bruisers and losers…(cue intro to Sweet Leaf)… Cough… rising through the fog like resin-zombies the appropriately named band are the epitome of evil stoned doom”, says Electric Wizard‘s Jus Oborn. “Violent, bleak and wasted… Ritual Abuse was genius… burnout and clogged with resin. We loved it!! Since then we have had many late night smokeouts with these kindred spirits and hopefully many, many more. The Acid Orgy will be heavily laced with Smoke…Hail Cough!!!”

“Once there was a legend of black cloaked cultists that haunted 1960s London, ominous and dark wearing strange occult symbols”, Jus continues, “They handed out bizarre literature linking Satan, Lucifer and Christ …Hells Angels were our saviours working for God and Lucifer to cleanse our world. They became linked to the Manson Killings and eventually disappeared in infamy to only be remembered by a chosen few …now Dave Nuss and Sabbath Assembly recreate the rituals and liturgies of this infamous group. We can now see and hear the true vision of this paradoxical acid consciousness cult. Hail Satan, Amen?!”

“Also we have young blood for the growing acid cult… a new power trio of Finnish maniacs that deal in real heavy doom: Tombstoned“, says Jus, “We witnessed them live only a few weeks ago and were blown away (yes…they defiantly had feel of our favourite Finnish band). Heavy and cool as the grave, absolutely no pretense or hipster styling, just solid and real doom music played by people who don’t care what you think. You will fuckin love em!!!! Hail Tombstoned!”

Even More Incredible bands to be announced SOON !!!

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Tickets for the Afterburner are still available!

Portland, OR’s Witch Mountain will bring their crushing doom to Roadburn Festival 2013 on Friday, April 19th at Het Patronaat in Tilburg, Holland.

Founded by guitarist Rob Wrong and drummer Nate Carson in 1997, this was not yet the Witch Mountain that would come to fruition. In 2009, the addition of vocalist Uta Plotkin transformed the band into something extraordinary with her bluesy, sensual and commanding voice as captured on both South of Salem (2011) and Cauldron of the Wild (2012).

Plotkin’s powerful and soulful pipes sound almost out of place, but this is exactly what makes Witch Mountain so special. She belts out the band’s massive, doomy, bluesy tunes like a metallized Janis Joplin or the lost sister of Heart‘s Ann and Nancy Wilson who chose the left-hand path.

Distilled from thick churning down-tuned guitars and dense drumming infused with Plotkin’s sad and sweet vocals, Witch Mountain lumbers without plodding and soars without drifting off. The epic sound and unique take on doom metal has earned them both a highly acclaimed reputation and a rightful place among the current crop of wickedly talented female-fronted bands. We are super stoked to welcome Witch Mountain to the Roadburn Festival during their first-ever European tour.

“2012 has been the biggest and best of Witch Mountain’s 15 year history”, says Nate Carson, “Two successful headlining American tours, two albums on Profound Lore, a new single, Scion Rock Fest (with Sleep and Saint Vitus), and now this.”

“It is truly an honor to end this year with the official announcement that we will finally tour Europe. Many thanks go out from us to Roadburn for this fantastic invitation. My only concern is that Cauldron of the Wild LP pre-orders are coming in so quickly that we may run out of vinyl before we get over there! Cheers!”

Roadburn Festival 2013 will run for four days from Thursday, April 18th to Sunday, April 21st, 2013 (the traditional Afterburner event) at the 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. Tickets for the Afterburner are still available!

You might recall back at the end of September, I hosted a stream of Windhand‘s self-titled debut LP. If you don’t recall that, you should click that link and go listen, because the record is badass. The news came in yesterday that the band will finally be putting it out on vinyl through Forcefield Records on March 21 and touring with Pilgrim and Natur to advance the release. Congrats to the band on working through what was apparently a series of delays. Doom conquers all.

Relatively hot off the PR wire:

Finally the time has come! After myriad setbacks and issues beyond their control, the mighty Windhand have set the release date for their debut LP in stone. On March 21, 2012, their critically acclaimed eponymous album will be available for purchase from Richmond, VA’s Forcefield Records (with UK/European distribution handled by Mordgrimm).

The band have also announced a short run of dates up and down the East Coast alongside Pilgrim (Metal Blade) and Natur (Earache), as well as a string of additional gigs come March. Dates are below:

Windhand on tour:
02/29 Baltimore, MD The Sidebar w/ The Pilgrim (MD) & Heaviness of the Load
03/01 Brooklyn, NY Public Assembly w/ Natur, Pilgrim, & Magic Circle
03/02 Philadelphia, PA JR’s w/ Natur, Pilgrim, & Pagan Wolf Ritual
03/03 Washington, DC St. Stephen’s Church w/ Ilsa, Natur, & Pilgrim
03/04 Richmond, VA Strange Matter w/ Natur, Pilgrim, & Humungous
03/05 Savannah, GA Orphan Cage
03/06 Gainesville FL The Wayward Council
03/07 Tallahassee, FL AF House w/ In Defence & Dickkicker
03/08 St. Petersburg, FL The Fubar w/ Set and Setting
03/09 Atlanta, GA Archive Gallery w/ Halmos
03/10 Raleigh, NC Slim’s w/ Balaclava

When last they were heard from, Richmond, Virginia’s Fire Faithful were giving a sample of their Southern-styled heavy wares on a split with Lord called Refuge for the Recluse, and with their self-released debut full-length, Fire Faithful bring that knack for metallic wordplay (an art unto itself) to a new degree. The album is called Please Accept this Invocation, and with songs like “Disgust is a Must” and the über-clever “Wonton Lavey,” it’s easy to imagine the trio (down from the four-piece they were on the Lord split with the absence of guitarist Dave Marrs, who nonetheless gets a liner notes nod for his contributions to the songwriting) don’t take themselves too seriously, but the atmosphere on the record is morose almost to the point of being dire, and though there are parts of it that are very, very metal – the start-stop double-kick from drummer Joss Sallade on “Dollar Bottomed Out” is more Lamb of God than Alamaba Thunderpussy (to keep the comparisons Virginian) – the album seems more keen on developing a semi-cultish mood than posturing this way or that as either a “Southern” band or a “metal” one. And in that, Please Accept this Invocation is successful. Still, despite the impression finally being more about the overall moodiness and flow between the eight component tracks, there are several individual standouts, among them “A Devil in London,” “Flamingo,” “Wonton Lavey,” and the opening title cut.

The latter of that bunch (but the first on the tracklist – kablooie went my brain), “Please Accept this Invocation” is pivotal to the album not just for sharing its name, but also because it’s an immediate establishment of the central process at work in Fire Faithful’s songwriting – namely, the balance of mood and heaviness. It works in back-and-forth heavy/quiet tradeoffs, keeps a relatively slow pace set by the riffing of Shane Rippey, who handles both guitar and bass on the recording, and is met in its more subdued stretches by cooed verses from vocalist Brandon Malone. Malone might be the single element most responsible for designating Fire Faithful as a Southern metal band, but the production of Vince Burke of Beaten Back to Pure at his Sniper Studio adds to it as well. A rough drum sound is a staple of Burke’s jobs, and that remains true for Sallade here, but the cymbals come through clearly and as the opener transitions smoothly into “Dollar Bottomed Out,” it’s a near-wash that cuts to the second track’s chugging riff and rougher vocal from Malone, directly relatable to either Phil Anselmo (a standby influence) or ATP’s Johnny Throckmorton. In his croon, Malone is harder to place, and that comes out more on “A Devil in London,” which accounts for one of Please Accept this Invocation’s best stylistic blends, bringing together doomed riffs and an open feel bolstered by guest-spot backup singing in the chorus. The song gets heavier in the bridge, but never quite reaches the metallicism of “Dollar Bottomed Out,” despite Rippey’s squiggled guitars and a scream from Malone.

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Virginian trio Druglord left the rehearsal space to record their second demo, and listening to Motherfucker Rising, the difference is palpable. The Richmond three-piece, who made their debut in 2010 with a self-titled three-songer, are cleaner-sounding but still raw, and though these songs probably weren’t recorded live, they’re roughly produced enough to still be considered of demo quality. Stuff like this is made by the underground for the underground, and as Druglord – guitarist/vocalist Tommy, bassist Greta and drummer Bobby – riff out on hard-drug grooves and an overarching sense of defeat at their hands, they also showcase a little melodic growth. Just a little though, so don’t be worried. Tommy’s vocals are blown-out but low in the mix enough not to be painful, and it’s still the guitar and the bass tones very much at the fore, but Bobby’s drums come through clearer. Pressed to CD in a thick-stock sleeve edition of 100, Motherfucker Rising is, as the title might indicate, the sound of a group of players beginning to become a cohesive unit. It’s rudimentary – still a step up from the self-titled – but it also presents Druglord at one of the most exciting stages one can find a band: as they’re beginning to find themselves.

Familiar elements abound, and fans of Weedeater, Saint Vitus, Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard will be able to pick out and trace parts from Motherfucker Rising to their influences. Greta’s bass, for example, follows a progression similar to that of “Long Gone” by Weedeater at the end of the opening title-track, and based on its central riff alone, “Cleansed,” which follows, might seem a nastier take on traditional doom. Tommy’s vocals are compressed, throaty and sub-melodic but still cleaner than outright screams, and they do the bulk of the work distinguishing Druglord from its points of inspiration. “Cleansed” dares to add a bit of melody in the guitar and vocal line after halfway through, but again, it’s all very raw, and the distortion in the guitar and the bass seems to swallow it as the biting solo takes hold. Bobby is consistent on drums, but not flashy as he moves smoothly into and through tempo changes like the slowdown at the end of “Cleansed” or the pick-up and drop-off of “Motherfucker Rising,” which starts loud and rebuilds from a quiet section to be one of the demo’s stronger tracks. Overall, though, it’s “Lick the Wound” that proves to be the highlight of Motherfucker Rising. The only inclusion also found on the self-titled, it balance of melody, slow groove and abrasiveness is the most accomplished to be found on the CD, and shows that even in an aesthetic as unforgiving as that of Druglord, a memorable song can be crafted out of strong performances.

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A bit of personal trivia: Alabama Thunderpussy‘s Constellation was the first Man’s Ruin Records album I ever bought. It was released in 2000 and I made my purchase directly from the band on their website — it might also have been the first time I did that — sometime after the release of 2001′s also-excellent Staring at the Divine, which was their Relapse debut. I didn’t know much about the label or the band at that point, other than (as per the poster above) they stomped ass and it was worth $10 of my money.

I’ve chronicled my Man’s Ruin buying adventures here pretty extensively, but Constellation has always had a soft spot in my heart, for being the first and for its fearless blend of sentimentality and burly heavy Southern rock. It’s not just any band that would put “Six Shooter” and “15 Minute Drive” on the same record. Still, I probably hadn’t listened to it in a few years even before ATP broke up after releasing the more metallic Open Fire in 2007 with Kyle Thomas from Exhorder on vocals, and as has happened a couple times by now (see here, here, here and here, for starters), finding the promo for sale on the relative cheap provided a good chance to reintroduce myself to the album.

The first thing that sticks out about it — especially in the context of what’s come since from Virginia and the surrounding area — is how forward thinking it is. A lot of the distinct guitar crunch from Erik Larson and Asechaih Bogdan and the sans-reverb vocals of Johnny Throckmorton you can hear in the sludge coming out of that area now from the likes of Lord and a few like-minded acts also not shy about bringing melody into the mix.

As much as cuts like “Ambition,” “Burden” and the organ-infused “Foul Play” rock as straightforwardly as possible, the acoustics of “Obsari” and the more airy feel of “1271-3106″ do more than just change things up. There’s a direct effect on mood and the overall tone of the album that lasts right into the intro of “Keepsake” and the extended weird-out jam of “Country Song.” I guess it’s not necessarily that I didn’t realize these things were happening on the record before, although I’d believe that too, but with the additional time since its release — it’ll be 12 years come March — there’s been a real chance for the record to ferment. Constellation goes down like fine aged moonshine, and proves no less blinding.

If you’re interested, click the picture on the left above to enlarge it and read the bio. Believe it.

Richmond blackened sludgers Inter Arma‘s Sundown (reviewed here) isn’t something I put on every day, but I have been known on nights no one else is left in the office to blast the holy hell out of it. The louder you go the better it gets. Pretty simple math.

I’d imagine it’s even meaner in-person, despite the friendly looks in the picture above, and I think maybe I’ll go find out when they come through town. Here’s the info off the PR wire:

After releasing their stunning debut, Sundown (via Forcefield Records in 2010), the band hit the road running and have seldom stopped, touring heavily with brother band Bastard Sapling and sharing stages with the likes of The Body, Nocturnal, Castevet, Woods of Ypres, hometown homies Cough, Battlemaster, Cannabis Corpse and tons more. Inter Arma go hard, and once you catch a glimpse of frontman Mike‘s wildman antics or get nailed by one of their piledriver riffs, you’ll be glad you got hit.

Inter Arma fall 2011 tour dates:
10/20 Baltimore Golden West Cafe w/ Balaclava
10/21 Philly The Station w/ Balaclava, Fucked Forever, Bubonic Bear
10/22 Easthampton, MA Flywheel Arts Collective  w/ Katahdin, Hackles
10/23 Boston W.P.T.A.W.T.T.A.P w/ Furnace, Barnburner, Elitist, Blood of the Gods
10/24 Providence TBA/Help
10/25 Connecticut TBA
10/26 Brooklyn The Acheron
10/27 Washington D.C. Asefu’s
10/28 Pittsburgh TBA
10/29 Athens Ohio Morguefest w/ Locusta, Artillery Breath and more
10/30 Indianapolis TBA/Help
10/31 Milwaukee TBA
11/01 Appleton WI Maritime Tavern w/ The Parish, Mellow Harsher
11/02 Chicago TBA
11/03 Ft. Wayne Harrison St. House
11/04 Columbus Carabar
11/05 Lexington KY House Show
11/06 Nashville TN The Little Hamilton
11/07 Knoxville TN The Poison Lawn
11/08 Asheville NC The Get Down w/ Mose Giganticus, Shadow of the Destroyer
11/09 Blacksburg VA TBA
11/10 Richmond VA Strange Matter w/ ABSU, Infernal Stronghold, Battlemaster, Earthling

Emitting molten, viscous, riffs and nod-worthy doom crashes, the Richmond, Virginia, collective Windhand make their debut on Forcefield Records with a five-track, self-titled album. The dual guitar five-piece formed in 2008 and I was lucky enough to catch their set in August at SHoD. It was my first time seeing the band, but when vocalist Dorothia Cottrell said they’d have a record out this fall, I took note.

Well, as previously reported, Windhand‘s Windhand is due Oct. 25. The album is a distinctly American answer back to the all-consuming distortion and bleary-eyed psychedelia of Electric Wizard‘s latter-day missives that strips away some of the cult mentality and puts in its place a woodsy sensibility — not forest-dwelling silliness, but something organic and un-postured. Guided by the slower-than-fuck guitar work of Asechiah Bogdan and Garrett Morris and skillfully underscored by bassist Nathan Hilbish and drummer Ryan Wolfe (also of The Might Could), tracks like “Libusen” and sprawling, screaming, feedback-caked closer “Winter Sun” offer vindication for those who’d let riffs steal the ground from underneath their feet.

In short (ha!), it’s heavy as hell and packed with slow low-end doomed groove. Forcefield Records and Catharsis PR were kind enough to let me stream Windhand in its entirety, so if you’d like to let it ruin your life — and I think you would — you’ll find it on the player below, followed by some light blue PR-wire type info:

Richmond, VA, may be known primarily for its wicked thrash and crust punk scenes, but there’s something evil lurking within that doomed old capital. Psyched-out, Electric Wizard-loving, ultra-Sabbathian amplifier worshippers Windhand, who boast ex-members of heavy riffters Facedowninshit and Alabama Thunderpussy within their ranks, have risen. On the heels of a recent Northeast tour and numerous triumphant local appearances, Windhand will be releasing their self-titled debut LP via Richmond‘s own Forcefield Records.

Slated for an Oct. 25 release, the record will be available in a limited gatefold pressing of violet wax, and was recorded/mixed by Garrett Morris (Parasytic, Bastard Sapling) at the Dark Room with Slipped Disc Audio‘s Bill McElroy (Pentagram, Avail, Alabama Thunderpussy) handling mastering duties.

After seeing their recent set at Krug’s Place as part of Stoner Hands of Doom XI in Frederick, Maryland, I’m psyched to hear what kinds of electric wizardry Windhand will bring to their Forcefield Records debut, set for release on Oct. 25. The PR wire sent along the following info, which you’ll find in the apparently Google Readerproof #ccffff blue below:

On the heels of a recent Northeast tour and numerous triumphant local appearances, psyched-out ultra-Sabbathian amplifier worshippers Windhand, who boast ex-members of heavy riffters Facedowninshit and Alabama Thunderpussy within their ranks, will be releasing their self-titled debut LP via Richmond‘s own Forcefield Records.

Slated for an Oct. 25 release, the record will be available in a limited gatefold pressing of violet wax, and was recorded/mixed by Garrett Morris (Parasytic, Bastard Sapling) at the Dark Room with Slipped Disc Audio‘s Bill McElroy (Pentagram, Avail, Alabama Thunderpussy) handling mastering duties.

Windhand was formed in 2008 in Richmond, and self-released their first demo in 2010. Original drummer, Jeff Loucks, parted ways with the band in early 2010, with current drummer Ryan Wolfe (ex-Facedowninshit) joining shortly thereafter. Their mammoth debut LP will be available for preorder on Sept. 27th — stay (down)tuned!

Windhand, Windhand track listing:
1. Black Candles
2. Libusen
3. Heap Wolves
4. Summon the Moon
5. Winter Sun

We end this week on a high note with the Earth interview and some Alabama Thunderpussy covering Jethro Tull off the first Sucking the ’70s compilation on Small Stone. I’ve always kind of thought Alabama Thunderpussy never got their due. They were excellent on Man’s Ruin, and then they were excellent on Relapse. Their more metal last album wasn’t really my thing, but they had some really killer songs and I don’t think Relapse at the time knew what to do with them. Pretty sure if the Johnny Weils or the Johnny Throckmorton-fronted lineups were putting out records now, they’d be gods to the new breed of Southern rockers. Who the hell knows.

The moral of the story is listen to The Might Could, and I think it might be time for Small Stone to do a third Sucking the ’70s. Would be cool to hear Gozu take on Blue Öyster Cult or some crazy harmonized arena rock, Iota, Lo-Pan, Backwoods Payback and the rest of the new crop chime in.

Bonus argument for the above clip: I’ve had “Hymn 43″ stuck in my head forever because the Aqualung cassette pretty much never leaves my car anymore. It’s become a permanent fixture, just one of my listening options. AM/FM radio, CD, Tull. Not a bad way to go.

Tomorrow is The Patient Mrs.‘s birthday. Out of courtesy to her, I won’t say which one, but it’s a biggie, and we’ll be celebrating tomorrow night out to dinner in NYC, then over to the Mercury Lounge to catch Wino, Scott Kelly and Man’s Gin. If you see us there, be sure to wish her a happy birthday. And if you don’t know what she looks like, she’ll be the one looking patient. Rock.

I’m on deadline next week to both do and transcribe a Clutch interview and also to transcribe a Weedeater interview that’s already in the can, so we might have a double-feature week rather than the average one-per. We’ll see how that goes and if I can muster the time to actually get it done. I’m backlogged on interviews at this point and they just keep coming. Wo Fat, Suplecs. The other night I had a brief but very pleasant conversation with Jeannie Saiz of Shroud Eater — just kind of getting an introduction to/general idea about the band — so that’ll be posted sooner than later as well. Lots to come.

But yeah, tomorrow, the patient birthday, Sunday, homework, Monday, back at it. Hope to see you on the forum over the weekend. It’s that big orange link in the sidebar. Can’t miss.

Go figure.

I was thinking of catching Richmond Southern specialists The Might Could at Acheron in Brooklyn on Saturday, where they’re playing with two bands I’ve never heard of and thus care very little about. Tooling around the internets today and what do I see but that the very next night, they’re sharing the stage in Allston, Massachusetts, with Black Thai, Gozu and Riff Cannon — which, if you need me to spell it out, is a fucking awesome lineup.

Because I’m jealous, here’s the flier. Dig its informative minimalism: