Posted in audiObelisk on April 8th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
This past weekend, I watched the news roll out as Ripple Music put the limited edition vinyl copies of the new Devil to Pay album, Fate is Your Muse, on sale. The official release date for the record — the Indianapolis four-piece’s fourth overall and first for the label — is tomorrow, April 9, so the 100 copies with clear splatter LP, signed poster and artwork-appropriate tarot card insert were something special for fans who’d been waiting for the full-length to drop. And they went quick.
First it was an update that they were on sale, then one that they were moving, then 75 copies left, then 50, then less, then less. My understanding is that Ripple still has a few left as of this post, but not many, and it only serves to underscore the excitement and anticipation around Fate is Your Muse(review here). That anticipation has has been palpable in both the advance press and the fan response to the few teasers that have leaked along the way, including the video for the rampaging boogie of “This Train Won’t Stop,” just one of several highlights to the CD version, which along with cuts like “Black Black Heart,” “Wearin’ You Down,” “Mass Psychosis” and the charm-drenched “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” shows just how much Devil to Pay has grown in terms of their songwriting since the release of 2009′s Heavily Ever After.
The band — guitarist/vocalist Steve Janiak, guitarist Rob Hough, bassist Matt Stokes, and drummer Chad Prifogle — will be playing an official release show for Fate is Your Musethis coming Friday night at Radio Radio in their native Indianapolis, and it’s my pleasure to host the record in full for streaming as part of the celebration of its arrival. Please take a listen on the player below, and please enjoy:
Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!
Posted in Reviews on March 19th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
The fourth album from Indianapolis-based rockers Devil to Pay and their first for Ripple Music, Fate is Your Muse is a solid collection of heavy rock songs that, if you want to take it on that level and move on, you probably can. That is, given a superficial listen, its 12 tracks and 49 minutes will probably strike one or two lasting chords with the memorable hooks of “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” or “Black Black Heart,” but where Fate is Your Muse – the four-piece’s first album since 2009’s Heavily Ever After – really makes its impression felt is in the repeat listens. Production is consistent throughout, and some fluctuations in mood are immediately detectible – the slower, darker “Yes Master” running headfirst into “Already Dead” on the CD version, for example – but the depth of Devil to Pay’s songwriting reveals itself more each time through. I’d call Fate is Your Muse a grower but for the fact that the first impression it makes is also a good one – so it’s not as though one goes from not liking it to enjoyment, just that even for one converted to the band’s brand of straightforward, heavy, riff-based rock, multiple visits pay dividends. Broken into two sides even on the CD, which adds the tracks “This Train Won’t Stop” (curious that wouldn’t also be on the vinyl since they used it on a precursor 7” release and made a video for it, but I guess there’s only so much room) and “Tie One On” (also on that 7”) the album begins with a rush in “Prepare to Die,” the first lyrics from guitarist/vocalist Steve Janiak, “Born to work and bred to lose/The legions of the melancholy fools,” summing up a good portion of the album’s perspective. There’s a workmanlike aspect to their riffing throughout, perhaps best exemplified on mid-paced material like “Wearin’ You Down,” “The Naked Truth” and “Already Dead,” but really palpable everywhere, and the recording itself offers little by way of flash or circumstance, and yet Janiak, fellow guitarist Rob Hough, bassist Matt Stokes and drummer Chad Profigle have a well of traditional doom they draw on for slower, longer cuts like the aforementioned “Yes Master” or side B’s sparse finale, “Beyond the Ether,” even veering into progressive heavy riffing à la Tool on “Black Black Heart” – also arguably the record’s most soulful vocal performance, seeming to nod in the direction of Devil to Pay’s Midwestern compatriots in Lo-Pan.
Stylistically, most of what comprises Fate is Your Muse could be found on Heavily Ever After or to some extent its two predecessors in Devil to Pay’s catalog – 2006’s Cash is King or 2004’s Thirty Pieces of Silver debut – but the four years since the last album hit have found Devil to Pay a more mature act. Janiak’s vocals are at their most confident yet. He carries the choruses on Fate is Your Muse’s strong opening trio of tracks in “Prepare to Die,” “Wearin’ You Down” and the D&D opus “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” with seeming ease and smooth layering, veering into self-harmony on the second cut while leaving space for the more lighthearted sci-fi narrative on the third, a full-sounding album highlight with a thick shuffle riff and driving drum fills from Profigle. The rest of the band has stepped up performance-wise as well, and though the record is very much a collection of songs rather than one whole piece broken into parts, the persistent quality of their craft within the structures they utilize gives a more than solid flow from one track to the next, as “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” leads to the guitars introducing “Yes Master”’s near-seven-minute sprawl, underscored by Stokes’ bass as the plod gets underway punctuated by Profigle’s tom work. There are a few standout lyrics, but the last is perhaps the most resonant reminder: “The world descends depending on the frequency you send.” Maybe a bit of a takeoff on “And in the end the love you make is equal to the love you take” – it wouldn’t be the only Beatles lyrical reference; see also “This bird has flown” on “Wearin’ You Down” – but it works in the context of the song, and Janiak’s vocals recall Jerry Cantrell’s early ‘90s heyday without swiping Layne Staley’s “heyyy” mouth positioning. The subsequent “Already Dead” acts somewhat ironically as a return to the straightforward, heavy rocking side of the band’s sound, not coming near to the faster pacing of “This Train Won’t Stop,” but finding perfect positioning for its start-stop central riff between the morose “Yes Master” and side A’s closer and also delivering the title line atop cowbell and throwing a fitting bit of goth drama into the foreboding “Dead…” that ends the chorus.
Posted in Reviews on March 13th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Straightforward, heavy and almost making a billboard of their Texan-ness, the trio Mothership gleefully meld AC/DC stomp with ZZ Top boogie on their self-titled debut. Brothers Kyle (bass/vocals) and Kelley (guitar/vocals) Juett beat out a boozy but melodic rock classicism, taking a familiar approach in a familiar format and updating it with a crisp, engaging mark of their own, and following its initial release (short review here), Ripple Music stepped up to give Mothership‘s Mothershipits due in the form of a full release. As Mothership — the lineup completed by drummer Judge Smith – are currently embroiled in a tour with Gypsyhawk (dates in the flyer below), I thought I’d take an opportunity to give the record another look for anyone who may not have had the chance to catch it the first time out.
At eight tracks and 45 minutes, Mothership give their material plenty of time to flesh out. What are essentially classically-structured heavy rock tunes, that more than half of them should reach over five minutes long can come across as somewhat surprising, but I wouldn’t call Mothership‘s time misspent. Kelley‘s shredding solos are bluesy and rife with the kind of unscripted energy of someone who’s honed a natural talent, and when both brothers come together around a central riff with Smith behind, as on the side A closer “Angel of Death” — even the Ripple CD is broken into sides, as was the initial self-release — the groove is undeniable. They’re prone to swagger, but no more than is appropriate or called for by the songs, and with touches of classic metal and a crisp production by Wo Fat guitarist/vocalist Kent Stump, who also makes a guest appearance in the former capacity on the eight-minute finale “Lunar Master,” Mothershipwas basically an album waiting to be picked up.
In my original review, I said that the album grew redundant after a while. I remember listening to it for the first time, in the car en route to Michigan ahead of hitting up the Days of the Doomed II fest last year, and thinking that the formula got stale as side B started to wind down. Revisiting the Ripple Music version now, I don’t necessarily disagree (lot of good it would do), though I think the issue might actually stem more from the initial impression made by opening instrumental “Hallucination,” which does little to pave the way for the intensity to come even with the relatively staid (again, relative to some of the shenanigans that ensue) beginning of second track “Cosmic Rain,” and which, by the time it picks up its tempo, has spent three of its five minutes undercutting a momentum and sense of immediacy Mothership do so well otherwise to present.
And if that seems like nitpicking, yeah, it probably is. Take the minute nature of that critique as a sign of how otherwise solid Mothership‘s Mothershipis, both in terms of the tightness of the performances of the Juetts and Smith and in the trio’s ready-to-roll grip on their aesthetic — all the more impressive when you consider this is their debut album. There remains room to grow in their sound, in terms of vocal arrangements and the overall dynamics there, but doubtless Mothership are undertaking the work of that growth on stage every night on their current tour — even if they are getting loaded in the process — and they’ll hopefully emerge even more of a force than they were when they hit the studio with Stump to put these songs to tape. It’s an easy bunch of songs to get excited about, and the potential Mothership show here is outshined only their obvious love of what they’re doing.
In the interview posted last summer with the band, the Juett brothers credited their father (who also plays drums on some of these songs) for instilling them with a love of classic heavy rock. That love is all over the self-titledMothership, and if they’re looking for something to build on for their next time out, that’s a better starting point than most.
Posted in Features on March 12th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
…Yeah, I know, 24 is a buttload of records to buy in the span of about a month and a half. To do the division, it would mean buying a new album every 2.04 days. Probably not feasible in terms of time, let alone budget, but hell, it’s a nice thought and seeing the onslaught of new stuff coming between now and the end of April, I thought maybe a list would help keep it all straight. Even if I’m only helping myself, I could probably spend my time in worse ways.
Worth noting that even with 24 albums, presented below in order of release, I feel like there’s stuff I’m forgetting. Frankly, it’s an overwhelming amount of material, so if I’ve missed something or there’s something you’d like to see added to the list, as always, that’s why there’s a comments feature.
Okay. These are numbered just for fun, but listed by date:
1. Orange Goblin, A Eulogy for the Fans (March 12)
My understanding is that London’s foremost doom scoundrels, none other than Orange Goblin, have been selling copies of A Eulogy for the Fans since starting their US tour with Clutch on March 8 in Cincinnati, Ohio, but today is the official release date, and I can think of no better place to start than with the four-piece’s ferocious performance at the 2012 Bloodstock festival, captured audio and video in all its bloodsoaked glory. Not to be missed or taken lightly because it’s a live record. Album review here.
2. Borracho, Mob Gathering 7″ (March 13)
Even though it’s comprised of older tracks, the new Mob Gathering 7″ from Borracho is welcome by me for two reasons: I’ve never heard the songs before and Borracho rocks. The Washington D.C.-based riffers recorded “Mob Gathering” and “Short Ride (When it’s Over)” in 2009 and are set to release the cuts on a limited platter in black and orange swirl through Spain’s Ghost Highway Recordings and Germany’s No Balls Records. They’ve been playing live as a mostly-instrumental outfit while guitarist/vocalist Noah is out of the country on what I can only assume is an awesome spy mission, so if you need a Borracho fix — and it’s obvious from the way your hands are shaking that you do — this might be the way to go. More info here.
3. Inter Arma, Sky Burial (March 15)
Like Windhand below, Inter Arma are recent Relapse Records signees from Richmond, Virginia, and Sky Burial will serve as their first release for the label. Literally and figuratively, the album is expansive, topping 69 minutes and pummeling the whole way through with a genre-transcending concoction of bleakness that’s not so much aligned to any particular heavy aesthetic so much as it is set to its own atmospheric purposes. Through this, Inter Arma emerge terrifyingly cohesive where many others would falter, and their second LP behind 2010′s Sundown (review here) leaves a progressive impression despite an almost complete lack of sonic pretense. Mostly, it’s fucking heavy. Track stream and info here.
4. Clutch, Earth Rocker (March 19)
If 2013 ended tomorrow, Clutch‘s Earth Rocker would be my album of the year. That’s not saying the situation will be the same nine months from now when I actually start putting that list together (already dreading it), but as of March 12, it’s the cat’s pajamas and no foolin’. The long-running Marylanders outdid themselves and put together a surprisingly fast, energetic collection of songs that don’t forsake the bluesy tendencies of their last album, 2009′s Strange Cousins from the West, so much as they put some of the jamming on lockdown in favor of all-out pro-grade heavy rock and roll. The velocity is crucial and the wolfman is out, but it feels like the party’s just starting. Look for them on tour sometime between now and forever. Album review here.
5. Black Mare, Field of the Host (March 20)
Black Math Horseman and Ides of Gemini frontwoman Sera Timms (who’s also recently collaborated with Yawning Man‘s Gary Arce in the new outfit Zun) steps further out on her own with the solo-project Black Mare, from whom Field of the Host is the first album. Due March 20 on LP through The Crossing and on cassette through Breathe Plastic, limited in both cases and sure to be gone shortly after release if they’re not already taken through pre-orders. Fans of Timms‘ past works will be glad to hear the misty wash of melody and dreamy, somehow sad, languid roll of “Blind One,” for starters. Audio and info on the forum.
6. Kvelertak, Meir (March 26)
Short of setting themselves on fire, Norwegian triple-guitar six-piece Kvelertak did just about everything they could to get noticed in support of their 2010 self-titled debut LP (review here), and sure enough, their work paid off in getting signed to Roadrunner Records for all territories outside their native Scandinavia (where Indie Recordings holds sway) and trumpeting up a wave of anticipation for their second full-length, Meir. Their energetic, genre-crossing approach might not be for everybody, but the band have turned a lot of heads and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find them on bigger tours this year with Roadrunner behind them. More info on the forum.
7. Black Pyramid, Adversarial (April 2)
This is actually the first time the Eli Wood cover art for Black Pyramid‘s Adversarial has been seen in full, so you know. The Hydro-Phonic Records release of the third Black Pyramid album and first to be fronted by guitarist/vocalist Darryl Shepard along with bassist David Gein and drummer Clay Neely punctuates the beginning of a new era for the Massachusetts trio. If the advance listen to closing track “Onyx and Obsidian” is anything to go by, they could very well be at their most potent yet, and though I’d hardly consider myself an impartial observer, as a fan of the band, this is one I’ve been looking forward to for a while now. More to come. Track stream here.
8. Moss, Horrible Night (April 2)
I’ve yet to hear the complete album, but UK trio Moss seem poised to surprise with a cleaner vocal approach on Horrible Night, their first offering since 2008′s impressive Sub Templum LP and two EPs in 2009, so in addition to wondering how they’ll pull it off, the level of the shift remains to be seen. That is, how big a deal is it? Should I call my mom? Is this something grandma needs to know about? Time will tell, but for it having been five years since the last time a Moss record reared its doomly head, it seems only fair to give the band a little breathing room on their evolution. More info and video here.
9. Mars Red Sky, Be My Guide EP (April 8)
How glad am I that French fuzz rockers Mars Red Sky have a new EP coming? Well, I’m not as happy that it’s coming as I am that it’s frickin’ awesome. The trio keep the weighted bass tones that gave so much depth to their 2011 self-titled debut (review here), but they’ve also clearly set to work expanding the formula as well, adding stomp to second track “Seen a Ghost” and an eerie repetitive sense to side B closer “Stranger,” while also broadening their melodic reach and taking claim of whichever side of the line they want between fuzz rock and heavy psychedelia while remaining so much more to the ears than either genre descriptor can offer to the eyes. At half an hour, my only complaint with it is it’s not a full-length album. Video trailer and info here.
10. Blaak Heat Shujaa, The Edge of an Era (April 9)
A sample of the poet Ron Whitehead — who also featured on Blaak Heat Shujaa‘s late-2012 debut EP for Tee Pee Records, The Storm Generation (review here) — comes to clarity just in time for the gonzo Boomer poet to let us all know that, “America is an illusion” (that may be, but it’s an illusion with an army of flying killer robots), and from there, the youngin’ desert transplants embark on a low-end-heavy freakout topped with sweet surf rock guitars and set to use in intricate, sometimes surprisingly jagged, rhythmic dances. Mario Lalli of Fatso Jetson guests, Scott Reeder produced. Review is forthcoming, but till then, there’s more info here.
11. Devil to Pay, Fate is Your Muse (April 9)
Fate is Your Muse serves not only as Indianapolis rockers Devil to Pay‘s Ripple Music debut, but also as the double-guitar foursome’s first outing since 2009′s Heavily Ever After. With tales of lizardmen attacks and the alleged end of the world, it’s got its fair share of personality, and set to the chugging riffs, melodic vocals and straightforward heavy grooves, that personality still goes a long way. I’ll have a review up before this week is out (I hope), but still, I wanted to make sure to include Devil to Pay here too, since their songs command both attention and respect. To wit, I just can’t seem to get “This Train Won’t Stop” out of my head. Video and info here.
12. Cough & Windhand, Reflection of the Negative Split (April 15)
Virginian doomers Cough and Windhand share a hometown in Richmond, a love of volume, a bassist in Parker Chandler and now a label in Relapse Records, so yeah, a split makes sense. Reflection of the Negative will be Windhand‘s first release through Relapse ahead of their sophomore full-length, scheduled for later this year (info here). For Cough, this split marks their first outing since 2010′s An Introduction to the Black Arts split with UK masters The Wounded Kings (review here), and they’ll present the 18-minute “Athame,” while Windhand bring forth “Amaranth” and “Shepherd’s Crook.” More info here.
13. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Mind Control (April 15)
What the last Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats album, 2011′s Blood Lust (semi-review here), did so well was capture the atmosphere and the grainy imagery of late ’60s/early ’70s psychedelic horror and put it into audio form. For that, Blood Lust earned massive praise, but I still think that without the central core of songwriting underneath the genre trappings, it would’ve fallen flat. When it comes to Mind Control, the question waiting to be answered is if the band wants to stick to the blueprint they’ve established or go brazenly into uncharted weirdness. I’m not really sure they can lose, either way. Info and music here.
14. Kadavar, Abra Kadavar (April 16)
Their debut on new label Nuclear Blast and the quick-arriving answer to my pick for 2012 debut of the year, Abra Kadavar arrives with plenty of anticipation leading the way. The retro-rocking German trio have their work cut out for them in following that self-titled, but however it turns out in the comparison, it will be fascinating to learn how Kadavar develops the band’s sound and whether or not they prove able to push the boundaries of their aesthetic while simultaneously setting a new standard for promo photos. New video here.
15. Spiritual Beggars, Earth Blues (April 16)
I guess when it comes to these long-running Swedes, everybody’s got their favorite lineup, their favorite tunes, etc., but for me, I’m just impressed that Michael Amott — now more than 20 years on from starting Spiritual Beggars as a side-project while still in grindcore pioneers Carcass — still has any interest in keeping the classic rock Hammond-loving outfit grooving. Their last outing, 2010′s Return to Zero (review here), was the first to feature vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, formerly of Firewind, and though those songs were solid, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re more settled in on Earth Blues when it drops via InsideOut Music on April 16. More info on the forum.
16. Beastwars, Blood Becomes Fire (April 19)
Alternating between periods of brooding intensity and all-out crushing heaviness, the second full-length from New Zealand’s Beastwars, Blood Becomes Fire, is nasty, nasty, nasty. It’s nasty when it’s quiet and it’s nasty when it’s loud. It’s the kind of record you put on and you’re like, “Damn that’s nasty.” And you’re not wrong. The four-piece — touring shortly with Unida — upped their game even from 2011′s self-titled debut (review here), and for anyone who heard that record, you know that’s saying something. I’m still in the “getting to know it” phase, but so far all that nasty feels pretty right on. More info here.
17. Ghost, Infestissumam (April 19)
Man, this one just kind of happened, huh? I suck — and I mean S-U-C-K suck — at keeping up with band hype. I’m the dude who hears the record three months later and goes, “Yeah, I guess that’s cool,” as countless reviews here can attest, including the one for Ghost‘s 2010 debut, Opus Eponymous, but with the Swedish cult heavyweights, all of a sudden I turned around and blamo, major label deal, semi-name change to Ghost B.C., and enough slathering over the impending Infestissumam to make the first album seem like less than the hyperbole it was treated to initially. Funny how that happens. Out in April? I’m sure I’ll review in June and go, “Yeah, I guess that’s cool.” More info on the forum.
18. One Inch Giant, The Great White Beyond (April 19)
Now signed to Soulseller Records, Swedish heavy rockers One Inch Giant will unveil their debut full-length on April 19 and as three of my favorite words in the English language are “Swedish heavy rockers,” I’m excited to find out how this Gothenburg four-piece follow-up their Malva EP, and if they can capture some of the extreme dynamic they brought to their live show when they toured the US last summer — a run of shows that included a stop at SHoD. Hard not to pull for a band after they come over to play club dates. More info and music here.
19. The Heavy Co., Midwest Electric (April 20)
It was actually the other day writing about The Heavy Co.‘s Midwest Electric that I had the idea for this feature, so however high the profile might be for some of these albums — Ghost walks by on their way to cash a check — it was these unpretentious Hoosier rockers and their new outing, Midwest Electric, that started me off. From what I’ve heard so far, the new collection sounds a little more confident in exploring psychedelia than did the trio’s 2011 debut EP, The Heavy (Please Tune In…) (review here), so I’m looking forward to hearing if and how that plays out over the course of the whole thing. Video trailer here.
20. Gozu, The Fury of a Patient Man (April 23)
I have an interview slated for later this week with Gozu guitarist/vocalist Marc Gaffney, and I’m even more excited for this time than I was when we last spoke, around their 2009 Small Stone debut, Locust Season (review here), since in everything but its goofball song titles, the sophomore outing marks a huge developmental step in the band’s melodic reach and songwriting chemistry. Stay tuned for that interview and check out the Bandcamp stream included with the album review here.
21. Yawning Man & Fatso Jetson, European Tour Split 7″ (April 26)
Note: I don’t actually know that April 26 is the day that what’s sure to be 2013′s most desert-rocking split is due to arrive, I just know that it’s Fatso Jetson and Yawning Man‘s European tour split, and that’s the day the Euro dates start — with performances at Desertfests London and Berlin, to be more specific. Given both the greatness of Fatso Jetson‘s last record, 2010′s Archaic Volumes (review here), and of Yawning Man‘s own 2010 outing, Nomadic Pursuits (review here), the bands’ shared lineage and the relative infrequency of their touring, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope that, even for a single, they pull out all the stops. And starts. And riffs. More info on the forum.
22. Serpent Throne, Brother Lucifer (April 29)
Philly-based instrumental heavy rockers Serpent Throne will follow-up 2010′s White Summer/Black Winter (review here) with Brother Lucifer, and while no one can ever really know what to expect, it’s a safe bet that the dual-guitar outfit will have the solos front and center once again. Having seen them do a couple new songs back in December, I can’t blame them in the slightest. Looking forward to letting these songs sink in for a while and having those solos stuck in my head. Track stream here.
23. Melvins, Everybody Loves Sausages (April 30)
Hey wow, a Melvins covers album. Finally, an opportunity for the band to let their hair down and go wild a bit, right? I mean, at long last, they can really feel free to indulge a little and explore their musical roots in a free and creative way. Okay, you get the point. In all seriousness, it’s a pretty cool idea and anything that teams the Melvins with Scott Kelly to do a Venom song is probably going to be a worthy cause. The most amazing part of it is they haven’t already done a version of “Black Betty.” More info on the forum.
24. Revelation, Inner Harbor (April 30)
Their most progressive outing yet and their first album since 2009, Revelation‘s Inner Harbor (review here) is bound to surprise some who thought they knew what to expect from the Maryland doom stalwarts who double as the classically rocking Against Nature. Good thing Inner Harbor had a digital release last year through the band’s Bland Hand Records to act as a precursor to this Shadow Kingdom CD issue. Rumor has it vinyl’s on the way as well, so keep an eye out, since John Brenner‘s guitar tone should be heard on as natural-sounding an apparatus as possible. More info here.
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Okay, so you’re saying to yourself, “Golly, that’s a lot of stuff.” You’re absolutely right. But even as I was typing up this feature, I got word of a new Queen Elephantine full-length coming in April, so even as much as this is, it’s not everything. And that’s not even to mention May, which will bring a new Shroud Eater EP, a new Kylesa record and a new Mark Lanegan collaboration, among however much else. Tons of stuff to keep your ears out for, and like I said way back at the top of this thing, if you have something to add, a comment’s always appreciated.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 18th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
Good news out of the boozy Grifter camp today in that the band are finishing up the writing sessions for the follow-up to their 2011 self-titled Ripple Music debut. That album (review here) was more or less a collection of landmark choruses, some of which get re-stuck in my head at the mere mention of a given song title (hello, “Good Day for Bad News”), and being a fan of the ultra-catchy, I’m interested to hear what the UK trio have to offer their second time out. The PR wire sends over word of the impending.
Long live heavy rock and roll:
UK’s GRIFTER Putting Finishing Touches On Material For New Album
UK-based dirty rock n’ roll trio GRIFTER are putting the finishing touches on the follow up to their self-titled debut full-length, which was released in 2011 by Ripple Music.
Promising to deliver an album full of material that has been described as “heavy as fuck,” guitarist/vocalist Ollie Stygall made the following statement about the band’s forthcoming record:
“We’re tantalisingly close to finishing writing for the album. One new track ‘It’s Not Me, It’s You’ just needs a few tweaks to round off some of the rougher edges but it’s sounding tasty…it has kind of a swing blues vibe to it, albeit much heavier. We’re also looking at dusting off “Woman Of Mine” and making the definitive version of it. We’ve always loved the song but it could do with a spruce up…I have some nice ideas. Once that’s done we just need to think about getting in and recording it!!!”
More news on this release as it comes. In the meantime, GRIFTER’s self-titled debut, which Planet Fuzz called “the perfect soundtrack to a night of debauchery,” is currently available via Ripple Music. Head over towww.ripple-music.comto order.
GRIFTER has recently been confirmed for this year’s Hard Rock Hell, which runs from November 28th through December 1st in Pwllheli, Wales. Also confirmed so far are Black Star Riders (Thin Lizzy), Nazareth, Gentlemans Pistols, The Answer, Paul Dianno, Blaze Bayley, Lawnmower Deth, Chrome Molly and Crucified Barbara with many more to be announced. For updates, tickets and information visitwww.hardrockhell.com.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 12th, 2013 by H.P. Taskmaster
The expansion of Ripple Music continues unabated with the addition of Portland, Oregon’s Ape Machine to the roster. Ape Machine have two records out and Ripple‘s lined up to handle the third, reportedly dubbed Mangled by the Machine. That’s out soon, and in the meantime, sink your teeth into the weighty info below:
APE MACHINE Signs Worldwide Deal With Ripple Music
RIPPLE MUSIC is proud to announce the signing of acclaimed, hard-hitting American heavy rockers, APE MACHINE to their ever-expanding roster!
The band’s third album, Mangled by the Machine, is set for worldwide release on RIPPLE MUSIC in the coming months as the band takes off to plow over the masses on a full-scale European Tour, including appearances in all the major heavy rock festivals.
APE MACHINE commented yesterday upon the new alliance; “We are very excited to be a part of the Ripple family and to work with one of the most genuine heavy rock labels in the world! It’s clear that these guys don’t compromise in terms of putting out creative music and are true believers of heavy rock. The variety of bands and the sheer quality of music they’ve released speaks for itself. We’re very honored that our music earned its place among their ranks!”
APE MACHINE have established a worldwide reputation with their effortless blending of Rock n’ Roll, Blues, Stoner-Rock, and Psychedelia. APE MACHINE is out to pound the apathy out of otherwise jaded listeners with a wall of heavy Rock n’ Roll. The name APE MACHINE is a nod to the days of reel-to-reel magnetic tape audio recording; a fitting moniker for the heavy-hitting quartet as the band plays through vintage tube amplifiers and lays down its songs using exclusively throwback quality studio equipment. With a heady mix of animal aggression and technical precision, APE MACHINE’s music carries an organic depth and warmth rarely heard since the time of rock’s glorious early years (or your Dad’s bad ass record collection) infused with an exceptional modern sensibility. When the mystical lyrics of vocalist Caleb Heinze lock in with the band’s stone-cold groove, APE MACHINE demonstrates an earth-shaking ability to rock. A true four-piece, the group has been called “a rock and roll band with a finger on the pulse of the 70′s and their asses firmly in the present” and “real heavy-psych for the iPhone generation” that delivers “true guts and glory rock and roll.”
Keeping in line with their proud “retro” heritage, the new album, Mangled by the Machine, was recorded on analog tape and is being pressed from analog lacquers and plates, which will ensure the highest quality analog sound and fidelity.
With a catalog of underground releases, APE MACHINE has gained accolades, awards and a hard earned cult-like status. They have established themselves as the go-to band for those searching out more than just a few killer riffs; a foundation of heavy that will flourish under the Ripple Music banner.
Posted in Radio on December 27th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
With the holidays there hasn’t been much time for throwing records up on the Obelisk Radio streaming server, but one thing that came along this week that I wanted to make sure got included was a complete 51-minute set from Brooklyn-based delinquents Mighty High, recorded Dec. 1, 2012, at The Grand Victory in their native borough. This was the first gig the four-piece played after losing a ton of equipment in Hurricane Sandy, and in the tradition of the finest soundboard bootlegs, the audio is raw, but clear and crisp. “Chemical Warpigs” sounds amazing, as you’d have to expect.
Here’s the full setlist:
Shooting Spree
Speedcreep
Not Tonight
Breakin’ Shit
Tokin ‘n’ Strokin
Cheep Beer Dirt Weeed
Mooche
Chemical Warpigs
Loaded Loaded
Hands Up (If You Wanna Get High)
I Don’t Wanna Listen to Yes
High on the Cross
Drug War
Cable TV Eye
Mighty High‘s 2012 Ripple Music debut LP, Legalize Tre Bags (review here), continues to reign among the year’s most charm-driven releases, and tracks like “Breakin’ Shit,” “I Don’t Wanna Listen to Yes,” “Drug War” and “Mooche” are even better live. Plus, it’s a chance to get to know Chris “Woody” MacDermott better than you might just by reading his Spine of Overkill column as he delights in asking from the stage, “Is the huge crowd coming in for the DJ gonna fuck us up?” There’s no way to lose with the dude’s banter, even if it is a little sad when he goes member by member and details the gear everyone lost, including his own Foghat speaker cabinet.
It’s in there now as part of the regular rotation, so at some point, a solid 51 minutes of Mighty High will pop up to kick your ass and smoke you out. Hope you enjoy it. In the meantime, hands up if you wanna download the show for free. It’s right here on Soundcloud:
Posted in Bootleg Theater on December 21st, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
Indianapolis-based Devil to Pay have a new 7″ out on GloryHole Records. The songs “This Train Won’t Stop” and “Tie One On” give a preview of what we can expect on the doom rocking foursome’s Ripple Music debut, due early in 2013, and in following Devil to Pay‘s third album, Heavily Ever After(2009), they show the considerable growth that guitarist/vocalist Steve Janiak, guitarist Rob Hough, bassist Matt Stokes and drummer Chad Prifogle have undertaken in the last three-plus years. As a first single, “This Train Won’t Stop” shows Devil to Pay at their most vocally and musically melodically capable, writing strong hooks and still leaving room to weird out a bit within the song.
And when it comes to weirding out, the video for “This Train Won’t Stop” makes an excellent companion piece to the track, rife as it is with footage of trains, vintage booty-shaking (is there any other kind?) and live footage of Devil to Pay rocking out on their East Coast tour this fall that took them along the East Coast and up to SHoD XII in New London, CT, where they put on the best show I’ve yet seen from them. Glad to see Janiak‘s vocal development, which was so evident from the stage, has also carried over into Devil to Pay‘s studio work.
Next week (maybe the week after) when I run down my list of records to watch for in 2013, their full-length will for sure be on it, but in the meantime, I’ve got the pleasure of premiering the video for “This Train Won’t Stop” today for all your Mayan apocalypse celebrations/disappointments. Check it out, followed by some PR wire-type background below:
Just in time to see the end of the world… or baktun, as it were, Devil To Pay has released a 7” single through indie GloryHole Records, and now, an accompanying video of side A, “This Train Won’t Stop.” Filmed live in New York City, Pittsburgh, Columbus, OH, New London, CT., and their hometown of Indianapolis, the moderately NSFW video captures the band rockin’ out while the world collapses in chaos, footage of old trains and burlesque dancers. Filmed by photographer Kris Arnold and the mysterious “Stativ,” the video was edited by guitarist/vocalist Steve Janiak, who had this to say about the song:
“’This Train Won’t Stop’ was my answer to these Mayan ‘end of the world’ prophecy pushers. Not only did the Maya never actually say anything of the sort, but the only monument that mentioned the date in question (in Tortuguero) was broken and couldn’t even be deciphered all the way. It’s ridiculous.”
“The lyrics basically poke fun at the very idea.” Janiak continues, “I guess if you think the world will end, you could probably make that happen, for yourself. But personally, I still have things to do!”
“The ‘train’ in the song basically is a metaphor for consciousness, energy, experience, and reality.”
The video is being released on the last day of the Mayan calendar baktun on December 21st, 2012 and is available only at The Obelisk. Both songs were recorded at Azmyth Studios in Indianapolis with Ryan Adkins and mastered by T. Dallas Reed at HeavyHead Studios.
“This Train Won’t Stop” w/ b-side “Tie One On” is available now through GloryHole Records (www.gloryholerecords.com) , and the two songs will be featured on the band’s new full-length CD, which will be available through Ripple Music in early 2013.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 19th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
…And they don’t mean, “Help me get that tree out of my yard” Sandy relief either. They mean like for people who don’t have a house anymore. Good for Ripple Music who continue to couple their love of all things classic, heavy and rockin’ with a desire to do some good in the world. Rare test pressings of Mos Generator and Stone Axe LPs will be going out this week on their eBay store, so make sure you follow the link to check it out. Yes, I’ve already added it to my “Watch List.”
Dig it:
Charity Auction for Superstorm Sandy Relief, Package Deal for Both STONE AXE and MOS GENERATOR LP Test Pressings
Continuing with the company tradition of giving back to the community, Ripple Music will auction a pair of extremely Rare Original Test Pressings in one package. Stone Axe: Captured Live! and Mos Generator Nomads vinyl are being made available with proceeds going to Superstorm Sandy Relief.
Only 5 copies of each test pressings exist, and these are the only one’s being made available to the public! You can jump into the auction, win a cool heavy rock collectible and benefit the agencies that commit money and manpower to lend a helping hand. To do so, just visit us at theRipple Music Ebay Store! The auction will start on Monday, November 19th and end on Monday, November 26th.
The Stone Axe and Mos Generator test press auction is the latest in a growing line of charity auctions that Ripple Music has created. Previously, rare JPT Scare Band, Mos Generator, Stone Axe, and the Heavy Ripples test pressings were auctioned with proceeds going to Gulf Disaster, The Wounded Warrior Fund, Japan Tsunami and the Joplin Tornado disaster relief agencies. With the sacrifices made by the men and women to assist their fellow Americans in need, Ripple founders John Rancik and Todd Severin thought the time was right to release another rare test pressing from their vault and raise money for a worthwhile effort.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 17th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
It’s been like three days solid that I’ve had Grifter‘s “Good Day for Bad News” stuck in my head. Their 2011 self-titled full-length (review here) had a couple serious business hooks, and the opener’s a great place to start. The UK trio’s toured with Orange Goblin since they put it out and this record got a sizable response last year, so it’ll be interesting to see how they follow it up. I guess I’m a little bit getting into 2013 mode, looking ahead, and the next Grifter is definitely one to look out for.
This week brought some pretty good news of a personal nature. I put it out on Facebook but it’s worth documenting here as well that The Patient Mrs. got a job offer that would invariably lead to a move to Massachusetts next fall, which I’ve pledged to myself not to be terrified of, it being a big change and I having spent the better part of the last two years bitching to anyone who would listen and plenty who were just patiently waiting for their turn to speak that I needed a big change. So yeah, stoked.
My internet’s been crapping out — likely just crappy service-related and not an aftereffect of the hurricane three weeks later, right? — and I’ve had a couple glasses of wine, so I’m not even sure this is going to get posted tonight, but no worries. Whenever it goes up, I’m sure I’ll still have Grifter stuck in my head, so it works. Speaking of agonizingly catchy, next week I’ll be reviewing the new Five Horse Johnson album, and Om are rolling through Manhattan, and while I was pledging things to myself yesterday, I managed to sneak going to that onto the list. I’m also expecting interview questions back from John Brenner of Revelation at some point this weekend, so hopefully that’ll be up too. And if I get time, we’ll do another inductee into the Canon of Heavy.
Before I jump off and go back to this glass of wine and Season One Disc Three of Arrested Development, I want to say a special thanks to everyone who took the time out to respond to the not-being-in-a-band post. From Jim Poobah‘s discussion of determination to Flyin’ Ryan, Harry Booth and Joe Wood‘s show memories, all of those comments meant a lot. If you got something out of that, I’m really glad. That’s the best case scenario of this whole thing. Everything.
Hope you have a great and safe weekend. I’ll see you on the forum and back here on Monday, or, you know, as soon as the wifi starts working again. Good fun.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 8th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
Details have begun to surface as to the progress Indianapolis doom and rollers Devil to Pay are making on their Ripple Music debut. The PR wire informs that they’re almost finished with the album and that a new 7″ single will be made available next month via GloryHole Records — somewhere in there resides a joke about seven inches and gloryholes, but I’ll leave it up to you to find it — as a precursor to the 2013 full-length.
Dig it:
DEVIL TO PAY Putting the Finishing Touches on Brand New Album
Indianapolis-based DEVIL TO PAY are in the process of putting the final touches on their fourth album and looking at a March, 2013 release. The new album, tentatively titled “Fate is your Muse”, is a collection of hard hitting metaphysical introspection after vocalist-guitarist Steve Janiak’s self-described ‘epiphany’ in 2011. With topics ranging from reincarnation, quantum physics, alternate universes, the illusion of time, and the mystery of consciousness itself, each song is like a window with a different view on reality.
Fusing monstrous Sabbath-like riffs with memorable melodies and intricate instrumental textures, the album takes DEVIL TO PAY to untold levels of musical and lyrical growth. Tracking began late this summer at Azmyth Studios with Ryan Adkins at the helm, getting the levels just right. The final mixes were turned in to rock n’ roll preservationist Tony Reed, at HeavyHead Studios, for final mastering.
In the meantime, DEVIL TO PAY and GloryHole Records will soon be releasing an advance 7” single on red and black colored vinyl, featuring the supercharged “This Train Won’t Stop” and the boogie-laden “Tie One On”. The record will be available on the GloryHole Recordsweb site and at the band’s release party on December 8th at Radio Radio in Indianapolis.
A group that started off as a side project, DEVIL TO PAY has become the primary vehicle of expression for each band members’ love of music. What began as a stoner rock outfit with a doom edge has morphed into a genre-bending and multi-faceted heavy rock unit. The band hails the almighty riff, but never forgets that the song is still king. This attention to detail is what will keep a melody stuck in your head for days on end, and what elevates DEVIL TO PAY above the monotony. Now celebrating their 10th year, DEVIL TO PAY has aged like Kentucky bourbon, distilling a culmination of years of sweat, highway miles, cigarette smoke and hangovers into crushing compositions and bone-jarring, heavy musical moments.
With a catalog of underground releases, DEVIL TO PAY gained accolades, awards and a hard earned cult-like status. They have established themselves as the go-to band for those searching out more than just a few killer riffs; a foundation of heavy that will flourish under the Ripple banner.
For a sneak peek and more information on the band, please visit:www.deviltopay.net
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 16th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
One listen to the driving classic American bikerisms of Mothership‘s self-titled debut (review here) and it was pretty obvious it wouldn’t be long before someone picked them up. So kudos to the band (interviewed here) and to Ripple Music for joining forces. The label — already home to powerhouses like Grifter, Mos Generator and Mighty High — will unleash a reissue of the first Mothership on vinyl next year before handling the follow-up, presumably shortly thereafter.
Badass news all around. Congrats to the band and the label. Here are the details:
MOTHERSHIP Signs World-wide Record Deal With Ripple Music
You could feel it coming. The excitement was palpable as Mothership took the stage on Day 1 of the first annual Metroplex Heavyfest in Dallas. Hometown boys and hometown crowd and the atmosphere was electric!
To say Mothership decimated the audience that night would be an understatement. Between Kyle Juett’s “Lemmy-biker toughness” on bass and vocals, younger brother, Kelley Juett’s “Rory Gallagher meets Brian Robertson” guitar magic, and Judge Smith’s propulsive drums, the audience’s fists never stopped pumping and the head’s never stopped bobbing. An encore call of “Ace of Spades” with legendary Dave Sherman (Earthride/Spirit Caravan) on vocals was all it took to shoot the collective audience over the top.
Dallas had found their new local legends.
Ripple Music is chuffed to announce the signing of 70′s-tinged U.S. hard rock band, Mothership, for a two album deal that will start with the world-wide release of the band’s self-titled debut. Expect to see this raging slab of incendiary hard rock on CD, digital, and never-before released vinyl early in 2013 on Ripple Music.
Mothership was formed in 2010 by hard-rock loving brothers, Kyle and Kelley Juett, infused by a love of all that is retro-heavy from years of influence under their father John’s record collection. Originally bereft of a drummer, father John learned how to play and filled in for practice and gigs until permanent skin pounder Judge Smith took over the drummer’s throne. Since then, there’s been no looking back. Already one of Texas’s hottest live bands, word of the Mothership’s rock and roll prowess has leaked far across the country and is already gathering steam in Europe. With a sound that satisfies like a steaming hot stew of UFO and Iron Maiden, blended with the southern swagger of Molly Hatchet and ZZ Top, Mothership’s goal from the beginning has been to carry on the tradition of the classic rock style of the ’70′s, updated and amped up for the modern day. That hard-rocking sound is filled out by the true legend-in-the-making axeman, Kelley Juett, who seamlessly builds upon guitar heroes of the past with his own fiery licks.
Having already shared the stage with such revered bands as Prong, Red Fang, Lo-Pan, Dixie Witch, Venomous Maximus, and Wo Fat, their 2012 self-released debut was brought to the attention of Ripple Music who instantly knew this was a band to reckon with. One ingestion of their combustible live show at the Metroplex Heavyfest convinced Ripple that a partnership was inevitable After a family dinner of Italian cuisine, beer and whiskey, both Label and band knew they’d found kindred brothers.
Ripple will re-release Mothership’s debut album on CD and 12” vinyl, including an extremely limited run of 100 multi-colored, splattered 12” with autographed posters. The album also features the production, mastering, and guest guitar contributions of Kent Stump from Texas heavy rock heroes, Wo Fat.
Texas is famous for its hard rock. Mothership is the next step in that legendary lineage. Get ready to jump aboard the Mothership for an overdose of vintage hard rock!
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 4th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
You know what’s awesome? Stone Axe songs. It’s a fact. When these dudes get together, they churn out memorable classic rock of a quality level to embarrass even some of the people who made it classic the first time around.
They may have taken a break from writing to let Tony Reed focus on Mon Generator‘s Nomadsalbum (review here) — a worthy cause indeed — but you just knew it wasn’t going to be long before Stone Axe picked up right where they left off.
And so they have, according to the PR wire:
STONE AXE Back In the Writing Process, Aiming at New Full Length in 2013
Afterdispelling break up rumorsearlier in the year, Port Orchard rock n’ roll preservationists, STONE AXE, have announced that writing and recording has resumed for the bands next album. Multi-instrumentalist Tony Reed and singer Dru Brinkerhoff have reconvened in recent weeks to put the final touches on a handful of tunes, as well as sketching out ideas for a new STONE AXE record, the first new material since 2010’s Stone Axe II.
“It’s early in the process,” states Tony Reed on the writing process for the new album, “Dru and I have met a few times to plot out a musical direction for the new full length album. And, in the meantime, we’ve been working on some songs that have been lying around for awhile that may be released as an EP in the near future.”
Though we’re going to have to wait until 2013 before we see a new release from the band, work is progressing at a steady pace. Some of the working titles in the mix include “Fell On Deaf Ears” for the new full length, and for the possible EP, “Lady Switchblade” and “Deep Blue”, a song reminiscent of the epic sci-fi thriller, “The Skylah Rae” from the STONE AXE self-titled album.
Posted in Reviews on September 7th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
It’s as pure an example of heavy rock as I’ve heard in 2012. Washington trio Mos Generator, having been revitalized by guitarist/vocalist/friend of the site Tony Reed after a few years’ successful run in classic rockers Stone Axe, mark their return with Nomads, a collection of varied but straightforward songs that hearken to classic influences, but ultimately emerge as modern, full and engaging. Tonally weighted in Reed’s guitar and Scooter Haslip’s bass but never veering into stonerly fuzz, the nine songs of Nomads are pointed in their lack of pretense, unabashed in their hooks and balanced in both composition and production. The album, also produced by Reed, sees release via ongoing partnership with Ripple Music, which also deluxe-reissued Mos Generator’s self-titled debut earlier this year (review here) and has reissued Stone Axe material as well, and though Reed is a talented vocalist and guitarist and a skilled engineer – anyone who heard his production on, say, Saint Vitus’ Lillie: F-65 can immediately recognize his sound as comes through on Shawn Johnson’s drums – what’s most at the fore in listening to Nomads is the songwriting. Structurally traditional, cuts like “Can’t Get Where I Belong,” “Lonely One Kenobi” and even the more expansive closer “This is the Gift of Nature” wrap themselves around landmark choruses, classic rock hooks given vital presentation. Contrary to the reds and blacks of the cover art and its memento mori crow, the mood of most of the album is relatively light, and it opens upbeat with a strong trio of infectious cuts in “Cosmic Ark,” “Lonely One Kenobi” and “Torches,” keeping a crisp and clean sound throughout that results in an overarching accessibility for everything that follows, including the penultimate title-track, an acoustic interlude that sets up “This is the Gift of Nature” to round out the proceedings. A vinyl structure is evident with a split between the moodier fourth track “Step Up” and the ‘80s street metal riffing of “Solar Angels,” but the latter works as well as the centerpiece of the Nomads CD, a focal point and standout both in style and substance on Mos Generator’s fifth album (that’s counting 2006’s The Vault Sessions) and their first outing since 2008’s Destroy! The Mos Generator compilation.
As the singer, guitarist, producer and main songwriter, Reed is obviously a focal point on Nomads, and his approach to the revived Mos Generator is no different than it ever has been going back to the self-titled. He writes quality heavy rock songs with pop structures, shifts mood effectively and sets up an overall flow despite each track having a distinct personality of its own. “Cosmic Ark,” however, gets underway with an immediate bounce, and it’s Johnson’s drums and Haslip’s bass carrying across the potent groove as Reed relates lyrics about weedian travel through space and time that actually wind up being the most stoner rock facet of the song, and indeed, the album. It’s kind of a curious track in relation to what’s around it, but as the opener it works both because it’s fun and because of the quality of the hook, which gives way to a short bluesy lead and a subdued section of oohs and aahs that set up some of the variety to come later. At 3:31, it’s a classic radio number, and though “Lonely One Kenobi” was selected as the first single from Nomads (video premiere here) – one expects the referential title had something to do with that – “Cosmic Ark” could easily follow as the next. In the meantime, perhaps “Lonely One Kenobi” is a better representation of the album overall, more grounded lyrically and no less catchy than the opener. Reed seems to be referencing Dio-era Sabbath in the verse, bringing his voice up in the third line in a fashion similar to “Wishing Well” from the Heaven and Hell album, and that’s not the last ‘80s metal nod to come, but the song is undeniably Mos Generator’s own. One of the longer tracks at just over five minutes, its pulse is quick, Johnson working some swing into the drums and playing off the start-stop riff smoothly as Haslip deftly changes with the guitar between the verse groove and the chorus’ more forward-driving chorus, a path through it marked by Johnson’s snare and Reed’s “wan”-esque pronunciation of “one,” showing the basis for the name of the track. Reed takes a solo after the first chorus, and the verse reemerges to set up a second chorus, more hurriedly cadenced in the vocals, and another lead that serves as the outro, and when it’s over, I’m left wondering where that five minutes went because it happened so damned fast.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on September 4th, 2012 by H.P. Taskmaster
Contrary to what you might presume from the photo above, Port Orchard, Washington, heavy rockers Mos Generator have seen the light. They decided to make a video about it.
The first thing you’ll probably notice in listening to “Lonely One Kenobi” from Mos Generator‘s new album, Nomads(review coming soon), is that it is crazily, unabashedly, apologetically catchy. The power trio of guitarist/vocalist Tony Reed, bassist Scooter Haslip and drummer Shawn Johnson have outdone themselves with the album, which is due out Oct. 23 on Ripple Music, and I can only assume that the yellow light in which the video finds them bathing as they perform the track is powered by the chorus.
Speaking of the chorus, the title of the song is also going to make a lot more sense once you hear it.
Please enjoy “Lonely One Kenobi” from Nomads, followed by some PR wire-type info from Ripple:
MOS GENERATOR Premiere “Lonely One Kenobi” Video
MOS GENERATOR and The Obelisk have once again teamed up on an exclusive premiere, this time for the first video from the Nomads album, “Lonely One Kenobi”. Going for the throat on the lead single from Nomads, “Lonely One Kenobi” is a classic MOS GENERATOR tune that thunders with heavy aggression and then soothes the soul with heart melting melodies. Shrouded in smokey mystery, this performance video was shot on a shoe-string budget with one camera and a few lights, showing that simplicity is usually the best method for getting the message across.
“Lonely One was the first song we wrote in the batch of new songs we recorded for Nomads. From the first time we played it live I could tell it was a strong number,” said Tony Reed when asked about the choice of lead singles, “And as for the video, yeah, I’m happy with the way Lonely One came out with what we had to work with. We’ve had a very positive response from people who have already seen the video.”
Nomads will be available world-wide on October 23rd, 2012 through Ripple Music. The nine track album features the heaviness and elegant melody that have become the trademark sounds of the band, but this time lyrically exploring the more introspective paths of soul salvation. The Port Orchard, Washington rock n’ roll nomads spent almost a year tracking, recording, and mixing the new album until they were happy with the end result, constantly holding the material to the light, never wanting to release anything less than stellar.
Nomads will be available through Nail/Allegro Distribution in the U.S., Code 7 in the UK, and Clearspot International through continental Europe. Look for MOS GENERATOR on the road throughout the Pacific Northwest starting in September with possible more road work in 2013.
Track List: 1. Cosmic Ark 2. Lonely One Kenobi 3. Torches 4. Step Up 5. Solar Angels 6. For Your Blood 7. Can’t Get Where I Belong 8. Nomads/This Is The Gift Of Nature
press and the fan response to the few teasers that have leaked along the way, including the video for the rampaging boogie of “This Train Won’t Stop,” just one of several highlights to the CD version, which along with cuts like “Black Black Heart,” “Wearin’ You Down,” “Mass Psychosis” and the charm-drenched “Ten Lizardmen and One Pocketknife” shows just how much Devil to Pay has grown in terms of their songwriting since the release of 2009′s Heavily Ever After.
