Posted in Whathaveyou on April 17th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Take five minutes out of your busy day and get introduced to Salem’s Bend‘s new record, Supercluster, by streaming the track “Spaceduster” at the bottom of this post. It’s right on classic-style heavy rock, with natural tones and melodies and a vibe that stretches way outside the confines of its runtime. It is — as the kids once said — way cool, and its May 24 arrival will be preceded by a run of dates around the Los Angeles trio’s appearance earlier in May at Desertfest London 2019, for which they’ll join a lineup that itself is way outside the confines of the fuckwithable. Breaking free of confines all around it seems, and the hypnotic jammy feel of “Spaceduster” suits that intention well. It’s not long, and it doesn’t get lost in itself, but yeah, if you’ve got five minutes, do yourself a favor. These guys might just really be onto something here.
Dig it:
SALEM’S BEND: LA-based Psych Trio to Release New Album, Supercluster | European Tour Kicks Off Next Month
Supercluster by Salem’s Bend is officially released on 24th May 2019 on Ripple Music
Ripple Music is thrilled to announce the release of Supercluster, the brand-new album from LA-based rock trio Salem’s Bend.
Cutting their teeth in various outfits over the years, after idly deciding to crawl into a garage one day, three unassuming dudes emerged into sunlight as a mighty hard rock triumvirate skilled in the execution of maximum Sabbath, Priest and Zeppelin worship…
…for on this day, Salem’s Bend was born.
Running an aural gamut of ’70s-sounding classic rock with the influence of melodic heavy-hitters from the contemporary realms of desert, doom metal, psych and stoner rock, the band coalesced in the summer of 2014 with the intention of turning heavy riffs into the catchiest of tunes. With seven songs eventually making the cut on what would become their self-titled debut, the trio earnestly self-released their efforts via Bandcamp, and in doing so caught the ear of Ripple Music. Garnering some early praise one reviewer commented on just how well the band managed to, “Forge their own searing, raucous guitars; intense, deep bass; and athletic, punctuated stickwork around some of the most intelligently interesting melodies to float through the stonersphere in quite some time.”
Salem’s Bend subsequently signed with Ripple, who gave their debut a worldwide release on vinyl, CD and digital in 2016. Since then, they have been taking their hard-hitting live performance on the road, touring every few months around the Western US and Canada and playing festivals such as SXSW, More Beers in Hell, Vantopia, and many more.
This May, thanks to the good folk and fellow Californians at Ripple, Supercluster – Salem’s Bend eagerly awaited follow-up to Salem’s Bend – will receive an official worldwide release on 24th May. In the meantime, you can stream and share new song ‘Spaceduster’ via Ripple Music and catch the band across Europe (see dates below) as they tour in support of the new record.
SALEM’S BEND EUROPEAN TOUR: 02/05 – TBA – Leeds, UK 03/05 – TBA – Birmingham, UK 04/05 – Desertfest – London, UK 08/05 – Muziekcentrum Kinky Star – Ghent, Belgium 09/05 – Don’t Panic Essen – Essen, Germany 10/05 – MTS Records – Oldenburg, Germany 11/05 – Stereo Wonderland – Cologne, Germany 12/05 – Db’S Utrech – Utrecht, Netherlands 13/05 – Pallieter Cafe – Herselt, Belgium
TRACK LISTING: 1. Spaceduster 2. Ride the Night 3. Catamount 4. Heavenly Manna 5. Winds of Ganymede 6. Show Me the Witch 7. Thinking Evil 8. Infinite Horizon
SALEM’S BEND: Bobby Parker – Guitar, Vocals Kevin Schofield – Bass, Vocals Zach Huling – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 5th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
What am I even supposed to say here other than ‘yes please?’ As Desertfest London 2019 rounds out its lineup and once again demonstrates its willful growth year after year, I’ll tell you this: there are a lot of bands listed below, and a lot of good bands. And if you’re reading this and you’re in London or you’re fortunate enough that you’re going to be in London for this festival, I know you’re hip to where it’s at. I get that. But seriously, if you don’t know, there re a few really must-see bands here, and it’s not all Amenra headlining. That’s great, and I’m sure it’ll be super-intense and very cool and all that.
But I’m telling you: don’t sleep on seeing High Priestess, BlackWater HolyLight, Worshipper, Salem’s Bend, Skraeckoedlan and Great Electric Quest. Some of those names are kind of buried near the bottom of this announcement, but really, you’d only be doing yourself a favor if you caught them. Let’s put Zed in that category too, and when they’re done, tell them I said hi. You probably already know all this, but I just wanted to highlight the point, since there’s a lot here and it’s easy to get overwhelmed. I get that too.
Kudos to the Desertscene team for focusing on what matters — the music — even amid pulling double-duty in putting together the first-ever Desertfest NYC, the lineup for which is still in progress. This fest looks amazing and I wish I could say I was going. Quite simply, it’s been too long.
Here’s the announcement:
Amenra to headline Saturday at DESERTFEST LONDON 2019 + day tickets and 28 more bands announced!
Showcasing the best of what the underground has to offer is at the core of DESERTFEST LONDON and this year’s line-up is the most eclectic, yet satisfying to date by ticking those “wish-list old school desert rock” boxes with Fu Manchu and Witch at The Roundhouse, whilst pushing the boundaries of heavy with the likes of HHY & The Macumbas and Grave Miasma. Year after year it’s about offering up a diverse bill that allows for discovery, whilst celebrating the musical foundations of the festival, and the final Saturday headliner and remaining 28 acts do just that.
DESERTFEST LONDON /// 3-5th May, 2019 in London Weekend and day tickets on sale at this location
Desertfest are honoured to reveal that the incomparable AMENRA will celebrate their 20-year anniversary across the London weekend this May, bringing their uniquely atmospheric sound as headliners of Saturday’s mainstage and, for the first time in the UK, an even more intimate side of the band takes place at The Underworld on Sunday with solo performances from CHVE & SYNDROME. We would be proud to have Amenra headline Desertfest on any year, but to have them on the year they celebrate their 20th anniversary makes it all the more special for us and also the band themselves.
Desertfest are also pleased to announce a stage takeover from the mighty Riding Easy Records, the righteous west coast label will not only bring the sun (we hope) but a hefty dose of fuzzed out riffs from their roster. Headlined by rock’n’rollers ELECTRIC CITIZEN who refuse to be pigeonholed with a 70s proto-metal sound that chimes into psychedelic realms. Street-doom killers R.I.P will hit the UK for the first time and vocalist Fuzz is ready to bring it hard and loud. Completing the stage showcase are 80s punk heavy metal hybrids ZIG ZAGS, hazy Swedish doom newcomers ALASTOR and the low and slow psych goth-rock sounds of BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT.
If that wasn’t enough Desertfest also adds thunderous space-rock psychedelic masters MONKEY3 to upcoming proceedings, the unforgiving primitive metal sounds of THE SECRET and LA party starters THE SHRINE, who haven’t graced DF with their amped up stoner-skate vibes for well over 5 years.
We also welcome back our long-time partners Human Disease Promo/When Planets Collide for another takeover of The Underworld on Saturday. Topping the bill, the riff muscle of Savannah, Georgia is brought back to The Underworld by the mighty bruisers BLACK TUSK. Dropping in straight underneath we’re living the doom dream of olde with Chicago legends in THE SKULL. Glasgow gives us two offerings this year in the form of explosive riff n roll filth-party heads ACID CANNIBALS, and to lower the tone whilst severely twisting some melons we also welcome their fellow city dwellers HEADLESS KROSS. As ever we chose to open up with a cataclysmic attack, hence why we’ve invited Brighton’s bleak hardcore oblivionists KALLOUSED to set the day into fittingly venomous motion. Bring your ear plugs, it’s gonna be a floor shaker!
And finally, Desertfest round off with the brilliant SKRAECKOEDLAN, BLANKET, SALEMS BEND, SURYA, HIGH PRIESTESS, ZED, KUROKUMA, GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST, PSYCHLONA, VIDEO NASTIES, ONE FOR SORROW, WORSHIPPER, MOUNTAIN CALLER & 1968 all added to the monumental 2019 line-up.
DESERTFEST LONDON /// 3-5th May, 2019 in London All tickets on saleat this location
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 29th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
A monstrous announcement from Desertfest London 2019 finds the festival, as it has over the last several years, with a far reach in geography and style alike. Acts like Great Electric Quest, High Reeper, Salem’s Bend, The Devil and the Almighty Blues, High Fighter, and Messa represent a flood of up and coming underground heavy from the US and Europe — I’d count hometown heroes Elephant Tree and Greece’s Naxatras at the forefront of that surge — while Om, Wovenhand, Mondo Generator, Stoned Jesus, Sabbath Assembly, Jaye Jayle, HHY and the Macumbas and Wiegedood are of course no minor shakes in terms of draw or aesthetic swath.
Desertfest‘s first announcement, which came through in September with Earthless, All Them Witches, Kadavar and Colour Haze, among others, was enticing enough. This one does nothing but make one want to book travel and lodging.
The PR wire has the details:
Drone doom pioneers OM confirmed as first headliner + 15 more acts added to the DESERTFEST LONDON 2019 lineup!
After warming you up with our first announcement in September, it’s time to break out the big guns. Today we’re adding 16 killer bands to Desertfest, including the lineup for 2019’s Old Empire stage, which, after years of bringing some of the heaviest sounds all weekend, will this year takeover as our Friday main stage. We couldn’t be happier with their first pick, Desertfest 2019’s opening headliners, the incomparable, spiritual force of stoner drone that is Om.
Formed in 2003 as one great band drifted off for a decade, Om – then consisting of the two-part assault of Sleep’s Al Cisneros and Chris Hakius – brought with them an extension of the hypnotic heavy first hinted at on Sleep’s Jerusalem/Dopesmoker. Achieving more with just vocals, bass and drums than most can dream of with a packed out stage, the opening one-two punch of Variations on a Theme and Conference of the Birds serves as a revelation to many; stripped-back power that cleans the cobwebs from your brain with reverberating blasts of droned-down stoner-doom.
By 2007’s Pilgrimage – the last full-length to feature Hakius on drums – Om had begun to lean more and more heavily into spiritual themes and Eastern tones, bringing about a new definition of what exactly heavy is; because let’s be clear, Om are heaviness incarnate, just not in the traditional sense. Through God is Good and their latest LP, Advaitic Songs – their first as a trio and surely one of the finest put to record this decade – Om continued down a path of hazed out perfection. It’s a testament to the importance of the band that, even as Sleep woke up, Om persist, ready to send you into a trance at the pluck of a bass. Be sure to catch Om when they headline the Old Empire stage – and Desertfest at large – on Friday 3rd May.
Joining them on the Old Empire stage, and continuing Old Empire’s tradition of showcasing heaviness from unexpected places, are Wovenhand. Labelled many things over the near two decades they’ve been kicking around, from alternative country, to neofolk, to Southern-gothic, Wovenhand are simply low and slow, oozing with an atmosphere of gloom. Music torn from the heart and soul of David Eugene Edwards (ex-16 Horsepower), Wovenhand are a deeply personal experience that you won’t want to miss.
But that’s not all for the Old Empire stage, who offer up three more treats for Desertfest 2019; firstly, a slice of black metal in the shape of Wiegedood, whose Die doden hebben het goed trilogy serves as a granite slab of brutality. Featuring members of post-black metal heroes Oathbreaker, as well as being part of the illustrious Church of Ra collective – a handful of acts tethered by a DIY ethic – Wiegedood will bring heaviness as we traditionally know it to the stage.
The jazz-inspired, ominous soundscapes of HHY & the Macumbas bring an exploration of the apocalypse to proceedings. Showcasing why they’re one of the most inimitable acts in the Portuguese, or perhaps even European underground scene, HHY are ordered chaos, wielding a twin attack of percussion and horns, tied together with a thin spine of drone.
Rounding off this year’s Old Empire stage come the desolate, minimalist sonic mantras of Louisville’s Jaye Jayle. Revelling in the simplicity of a “Less is more” philosophy, Jaye Jayle build tension with their barely crawling musical progressions and stitch it all together with the gruff, semi-spoken vocals of Evan Patterson.
Yet again, the Old Empire stage looks set to be one of the most exciting places to be over the whole of the Desertfest weekend, bringing both the darkness and the light; but that’s not all to expect over the May Bank Holiday weekend in Camden.
Elsewhere over the weekend, we’re excited to be welcoming Ukraine’s Stoned Jesus to Desertfest London. The stoner blues trio, who released their 4th full-length Pilgrims in September, possess a tone all of their own. Offering up one of the scene’s most beloved albums in 2012’s Seven Thunders Roar, Stoned Jesus remain a treat to catch live; as do punk infused stoner rockers Mondo Generator. Headed up by legend of the underground, Nick Oliveri, Mondo Generator are, like any of Oliveri’s myriad projects, an undeniably raucous experience live.
Next up, a double bill of some of Europe’s finest heavy psych; Part of the modern Greek wave of stoner and psych, without ever disappearing into the crowd, Naxatras are unashamed worshippers of the 70s riff. That said, they bring plenty of their own flavour to the mix. Whilst Oslo’s The Devil and the Almighty Blues live up to their name, bringing a devilishly groovy stomp and infusing it with their almost nonchalant, relaxed tones, fast becoming one of the most exciting bands in all of heavy psych.
There’s doom aplenty as ever at Desertfest, with all angles covered; the occult is worshipped with Sabbath Assembly and Messa’s take on the science of slow, whilst Elephant Tree will continue to show why they’re one of the UK’s finest acts with their uncompromising push outwards to the outer limits of doom.
A double dose of 70’s worship comes in the form of the strutting duo of Great Electric Quest and Salem’s Bend, with today’s announcement rounded off by two chances to get high; High Fighter are set to surround us with a densely packed smog of doom and High Reeper filtering the riffs of classic heavy metal through the So-Cal skater scene.
With dozens more bands still to be announced, including our Saturday and Sunday headliners, Desertfest 2019 is shaping up to be another hit of the best stoner, doom, sludge and psych on the planet. Don’t miss the annual celebration of the underground in Camden next May Bank Holiday weekend. Book your tickets today.
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 3rd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
If these bands aren’t friends yet, one expects they will be by the time they’re done touring together this month. Stone Deaf from Colorado and Salem’s Bend from Los Angeles will hit the road together in about a week’s time, starting out with Stone Deaf doing a date in Vegas alongside Brant Bjork and Mezzoa before the tour picks up a few nights later in Reno and runs through California and back through the desert, finishing Oct. 20 in Tempe, Arizona. Both bands go with relatively new short releases behind them. For Stone Deaf, it’s the covers outing The Bobby Peru EP, with takes on 13th Floor Elevators and David Bowie, and Salem’s Bend have the live-recorded Cold Hand which was tracked while recording the video for the song of the same name.
It’s a relatively quick run, but looks like it’ll be a good time and a chance for both bands to stretch their legs before 2018 starts to wind down. I wouldn’t be surprised if either band had plans in the works for 2019 either for recording or shows or both.
In the meantime, the PR wire:
STONE DEAF/SALEM’S BEND TOUR
Ripple Music bands STONE DEAF and SALEM’S BEND are pleased to announce that they will be embarking on a tour of the United States West Coast next month.
Salem’s Bend commented “We’re stoked to be hitting the road with Stone Deaf- these guys are rad, great tunes and great dudes! We’re also going to hit a couple spots we haven’t played yet this year so we’re excited for that too, reconnect with fans in places we haven’t been to for a while. See ya out on the road!”
Oct 11 – Las Vegas, NV – Count?s Vamp?d * Oct 16 – Reno, NV – The Saint Oct 17 – Sonora, CA – Winters Tavern Oct 18 – Los Angeles, CA – The Redwood Bar Oct 19 – San Diego, CA – Tower Bar Oct 20 – Tempe, AZ – Timeout Lounge * Brant Bjork, Stone Deaf, Mezzoa
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 11th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
I remain a sucker for any number of things: Heavy riffs. Dark roast coffee. Cruelty-free baby duck races. Star Trek anything. Also belonging on that list is a well-named tour, and yeah, if you’re headed into Canada, calling your run ‘The Great Northern Expedition’ makes some sense to me. Ripple Music labelmates Ape Machine, Salem’s Bend and High Priestess will head out on this stint together come next month, and all three are pushing new material one way or another. Ape Machine have a new record coming this Fall. Salem’s Bend tentatively in the winter, and High Priestess‘ self-titled will be out next month, just a week before they hit the road. Golly, you’d almost think these things were coordinated ahead of time.
Details for the shows came down the PR wire and looked an awful lot like this:
Ripple Music tour w Ape Machine, Salem’s Bend, High Priestess
The Great Northern Expedition – So named is the psychedelic, stoner-doom and rock n’ roll tour that will be tramping up the West Coast, through Canada and back through the western states, leaving a trail of good vibes and heavy harmonic frequencies in its wake. Ape Machine, Salem’s Bend and High Priestess will bring their tasty sonic goodness to all the aforementioned territories as messengers of the ever-growing Ripple Music collective.
Ape Machine’s new prog-infused LP, Darker Seas, is slated for a Ripple Music September release. Los Angeles based doom trio, High Priestess, will be powering out tunes from their self-titled Ripple release which drops May 18th. Salem’s Bend released their Ripple debut back in 2016 and it has steadily picked up steam and recognition as “the sort of rock and roll statement that comes from a time forgot but wants to push to a bold new future.” The band also is putting the finishing touches on a follow up and hopes for a late 2018 release. All three groups are well known for their searing, energy filled live performances. Dates and Cities below!
Salem’s Bend with High Priestess Fri May 25 – San Francisco, CA – Thee Parkside Sat May 26 – Grants Pass, OR – The Haul Sun May 27 – TBA
Ape Machine, Salem’s Bend and High Priestess Mon May 28 – Portland, OR – Tonic Lounge Tue May 29 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse * (w Slow Season) Wed May 30 – Vancouver, BC – Astoria * (w Slow Season) Thu May 31 – Calgary AB – Palomino Fri June 1 – Edmonton AB – Temple Sat June 2 – Vantopia Festival Sun June 3 – Siksika AB – Siksika Community Centre Mon June 4 – Kalispell, MT – Old School Records
High Priestess Tue June 5 – Spokane, WA – Observatory Wed June 6 – Boise, ID – Shredder Thu June 7 – Reno, NV – Shea’s Tavern Fri June 8 – TBA
Imagine you roll into a parking lot and find Los Angeles trio Salem’s Bend jamming out in front of their van, surrounded by cameras filming their new video. What do you say? Do you leave your car, rock out for a while, and then go about your business? Maybe do your shopping or whatever it is you came to do, like nothing’s happening? That would be the New York solution, but I don’t know how it goes in L.A., if it would be the same or what. I like to think I’d park, walk over, check it out for a bit, maybe take a picture on my phone, nod, give a cool-cat thumbs up and be on my way. I’m sure the reality would be excruciatingly awkward. In any case, pretty friggin’ awesome idea to put some guerrilla filmmaking to work for the song “Cold Hand,” which is the first new material Salem’s Bend have shown off since Ripple Music released their self-titled debut (review here) last year.
You can’t say the track doesn’t earn it. At more than nine minutes, it’s a substantial work in terms of runtime, but even more than that, the chemistry it demonstrates between the lineup of guitarist/vocalist Bobby Parker, bassist/vocalist Kevin Schofield and drummer Zach Huling proves beyond worthy of the showcase. And make no mistake — Salem’s Bend are playing the song live in the clip. Parker set up mics to get a pro-sounding recording and was wholly successful in that, but this is an actual, amplified performance of “Cold Hand,” not just a studio version laid over captured footage. They bring their own lighting and do well to set the mood, and as they push into the fuzzed-out blues jam that starts toward the middle of the track, they make it plain that they’re ready to begin exploring a whole new league of spaciousness from what they brought to their first album. Right on, right on, gentlemen. Preach.
Salem’s Bend hit the road starting July 12 — egads, that’s tonight! — for a West Coast tour alongside Ripple labelmates War Cloud and fellow upstarts Kook, and “Cold Hand” that begins with a gig presented by Vegas Rock Revolution and also features former tourmates The Rare Breed. You can find all the dates for the 12-date run under the video below, as well as some comment from Parker on making the video, recording the song, and the shorter companion track “Winter Sunn” that’s still to be unveiled.
Check it out and enjoy:
Salem’s Bend, “Cold Hand” official video
Before we start to work on the second album, we wanted to get a couple new songs out. “Cold Hand” is a song that we jammed out together, and we have been playing it live for the past several months. It’s fun to play, as it has a lot of improvisational parts that we feel out as a band, so its never quite the same twice. Because of that, we figured we’d record the song live to try to capture that essence. Kevin is a great director/cinematographer and has some killer film gear so we figured why not film it as well!
We enlisted the help of my dad, Lee Parker, who is a great director and cinematographer and has been in the film business doing every kind of job for a long time, and also my friend Herman Ming, who is also a great director, cameraman, and filmmaker himself. They did the mobile camera work for us and helped us set everything up. We chose a parking garage for our location so that we could get a massive reverbed-out sound, especially for the drums. I set up the mics to capture all our instruments and vocals, and then mixed and mastered in my home studio. It’s a raw performance with mistakes here and there, but I think we captured our live sound well and gives one small view into our show for those who haven’t been able to see us live yet. Zach and Kevin nailed their parts and sounded excellent.
Since Cold Hand is such a long song, we figured we counter that with a faster and shorter track for the B-side “Winter Sunn.” We wrote this one really quickly together in the studio and recorded it the next week at the same time we recorded Cold Hand, in the parking garage. We’re happy with the way it turned out and think its a good counterpoint to the more epic A-side.
We’re heading out on another summer tour of the Western US, covering some new ground and new states this time. The first half (minus a few dates on our own) will be with the awesome Bay Area band War Cloud, who just recently joined the Ripple family! And the second half will be with the amazing San Jose rippers KOOK, who we played with last year on tour and are excited to play with again! Kicking off the tour in Vegas on July 12th with our Ripple road brothers The Rare Breed for a rad show setup by Vegas Rock Revolution.
List of dates is as follows: July 12th – Las Vegas, NV @ Backstage Bar and Billiards w/ The Rare Breed July 13th – Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room July 14th – Los Angeles, CA @ The Lexington w/ War Cloud July 15th – Atascadero, CA @ Camozzi’s Saloon w/ War Cloud July 16th – San Jose, CA @ The Ritz w/ War Cloud and Kook July 17th – Sacramento, CA @ Blue Lamp w/ War Cloud July 18th – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge w/ War Cloud July 19th – Eugene, OR @ Old Nick’s Pub w/ KOOK July 20th – Portland, OR @ Highwater Mark w/ KOOK July 21st – Seattle, WA @ Lucky Liquor w/ KOOK July 22nd – Kennewick, WA @ Eagles Lodge 2485 w/ KOOK July 23rd – Boise, ID @ The Shredder w/ KOOK July 24th – Reno, NV @ Jub Jub’s w/ KOOK
Salem’s Bend is: Bobby Parker – Guitar and Vocals Kevin Schofield – Bass and vocals Zach Huling – Drums
Posted in Reviews on December 29th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
We continue with day four of the Quarterly Review. This batch is numbers 31-40 of the total 60, not that the numbers really mean anything. I know it’s list season — believe me, I know — but there’s no actual ranking going on. It’s just basically so I can keep track and remember what day it is. That’s not to say this is done off the cuff. Actually, there’s an embarrassing amount of planning behind these things. Months. And when I start actually getting the posts ready and realize I’ve slated the same record on two different days — something that’s happened no fewer than three times so far, needing each time to be corrected — it’s a clear demonstration of the value of my planning. Ha. Anyway, we press on. Together. Into the thick of it. Thanks for reading.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
Crowbar, The Serpent Only Lies
More than 25 years and 11 albums into a landmark career that helped prove the existence of the hairy beast known as “sludge metal,” Crowbar don’t owe anyone anything, and since returning to activity with 2011’s Sever the Wicked Hand (review here) and 2014’s Symmetry in Black, they’ve played like it. Their third post-resurgence outing is The Serpent Only Lies (on eOne Heavy), and though it works largely to form – that is, Crowbar are going to sound like Crowbar: low, slow, seeming to lurch even when dug into fits of gallop on “I am the Storm” or the early going of “The Enemy Beside You” – one still finds progression especially in the vocal approach of frontman and founder Kirk Windstein, who self-harmonizes effectively on the title-track’s standout hook as well as the later pair “On Holy Ground” and “Song of the Dunes,” the latter also resoundingly spacious in a way that offsets much of The Serpent Only Lies’ head-down intensity. This might be flourish or a companion to the core Crowbar sound that remains intact throughout, but the truth is it’s not like it needs to be there – Crowbar’s audience would still go to the shows even if the band stopped growing – but it’s entirely to the credit of the New Orleans legends that more than a quarter-century later they continue to progress. I guess that’s how Crowbar gets to be Crowbar.
Depending on what you count as a full-length, The Fall of Hearts (on Peaceville) is either the 10th or 11th studio record from Sweden’s Katatonia. It follows 2013’s acoustic Dethroned and Uncrowned, which reenvisioned 2012’s Dead End Kings and brings forth over an hour of new material from founding duo Jonas Renkse (vocals/guitar/etc.) and Anders “Blakkheim” Nyström (guitar/backing vocals), as well as Niklas Sandin (bass) and Daniel Moilanen (drums), who, working with engineer KarlDaniel Lidén (ex-Greenleaf, Demon Cleaner), continue to proffer resonant melancholy in abundance. As a band, Katatonia have had a number of different phases over the years, from their deathly beginnings through the later moves into melody, but as it stands on songs like “Decima,” with its acoustic and mellotron arrangement, and the seven-minute “Serac,” which plays back and forth between serene and some of The Fall of Hearts’ most intense thrust, they remain among heavy metal’s most recognizable acts. There is no one else who sounds like them, and they sound not quite like anyone else. This collection might be more about gradual steps forward than radical shifts in approach, but Katatonia have found a way to preach to their converted and keep growing at the same time, and that’s to be commended.
Issued via Robustfellow in a range of physical editions from an oversized CD digipak to cassette bundles, the two-song I. AM. Deathless EP from yet-underrated Ukrainian progressive ritualists Ethereal Riffian warrants the ceremony with which it arrives. Its two tracks, “Drum of the Deathless” (6:19) and “Sword of the Deathless” (9:57) closed and opened, respectively, the prior 2016 live outing, Youniversal Voice (review here), and in their studio form they bring to bear a vision of psychedelic metal given to atmospheric breadth that comes at the expense neither of purpose nor impact. The opener proves the more immediate of the pair, but as “Sword of the Deathless” plays out, it finds prog-metal swirl amid low-end starts and stops intertwined layers of multi-channel spoken word, acoustic and electric guitar and percussive tension, so that as it heads into its payoff and melodic finish, the resolution is both satisfying and something of a relief from the cacophony preceding. Forward-thinking and of marked substance, I. AM. Deathless offers a quick glimpse at the band’s scope and invites listeners to dive deep therein.
There isn’t much that’s off-limits to Parisian heavy rockers Dot Legacy. To wit, the near-rap-rock mania of opener “Horizon” from their second LP, To the Others (on Setalight Records), and the laid-back psych-lounge vibes that follow on “Grey Cardinal,” only to be swept away in crashes and chants later, leading to the driving desert punkery of “211.” Three songs, three distinct feels, and Dot Legacy only get weirder from there as they toy with fuzzed momentum on “5314” and “Dakota” before the dreamy post-rock meandering of “The Twelve,” the prog-pop of “Story of Fame” and piano-laden psych-drama of closer “Pioneer.” In 35 minutes, the four-piece cover more ground than most bands do in their whole careers, but that becomes even more admirable in that they manage not to just be all over the place, but to provide a consistent quality of songwriting to complement all that quirk. Add to that the attention to detail in vocal harmonies and arrangements, and as they follow-up their 2014 self-titled debut (review here), they reveal a clear sense of a master plan at work under all the brashness and genre-hopping.
Self-released by the Los Angeles trio in late-2015 and picked up for a vinyl issue through Ripple Music, the self-titled debut from Salem’s Bend leaves little wonder as to why with its classic sensibility and the vibe proliferated by the natural-toned nod of a song like “Silverstruck.” Though still prone to a bit of Hendrix-style shred when it comes to lead guitar, the three-piece of Bobby (guitar/vocals), Kevin (bass) and Zach (drums) depart from some of the post-Radio Moscow all-thrust boogie in favor of more laid back fair and on that cut and the later “Sun and Mist,” which hits into a satisfying apex in its second half without feeling overcooked, as well as the six-minute finale “A Tip of Salem,” which nods through its initial movement before bursting out toward the end. In a crowded SoCal scene, just about anything Salem’s Bend can do to stand apart will serve them, and the fluidity they hone across these seven tracks sets them up to do just that.
Given the personnel involved, the black ‘n’ roll extremity of Thonian Horde’s self-titled debut full-length will no doubt come as a surprise to listeners. Formed in Boonsboro, Maryland, by bassist/vocalist Ron “Fezz” McGinnis (Pale Divine, Admiral Browning, etc.), guitarists Darren “Dirty” Waters (Weed is Weed) and Dan “D-Mize” Mize (Faith in Jane), and drummer Tyler “The Beast” Lee (Weed is Weed), one might expect high-order Frederick-style post-The Obsessed doom. Thonian Horde have more in common with Immortal on their centerpiece track “Darkest Nights Shadow,” and even as the closing “Psychonaut” finds a rock groove in its chorus, it does so with the hooky edge of Satyricon more than any of the members’ other outfits. No doubt that’s the point: doing something different. Indeed, the nine-tracker is a refreshing aesthetic reboot for the scene from whence it comes, holding fast to their region’s crucial lack of pretense even as they brazenly walk their own path – left-hand, of course.
I don’t know about you, but I missed out on Hopp/Förtvivlan, which was the 2015 debut full-length from Swedish rockers Second Sun, so to have Gaphals provide gentle encouragement to check it out by getting behind the two-songer single Tachyonregenerator is most welcome. Both cuts included – “Tachyonregenerator” and “Tror Faktiskt På Dig” – bask in classic vibe without being overly showy when it comes to retroism, and are marked out by the inclusion of organ amid the natural-sounding guitar, drums and bass, the vocals presented in Swedish across both pieces. It’s a quick eight-minutes perfect for the 7” pressing it’s been given, but again, makes enough of an impression that one is inclined toward further investigation, and given that, I can’t call it anything other than a success. I’ll go ahead and chalk up one more quality Swedish act to keep track of, because Second Sun offer tight-knit progressive leanings in a crisp package on Tachyonregenerator, and even if I’m late to the party, I’m glad I got to hear it.
Some pretty clear self-awareness demonstrated in Ten Ton Slug’s self-released debut EP, Brutal Gluttonous Beast. The Galway, Ireland, five-piece had a prior live-recorded two-tracker, but these four songs mark their first studio outing, and as they draw together massive sludge riffing and more extreme, death metal-style growls, there’s precious little one might say to more accurately describe a track like “Trollhunter” – the opener and longest on the release (immediate points) – than that it lives up to the title, its second-half slowdown lurch prefacing a similar move in “Bloodburns” before the more rampaging “Subterranean” and noise-soaked burl of “Unit” take hold. Intense and vicious, but not necessarily unhinged, Brutal Gluttonous Beast finds Ten Ton Slug sounding remarkably sure in their approach, and one will await the news of their traveling to England to record with Chris Fielding at Skyhammer, since that seems to be the kind of presentation for which the tonal onslaught here is begging.
A half-decade after releasing their self-titled EP (review here), Eindhoven heavy/noise rockers Komatsu reemerge on Argonauta Records with the follow-up full-length, Recipe for Murder One. Boasting a guest appearance from Nick Oliveri on the suitably tumultuous “Lockdown,” the album leaves little to wonder what’s in that recipe in the darker-desert vibe of “So How’s About Billy” and “There Must be Something in Your Water,” which teases airy serenity in its first half only to go full-throttle for the second, but as the bass-driven lumber of the title-track and subtle melodic expansion of “The Sea is Calm Today” show, Komatsu haven’t wasted the last five years, instead constructing their own take on sonic density and sludge impulses that seems to hit with formidable impact regardless of tempo or tension level, both of which prove to be fluid elements at the four-piece’s disposal. They get the point across quickly in the stomp of “The Long Way Home,” but find suitable resolution in the nod of closer “Breathe,” rounding out a debut of significant character and depth with one last surprise in ambience it’s only fair to call progressive.
The Blue Sunshine Family Band, The Blue Sunshine Family Band
A double-guitar instrumental four-piece from Santa Rosa, California, The Blue Sunshine Family Band make their debut with a six-song/51-minute self-titled. Tracks presented as Roman numerals “I” through “VI,” though whether or not they’re actually the first six pieces the band has written, I couldn’t say. Either way, the impression immediately draws from “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” – that great king of nod riffs – and first-name-only guitarists Billy and Kevin, bassist Matt and drummer Quinten build outward from there, dipping below the eight-minute mark only on “V” (7:14) as they unfurl solid grooves and tonal heft, seeming to leave room for vocals either consciously or not. The converted will find engagement and immersion in the crash and swinging turn of “IV,” as well as the David Paul Seymour cover art, and if The Blue Sunshine Family Band is the sound of this foursome getting their feet under them, they manage to accomplish that preliminary feat and then some in these tracks.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 28th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
Los Angeles heavy rockers Salem’s Bend and The Rare Breed both have new albums out. In the case of the former, their 2015 self-titled debut has been newly reissued this fall via Ripple Music, while for The Rare Breed, it’s their own debut, Looking for Today, which came out in September to wide acclaim. The shows they’ll partner up for this week have been dubbed the Ripple Road Fest, which is an interesting prospect in itself. This time it’s just five gigs, but one could easily imagine a “Ripple Road Fest” turning into a thing. Maybe annual?
After all, why not? Not like the label doesn’t have enough bands across various strata at this point. I kind of like the idea of them heading out under a single banner. Makes sense from both a branding and a rock and roll standpoint, and as we all know, those are the two things that make the world go ’round.
Courtesy of the PR wire:
Salem’s Bend and The Rare Breed – Ripple Road Fest Dec ’16
Salem’s Bend and The Rare Breed, two LA-based heavy rock trios, are hitting the road for a quick RIPPLE ROAD FEST California tour to kick off the holiday season! Salem’s Bend just released their album with label Ripple Music in October and The Rare Breed will be signing their debut album with them as well for a release in early 2017.
Starting out in the sleepy central valley town of Turlock on Nov 30th at the Grizzly Rock, then hitting Oakland Dec 1st at The Golden Bull, Pacifica on Dec 2nd at Winter’s Tavern, then back down to SoCal for a local LA show at Lexington Bar on Dec 3rd, and finish out in Costa Mesa on Dec 4th at Tiki Bar.
5 shows, 5 days, it’ll be a fast gut-punch of hard rock to your eager ears! Innumerable great local bands will be joining them at each stop so it’s really going to be a must-see. Getting a bit cold for you with winter creeping up? Come out to a show and The Bend and The Breed will MELT YOUR FACE!
Salem’s Bend & The Rare Breed: Ripple Road Fest CA Tour: 11.30 Turlock Grizzly Rock 12.01 Oakland The Golden Bull 12.02 SF/Pacifica Winters Tavern 12.03 L.A. Lexington Bar 12.04 Costa Mesa Tiki Bar
