Well, the track is raw and that would seem to suit Buzzard Canyon just fine. The Connecticut-based heavy rockers bid farewell to bassist Randall Dumas and a howdy-ho to Rob Birkbeck, who takes on the role even as progress continues on the band’s forthcoming second album. Obviously there’s work to be done, mixing, mastering, but hell, listening to the version of “Ashes” that comes with the new video of compiled studio footage, the song sounds pretty close, and certainly suits the name of the to-be-realized LP, Drunken Tales of an Underachiever: The Saga Continues…, which, while it may be cumbersome, definitely gets its point across in terms of the vibe the band are going for.

With intertwining vocal lines and choice driving riffery at their disposal, Buzzard Canyon give their new record an enticing tease here, and if it’s something they put together because they’re on lockdown and bored and/or antsy to do something, anything, well hell, I’ll take that.

Rock and roll:

New Buzzard Canyon Member Announced and New Video

Hey folks, as you may or may not know, Buzzard Canyon has been hard at work on our follow-up record to Hellfire and Whiskey over the past…. while now. We are excited to say that it is near completion! The amazing Bill Kole is currently working on the art, we are in the final stages of mixing and we’ll be sending it off to mastering once that is done. It’s a 10 track journey of fast paced, hip swinging rock and roll, filled with whiskey flavored riffs, psychedelic nuances, and drunken tales of woe… You will not be disappointed.

We have also had a lineup change to announce. Randall Dumas was a member of Buzzard Canyon for many years, and we have mutually agreed to part ways. We wish him well and thank him for his time with us!

With all of that said, we would like to take this moment to welcome the very talented Rob Birkbeck on bass. With the departure of Dumas, Rob stepped up and leaned the songs in a very short time, and recorded his tracks from home during this current lockdown.

We would like to present the following video for “Ashes” off of the new album titled: “Drunken Tales of an Underachiever: The Saga Continues….”

This version of the song is mostly mixed and not mastered.

We look forward to getting back out there with you all and making memories that will be forgotten in a drunken haze the next morning.

Enjoy the video, stay tuned, drop out, and stay safe.

Buzzard Canyon

https://www.facebook.com/BuzzardCanyon/
https://buzzardcanyon.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SaltOfTheEarthRec/
www.SaltOfTheEarthRecords.com

Buzzard Canyon, “Ashes” official video

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

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

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

Days of Rona: Scott Harrington of Salt of the Earth Records (Colchester, Connecticut)

—

How are you dealing with this crisis? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

I own Salt Of The Earth Records & 313 INC Artist Management, and I am a co-conspirator of The New England Stoner and Doom Festival.

The label side of things we have been busy because we do a good amount of mailorder, and people have been buying music and other things to help entertain themselves while staying in… We just had the new Thunderbird Divine EP, The Hand of Man, come out this week, and we have been using our YouTube channel to promote the release and hopefully give fans an entertaining look behind the scenes. Something visual to go along with the music side.

As far as the crisis having an impact on plans, it definitely has. Today we had to announce that New England Stoner and Doom Festival is being postponed till next year (May 14-16, 2021). The good news is that it appears all of the bands are on board.

We also had a really big European tour that was going to be announced this week, that we have postponed till next February. As well as we had a huge concert event “Friday The 313th Oddities Bazaar” scheduled for March 13, that we canceled to be on the safe side. It was before the quarantine and at the moment when we canceled it, we wondered if we were going overboard, but in hindsight I feel we 100 percent did the right thing.

People need to stay home.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

We are based in Colchester Connecticut, a suburb of Hartford. So we are kind of in the middle of CT.

Our town and surrounding towns are quarantined except for essential workers.

My family has been in self-quarantine since March 12. We are taking this extremely seriously.

My son-in-law works for UPS as a driver. He is an essential worker, and I am proud as all hell of him. He is a major part of bringing some sort of normalcy to a lot of people. And he is extremely careful. Who would have thought a month ago that an Amazon order containing cereal, toothpaste and peanut butter would have made me happier then even a package with some killer records in it? It’s crazy times no doubt.

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

The virus’s effect has been monumentally huge on my local community as well as our global music community. There are so many tattoo shops, record stores, recording studios, venues, bars, merchandise printers, vinyl and CD manufacturers that have been forced to close for who knows how long. It’s a huge petrifying sacrifice on their parts. And I truly thank them with my all of my heart For doing the right thing, even though it’s not easy at all.

I feel like the music community has really come together to support each other and others around us. I see lots of people buying bands music and merch online… PLEASE KEEP DOING THIS! Every single sale can make a big difference.

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

I want each and every person reading this to know all hope is not lost. We are being forced to show our resiliency and we are being reminded of the things that are really important. Family, friends and our health. I’m going to sound like a hippie here, but in my family we have raised (and are still raising) our kids by a simple creed: Be a good human.

If someone needs help, and you can help them… do it.

And Even through this chaos I count myself lucky. I have my wife and my kids and this huge global metal family that I am part of. I really appreciate all of the artists that we have the honor of working with. As well as all of the awesome metal fans we get to bring the heavy to.

Thank you. Each of you.

Please be safe. Please be well.

Be good humans.

https://www.facebook.com/SaltOfTheEarthRec/
www.SaltOfTheEarthRecords.com
http://www.Newenglandstoneranddoomfest.com
https://www.facebook.com/NewEnglandStonerAndDoomFest/

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

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

Thanks to all who participate. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Erik Caplan of Thunderbird Divine (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

—

How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

Obviously, this whole thing sucks — bandwise and just in general. This virus is a bastard. We’ve canceled shows, including our CD release show. Half of the band is working from home, the other half works in very small businesses. We are being careful, skipping rehearsals and staying home. Adam (bass) and I are sending song ideas back and forth via Dropbox, but it’s really not the same as getting together and just playing. It sucks, and I miss my dudes. Thankfully, we’re all safe and healthy. That’s ultimately the most important thing. My buddy Mike (former drummer of Wizard Eye) just texted me and said, “There are gonna be a lot of rusty rehearsals when this quarantine is over.” I can’t wait to go be rusty.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

I’m in Montgomery County, PA, which is very close to Philly. Schools are closed. All non-essential businesses are closed. Everyone is supposed to stay home. People are half-assedly doing this. Too many are out doing stuff in crowds because they’re bored. I’m honestly concerned for the health of general population right now.

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

When I go anywhere outside of the house, things are eerie. Kids are home from school, but they’re generally not outside. Playgrounds are empty. Grocery stores have a very strange energy. People are distanced, but they’re also fractured and shopping sort of hysterically. It’s very disconcerting. My neighbors wave and say hello from a distance. That’s not so different, actually.

Musically, I’m seeing a lot of our peers doing songs on Facebook, posting acoustic stuff or just jamming alone (shout out to Ken from Eternal Black showing of his beautiful amps and guitars). I find this very life-affirming and communal. I’m glad to see them alive and well, doing their thing. I want this to be over so I can hug everyone.

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

We’re here, we’re alive and we’re hoping everyone is being safe and staying healthy. This thing isn’t a joke or a game, and you’re not too young, too smart or too badass to get sick or get someone else sick. This situation is like telling your kid to go to bed when they’re hyped up and don’t want to sleep: I promise all the fun stuff will still be there when you wake up. Just follow the rules. All the fun will come back. Let it go for a while. It’ll be okay. We’re gonna be here. Let’s stay healthy.

https://www.facebook.com/thunderbirddivine
https://www.instagram.com/thunderbird_divine/
https://thunderbirddivine.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SaltOfTheEarthRec/
www.SaltOfTheEarthRecords.com

Psychedelphia four-piece Thunderbird Divine release their new EP, The Hand of Man, on March 28 through Salt of the Earth Records. It’s only three tracks and about 12 minutes long, but The Hand of Man works quickly to blow the roof off of where Thunderbird Divine were early last year when they made their full-length debut with the rousing Magnasonic (review here), with the three-and-a-half-minute opening title-track throwing its Fu Manchu-style fuzz and riff-worth-remembering out the airlock into an open space of guest organ and backing vocal arrangements in preparation for the Monster Magnetism of the ensuing six-minute centerpiece “Boote’s Void,” a triumph and moment of arrival certainly for bassist Adam Scott if not the rest of the band — though also definitely the rest of the band, as the guitars of Flynn Lawrence (also sitar; yup) and Erik Caplan (also vocals, lap steel, theremin, etc.) grow richer in tone with the surrounding keys and drummer Mike Stuart shows his style as malleable either to the swing of “The Hand of Man” and the roll of “Boote’s Void” as well as the move over to percussion alongside Caplan for the psych-bluesy instrumental finale “’88 Testadoon,” a hypnotic instrumental that one only wishes jammed on for about nine minutes instead of the two it does.

Run-on sentence much? Hell yes, but The Hand of Man functions that way as well, with one piece moving fluidly into the next and into the last, the songs building off each other along the way. Granted, “’88 Testadoon” is something of an epilogue, but even that brings a sense of patience and atmosphere to the proceedings that bolster the whole outing and broaden the band’s sound overall. Magnasonic showcased no lack of potential on the part of the former Wizard Eye and Skeleton Hands members, who also recently took on The Yardbirds‘ “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” — which one only hopes will see a physical pressing of one sort or another soon — and The Hand of Man finds them working quickly to fulfill that potential casting a melodic swirl in “The Hand of Man” made stronger through the backing vocals of Brittany Marie and Avalicious and the keys of Charles Newman. Hate to say it — actually I don’t — but Thunderbird Divine might end up having to play shows as The Thunderbird Divine All-Stars if this keeps up, because what they’re doing here really, really works, right up to Caplan channeling his inner Dave Wyndorf as the deceptively patient cosmic unfurling of “Boote’s Void” takes place before the harder fuzz kicks in, righteous and spaced and soulful in likewise expanding measure.

That’s always the question though with a release like The Hand of Man — perhaps even more so as it’s coming after Thunderbird Divine‘s debut album — in terms of how indicative it is of their sound moving forward versus is it a one-off, the band trying an experiment that just happens to work exceedingly well. Hell if I know. Maybe they don’t either. What’s exciting about The Hand of Man though, aside from the material itself, which is electrified in any number of figurative senses, is that it makes Thunderbird Divine a less predictable band on the whole. Going into their inevitable second album, whenever it might arrive — shit, the sooner the better — I feel like I have less of a grasp after listening to these three songs on what to expect for a follow-up to Magnasonic than I did before the EP came along, and that is invariably a good thing. Whether they continue to build on the fluidity as presented here in a style that, were it not so short, would definitely be album-ish, or push into something rawer in terms of arrangement or again decide to take an unanticipated direction, they’re very quickly beginning to earn a basic level of trust that they can carry their songwriting through any number of diverse applications. Dudes have it down, is what I’m saying. Let the nonsense move you, because the nonsense is awesome.

The Hand of Man was recorded at Retro City Studios in Philly and Cottage Sounds Unlimited in Brooklyn. You can stream the premiere of the title-track below, followed by a quote from Caplan on the making of the song, that Yardbirds cover, and a trailer for an upcoming recording documentary on the making of the EP.

Please enjoy:

Erik Caplan on “The Hand of Man”:

This track started as a riff that existed before I joined up with these dudes back in 2017. Flynn is a masterful riffologist, and this one has a lovely swagger. We previously tried to cram this riff into a bunch of other song structures, and none of them were quite right. Eventually we realized we needed to let it breathe, and it developed an identity of its own. After that, the song grew naturally into its final form. I love Mike’s break before the bridge. It’s a small moment, but it feels very natural. We wanted it to be a banger, but we also wanted it to have a foreboding, scattered feeling as an overtone to the groove in the bridge.

Basic tracking took place at Retro City Studios in Philadelphia, where we nailed down the essence of the song, my main vocals and all of the backing vocal arrangements. Picture me acting as a lunatic choir director from behind a baby grand piano as the ladies (Avy and Brittany) attempted to decipher my conducting for the backing vocals… it was pretty amusing.

Joe Boldizar and the crew at Retro City got excellent, organic sounds for us in the main tracking phase. Adam and I then took the track to Cottage Sounds Unlimited in Brooklyn to add the Wurlitzer, B3 Organ and lap steel guitar. Charles Newman is a talented musician, and keys are a specialty for him. He interpreted our (admittedly offbeat) sonic requests brilliantly. When we brought the tracks back to Retro City for mixing, Joe sort of instinctively knew what we wanted. It was a very smooth process overall.

The lyrics are my musings about a documentary called Discovering Bigfoot. The filmmaker, Todd Standing, put a lot of time and effort into making this sort of visual poem for the Bigfoot population he clearly loves and respects. I’m not saying his research is flawed or anything like that, but his approach was certainly a little unconventional, as I suppose it should be, considering the subject matter. I’m not sure he proved his thesis by making this film, but he succeeded in providing entertainment.

Thunderbird Divine “Hand Of Man”
Available @ www.SaltOfTheEarthRecords.com

Thunderbird Divine is
Erik Caplan: electric guitars, vocals, theremin, lap steel guitar, percussion, vocal arrangements
Flynn Lawrence: electric guitars, electric sitar
Mike Stuart: drums, percussion
Adam Scott: bass, synth, 3-string strum stick, percussion

With
Brittany Marie and Avalicious: backing vocals
(Additional backing vocal arrangement by Brittany Marie on “Boote’s Void”)
Mike Scarpone: djembe on “Boote’s Void”
Charles Newman: keys, synths on “Hand of Man” and “Boote’s Void”

Thunderbird Divine, The Hand of Man recording documentary trailer

Thunderbird Divine, “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”

Thunderbird Divine on Thee Facebooks

Thunderbird Divine on Instagram

Thunderbird Divine on Bandcamp

Salt of the Earth Records on Thee Facebooks

Salt of the Earth Records website

Somewhat unexpected but most definitely welcome news out of Philly in that Thunderbird Divine have a new EP on the way following up on their righteous 2019 debut, Magnasonic (review here), and further, that they’re already streaming a new single as a precursor to that. If there’s anything I enjoy, it’s not waiting for new music. The track they’ve got posted now is a Yardbirds cover “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago,” which they nonetheless manage to make sound like it comes from the future, and the upcoming three-songer is called The Hand of Man. It’ll be out through Salt of the Earth Records on March 28. Preorders are up now, and you should do that.

Thunderbird Divine have a gig booked around the release and they’ll be at Maryland Doom Fest 2020 as well. More info follows here, courtesy of the PR wire:

Philly’s Space Hippies THUNDERBIRD DIVINE Set To Release ‘The Hand Of Man’ 3-Song Single on Salt Of The Earth Records!

Psychedelic Rock Collective THUNDERBIRD DIVINE shares their tribute to The Yardbirds’ “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” ahead of the upcoming release of a three-song single ‘The Hand of Man’.

The Philadelphia-based space hippies of THUNDERBIRD DIVINE will put forth their second release, ‘The Hand of Man,’ on March 28th via Salt of the Earth Records, alongside a documentary of the recording sessions.

“We absolutely loved what Thunderbird Divine did with Magnasonic, and The Hand of Man just keeps the ball rolling,” says Scott Harrington, president of Salt of the Earth Records. “These guys are at the top of their game when it comes to songwriting and arrangements.”

A companion recording, a cover of The Yardbirds’ “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” is presented here in video format and will be available for free download via the band’s Bandcamp site. “We tracked and mixed that one ourselves,” says guitarist / vocalist / multi-instrumentalist Erik Caplan. “We relate to The Yardbirds more and more as we continue writing. That band was stuck between being known as bluesy rock act and a progenitor of psychedelia and studio experimentation. This cover is a tribute to their brilliant work.”

Primary tracking for the three-song ‘The Hand of Man’ single was done at Philadelphia’s Retro City Studios, with Joe Boldizar handling most of the engineering duties. Additional layers were added at Brooklyn’s Cottage Sounds Unlimited, with Charles Newman providing his prowess on various synths and keys. “Working with the guys was a total pleasure,” says Boldizar. “They showed just the right amount of focus and did some fun experimenting with the tracks.”

‘The Hand Of Man’ Tracklist:
01. The Hand of Man
02. Boote’s Void
03. ’88 Testadoon

This release finds the band committed to its rock and psychedelic roots with a less densely embroidered approach to layering and instrumentation.

“For ‘Magnasonic’, we really went all out in the tracking process, just creating several sonically nuanced elements in every track,” Caplan says. “We built those layers in the studio as we worked. For ‘The Hand of Man’ sessions, our orchestration and instrumentation, from the ladies singing backups and the electric sitar, to the Wurlitzer organ, was fully realized before we set foot in the studio.” The result is a focused, streamlined trio of songs true to the band’s love of both riff-rock and trippy experimentation.

This theme follows through the release’s visual elements, as well. “For this recording’s artwork, I started with a synthetic cubist design and built elements out from there,” says bassist / multi-instrumentalist / art designer Adam Scott. “I intentionally departed from the vibrant color palette used on ‘Magnasonic’ and focused more on layers and space.”

Additionally, THUNDERBIRD DIVINE will make available a 17-minute visual record of its recording process in the form of a documentary compiled by close band friend and fellow musician, Jamie Victor. “I love the guys, love the band and love making videos,” Victor explains. “It all lined up. I consider these guys family, so it was my pleasure to make this for them. They didn’t even know I was going to do it.”

‘The Hand Of Man’ is available March 28th. Pre-order now:
Digital: https://thunderbirddivine.bandcamp.com/album/the-hand-of-man
CD: https://saltoftheearthrecords.com/product/548953

Upcoming Live Dates:
Mar. 28 – Philadelphia, PA @ Ortlieb’s
Jun. 18-21 – Frederick, MD @ The Maryland Doom Fest 2020

Performed by
Erik Caplan: electric guitars, vocals, theremin, lap steel guitar, percussion, vocal arrangements
Flynn Lawrence: electric guitars, electric sitar
Mike Stuart: drums, percussion
Adam Scott: bass, synth, 3-string strum stick, percussion

With
Brittany Marie and Avalicious: backing vocals
(Additional backing vocal arrangement by Brittany Marie on “Boote’s Void”)
Mike Scarpone: djembe on “Boote’s Void”
Charles Newman: keys, synths on “Hand of Man” and “Boote’s Void”

https://www.facebook.com/thunderbirddivine
https://www.instagram.com/thunderbird_divine/
https://thunderbirddivine.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SaltOfTheEarthRec/
www.SaltOfTheEarthRecords.com

Thunderbird Divine, “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago”

[Click play above to stream ‘Where Eagles Drink’ from Scissorfight’s new album, Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1. Album is out Dec. 6 through Salt of the Earth Records with preorders here.]

From some bands, a line like, “Shut up and watch the flame get higher,” might be a pithy social commentary or a statement of humanity’s inaction to avert climate catastrophe. In Scissorfight‘s “Caveman Television,” rest assured, it’s about people who talk too much around a campfire. Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 is the seventh full-length from the just-came-from-the-forest-already-drunk-and-looking-to-fight New Hampshire four-piece, and a landmark for the simple fact of its existence.

It arrives some 13 years after their last album, Jaggernaut, and some 18 after their arguable pinnacle in 2001’s Mantrapping for Sport and Profit (discussed here) — there were several short releases between those two as well, including splits with Cave In and Pelican and three other EPs: Potential New Agent for Unconventional Warfare (2002), Deathchants, Breakdowns and Military Waltzes Vol. 2 (2003) and Victory over Horseshit (2005) — and follows a 2016 revamping of the band that included founding bassist Paul Jarvis and founding guitarist Jay Fortin extending the group’s by-then-legendary fuckall-and-fuck-off attitude to recruiting a new vocalist and drummer to round out the lineup.

Issued through Salt of the Earth Records, the 2016 comeback EP, Chaos County (review here), tested the waters and found them mercifully free of giardia (look it up), and the band’s positive response extended to the live arena as well, with Doug Aubin‘s formidable presence as a frontman and Rick Orcutt‘s work behind the kit helping propel them to Europe as well as through regional shows around New England — their long-established stomping ground.

Particularly after Chaos County, a full-length was an inevitable next step, and Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 (also on Salt of the Earth) brings the Aubin, Fortin, Jarvis, and Orcutt incarnation of Scissorfight to a new level in reestablishing the band’s approach. It’s got nine tracks and an LP-ready 39-minute run. Its songs are tight in structure and swing like a right arm throwing a suckerpunch, and they’re heavy like, well, like fucking Scissorfight are heavy. There’s no mistaking that sound.

In some ways, it’ll be the next album that tells the tale of their return as a working band rather than one making a comeback, but if I call Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 business as usual for Scissorfight, I only mean it as a compliment. Whether it’s the woodsy sounds starting “Caveman Television” at the outset, or the anthemic “Rock and/or Die” playing off the Granite State motto “Live free or die,” or centerpiece “Where Eagles Drink” entering direct conversation with “Blizzards Buzzards Bastards” and “New Hampshire’s Alright if You Like Fighting” from the aforementioned 2001 album while laying the band’s ethic out in admirably plain language for the chorus: “Born on a mountain/Raised in a cave/Drinkin’ and fightin’/All I crave.”

Theirs is a battery of downtuned stomp and aggro burl, and they’ve always done it at their own level. Subtly clever and unsubtle in shoving you down a rhythmic flight of stairs, tying itself to the wooded northern Appalachians of their home with New England’s we-get-two-weeks-of-summer high altitude bad attitude, Scissorfight willfully and defiantly retain their core elements on Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1. That is, while the EP proved it could be done, this is the point at which Scissorfight say with no equivocation they are Scissorfight and, true to character, they don’t give a shit if you’re along for it, the ride’s going either way.

The all-out headspin of second cut “Dumpfight” is a raw punk-derived slammer in its first half, and when it breaks at about two minutes in, Aubin warns of the riff that follows, “Oh shit. Here it comes.” Thanks for the heads up. The image of collecting a swollen jaw is inescapable as the salvo that began with “Caveman Television” continues through “Dumpfight” and into “Coagulus” and “Rock and/or Die” as the record heads through a midsection that would be a beer gut were it not still so able to move.

While there’s little loss of momentum as “Coagulus” makes a grower hook of the line, “All in the name of the hunt” and its title in telling tales of bear traps and other foresty threats, “Rock and/or Die” is singularly catchy and outdone only by the subsequent “Where Eagles Drink,” with its made-for-the-stage call and response in the verse — not the only one on the record, but still a standout — though even “Piss in the Wind”‘s chorus is a masterclass in how to craft fare for drunken singalongs.

The back third of Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 — let’s just call it the “ass-end” to keep with the mood of the release — is comprised of three final songs between five and six minutes long. With acoustic twang, “The Battle of (Mudhole Mountain)” leads off this final turn, followed by the fuzz-bass led post-industrial ode to the Merrimack Valley “Lead Venom” and closer “Whatcha Get,” which actually pulls back on some of the immediacy that’s been so prevalent throughout Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 at its outset, but is soon enough given over to the sharpest-edged riff of the album and a chorus that feels especially pointed in remarking “That’s whatcha get for saying ‘never again’.”

And I guess that’s really the core of what the album is all about. From a certain distance, one has to chuckle at the ballsiness in a band releasing their first record in over a decade and including “abrupt” in the name of it, but ballsy is what Scissorfight do and, to one degree or another, have always done, so it’s fitting in that regard if no other. They end with more noise from the woods to leave off with a sense of completion, and while inevitably the conversation around Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 is still the fact that their lineup has changed, that feeling of being complete is no minor consideration, and it extends to the band itself.

Once again in keeping with the spirit of the album and Scissorfight generally, I’ll say it as plain as I can: I was a fan of Scissorfight with Iron Lung up front. Like, a big fan. Those old records are earthshakers and I wouldn’t tell you otherwise. I don’t know what the impact of Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 will be, how far it will reach or what the overall reception will be, but if you’ve ever been on board with Scissorfight, and you can’t get on board with this, it isn’t their fault.

Scissorfight on Thee Facebooks

Scissorfight on Instagram

Scissorfight website

Salt of the Earth Records webstore

Salt of the Earth Records on Thee Facebooks

Next time you want to piss off your autocorrect, try sending a text about the new Via Vengeance record, which has been dubbed Diestractions from the Truth and is due out Nov. 15 through Salt of the Earth Records. Preorders are open as of noon Eastern today from the label, and to mark the occasion, Shane Ocell, who comprises the entirety of the lineup, has a new video premiering for “Haunt,” which is also the first audio to be made public from the album. The title, carrying that implication likening distractions and death, isn’t the first instance of Ocell (who also drums for Sorxe) using that particular wordplay; Via Vengeance‘s 2007 debut, Dieography, was the project’s only release until 2016’s also-aptly-named Harsh Conditions, which, rest assured, had its own body count going by the time it got to closer “In the End Nothing Goes to Waste.” Fair enough. I don’t think you start a one-man sludge band unless you have a few things to get off your chest.

And Via Vengeance is a solo outfit in the truest sense. I’ve never seen him live, but by all accounts, Ocell handles it all on stage, drums, vocals, guitar, and the ethic would seem to extend to the studio as well. Can you hear the difference on a recording? I don’t know. What would “Haunt” sound like with a full band instead of one person doing it all? Maybe it’d be a huge difference. Maybe it’d be no different at all. Point is he’s doing it, so that’s what you get live and on the LP.

You can see a bit of it in the video — or at least the second half of it. For the first minute-plus, Ocell toys with the notion of there being multiple members of the band, wearing a couple different disguises as he separately plays drums and guitar and sings. The swap happens at 1:23 and for the rest of the 3:14 clip you can see Ocell holding a drum stick in between his ring finger and pinky while strumming his guitar to the rhythm of his own making and yelling out verse lines to top the march. As compared to Harsh Conditions, there’s a general uptick in production value and his shouts seem more noise rock than the gutturalism of the last album, but I wouldn’t necessarily expect “Haunt” to speak for the entirety of Diestractions from the Truth either, though I won’t argue with the first impression it makes.

Premiere is below, followed by the preorder link.

Enjoy:

Via Vengeance, “Haunt” official video premiere

VIA VENGEANCE
“Diestractions From The Truth”
(VINYL / CD / Digital Download)
Release Date: 11/15/19

Preorders Start Today!!
**Friday (10/18) @ 12 PM (Eastern)**
www.SaltOfTheEarthRecords.com

From the deepest recesses and abstract corners of Shane Ocell’s (Sorxe) mind comes A one man juggernaut of unbridled heaviness…prepare to have your senses altered as the bar of creativity is raised to new heights. This is audio warfare.

The unrelenting Phoenix AZ based Sludge band known as VIA VENGEANCE was formed in 2006 by Shane Ocell with exploring the concept of being a one-man Sludge band being the ultimate mission… And he has been crushing solo ever since.

VIA VENGEANCE use no loops and Shane records all his tracks while playing both guitar and drums simultaneously. Combining both a finesse and a reckless audio abandon that must be heard, and felt to truly appreciate.

Via Vengeance on Thee Facebooks

Via Vengeance on Instagram

Via Vengeance website

Salt of the Earth Records on Thee Facebooks

Salt of the Earth Records website

Welp, if fuckin’ Scissorfight are doing anything, you know there’s gonna be trouble. The fabled Granite State Destroyers have titled their new album, Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1, and you know, seeing as it’s their first full-length in 13 years, calling it ‘Vol. 1′ — as if to imply there’s a follow-up coming any minute now — feels pretty ambitious. Being somewhat familiar with fuckin’ Scissorfight, however, I’m inclined to think that’s the joke. Either way, Salt of the Earth Records has the release out Dec. 6 and preorders have been up for the better part of a month, but frankly, I was waiting to write about it until I actually heard the thing — I can be kind of a stickler that way sometimes — and now that I have, well, let’s just say I’m gonna have a hard time ever writing the word band’s name without the word “fuckin'” in front of it again.

Because fuckin’ Scissorfight.

I’ve locked in a premiere for the opening track sometime in I guess the next month and a half, so stay tuned for that, and if you’re in the band’s native New England region, which they stalk like the low-toned collective mountain skunk ape that they are, they’ll play Stoned to Death 4 next weekend in Vermont and they’ve got release shows in New Hampshire and a gig in Maine. If you live south of Massachusetts, basically you’re fucked. I bet they could tour Europe though if they wanted. Just saying.

No music from Doomus Abruptus Vol. 1 yet, but like I said, keep an eye out. Fuckin’ Scissorfight. Apparently this is their first album on vinyl. Who the hell knew?

Here’s info from the band and Salt of the Earth:

IT IS FINALLY TIME. Decades in the making… The FIRST Scissorfight album to be released on vinyl is upon us!

Preorders start Friday 9/27 Release Date: Friday 12/06

-SCISSORFIGHT “Doomus Abruptus Vol 1” Extremely Limited Edition Hand Numbered Autographed Test Pressings Only (15) Available. Own some history. -$50
-SCISSORFIGHT “Doomus Abruptus Vol 1” -Black Vinyl (Blue Collar Edition)- -$25
-SCISSORFIGHT “Doomus Abruptus Vol 1” Digipak CD -$12

Preorder at: https://www.saltoftheearthrecords.com/music

Track Listing:
Caveman Television
Dumpfight
Coagulus
Rock And/Or Die
Where Eagles Drink
Piss In The Wind
The Battle Of (Mudhole Mountain)
Lead Venom
Whatcha Get

Produced, Recorded, and Mixed by Benny Grotto At Mad Oak Studio (Allston MA). Mastered By Alan Douches West West Side Music.

Scissorfight live:
Sat Oct 26th, The Stone Church, Brattleboro VT (Stoned to Death 4)
Wed Oct 30th, Dover Brickhouse, Dover NH
Sat Nov 9th, Genos Rock Club, Portland ME – Tickets
Fri and Sat Dec 6 and 7, The Shaskeen, Manchester NH

https://www.facebook.com/Scissorfight2016/
https://www.instagram.com/scissorfight2019/
http://scissorfight.com/
https://saltoftheearthrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/SaltOfTheEarthRec/
https://www.saltoftheearthrecords.com

Scissorfight, Live at Geno’s Rock Club, Portland, ME, May 5, 2019

Scissorfight, “Unfinished Business” official video