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Maryland Doom Fest 2018 Announces Full Lineup with The Obsessed, Windhand, Weedeater, Earthride and Many More

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 1st, 2017 by JJ Koczan

Invariably there will be some change between now and next June, and there’s the tradition of the pre-show to consider the night before, but right out of the gate, Maryland Doom Fest 2018 impresses with its scope of heavy rock and doom, cross-country reach and loyalty to its core mission. With The Obsessed, Windhand and Weedeater set to headline, the fourth edition of the fest curated by JB Matson and Mark Cruikshank will welcome return appearances from the likes of Castle, Earthride, Thousand Vision Mist and Foghound, while reaching out to bring first-timers from afar like Texas’ Doomstress and Duel and Switchblade Jesus, Kansas rockers The Midnight Ghost Train, Connecticut’s Curse the Son, New York’s Geezer, and — I believe traveling the farthest — Disenchanter, from Portland, Oregon.

It’s a killer assemblage, and I think the three headliners do a lot in summarizing the whole idea behind the fest in the first place: The Obsessed are among the founders of what we think of as “Maryland doom.” Windhand are the forerunners of the modern scene. And Weedeater bring a riotous sludge party like no one else on the planet. What more could you possibly ask of three bands in terms of expressing what Maryland Doom Fest 2018 is all about?

I’ll have updates as I see them, but in the meantime, mark your calendars for June 22, 23, and 24 at Cafe 611 in Frederick, MD, and I’ll do the same, because this looks absolutely awesome.

Dig it:

maryland doom fest 2018 poster

Maryand Doom Fest 2018

A 3 day weekend of Doom in its purest form.

June 22, 23, and 24

Cafe 611 Restaurant
611 North Market Street
Frederick, MD 21701

Full lineup:
The Obsessed, Windhand, Weedeater, Castle, Unorthodox, Duel, The Watchers, Zed, Switchblade Jesus, The Midnight Ghost Train, Lightning Born, Earthride, Geezer, Disenchanter, Bedowyn, Cavern, Doomstress, Caustic Casanova, Hawkeyes, Curse the Son, Las Cruces, Horseburner, Shadow Witch, Foghound, Witchhelm, Book of Wyrms, Thousand Vision Mist, Molasses Barge, Backwoods Payback, Bailjack, Electropathic, Gateway to Hell

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-maryland-doom-fest-2018-tickets-39468562533
https://www.facebook.com/MdDoomFest/
https://www.themarylanddoomfest.com/

The Obsessed, Live at Maryland Doom Fest 2016

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The Watchers Announce Tour Dates; New Video Posted

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

the watchers

Because I’m interested in these things, I looked up the driving time between Wapakoneta, Ohio, and Frederick, Maryland. That’s the trip that San Francisco heavy rockers The Watchers — who debuted on Ripple Music last year with their Sabbath Highway EP (review here) — will make on June 24 to take part in this year’s Maryland Doom Fest at Cafe 611. According to the robots that rule our existence, it’s about six hours and 45 minutes. Doable in a day but not insubstantial by any means. They’ll probably want to split after their set in Ohio the night before and get at least two or three hours of that down and finish the trip in the morning. Life of a touring band. They don’t need me to tell them that.

Maryland Doom Fest, incidentally, is the only gig The Watchers have booked on (or near, anyway) the East Coast, and immediately following it, they whip a 180 and head back to the Midwest for a show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 26. Go go go.

Not a small amount of ground to cover, even with a day between, and before they do it, they’ll reportedly hit the studio to work on their first full-length, tentatively due in Sept., also on Ripple. Oh, and they have a new video as well.

The PR wire keeps us informed:

the watchers tour

The Watchers hit the road in support of their critically-acclaimed debut EP on Ripple Music

S.F. Bay Area rock heavyweights, The Watchers, hit the road this summer in support of their debut Ripple Music release, their “Sabbath Highway”.

Starting this June, the “Sabbath Highway Tour” will see the band hitting the highways of the American heartland, crossing from their West Coast homes all the way to their pinnacle stop at The Maryland Doom Fest #3, where they’ll lay waste to waiting audiences along side such heavyweights as The Skull, Wo Fat, and Bang.

6/17 Nevada • Reno / Jub Jubs Thirst Parlor
6/18 Utah • SLC / The Urban Lounge
6/19 Colorado • Ft Collins / Surfside 7
6/20 Kansas • Lawrence / Replay Lounge
6/21 Illinois • Chicago / Reggies
6/22 Indiana • South Bend / Smiths Downtown
6/23 Ohio • Wapakoneta / Route 33 Rhythm & Brews
6/24 Maryland • Frederick / Cafe 611 (Maryland Doom Fest)
6/26 Oklahoma • Tulsa (TBA)
6/27 Texas • San Antonio / Limelight
6/28 Texas • Austin / The Lost Well
6/29 Texas • El Paso / Rock House
6/30 Arizona • Tempe / Yucca Tap Room

Before the Tour commences, The Watchers will enter the studio to record their next full length offering anticipated to be released by Ripple Music in Sept. 2017.

Finally, to rev up for the tour, The Watchers just released a new video from the “Sabbath Highway” EP, “Just A Needle.” Check it out and prepare for the Sabbath Highway!

www.facebook.com/bandofwatchers
https://www.facebook.com/Ripple-Music-369610860064/
http://www.ripple-music.com/
http://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/sabbath-highway

The Watchers, “Just a Needle” official video

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Quarterly Review: Bus, Them Bulls, Stinkeye, Buzzard Canyon, Motherbrain, Elder Druid, The Crazy Left Experience, The Watchers, Of the Horizon, Raj

Posted in Reviews on December 28th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the obelisk winter quarterly review

Today is the day the Quarterly Review passes the halfway point. This will be 21-30 of the total 60 for the six days, so there’s still a ways to go — you might say 50 percent — but it’s a milestone nonetheless. Once again it’s another roundup of cool stuff, kind of all over the place a little more than the last two days were, but as we go further along with these things, it’s good to mix it up after a while. There’s only so many times you can throw the word “lysergic” around and talk about jamming. That said, you’re getting some of that today as well from Portugal, so when it pops up, don’t be surprised. Much to do, so no need to delay.

Quarterly Review #21-30:

Bus, The Unknown Secretary

bus-the-unknown-secretary

Athenian double-guitar four-piece Bus execute a stylistically cohesive, crisp debut with The Unknown Secretary (on Twin Earth Records), presenting classic heavy rock elements without going full-retro in their sound itself and marking songs like “Masteroid” as immediately distinct through the harmonized vocals of guitarist Bill City, joined in the band by guitarist Johnnie Chez, bassist Chob D’oh and drummer Aris. Together they run through a clean two sides that play back and forth between proto-metallic and doom shading – “Don’t Fear Your Demon” touches on slower Pentagram – while sounding perhaps most comfortable in rockers like “Withered Thorn” or the earlier stomper “New Black Volume,” which puts its two guitars to excellent use ahead of and between unabashedly poppy (not sure a full Ghost comparison is warranted) verse, and craft a highlight in the 7:38 arena-ready thrust of “Rockerbus” prior to the surprisingly nodding finale of “Jimi.” A strikingly efficient and clear-headed first full-length that would seem to hold much promise of things to come from yet another player in Greece’s emergent heavy scene.

Bus on Thee Facebooks

Twin Earth Records on Bandcamp

 

Them Bulls, Them Bulls

them-bulls-them-bulls.jpg

With the start-stop riff of opener “As Fangs in Stone,” a mastering job by Mathias Schneeberger and the breadth of pop melodicism in cuts that one, the swinging “Made of Ghosts,” and the more percussive “Through the Sun,” Italian four-piece Them Bulls make a pretty strong beeline for early-Queens of the Stone Age-style heavy desert rock. Their self-titled Small Stone debut isn’t without individualized flourish, but the 10-track/41-minute offering makes it clear from the start what its intentions are and then sets about living up to them, whether on the careening Songs for the Deaf-ery of “Pot Gun” or the penultimate “We Must Live Up” itself. Vocal interplay from guitarists Daniele Pollio and Franscesco Pasi – joined by the rhythm section of bassist Paolo Baldini and drummer Giampaolo Farnedi – provides an opportunity for future growth, but it’s worth noting that for a band to take on such a specific stylization, their songwriting needs to be in check, and Them Bulls’ is.

Them Bulls on Thee Facebooks

Them Bulls at Small Stone Records

 

Stinkeye, Llantera Demos

stinkeye-llantera-demos

What seems to be Stinkeye’s debut recording, Llantera Demos, arrives as a free download of four tracks and 16 minutes rife with thickened boogie and dense mecha-stoner fuzz, reminding of Dead Meadow immediately in the echoing vocals and rhythmic bounce of “Orange Man” but moving into some shuffle on the subsequent “Fink Ployd” and “Llantera,” the latter a well-earned showcase of bass tone. While out on the coast, ‘70s vibes reign supreme, the Phoenix, Arizona, trio are on a different tip, looser in their swing and apparently more prone to drift. For what it’s worth, they call it “hash rock,” and fair enough as “Pink Clam,” which closes Llantera Demos, rides more of a grunge-laden nod to an immersive but still relatively quick five-minute finish, building after three minutes in to a satisfying final instrumental push. Loaded with potential in tone, execution, vibe and dynamic between the three-piece, Llantera Demos immediately marks Stinkeye out as a band to watch and is just begging for the right person to come along and press it to tape.

Stinkeye on Thee Facebooks

Stinkeye on Bandcamp

 

Buzzard Canyon, Hellfire and Whiskey

buzzard-canyon-hellfire-and-whiskey.jpg

Want to grab attention with your debut long-player? Calling a song “Louder than God” might be a good way to go. That track, at seven minutes, is the longest on Connecticut five-piece Buzzard Canyon’s Hellfire and Whiskey (on Salt of the Earth), and following a quiet initial stretch, it launches into Down-style Southern chug, the dual vocals of Amber Leigh and guitarist Aaron Lewis (the latter also of When the Deadbolt Breaks) veering into and out of more metallic impulses to build on the initial momentum established on the earlier “Highway Run” and “SomaBitch.” The two-minute “For the End” basks in some nightmarish vision of rockabilly, while “Red Beards Massacre” and “Wyoming” dig into more straightforward stylistic patterning, but if Buzzard Canyon want to get a little weird either here or going forward, that’s clearly not about to hurt them. Closer “Not My Cross” hints at some darker visions to come in how it moves into and out of a droning interlude, adding yet more intrigue to their deceptively multifaceted foundation.

Buzzard Canyon on Thee Facebooks

Salt of the Earth Records website

 

Motherbrain, Voodoo Nasty

motherbrain voodoo nasty

Though “Atomic Rodeo” dips into some Queens of the Stone Age-style groove, Motherbrain’s third album, Voodoo Nasty (on Setalight Records), comes across as more defined by its nasty than its voodoo as the Berlin four-piece demonstrate a penchant for incorporating harsher sludge tendencies, especially in vocal shouts peppered in amid the otherwise not-unfriendly proceedings. That gives the nine-song/48-minute offering a meaner edge but does little ultimately to take away from the groove on offer in the opening title-track or “Ghoul of Kolkata,” and though it retains its raw spirit, Voodoo Nasty digs into some more complex fare later in longer cuts like “Baptism of Fire” and “Half Past Human,” having found a place in centerpiece “Dismantling God” where blown-out noise aggression and semi-psychedelic swirl can coexist, if not peacefully then at least for a while until Motherbrain decide it’s time to give Kyuss-style desert rock another kick in its ass, as on “Sons of Kong,” which, yes, does proclaim a lineage.

Motherbrain on Thee Facebooks

Setalight Records website

 

Elder Druid, Magicka

elder druid magicka

Sludge-rolling five-piece Elder Druid riff forth with their debut studio offering, the five-song/33-minute Magicka EP, which one might be tempted to tag as a demo were it not for a few prior live-tracked short releases that appear to have served that purpose, the latest of which, The Attic Sessions (discussed here), came out in Jan. 2016. The experience of putting that together as well as their prior singles clearly benefited the Northern Irish outfit on Magicka, and while they retain a shouty spirit on opener “Rogue Mystic,” middle cut “The Warlock” offers nod that reminds of The Kings of Frog Island’s “Welcome to the Void,” and that’s about all I ever need. Ever. Served up with bloated tones and geared toward establishing a blend of gruff vocals and consuming fuzz, Elder Druid’s first studio recording has a solid footing in what it wants to accomplish sound-wise and plainly showcases that, and while they have some growing to do and patience to learn in their songcraft, nothing I hear on Magicka argues against their getting there in time.

Elder Druid on Thee Facebooks

Elder Druid on Bandcamp

 

The Crazy Left Experience, Bill’s 108th Space Odyssey

the-crazy-left-experience-bills-108th-space-odyssey

The Crazy Left Experience – the moniker seeming to refer to the side of the brain at work in their processes – present Bill’s 108th Space Odyssey almost as an album within an album. The framework from the at-least-party-improvised Portuguese cosmic jammers on the seven-track/56-minute outing centers around William Millarc, who in 1955 was documented while taking part in LSD experiments. Samples of Millarc are peppered into opener “Subject Bill,” the later “Funky Meteor Drop” and the closing duo “Bill Sided Flashback” and “God of the Outer Rings,” but between the opener and the latter trio of cuts comes “Unarius,” a three-part excursion listed as “Part V” through “Part VII” that presumably is the representation of when our friend Bill has left his body behind. So be it. One can hardly call that departure incongruous either sonically or in terms of The Crazy Left Experience’s chosen theme – though there are some unrelated samples spliced into “Unarius – Part VII (Space Brothers)” that are somewhat jarring – and the entire flow of the record is so hypnotic that the band can basically go wherever they want, which of course they do.

The Crazy Left Experience on Thee Facebooks

The Crazy Left Experience on Bandcamp

 

The Watchers, Sabbath Highway

the watchers sabbath highway

Were it not for the context of knowing that vocalist Tim Narducci and bassist Cornbread hail from SpiralArms and White Witch Canyon, drummer Carter Kennedy from Orchid and guitarist Jeremy Von Eppic from Black Gates, the Sabbath Highway debut EP (on Ripple Music) from California’s The Watchers would be almost impossibly coherent for a first outing. Classic in form but modern in its presentation, the five-tracker – four plus the church-organ interlude “Requiem” between the opening title-cut (video here) and “Call the Priest” – makes the most of Narducci’s ‘70s-style vocal push, reminding of one-time Ripple troupe Stone Axe in his oldschool feel, but as “Today” (premiered here) makes plain, The Watchers are much more focused on learning from the past than repeating it. The straightforward songwriting and all-we’re-here-to-do-is-kick-ass sentiment behind Sabbath Highway might well prove formative compared to what The Watchers do next – presumably that’s a full-length, but one never knows; they sound ready to get down to business  – but it makes its ambitions plain in its hooks and swiftly delivers on its promises.

The Watchers on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music website

 

Of the Horizon, Of the Horizon

of the horizon self-titled

I can’t speak to the present status of California’s Of the Horizon, since last I heard bassist Kayt Vigil was in Italy working with Sonic Wolves, but their self-titled five-track debut full-length arrives via Kozmik Artifactz no less switched on for the half-decade that has passed since it was recorded. Guitarist Mike Hanne howls out throaty incantations to suit the post-Sleep riffing of opener “3 Feet” and drummer Shig pushes the roll of “Caravan” forward into its final crashing slowdown effectively as Vigil ensures the subsequent centerpiece “Unknown” is duly thick beneath its spacious, jammy strum. The two longest slabs hit at the end in “Gladhander” (8:55) and the righteously lumbering “Hall of the Drunken King” (10:31) and feel somewhat like an album unto themselves, but when/if Of the Horizon make a return, they’ve established a working modus on this first full-length that should well satisfy the nod-converted and that demonstrates the timelessness of well-executed tonal onslaught.

Of the Horizon on Thee Facebooks

Of the Horizon at Kozmik Artifactz

 

Raj, Raj

raj self titled

Though it’s fair enough in terms of runtime, it almost seems like Milano sludge-rollers Raj (also written stylized in all-caps: RAJ) do the six tracks of their 20-minute self-titled debut EP a disservice by cramming them onto a single LP side. Not that one gets lost or the band fails to make an impression – far from it – but just that sounds so geared toward largesse and spaciousness beg for more room to flesh out. That, perhaps, is the interesting duality in Raj’s Raj, since even the massive plod of closer “Iron Matrix” lumbers through its course in a relatively short 4:45, never mind the speedier “Magic Wand” (2:47) or drone interlude “Black Mumbai” (1:51) – gone in a flash. The release moves through these, the earlier “Omegagame” and “Eurasia” and the penultimate “Kaluza” with marked fluidity and efficiency, giving Raj a mini-album feel, and with the atmosphere in “Black Mumbai” and in the surrounding material, their rumble sets up a dynamic that seems primed for further exploration.

Raj on Thee Facebooks

Raj on Bandcamp

 

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The Watchers Post “Sabbath Highway” Video; EP out Now

Posted in Bootleg Theater on November 15th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the-watchers

When The Watchers announced earlier this year they had signed to Ripple Music, they did so with the release of a new video, so it’s only fitting their debut EP should arrive accompanied by one as well. “Sabbath Highway” is the opener and title-cut of the Bay Area heavy rockers’ five-tracker, and its meld of oldschool metal and West Coast-style stoner hooks could hardly make for a better introduction to the band’s straightforward and classic modus. Little need for frills when you can come up with a title like “Sabbath Highway.” Who the hell doesn’t want to drive down that? Hell, I wouldn’t even set my GPS. Just go ahead and get lost. Doesn’t matter. Take the Sabbath Highway to the 101. Good to go.

Sabbath Highway came out via Ripple on Nov. 4. On Halloween, it was announced here that The Watchers would take part in Maryland Doom Fest 2017 alongside The SkullBangBorracho and a ton of others, very vew of whom will travel as far to get to Frederick. I think Beastmaker might be the only competition in that regard, but again, it all depends which highway you take. The Watchers have made public their inention to tour around that appearance, which seems reasonable given the distance. Will keep you posted when I hear more or when/if I see dates announced before next June, when MDDF17 is set to take place.

Till then, enjoy a trip down the “Sabbath Highway” below:

The Watchers, “Sabbath Highway” official video

Gathering together an impressive cast of seasoned players with vocalist Tim Narducci and bassist Cornbread (SpiralArms, White Witch Canyon), Orchid drummer Carter Kennedy and guitarist Jeremy Von Eppic (Black Gates, The Venting Machine) The Watchers is an out-and-out super group of musicians’ musicians and a fitting addition to Ripple Music’s ever growing roster.

After peddling some killer and powerful riffs earlier in year on their Evel Knievel-inspired video for ‘Today’, the band returns with the title track from Sabbath Highway.

The Watchers:
Tim Narducci – Vocals
Jeremy Von Eppic – Guitars
Cornbread – Bass
Carter Kennedy – Drums

The Watchers on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music website

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

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The Watchers Premiere “Today” Video; Sign to Ripple Music

Posted in Bootleg Theater, Whathaveyou on June 30th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

the watchers

Bay Area heavy rockers The Watchers have signed to Ripple Music for the Oct. 21 release of their Sabbath Highway debut EP. Today the band premieres a new video for the track, well, “Today,” that serves notice of the ass-kicking ethic to come on this release and hopefully going forward as well. Founded by members of SpiralArms and Orchid, they’re a four-piece who wear their love of fuzz on their sleeve à la Valley of the Sun if “Today” is anything to go by, and the hook they proffer in the track is made all the more classic-feeling by the Evel Knievel footage they’ve chosen to accompany it. If you feel like maybe you can get down, that would be advisable.

Sabbath Highway — presumably named for the stretch of road upon which The Watchers are burning asphalt in their four-seater riff-fueled fuzzcycle — is the absolute first release from the band, which is comprised of vocalist Tim Narducci and bassist Cornbread (both formerly of SpiralArms), guitarist Jeremy Epp and drummer Carter Kennedy (Orchid). No surprise that seasoned players would have an idea of what they want to do with their sound, but as they demonstrate with “Today,” their love of heavy rock spans about four decades’ worth of influence, from then to now, and they’re looking to make their mark as a unit starting with these five tracks.

More to come on The Watchers, but you can find the clip for “Today” below.

Please enjoy:

Ripple Music is thrilled to announce the addition of Bay Area, Stoner/Doom Heavyweights, The Watchers, to their growing family! Hailing from the great San Francisco Bay Area. The Watchers are a gathering of international seasoned players, from some of the most massive heavy bands of the last decade. Tim Narducci: Vocals (SpiralArms, White Witch Canyon), Carter Kennedy:Drums (Orchid), Jeremy Epp: Guitar (Black Gates, Venting Machine), and Cornbread: Bass (SpiralArms, White Witch Canyon). The guys have come together to preach and worship all things heavy riff rock n roll with there music.

The Watchers have just joined forces with Ripple Music to release there very first offering the “Sabbath Highway” EP due out worldwide on October 21st 2016. With song titles, “Sabbath Highway”,”Today”,”Requiem”,”Call The Priest” and”Just A Needle.”

“We’re very ecstatic to be a part of the Ripple family!” says Tim Narducci. “We love their approach and the fact that they have true footing in the underground heavy rock, doom, metal scene. Todd and Pope’s passion for their bands and roster is contagious and beautiful. We see a great relationship ahead!”

The first video “Today” was put together by the band paying homage to the late great 70’s daredevil Evel Knievel. All hand picked footage by the band to guide the song along with its statement: No regrets, never look back, and live in the moment. This guitar line driven tune sprinkled with some Travers and Thin Lizzy influence, will draw you in and make you a believer….rock and roll ain’t going away…it’s alive and here to kick your ass.

The Watchers on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music website

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