This Friday, Jan. 12, marks the release of Turned to Stone Ch. 9, the latest installment of the ongoing split series from Ripple Music highlighting deep-underground talent in heavy rock, doom, psych, and related styles. Bringing together Ritual Earth from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Italian duo Kazak, the seven-song offering follows behind the Southwesterly-focused Turned to Stone Ch. 8 (review here), which arrived in May 2023 with new material from Blue Heron and High Desert Queen, and in prior editions the series has highlighted works from Howling Giant, Saturna, Planet of the 8s, Merlin, Wizzerd, and of course plenty of others.

Ritual Earth aren’t without influence from desert-style heavy, but they can’t escape that Northeastern urbane tonal crunch either, and it stays resonant even as they depart the roll in “Through the Interstellar Medium” for a first-half exploratory jaunt. To be sure, the nod returns. Vocalist George Chamberlin carries rock melodies informed by grunge and traditionalist heavy, and in Steve Mensick‘s guitar, Chris Scott‘s bass, Chris Turek‘s drumming and maybe organ from Mark Boyce, there is expansive complement. Offering three songs to Kazak‘s four, Ritual Earth first present the organ-laced blues nod of “In the Wake,” which weaves into and around its central riff through moody, open verses that seem to make the ensuing chorus take off all the more.

“Through the Interstellar Medium” brings psychedelic flourish to this riffy ideology, and in the eight-minute “Ominous Aurorae,” they take their time getting there and offer an impact in the drums that’s well worth the trip as they embrace a more linear structure rising from a contemplative, atmospheric start into more terrestrial chorus-making, not quite as over-the-top as Green Lung, but not far off, and underscore the triumph with a guitar solo before capping with a last chorus. Kazak — the two-piece configuration of guitarist/vocalist/synthesist Daniele Picchi and drummer Matteo Gherardi branched off of the decidedly more raucous unit Fish Taco — arrive at Turned to Stone with four cuts, shorter on average than Ritual Earth‘s in terms of runtime, but expansive in their own way, fostering a meditative sound that, like what Ritual Earth brought to side A, is adjacent to desert rock without actually being it.

Instead, the primary touchstone for Kazak, particularly once Picchi‘s vocals start on “Geometrical Alchemy,” is earlier Om, but the difference of impact thought Picchi‘s guitar is apparent even earlier than that, and the flexibility in terms of frequency from the six-stringed instrument gives “Geometrical Alchemy” a sense of reach that “Haze,” which is still plenty rich in terms of low end, but that finds its fluidity in the interplay with Gherardi‘s drumming. At 7:11, “Sunset Symphony” is as far out as Kazak go, its groove is melodic and resonant thanks to vocal layering as it approaches the middle, though by that point, Kazak have immersed the listener in the fog they’ve conjured through the first two songs, so it’s not such a leap when they take that next step.

And suitably enough, it’s the guitar riffing away in the nod of closer “The 25th Hour” that lets Kazak ride to its more percussive ending with such flow, hypnotic repetition easing the way as Picchi and Ghererdi find ground beneath the ether. Their sound and Ritual Earth‘s are varied, but each belongs to the band in question, and while they might not at first seem like the most intuitive pairing — as opposed to bands who sound the same, that is — they make each other’s material stronger through their shared elements and are all the more divergent for the individual takes they present. Once again, the Turned to Stone series delivers a quality sampling of wares from two acts who will only have earned whatever recognition they garner from taking part in it. You’d think eventually the label would run out of bands to spotlight, but I’m certainly glad it hasn’t happened yet.

The split LP streams in full below, followed by more from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

Preorder link: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-9

“Turned To Stone Chapter 9” will be available on January 12th, 2024 in various vinyl formats as well as digitally, with preorders available now on Ripple Music.

RITUAL EARTH & KAZAK “Turned To Stone Chapter 9” split album Out January 12th on Ripple Music – PREORDER: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-9

TRACKLIST:
1. Ritual Earth – In The Wake
2. Ritual Earth – Through Interstellar Medium
3. Ritual Earth – Ominous Aurorae
4. Kazak – Geometrical Alchemy
5. Kazak – Haze
6. Kazak – Sunset Symphony
7. Kazak – The 25th Hour

Ritual Earth are:
George Chamberlin – Vocals
Steve Mensick – Guitars
Chris Scott – Bass
Chris Turek – Drums
Keys & Synths by Mark Boyce

Kazak are:
Matteo Gherardi – drums, pads
Daniele Picchi – guitar, voice, synth

Ritual Earth on Facebook

Ritual Earth on Instagram

Ritual Earth on Bandcamp

Kazak on Facebook

Kazak on Instagram

Kazak on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

Ripple Music will continue its ongoing split series ‘Turned to Stone’ in January by bringing together Philadelphia’s Ritual Earth and Italy’s Kazak for a shared platter. The first single, from Ritual Earth, is streaming at the bottom of this post. The series has heretofore established a high standard for itself, and last time around with Blue Heron and High Desert Queen (review here) emphasized so much of what works about the format, the bands’ respective works complementary but individualized in their take.

I’ll cop to being less familiar with Kazak than Ritual Earth — Philly’s a lot closer to NJ where I live — but it’s easy enough to get on board with the open-feel of the guitar in “Through the Interstellar Medium,” the accompanying lumber, sharp and decisive punctuation of the drums, and echoing, grainy melody gives over fluidly to a bit of pastoralism before sweeping back to its heavier proceeding. The PR wire drops hints of Om-style meditations from Kazak, and in their latest track “Dimming Lights” one can hear it, but again, I’ve got to dig further.

More to come. For now:

Doom and psych metallers RITUAL EARTH and KAZAK unite for “Turned To Stone Chapter 9” split album on Ripple Music; first track streaming!

Ripple Music announce the next chapter of their “Turned To Stone” split series featuring US and Italian doom and psych metal purveyors Ritual Earth and Kazak, to be released on January 12th. Stream the first track “Through The Interstellar Medium” now!

Launched in 2020, Ripple Music’s “Turned To Stone” split series focus on unique pairings from across the stoner, doom and heavy psych underground and explore the farthest reaches of riffdom. This ninth chapter builds an towering wall of sound, bringing Philadelphia-based monolithic heavy merchants RITUAL EARTH and Italian psych-laden doom duo KAZAK to the forefront for a dark and enthralling sonic experience.

Stream the first single off “Turned To Stone Chapter 9”
with Ritual Earth’s “Through Interstellar Medium”

RITUAL EARTH’s progressive sound lends itself to complex lyrical themes and heavy use of emotions and symbolism. Says the band: “We explored introspection and dove much deeper into personal and darker issues with our unconscious minds to practice spotting our inner shadows. The death of a rival, relapsing and overcoming addiction, navigating the complexities, experiences, and challenges in our lives and the changing world around us are all topics you will find intertwined throughout these three songs.”

“Turned To Stone Chapter 9” will be available on January 12th, 2024 in various vinyl formats as well as digitally, with preorders available now on Ripple Music.

RITUAL EARTH & KAZAK “Turned To Stone Chapter 9” split album Out January 12th on Ripple Music – PREORDER: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-9

TRACKLIST:
1. Ritual Earth – In The Wake
2. Ritual Earth – Through Interstellar Medium
3. Ritual Earth – Ominous Aurorae
4. Kazak – Geometrical Alchemy
5. Kazak – Haze
6. Kazak – Sunset Symphony
7. Kazak – The 25th Hour

https://www.facebook.com/RitualEarthDoom/
https://www.instagram.com/ritualearthdoom/
https://ritualearth.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kazak.duo/
https://www.instagram.com/kazak.duo
https://kazakduo.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Ritual Earth, “Through the Interstellar Medium”

Kazak, “Dimming Lights”

[Click play above to stream High Desert Queen and Blue Heron’s Turned to Stone Ch. 8: The Wake split LP in full. Album is out Friday on Ripple Music and available to preorder here for the US, here for Europe, and here on Bandcamp.]

It’s a quick listen to be sure at just 28 minutes, but Turned to Stone Chapter 8: The Wake, which follows a lineage of Ripple Music splits that goes back eight years to the beginning of a series called The Second Coming of Heavy that focused on then-up-and-coming acts like Geezer and Borracho, Red Mesa, Kingnomad, and so on. That series boasted 10 releases and Turned to Stone began in earliest 2020 with Mr. Bison and Spacetrucker (review here) and has continued to roll out two or three split LPs per year since, the latest bringing together Albuquerque desert grunge sludgers Blue Heron and Austin, Texas, purveyors of plus-sized riffs and melody High Desert Queen.

The reason the lineage is relevant — yea, one split begat another split and that split begat another split, on into biblical perpetuity — is that Turned to Stone Chapter 8: The Wake reminds distinctly of the prior series’ specific intent to bolster newer bands; a mission that it directly inherited. Both High Desert Queen (side A) and Blue Heron (side B) present three songs that arrive subsequent to their debut full-lengths, Blue Heron having released Ephemeral (review here) a year ago this week through Seeing Red Records and Kozmik Artifactz and High Desert Queen having made a justified splash on Ripple (pun absolutely intended) with late 2021’s Secrets of the Black Moon (review here), the recording sessions of which birthed the three songs included here.

Cohesion between the two bands in terms of sound isn’t hard to come by. Both are straightforward in their arrangements, putting weighted fuzz out front in their mix and backing it with mostly mid-tempo grooves, more nod than shove, and both have frontmen involved behind-the-scenes in the heavy underground, whether it’s Blue Heron‘s Jadd Shickler serving as a label manager for Ripple as well as Magnetic Eye Records (also under the SPKR Media umbrella, along with labels like Prophecy Productions, Testimony Records and others) and Blues Funeral Recordings (responsible for the PostWax series and releases this year alone from Dozer and Acid King, among others) or High Desert Queen‘s Ryan Garney heading the booking concern Lick of My Spoon Productions, putting on RippleFest Texas and slating shows and tours for his own band and others.

The fourth-wall-breaking, multi-tiered ‘scene’ contributions of Shickler and Garney give another dimension to Turned to Stone Chapter 8: The Wake — emblematic of the DIY manner in which heavy rock and roll has become what it is today; a worldwide subcultural phenomenon most people know nothing about — but none of it would matter as regards this split LP if the songs weren’t there. I’ll confess there was part of me hoping the High Desert Queen tracks — the mega-hooky “Black Moon,” the shorter, floating-but-not-an-interlude “Drift Into the Sun” and the telltale stoner boogie “Roll the Dice” — would be newer recordings, but one takes what one can get, and having “Black Moon” as a late-arriving semi-title-track from that album is welcome, the song fading in on feedback before its forward roll begins in earnest, a somewhat foreboding groove that turns out to be thick enough for everyone to ride opening up in the verse before the layered melody of the chorus.

Like the album from which they (didn’t) come, “Black Moon” and “Roll the Dice” — the lyrics in the latter seem to be the band asking themselves ‘should we go for it?,’ which is laughable with the hindsight of the two years they’ve spent mostly on tour in the US and Europe, where they’re touring even as this split is released — aren’t trying to play coy in their appeal. They make a space and fill it. “Roll the Dice” has an edge of metal in its post-solo finish, but never crosses over to outright aggression, and is much more a standout single in its impression than a leftover. “Black Moon,” with an even stronger hook at the outset, functions similarly, while “Drift Into the Sun” connects the two to create a sense of fluidity between them, strengthening and broadening the whole as a mini-EP on one side. Don’t be surprised when they show up as bonus tracks on the 10th anniversary reissue of Secrets of the Black Moon eight years from now.

Answering back with “Able Baker” (a Richard Scarry reference?), “Day of the Comet” and “Superposition,” Blue Heron run a thread between first-record-era Queens of the Stone Age in tone and oldschool sludge rock burl as guitarist Mike Chavez (who, like Shickler, was also in Spiritu), bassist Steve Schmidlapp and drummer Ricardo Sanchez smoothly establish themselves on side B. Immersion and atmosphere are prevalent as “Able Baker” runs through its five minutes, with a tonal-highlight of a solo in its second half answering the leads in its first, and melody met with due rhythmic force. “Day of the Comet” is deceptive in feeling looser but maintaining the strong grip on structure, and like High Desert Queen before them, Blue Heron cap with the speedier nod of “Superposition,” a righteous showcase that transposes Facelift-era Alice in Chains onto a foundation of modern heavy.

High Desert Queen and Blue Heron offer further complement to each other in the depth and apparent reach of their mix. Both bands sound big without being overblown or sacrificing craft to studio-born largesse. For committed heavy rockers or those who’ve followed along with the series, Turned to Stone Chapter 8: The Wake is a no-brainer. The kind of release you can pick up and see where it takes you. To those who are unfamiliar or have seen the names around but have yet to check out the songs, the sampler-style encapsulation of what they do is likewise convenient and actually-good. While they’re coming off their respective debuts, as noted, Blue Heron and High Desert Queen share a knowledge of what they want to accomplish in songwriting and performance, and that sense of control makes it that much easier as a listener to roll along to where the riffs are leading.

That destination might be the desert, if we want to talk about aesthetic, but the direction is forward, as both clearly have more to say than has been said here or on their respective first LPs. Ultimately stronger for its relative brevity, Turned to Stone Chapter 8: The Wake leaves the audience wanting more from one band and then the other, engaging with new takes on classic methods with a realized intent toward quality and fullness of sound. The only way to lose is by missing it.

Quotes from the bands, PR wire info, preorder and social links, etc., follow in blue:

—

Ryan Garney on Turned to Stone Ch. 8: The Wake:

“It’s an honor to share a split with Blue Heron. From the first time we saw this band play live we were immediately happy to do anything with these musical juggernauts. Incredible musicians and even better people. It’s also great to be able resurrect three songs from the dead. These 3 tracks didn’t make our debut record and we are happy they get to see the light of day in conjunction with three powerful songs from Blue Heron.”

Jadd Shickler on Turned to Stone Ch. 8: The Wake:

“Split releases work best when there’s a reason for them to exist. It’s easy to slap two bands on a record to fill up the album sides, but when there’s something to connect them, that’s when a split makes sense. Blue Heron and High Desert Queen are both from the Southwest, we’ve both got a shared love of massive desert rock and, whether we intend it or not, a lot of grunge influences. We also dig them as people and as musicians. We welcomed them for their first out-of-state show at our 7-inch release gig in 2021, and they hosted us at Ripplefest Texas last year. We respect the hell out of their ambition, their musicality, and their dedication to huge riffs, so it’s a real pleasure to share this record with them. As for the songs, we put a bit of pressure on ourselves. Our debut album came out just a year ago, and we wanted to follow that with a batch of new tunes that are compact and fairly straightforward, but still show our love for starting a song in one place and ending up somewhere radically different.”

HIGH DESERT QUEEN / BLUE HERON
“Turned To Stone Chapter 8: The Wake”
Out May 26th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/products

European preorder – https://en.ripple.spkr.media/

Bandcamp – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-8-the-wake

Pairing up two highly esteemed bands of the Southwest underground scene, “Turned To Stone Chapter 8” is a gigantic masterclass of heavy rock, with six tracks that will take you on a riff-fueled journey with no further ado! Between HIGH DESERT QUEEN’s versatile and massive-sounding heavy and BLUE HERON’s raucous and desert-shaped songcraft, it is no understatement to say that we are in presence of true forces of nature, an alliance between two up-and-coming greats of the US stoner and desert rock scene.

“Turned To Stone Chapter 8” will be available on May 26th in various vinyl formats as well as digitally, with preorders available now on Ripple Music. The artwork was created by award-winning comic and poster artist Johnny Dombrowski.

TRACKLIST:
1. High Desert Queen – Black Moon
2. High Desert Queen – Drift Into The Sun
3. High Desert Queen – Roll The Dice
4. Blue Heron – Able Baker
5. Blue Heron – Day Of The Comet
6. Blue Heron – Superposition

High Desert Queen:
Morgan Miller – Bass
Phil Hook – Drums
Ryan Garney – Vocals
Rusty Miller – Guitar

Blue Heron:
Mike Chavez – Guitar
Ricardo Sanchez – Drums
Steve Schmidlapp – Bass
Jadd Shickler – Vocals

High Desert Queen on Facebook

High Desert Queen on Instagram

High Desert Queen on Bandcamp

Blue Heron on Instagram

Blue Heron on Facebook

Blue Heron on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

If you’re unfamiliar — and if you are, that’s fine; I’m not trying to be out here keeping a gate or some bullshit — Ripple Music‘s Turned to Stone split series began after the success of the Cali label’s The Second Coming of Heavy 10-parter and has featured more than a few killers in its time, usually working on a loose theme either curated by Ripple itself or some underground denizen close to their heart. This time around, the two bands are Austin rockers High Desert Queen — about whom I’ve ended up writing pretty much daily for one reason or another the last couple weeks — and Albuquerque’s Blue Heron, who are fronted by Jadd Shickler of Magnetic Eye Records and Blues Funeral Recordings (he also co-founded MeteorCity and the All That is Heavy store before the century turned).

Both bands are awesome, so you’ll pardon if I treat this one as a total no-brainer. May 26 release. Preorders up. Fine. Blue Heron get first-single honors, and you can hear their “Able Baker” (is that you, Richard Scarry?) at the bottom of this post as a herald of more to come. I’ve done a few premieres for the last editions of Turned to Stone, and this press release just came in, so I haven’t made a request yet, but I think that might be where I head after I finish up here, which as it turns out, I just did.

From the PR wire:

US stoner rock units HIGH DESERT QUEEN and BLUE HERON to release ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 8’ split album on Ripple Music this May!

HIGH DESERT QUEEN / BLUE HERON
“Turned To Stone Chapter 8: The Wake”
Out May 26th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/products

European preorder – https://en.ripple.spkr.media/

Bandcamp – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-8-the-wake

Ripple Music announces the release of “Turned To Stone Chapter 8: The Wake”, the new split record featuring Southwestern heavy and stoner rock merchants HIGH DESERT QUEEN and BLUE HERON, to be issued on May 26th, 2023. Listen to Blue Heron’s debut single “Able Baker” now!

About joining forces with High Desert Queen, Blue Heron frontman Jadd Shickler says: “We dig High Desert Queen as musicians and as people. We invited them to Albuquerque to play the release party for our first single, which I think was their first-ever out-of-town gig. They returned the favor by having us play with them at Ripplefest Texas last summer, and I think all of us in Blue Heron are pretty impressed by their go-getter attitude. Along with all that, several of us are actual friends outside of band stuff, so it just felt like a natural pairing that Todd at Ripple was on board with. We’re stoked that it worked out, and with luck, we’ll be playing some shows with them to promote the record later this year!”

Pairing up two highly esteemed bands of the Southwest underground scene, “Turned To Stone Chapter 8” is a gigantic masterclass of heavy rock, with six tracks that will take you on a riff-fueled journey with no further ado! Between HIGH DESERT QUEEN’s versatile and massive-sounding heavy and BLUE HERON’s raucous and desert-shaped songcraft, it is no understatement to say that we are in presence of true forces of nature, an alliance between two up-and-coming greats of the US stoner and desert rock scene.

“Turned To Stone Chapter 8” will be available on May 26th in various vinyl formats as well as digitally, with preorders available now on Ripple Music. The artwork was created by award-winning comic and poster artist Johnny Dombrowski.

TRACKLIST:
1. High Desert Queen – Black Moon
2. High Desert Queen – Drift Into The Sun
3. High Desert Queen – Roll The Dice
4. Blue Heron – Able Baker
5. Blue Heron – Day Of The Comet
6. Blue Heron – Superposition

https://www.facebook.com/highdesertqueen/
http://www.instagram.com/highdesertqueen
http://highdesertqueen.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/blueheronabq/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5iNywSwnYX4eMwaQISEpzG
https://www.facebook.com/blueheronabq

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

High Desert Queen & Blue Heron, Turned to Stone Ch. 8: The Wake (2023)

The seventh installment of Ripple Music‘s Turned to Stone split series, featuring Windsor, Ontario’s Gypsy Chief Goliath and Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s End of Age, will be released this Friday, Jan. 20. Curated this time by Bucky Brown of Doom Charts fam, the coming together of the two acts represents roads taken and arrivals in unexpected places, drawn around a 39-minute listening experience that’s more like two coinciding EPs than either a front-to-back linear outing or the hodgepodge sampler platter that splits sometimes are. That it isn’t haphazard should be no grand surprise — it is the seventh chapter of Turned to Stone, and Turned to Stone is Ripple‘s second split series — but both bands are newer embodiments for some familiar players, be it Gypsy Chief Goliath‘s Al “The Yeti” Bones, of Mister Bones, Georgian Skull and The Mighty Nimbus, or End of Age‘s Ben McGuire and Mark Hanna, who used to play together in a called Black Cowgirl.

Gypsy Chief Goliath bookend their five tracks with an intro and outro, starting with “Loup Garou” and ending with a mellow figure at the close of “Shadows of a Solar Love.” Between those, they’re likely to fill any quota you’ve got for piss and vinegar with “Demons Suffer” and the hard-hitting instrumental “Black Dwarf,” while “High Priest” takes a less gutted-out approach vocally and “Shadows of a Solar Love” ties it all together with force and groove, the five-piece making the most of their opportunity to showcase some variety in their take on heavy, be it the Sabbathian initial rollout of “Demons Suffer” or the bruiser dudeliness that follows, the band who were last heard from studio-wise with 2019’s Masters of Space and Time (discussed here) finding an organic sense of breadth without sacrificing traditional songwriting for atmosphere.

It just so happens they’re an act who can write more than one kind of song. Tense in its chug, “High Priest” is less metal ultimately than either the lead lines atop the beginning of “Demons Suffer” before or the nodding impact of “Black Dwarf” after, and even if the combination of the intro “Loup Garou,” “Black Dwarf” and the final stretch of “Shadows of a Solar Love” — dig that fuzz, kids — makes the band seem less grounded than they otherwise might be, it’s a ruse. Whatever else they have going on, Gypsy Chief Goliath are songwriters, and the variety is on purpose. In just 19 minutes, they present a style that’s classically heavy but not beholden to any single notion of what that means. Bones is a distinct frontman presence, but the band behind him are more than able to hold their own for the instrumentals and in standing up to the challenge of the verse/chorus tunes. Solid band. Hard-hitting, no pretense, no bullshit. Rock for rockers.

Over on side B, End of Age also present five songs, and while one can listen to Hanna‘s snare on “Want to Go” and “Yelling Tree” and hear roots in self-titled Queens of the Stone Age, there’s a decided punk rock undercurrent to the band on the whole. Not so much in McGuire‘s vocals, which in themselves are more clenched-throat and would fit just as well over sludge, but in the combination of riffs and grooves on “Cat’s Blood,” I just can’t escape a hint toward Social Distortion or maybe even Bad Religion — that kind of punk that the metal kids liked in high school. True to Gypsy Chief Goliath on side A, End of Age don’t just do one thing for 19 minutes and punch out, but their sound is more united by McGuire‘s vocals at least until they get around to “Aestivation,” which builds on the psychedelic emergence later in the penultimate “Dormant Hibernation” with acoustic and far-back electrics, synth, and a higher-register voice that, if it’s McGuire at all, is a pointed departure from some of the shout-derived-but-not-shouting prior.

Respect for that, either way. In addition to the previous ’90s allusions, there’s some Thin Lizzy swing to “Cat’s Blood” as well, while “Want to Go” is more forward push, poppy in its backing vocals (there they are; that’s the setup to “Aestivation”), and “Yelling Tree” makes a rawer, in-the-room studio feel part of its direct listening experience. According to the narrative (blessings and peace upon it), part of the reason this is End of Age‘s first outing after Black Cowgirl‘s final release in 2014 is because McGuire and Hanna spent years building their own recording space, and if this is the level of output they’re able to hone there, then their time has not been wasted. The chemistry throughout, the spaciousness and psychedelic lean in the back half of “Dormant Hibernation” and the shift between that and “Aestivation” are all emblematic of the duo’s past playing together, and while I don’t know what their next step is or how many songs they might already have in the can after so many years, they sure as shit sound ready to make a record. Hopefully sooner than later.

So, like I said at the outset, “unexpected places.” Keep that in mind as you dig into the tracklisting below, and take some time with each half of Turned to Stone Ch. 7. The release earns that, I think, through the quality of its songwriting from both groups, from the differences between them, and the fluidity of style they share without actually sharing much in terms of style beyond basics like, “have riffs, have songs,” and so on. In the interest of straightforwardness, this is a worthy inclusion in a series that’s already produced a few gems, and will surely help put Gypsy Chief Goliath and End of Age‘s music into the ears of those most likely to appreciate it being there.

Gypsy Chief Goliath / End Of Age ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’
Out January 20th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/product/turned-to-stone-ch-7-gypsy-chief-goliath-and-end-of-age-deluxe-vinyl-editions
World preorder – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-7

North American heavy rock units GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and END OF AGE join forces for the release of the ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split album, to be issued this January 20th on Ripple Music. Listen to a gritty first track now with GCG’s “Demons Suffer”!

Get ready to welcome the seventh chapter of Ripple Music’s ‘Turned To Stone’ series of thematic split releases, curated here by Bucky Brown (Doom Charts). Combining the multi-faceted talents of Ontario-based heavy mongers GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and Pennsylvania’s proto-metal duo END OF AGE, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ offers a generous 10-track journey through the ages of heavy. GCG effortlessly sprinkle their loud stoner metal assaults with adventurous 70s hard rock, in a rowdy Corrosion Of Conformity-meets-Thin Lizzy approach. On side B, END OF AGE delivers a frenzy of 70s-infused heavy drenched in unforgettable melodies and exquisitely progressive at times.

TRACKLIST:
1. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Loup Garou
2. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Demons Suffer
3. Gypsy Chief Goliath – High Priest
4. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Black Dwarf
5. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Shadows Of A Solar Love
——————–
6. End Of Age – Want To Go
7. End Of Age – Yelling Tree
8. End Of Age – Cat’s Blood
9. End Of Age – Dormant Hibernation
10. End Of Age – Aestivation

Gypsy Chief Goliath:
Al “The Yeti” Bones (The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones) – vocals/guitar
Adam Saitti (Georgian Skull, Ol Time Moonshine) – drums
John Serio – lead guitar
Jeff Phillips (Thine Eyes Bleed, Kittie) – lead guitar
Jagger Benham – Bass

End of Age:
Ben McGuire – vocals/guitar
Mark Hanna – drums

Gypsy Chief Goliath on Instagram

Gypsy Chief Goliath on Facebook

Gypsy Chief Goliath on Bandcamp

End of Age on Instagram

End of Age on Facebook

End of Age on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

I like that John Gist‘s curated Ripple splits — this’ll be the third I know of, though if you told me he’s helmed the whole series to-date, I’d only be able to say job well done — work in themes. The theme that brings together Windsor, Ontario’s Gypsy Chief Goliath and Pennsylvania’s End of Age? ‘Dudes you might know from other bands.’ In the case of Gypsy Chief Goliath, that’s frontman Al “Yeti” Bones, formerly of Mister Bones, as well as The Mighty Nimbus and Georgian Skull. For End of Age, it’s Ben McGuire and Mark Hanna, who stopped operating as Black Cowgirl in the middle of the last decade — probably a good idea — and have apparently spent the last few years building a studio in which to create.

Both outfits are proven in my mind as regards songwriting, and if you managed to read that review today of Turned to Stone Ch. 6, you already know I hold this series in pretty high esteem. I expect this to be nothing of cool and encourage you to do the same. Gypsy Chief Goliath have a song streaming at the bottom of this post, as though to prove the case outright.

From the PR wire:

Gypsy Chief Goliath and End Of Age to release ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split on Ripple Music; stream first track “Demons Suffer” now!

North American heavy rock units GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and END OF AGE join forces for the release of the ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split album, to be issued this January 20th on Ripple Music. Listen to a gritty first track now with GCG’s “Demons Suffer”!

Get ready to welcome the seventh chapter of Ripple Music’s ‘Turned To Stone’ series, the thematic split releases curated by John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution, Doomed & Stoned Show). Combining the multi-faceted talents of Ontario-based heavy mongers GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and Pennsylvania’s proto-metal duo END OF AGE, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ offers a generous 10-track journey through the ages of heavy. GCG effortlessly sprinkle their loud stoner metal assaults with adventurous 70s hard rock, in a rowdy Corrosion Of Conformity-meets-Thin Lizzy approach. On side B, END OF AGE delivers a frenzy of 70s-infused heavy drenched in unforgettable melodies and exquisitely progressive at times.

‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ will be available on January 20th in two limited vinyl editions as well as on digital, with preorders available now through Ripple Music.

Gypsy Chief Goliath / End Of Age ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’
Out January 20th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/product/turned-to-stone-ch-7-gypsy-chief-goliath-and-end-of-age-deluxe-vinyl-editions
World preorder – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-7

TRACKLIST:
1. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Loup Garou
2. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Demons Suffer
3. Gypsy Chief Goliath – High Priest
4. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Black Dwarf
5 – Gypsy Chief Goliath – Shadows Of A Solar Love
——————–
6. End Of Age – Want To Go
7. End Of Age – Yelling Tree
8. End Of Age – Cat’s Blood
9. End Of Age – Dormant Hibernation
10. End Of Age – Aestivation

Among the most bizarre names in Rock & Roll, GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH has much more dynamic chemistry, fused with pure electric potency and enough volume to make the eardrums crumble. This Canadian five-piece has been ripping stages apart since 2009. Often described as a stoner metal band, there are simply too many layers to classify them as such, when with each year that passes, G.C.G seem to evolve into a greater beast than the last inception. Charged by the creative forces of soulful meets primal vocals, dual harmony guitar lines, a massively heavy rhythm section, and rustic keys from time to time, the band showcases their brand of hard rock, heavy metal, and blues all rolled into one masterful delivery. Fronted by Canadian stoner rock notable, vocalist/guitarist AL The Yeti Bones (The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones), the band also consists of Adam Saitti on drums (Georgian Skull, Ol Time Moonshine), John Serio lead guitar, Jeff Phillips lead guitar (Thine Eyes Bleed, Kittie) and Jagger Benham on Bass.

END OF AGE was formed by vocalist/guitarist Ben McGuire and drummer Mark Hanna formerly of the band Black Cowgirl. Soon after Black Cowgirl ceased to exist in 2015, McGuire began construction of a recording studio within a 150-year-old barn in Lancaster County Pennsylvania with the sole purpose of having a place to record without the time constraints of a traditionally paid studio session. Unfortunately on the first day of renovations the barn was discovered to be structurally unsound and needed to be entirely torn down. Distraught and defeated McGuire briefly considered using gasoline to solve the problem after finding a newspaper article dated 1885 under the floorboards that detailed a local arson from 130 years prior but wisely ignored the “sign” and decided against it making the decision to disassemble the cursed barn and immediately start the slow process of collecting material to build a new structure. This unforeseen obstacle coupled with multiple other unexpected life events delayed End of Age from recording and playing more than a few shows for a couple of years while the new studio took shape. The pair recorded 5 songs for Ripple Music with a makeshift studio set up in 2020 during lockdown as construction continued on the permanent location.

Finally, to the elation of Hanna and McGuire the final studio they are calling Wilderness Exile was completed in early 2022. What first appeared to be a crippling misfortune proved to be a blessing in disguise. McGuire and Hanna now have a place that provides limitless experimentation and creativity for their projects as well as other musicians. END OF AGE already knew they could lay the musical foundation for a tune and construct a real doozy of a ditty. Now they know they can literally lay the foundation for a physical building and construct the piss out of one as well. They temporarily traded their drums and guitars for hammers and nails assuming the role of blue-collar warriors on the warpath for riffcraft. Now that their fortress of sonic excess has been realized auditory experimentation can begin.

https://instagram.com/gypsychiefgoliath
https://facebook.com/GypsyChiefGoliath/
https://gypsychiefgoliath1.bandcamp.com/

https://instagram.com/end_of_age_band
https://www.facebook.com/blackcowgirl1989
https://endofage.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Gypsy Chief Goliath & End of Age, Turned to Stone Ch. 7 (2023)

[Click play above to stream Captain Caravan and Kaiser’s Turned to Stone – Ch. 6 split in its entirety. Album is out Friday on Ripple Music.]

And yea, ‘Second Coming of Heavy’ did beget ‘Turned to Stone,’ and there was much rejoicing and sharing of riff. This sixth installment of Ripple Music‘s second and seemingly ongoing — they just announced the seventh chapter — brings together Egersund, Norway’s Captain Caravan and Helsinki, Finland’s Kaiser for a 43-minute up-and-comer fuzzfest, both bands united by a shared respect for their elders in heavy rock and roll while each fostering their own presentation of their revels. Curated by John Gist of the promotional concern Vegas Rock Revolution — he helmed Turned to Stone Ch. 5 (review here) as well — the two-sided 43-minute outing finds both bands at a somewhat urgent moment.

For Captain Caravan, their participation in Turned to Stone Ch. 6 follows the 2018 release of their Shun the Sun EP (discussed here). With their lineup solidified behind powerhouse vocalist Johnny Olsen in guitarist BK Saestad, bassist Geir Solli and drummer Morten Skogen, they’re due for an offering at least like this if not a full-length, despite having issued a couple of singles here. Their Finnish counterparts in Kaiser — guitarist/vocalist Olli “Otu” Suurmunne (also ex-Altar of Betelgeuze, currently Headless Monarch and other projects), bassist Pekka “Pex” Sauvolainen (ex-Ajattara, current Amputory) and drummer Riku “RiQ” Syrjä — arrive with a similar context, their debut album, 1st Sound (just tried to buy a copy, CD is sold out), having been released in 2018.

And though four years isn’t an eternity for any band — though you’d be forgiven for mistaking at least some of the last four years for one — it’s long enough to drag on one’s momentum with so much out there. No, I’m not saying art is a competition and groups should push to have releases out all the time for the sake of new ‘content,’ unless what they’re shooting for is mass appeal, but if Captain Caravan and Kaiser are both feeling some pressure to make something happen, they realize that in the infectious shove of their songs.

The release begins with Captain Caravan‘s “Down.” And guess what? It sounds like Down. Specifically, like Down circa “Temptation’s Wings” from their seminal 1995 debut, Nola, but Olsen‘s vocals are a distinguishing factor and in line with a longstanding tradition of Swedish belters from Fredrik Nordin of Dozer to The Quill‘s Magnus Ekwall and any number of others you want to name. In style, he’s more John Garcia than Messiah Marcolin, but that’s suited to the progression of Captain Caravan‘s five inclusions here, as “Sailors” takes hold and slows the pace from the more raucous and immediately familiar opener. Songwriting, tone, performance — all locked in.

“Painted Wolf” specifically recalls Euro heavy rock of the mid-aughts — Dozer again, Astrosoniq from the Netherlands, Lowrider to a lesser extent — with a burner of a solo and a desert-inspired-but-not-desert-rock groove throwing its considerable weight around like it’s nothing in a vital, welcome nod, while “She Can” spaces out a bit in its middle before hitting into its own larger-sounding payoff, constructed of the root chug of its verse but spreading wider with just an edge of Queens of the Stone Age in the guitar. Burl comes forward in “Void” as Captain Caravan make a hooky exit, hitting into a C.O.C.-style chugger turnaround with what’s either organ or guitar-as-organ thrown in at the end like a final knockout punch to the temple.

Kaiser answer back with deep low end and consuming fuzz tones on “Howl,” the first of their four contributions to the split, and maintain both the high production and high energy standards that Captain Caravan set forth. Vocals are further back in the mix and a little blown out, for a feel in listening that’s different enough to be removed from the A side, but not so wildly disparate that the two bands don’t make sense together. “Howl” builds a tower out of low end — really, someone should send Pex a thank-you card for this tone — but its ultimate appeal resides as much in the capstone vocal melody, which feels like a big reveal held back for just the right moment of adrenaline. Effective all the more leading into the 2:28 “Fire,” which is the hardest-thrusting piece on Turned to Stone Ch. 6. All go, all gnash, right on.

The subsequent “Black Sand Witch” — not to be confused with “Black Sandwich,” if it needs to be said — is a roller that evens out the pace and retains its thickness, with a moment of hat-tipping to Dead Meadow before its full force returns for the chorus. Thick thick thick. Dense dense dense. Samples throughout act as another tie to the roots of modern heavy, and that will hold true for nine-minute closer “Phoenix Part 1, 2, 3: Fission, Death, Rebirth” as well, which picks up from the ultra-dense ending of “Black Sand Witch” with a more patient linear intro until its surge at 59 seconds in, the full roll hypnotic with lead guitar layered over top. Instrumental in its first two parts, the song veers into all-out Sleep noddery before whipping into its culmination in the last minute-plus, a post-Oliveri blast of heavier-than-you’re-thinking punk scorching to a finish.

Both acts deliver here, living up to the opportunity showcasing their respective sounds to the wider audience of Ripple‘s split series. They share a riotous vibe at times, but each one has something individual to bring to the fold, and so even as what’s essentially another EP from them, there’s a sense of atmosphere that comes through as well. It’s nobody’s first time at the dance, in other words, and from the cover art through all the swing and the very last propulsion of its very last riff, Turned to Stone Ch. 6 delivers quality of the standard one would expect while sounding exciting and of its place. For the converted, or those who’ve had experience with these acts, it should be a no-brainer. For everyone else, call it brain well spent.

Captain Caravan on Facebook

Captain Caravan on Bandcamp

Kaiser on Facebook

Kaiser on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

They just keep churnin’ ’em out as hot on the heels of the August release of Turned to Stone Ch. 5 (review here), Ripple Music has announced the next installment of its ongoing split series with Kaiser from Finland and Norwegian rockers Captain Caravan coming together to share a 12″ platter on Nov. 18. Kaiser have the honors of the first single in “Fire” — named perhaps for the emoji the usage of which it is intended to inspire — and I’m sure that Captain Caravan won’t be far behind in unveiling a track, as that seems to be how this kind of thing goes.

You’ll recall that Turned to Stone Ch. 5 united Australian acts Duneeater and Planet of the 8s, and Ch. 6 has a regional aspect as well — as the PR wire notes, both groups are Scandinavian — but I’m not necessarily thinking that’s how the series is going to evolve, though I say that based entirely on my own supposition. Maybe the guy to ask would be returning curator John Gist. But certainly if Ripple wanted to do a country-specific split, there are no shortages of acts in either Finland or Norway who could pair up. Something to keep an eye on, I guess.

Haven’t heard this one yet apart from the single, but each installment has been a pretty reliable source of something cool to check out, so feel free to do that with the song below if you’re do inclined.

From the PR wire:

Ripple Music announce ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 6’ split with Scandinavian stoner rockers CAPTAIN CARAVAN and KAISER; stream debut single “Fire”!

Ripple Music present the brand new new chapter of the revered ‘Turned To Stone’ split series by pairing up the stoner rock power of Scandinavian units CAPTAIN CARAVAN and KAISER. ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 6’ will be issued on November 18th, with preorder and a first track available now!

Curated by John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution, Doomed & Stoned Show) as part of Ripple Music’s thematic ‘Turned To Stone’ split series, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 6′ puts the pedal to the metal with nine rubber-burning anthems that skyrocket all fuzz levels and inject a healthy dose of fun in both bands’ unstoppable quest for the Stoner Rock Grail.

Listen to Kaiser’s brand new track “Fire”

About this new collaboration, Helsinki fuzz rockers KAISER comment: “It was early 2020 when we started to hunt a publisher for our ‘1st.Sound’ EP. We started to get desperate as we realized that record labels don’t do EPs anymore. We were about to do it all DIY: publishing, vinyl plant, and distributors were already looked up. But then our loyal Gandalf John Gist hooked us up and asked ‘would you like to do a split with Captain Caravan for Ripple Music?’ We were like ‘Fuck yeah, we’ll do it!” It was a relief, and what better way than doing it with our Norwegian awesome bros?”

Norway’s stoner blues mongers CAPTAIN CARAVAN add: “We are very excited to have this opportunity. This split shows a different side of us with more up-tempo songs than on our 2018 album Shun the Sun. We cannot wait to have it released on Ripple Music together with our long-time friends in Kaiser.”

The album will be available on November 18th in various limited vinyl formats, classic vinyl formats, as well as CD and digital. Preorder is available now through Ripple Music.

‘Turned To Stone Chapter 6: Captain Caravan and Kaiser’
Out November 18th on Ripple Music

TRACKLIST:
1 Captain Caravan – Down
2 Captain Caravan – Sailors
3 Captain Caravan – Painted Wolf
4 Captain Caravan – She Can
5 Captain Caravan – Void
6 Kaiser – Howl
7 Kaiser – Fire
8 Kaiser – Black Sand Witch
9 Kaiser – Phoenix Part 1, 2, 3: Fission, Death, Rebirth

https://www.facebook.com/CaptCaravan
https://captaincaravan.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kaiserfuzz
https://kaiserfuzz.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Kaiser, “Fire”