Posted in Whathaveyou on July 10th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Well, that saves me the trouble of calling them ‘Zeeboar,’ which I’ve done a few times just for fun over the last couple years. UK party sludgers Twelve Boar — formerly XII Boar have decided to change the format of their moniker prior to releasing their third album, titled No Forgiveness, this September. The band has unveiled the cover art and tracklisting for the outing, which reunites them with producer Chris Fielding (also of Conan) and follows just a year behind their sophomore record, Beyond the Valley of the Triclops (discussed here) and two behind their 2015 debut, Pitworthy (review here). Good to keep busy, I guess.
No word on why the band actually decided to change the way they spell their name, but you can find album info for No Forgiveness below, fresh off the PR wire:
TWELVE BOAR release details of new album ‘No Forgiveness’
Proving that there’s no rest for the wicked, Twelve Boar have just revealed details of their third full-length ‘No Forgiveness’. Choosing to work once again with renowned producer Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio (home of UK doom legends Conan); ‘No Forgiveness’ follows hot on the heels of last year’s critically acclaimed ‘Beyond The Valley of The Triclops’ and 2015’s equally praised ‘Pitworthy’.
Having started out under the name XII Boar, the guys have now brushed aside their love of Roman numerals and re-branded, giving everything a brand spanking new lick of paint. Featuring glorious artwork by the supremely talented Rahadil Hermana; you should expect brash, Motörhead-esque riffage, huge sing-along choruses and an overwhelming sense of fun injected into every song. ‘No Forgiveness’ promises to showcase Twelve Boar at the top of their game and will undoubtedly be a strong contender for the best of 2017.
‘No Forgiveness’ is due for release on Friday 8th September 2017 and pre-orders are now available from the band athttp://xiiboar.bigcartel.com.
Track Listing: 1. Steppin’ Up 2. Golden Goose 3. The Curtain Call 4. No Forgiveness 5. Elders From The Deep 6. Snake On A Lead 7. All the Heavy Griftin’ 8. Panama 9. Hellspeed Truckin’
XII BOAR IS Tommy Hardrocks – Guitar & Vocals Adam Thomas – Bass & Backing Vocals Dave Wilbraham – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 24th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
Brash UK heavy rockers XII Boar will release their sophomore album, Beyond the Valley of the Triclops, this summer. The band, who seem to be taking part with many of their regional contemporaries — looking at you BongCauldron and Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard — in a contest to determine who can come up with the most ridiculous names and/or titles, offered their debut, Pitworthy (review here), early last year, and recorded the follow-up with the nigh-on-ubiquitous Chris Fielding of Conan at Skyhammer Studio. No exact date has been set as of now, but August seems to be the month, if the PR wire is anything to go by, which it is.
Album info and hey-look-it’s-a-butt cover art follow, because there’s nothing quite like keeping it classy:
UK metal’n’roll heavyweights XII BOAR return with new album “Beyond The Valley of The Triclops” this summer!
Prepare for a huge slab of ear-splitting leads, sonic riffs, filthy bass lines, whiskey drenched vocals and sweet southern grooves, as Hampshire wrecking ball XII BOAR (pronounce ‘Twelve Boar’) return this summer with their sophomore album “Beyond The Valley Of The Triclops”.
Recorded at Skyhammer Studio with renowned producer Chris Fielding (Conan, Electric Wizard, Winterfylleth) at the end of last year, Beyond The Valley of The Triclops sees XII BOAR hitting new heights with a stronger, focused, no limits approach to song writing. Having achieved huge critical acclaim with last year’s debut album Pitworthy, the band are already back and on point to be one of 2016’s strongest contenders.
Combining Motorhead’s swagger, Sabbath’s downtrodden doom and the swinging crunch of Corrosion of Conformity – these Hampshire louts lay down a colossal slab of rock’n’roll-infused groove metal, alongside a wild live show to fuel even the greatest parties. Now the band is on a path to do great things. With their debut album Pitworthy released in March 2015, XII BOAR are rapidly becoming unstoppable. Looking forward to their second performance at Bloodstock, a film licensing deal with Troma Films editor turned cult icon Dylan Greenberg, and of course, the release of their sophomore record, Beyond The Valley Of The Triclops the band is excited to see what the future holds.
Wrapped up in some stunning, booty-tastic artwork done by quasi-legendary artist James Hayball this album creates a total sonic experience, the sort of thing that you can get utterly and beautifully lost in, as you travel beyond the valley. After all… This is pure rock and roll for the heavier generation.
XII BOAR “Beyond The Valley Of The Triclops” Out this August – Presale infos coming soon…
XII BOAR IS Tommy Hardrocks – Guitar & Vocals Adam Thomas – Bass & Backing Vocals Dave Wilbraham – Drums
Once again it’s been a couple weeks since I was last able to do a round of radio adds. But I have a good excuse! I was… uh… reviewing stuff? Well, that’s what I was doing, anyway. Anyhow, I’m way backed up on stuff to join the server, so for at least the next couple weeks it seems reasonable to expect regular adds while I get caught up. By then I’m sure I’ll be behind again, because somehow that’s how it works. Anyway, point is that as usual, a lot more was added to the server this afternoon than appears here, so make sure you check the Playlist and Updates page for the full list. Most of it is pretty new as well, so you might stumble on something you didn’t know was out. Could happen. Alright, let’s do this.
The Obelisk Radio adds for March 20, 2015:
XII Boar, Pitworthy
Before “Sharpshooter,” the opening track of their debut full-length, Pitworthy, actually starts, Hampshire, UK, trio XII Boar are introduced by a ring announcer in full arena-echo style. Somebody is about to get their ass kicked. That mentality tells you a lot about where the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Tommy Hardrocks, bassist/vocalist Adam “Baddog” Thomas and drummer David Wilbraham are coming from on the 10-track outing, rife with heavy, Southern-style boogie presented with weighted burl whether it’s a slower groove like “Crushing the P” or a thrasher like “Chicken Hawk.” Side A caps with the title-track, a seven-minute Southern metal highlight, but the real party is at the end of the record’s second half, when the 11-minute “Quint” takes hold in a raucous fury of rhythmic thrust, seafaring tales and off-the-wall soloing. It is a riotous debut after a few promising EPs, and if nothing else, XII Boar make it clear that if anyone’s going to get their ass kicked, it won’t be the band. Their dudely growls and whisky this-or-that might be too much for some, but there’s no denying these guys sound like they’re having a blast, and that energy proves infectious throughout their first album. XII Boar on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Deadpeach, Old Fuzz Generation
Underrated Italian fuzz rockers Deadpeach initially released the debut EP, Old Fuzz Generation, in 2004 on what was apparently severely limited vinyl. Then a three-song 7″, Old Fuzz Generation now sees a digital reissue as a four-track release with the three-minute “Spain ’87” added on to the end. All told, it’s still under 10 minutes long with all four cuts taken together, but while brief, there’s enough fuzzy rush to hearken back to a time when European heavy rock was less concerned with either psychedelic freeform jamming or sounding like it’s 1972, and that the thickened-out, sped-up punk of “Americano” (1:50) needed no frills to get its point across, tapping influences from Nebula, Fu Manchu and Kyuss even while quoting Bob Marley in the lyrics and expressing what was a pervasive anti-American sentiment throughout Europe following the US invasion of Iraq. Good times. Not really, but good fuzz, and twice as interesting when one considers how European heavy was on the verge of a multi-faceted explosion 11 years ago and Deadpeach were tapping into a similar classic heavy ethic as the likes of Demon Cleaner, earlier Dozer and their countrymen in OJM. A quick but satisfying stoner burst. Deadpeach on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Suzukiton, Suzukiton II
Making their home in the fertile heavy ground of Richmond, Virginia, the instrumental four-piece Suzukiton made their debut a decade ago on Crucial Blast with Service Repair Handbook, a collection of distinctly Southern but still varied rockers that found a cult following at the time. Kind of a surprise to find that 10 years later, the four-piece of guitarists Todd Naumann and David Boyd (Twisted Tower Dire), bassist William Rose and drummer Bryan Cox (ex-Axehandle and Alabama Thunderpussy) would return with the self-released Suzukiton II, but the intervening time has done little to dull their potency, shredding leads cutting through tight rhythms in tones bordering between heavy rock and metal, a chugger like “Death of a Mule” no more out of place than a prog-metal stomper like “Ronin.” Closer “Todd II” would seem a direct sequel to “Todd Song” from the first album, but its eight-minute course feels more than duly expanded from the prior release. Thoughtful in its progressions and well-plotted within its individual pieces, Suzukiton II is nothing if not a welcome return, and if it’s the band’s position to blindside new listeners, that suits the material well. Suzukiton on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Torpor, From Nothing Comes Everything
Immediate points to UK atmospheric sludgers Torpor (also stylized in all-caps) for opening their Head of Crom and Black Bow Records debut LP, From Nothing Comes Everything, with “From this Time,” the longest song on the album. Follow-up points for the actual weight of the damn thing. Dense, post-metallic claustrophobia is undercut by trades between spoken or otherwise clearheaded shouts and vicious screams, the foursome of standalone vocalist Nats Spada, guitarist/vocalist Jon Taylor, bassist Lauren Mason and drummer Simon Mason successfully avoiding stylistic cliche throughout the six-track release while executing lethal builds and thunder-toned push. “Surrender to the Light” is as effective for its melody as its chug, the obscure interlude “The Wake” rumbles and growls ferociously, and “As Waves Crash” demonstrates a powerful blend of post-hardcore and doom, from which “Abandon” departs only momentarily, delving into a minimalist midsection before rounding out with a maddening payoff. Nine-minute closer “Everything We Left Behind” might as well be made of skull fragments and burst eardrums, its heft giving way gradually to deconstructed ambience and a finale of abrasive noise. Torpor‘s first is brutal, fierce and terrifying most of all for how solidified and assured the band sounds in their aesthetic — how at home they are in the churning chaos they’ve made. Torpor on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp, at Head of Crom, Black Bow Records.
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Monsternaut, Monsternaut
If the art wasn’t clue enough, Monsternaut‘s Monsternaut EP is a stoner rock record. Its motor revs in opener “Dog Town” and doesn’t let up until it hits the slowdown in closer “Black Horizon,” which wraps the Kerava, Finland, trio’s 18-minute debut outing with a fitting show of swing, choice basslines and nod-worthy fuckall. There’s plenty about the five tracks that will prove familiar to listeners who may have seen a record with an El Camino (admittedly, a gorgeous one) on the cover before, but there’s a next-generation freshness in Monsternaut‘s barebones, unabashed heavy rock approach, and cuts like “Back for More” and “Mountain Doom” prove deceptively catchy while also tapping tonal satisfaction in the guitar, bass and drums — Jani Kuusela‘s snare and kick landing no less heavy than Tuomas Heiskanen‘s riffs or Perttu Härkönen‘s low end — and the thud of “Caravan” and the straightforward, unpretentious vibe of all the tracks suits a presentation of genre that offers an edge of individuality while immediately doing more than just aping the band’s stylistic forebear(d)s. In heft, mood and songwriting, it’s a more than solid showcase of a progression underway. Monsternaut on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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As previously noted, this is just a fraction of the stuff that joined the server today — one-third, if you want to be more specific about that fraction. To check out everything else or to see what’s been played today and for probably way further back than you’re interested in knowing, check out the Obelisk Radio Playlist and Updates page. Hope you find something good from it.
Hampshire, UK, riff mongers XII Boar will release their debut album, Pitworthy, next Monday, March 9. The full-length follows two EPs and a single and is rife with burl-boogie and dudely, carnivorous groove. When it comes to “Rock City,” the penultimate track on the record before the 11-minute “Quint” closes out, XII Boar are less distinct in their geography than, say, KISS, who were practically selling maps with a logo on them, but with a fervent sludge-blues shuffle, they seem more than content to lead the way there and let their audience follow along. Pied Pipers of Heavytown.
That’s a stretch perhaps — something tells me XII Boar can take a bit of ball-busting — but the song is maddeningly catchy, and where a cut like preceding “Battle Boar” is all metallic tension and build, “Rock City” is more of a standalone in emphasizing the post-Orange Goblin gruffness to which XII Boar bring a Southern metal flair. They’ve got something in the works for this summer — one imagines a UK or European tour — but they’ll play a release show for Pitworthy this Saturday in the meantime, joined by Mother Corona and Steak at the West End Centre in Aldershot. Details on their Thee Facebooks.
Rock City – Taken from the début full-length album ‘Pitworthy’ by UK metal n’ rollers XII Boar (pronounced – Twelve Boar).
XII Boar unleash their first full-length LP, featuring 10 blistering tracks of razor sharp rock and roll for the heavier generation. ‘Pitworthy’ serves up a smorgasbord of groove-laden riffage, irresistibly catchy hooks, straight-to-the-face thrash outs and a bucket-load of hip swaying, booty shakin’ metal.
Recorded at the legendary Parlour Studios by Neil Haynes. Album Artwork by Beak – Six of One. Video shot and produced by Adam Thomas.
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 6th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
With Steak and Desert Storm as headliners, the Winter Warmer Weekender 2015 is set for Jan. 16 and 17 and will pull together some of the London-area underground’s finest in heavy. The two-night festival has been put together by When Planets Collide, which traditionally is also responsible for the sludgiest stage at the London Desertfest, and that side of things isn’t left out here either — looking at you, BongCauldron — though there’s plenty of variety within the sphere of heavy rock between the lineups.
Also noteworthy that Desert Storm are getting ready to release their new album, Omniscient, on Jan. 26 via Blindsight Records. No doubt they’ll be in a celebratory mood as they close out the Friday night lineup, and with good reason.
When Planets Collide posted the schedule and info for the fest:
Full timings for the WINTER WARMER WEEKENDER!!
After a cracking SUMMER SIZZLER SESSION just a couple of weeks ago I have decided to put all my efforts into making the WINTER WARMER WEEKENDER 2015 the best show yet so we shall all be convening on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th January 2015.
This means that once again you have the whole Sunday to recover and it also means that you can beat those winter blues by coming and seeing 12 of the greatest new offerings in our scene today!
To start things off we are blown away to announce 2 previous good friends of WPC who really have shot to stardom since last appearing at an event of ours so we are truly chuffed to have them return again to headline.
On Friday we have the stoner Groovers DESERT STORM who have only played with us once back 2 years ago but we have brought them back and placed them where they belong in headlining position!
On Saturday we have the desert rock Titans STEAK who have played a lot of shows with us over the years but since performing last have not only Signed to Napalm Records but recorded one of the best albums of 2015 which even includes guest vocals from Lord John Garcia himself!
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 11th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
UK burl rockers XII Boar — which even though I know it’s pronounced “twelve boar” I still always say as “zhee-boar” — have issued a new digital single that’s a take on Motörhead‘s “Damage Case.” The Southern-styled sludge rock three-piece, somewhat unsurprisingly if you’ve heard their stuff before, beef up the Motörhead original, which appeared on side B of 1979’s classic Overkill. It’s a pretty bold cover to take on, but XII Boar have specialized in the brash since they got going, as their 2014 single Truck Stop Baby will attest, and they’re right in their element with the bruiser groove of “Damage Case,” which can be downloaded free via their Bandcamp page.
They sent word down the PR wire of the new track, and I spliced in a bit of bio background in case you’re unfamiliar. The track itself you can check out on the YouTube player below:
UK Metal & Roll Heavy Weights ‘XII Boar’ pay tribute to Motörhead
UK stoner and sludge scene regulars, ‘XII Boar’ have done a surprise release covering Motörhead’s classic ‘Damage Case’ for your audio pleasure. Putting their own slamming take on the tune and reworking it in their southern fried, crushing, sludgey style, it has been a smash hit across the interweb and already received rave reviews!
Speeding at you like an out of control train, XII Boar (pronounced ‘Twelve Boar’) have been tearing a new one into the stoner/sludge/metal scene over the last 2 years. The three-piece wrecking ball from Aldershot, Hampshire, blast their way into your skull with ear-splitting leads, sonic riffs, filthy bass lines, whiskey drenched vocals and a sweet southern groove.
Combining Motörhead’s swagger, Sabbath’s downtrodden doom and the swinging crunch of Corrosion of Conformity – these Hampshire louts lay down a colossal slab of rock n’ roll-infused groove metal that fuels even the greatest parties.
Not bad for a band who literally do all the hard work in house. Having independently recorded, produced and released two EPs since their inception, they have garnered much attention and rave reviews from both the press and fans alike.
Posted in On the Radar on February 15th, 2011 by JJ Koczan
Just about a month away from playing their first show ever March 18 at the Face Bar in Reading, gruff UK stoner metal trio XII Boar (website here) have an attack to their recently-released first demo that doesn’t forget either side of the genre designation. The guitar solo Tommy Hardrocks elicits on “Beg, Borrow, Steal” reminds of Pepper Keenan, but the furious chug of finale track “Skol” comes right out of the heavy metal playbook — and that’s just fine. Toss in a little High on Fire and you’re good to go.
Hardrocks handles vocals (shouts mostly) with backup from bassist Adam Thomas, while Dave Wilbraham holds down the drums — exceptionally so on “Sludge” — and all of XII Boar (whose name is not to be confused with either the defunct outfit 12 Eyes or Red XIII from Final Fantasy VII) seems to have a firm grasp on the sound they’re going for. It’s relatively straightforward, but for a band who’ve been together just about a year, and don’t have a single show under their belt as of this writing, they’ve more or less got it on lockdown.
Definitely worth keeping on the radar, as you can hear with the Soundcloud player below:
with backup from bassist Adam Thomas, while Dave Wilbraham holds down the drums — exceptionally so on “Sludge” — and all of XII Boar (whose name is not to be confused with either the defunct outfit 12 Eyes or Red XIII from Final Fantasy VII) seems to have a firm grasp on the sound they’re going for. It’s relatively straightforward, but for a band who’ve been together just about a year, and don’t have a single show under their belt as of this writing, they’ve more or less got it on lockdown.
