Friday Full-Length: Monster Magnet, Test Patterns Vol. 1 (R.I.P. Tim Cronin)

Posted in Bootleg Theater on July 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Tim Cronin was one of the kindest people you could hope to meet, in a heavy-underground context or any other. I don’t remember when we first got in touch, but I’m pretty sure it was when I was in college, through his band The Ribeye Bros. His passing earlier this week after being diagnosed with ALS in March leaves a couple unfillable holes behind, in music as well as in the lives of those who knew and loved him. He was somebody who was nice to me and had no need or reason to be. Among humans, that makes him tops in my book. He took the Obelisk Questionnaire in 2022 and it was always a pleasure to hear from him whether he had new music happening or not. New Jersey and rock and roll will miss him, let alone family, friends and bandmates, and those who knew him even casually.

Cronin was an original member of pre-Monster Magnet, when the band was himself, Dave Wyndorf, John McBain and a whole lot of weirdo restlessness. They played under different names, different shows, different ideas. Following heavy space rock whims in the late ’80s when most kids were getting down with a slice of Warrant’s “Cherry Pie.” Test Patterns Vol. 1 was released in 2022 on God Unknown Records with two early versions of the acid-slacker epic “Tab” plastered across its sides, each an entrancing, underproduced abyss waiting to swallow the listener. Hawkwind through the looking glass. The stuff of mirror universes. All go.

It wasn’t the first archival Monster-Magnet-before-they-were-Monster-Magnet-type release. One shudders to imagine how many tapes like this are sitting, what, in Dave Wyndorf’s garage?, when they should probably be in the Library of Congress for preservation and future research. In 2001, Wrong Way Records put out Love Monster as a collection of material from around the same time, with songs like “Atom Age Vampire,” “War Hippie” and “Five Years Ahead” and a sound that was about as raw as one could expect for having been tracked in a rehearsal space during the Reagan years. I don’t think it was actually recorded on a phone answering machine, but you get the idea.

The journey of “Tab” — gorgeous and muddy in kind, a headphone-ready, close-your-eyes piece of transportive potential drawing a distorted line in the sand between the monster magnet test patterns vol 1squares and those who can dig it, existentially speaking — of course has its most known representation on the 1991 25…Tab EP (reissue review here, discussed here), but is different every time. This owes to the open and unsolidified nature of what Monster Magnet were at the time — it’s not every song that can feature twice on a 48-minute LP that holds nothing else, either literally or figuratively — and the experimentalism driving them. They were all fuck-around and the music was the find-out.

“Tab” on Test Patterns Vol. 1 has been remixed and remastered and whatnot, but it’s still one of the greatest pieces of freakery ever put to tape. I know there’s a lot of weird stuff out there, and that’s a good thing, but Monster Magnet were too ragamuffin for the arthouse set — and thus at the vanguard — and because they went on to more commercial sounds and successes, there’s an entire subset of their fanbase that never knew from whence the “Spacelord” came. “Tab” amplifies their loss. The voidbound echoes in the midsection, where you can’t quite tell anymore what’s backwards or forwards and it kind of all sounds like noise but there’s still that strum of guitar, embody this. Once they got the lineup solidified, signed to Caroline and moved on to making albums like 1991’s Spine of God (reissue review here, discussed here) and 1993’s Superjudge (discussed here), they brought more structured craft. But I’ll argue that as straightforward as they’ve ever gotten — and there have been ebbs and flows throughout Monster Magnet’s career of weirdoism; sometimes it’s personnel, sometimes it’s Wyndorf directing, sometimes it’s just life, I think — their foundation in noisy, mess-around-with-sound psychedelia and space rock has always been a distinguishing factor. Cronin was an essential part of that.

Side B’s “Tab (1988 Demo)” is — you guessed it — even rawer. It begins with chimes and mellow swirl in a call to prayer and soon oozes its way through a lysergic morass of drift and noise. The sound has obviously been cleared up, but Wyndorf’s croon is largely indecipherable and that’s fine. It’s about the atmosphere, the density of the wash they create, more than any single element peaking through the mix. That lifeline strum is there, even more buried, but the persona of the demo “Tab” is more meditative, even less ‘song’ in the traditional sense than a piece for worship set forth by those chimes. To be sure, it’s not any gods you’ve ever heard of being called down, but the mad-howling drag of the later reaches are definitely in communion with something.

I picked Test Patterns — and I don’t know that there will ever be a Vol. 2 or not, especially now — to close the week to honor Cronin, and to underscore the idea that sometimes we don’t know at the time the impact that our actions will have. No way John McBain, Cronin or Wyndorf knew that the band they were shaping would still exist more than 35 years later, let alone have the influence or reach Monster Magnet have enjoyed. But that’s just it. People do things all the time, put stuff out into the world, and sometimes it’s pretty special. I used to read Cronin’s blog about Jack’s Music customers. I dug his collages of cut-and-pasted LP art a lot. Between the Ribeyes and doing lights and whathaveyou for Monster Magnet, with whom he stayed close for decades even after not being in the band anymore, he was always working on something, plugging a show, etc. Putting art into the world, making it better.

On behalf of myself and this site, condolences to Cronin’s friends, family, bandmates, and really the entirety of my beloved Garden State, which is certainly poorer for his passing. I don’t know how you start a campaign to rename streets or anything like that, but if there isn’t a Tim Cronin Blvd. in Red Bank sometime soon, we’ll know for certain there’s no justice in the universe. Rest in peace, Tim, and thanks for everything.

In light of the above and out of respect to Cronin’s memory, I’m going to leave it there for this week. I know this interrupts the Parliament-Funkadelic series of Friday Full-Lengths. I’ll get back to that next week. Until then, thank you for reading and I wish you a great and safe weekend. Hydrate. Tell someone you love them. Fuck ICE. Fuck fascism.

FRM.

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Woodhawk Announce Canadian Tour

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Calgary heavy rockers Woodhawk will spend a goodly portion of the coming autumn on the road supporting their new album, Love Finds a Way (review here), which came out in June through Grand Hand Records. The tour is prefaced by an appearance at Alberta’s Loud as Hell Open Air, which is in its 13th edition and, being more of a metal/prog-metal festival, has Revocation headlining and a lot of acts whose logos look like they’d be too sharp to touch.

I don’t see any dates in Nova Scotia, but putting aside that and the Yukon — which has to have a venue or two somewhere, right? — they cover a lot of ground from one end of Canada to the other, and the cause that drives them is worthy indeed. What the world needs now is love, and such. I just made that up.

Dates and details came down the PR wire, and the album stream is at the bottom of the post. Have at it:

woodhawk canadian tour sq

WOODHAWK Announces Cross-Canada Tour For New Album “Love Finds a Way” Out Now!

+ LOUD AS HELL OPEN AIR FEST w/ REVOCATION, FIRST FRAGMENT and more!

After five years of anticipation, Calgary’s stoner groove rock trio Woodhawk announces they will be hitting the road this August through October for tour dates across Canada (dates listed below). The show dates are in support of their latest and third album, “Love Finds a Way,” released on June 6th of this year via Grand Hand Records. Fans can expect a high-energy set packed with new material and favorites from their discography that will be delivered with the raw power and passion.

Their most personal and powerful release to date, their new full-length album, “Love Finds a Way”, marks a turning point for Woodhawk. Demonstrating their evolution from early stoner rock roots into something more emotionally complex while maintaining the infectious grooves and memorable hooks that have defined their sound.

“Love Finds a Way” explores themes of darkness, healing, and hope, while still delivering the infectious hooks and thunderous riffs fans have come to expect. With contributions from longtime collaborator Jesse Gander on synth, the band expands their sonic palette without losing their edge. The trio of Turner Midzain (guitar/vocals), Mike Badmington (bass), and Kevin Nelson (drums) poured five years of growth, struggle, and creative evolution into this record.

“We are over the moon to get this album out. Love Finds a Way is easily the hardest we have worked on an album to date. We poured our heart and soul into this one. It really is a journey of getting out of the darkness and into the light. Check in with your friends and loved ones. Hug the ones you love. Be nicer to each other. Love will always prevail and be stronger than anything else. After 10 years of being a band, I feel like we are still just getting started!” adds the band.

After a decade together, Woodhawk is proving they’re just getting started. “Love Finds a Way” is more than an album; it’s a statement of resilience, connection, and the enduring power of rock.

Recommended for fans of The Sword, Red Fang, and Thin Lizzy, the album is a dynamic journey from start to finish, balancing soft and heavy, slow and fast, light and dark.

​Album order (out June 6th): https://woodhawk.bandcamp.com​

In additional news, Woodhawk will be performing on day three of this year’s LOUD AS HELL OPEN AIR FESTIVAL on August 3rd in Drumheller, AB alongside Revocation, Cyborg Octopus, Beguiler, Thirteen Goats, Famous Strangers, and more! Full details on LAH can be found at www.loudashell.ca.

Show Dates: ​
Aug 3 – Drumheller, AB – Loud As Hell Open Air
Aug 27 – Calgary, AB – Ship & Anchor
Aug 28 – Lethbridge, AB – The Owl Acoustic Lounge
Aug 29 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
Aug 30 – Winnipeg, MB – Side Stage
Sept 2 – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge
Sept 3 – Hamilton, ON – Club Absinthe
Sept 4 – Ottawa, ON – House of Targ
Sept 5 – Montreal – Turbo Haus
Sept 6 – Toronto, ON – The Monarch
Sept 7 – Kingston, ON – The Mansion
Sept 9 – Oshawa, ON – The Atria
Sept 10 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Soo Blaster
Sept 11 – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirates Pub
Sept 12 – Brandon, MB – The 40
Sept 13 – Saskatoon, SK – Black Cat Tavern
Sept 25 – Kelowna, BC- Jackknife Brewery
Sept 26 – Vancouver, BC – Green Auto
Sept 27 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar
Oct 10 – Red Deer, AB – The Vat
Oct 11 – Edmonton, AB – The Aviary

Woodhawk is:
Turner Midzain – Guitar & Vocals
Mike Badmington – Bass & Vocals
Kevin Nelson – Drums

http://woodhawkriffs.com/
https://woodhawk.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/woodhawkriffs/
https://www.facebook.com/WoodhawkRiffs/

Woodhawk, Love Finds a Way (2025)

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Stone Nomads Sign to Ripple Music

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

This weekend, Houston heavies Stone Nomads will take part among the killer-lineup hordes at the inaugural Asheville Doomed and Stoned Fest, having already announced that their third album — no title yet — will be released this Fall through Ripple Music. The quote below, where they talk about being in the studio with Randy Burns, is from a post in May when the tour dates were announced, so I’m assuming the record’s done by now and this is the beginning of the label’s promo cycle, but you never know. September? October? Is it time for 2025’s slew of Halloween releases to start being unveiled? It might be.

I’d call it a quick year if every day weren’t so excruciating and/or horror-filled. Nonetheless, groove heads will of course be keeping an eye out for this third LP to come, whenever its arrival might actually happen.

The label’s announcement, the band’s announcement and the live dates follow, culled from socials and prior PR, because sometimes you DIY it and put a thing together to tell a story:

stone nomads

Says the label: You like heavy, I know. So how much heavy can you take? Please welcome STONE NOMADS to the Ripple family. New album coming this year!

Says the band: We are absolutely stoked to announce our signing to Ripple Music ! Shoutout to Todd Severin & Pope John for making it happen… stay tuned, we have a crushingly heavy new album dropping later this fall

Stone Nomads live:
July 11th – Al’s Bar – Lexington, KY
July 12th – Doomed & Stoned fest – Asheville, NC
July 13th – The Den – Winston Salem, NC
July 15th – The Cobra Lounge – Nashville, TN
July 16th – Sweetwater – Atlanta, GA
July 17th – Jack Rabbits – Jacksonville, FL
July 18th – Deviant Libation – Tampa, FL
July 19th – Poor House – Ft Lauderdale, FL

The band is currently in the studio with legendary producer RANDY BURNS (Megadeth, Death, Possessed) putting the finishing touches on their 3rd album, scheduled to be released in the fall of 2025.

Here’s a quote from the band:

“We have been hard at work in the studio the past few months putting together a banger of an album (our first on [Ripple Music]…more info coming soon…), can’t wait for the world to hear it later this fall! In the meantime we are super stoked to get back out on the road this summer and do what we do best with in front of all of our rowdy friends across the southern US.”

http://www.stonenomads.com/
https://stonenomads.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/stonenomads/
https://www.facebook.com/StoneNomadsHTX/

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

Stone Nomads, Beyond the Gates (2024)

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Naevus to Release Back Home Sept. 19; Title-Track Posted

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 11th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

naevus

If you don’t know German doomers Naevus and need a why-am-I-paying-attention-to-this for their upcoming third album, Back Home, consider they’ve been a band for 30 years (admittedly there was a long inactive stretch in there) and their 1998 debut, Sun Meditation, came out on Rise Above. Contemporary to Orange Goblin‘s Time Travelling Blues and Electric Wizard‘s Come My Fanatics, that makes them, though Naevus have more in common sound-wise with Trouble, as the currently-streaming title-track to Back Home demonstrates.

Particularly, I get a spirit like later-Eric Wagner-era, an undervalued LP like Simple Mind Condition, in the acoustic/electric blend of “Back Home,” and the melody feels comfortable in itself and range. Doom that knows what it’s about, in other words. The band’s 2016 return LP, Heavy Burden (review here) was issued through Meta Matter Records, but Dying Victims Productions is standing behind Back Home, and the label sent the whole story down the PR wire.

Have at it:

naevus back home

NAEVUS premiere new track, set release date for new DYING VICTIMS album

DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS is proud to present NAEVUS’ highly anticipated third album, Back Home, on CD and vinyl LP formats.

Hailing from Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany’s NAEVUS was originally formed in 1991 as a death metal trio. Various lineup changes and musical alterations led to the first demo Quixotic Dreams in 1993. The second demo, A Sad Illusion, arrived a year later bearing a doomier sound and clean vocals. In 1995 the Autumn Sun demo was recorded and released, with the lineup still existing today: Uwe Groebel (vocals / lead guitar), Oliver Grosshans (guitar), Sven Heimerdinger (bass), and Mathias Straub (drums). The demo – influenced by Trouble, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, The Obsessed, and Black Sabbath – received very good international reviews and finally led to the first recording contract in 1997 with Lee Dorrian’s Rise Above Records. The recordings were made at Vielklang Studio in Berlin where The Obsessed’s debut and Saint Vitus’ V were recorded. Bearing the title Sun Meditation, NAEVUS’ debut album was released in March 1998.

Thereafter, NAEVUS’ musical style continued to develop. This was followed by the 14 Inches of Fury four-way split with Revelation, Twisted Tower Dire, and Grief of God as well as the song “R.I.P” on the Trouble tribute album. After family and professional changes, the band went their separate ways in 1999, while at the same time, Mathias Straub and Oliver Grosshans founded the epic power metal band Sacred Steel. From then on, Uwe Groebel dedicated himself to the doom trio Voodooshock with further song ideas, before the band got back together in 2012 and the first rehearsals for the reunion show with Saint Vitus began. Originally, they only wanted to play the old songs again, but the joy of playing meant that new songs were not long in coming. In 2016, the second long-player, Heavy Burden, was released and garnered with internationally positive reviews.

In 2023, recordings began for a third album. At last here, Back Home is its title, and quite aptly. NAEVUS are nothing if not consistent, and within the opening minute – hell, even seconds – you are right Back Home with their warm, emotive doom. And yet, while NAEVUS’ traditional-yet-signature sound remains stronger than ever, the means of arriving at that have changed some. Nowadays, the band acts more flexibly and arranges the entire songs together, which was previously almost exclusively reserved for Uwe Groebel. Groebel’s vocals are as melodically hypnotic as ever, too, with the very personal lyrics imparting loss and grief but also with love and hope – a quality surely highlighted by the man’s warm pipes. Cementing this sensation of warmth and comfort – effectively, being Back Home – the cover art was once again created by Roland Scriver.

DYING VICTIMS is honored to bring NAEVUS Back Home, and the album’s release show will take place with old tape-trading friend Patrick Walker of 40 Watt Sun and Warning at Schwarzer Keiler, Stuttgart on October 2nd.

Tracklisting for Naevus’ Back Home
1. Intro
2. Back Home
3. The Dead Don’t Sleep
4. My Fire
5. Under A Different Sky
6. Ghost
7. Angels Never Come
8. Master Of Shiver
9. Free The Ravens Fly

Naevus are:
Uwe Groebel – vocals/lead guitar
Oliver Grosshans – guitar
Sven Heimerdinger – bass
Mathias Straub – drums

https://naevusdoom.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/NaevusDoom
https://www.facebook.com/naevusdoom

https://www.dying-victims.de
https://dyingvictimsproductions.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/dyingvictimsproductions/
https://www.facebook.com/dyingvictimsproductions

Naevus, Back Home (2025)

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Temptress Sign to Blues Funeral Recordings for Early 2026 Sophomore LP

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Those who caught onto Temptress‘ 2023 debut, See, will likely nod knowingly as the band have been picked up by Blues Funeral Recordings for the release of the follow-up early next year. The heavy, moody pastiche of the Dallas trio’s approach was on full display throughout the Kent Stump-produced first record, and given the live work they’ve done since, expectations are sure to be high for the yet-untitled follow-up.

Obviously there are some months between here and there, so it might be a while before a title, art, first single, etc., surfaces, but the signing announcement begins the promo process, so here it is from the PR wire:

temptress

Dallas heavy rock trio TEMPTRESS signs to Blues Funeral Recordings!

US independent heavy powerhouse Blues Funeral Recordings is proud to welcome Dallas, Texas heavy tripolar noisemakers TEMPTRESS to their roster for the release of the band’s sophomore album in early 2026.

Temptress is a heavy trio founded in Dallas, Texas who fuse drone, doom, post-rock, noise, grunge and classic metal into an unexpected blend that sounds at times like each of these yet is also entirely unique. Comprised of veteran touring musicians Andi Cuba (drums/vocals), Kelsey Wilson (guitar/vocals) and Christian Wright (bass/vocals), Temptress began their musical journey in 2019. Within just five months, these experienced players went from jamming for fun to writing and recording their first potent songs, self-releasing the self-titled “Temptress” EP that year and immediately launching into live performances.

Recording their first full-length album “SEE” with Kent Stump (Wo Fat) at Crystal Clear Sound Studio and releasing the record in 2023 through Metal Assault Records, Temptress toured extensively, leveraging the members’ vast onstage experience to present their hybrid heaviness in the most natural and impactful setting. In their relatively short tenure, Temptress has played 200+ shows across the USA and Canada, sharing stages with bands like Khemmis, Royal Thunder, Eyehategod and Black Tusk, and performing at events like Ripplefest Texas, Grim Reefer Fest in Baltimore, Atlanta Doom Fest and the early days of Austin’s Gravitoyd Doom Fest.

Signing to Blues Funeral Recordings with plans to release their second album in early 2026, Temptress is ready to harness their relentless work ethic and explosive live presence to incinerate new stages and make instant new fans with their ambitious, genre-warping heaviness worldwide. “We are ecstatic to join forces with the mighty Blues Funeral for the release of our upcoming album, and are equally thankful to be included alongside such a diverse talented roster of visionary artists and labelmates. We can’t wait to see what the future has in store, ” bassist and vocalist Christian Wright enthuses.

Guitarist and vocalist Kelsey Wilson adds: “We as a group put much of our heart and soul into our recording and expressing our individuality through our songs. I’m happy to be partnered with a label that shares in that enthusiasm, grateful to be part of this community, and look forward to the future of our next release and the upcoming years.”

Stay tuned for more Temptress news and tunes coming soon on Blues Funeral Recordings!

Temptress is
Andi Cuba – Drums & Vocals
Kelsey Wilson – Guitar & Vocals
Christian Wright – Bass & Vocals

https://temptressofficial.com/
https://linktr.ee/temptressofficial
https://temptressofficial.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/temptressofficial/
https://www.facebook.com/temptressdfw/

https://bluesfuneral.com
https://bluesfuneralrecordings.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/blues.funeral/
https://www.facebook.com/bluesfuneral/

Temptress, See (2023)

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Album Review: Psychedelic Source Records, Flaming Hurricane

Posted in Reviews on July 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Psychedelic Source Records Flaming Hurricane

It’s been a minute, so a bit of context to welcome the uninitiated (and that’s no judgment; good on you for checking out something you’ve never heard before): Hungary’s Psychedelic Source Records, despite the name, isn’t a record label in the traditional sense. Though it’s also that sometimes, pressing and releasing LPs or, occasionally, CDs, in limited batches. Mostly, Psychedelic Source Records is a collective of players and bands operating under the banner. These players, sometimes whole or parts of other bands, come and go throughout different improvisational jam sessions recorded sometimes in a special place (there was that time on the goat farm, for example) or with an outside collaborator, as last month’s Sokkyō (with LP pending) teamed a group of players in the collective’s stable with Go Kurosawa of Kikagaku Moyo.

These sessions are taken home and edited down, generally by Bence Ambrus, who plays guitar and bass and starts the recorder and so is about as close to a top-banana as Psychedelic Source has, but if it’s a hierarchy, it’s the most casual of them. To wit, Flaming Hurricane is the latest offering from the prolific, semi-amorphous group. It is the 10th release Psychedelic Source has had in the seven months of 2025 so far, and it brings two-thirds of Budapest’s Band in the Pit — guitarist Szabolcs Kesmarky and bassist Vilmos Schneider — into the fold with regulars like Ambrus (on guitar), guitarists Ákos Karancz (aka Pilot Voyager) and drummer Krisz Megyeri, the latter of whom proves to be the glue holding it all together as the three guitars go wandering through an expanse of psych drift, dynamic fuzz and at least partially improv processions.

Flaming Hurricane runs nine tracks and is two hours and 21 minutes long (2:21:34), so it’s probably safe to call it a productive day. In the spirit of past Psychedelic Source outings, it is presented in as organic a manner as possible, to the point that, on the Bandcamp release page, Ambrus posted the timeline of the day. Here it is for posterity:

The chronological order of the session:
11am: Bence arrived at the place, set the studio up.
12pm: Szabolcs and Vili arrived from Dunaujvaros, Krisz appeared too.
13pm: Session started, first five songs played in order, nothing weeded out.
15pm: Bence left the room.
Around 17pm Akos arrived.
second four songs played in order, nothing weeded out except a final one.
Later some drunker mates arrived (David, Pali), all the rest of the songs weeded out.
Enjoy

Note that in that, it’s stated that there was more, maybe a lot more, put to tape that day — presumably just weeks or maybe a month ago — but the jams didn’t work so they were “weeded out.” Flaming Hurricane, then, brings the best takes of the day. There are no overdubs, and right from opener/longest track (immediate points) “Glyphosate on Socials” (29:59), the troupe on tape dig into the moment with suitable gusto, Megyeri‘s drums — look out for “The Less We Speak the Better” (11:58) later on if you’re keying in on his performance — provide the backbone for movement through mellow dream-tones and the ebbs and flows around them. Schneider acquits himself well on bass late in the opener, and in the early going of “Self-Burial” (17:23), underscoring a skronk that builds through the song’s midsection and devolves nearly to complete silence before an epilogue of quiet standalone guitar leads the way out.

Psychedelic Source Records

It’s more than a listener would probably be able to engage with in one sitting, because who the hell has two hours-plus to sit and actively vibe with heavy jams, but certainly “Glyphosate on Socials,” “Subliminal” (18:15), the fuzzblast-then-post-fuzzblast “Mahakala” (15:35), “Self-Burial,” and the finale “Robot Influences” (20:58), which meanders through a long drone and lead guitar only to be given shape in its second half by — you guessed it — the arrival of the drums, present the audience hearing them with broad soundscapes in which to immerse, get lost, dwell, really whatever you want to do with them. “Robot Influences” and “Glyphosate on Socials,” though the latter would need editing, could be a single LP on their own, and would satisfy as one, but “The Less We Speak the Better” — a fun title from a generally-instrumentalist outfit — and sub-10-minute pieces like “Throbbing Pulse” (9:28) and its apparent companion, the later “Pulsing Throttle” (8:40), as well as the penultimate, howling, heavy tube-blower “Atman Versus Brahman Cagefight” (9:17) extend the atmospheric reach of Flaming Hurricane such that, if you do sit down to give the album its requisite front-to-back time, the journey undertaken will be that much richer, even as the recording remains fairly raw.

Like a lot of what Psychedelic Source Records does under its own name — as opposed to putting out albums from Pilot VoyagerBand in the Pit, River Flows Reverse, Satorinaut, etc. — Flaming Hurricane offers documentary value as well as an engaging listen, and for those who’ve followed the imprint/group for some measure of time, there is perhaps extra satisfaction in the listening experience in terms of the chemistry and musical interaction between stable players. That is, while Schneider and Kesmarky are new, AmbrusMegyeri and Karancz have done a career’s worth of jamming together at this point, and through the changes of “Self-Burial” the mellow desert-jazz of “Pulsing Throttle” and the hypnotic working-the-long-game build of “Robot Influences,” the instrumental conversation is happening at a level that, even just three years ago, wouldn’t have been possible.

If that sounds like I’m slagging off the older Psychedelic Source outings, I’m not. Sticking to their root methodology has given this collective their own kind of nascent maturity that one can hear throughout Flaming Hurricane, whether it’s in the smoothness of the changes from one part to another — not that all transitions are so smooth, as is natural — and that can’t replace the freshness or spontaneity of past sessions, even if it means their work has become more complex and farther ranging over time. Pastoralia continues to be a major factor in what they do, but the evocations of Flaming Hurricane — something that this climate-wrecked century seems likely manifest in a literal sense before it’s over — are limited only by the imagination that the listener brings to it. You could spend the rest of 2025 with these jams, but given that it’s Psychedelic Source Records and there are more sessions happening all the time, you probably won’t have to.

Psychedelic Source Records, Flaming Hurricane (2025)

Psychedelic Source Records on Bandcamp

Psychedelic Source Records on Spotify

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Khan Announce New Album Out Oct. 1; Euro Tour Next Month

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Though I whiffed on reviewing it at the time — typical; I’ll close a week with it at some point and I never claimed to be relevant — Khan‘s 2023 offering, Creatures, was a landmark realization from the trio. A rousing, hyperbole-laced reception heralding a new voice in heavy psychedelia, weighted, lush, and their own. Pretty much the ideal.

They’ve been on tour since — apart from the time they’ve spent making their impending, yet-untitled fourth album, due out Oct. 1, anyhow — in Australia and Europe. And I think I read they moved to Berlin? Did I make that up? Or somewhere in Germany? I could’ve sworn I saw that, but I’m not 100 percent, so don’t take it as fact. Either way, they’re back on the road in Europe next month, starting Aug. 1 at Krach am Bach and making their way to Hoflärm, with a bonus gig at Merleyn in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, after. You might recall Temple Fang made a live record there one time.

Khan‘s announcement of the album was light on details, to put it mildly. Presumably things like recording info, art, tracks, maybe some blah-blah PR background, let alone a single, will come when the preorders start, but they put up a video with a pretty melody and an immediate sense of instrumental fluidity, and a minute of new Khan music might just be the coolest thing that happens today.

Have at it:

khan (Photo by laurenmarrphotography),jpg

Album #4 announcement

New album out 01.10.25!

Stay tuned for more details and presale information coming very soon.

🚨EUROPEAN TOUR – PART 2 DATES 🚨

We’re pumped to be coming back to Europe in August supporting REZN and playing Krach am Bach and Hoflärm 2025!

Cheers to Full Contact Safari Records & Tyler from Atonal Music Agency for putting this together for us!

All ticket links available here: https://khanbandofficial.com/tour

Can’t wait to see you all there!

01.08 Krach am Bach Festival Beelen DE
02.08 Neue Zekunft* Berlin DE
03.08 Voodoo* Warsaw PL
05.08 Chemiefabrik* Dresden DE
06.08 Kuba* Jena DE
08.08 Rockhouse* Salzburg AT
10.08 Backstage* Munich DE
12.08 Supersonic Paris FR
14.08 Hoflärm Festival Seelbach DE
15.08 Merleyn* Nijmegen NL
* supporting REZN

https://linktr.ee/khanofficial
https://khanbandofficial.com/
http://khanofficial.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/khanbandofficial
http://www.facebook.com/khanbandofficial

Khan, Creatures (2023)

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Planet of Zeus to Celebrate 25th Anniversary in September

Posted in Whathaveyou on July 10th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Athens heavy rockers Planet of Zeus are set to celebrate their quarter-centennial this September with a special hometown show Sept. 6 at Technopolis. Offering support for the cause will be psychedelic mavens Khirki, and for Planet of Zeus, who have stayed active throughout their time, with their most recent long-player being last year’s punchy and hard-landing Afterlife (review here), the occasion is a chance to look back at everything they’ve accomplished in their years even as they continue to move forward as players and a group.

The announcement below was run through a major social media organization’s translation matrix, so if there are phrases wrong, maybe check social media or the ticket page or somesuch before you book your flight for this one, but it should be enough to give you an idea of what’s up for the party to come, which is sure to be a blast given the riffage Planet of Zeus have wrought over the last two and a half decades.

Congrats to the band on standing the test of time — arguably the hardest test to stand — and here’s the info for the gig:

planet of zeus 25th anniversary show

Planet of Zeus celebrates 25 years of music with a big concert in Athens!

Ticket link: https://www.ticketmaster.gr/planet-of-zeus-25th-anniversary-show_sen_2007034.html

TICKET PRICES
Early Bird : 15€
Pre-sale : 18€
Cash register: 20€

25 years have passed since the music launch that would change data in the domestic – and not only – heavy music firm. 25 years full of tension, agony, unstoppable efforts, occasional tours, but also creativity, artistic searches, emotional rollercoasters and comradeship!

If Planet of Zeus can be proud of one thing, it’s how they have stayed together, from the very beginning until now. From sweaty live performances in the legendary underground Rodeo and An Club, to large venue sold out shows and prestigious nationwide tours, the unbroken quartet has forged in the midst of the most difficult, but also internal intersections, and bonded as few. Bonding taking the stage as their concerts continue to this day to be some of the most leveling live experiences that the sound audience can enjoy.

Their milestones are countless. The 10,000 attendees at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Culture Center and the successful European tours alongside names such as Clutch, Grand Magus and Kvelertak, as well as the participation in Europe’s largest and largest metal festivals (Wacken, Hellfest, Graspop, Bloodstock, Mystic, etc. α. ) sums up an enviably consistent course.

Their increasing dynamics and popularity have rightfully established them as one of the most calculated forces of the wider European heavy rock / metal land. Their recent discographic comeback, with the “Afterlife” album, was a cut in their careers. The universal acceptance of the new material from their fanbase, as well as the explosive enthusiasm of the general public, came to attest that Planet of Zeus is in its best phase!

On Saturday, September 6th, we unite our voices and energies in one of the biggest and most important rock concerts of recent years! On that day, all roads will lead to the Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens, where Planet of Zeus will perform the anniversary live for their 25 years of march! Their heavy rock’n’roll anthem will get the first word and they themselves, boasting the greatest moments of their discography will deliver us a saturating show full of surprises, with the unique electricity that characterizes their every on-stage adventure!

The slogan is now known!

ADDITIONAL INFO
Arrival time: 7:00 p.m.
Start Time: 8:00 pm

https://www.planetofzeus.gr
https://planetofzeus.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/planetofzeus
https://www.facebook.com/planetofzeus

Planet of Zeus, Afterlife (2024)

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