Friday Full-Length: Spacedrifter, Spacedrifter EP

Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Last year, Swedish heavy rockers Spacedrifter released their debut album, When the Colors Fade (review here), speaking to genre with influences spanning generations. I’ll admit I don’t know much about their origin story at this point — I suppose I could ask, but we’ve never spoken and that’s a hell of a way to open a cold call: “Hi, I dig your record. Tell me everything about how you made it.” — but the only other outing presently on their Bandcamp page is the five-song/23-minute 2021 self-titled EP that was the precursor to the full-length. None of the five songs was held over from one release to the next, as sometimes happens, so it’s a chance to get to know the band as they were a few years back and inherently closer to when they first got together; the timing there would hint at coming together during the pandemic 2020-2021, but again, I have no confirmation of that.

More important, ultimately, are the songs themselves. Spacedrifter‘s LP stood out for how fluidly it seemed to capture that moment when grunge split, sound-wise, onto multiple paths. To simplify, going one way went commercial alternative rock, and underground went the riffs. In songs like “The Room That I Cursed” or “Maroon,” Spacedrifter balance ’90s-informed heavy rock and grunge with a modern production style. This is perhaps taking a lesson from a generation prior — the bands of the aughts who, in honing a vintage presentation, dug themselves into a hole chasing down expensive analog recording equipment and making their lives harder in the name of authenticity; not that the results weren’t often killer, but there’s a reason most of those bands drop the veneer after a couple records, and it’s not just because Nuclear Blast might have told them to — but it results in an immediately refreshing take.

Scandinavia as a whole is undergoing something of a generational surge in underground heavy right now. From weed-worshiping bong metal to psychedelic prog and an increasing amount of ‘tundra rock’ besides, Spacedrifter are by no means alone in their outset, but it’s a special moment worth appreciating while you’re in it, and for being under 25 minutes long, Spacedrifter encapsulates a decent amount of why. Opener “Artificial Ignorance” gives an immediately modern cast and kicks in with an uptempo swing that’s part Uncle Acid-style garage and part scorching desert hook. It is the first of the three rockers included, with “The Room That I Cursed” following and “Maroon” after the quieter semi-surf-toned instrumental “Perpetuum Mobile” before the largely-acoustic “Farewell” closes, and begins the dynamic course set by a band who right out of the gate show themselves to be thoughtful not only in craft, in the writing of their material, but also in how they guide the listener through it.

If you heard When the Colors Fade, you probably already know that thread continued onto the LP, but here,Spacedrifter Spacedrifter guitarist/vocalist Adam Hante (also percussion), drummer/vocalist Isac Löfgren (also some guitar, mandolin), guitarist/noisemaker John Söderberg and bassist/vocalist Olle Söderberg (also some guitar and drums, plus engineering and mixing) read as more nascent, claiming territory in sound for themselves rather than fleshing out their sound as the full-length let them do. Regardless of a given track’s direction, the band are able to create both an atmosphere and a sense of movement, and while the sum total of their scope may not be earth-shattering in terms of originality, it’s a band’s first self-released EP — classifiable as a demo in most situations — so maybe ease up and let the kids grow into themselves a bit.

But I’ll emphasize that I don’t say that because the EP is somehow lacking. If Spacedrifter were shooting for individualism as their prime directive, they would use something other than guitars to get there. Spacedrifter, as an offering, manages to give a heads up on a band setting forth on what one hopes will be a longer-term progression — something they’ve already continued with the long-player — while finding a sound that’s organic but clear and that groves with heart and a welcome aural perspective. The melodies of “Farewell” vibe like MTV Unplugged or that acoustic track on all your favorite grunge records, and “Perpetuum Mobile” is enough of a diversion to give an impression of breadth and to let the listener know this is a band who neiher take themselves too seriously nor neglect to bring a sense of flow and variety to a short release. That would already be a lot to ask of a first drop, and when put in combination with the surety of their performances throughout, they’re for sure giving more than they’re taking from their audience.

Is this Swedish heavy like they used to make? Well, it doesn’t have quite the same desert-worship bent as the likes of Dozer or Lowrider circa 1999-2000, but there for sure is an element that looks back on ‘what was’ in the heavy underground of that time. But Spacedrifter aren’t singly sourced in their points of inspiration, and the blend they concoct is accordingly complex. To put it on paper, the songs mostly speak to vague ideas like “the ’90s” or “melodic grunge” or “fuzz riffing,” but none of that gives you a sense of who they are as songwriters. While they’re able to hit you with a catchy chorus whether the song is loud or quiet — by that I mean that “Farewell” stays in the head right alongside the much heavier, more voluminous “Maroon” just before — Spacedrifter show themselves as dug into the creative process on an exploratory level but well aware of what they want the songs to be and do.

That will change over time, as both the ideal and the actual course of the last few years have shown. I hear a fair amount of new music — it’s my favorite kind — and I’m not always inspired by an album to go back to what came before it, but Spacedrifter sparked that curiosity, and in addition to young bands in-genre being a cause worth supporting broadly, these songs hit a sweet spot that can’t be denied. As always, I hope you enjoy. THanks for reading.

Also, thanks for reading.

I’m writing from the car, so pardon me if I keep it brief. I should take over driving in a bit, and thanks to The Patient Mrs. for picking up first shift.

We’re heading to Rhode Island for birth certificate paperwork on behalf of our daughter. It’s complex politically. I don’t particularly want to talk about it until it’s done. Even then at this point, in this weird, stupid world.

Next week is full, and so is the weekend, as it happens. I never caught up to news stories this week. I wanted to get posts up for Fomies (album), Windhand (tour), Rezn (tour) and the Up in Smoke Fest (lineup), also Electric Highway, Vision Eternel, Ikitan, The Answer Lies in the Black Void, and I just got a press release about a new single from The Discussion, which is Laura Pleasants from Kylesa’s post-punk jaunt. Oh, to be made of time.

Or money, for that matter.

Mostly I’m made of squishy goo contained in a thin plasticky coating. Culture teaches this as a precious thing. I’m not sure anymore.

Have a great and safe weekend. Hydrate, hunker down if it’s cold. Today’s gonna be a long day and tomorrow we’re back on the road home, but I’ll be around as much as ever if you need anything.

Oh, and new shirts coming next month, I’m told. That’ll be sweet.

FRM.

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Vision Eternel Posts Valentine’s Day Exclusive Single

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

The evocative drone of Montreal-based solo artist Vision Eternel is well suited in sound to romantic notions, so it’s fitting that a tradition has emerged wherein an exclusive Valentine’s Day something or other shows up. In this case, it’s the previously unreleased song “Moments of September (Reprise).” It’s not new in the sense of being just made, but was written in the late teens for For Farewell of Nostalgia and if I told you it was melancholic with hints of melody and a noir-style depth of lore and lost love, well, you could only really say it’s consistent with what Vision Eternel do. At its core, wistfulness is an essential element.

Copious details follow, as per the PR wire. I couldn’t find an embeddable (sp?) stream of the track, but if you follow the link below, it takes you to where you can download the song direct:

vision eternel art

Vision Eternel’s Annual Valentine’s Day Exclusive

Valentine’s Day Exclusive Download: Moments Of September (Reprise): https://www.visioneternel.com/valentines-day-exclusive-moments-of-september-reprise/

This Valentine’s Day marks the eighteenth anniversary of Vision Eternel’s debut extended play, Seul Dans L’obsession. It is also the sixteenth anniversary of the Japanese compilation, An Anthology Of Past Misfortunes, the tenth anniversary of the extended play Echoes From Forgotten Hearts (and the first anniversary of its Deluxe Edition). All Vision Eternel releases were originally planned to be released on Valentine’s Day, but most of them missed the deadline due to recording, mixing, mastering, artwork, or record label delays.

Unfortunately, Vision Eternel does not have a new release to present to its fans in 2025, but since this holiday is such a meaningful and important date in the band’s calendar (and also Jack Benny’s birthday), we are offering our annual Valentine’s Day Exclusive heartbreak treat: “Moments Of September (Reprise)”, an unreleased rarity from the band’s archives.

In keeping with the band’s most recent release, last year’s Deluxe Edition re-issue of Echoes From Forgotten Hearts, this song traces its origins from that extended play. Written for Echoes From Forgotten Hearts in 2014, but re-recorded during For Farewell Of Nostalgia‘s first session in 2018, “Moments Of September (Reprise)” offers a new take on “Pièce No. Sept”. The idea of Echoes From Forgotten Hearts was, initially, to have a single song that lasted seven to ten minutes. However, once the material was arranged for the score of a short film, the long song was broken down into smaller sections, or pieces. It was recorded and released as such on Echoes From Forgotten Hearts.

During the early demoing sessions for For Farewell Of Nostalgia in April 2017, “Pièce No. Sept” and other segments of Echoes From Forgotten Hearts were often played in rehearsal. Later, in June 2018, an idea sparked to finally record a proper seven to ten-minute version of the finished songs, as originally envisioned in 2014. The new version of the song, which took on the updated title “Moments Of September”, would have remained a b-side of For Farewell Of Nostalgia, but only a couple of demo versions were tracked during the release’s first recording session, between June and August 2018, and it was not re-recorded during the second recording session in 2019.

In addition to demoing the lengthier version, a new arrangement was made for a reprise version. This arrangement was made, recorded, and mixed on the night of July 19, 2018, during the same session as another reprise b-side, “Moments Of Neglection (Reprise)”. “Moments Of September (Reprise)” was one of two songs considered as an exclusive hidden bonus track for the vinyl edition of For Farewell Of Nostalgia, which was ultimately never released because the band could not secure a record deal (we are still looking!).

An original colored pencil drawing by Rain Frances of Rain Frances Art accompanies this year’s Valentine’s Day Exclusive. Frances has provided artwork for past Vision Eternel releases, including the Deluxe Edition of Echoes From Forgotten Hearts, For Farewell Of Nostalgia, the An Anthology Of Past Misfortunes boxed set, and the Lost Misfortunes series, as well as previous Valentine’s Day Exclusives.

https://www.visioneternel.com
https://facebook.com/visioneternel
https://instagram.com/visioneternel
https://soundcloud.com/visioneternel
https://play.spotify.com/artist/52WyoEAtuPS2QJ2qYOmb6u
https://visioneternel.bandcamp.com

Vision Eternel, “Pièce No. Trois” official video

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DOOL Update Spring European Tour Dates

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

I was fortunate enough last Spring to be on hand for Dool‘s set on the Main Stage at Roadburn 2024 (review here), and it was among the more powerful moments of that weekend, which should tell you something. The Netherlands-based dark-proggers are set to continue to support their Prophecy-delivered 2024 LP, The Shape of Fluidity (review here), which showed up duly armed to the ongoing culture wars, likewise righteous in craft and message.

That wasn’t my first time seeing Dool, and I don’t note that as a brag — though I’m glad it’s the case — but instead to emphasize where the band are in their growth. Whatever their ultimate trajectory might be, The Shape of Fluidity was a crucial record for this band, and if you’ve seen them, you don’t need me to tell you how that translates to the intensity of their on-stage performance, but just in case, I’ll note the heart and drive and purpose behind Dool more than a decade on from the band’s founding has resulted in a special sound, in keeping with Dutch darkrock and open-minded songwriting, but distinct among the heavy underground for just how much it’s their own.

In other words, if you can make it to a show, consider it advisable. They’ll be out with Taraban in Europe this April. No Roadburn this year — can’t be every year, though there’s something to be said for a house band and Dool would make a decent candidate —  but there are plenty of other festivals besides here. The band posted the dates on socials. Shows are presented by Doomstar Bookings:

Dool tour

DOOL – TOUR UPDATE!

Polish rock outfit Taraban will join us on our European rampage this April, so best buckle up and go secure your tickets for your local event!

A show in Marseille’s Le Molotov has been added to the tour on May 2nd, as well as Logo Hamburg and A Colossal Weekend Copenhagen on May 7th and 8th respectively.

Furthermore, the dates for the Barcelona and Madrid shows have been swapped, so make sure you have the right date marked in your agenda!

Tickets available right here:
https://linktr.ee/allthosewhowanderaredool

See below for the updated list:

18/04/2025 NL Schijndel Paaspop*
20/04/2025 DE Munich Dark Easter Metal Meeting *
21/04/2025 CZ Prague Eternia
22/04/2025 PL Warsaw Hydrozagadka
23/04/2025 PL Wroclaw Klub Liverpool
24/04/2025 HU Budapest A38
25/04/2025 AT Graz PPC
26/04/2025 IT Prosecco Kulturni Dom
27/04/2025 IT Milano Legend Club
29/04/2025 ES Madrid Nazca
30/04/2025 ES Barcelona Razzmatazz 3
2/5/2025 FR Marseille Le Molotov
3/5/2025 CH Bulle Ebullition
4/5/2025 DE Lünen Lükaz
05/05/2025 NL Rotterdam Bevrijdingsfestival *
7/5/2025 DE Hamburg Logo *
8/5/2025 DK Copenhagen A Colossal Weekend *

(* = DOOL ONLY)

Line-up:
Raven van Dorst – vocals, guitar
Nick Polak – guitar
Omar Iskandr – guitar
Vincent Kreyder – drums
JB van der Wal – bass guitar

https://www.facebook.com/allthosewhowanderaredool/
https://www.instagram.com/allthosewhowanderaredool/
https://dool-nl.bandcamp.com/
http://allthosewhowanderaredool.com/
http://www.allthosewhowanderaredool.bigcartel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/prophecyproductions
https://www.instagram.com/prophecypro/
https://prophecy-de.bandcamp.com/

DOOL, The Shape of Fluidity (2024)

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Suplecs Sign to Ripple Music

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

As Ripple Music continues its ‘Beneath the Desert Floor’ series exploring the heavy underground of the turn of the century era, let’s say roughly ’97-’05, that New Orleans Suplecs would end up included feels inevitable. Still absolute killers on stage as the attendees of Ripplefest Texas 2025 will find out thanks to a recent confirmation, their 14-years-running studio absence, and the fact that 2011’s Mad Oak Redoux (review here) was comprised of tracks being re-recorded, while the album prior, 2005’s Powtin’ on the Outside Pawty on the Inside landed concurrent to Hurricane Katrina, and yeah let’s say it’s been a long time since Suplecs were last on track to get their due for being so gosh darn kickass.

A new record, a real Suplecs studio album with heart, groove and fuzz poured into it in like measure, would surely go a long way to alleviating that, and you can see the phrase below: “new music.” It’s right there. That’s not the same as a date, however, and I’ll note that even last Spring the band let it be known they were writing. I’ve no word on whether or not recording has happened or if and when it might. But those first two records, 2000’s Wrestlin’ With My Lady Friend and 2001’s Sad Songs… Better Days (discussed here), are classics by now and should be back out there, however terrible the band’s luck has been for the last quarter-century.

When I see more on either the reissue or reissues, or a fifth Suplecs album, I’ll say something:

suplecs ripple music

Last week we had some great announcements for Ripple family, so let’s keep the love flowing. How’s this? Please welcome the one and only SUPLECS to the Ripple family! Look for reissues of their past Man’s Ruin catalog and, damn straight, new music. Psyched!!

https://www.facebook.com/p/SUPLECS-100063769833972/

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

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Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol Announce European Tour

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

Currently in the Midwest as they finish up shows this weekend on a tour that brought them back toward the Eastern Seaboard supporting their 2024 album, Big Dumb Riffs (review here), Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol will embark on their first-ever stint in Europe and the UK this June. By then, they’ll already have their March tour of the West Coast — their umpteenth, I believe — under their collective belt, and they were out this past Fall with King Buffalo, so the voyage abroad could hardly come at a better time, momentum-wise. You’d almost think these things were planned out in advance.

The PR wire brought dates and ticket/album order links. I don’t know if the video for “Whip it Around” has been posted here yet, but that’s definitely a worthy way to spend a literal minute of your day. Among the slew of Eurofests they’re playing, I was hoping they’d get added to Desertfest Oslo, which I’ll hopefully be attending in May, but apparently no dice as yet. Will keep my fingers accordingly crossed, as this is a band I feel like I need to see.

The dates:

rickshaw billie's burger patrol europe 2025

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announce full EU & UK tour dates in May, Western US tour in March

Austin trio Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol announce the complete dates of their upcoming first ever EU and UK tour today, kicking off on May 15th. Please see all dates below. Tickets for all shows are available now HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

The band is currently on the road for the last week of their East Coast tour with Lip Critic supporting. Following shortly after SXSW, the band embarks on Western US headlining dates.

BIG DUMB RIFFS is available on digital, LP and cassette, released May 10th, 2024. Order/stream the album on all formats HERE: https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL – LIVE 2025:
02/13 Hamtramck, MI – Small’s (w/ Lip Critic)
02/14 Chicago, IL – Empty Bottle (w/ Lip Critic)
02/15 Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club (w/ Lip Critic)
02/16 Minneapolis, MN – Zhora Darling (w/ Lip Critic)

03/19 Phoenix, AZ – Linger Longer Lounge
03/20 San Diego, CA – Whistle Stop
03/21 Los Angeles, CA – Zebulon
03/22 Oakland, CA – Thee Stork Club
03/24 Portland, OR – Show Bar
03/25 Seattle, WA – Barboza
03/27 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
03/28 Fort Collins, CO – The Coast
03/29 Denver, CO – Bluebird Theatre
03/30 Colorado Springs, CO – Vultures
04/10 Dallas, TX – Granada Theater (w/ The Sword)
04/11 San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger (w/ The Sword)

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL EU/UK 2025:
15/05 Brussels, BE – Obsidian Dust Festival
16/05 Nijmegen, NL – Sonic Whip Festival
17/05 Wolverhampton, UK – Dive
18/05 London, UK – DesertFest London
20/05 Paris, FR – Mécanique Ondulatoire
21/05 Lille, FR – Le Bulle Café
22/05 Bochum, DE – Die Trompete
23/05 Berlin, DE – DesertFest Berlin
24/05 Lübeck, DE – Treibsand
25/05 Stockholm, SE – Bar Brooklyn
27/05 Malmö, SE – Plan B
28/05 Dresden, DE – Chemiefabrik
29/05 Traunstein, DE – Cafe Festung
31/05 Ljubljana, SI – Menza Pri Koritu
01/06 Zagreb, HR – Vintage Industrial Bar
02/06 Vienna, AT – Arena
03/06 Budapest, HU – Szimpla
05/06 Gdansk, PL – Mystic Festival
06/06 Brno, CZ – Kabinet MUZ
07/06 Prague, CZ – Bike Jesus

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol:
Leo Lydon: eight-string guitar/vocals
Aaron Metzdorf: bass
Sean St.Germain: drums

https://www.facebook.com/rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol
https://www.instagram.com/rickshawbillieandtheboys
https://rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.bandcamp.com/
http://www.rickshawbilliesburgerpatrol.com/
https://taplink.cc/rickshawbillie

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, “Whip it Around” official video

Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, Big Dumb Riffs (2024)

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Album Review: Möuth, Global Warning

Posted in Reviews on February 14th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

mouth global warning

Though informed by doom, grunge, garage rock, heavy post-rock, progressive rock and an outlier weirdoism that spans generations, Möuth‘s debut album, Global Warning, wants nothing for cohesion. Delivered through Bonebag Records, the album sees the Stockholm-based three-piece of guitarist Martin Sandström, drummer Fredrik Aspelin and bassist/vocalist Erik Nordström — the latter two formerly of psychblasters S:t Erik, whose From Under the Tarn LP came out on Solitude Productions in 2009 — running through nine smoothly-transitioning tracks across 40 minutes that are in conversation with each other even as they shift between different styles and bring arrangement flourish to their strong foundation in songwriting. As a title, Global Warning feels most of all like it’s talking about the band itself, and the warning that comes through is duly urgent. There’s something here. Don’t miss it. The music is its own best advocate.

Opener “Holy Ground” strikes a relevant metallic first impression in its guitar, and sure enough, that kind of float becomes a theme that will carry throughout the rest of what follows. The song is nonetheless direct in its verse delivery, despite a somewhat spinning impact. It feels early for cosmic triumphs, but if you’re going to do it the start of the record is as good a place as any, and with the later proggy synth adding to the atmosphere as no less a prelude than the underlying metal or overhead lead work, “Holy Ground” serves as an efficient, effective partial summary of the band’s scope, hinting at things to come without revealing too much of the actual shape of the thing. It is also the first of three instrumental takeoffs, as Möuth depart halfway to ride a groove and bask in repetition as they don’t quite jam it out, but dig into a part and see how doing so changes its shape. Like when electrons don’t exist until you observe them. Quantum mechanical shit happening.

“Sheep,” which is the presumed finale of side A and “In My City,” which caps the record as a whole follow suit with similar drop-everything-and-go excursions, and by the end of the latter, the thread woven throughout makes the album that much stronger and purposeful-feeling. A stop after “Holy Ground” brings on “Dirt,” which feels like an Alice in Chains reference but isn’t musically or thematically, with a ’70s rock shimmer and proto-punk drive, a declarative stomp and a darker chorus. Notably, in Sandström‘s layered guitar, one channel has the rhythm while the lead pokes itself out in front of the mix. He’s pulling notes, and it seems like it might be fuckery, but it works and “Dirt” benefits by having a secondary instrumental hook behind that chorus, Nordström letting out a Dave Wyndorf/Lorenzo Woodrose-style “yeah!” as they get into the solo section, pushing all the while.

The focus on movement in “Dirt” eases the turn into “Speed of Life,” which reinvents the riff to Pentagram‘s classic “Forever My Queen” toward its own ends, with a soulful shredder of a solo and a backbeat dutifully held to accommodate it. Not short on dynamic, Möuth work their way into and around a party vibe — the songs are celebratory on mathematical balance, but not trying to align to one particular heavy niche or another — but are as much doom, and “Sheep,” which is the longest track at 6:39, an obvious focal point and a memorable standout besides, isn’t the first and won’t be the last time a tambourine sneaks in to give extra sense of motion to the material. “Sheep,” is metal-adjacent in its melancholy at the start, but for the toms, and it accounts for some of what “Holy Ground” laid out. It’s bottom-end heavy and melodic to remind one of Torche without trying to be them, and while the final line, “We’re all sheep,” is a funny message ahead of “Alike” later on, at least they’re counting themselves among the number as that lyric affirms. Three minutes in, they drop to a bassy break and dive into the instrumental shove echoing the opener, never quite losing the progression of the song as they go.

MOUTH sweden

That’s an exciting moment, but as “Sheep” gets an epilogue in the quiet “Dream On”-meet-post-rock interlude “World Pain,” Möuth set about expanding the context for Global Warning as a whole with the procession of the album’s second half. “Appetite” is a high point for heft, picking up from the quiet of “World Pain” with a classic Sabbath-circa-Dehumanizer riff with due swing behind from Aspelin on drums, whose work throughout serves as yet another example of the difference the right drummer can make in the right band. Darker and simpler in its stylistic ideology, “Appetite” has immediate appeal and balances the burl of its tone and chorus stating, “I’ve got an appetite,” across a variety of applications thereof, with a sleekly black-hued psych guitar, like Messa or Iron Jinn might, so that it feels neither like a put-on nor like somebody confessing they’re a sexual predator, which is an oddly fine line across which heavy rock and roll sometimes stumbles. Möuth know what they’re about, and hold the momentum built in “Appetite” over to “Alike,” where the guitars go island-style about a minute in to set up the verse and a Phil Collins-y vocal delivers a message of universalism before the song explodes.

Like the unpredictable turn to the solo in “Holy Ground,” “Alike” offers thrills through the depths of its execution. Tonally, melodically, in the arrangement that comes to a head and bursts before it eases back into the shuffling verse with post-punk moodiness, “Alike” leads into “Mantra,” which hides its punkish breakout in reserve alongside its urbane central groove. There’s some synth in there too unless I’m imagining things — possible. — and the sound generally feels like it’s looking to expand from here even as “Mantra” branches out from what its companion pieces have accomplished, moving into an ’80s rock vibe and sounding like a different band than the one that gutted out “Appetite” just two songs ago. This, it turns out, is another strength on the part of the band. They are malleable. “Mantra” ‘gets heavy’ as it goes, and that’s just fine, thanks, and when the three-piece arrive at “In My City,” the sense of landing is palpable. You have reached your destination, as your satnav might tell you.

Second in runtime only to “Sheep” at a still-crisp 5:45, “In My City” feels like it’s taking its time to establish the groove, but in real life it’s about 40 seconds before they’re in it. Big lean on the hook and a strong enough hook to support it; by now it’s a familiar situation. Respectably, “In My City” could have been a disco song, but it isn’t. They keep some ’80s flair in it, but it’s darker than dance. The riff builds right about at the midpoint, and breaks down to set up one last instrumental ride, the movement around a theme once again giving Möuth a platform to hypnotize the listener. One more time, the lead guitar pulling notes over top. One more time, the tambourine. One more time, Möuth use what they have with thought, care and wisdom to convey an individual impression of who they are and their intentions, present and future. The potential they showcase is striking, and the palette they’re working with is very much their own. Global Warning pulls the audience into its movement, not sweeping and pretentious, but with the band confident that what they’re doing is right. And it works, so they must be.

Möuth, Global Warning (2025)

Möuth on Facebook

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Möuth on Bandcamp

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Bonebag Records on Instagram

Bonebag Records website

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Sorcia and Mother Root Announce April Tour Dates

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 13th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

sorcia

mother root

If you look at the poster for the Sorcia and Mother Root tour that will take both bands from their shared home state of Washington to Montana for Rocky Mountain Riff Fest 2025, you’ll see the scaly snakey-snake that the boogie van is driving on — awesome, by the way — is on-point with the poster art for that same festival. I don’t know if there’s a corresponding tour for the other side of that poster — that is, if it might a triptych, ultimately — but that’d be rad and I’ll for sure keep an eye out. It’s a killer design either way.

That lineup, for Rocky Mountain Riff Fest in Kalispell, MT, also features KadabraWizzerd and Swamp Ritual, among others, and it reads like a damn good time. I’m not trying to discount the series of club shows that will lead to Mother Root and Sorcia taking part, however. The tour runs eight nights in a row and dips as far south as Las Vegas, so for two bands who could just probably cut east for however many hours and get where they’re going, they’re making a genuine loop of it.

Both bands had records out in ’23, and you’ll find them below. Safe travels and good times wished to all involved parties, who collectively sent the following down the PR wire:

sorcia mother root road to riff fest tour

Sorcia & Mother Root – The Road to Riff Fest

Says Sorcia: “We are thrilled to announce our ‘Road To Riff Fest Tour’ with our good friends and fellow Snoqualmie Valley dwellers Mother Root as we make our way to Kalispell, MT for Rocky Mountain Riff Fest! We are looking forward to getting back out on the road and are very excited that the majority of this tour will be places we have not yet played. Cheers to Wizzerd for putting this amazing fest together and to Isaac M Passwater for killing it on the poster art. See you on the road in April!”

Says Mother Root: “In April 2025, we’re hopping in the van for our Road to Riff Fest tour with our longtime friends, Sorcia! This tour will take us through new cities, a few new states, and give us the chance to meet some amazing new people along the way. The journey will culminate at the legendary Rocky Mountain Riff Fest in Kalispell, MT- an event that’s been on our radar for a while. We’re honored and beyond thankful to be able to play it! If we’re nearby, we’d love to see you at the show so come say hi! See you soon!”

4/11 – Bend, OR @ Silver Moon Brewing
4/12 – Eureka, CA @ Siren’s Song Tavern
4/13 – Reno, NV @ Lobar Social
4/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ Griffin Bar
4/15 – Grand Junction, CO @ Copeka
4/16 – Denver, CO @ HQ
4/17 – Rapid City, SD @ AFL-CIO Labor Hall
4/18 – Bozeman, MT @ Gallatin Labor Temple
4/19 – Kalispell, MT @ Rocky Mountain Riff Fest

Mother Root photo by Sara Michelle @saramich3lle and Sorcia photo by Jesse Brasch @jessebrasch. Poster by Isaac M. Passwater.

https://sorciaband.com
https://sorcia.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/sorciaband
https://www.facebook.com/sorciaband
https://linktr.ee/sorciaband

https://motherroot.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/mother_root
https://www.facebook.com/MotherRootmusic
https://linktr.ee/mother_root

Sorcia, Lost Season (2023)

Mother Root, Clamour of Souls (2023)

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Clutch Announce June US/Canadian Touring

Posted in Whathaveyou on February 13th, 2025 by JJ Koczan

I suppose Clutch touring isn’t much of a surprise — it’s what they do — but it is still news. The long-tenured Maryland lords o’ the thing will be out out starting June 6 running down the Eastern Seaboard and hitting into the Midwest along the way. It’s probably not the longest stretch of touring Clutch will undertake throughout 2025, but the fact is you never really know and maybe it is. Either way, it’s been a minute and a half since the last time I saw the band, so yes, I’ve got my maps app on and I’m checking how far away Bensalem, PA, is from my house. Totally doable, as it turns out.

Not that one would expect Clutch to make it a challenge to see them. Short of stopping by your house as they pass by, they’ve done just about everything in their power to draw an audience, and they have the loyal fanbase to prove it. I didn’t know site-specific ticket preorders were a thing, but all of the dates listed below have passed now, so I think if you want tickets you can probably just get them from the band’s page. I wouldn’t want to accidentally give Spotify a cut or whatever.

I bet these shows’ll be good. You know why? Clutch are playing.

Here’s particulars:

clutch june 2025 tour

We are announcing Canadian and US dates for the Full Ahead Flank Tour in June of 2025 with special guests Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown and Nate Bergman.

Tickets are on sale Friday, Feb. 7th at 10 AM local time.

Check the tour tab at clutchmerch.com for local pre-sales or try any of these:

Spotify Pre Sale: Wednesday Feb 5 @ 2pm ET
Password: FULLAHEAD25

Knotfest.com Pre Sale: Wednesday Feb 5 @ 2pm ET
Password: KFCLUTCH2025

Blabbermouth- Wednesday Feb 5 @ 2pm ET
Password: BBMCLUTCH2025

All pre sales end 10pm local time on Thursday Feb 6
Come and join us on any of these dates!

6-Jun Montreal, QC MTELUS
7-Jun Pickering, ON The Arena at Pickering Casino Resort
8-Jun Ottawa, ON Bronson Centre Theatre
10-Jun Moncton, NB Molson Canadian Centre at Casino New Brunswick
12-Jun Lynn, MA Lynn Memorial Auditorium
13-Jun Portland, ME State Theatre
14-Jun Bensalem, PA Parx Casino
15-Jun Albany, NY Empire Live
17-Jun Morgantown, WV Ruby Amphitheater
19-Jun Sault Ste Marie, MI Kewadin Casino Indoor Concert
20-Jun Ann Arbor, MI Michigan Theater
21-Jun Elizabeth, IN Caesars Event Center at Caesars Southern Indiana
22-Jun Pelham, TN The Caverns
24-Jun Charleston, SC Charleston Music Hall
25-Jun Lake Buena Vista, FL House of Blues
27-Jun Columbus, OH KEMBA Live!
28-Jun Greensboro, NC Piedmont Hall

CLUTCH:
Neil Fallon – Vocals/Guitar
Tim Sult – Guitar
Dan Maines – Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster – Drums/Percussion

www.facebook.com/clutchband
www.instagram.com/clutchofficial
www.pro-rock.com
www.youtube.com/user/officialclutch
https://linktr.ee/clutchofficial

Clutch, “X-Ray Visions” live at Bloodstock 2024

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