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Trade, Hills: At the Foot of the Mountains

Posted in Reviews on October 27th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

The low-rumbling bass that opens Trade’s debut EP, Hills, and the hypnotic riff repetition that ensues, might lead you to believe the Virginian trio are following Ufomammut’s patterned space doom, and that the three songs that comprise the release are soon to be bent into obscure psychedelics and crushing tones. That’s not really the case. While Aaron Keller’s tonal warmth does greatly thicken out “Dirl,” the extended “Breathe” and “In this Flesh,” Trade on the whole work within a much more unassuming style, using a rawness of production to bolster their natural feel and, arguably, bringing something of their home state’s Appalachian topography into their sound à la North Carolinians Caltrop. The EP is called Hills after all, and sure enough, if they’d gone so far as to call it Mountains, it wouldn’t have worked, as there’s something about these songs that evokes a more rolling than sharp-edged feel, as though the humility of the band’s style was carved out of an erosion-type process. It’s only 20 minutes long, and 10 of those are dedicated to “Breathe,” which is about twice as long as both the opener and closer, but in the true spirit of a successful EP, it serves well to convey some notion of what Trade was looking to do at the time.

Guitarist/vocalist Nick Crabill and drummer Nic McInturff played together in a unit called Stifling that wound up being exactly that, and Trade was born out of a kind of stylistic expansion that occurred after putting their prior project to rest. The addition of Keller on bass can only be seen as working in Trade’s favor on Hills (released on the band’s own Founding Father Records), as the tracks sound organic without being purposefully so and lack pretense even as the stonerly pulse of “Dirl” gives way to the huge Crabill-led jam on “Breathe.” The guitarist’s vocals on the opening cut have a kind of laid-back semi-clean feel, with a punk-ish simplicity in their delivery. He’s not shouting, but he’s close to it, and the screams that come later with “In this Flesh” are convincing enough to give the impression that Hills isn’t the first time he’s ever punished his throat in such a manner. Nonetheless, because it takes up so much time on the release, and because it’s the middle track, and because it has that pervasive spontaneous feel in its second hand, “Breathe” is bound to be the focal point for many listeners, and rightly so. The song starts off in a manner not dissimilar to “Dirl” – McInturff’s kick keeping steady hits without sounding frantic – but after three minutes in, it begins to unfold into a huge instrumental jam. If it wasn’t recorded live and at least partially made up on the spot, then it earns all the more kudos for pulling off the impression so well. Crabill is in the lead position, but Keller and McInturff prove a capable rhythm section behind, and the band as a whole does right by the song, bringing it back to the verse to end, where others might have just noodled their way into oblivion.

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Orange Goblin: A Eulogy for the Damned Due in February; Tour Dates Announced

Posted in Whathaveyou on October 26th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

If you missed Orange Goblin frontman Ben Ward‘s weekly studio updates on the creation of the band’s new album, check them out here. Today, the band announced a February 2012 release for A Eulogy for the Damned, which will be their long-awaited Candlelight Records debut. I can’t fucking wait.

Supporting Orange Goblin on their UK run will be Grifter, who are on board for all but the Irish shows.

This comes right off the PR wire:

Orange Goblin will release their brand new studio album, A Eulogy for the Damned, on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 in the UK/rest of world and Feb. 14, 2012, in the US. This date is the same day as Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album in 1970!

A Eulogy For The Damned is the band’s seventh studio album but first for new label home, Candlelight Records. The 10-track offering was recorded at The Animal Farm studio in South London, UK, produced and engineered by Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson at Tube Mastering. A Eulogy For The Damned will be released on CD and limited edition colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

A Eulogy for the Damned Track Listing:
1. Red Tide Rising

2. Stand for Something
3. Acid Trial
4. The Filthy & the Few
5. Save Me From Myself
6. The Fog
7. Return To Mars
8. Death of Aquarius
9. The Bishop’s Wolf
10. A Eulogy for the Damned

To celebrate the release of the new album, Orange Goblin will hit the road in April 2012 for the A Eulogy for the Damned UK & Ireland Tour. Dates for this are as follows:

04/07 Desertfest @ The Underworld London
04/08 The Fleece Bristol
04/09 The Old Bell Derby
04/10 Classic Grand Glasgow
04/11 Sound Control Manchester
04/12 The Garage Swansea
04/13 The White Rabbit Plymouth
04/14 o2 Academy Oxford
04/20 The Pint Dublin
04/21 Spring & Airbrake Belfast

Orange Goblin will also be appearing live at the following locations later this year (with more festivals to be announced soon):

11/13/2011 Candlefest Moho Live, Manchester
12/03/2011 Hard Rock Hell V Prestatyn, North Wales
12/17/2011 The Underworld Camden, London
01/14/2012 Club Zeljeznicar Zagreb, Croatia
6/15–17/2012 Hellfest Clisson, France (Exact date TBA)
8/11/2012 Bloodstock Open Air Fest Derbyshire

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Ogressa, Warts and All: She Awakens

Posted in Reviews on October 26th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

“Fuck your drama/I’m too old/To give a damn.” The lines, taken from “Mange,” the second track of Ogressa’s debut, Warts and All, more or less sum of the entirety of the album’s approach. The Californian desert rock four-piece is centered around the collaboration between Dali’s Llama mastermind Zach Huskey and Whores of Tijuana’s Trent Ramseyer, who share vocal duties while Huskey also handles guitar and is the primary songwriter and Ramseyer engineered the recording. Released on Dali’s Llama Records and bolstered by the rhythm section of drummer Ian Dye and bassist Mike JacobsonScott Reeder also makes several appearances on bass – Ogressa’s heavy rock shares Dali’s Llama’s bullshit-free ethic as much as possible, offering crunching riffs, belted vocals and heady grooves that ask next to no indulgences. Warts and All keeps a semi-thematic edge tied to the excellent comic art of Sean “Skillit” McEleny (also Admiral Browning, etc.), with cuts like the sound-effects interlude “She Awakens” and “Lady Ogress” playing directly to the band’s moniker in a way more lighthearted than the “concept-album” tag might indicate. And for what it’s worth, Warts and All isn’t a concept album, unless you’re looking at it on a stylistic level and the concept in question is burly riff rock. Even that Ogressa veer from, however, with the jazzy take on The Mutants’ “The Boss” (Joe Dillon of Dali’s Llama guests on guitar) and the acoustic-led highlight “Sonoran Debris” offering variety in the record’s midsection.

In that way, it’s easy and perhaps best to think of Warts and All in thirds. The album divides almost evenly along those lines – the middle is made an extra minute longer with the inclusion of “She Awakens”; 17 as opposed to the first and last thirds, which are three cuts totaling just over 16 each – and Ogressa opens strongly with the catchy “Give Me Some Space,” “Mange” and “Rational Man,” the last of which marks the first appearance from Reeder. Huskey’s writing style is straightforward as ever, and where Dali’s Llama took a different (and charming) look at horror rock kitsch on Howl Do You Do? last year, Ogressa keep to thicker guitars that match well with Ramseyer’s throaty-but-still-clean vocals. That said, flourishes of acoustic flamenco on “Give Me Some Space” are an unexpected treat and a step away from the bluesy shuffle of much of the material on Warts and All, but still fluid within the song and subtly telegraphing some of the variety to come. “Mange” is shorter than the opener (which is the longest song on the album; immediate points) and can afford to be more straight-ahead in its approach on the strength of the chorus noted above, which is backed by a descending riff from Huskey and solid drums and backing vocals in the bridge from Dye. The progression of that chorus riff – almost a simpler take on Kyuss’ “Thumb” in a different key – makes “Rational Man” seem upbeat by comparison. The change from Jacobson to Reeder on bass is noticeable, but not so much as to upset the overall flow of the album, and of course the former Kyuss and The Obsessed four-stringer is well at home in anything closely related to the desert, Ogressa included. His lines mostly stick with the rhythm guitar line (Dillon also guests here, to further thicken the proceedings), but the end of “Rational Man” is one of Warts and All’s finest grooves.

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Wino Wednesday: Paul Chain, “Bloodwing”

Posted in Bootleg Theater on October 26th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

We’ve covered most of Wino‘s bands at this point, but something not yet mentioned in this ongoing Wino Wednesday series is the incredible amount of guest appearances Scott “Wino” Weinrich has made over the years. From Lost Breed, to Solace, to Shepherd and Earthride, he’s constantly contributing guitar and vocals to the songs of others, and the fact that he’s still in such high demand after all this time just further proves the ongoing nature of the Wino legacy.

This week, the chosen clip is courtesy of Paul Chain, who’s widely regarded as the master of Italian doom. Through his work in the earliest days of Death SS to his own Violet Theatre and sundry solo projects, the guitarist/vocalist has always had an eye and ear for experimentation. His latest band, Translate, has moved away from doom into more progressive and experimental styles, but much like Wino, he’s someone whose discography it would take years to even begin to grasp.

The song “Bloodwing” appeared on Chain‘s 2004 compilation, Unreleased Vol. 2, and is one of two tracks to feature a guest spot from Wino; the other, “Nibiru Dawn,” is no less plodding and mournful. Weinrich‘s integration with Chain‘s playing style is seamless, and it’s a great introduction to anyone who might not be familiar with the latter’s also-continual progression. Hope you enjoy:

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Generation of Vipers, Howl and Filth: The Slow Burning of Ritual

Posted in Reviews on October 25th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

Beginning right from the low-end percussive rumble of “Ritual,” an overwhelming fullness of sound is among the greatest assets working in favor of Howl and Filth, the third long-player from Tennessee post-doomers Generation of Vipers. Like their two prior outings, 2005’s Grace and 2007’s Dead Circle, Howl and Filth comes courtesy of the band’s own Red Witch Recordings, and I’ll admit it’s my first encounter with the trio, who make a solid first impression thanks to encompassing distortion and blown-out but perfectly swallowed vocals, mixed low under the guitars and bass by Converge’s Kurt Ballou, who also engineered the recording for Howl and Filth’s six tracks. The album seems structured for a vinyl side A/side B divide, the third cut “All of this is Mine” (2:55) being essentially an interlude that positions the band atmospherically leading into the record’s second half, but it works on CD as well, the Anthony Couri (Minsk) artwork no less striking in its sparseness in its digipak incarnation. That bleak, foreboding image makes a fine complement for the otherworldly darkness Generation of Vipers emit, offering a kind of Godflesh mechanicism in the bass of Travis Kammeyer that works to contrast the occasional excursions into melody from guitarist/vocalist Joshua “Asa” Holt. And of course, the rumble mentioned previously wouldn’t be possible without the excellent tom work of B.J. Graves, formerly of A Storm of Light’s touring lineup.

There’s a lot about Howl and Filth that’s going to be familiar, at least on a superficial level, to those who’ve followed the growth, sundry divergences within and capsizing of post-metal, but it’s worth highlighting the excellent treatment Ballou gives to Holt’s harsh vocals, using the growls and shouts to their full atmospheric potential as more than a mere expression of rage or post-modern disaffection, but as an instrument capable of coinciding with and even enhancing the guitars, bass and drums (periodic synth shows up as well, as on the piano-and-whisper-driven “All of this is Mine”). Holt’s guitar sounds that much louder for its position relative to the vocals, and likewise, Graves’ drumming that much more propulsive and Kammeyer’s bass thicker. It’s an easy mistake that’s often made to push all singing to the fore of a track, but no question that “Silent Shroud,” which builds on the momentum “Ritual” establishes at the very front, is stronger in ambience for the instrumentation’s lead position. As Holt moves to further prominence toward the end of the track, the drama is made palpable by his sheer ability to cut through the controlled chaos surrounding, so that as “All of this is Mine” offers momentary respite before “Eternal” kicks off the second half of Howl and Filth, the breather is well justified.

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Giveaway: Congratulations to the Winners of the Moth Eater/Black Thai Split 10″

Posted in Features on October 25th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

Entries were closed as of Friday, and just a few minutes ago, I printed up the names and addresses, cut them out individually, crumpled them up and stuck them in the plastic cup as you can see above. Then I went around my office and had five winners chosen by my coworkers. Thanks again to everyone who entered (50 people on the dot), and congrats to the following:

Luca in Italy
Dan in California
Mikko in Finland
Erik in Colorado
Eric in Michigan

There you have it. I need to pick up some bigger envelopes and do it up with bubble-wrap and whatnot (can’t take any chances with vinyl, quality pressing though it is), and I should be able to get these out in the next day or two, so if you see your name above — there were a couple Californian Dans, but I don’t want to give out anyone’s last name, so I’ll drop an email — keep an eye out. They should be there shortly.

Thanks again to Play the Assassin Records (Facebook here, Bandcamp here) for donating the picture discs to the cause, and to Moth Eater and Black Thai for putting together a killer split. Congratulations again to the winners and hopefully we’ll be able to do more of this kind of thing in the future, so stay tuned.

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audiObelisk: Rue Premiere “Brown” From New Album Thorns

Posted in audiObelisk on October 25th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

At first glance, you might be surprised to find that Thorns — the new album on Shifty Records from Ohioan sludge metal mainstays Rue — clocks in at 13 tracks/64 minutes. Seems like a lot. But when you consider it’s been eight years since their self-titled full-length debut, and that even that was only 29 minutes, it’s easy to think maybe the four-piece has something to get off their chest. It’s like they’ve been saving up on vitriol this whole time.

Rue are traditional only in construction. The band is a traditional single-guitar four-piece with standalone vocals in the form of Jeff Fahl, whose grunts, growls and screams underscore the pulsating heaviness coming from the other three members — guitarist Mike Burns, bassist Mike Faucher and drummer Greg Cook. Sonically, they’re more bent on blending hardcore, heavy rock, doom and sludge than adhering to any single tradition, and on Thorns, the resultant brew isn’t just aggressive; it’s aggressively aggressive.

The formidable output of Ohio sludge over the last decade (discussed here as recently as yesterday) has been made possible thanks in part to Rue‘s influence, and Thorns proves their time hasn’t been misspent. I was lucky enough to get permission to stream the track “Brown” from the album — the opener, following the introductory title-track — which you’ll find on the player below.

Please enjoy:

Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!

Thorns will be available on Shifty Records on Nov. 15, 2011. For more info, hit up the label’s website or find the band on Thee Facebooks here. To celebrate the release, Rue will be playing Saturday, Nov. 12, at The Outpost Concert Club in Kent, Ohio, with Chapstik, The Unclean and Breakneck Creek. Check out the venue’s page here.

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The Debate Rages: Blues for the Red Sun vs. Welcome to Sky Valley

Posted in The Debate Rages on October 24th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

Last time, we took a look at some classic heavy ’70s artwork from Atomic Rooster and Buffalo, and that was fun, but let’s face it, there’s bigger fish to fry. For example, now that Californian desert legends Kyuss have been (mostly) resurrected in the form of the appropriately-exclamatory Kyuss Lives!, it becomes more necessary than ever to examine the legacy they left behind them in their first run. Kyuss: The gods of the ’90s desert!

The question in part comes down to lineup. For 1992’s Blues for the Red Sun, Kyuss consisted of drummer Brant Bjork, guitarist Josh Homme, bassist Nick Oliveri and vocalist John Garcia. Of those four, it was Bjork and Oliveri principally responsible for the songwriting. That remained true for 1994’s Kyuss, which would later adopt the unofficial title Welcome to Sky Valley (often shortened as just Sky Valley), but the swapping out of bassist Scott Reeder in place of Oliveri — a process which, it could be argued, is under way again now in Kyuss Lives! — had a huge impact on the band’s sound, accordingly with an increase in confidence, establishment of aesthetic, etc.

What’s not up for debate, however, is that these are two of the most classic and pivotal desert rock albums of all time. With landmark songs like “Thumb,” “Green Machine” and the truly post-punk “Allen’s Wrench,” Blues for the Red Sun helped set in motion the genre that would be centered around Palm Desert and the surrounding area, but the vision wasn’t completely realized until two years later, when Sky Valley was released. Broken into three larger movements, tracks like “Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop,” “100 Degrees,” the softer “Space Cadet” and the instrumental “Asteroid” solidified the sound that the prior album had proposed, arguing not just for its artistic relevance, but for the imperative blend of atmosphere and classic influence that has come to typify true desert rock.

But as much as that’s true, you couldn’t have had the one without the other. I know where my heart and listening habits place me, but what about you? Desert island scenario (or maybe just desert, if that’s more appropriate), you can only have one or the other. Which is more pivotal in terms of its influence, and which would you rather just hear for the rest of your life to the exclusion of the other? These seem like big questions — because both records are so great — but that’s why The Debate Rages.

Please cast your votes in the comments.

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