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The Obelisk Radio Adds: Fatso Jetson, Demon Head, Naga, Seattle Noise, Wren

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I said at the end of last week I was planning to change how I organized the adds for The Obelisk Radio, and here we are. Gonna try this for a few weeks and see how it works out. Might vary number of adds depending on what comes in and how, but this should be a good start and there’s some cool stuff here, so please dig in.

Adds for May 16, 2014:

Fatso Jetson, Live at Maximum Festival

This Go Down Records vinyl recorded last year at Italy’s Maximum Festival is the second Fatso Jetson live release behind a 2007 Cobraside outing simply called Fatso Jetson Live, but as lethal as the seminal desert rockers are on stage, it’s a wonder they haven’t done more live recordings. “Bored Stiff” is a highlight here, and you’ll find it on side A — even digitally the set is split into two sides — but the Mario Lalli-led unit with Larry Lalli on bass, Tony Tornay (now also playing with Brant Bjork) on drums and Dino von Lalli on guitar, kill it to such a degree that I was all the more into adding multiple songs grouped together. Their grooves are surf-rock turned punk frenetic and their vibe is dirt-rock blues raging on a wavelength that by the time you’ve caught up to it, they’re two songs ahead, and Live at Maximum Festival proves what anyone who’s seen Fatso Jetson already knows: They simply cannot be stopped. They get into some bizarro psych-jazz in the second half and it’s all the more glorious, and make sure you listen for Mario shouting out Gabriele from Black Rainbows. Good times. On Thee Facebooks, at Go Down Records.

Demon Head, Demon Head b/w Winterland

I immediately dug the Demon Head Demo 2014 tape upon hearing it last month, so a quick follow-up single is welcome by me. The two songs “Demon Head” and “Winterland” follow suit stylistically on the Copenhagen five-piece’s initial studio effort, cleaning up the sound so that their eponymous riffer comes through with clearer Witchcraft allegiance in its classically fuzzed-out guitars. Watch out for the ultra-Sabbathian lead work in “Winterland” as well as this still relatively nascent outfit answer the potential of their demo and keep their momentum moving forward. Theirs is an excellent balance of clarity and organic sound that never quite tips over into retro-mindedness. Call it “neo-drunkard,” but it’s worth hearing. On Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

Various Artists, Seattle Noise Vol. 1

Worth noting that the above isn’t the cover for the Seattle Noise Vol. 1 compilation — that’s here — but the list of bands from the back cover is pretty convenient and it emphasizes the primacy of all these tracks being previously unreleased. For those who know them, the prospect of a yet-unheard Sandrider cut will probably be enough of a draw for the Good to Die Records/AVR Music collaboration, also presented by Seattle’s Cha Cha Lounge, but the comp, the full title of which is This T-Shirt is a Record: Seattle Noise Vol. 1, finds like-minded ballbusting from Tacos!, the punkish Trash Fire, Constant Lovers‘ jagged “A Lullaby” and the blown-out finale of Theories‘ “Petrifaction.” Any number of kicks in the ass to be had, much homework for those willing to use it as a tool to dig deeper into a scene with a distinct and ferocious sound. Good to Die Records, AVR Music.

Naga, Hen

Out on vinyl through Lay Bare Recordings and CD via Shove Records, Fallo Dischi and La Fine, the full-length debut from Italian post-metallers Naga, dubbed Hen (actually there’s an accent over the ‘e’ that I can’t get to show up, thanks Obama), starts off with the 13-minute plunder of “Naas,” quickly establishing a wide sonic range for the Napoli trio. Thick sludge meets blackened vocal impulses throughout the disc, but Naga keep a pervasive atmospheric sensibility as well, with samples in the pummeling “Hierophania,” psych-effects swirl in “Eris” and a YOB-style roll emerging in the penultimate “The Path.” Nothing to complain about. They dodge the loud/quiet tradeoffs bullet for the most part, which is all the more impressive considering how extended the five-tracks of Hen are. No better way to spend the time than bludgeoning. On Thee Facebooks, Lay Bare Recordings.

Wren, Wren

A self-releasing London-based five-piece, Wren issued their self-titled debut EP in February. The four-tracker sparks an engaging interaction between patient, Pelican-style post-heavy rock instrumentalism and deep-in-the-mix psychedelic black metal-style vocals. It’s legitimately a combination I haven’t heard before done in this ay, and for as well as Wren do both on “Nørreport” and for the spacious ambience of “Habeas Corpus,” they show a progressive mentality right away their first time out. As a sample of what they can do, Wren bodes exceedingly well, and the flow they create from seemingly disparate elements hints at a richly individualized approach in the forming. One to watch for sure, and all the more encouraging for how comfortable Wren seem tipping the balance to either side. On Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.

For all the latest adds, check out the complete list on The Obelisk Radio update page.

Thanks for reading and listening.

 

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