Right now, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Wait, what? These people are going to be on Earth‘s next record?” I don’t know. I doubt it. This is a wishlist. It goes like this:

Earth release their new album, Primitive and Deadly, Sept. 2 on Southern Lord Recordings (preorders are here). I’ll have a review up in the next week or two, but if you’ve ever listened to the massively-influential Seattle mainstays, you know they’ve been instrumental for the bulk of their run to date. For the first time, the new album brings in guest vocalists — the venerable Mark Lanegan (ex-Screaming Trees, etc.) and Rabia Shaheen Qazi (Rose Windows) — on a few choice selections. The results, as you’d expect and as you’ve probably heard by now, are stellar.

I had the record on just now and was daydreaming about what a new avenue Earth — founding guitarist Dylan Carlson, longtime drummer Adrienne Davies and bassist Bill Herzog — have opened for themselves. Of course, if time has proved anything, it’s that Earth work best following their own creative whims and drives, but it wasn’t long before I had a handful of voices I thought would work really well if they wanted to continue pursuing a partially vocalized approach.

Should you have a name to add, please feel free to leave a comment. Here’s who I came up with:

1. Ann Wilson

Okay, so maybe I’m breaking out the big guns right way, but how badass would Ann Fucking Wilson sound on an Earth track? Then and now, her voice is so powerful, moving and I just think she’d nail any part given to her and bring the spaciousness in Earth‘s signature drone-rock approach to an operatic level. I know she’s done most of her work in more traditional structures — Heart could be pretty out there, but still — but you can’t tell me she wouldn’t absolutely kill it in collaboration with her fellow Seattle-ites. Plus you might convince her to break out some flute, and that’s a bonus.

2. Marianne Faithfull

I admit this one’s kind of a reach, but one-time Rolling Stones collaborator Marianne Faithfull shares one thing in common with Earth‘s sound, and it’s a lasting resonance. Faithfull‘s voice can be so uplifting or so, so sad, and either side that she brought to Earth, it would work. It really would. It sounds really crazy, but I’m telling you straight up, it would absolutely work and be amazing, and you’d call me up or text me or whatever and like, “Dude, you were right, this is killer,” and then we’d get together and high-five about it, which would also be awesome.

3. Mark Lanegan

But wait, doesn’t Mark Lanegan already sing on Primitive and Deadly? Yeah, he does. It’s fucking great. They should do it again sometime.

4. Sera Timms

The former Black Math Horseman and current Ides of Gemini vocalist seems to carry an ethereal sensibility with her wherever she goes. Certainly that was the case on Field of the Host (review here), the 2013 debut outing from her solo-project Black Mare, and I’d say it holds up on Ides of Gemini‘s new one, Old World/New Wave (review here) as well. Timms does a lot of fascinating work with echoing effects and layering, and has a lot of experience in open structures and droning sounds, so even aside from the otherworldly folkishness of her approach, she seems like a natural fit.

5. Dylan Carlson

Stay with me on this. Yeah, he sang on 1996’s Pentastar: In the Style of Demons, but after almost 20 years of going the other way, Earth have switched it up and decided to incorporate singers. As the founder of the band, doesn’t Dylan Carlson deserve a say? I think he’s more than earned it, and I don’t even care if he doesn’t want to sing. Let him do a spoken word retelling of his grocery list, it doesn’t matter. It just seems to me that if this is something Earth are going to pursue for any amount of time going forward, it’s as worthwhile for them to look inward as outward in challenging themselves.

Earth‘s Primitive and Deadly is out Sept. 2 on Southern Lord, and they’ll begin a US tour with King Dude two days later (dates here). More info at the links.

Earth on Thee Facebooks

Primitive and Deadly preorders at Southern Lord

Southern Lord Recordings

Admittedly, it was a while ago, so if you don’t remember or had chalked it up to the ol’ sometimes-things-fall-through, no worries, but when this year’s Ceremony of Sludge was announced back in January, it was noted that I’d be premiering a series of videos captured there at Club 21 in Portland, Oregon, over the course of the two-day event. Well, the fest happened March 7 and 8, and sure enough, it was filmed, and last night, I was sent the first of what I hope will be many clips to come from that weekend.

The band in question is Beard of Bees, a Salem, OR, guitar/drum two-piece who kicked off the first night of the festival. They shared the stage with Tsepesch, Serial Hawk and Lamprey, and playing to an already crowded room, they evoked ’90s noise pummel and brandished thick, mostly instrumental grooves of considerable threat. It’s my first time hearing the band, which is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Russell Brown and drummer Nick Plaff — going by their Thee Facebooks address, they were at some point a trio and Bob left — but the tension in their buildups and the locked-in chugging of the ensuing payoffs makes for a satisfyingly heavy roll that has me empathizing with those in the crowd raising their beer cans in appreciation.

As for the song itself, it’s called “General Butt Naked,” and the clip was filmed by Cole Boggess, Justin Anderson, Justin Brown (Russell‘s brother and one of Lamprey‘s two bassists) and Eli Duke, and edited by Boggess. Beard of Bees don’t seem to have anything recorded or released as yet — they first got together in 2011 — so if you go looking and find some other band with the name, don’t be confused, but as an introduction, I think the live clip works well to make a favorable impression, and if nothing else, looks like the kickoff to a hell of an evening.

Enjoy:

Beard of Bees, “General Butt Naked” Live at Ceremony of Sludge, Portland, OR, March 7, 2014

Beard of Bees on Thee Facebooks

Ceremony of Sludge

You know how in demand Sleep are? They put out a single, not even an album or an EP, and can go tour on the other side of the planet for it. Pretty badass, though come to think of it, I’m fairly certain Sleep could’ve gone over to Australia even without any new music out — and I’m also fairly certain they have before — and find themselves welcome. Still, not too bad for the weedian rifflords, who have begun the sometimes fraught transition from “reunion band” to “working band,” supporting new material and heralding the promise of more as they are. I’m sure Australia will be kind.

Of course, Sleep play this weekend in Boston as well, with an Earthless/Heavy Blanket jam opening, and I’m very much looking forward to that. So that those way far away can share a similar anticipation, here’s the Aussie tour announcement off the PR wire:

life is noise presents: SLEEP (USA) AUSTRALIAN TOUR DECEMBER 2014

life is noise is proud to announce the return of stoner-doom legends SLEEP for their first full Australian Tour.

When Sleep broke up in 1998, it looked like their magnum opus – the sprawling, hour+ long, single-track slice of epic stoner goodness that’s now known as Jerusalem or Dopesmoker – would never be heard. We realised stoner metal had lost one if its trailblazers and we tried our best to move on. But 16 years later, the masters of doom live again. The fever dream journey that is Dopesmoker has been unleashed in its unedited, epic glory, and Sleep are back with their first piece of new music since 1998 with what guitarist Matt Pike describes as “the lyrical follow up to a lifetime of marijuana enjoyment” – The Clarity.

Of course, we never thought it would happen like this. After the legal troubles nightmare that was Dopesmoker forced Sleep to disband, no one – not even the band themselves – thought Sleep would record again. But in 2009, Sleep was reborn. It was meant to be a one-off spectacle – a proper send-off for a trio of legends at All Tomorrow’s Parties – but it only snowballed from there. More festivals followed, then US and European tours, until far corners of their world were privy to the ceremonial trip that is Sleep.

In 2012, Southern Lord reissued Dopesmoker – in full, remastered and over an hour in length, the way it was meant to be heard. Finally, Sleep were getting the recognition they so sorely deserved 15 years ago. Finally, we got to feel the massive vibrations of stoner doom’s greatest power trio through a smoke-filled haze.

Now in 2014, Sleep looks like a super group. After their dissolution, vocalist and bassist Al Cisneros blazed trails with the rhythmic droning of OM. Matt Pike continued his devotional study of The Riff as the spiritual successor to both Lemmy and Iommi through sludge metal power trio High on Fire. Founding drummer Chris Hakius has since retired from touring but filling his huge shoes is Jason Roeder, who’s spent almost 30 years blowing minds behind the kit in Neurosis.

Sleep live is like mass hypnosis – a psychic trip of gargantuan proportions under the guidance of three sonic shamans. There’s never been a better time to be a Sleep fan. Prepare to ascend the Holy Mountain.

Catch Sleep on The Clarity: Australian Tour on the following dates:

Saturday December 6 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne
Monday December 8 – The Bakery, Perth
Tuesday December 9 – Fowlers Live, Adelaide
Thursday December 11 – Crowbar, Brisbane
Friday December 12 – Meredith Music Festival
Saturday December 13 – Manning Bar, Sydney

LINKS
Facebook
Official website
lifeisnoise.com
oztix.com.au

Sleep, “The Clarity”

Neato news that Torche are touring a bit in the US before heading out for their previously announced first run in Australia, but this is also the first concrete word I’ve seen updating on the release for the Miami outfit’s next album, the follow-up to their 2012 outing, Harmonicraft, and their debut on Relapse Records. The label isn’t giving out a specific Tuesday or anything at this point, but at least with “early 2015,” we know not to expect it before the end of the year.

As I understand it, the album’s been in the can for a while, but sometimes the timing has to be just right, and as this is a big release for both band and imprint, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to get all the ducks in a row before actually issuing the thing.

The PR wire does it like this:

TORCHE Announce US Tour Dates

Band to Tour US September 20 through October 1st

TORCHE, the Florida-meets-Georgia heavy rock quartet have announced a short run of US headlining dates this September / October. The dates kick off September 18th in Miami, FL and run through October 1st in Orlando, FL. The band has also recently announced a headlining Australian tour in October. A complete listing of dates is available below.

The band, who recently signed to Relapse Records, completed recording their newest full-length earlier this year at Pinecrust Studio in Miami, with bassist Jonathan Nunez behind the boards. The album was then mixed by Converge’s Kurt Ballou and will see a release in early 2015 via Relapse.

The band’s most recent material can be found at torche.bandcamp.com.

Sep 18 Miami, FL Churchill’s Pub
Sep 19 Jacksonville, FL Burro Bar
Sep 20 Gainesville, FL The Atlantic
Sep 21 Atlanta, GA 97 Estoria
Sep 22 Nashville, TN The End
Sep 23 Columbus, OH Ace of Cups
Sep 24 Akron, OH Musica
Sep 25 Chicago, IL The Promontory
Sep 26 Pittsburgh, PA The Smiling Moose
Sep 27 Brooklyn, NY St. Vitus
Sep 29 Chapel Hill, NC Cat’s Cradle Back Room
Sep 30 Tampa, FL The Orpheum
Oct 01 Orlando, FL Backbooth

http://torche.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/torcheofficial
http://www.relapse.com/label/

Torche, “Harmonslaught” Live at 285 Kent, Brooklyn

It becomes clear pretty quickly that Spain’s VidaGuerrilla have no interest in compromising on their self-released debut tape, Música, No Moda. The cover of said cassette, is a copy of a hand-drawn cartoon, presumably by and of Gaspar Hache Eme, who may or may not be the only person in the band, whose mouth is open to say “Estoy muy cansado de tu opinion,” which translates to: “I am very tired of your review.” Fair enough. I’d take it personally but for the fact that the drawing doesn’t seem to be original — the label on the tape is, handwritten in permanent marker — and the Bandcamp stream has the same art. I don’t know how many copies of Música, No Moda are being pressed, or for how long they’ll be available, but a DIY ethic runs strong in the release, which takes blown out garage punk and thickens the tonality to a point of fuzz overload.

What I like best about Música, No Moda is that there are points — the closer, “El Punk Original,” comes to mind first — at which what VidaGuerrilla does is almost entirely indistinguishable sonically from lo-fi black metal. That track and the tumultuous “Porno” and “Apoya Mi Escena” seem bent on reminding listeners that Venom was a punk band before they were anything else, and the lesson comes well complemented by the classic heavy rock swing of “Draggin'” and the unhinged guitar wankery of leadoff cut “Kaoskosmos.” Distortion is all the more distorted thanks to a rough-edged production value, and Eme‘s snarled vocals only add furor to the already cantankerous aesthetic. It is fairly fashionable, in a particularly anti-fashion kind of way, but fuckall is fuckall, and that of VidaGuerrilla is recognizably genuine.

Most of the songs are short, two minutes or under — “So Gross” is just a belch — and VidaGuerrilla‘s sound is suited to the quicker bursts and fits. Exceptions to the rule arrive with “Zombis del Más Acá” and the penultimate “Caras Bronceadas/Dragged,” both of which top four minutes, and while the former manages to support its weight, the latter meanders somewhat and seems to get caught up in distraction. Fortunately it has “El Punk Original” afterward to provide one last jolt to Música, No Moda, leaving the listeners burnt by what they’ve heard but not burnt out on it. The tape plays out on one side only. All nine tracks fit easily on side A of the home-dubbed copy I got — it had been a while since I last saw a blank tape with the “UR” markings — and there was apparently no need to repeat it on side B. I suppose that plays into the general malaise one gleans from the release overall, but if it’s apathy VidaGuerrilla are looking to portray, he/they show a resonant passion for it as various genre lines are blurred.

VidaGuerrilla, Música, No Moda (2014)

VidaGuerrilla on Thee Facebooks

VidaGuerrilla on Bandcamp

Don’t put 2014 to bed yet! After releasing their debut single earlier this year (review here), The Skull will issue their first full-length, For Those Which are Asleep, on Nov. 4 via Tee Pee Records. I’m in genuine suspense to hear how the Trouble offshoot — vocalist Eric Wagner, bassist Ron Holzner and drummer Jeff “Oly” Olson hailing from the seminal Chicago doomers — pay homage to their origins and even more how guitarists Lothar Keller and Matt Goldsborough (ex-Pentagram) distinguish themselves in tone and style and thus plot a new course for The Skull distinct from that of the band to whom they were originally formed as a tribute.

The title fascinates as well. The phrase “for those which are asleep” would seem to speak of things not human, otherwise it would be “for those whom are asleep.” Not sure if it’s meant to speak of an personify inanimate objects or if it’s just an odd turn of phrase, but it’s one more thing to add intrigue — if only to grammar dorks — about the album.

The Skull have the unenviable task of driving from Montreal to Delaware next weekend to appear at the Wings of Metal and Vultures of Volume festival. Bit of a hike that I’m sure will prove worth their while.

A certain PR wire has specifics:

THE SKULL to Release For Those Which Are Asleep November 4

Metal Band Featuring Former Members of Doom Legends TROUBLE and PENTAGRAM Finalize Debut LP

THE SKULL — the new band featuring original members Eric Wagner (vocals) and Jeff “Oly” Olson (drums) of American doom metal legends TROUBLE alongside longtime TROUBLE bassist Ron Holzner, guitarist Lothar Keller (SACRED DAWN) and former PENTAGRAM guitarist Matt Goldsborough will release their debut album For Those Which Are Asleep on November 4 via Tee Pee Records, the NYC independent record label known for releasing landmark albums from acts such as High on Fire, Graveyard, Earthless and Sleep.

Written and recorded this past spring, For Those Which Are Asleep features ten tracks of elemental Heavy Metal and is the first full length album to feature Wagner, Holzner and Olson since the 1995 release of TROUBLE’s critically acclaimed LP Plastic Green Head. The new record’s greatest strength is how well it captures the apocalyptic trudge that Trouble delivered from the first downbeat of their 1984 debut, but now unequivocally propelled by the hallmarks of a hungry new band fueled by new blood. The mighty voice of Wagner is on full display; the vocalist proving on For Those Which Are Asleep that he still wields an eerie power at the mic. Titanic riffs abound as Keller and Goldsborough weave ominous atmospheres over the molten, crushing core of Holzner and Olson’s sinister strut. Make no mistake, THE SKULL are in complete command of their craft and have capably created a modern classic; a recording where atmosphere is established as drums crash, guitars blare and stories are told.

For Those Which Are Asleep track listing:

1.) Trapped Inside My Mind
2.) The Touch of Reality
3.) Sick of It All
4.) The Door
5.) Send Judas Down
6.) A New Generation
7.) Till the Sun Turns Black
8.) For Those Which Are Asleep
9.) Sometime Yesterday Mourning
10.) The Last Judgment

This month, THE SKULL will pay tribute to TROUBLE’s landmark debut Psalm 9 (which Wagner and Olson co-wrote and performed on) in celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the record’s release. THE SKULL will perform the influential album in its entirety at both the Wings of Metal Festival (Aug. 29 in Montreal) and the Vultures of Volume Festival (Aug. 30 in New Castle, Delaware) as headliners of each gathering. The band has also been confirmed to perform the full album at Barcelona’s Day of Doom Festival on October 10. Additional shows are expected to be announced as well.

https://www.facebook.com/troubletheskull
https://twitter.com/troubletheskull

The Skull, “Sometime Yesterday Mourning” b/w “The Final Judgment” (2014)

“The Mountain Man,” the rhythmically-centered, viciously lumbering finale of Sorxe‘s self-released debut album, Surrounded by Shadows, is led directly into by the title-track, a five-minute alteration of consciousness via ambience, some touches of brooding Neurosis drone emerging amid the Phoenix-based four-piece’s own exploratory sensibility. The pummel that emerges from the drum intro is all the more devastating for the extended break beforehand. As such, before you click play below, take a deep breath.

Sorxe‘s Surrounded by Shadows draws on the best elements left from the largely washed out post-metal movement. They tradeoff atmospherics and churning, crushing riffs, vary their approach widely, and toy with structures and builds to create a full-album sensibility that each individual song feeds into. The lineup of bassists Christopher Coons and Roger Williams (the latter a founding member of Graves at Sea), guitarist/vocalist/recording engineer Tanner Crace (also synth) and drummer Shane Ocell made their debut in 2013 with an EP called Realms, and all three of those tracks reappear on Surrounded by Shadows, including the 10-minute “Make it So,” which on the full-length functions as the centerpiece around which the rest of the album swirls, darkly hued and rife with multi-directional aggression.

For having two bassists, the guitar isn’t lost in the mix — one always imagines a consuming wave of low end, as if the extra four strings preclude being able to hear anything else — but when Sorxe lock into a full-brunt weighted stretch, you can feel the impact of that extra heft. Even their quieter reflections seem to have a moody feel, and as Crace layers and alternates his vocals between cleaner singing, growls and screams, the band fluidly transcends the bounds of post-hardcore, doom, sludge and post-metal, while effectively maintaining an identity of their own that never seems content to commit to one or the other. No doubt that’s a big part of what makes Surrounded by Shadows such a satisfying front-to-back listen.

But that closer. “The Mountain Man” has its stomp and plod in rounding out the nine-track/55-minute offering, and its initial explosion in chaotic, crushing noise is high among Surrounded by Shadows‘ most satisfying moments, but there’s consciousness at work behind all that bludgeoning. It would be hard for any individual piece to completely sum up everything Sorxe have on offer with their debut, but in providing the album with its apex, “The Mountain Man” also provides a showcase for Sorxe‘s burgeoning dynamic. It is encompassing in its heaviness.

Hope you enjoy:

[mp3player width=480 height=150 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=sorxe-the-mountain-man.xml]

Sorxe will release Surrounded by Shadows on Sept. 9 with Bandcamp streams beginning one week before. They’re also slated to appear at this year’s Southwest Terror Fest on Oct. 18 in Tucson, AZ, where they’ll share the stage with Neurosis and The Body. More info at the links below:

Sorxe on Thee Facebooks

Sorxe on Bandcamp

Southwest Terror Fest on Thee Facebooks

It’s been a while since last we heard from Camp Borracho. The D.C. natives took their riffage overseas this spring — no doubt the airline charged them extra baggage because that riffage is so gosh darn heavy — and jammed out at Desertfest in London and elsewhere on a nine-date run, but it’s been relatively quiet since then. I had heard rumors of a split release coming up this summer, which would be their second of the year following a shared single with Boston’s Cortez in April, but that doesn’t seem to have come together as yet, though as they hint at new material in the works and upcoming recordings to be helmed by Frank “The Punisher” Marchand, it could well show up before the end of the year. I guess we’ll see.

They’ve also announced a couple of dates in Pennsylvania and Delaware with Kingsnake and Wasted Theory, which you’ll find in the below update off the PR wire:

In the Studio, More Announcements to Come!

We’re laying down some new tunes this month with our main man Frank Marchand at Hudson Street Sound in Annapolis MD. Look for announcements of some new releases coming soon. But rest assured, we have not been relaxing all summer. We’re getting ready to unleash some new Borracho music. Stay tuned!

We’re getting the old Borracho machine fired back up, and will be joining our good bros in Kingsnake and Wasted Theory for a pair of shows. Join us Friday September 26 at The Depot in York, PA, and Saturday September 27 at Oddity Bar in Wilmington, DE.

If you find yourself in D.C. this Friday afternoon, the good people at Port City Brewing Company have done us all a great service! In honor of DC Beer Week, Brewmaster Will Cook has hand-crafted another batch of frosty, nutty, Borracho Smokin Brown Ale and is making it available to the public! Come get yer pint of crisp, deeply-ambered SBA at Glen’s Garden Market, 2001 S St NW, this Friday from 6-10pm.

http://www.borrachomusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BorrachoDC
http://borracho.bandcamp.com/
https://twitter.com/borracho_DC
http://instagram.com/borrachomusic

Borracho & Cortez, Split (2014)