The two probably have more in common existentially than sonically. Both Fatso Jetson and Farflung trace their roots back to California in the early ’90s, Farflung having gotten together in ’92 and Fatso Jetson in ’94, and both have endured over the two-plus decades since while remaining consistently underrated at home and abroad. Both are a good distance away from their last full-length — Fatso Jetson‘s Archaic Volumes (review here) dropped in 2010, Farflung‘s A Wound in Eternity in 2008, and both have done more of their recent work as splits, Farflung with Black Rainbows on Heavy Psych Sounds and with White Hills on Cobraside in 2012, and Fatso Jetson with Yawning Man in 2013 and with Herba Mate (review here) last year. And while recent years have seen Fatso Jetson‘s street cred greatly expanded as a new generation has come up to appreciate their contributions to desert rock and Farflung‘s spacey designs have also caught on more in Europe, it’s still safe to say both are underappreciated by the general listening consciousness. Whether or not Heavy Psych Sounds had that in mind in pairing them up for their new split LP, which boasts two new tracks from each band, I wouldn’t know, but it ties the release together in a way that still allows for the two to have distinct sonic personalities that show through in the material, Fatso Jetson‘s sound having pushed to the roots of desert rock in punk and warm-toned groove and Farflung pushing cosmic Hawkwindy jamming and effects-laden exploration.

Again, there’s more drawing them together in terms of their situation than aesthetic, but listening to the songs back to back, as on a CD or digital version, their split isn’t especially choppy in moving from one to the next. Part of that owes to the open-ended weirdness that has emerged in Fatso Jetson‘s sound, a well-established penchant for quirk playing out now with the inclusion of guitarist Dino Von Lalli, son of founding guitarist/vocalist Mario Lalli and nephew to bassist Larry Lalli. Driven as ever by the sharp drumming of Tony Tornay (who also played on Brant Bjork‘s last record) and quick-turning fuzz riffing, “Taking off Her Head” nonetheless has a punkish undercurrent particularly in comparison to the jammier vibes that pervaded the Herba Mate split. This isn’t necessarily unexpected — one knows better than to expect the same approach from Fatso Jetson twice in a row — but there’s still room in the song’s seven minutes for fleshing out, as they do in a bridge and softer-delivered ending section, the rhythmic shove remaining intact all the while. “Flesh Trap Blues” has more swing and swagger, but keeps a bizarro thread going with the effected opening lyrics, “Yes I need it/You don’t want it/I can’t have it/I can’t even try,” running backward and forward at the same time before the instrumental buildup begins. In its groove and shake, “Flesh Trap Blues” plays to the band’s strengths, but tonally and structurally it fits with “Taking off Her Head” as well; it just happens to be that Fatso Jetson at this point can pull off whatever shifts they want and make it work. Call it an earned luxury 20 years on from the release of their first album, Stinky Little Gods.

If you’re wondering, Farflung‘s debut LP, 25,000 Feet per Second, also came out in 1995, but they’re not yet 30 seconds into the 12:53 “Jettisoned in the Rushes… Phase One” before the mood has undergone a significant shift, gong wash, tense guitar and synth marking the beginning of an expansive instrumental surge, vague whispers pervading in an anything-goes progression, elements arriving unannounced, staying for a while and then splitting again, synth, Mellotron, various guitar swirls and so on showing up over a drum beat mostly straightforward but subtly changing tempo from one movement to the next. But for the overarching fluidity, one might be tempted to call it collage, pieced together, but given Farflung‘s history, I’ve no trouble believing they could make “Jettisoned in the Rushes… Phase One” happen at will. The closer “Igneous Spire” — still longer than either of Fatso Jetson‘s tracks but seeming short after its predecessor at 7:55 — has classic Hawkwind-style thrust and more straightforward verses. It wouldn’t be right to call it grounded, because it’s space rock, but it’s less experimental despite the swirl, the various turns of echo and the moment in the second half of the song where the whole thing seems to break through some cosmic barrier and arrive at an open, empty space populated by tom hits, residual synth and sparse guitar, residing there for a minute or so before picking back up for the final surge, which is given added drama by string sounds and a combined forward motion, all parties setting the same course and bringing “Igneous Spire” to a satisfying if sudden end while avoiding smashing into any asteroids along the way.

At a vinyl-ready 34 minutes, the Fatso Jetson and Farflung split is a relatively quick listen, but it travels a significant distance in that time between one act and the next. It doesn’t quite solve the issue of both groups being due for full-length releases, but it’s an engaging front-to-back pulse and offers something different in each piece from each band, so for the already-converted, there’s nothing to complain about in taking it on. It might not be the most obvious pairing on the surface, but it makes an appropriately peculiar kind of sense by the time it’s over.

Fatso Jetson & Farflung, Split (2015)

Fatso Jetson on Thee Facebooks

Farflung on Thee Facebooks

Heavy Psych Sounds

Church of Misery bassist and founder Tatsu Mikami, in addition to having a considerable influence on the shape of modern doom with his band, is obviously someone who knows his stuff. He’s also someone with a tendency toward lineup changes. The long-running Sabbathian loyalists have had more members than I think even Tatsu could count, but so far as I know, their upcoming fifth (or sixth, depending on what you count) full-length, And Then There Were None, will be the first time he’s worked with American artists in collaborating on new material.

Tatsu and his low-slung Rickenbacker are currently in Middletown, Maryland, in rehearsals for the new album recording at the Polar Bear Lair studio. The plan is to have seven new songs ready to go with Chris Kozlowski recording. Dave Szulkin of Blood Farmers will play guitar and Eric Little from Earthride will play drums. These are not happenstance picks in any way, and one can’t help but wonder exactly what sort of doom this new incarnation of Church of Misery will bring to bear when And Then There Were None arrives, as it will reportedly later this year on Rise Above Records.

The big question here is who Tatsu is going to get to perform vocals on the album. One assumes the lyrical theme will be the same as ever — serial killers — but as Church of Misery readies the follow-up to 2013’s excellent Thy Kingdom Scum (review here), one can’t help but wonder just what other tricks the bassist might have up his sleeve. That I’m very much looking forward to finding out should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway.

Studio pic of the lineup and announcement follows:

Rehearsal continues…..Middletown, Maryland

The time has come. I will stay in Maryland for 2 weeks in May to record the new album. US DOOM legends, Dave from BLOOD FARMERS and Eric from EARTHRIDE are going to join this recording. We will record 7 new materials at “Polar Bear Lair Studio” with Chris Kozlowski as an engineer – He has been working for tons of great US DOOM albums, like IRON MAN, INTERNAL VOID, EARTHRIDE, SPIRIT CARAVAN, PENANCE, PENTAGRAM and WRETCHED etc. Also, I will announce about a singer for this album soon. Let there be DOOM!

Tatsu

http://www.churchofmisery.net/
https://www.facebook.com/churchofmiserydoom/

Church of Misery, Live at Shibuya Cyclone, April 5, 2014

Following a recent shift that brought aboard Andrea Van Cleef to handle guitar and vocals, Bergamo-based trio Humulus will this weekend issue their first release with the new lineup: A beer. A new collaboration with Birrificio Indipendente Elav arrives with a release party this weekend, and the three-piece also present their new video for the track “The Liar Priest” by Snakehill Productions to coincide.

The cut comes off Humulus‘ 2012 self-titled debut LP, which was released by Go Down Records, so it’s a bit of the old and new from the band, who are set to begin the process of songwriting for what will no doubt be a substantially different sophomore outing. In the meantime, “The Liar Priest” makes a stand in bruiser aggression residing on the border between heavy rock and sludge, thick riffery and gruff shouts abounding amid a catchy chorus and steady groove.

For the video, they — of course — perform at a brewery. Presumably, it’s Elav, and along with the trio kicking out “The Liar Priest,” we also get to see some beer being made which, again, of course, they sample at the end. Hardly the first to dig into a beverage after a hard day’s work, but they seem to be having a good time all the same. If you’re wondering, there will be fish sandwiches at the beer release party on Saturday. As if it would be a party otherwise.

I’m happy today to host the premiere of Snakehill‘s video for “The Liar Priest,” which is followed by some more background on Humulus for those who’d like to be filled in. Please imbibe responsibly:

Humulus, “The Liar Priest” official video

Humulus are a heavy-stoner power trio from Bergamo (Italy), formed in 2009. “The Liar Priest” is taken from the 2012 debut album “Humulus”.

Andrea Van Cleef (guitar-voice) Giorgio (bass) Massimiliano (drums)

Humulus are a heavy-stoner power trio from Brescia/Bergamo (Italy), formed in 2009. Their first self titled album is released by Go Down Records in december 2012. The ten tracks of this first work fully reflect the stoner attitude of the band and their aggressive sound that is best expressed during their live shows. 2013 and 2014 are truly years full of pivotal shows for Humulus career; the band shared the stage with bands like Corrosion Of Conformity, Karma To Burn, Naam and Truckfighters, and they participated also in festivals like Home Festival and Maximum Festival.

In 2014 another great love of the band sees the light: beer! Humulus produced for 2014 their eponymous black stoner IPA, brewed in collaboration with ELAV Indipendent Brewery. Humulus sound is just like that: a combination of fat and fuzzy guitars, heavy riffs…and a lot of beer!

In 2015, after a change of formation, Humulus are ready to write new songs for their second album that probably will see the light at the beginning of 2016

Beer release party event page

Humulus on Thee Facebooks

Humulus on Bandcamp

Snakehill Productions on YouTube

Go Down Records

Heebus jeebus, Pallbearer. You sure you’ve got enough tour dates planned out for the next couple months?

I think my favorite part about Pallbearer‘s summer tour — which started last night in Berlin after an appearance this past weekend at Psycho California — is that it’s utter insanity. It interrupts an already-in-progress European headlining run with Bast for three dates in North America, two in the US and one in Canada, and then an Australian tour before going to Japan and then resuming in Europe before coming back to North America again, this time with High on Fire. What’s the matter, dudes, couldn’t tack on any dates in India or Africa while you were at it?

Of course, if they did, no doubt they’d find welcome when they got there. Pallbearer‘s Foundations of Burden continues to reap acclaim from just about every corner of the universe after being covered in so much critical saliva upon its release last year. If nothing else, the four-piece are obviously busting their ass to support it. They also recently released a new video for the track “Watcher in the Dark,” which you can find way down beneath the list of tour dates hoisted from the PR wire.

Take a deep breath and dive in:

PALLBEARER PREMIERES FIRST MUSIC VIDEO EVER FOR “WATCHER IN THE DARK”; TRACK APPEARS ON FOUNDATIONS OF BURDEN; ON TOUR THIS MAY, JUNE AND JULY

Watch Pallbearer’s epic and cinematic new video for “Watcher in the Dark”

The video was directed, shot and edited by Adam Heathcott (Hometapes) and produced by Adam Heathcott and Sara Padgett Heathcott and marks the first ever official music video for the band.

Formed in 2008 by Joseph D. Rowland (bass) and Brett Campbell (vocals/guitars), Pallbearer grew from the fertile underground metal scene of Little Rock, AR. A year after their formation, the band released their first three-song demo (with guitarist Devin Holt), which garnered well-deserved attention. Pallbearer went on to release Sorrow & Extinction in early 2012 on well-respected Canadian indie label Profound Lore, and instantly made waves among listeners and critics who found the band’s compositional paradox of vulnerability and might unparalleled in the metal world. Sorrow & Extinction proved to be an unequivocal masterpiece in any genre of music and compelled Pallbearer to reach even further creatively for what would come next. In August of 2014, the band released the monumental and acclaimed, Foundations Of Burden; an album that delves even deeper into Pallbearer’s melodic contexts, adding a new and compelling dimension to music which has long since proven itself to be inexorably captivating.

Check out the band’s rigorous Spring/Summer European touring schedule below.

PALLBEARER – ON TOUR
May 20 Berlin, DE @ Kantine am Berghain
May 21 Prague, CZ @ Klub 007
May 22 Koln, DE @ MTC
May 23 Utrecht, NL @ Le Guess Who
May 24 Brussels, BE @ AB Club
May 25 Paris, FR @ Social Club
May 26 Schorndorf @ Club Manufaktur
May 27 Zurich, CH @ Rote Fabrik
May 29 Barcelona, ES @ Primavera Sound Festival
May 31 Bristol, UK @ Temples Festival
June 1 Glasgow, UK @ Broadcast
June 2 Birmingham, UK @ Rainbow
June 3 London, UK @ 100 Club
June 5 Porto, PT @ Optimus Primavera Sound
June 6&7 Houston, TX @ Free Press Summer Fest
June 12 Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo
June 14 Edmonton, AB @ Farmageddon
June 17 Melbourne, AUS @ Ding Dong Lounge
June 18 Hobart, AUS @ Dark Mofo Festival
June 19 Melbourne, AUS @ Northcote Social
June 20 Sydney, AUS @ Hermann’s Bar
June 21 Brisbane, AUS @ Crowbar
June 24 Osaka, Japan @ Conpass
June 25 Nagoya, Japan @ Huck Finn
June 26 Tokyo, Japan @ Earthdom
June 30 Oslo, NO @ BLÅ
July 1 Gothenburg, SE @ Truckstop Alaska
July 2 Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
July 3 Nijmegen, NL @ Doornroosje
July 4 Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof Wiesbaden
July 6 Milano, IT @ Lo Fi Club
July 7 Bologna, IT @ Freakout Club
July 8 Roma, IT @ Traffic Live
July 9 Padua, IT @ Radar Festival
July 10 Vienna, AT @ Mind Over Matter Festival
July 11 Erfurt, DE @ Stoned from the Underground – Festival
July 30 San Diego, CA @ The Casbah ^
July 31 Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex *
August 1 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom *
August 3 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater *
August 4 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw *
August 5 Seattle, WA @ Neumos *
August 7 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex *
August 8 Denver, CO @ The Gothic *
August 10 Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights *
August 11 Chicago, IL @ Thalia Hall *
August 12 Ferndale, MI @ The Loving Touch *
August 13 Toronto, ON @ Opera House *
August 14 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon *
August 15 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza *
August 17 Boston, MA @ Royale *
August 18 Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg *
August 19 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts *
August 20 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage *
August 21 Winston Salem, NC @ Ziggy’s *
August 22 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade *
August 23 New Orleans, LA @ One Eyed Jack’s *
^ w/ High On Fire, Lucifer
* w/ High On Fire, Lucifer, Venomous Maximus

https://www.facebook.com/pallbearerdoom
https://twitter.com/pallbearerdoom
https://instagram.com/pallbearerdoom/
https://www.profoundlorerecords.com/

Pallbearer, “Watcher in the Dark” official video

Chaos, noise, chaos. Or is it noise, chaos, noise? Either way, Baltimore noise rock five-piece Alone Time will issue their debut EP, Bored, on May 26. Tracked, mixed, mastered and put out under the banner of Grimoire Records, the five-song outing clocks in at a vicious, feedback-soaked 14 minutes, and alternates between Black Flag-style lyrical rawness — see “Routine” — and thick-toned ’90s pummel as three three-and-a-half-minute cuts play out with two two-minute cuts between them, surprisingly orderly in its structure and flowing from one song to the next à la a live set even as Alone Time twist and turn and blow out tubes and slay and chaos, noise, chaos. Or is it noise, chaos, noise?

A sudden surge of feedback at the launch of opener “Advice” tells the tale, and all the more so because that’s actually the song starting, not just a kind of introductory formality. The lineup of Adam, Spencer, Ted, Jess and Austyn waste little time in establishing as raw a foundation as possible, and the point seems to be less about holding the material together than letting go of the impulse to try. “Advice” is house-show madness, and the invitation to “Come and See” that follows answers fire with gasoline, a more forward rhythmic drive offset by mathy fret runs and distorted shouts delivered at feverish pace, cycled through twice before “Routine” slams in with its own vaguely directed sear. A hardcore punk progression emerges from the fray running at full sprint, but it’s soon enough given over to churning thrust as the wheels once again come off and the track tears itself apart.

That, of course, is the idea. Happy accident? Not so much as disaffected expression, but whatever you want to call it, Alone Time have it in spades. Their sound is restless fitting to the EP’s title, and nestled between punk, hardcore, noise and angular technicality — they are playing notes in all those unhinged squibbly parts, after all — it hits on a balance both challenging and familiar, building momentum all the while knowing there’s a brick wall up ahead. “Pills” follows “Routine” and is the shortest piece at 1:54 and the jazziest, but a lurching groove lies beneath all that Eastern Seaboard intensity and that carries through into closer “Drunk at Work,” which begins with what sounds an awful lot like Echoplex before playing intermittent blasts and open, swinging verse lines off each other on the way to an oblivion well earned. It may be the product boredom, but ultimately, the EP doesn’t last long enough to inflict that on the listener. Rather, its frenetic pulse courses through fast and is gone with little ceremony or circumstance, and it’s only afterwards that one might realize how much of the chaos, noise, chaos — or was it noise, chaos, noise? — was by design.

Grimoire has Bored out on tape May 26, limited to 100 copies, recorded, mixed and mastered by Noel Mueller. Full stream follows for the daring. Enjoy:

Alone Time is Adam, Spencer, Jess, Ted and Austyn.

“Bored” was recorded on 3/07/2015 at Hour Haus by Noel Mueller of Grimoire Records. Mixed and mastered by Noel Mueller/Grimoire Records. Cover art by William Chapman. © 2015 Grimoire Records.

Amazing audio quality from the masters of tape, at National Audio Company. B/W 2-sided j-card, white shells with black imprint, shrink wrapped with love. Edition of 100.

Alone Time on Thee Facebooks

Grimoire Records on Bandcamp

After four full-lengths on Small Stone, Swedish heavy rockers Greenleaf will release their next album on Napalm Records. They’ve started to record their next album already. Interested to hear where they go. Their last outing, 2014’s Trails and Passes (review here), seemed to be moving in a different direction than its predecessors, shifting the focus from studio experimentation and guest performers to a more sustainable, stage-ready presentation — something stripped down from the two records before, but that Greenleaf could take on the road. They proceeded to do precisely that after its release, and the lineup of guitarist Tommi Holappa, bassist Johan Rockner, drummer Sebastian Olsson and drummer Arvid Jonsson will head out on tour again June 6 in Europe.

Kudos to the band and to Napalm on the pick. Here’s the announcement from the PR wire:

GREENLEAF SIGN TO NAPALM RECORDS!

Swedish Rockers GREENLEAF are pleased to announce that they have signed a worldwide deal Napalm Records!

GREENLEAF on the signing with Napalm Records:
“We’re happy to announce that the next GREENLEAF album will be released on Napalm Records! After many great years with Small Stone Records and especially Scott Hamilton we want to say THANK YOU! With Napalm Records we found the perfect partner to make the next step. It’s an honour to be on the same label as great bands as Monster Magnet, My Sleeping Karma, Brant Bjork, John Garcia and Vista Chino.The progress of recording the first album starts in the end of May. The songs are ready and we’re really stoked about putting it down on tape!”

Sebastian Muench, A&R Napalm Records:
“Napalm Records is proud to announce the worldwide signing with GREENLEAF! The 2014 album release of “Trails & Passes” has been celebrated in the Rock/Stoner community as a true masterpiece! If you had not had a chance to see GREENLEAF live than you can catch them share the stage with CLUTCH, WEEDEATER or various other headline shows! Greenleaf will also play Crumble Fight Fest, Stoned From The Underground, Red Smoke Festival, Rock im Wald, Krach am Bach, Lake on Fire and many more! Welcome to the Napalm Family!!”

More news on the upcoming album will be unveiled soon!
To shorten the waiting time, find all upcoming shows & summer festivals below!

06.06.15 FR – Crumble Fight Fest / Montaigu
07.06.15 FR – Heretic Club / Bordeaux
09.06.15 LUX – Den Atelier / Luxembourg City
10.06.15 CH -Kinski / Zurich
11.06.15 FR -Le Brin De Zinc / Chambery
12.06.15 FR – Warmaudio / Lyon
13.06.15 FR – Le Volume / Nice
03.07.15 SE – Peace & Love Festival / Borlänge
08.07.15 DE – La Casa / Cottbus
09.07.15 DE – Stoned From The Unerground
12.07.15 PL – Red Smoke Festival / Pleszew
15.07.15 PL – Chmury / Warsaw
16.07.15 PL – Stonamite / Gdansk / Poland
17.07.15 LI – Devilstone Open Air / Anyksciai
24.07.15 DE – Rock im Wald / Neuensee
25.07.15 DE – Krach am Bach / Beelen
07.08.15 AT – Lake on Fire / Waldhausen
08.08.15 CH – Out in Gurin / Sargans
14.08.15 DE – Aquamaria Festival / Plattenburg
29.08.15 SE – Iris Festival / Öland

www.facebook.com/greenleafrocks
www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

Greenleaf, Trails and Passes (2014)

As for how Scott “Wino” Weinrich came to front Bedemon at the Psycho California fest this past weekend, that — as one might expect coming from the doom outfit who are rightly considered legends despite never having played live before — is something of a long story. Bedemon‘s collection of rare tracks and demos, Child of Darkness, was reissued earlier this year by Relapse, and I guess that’s as good a place as any to start while the band fills in on the rest:

BEDEMON has never performed a single show, ever, with any line-up. When discussion of possibly appearing at Psycho California first came up in November, we were honored. As the months have passed though, determining who would be in the band has proven to be a real challenge on many levels for many reasons. Ultimately, due to prior commitments, neither long-time member bassist Mike Matthews nor current BEDEMON vocalist Craig Junghandel will be able to participate at the Psycho California show. There was some talk about possibly having PENTAGRAM vocalist Bobby Liebling do the set, having appeared on the 70s songs contained on their Child of Darkness: From the Original Master Tapes release which has just been reissued by Relapse Records in both CD and vinyl form, but in the end it was felt that his focus needed to be on PENTAGRAM, who are also appearing at Psycho California and additionally are currently finishing up a new studio album for release later this year.

Yet despite these seemingly insurmountable setbacks, you can’t kill BEDEMON that easily and doomed you will be, Psycho California, as Greg Mayne of PENTAGRAM’s classic 70s line-up will be appearing on bass. Mayne also has BEDEMON ties himself, as he was in the line-up that recorded the 1986 BEDEMON sessions after Mike had moved to Washington state. This will be the first time Mayne and O’Keefe have appeared on stage together in nearly 40 years.

And speaking of Geof O’Keefe, better-known as the drummer for the 70s PENTAGRAM who recorded the original studio versions of “Forever My Queen,” “Be Forewarned,” “Last Days Here” and others, at this show he’ll be playing guitar.

“People not familiar with the early beginning of PENTAGRAM might not realize that when Bobby and I put the band together back in the fall of 1971,” says O’Keefe, “I was originally the guitarist for the first two versions of the band. I’ve actually been playing guitar longer than drums. Not only is this the first time I’ll be playing guitar live on stage but it’s the first time I’ve stepped on a stage in 30 years. I couldn’t be more excited and appreciative to be part of this special and historic experience!”

So with Junghandel and Liebling not singing, who will be handling the BEDEMON vocals? Stepping in on this very special occasion is a rather unique guest and another DC legend in his own right: Scott “Wino” Weinrich! (SAINT VITUS, SPIRIT CARAVAN, THE OBSESSED, PLACE OF SKULLS, SHRINEBUILDER, THE HIDDEN HAND as well as having released a number of great solo projects).

Says O’Keefe of these developments: “While I am really disappointed neither Mike and Craig can perform at this particular show due to prior career commitments, this is an amazing line-up for a very special show. I’m excited to have my old buddy Greg Mayne on board. I haven’t seen him in nearly thirty years and haven’t played with him in forty. And Wino is a DC legend and international star in his own right and it’s an honor to have him guesting on vocals.”

So what becomes of it? Probably nothing. I don’t think we’re going to see Wino fronting a reactivated incarnation of Bedemon anytime soon. One never knows, but Bedemon released their proper debut full-length, Symphony of Shadows (track stream here), in 2012 and seem to be content to do their own thing, and with the Spirit Caravan reunion ongoing and the new Wino & Conny Ochs just out, it seems more likely that if Geof O’Keefe (interview here) was itching to keep the band moving forward, he’d find a situation a little less complex to enter into with a frontman. Though Wino-fronted Bedemon would be pretty badass.

That’s the impression the video below of “Time Bomb” gives, anyhow. Filmed at Psycho California in front of what’s clearly a packed house, Bedemon‘s first show ever featured this track off Child of Darkness and it looks to have been every bit the landmark occasion one might expect.

Enjoy and have a great Wino Wednesday:

Bedemon, “Time Bomb” Live at Psycho California, May 15, 2015

Making their way back to active status following a stint on the DL, Pennsylvania heavy merchants Backwoods Payback have announced two weekenders set to take place next month that will take them out of their West Chester home and onward to regional outlets in New Jersey, PA, Virginia and Maryland. It’s four shows spread over two weeks, so hardly the heaviest touring they’ve done, but with just periodic appearances under their collective belt since the release of their 2014 EP, In the Ditch (review here), it bodes well for what might lay ahead, and frankly, it’s good to hear anything from them at all.

Backwoods Payback‘s most recent show was May 15, playing the after-party for the Bethlehem, PA, date of the Clutch/Mastodon tour, but prior to that, they also shared the stage with Black Cowgirl, Generation of Vipers and U.S. Christmas at The Depot in York at the end of April, so there have been stirrings leading to these weekenders coming up. The addition of new drummer Pierson Roe (Castle Freak) alongside guitarist/vocalist Mike Cummings and bassist Jessica Baker will no doubt make gigging easier in the months upcoming, and in announcing the shows, the band also teases a possibility of a new album, which would be their sophomore outing following 2011’s Small Stone full-length debut, Momantha (review here).

Most likely that’s a ways off — though I guess they could surprise everybody with a new record tomorrow; anything’s possible — but either way, that they’re starting to get out again is a step in the right direction. Their announcement was quick and to the point:

JUNE DATES! this convoy is heading back out where we belong…on the ROAD!

New shows, new songs, new merch, new drummer, new RECORD???

Backwoods Payback on tour:
06/12 The Meatlocker, Montclair, NJ
06/13 The Funhouse, Bethlehem, PA
06/19 Strange Matter, Richmond, VA
06/20 Guido’s Speakeasy, Frederick, MD

https://www.facebook.com/backwoodspayback
http://backwoodspayback.bandcamp.com/

Backwoods Payback, In the Ditch (2014)