Posted in Whathaveyou on June 28th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Current understanding is that both The Atomic Bitchwax and Mirror Queen will have new records out this Fall. Therefore it seems entirely likely the Tee Pee Records labelmates might bring some recent compositions out for road-testing on this upcoming East Coast tour, set to begin in Boston on July 13 — where they’ll be joined by fellow Tee Pee denizens Worshipper as well as Hey Zeus — and make its way north into Canada before swinging back through Pittsburgh and looping south once again.
Whether or not they’re playing new stuff, The Atomic Bitchwax‘s most recent outing, 2015’s Gravitron (review here), and Mirror Queen‘s recently-unveiled “Starliner” single (premiered here) are just about all the excuse a band might need to get out and stretch for a bit, if they need an excuse at all. Which, particularly in this case, they probably don’t, what with all the generally kicking ass and whatnot.
Dates and portends of things to come, courtesy of the PR wire:
The Atomic Bitchwax to Launch North American Headlining Tour July 13
Legendary New Jersey Rock Band Featuring Monster Magnet Members Set to Light Up the East Coast; NYC’s Mirror Queen to Support
New Jersey super stoner rock band THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX will kick off a North American headlining tour run on July 13 in Boston, MA. Featuring core MONSTER MAGNET members Chris Kosnik (bass, vocals) and Bob Pantella (drums) alongside guitarist Finn Ryan, THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX (aka TAB) play music that combines 60’s psychedelic rock, and 70’s riff rock with modern day progressive rock influences. The Tee Pee Records-powered tour will run through July 23 and feature support from NYC space rockers and TAB label mates MIRROR QUEEN.
Since its formation in 1993, THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX has inspired hundreds of developing rock and metal bands, but no group of musicians has come close to matching TAB’s unique style of fun, frenetic and formidable rock and roll. Over the course of six full-length albums and multiple world tours, the band has perfected its unique style of NYC hard rock that High Times appropriately tagged, “thunder-boogie”. THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX is currently prepping the follow-up to its celebrated 2016 release, Gravitron. A fall release date is expected.
THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX w/ MIRROR QUEEN tour dates: July 13 Boston, MA Great Scott July 14 Montreal, QC Turbo Haus July 15 Toronto, ON Hard Luck July 16 Pittsburgh, PA Cattivo July 18 Asheville, NC Mothlight July 19 Atlanta, GA Star Bar July 20 Richmond, VA Strange Matter July 22 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie July 23 Brooklyn, NY Knitting Factory
A mainstay in the NYC hard rock scene, MIRROR QUEEN has shared the stage with heavyweight peers such as Earthless and The Shrine and toured Europe with legends such as Uli Jon Roth and UFO. The group’s driving music accelerates at the distinct point where NWOBHM and heavy Prog Rock intersect; a direct and definite delineation of an era when urgent metallic sound was the order of the day. MIRROR QUEEN’s as-yet-untitled new LP is expected to see release this October.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
In all places and in all things, I remain a sucker for a good bill. I’ll be elsewhere this same weekend, as The Obelisk is presenting the Emerald Haze festival in Dublin, Ireland (info here), and I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited over for that, but a good bill is a good bill, and if you happen to be in Chicago or can head that way, Scorched Tundra VIII has one to offer, with Acid King, The Atomic Bitchwax and Oxbow positioned as headliners across three nights from Sept. 1-3 at The Empty Bottle.
Those names are enough to grab attention, to be sure, but toss in the post-metallic breadth of Minsk, perpetual sludge scumbags Fistula, Pelican offshoot RLYR (only fair since it’s Chicago after all), and others, and yeah, it looks like a damn fine way to spend a couple of nights, provided your calendar doesn’t conflict.
Tickets are available now and you’ll find those links and more info below, courtesy of the fest:
ACID KING, OXBOW, THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, FISTULA, MINSK, BEHOLD! THE MONOLITH, AND MORE CONFIRMED FOR SCORCHED TUNDRA VIII
Scorched Tundra is proud to announce the lineup for its eighth edition. The second installment of 2017 – taking place September 1-3 at The Empty Bottle in Chicago – will feature the showcases’ most diverse and extensive lineup to date.
Friday September 1st The Atomic Bitchwax Fistula Electric Hawk
Saturday September 2nd Acid King Minsk Wolvhammer Bottomed
Sunday September 3rd Oxbow Behold! The Monolith RLYR
Tickets for each day can be purchased at the following links:
Scorched Tundra’s mission is to give a new generation of talented artists a unique live platform in Chicago and Gothenburg. Scorched Tundra’s billing – based on sound not stature – creates a unique aural experience for the audience. “The forthcoming eighth edition was the most enjoyable to put together as the lineup is extremely eclectic and in many ways different from past iterations. All of these artists are newcomers to Scorched Tundra; they are very difficult to pigeonhole; and transcend categorization. Intimate, historic, and highly respected, The Empty Bottle in Chicago will once again play as a perfect host to this unique set of artists,” states organizer Alexi Front.
Scorched Tundra VIII marks the event’s much anticipated return to Chicago after last years two day sold out event. The third ever Scorched Tundra beer – brewed in collaboration with Pipeworks Brewing Company –an India Pale Ale dry hopped with Australian and American aromatic varietals – will be available at select bars and stores in Chicago in August and at the festival. Longtime Scorched Tundra collaborator Axel Widén created artwork for the beer label and festival poster. Seven other Pipeworks beers will be available as part of a tap takeover throughout Scorched Tundra VIII.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Wasn’t it just at the end of last week that I was wishing Astra would get together again and put out a third album? Why, yes. Yes it was. I’m not by any means about to take credit for the coming of this update from guitarist, vocalist, Mellotronist and synthesist Richard Vaughan, but I’m pretty happy it’s here one way or the other. The good news? Astra will indeed set to work on a follow-up full-length to 2012’s The Black Chord (review here), and though details are obviously minimal at this point, since it’s not like said record exists yet or anything, any word from the band whatsoever is welcome, since as noted the other day, it’s been a while.
You can read Vaughan‘s update below. More to come as I hear or see it:
ASTRA – Status Update 2017
First off, I have to apologize for just dropping off the map for so long. You all deserve much more than that and since so many of you have been nice enough to write and ask “What’s going on with ASTRA?” I wanted to give you all a status update.
Back when our drummer David Hurley left ASTRA in 2013, no one could really foresee the difficulties ahead. We knew carrying on without Dave would be a hard road to travel but we had no idea just how much of an impact his departure would have on us. The 5 of us had an undeniable chemistry that just worked so well in every aspect, but especially when it came to songwriting. After Dave left, I think we were all pretty bummed out and while we were working on writing material for our 3rd album, our frustrations slowly started cropping up. We decided to take a short break which turned into a long break, which turned into a longer break, which happens to be where we’re at now. Because of this long hiatus some of the guys have become extremely busy with their own musical projects which, unfortunately, now leaves very little time for ASTRA.
However, I do have some good news! I just recently spoke with all of the original ASTRA members, including Dave, and everyone is down to record a 3rd ASTRA album if we can get enough material together. Another bit of good news is that Stuart and I have been playing and writing together and we’re hoping that we can eventually make this 3rd album a reality.
Now, none of this is a guarantee but I think it is a step in the right direction. ASTRA will always be my baby and my first love when it comes to music and I don’t want to give up on her so I’m going to do all that I can to make this happen. This will most likely take quite some time since everyone is so busy but I will try to keep you all updated as best I can. I will also try to be much more diligent in responding to your emails and messages in the future.
Lastly, a huge THANK YOU is long overdue, so, thank you all for sticking with ASTRA through the years and for being such amazing fans. I love you all more than words can say and I’m going to do my best to bring some new ASTRA music to your ears as soon as possible.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Misanthropic Virginian one-man garage doom outfit Mindkult will release Lucifer’s Dream on Sept. 20. A debut full-length to be released on Transcending Obscurity Records, the new outing follows last summer’s Witch’s Oath EP (review here) which impressed in both the form of its aesthetic and the substance of its songwriting. I’m not saying I’ve heard it or anything, but as Fowst moves his project forward with this debut long-player, songs like the nine-minute “Behold the Wraith” and the closing title-track assure that both of those aspects are kept well intact and that there’s plenty of misery to go around. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
It was a pretty considerable list, but Mindkult‘s debut was among my most anticipated releases for 2017 back at the start of the year, and — again — not that I’ve heard it or anything, but it’s awfully nice to have that anticipation so thoroughly vindicated. Will hope to have more on it as we get closer to the release, but there’s a teaser clip playing now that you can see at the bottom of this post to whet your appetite.
And of course, info follows off the PR wire. Dig it:
MINDKULT announce new doom/stoner/shoegaze release on Transcending Obscurity Records
MINDKULT (US) – ‘Lucifer’s Dream’ Silver-embossed Box Set / CD / Merch / Digital (September 20th, 2017)
US band MINDKULT are turning the genre on its head. Stepping out of the confines of what can be called doom, they are going back in time musically to create all over again raw, heavy and stoner-tinged music that oozes horror appeal and bears a soothing post-punk sensibility. Call it doom, stoner or even shoegaze, all of it is correct because it’s a distilled blend to forge a sound that MINDKULT can call it its own. Nostalgic and dark, this is the band’s much-awaited debut full length that displays rare charisma and soulful expression.
Track list: 1. Drink My Blood 2. Nightmares 3. Behold the Wraith 4. Infernals 5. Howling Witch 6. Lucifer’s Dream
Line up: Fowst – Everything
Mastered by James Plotkin (CONAN, ELECTRIC WIZARD, ISIS, JUPITERIAN, NADJA). Artworks by Misanthropic Art (HOODED MENACE, FUNEBRARUM, HERESIARCH, INTERMENT). Logo by Maldo Illustration (Spain).
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Well, it was pretty plain when instrumentalist Texas duo Canyon of the Skull released their 2015 self-titled debut (discussed here), that the band was headed in the direction of a single-song release. It didn’t take them long to get there, it would seem. The first outing was comprised of two cuts, 17 and 18 minutes long, respectively, and the follow-up, which is titled The Desert Winter and due out Aug. 19, is one 37-minute track. Bound to happen. Had to happen. Is happening. Hard to argue.
Interesting that though it was recorded last October and seems to have a colder theme — if one that, like their name, gives a strong sense of place and warmth derived from that; i.e., the desert is hot (I know it’s insights like that that keep you coming back to The Obelisk; stay tuned for more information about the sky being blue) — it’ll arrive at basically the height of summer’s intolerable onslaught. Go figure? Yeah, go figure.
If you missed out on the debut the first go ’round, you can stream it at the bottom of this post. The PR wire checks in with the following:
CANYON OF THE SKULL Releasing ‘The Desert Winter’ August 19
CANYON OF THE SKULL has returned! The instrumental Doom duo of guitarist Erik Ogershok and Adrian Voorhies (Humut Tabal) will release sophomore album The Desert Winter on August 19. The CD version will be available in a gorgeous 6-panel format.
Consisting of the undeniably epic 37-minute title track of blackened doom, The Desert Winter is a journey deep into the psyche. Listeners are strongly advised to clear out all head space (and any earwax) and settle in for this existential Ride of the Doomed!
The brainchild of Erik Ogershok, COTS was initially manifested in the winter of 2006. Several local appearances and lineup fluctuations later, life happened, and the project lay dormant. 2014 saw the return of Ogershok as he recruited new musical personnel in the form of drummer Adrian Voorhies of the Austin-based Black Metal outfit HUMUT TABAL and once more brought the doom ensemble to life to melt the faces of all who sought shade in the Canyon walls.
Recorded at WoodenHorse studios October 2016 Mixed and Produced by Zawicizuz and Canyon of the Skull Mastered by Proscriptor McGovern (Russ R. Givens) at Nox Luna Inlustris Music Artwork Layout and design by Erik Bredthauer
Adrian Voorhies- Drums, Percussion Erik Ogershok- Guitars, Bass, Percussion
[Click play above to stream ‘Morning Demon’ from Tuna de Tierra’s self-titled album, out Sept. 22 on Argonauta Records and available now to preorder.]
A booming Italian heavy rock underground marks yet another win in the self-titled debut from Napoli rockers Tuna de Tierra. Signed to Argonauta Records following a formative but engaging first short offering in 2015’s self-released EPisode I: Pilot (review here), the heavy psych-infused trio of guitarist/vocalist Alessio de Cicco, bassist Luciano Mirra and Marco Mancaniello (who came aboard in place of Jonathan Maurano warm their skin in sun-baked desert influences across the offering’s seven-track/47-minute run, finding a natural-sounding position between jamming and structuring and shifting fluidly between one or the other. Songs like “Morning Demon” seem to speak directly to the heavy rock tonal traditionalism born in the wake of Sweden’s Lowrider, but the later drift of “Raise of the Lights” brings to mind a dreamier take on the psych-blues proffered by All Them Witches, particularly with Mirra‘s bouncing bassline and the handclap-laden semi-interlude “Long Sabbath’s Day” preceding.
Broken into two sides with an intro for each, Tuna de Tierra‘s Tuna de Tierra gracefully builds on what the EP accomplished in setting forth on an aesthetic path, but perhaps most satisfies in the level of growth and expansion throughout its tracks. That is, they sound like a band who really learned from the experience of making their first release and set about writing an even richer and more complex set of songs from which to craft a full-length album. The progression doesn’t sound forced, either, and through extended jams like the jangly 10-minute “Out of Time” and nine-minute “Laguna” — which close side A and B, respectively — Tuna de Tierra immerse the listener in a pretense-free depth of vibe that continues to expand as the album plays out.
That linear flow — and I use “linear” pretty loosely for something that seems to delight so much in the occasional bit of jazzy, post-Causa Sui meandering — is the key element of Tuna de Tierra‘s presentation. Effective dips and swells of volume, particularly when they kick into fuller fuzz, as in the Kyuss-referential burst at the beginning of the second half of “Laguna” or the slower-grunge march that emerges in “Raise of the Lights” or even in the manner in which “Morning Demon” seems to cast out its sunrise — or perhaps welcome its demon — circa the 3:30 mark, give the listener a sense of dynamic and of the chemistry taking shape within their sound, and the drums do well to hold together these free-flowing changes, allowing exploratory moments their breadth but keeping the listener grounded in the experience even by something so simple as a tap on the ping ride amid a running bassline and airy guitar after that thrust in “Morning Demon.”
An undertone of progressive sensibility is foreshadowed in the 2:46 intro “Slow Burn,” but subtly, and the primary, first impression the long-player makes is in the guitar fuzz and the ease with which Tuna de Tierra seem to unfurl their first rollout and lead directly into the rest of what follows. Nonetheless, that progressive flourish is essential and comes through again and again in the low end and in some of de Cicco‘s more post-rocking stretches of guitar, or vocally in the penultimate “Mountain,” which finds him matching notes with the noodling bassline over tense tom work, speaking on some level perhaps to Lateralus-era Tool. Of critical importance is the way in which Tuna de Tierra meld these aspects together so that, while “Long Sabbath’s Day” marks a turning point in its position as the centerpiece track leading to the bluesier, proggier, jammier second half of the record, it’s not like it’s coming out of nowhere in doing so. There’s no interruption to the overarching smoothness occurring song-to-song.
And if there were, frankly, the album would fall flat in its mission. That it doesn’t signals an underlying consciousness on the part of the band, and one can’t help but wonder how Tuna de Tierra was composed, as a concept/thematic record or simply as a collection of songs that happened to fit together in this way, but in any case, as the “Long Sabbath’s Day” sets up the bluesy liquefaction of “Raise of the Lights,” the hardest turn Tuna de Tierra will make is pulled off with seeming ease. And once they’re there, de Cicco, Mirra and Mancaniello likewise have no apparent trouble in establishing themselves within the patient and spacious context that defines side B. Vocals don’t delay in arriving in “Raise of the Lights,” which owes some of its beginning tone to “Out of Time” before it — less directly fuzzed until the swaggering lead hits, but still laid back to the extreme — but the mood is casual all the same thanks to the light swing of the rhythm. Once again, a thrust of more driving riffery hits in the midsection, but though its arrival is willfully sudden, the transition back out to the track’s more serene ending portion, while nothing more then a clicking-off of a pedal, benefits from the hypnosis cast prior.
Same could be said as “Mountain” picks up from the solo-topped march-out in that final section, and though its atmosphere is slightly more brooding, the build that seems to be underway after the first minute actually restrains itself and Tuna de Tierra successfully avoid redundancy, instead allowing for a more organic exploration of the meditative feel “Mountain” elicits. One might be tempted to call it minimal, especially as the guitar gently fades to bring in the soundscaping launch of “Laguna,” but there’s actually a good deal of movement taking place. All the better, since “Laguna” follows suit, finding itself working in three stages as it gradually heads toward the payoff for the full-length as a whole. Following an initial uptick in pace and volume after 4:20 in that leads to a righteously winding solo and some particularly fuzzed bass, a stop just before the six-minute mark and a quick roll from the toms announces the push that will cap Tuna de Tierra, already noted for its Kyuss-ism.
As with the rest of its surroundings however, it’s worth emphasizing about that last segment that Tuna de Tierra do remarkably well in recontextualizing their influences, making the style their own, and that as they may be playing off the past, they’re doing so in the direction of their own future. Like the EP before it, this self-titled demonstrates marked potential in setting the band apart from the increasingly crowded sphere of the Italian underground, but more importantly, it does this by virtue of the organic presentation of the band itself, rather than some hey-look-at-us attention grab playing toward a flawed notion of uniqueness. In further casting Tuna de Tierra‘s stylistic vision and giving hints at where their ongoing development might take them, Tuna de Tierra proves to be one of 2017’s strongest debut full-lengths, and its effectiveness as such only seems to grow on repeat listens.
Spanish four-piece Bones of Minerva issued their debut album, Blue Mountains, earlier this year, and cast themselves in a place somewhere between heavy rock, psychedelia and more aggressive, loosely-metallic fare. One finds this position established in the opening track, “Overcoming,” which though it clocks in at under five minutes long moves from noise-inspired start-stop riffing and soaring melodies into a fervent push of growls and tonally dense nastiness. This line, between heavy rock and metal, can be finer and finer depending on how a given band wants to toy with it, and Bones of Minerva do well throughout their hook-laden, self-released first outing to vary their methods on an almost per-track basis, so that while “Overcoming” makes that shift, an upbeat rocker like “Fear is a Biscuit,” which immediately follows, does not.
Accordingly, the four-piece of vocalist Blue, guitarist Ruth, bassistChloé and drummer Koa don’t fall into a predictable pattern one way or the other. “Defenders” is pissed off almost to a blackened degree, but centerpiece “Eery Octopus” offers more drift, and in a mere 3:47, “Plastic Crown” efficiently ties the two sides together leading into the High Fighter-esque “Aces” and progressively-tinged finale “Whales.” Each cut has something different to offer that broadens the context of the record as a whole, and as their first full-length behind a 2014 EP titled Shot, the seven-song long-player both sees Bones of Minerva find their niche in terms of aesthetic and set themselves up for development going forward within that.
I’m not entirely sure where they’re headed or what exactly the ritual is in the video for “Overcoming,” but if they’re working on their own level, all the better as far as I’m concerned. Either way, I’m happy to host the premiere of the clip, which you’ll find below, followed by more background on the band, who’ll share the stage tomorrow night, June 28, at Wurlitzer Ballroom in their hometown with UK psych revelers Vodun. More info on that show can be found at the Thee Facebooks event page here.
Please enjoy:
Bones of Minerva, “Overcoming” official video
Bones of Minerva formed in 2013 in Madrid, Spain. Their eclectic sound is rooted in the genre of alt metal.
Formed by Blue (vocals), Chloé (bass), Koa (drums) and Ruth (guitars), they seek to merge heavy riffs with hypnotic rhythms, dreamy landscapes with vocals which range between shamanic and aggressive.
“Blue Mountains” is their first self-released album, after a previous Ep “Shot” in 2014, and they have thrown themselves completely into this new release, carrying out everything from the songwriting to the design and album art themselves. With it they intend to prove themselves and take their music as far as possible, with a raw live show which leaves no one indifferent. The band also does acoustic sets, adapting their music and using violin, acoustic guitar, percussion and even acapella vocals.
They are currently promoting the album, seeking to take their music as far as possible, with everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Former Kylesa guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants recently announced the formation of a subsequent project, The Discussion, and it seems that she’s diving headfirst into the new band. Though no music has yet to surface from the outfit, which consists thus far of Pleasants alone in the studio but will perform as a live three-piece including bassist Derek Lynch and drummer/sampler Richard Adams, a first live incursion has been announced that’s set to take place over the bulk of Fall 2017 across a considerable swath of Europe.
A band’s first tour covering a span of three months on a route of multiple countries on foreign shores? Some might prefer to test the waters with a weekender here or there, but hitting the road hard is nothing new for Pleasants, who did so for years as a member of Kylesa. And with that band’s increasingly progressive output leading up to their 2015 swansong, Exhausting Fire, which you can hear in full below, I have the feeling I won’t be the only one interested to find out where Pleasants takes The Discussion sound-wise. All the better she’s taking the project out to get it into as many ears as possible.
Dates, many of which are still to be announced, follow here, as posted on the social medias:
The Discussion – European Fall Tour 2017
Updates are happening all the time, so please keep checking with us!
Wed 6/9: Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang Thurs 7/9: Stockholm, SE @ Undergången Fri 8/9: Gothenburg, SE @ Truckstop Alaska Sat 9/9 Oslo, NO @ Revolver Sun 10/9 Copenhagen, DK @ Beta Mon 11/9 Berlin, DE @ Tiefgrund Tues 12/9 Leipzig, DE @ AKKO Wed 13/9 TBC Thurs 14/9 Vienna, AT @ Das Bach Sat 16/9 Budapest, HU Sun 17/9 Belgrade, RS Thurs 21/9 Sofia, BG Fri 22/9 Thessalonik, i Greece Sat 23/9 Athens Greece Sun 24/9 Ioannina Greece Thurs 28/9 – 7/10 : ITALY TBA Sun 8/10 Lyon, FR Tues 10/10 Barcelona, ES TBC Wed 11/10 Castellón, ES Thurs 12/10 Madrid TBC Fri 13/10 Langreo, Asturias, ES Sat 14/10 Bilbao, ES TBC Tues 17/10 Paris, FR TBC Thurs 19/10 UK TBC Fri 20/10 UK TBC Sat 21/10 UK TBC Sun 22/10 UK Stonehenge Tues 24/10 Ghent or Antwerp, BE TBC Wed 25/10 Amsterdam, NL TBC Thurs 26/10 NL TBC Fri 27/10 NL TBC Sat 28/10 Belgium or Germany TBC Sun 29/10 Belgium or Germany TBC Tues 31/10 Karlsruhe, DE Dudefest Wed 1/11 Switzerland TBA Thurs 2/11 Munich TBC Fri 3/11 Leanna’s b-day / off Sat 4/11: TBC Southern Germany
The Discussion is: Laura Pleasants – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, etc LIVE: Richard Adams – Drums, Percussion, Samples Derek Lynch – Bass
