Posted in Whathaveyou on July 25th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Sometimes it’s just a pleasure to find something so endearingly weird. Enter the noisy, synthy, semi-electronica freakout of The Diaphanoids, an Italian duo whose new album, Blessed Poisons, is out Aug. 8 via People in the Sky. The proceedings get unhinged quickly on the eight-track outing’s leadoff title-track and tend to stay that way from there on, though amid the pulsations of “My Friends Can Fly” one finds the soundscaping “Too Many Stars Not Enough Night” and “Iconize Yourself,” and the gone-way-way-far-out-like-so-far-out-how-is-this-not-British “FYW,” so there’s nothing to Blessed Poisons if there isn’t variety, at least working along the common theme of wanting to melt your brain as much as its own.
Sounds like hyperbole until you dig in. You can hear “FYW” at the bottom of this post, and I can all but guarantee that whatever else you might be listening to today, it won’t sound like this.
Have at you:
THE DIAPHANOIDS – ‘Blessed Poisons’ New album released 8th August via People In The Sky
The Diaphanoids return with their sleazy, iconic brand of psychallucisergic rock, with new album ‘Blessed Poisons’, released 8th August, via People In The Sky.
Jumped-up and re-toxed, ‘Blessed Poisons’ is the band’s answer to the current, sterile psychedelic scene; a punkier, snarling interpretation of the comparatively childish and harmless new cosmic sound of their contemporaries.
The final story in an epic trilogy, the space travellers, having survived a series of inner and outer trips, their strangest and most peculiar dimension has become daily reality, in which the only way to escape is by staying disconnected and in an altered state of mind. It’s the sound of transcendent visions, of scarves drenched in oils, blood full of fractured rhythm, x-ray guitars and stoned vocals.
From tracks such as ‘Too Many Stars and Not Enough Night’, with its ecstatic floating guitars and infinitely shining crystal keyboards, to the smacked-down drums and hashed-up guitar solos of ‘Iconize Yourself’, ‘Blessed Poisons’ is a true howl from the gutter, a full-throated battle cry from the underground. Hallucinatory rage echoing out into a dead, empty reality.
The Diaphanoids were formed in 2001 by two Italian musicians; Andrea Bellentani and Simon Maccari.
The band’s debut album, the dreamy retro-inspired ‘Astral Weekend’, was released on Bearfunk Records in 2008 and was created using a collection of 50 vintage synthesizers including one that previously belonged to former Tangerine Dream member and synth wizard Klaus Schulze!
The 2014 follow-up, ‘LSME’, blended 70’s cosmic flavours, fuzzed-out guitars and motorised rhythms. Released on Tirk Recordings (home to Richard Norris’s psych rock outfit ‘The Time And Space Machine’ and Greg Wilson’s ‘Credit To The Edit’ series) the hallucinatory Moog-drenched record referenced everything from cosmic soundtracks to kitschy sci-fi to psychedelia and krautrock, and was met with critical acclaim.
People In The Sky Records began life in the back of a record shop in east London in early 2006 and were behind the early Friendly Fires releases along with sharp art-poppers, Plugs.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 24th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Golly. I gotta say, to take a look at the new Wolves in the Throne Room video, and to see the upcoming tour dates they’re doing in Europe and the US to support the Sept. 22 release of their new album, Thrice Woven, through their own Artemesia Records, it sure looks like they’re positioning themselves at the forefront of American black metal. I’m sure there are purists who’d quibble with this or that clarification, but stop for a second and consider who’s better suited to the task?
Since their founding 15 years ago, haven’t Wolves in the Throne Room constantly offered an individualized, born-of-the-land take on the style that’s been both of and beyond the conventions of genre? I’d argue yes, and while I wouldn’t profess to be the be-all-end-all expert on the subject, I’d further argue that in so doing they’re the group who’ve most typified USBM’s relationship to the rest of the world’s blackened undergrounds. It is an essential function of American art to be brash, heathen and to work against rigid dogma. Wolves in the Throne Room have done and seem to be continuing to do that.
So if they’re taking their rightful place, all the better. They’ve certainly earned it.
From the PR wire:
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM ANNOUNCE U.S. TOUR
Dates run from September 29 through October 25 – New album Thrice Woven out September 22nd on Artemisia
In preparation for their September 22nd release of Thrice Woven, Wolves in the Throne Room have announced an extensive U.S. tour shortly after the album’s street date. Set to run from September 29th through October 25th with support from Pillorian, the tour will take the bands from coast to coast – check out the full routing listed below.
Since their inception in 2002, over the course of 5 studio albums and hundreds of live performances, Wolves in the Throne Room have refracted Black Metal through their own Cascadian prism. Their songs explore the hidden world of magic that one accesses through dreams, visions and music and the resulting sounds are intimately linked to the wild lands of the Pacific Northwest. Now, a portal into the dreamworld of Wolves in the Throne Room opens again with their forthcoming sixth LP, Thrice Woven – a glorious return to the blazing and furious Black Metal that they alone can create.
Look for Thrice Woven to be available September 22nd on Wolves in the Throne Room’s own label, Artemisia.
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, ON TOUR: UPCOMING EUROPEAN LIVE DATES: Thu 03/08/2017 RO Arad – Dark Bombastic Evening Fri 04/08/2017 SL Ljubljana – Kino Siska Sat 05/08/2017 PL Katowice – OFF festival Sun 06/08/2017 SK Bratislava – Randal Club Mon 07/08/2017 HUN Budapest – A38 Wed 09/08/2017 CZ Josefov – Brutal Assault Fri 11/08/2017 CH Le Locle – Rock Altitude Sat 12/08/2017 BE Kortrijk – Alcatraz festival Mon 14/08/2017 RU Moscow – Volta Tue 15/08/2017 RU St Petersburg – Opera
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM & PILLORIAN: September 29 Boise, ID @ Neurolux September 30 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall October 2 Colorado Springs, CO @ Black Sheep October 3 Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad October 5 Houston, TX @ White Oak (downstairs) October 6 New Orleans, LA @ Siberia October 7 Birmingham, AL @ Zydeco October 9 Tampa, FL @ Crowbar October 10 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Hell October 11 Richmond, VA @ Capital Ale House October 12 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage October 13 Brooklyn, NY @ Villain October 14 Pittsburgh, PA @ Villain October 16 Cincinnati, OH @ The Taft Ballroom October 17 St. Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall October 18 Oklahoma City, OK @ 89th St. Collective October 20 Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole October 21 Los Angeles, CA @ Echoplex October 22 Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone October 24 Portland, OR @ Tonic Lounge October 25 Olympia, WA @ Obsidian
I really think Snail should release their set from last year’s The Obelisk All-Dayer. I’ve never started any kind of online petition, and I’m not usually one to go fishing for comments — because I live in terror that I wouldn’t get any — but yeah, you can check out the video of their 10-minute epic roller “Thou Art That” from the show and if you agree with me that the whole set should see at least a digital release or a limited tape or something, please leave a comment on this post. I’m not saying if we hit a certain number of comments they’ll put something out, but it certainly can’t hurt to try. Right?
“Thou Art That” was a highlight of 2015’s Feral (review here), which came out on Small Stone and was the perfect occasion for the trio of guitarist/vocalist Mark Johnson, bassist Matt Lynch and drummer Marty Dodson to hit the East Coast for the first time in their 20-years-plus history. They absolutely killed it at the show, with what seemed to me to be the night’s biggest crowd, and though I’d seen them on a rare tour years before in San Francisco (review here), this was obviously something special. I was lucky they could make the trip to play.
This isn’t the first live video they’ve posted from the All-Dayer either though. They had one for the title-track of 2009’s Blood (review here) that came out at the beginning of the year as well, so “Thou Art That” — shot by David Strayer with board-recorded audio by Jaime Traba and additional production from Matt Lynch — is the second time they’ve teased the prospect of doing something with that material. I already offered to write the liner notes for a tape or any other kind of release. Come on, guys. This one needs to happen.
I’ve been kicking around ideas for a second The Obelisk All-Dayer for the better part of the last year. Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn was on board last I checked, but I’m not sure if it’s something I want to do again, especially with a baby on the way. We’ll see. If you have an opinion on the matter, I’d love to hear it.
Oh, and if you see some schmo down in the front rocking out at the end of “Thou Art That,” well clearly that’s just somebody who very, very much enjoyed the set. Ha.
Dig it:
Snail, “Thou Art That” Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer
The almighty SNAIL playing live at The Obelisk All Dayer in Brooklyn NYC 8-20-2016.
Video: David Strayer Audio: Jaime Traba Production: Matt Lynch
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 24th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Is something still a reissue if it’s a first pressing on a given format? Underrated Swedish riffpounders Spelljammer released Inches from the Sun in 2010, before they signed to RidingEasy Records to put out Vol. 2 in 2012 and 2015’s third album, Ancient of Days (review here), but it’s never been released on vinyl. So is it a reissue or something else? Not to bother you with too many questions, but it’s four songs and 25 minutes long. Is it an album or an EP? Sure grooves like a full-length — the march of “Mountainside” wouldn’t really have it any other way, no matter what followed — but where’s that line? Does it matter?
Science demands answers to these queries of our age. Or, you know, maybe it’s just something to think about while you get your preorder in ahead of the Sept. 22 release of whatever you want to call the forthcoming Inches from the Sun vinyl. As a special note, I’d like to say thanks to RidingEasy for doing a CD version as well for those of us who still like tiny plastic discs and playing with lasers. That version is also dirt cheap, listed at a suitable $6.66. Just saying. There are advantages.
From the PR wire:
Spelljammer to reissue debut album Inches From the Sun
Swedish trio’s ‘desert rock’/doom masterwork’s first time on vinyl
Swedish trio Spelljammer announce the forthcoming reissue of their celebrated 2010 debut Inches From the Sun, to be released September 22nd via RidingEasy Records. This is the album’s first time on vinyl, and first proper release worldwide.
RidingEasy previously released Spelljammer’s 2015 album Ancient of Days, as well as the band’s Vol. II EP earlier that same year.
Inches From the Sun is a hypnotic groove-based hybrid of classic Desert Rock and rumbling European doom that launched the band to international acclaim following its release. The 4-song set will be available everywhere on LP, CD and download on September 22nd, 2017 via RidingEasy Records. Pre-orders are available now at ridingeasyrecs.com.
Artist: Spelljammer Album: Inches From the Sun Label: RidingEasy Records Release Date: September 22nd, 2017
01. Mountainside 02. Witcher 03. Nine 04. Rise of the Sonic Surfer
Spelljammer is: Robert – guitar Jonatan – drums Niklas – bass/vocals
Primus and Clutch both played new material. Their tour together hit Boston’s let’s-make-this-all-artisanal-condos waterfront on a breezy Sunday night and the semi-open-air venue Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, with its sprawling white canvas over top, seats, high stage and crisp sound, was a suitable enough place to host them, if somewhat staid in a corporate-venue kind of way.
The crowd? Awesome. An eclectic mix of rockers, hippies, headbangers, couples, young and old. Parents were there with their kids — saw a dad and his son in matching Clutch work shirts, Grateful Dead tye-dye, the usual local-fahkin’-spoahts-khed logos representing, along with t-shirts for Inquisition, Slayer, a Meshuggah hoodie and so on. One dude brought his blankie and wrapped himself in it, another had hippie Hammerpants tucked into his Doc Martens because it’s 1994 all over again and not one fucking moment too soon. Brilliant vibe. Amazing to see all these people agree they were in the right pace.
And to be sure, they were. Early start with Clutch on at 7:45, but that worked for my old ass just fine. I had The Patient Mrs. along, and therefore The Pecan as well — he goes where she goes, what with that whole in-the-womb thing and whatnot — and was counting this as my son’s first rock show. He could hardly ask for a better warm-up gig to, you know, life.
The tour started July 17 and this was show number six, so Clutch were on form but still plainly getting settled in. The long-running Marylander foursome of vocalist Neil Fallon, guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster are now two years removed from their most recent album, Psychic Warfare (review here), and though the set featured several cuts from that record — “Firebirds!,” “Noble Savage,” “Sucker for the Witch,” “A Quick Death in Texas” and “X-Ray Visions” — they seemed ready to move forward. From the stage, Fallon said their plan was to record in January and before they launched into the new song “How to Shake Hands,” he noted, “You don’t know the material, I don’t know the material,” which got a good chuckle out of the assembled masses. Then, of course, he and the whole band completely killed it.
Because that’s what Clutch do. At this point in their career, fans know what they’re getting when they show up to a Clutch gig, and while it was somewhat odd to see them opening for another act instead of headlining, and that showed itself in some of the tempos they worked with — that was easily the fastest incarnation of “Spacegrass” I’ve ever witnessed; it was like it was playing on 45RPM — their presence and their delivery are undeniable. Opening with “Cyborg Bette” and “Crucial Velocity” from 2013’s most righteous Earth Rocker (review here), they wanted nothing for momentum, and while speed would be the order of their time onstage, as emphasized with a one-two punch of Earth Rocker‘s title-track and “Noble Savage,” both proselytizing the same message of rock-liferdom, they wanted nothing for groove.
Along with the aforementioned “Spacegrass,” which always feels like something special when they break it out, “Escape from the Prison Planet” from 1995’s landmark self-titled was well placed in a multi-song nod to older-school fans — there were a few on hand, to be sure — that was excellently interrupted by a rendition of “D.C. Sound Attack” that snuck in a cowbell-laden jam at the end like it was sliding numbers facedown across a table: smooth and casual. “Passive Restraints,” which followed, might have pushed it on going way back, but you won’t hear me complain.
Fallon demands and rightly gets a lot of the focus in the band, and Sult‘s funk-infused riffing is second to none, but what an absolute joy it was to watch Maines and Gaster in the rhythm section. They don’t even have to look at each other. I don’t know if it’s possible to call them underrated, since Clutch has reaped plenty of acclaim in their time, but they might be anyway, and with Les Claypool and Tim Alexander in Primus still to follow, the evening-with wasn’t short on quality rhythm sections. Kind of the running theme of the night. But still. Whether it was “The Mob Goes Wild” and “Profits of Doom” early in the set or the tight transitions in “Electric Worry” near the end, they were on point to a frightening degree, and even a little flub in “Escape from the Prison Planet” became all-part-of-the-show-folks. The kind of bass and drums you would watch all night, even if there were no guitar and vocals to go with them.
So what about that new song? Well, despite Fallon‘s saying otherwise, they’ve been playing the politically-themed “How to Shake Hands” for at least a couple months now, and they all seemed to know it pretty well. Some of the lyrics felt tentative — a bridge about being born to be president reused the word “born” in a way that felt awkward and one expects will be revised before the track is final — but there was zero screwing with the hook:
“First thing I’m gonna do is go for ride in a UFO Put Jimi Hendrix on the 20 dollar bill and Bill Hicks on a five note Hot damn, the democratic process — what a time to be alive I’m ready to give the people what they want And what they want is straight talk, and no jive”
Needless to say, it was stuck in the head of all parties involved by its second runthrough in the relatively short, upbeat song. One to look forward to, to be sure. They’ve also been playing a song called “We Love a Good Fire,” but it wasn’t aired in Boston. Instead, they placed “X-Ray Visions” in the spot usually reserved for “One-Eyed Dollar” coming directly out of “Electric Worry.” A bit of a bumpy transition there, but credit to them for changing that up anyhow after years of doing it the other way. It was dark out by the time they were done, and Boston — hopped up as ever on lobster, beers and Chris Sale’s strikeout total for the season — was no less raucous than they might’ve been otherwise for it being Sunday.
I suspect my narrative as regards Primus is like many who showed up to see them. I’ve been a fan since I was 10 years old. I’ll be 36 in a couple months. One of the first CDs I ever owned was 1991’s Sailing the Seas of Cheese and I still have both that copy and my cassette and beat-to-crap digipak version of 1993’s Pork Soda as well. I remember staying up late to watch the video of “Mr. Krinkle” on Headbanger’s Ball — because Primus were no less unclassifiable by MTV back then than they are by anyone now — to the point that when they played it with the clip playing on the backing screens behind them, I had flashbacks. It had been more than a decade since the last time I saw them; I still knew “Sgt. Baker” by heart.
My central question going into their set was how jammed out it would be. Les Claypool, Tim Alexander and guitarist Larry LaLonde are gods to the jam-band contingent, and since Primus came back with the 2003 Animals Should Not Try to Act Like People EP — and really before that with Claypool side-projects like Colonel Claypool’s Fearless Flying Frog Brigade, Oysterhead, Colonel Claypool’s Bucket of Bernie Brains, as well as the more recent The Claypool Lennon Delirium and Duo de Twang — they’ve very much worked toward that audience. Still, in partnering with Clutch for this tour, the weirdo stalwarts were embracing an entirely different crowd, so would they expand their songs with improv or cut back toward a more straightforward delivery?
I’ve long been of the conviction that if the language of “heavy rock” had existed at the time Primus were commercially flourishing in the way it does now, they never would’ve even been considered a heavy metal band. They never were one; even at their heaviest and despite LaLonde‘s roots playing in Possessed, they didn’t have the aggression behind the slapped-string punch of Claypool‘s bass or Alexander‘s drumming to be metal. Nor, I think, did they ever want to be. “Heavy rock,” as a concept, is more of a catch-all, and while I think it undersells both the unique nature of their approach and its progressive aspects, the path of their career and their turn toward jam-band affiliations might’ve worked out much differently had they not been so wrongly tagged for so long.
Was I thinking about this at the show? A little bit. They opened with a medley of “Too Many Puppies” sandwiched around “Sgt. Baker” before going into “Last Salmon Man,” which was a highlight of 2011’s Green Naugahyde, so a somewhat less jammy start had me thinking early they’d keep to basic structures, but as they moved through the 1995 mega-single “Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver” and “Southbound Pachyderm” — also from that year’s Tales from the Punchbowl — they began to unfold more of an open mood, and that would continue to flourish through a drum solo by Alexander that filled time while Claypool swapped to a stand-up bass to lead through Primus‘ take on “Candyman” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, a film the entire soundtrack of which the band took on in 2014 on Primus and the Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble.
That was probably the only moment of their set that left me cold, but I was in a clear minority in that regard. The druggy overtones were laid on thick and I guess if that’s your thing, fair enough, but as soon as I saw Claypool in his pig mask, I was waiting for “Mr. Krinkle,” and that came next, followed by “The Toys Go Winding Down” and the new song listed as “Seven,” which will reportedly be the title-track of their impending ninth album to be recorded sometime after this tour, presumably for release in 2018. By way of stating the obvious and offering the most critical insight one might hope to conjure as regards Primus more than 30 years on from their first getting together, I’ll say it sounded like Primus. That should be considered high praise as well.
A mellow and bizarro deep-dive followed with “On the Tweek Again” and “Mrs. Blaileen,” both again from Tales from the Punchbowl, but the Pork Soda monument “My Name is Mud” brought everyone back to ground and as the three-piece extended the jabs at the end before launching into “Jerry was a Race Car Driver” from Sailing the Seas of Cheese — another delightfully creepy video to remember while it played behind them — it was obvious they were coming around to the finale. And at that point, fair enough. They’d jammed, they’d rocked, they’d spaced out, been heavy, showed off a new song, gone obscure and dug into classics, all the while offering unparalleled performance and personality from the stage. Fucking Primus. They do not, contrary to any and all sloganeering otherwise, suck.
The residual high-school-stoner in me delighted in the nod to 1997’s Brown Album that came in “Golden Boy,” which started a three-song encore that rounded out with “Mr. Knowitall” — he is so eloquent; perfection is his middle name and… whatever rhymes with “eloquent” — and the march of “Here Come the Bastards,” Claypool taking the opportunity work in some last-minute shred in a bass solo before they finished out a couple minutes ahead of what was likely an 11PM curfew and the lights came up. People had been quite literally dancing in the aisles, a kind of friendly mosh took shape a few rows back, dudes jumping up and down and bumping into each other rather than throwing punches or kicks.
All in good fun, in other words — and that was the emergent spirit of the night. During either Clutch or Primus, one couldn’t help but smile at the proceedings, the surroundings, the weather, whatever. It all worked excellently and the two bands fed off each other’s strengths in a manner that, even thinking “hell yeah, this is gonna be a great show” beforehand, was a surprise. I expect as this tour rolls on for the better part of the next month, that complementary aspect is only going to grow more prevalent, and right on. If only they’d made a t-shirt with both logos. I’d have been all over it, and maybe even gotten one for my unborn son to grow into as well. Next time.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 24th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Finnish doomers Church of Void will make their debut on Argonauta Records Sept. 15 with their second overall album. Self-titled and comprised of seven tracks, the record gets its first public preview in the unveiling of a video for closer “World Eater,” which swirls out a deceptively intricate blend of darkly progressive psychedelia and classic-styled trad doom riffing, topped with layered vocals that add to both the eerie mood and the overarching intricacy of the whole affair. I haven’t heard the complete outing yet, though it’s available now to preorder, but on first impression it seems like there’s more to Church of Void‘s bleak take than one might at first expect.
All the better going into the album, then. The five-piece have had a couple offerings out — most recently a 2016 split with Cardinals Folly and Acolytes of Moros — but Church of Void will be the rightful follow-up to their 2013 debut, Dead Rising, and the preceding Winter is Coming EP from 2012. In going back and listening to the first long-player, one finds the vocals cleaner but the band overall still driven by an underlying impulse that seems to be drawn from the more extreme end of metal. Maybe even some goth rock? I missed that album at the time, because I suck at this, but it’s a fascinating blend and I look forward to hearing how the context expands when the self-titled arrives.
Album artwork, preorder link, other details and the video for “World Eater” follow here, as seen on the social medias:
Finnish Doom Metallers Church Of Void reveal cover artwork and tracklist of their highly anticipated self-titled album, the perfect blend of traditional doom and “grim” rock sonorities.
The videoclip of the first single taken from the album is available here. Live video footage by Timo Honkanen.
“Church of Void” will be released in CD/DD and available from September 15th, 2017.
Next year will make it a full 20 since the release of Cleveland heavy rockers Red Giant‘s blazing second album, Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound. If you were a denizen of the Emissions from the Monolith Festival, held in Youngstown, OH, between 2000 and 2004, you’re probably already familiar with the record and its Derek Hess classic-pulp-sci-fi cover art, but otherwise you might be forgiven. Issued by Tee Pee Records in 1998, it’s a strikingly effective blend of post-Fu Manchu heavy groove with elements of punk, unmitigated stoner rock riffing and space-bound psychedelia brought to bear over the course of a 66-minute runtime that now seems unmanageable but was indicative of the (about to be waning) CD era in which it was released. The band, led by guitarist/vocalists Alex Perekrest and Damien Perry — the former lead vocals and the latter lead guitar — trace their roots back to 1990 and self-released their debut full-length, Psychoblaster and the Misuse of Power, in 1995, and while I admit it’s been a while since I last heard that one, the second record is where it’s at.
Marked out by the guitar interplay between Perry and Perekrest — whose shared taste in hairstyling always made them look like brothers on stage, as I recall — and the fluid drum work of Chris Gorman, the 12-track Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound showed no hesitation in its approach, whether it was in taking on the cosmic-grunge riffery of “Saturn Missile Battery” or getting positively cacophonous in “Pervert” ahead of the fuzzy deep-dives that followed in “.865 (The Battle for Longitude),” the nine-minute “Ring of the Acid Pope” and the seven-minute roller “Devils of the Fall,” which hit in immersive succession and built on the molten impression of opener “1960 Starchief,” drawing on influence from classic heavy rock as much as its of-the-day practitioners on the West Coast like Nebula and the aforementioned Fu Manchu, but adding a decidedly Midwestern crunch beneath that keeps its feet on the ground even as songs like “Blue-White Supergiant” and “When Sirius Rises” seem to issue a call well outside the stratosphere. Raw in its production in a way that would probably be lush if it was recorded today, Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound is in part an artifact of its era, but stands out all the more for that since aside from the likes of the sludgier Rebreather and arguably the more post-hardcore Disengage, there were very few acts in Ohio at the time playing heavy rock at all in the fashion that Red Giant were.
That’s evident in the drifting “Floor Girl” as much as the sample-topped winding peak of “Ring of the Acid Pope,” as Red Giant‘s scope expanded despite a feeling of impatience in their execution that worked to unite the material. Compared to the scorching solos of “Saturn Missile Battery” earlier, “When Sirius Rises” turned out to be a relatively straightforward affair, but as Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound pushed onward through the far-ranging “Thread” and the Zeppelin-styled, acoustic-inclusive “Kill for Condors” toward its finish with the righteously stomping “Another Dying Admiral” (plus a hidden track), their breadth steadily kept growing, such that what began an hour earlier showing itself as a multifaceted, hook-laden but immersive heavy rocker lived up to that promise and then some, rewarding those whose attention span, whether through natural inclination or chemical assistance of one sort or another, allowed for Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound‘s complete unfolding front-to-back. Not a minor undertaking, but not without justification for its stretch either.
If it was being made today, again, it would likely be a much different record. That’s part of the appeal though, and I note how long Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound is in relation to modern, made-for-vinyl 38-minute full-lengths and keep in mind that Red Giant‘s last album, 2010’s Dysfunctional Majesty (review here) — you’ll see it’s the same character on the cover art, though the later LP’s execution is tackier, much as I love Alex von Wieding — was also 67 minutes. Part of that might have been the fact that it had been six years since Red Giant had released their third offering, Devil Child Blues, as their debut on Small Stone, though that album was only 49 minutes and it had been more than half a decade since Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound as well. Maybe some bands just want to make 2LPs. Fine. At this point, seven years after Dysfunctional Majesty, I wouldn’t argue with another hour-plus from these cats.
To that point, there’s been no indication of a fifth album from Red Giant one way or another, but they have continued to play shows over the last several years, working as the four-piece of Perekrest, Perry, Gorman (who was out of the band for a while, then back) and bassist Brian Skinner, and they have one booked for the Agora in Cleveland on Oct. 14 with The Great Iron Snake with an event page on Thee Facebooks here for anyone who might be able to make it. So while they’re still active, I guess one never knows until one shows up to the gig whether or not they might have something brewing.
Either way, I hope you enjoy Ultra-Magnetic Glowing Sound, and thank you as always for reading.
—
It’s coming up on six in the morning as I write this and prepare to wrap up the week. I’ve got the back door of my kitchen open to outside, where it’s not yet reached the 150 degrees kelvin it’s supposed to be this afternoon, and the birds are chirping as the sun is up. I missed most of the sunrise, but that’s cool. It happens on the other side of the house. If I was in Connecticut and not Massachusetts this weekend, I might be bummed about not having caught it.
I’m not in Connecticut this weekend though. The choice basically became whether to spend the money on gas to get there or groceries for the next week, so yeah, we’re home this weekend. The good news is I got approved to take photos on Sunday at Clutch and Primus in Boston. It’ll be the first non-fest show I’ve been to in I don’t even know how long, and to say I’m very much looking forward to it is an understatement. I’ve been very, very anxious about going out to gigs basically since my ankle was screwed up and I’ve fallen out of the habit. The drives seem longer — the drive into Boston being particularly miserable and taking upwards of 90 minutes at any hour doesn’t help — and between knowing fewer people here, worrying about being early enough to get up front and take pictures, shitty lighting at just about every Boston venue except Royale (which should have a photo pit and doesn’t), being sober, and the massive effort and little reward of putting together live reviews afterward, I’ve chickened out of more shows than I can count. I missed The Atomic Bitchwax and Mirror Queen last week. I’ve missed The Obsessed a couple times. Lo-Pan. The list goes on. I get bummed out about it, but the truth is I miss New York.
Still, I’d like to get a couple shows in before The Pecan arrives in October — you should see The Patient Mrs.’ bump; I’ve yet to say so out loud, but I’ve taken to calling it Sleep’s Holy Mountain because she’s also tired all the time — and Clutch and Primus is a cool way to come out of hibernation. I bought the last Primus album, Green Naugahyde, shortly after it came out in 2011, because I’ve been a fan since I was like 10 years old, but never really dug into it. Will give an extra listen before Sunday, and there are some new Clutch songs floating around on the YouTubes as well that I’ve been digging on. I’m excited to see the gig. It’s been a while since I felt that way. I’ll probably get there and have no credentials at the box office. Ha.
The Patient Mrs. is coming with me too for that. I’m counting it as The Pecan’s first show. Extra stoked on that level. Hopefully the classy bass licks of Dan Maines and the funky punch of Les Claypool reverberate in his still-forming brain and lead to a lifetime of appreciating how utterly essential quality low end is to rock and roll. That would be nice.
But that’s Sunday. In a little while, The Patient Mrs. will get up and we’ll head to the grocery store and start the day for some early productivity. Not much on tap in terms of big plans for the day; she’s out later for a thing, so I’ll watch PBS NewsHour and Mystery Science Theater 3000 this evening to pass time, maybe put together a podcast this afternoon while checking out last night’s Yankees game, if only because they won and it was on too late to see live. We’ll see.
It’s a full week next week though already. Here’s what’s in the notes, subject to change as usual:
Mon.: Clutch & Primus live review; Snail video from The Obelisk All-Dayer.
Tue.: The Judge review/track premiere; maybe podcast.
Wed.: Radio Adds; Marius Tilly video premiere.
Thu.: Bees Made Honey in the Vein Tree review; Six Dumb Questions w/ Tim Granda about Planet of Doom; ZOM announcement.
Fri.: Youngblood Supercult review.
Like I said, pretty jammed. Monday and Tuesday are also just about full for news as well, so yeah. Space and time are at a premium these days, and each week seems to bring more six-post mornings and afternoons. Not gonna complain about it. I’m going to do as much as I can, when I can. Same as always.
I’ve gotten some right-on records to review in the last couple weeks of things that are coming out this Fall. Paradise Lost, Monolord, that Slomatics live album, Argus, Pagan Altar, The Quill, another one from an East Coast band that I can’t really name yet, plus Blues Funeral, Ruby the Hatchet, and so on. Really killer stuff. The next few months are going to be fun as I rifle through all of it for coverage. I look forward to it and hope you do too.
And of course I hope you have a great and safe weekend as well. Rock and roll, have an awesome time whatever you’re up to, and we’ll see you back here Monday for more shenanigans. Please check out the forum and radio stream, and thanks as always for reading and listening.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 21st, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Leading up to and through an appearance at Psycho Las Vegas on Aug. 20, Seattle duo Year of the Cobra will once again hit the road in support of last year’s stunner debut album, …In the Shadows Below (review here). The band, who were recently interviewed here, have wrapped up tracking a new EP with none other than Billy Anderson, and they’ll have that out Oct. 29 to follow-up the album and hopefully lead into more good stuff to come.
As to that, they note below “some other big news” that’s forthcoming — in addition to a second leg of the US tour. Anyone care to speculate with me? They’ve got the EP, so it’s early for second album plans. Could be word on a different label releasing the EP. The long-player was released by STB Records, who did a killer job with it, but neither would it surprise me if someone picked up Year of the Cobra like Relapse or Napalm. They’ve broken their collective ass on the road supporting the album and, well, they’re a good band, which also never hurts when it comes to that kind of thing. Could also just be details of the EP release, art, tracks and whatnot. Or a return trip to Europe, perhaps for Fall festival season and to coincide with the EP release?
So many different possibilities. And of course I could be way off on all of the above and it could be something else entirely. If I had to place one, that would probably be my bet. Ha.
The band sent the following down the PR wire:
Year of the Cobra – US Tour First Leg
Year of the Cobra hits the road in August for the first leg of their US tour, including an appearance at Psycho Las Vegas. The band also just finished recording a new EP with Billy Anderson. Tentative release date for that is October 29th. Expect an announcement soon about the second leg of their tour, along with some other big news.
Year of the Cobra live: 8.9 – Kalispell, MT at Old School Records 8.10 – Billings, MT at Smiling Dog Records 8.11 – Denver, CO at Squire Lounge 8.12 – Omaha, NB at The Lookout Lounge 8.13 – St. Paul, MN at Agharta Records (in-store performance during the day) 8.13 – Minneapolis, MN at Nomad 8.14 – Chicago, IL at Reggies 8.15 – Lawrence, KS at The Bottleneck 8.17 – Albuquerque, NM at Launchpad 8.18 – El Paso, TX at Boomtown 8.19 – Tempe, AZ at Yucca Tap Room 8.20 – Las Vegas, NV at Psycho Las Vegas 8.21 – Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge 8.22 – Idaho Falls, ID at The Roadhouse Saloon 8.23 – Bozeman, MT at The Filling Station
