Given the fact that the band is called Cycles of the Damned and the record is called A Time to Survive, should it really be any surprise that the outlook that encompasses the debut offering from the Seattle-based trio in question is grim? Probably not. And if you’re wondering what’s in a name, the reason A Time to Survive is Cycles of the Damned‘s debut album is because they used to be called Black Bone Exorcism, so clearly it’s a change they’ve made on purpose rather than just a phrase someone threw out in the practice room early on in their formation.

Comprised of guitarist/vocalist David Krone, bassist/vocalist Mike Lee and drummer Keith Greer, the three-piece recorded the hour-long churn-gruel work of post-metallic brutalism with none other than Tad Doyle, and the likeness to Doyle‘s own Brothers of the Sonic Cloth as well as to Neurosis in longform pummelers like “Cycles of the Damned” (12:24), “A Wound So Deep” (15:26), “Those Left Behind” (13:23) and the titular “A Time to Survive” (12:30) feels like more than happenstance — and while I’m implying a conscious decision-making behind their presentation, I’ll note that that likeness extends to A Time to Survive‘s fiery cover art. With a release through Doyle‘s Incineration Ceremony Recordings and DHU Records, which also stood behind Black Bone Exorcism‘s 2016 debut, Crack the Bone, Break the Heart, the record collects the above-noted crushers as well as the noise-drone interlude “Ring Shift of Light” (1:25) and the concluding barrage “The Last Transmission” (4:32), which mirrors the earlier “A Wound So Deep” in its use of specifically anti-organized-religion speech samples atop drone and a final lumbering riff.

I’m not going to argue against resisting dogmatic hegemony — because, well, yeah — though with the capital-‘c’ Church having essentially skirted on raping generations of its followers, their children, and their children’s children, and the slow, willful dismantling of the American and European democratic political sphere into right-wing ethno-fascism over the last two-plus decades, I have to wonder if “god is dead” is really the ideological battle that needs to be fought in this moment. Particularly given the post-wasteland crush of “A Wound So Deep,” there may be more going on in A Time to Survive than just that, of course, but with the vocals rendered as guttural layers shouted up from an abyss of lumbering riffs and low-end, one has to work with the words that come through clearest.

A harsh, forward, metallic snare sound adds to a cold, mechanized feel for the album overall, and whether a given part is fast or slow or droning or crushing — mostly crushing — Cycles of the Damned deliver with conviction and a firm grip on atmosphere a compelling case for their own vicious mindset. Particularly with the trilogy of the eponymous opener, “A Wound So Deep” and “Those Left Behind” up front, A Time to Survive is consuming in its ambient and tonal weight alike, “Those Left Behind” for example seeming to find as much release in its second half through a nodding push as through a vicious, speedier thrust as through a final section of violin-accompanied residual guitar. The point is that as oppressive as Cycles of the Damned‘s sound can be and most definitely is, it’s not without reason behind either its point of view or sonic execution. That extends to “Ring Shift of Light” and to “The Last Transmission” as much as the title-track they surround on either side, as well as everything before.

One might go on through the thesaurus and find every other term to substitute for “brutal” in describing the aural oppression Cycles of the Damned emit or the frighteningly methodical nature of their delivery, but if you don’t get the idea by now, there’s probably nothing I can say that’s going to be as effective as hearing the music itself, so dig in below to the premiere of “Those Left Behind” and just have your face broken by that. PR wire info follows. Good luck.

And enjoy:

Seattle, Washington based trio CYCLES OF THE DAMNED successfully create a visceral experience sewn into intensely heavy and dark music. Showcasing a life experience in today’s world with malicious guitar onslaughts, hypnotic primeval rhythms, and despondently somber interludes, CYCLES OF THE DAMNED create the necessary chaos to violently break through the human subtopia of mediocrity into a new world with fresh, open eyes.

Members Dave Krone (Guitars/Vocals), Mike Lee (Bass/Vocals), and Keith Greer (Percussion) evolved past their original formation as Black Bone Exorcism, leaping forth from those years of musical craft and now rise to a higher level of heavy music.

CYCLES OF THE DAMNED invite you into their realm to hear their debut release ‘A TIME TO SURVIVE’, coming on October 12th, from Incineration Ceremony Recordings, the brainchild label of the legendary Tad Doyle. The trio of COTD continue their consistent message of roaring riffs, demolishing drums and bass, and creatively disturbing ambient landscaping to defy the boundaries of our vision of dystopia.

‘A Time To Survive’ Tracklist:
01. Cycles of the Damned
02. A Wound So Deep
03. Those Left Behind
04. Ring Shift of Light
05. A Time to Survive
06. The Last Transmission

The CYCLES OF THE DAMNED title track “A Time To Survive” is featured as the final track on the just-released September 2019 D.H.U. Records label sampler compilation, ‘MMCVII Vol. IV’ here. The Netherlands-based label is releasing the European edition of the CYCLES OF THE DAMNED debut album on vinyl, in conjunction with the U.S. release from Incineration Ceremony Recordings.

‘A Time To Survive’ was produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Tad Doyle at his Witch Ape Studio in Seattle, WA. All songs on ‘A Time To Survive’ were written and arranged by CYCLES OF THE DAMNED, with appearances in recording from Brandon Wilder (guitars) and Mischa Kianne (violins). Cover artwork by Adelyn Krone, with art production and photography by Chris Schanz.

The album ‘A Time To Survive’ will be available October 12th from Incineration Ceremony Recordings, with a limited vinyl pressing available globally from D.H.U. Records in Europe.

CYCLES OF THE DAMNED (l-r):
Keith Greer – Drums
Mike Lee – Bass, Vocals
David Krone – Guitars, Vocals

Cycles of the Damned on Bandcamp

Cycles of the Damned on Thee Facebooks

Cycles of the Damned on Instagram

Incineration Ceremony Recordings on Bandcamp

Incineration Ceremony Recordings on Thee Facebooks

Incineration Ceremony Recordings on Instagram

Incineration Ceremony Recordings website

DHU Records webstore

DHU Records on Thee Facebooks

DHU Records on Instagram

I missed Deafkids at Roadburn earlier this year — I don’t know what I was watching instead, but you can’t possibly see anything and I did the best I could — but saw them over the summer with Neurosis (review here), and their experimental psych-jazz-space-punk-noise-fuckall was an immediate answer to the question, “How come I keep seeing the name Deafkids everywhere?” It’s, uh, because they’re really good and doing something just about no one else is. So it goes.

The Brazilian three-piece return to Europe and the UK next month in order to support their 2019 album, Metaprogramação, which was released through Neurot Recordings back in March and admittedly serves as a much better argument for watching them play than my say-so. You can check out the stream of the record below, and what the hell, why wouldn’t you?, and dig into the upcoming tour routing below, courtesy of the PR wire.

Goes like this:

DEAFKIDS Return To Europe This October For Headlining Dates In Support Of Metaprogramação

Following their recent North American tours this summer – one supporting Neurosis and Bell Witch, the next supporting Big|Brave – the unstoppable Brazilian trio DEAFKIDS wil be touring Europe again this October in support of the new album Metaprogramação, out now via Neurot Recordings. From October 4th through 18th the band will tour through Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Greece, and the UK on a run of headlining dates, as well as one show in London supporting Melt Banana.

Reflecting on the year they’ve had DEAFKIDS remark, “We first started the Metaprogramação Tour in March this year, passing through the South part of Brazil, then in April we headed to Europe with our friends from Rakta – including two memorable appearances at Roadburn Festival. Then in August we headed to our first North American excursion and the reception couldn’t been better. To have the chance and honor to travel all over and meeting amazing people and landscapes, to support and hang around with Neurosis and Bell Witch for the East Coast length – it felt like a dream-tour – and then with Big|Brave for the West Coast length… that’s something we’ll always keep in hearts as a beautiful gift! As our mission to keep spreading Metaprogramação around, now we’re heading back to mainland Europe and the UK, and we’re very excited to play in new places we’ve never been; more cities in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Greece. It’s gonna be a blast! In 2020 we’ll complete ten years of existence and it feels like we’re just starting! As the river keeps flowing, the road will never end!”

Find DEAFKIDS’ Metaprogramac?a?o through Neurot Recordings on LP, CD, and digital platforms via Bandcamp, iTunes, Spotify and at the Neurot webshop.

DEAFKIDS Live:
10/04/2019 OUT.FEST 2019 – Barreiro, PT
10/05/2019 Teatro Gil Vicente – Barcelos, PT
10/06/2019 Texas Bar – Leiria, PT
10/07/2019 Sala Hollander – Sevilla, ES
10/08/2019 The Sound House – Dublin, IE
10/10/2019 The Temple – Athens, GR
10/16/2019 Dingwalls – London, UK w/ Melt Banana
10/18/2019 The Old England – Bristol, UK

https://deafkidspunx.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/deafkidspunx
http://www.neurotrecordings.com
http://www.facebook.com/neurotrecordings
https://neurotrecordings.bandcamp.com

Deafkids, Metaprogramação (2019)

I’ve heard the Big Scenic Nowhere EP that was put together for Blues Funeral Recordings‘ PostWax vinyl subscription series. It’s awesome. All over the place and united through its sense of creative freedom. I wrote the liner notes for it, if that tells you anything, and I might do the same for the album. I’m pretty sure that looking at the below that the bio is adapted from those liner notes, which, hey, is fine by me if it’s fine by everyone else, I guess. Either way, the album — which I haven’t heard yet — will be one to look forward to, and since preorders are starting next frickin’ week, I’m going to guess it’s already in the can, named, signed, sealed, delivered, and so on. That’ll work too. Early 2020? Sounds great. This year’s already been packed to the gills and then some.

From the PR wire:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records&Booking is really stoked to announce a new band signing: *** BIG SCENIC NOWHERE ***

Feat. members of Fu Manchu, Kyuss, Opeth, Qotsa, Yawning Man , Them Crooked Vultures, The Well, Monolord, Mos Generator and more.

We are so proud to welcome a new member to our roster and family: American “super-band” Big Scenic Nowhere !!! A debut album is coming in early 2020..

PRESALE STARTS:
OCTOBER 3rd

SAYS THE BAND: “We are super excited to be working with Heavy Psych Sounds Records. We practically know everyone on the label already. When it comes to this style of music they have a big presence and we feel fortunate to become part of that.”

Anyone familiar with the terms “Stoner Rock” or “Desert Rock” have surely heard the names FU MANCHU or YAWNING MAN. If you’re a die hard fan of the genre, or a causal observer, you know that both bands have been dishing out quality material since the beginning. While stylistically different, both bands occupy legendary status. FU MANCHU’s sun-drenched, stratospheric, fuzz worship sound and YAWNING MAN’s ethereal, ambient delay have never been crossbred until now. It’s certainty a good time to be alive if you’re a fan of either band. We bring you BIG SCENIC NOWHERE…

Like many of the best things in life, the root collaboration behind Big Scenic Nowhere between guitarists Gary Arce of Yawning Man and Bob Balch of Fu Manchu started with tacos.

Bob and Gary have been acquainted since the ‘90s, when Fu Manchu would practice in the garage of the house Gary lived in with other members of the desert scene. Gary remembers coming home from his construction job at the time, working outside in the desert summer, ready to kick back and crack a beer, only to be unable to watch television because Fu Manchu were so loud.

They’d bump into each other over the years periodically and Bob eventually brought Gary in to film a piece for his instructional guitar series, PlayThisRiff.com. After the above-mentioned Del Taco post, it was Gary – whose collaborative efforts have been myriad in outfits like WaterWays, Zun, Ten East, etc. – who finally called Bob to jam.

While the project would grow soon enough to encompass players like Tony Reed (Mos Generator), Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man), Per Wiberg (Spiritual Beggars, ex-Opeth), Bill Stinson (Yawning Man), Nick Oliveri (Mondo Generator, ex-Kyuss, etc.), Lisa Alley and Ian Graham (both of The Well), Alain Johannes (Them Crooked Vultures, Chris Cornell, Eleven) and Thomas V. Jäger (Monolord), Big Scenic Nowhere is founded on Balch and Arce tossing guitar riffs and leads back and forth, piecing together song parts one movement at a time. Jamming. Sharing music. Developing a chemistry to build something new based on their individual experiences. In this way, Big Scenic Nowhere is the heart of what collaboration should manifest. Something that grows stronger for the cohesion between those who make it happen.

BIG SCENIC NOWHERE is:
Bob Balch (Guitar, Bass)
Gary Arce (Guitar)
Tony Reed (Vocals, Keys, Drums)
Mario Lalli (Bass)
Per Wiberg (Keys)
Bill Stinson (Drums)
Nick Oliveri (Bass)
Lisa Alley (Vocals)
Ian Graham (Vocals)
Alain Johannes (Vocals, Guitar)

https://www.facebook.com/bigscenicnowhere/
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/
www.heavypsychsounds.com/

You know why I like Stoned Jesus? Because they rock. But also because of stuff like this: You’re about to dig into the PR wire info for an early demo collection Napalm is putting out from the Ukrainian heavy rockers on Nov. 8 called From the Outer Space. It brings together the band’s original first two demos as a limited LP and hey, that’s fun. It’s the band’s 10th anniversary, so great. Preorders are up now, etc., etc.

But in “unveiling” the first track from the release — such as it is an unveiling when something was already put out like a decade ago — the first thing guitarist/vocalist Igor Sidorenko notes in an evaluation of the song itself is that it’s, “hardly a masterpiece.” Way to sell it, dude. But what that tells you is just how important progression is for this band. Yeah, “I’m the Mountain” may have all those YouTube hits, but this is a band whose collective heart is always on the next thing, on pushing themselves forward to the next tour, the next batch of new songs. A release like this is cool for fans and those (like me) who didn’t hear the demos when they came out, and actually the gnarly-as-fuck tone on “The Sweet Whore of Babylon” is pretty rad, even if not nearly as developed as the band has obviously become on subsequent offerings. Has its appeal, is all I’m saying.

Anyway, here’s that PR wire info with the choice quote and much more:

STONED JESUS To Release Early Demos ‘From The Outer Space’ + Premiere Music Video!

Limited Vinyl Edition Due Out November 8th via Napalm Records!

2019 marks the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian stoner rock masters, Stoned Jesus. Tracks such as I’m The Mountain, with millions of hits on YouTube, are ultimate fuzz rock anthems. While Stoned Jesus started as a one-man project back in 2009, formed by frontman and band mastermind Igor Sydorenko, it would later become one of the most distinctive heavy stoner and doom rock bands the current scene has to offer. To celebrate 10 great years of Stoned Jesus, the band has a very special surprise and gift for their fans, as they release the first two demos in a compilation – From The Outer Space – available on November 8th via Napalm Records, and for the first time, as a limited Vinyl edition!

“We’ve been around for a whole decade now, so I figured it would be great to give something really cool to all our fans,” comments Igor, Stoned Jesus vocalist and guitarist. “But “From the Outer Space” is not a sign of things to come obviously, more like a snapshot of a memory. This is a page of our history for you to own”.

Remastered from the original demo recordings by Igor, these five long tracks retain the uncompromising rawness of material while adding some new, previously unheard nuances to the overall mix. Celebrate with Stoned Jesus in style, and watch this cool behind-the-scenes music video for the track The Sweet Whore of Babylon HERE!

“Being the first Stoned Jesus track ever written, “The Sweet Whore of Babylon” is hardly a masterpiece.“ Igor says. “Yet its relentless nature and raw sound perfectly show the beginnings of one-man-project-then/full-band-later. The video, carefully compiled and edited by me and Nastya Homenko from hours of archival footage, shows you the first ten years of Stoned Jesus in (almost) chronological order. Here’s to many more years to come!”

The tracklist From The Outer Space reads as follows:

1. The Sweet Whore of Babylon
2. Insatiable King
3. Eastern Magic
4. Occult
5. Black Woods

Better be quick, since this rare demo compilation by Stoned Jesus is limited to only 300 Vinyl copies! The pre-sale has just started at THIS LOCATION!

Stoned Jesus on Xth Anniversary Tour:
26.09.19 RO – Cluj- Napoca / Flying Circus
27.09.19 BG – Sofia / Mixtape 5
28.09.19 RO – Bucharest / Quantic Club
29.09.19 SRB – Belgrade / Bozidarac
01.10.19 BIH – Sarajevo / Club AG
02.10.19 CR – Zagreb / Vintage Industrial Bar
03.10.19 IT – Treviso / Altroquando Zerobranco
04.10.19 IT – Mezzago / Bloom
05.10.19 CH – Pratteln / Up In Smoke
07.10.19 DE – Passau / Zauberberg
08.10.19 PL – Sosnowiec / KOMin

15.11.19 DE – Cologne / Live Music Hall
16.11.19 DE – Neunkirchen / Gloomaar Festival
17.11.19 BE – Brussels / Botanique
18.11.19 FR – Paris / Alhambra
19.11.19 FR – Rennes / Antipode MJC
20.11.19 FR Toulouse / Rex
21.11.19 CH Geneva / L’Usine
22.11.19 IT Bologna / Freakout Club
23.11.19 AT – Salzburg / Rockhouse
24.1119 HU – Budapest / A38
25.11.19 DE – Munich / Feierwerk
26.11.19 AT – Vienna / Arena
27.11.19 DE Leipzig / Werk2
28.11.19 DE Hamburg / Markthalle
29.11.19 DE – Berlin / Festsaal Kreuzberg
30.11.19 DE – Stuttgart / JH Hallschlag

Stoned Jesus is:
Igor Sydorenko – Vocals & Guitars
Serhij Sljussar – Bass
Dmytro Zinchenko – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/stonedjesusband
https://www.instagram.com/stonedjesusband/
www.napalmrecords.com
www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

Stoned Jesus, “The Sweet Whore of Babylon” official video

Having in the interim built a full four-piece lineup, Portland, Oregon’s Ramprasad will release the follow-up to their 2018 debut EP, Ruinenlust (review here), on Oct. 11 through Anima Recordings. The album is titled Tsuris and comprises 11 tracks/46 minutes of densely atmospheric instrumental post-metal, marked by its overarching sense of moodiness and a rumble that extends through the bass and guitar as both seem to follow the same chugging path forward. At the same time, drone-based interlude pieces “Bereaved,” “Black Pond” and “Repellent Whisper” provide a respite from the surrounding crush, and shorter-but-still-plenty-heavy cuts like “Cloud Hauler,” “Controlling Tides” and “Westing, Pt. I” add character while bolstering both the sense of immersion and the variety of the offering as a whole. Yes, Ramprasad are heavy, but they’re not just one kind of heavy, as even the meat of opener “Splintered Helve” or “Baric” or the nine-minute “Dimming a Lit Path” or the closing duo of “Westing, Pt. II” and “Dust Burner” demonstrate plainly while offering some of Tsuris‘ most vicious moments.

The full breadth might — perhaps unsurprisingly — be most on display in “Dimming a Lit Path,” in addition to being the longest inclusion on Tsuris takes a more directly ambient-sludge approach to setting its brooding vibe, though one might say the same of “Baric” earlier on. Both seem to draw from the mid-aughts-Earth-via-Neurosis pantheon of execution, and while I wouldn’t call them as patient as the former or as tense as the latter, the atmosphere conjured by David Fylstra and Aaron D.C. Edge — who recorded these tracks before Peter Layman and Pierre Carbuccia joined the band — is nonetheless reminiscent in its landscape-evocative manifestations, though I suppose the landscape is less prairie sprawl or post-apocalyptic wasteland than it is a ghost forest. Either way, it comes through vividly in the sparse guitar of “Repellent Whisper” and the build that follows at the outset of “Dimming a Lit Path,” which feel like a journey apart from the angularity at the start of Tsuris with the stops and mutes of “Splintered Helve” amid a still-rolling overarching nod.

They make it go, and they make it go where they want to, but Ramprasad don’t ever seem to set Tsuris wandering for its own sake. There’s atmospheric intention even to the quietest reaches throughout, as Edge and Fylstra lead out of the strumming finish of “Baric” and through “Black Pond” en route to the pummel’s resuming in “Controlling Tides.” There are moments where it’s easy enough to hear where vocals might fit, as in the apex of “Dimming a Lit Path,” but there’s no question that Ramprasad take advantage of the liberation from verses and choruses in this material, setting parts and entire tracks against each other in either complement or contrast, or, as in the best of cases, both. As they lumber their way through “Westing, Pt. II” with due intensity of purpose and ensuing mathy chug, they set up “Dust Burner” to push that thread even further before letting out a more spacious but still weighted resolution for the album as a whole; a relatively understated finish that suits Tsuris well for going against post-metallic convention, as Ramprasad clearly aren’t subject to those limits either.

I’m happy today to be able to host premiere of “Westing, Pt. II” ahead of Tsuris‘ Oct. 11 arrival. You’ll find it on the player below, followed by more from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

Ramprasad – Tsuris cassette and digital full-length album

Ramprasad is the collaboration of Portland, OR musicians Aaron D.C. Edge (Lumbar, Process Black, Bible Black Tyrant), David Fylstra (Folian, KVØID), Peter Layman and Pierre Carbuccia (both of Flood Peak, Sól).

Ramprasad was formed in April of 2016 by Aaron and David, who performed all music on this recording. October of 2018 saw the addition of Layman on 2nd guitar and Carbuccia on bass. The band has performed with notable acts such as Cult Leader, Heiress, Noisem, and Call of the Void.

Ramprasad’s debut full-length “Tsuris” takes us on a daringly adventurous and expansive sonic journey. The instrumental music within these eleven tracks manages to merge elements of metal, sludge, electronic, hardcore, post-rock, and noise, creating a crushingly heavy, cinematic-like sonic experience.

Drums were recorded by Zak Kimball at Nomah Studios in Portland. All other music recorded and finally mixed by David at Candlewolfe Sound in Portland. It was mastered by Zach Weeks at Godcity Studio in Salem, MA. Artwork by Dylan Garrett Smith.

“Tsuris” is a proper follow up to their 2018 EP, “Ruinenlust”. There will be a limited amount of cassettes via Anima Recordings, which are now available for pre-order, as well as a full digital release on October 11th.

Track Listing (total run time 46:42):
01. Splintered Helve
02. Bereaved
03. Cloud Hauler
04. Baric
05. Black Pond
06. Controlling Tides
07. Repellent Whisper
08. Dimming A Lit Path
09. Westing, Pt. I
10. Westing, Pt. II
11. Dust Burner

Catalouge: ANIMA-018
Release Date: Oct. 11th, 2019

Personnel:
Aaron D.C. Edge – guitar
David Fylstra – drums, synth, noise
(bass performed by Aaron and David)

Ramprasad on Thee Facebooks

Ramprasad on Bandcamp

Anima Recordings on Thee Facebooks

Anima Recordings on Bandcamp

Anima Recordings BigCartel store

I guess the underlying message here is to keep an eye out for news of a new Mondo Generator album. I know that when the Nick Oliveri-fronted three-piece signed to Heavy Psych Sounds back in June, it was specifically with the label’s booking wing for European representation, and hey, that’s cool. But would Oliveri, guitarist Mike Pygmie (also John Garcia) and drummer Mike Amster (also Nebula, ex-Blaak Heat, etc.) really go on tour for nearly a month and a half without a record to support? There have already been a steady stream of Oliveri-related offerings through Heavy Psych Sounds over the last couple years, and certainly the Italian imprint has its fair share of CA desert bands under its banner at this point in Brant Bjork, Yawning Man, Nebula, Fatso Jetson, etc., so yeah. I’ll just say that when and if the press release comes in between now and, let’s say, January, I’m going to take credit for having called it ahead of time.

Here are the tour dates from the PR wire. There are many of them:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is proud to announce MONDO GENERATOR EUROPEAN TOUR 2020

We are so happy to present a very special tour !!!

MONDO GENERATOR will smash Europe in 2020 playing in Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Austria, UK and more countries to come!!

A lot of single shows but also great festivals such as Heavy Psych Sounds Fests in Paris, London, Deventer and Antwerp !!!

*** MONDO GENERATOR EUROPEAN TOUR 2020 ***
05.02.2020 IT Roma-Traffic
06.02.2020 IT Pescara-Scumm
07.02.2020 IT North East Tba
08.02.2020 CH Winterthur-Gaswerk
13.02.2020 IT Ravenna-Bronson
14.02.2020 IT Cagliari-La Cueva Rock
15.02.2020 IT Parma-Splinter
16.02.2020 IT Cecina-Spazio Live Ritmi
17.02.2020 IT Torino-Blah Blah
18.02.2020 IT Erba-Centrale Rock
19.02.2020 FR Chambery-Le Brin Du Zinc
20.02.2020 CH Olten-Coq D’Or
21.02.2020 DE Siegen-Vortex
22.02.2020 DE Oldenburg-MTS Record Shop
23.02.2020 DE Hamburg-tba
24.02.2020 DE Berlin-Zukunft**
25.02.2020 DE Dresden-Chemiefabrik**
26.02.2020 AT Salzburg-Rockhouse
27.02.2020 AT Innsbruck-PMK
28.02.2020 IT Bozen-Pippo Stage
29.02.2020 DE Wiesbaden-Kreativefabrik
01.03.2020 DE Karlsrhue-Jubez
02.03.2020 DE Augsburg
03.03.2020 LU Luxembourg-tba
04.03.2020 FR Nantes-Le Ferraieur
05.03.2020 FR Paris-Glazart “Heavy Psych Sounds Fest”
06.03.2020 BE Antwerp-Trix “Heavy Psych Sounds Fest”
07.03.2020 UK London-Underworld “Heavy Psych Sounds Fest”
08.03.2020 NL Deventer-Burgerweeshuis “Heavy Psych Sounds Fest”
09.03.2020 UK Nottingham-Albert’s*
10.03.2020 UK Bristol-Exchange *
11.03.2020 UK Manchester-Star&Garter*
12.03.2020 UK Glasgow-Nice n’ Sleazy*
13.03.2020 BE Diksmuide-Music Club 4AD
14.03.2020 NL Rotterdam-Baroeg
w/t ALUNAH*
w/t DUEL**

All tickets available soon via www.heavypsychsounds.com

MONDO GENERATOR ARE:
NICK OLIVERI – bass + vocals
MIKE PYGMIE – guitars
MICHAEL AMSTER – drums

https://www.facebook.com/officialmondogenerator/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/

Mondo Generator, Live at Desertfest London 2019

[Click play above to stream Bison Machine’s Seas of Titan in its entirety. Album is out Sept. 27 on Small Stone Records.]

It feels like an exceedingly long four years since Michigan classic heavy rockers Bison Machine issued their debut LP, Hoarfrost (review here), through Kozmik Artifactz after first releasing it themselves to significant acclaim. They boogied their way through a 2016 split with SLO and Wild Savages (review here) and issued the single “Cloak and Bones” (premiered here) the next year, and they’ve done a fair amount of touring between, mostly but not entirely in the Midwest, but as second-record Seas of Titan arrives via Small Stone Records — Detroit(-ish) band, Detroit label, Detroit rock — one seems to greet it almost with an exhale of relief: “ah, finally.” The winding shuffle of “Cloak and Bones” makes an appearance on side A amid semi-vintage stylized jams like the proto-metallic opener “The Tower,” “Knights of the Stars” and the somebody-please-isolate-the-bass-track-and-send-it-to-me shuffler “Echoes in Space,” which indeed trips out its guitar solo from Casey O’Ryan, who’s been in the band for a while now but is still the ‘new guy’ alongside vocalist Tom Stec, bassust/Moog-ist Anthony Franchina and drummer Breck Crandell.

But beyond that, everything on Seas of Titan at least feels fresh in listening to it, which is something of an accomplishment for a band so readily paying homage to the heavy ’70s in atmosphere and method. Brought together by a stellar recording job from Al Sutton and Steve Lehane, the latter of whom also co-produced with the band and handled mixing duties — Chris Goosman mastered, which is how it goes for most Small Stone releases — Seas of Titan comes across as natural to a clearly purposeful degree, taking that organic vibe and using it to bolster a live-feeling sound that further adds to the already considerable chemistry between Bison Machine as players. The tones are warm, the balance of instruments and vocals in the mix just right, and the flow between the songs enough to carry through the eight-track/42-minute run even before you know it’s over.

A sense of movement is essential to what Bison Machine do on their sophomore full-length, and that starts from the galloping guitar and emphasize-the-point snare of “The Tower” and continues one way or another through everything that follows. An echo treatment on Stec‘s vocals proves a uniting factor throughout, but isn’t any more overdone than intended, and as he seems to tap his inner Plant on “The Tower,” the message of what he’s going for comes through clearly. One might say the same of the band’s work on the whole. They inject boogie rock with a much-needed sense of energy and a much-needed sense of danger, not through violent lyrical themes or anything like that, but through the vitality of their swing, of the sharpness of their performance as captured here. Hooky enough to warrant its leadoff position, “The Tower” leads to “Knights of the Stars,” whereby Thin Lizzy‘s boys end up back in town and in a brawl with Cactus, only to resolve their differences peacefully in the song’s languid, solo-enriched second half, which cuts out before its 5:11 are done and gives way to “Cloak and Bones,” which channels biker-style death fetishism in its lyrics and sets it to an insistent rhythm and percussive foundation.

Bass and guitar wind their way around the snapping drums, and together with Stec, all seem to be resolved to conveying the same crucial aspects of their performance. Like “The Tower,” “Cloak and Bones” is more proto-metallic than not, but Bison Machine‘s ability to shift the balance between such runs and jams or boogie-downs is a big part of what makes Seas of Titan work so well for the duration. As “Echoes in Space” digs into a mellower softshoe riff, that range becomes that much clearer as a part of the listening experience, and while it’s all still well within a similar-enough vibe to be coherent — that is, Bison Machine aren’t trying to do something just to catch their audience off-guard — neither are they repeating themselves anymore than they want to be doing to nail down the grooves that so well populate the album, and indeed “Echoes in Space,” which picks up its tempo and adds a line of presumably Moog or other keyboard under the broad-sounding guitar solo for which one assumes the song was named in the first place.

So yes, movement. But also warmth. The synth that begins the side-B-opening title-track is an intro for one of Seas of Titan‘s most driving progressions, but even that carries a distinctly human warmth and character, mirroring the chorus of “The Tower” and some of that same burst of energy, but locking into a bluesier chorus as well, reminding a bit of Radio Moscow as it struts into and out of lead sections. “Seas of Titan” is the longest inclusion at 6:10, but not by so much over “Cloak and Bones” (6:02) or “The Tower” (5:46) that it’s out of step with the rest of the record that shares its name — that intro is essentially the difference, but it’s well enough earned.

They follow-it with a build of momentum through “Star Child,” which oddly enough is more Rainbow than KISS in terms of its sound, but a welcome delving into minor-key fretwork either way as O’Ryan‘s guitar swaps channels before the hook comes back through and leads to an effective section of starts and stops and a last push ahead of the already-going-already-gone “Electric Eliminator,” which somehow finds room in its sub-four-minute run for a winding, boogie-dense jam in its midsection that almost seems like it’s going to hold sway for the duration and then turns quickly back to the central riff. That lets the initial strum of closer “A Distant Sun” make an immediately more peaceful impression, but the tempo remains up and fuller fuzz makes its way in, Stec‘s vocals seeming to tap their inner Freedom Hawk past the midpoint just before they ride the last solo into a roundout with the last hook and then end the set with a ringout and fade, their sense of class coming through almost in spite of the grit of their presentation.

One wouldn’t necessarily accuse Bison Machine of reinventing the wheel in terms of aesthetic, but the fact of the matter is their take on boogie rock is presented with an energy and an edge of its own on Seas of Titan, and though acts like Kadavar, Graveyard, and half the population of San Diego have cut their teeth on ’70s riffage over the last decade, the grit Bison Machine bring to the proceedings — and again, that class underlying — is well on display throughout these songs. I wouldn’t be surprised in the future to find them loosening up the structure a bit — contrary to my usual impulse, I almost found myself wishing “Electric Eliminator” just let itself go without returning to the hook; the band’s songwriting acumen had already been thoroughly established, so why not? — but their tightness here extends to all levels of what they do and it becomes part of the overarching statement Seas of Titan makes, and makes resoundingly. Maybe it’ll be four years until the next one and maybe not, but it’ll be worth waiting for, in any case.

Bison Machine on Thee Facebooks

Bison Machine on Instagram

Bison Machine on Bandcamp

Small Stone Records website

Small Stone Records on Thee Facebooks

Small Stone Records on Bandcamp

Warms the heart, this one does. Specifically, The Black Heart, most likely, which is where I’d imagine Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight would end up doing the release show for what will be their first outing through APF Records. Earlier this year, the kinda-reunited-but-we-never-really-broke-up-but-everybody’s-been-really-busy-with-life-and-stuff-and-you-know-how-it-is-and-also-Pete‘s-in-Elephant–Tree-and-Chris-has-like-50-projects-and-Dicky-can’t-really-tour heavy rockers began issuing digitally a series of singles recorded a decade ago as a way of honoring the 10th anniversary of the sessions for their 2009 debut full-length, Movin’ On (review here). Speaking as someone who still thinks of that record fondly, it was a fun way to relive it without doing the standard reissue thing and getting something previously unheard from the band, if not something actually new.

Well, because every now and then the universe bends its will to my druthers, APF Records has picked up the series for what will be aptly-titled Movin’ On Singles as a compilation and released on Oct. 30, which also just happens to be the same day Movin’ On came out those 10 years ago. Like I said, warms the heart.

Trippy Wicked have a couple shows lined up, including — now that I look — The Black Heart in Camden Town on Oct. 25, and Sophie Fest in Manchester on Nov. 23. They also just played this past weekend at Ripple Music‘s London Ripplefest along with Stubb, War Cloud and a host of other cool bands.

Here’s APF‘s announcement of the signing:

APF Records – Trippy Wicked and the Cosmic Children of the Knight

I can’t even begin to tell you how thrilled I am to confirm that Trippy Wicked have signed to APF Records.

Their first APF release will be a limited edition digipak CD of their “Moving On Singles” on 30th October – which is the 10th anniversary of the release of the Moving On album. More info coming soon.

Chris, Pete, Dicky – a warm welcome to the APF family.

https://www.facebook.com/trippywicked
https://www.instagram.com/trippywicked
https://trippywicked.bandcamp.com/
https://www.trippywicked.band/
https://www.facebook.com/apfrecords
https://www.instagram.com/apfrecords/
https://apfrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://apfrecords.bandcamp.com/
http://www.apfrecords.co.uk/

Trippy Wicked, “Things Go Up”