Karma to Burn: First Three Albums to Be Reissued in March
Though it’s unquestionably the most comprehensive, this actually isn’t the first time Karma to Burn and Heavy Psych Sounds have worked together — the label released an EP from the Morgantown, West Virginia, instrumentalist heavy rockers in 2013. Of course, these impending reissues for Karma to Burn‘s first three albums are distinguished by following the untimely passing earlier this year of band-founder and guitarist Will Mecum. I can’t imagine it was an easy process chasing down the rights to these records, between the self-titled having come out on Roadrunner — now owned by Warner Bros. — and Wild Wonderful Purgatory and Almost Heathen having seen release through Spitfire Records — now defunct — but one can hardly argue the cause isn’t just. Whatever gets those albums into as many hands and ears as possible is only going to make heavy rock as a whole better.
There’s a lot of info below. You probably don’t need more than the preorder link, but one likes to be comprehensive. None of the three records has an official stream up at this point, so I included the 2013 EP just for kicks. If you take that as an excuse to chase down Wild Wonderful Purgatory on YouTube or something, you’re welcome.
From the PR wire:
Heavy Psych Sounds to repress the KARMA TO BURN entire discography – Self-titled + Wild Wonderful Purgatory + Almost Heathen – PRESALE STARTS TODAY !!
We are stoked to announce that we are going to REPRESS the KARMA TO BURN entire discography !!!
Today we start with the presale of the first 3 albums:
Karma to Burn
Wild Wonderful Purgatory
Almost Heathen
ALBUMs PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm
USA PRESALE:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm
KARMA TO BURN BRAND NEW MERCH
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/merch.htm#karma-to-burn
HPS197 *** KARMA TO BURN – Karma To Burn ***
– REPRESS of the legendary debut album –
In 1997 Karma To Burn released their self-titled debut album on Roadrunner Records.
Now in 2022 Heavy Psych Sounds is repressing this legendary release in brand new coloured vinyls!
RELEASED IN double gatefold vinyl
15 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD RED TRANSPARENT SPLATTER BLACK VINYL
400 GOLD VINYL
BLACK VINYL
DIGIPAK
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 11th
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
Ma Petite Mort – 4:09
Bobbi, Bobbi, Bobbi – I’m Not God – 2:57
Patty Hearst’s Closet Mantra – 5:10
SIDE B
Mt. Penetrator – 4:26
Eight – 4:37
Appalachian Woman – 3:49
SIDE C
Twenty Four Hours – 5:01
Six-Gun Sucker Punch – 4:08
Thirteen – 3:47
SIDE D
(Waltz Of The) Playboy Pallbearers – 3:36
Twin Sisters And Half A Bottle Of Bourbon – 3:55
Six – 3:52
HPS198 *** KARMA TO BURN – Wild Wonderful Purgatory ***
– REPRESS of the sophomore album –
Wild Wonderful Purgatory is Karma To Burn second album. Is their first fully instrumental album after the departure of former vocalist Jay Jarosz and it was released in 1999 by Roadrunner Records.
After more then 20 years this piece of stoner rock history will have a new repress in coloured vinyls via Heavy Psych Sounds.
RELEASED IN
15 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD CORNETTO TRANSPARENT BACKGROUND BLUE VINYL
400 LTD RED VINYL
BLACK VINYL
DIGIPAK
DIGITAL
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 18th
TRACKLIST
SIDE A
Twenty – 3:31
Twenty Eight – 4:22
Thirty – 3:26
Thirty One – 5:23
Twenty Nine – 3:03
Thirty Two – 5:00
Twenty Five – 4:40
Twenty Six – 4:13
SIDE B
One – 4:05
Three – 3:57
Seven – 4:40
Eight – 4:46
HPS199 *** KARMA TO BURN – Almost Heathen ***
– REPRESS of the band’s third album –
Almost Heathen is Karma To Burn third album, released in 2001 via Spitfire Records.
Heavy Psych Sounds is giving new life to this stoner rock gem with 6 live bonus tracks and brand new coloured vinyls!
RELEASED IN
15 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD SIDE A/SIDE B YELLOW-RED-BLUE VINYL
400 LTD YELLOW TRANSPARENT VINYL
BLACK VINYL
DIGIPAK
DIGITAL
RELEASE DATE: MARCH 18th
TRACKLIST
Nineteen
Thirty Eight
Thirty Four
Thirty Seven
Thirty Nine
Thirty Six
Thirty Three
Thirty Five
Five
Forty
One (CD live bonus track)
Three (CD live bonus track)
Twenty Two (CD live bonus track)
Seven (CD live bonus track)
Eight (CD live bonus track)
Six (CD live bonus track)
BIOGRAPHY:
Karma to Burn, sometimes known as K2B, was a desert rock/stoner rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia comprising guitarist William Mecum, bassist Eric Clutter, and drummer Evan Devine.
The band was noted for their uncompromising, mostly instrumental sound.
Their name comes from a sleevenote on Bob Dylan’s 1976 album Desire which reads “I have a brother or two and a whole lot of karma to burn…”
KARMA TO BURN final lineup:
William Mecum – guitar
Eric Von Clutter – bass
Evan Devine – drums
https://www.facebook.com/karmatoburnofficial/
https://www.instagram.com/karmatoburnofficial/
https://k2burn.net/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/
I never liked this band, always sounded like a band that didn’t record their vocals yet to me, not interesting enough instrumentals to carry the songs.
I don’t think they were ever everybody’s thing. The first album, which had a singer, has always been my favorite. 90s stoner rock that legit brought a different side to the sound from what everyone else was doing. You might want to check it out if you have time.
I discovered the first album when I was a DJ in college. It blew me away. Their use of the gospel type background vocals in a few songs, and their cover of Joy Division’s “Twenty Four Hours”… fantastic!
They had some great songs on each of their releases – with another vocalist on V (“Jimmy D” “The Cynics” and the cover of “Never Say Die”)… I could go on!