Whatever else Isolation Dawn‘s debut single has — and it has plenty — it has a killer “Ough!” Listen and watch for it about 4:54 into the seven total minutes of the Brazilian collective’s eponymous first track. “Isolation Dawn,” which, yes, is a pandemic project, brings together members of Pesta, Dirty Grave, Riffcoven, Erasy, Weedevil, and others, and the idea is of course collaborative expression made possible through technology at a time when getting together in a rehearsal room and hammering out riffs wasn’t possible.

If you’re unfamiliar with Brazilian heavy, I don’t think you’d be wrong to consider Isolation Dawn a primer for some — definitely not all — of what’s going on in the country and the kind of groove being wrought. The vocals of Thiago Satyr bring a classic doom mindset (as well as the aforementioned “ough!”) as the guitars of André Bode and Leandro Carvalho hold down the central riff. There’s organ from Luan that gives a sense of grandiosity to the nod brought to bear by drummer Flavio Cavichioli and bassist Anderson Vaca as Melissa Rainbow shows up later on backing vocals. New stuff from any of these players would be noteworthy. The fact that they’ve all come together is all the more so.

What happens now with Isolation Dawn? I don’t know where all these people live — they’re not exactly going for minimalism with six people and maybe more involved — but is an album possible? If it’s been two years since they started working on this, is it something they can feasibly pursue, or maybe they already have? There could be a whole full-length in the can and it’s like a big secret that no one knows and then blamo, one day there it is. It’s a known unknown. And one for another time, perhaps, though I’ll note that in calling this the “debut” single, the PR wire below does seem to hint toward the possibility of more. Maybe they’ll be able to get in a room after all.

Been a minute since we had a socially-distant video. They will be a hallmark of this era in music.

Enjoy:

Isolation Dawn, “Isolation Dawn” video premiere

The Isolation Dawn project appears in mid-2020 amid the social isolation resulting from the pandemic, with both positive and negative developments in several aspects. Hyper coexistence, apprehension about the future and greater access to instruments, all converged in an attempt to put into practice a somewhat bold idea: a “collab Doom” formed by members of different bands of the genre.

Thus, guitarist Leandro Carvalho (ERASY) initially calls bassist Anderson Vaca (PESTA) and drummer Flávio Cavichioli (WEEDEVIL), consulting them about the idea. Without hesitation, approval happens. So, Leandro calls guitarist André Bode (RIFFCOVEN) and vocalist Thiago Satyr (WITCHING ALTAR), who also approve the idea and join the project. There is a suggestion by Flávio for the addition of one more voice in the band, and so Melissa Rainbow is added and closes the lineup. Additionally, Satyr calls Luan to contribute with Keyboards, and Pedro Vitus is invited to co-produce and mix and master the debut material, which resulted in a solid audiovisual for the track “Isolation Dawn,” edited by Berns, made by masterfully with clippings and videos of different formats.

Musically, the group’s debut track is a powerful and pulsating sound panel dedicated to Doom Metal, with explicit references, and more implicit ones, from several traditional names of the genre, in addition to presenting some of the musical DNA of each member and of their respective other projects.  “Isolation Dawn” is scheduled for release in February, on streaming and YouTube.

Isolation Dawn :
Thiago Satyr – Vocals
Melissa Rainbow – Vocals
Anderson Vaca – Bass
André Bode – Guitars
Leandro Carvalho – Guitars
Flavio Cavichioli – Drums

Bruxa Verde Produções

Available on all digital platforms March 10th via Abraxas.

Isolation Dawn on Instagram

Abraxas on Facebook

Abraxas on Instagram

Bruxa Verde Produções on Facebook

Bruxa Verde Produções on Instagram

Bruxa Verde Produções Linktree

Poland’s Red Smoke Festival 2022 makes its first lineup announcements, with Mars Red Sky and Kaleidobolt joining the bill. The event is of course part of greater Europe’s summer festival season, but like many of its heavier-minded ilk, seems to have developed a culture of its own, and in addition to bringing in some heavy hitters each year, looks like a good time also, you know, on a human level of existing with other people who aren’t dicks. At least for a couple days.

In 2022, four days, in fact. July 7-10 at the Amphitheatre in Pleszew in Central Poland. Mars Red Sky will be among the headliners, and fair enough for that — dying for new album news from them — and Kaleidobolt will play supporting their 2019 album, Bitter (review here), which was both awesome and released by Svart Records. Amazing how often those two things come together.

There’s about zero chance I’d be able to get to this thing, but as someone who makes a habit out of daydreaming about attending European heavy rock festivals on concurrent weekends oh, say, forever, a couple days of long summer heavy in Poland sounds pretty righteous to me. It’s nice to be able to think something like this will actually happen.

More announcements forthcoming, obviously, but here’s the first two:

Red Smoke Festival 2022

SAVE THE DATE! Red Smoke Festival returns with a 4-day edition! July 7-10th. Amphitheatre in Pleszew.

Ticket sale will start in early March.

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/300002808790014/

Mars Red Sky and RSF 2022!

Do we all know them? Sure!
Are they great? Of course!
Is this one of the most interesting bands in the genre? You bet!
It will be one of the headliners of RSF2022.

KALEIDOBOLT at RSF2022!

Speed, power & sweat. Endless dance! It might be one of the biggest highlights of the festival.

https://www.facebook.com/events/300002808790014/
https://www.facebook.com/RedSmokeFest
https://instagram.com/redsmokefest
https://redsmokefestival.pl/

Mars Red Sky, “Hollow King” official live video

Kaleidobolt, Bitter (2019)

A while ago, I was fortunate enough to be asked to sit in for an episode of the Blynd Submyshynz podcast with Jeff Wilson (Kook, etc.) and JD Norton, both very nice guys. It was fun, and true to the name of the show, part of the thing was they played bands I’d never heard before and asked what I thought of them. Fun game. One of the bands they played was Antwerp, Belgium’s Gnome, and I recall digging it pretty well. At very least, I don’t remember talking crap about it, which, listening to a couple of the tracks from the band’s new album, King, is all the more fortunate because it saves me the trouble of having to eat my words. Nothing like efficiency.

“Ambrosius” — which grammatically speaking is the masculine singular form of “ambrosia” if I recall my Latin — is the first audio (or video) to be made public from King, which is set to release on May 6 through esteemed Belgian noise purveyor Polderrecords, and the heavy rock quotient is high compared to some of the label’s noisier fare, but certainly still hits hard enough to get the point across. In following up 2018’s instrumental Father of Time — which was what I heard — the band not only bring in The Vintage Caravan‘s Óskar Logi for a guest spot on the hooky “Your Empire,” but find a balance on “Ambrosius” between largesse of groove and a corresponding initial tension in the guitar, making a spot for themselves and their silly hats that allows them to move fluidly between tempos and some harder-hitting moments, as with the growls later on in the track.

Again, I haven’t heard the full record as yet — the other song I got to sample, “Kraken Bastard,” is instrumental but emphasizes the above-noted shifts just the same — but the video that follows here for “Ambrosius” should be enough to pique interest if your interest is up for piquing. Looks like they’re in a greenhouse or some such, which is fun.

More info on the album follows.

Enjoy:

Gnome, “Ambrosius” official video

“Ambrosius”, the first track taken from Gnome’s upcoming album “King”. Out May 6th, 2022 on Polderrecords.

Music by Gnome – http://www.facebook.com/officialgnomeband/
Recorded & Mixed at Rockstar Recordings by Frank Rotthier – Mastered by Larsson Mastering
Video by Rutger Verbist

Gnome packs a bigger punch than their name suggests: combining irresistible hooks and thundering guitars, drums and bass with adventurous twists, they brew their unique and ultimately satisfying potion of stoner, prog and hardrock.

After the success of 2018 debut ‘Father of Time’, which demonstrates their knack for stacking riffs like lego bricks, and having conquered stages across Europe with their shin-kicking live sets, the power trio from Antwerp raise the bar with their majestic second outing ‘King’.

They sound bigger and heavier with more vocals (including special guest Oskar Logi from The Vintage Caravan) but never losing sight of the quest for the golden riff.

‘King’ was recorded with Frank Rotthier at Rockstar Recordings in between lockdowns in the fall of 2020 and will be released by POLDERRECORDS digital, on cd and on vinyl May 6th, 2022.

Gnome on Facebook

Gnome on Bandcamp

Polderrecords website

Polderrecords on Facebook

Someone’s gonna need a new band photo now that he’s got a band. Still fresh off the release earlier this month of the second album, Usurper of the Universe (review here), through Forbidden Place Records, San Francisco’s SÖNUS have announced a new lineup. Or maybe I should say a lineup at all, since it was formerly a solo-project wielded at the behest of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, songwriter, etc. David Wachsman. As of today, right now, here, this sentence, SÖNUS are a four-piece, and not to point out the obvious, but it seems highly unlikely Wachsman would bother forming a band if the intention was not to bring SÖNUS to a stage as a live act sometime in the presumably near future.

It’s cool watching projects take shape. This may have been Wachsman‘s plan all along, and I’ve no doubt SÖNUS as a unit will benefit from playing live as nearly every band does, but it’s important to consider as well that additional members will invariably have an effect on the studio dynamic as well. He wasn’t entirely alone on Usurper of the Universe — you can see the credits for the album below — and through layering, the recording lacked nothing for a full sound, but when you put someone new in a group, that group is inevitably changed as a result. I’ll be interested to find out how SÖNUS‘s next work plays out and what differences will result from the shift in construction. I assume we have some time before we get there.

In the meantime, the clip for “Nuclear God,” which opens Usurper of the Universe, is full of suitably apocalyptic imagery. There’s kids getting under their desks for a nuclear bomb drill — which my mother did and still remembers — clips from They Live, Dr. Strangelove, the public domain (obviously) and other choice sources, and plenty of mushroom clouds to spare as Wachsman, speaking for Planet Earth itself, lets humanity know just how the world feels about them. I won’t spoil it for you.

Physical versions of Usurper of the Universe will be out April 20 — because duh — and you’ll find more from Wachsman after the video below about the new lineup.

Enjoy:

SÖNUS, “Nuclear God” video premiere

The CDs and Cassettes should be available on 4/20, naturally (barring any plant delays or shipping mishaps).

About the new members:

Seated atop the drum throne is Colin Drake Jaramillo, my best friend and fellow archaeologist- we’ve travelled the world together for years working on Archaeological sites, I was his best man in his wedding, and now I’m delighted to welcome him aboard and confident knowing he has my back on the Drums.

Filling out the rhythm section, on the Bass, we welcome groove master and bringer of thunder, Dave Reno.

Sharing (and shredding) Guitar duties with me is the venerable Vishwam Aggarwal. And with that, SÖNUS is a one-man-band no longer! I am beyond-delighted to welcome these talented people to the group, and to hear what they bring to these songs. We are working hard to bring our brand of sensational space rock to you as soon as we can!

SÖNUS are:
David Wachsman: guitar/vocals
Vishwam Aggarwal: guitar
Dave Reno: bass
Colin Drake Jaramillo: drums

SÖNUS on ‘Usurper of the Universe’:
David Wachsman (Composition/Lyrics/Rhythm Guitar/Lead Guitar/Bass/Synths/Vocals/General Mania and Questionable Sanity)
with;
Tyler Hovestadt (Tracks 3 & 6: Additional Synths, Piano, and SFX; Track 5: Drums),
Eduardo Salazar (Drums, except for track 5), and
Jaymi McGinn (backing vocals on track 6)

SÖNUS, Usurper of the Universe (2022)

SÖNUS on Facebook

SÖNUS on Instagram

SÖNUS on Bandcamp

Forbidden Place Records on Facebook

Forbidden Place Records on Instagram

Forbidden Place Records on Bandcamp

Thinking about filling out a press accreditation form for Roadburn 2022. That’d be fun. To go after all after thinking this whole time it would happen without me. It’s a daydream, but hell, Roadburn was a daydream in 2008 and I wound up going every year between 2009-2019, so here’s to daydreaming.

Radar Men From the Moon have a new lineup, and are playing multiple sets in various incarnations. That’s cool but check out Gott with Farida Lemouchi out front. I didn’t even know that was a thing. Humbling to be out of the loop. I’m glad to see Supersonic Blues making a return appearance — their third — celebrating their debut album though, and since The Ballet Bombs were slated to debut at the fest in 2020, having them there now only makes sense.

Looks like a good fest. I wouldn’t mind covering.

Roadburn announces festival pre-party plus new names for main festival

Roadburn has today confirmed a new group of names for the 2022 edition of the festival – including three performances for the regular Wednesday night pre-party, and a new edition to Milena Eva and Thomas Sciarone’s curated event.

Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter Hoeijmakers comments:

“Following the success of Roadburn Redux we’re very proud to have a number of special sets and collaborations from Dutch artists at Roadburn this year – further emphasising Roadburn 2022’s artistic scope. With Europe opening up even further, things are looking really good for Roadburn this year, and we’re so looking forward to welcoming everyone to Tilburg in two months from now. Before then, we still have several more announcements up our sleeve, so stay tuned!|

DEAD NEANDERTHALS will make a triumphant return to Roadburn as they team up with SOLAR TEMPLE for a special collaborative project titled Embers Beget The Divine. Dead Neanderthals will be a familiar name for Roadburners: they’ve spent the past decade-plus putting together an eclectic and envious back catalogue that spans multiple genres – from free-jazz to grindcore by way of psychedelia – and continuously defies expectations. No strangers to collaborations, they have now teamed up with Solar Temple – a more stage-shy ensemble but no less of an enticing prospect.

RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON will perform three times – once at the pre-party (more of which in a moment), once under, once with an electronic set, and once with a specially commissioned collaborative set that will see them team up with TWIN SISTER (Dead Neanderthals, Sex Swing), titled Mirrors For Discharge.

MANDY, INDIANA are the latest addition to Milena Eva and Thomas Sciarone’s curated event. Their fusion of hypnotic beats and discordant noise come together to create something that’s both fascinating and immersive.

With the unmistakable vocals of Farida Lemouchi at the helm, GOTT have also been added to the line up. Also featuring members of Soulburn, Severe Torture, Ggu:ll, Dodecahedron and Radar Men From The Moon, Gott are a veritable who’s who of the Dutch music scene. Elsewhere we’ve added SUPERSONIC BLUES to bring some 70’s rock vibes to Roadburn, and THE BALLET BOMBS who will be making their long overdue Roadburn debut as well as releasing their brand new live record titled Mutations at the festival.

The aforementioned pre-show party, now happening under the name The Spark, will serve as a welcome party for Roadburners old and new and will take place on Wednesday, 20 April. Joining Radar Men From The Moon will be Berlin’s MAGGOT HEART bringing their raucous take on noise rock ‘n’ roll to Tilburg, and BAD BREEDING who will be letting off steam with their blistering anarcho-punk-hardcore.

These artists will join the already announced Roadburn 2022 line up that includes Ulver, Lingua Ignota, 40 Watt Sun, Emma Ruth Rundle, Liturgy, SLIFT, Full of Hell, Die Wilde Jagd, Cloud Rat and many more. Read more about them here:

BAD BREEDING
DEAD NEANDERTHALS X SOLAR TEMPLE
GOTT
MAGGOT HEART
MANDY, INDIANA
RADAR MEN FROM THE MOON
SUPERSONIC BLUES
THE BALLET BOMBS

Uniform and Pinkish Black will no longer perform at Roadburn 2022 due to their European tour being cancelled.

Weekend tickets, and Thursday, Friday and Saturday day tickets are sold out. Only Sunday day tickets remain in limited numbers. Tickets and accommodation options are available to view via ticketmaster.nl

https://www.facebook.com/events/964112394348925
https://www.facebook.com/roadburnfestival/
http://www.instagram.com/roadburnfest
http://www.roadburn.com

Supersonic Blues, It’s Heavy (2022)

Pittsburgh heavy rockers and tour veterans of Iceland ZOM will release their second full-length, Fear and Failure, through StoneFly Records on March 11. Vinyl preorders go up the same day ahead of an April 1 arrival. It was two years ago this week that the four-piece announced they were entering the studio with Jason Jouver recording in order to make the follow-up to 2018’s Nebulos (discussed here), which came out on Argonauta, for what would also be their first outing with the lineup of guitarist/vocalist Gero von Dehn, drummer Ben Zerbe, guitarist Matthew Tuite and bassist Sam Pesce.

Obviously it’s been quite a two years since. I have no idea how long the record’s actually been done, but the fact that they’re premiering a track and setting a date certainly brings it to mind as something fresh, and with what I’m hearing in this first cut, the switch from three- to four-piece and the decision to bring in Jouver on production don’t seem to have hurt them. This stuff is easy to dig, and since the intent is to grab attention and leave the listener more, that’s been done and then some.

Song premiere follows, then art and info from the PR wire. You know the drill for the heads-up. So, heads up.

Enjoy:

PITTSBURGH, PA STONER-GROOVE, HEAVY ROCKERS, ZOM SIGNS TO STONEFLY RECORDS FOR A WORLDWIDE VINYL RELEASE OF THEIR NEW ALBUM FEAR AND FAILURE ON APRIL 1st 2022

StoneFly Records is stoked to announce the signing of Pittsburgh, PA stoner-groove, heavy rockers, ZOM and look forward to release their sophomore album Fear And Failure on 180g vinyl. This album will be the 3rd album released by StoneFly Records.

Back in February 2021, not that long after I announced my intention of starting a record label, I was approached by Gero von Dehn; he expressed me his vivid desire to work with me for his new album. I must say I was immediately seduced by Fear And Failure! All songs were killers without fillers. Pure classic Stoner/Hard Rock vibes going on! The album even features a cover of Down The Highway by Nebula. It was a no brainer to me and I offered them a contract.

It was back in March of 2020 that the band entered the studio to record Fear And Failure but the pandemic slowed down the completion as well as any release plans they had. The album was recorded and engineered by Steel City go-to, Jason Jouver, at Plus/Minus studios. The album was mixed there and then went to legendary producer, Jack Endino, for mastering in Seattle, WA.

ZOM’S Fear And Failure will release digitally on March 11, 2022.
Vinyl Pre-Order will go live at the same time on March 11, 2022.
Vinyl will release on April 1st, 2022.

FEAR AND FAILURE
TRACK LISTING:
1. Washed Away
2. Long Way Gone
3. Showtime
4. Third Life
5. Running Man
6. Stone
7. August
8. Another Day to Run
9. Down The Highway (Nebula cover)
10. The Plunge

ZOM is:
Gero Von Dehn: Vocals/Guitars
Sam Pesce: Bass
Ben Zerbe: Drums, Percussion
Matthew Tuite: Guitar

https://www.facebook.com/ZOMofficialpage/
https://www.instagram.com/zom412/
https://zom-rock.bandcamp.com/music
https://stoneflyrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/stoneflyrecords
http://instagram.com/stonefly_records

ZOM, Nebulos (2018)

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Adam Wrench of HAAST

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I make records. Simple as. I guess the easiest way to explain how I came to do that was by falling in love with records and music as a youngster. I have my sister to thank mainly for that. She was 16 in 1993 so it was fertile ground for a 10 year old to fall down the rabbit hole of alternative music of the time.

Describe your first musical memory.

Another sister thanks. She had an old, hydraulically powered organ that I think was meant as a toy but its diminutive size belied the ominous tones within, especially when you fired the thing up. I remember being fascinated with that Wurlitzer-esque sound that wheezed out of the power fan as it gasped for air with each press of a key. I’ve searched for years for that instrument. I doubt I’ll ever see one again.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Hearing our latest record in full for the first time. It was a moment I didn’t think would come so to hear it as intended really was a joy.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I’m pretty headstrong so I don’t really let anything test my belief systems, no matter the peril. I think part of growing up is finding resilience in the face of adversity, staying true to your beliefs and ignoring or avoiding anything that maybe detrimental to you in that regard.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

To better things I would like to think. I’m think it’s important to push boundaries and knowledge, even if the results aren’t great at first. I have become more interested in tonalities and soundscapes recently and I’m really keen to explore thresholds with that approach and trying new things and then succeeding is a great thrill.

How do you define success?

Finding contentment in what I do. Being able to just finish a piece of music and ‘take it for a walk’ as they say. It’s taken me years to just be able to stand the sound of my own singing voice so getting to the end of a track without wanting to stab myself in the ears, that’s a great success to me.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

I wish I hadn’t seen how some people operate in the music industry. Best friends to the people that can help them and vile to people who they have no use for. I always try to think the best in people but in the creative industry especially, people are capable of turning into absolute dicks for no reason other than stroking their own ego and it’s sad. They probably don’t even know they do it. Gross.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I’d love to soundtrack a film. I sometimes put on films on mute and play my guitar along with the scenes. Westerns are especially great for that. Getting the interplay of sound and picture, it’s a hard brief but so rewarding.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

It has to emote and encourage discourse of itself. I hear a lot of modern music being produced to form over and over again and that’s not artistic. I guess you can refine your techniques but that’s a limited exploration.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Some time off! I feel like I’ve been working nonstop for three years. I’m looking forward to the Christmas holidays, having a lie in and spending time with families and friends with a reduced spectre of the pandemic over Christmas 2020. That was tough on everyone so this year will be celebrated in style.

https://www.facebook.com/HaastBandUK
https://www.instagram.com/haast_band/
https://haast.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/haast

HAAST, Made of Light (2021)

I was sitting by the side of the bathtub, giving my kid a bath. My head was between my knees and I just decided I couldn’t live like this. I was out the door half a xanax and 10 minutes later, headed to Brooklyn. Yes, I told my wife I was going first.

Yesterday was a misery. Weeks, really. It feels like years since I’ve properly slept and maybe it has been. I don’t know. I’d had tickets for the third night of the four, last night, but I just couldn’t do it. Couldn’t get out the door. And I’d been wretched all day. Mad at myself for missing it, mad at the bullshit, all the last two years, this endless feeling of being right on the edge of something terrible. Fucking hell, at some point you have to live. Was I really going to let this go?

The Saint Vitus Bar has changed. There’s a door in now that bypasses the front barroom if you just want to go to the back, and a corresponding wall on the side of the back bar that I imagine makes it even more compressed between sets but maybe that’s just me protecting my terror at being out among humans. They’ve redone the bathrooms. There’s a wine store next door. Luxury apartment buildings are going up in this neighborhood by the dozen.

In the end, it was the last-chance factor that got me. Four shows. I didn’t need to see all of them. But one didn’t seem like too much to ask for. I’ve been inside for so long. I’ve been good. I got all my shots. I thought less of those who didn’t. Can’t I get a little something for all that comfortable moral superiority?

Remind me sometime and I’ll tell you (again) about the first time I almost saw YOB. Let me tell you from experience: almost seeing YOB is no way to go through life.

So here I am. At soundcheck. They’re playing “Adrift in the Ocean,” which they’ve done for the last three nights, and fair enough since Atma is being reissued. Got to talk to the band for a minute, and the Ecstatic Vision guys are kicking around somewhere. I don’t know when doors are and I don’t care. I made it. I’m doing this.

They follow “Adrift in the Ocean” with “Prepare the Ground.”

—

Next week, Ecstatic Vision will announce the name of their new album and the release date, as well as post the first single. They got to soundcheck after YOB. They even nailed that, but if there was any thought that their mojo might prove elusive for all their time away from a stage, it was dispelled almost immediately once their set started. Covered “TV Eye.” Place went off.

Do you understand? I mean, communal energy. Not just some throw-your-hands-in-the-air hackneyed shit, but the real deal; an honest to goodness vibe. Energy sent on an electric wave through the room, Ecstatic Vision pummeling asteroids careening through space like they’re totally out of control but playing off that tension and release the whole time. Magic. Or at very least, technology my brain will never be able to understand. They just finished. I feel alive.

I have a memory of seeing them in Jersey that feels recent despite being 10 lifetimes ago. They played with Brant Bjork that night. And no one was there. I tried to be kind about it at the time, but the truth is I was maybe one of 30 in the room. But tonight, this place. Shit. They killed then, don’t get me wrong. They were fucking awesome that night. Tonight there were witnesses. I was up front, didn’t move. Almost took a guitar string to the eye. Who cares? Element of danger was sick. Cables coming unplugged before the riff hits. My man swapping between sax and guitar and flute, pounding a Bud Light the whole time. Ecstatic Vision’s psychedelia is beautiful the way you think of lions chasing down and devouring zebras. I feel like I could nap for a week and I feel like I just woke up.

—

“Prepare the Ground.” Awaken. Awaken. I want to say all the weirdness went away immediately. Like it was pushed out of the room by the amps moving air. Even at its most ideal, life doesn’t work like that. But headbanging to YOB on a Wednesday night in Brooklyn is probably the closest I’m ever going to get.

It was beautiful. What a beautiful moment to exist.

Mike Scheidt, Aaron Rieseberg, Dave French, the latter new on drums. Last time I saw him was playing with Brothers of the Sonic Cloth at Roadburn. Or maybe something else. I don’t know. The room was full by the time they went on. It was easier for me to look forward at the stage than to look back at the humans assembled, so that’s what I did. I stayed up front for the duration. Where was I gonna go?

They played the chug ‘n’ lurcher from the last album, “The Screen.” And they played “The Lie That is Sin,” and “Upon the Sight of the Other Shore” and” Adrift in the Ocean” back to back. Broken string? Whatever. Next guitar. Fucking a. Roll on. And they finished with “Burning the Altar.” And that’s when everything was obliterated. You. Me. The whole place. The toxic air. The time. The shitty condos. Just gone.

What do you do with that? This was the last of four nights of YOB at Saint Vitus Bar. I’m so, so glad I saw it. Heard it. Felt it vibrating in my chest, the pain in my neck that I expect will only get worse tomorrow and the next day before it gets better. It doesn’t even matter. Just the sound. That rumble, that ring out. That scream. Fuck. If the altar didn’t burn from that, I don’t think it ever will. I gave Mike and Aaron hugs. I saw friends when it was done. Real friends. Real life. Amazing. Love.

—

Bought a shirt, said goodbye on the quick, mask on, and left. Nothing against anybody’s anything but it was time to go. Flat tire when I got back to the car a bit ago. Called AAA like you do. Box Street and McGuiness. They’re gonna film Blue Bloods there on Friday. Cops and such. Dude put the donut on. I got out in time for the headache to kick in. That’s where I’m at now. Home. Tired. After 1AM. I’ll be up around 7 if there’s mercy to be had. Maybe there is, maybe not. Can’t say I earned it.

I feel like I’ve been hibernating a piece of myself and it just got up and got a first drink of cold water. I don’t know what’s next. Neither do you. But holy shit I’m glad I was born so that I could live tonight.

Ecstatic Vision

YOB