What a record. Formed in 1995, Belgian heavy psychedelic progressive rockers Hypnos 69 were at the vanguard of a revivalist sound, but by the time they got around to releasing their fourth album, The Eclectic Measure, in 2006 through Elektrohasch Schallplatten, their depth of arrangement, complexity of songcraft and melodic grace were their own. Running a sprawl across 10 songs and 48 minutes, the band — brothers Steve Houtmeyers (vocals, guitar, synth, theremin) and Dave Houtmeyers (drums, synth, percussion, glockenspiel, timpani), as well as bassist Tom Vanlaer (also synth, Hammond, Rhodes piano) and secret-weapon multi-instrumentalist Steven Marx (tenor and baritone sax, Mellotron, clarinet, Rhodes, Hammond, seemingly whatever else a given part called for) — surpassed even the scope of 2004’s The Intrigue of Perception (discussed here) and captured a warm-toned organic vibe that made each detail precious.

The interplay of acoustic strum and glockenspiel before the Mellotron leads the build in “Forgotten Souls,” that humble sweep there, or the lush but unassuming way in which “I and You and Me (II)” builds off the album’s intro “I and You and Me (I)” with a quiet flow, folkish vocal delivery, down-home electric guitar solo just past halfway into its 6:25 and subsequent sax-blast crescendo, or even the subdued melodic exploration in the sub-two-minute instrumental “My Ambiguity of Reality,” the hand-drums and blips behind the guitar and Vanlaer‘s Moog in “Halfway to the Stars.” Each piece on The Eclectic Measure was and is a showcase of progressive intent, but it’s the totality — the front-to-back experience — through which they made their declaration, whether that’s the title-track bursting to life out of the ending to “I and You and Me (I)” and giving an initial hook to ground the proceedings that seem to lift off the ground so casually, or the soft comedown of closer “Deus Ex Machina” (which does have a subdued payoff in Mellotron and timpani to finish) after the landmark culmination offered in the penultimate “The Point of No Return,” the initial weeping guitar lead of which signals the righteousness to come as it moves past its verses into what, in my mind at least, is a career-defining arc.

Life affords very few moments of absolute perfection, and even fewer of those ever end up on records, but “The Point of No Return” is one of them. There’s the soft, almost sneaking around of the verse and the snap of snare before two minutes in as it shifts into a classic prog boogie — answering both the fuzz shuffle of the earlier “The Antagonist” and the jazzy runs and King Crimson‘ed distorted verse of “Ominous (But Fooled Before)” immediately preceding — before dropping to organ, bass and meandering-seeming electric guitar as the start of a build through an increasingly-adrenaline-fueled-but-still-controlled vibrant rush, the crash cymbal becoming propulsive past the four-minute mark as the song, which is the longest on The Eclectic Measure at 7:42, feels more and more like it’s about to live up to its title. In the spirit of Opeth‘s “Closure” as played on the 2003 Lamentations live video/album, the tension becomes maddening, except that Hypnos 69, instead of ending there push even further, turning at 5:28 to a series of hit-stops and Iberian-ish acoustic guitar in call and response, the weeping lead line coming back beautifully before minute six to underscore the thoughtfulness, plot and understated majesty of the entire arrangement. That they then return to the verse, contradicting the title, does nothing to diminish the spirit of how far out they’ve gone, instead reinforcing it with a rare sense of wholeness; a total, album-style flight compacted into one song. One complete, perfect moment.

The Eclectic Measure was produced by Hypnos 69 and Jean-Pierre Kerckhofs at Artsound Studio in Houthalen. Kerckhofs had also recorded The Intrigue of Perception and the band’s concurrent split with Colour Haze, but The Eclectic Measure remains a lesson in the power of attention to detail, be it in “The Point of No Return,” the ’60s psych-folk sunshine of the keys in “Halfway to the Stars” or the way the percussion in “Forgotten Souls” seems to foreshadow the ending of the album in “Deus Ex Machina.” Among the many strengths of the record is the fact that, in listening, one can immerse completely in these nuances and intricacies spread throughout the tracks like the treasures they are, or not. Especially if you’re new to the band or you don’t know this record, etc., you can put on “I and You and Me (I)” and trust that the material will carry you through, because yes, it will. And that’s true of “The Point of No Return” in itself, as well as “Deus Ex Machina” and “The Eclectic Measure” and “My Ambiguity of Reality,” taken as an entirety or as individual pieces.

Another thing about The Eclectic Measure? It can’t even be called the band’s crowning achievement. Four years later, in 2010, Hypnos 69 offered their to-date swansong, aptly-titled Legacy (review here), and dove even further into the reaches of progressive psychedelic rock, demonstrating again their distinctive approach that could be so encompassing and still cohesive, purposeful and expressive, with a scope even beyond the 2006 LP. It was an album that genuinely seemed like they put everything they had into it, and fitting, if sad, that they didn’t do another after it.

That’s not to say it couldn’t still happen. Following years of quiet and Dave Houtmeyers and Tom Vanlaer putting out two records with Hidden Trails, Hypnos 69 reunited in 2022 to play the 25th anniversary of Orange Factory in Belgium, and they opened that set with a new song called “And the Spirit Spoke.” They’ve been confirmed for Freak Valley 2023 in Germany this June and Down the Hill 2023 in Belgium this August, so while I don’t want to jinx it, the possibility of their keeping the reunion going and building toward a new release exists. However and whenever such a thing arrived, it would be welcome.

I could go on here, tell you about living with this album when it came out and the surprise it presented even after The Intrigue of Perception and 2002’s Timeline Traveller, or about how my first CD copy didn’t have a front cover and it would be more than a decade before I finally saw the Malleus cover art in person, or just how unrealistically stoked I am to say I’ll see Hypnos 69 at Freak Valley, on and on, but you get the idea, I’m sure. A band worth appreciating, with more than one masterpiece under their collective belt, who creep up on 30 years since their inception with a future that is unknowable in its potential.

As always, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

—

Went to sleep last night at 9PM. We had a kind of surprise-for-us party to celebrate my sister killing it as a realtor last night and so I was up what I consider late, though not much more so than the night before. I woke up at 3:15AM, which was an improvement over yesterday’s 2:30. I’m not even sure it matters anymore. The kid came downstairs at 5:05. I didn’t even have time to finish the above and send the three or four emails that have been hounding the back of my brain for the last week.

Tomorrow night, Church of the Cosmic Skull play NYC for the first time. I’m taking The Patient Mrs., because that’s something she should see, but the kicker is we’ll go after already making the trip during the day to Connecticut and back, decorating eggs because Easter, and kid, and so on. Show will be good, fatigue will suck, and New York feels pretty unpleasant to me at this point in my life, but sometimes you have to go. This is one of those occasions. I have an Iron Jinn premiere Monday, but if I can review the show at the show, I’ll post that as well with probably a few disappointing pictures.

That’s part of a busy weekend at end of a busy week. Not sure that matters either.

5PM Eastern is a new Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal. Playlist should be posted by the time this is — if not, maybe I just forgot because today is a 12-post day and that’s just stupid — but it’s a cool one either way, some old and new mixed together.

The rest of next week is full. Ditto week after and week after that. Time.

I’ve been punched and kicked and scratched this morning. I said rules exist. Yesterday while cleaning the house for four hours the popcorn maker fell on my face and I have a black eye. I just tried to stop the shower head from leaking and accidentally popped it off, spraying water all over the bathroom. No one will deliver weed, and even if they did, I’m fucking broke. So fuck everything. Today. Yesterday. Tomorrow. I feel like I’m about to have a fucking aneurysm and if we’re being honest with each other, if I did, it would be a favor to myself and those around me.

Great and safe weekend. Don’t forget to hydrate.

FRM.

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The Obelisk merch

So I kinda wanted to hear some old shit alongside all the new shit, which I guess I feel okay about. I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like every second of every show has to be super-recent as much as possible to get word out about new bands again as much as possible — and again again as much as possible to the extent of whatever the audience for this show is; I honestly have no idea — but that’s not even close to being true in reality. I could play Death, no one would give a shit.

I should play Death. Next show if I remember, which I’m saying up front is like 70/30 no.

Anyway, so old High on Fire into new Dozer and Altered States’ recent “The Crossing” crossing with The Hidden Hand’s “The Crossing” from their brilliant 2004 opus, and JAAW feeding into Celtic Frost feeding into Vape Warlök. Fucking a. This show’s pretty good. I hope I don’t ruin it by, you know, talking.

A few albums here I’m looking forward to knowing better. Swanmay for sure, JAAW absolutely, and I might even say that of Dozer, perhaps into perpetuity or at very least until long after I’ve reviewed it and hailed it as one of the best albums of the year — which I don’t even feel shy in saying because it’s a fucking given — and Bongzilla, because they’re Bongzilla and I’m glad they’re putting out records. They’re a needed reminder of how even the heaviest things can be made to float.

Thanks if you listen to this show. If not, it happens, but thanks for reading anyhow. If you stumbled here and have no idea what I’m talking about, you might still consider checking out a band or two from the playlist and find something to make your day better.

The Obelisk Show airs 5PM Eastern today on the Gimme app or at: http://gimmemetal.com.

Full playlist:

The Obelisk Show – 03.31.23 (VT = voice track)

The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal airs every Friday 5PM Eastern, with replays Sunday at 7PM Eastern. Next new episode is April 14 (subject to change). Thanks for listening if you do.

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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: Ted Venemann of Yidhra & Oculus Outré

—

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

I suppose I would say I create art. Of course the definition of art itself is entirely subjective, so I don’t feel too pompous defining it as such. As far as how I came to do it, it is just something that I have always done and fortunately for me, I’ve been able to segue it into a lifelong career.

Describe your first musical memory.

Growing up my life always filled with music. In the house, in the car, in the van, on family trips, you name it, there was always a soundtrack. Fortunately, my parents had eclectic tastes and they encouraged my brother and I to explore different things. They didn’t always like the results, but they never forbade us from listening to what we wanted to.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

That’s a difficult one because there are quite a few, but I’m going to have to say, my brother Jerry and I playing a show with Cherie Currie and Sandy West of The Runaways.

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

When I ceased being straight edge.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

That’s kind of an obtuse question since it can lead anywhere really. It can lead to stellar heights or abject failure.

How do you define success?

Success for me is when I am happy with a project and it reaches or surpasses its intended goal.

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

My brother’s lifeless body.

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

There are some 3D projects I’ve always wanted to create.

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

Enlightenment, opening doors of thought and/or emotions. In my honest opinion, if a piece of art doesn’t make you feel anything or learn anything, either it failed its purpose, or you failed to recognize its purpose.

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

On a very personal level, I am looking forward to experiencing my boys’ life journeys.

http://www.yidhra.com
http://www.facebook.com/YidhraWitchQueen
http://www.yidhra.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/0culus0utre
http://oculusoutre.com/

Yidhra, Cult of Bathory (2016)

Brooklyn-based semi-industrial, post-punk-informed heavy goth rockers Matte Black were last heard from with the dark-grey hued fuzz of Psyche in 2019, their third full-length continuing a progression that sees them mark a decade in 2023 since their first offering, Lowlands. On May 5, and subsequently on June 2, the band will offer two follow-ups in their fourth and fifth records, titled Portrait and Landscape, respectively.

Their lineup has been pared down at least for these releases to guitarist, bassist, vocalist, keyboardist, thereminist, etc.-ist Matthew McAlpin and drummer Fidel Vazquez — both also of Matte Black‘s psych-tinged sister band Dead Satellites — but the music remains expansive, even though Portrait‘s 10 songs only run 26 minutes and Landscape‘s 12-song/48-minute stretch is comprised of often-minimal works on piano titled in Roman numerals “I” through “XII,” some of which, like the 5:27 “V” —  longer than anything on Portrait, and not the longest on Landscape as the subsequent “VI” tops six minutes — get so quiet as to barely be audible. But they are both full-lengths, despite Portrait‘s brevity, and are obviously intended as complementary releases. I haven’t tried playing them at the same time to see if they synch up anywhere, but with shades of Badalamenti in Landscape‘s “X” and the second half of Portrait‘s “Pontifica” proving once and for all that Ministry was a punk band, it’s worth remembering that we live in a universe of infinite possibilities.

Premiering below, “Mr. Whispers” is both opener and longest track (immediate points) on Portrait, and it begins with a roll that reminds distinctly of Elephant Tree‘s “Sails” after a quick buildup; a strident launch to a procession of songs most of which aren’t half as long, with a hint of bleak psychedelia in the keys later and a grounded hook of lyrical repetition — the album doesn’t make you wait long for the theremin, either — setting up a wide spectrum that only grows more expansive as “Obliterate” picks up with a riff transposed from desert rock to whisper-topped rain-glistening-on-sidewalk-at-night vibes, echoing melodic reach later over deep-mixed keyboard drama cutting off after two minutes because screw it what’s the point of anything anyway. “Deep Dive,” “The Game” and the goth-kids-dancing-in-space “Take the Hit” are similarly riff-based, but that base rests deep beneath despondent theatrics in the vocals and varies in its overarching degree of intensity, as demonstrated in the shout before the last shove and sample-topped crashes of “Pontifica” or the make-the-darkness-swing ethic of “Obliterate.”

At 1:33, “No Time” is the shortest piece on either record, with McAlpin working vocals over keys alone in brooding but not inactive fashion, coffee-and-cigarettes in mood but with the easy cool of its own urbanity behind it. It’s also not the last hint Portrait drops as regards the fare on Landscape, with the later serenity that builds to the mellow rocker verse of “Remains” ahead of the penultimate “At the End” drawing the line in guitar between goth and black metal and the concluding “I Love You” standalone piano in a clear moment of transition from one release to the next that’s nonetheless a fitting conclusion to the album on which it appears. Like much of Portrait, that finale begs closer examination, and in its expression it comes across as no less crucial than the crunch in the pairing of “Deep Dive” and “The Game” earlier on, particularly when one considers the aural thematic fleshed out in Landscape to come.

There are moments throughout the numbered proceedings that will inevitably take listeners to different places, whether it’s Beethoven‘s “Moonlight Sonata” on “I” or some of Anathema‘s later musings on the string-sound-inclusive “VI,” but the intention is immersion, and the sit-still-and-listen aspect of Landscape, the gentle piano strikes of “IV” and the soft wobble-drone behind “XI,” will present a challenge to brains perpetually on fire with a given day’s urgencies. It’s not so much a reminder to breathe — though maybe it’s that too — as a reminder to feel, and although there’s palpable longing in the sparse notes of “XII” or the evocative-of-realization “VII” (also premiering below), that comes paired with a kind of serenity as well. Maybe not peaceful, but accepting. Composed and played by McAlpin alone, Landscape is entirely instrumental and feels somewhat experimental for that; certainly Psyche and the prior Halloween 2015 LP, Dust of This Planet had their ambience, the latter tapping Western spaces for its closer “Rio de las Animas Perdidas,” but the shift in focus, as an exploration of aural purpose, is distinct, however related it might otherwise be to Matte Black‘s general style.

One way or the other, Landscape lands a bit like the resonant echoes of Portrait, and taken in succession — which I acknowledge listeners won’t be able to do until both are actually released in their entirety, but, well, they’ll be ‘out’ for much longer than they’re ‘coming out,’ so I’ll argue relevance of the full front-to-back two-album cycle given their complementary nature — it’s that much easier to be subsumed in the piano and drone of “II,” the relaxing electronica of “III” marked with subtly foreboding low end swells, and the more purely tonal-dronal excursion that is “VIII” before the more sci-fi keyboard of “IX” reminds of just how seamless McAlpin makes the blending of organic and inorganic elements. Neither Landscape nor Portrait will be for everybody, and they’re not intended to be, but the atmospheric breadth cast in both is bound to grab willing ears, and the movement across Portrait — not manic or lacking poise, but quick nonetheless — and its contrast of not-actually-still-but-sounds-still in Landscape are emblematic of a band being willing to take chances outside of genre in a way not everyone is willing or able to do.

Keep an open mind as you listen to “Mr. Whispers” and “VII” below, and be patient in letting the material go where it does. It’s not the kind of thing I cover all the time, but neither is its value limited to the novelty of that. In any case, I’ve included the tracklistings for Portrait and Landscape below (with time stamps) and recording info, for clarity’s sake.

I hope you enjoy:

Matte Black, “Mr. Whispers” track premiere

Matte Black, “VII” track premiere

Portrait:
All songs written + performed by Matte Black
Tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 recorded + mixed by Charles Burst at The Belvedere Inn in Stamford, NY
Track 5 recorded by Matthew McAlpin + mixed by Mitch Rackin
Track 8 recorded + mixed by Mitch Rackin at Deep Dive Recording in Brooklyn, NY
Track 10 recorded + mixed by Matthew McAlpin
Additional recording and production on tracks 3, 6, 9 by Mitch Rackin
Mastering by Mitch Rackin at Deep Dive Recording

Tracklisting:
1. Mr Whispers 04:59
2. Obliterate 02:22
3. Deep Dive 01:59
4. The Game 02:49
5. No Time 01:33
6. Pontifica 02:24
7. Take the Hit 02:17
8. Remains 02:29
9. At the End 03:28
10. I Love You 01:35

Landscape:
All songs written + performed by Matte Black
Recorded, mixed, + produced by Matthew McAlpin at LXS
Mastering by Mitch Rackin at Deep Dive Recording

Tracklisting:
1. I 02:26
2. II 03:38
3. III 04:18
4. IV 04:15
5. V 05:26
6. VI 06:27
7. VII 03:47
8. VIII 03:57
9. IX 04:08
10. X 03:46
11. XI 04:01
12. XII 02:29

Matte Black:
Matthew McAlpin – Guitar, Piano, Synth, Bass, Theremin, Vocals
Fidel Vazquez – Drums

Matte Black on Facebook

Matte Black on Instagram

Matte Black on Bandcamp

A full 16 bands will play Doomlines VIII this July in Sheffield, UK, with France’s Slift and the heavy-meets-aggro Heriot headlining and support from the not-slouching-either-in-the-pissed-off-department Slabdragger and Bismarck (making the trip from Norway), as well as Ba‘al, Gozer, Volcanova (from Iceland), among others. It’s an all-dayer, and I’m not sure it’s actually possible to watch 16 bands in a span of 10 hours, even across two stages, but don’t quote me on that because some crazy bastard might just do it. Given the acts involved, it would be fun to try.

I know these days aren’t exactly short on fest news — this isn’t even the only post today about a festival lineup adding bands — but in addition to having that little foot kicking the back of my brain to force the memory of live-music-less lockdown out of the corner into which I’ve repressed it, I’ll say too that these events are worth celebrating because they show how much heart and passion goes into supporting this music.

Even ‘successful’ festivals can be a non-lucrative nightmare to book, and pretty much the only reason ever to engage the process of putting something like this together is because you believe deeply in it. So yeah, while there’s about a zero percent chance I’ll be there to see Doomlines VIII in July, I’m glad to support the support. And hey, it’s a big internet. Maybe you’re somewhere on the planet where buying a ticket makes sense, be it in or around Sheffield or in a place from which you might be up for traveling.

Tickets are on sale, and here’s the announcement from the fest:

DOOMLINES 2023 – 23rd July

Doomlines enters its eighth year with our biggest lineup yet – the only place to be for fans of heavy during Tramlines 2023.

Ticket link: https://corporation.org.uk/event/doomlines/
Venue: Corporation, Sheffield, UK
Date: 23rd July 2023

We have stunning international talent alongside the best of the Sheffield and wider UK underground, covering doom, sludge, stoner, psych and more. Without further ado, feast your eyes on:

Psych rock titans, SLIFT (France) perform their only Northern UK date of the year. Alongside them witness meteoric British newcomers, Heriot. That’s on top of Slabdragger, Bismarck (Norway), The Infernal Sea, Thank, Longheads, Crepitation, ATVM, Volcanova (Iceland), Ba’al, Lowen, Gozer, Bodach, Chapel Floods and Le Menhir.

Doors open at 12:30 on the Sunday of Tramlines (23rd July), meaning wall to wall bands across two stages until 10:30pm, no clashes, no BS. With food stalls (plant-based options included) and merch, you won’t need to leave Corporation for anything. Situated within walking distance of Sheffield’s train and bus stations, we look forward to welcoming fans from outside the city. If visiting, it’s recommended to book accommodation ASAP.

We also have the Warm Up Show on Friday (21st July) featuring Diploid (Australia), Dead In Latvia, Casing and Void Maw. Damn son.

See you there.

FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/3420066691566268/

https://www.facebook.com/churchoftheholyspider
https://www.instagram.com/holyspiderpromo/
https://holyspiderpromotions.bigcartel.com/

Heriot, “Demure” official video

Those keeping track of such things might note that Shaman Elephant are the band with whom Enslaved collaborated for ‘The Otherworldly Big Band Experience,’ which in every respect lived up to its billing. The band released their latest LP, Wide Awake but Still Asleep, in 2020 and bring proggy presence to the bill of Høstsabbat 2023. I’m not certain what stage they’re playing on, or if they’ve got a new record coming or what, but as the weekly confirmations from the Oslo-based festival continue to roll out in advance of the 10th anniversary edition, sonic breadth seems to be the order of the day, and that’s that much better since this may just be the most ambitious Høstsabbat yet, not only in terms of the styles of the acts playing, but also the further realization of the established ethic of showcasing artists from Norway’s equal parts vibrant and varied underground. Shaman Elephant, in contributing to that and becoming part of the shape of the festival overall, are for sure something to look forward to.

From the fest:

HØSTSABBAT 2023 – Shaman Elephant (NO)

The band of the day on this beautiful Friday is a collective hailing from western Norway. Not the easiest band to describe, but very easy to love.

Our west coast has had a thriving prog and psychedelic rock scene for ages, giving and SHAMAN ELEPHANT is carrying that torch with a sound lusher than the fjords themselves.
It´s so captivating and enchanting. Bands like this also come with some sort of relief: Rock is far from dead.

SHAMAN ELEPHANT is as organic as it gets, keeping us focused and alert with a clever progressiveness at all times. Their sound is firmly rooted in the 60´s & 70´s era of their niche, but they are also able to add some kind of modern touch to everything, making them a band for the future rather than the past.

We cant wait to dive into their universe in October.

Please welcome Shaman Elephant to Høstsabbat 2023.

TICKETS
https://bit.ly/HS-festivalticket23

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST
https://spoti.fi/3tkuMZl

NEWSLETTER
https://bit.ly/HostsabbatNews

https://www.facebook.com/hostsabbat/
https://www.instagram.com/hostsabbat/
http://hostsabbat.no/

Høstsabbat Spotify Playlist

The upcoming second album from Ghorot — no, I don’t know when it’s out with any further specificity than the “Fall 2023” stated below, and since they don’t I’ll refrain from giving you the title though I will say it’s appropriate for the brutality of the band’s intentions — has been in my possession for a couple hours. That’s barely enough time to skim through it, but in doing so I can confirm what they also say in this signing announcement as regards “fucking brutal.” If you heard 2021’s Loss of Light (review here), you know that’s part and parcel to who they are as a band, but they do seem to wield the caustic with increased lethality, and next time I’m really, really pissed off about some probably inconsequential bullshit and want to smash my face into the fucking wall, I’m looking forward to greeting that impulse with the volume of Ghorot‘s new effort.

Lay Bare Recordings in the Netherlands and King of the Monsters in the US Southwest will handle the release, and just for a refresher, bassist/vocalist Carson Russell doubles in Ealdor Bealu and guitarist/vocalist Chad Remains formerly conjured riffs in Uzala, which remains relevant information even though Ghorot are far more geared toward slow-motion throatripping than either of those outfits. To wit, Loss of Light streams below. Have at it if you’re in that kind of place.

From the PR wire:

MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT

We are beyond stoked to announce a new partnership between Ghorot and 2 world-class record labels; the mighty Lay Bare Recordings (Nijmegen, Netherlands) and King of the Monsters (Phoenix, AZ)!!

LBR and KOTM will be working with us on the release of our sophomore full-length album, which officially drops this Fall 2023!! We can’t wait to share more details with you all soon…

IT’S GOING TO BE FUCKING BRUTAL

Ghorot are:
Carson Russell: Bass Guitar, Vocals
Brandon Walker: Drums, Vocals
Chad Remains: Guitars, Amplifiers, Vocals

https://facebook.com/ghorot
https://instagram.com/ghorotdoom
https://ghorot.bandcamp.com

https://laybarerecordings.com/
https://www.facebook.com/laybarerecordings/
https://www.instagram.com/laybarerecordings/
https://laybarerecordings.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/kingofthemonstersrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/kotmrecords/
https://kingofthemonstersrecords.limitedrun.com/
https://kingofthemonstersrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://kotmrecords.com/

Ghorot, Loss of Light (2021)

Not that I really needed one, but I’ve been hearing the plod of Author & Punisher in my head all week and have been looking for a few free minutes and an excuse to revisit 2022’s brilliant Krüller (review here), and lo, here comes word of a European tour and US dates starting Saturday in Hamden, Connecticut, and that’s more than enough, especially since, as I said at the outset, I didn’t need the excuse to start with.

That fucking record stomped a crater in my consciousness all last year, and I still hear “Maiden Star” just thinking about it, ditto the title-track — “Held up a truck, pulls to the right,” is one of the best lyrics I heard in 2022; does so much literary work; puts you in mind of the character; imagine stealing a someone’s pickup and being pissed the alignment is off; the sensory evocation of being in that vehicle, done in less words than this half-assed explanation of it; genius — and “Incinerator” and even “Drone Carrying Dread” with all its scene-setting ambience, making the world the record just dropped you into.

Anyhow, go to the shows. Yeah, all of ’em. That’s right. US and Europe. You hate your god damn job anyway. Fuck it. Quit and follow Author & Punisher around. Out with Imperial Triumphant, no less. You could spend that time so, so much worse. Like by going to that job. So don’t.

The update came down from Bandcamp, and if you want to take it as a sign of the esteem in which I hold this band, I’ll tell you that today was already an 11-post day before I saw this news and that is more than twice what I generally consider “enough” for a day and I still decided to put this together as post number 12. Madness:

We are excited to reveal that Author & Punisher will be bringing the drone machines back to Europe this June. We’ll be joining up with Imperial Triumphant for a few co-headlining dates, partnering with Statiqbloom for a run, and hitting some fests along the way. Check out the full list of dates below and grab tickets here: lnkfi.re/APlive

Stateside A&P fans can catch Tristan and Doug supporting HEALTH in April. The tour kicks off THIS SATURDAY in Hamden, CT and culminates on the West Coast with two special headlining shows with Snakes of Russia supporting.

We’re keeping select digital releases as pay-what-you-want on Bandcamp throughout touring season. So grab some tunes to prepare for the shows and keep an eye out for more goodies for the next Bandcamp Friday.

See you on the road fuckers!

-Tristan & Team

April US dates supporting HEALTH:

APR 01- HAMDEN, CT- SPACE BALLROOM
APR 02- WASHINGTON, DC- UNION STAGE
APR 04- COLUMBUS, OH- A&R MUSIC BAR
APR 06- MADISON, WI- HIGH NOON SALOON
APR 07- HAMTRAMCK, MI- FIXATION FESTIVAL- SMALL’ S
APR 08- CLEVELAND, OH- GROG SHOP
APR 09- PITTSBURGH, PA- THUNDERBIRD MUSIC HALL
APR 14 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA – DNA LOUNGE*
APR 15- SAN DIEGO, CA- MUSIC BOX
APR 16 – LOS ANGELES, CA – RESIDENT*

*A&P headlines with Snakes of Russia, no HEALTH

June European Headlining dates:

​​07 JUNE – Liege, Belgium – La Zone
09 JUNE – Gdansk, Poland – Mystic Festival
10 JUNE – Warsawa, Poland – VooDoo*
12 JUNE – Riga, Latvia – Vagonu Hall*
13 JUNE – Tallin, Estonia – Paavli 7*
16 JUNE – Stockholm, Sweden – Hus7*
17 JUNE – Oslo, Norway – Bla*
18 JUNE – Malmo, Sweden – Plan B
19 JUNE – Copenaghen, Denmark – Basement^
20 JUNE – Hamburg, Germany – Hafenklang^
21 JUNE – Bochum, Germany – Die Trompete^
22 JUNE – Antwerp, Belgium – Kavka^
23 JUNE – Bourlon, France – Rock in Bourlon
24 JUNE – Ferropolis, Germany – Full Force
25 JUNE – Berlin, Germany – Urban Spree*

* with Statiqbloom
^co-headliner with Imperial Triumphant

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Author & Punisher, Krüller (2022)