Posted in Whathaveyou on July 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
A brand you can trust, Crowbar will head out on the next leg of their forever-tour on Sept. 7, spending just about a month on the road joined by the noise-as-weapon felony-level assault of Primitive Man, which is a hell of a pairing. And they’re playing Dingbatz. Oh, I love it when bands come to New Jersey. It doesn’t happen all the time, but Crowbar have hit my beloved Garden State on the regular for years, decades now. They’re touring ostensibly in support of 2022’s Zero and Below (review here), but also because they’re Crowbar and that’s what they do. And by now, if you don’t know you’re getting a pro-shop top-tier sludge metal show when they arrive, well, now you do. They are the very definition of reliable.
Bodybox join the tour starting on Sept. 12, and as the PR wire informs, they’ll be rolling over/through the following:
CROWBAR Announces US Headlining Tour; Tickets On Sale Now!
CROWBAR today announces a US headlining tour! The twenty-four-date journey begins September 7th in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and runs through October 5th in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Support will be provided by Primitive Man as well as Bodybox, on select dates. Additionally, the band will play a special show with Venom Inc. on October 1st in Iowa City, Iowa. Tickets are on sale TODAY! See all confirmed dates below.
CROWBAR w/ Primitive Man: 9/07/2023 Downtown Music Hall – Fort Walton Beach, FL 9/08/2023 Conduit – Orlando, FL 9/09/2023 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL 9/10/2023 Gramps – Miami, FL w/ Primitive Man, Bodybox: 9/12/2023 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA 9/13/2023 New Brookland Tavern – Columbia, SC 9/14/2023 Asheville Music Hall – Asheville, NC 9/15/2023 The Camel – Richmond, VA 9/17/2023 Broken Goblet – Bensalem, PA 9/19/2023 Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ 9/20/2023 Song & Dance – Syracuse, NY 9/21/2023 Palladium – Worcester, MA 9/22/2023 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY 9/23/2023 Angel City Music Hall – Manchester, NH 9/24/2023 Space Ballroom – Hamden, CT 9/26/2023 Crafthouse – Pittsburgh, PA 9/27/2023 Hobart Art Theater – Hobart, IN 9/28/2023 Reggie’s – Chicago, IL 9/29/2023 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH 9/30/2023 Pyramid Scheme – Grand Rapids, MI 10/01/2023 Wildwood – Iowa City, IA w/ Venom Inc # 10/02/2023 Red Flag – St Louis, MO 10/04/2023 Cobra – Nashville, TN 10/05/2023 George’s Majestic – Fayetteville, AR # = No Support
CROWBAR released their critically-adored Zero And Below full-length last year on MNRK Heavy. Produced, mixed, and mastered by Duane Simoneaux at OCD Recording And Production in Metairie, Louisiana, Zero And Below is the band’s most unforgivably doom-driven record since their 1998 landmark effort, Odd Fellows Rest. Led by Windstein, with guitarist Matt Brunson, bassist Shane Wesley, and drummer Tommy Buckley, songs like “Chemical Godz,” “It’s Always Worth The Gain,” and “Bleeding From Every Hole” are unapologetic emotional outpourings, with a bare-knuckle resolve alongside its soul-searching vulnerability, reliably delivered with crushing heaviness.
Posted in Questionnaire on July 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
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: Jeff “JD” Dennis of Lie Heavy
—
How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I create music w/ other people. I use my musical instincts and drums as a vehicle to do that.
Describe your first musical memory.
My Mom spinning records on our console stereo.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Signing my first record deal. Recording that first record & touring to support it.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Becoming aware of the true nature of organized religion changed my whole worldview & understanding of what it means to be a good human. And, how that can be accomplished without the presence of religion in my life.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Artistic progression leads to a sense of accomplishment. And, a realization that there’s so much farther you can go.
How do you define success?
In younger years success meant something different than it does now. Now, success just means accomplishing a goal.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
The death of my Mom because of cancer.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I would like to create a drum-centric piece of music utilizing loops of live tracks in different time signatures.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To push boundaries and make people think.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I always look forward to my next fly fishing trip.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Following up on a video for the track “Blankets” that was unveiled in June with the first word of Blood Lightning‘s self-titled debut, Ripple Music has confirmed an Oct. 20 release for that album. The metal-leaning heavy project from members of — yes I’m doing the list; it’s a fun list — Gozu, We’re all Gonna Die, Sam Black Church and Worshipper (among others) got their start as a live one-off and, whoops, I guess somebody started writing songs. Then recording them. They’ve been trickling out singles since late 2021 with “The Dying Starts,” and that track will open the album, so that’s two out of five originals already public. A not-insubstantial sampling for a record that’s still the better part of three months out. And yeah, I’d be up for hearing them take on Black Sabbath‘s “Disturbing the Priest.” Of course.
Blood Lightning join a busy Fall for Ripple. In addition to the new LP from Blood Lightning‘s fellow Bostonians Kind out Aug. 11, recent announcements have been made for albums from Moon Coven (Aug. 25), Fire Down Below (Sept. 8), Dead Feathers (Sept. 22), La Chinga (Oct. 6) and Appalooza, who share Blood Lightning‘s release date of Oct. 20. It’s to the label’s credit that none of these releases steps too hard on the toes of the others sound-wise, and if you don’t think we’re living in a guilded age for heavy music, well, think about a leading label putting out stuff basically every other week from now until mid-Fall with more maybe to come before the end of the year, and then get back to me.
The PR wire has it like this:
Boston heavy metal supergroup BLOOD LIGHTNING to release debut album on Ripple Music this fall; watch new video “Blankets” now!
Boston-based heavy metal supergroup BLOOD LIGHTNING (with members of GOZU, Sam Black Church, Worshipper, We’re All Gonna Die) team up with US powerhouse Ripple Music for the release of their self-titled debut this October 13th. Watch their brand new video for “Blankets” now!
Watch Blood Lightning’s fire it up on new “Blankets” video Single available now on all digital streaming services
Formed in December 2020, Blood Lightning brings together the talents of vocalist Jim Healey (We’re All Gonna Die), guitarist Doug Sherman (GOZU), bassist Bob Maloney (Worshipper) and drummer J.R. Roach (Sam Black Church). What began as a 2019 Halloween show playing the entire Black Sabbath “Born Again” album just for fun has culminated in the release of original material by four veterans of the Boston metal/hardcore community.
Blood Lightning was formed with one thing in mind: get back to the real essence of heavy metal. No pretense. No subgenres to fit into. Only badass, straightforward, hard-hitting heavy metal with a nod to old school NWOBHM with contemporary firepower. They teamed up with award-winning producer and engineer Benny Grotto (Rolling Stones, Aerosmith), and mastering legend Alan Douches (Motörhead, Mastodon, High On Fire) to record five original songs and one Black Sabbath cover over the course of 2021 and 2022.
They were also honored to be nominated in 2021 and 2022 for Metal Artist of the Year by the Boston Music Awards. The band recently signed with acclaimed Stoner/Doom/Metal label, Ripple Music, and is excited to take the next step in that partnership to bring some new music to the masses.
BLOOD LIGHTNING “Blood Lightning” Out October 20th on Ripple Music
TRACKLIST: 1. The Dying Starts 2. Hitting The Wall 3. Bananaconda 4. Face Eater 5. Blankets 6. Disturbing The Priest
BLOOD LIGHTNING is Jim Healey – Vocals Doug Sherman – Guitars Bob Maloney – Bass J.R. Roach – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Cali heavy psych rockers Nebula were announced for Desertfest Belgium in April, so the prospect of their heading to Europe this Fall was right there almost from the start of 2023, but it’s worth noting that as this tour is revealed in its totality, this is the third month out of this year that the long-running trio founded by guitarist/vocalist Eddie Glass will spend on the road. They did Europe in Spring only after traipsing across the US in the company of New Jersey’s The Atomic Bitchwax, and as they continue to support 2022’s Transmission From Mothership Earth (review here) and ply their wares in unhinged trippy punker scuzz fuzz, they show no signs of stopping. They did similar runs for most of 2022. Off you go.
Goes without saying that you should help if you can. The dates follow here, as seen on the PR wire:
Heavy psychedelic rock legends NEBULA announce extensive European fall tour; more festival appearances confirmed!
Legendary Californian heavy psych rockers NEBULA return to Europe this fall with an extensive tour including appearances at Desertfest Belgium, Up In Smoke Festival and Heavy Psych Sounds Fest.
Fired up by their two-month spring tour, the godfathers of modern heavy psychedelia NEBULA are set to take over Europe again this September and October, with no less than 30 shows across the old continent! The trio fronted by guitar legend Eddie Glass will keep supporting their 2022 album “Transmission From Mothership Earth” (Heavy Psych Sounds Records). Prepare to embark on a groove-drenched cruise…
NEBULA EUROPEAN TOUR 2023 28/09 It Bologna – Freakout 29/09 It Savona – Raindogs 30/09 Ch Pratteln – Up In Smoke Festival 03/10 Es Leon – Babylon 04/10 Pt Porto – Woodstock 69 05/10 Pt Lisbon – Rca Club 06/10 Es Jerez De La Frontiera – La Guarida Del Angel 07/10 Es Tabernas – Desert Rock Fest 08/10 Es Madrid – Wurlitzer Ballroom 09/10 Es – Bilbao – Kafe Antzokia 10/10 Fr Capbreton – Le Circus 11/10 Fr Nantes – Cold Crash 12/10 UK London – Oslo 13/10 UK Bournemouth – Bear Cave 14/10 UK Sheffield – Record Junkie 15/10 UK Glasgow – Ivory Blacks 16/10 UK Bradford – The Underground 17/10 UK Tba 18/10 ***Open Slot*** 19/10 ***Open Slot*** 20/10 Be Antwerp – Desertfest Belgium 21/10 De Frankfurt – Tba 22/10 De Münster – Rare Guitar 23/10 Nl Den Haag – Paard 24/10 ***Open Slot*** 25/10 NL Apeldoorn – Gigant 26/10 ***Open Slot*** 27/10 De Dresden – Heavy Psych Sounds Fest 28/10 De Berlin – Heavy Psych Sounds Fest
German megasludgers Earthbong are set to issue their third album, Church of Bong, Aug. 25 on tape via Evil Noise Recordings, with Black Farm Records vinyl to follow shortly thereafter. The Kiel-based three-piece issued their Proceed as One EP earlier this year, and have been basking in dense, low, 100MG-per-gummy riffing since their first demo in 2018 (review here), plunging deeper into resinous muck with their 2018 debut album, One Earth One Bong, and 2020’s Bong Rites (review here), the abiding idolatry amid all the rumble and semi-caustic noise being directed to the ultra-dug-in heavy likes of Bongzilla and a tonal attack that should remind of Conan, volume begetting volume in duly excessive proportion. Riffs piled on riffs piled on you, that kind of thing.
Church of Bong — perhaps a play on Belgian post-metallers Amenra‘s self-proclaimed ‘church of Ra?’; part of me hopes so — is two tracks and 39 minutes long, which considering the first two records both topped an hour feels like a direct choice of a single LP format. With it, the three-piece of bassist/vocalist Mersel “Selly” Nuhiji, guitarist Claas “Ogo” Ogorek and drummer Tommy Handschick offer the on-theme “Bong Aeterna” (18:59) and “Dies Bongrae” (20:36; video premiering below) as respective A and B sides, putting ars gratia artis to a test against purposefully wretched tectonic largesse. “Smoke weed until you fucking die,” chants the second cut in repetitions as the back half unfolds, answering the destructive lurch of its predecessor with a likeminded swallowing-whole vibe, even if for being so cannabinoid Earthbong don’t forget to make friends with some fungus either. The doom of shroom, perhaps, sneaking its way into the band’s sonic lair, which one imagines as a cavern filled with grow lights, meticulously arranged rows of pointy leaves sticking into the makeshift aisles; no pesticides, no actual sunlight, and life blossoming just the same. Chlorophyll is some magical shit.
And on the walls of that cavern, a lysergic fungus grows that manifests itself fluidly in both “Bong Aeterna” and “Dies Bongrae.” Look. I know there’s a whole league of bands around with ‘bong’ in their name, and for-stoner-by-stoner riff worship isn’t necessarily new, but if you let Earthbong go as a result of prejudice against either, you miss out. Not just on the onslaught. Building off of where they were Bong Rites, Nuhiji, Ogorek and Handschick bring a jammy chemistry to the procession of Church of Bong, resulting in pieces that are laid back even as they seem to be gnashing very large and monstrously sharp teeth. “Bong Aeterna,” after about seven minutes of extreme sludge lumber and death-stench zombie march, uses feedback and downwardly cascading tom hits to shift smoothly and gradually into a bassy exploration that still holds some residual threat — make no mistake, they come back huge after the 12-minute mark — but is much more subdued in its actual form, ambient guitar flourish joining the rhythm section’s steady flow.
If you’ve already been hypnotized or made swollen to the point of numbness by the first section of the song, it would be easy to miss, but that relatively brief jam is a part of the growth that Earthbong have undertaken over the last half-decade. In an aesthetic — they call it ‘bong metal,’ which I guess is fair enough; you could go with ‘bong doom’ to emphasize the riffs, but that’s splitting hairs — that seems to tout willful regression among its tenets in fostering big riffs played loudly, shouted over if possible and glacial in tempo, such divergence is notable, and “Dies Bongrae” follows suit structurally, fading in on biting feedback for its first minute before even thinking about introducing a riff, plunging into an abyss of sludgy nod and periodic bellowing. There are definitely lyrics to “Dies Bongrae” beyond the above-noted “Smoke weed till you fucking die,” but the last time that line is delivered as the song moves past its own 12th minute is especially punishing with an additional layer of shout joining the rasping growl. The turn happens there, and the included jam feels daringly mellow before it builds to layers of psych-tinged guitar shred, comes back screaming and giant-sloths its way to a sensory overload of a finish, feedback, soloing, throatrippers, crash, the whole deal. It’s like Earthbong decided to finish Church of Bong by razing the building, and maybe that’s the right idea.
With monolithic realization, Earthbong stand astride their third record with a sure notion of themselves as a group and a sense of spontaneity if not improvisation that complements the ur-stone doom revelry. The trio performed “Dies Bongrae” (a somewhat shorter version at just under 17 minutes) in January for a livestream event, and you can see the result premiering below. In a word, you would call it ‘heavy.’
Please enjoy:
Earthbong, “Dies Bongrae” video premiere
Earthbong on “Dies Bongrae”:
Dies Bongrae is the second song of our new album Church Of Bong. The title is a bongification of the roman rite requiem dies irae (day of wrath), which is also cited musically in the middle of the song. The message of the song is this: SMOKE WEED UNTIL YOU FUCKING DIE!
The live video is part of a video live session that was recorded on January 14th 2023 in Lübeck as a part of the localconcerts.stream-project.
ONE EARTH ONE BONG
Dies Bongrae is the second song of Earthbong’s new album CHURCH OF BONG that will be out on August 25th 2023 through Black Farm Records and Evil Noise Recordings.
Church Of Bong was written over the course of the past three years. The final form of the album was recorded live at Dickfehler Studio / East Frisia in August 2022 by Hanno Janssen and Johnny Röhl. The cover artwork was once again made by Rino Pelli who is the artist behind all album covers of the band. The album will be released on vinyl through Black Farm Records (France) and tape through Evil Noise Recordings (Norway).
Digital and tape release is set for August 25th 2023. On this day pre-order for the vinyl edition starts, too. Vinyl release of Church Of Bong is scheduled for November 2023.
A repress of their sold-out 2nd album Bong Rites and a vinyl release of their first album One Earth One Bong which was only released on tape so far are both scheduled for November 2023, too. Both albums will be released as double LP through Black Farm Records.
Earthbong is: Mersel (Selly) Nuhiji: bass + vocals Claas (Ogo) Ogorek: guitar Thomas (Tommy) Handschick: drums
I guess the thing about this record is it’s still so relevant in my head that I somehow don’t think it’s ready for a revisit. Yeah, Elephant Tree have put out another album since this one — this one being their 2016 self-titled debut (review here) and the follow-up being 2020’s Habits (review here) — and I’ll admit I hadn’t put the album on in a while, but seven years after its release, I still kind of feel like I’m getting to know it.
Released through Magnetic Eye, the eight-song self-titled landed with a declarative thud, and not just in Sam Hart‘s drumming. It followed the London-based then-trio’s debut EP, 2014’s Theia (review here), with a remarkable forward step in terms of melodies, harmonies, riffs, songwriting, atmosphere, emotion, identity, production and reach. And I’m not knocking Theia at all — it was on my list of the best debut albums of 2014; at 28 minutes, it’s always been back and forth on whether it’s an EP or LP; for our purposes here, let’s hindsight it as an EP — but where that release had a thread of screamy sludge, the self-titled replaced that with lush heavy psychedelic rock, lightly progressive in a way Habits would build on, and marked a beginning for Elephant Tree in transitioning sitarist/vocalist Riley MacIntyre (whom I met in NYC in 2019 and was lovely) to the role of producer/collaborator and honing in on the dual vocals of guitarist Jack Townley and bassist Peter Holland (also Trippy Wicked, ex-Stubb) as key to the persona of the band.
The trade was aggression for melodic uplift, and with songs like “Wither” picking up after the settle-down-and-catch-your-breath-before-we-get-going intro “Spore” with such an immediate pull-in of a nod, “Echoes” with its bassy swing verse and fuzzwall hook, or closer “Surma,” all melodic reaffirmation becoming an outward drifting fade and poignant standalone guitar ending, if Elephant Tree was their first full-length, it was among the best debuts of the 2010s. There’s precious little secret to why or how it works, and that’s part of the appeal too: tonal largesse set to choice rolling grooves, thoughtfully arranged harmonies and songwriting unshakable even in its heaviest parts. Elephant Tree weren’t trying to be cagey in style or cloying as they played to genre. They made a record that was theirs and made the case for what they could bring to heavy rock. Obviously their arguments were persuasive, or I probably wouldn’t be sitting here wondering when their next album is going to happen (will probably be a bit; more on why below).
“Circles,” led by acoustic guitar with a soft, emotive delivery and a hook that follows the pattern of songs like “Echoes” and the first half of “Aphotic Blues” is the shortest piece at a little over three minutes, but its effect on the ambience of the whole LP shouldn’t be discounted, and neither its interplay with “Dawn” before or “Aphotic Blues” just after, the key/drone-backed strum going gently to silence as the listener rounds a corner and discovers the minotaur of a riff that launches “Aphotic Blues.” A that riff kind of riff, and not the only one in the song, which if it needs to be said is a highlight. The verse, particularly luxuriant and blossomed further in the second than the first — as it should be given the build unfolding — and chorus open at 2:43 to the confessional lyrics, “I need a way to escape my head/I need a way to get by/I need somebody to rescue me/I need a word or a sign,” feeling that much more honest for their plain language.
But they’re still moving slowly, patiently. Not forcing it. Not doing too much or too little. At 3:23, they break to crackling and humming amps as they gather themselves for the instrumental two and a half minutes to come, which are a cathartic celebration of hair-raising riffs and an invitation to let oneself go and be carried by the rhythm. Seven years after the fact, I still heartily recommend doing so. And seven years after the fact, I’m not sure I ever fully appreciated the contrast between “Dawn,” otherwise known as the coming of light, and “Aphotic Blues,” the title of which refers to an absence of light. Couple that with a renewed affection for the watery flourish in the jammy stretch of “Echoes” and the bass hitting early in “Dawn” and just that line in the chorus of “Circles” that goes “The sky just the same as the ocean/The space between me and my home,” and Elephant Tree‘s Elephant Tree still sounds fresh to my ears.
And I’ll say as well, I had just about entirely forgotten the penultimate “Fracture,” which is a little rawer in sound, with a distorted vocal and a massive riff at its finish that dirties up some of the nicer, cleaner, friendlier aspects of the record. I don’t know if it was written earlier than some of the other material, or later, but it comes across now as somewhat set apart for its more introverted feel on a release that’s so much about reaching out. Rather than interrupting the oh-so-vital flow, it adds dynamic to the spaciousness; changing it up without sacrificing momentum. I’ll note that “Circles,” as second to last on side A, was also a point of departure, so a bit of vinyl-minded mirroring there, if manifest differently.
Earlier this year, Elephant Tree let it be known that Townley had suffered a bad accident and been in the hospital for weeks. That led to cancelations for spring appearances and whatever plans might’ve been in the works for earlier this summer, but the band will return to the stage at Krach am Bach in Germany on Aug. 4 and they’re booked for a return appearance at Høstsabbat in Oslo this October, where I hope I’ll get to see them again. As for the aforementioned next record, expectations are high after Habits, which deserved much more of a touring cycle than it got, and I’ve got my fingers crossed for 2024, but of course I know nothing, basically ever, so there you go. I’ll gladly take it whenever it may arrive.
As always, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.
—
It’s 5:18AM as I finish the above. I’m on the couch as usual with the laptop, but instead of the regular room lamp I’ve got my phone flashlight set under a less-than-half-full gallon jug to make a dim water light in hopes that The Pecan can stay asleep longer. When her air conditioning is on — which it is because the Northeast is getting the heatwave that caused so much misery in the South last week — the air pressure in her room changes, and her door, like the majority of doors in this house, is broken. It doesn’t have the part that keeps the door closed in the jamb. So the change in air pressure as a result of the air conditioner blowing pulls the door open. The nub that retracts and pops out. This lets more light in from downstairs when I’m awake and writing and my sense is that pretty much the first time she rolls over and semiconsciously processes that there’s light on downstairs, she comes down. The water light experiment is to see if a dimmer light will be less noticeable through her pain in the ass door. That she was up yesterday at 5:03 and that it’s 5:23 now gives me a ‘maybe’ to work from.
She was at zoo camp this week. Yeah, I know zoos are immoral as fuck. They are. You should not capture wild, undomesticated animals and put them in cages. But I’m sorry, I don’t have the money to fly to Australia to show my kid what a kangaroo is or why she should give a crap about whether or not they go extinct, so a zoo provides a worthy function in my mind. The Turtle Back Zoo is a regular spot for us; it’s close by, a good walk, has a train and carousel in addition to the animals, touch tank with stingrays, the whole bit. She’s had a great time at camp by all accounts, and after last week getting kicked out of the last camp with one day left — which still feels like a kick in the balls; one fucking day! so close! — even though there have been a few bumps and the counselor has talked to The Patient Mrs. and I at pickup every day about what she’s doing, that she’s getting through is an improvement. But we’ve been at the house all week anxiously looking at the phone hoping it doesn’t ring.
No one tells you when you have a kid just how much of your life is going to be spent in absolute terror. That’s probably a good thing for the continuation of the species.
Next week is farm camp — as I’ve noted before, The Patient Mrs. (through whom all things are possible) lined up this whole amazing summer for her — and that’s a half-day, so less stress on the parental end and maybe a break for the kid as well. But we proceed.
I guess SonicBlast is in like a week and a half. I’m not ready. I’ve never been there before. I’m nervous. I felt the same way before Freak Valley though and lived to tell the tale, so yeah. I need to see if I have a ride from the airport to, uh, wherever the hell I’m going once I land in Portugal.
Next week is first though. My notes feel like a mess but they’re actually not and I’ve got stuff slated into November at this point (not everything through then is full, mind you), with premieres next week for Earthbong, Coltaine and The World at a Glance, hopefully a review of the new Ararat, and whatever else I can fit in. Thanks if you check any of it out. Thanks if you at all dug into the Quarterly Review that ended earlier this week. Again, every time, thanks for reading.
I hope you have a great and safe weekend. Have fun if you can, hydrate, watch your head, take deep breaths. We’re going to swim at my sister’s husband’s family’s house (like my family, they’re also just up the road in the neighborhood) and will probably blast far too much air conditioning as we play Zelda. Whatever you’re up to, hope you enjoy, and thanks one more time for reading.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 28th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Virginia Beach heavy rock stalwarts Freedom Hawk have announced a run of tour dates will follow their appearance at RPM Fest in Massachusetts on Sept. 2. Making a stop in Brooklyn, where in my experience they’re always well received, they’ll also head to Canada for gigs in Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and Québec before cutting south, stopping in Maine and making their presence known in the home of Maryland Doom Fest, Cafe 611 in Frederick. A homecoming show on Sept. 16 rounds out following a TBA that, if you can help of course you should do that.
As they did for a corresponding two weeks in December, Freedom Hawk sally forth in support of 2022’s Take All You Can (review here), which was issued through Ripple Music and once more demonstrated the unflappable solidity if their approach, as well as the current of classic metal floating beneath all that double-guitar fuzz. With songwriting at their core and a catalog of killer tunes as the result, Freedom Hawk circa 2023 are veterans with little to prove and much to offer, particularly to those who’d make their way to a show.
If that’s you, you’ll find them in the following places on the following dates:
FREEDOM HAWK – \\TOUR ALERT//
Hey Y’all,
The Hawk is Flying North for the Summer!! Stoked to get out of the nest for a couple of headlining shows, RPM Fest….and stoked to visit/re-visit some killer spots and support the amazing @1000mods on a few dates and @mondogenerator !!
Come Rawk Out with your Hawk Out!! (#129311#)(#129413#)(#129311#) Peace, ~FH~
Dates: 09/02/23 RPM Fest, Montague, MA 09/03/23 Kingsland, Brooklyn, NY 09/05/23 West Side Bowl, Youngstown, OH 09/06/23 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA^ 09/07/23 The Stone Church – Brattleboro, VT^ 09/08/23 Dominion Tavern – Ottawa, ON^ 09/09/23 Lee’s Palace – Toronto, ON^ 09/10/23 Piranha Bar – Montréal , QC^ 09/12/23 La Source de la Martinière – Québec, QC^ 09/13/23 Geno’s Rock Club – Portland, ME^ 09/14/23 Cafe 611, Frederick, MD# 09/15/23 TBA 09/16/23 Bunker Brewpub, Virginia Beach, VA
^ w/ 1000Mods # w/ Mondo Generator
Tour Poster and Shirt Art provided by the one and only @steven_yoyada – available at the shows too!
Posted in Questionnaire on July 28th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
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: Liam Shanley of Bin Chicken, Meleyahnsali & The Mausoliam
—
How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
I play guitar and a few of the other instruments one could expect to encounter in a rock setting. I also record myself and others. Lastly I make electronic music as Meleyahnsali. I’ve been fortunate enough to try these things out enough times to have gotten alright at them.
Describe your first musical memory.
Listening to classic rock and Irish music at the house or in my mom’s car.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Putting out my band Bin Chicken’s first album.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
I like to think I’m capable of achieving my loftiest ambitions but I’ve had collaborations end up being disappointing despite my best efforts.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Hopefully towards something truly unique and original. But in a less literal sense, to a great understanding of life and one’s place in it.
How do you define success?
Finishing and releasing a project is the hard part. Anything that happens after that is icing on the cake.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
An opossum that had recently been run over but wasn’t dead yet lying on the street, hissing.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I haven’t yet put something out on vinyl. I’d also like to release an album in the zeuhl style.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
A work of art should capture something meaningful or beautiful about life so that you can experience and ponder that thing through the given work of art.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
