A Geezer and Isaak split LP is an easy win for the universe. It’s out May 17, and I feel like that’s probably all I need to say, except to point out that I’m glad Geezer‘s “Little Voices” is coming out. That song was recorded when the Kingston, New York, trio were in Woodstock to track their 2022 album, Stoned Blues Machine (review here). On side B, Genoa, Italy’s Isaak — who were all-caps on their 2023 album, Hey (review here), which was their first full-length in eight years — have three tracks featuring collaborations with members of Liquido di Morte, Nerve and Ufomammut and they specifically promise an experimentalist ethic that is sure to expand their own sonic palette. Given the righteously cumbersome title Interstellar Cosmic Blues and the Riffalicious Stoner Dudes, the split already carries a lighthearted and unpretentious vibe that should fit nicely in the respective catalogs of both outfits.

First word came down the PR wire a bit ago, and you can stream “Little Voices” down at the bottom. Preorders and whatnot included:

Heavy Psych Sounds to announce split album GEEZER // ISAAK – Interstellar Cosmic Blues & The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes – presale starts TODAY !!!

Today we are stoked to start the presale of a brand new split album featuring the US blues rockers GEEZER and the Italian heavy stoners ISAAK.

The release is called INTERSTELLAR COSMIC BLUES & THE RIFFALICIOUS STONER DUDES !!!

RELEASE DATE: MAY 17th

ALBUM PRESALE: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS306

USA PRESALE: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop-usa.htm

RELEASED IN
10 ULTRA LTD TEST PRESS VINYL
100 ULTRA LTD COLOR IN COLOR TRANSP. BACK. RED/SPLATTER BLUE VINYL
350 LTD BLUE VINYL
BLACK VINYL
DIGIPAK
DIGITAL

TRACKLIST
SIDE A
Acid Veins (Geezer)
Little Voices (Geezer)
Mercury Rising (Geezer)
Oneirophrenia (Geezer)

SIDE B
The Whale (Isaak)
Crisis (Isaak)
Flat Earth (Isaak)

ALBUM DESCRIPTION

GEEZER

As the “Interstellar Cosmic Blues” half of this EP, we consider these songs to be some of the best that we’ve produced. Songs that could all be “singles” all on their own. And they better be because “The Riffalicious Stoner Dudes” brought some savage riffage of their own! Put it all together with amazing artwork by Mirkow Gastow and release it on Heavy Psych Sounds, the BEST record label on the planet… and you’ve got all the makings of a great record! A modern classic right out of the box. Dig it!

Songs 1 & 4 Recorded and Mixed by David Andersen at the Artfarm (Accord, New York)
Songs 2 & 3 Recorded and Mixed by Chris Bittner at the Applehead Recording (Woodstock, New York)
All Songs Mastered by Scott Craggs

GEEZER are:
Pat Harrington – vocals/guitar
Richie Touseull – bass
Steve Markota – drums

ISAAK

Art comes from change and experimentation.
These three songs are exactly that.
Three songs, three different souls.

This recording session is born from the collaboration of some friends invited by the band, and these are:

Fabio Cuomo from Gotho & Liquido di Morte – THE WHALE
Fabio Palombi from Nerve & Burn the Ocean – CRISIS
And last but not the least, Levre from Ufomammut – FLAT EARTH

ISAAK is
Giacomo Boeddu – vocals
Francesco Raimondi – guitars
Gabriele Carta – bass
Davide Foccis – drums

https://www.instagram.com/geezertown/
https://www.facebook.com/geezerNY/
http://geezertown.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/isaakmusic/
https://www.facebook.com/isaakband
http://isaakmusic.bandcamp.com/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Geezer, “Little Voices”

Just when you think you’ve got “02Kid” figured out, that’s when the keyboard hits. The first time I heard it, I thought a song started playing in a different browser tab or something, but no, it’s there, and as the emergently amorphous Buenos Aires-based outfit headed by Sergio Chotsourian (aka Sergio Ch.) move on from their 2023 fifth LP, La Rendición Del Hombre (review here), the new song comes coupled with word of a re-revamped lineup that brings Gaston Gullo to the drummer role and finds Chotsourian on bass and vocals alone, where the album also featured his work on guitar.

Change is nothing new for Ararat, and if you count the violin added to La Rendición Del Hombre by Federico Terranova or 2022’s Volumen IV (review here), this isn’t their first time as a duo either. As Chotsourian‘s post-Los Natas oeuvre has grown more experimental, from his acoustic-rooted solo work to varied projects like Ararat, Brno, Soldati, and so on, it’s not really a surprise to see that show up in Ararat‘s sound as it arguably has since their 2009 debut, Musica de la Resistencia (review here) — though that creative reach has gotten broader — but what is new here is the shape that takes. Stripped to its barest parts in bass and drums, much of “02Kid” feels like a rehearsal demo that effectively resets the band. They’ve gone to ground, aurally speaking.

But that’s fair enough too when the context is so open. That is to say, Chotsourian has covered a lot of ground with Ararat, from some of his heaviest, most doomed work to-date to the rawer rumble of Volumen IV, which feels relevant here in terms of the bass/drums construction of the band and a similar focus on low end and nod at the foundation. As to how “02Kid” might speak to what to expect from Ararat going forward, I won’t hazard a guess. It could be “02Kid” is part of an album already in the can — it would make a great candidate for the second of however many tracks included — or it could be a one-off to test out the chemistry of the Chotsourian/Gullo collaboration. All I know is it’s five minutes of new Ararat, there’s a video, and you’ll find it below.

It’s wait and see beyond that, but Chotsourian is prolific enough that it never seems egregiously long to find out where he’s headed next. Until then, enjoy:

Ararat, “02Kid” official video

VIDEO OFICIAL DEL NUEVO SINGLE DE ARARAT – 02KID
PRODUCIDO POR SERGIO CH.
VIDEO REALIZADO POR SERGIO CH.

SERGIO CH. – BASS & VOCALS
GASTON GULLO – BATERIA

Ararat, La Rendición Del Hombre (2023)

Ararat on Facebook

Sergio Ch. website

South American Sludge on Bandcamp

South American Sludge website

Some new names from Belgium’s Down the Hill Festival for the 2024 edition, bringing familiar parties like UK psychedelic novamakers Gnod and Mojo and the Kitchen Brothers, who you might remember were picked up last year by Lay Bare Recordings ahead of releasing their Mojo’s Heavy Cream LP this past Fall. The latter outfit — the one with the longer name, just to be clear — are making a return appearance after kicking things off in 2023, and Dutch heavy psych/classic rockers Rrrags are back for a second time as well, supporting their 2023 album, Mundi, also as it happens on Lay Bare.

Joining them and rounding out the list of five in this announcement — with seven names still to be unveiled as you can see on the poster below — are Desmond Dandies and Large Plants. The former are Belgian-based heavy garage-psych rockers with a strong current of later-’60s classicism running through last year’s 57 Heaven made modern through its still-organic production, and the latter is the acid-folk/neofolk-informed solo-project of UK songwriter Jack Sharp, formerly of Wolf People.

I’ll tell you honestly I hadn’t heard either Desmond Dandies or Large Plants before seeing their names here, and although when I started this post I intended just to put the Gnod stream at the bottom, I ended up with a player for each band because once I actually listened to them I couldn’t leave anybody out. That speaks to me of a lack of filler, which is something further to be appreciated about Down the Hill. Headliner still TBA. I wonder if it’ll be High on Fire, maybe Brant Bjork? This summer is packed front to back with tours in Europe, so the possibilities are vast, though if it had been Greenleaf or Rotor, I’d still think it was awesome.

The following was posted on socials:

It’s time for the weekend, so let’s add 5 more bands to next summer’s edition.

With GNOD you will dive head and body first into a powerfully new psychedelic maelstrom full of possibilities, we don’t think they need further introduction.

Large Plants started as a solo recording project for Jack Sharp, the singer and guitarist for Wolf People, characterized as psych rock, with a folkier, proggier and more fantastic feeling.

2nd time RRRags at Down The Hill, influences come from the heavy and psychedelic seventies with bands such as Grand Funk Railroad, Stooges, Pink Floyd and Hawkwind. This band also performs live with a blend of long, instrumental jams and heavy, catchy songs. In short, a party not to be missed for the true psych head!

Desmond Dandies, heavily inspired by the sound of the 60’s and all its side streams, they instinctively reproduce a genre that can’t be put into boxes. Live sets vary every show, pushing their musical limits, but always characterized by solid harmonized vocals, tight guitar riffs, and energetic rhythm section.

Mojo & The Kitchen Brothers, also the 2nd time playing DTH, last edition they opened the fest, now we give them a later spot, their catchy tunes, proggy riffs, deafening drums, roaring basslines and spacy, triple-guitar jams take the listener on a Janus-faced journey through the limbo between past and present.

Line up so far:
Greenleaf, Rotor, GNOD, Zone Six, B R I Q U E V I L L E, Large Plants, Full Earth, Vandal X, Doodseskader, Fuzzy Grass, RRRags, TAKH, Kozmotron, Desmond Dandies, Cuberdon, Mojo and The Kitchen Brothers and CRANC

And of course our DJ’s Cosmic Masseur, 7” of Riffs and Coconaut.

Tickets are selling fast!

Write it down into your agenda… the end of August, awesome party in Rillaar, aka Down The Hill.

Go to www.downthehill.be to get your tickets.

So… 7 more names to add to this already great line-up.

Headliner will be announced very shortly!

Keep an eye on our socials. Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/319457490570582/

https://www.facebook.com/DownTheHillFestival/
http://www.downthehill.be/

Gnod, Hexen Valley (2022)

Rrrags, Mundi (2023)

Mojo and the Kitchen Brothers, Mojo’s Heavy Cream (2023)

Large Plants, “The Death of Pliny” (2021)

Desmond Dandies, 57 Heaven (2023)

In addition to a slot at Treefort Music Fest in Boise, Idaho, on March 22 and a three-pack of dates in the company of Matt Pike‘s Pike vs. the Automaton, the upcoming West Coast tour from Montana heavy rockers Wizzerd will lead to their return appearance at Rocky Mountain Riff Fest (info here), to be held April 20 in the band’s native Kalispell.

The four-piece toured this past Fall in support of 2022’s Space‽: Issue No. 001 (review here), hitting the Midwest and touching on the Eastern Seaboard, so a Spring complement along the Pacific (and inland) seems about right. They had talked at that point about moving on toward their next release, whatever shape that might ultimately take, and while this tour is substantial, I don’t see it precluding a focus on new material at all. What, if they play a couple new songs live it’s gonna hurt the next record? The opposite seems much likelier.

Either way — and mind you I don’t know that they’ll be playing new songs at all on the run — they continue to put their work in. The shows were posted on socials thusly:

⚡️TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT⚡️
We’re pleased to announce the Equinox Tour! We can’t wait to get back out on the west coast, and there are some real doozies on this one. More news coming very soon, but for now we’ll see you at one of the dates below…
Details at the link in our bio!
•
3/16 – Kalispell, MT – Eagles
3/22 – Boise, ID – @treefortfest
3/23 – Salt Lake City, UT – @aceshighsaloon_slc
3/24 – Las Vegas, NV – Dive Bar
3/26 – Tempe, AZ – @yuccataproom
3/27 – Los Angeles, CA – @theredwoodbarandgrill
3/29 – Oceanside, CA – @pourhouseoceanside
3/30 – Yucca Valley, CA – @giantrockmeetingroom
4/1 – Santa Cruz, CA – @bluelagoonsc
4/2 – San Francisco, CA – @theknockoutsf
4/3 – Eureka, CA – @solarsiren
4/5 – Portland, OR – @dantesportland *
4/6 – Bremerton, WA – @tracytonmoviehouse *
4/7 – Seattle, WA – @elcorazonseattle *
4/20 – Kalispell, MT – @rockymtnrifffest
*=with Pike vs the Automaton

Poster by @isaacpasswaterillustration

Wizzerd is:
Guitar/Vocals – Jhalen Salazar
Guitar – Jamie Yeats
Drums – Sam Moore
Bass – Layne Matkovich

https://www.facebook.com/wizzerddoom
https://www.instagram.com/wizzerddoom/
https://wizzerd.bandcamp.com/

http://www.fuzzoramarecords.com/
http://www.facebook.com/Fuzzorama
https://fuzzoramarecords1.bandcamp.com/

Wizzerd, Space: Issue No. 001 (2022)

This Friday, Pittsburgh drone guitarist Emilio Rizzo, otherwise known as Fuzznaut, will release the new single “Sufferlove,” as the first outing from the project since 2022’s Apophenia (review here) full-length. And like that album, “Sufferlove” cries out into empty space with solo guitar and unmitigated breadth, creating and inhabiting an atmosphere that draws the listener further across the five-and-a-half-minute expanse. Cycles of ‘riff’ bleed in amid the ambient sprawl, and with a title that perhaps hints toward its expressive purpose, an emotional crux is conveyed along with the depth of tone and the weight that emerges in the second half of the piece.

That’s a contrast — tonally, between air and earth — which Rizzo readily identifies in his own work, and which is audible in the track itself. It comes through immediately in the meditative vibe at the outset of “Sufferlove,” which echoes out not too far removed from Lamp of the Universe before finding and exploring its own space as Fuzznaut makes it sound much easier to do than it actually is, and the harder, lower-noted distortion strum that arrives at 1:35 broadens the scope of the nonetheless hypnotic piece, which cycles through the back and forth again before a thoughtful bridge leads to the more open-sounding progression — the air — to finish, interpreting a classic structure from what in another context might’ve manifest as verse/chorus/verse with a clarity of intent in following a different path.

I’ve done a few premieres for Fuzznaut at this point. Both the video for “5184” that you can see below the entirety of Apophenia that’s also down there streaming made their debut here. As Rizzo perhaps looks to move forward from the 2022 LP and headed to another collection of one sort or another, “Sufferlove” brings quick assurance of progression in sound, and one would expect no less.

Whatever it may lead to, “Sufferlove” is out Friday as a standalone single, and its patience, resonance and groove live up to that challenge of representing Fuzznaut post-Apophenia.

Enjoy:

Emilio Rizzo on “Sufferlove”:

Meditation is the practice of death. A practice of immersion and dissociation. Similar to shoegazers staring at their pedals and shoes. Are they shy or fully immersed in their music that all they can do is stare at the ground? Present and absent. Sufferlove by guitarist Fuzznaut is the sonic performance of creating a state of non return. As intangible as that might be, the latest single brings mind bending tones that are further grounded in shoegaze. However, the guitarist continues to inject crushing down tuned riffs in between the flurry of pitch bending vibrato, and fuzzed out drones. At 5:33 seconds one cannot help to be engaged in the flurry of tones, and either be lifted or grounded. Either way it’s a trip to another sonic dimension.

Fuzznaut
“Sufferlove”
Single 2/2024
Digital Release
Independent
Time: 5:33

Mixed and MASTERED BY Fuzznaut at Leafy Brain Sounds 2023-2024.
Artwork by Fuzznaut

Fuzznaut, “5184” official video

Fuzznaut, Apophenia (2022)

Fuzznaut on Instagram

Fuzznaut on Facebook

Fuzznaut on Bandcamp

Port Orchard, Washington, heavy rockers Kitsa release their debut album, Dead by Dawn, this weekend in collaboration with Music Abuse Records and at a release show joined by Mos Generator and Chameleons. The event page is linked below, should you be in the area, and the eight-track release, which will be on CD and vinyl in addition to the download, is a cause worth supporting, with a direct take on ’90s-style grunge and alt rock put through a filter of modern and heavier tonality. In its melodies, its flashes of Southern-via-Pacific-Northwest semi-twang, with the title-track representing well what the band calls a Nazareth influence (fair enough, not arguing) and feels like the path there came via Jar of Flies era Alice in Chains or how Jerry Cantrell always leaned a little country.

On Dead by Dawn, it’s part of the pastiche, not the whole sound, and if you’re listening to opener “Seeds of Famine,” you might wonder where the hell I’m getting this from. But elements there of crunch in the guitar of Chris Pound (Deepwater) and the groove built around his chugging riff by bassist Jeremy Deede (Teepee Creeper) and drummer Randy Fort (Abused) give vocalist Skot Davis a righteous backdrop for the hookcraft in “Seeds of Famine,” which even before the sun turns sepia on subsequent the title-track gives hints of open spaces in the shift into its chorus. The character of that emerges across the album works across two sides — four cuts per — and saves the outright heaviest moments for cuts deeper into the procession like “Hate” and the penultimate “Journeyman,” which roll out thick and lumbering ahead of the faster, not-a-Misfits-cover finale “She.”

And in “She,” as well as its side-A-capper counterpart “Wasteland,” Kitsa proffer melodies reminiscent of C.O.C.‘s Blind while setting forth on their own take, particularly in the layered guitar work of “She” and the churning movement of a midsection that straightens out to make the record’s last shove before the guitar solo brings the end. The ultra-catchy “Downhill” — which reminds listeners where the shit goes and which is one of those songs Kitsa just might have to play at every show for as long as they’re a band — blends brood and a midtempo groove-rock nod en route back to its next chorus. These familiar aspects are hints more than direct sonic references — at least so far as I can tell — and bolstered though the vocals of Davis, whose low-in-mouth burl on “Dead by Dawn” touches on Chris Cornell in “Dead by Dawn,” taking a route to get there that will be recognizable to fans of Sasquatch, while subverting whoa-momma-hey-yeah-baby frontman caricature in his balance of dudeliness and range.

That same flexibility also adds to the impact on side B, as they pick up from the lighter strum of “Koi” into that brief instrumental’s bluesier stomp before “Hate” announces its arrival with immediate largesse in its riff. The heft subsides in the verse but is never far off, and “Journeyman” — which along with “Downhill” and “Wasteland” was one of three initial live demos re-recorded for the LP — awaits with reinforcement with a fervency of snap to its drums and a tension in its early going that makes most of the second half of the song feel like a payoff. It ends with Davis declaring himself the titular character and gives over to “She,” which is the longest inclusion at 5:31 and in summarizing much of what Kitsa have put forth as their sound on their first proper release, it leaves off with a sustained hum of distortion after one last showcase of dynamic pace and knows-where-it’s-coming-from songwriting.

If you read the first sentence above, there were two hints dropped even before Mos Generator were directly mentioned as regards an association with that band’s founding guitarist/vocalist, Tony Reed (also Big Scenic Nowhere and sundry concurrent projects), in “Port Orchard” and the association with Music Abuse Records. Reed produced Dead by Dawn, and the pro-shop sounds captured are balanced in the mix so that a detail like the headstock strum early in “Hate” can shine through even some of the otherwise most consuming moments. Suited to the ’90s vibe, the recording brings atmosphere and impact alike, and is only one more factor in helping distinguish Kitsa on their debut.

You can stream Dead by Dawn in its entirety on the player below, followed by more info from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

KITSA is a rousing heavy rock act hailing from the salted aura of Port Orchard, Washington. Launched in 2022, the band’s music is deeply rooted in weighty riffs, spanning various genres over several decades, with a deep nod to Pacific Northwest grunge.

With Elder, The Sword, Down, Alice In Chains, and Nazareth cited as some of their influences, the foursome of KITSA comprises members from eclectic bands, including Devilbilt, YEDD, Teepee Creeper, Pivot Point, Earthwreck, and Abused. In April 2023, KITSA released three incendiary live demo tracks recorded by Jeremy Deede and Tony Reed at Devils Child Records.

Later in 2023, the band set out to record their full-length debut, ‘Dead by Dawn.’ A melting pot of musical forces, the record features an assortment of sweet, sweeping vocal harmonies on the title track “Dead by Dawn,” the live fan favorite “Journeyman,” and a classic rock banger “Seeds of Famine.” Dead by Dawn is transcended by hard-hitting muscled tracks like “She” and “Hate.”

Dead by Dawn – Tracklist:
01. Seeds Of Famine
02. Dead By Dawn
03. Downhill
04. Wasteland
05. Koi
06. Hate
07. Journeyman
08. She

Dead By Dawn was produced by the venerable Tony Reed, with all songs written by KITSA. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Reed at APL and HeavyHead Recording Co. in October and November of 2023. The album’s intimidating artwork was created by the gifted Jerry Padilla and Rob Lorenz.

Upcoming Live Dates:
Feb. 24 – Bremerton, WA @ The Charleston – Record Release Show (w/ Mos Generator, Chameleons)
Apr. 06 – Bremerton, WA @ Redwood Theater (w/ Pike vs The Automaton, Wizzerd)

Release show event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/3690753154473870/

Kitsa are:
Skot Davis: Lead Vocals
Chris Pound: Guitar, Vocals
Randy Fort: Drums
Jeremy Deede: Bass

Kitsa on Facebook

Kitsa on Instagram

Kitsa on Bandcamp

Heading out from their home in Toulouse, France, on March 13 puts Karkara a little more than a week ahead of the arrival of their new album, All is Dust, which is out March 22. The record brings together heavy psych rock and classic impulses born of kraut and space rock(s) that feels current-gen in its expanded mindset, digging less into Easternism in terms of balance than did 2020’s Nowhere Land (review here), but still showing that dug-in side somewhat on the advance track “Anthropia” that you can stream below. Progressive in its texturing, it is nonetheless an easy, and pleasurable, ride to take into a communal unconscious.

Though some of the shows are split up — that is, the chunk of dates below isn’t all concurrent — gives a chance to see further ahead to the band’s summer plans, as they’ll make stops at Rabastock in July and Krach am Bach in August. They call this ‘the first round,’ so it wouldn’t be a surprise if a second one followed in summer, or certainly a stint through sundry Fall fests would be a possibility and will be all the more after the record, which is Karkara‘s third overall, lands next month. In the meantime, intermittent teaming with spacey spearheads Slift feels appropriate. You’ll find those dates noted below among the others in Europe and the UK.

Right under the poster, in blue. Can’t miss ’em:

Hello friends 🖤

We’re thrilled to announce the first round of the ALL IS DUST tour.

We’re sharing gigs with SLIFT on this so dig in 🖖✨

Can’t wait to see you all 👇

🇫🇷 13.03 – Toulouse, Le Bikini | w/ SLIFT
🇫🇷 29.03 – Ventabren, Secret Place
🇫🇷 30.30 – Marseille, L’Intermediaire Live
🇫🇷 31.03 – Chambery, Brin de Zinc
🇫🇷 02.04 – Dijon, Singe en Hiver Asso Mondofuzz
🇳🇱 03.04 – Luxembourg, Rockhal | w/ SLIFT
🇨🇭 04.04 – Zurich, Mascotte Club Zürich | w/ SLIFT
🇫🇷 05 .04 – Lyon, L’Épicerie Moderne / salle musiques actuelles | w/ SLIFT
🇫🇷 06.04 – Paris, La Mécanique Ondulatoire
🇫🇷 10.04 – Rouen, Le 3 Pièces Muzik’Club
🇫🇷 11.04 – Lille, La Bulle Café – Maison Folie Moulins
🇫🇷 12.04 – Ardres, Le saxhorn
🇧🇪 13.04 – Bruxelles, Cheval Marin Brussels
🇫🇷 15.04 – Vannes, Le barailleur
🇬🇧 16.05 – London, Strongroom
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 17.05 – Edinburgh, Bannermans Live
🇬🇧 19.05 – Newcastle, Star and Shadow. Wandering Oak
🇬🇧 21.05 – Leicester, The Musician
🇬🇧 23.05 – Lancaster, The kanteena
🇬🇧 24.05 – Bristol, The Lanes
🇬🇧 25.05 – Cambridge, TBA
🇧🇪 22.06 – Namur, Ramd’Âm
🇫🇷 20.07 – Rabastock Festival
🇩🇪 02.08 – Krach am Bach

Stolen Body Records | EXAG’ Records | Le Cèpe Records | Bullet Seed | NRV Promotion

LINE UP :
Karim Rihani – Guitar , Vocals , Didgeridoo
Hugo Olive – Bass
Maxime Marouani – Drums , Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/karkararock/
https://www.instagram.com/karkara_band/
https://karkara.bandcamp.com/

https://stolenbodyrecords.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/stolenbodyrecords/
https://www.instagram.com/stolenbodyrecords/

Karkara, All is Dust (2024)

Kind of a lower-key album announcement happening here as Maryland doom standard-bearers Spiral Grave unveil a video for “The Death of Ronnie M.” — as opposed to the death of Ronnie J. D., which I’m still not over — and send first word of the impending Ill Repute as a follow-up to the four-piece’s Argonauta-backed 2021 debut, Legacy of the Anointed (review here). That release was both proof-of-concept and a statement of intent for the band that pulled together vocalist “Screaming Mad Dee” Calhoun, bassist Louis “Iron Lou” Strachan and drummer Jason “Mot” Waldmann from the final incarnation of Iron Man and teamed them with guitarist Willy Rivera, formerly of the wildly underrated (and just plain wild) sludge metal experimentalists Lord. No solid date yet for Ill Repute, but ‘2024’ is easy enough to believe.

I don’t know if Ronnie M.’s is a true case of child abuse and you’ll pardon me if I skip Googling it to find out. In any case, Calhoun (a published author multiple times over) is no stranger to narrative in songwriting between Spiral Grave and his solo work, and “The Death of Ronnie M.” hits sharp with intensity in its low-end-shove midsection to coincide with the traditional metal reach of the vocals, and it’s plain to hear the band are pushing themselves. I haven’t heard Ill Repute or anything, and I can’t even play clever and drop some hint as to when it’ll be out, but a new track isn’t nothing to go on in advance of a familiar ‘more to come’ as they ramp up for the release.

Gets in, lands hard, gets out. Makes it easy to look forward to the record:

SPIRAL GRAVE, the US doom metal band consisting of members from Iron Man and Lord, has released a new official music video for ‘The Death of Ronnie M.’.

The first single from Ill Repute, “The Death of Ronnie M,” is quite simply about murdering a pedophile. The live footage from the video was shot at Another Round in Richmond VA on September 30, 2023.

Spiral Grave formed in late 2018 following the demise of two legendary mid-Atlantic bands, Iron Man and Lord. The band quickly hit the live circuit and recorded their debut album, Legacy of the Anointed (release delayed until 2021 due to COVID). Since that album’s release Spiral Grave has continued to tour, playing live dates and festivals in and around their home area of MD/VA, going as far west as Texas. In addition, the band has recorded their sophomore effort Ill Repute, which is scheduled for a 2024 release from Argonauta Records.

SPIRAL GRAVE:
Screaming Mad Dee – voice
Willy Rivera – guitar
Louis Strachan – bass
Jason “Mot” Waldmann – drums

https://www.facebook.com/SpiralGrave/
https://spiralgrave.bandcamp.com/

www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/argonautarecords

Spiral Grave, “The Death of Ronnie M.” official video