Before Show

Desertfest New York 2024 gets underway in less than an hour. The annual pre-party has been held at Saint Vitus Bar for every edition of the caricature festival to-date, but of course the Vitus’ being shut down precludes that, so it’s up to The Meadows to fill those shoes for the evening. That’s no small task. Show me somebody who doesn’t think venue matters and I’ll show you someone who has never felt like a rock show was home. In any case, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Desertfest hasn’t let its attendees down yet.

Four bands tonight. It’s Thursday, and though I find my eyes wandering over the next two days of the schedule above, tonight is a more than solid kickoff, with Legions of Doom celebrating their debut album, The Skull 3, picking up where The Skull left off following the death of The Skull frontman Eric Wagner, as well as Satan’s Satyrs and Mirror Queen, who both have new records out, and Mustafina opening, from whom I could find no audio streaming. Clearly worth putting sneakers on for, despite the sandal-ready weather.

A two-hour dove to get here reaffirmed my decision to stay in the city this year. That’s a choice not without some level of investment, but I tried to do commuterfest last year and it was hard and I sucked at it, so The Patient Mrs. was well on board with getting my ass out of the house during fest time rather than have me try to cover a thing with one foot in domestic life. I am loved and cared for. I will do my best to do justice to that love and care by not getting towed this weekend. Fingers crossed.

Doors at 6 was applied casually, but the line wasn’t bad by any means. I had a few minutes to stand around awkwardly and not know where to put myself. Shit that I should’ve learned before middle-age. Alas.

The night went like this:

Mustafina

They loosened up as the set went on, and the crowd warmed accordingly. Some connection to AmRep, maybe? Obviously it was my first time at the dance with Mustafina, from New York. They bill themselves as psychedelic punk, and that might not be wrong, but there was more to it than that, with quirk and bounce in the bass and a crunch of guitar tone that indeed felt NY-punker in its root — at least mostly; they hit into a couple bluesier nods as well, and that was welcome; “Metasin” might have been one, if I have it right on the setlist, which I assume I don’t — but a healthy dose of grunge mixed in with that and the dude standing next to me (his name is Eric, he’s from Tennessee, works from home, has a badass backyard and it was nice to chat) cited Mr. Bungle, so I guess it’s fair to say the sound was open for interpretation. That’s not a weakness as a new band gets going — and Mustafina are that, whatever else the members have or haven’t done on whichever legendary noise rock label — but there was a definite moment where it all gelled and from there the groove came easy. For knowing nothing about them going into the set, I felt like by the finish they gave a decent sense of their persona and scope, and I’ll keep an eye for the record when the time comes.

Mirror Queen

Their new album is called Dying Days, and its title-track and “Strider” — which guitarist/vocalist Kenny Sehgal said, “only has like 85 parts” — featured in the set along with the more familiar “Riders” and “Scaffold in the Sky” and a closing cover they said was obscure and sure enough, I didn’t know the provenance from which “Lizzy” came. They’re a reliable good time in my mind. I stood by the bass side of the stage, and dug into the bouncing classic progressive heavy that is such a staple of the NYC underground in my mind. Sehgal, who doubles as the head of Tee Pee Records, mentioned it was kind of a label night — which bodes well for Mustafina, I suppose — and the various releases out. It would be very easy to spend a lot of money at Tee Pee’s table this weekend. If I had any, I might be concerned about that. It was by no means the longest set I’ve ever seen Mirror Queen play, but they know how to make a song that has 85 parts (allegedly) still be a good time to a room that doesn’t already know it, and that’s not an easy thing to do or something to take for granted, even though, yes, I very much take Mirror Queen for granted. There has to be some tradeoff for that two-hour drive to get here. New York has to have an upside.

Satan’s Satyrs

Tore it up. That’s the long and short of it. Sean Saley on drums was a treat; 10 years ago I watched him bash and bash his kit in Pentagram on two successive tours, and tonight was the same story, only faster. I said hi. Plus Morgan McDaniel, who had just played in Mirror Queen, doing double duty. Neither is original to Satan’s Satyrs, but hell, the energy, the drive. Killer set. Big change in vibe from Mirror Queen, whose style is downright soothing in comparison to the brashness on display from the Virginian outfit, who were reborn around bassist/vocalist Clayton Burgess and guitarist Jarrett Nettnin last year after however long it was since they last did a thing. It wasn’t a huge stage at The Meadows, but they used every inch of it, Burgess back and forth like a ’79s thrash icon if such a thing ever existed or could possibly exist, and the swagger was backed up by the charge of the material itself; yeah, new album. I haven’t really dug into it yet — only so many hours in the day — but if it’s got a quarter of what they brought to the stage they’d still be readily kicking ass. I wondered how Legions of Doom could possibly keep up.

Legions of Doom

Then they came out with Karl Agell fronting the band and opened with “Dance of the Dead” from C.O.C.’s Blind record, which I’ve had in my head since I was about 10 years old, and I don’t know what anyone else did in the room, but I certainly lost my shit. In addition to songs from their aforementioned new album, The Skull 3 — a title that does better with context, yes — and bringing out Scott Reagers (original Saint Vitus singer; he shouted out Saint Vitus Bar) to do “War is Our Destiny” and to trade off fronting the band with Agell, they did a few Trouble cuts in “The Wolf” and set-capper “Psychotic Reaction,” and it was a celebration of all of it, including the new stuff and The Skull’s “For Those Which Are Asleep,” which was a highlight even among the highlights. Agell coming back out, “What are you still doing here? Don’t you have a pressing engagement with your cat or your couch?” They thanked Desertfest and Tee Pee and were a doomed pleasure to behold front to back. The place started to clear out as it edged toward 11PM, so maybe there were a couple couchly appointments to keep, but I knew I didn’t need to drive home after, so sticking around was no problem. I’m glad I did. Reagers and Agell sharing “Psychotic Reaction” was priceless.

—

More tomorrow, of course, but it was a rousing start, to be sure. My back? Killing me. Gonna think really hard about whether I need the big lens tomorrow, but I’ve got time to dwell on it. Until then, there’s more pics after the jump, and thanks for reading. If you’re here, lucky you.

Read more »

Look. I know there’s a lot of information below. And you might be on your phone or wherever you’re at and wondering if there’s really any reason you need all the details and album credits for who’s doing what on the songs on Crippled Black Phoenix‘s two anniversary LP releases, The Wolf Changes its Fur But Not its Nature and the covers collection Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2). Maybe not? Probably not.

In all likelihood, I won’t either. Even if I review the thing, the various comings and goings will be handy to have but I can’t imagine having space to write anything else if I was trying to include a list of personnel for each track throughout the 105 minutes or so of music included across both outings. So does it need to be there?

Here’s the thing. Maybe. Who the hell knows. Maybe 10 years from now when Crippled Black Phoenix are turning 30 as a band, I’ll want to go back and see who was involved in their 20th anniversary goings on. Maybe one of these names will come up in a search on the site’s back end for something else and clue me into some relevant information I could make use of at some point. It’s happened before. But the point is that now that it’s here, it’s here for as long as the site is, and while I know there’s no such thing as permanence — even less so on the internet — at some point in the future I might want to know this stuff. So if you see it and it looks sloppy and it’s a lot, at least know that I thought about it before I decided to put it all in.

No idea if that helps at all, but I do know for a fact that nobody gives a shit and it’s purely imaginary on my part that anyone might. Congrats to Crippled Black Phoenix on 20 years purveying heavy melancholy. Provided this site still exists, I’ll look forward to linking back to this post in a decade.

From the PR wire:

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX Announce New Double Album

The UK shape-shifters celebrate 20 years with compilation of re-recorded favorites and haunting covers

When the world drowns its sorrows in silence, Crippled Black Phoenix scream into the abyss. Since its inception in 2004, the UK band served as a voice for the voiceless, whether they be animals, the unequal or the different. This year, Justin Greaves (ex Iron Monkey and Electric Wizard), long-time vocalist Belinda Kordic and their many collaborators are celebrating 20 years of shedding light on our troubled existence by releasing a new, two-part compilation.

Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2) continues Crippled Black Phoenix’s tradition of haunting homages with covers that span from Fugazi and Laura Branigan to NoMeansNo, Deep Purple and Built to Spill. The Wolf Changes Its Fut But Not Its Nature offers something different. This disc collects reworked versions of CBP’s early signature songs, including “Goodnight, Europe”, which was the first song that Greaves ever wrote for the band.

The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature and Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2) come out November 29 on Season of Mist.

Pre-order & Pre-save:

https://orcd.co/cbpwolf

https://orcd.co/cbphonorifics

While originally posted to MySpace after watching Eurovision, “Goodnight, Europe” has become a staple of Cripple Black Phoenix’s live set. The reworked version on The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature reflects how the song has changed with each performance over the past 20 years. The darker, gloomier “Goodnight, Europe (Pt2)” swells like Europe’s fractured landscape. Kordic threads through the shadows with eerie melancholy, as if haunted by the nostalgia for what once was.

“It’s almost impossible to choose which songs to pay respect to”, Greaves says about this new compilation. “There’s still respect for the original version but ‘Goodnight Europe’ needed to be re-imagined in the studio because of what the song has become over time and what it’s now come to represent. Our close friends – both old and new – add more righteous power to these recordings”.

The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature
1. We Forgotten Who We Are (11:17)
2. You Put The Devil In Me (6:18)
3. 444 (7:23)
4. Goodnight, Europe (Pt2) (8:37)
5. (-) (4:39)
6. Song For The Unloved (14:22)
7. Whissendine (6:58)
8. Blizzard Of Horned Cats (4:43)
Total runtime: 1:04:21

Horrific Honorifics Number Two (2)
1. Vengeance (4:16)
2. Self Control (5:23)
3. Blueprint (4:03)
4. And That’s Sad (6:52)
5. Hammer Song (4:52)
6. When A Blind Man Cries (3:22)
7. My Pal (3:51)
8. Goin’ Against Your Mind (8:53)
Total runtime: 41:36

The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature & Horrific Honorifics Number Two(2) are a double album celebrating the 20 year existence of CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX.

Cast of Suspects:
Justin Greaves,
Belinda Kordic

with

Andy Taylor, Helen Stanley, Matt Crawford, Georg Paco Nitschke, Wesley J. Wasley
Ryan Patterson, Justin Storms, Kostas Panagiotou, Robin Tow, Martin Hyde.

Album Credits:
All songs on The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature are rerecorded songs from previous Crippled Black Phoenix releases.

We Forgotten Who We Are
(Music – Greaves, Words – Volk)
Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars, Samples
Belinda Kordic – Vocals
Justin Storms – Vocals
Matt Crawford – Bass
Helen Stanley – Piano, Synth
Andy Taylor – Guitar

You Put The Devil In Me
(Music – Greaves, Words – Volk)
Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitar, Saw
Belinda Kordic – Vocals
Kostas Panagiotou – Accordian, Piano, Hammond
Matt Crawford – Bass
Andy Taylor – Guitar

444
(Music – Greaves, Words – Storms/Volk)
Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars, Samples
Justin Storms – Vocals
Belinda Kordic – Backing Vocals
Kostas Panagiotou – Piano
Matt Crawford – Bass
Robin Tow – Additional Drums
Martin Hyde – Additional Drums

Goodnight, Europe (Pt2)
(Music – Greaves, Words – Kordic)
Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitar
Belinda Kordic – Vocals
Kostas Panagiotou – Piano, Accordian
Matt Crawford – Bass

Song For The Unloved
(Music – Greaves, Words – Patterson)
Justin Greaves – Synth, Drums, Guitars, Samples, Bass
Ryan Patterson – Vocals
Belinda Kordic – Vocals
Georg Paco Nitschke – Saxophone, Synth; vocoder
Robin Tow – Additional Drums
Helen Stanley – Piano, Synth
Andy Taylor – Guitar

Whissendine
(Music – Greaves, Words – Volk)
Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitar, Ebow, Acoustic Guitar
Belinda Kordic – Vocals
Helen Stanley – Trumpet
Kostas Panagiotou – Piano
Wesley J. Wasley – Bass

Blizzard Of Horned Cats
(Music – Greaves)
Justin Greaves – Drums, Guitars, Sample, Synth
Kostas Panagiotou – Piano, Hammond
Wesley J. Wasley – Bass


Recorded in 2023 at:
Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire.
Engineered by Pieter Rietkerk

Additional Vocal Sessions at:
Kapsylen Studio, Stockholm
Engineered by Jörgen Jugglo Wall.
House Of Foto, Louisville, KY
Engineered by Ryan Patterson

Additional Production Credits:
Mixed by Pieter Rietkerk
Mastered by Magnus Lindberg
Produced by Justin Greaves

Published by Season Of Mist & Domino Publishing Co.

Cover Art:
Erebus Art (Thanasis Stratidakis)

https://www.facebook.com/CBP444/
https://www.instagram.com/cbp_444/
https://crippledblackphoenixsom.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/seasonofmistofficial
http://www.season-of-mist.com/

Crippled Black Phoenix, “Goodnight, Europe (Pt. 2)” lyric video

Hey, here’s a tour I haven’t posted about in… days? But, you know, sometimes shows get added to a thing, then sometimes more shows get added to that same thing, and here we are. When last we left US jaunt from Bordeaux’s Mars Red Sky in the company of Nashville’s Howling Giant, the groups had added a stretch of Dec. 5-15 to the in-progress September stint. The span of dates is the same as of now, but the shows taking place over that time have begun to fill in. Asheville, Toronto and Youngstown are new here at least, so hey, if you live in one of those places, good for you. I see an open date where a New Jersey show could be handily slotted, but more likely they’ll split that drive from Philadelphia to North Carolina, because that’s a hike.

Also notable, Baltimore’s Black Lung will jump on board for the first four nights, in their hometown as well as Brooklyn, Boston and Philly. Mars Red Sky, Howling Giant, Black Lung is a pretty sick show. I can’t and won’t tell you how to live your life, but that doesn’t seem to me to be a terrible way to do it, again, if that’s where in the world you happen to be at the time.

Crucialfest tomorrow, though, and a bunch more to go — also Ripplefest, because it’s also been like three minutes since I talked about that, on the 21st — before they get there, as the post from Mars Red Sky‘s socials reminds:

USA TOUR / NEW DATES

A quick update on the US tour with all the confirmed dates in December! Still with our dear Howling Giant and also with BLACK LUNG for a few gigs. Cheers!

TICKETS https://marsredsky.rocks/tour

FALL (remaining)
09.13 SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Crucialfest
09.14 LAS VEGAS, NV – Sinwave Vegas
09.15 SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Bottom of the Hill
09.16 SACRAMENTO, CA – Cafe Colonial
09.17 LOS ANGELES, CA – El Cid on Sunset
09.19 ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Launchpad
09.20 EL PASO, TX – Rosewood
09.21 AUSTIN, TX – RippleFest Texas

WINTER
12.05 BALTIMORE, MD – Metro Baltimore *
12.06 BROOKLYN, NY – TV Eye NYC *
12.07 CAMBRIDGE/BOSTON, MA – Middle East *
12.08 PHILADELPHIA, PA – MilkBoy *
12.10 ASHEVILLE, NC – Eulogy
12.11 LOUISVILLE, KY – Portal Louisville
12.12 DETROIT, MI – Sanctuary Detroit
12.13 YOUNGSTOWN, OH – Westside Bowl
12.14 TORONTO, ON 🇨🇦 Monarch Tavern
12.15 MONTREAL, QC 🇨🇦 Foufounes Electriques
* with BLACK LUNG

MARS RED SKY are:
Julien Pras : guitar, vocals
Jimmy Kinast : bass, vocals
Mathieu “Matgaz” Gazeau : drums, vocals

http://www.facebook.com/marsredskyband/
https://marsredsky.bigcartel.com/
http://www.marsredsky.net
https://mrsredsound.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mrsredsound33
https://www.instagram.com/mrsredsound/
https://mrsredsound.com/

https://www.facebook.com/viciouscirclerec
https://www.instagram.com/vicious_circle_records
https://viciouscircle.bandcamp.com/
https://www.viciouscircle.fr/

Mars Red Sky, Dawn of the Dusk (2023)

Not saying I’ve conceded defeat when it comes to trying to keep up with label-branded festival shows happening in various cities across Europe and the US — Ripplefests and Heavy Psych Sounds Fests scattered to various reaches of hither and yon — but I have definitely come to terms with the fact that if I posted every time one is announced or adds to its lineup, I probably wouldn’t be able to cover much else. Only many hours/so much brainpower in the day. Both are fleeting fast as a given morning progresses toward a hurried, inevitably dumber afternoon.

If I recall correctly, Ripplefest Germany is put together by members of Plainride, so seeing them at the top of the thus-far bills for shows in Köln and Berlin isn’t such a shocker, and fair enough both for their involvement in making it happen and for their 2023 self-titled (review here) that was released, of course, on Ripple Music. They’re joined by Håndgemeng and Crowley on both bills, while hotly-tipped rockers Scorched Oak are a fourth name unveiled for the Köln date. The two shows are a week apart — you could feasibly attend both; congratulations on your life if you do — and while some of the lineups will likely continue to be shared as they already are, it seems reasonable to expect not everyone who plays the one will make it for the other. Maybe Scorched Oak have something else going on Dec. 7, you never really know.

Whether I can hold to the pace of announcements or not — not, surely — you’ll find ticket links and more info on Ripplefest Germany 2024 below, courtesy of the PR wire. Note the secret venue in Berlin, because who doesn’t love a mystery?

Have at it:

Heavy rock festival RIPPLEFEST GERMANY announces first names for 2024 edition in Berlin and Cologne; tickets on sale now!

Curated by Californian independent label Ripple Music, heavy rock festival RIPPLEFEST reveals the first bands to play its Cologne and Berlin editions on November 30th and December 7th, with tickets on sale now!

Californian heavy label Ripple Music is known and revered worldwide for unearthing the finest bands in heavy rock and heavy metal and bringing together a vast and passionate community of fans from across the globe. The Bay Area-based label is home to international acts such as The Obsessed, Hermano, Scott “Wino” Weinrich, Tony Reed, Poobah, Wo Fat or Colour Haze.

Dubbing their festival series “Ripplefest”, the record label has been organizing showcase events in cities such as Austin, San Francisco, London, Stockholm, Cologne and Berlin over the years. Now the German chapter of Ripplefest is ready to celebrate its fifth edition this fall! Returning to the cities of Berlin and Cologne, the festival is once again set to shed light on an array of bands from scene veterans to new blood, from occult rock to doom ‘n’ roll!

RIPPLEFEST COLOGNE 2024
November 30th at Club Volta
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.de/e/ripplefest-cologne-2024-tickets-1006592845297
Facebook event:

❱ PLAINRIDE (Germany) Heavy rock
❱ HÅNDGEMENG (Norway) Doom’n’roll
❱ CROWLEY (UK) Occult rock
❱ SCORCHED OAK (Germany) Stoner rock
+ More bands TBA

RIPPLEFEST BERLIN 2024
December 7th at secret venue**
Tickets at the door // Facebook event
**sign up at ripplefest.de/berlin for more info

❱ PLAINRIDE (Germany) Heavy rock
❱ HÅNDGEMENG (Norway) Doom’n’roll
❱ CROWLEY (UK) Occult rock
+ More bands TBA

https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Plainride, Plainride

Dark desert psych rockers Spirit Mother are playing three shows on the Eastern Seaboard this week, including Desertfest New York, coinciding with the anticipated release tomorrow, Sept. 13, of their second album and first studio outing through Heavy Psych Sounds, Trails. If you recall, the now-mostly-West-Coast-I-think outfit made their debut with 2020’s Cadets (review here) and took part the next year in the ‘Live in the Mojave Desert’ pandemic-era streaming series.

The resultant live album, Live in the Mojave Desert (review here), was issued via Heavy Psych Sounds, and gave the then-Cali-based outfit a showcase next to the likes of Earthless, Nebula and Stöner, as well as Mountain Tamer. Spirit Mother met that moment with a richly textured sound based in scrub-bush sprawl but nascent in the pursuit of ideas beyond the bounds of microgenre. The Eddie Brnabic-produced Trails, as one would have hoped, sees the potential Spirit Mother demonstrated on that evening at Giant Rock beginning to come to fruition in their sound. Across 10 tracks and 38 minutes, the band explore aural nightcraft, setting a creepy atmosphere in the quick intro “Passage” before the title-track takes hold with stark standalone guitar.

It’s not about violence, or at least not specifically — maybe Uncle Acid are a subtle influence, but so far as I can tell nobody’s sexualizing murder — but between the various guitars woven through “Trails” and the subsequent pieces from Armand Lance (electric, acoustic, baritone, bass) and Sean McCormick, the violin and backing vocal contributions of SJ and the fluidity Landon Cisneros brings to the drums holding the arrangements together, the band are able to bring a cinematic atmosphere to songs that are pointedly concise; the longest of the bunch is forebodingly catchy closer “Wolves” at 5:29 and nothing else touches the five-minute mark. Depth and brevity, impact and sprawl.

There are shades of Americana in the warnings being issued amid the sinewy grooves of “Veins” or even the string-anchored drone and crashes of “Tonic,” and volatility to match the attitudinal sneer as Lance‘s vocals don’t shy away from screaming when the song calls for it. If we’re out in the desert, we’re out there alone, at night, huddled in the surprising cold and vastness, waiting to be eaten. There’s some respite to be had as “Below” weaves acoustic guitar strum into the suitably expansive mix and paces itself to highlight flow leading into Trails‘ second half, and “Vessel” has a sense of breakout as it shoves uptempo to its finish, one of the more propulsive stretches on a record that’s plenty brash and accordingly brooding.

But, in part because Spirit Mother never dwell too long in one song or arrangement, Trails puts momentum on its side early and holds it there for the duration. The swing in “Emerald,” or the dug-in cycles of “Vessel,” or even the penultimate “Given,” where the drums sit out and acoustic guitar, ambient drone and atmospheric vocals set up the arrival of “Wolves” with the last and maybe most memorable of Trails‘ hooks, taking the warning of the title-track — “You should’ve stayed/Back where you came/This city is a grave” — to a place of more direct threat with the lines, “You have no idea/Who is wolf and who is deer/All around you.”

If you’ve been following the band’s course across the record in all its dynamic shifts and immersive, consuming arrangements, that’s a hell of a place to end up, but it’s not a record about safety, and at least in terms of style, Spirit Mother aren’t playing it safe either. Cadets had no shortage of mood, but these songs portray a different side of the heavy Americana proffered by the likes of Lord Buffalo or All Them Witches, and they distinguish Spirit Mother as a band more about their own creative impulses than one playing to style. I don’t think it’s a coincidence they called it Trails. As a group, they’re out there too, walking a path into the unknown, and as much as Trails builds up the world in which that path resides, the essence of the thing is the movement through it and the way the band carry the listener from front-to-back.

As the cover art attests, there is more happening dimensionally in the material that comprises Trails than it might first appear, and to be sure, it’s a record that reveals more of its methods and ideologies on repeat listens, but without exception, even in “Given” where the balance is most tipped toward impressionism over impact, the song is paramount. That’s evident from the way “Passage” leaves off and “Trails” picks up from the silence — not what one would expect in terms of transition, but it works — through the nonetheless hypnotic push of “Wolves,” and even more than the heft or severity of a given moment, it’s how it all feeds into the overarching reach of Trails as a whole where Spirit Mother seem to find themselves.

And by that I don’t just mean where they end up, but where they discover who they are as a band. I won’t hazard to predict how their development will play out from here — a third full-length always tells you a lot about who a band are, and Spirit Mother will get there — but if there’s a plot, it’s only made thicker by the progression evident in their approach to this point and the individualism stemming from it. Approach it with an open mind and it’s a record that might just speak to you in unanticipated ways.

Trails streams in its entirety below, followed by the preorder links and Spirit Mother‘s upcoming tour dates, the bulk of which are supporting the freak-legendary Acid Mothers Temple.

Please enjoy:

Spirit Mother, Trails album premiere

GRAB YOUR COPY:
https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS313

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

The undeniable next chapter in the band’s creative process, “Trails” brings the energy of the US foursome’s visceral, all-in live performances while expanding on the sensibilities of their debut album “Cadets”. The darker tonality, heavier, fuzz-fueled riffs, and relentless rhythm section accompany prolific structures and arrangement. The violin summons a brooding, atmospheric pedestal for the remaining power trio to wield with fervor. Lance’s haunting vocals and stark lyricism intersperse the instrumentals with a melody as dynamic as it is accessible.

Spirit Mother with Acid Mothers Temple (except *):
9/12 @bugjar Rochester NY*
9/13 @desertfest_nyc *
9/14 @33golden New London CT*
9/27 @casbahsandiego San Diego CA
9/28 @lodgeroom LA CA
9/29 @moesalley Santa Cruz CA
9/30 @theestorkcluboakland Oakland CA
10/1 @harlowsnightclub Sacramento CA
10/2 @johnhenryseugene Eugene OR
10/3 @tractortavern Seattle WA
10/4 @aladdintheater Portland OR
10/5 @silvermoonbrewing Bend OR
10/6 @realms.7 Boise ID
10/7 @urbanloungeslc Salt Lake City UT
10/8 @bluebirdtheater Denver CO
10/9 @recordbar Kansas City MO
10/10 @turfclubmn St. Paul MN
10/11 @cactusclubmke Milwaukee WI
10/12 @sl33pingvillag3 Chicago IL
10/13 @highnoonmadison Madison WI
10/14 @portal_louisville Louisville KY
10/15 @sghrevival Newport KY
10/16 @thegrogshop Cleveland Heights OH
10/17 @buffaloironworks Buffalo NY
10/18 @alchemy_providence Providence RI
10/19 @tveyenyc Queens NY
10/20 @milkboyphilly Philadelphia PA
10/21 @metro_baltimore Baltimore MD
10/22 @thepourhouse Raleigh NC
10/23 @masquerade_atl Atlanta GA
10/25 @the_merrywidow Mobile AL
10/26 @siberianeworleans New Orleans LA
10/27 @freetown_boomboomroom Lafayette LA
10/29 @thehitonecafe Memphis TN
10/30 @mercuryloungetulsa Tulsa OK
10/31 @levitation Austin TX
11/1 @resonant_head Oklahoma City OK
11/2 @sisterbar Albuquerque NM
11/3 @therebelphx Phoenix AZ
11/4 @wayfarercm Costa Mesa CA

Spirit Mother are:
Armand Lance: Vocals, Bass, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars
SJ: Violin & Vocals
Sean McCormick: Electric Guitar
Landon Cisneros: Drums & Percussion

Spirit Mother on Facebook

Spirit Mother on Instagram

Spirit Mother on Bandcamp

Spirit Mother website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Facebook

Heavy Psych Sounds on Instagram

Heavy Psych Sounds website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp

I won’t hazard to predict what kind of bizarro doom Michigan’s Bog Wizard have conjured up with their new collection, Journey Through the Dying Lands, which the band are set to release on Oct. 25 in conjunction with Madness Hearts Games. It’s not the trio’s first time at the dance when it comes to melding tabletop gaming and doomly heft, and with a short story by drummer Harlen Linke as a thematic foundation, Journey Through the Dying Lands promises to mix fantasy elements with the band’s particularly sludged collective take in ways that are sure to pique the interests of applicable nerdery while also pulling tracks from past releases for recontextualization.

There’s no audio yet from this Journey the band are undertaking, but the band sent the following info and background down the PR wire. Dig in:

BOG WIZARD –  Journey Through the Dying Lands Out Oct 25th 2024

Independently published in collaboration with Madness Hearts Games

Bog Wizard is a 3 piece doom/sludge/stoner metal band inspired by tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons and Mork Borg, as well as fantasy literature, while often spoofing off the Satanic Panic era. Since 2020 the band has relentlessly released 6 different albums including two splits with the bands Froglord and Dust Lord, multiple soundtracks tied to table top gaming releases, and two full length albums. Bog Wizard features crushing 8 string guitar riffs and a mix of clean and harsh vocals.

Journey Through the Dying Lands is the third full length album by Bog Wizard, which is a concept collaboration album tied to the anthology book of the same name, released by Madness Hearts Games. The book is a compilation of stories taking place in the tabletop game Mork Borg universe, which is described as “a doom metal album of a game.” This compilation features a short story titled “I, Mycelium” written by the drummer for Bog Wizard, Harlen Linke.

Bog Wizard is Ben Lombard (guitar/ vocals), Harlen Linke (percussion/ vocals), and Colby Lowman (bass)

Track Listing:
1. I, Mycelium
2. Dodz Bringare
3. Hagfish Dinner
4. Stuck in the Muck (Live)
5. Barbaria (Live)

Track descriptions:
Journey’s opening track I, Mycelium is a retelling of this story in music form, clocking it at just under 20 minutes, featuring a broad expansive ambient landscape performed by the band, and for the first time in the bands history, Harlen taking lead harsh vocals to voice his story. This track is the entirety of side A on the vinyl release.

The second track Dodz Bringare is based off the character by of the same name, featured in the Journey Through the Dying Lands anthology story Screams of the Necropolis, and the stand alone book Whispers of the Dead Saint by John Baltisberger. John Baltisberger also runs Madness Hearts Games and put the anthology book together.

The third track, titled Hagfish Dinner, is also a retelling of the matching Journey anthology story, written by Ian SerVaas. This track is played on an acoustic baritone guitar featuring heavily layered haunting clean vocals.

The final two tracks on the album are live recordings of the bands tracks Stuck in the Muck and Barbaria released previously on their 2021 full length album Miasmic Purple Smoke, recorded in front of a live audience of nerds at their local game store, Epic Tabletop Hobbies out of Grand Haven, Michigan.

Journey Through the Dying Lands is available for preorder on Vinyl and CD, as well as digitally through Bandcamp.

Album art by Simone Tammetta
Mixed and mastered by Harlen Linke
Live recordings by Zach Crouse

https://www.facebook.com/BogWizardBand/
https://twitter.com/bogwizardband/
https://www.instagram.com/bogwizardband/
https://bogwizard.bandcamp.com/
https://bogwizard.bigcartel.com/

Bog Wizard, Deck of Ruin and Revelation Soundtrack (2023)

“Magic Carpet” — for which UK desert-style heavy rockers Psychlona have an extra-classy, sharply-dressed new video posted below — is the closing track on the band’s new album, Warped Vision, which is out Sept. 27 through Magnetic Eye. If a hazy, slow-moving cloud could also be a monolith, that might come close to capturing some essence of the mood between “Smoke” and “Topanga” spread throughout the 45-minute eight-tracker, which is the band’s fourth overall and first for the new label. They have been through some lineup changes since 2022’s Palo Verde (review here), bringing in Martin Wiseman as guitarist/backing vocalist and adding bassist Ian “Izak” Buxton to the rhythm section alongside drummer Scott Frankling, and while there’s some inevitable shift in dynamic as a result, they remain fueled by the riffage of founding guitarist/vocalist Phil Hey. To date, Psychlona have never wanted for consistency. Warped Vision rocks accordingly; heavy and able to lean into and out of psychedelic nuance built around solid verse/chorus structures. Those who followed the Bradford-based outfit from 2018’s Mojo Rising (discussed here) and 2020’s Venus Skytrip (review here) through Palo Verde will both know what to expect and be pleasantly surprised by the way Warped Vision goes exploring, approaching new ground on sure footing.

The two halves of the record play well off each other in purpose. Opener “Jasmine” has its quirk but is ultimately a straight-ahead desert rock banger with marked swing in Frankling‘s drums and a welcome post-Kyuss shove in the verse. “Let’s Go,” which follows immediately, keeps this urgency in a double-time hi-hat through the quiet guitar intro, and is comfortable in an uptempo pace, laid back despite the significant density of the fuzz, lyrics presented in void-bound echoes, catchy and reminiscent of ’90s Britpsych revivalism without losing the capital-‘h’ Heavy quotient in its sound. On the other side of “Smoke,” “Cut Loose” will wrap side A with similar targets in its sights, a more metallic nod maybe to go with its sense of space, but a nod just the same. But it’s in “Smoke” that the departure from the opening salvo really happens; a mellower and more drifting semi-‘gaze feel that makes the most of Hey‘s vocals atmospherically as it sets up the transition to more grounded push in its final third.

Side B functions almost the same, only different (ha). The aforementioned “Topanga” opens and seems all about crunch and twist initially — one is reminded of latter-day Snail in the breadth of its chorus — but shifts after 4:30 into a comedown march topped with jammy strum, and the trade between drift and drive becomes even more stark on “Kaleidoscope” as the four-piece bring a sinister undercurrent forward in the guitar that’s consuming but not necessarily aggressive in terms of sounding pissed off, especially with the spoken recitations of the verse. They find their pocket, and whether a given part is loud or quiet, it’s all loud in spirit. Fluid in its changes, “Kaleidoscope” is a highlight like “Topanga” before it, but Psychlona have vibe-expansion to offer with “Split,” essentially flipping the balance of “Smoke” on its stoner rocking head and thereby lending an even more open impression to what’s Warped Vision‘s longest inclusion (not by a ton) at 6:18, with fuller tonality takes hold for a consuming finish.

This, then, is the setup that precedes “Magic Carpet,” and if it seems odd that a band with so many songs about weedy living would don tuxedos in the video that follows, you’ll probably never see me in tails, but I get where they’re coming from in thinking it’s an occasion for which it’s worth getting dressed up. The jazzy drums at the outset and floaty guitar give over to a vital roll in the hook, underscoring the flexibility Psychlona foster as they play to style in a vision of classic-style desert-hued psychedelic heavy rock. It’s not the most intuitive of singles — which only adds to the appeal in my mind, especially since the record’s out — but “Magic Carpet” doesn’t need to be as immediate as “Jasmine” for where it is on the record, and by the time it gets to its layered-solo apex, it’s a party either way. If the story of Psychlona has been about songwriting since the days of Mojo Rising, well, it still is, but the scope of that has grown duly encompassing over the last eight years.

If you find yourself swept up in “Magic Carpet” — shades of Steppenwolf — the best advice I can give you is to hit play on the album stream near the bottom of the post and go back to the start with “Jasmine” and “Let’s Go,” both prior singles. I’m sure you’ve heard the record already because you’re cooler than I am and you always have been — the magic is in you, whether or not you’re a carpet — but should you end up using the clip as a catalyst for further visitation to Psychlona‘s vivid-color slice of reality, I think that’s the idea in the first place.

Enjoy:

Psychlona, “Magic Carpet” official video

http://lnk.spkr.media/psychlona-warped-vision

“’Magic Carpet’ was a jazzy guitar piece Martin brought along to rehearsal one day. The riff just sounded cool and upbeat so we brought it down with some dark lyrics, but gave it some welly with a mega-riff in the second half. This one should get the pit going – then it’ll be goodnight from us.” — Phil Hey/Psychlona

Recorded and produced by Andy Hawkins at the Nave Studios, Leeds, UK
Video filmed at Sunbridge Wells and Voltage Studios, Bradford.
https://sunbridgewells.co.uk/
http://www.voltagestudios.com/
Directed & Edited by Tim Walker
Camera by Nick Taylor

Line-up
Ian ‘Izak’ Buxton – bass guitar
Scott Frankling – drums
Phil Hey – guitar, vocals
Martin Wiseman – lead guitar, backing vocals

Psychlona, Warped Vision (2024)

Psychlona on Facebook

Psychlona on Instagram

Psychlona on Bandcamp

Magnetic Eye Records store

Magnetic Eye Records website

Magnetic Eye Records on Facebook

Magnetic Eye Records on Instagram

South African four-piece Ruff Maijk will return to Europe for a fest-anchored run of mostly German dates starting Oct. 1. Their new album, Moth Eater, is out three days later through the booking agency Sound of Liberation‘s label wing, SOL Records. That Aschaffenburg show is sure to be a party, though I suppose you could say that for the rest as well. At the end of last week, the band put up the new single “Wasted Youth” showing off some of the more complex melody and emotionalism present throughout the album while reassuring that the hooks, the groove and the fun are maintained. I’m not surprised that I dig the record, but it’s a different animal than the genre-crossing mania of last year’s Elektrik Ram (review here), which seemed to thrive balanced on a tightrope of craft. Moth Eater digs a little deeper into each song, pushing forward in terms of style without wanting to convey the same kind of urgency, panic, call it what you will.

I was lucky to see Ruff Majik play live for Elektrik Ram. I don’t think an invite to Desertfest Belgium or any of the other fests listed below is coming, so I’ll likely not catch them on this run, but I do await the day they announce a US incursion. In years past, I’d have speculated Psycho Las Vegas to host such a thing, and certainly Planet Desert Rock Weekend in the same city (at a much different scale) has its ethic of importing quality bands as well, but if it were to happen at Desertfest New York next year, I most certainly wouldn’t complain about that. I’ll keep my fingers crossed, which, yes, will make it harder to type.

As regards Moth Eater, mark your calendar for Oct. 3 as I’ll be streaming the record in full with a review a day ahead of its proper release. Get stoked. I am.

Tour dates follow, as posted by Sound of Liberation on the old social medias:

Europe, your boys are coming back ❤️

This October, @soundofliberation and @soundofliberationrecords presents @ruffmajik 7th European tour, which will include sets at @desertfest_belgium @up_in_smoke_festival @keep_it_low_festival , Lazy Bones festival and many more!

In support of the new album “Moth Eater”, the boys will also be joining @gnomeverse and @templefang on the road for select dates.

More dates are also being actively added, so if you don’t see your town on the list, get in touch.

RUFF MAJIK – Moth Eater European Tour:
01.10 Pitcher Düsseldorf DE
02.10 Schön Mainz DE
04.10 Colos Saal Aschaffenburg DE
06.10 Up in Smoke Festival Pratteln CH
07.10 Cassiopeia Berlin DE
10.10 Faust Hannover DE
11.10 Beatpol Dresden DE
12.10 Keep it Low Festival Munich DE
13.10 Werk 2 Leipzig DE
18.10 Kuba Jena DE
19.10 B58 Braunschweig DE
20.20 Desertfest Antwerp BE
21.10 Feierwerk Munich DE
22.10 Roxy Ulm DE
23.10 Arena Wien AT
24.10 Zauberberg Passau DE
25.10 Juze Hürth DE
26.10 Lazy Bones Festival Hamburg DE

Visit the SOL Records Shop here: https://shop.soundofliberation.com

Ruff Majik are:
Johni Holiday (vocals & guitar)
Cowboy Bez (guitar & vocals)
Jimmy Glass (bass)
Steven Bosman (drums)

http://www.ruffmajik.com
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089579216305&mibextid=ZbWKwL
http://www.instagram.com/ruffmajik
https://www.tiktok.com/@ruffmajik

https://www.facebook.com/Soundofliberation/
https://www.instagram.com/soundofliberation/
https://www.soundofliberation.com/
https://shop.soundofliberation.com/

Ruff Majik, Moth Eater (2024)

Ruff Majik, “Wasted Youth” lyric video

Ruff Majik, “Cult Eyes” official video