So I’m sitting by myself in my living room, and I start playing the new Monte Luna track through the bluetooth speaker just now to check it out for the first time. My honest, out-loud reaction when the riff kicked in? “Holy Jesus.” Said it out loud. No one’s even home. I’m here by myself. This shit is fucking heavy. I dug the long-form vibes of Monte Luna‘s 2017 self-titled debut (review here), but if they can distill this kind of heft into shorter pieces and add more variety to the album overall through that? Then they’re gonna be on a different level of execution real quick. And “The Water Hag” bodes remarkably well in that regard. I can’t wait to hear the rest of the record.

Drowners Wives is out Oct. 4 on Argonauta Records. Write down the date so you remember it.

Here’s PR wire info:

AUSTIN’s DOOM HEAVYWEIGHTS MONTE LUNA REVEAL ALBUM DETAILS + FIRST SINGLE!

Drowners Wives coming this October on Argonauta Records!

Austin-based, atmospheric doom duo and the brainchild of James Cl and Philip Hook, Monte Luna, have finally revealed the first details about their sophomore studio album, set for release on October 4th with Argonauta Records! Known for their interminable long doom tracks, Drowners Wives will mark a change for the band, while Monte Luna will still keep leading you into another dimension and a challenging trip to fill your musical voids. Recorded and mixed at the Matador Studios in San Antonio Texas, with a master by Conan’s Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studios, the band just recently unveiled that the new album songs may be shorter than usual, but reaching deep into your soul with a sledge of the heavy as hell doom sounds!

Today Monte Luna are sharing with us a first single titled The Water Hag. Says the band:

“Our friend Becky Cloonan did a really cool comic book not too long ago called By Chance or Providence, that combined with our love for “The Witcher Series” is the main inspiration for the song thematically, it also loosely deals with the idea of a loved one that becomes toxic, that no longer brings you up. They begin to drag you under the weight of their insecurities and how sometimes it feels best to just stay in a relationship even though you know they are draining you. If you are someone who has a tendency to rescue people then this may speak to you on another level.”

Drowners Wives Tracklisting:
1. The Water Hag
2. The Butcher of Blaviken
3. Night of Long Fangs
4. Wild Hunt
5. Man of Glass
6. Scenes From A Marriage

Set for a release on October 4th, Drowners Wives will be available to pre-order in Vinyl, CD and Digital formats soon, watch out for many more updates and tunes to follow in the days ahead!

To shorten the wait for your heavy dose of the doom, make sure to catch Monte Luna live at the following dates this summer:

July 20 – Austin Texas – The Lost Well
July 24 – Houston Texas – Dan Electros !
July 25 – San Antonio Texas – Faust Tavern !
July 26 – Austin Texas – The Lost Well !
July 27 – Bryan Texas – Revolution Cafe !
July 28 – Galveston Texas – Symposium Brewpub !
August 3 – Arlington Texas – Division Brewing
August 16 – Indianapolis Indiana – Black Circle Brewing +
August 17 – Nashville TN – Bettys Grill +
August 18 – Louisville Kentucky – Mag Bar +
August 23 – New Orleans Louisiana – Suono Mazzi Cutting Edge Music Conference
August 24 – Lafayette Louisiana – Freetown Boom Boom Room
September 13 – Atlanta Georgia – 529 *
September 14 – Raleigh North Carolina – Slims Downtown *
* w/ Serial Hawk
+ w/ Conjurer
! w/ Rickshaw Billies Burger Patrol

Monte Luna is:
James Cl
Philip Hook

www.facebook.com/pg/MonteLuna666
www.monteluna666.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/monte_luna_tx/
www.argonautarecords.com

Monte Luna, “The Water Hag”

Zaum and Dopelord, huh? That’s a pretty good show. The latter Polish outfit were recently also added to the lineup for Desertfest Belgium, but given that that’s about two weeks before this tour kicks off, it seems unlikely Zaum will make the trip over from Canada for that. Still, as the duo/trio go supporting this year’s Divination (review here), they indeed head abroad on the heels of their best work yet, having honed their mantra-doom style to a fine point of execution without giving up the contemplative feel and repetitiveness that’s proven so essential to the aesthetic. I’ve never seen them live, and that’s something I’d like to correct at the next available opportunity. That won’t be this tour, unless somebody magically comes through with a plane ticket, but one of these days, I’ll get there.

The PR wire brought dates for your perusal. So peruse:

ZAUM: Psychedelic Doom Conjurors Announce European Tour With Dopelord; Divination Full-Length Out Now Via Listenable Records

Canada’s favorite psychedelic doom conjurors ZAUM will join Poland stoner/doom troupe Dopelord for a European journey this fall. The Northern Trails Tour will commence on October 31st in Copenhagen, Denmark and run through November 10th in Berlin, Germany.

Comments ZAUM vocalist/bassist Kyle Alexander of the trek, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share a tour of one of our favorite regions in the world with our Polish brothers in Dopelord. This will actually be the first time people in North/Western Europe will witness our live visual experience component with Nawal Doucette performing her ‘Evil Queen’ rituals in addition to customized backing visuals for the ideal ZAUM experience. We recently showcased this for the first time in Eastern Europe just prior to the release of our new record Divination and the feedback was truly overwhelming and quite unexpected. I think the visual experience adds more context to the world of ZAUM we’ve created and I think people can often witness something a little different than what they’re used to seeing at the average concert.” See all confirmed dates below.

Divination was released in May via Listenable Records. While ZAUM’s meditative “mantra doom” stays quite true to what fans have experienced to date, their songcraft and presentation has progressed further with the inclusion of recorded instrumentation such as jaw harp, digideroo, singing saw, dilruba, saz, brass bells, brass bowl, and finger cymbals. In addition, their live experience now features Nawal Doucette performing her mesmerizing dark dance rituals entrancing all those who observe.

Divination is available on CD, LP, and digital formats. For physical orders visit the Listenable Shop at THIS LOCATION. For digital orders visit the Listenable Bandcamp page HERE where the record can be streamed in full. The record is also available as a limited-edition cassette only available through the ZAUM Bandcamp page HERE.

ZAUM w/ Dopelord:
10/31/2019 BETA – Copenhagen, DK
11/01/2019 Blitz – Oslo, NO
11/02/2019 Hulen – Bergen, NO
11/03/2019 Folken – Stavanger, NO
11/05/2019 Plan B – Malmo, SE
11/06/2019 Nalen – Stockholm, SE
11/07/2019 Hängmatten – Goteborg, SE
11/08/2019 Metal Fest – Aalborg, DK
11/09/2019 Haftenklang – Hamburg, DE
11/10/2019 Zukunft am Ostkreuz – Berlin, DE

ZAUM:
Kyle Alexander McDonald – vocals, bass, textures
Christopher Lewis – drums, percussion
Nawal Doucette – visual performance art, ambiance

https://www.facebook.com/zaumn/
https://www.instagram.com/zaumdoom/
https://zaum.bandcamp.com/
http://www.listenable.net
http://www.facebook.com/listenablerecs

Just the other day I was thinking about how underrated Cathedral are. Really, that’s the kind of thing I think about. Not only were they groundbreaking in terms of setting the tone for what doom metal became in the ’80s and ’90s, but they had that whole rock period too, and yeah, there were some ups and downs along the way, but they never compromised at all on doing what they wanted to at any given moment, and right up to the end, they delivered quality doom. The idea of a French tribute to a quintessentially English band is a cool bit of cultural nuance, but the point here is Cathedral deserve to be talked about in league with the heavyweights of their generation, and I know Lee Dorrian‘s work with Rise Above sometimes seems to pull focus away from that, but there’s an awful lot he did first musically that’s worth discussing.

Kudos to Sleeping Church Records for putting this one together. Take a few minutes and stream the Ataraxie cover of “Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain” at the bottom of the post. I don’t think you’ll regret it.

Doom on:

Doomed Or Be Doomed : A French Tribute To CATHEDRAL to be released on August 13th via Sleeping Church Records!

Pre-orders: Shop – https://sleepingchurchrds.com or Bandcamp – https://sleepingchurchrecords.bandcamp.com/

If you have not known CATHEDRAL at Forest Of Equilibrium, you may not be able to understand the huge impact this album has had on the Hard Rock scene of the day. Certainly, we knew a little Doom Metal thanks to CANDLEMASS … But that was something else. Heavier, slower, more morbid. In a time when it was the race to speed that prevailed, this disc took everyone back on the road. And the band did not stop there: for each album, CATHEDRAL evolved, jostled new barriers, and established new rules of the game, both musical and pictorial thanks to the tormented and psychedelic covers of Dave Patchett. So, from a simple idea launched on the internet, then relayed by social networks, patiently, slowly, this double-album was built to bring together what the French Doom has produced better and pay homage to the most influential bands of English Doom Metal. Each of them has entered the world of CATHEDRAL to re-interpret, sometimes re-invent. Do you dare to follow them on this journey?
– Laurent Lignon –

Two-headed project, this tribute album was imagined and possible thanks to the passion of Laurent Lignon and Stéphane Le Saux who know very well the French Doom scene. Thank you to them, without these people, this tribute would certainly never have emerged.

Mastered by Frederic Patte-Brasseur (ATARAXIE) / Artwork by Kax Nivore

Track-listing:
PILLARS – Morning Of A New Day
GOAT RIVER – Ebony Tears
LUX INCERTA – Serpent Eve
MISANTHROPE – Soul Sacrifice
PRESUMPTION – Equilibrium
ATARAXIE – Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain
BARABBAS – La Cathédrale De La Sainte Rédemption (Ride)
MONOLITHE – Enter The Worm(Hole)s
CONVICTION – Stained Glass Horizon
NORTHWINDS – Voodoo Fire
FATHER MERRIN – Congregation Of Sorcerers
DIONYSIAQUE – This Body, Thy Tomb

https://sleepingchurchrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sleepingchurchrecords
https://sleepingchurchrds.com

Ataraxie, “Reaching Happiness Touching Pain”

First, I’d like to point out that the Thee Facebooks address for Pittsburgh’s Urns is ‘booUrns,’ which is about as choice as Simpsons references get without actually shooting Mr. Burns. Second, there’s a new song streaming now called “Curse” that leads off their upcoming self-titled debut that will see release on Aug. 10, one day after the release party at Howler’s in the band’s hometown. I’m getting a doom rock vibe from the first half of the track and some distinctly sludgier vibes from the second, but all that really tells me is they’re looking to throw a few curves here and there, and that’ll do nicely. One might recognize bassist/backing vocalist Justin Gizzi from Monolith Wielder and Molasses Barge as well, just in case you needed more proof of doomly bona fides.

Pedigree goes far, but riffs go further, so dig into the track and see what you think. Here’s some background:

Urns (Pittsburgh) s/t debut available 8/10 at http://www.UrnsPgh.com

Crying out like the last gasp of a man on fire, punctuated by overdriven guitars growling and biting through shifting moods, Urns take their time to get where they are going, exploring the smoke-filled soundscape along the way. Droning guitars give way to aureate vocal harmonies at times, just as soon as sludgy riffs desperately trudge forward behind blood-throated shrieks. Vocalist/guitarist Mike Myzak recruited bassist Justin Gizzi and drummer Rick Fontanese in 2014, with Mitchell Cochran joining in 2017 to form the line-up for Urns’ debut self-titled record (engineered by Jason Jouver of Plus/Minus Recording, mastered by Jack Endino of Soundhouse Recording) to be released 8/9 at Howler’s in Pittsburgh.

Has played with: Weedeater, Bell Witch, Full of Hell, Yob, Heavy Temple, Stinking Lizaveta, Witch Mountain

FB: https://www.facebook.com/BooUrnsPGH

Mike Myzak – guitar and vocals, lead guitar on track 2
Mitchell Cochran – lead guitar
Justin Gizzi – bass and backing vocals
Rick Fontanese – drums

https://www.facebook.com/BooUrnsPGH
http://www.UrnsPgh.com

Technically speaking, Ruins of Eternity is the follow-up to Orodruin‘s debut long-player, Epicurean Mass (discussed here). Only kicker there is that Epicurean Mass came out in 2003, so the sophomore effort is arriving some 16 years after the fact. Hey, good doom takes time. The Rochester, New York, outfit are the latest in the classic-doom vein to sign with Cruz Del Sur Music behind the recent acquisition of Ogre and others from the last few years like Apostle of Solitude and Argus, and Ruins of Eternity has been given an October release date, which given guitarist John Gallo‘s penchant for the drama of classic horror, does not make Halloween seem unreasonable. It’ll be out right around the same time as Ogre‘s new record either way, which certainly puts them in good company.

It’s been a long time coming, but Orodruin have a real chance here to make that wait pay off. Here’s hoping they take advantage.

From the PR wire:

ORODRUIN to release “Ruins of Eternity” in October

Veteran Rochester, New York doomsters Orodruin have signed with Cruz Del Sur Music for the release of their second full-length album, “Ruins Of Eternity”. The album — the band’s first in 16 years — will see the light of day this October.

Originally formed in 1998 by John Gallo (guitar), Mike Puleo (bass/vocals), Nick Tydelski (guitar) and Mike Waske (drums), ORODRUIN broke onto the American metal scene with 2003’s “Epicurean Mass”, which remains their lone full-length album to date.
From the vintage school of BLACK SABBATH and SAINT VITUS doom with a European twist, ORODRUIN’s penchant for churning riffs and atmospheric passages instantly put them on the global doom metal map. The band issued a split, compilation, demo and EP in ensuing years, all building up to the eventual release of their sophomore album.

According to Gallo, ORODRUIN wrote nine new songs from 2016 to 2018, with a tenth song, “Letter Of Life’s Regret” coming from 2005. The album was tracked throughout 2018 at Wicked Squid Studio and is currently being mixed with the mastering process right around the corner.

“Stylistically, the songs are in the epic doom realm like the master titans of the 1970s, SABBATH and JUDAS PRIEST,” says Gallo. “The songs are a long-awaiting evolution in our writing and chemistry among brothers on a treacherous journey that will finally be unleashed to the masses. We hope it translates well to the hearts and souls of our fans worldwide.”

In preparation for the band’s triumphant return to European shores for this fall’s Hammer Of Doom Festival festival, ORODRUIN have enlisted drummer Kevin Latchaw of labelmates Argus, who is temporarily manning the drum spot while the band searches for a replacement for Waske, who left ORODRUIN in April of 2018.

Gallo: “We are extremely honored to be playing the same night as Uli Jon Roth and TROUBLE alongside our classic doom brothers MIRROR OF DECEPTION, SKALD and ATLANTEAN KODEX on the next day, to mention only a few! We can’t express how amazing it will be to be playing a substantial doom metal festival in Germany again. We hope people enjoy the new material as much as we do playing it.”

ORODRUIN’s addition to Cruz Del Sur adds to an ever-growing stable of excellent doom metal bands. Not only will the partnership expose ORODRUIN to new audiences, it will put them in close company with many bands who they consider contemporaries. “We have been aware of Cruz Del Sur for a while and it seemed like the perfect home for us as we have a more European audience that appreciates our style of doom metal. Plus, it will be great to be alongside our fellow doom friends in WHILE HEAVEN WEPT, SLOUGH FEG and ARGUS.”

Orodruin is:
Nick Tydelski : Guitar
Michael Puleo : Bass, Vocals, Drums
John Gallo : Other Guitar

https://www.facebook.com/orodruinofficialband
cruzdelsurmusic.com
facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic
cruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com

Orodruin, Epicurean Mass (2003)

How’s your Latin? Mine stinks. Sweden’s Year of the Goat seem to have a handle on the grammar though, and that’s fortunate as regards the cult rockers naming their new album Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis. The offering will be made with the backing of Napalm Records on Sept. 6, and preorders and a new video for the song “Avaritia” are both up right now. The tracklisting is duly ending-in-vowels (opener “Subortus” aside), and one imagines the release itself carries no shortage of ensuing drama as the line between what’s cult and what’s goth seems to be blurring generally. These guys haven’t had the same hype as some plying their trade in the dark arts, but they’ve got that aesthetic pretty much down, as the video shows. I guess some people on the internets said the art looks like something Batushka did? I’m gonna go with “yeah not really” on that one, at least going by my immediate search results for that band’s album covers.

Here’s info from the PR wire:

Occult rock masters YEAR OF THE GOAT reveal album details, brand new video + kick off pre-order!

Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis coming this September on Napalm Records!

September 6th will see Swedish occult rock masters YEAR OF THE GOAT return with their brand new opus, Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis, on Napalm Records. Today the band is not only sharing the initial album details, spectacular album artwork, but also a brand new music video for the hard-hitting rock juggernaut Avaritia!

“Four years of neverending lust for creativity. For years of gluttony and decadence within our most sacred temple. For years of unspeakable boiling wrath. For years of greed filled wastefulness. Now, envy us in our moment of pride.” the band states.

Evoking a musically, sinister reality that surrounds us in this world with the majestic sound by YEAR OF THE GOAT, the occult rock collective adds a fire to the chaos with the band’s third studio album. In these times of global upheaval, the band’s upcoming record will celebrate your sins “[…] and rejoice in the perverseness of evil”, but one is definitely clear: The YEAR OF THE GOAT is now! Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis showcases YEAR OF THE GOAT’s roots in the darker sounds of the 60’s and 70’s, while they have never sounded so bracing before. Captivating tracks such as the just released Avaritia indulge in the finest occult rock full of blackened heart`s blood and elegiac melody lines that will haunt your dreams!

Watch the brand new video for Avaritia HERE!

Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis Tracklisting:
1. Subortus
2. Acedia
3. Luxuria
4. Ira
5. Superbia
6. Gula
7. Avaritia
8. Invidia
9. Subicio

Coming September 6th 2019 with Napalm Records and available as LP, CD and digital formats, the pre-order has just started at THIS LOCATION!

YEAR OF THE GOAT is:
Thomas Sabbathi – vocals, guitar
Jonas Mattsson – guitar
Linus Lundgren – guitar
Daniel Melo – drums
Joona Hassinen – bass
Pope – mellotron, vocals

www.facebook.com/yearofthegoat
www.napalmrecords.com

Year of the Goat, “Avaritia” official video

Preorders go live later this week for Coven of the Ultra-Riff, a new split due out Sept. 6 from Saint Karloff and Devil’s Witches that I have no doubt will live up to its name with a due sense of worship. It’s the first vinyl release from Majestic Mountain Records, and tapes will be handled by Stoner Witch Records, and with limited numbers in both formats, I’d be surprised if they weren’t gone before the release date actually arrives.

The twist here is that in addition to each band bringing an original track, they also cover each other’s work, so you get Saint Karloff playing Devil’s Witches and vice versa. Kind of a cool idea, and the bands certainly have their commonalities in terms of the titular “ultra-riff,” but there are some aesthetic differences as well and I’d be interested to hear how those come across in the covers.

Here’s the info for the vinyl and preorders when the time comes:

Saint Karloff / Devil’s Witches – Coven of the Ultra-Riff

MMR-001: TRANSPARENT GREEN/BLACK MARBLED EDITION LTD. 700 COPIES
??
PRE-ORDER OPENS 19:00 CEST/6PM BST/1PM EST, JULY THE 19TH!
??
OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE SEPTEMBER 6TH
??
Coven of the Ultra-Riff is the epic new split from Saint Karloff and Devil’s Witches. Each band brings a brand new track and a reimagined cover song of the other’s work. The brand new songs are as heavy and riff laden as the title suggests. The cover songs have been stylistically reversed with Devil’s Witches providing an acoustic version of ‘Ghostsmoker’ and Saint Karloff electrifying the originally acoustic ‘Supervixen’. This monumental matchup of musical minds demands to be heard in superior vinyl format.
??
The split comes in a transparent green/black marbled 180 grams 12″ vinyl housed in a single sleeve cover incl. double sided insert; one side for each band. Cover artwork by Brouemaster Visual Decay with design by Devil’s Witches, insert artwork and design by Devil’s Witches.
??
Saint Karloff side Mastered for vinyl by Steve Kitch, Audiomaster.
Devil’s Witches side Mastered for vinyl by Joona Hassinen, Studio Underjord
??
Tracklisting Saint Karloff side:
At The Mountains Of Loudness
Supervixen (Electric Return)
??
Tracklisting Devil’s Witches side:
Love Is Doom, A Fistful Of Napalm
Ghostsmoker (Acoustic Return)
??
The split also includes:
– Two A3 posters – One designed by Devil’s Witches and the other designed by @shanehorror
– Split and Label stickers
??
NOTE This is a album mockup and the actual product might differ from the photo shown here.

Cassette release by Stoner Witch Records

https://www.facebook.com/SaintKarloff/
https://www.facebook.com/devilswitches/
https://www.facebook.com/majesticmountainrecords/
https://www.facebook.com/stonerwitchrecords/

Boston heavy rock purveyors Gozu bid welcome to new drummer Patrick Queenan. The band — once again a four-piece with bassist Joe Grotto and founding guitarists Marc Gaffney (vocals) and Doug Sherman (backing vocals) — toured last month headed westward and took part in the Electric Funeral Fest in Denver. This November, they’ll make a return to European shores to play the Heavy Psych Sounds Fest in Austria and more besides, hitting Germany, Italy, Slovenia, the UK, Belgium, France and Switzerland on a 15-day stretch that will serve as Queenan‘s inaugural stint with them. Trial by Old World fire and all that.

Also known for playing in Sundrifter, Queenan comes to Gozu as at least their third ‘permanent’ drummer, taking the role after a split with Mike Hubbard (now of the reactivated Warhorse). Gozu aren’t far removed from 2018’s Equilibrium (review here), but it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that the shift in personnel might get them moving quicker on new material, getting a fresh take and all that with Queenan in the rhythm section.

Beyond the November tour, I won’t profess to know what the future holds for them, but Gozu always deliver live and in the studio, so whatever it is, I’ll happily take it as it comes. I look forward to seeing the new lineup.

They had some comment on bringing in Queenan:

“Pat is an incredible musician with extraordinary feel. He brings a lot of skills to the table and we are very excited to have him in the fold. We look forward to writing and playing shows with him ASAP. Bottom line: He rules.” – Doug Sherman.

“Pat brings a whole new vibe of youth and groove that the old men needed. His playing and attitude is rather infectious, he describes his downbeat as, silky chicken.” – Marc Gaffney.

“First I just want to thank Gaff, Doug and Joe for allowing me to be apart of Gozu. They’ve been around and have been consistently crushing it and have done a lot of really great things as a band, things a lot of bands only dream of doing. I guess I feel real lucky to be playing drums in two badass rock bands (Gozu/Sundrifter) who both have really exciting futures ahead! As a musician I couldn’t have it any better right now!” – Patrick Queenan.

*** GOZU – EUROPEAN TOUR 2019 ***
01.11.2019 AT Innsbruck-PMK Heavy Psych Sounds Fest
02.11.2019 IT Udine-Backyardie
03.11.2019 SL Lubijana-Channel Zero
04.11.2019 IT Zerobranco-Altroquando
05.11.2019 AT Salzburg-Rockhouse
06.11.2019 DE Augsbrug-City Club
07.11.2019 DE Erfurt-Tiko
08.11.2019 DE Berlin-Heads Up Fest
09.11.2019 DE Oldenburg-MTS Record Shop
10.11.2019 DE Koln-MTC
11.11.2019 UK London tba
12.11.2019 BE Brugge-Jeugdhuis Comma
13.11.2019 FR Chambery-Le Brin du Zinc
14.11.2019 CH Martigny-Sunset Bar
15.11.2019 CH Zurich-Safari Bar
16.11.2019 CH Olten-Coq D’or

GOZU is:
Marc Gaffney – guitar and vocals
Joe Grotto – bass
Doug Sherman – lead guitar
Pat Queenan – drums

Photo was taken by Nicole Tammaro.

https://www.facebook.com/GOZU666
http://gozu.bandcamp.com
instagram.com/gozu666

Gozu, Equilibrium (2018)