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EMBR Premiere “Nomega” Video; Self-Titled LP Due Dec. 8

Posted in Bootleg Theater on September 11th, 2023 by JJ Koczan

Embr

Birmingham, Alabama-based melodic doom metallers EMBR are working toward the release of their self-titled sophomore full-length Dec. 8 on Black Doomba Records. Preorders start Nov. 10. “Nomega” arrives as the second single of three from EMBR ahead of the album, coming behind “Black,” which was posted in July. From both tracks together, one might extrapolate a few things about the record to come.

EMBR issued their debut, 1823 (review here) — one of a series of outings with numerical titles, which is a methodology that would seem to have been left behind at least for the moment — in Summer 2020 through New Heavy Sounds, and the returning four-piece of vocalist Crystal Bigelow, guitarist Mark Buchanan, bassist Alan Light (since replaced by  Justin Regelin, who’s in the video) and drummer Eric Bigelow have not grown any less expansive. With a strong foundation in metal, they come across in “Nomega” as more confident in themselves and their sound. One will hear consistency between “Nomega” and “Black” — as would be expected from two songs on the same album, though nothing is absolute — and the recording by Matt Washburn (MastodonAtheistElder, etc.) assures that tonal heft is not lost to atmospheric breadth.

embr nomega coverLayered whispers and screams back Crystal‘s crooning verse and chorus lines as the video plays through a They Live theme that would make it worth sticking around to the end of the clip even if the song didn’t. Not slow, but not hurried, “Nomega” has push behind its movement — Light‘s full-of-punch bassline reminding in the song’s turns of Faith No More‘s “Last Cup of Sorrow” — and balances that with giving the vocal melody room to feature as it does. As with “Black,” the abiding feel of “Nomega” is dark — a nice contrast to see them playing in a white room — and accounts for the grunge background the band willfully embraced on their 2023 covers EP, Idolatry, but is unmistakably metal in its construction.

So what do we learn? To be on the lookout for the album, primarily. Maybe also that as severe as EMBR‘s sound gets, they remain grounded in their approach and conscious of dynamic in their material. We knew that, probably, but a little reinforcement is always welcome. As you listen, keep ideas about craft in mind. Think about building the arrangements. The tone of guitar and bass, the position of the drums in the mix, where the background whispers are, all that kind of stuff. EMBR seem to be inviting their listenership to bask in the details. Doing so is bound to make one look forward all the more to when EMBR lands.

Video premieres below, followed by more info from the band, the lyrics, and so on. Please enjoy:

EMBR, “Nomega” video premiere

“Nomega” from the album ‘EMBR’ (2023) Black Doomba Records
Order here: https://embr2.bandcamp.com/album/nomega
More info/all band links: https://linktr.ee/blackdoomba
More info/EMBR: https://www.embrrockband.com/

EMBR formed in 2015. Their mission statement is to find the happy medium between both sonic worlds, to walk with one foot in somber density and the other in a place of blissful, uplifting tranquility. They have released 5 EP’s and 1 full length album.

Statement about the single, “Nomega” from Erik Bigelow (drummer) ” Nomega is essentially about the dark spirits behind the curtain. The frauds, scam-artists and cheats draping their two-faces in propaganda and deception. It’s about the pillagers, thieves, and highwaymen that steal our dreams from under us. It’s also a call to action to hold these rotting corpses accountable and pull them from the “branches”. “

Lyrics:
“Nomega” (Crystal Bigelow, Erik Bigelow, Mark Buchanan)

Slipping with their forked tongues
They slide in and out
Shifting and shaping they change
Cutting and scraping the remains
Melting and merging they slip
They drift deep into the night
Dripping with their deeds soaked and wet
Devils be dragged into the night
Try to hide
Stay out of sight
Devils be dragged
So they can feel their bite
Reach through the branches
Drag ’em out
Pulled out into the open now
Wrapped in all that was stolen

Video: Erik Bigelow
Cover art: Erik Bigelow

Recorded at Ledbelly Sound Studio
by Matt Washburn

Recording Musicians:
Crystal Bigelow – Vocals
Mark Buchanan – Guitar
 Justin Regelin – Bass
Eric Bigelow – Drums

EMBR, “Black” (2023)

EMBR on Facebook

EMBR on Instagram

EMBR on Bandcamp

EMBR website

Black Doomba Records website

Black Doomba Records on Bandcamp

Black Doomba Records on Facebook

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EMBR Sign to Black Doomba Records; Announce New Album

Posted in Whathaveyou on May 2nd, 2023 by JJ Koczan

EMBR have a new record apparently in the can and they’ll release it as their first offering as part of the emergent lineup of Black Doomba Records. The Birmingham, Alabama-based four-piece join the ranks of MNRVA, Grave Next Door, HolyRoller, Grave Huffer and DayGlo Mourning, with whom they collaborated last year on a cover of “Bury Me in Smoke” from Down‘s seminal Nola LP, and their signing to Black Doomba comes shortly after the release of their Idolatry four-song EP with covers of Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots. Because the ’90s, that’s why.

They also come to Black Doomba as veterans of New Heavy Sounds and while I don’t have a release date for their next offering as yet, one imagines they’ll get there sooner or later since they’ve had a productive run of offerings since 2016, before they lost that second ‘e’ in their moniker.

In a spirit of looking forward, here’s word from the PR wire:

embr

Progressive Doom Band ‘EMBR’ Signs With Black Doomba Records!

EMBR has many solid releases under their belt. In 2016 they released ‘261’, followed by ‘271’ and ‘326:Spiritual Dialysis’. They released their debut full length album ‘1823’ on the UK label New Heavy Sounds in 2020 to critical acclaim. After ‘1823’ they released the 4 song EP ‘Idolatry’ and also a single for “Mary Did You Know” in December 2020. In 2021 EMBR released a 3 song EP, ‘1021’, to commemorate New Heavy Sound’s 10-year anniversary along with a cover of the Down classic “Bury Me in Smoke” in collaboration with DayGlo Mourning.

EMBR has completed the next album in which they used the current cultural chaos as fuel. It will be released via Black Doomba Records.

Statement from Tommy Stewart, Black Doomba Records, “I’m very proud to be able to work with the unique sound and talents of EMBR. We’ll have more information to release about their newest album describing the meaning of the album, title, and cover art soon, planned to be available in 2023.”

https://www.instagram.com/embr_
https://www.facebook.com/embrband/
https://twitter.com/embr_rock_band
https://embrband.bandcamp.com/music
https://www.youtube.com/@EMBRBAND
https://www.embrrockband.com/

https://www.blackdoomba.com/
https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blackdoombarecords/

EMBR, Idolatry (2023)

EMBR & DayGlo Mourning, “Bury Me in Smoke” (Down cover)

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EMBR Stream 1021 EP in Full & Premiere Videos; Out This Week on New Heavy Sounds

Posted in audiObelisk on August 31st, 2021 by JJ Koczan

embr

Birmingham, Alabama-based melodic crushers EMBR release their 1021 EP on Sept. 3 through New Heavy Sounds as part of the label’s 10th anniversary EP series. The band — who I like to think shed their second vowel when they went from five members to four between their first and second EPs — issued their debut album, 1823 (review here), in July 2020 and in addition to being their first LP, it was their first release with guitarist Mark Buchanan and bassist Alan Light in the band along with founders Crystal Bigelow (vocals) and Erik Bigelow (drums). I don’t know the timing on the two joining the band and the songs of 1823 being written, but there’s no question the return to the more-than-just-the-Bigelows incarnation that released 2019’s 326: Spiritual Dialysis — which would seem to have been made when Eric was undergoing actual dialysis; kidney since replaced — has helped EMBR push themselves into new territory on 1021, and it shows on each of the tracks in a different way.

In the quote from Erik that follows the full EP premiere below, there’s some discussion of genre. Is it metal? Is it doom? And so on. I don’t know if that’s a question artists should really be on the hook to answer for their own work, beyond the occasional clever tagline or playful sloganeering. Embr 1021 vinylIn any case, I understand where he might have some trouble tagging it. 1021 — with “Vesuvius,” “Born” and “A Grave for the Axe” each meting out their purpose with a mixture of brutality and melody — is a sharper execution even than the band had a year ago, and in continuing their collaboration with Matt Washburn, the four-piece clearly show influences beyond standard riffy fare. They did on the record too. Here though, that’s coupled with an efficiency of craft that’s brought more into focus immediately on the speedier “Vesuvius.” There are elements of modern progressive metal in the construction, and Crystal‘s arrangements switching between soar-ready clean singing and masterful screams are most certainly metallic as well, but tonal thickness is still a factor and is all the more highlighted on “Born.” The only song to top five minutes (it does so by six seconds), it rolls out at the start and lurches its way into a more midtempo chug, playing back and forth for the remainder, but if doom is just about playing slow — it isn’t — that’s where that’s happening.

How then to account for the angular riff of “A Grave for the Axe,” the open, melodic verses or the growl-topped surges that follow? The skillfully mixed layers throughout and the insistent payoff? It’s a progressive vision of sludge and more extreme metals that doesn’t really have an efficient genre tag. And as finding that very complexity was the band’s intention as stated, 1021 can only be judged as a success. That’s the math of it. As to the listening experience? This sounds like a band who are not fucking around. Metal’s hard impact delivered with doom’s thickened bludgeon, melody no less a weapon in their arsenal. Right on. What I’ll be interested to hear from them on their next offering, whenever and whatever that is, is what lessons they take with them from doing this and how their dynamic with the lineup of BigelowBigelowBuchanan and Light (sounds like a law firm, most definitely is not) continues to evolve, whether they push more toward metal than doom as they do in parts here, or if some of the murkier aspects of 1823 find their way in amid the atmospheric clarity of what they show on 1021. At just 14 minutes, 1021 is a cliffhanger in that regard, but the forward potential makes them all the more an exciting outfit in the present.

So again, yeah, mission accomplished. And if you can’t keep the numbers straight, well, I feel you. A listen or two through the EP will clear you right up.

Enjoy, and happy anniversary to New Heavy Sounds:

Erik Bigelow on 1021:

From my experience, conversations and discussions, a lot of people have varying opinions on what “doom” is. There are some common opinions that the majority agree on, sure… Slower tempos, down-tuned guitars, thick and heavy tones, etc. There is definitely more to it than that, but I’d say that’s the stripped down (very rudimentary) recipe.

To build on that – people have different ears and hear things differently. That’s just the nature of music. There are boxes and there are people whom stick within the cube. Then there are people who don’t mind the box being torn open. Both are totally cool. I’m simply stating (in a long-winded format) that – Genres can be tricky sometimes, and “doom” is different to different people – it’s quite diverse in my opinion.

With EMBR we take what elements we like from the genre and add our own feel to it. We’ve all been musicians for a long time and we all have slightly different tastes and styles – We try and write what we want to hear – it’s as simple as that.

With this new EP “1021” we tried to push past the walls of our own cube. While there are elements of “doom” in these songs, there are sections that are in another vein altogether. We set out to be EMBR (of course) but we also set out to show a different side of the band.

Is this EP “doom”? Is it “metal”? Is it “rock”? I’ll let the listeners decide. As I stated I think genres are becoming more and more tricky to define. What I do know is we had a hell of a great time writing and recording these songs and we all hope you enjoy them.

Worldwide – https://newheavysounds.bandcamp.com/album/1021-e-p
USA and Canada orders can be made via Embr’s Bandcamp page. https://embrband.bandcamp.com/music

The EP was recorded and mixed by Matt Washburn at Ledbelly Sound in Dawsonville, GA, and mastered at Soulfire Sounds in Birmingham, Alabama.

EMBR are:
Erik Bigelow – Drums
Crystal Bigelow – Vox
Alan Light – Bass
Mark Buchanan – Guitar



EMBR on Facebook

EMBR on Instagram

EMBR on Twitter

EMBR on Bandcamp

EMBR website

New Heavy Sounds on Facebook

New Heavy Sounds on Bandcamp

New Heavy Sounds website

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EMBR Premiere “Where I’ve Been” Video; Debut LP 1823 out July 17

Posted in Bootleg Theater on June 30th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

embr

Birmingham, Alabama, atmospheric doom four-piece EMBR will release their debut full-length, 1823, on July 17 through New Heavy Sounds, and if you stick around until the end of the new single “Where I’ve Been” taken from the seven-song/40-minute offering, you’ll catch a vicious scream from vocalist Crystal Bigelow. That’s a theme to which the band returns throughout the offering, but the most significant impression of 1823 is also right there in the same track’s blend of tonal heft and melody. Guitarist Mark Buchanan and bassist Alan Light crunch out weighted riffs and chug as Crystal‘s voice careens overhead in the mix, drummer Eric Bigelow anchoring the proceedings and rolling them forward from one verse to the next.

Opener “Prurient,” which directly precedes “Where I’ve Been” on the album, is more immediate in its execution, but if EMBR are quick to showcase their breadth early on in the record, that’s something that only continues to serve them well as the rest plays out, the sprawl early on in the subsequent “Stranger” giving way to an especially massive lumber before receding again, demonstrating an awareness of structural variation as well as an ability to simply shift between levels of aggression, tempo, and so on.

Those with a veteran experience of New Heavy Sounds‘ output might be tempted to hear “Where I’ve Been” and liken EMBR with Welsh outfit Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, and granted some of the melodic float is a shared aspect, but aside from a lack of sci-fi thematic throughout, certainly the growls and screams that intertwine in the verses of “Powder” are a distinguishing factor, and one Crystal uses fluidly to add richness to the material. She works in layers on “Powder,” and though it’s one of just two tracks under five minutes long on the album, it earns its place as the centerpiece both through embr 1823its sheer impact and through the shift it represents in style.

With “Eyes Like Knives” unfolding with an emphasis on patience after, EMBR bring out some synthsizer to further bolster the melody as 1823 works into its second side, and though they weren’t exactly daring monotony up to that point, neither does it feel like too much, the depth of the mix allowing plenty of space for the additional element. “Eyes Like Knives” resolves in a memorable hook with the line, “Come and take it all away,” repeated, ahead of a last crash and amplifier hum transitioning into the quiet start of “Your Burden,” which surges forward before its first minute, the guitar finding a melancholic place that is both familiarly doomed and distinct in its conveying of mood. The verse opens and Crystal enters over quiet guitar, bass and drums, but naturally the chorus picks back up, and surprisingly, “Your Burden” doesn’t recede again until the close.

Harmonies at the outset of closer/longest track “Vines” (6:50) offer a false sense of security for the harshness to follow. Atop backing growls, Crystal‘s rings out, lines delivered atop sustained shouts in a repeating cycle, dramatic and of considerable presence. A tolling bell and nastier screaming takes hold after the midpoint, and the song caps with a final melodic stretch giving way to leftover guitar and ambient noise, speaking as did the harmonies throughout to a progressive bent that, even after three prior EPs, EMBR seem to be just beginning to explore.

As 1823 ends its run, it characterizes EMBR somewhere between doom and ambient sludge or post-metal, but one of the most encouraging aspects of the album is that it’s less about conforming to style than it is about offering its own take through largesse and range alike, the changes in structure and arrangement adding to the focus on craft that is so prevalent throughout. These aren’t days for making predictions, so I won’t take a stab at what it might lead to, but fortunately 1823 offers a satisfying enough listen that one has no real need to leave the moment.

The video for “Where I’ve Been” is premiering below. Beneath that is more background from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

EMBR, “Where I’ve Been” official video premiere

Pre-orders: http://smarturl.it/Embr1823

Within the genre of heavy metal there can be an abundance of variation, color, texture and tone. There are many different shades and many different categories within that catch-all phrase. It’s not all about throat ripping vocals or Neanderthal riffage. As many who are not drawn metal’s immediate charms may perceive.

Heavy music can encompass a whole panoply of sounds, moods and ambition. It can surround you with emotional elegance and distressing chaos. There can be subtleness, thoughtfulness and deep introspection even when things get exceptionally heavy.

This is why New Heavy Sounds is thrilled to unveil our latest signing. We have partnered with four musically kindred spirits from Birmingham, Alabama, collectively known as EMBR. EMBR tick all the boxes overhead and beyond. We are very excited to be releasing their debut full length album ‘1823’.

EMBR already have 3 mighty EP’s under their belt. ‘261’ released in 2016. ‘271’ released in 2017 and their last EP titled 326: Spiritual Dialysis’ released in 2018. All 3 got them on the heavy underground radar.

After these 3 releases EMBR spent most of 2019 writing 7 new songs for ‘1823’. The album was recorded by Matt Washburn at Ledbelly Sound Studio (Mastodon, Royal Thunder) in Dawsonville Ga.

At this point, it is worth stating that the title ‘1823’ has special significance. It’s not just a numerical title, it has substance. Eric Bigelow (drummer) has been on the list for a kidney for around 4 years.

Eric received a kidney transplant in May of 2019. This happened right in the middle of writing the album. The kidney was from a deceased donor and all Eric and Crystal Bigelow (singer and Eric’s wife) know about the donor is that it was a young woman between the ages of 18-23. The album is dedicated to the donor and the surgeons at Vanderbilt hospital in Nashville TN. And what a fine tribute it is.

Musically ‘1823’ could be categorized as ‘Doom’. However, on this debut it’s obvious that EMBR have range, drive and a desire to add to the genre, to broaden it whilst staying true to its core fundamentals.

Rest assured, the band have all the nuts and bolts in place. Mark Buchanan (guitar), Alan Light (bass) and Eric Bigelow (drums) keep everything tight and weighty. Massive drop-tuned guitars, chest rattling low end, pounding drums, fuzzy distortion, it’s all there. But they also add in synths, a bit of grunge and alt rock flavors.

‘1823’ is set for release on New Heavy Sounds on July 17th 2020.

Like all NHS releases there will be a deluxe vinyl LP, in 2 color Black/Blue cosmic swirl vinyl. With printed lyric inner and full download. CD 4 panel digipack, with lyric booklet. Also available on all digital platforms.

Artist: EMBR
Album: 1823
Record Label: New Heavy Sounds
Release Date: July 17th, 2020
01. Prurient
02. Where I’ve Been
03. Stranger
04. Powder
05. Eyes Like Knives
06. Your Burden
07. Vines

EMBR are:
Eric Bigelow, drums.
Crystal Bigelow, vocals.
Mark Buchanan, guitar.
Alan Light, bass.

EMBR, 1823 (2020)

EMBR on Instagram

EMBR on Thee Facebooks

EMBR website

New Heavy Sounds on Thee Facebooks

New Heavy Sounds on Bandcamp

New Heavy Sounds website

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Ember Announce New EP 271 Due Nov. 12

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 29th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

ember

Birmingham, Alabama, post-sludge doomers Ember will follow-up their 2016 261 EP (discussed here) by upping the stakes. By 10, apparently. The forthcoming release is titled 271 and it’s set to arrive on Nov. 12. Before they get there, Ember have a handful of dates booked in throughout October in Alabama and Georgia, including what I’m assuming is a video filming session in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 14 that will be for one of the tracks from the new EP. It’s listed with the shows, but seems to maybe be at a hospital?

Yeah, you might want to hit the band up to find out if that one’s actually open to the public, but I’ve included it here just in case. Maybe they want a crowd to show up. I don’t know. Either way, while I’m making rash assumptions, I’ll just go ahead and figure the gig on Nov. 12 — EP release date, if you forgot in the jump from one paragraph to the next — is a hometown release show. So if you can’t make it to the hospital, there’s always The Nick. Plenty of chances to have a good time.

They sent the following info down the PR wire:

ember 271

EMBER announce release date for “271”

Birmingham, Alabama’s female fronted Doom/Rock outfit EMBER announce the official release of the 3 song EP “271”. The release is set for November 12th, 2017 and promises to be the band’s most focused and uncompromising material yet. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Matt Washburn at Ledbelly Sound (Mastodon, Royal Thunder, Norma Jean) this 3 song EP is a 25 minute musical journey through a dark myriad of peaks and valleys.

EMBER has imaginatively combined their vast influences to give us a hard-hitting and powerful follow-up. “271” is promising and incorporates new elements while staying true to the EMBER sound they established on their previous release “261”.

EMBER was established in 2015 and have crafted their own brand of doom/rock. Thick dynamic riffs, crushing guitar and bass tones, powerful hard-hitting drumming, all lay the framework for clean, intense and stunning vocals. From the first note, EMBER demand attention.

EMBER live:
11 Oct The Nick Birmingham, AL
14 Oct Bryce Hospital Video Shoot Tuscaloosa, AL
28 Oct The Oglethorpe Lounge Albany, GA
12 Nov The Nick Birmingham, AL

Ember is:
Crystal Bigelow – Vocals
Craig Shadix – Guitar
Jeremy Allen – Bass
Eric Bigelow – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/emberband
https://twitter.com/ember_rock_band
https://www.instagram.com/ember_band
https://emberband.bandcamp.com/
https://www.emberrockband.com/

Ember, 261 (2016)

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Quarterly Review: Alcest, Galley Beggar, Pontiak, White Light Cemetery, Fever Dog, Duel, Seven Nines and Tens, Automatic Sam, The Next Appointed Hour, Blown Out

Posted in Reviews on March 29th, 2017 by JJ Koczan

cropped-Charles-Meryon-Labside-Notre-Dame-1854

Always a special moment in the Quarterly Review when we pass the halfway mark. That’s where today’s batch brings us, and in rocking style as well. You might say I’ve been taking it easy on myself with the selections this time out — albums there’s plenty to say on and generally good stuff — but the basic fact of the matter is even with 50 reviews in a week, this is still just a fraction of what’s out there and still just a fraction of what I’d cover if I had the time. I couldn’t in terms of my own sanity, but one could probably do 10 reviews a day every day of the year and still have room for more. I do the best I can. Picking and choosing is a part of that process. Let’s get to it.

Quarterly Review #21-30:

Alcest, Kodama

alcest kodama

After the bold departure presented in 2014’s Shelter (review here) toward even-airier, more indie-hued fare, French post-black metal innovators Alcest make a no-less-bold return to their core sound – screams included, as they’re quick to show on “Eclosion” – with 2016’s Kodama (on Prophecy Productions). It’s a less progressive move, and for that distinct in Alcest’s discography, but one can’t argue with their execution of a track like “Je Suis d’Ailleurs” and the immediately recognizable melodic wash they craft, as resonant emotionally as it is heavy in its tone. Most of the six cuts seem contented to have (re-)found their place, but “Onyx” finishes out with just under four minutes of layered guitar droning, and so Alcest seem to tease that perhaps they’re not completely ready to settle the issue of their aesthetic just yet. One hopes that’s the case, and in the meantime, the reorientation that Kodama brings with it should no doubt please those longtime fans who bristled at the turn they made their last time out.

Alcest on Thee Facebooks

Prophecy Productions on Bandcamp

 

Galley Beggar, Heathen Hymns

galley-beggar-heathen-hymns

Galley Beggar’s fourth offering and second for Rise Above, Heathen Hymns, brings 42-minutes of the traditional acid folk one has come to expect from them over the last half-decade plus, no less graceful in its melodies, harmonies and weaving into and out of psychedelia, Eastern inflections on the sitar-laced “The Lake” and cleverly rhythmic in the post-rocking electric flourish of “Let No Man Steal Your Thyme.” Knowing what to expect, however, does nothing to diminish the joy of the listening experience. Rather, the return of Galley Beggar’s fluid string and/or more rock-based arrangements, memorable songcraft and gorgeous vocal treatments is welcome, and perhaps most of all on closer “My Return,” which draws their multiple sides together in a cohesive vision of futures past that only benefits from the maturity they’ve grown into. With poise as a defining feature as much as their British folk stylistic lineage, Galley Beggar remain a special outfit doing deeply individualized and satisfying work.

Galley Beggar on Thee Facebooks

Rise Above Records website

 

Pontiak, Dialectic of Ignorance

pontiak-dialectic-of-ignorance

A steady foundation of low-end drone underpins songs like “Ignorance Makes Me High” and “Hidden Prettiness” on Pontiak’s Dialectic of Ignorance (released via Thrill Jockey), and though they move away from it somewhat in the more active freakout “Dirtbags,” the patience shown by the Virginian trio forms a key part of the album’s personality. To wit, they open with “Easy Does It,” essentially telling their listener their intention for what will ensue throughout the eight-track/46-minute offering. Brothers Jennings, Van and Lain Carney bring forth willful drift in that opener and across the percussive-but-still-shoegazing “Tomorrow is Forgetting,” finding an organ-laced folkadelic middle ground later in “Youth and Age” and punctuating the dreamy harmonized gorgeousness of “Herb is My Next Door Neighbor” with fervent tom runs and ping ride before closer “We’ve Fucked this Up” starts out amid blistering chaos only to smooth itself as it goes. Serene and somewhat moody to the same degree their last outing, 2014’s Innocence, was raw, Dialectic of Ignorance carries the feel of a personal journey undertaken, but is ultimately too warm in tone and melody not to welcome its audience to be a part of that as well.

Pontiak on Thee Facebooks

Pontiak at Thrill Jockey Records

 

White Light Cemetery, Careful What You Wish For

white-light-cemetery-careful-what-you-wish-for

Nearing the mark of their first decade together, Louisiana Southern heavy four-piece White Light Cemetery issue their second full-length, Careful What You Wish For, through Ripple Music and keep a steady focus on songcraft throughout. Heavy riffs, a bit of boogie on “Sky River” and the stomping “Better Days,” boozy Southern-isms on the directly countrified “On a Dime” and a cowbell-infused finish with “Bullet to Erase” – it’s only fair to say White Light Cemetery hit all the marks. The beery post-Deliverance execution of “Looking Out (For Number One)” will likely ring familiar to many who take it on, but that’s the idea, as vocalist/guitarist Shea Bearden, guitarist Ryan Robin, bassist Tara Miller and drummer Thomas Colley are clearly less concerned with reinventing rock in their own image than honoring the pantheon of those who’ve come before them in the style. Hard to argue with the ethic preached or the dual-guitar harmonies of “Quit Work, Make Music,” though the record as a whole seems awfully “workingman’s rock” for any such bohemian aspirations.

White Light Cemetery on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

 

Fever Dog, Mainframe

fever dog mainframe

It’s been three years since next-gen Californian desert trio Fever Dog released their last album, Second Wind (review here), which was long on potential, big on songwriting and resonant in vibe. I’d been hoping for a third long-player in 2017, but even the arrival of new single Mainframe – which of course doesn’t preclude a subsequent album release – is fine by me, the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Danny Graham, bassist Nathan Wood and drummer/organist/synthesist/vocalist Joshua Adams digging into progressive vibes on the title-track and the subsequent, talkbox-inclusive “Let Me Out.” I don’t know if they’re planning to press a 7” – somebody call H42 Records! – but the cover art certainly justifies one if the songs themselves don’t (and they do), and the name-your-price download comes with the raw 19-minute classic heavy rock jam “Alpha Waves Medley Live at Club 5,” which emits buzz like it’s a bootleg from 1973. If Mainframe is the process of Fever Dog getting weirder, it bodes well. All the more reason one might keep their fingers crossed for a new full-length.

Fever Dog on Thee Facebooks

Fever Dog on Bandcamp

 

Duel, Witchbanger

duel witchbanger

“If you see him it’s much too late/Close your eyes, girl, accept your fate.” So goes the title-track hook of Duel’s Witchbanger, the Austin-based rockers’ second album for Heavy Psych Sounds. Released on a quick turnaround from last year’s debut, Fears of the Dead (review here), the eight-track/34-minute swaggerfest delves into fantasy themes drawn from classic metal – hard not to look at six-minute closer “Tigers and Rainbows” and not think of Dio, at least thematically – but cuts like “Astro Gypsy” and “Heart of the Sun” in the record’s midsection build on the ‘70s loyalism of the first outing and find guitarist/vocalist Tom Frank, guitarist Jeff Henson, bassist/vocalist Shaun Avants and drummer JD Shadowz clear in their intentions in that regard. Though it takes a sizable grain of salt to get over that title, Duel’s heavy rock traditionalism comes complemented by efficient songwriting and a natural-sounding recording that’s neither completely retro nor totally modern but draws strength and fullness from both sides. A worthy and rousing follow-up.

Duel on Thee Facebooks

Heavy Psych Sounds website

 

Seven Nines and Tens, Set the Controls for the Heart of the Slums

seven-nines-and-tens-set-the-controls-for-the-heart-of-the-slums

If the dates are to be believed, the second full-length from Vancouver’s Seven Nines and Tens, cleverly-titled Set the Controls for the Heart of the Slums, has roots going back to 2014, when basic live tracks were recorded and subsequently built on for about two years. Indeed, the four-song offering – whose tracks “I Come from Downtown,” “Metropolis Noir / Rigs” and closer “Rave Up” have been presented in the meantime as singles and/or on early 2017’s Live at the Smilin’ Buddha Cabaret – has plenty of layers in its heavy post-rock wash, and it’s with depth and heft that guitarist/bassist/vocalist David Cotton and drummer Mario Nieva (the current incarnation of the band has a different lineup), make their prevailing impression, be it in the roll of 13-minute “Metropolis Noir / Rigs” or the loud/quiet trades of “Dope Simple,” which follows. With a focus on atmosphere over structure, Seven Nines and Tens offer a quick 32-minute immersion that feels less pretentious than purposeful and would seem to have been worth the time it took to construct.

Seven Nines and Tens on Thee Facebooks

Seven Nines and Tens website

 

Automatic Sam, Arcs

automatic sam arcs

With their third album, Nijmegen’s Automatic Sam bring together a straightforward and coherent collection of well-intentioned semi-psychedelic heavy rock. Their past works, 2011’s Texino and 2013’s Sonic Whip, have been conceptual or at least thematic pieces, and it may be that the 13-track/38-minute Arcs (on Goomah Music) is as well, but if so, it would seem to find that theme in a vision of post-grunge ‘90s alt rock, cleanly and clearly executed and vibrant in the performance of vocalist/guitarist Pieter Holkenborg, guitarist/vocalist Rense Slings, bassist/vocalist Erik Harbers and drummer/vocalist Lars Spijkervet, who open with the five-minute “Ukiyo” (their longest inclusion; immediate points) and then run through a varied swath of shorter pieces from the attitude-laden “City Lights” through the uptempo post-punk of “This is Not a Holiday” and the fuller push of “Parnassia.” Side B seems more flowing, with that song, “Tarantula,” a complementary reprise, the title-track and drifting acoustic closer “So Long in E Minor,” but Automatic Sam manage to hone a diverse approach across Arcs’ span while skillfully directing themselves around choppier waters.

Automatic Sam on Thee Facebooks

Automatic Sam at Goomah Music

 

The Next Appointed Hour, Not the End of the World

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Ambition may be the defining aspect of Not the End of the World. The 2016 self-released debut from Birmingham, Alabama’s The Next Appointed Hour willfully refuses easy categorization, basking in bright psychedelic space rock harmonies one minute and digging into folkish melancholia the next in a way that one is left with no other option but to call “progressive.” What ultimately makes songs like “Keeper’s Heart” and the ethereal pop of “Back to You back to Me” work is an underlying cure of songcraft, and whatever ground the six-piece cover on the 10-track outing, from the fuzzy rush of “Drone Riot” to the trippy shimmer of the penultimate “Red Flame,” that core is maintained, uniting the material and making Not the End of the World a work of scope rather than haphazard. It requires an open mind, but rewards open-mindedness with moments like the accordion on “Valley,” or the rhythmic drift of “Any Who but Here,” the nuance of which is no less gracefully held together than the overarching flow of the album as a whole.

The Next Appointed Hour on Thee Facebooks

The Next Appointed Hour on Bandcamp

 

Blown Out, Superior Venus

blown out superior venus

Already sold out on preorders, the vinyl edition of Superior Venus from UK cosmic jammers Blown Out features two tracks – one per side – of space-wash heavy righteousness. “Impious Oppressor” and “Superior Venus” both top 15 minutes (and are accompanied by demo versions if you get the download), and proffer the kind of progressive improvisation-based flow that, indeed, might make one inclined to get an order in while the getting’s good. Blown Out, with members of Bong and Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, have put out a slew of live and studio releases over the last three years, but as planets invariably revolve in cyclical patterns, so too does the regular frequency of their work become part of the expression itself. If you’re going to jam, do it all the time. On Superior Venus, Blown Out once more bring this ethic to life, and the resulting material spreads itself wide over its still relatively brief span. A short trip to orbit, perhaps, but well worth the undertaking.

Blown Out on Thee Facebooks

Riot Season Records on Bandcamp

 

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Ember Release 261 on Dec. 1

Posted in Whathaveyou on November 29th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

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I’m not sure which numbers to follow, but Ember have either been a band for five years or for one year. 2011 or 2015. I can admit it when I don’t know something. For what it’s worth, the Birmingham, Alabama, dual-guitar five-piece are getting ready to release their debut three-song EP, given the mysterious numerical banner of 261 — which I’m sure is either an apartment number or of some cultish significance that an earthly rube like me could never truly comprehend — and that seems to be the first thing they’ve put together, period, so their having gotten started last year would make more sense. Deduction! I’m probably wrong. Every time I try to fucking think about anything, it’s wrong.

However long they’ve been together, the Crowbar-style crunch that underlies the melodic vocals and post-metallic flourish of the streaming track “Living Bones / Dying Flesh” is just about soul-wrenching enough to suit my spirits this afternoon. If you’re also dug into that special early-week blend of misanthropic and wistful, by all means have at the nine-minute cut under the info below, which comes from the PR wire:

ember-261-700

Birmingham, Alabama based Doom / Heavy Rock outfit EMBER are set to release their debut EP, “261”, via Doomsayer Records on December 1st 2016.

261 was forged by Crystal Bigelow (Vocals), Eric Bigelow (Drums), Jeremy Allan (Bass), Justin Treece (Rhythm Guitar) and Jon Reid (Lead Guitars) – have combined their efforts into this explosive, hard hitting album. Recorded by Eric Watters (Beitthemeans & Stoned Cobra) and mastered by Matt Washburn at Ledbelly Sound (Mastodon, Norma Jean & GZA of Wu Tang).

EMBER perfectly blends heavily dynamic riffs with dual guitar textures, solid, no holds barred drumming and vocals that are beautifully haunting and unparalleled. Ember will be supporting this EP throughout the Southern USA in 2017.

The full track list of “261”
1. 7TH CIRCLE
2. NICHE
3. LIVING BONES / DYING FLESH

Artwork by: Eric Bigelow

EMBER is:
Crystal – Vocals
Justin – Guitar
Eric – Drums
Jon – Guitar
Jeremy – Bass

http://www.emberrockband.com
http://www.facebook.com/emberband
https://twitter.com/ember_rock_band
https://doomsayerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/261
https://www.facebook.com/DoomsayerRecords

Ember, 261 (2016)

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