Spanish avant doom duo Orthodox are preparing to start 2015 by hitting the road in their native country and Portugal with UK/Netherlands-based Dead Neanderthals, who’ve already followed up their 2014 single-song long-player, Prime, with an EP charmingly titled Random Acts of Nuclear Devastation. The two will kick off the five-date run on Jan. 27 and finish in Sevilla right before Feb. hits.

The PR wire affirms the stint and offers background:

ORTHODOX / DEAD NEANDERTHALS – Spain/Portugal Tour 2015

Orthodox was born as a trio in Seville (Spain) in 2004. Their music, initially framed in the so called “doom metal”, incorporates elements of drone, jazz or stoner rock. They’ve played at international festivals such as Hellfest, Roadburn, Supersonic or Primavera Sound and they have collaborated with artists such as the musician and writer Julian Cope or flamenco artists like Israel Galván, Terremoto or Inés Bacán.

Orthodox accumulate an extensive discography with four albums and other ep’s, cassettes, etc… Their last edition, “Conoce los caminos”, is a compilation of rare material from 2005 to 2010. They’re currently working as a duo open to all kinds of collaborations and experiments following the eclectic and unpredictable nature that has always been part of the band’s idiosyncrasy.

Orthodox music & merch at our store, click here!

Dead Neanderthals is a Dutch/UK based double sax & drums trio incorporating elements from jazz, grindcore, drone and noise culminating in a pummeling sound that has been described as Painkiller meets Brötzmann.

Dead Neanderthals just released their new album PRIME, heralded as their “ultimate statement” and “a wake-up call to anyone who thought free jazz was a dying art”. PRIME is a single, unrelenting 40-minute piece, with no “solos” or soothing interludes. Dead Neanderthals will perform the album in its entirety.

Dead Neanderthals’ music & merch at https://deadneanderthals.bandcamp.com

tues. 27/01 – Bilbao @ Sentinel Rockclub
wedn. 28/01 – Pontevedra @ Liceo Mutante
thursd. 29/01 – Porto @ Cave 45
frid. 30/01 – Madrid @ El Juglar
sat. 31/01 – Sevilla @ Fun Club

https://www.facebook.com/orthodoxband
https://www.facebook.com/DEADNEANDERTHALS
http://deadneanderthals.wordpress.com/
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Dead Neanderthals, Random Acts of Nuclear Devastation (2014)

I was fortunate enough to be there to take the above photo of Yawning Sons at the 2013 Desertfest in London. Their set was plagued by technical difficulties — all the more a bummer since the collaboration between Yawning Man‘s Gary Arce and UK instrumentalists Sons of Alpha Centauri doesn’t happen every day — but still, my affection for Yawning Sons‘ debut album, Ceremony to the Sunset (review here), had (and has) endured to the point where it hardly mattered. Just being there to watch them jam out, even for about half their allotted time, was one of the high points for me of that entire trip.

Seems I’m not the only one who still digs on Ceremony to the Sunset five years after its initial release through Cobraside Distribution. Respected Spanish imprint Alone Records has the album slated for a vinyl pressing on Oct. 6, with a preceding digital reissue next week. That’s notable because the record is gorgeous and worth hearing for anyone who hasn’t yet had the occasion, and because in addition to reworked cover art, the new version will also feature a previously unreleased track from Yawning Sons, started with the intent of being included on the album but never finished.

You can find the vinyl details below — pressing of 500, transparent colors, etc. — courtesy of the PR wire, but keep an eye out either way, since rumor has it this is a prelude to further collaboration between Arce and Sons of Alpha Centauri, and if that’s the case, the desert just got richer.

Dig:

YAWNING SONS is the result of a unique collaboration between musicians from different sides of the Atlantic. ALONE RECORDS are proud to present the vinyl release of the desert rock classic CEREMONY TO THE SUNSET.

Limited to only 500 copies housed in a deluxe gatefold housing on either transparent yellow, red or orange vinyl this release includes the original closing album track from the studio master tapes not on the 2009 release! CEREMONY TO THE SUNSET has proven itself as a classic desert rock album and five years after initial release deserves the fullest vinyl release treatment – a revelation to fans of any and every of the artists involved.

Since 2009 and this release, YAWNING SONS have gone from strength to strength releasing their first 7″ single from Abbey Road Studios in 2010 with desert brothers ‘WaterWays’ and beginning live performances in 2013. Return now to the beginning of the adventure with this deluxe release and remember the freedom of music and the spirit of the CEREMONY TO THE SUNSET!!

Limited to only 500 copies housed in a deluxe gatefold housing on either transparent yellow, red or orange heavy vinyl.

Highly limited pre-orders begin here: http://www.the-stone-circle.com/store/ and the LP release date is October 6th.

The album will be digitally re-released on Monday August 25th.

http://www.the-stone-circle.com/store/
https://www.facebook.com/yawningsons

Yawning Sons, “Ghostship – Deadwater”

Criminally underrated Spanish heavy rockers Viaje a 800 have apparently called it quits. Their last album, 2012’s Coñac Oxigenado (review here), was brilliant but largely unnoticed, and they’d had lineup issues for years, so hey, I get it. It’s a bummer, but they put out three killer records in their time, and that’s more than a lot of people get to do. Fair enough. They’ll be missed and maybe at some point we’ll get a reunion down the line. Never say never.

Alone Records will mark their passing with a 2LP live record called Directo to be issued in the coming months. For those like me who never got to see the band live, it’ll be one to look forward to. The label sent the basic announcement along in their July newsletter and I supplemented with info on the last studio outing and a track off it, just because it’s worth a shot for anyone who maybe didn’t catch it initially.

Dig:

Viaje a 800. Directo. 2LP

Finally out a live testimony of one of our most emblematic bands! The spanish legends says goodbye with a live celebration showing the magic that this band had on-stage.

VIAJE A 800 are just a classic of the spanish and andalusian rock. Not as Andalusian rock label, but as a feature of identity. A group respected by critics and audiences, with a journey full of obstacles (3 albums in 12 years of age) and abused by bad luck, which has maintained a close relationship ALONE RECORDS since our label took its first steps as label. Finally, their highly anticipated and announced ‘Cognac Oxigenado’ is now released .

With this album VIAJE 800 closes a stage in which the band suffer changes in their classical line-up that recorded gems like ‘Diablo Roto …’ and ‘Estampida de Trombones’. Now, ‘Cognac Oxigenado’ appears as the end after more than 10 years as a reference within the rock sung in Spanish. On ‘Cognac …’ Andalusian rock is more present than ever, it´s heavier than ever and more progressive than any of its previous recordings. 4 new songs, where ‘Tagarnina Blues’ holds your heart on pure emotion; ‘ Ni Perdón ni Olvido ‘, where heavy Spanish rock meets Melvins, guitar solos with palms which is pure flamenco on ‘Oculi Omnium … ‘ and a particular version of Buffalo’s, ‘What’s Going On’, through the personal Viaje a 800 music filter.

Over 50 minutes of psychedelic rock in Spanish, very own. One of the best national bands of all time. Considered unique and unbeatable on stage.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viaje-a-800/373382802690104
https://www.facebook.com/alonerecords.spain
http://www.the-stone-circle.com/

Viaje a 800, “Oculi Omnium in te Sperant Domine”

There isn’t much that’s happened in the last decade of underground music that‘s escaped Jarboe‘s atmospheric and occasionally terrifying footprint. The (rightly) celebrated experimentalist first released Mahakali in 2008 through The End Records and has continued to add to her considerable solo discography since, last year also stepping in for a guest spot on The Seer, the second post-reignition album from her former outfit, Swans. On Feb. 17, 2014, Mahakali will see a 2LP reissue via Alone Records, and preorders are being taken now for limited pressings of various colors. With guest appearances from Attila Csihar, Philip Anselmo, Josh Graham and Kris Force of Amber Asylum, it was as ever for Jarboe an unpredictable maelstrom of otherworldly vibes. She could live 200 years and still likely be ahead of her time.

Info follows below, courtesy of the PR wire:

JARBOE’s ‘Mahakali’ 2xLP 180gr OUT February 17th, 2014 via Alone Records

// lanzamiento 17 Febrero 2014

Jarboe’s ‘Mahakali’ double LP will be released on February 17th via Alone Records. Available now for pre-order Jarboe’s ‘Mahakali’ 180 Grams double LP. For the first time in vinyl format and exclusively distributed by Alone Records, this full length is Throne Record’s last release. Jarboe’s ‘Mahakali’ is claimed to be one of Jarboe’s best releases.

The group chosen for Mahakali includes all three members as well as Josh Graham (Red Sparowes, A Storm of Light, Neurosis). It also includes the performance of Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down), Atila Csihar (Mayhem, Gravetemple), and Kris Force (Amber Asylum).

Jarboe is considered a true independent of 21st century experimental music. She has released 18 solo albums in addition to working on more than 20 Swans albums and more than 60 collaborative projects with visual and sound artists all over the world.

2LP 180 gr. Gatefold
100 clear w/ brown splatter
100 orange w/ yellow splatter
300 black

https://www.facebook.com/TheLivingJarboe/
https://www.facebook.com/alonerecords.spain
http://www.the-stone-circle.com/store/product.php?id_product=2869

Jarboe, “A Sea of Blood and Hollow Screaming”

Half a decade after issuing their excellent sophomore outing in the form of Estampida de Trombones, Andalusian heavy rockers Viaje a 800 emerge a much different band on the follow-up, Coñac Oxigenado. Not necessarily sonically – their sound is still very much defined by an encompassing, moody tonal weight and the lower register vocals of bassist Alberto “Poti” Mota – however, Mota has revamped Viaje a 800’s lineup and shifted the songwriting process, going from a four-piece to a trio and writing some of the longest songs the band had ever put on an album. Where Estampida de Trombones had shorter pieces like “Nicosia” or “Zé,” none of Coñac Oxigenado’s five tracks clocks in at under six minutes, and the album as a whole is a full 51 minutes long. I’d say that the band had a lot on their minds after not issuing a record in five years, but the break between their 2001 Diablo Roto De debut and Estampida de Trombones was six years, and the second album was the shorter of the two. In any case, Viaje a 800 – who release the full-length, as always, via Alone Records – are well suited to the more extended form, and the album is clearly organized to showcase the longer cuts, with the three that run over 10 minutes positioned as the opener, centerpiece and closer. Those are “Oculi Omnium in Te Sperant Domine,” “Eterna Soledad” and “What’s Going On,” respectively, and each of them as well as “Ni Perdón Ni Olvido” and “Tagarnina Blues” between have something different to offer the listener who would take them on. The closer is notable for the departure from the band’s native Spanish to English lyrics, but even so, Viaje a 800 still sound like Viaje a 800 more than they sound like anyone else, and anyone who got into either or both of their other albums will recognize elements still present in their sound, whether it’s the insistent rhythms, vague Monster Magnet influence or choice riffing. Given that Mota is joined by two new players – J. Angel on guitar/backing vocals and Andres on drums – I don’t know and won’t presume to say how much of the songwriting was his to start with, but as Viaje a 800 came into their third with a strong sound developed over two prior outings, that they’d develop the sound rather than depart from it in spite of lineup shifts can only be a good thing. Particularly given how much Coñac Oxigenado rocks.

On either of their past albums, “Oculi Omnium in Te Sperant Domine” might have been more than one song. Viaje a 800 open with a driving riff that soon leads into the hook of a verse – Mota wasting no time in establishing a straightforward push – and soon Angel takes the fore with a couple leads offset by vocals here and there around the central figure carried across on rhythm guitar, bass and drums. Just past three minutes in, however, the pace cuts and flourishes of percussion and a descending stair progression lead the way out to a psychedelic interlude. Mellotron sounds underscore a sparse bluesy guitar before Andres ups the snare punctuation and Mota returns on vocals for a still-slowed verse. In turn, this gives way to a faster bass-introduced section topped with fuzz guitar that veers into flamenco claps and rhythmic intricacy. The guitar eventually comes back alongside Mota’s steady bassline and Andres’ consistent snare march, but Viaje a 800 never quite get back to the initial verse progression, ending instead what started out as a simply structured song with a lengthy instrumental jam. Whether or not it was their intent to catch their audience off guard, I don’t know, but the disorienting effect persists and it feels purposeful. The shorter “Ni Perdón Ni Olvido” starts out more metallic with a guitar like from Angel that feels culled from the playbook of Countdown to Extinction-era Megadeth – of course the context is different – that immediately grounds Coñac Oxigenado’s flow and sets the course for the next seven-plus minutes, most of which is derived from that initial distorted verse line. Angel’s lead work proves a highlight throughout the record, but as “Ni Perdón Ni Olvido” branches out so specifically from the guitar line, it seems especially notable on the second track. As “Eterna Soledad” gets underway with an organic-feeling mandolin groove, he becomes all the more a standout factor in Viaje a 800’s current incarnation.

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Card-carrying lifers in doom’s avant garde, Spanish outfit Orthodox will issue Conoce los Caminos on Jan. 28 through Alone Records. Orthodox already re-released their 2005 demo earlier this year on tape, but the pressing was limited to 152 copies and presumably they’ll make more than that of Conoce los Caminos. Hopefully, anyhow. Either way, the new collection is up for pre-order now, as the PR wire informs:

Orthodox is set to launch their new B-sides and rarities compilation “Conoce los Caminos: 2005-2010? [translation: Know the Paths] due on January 28th 2013.

For limited time and only through our website you can PRE-ORDER this 2CD + official release T-shirt. This compilation shows the band’s amazing ability to build bridges and overcome genre barriers from metal to post rock to avant garde with firm hand towards an “uber-doom” with the unmistakable stamp of Orthodox.

Songs composed over five years, from their beginnings to 2010, which include: four previously unreleased tracks, demos from Gran Poder and Sentencia, Venom and Black Sabbath covers released at the time by Southern Lord in the U.S. and two songs taken from their 7 ” released by Doomentia.

Borja, the drummer, states about this work “it´s a sample of topics and ideas that we have done in the past and keep haunting us for the future … all the stories are closed in themselves; with this 2CD we seek to give a little more meaning to ours and see if we can expand Orthodox´s circle of sound …”.

Tracklisting

cd1
1 ‘Matse Avatar’
2 ‘YHVH’
3 ‘Genocide’
4 ‘Black Sabbath’
5 ‘Heritage’
6 ‘Apoc, 17.5’
7 ‘Different Envelopes’
8 ‘Japan Rush’

cd2
1 ‘Geryon´s Throne’ (demo 2005)
2 ‘El Lamento del Cabrón’ (demo 2005)
3 ‘Ascensión’ (demo 2008)

After a couple starter splits, singles and EP releases, Spanish four-piece Adrift made their full-length debut in 2008 with Monolito, an album that wore its winding post-Mastodon neo-prog metal influence on its sleeve. The complexity of rhythm and overall extremity finds further push in the forthcoming Alone Records follow-up, Black Heart Bleeds Black, which is darker atmospherically and more conscious of but not modeled after mid-period Neurosis‘ apocalyptic churn. Doomed in mood and guitar-led sensibility, its songs follow progressive structures to vicious ends and offer little hope to those who’d take them on.

More importantly, the overall impression Black Heart Bleeds Black gives is more individualized than was the first record, and Adrift work within a variety of forms that maintain their pummel even as they change the direction from which that pummel comes. Tonally, it’s metal, and I hear a bit of Converge‘s bombast in the screams of “Mallet Man,” but there’s more happening in these songs than any one band comparison can really convey, the two guitars of Macon and Jorge (the latter also vocals) working into and out of tandem stretches with an ease that skillfully undercuts the difficulty of what they’re actually doing.

And where a lot of prog (neo- or otherwise) seems to forgo its sense of songwriting to convey musicianship, even on the trace-state instrumental “Erich Zann Movement,” Adrift don’t lose the human feel to what they do — they’re just reeling back for the next blast, which of course arrives in the form of the 9:48 “Fury Roof.” In terms of giving a concise impression of what Black Heart Bleeds Black does, though, the seven-minute “Wolves Searching Dams” is densely packed with aggression and ambience in kind, relentlessly driven forward by frantic guitars, Jaime‘s drums and Dani‘s bass, as you can hear for yourself on the player below:

[mp3player width=460 height=120 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=adrift.xml]

For CD and/or vinyl preorders of Black Heart Bleeds Black, click here. Much thanks to Alone Records for granting permission to host the stream, and to find out more about Adrift, be sure to hit them up on Thee Facebooks or their Something Called MySpace page.

Adventurous Andalusian heavy psych trio Viaje a 800 made their full-length debut with 2001’s Diablo Roto De…, and it would be another six years before their sophomore outing, Estampida de Trombones, came out. The second album was released by Alone Records, who also reissued the first one that same year, and it’s through that same label that the follow-up to Estampida de Trombones, titled Coñac Oxigenado makes its way to the public this spring.

Coñac Oxigenado is widely varied and doesn’t really belong to any single genre, but Viaje a 800 consistently maintain elements of space and heavy rock throughout, even as they veer into atmospheric interludes on Coñac Oxigenado‘s five extended tracks, which become as much about the mood they create as about the riffs or the complex, highly-stylized rhythms.

If the album is anything, though, it’s meticulous. You can hear it when the organ subtly joins in behind the acoustic/percussion interplay of 10-minute centerpiece cut “Eternal Soledad,” or when opener “Oculi Omnium in te Sperant Domine” gives way to an interlude of flamenco-style hand claps. Viaje a 800 leave room for jams, but nothing on Coñac Oxigenado is happening by accident.

You can find out for yourself on the markedly progressive “Oculi Omnium in te Sperant Domine” by streaming it on the player below. Given that it’s not every year that Viaje a 800 get a new record out, I’m thrilled to be able to host the track for you to check out, followed by some info courtesy of Alone Records:

[mp3player width=460 height=120 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=viaje-a-800.xml]

Viaje a 800 is an Andalusian and Spanish rock classic. Not as “Andalusian rock” label, but as a feature of identity. A band respected by critics and audience, with a journey full of obstacles (three discs in 12 years of age) and abused by bad luck, with which Alone Records has maintained a close relationship since our label took his first steps as record company. Finally, the highly anticipated Coñac Oxigenado album will be released during the second quarter of 2012. With this album, Viaje a 800 closes a stage in which the band undergoes changes in its classical line-p, which delivered rock gems as Diablo Roto De and Estampida de Trombones. Now, Coñac Oxigenado appears as the end after more than 10 years being a reference in the Spanish doom-prog scene in Spanish language. Unique in its kind and unmatched on scene.

If you want to hear more, the band has two other songs from Coñac Oxigenado streaming through the label’s Soundcloud page, where you can also check out tracks from Black Rhino, Adrift and others.