When I streamed Order of the Owl‘s In the Noon of the After Day in 2012 (right here), I felt like I had a decent sense of where the Atlanta trio were coming from on their debut. Boasting former Zoroaster bassist/vocalist Brent Anderson in their ranks with guitarist Casey Yarbrough and drummer Joe Sweat, they hurled forth psychedelic lurch and crusty doom groove that made its business in leaning one side of genre against another while miring the whole thing in an obscure, far-back production. How does that account for a ripper of a track like “Wraith” or the acoustic interlude “Cope?” It doesn’t, and that’s just the point. Some acts simply refuse such easy categorization.

All the more reason to look forward to what Order of the Owl might have in store for their second release. They’re at work on it now in None of Your Business Studios and reportedly have four songs recorded as of this post. Whether that’s the entirety of the project or not, I don’t know, but we’ll probably have a better sense by the time Order of the Owl come north to play The Eye of the Stoned Goat 4 this May in Worcester, Mass.

Until then, here’s a preliminary announcement off the PR wire and the Bandcamp stream of In the Noon of the After Day for a refresher:

Great news for the beaten down and downtrodden!

Atlanta based psych doom riff mongers, ORDER OF THE OWL, have entered None of Your Business Studios with Andrew Wiggins at the helm. They are recording brand new music to follow up their devastating debut, “In the noon of the after day”

The band featuring Brent Anderson (ex-Zoroaster bassist/vocalist), Casey Yarbrough (Guitars/vocals) and Joe Sweat (drums) is also gearing up for an early spring tour that leads them North to play a headlining slot on Eyes Of The Stoned Goat IV in Worcester MA.

Stay tuned for more info/details and also to order their debut…

www.OrderOfTheOwl.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/orderoftheowl/

Order of the Owl, In the Noon of the After Day (2012)

Though they’ve been around in one incarnation or another since 2008, you could probably argue that Atlanta sludge metallers Sons of Tonatiuh are still feeling out their mechanics if not their aesthetics. They have two albums out — a 2010 self-titled debut (review here) and 2012’s rousing, Kyle Spence-recorded follow-up, Parade of Sorrow (released on Hydro-Phonic Records) — and over the course of both have shown a propensity for intense pummeling that at times borders on post-metal churn, but through a balance of screams and cleaner vocals establishes an identity of its own. The only holdup for guitarist/vocalist Dan Caycedo has been sorting a lineup with which to deliver said fare.

Over the course of five years, Caycedo has been through three entire rhythm sections — three bassists, three drummers — and a second guitarist. Given that, it’s a wonder Sons of Tonatiuh have been able to get anything out at all. You have to figure it makes sense; sludge doesn’t pay the bills and Caycedo wants to tour as much as his bandmates will allow. It’s a situation that seems to be geared for conflict, but if Caycedo is discouraged, you wouldn’t know it from the hopeful tone in which he speaks of the current incarnation of the band, in which he’s joined by bassist Twitch and drummer Josh. Maybe having the outlet of a song like “Colors Run Red” from Parade of Sorrow is enough to balance it out.

Through it all, Sons of Tonatiuh have managed to keep together a pretty rigorous touring schedule, and as Caycedo continues to settle into working with Twitch and Josh, the band are also putting together a tour for the fall, and recently played with U.S. Christmas and Generation of Vipers in their hometown at 529. That seemed like a good place to start. In the interview that follows, Caycedo gives his impressions of that gig, recounts his hopefully-finished lineup woes, talks about his songwriting process and recording with Spence, who doubles as the drummer in Harvey Milk, being constantly compared to Eyehategod and much more.

The complete Q&A is after the jump. Please enjoy.

Read more »

Atlanta sludgers Sons of Tonatiuh have announced a run of shows between now and July that’ll see them sharing stages with Torche, Hooded Eagle and more. Their last album, Parade of Sorrow, came out last year on Hydro-Phonic and was recorded by Kyle Spence of Harvey Milk. Their 2010 self-titled debut was reviewed here, and the only bummer about the list of shows is that they’re not coming north again. Maybe next time, but for anyone in the Southeast, dates are below courtesy of the PR wire:

SONS OF TONATIUH: Down-Tuned Sound Savages Announce Spring Tour Dates

Down-tuned sound savages SONS OF TONATIUH will bring their bottom heavy sludge back to the streets this Friday beginning with a show in Atlanta alongside Torche. The band will then writhe its way through the Southeast on a round of weekend shows through July with additional dates to be added in the coming weeks.  The tour showcases the band’s new and improved powerhouse lineup of guitarist/vocalist Dan Caycedo and new recruits Twitch on bass and Josh Lomanto on drums.

Comments Caycedo, “The Mayans were wrong… SONS OF TONATIUH are here to show you the way. Through a heavy, dark road of despair and retribution we will pummel our way through the Southeast and beyond with plans to embark on the great big metal bird to the old world, Europe, by the end of 2013. Anyone crazy enough to stand in our way can either join our ranks or have their heads split open from the molten goodness of our tunage. See you on the killing floor.”

SONS OF TONATIUH Tour Dates 2013
5/10/2013 529 – Atlanta, GA w/ Torche
5/11/2013 The Atlantic – Gainesville, FL w/ Hot Graves
5/12/2013 Burro Bar – Jacksonville, FL
5/24/2013 Slim’s Downtown – Raleigh, NC w/ Old Codger (ex-Man Will Destroy Himself)
5/25/2013 Reggie’s 42nd St Tavern – Wilmington, NC
6/01/2013 Star Bar – Atlanta, GA w/ Degradations (ex-Withered)
6/07/2013 The Jinx – Savannah, GA w/ Humungous
6/08/2013 Tin Roof – Charleston, SC w/ Hooded Eagle
7/20/2013 529 – Atlanta, GA
7/21/2013 The Owl Farm – Nashville, TN
7/22/2013 Poison Lawn – Knoxville, TN

SONS OF TONATIUH will be touring in support of their current full-length Parade Of Sorrow issued via Hydro-Phonic Records last Summer.

http://www.sonsoftonatiuh.com
https://www.facebook.com/sonsoftonatiuh
http://www.sonsoftonatiuh.bandcamp.com
http://www.hydro-phonicrecords.com

Sons of Tonatiuh, Parade of Sorrow (2012)

Considering that Atlanta trio Zoroaster‘s third album, 2010’s Matador (review here), followed about 16 months after their second, 2009’s Voice of Saturn (review here), a three-year break before a follow-up to their E1 Music debut seems like kind of a long stretch. Granted, in that time, the band had to replace a third of its lineup in switching out Brent Anderson — whose subsequent band, Order of the Owl, released their In the Noon of the After Day last year (streaming here) — for Mike Morris, and they did plenty of touring for Matador with Morris on board (reviews here and here), but even so, they’re about due for a new one.

It’s encouraging, then, to see Zoroaster in the studio putting together demos for a fourth album, and hopefully it won’t be too long before one materializes. The audio here boasts some of the most complex melodies I’ve ever heard from the band, so for still being in the beginning stages, they seem like they’re off to a good start.

Zoroaster, Studio Teaser 2013

Atlanta-based sludgers Sons of Tonatiuh released their second album, Parade of Sorrow, in June on Hydro-Phonic Records, and to follow up an East Coast run they did over the summer, they’re headed west to take part in the Southwest Terror Fest in Tuscon, Arizona, next week (more info here) and share the stage with a slew of other cool bands before and after. The tour starts tonight with a house show in Tennessee, as all great tours must.

Check out the dates and further info-matics below:

SONS OF TONATIUH Fall Tour Kicks Off TODAY!

Following a short run of live dates at the close of the Summer, SONS OF TONATIUH will again bring their slow-roasted sludge sorcery to the stage as the Parade Of Sorrow Tour 2012 lives on! Set to commence October 11, 2012 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, the band will drag their audio ruckus through 15 cities including a stop on the Southwest Terror Fest, a two-day auditory assault organized by Arizona sludge terrorists Godhunter.

SONS OF TONATIUH unearthed their Parade Of Sorrow full-length through Hydro-Phonic Records this Summer. Recorded in Athens, Georgia by Kyle Spence of Harvey Milk, the record continues to harvest praise from fans and critics alike for its raw, angst-stricken method of dirge.

SONS OF TONATIUH Tour 2012:
10/11/2012 Frankie Avalon Place (house show) – Murfreesboro, TN w/ Sovereign
10/12/2012 Cusammanos – St. Louis, MO w/ Jack Buck, Everything Went Black, Rowsdower
10/13/2012 The Lightbulb Club – Fayetteville, AR w/ Dirtmother, Dying, Crankbait
10/14/2012 Jackpot Muisc Hall – Lawrence, KS
10/15/2012 Aqualungs – Denver, CO w/ In the Company of Serpents, Western Ritual
10/16/2012 Burt’s Tiki Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT w/ Nevertanezra, Athena Score
10/17/2012 Yayo Taco – Las Vegas, NV
10/18/2012 The Shakedown – San Diego, CA w/ Pigeonwing, Hull
10/19/2012 Blue Cafe Underground – Long Beach, CA w/ Spilth*!%, Hull, Pigeonwing
10/20/2012 Southwest Terror Fest @ The Rock Club – Tucson, AZ w/ Pigeonwing, 16, Hull [INFO]
10/21/2012 The Lovesprout – El Paso, TX w/ Communion of Thieves, Resin Cum
10/22/2012 Headhunter’s – Austin, TX w/ VBT, Bearded Ox, Prison Moon
10/23/2012 Toppers – Watauga, TX w/ Enormicon, Diseased
10/24/2012 Bucaneer – Memphis, TN
10/28/2012 5 Spot – Atlanta, GA w/ Hull, Mortals, Order of the Owl

Atlanta-based outfit Telestrion specialize in a seemingly bygone nuance within psychedelic rock. On their latest, vinyl-only EP, Molecule (self-released through Electric Mind Records), the core duo of guitarist/vocalists Andy Samford and Brian Holcomb – both of whom also handle synth and a variety of other effects and swirls – are joined by the since-ejected rhythm section of bassist/vocalist Jonathan Lee and drummer Dwayne Jones for just under 33 minutes of classic-style stoner psychedelia. The release gets progressively more tripped out, but at the heart of Telestrion’s presence is a sense of simply structured songwriting that remains accessible no matter what is subsequently layered over it. On a basic level, the songs are immediately familiar, but by sticking to a more ‘90s style of neo-psych (I do a double-take every time I see an act reference Kula Shaker as an influence), the band is actually going against the modern trend within the genre, which is typified by elements of Americana and noisy indulgences more than dreamy Beatles melodies and lines like, “Neon spaceships flying across my mind,” from the opening title-track of Molecule, the album art of which features the chemical construction of mescaline. Situation depending, I’m not sure I’d state a preference one way or another, but Telestrion more certainly align themselves to the kind of psych proffered by VALIS than fellow Atlantans Zoroaster, at times even reminding of those times when The Atomic Bitchwax slows down their riffy assault to ride out a killer groove. Their roots, however, lead them down a different path toward the pastoral, and Molecule makes its way gradually toward the sonically ethereal, the second half of the release being dedicated to farther and farther ranging jams.

Beginning that progression, then, “Molecule” makes an appropriate owner for the EP that shares its name. It’s probably the most straightforward of Telestrion’s originals here, and unquestionably the best chorus. Centered around a memorable, driving riff, it remains psychedelic and laid back despite being carried across with considerable energy, in no small part thanks to a compressed-sounding production and subdued melodic vocals. Neither Samford nor Holcomb is showy on guitar, but both come together to serve the song well, and as it’s been five years since they released their self-titled debut full-length – the band came together in 2007 in the wake of disbanding the guitarists’ prior unit, Qualone – that’s probably a good way to go. “Molecule” ends with an engaging lead nonetheless, and that sets up the extra percussion of the three-minute instrumental “Tunnel in the Sky” well. One might consider the song a jump in a less grounded direction, but even as the guitars veer into effects noise and swirling leads, Lee and Jones (the latter also a veteran of Qualone) hold down a solid rhythmic foundation. The song also finds companion brevity-wise in the 2:11 “Slightly Sideways,” which opens side B of the vinyl, so there’s some structure to be found on an album level there as well. Before flipping the platter, however, Telestrion break out a cover of Black Sabbath’s A National Acrobat. They slow it slightly, but the Tony Iommi riff is unmistakable, and given its due by Holcomb and Samford, who play the starts and stops well off each other and effectively capture the Ozzy “You’ve gotta believe me/I want you to listen!” yell, echoing out into the musical space their atmosphere has created. It’s not a bold cover, but it’s a sincere cover, and that honesty goes a longer way than it might had Telestrion tried to out-obscure their audience in their selection. As the pace picks up for the lead section in the last minute and a half, the extent of the band’s sincerity becomes clear, and it feeds into the overarching charm of Molecule. 6:52 well spent.

Read more »

Last week, it was announced that Atlanta, Georgia’s heavy rocking upstarts Royal Thunder — who are so hard to pin to a single genre that one has to resort to vague phrases like “heavy rock upstarts” to describe them — were hitting the road in September alongside Pallbearer and Samothrace for a tour dubbed “Paths to Oblivion.” No other way to say it, these are three killer bands, riding at the top of their game — all of whom have released killer albums this year (Samothrace‘s is out shortly) — and this is the kind of tour that years from now you look back on and say, “I saw these bands when…”

Check out the dates on the poster below (click to enlarge):

To mark the occasion, Relapse Records — which put out Royal Thunder‘s second album, CVI, late in May — has offered up two free copies of that full-length for me to giveaway.

Couldn’t be more stoked on that fact, as CVI‘s always-consistent but resoundingly amorphous sonic scope ties the band no more to Baroness than it does to Neurosis, no more to Mastodon than Fleetwood Mac, no more to Kylesa than Alice in Chains. Between sprawling nine-minute epics like “Shake and Shift” and “Blue,” aggressive bursts like that of the riffy “Whispering World,” the Americana atmospherics of the later “Minus” and the nigh-on-miraculous flow of all these elements which in less capable hands would be disparate and not in the slightest cohesive, it’s a perfect example of the genre-bending mindset that seems to be driving the next generation of US Heavy. Makes a good freebie, in other words.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post. Make sure to fill out the email address in the form so I can get in touch with you if you win. I’ll pick winners next week and the albums will come from Relapse. If you want to say thanks, I’d recommend hitting up their Thee Facebooks.

For a refresher on CVI, here’s the album streaming in its entirety, courtesy of the Royal Thunder Bandcamp page:

Royal Thunder is Mlny Parsonz, Lee Smith, Josh Weaver and Josh Coleman. They’re on Thee Facebooks here.

Some updates are about tours, some updates are about videos, but it takes some real overachievers to give an update that’s about both a video and a tour. Leave it to Atlanta sludge upstarts Sons of Tonatiuh to go the extra mile. Sometimes one just isn’t enough.

Here’s the video for “Consumed,” followed by some into that’s maybe cooled off, but still fresh from the PR wire:

Atlanta-based sludge collective, Sons of Tonatiuh, recently unleashed a video for “Consumed,” the third track off their self-titled debut full-length. The video was produced by Apocalypse Productions on their home turf.

Commented drummer Tim Genius: “Do yourself a favor: When making a video, don’t choose the longest possible song you might have…. unless you plan to test your audience’s attention span. That said, we are pleased to announce that our new video for ‘Consumed’ turned out rather awesome. It’s minimalistic and we like it that way. At the very least, it’s now more clear that a Sons of Tonatiuh show does not involve little children and traditional Mexican folk-dance — not always, anyway. Mission accomplished!”

In related news, the band is set to embark on a stretch of spring and summer shows. Confirmed dates thus far include:

05/13 Drunken Unicorn Atlanta, GA w/ Primate, Javelina
05/27 Memphis Hates You Fest @ Hi Tone Memphis, TN
05/28 TBA Jackson, MS
06/02 529 Atlanta, GA w/ Black Skies, Royal Thunder
06/24 Little Hamilton Nashville, TN w/ Across Tundras
06/25 Gutfest Jackson, TN

The band is also working on new tunes for their as-yet-untitled, sure to be pulverizing next full-length which is tentatively slated to be recorded in Athens, Georgia courtesy of Harvey Milk’s resident drum bludgeoner/knob tweaker, Kyle Spence.

Said Genius: “It’s sure to be our best yet! Rest assured that while Kyle is conjuring the ghost of John Bonham, we will be bringing our best Keith Moon to the fine folks of Athens.”