[Click play above to stream Serpents of Secrecy’s Ave Vindicta in full. Album is out on Halloween through Moving the Earth Records.]

Releasing an album can be an emotionally loaded experience in the best of contexts, so one struggles to approach Serpents of Secrecy‘s Ave Vindicta imagining how it might feel for the members of the band. The roots of the project go back to 2012/2013, with earlier lineups featuring members of Alabama Thunderpussy, Gypsy Chief Goliath, and When the Deadbolt Breaks, but at the core of the group was the rhythm section of drummer Chuck Dukehart III (Foghound, ex-Sixty Watt Shaman) and bassist Rev. Jim Forrester (also later Foghound, ex-Sixty Watt Shaman), and expectations for Serpents of Secrecy were essentially shunted when Forrester was murdered in late 2017. That horrific context in no small part defined Foghound‘s most recent LP, 2018’s Awaken to Destroy (review here), and as the Baltimore/greater-Maryland underground heavy community continues to grieve, it defines Ave Vindicta as well — perhaps all the more so because of the potential shown in the record’s 11-track/52-minute run.

Serpents of Secrecy‘s debut LP and possible swansong — one never knows — arrives with the lineup of Dukehart, Forrester, vocalist Mark Lorenzo (Zekiah, Crawler), and guitarists Steve Fisher (Borracho) and Todd Ingram (Pimmit Hills, who were formerly King Giant), the latter of whom is a founding member as well. Their collective pedigree makes them something of a Chesapeake Watershed supergroup, and with the production of J. Robbins at the Magpie Cage (also guest keys on “Bleeding Still”) as a sixth member in terms of bringing the album to light, the sense throughout Ave Vindicta is all the more complete, dynamic, and purposeful. As a straight-up, sans-nonsense heavy rock and roll band, they hit all their marks, rolling out at a nod with the six-minute title-track before the bass opens “Heel Turn” with a post-Clutch groove that Lorenzo meets with due burl en route to the semi-Southern “The Cheat” — a sound still more Maryland than Carolina; if you know what I mean — and “Time Crushes All,” which is the longest inclusion on the outing at 7:36 and veers between calm and volatility all the while giving the melody space to flourish before the wash of crash turns raw at the last apex, giving a beastly finish to the opening salvo. Ass meet boot.

And that was always going to be the story of this band. For what they’re delivering — and let’s be frank and say it’s not a stylistic reinvention of form as much as an offering made for the joy of these players combining their influences and writing the best songs they can because that’s what they’re driven to do; they’re not concerned with shifting genre paradigms here and they don’t — Serpents of Secrecy were going to be a no-doubter from the outset, and even through the various lineup changes that brought them to the five-piece of Dukehart, Forrester, Ingram, Fisher and Lorenzo, that remained the case. As Ave Vindicta give its first breather in the instrumental “Lament” ahead of barreling through “Warbird’s Song” and the moody-but-also-huge “Orphan’s Dream,” finally breaking out the cowbell on “Dealer’s Choice” — and leading with it, no less — it is a promise being fulfilled. In the sureness of their hooks and the impact with which their material lands, Serpents of Secrecy not only fill out what they teased on 2017’s Uncoiled – The Singles two-tracker (which featured what seem to have been the same recordings of “Warbird’s Song” and “The Cheat,” with guest organ from Mark Calcott on the latter), but pay off the years of expectation preceding them.

What do you do with that at this point? I won’t feign impartiality here — I was always going to like this record and I do — but it’s hard to listen to it too. I knew Forrester in kind of a secondary way, through his music and being in touch over his years in his various bands. We spoke a few weeks before he was killed. He was a complex person. He had a dark side and a light side completely separate from his on-stage persona of the tongue-wagging, up-front bass player engaging the crowd, calling you “brother,” and so on. He was sweet, and someone worthy of missing as he is missed. If you didn’t know him, or you don’t know that Ave Vindicta arrives as a posthumous release for the bassist, it’s entirely possible listen blind to that mournful aspect of it. I suspect that most people who hear it won’t be so fortunate, but having known Forrester even to the extent that I did, there’s no way he would have ever wanted this material to languish, unheard, unreleased, in the event of his death or anything else. It is right and proper that Ave Vindicta sees release in homage to him.

The album’s final movement begins with “Dealer’s Choice,” which brings back guest organ alongside the noted “cowbell,” and moves into the more spacious “Bleeding Still” before the final pair “Broke the Key” and “In the Lock” round out, the penultimate track finding Lorenzo doing his best oldschool Life of Agony while the sees him taking on the role of a dollar-hungry preacher — “the salvation van is rolling, but a lack of gas money can stop it” — as the band jams out behind. It’s good fun, and indicative of the cathartic reasoning behind putting out Ave Vindicta in the first place. It’s a look at what was and what might’ve been from Serpents of Secrecy. It’s entirely possible that the band may decide to continue in some form, and certainly they have that right, but Ave Vindicta is as much a final word on the years it took to bring it about as it is a demonstration of the group’s potential. One suspects that if the album had come out in 2018, the five-piece would already be at work on a follow-up, if not already doing shows to support that next release, but then, what might’ve been is nothing if not an underlying theme to what actually is in this case. Whatever happens or doesn’t from this point on, this is a record that summarizes, earns, owns and deserves its moment.

Serpents of Secrecy on Thee Facebooks

Serpents of Secrecy on Bandcamp

We roll on with day two of the Fall 2020 Quarterly Review featuring another batch of 10 records en route to 50 by Friday — and actually, I just put together the list for a sixth day, so it’ll be 60 by next Monday. As much as things have been delayed from the pandemic, there’s been plenty to catch up on in the meantime and I find I’m doing a bit of that with some of this stuff today and yesterday. So tacking on another day to the end feels fair enough, and it was way easy to pick 10 more folders off my far-too-crowded desktop and slate them for review. So yeah, 60 records by Monday. I bet I could get to 70 if I wanted. Probably better for my sanity if I don’t. Anyhoozle, more to come. For now…

Quarterly Review #11-20:

Molasses Barge, A Grayer Dawn

Following up their 2017 self-titled debut issued through Blackseed Records, Pittsburgh-based rockers Molasses Barge present A Grayer Dawn through Argonauta, and indeed, in songs like “Holding Patterns” or the melancholy “Control Letting Go,” it is a somewhat moodier offering than its predecessor. But also more focused. Molasses Barge, in songs like stomping opener “The Snake” and its swing-happy successor “Desert Discord,” and in the later lumber of “Black Wings Unfurl” and push of the title-track, reside at an intersection of microgenres, with classic heavy rock and doom and modern tonality and production giving them an edge in terms of overarching heft in their low end. Riffs are choice throughout from guitarists Justin Gizzi and Barry Mull, vocalist Brian “Butch” Balich (Argus, ex-Penance, etc.) sounds powerful as ever, and the rhythm section of bassist Amy Bianco and drummer Wayne Massey lock in a succession of grooves that find welcome one after the other until the final “Reprise” fades to close the album. Its individuality is deceptive, but try to fit Molasses Barge neatly in one category or the other and they’ll stand out more than it might at first seem.

Molasses Barge on Facebook

Argonauta Records website

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Slow Green Thing, Amygdala

Yes, this. Slow Green Thing‘s third album, Amygdala, is melodic without being overbearing and filled out with a consuming depth and warmth of tone. A less jammy, more solo-prone Sungrazer comes to mind; that kind of blend of laid back vocals and heavy psychedelic impulse. But the Dresden four-piece have their own solidified, nodding grooves to unveil as well, tapping into modern stoner with two guitars setting their fuzz to maximum density and Sven Weise‘s voice largely floating overtop, echo added to give even more a sense of largesse and space to the proceedings, which to be sure have plenty of both. The six-track/44-minute outing picks up some speed in “Dirty Thoughts” at the outset of side B, and brings a fair bit of crush to the title-track earlier and lead-laced finale “Love to My Enemy,” but in “Dreamland,” they mellow and stretch out the drift and the effect is welcome and not at all out of place beside the massive sprawl conjured in side A capper “All I Want.” And actually, that same phrase — “all I want” — covers a good portion of my opinion on the band’s sound.

Slow Green Thing on Facebook

Fuzzmatazz Records website

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Haze Mage & Tombtoker, Split

Anyone bemoaning the state of traditionalist doom metal would do well to get their pants kick’d by Haze Mage, and when that’s done, it’s time to let the stoned zombie sludge of Tombtoker rip your arms off and devour what’s left. The two Baltimorean five-pieces make a righteously odd pairing, but they’ve shared the stage at Grim Reefer Fest in Charm City, and what they have most in common is a conviction of approach that comes through on each half of the four-song/19-minute offering, with Haze Mage shooting forth with “Sleepers” and the semi-NWOBHM “Pit Fighter,” metal, classic prog and heavy rock coming together with a vital energy that is immediately and purposefully contradicted in Tombtoker‘s played-fast-but-is-so-heavy-it-still-sounds-slow “Braise the Dead” and “Botched Bastard,” both of which find a way to be a ton of fun while also being unspeakably brutal and pushing the line between sludge and death metal in a way that would do Six Feet Under proud. Horns and bongs all around, then.

Haze Mage on Facebook

Tombtoker on Facebook

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White Dog, White Dog

Oldschool newcomers White Dog earn an automatic look by releasing their self-titled debut through former Cathedral frontman Lee Dorrian‘s Rise Above Records, but it’s the band’s clearcut vintage aesthetic that holds the listener’s attention. With proto-metal established as an aesthetic of its own going on 20 years now, White Dog aren’t the first by any means to tread this ground, but especially for an American band, they bring a sincerity of swing and soul that speaks to the heart of the subgenre’s appeal. “The Lantern” leans back into the groove to tell its tale, while “Abandon Ship” is more upfront in its strut, and “Snapdragon” and opener “Sawtooth” underscore their boogie with subtle progressive nods. Closing duo “Pale Horse” and “Verus Cultus” might be enough to make one recall it was Rise Above that issued Witchcraft‘s self-titled, but in the shuffle of “Crystal Panther,” and really across the whole LP White Dog make the classic ideology theirs and offer material of eminent repeat listenability.

White Dog on Facebook

Rise Above Records website

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Jupiterian, Protosapien

The only thing that might save you from being swallowed entirely by the deathly mire Brazil’s Jupiterian craft on their third full-length, Protosapien, is the fact that the album is only 35 minutes long. That’s about right for the robe-clad purveyors of tonal violence — 2017’s Terraforming (review here) and 2015’s Aphotic (review here) weren’t much longer — and rest assured, it’s plenty of time for the band to squeeze the juice out of your soul and make you watch while they drink it out of some need-two-hands-to-hold-it ceremonial goblet. Their approach has grown more methodical over the years, and all the deadlier for that, and the deeper one pushes into Protosapien — into “Capricorn,” “Starless” and “Earthling Bloodline” at the end of the record — the less likely any kind of cosmic salvation feels. I’d say you’ve been warned, but really, this is just scratching the surface of the trenches into which Jupiterian plunge.

Jupiterian on Facebook

Transcending Obscurity Records on Bandcamp

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Experiencia Tibetana, Vol. I

It’s an archival release, recorded in 2014 and 2015 by the Buenos Aires-based band, but all that really does for the three-song/hour-long Vol. I is make me wonder what the hell Experiencia Tibetana have been up to since and why Vols. II and III are nowhere to be found. The heavy psych trio aren’t necessarily inventing anything on this debut full-length, but the way “Beirut” (18:36) is peppered with memorable guitar figures amid its echo-drifting vocals, and the meditation tucked into the last few minutes of the 26:56 centerpiece “Espalda de Elefante” and the shift in persona to subdued progressive psych on “Desatormentandonos” (14:16) with the bass seeming to take the improvisational lead as guitar lines hold the central progression together, all of it is a compelling argument for one to pester for a follow-up. It may be an unmanageable runtime, but for the come-with-us sense of voyage it carries, Vol. I adapts the listener’s mindset to its exploratory purposes, and proves to be well worth the trip.

Experiencia Tibetana on Facebook

Experiencia Tibetana on Bandcamp

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Yanomamo, No Sympathy for a Rat

Filth-encrusted and lumbering, Yanomamo‘s sludge takes Church of Misery-style groove and pummels it outright on the opening title-track of their four-song No Sympathy for a Rat EP. Like distilled disillusion, the scream-laced answer to the Sydney four-piece’s 2017 debut, Neither Man Nor Beast, arrives throwing elbows at your temples and through “The Offering,” the wait-is-this-grindcore-well-kinda-in-this-part “Miasma” and the suitably destructive “Iron Crown,” the only letup they allow is topped with feedback. Get in, kill, get out. They have more bounce than Bongzilla but still dig into some of Thou‘s more extreme vibe, but whatever you might want to compare them to, it doesn’t matter: Yanomamo‘s unleashed assault leaves bruises all its own, and the harsher it gets, the nastier it gets, the better. Can’t take it? Can’t hang? Fine. Stand there and be run over — I don’t think it makes a difference to the band one way or the other.

Yanomamo on Facebook

Iommium Records on Bandcamp

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Mos Eisley Spaceport, The Best of Their Early Year

They mean the title literally — “early year.” Bremen, Germany’s Mos Eisley Spaceport — who so smoothly shift between space rock and classic boogie on “Further When I’m Far” and brash tempo changes en route to a final jam-out on “Mojo Filter,” finally unveiling the Star Wars sample at the head of organ-inclusive centerpiece “Space Shift” only to bring early Fu Manchu-style raw fuzz on “Drop Out” and finish with the twanging acoustic and pedal steel of “My Bicycle Won’t Fly” — have been a band for less than a full 12 months. Thus, The Best of Their Early Year signals some of its own progressive mindset and more playful aspects, but it is nonetheless a formidable accomplishment for a new band finding their way. They lay out numerous paths, if you couldn’t tell by the run-on sentence above, and I won’t hazard a guess as to where they’ll end up sound-wise, but they have a fervent sense of creative will that comes through in this material and one only hopes they hold onto whatever impulse it is that causes them to break out the gong on “Space Shift,” because it’s that sense of anything-as-long-as-it-works that’s going to continue to distinguish them.

Mos Eisley Spaceport on Facebook

Mos Eisley Spaceport on Bandcamp

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Of Wolves, Balance

One doesn’t often hear “the Wolfowitz Doctrine” brought out in lyrics these days, but Chicago heavy noise metallers Of Wolves aren’t shy about… well, anything. With volume inherent in the sound no matter how loud you’re actually hearing it, conveyed through weighted tones, shouts of progressions unified in intensity but varied in aggression and actual approach, the three-piece take an unashamed stance on a range of issues from the last two decades of war to trying to put themselves into the head of a mass shooter. The lyrics across their sophomore outing, Balance, are worth digging into for someone willing to take them on, but even without, the aggro mosh-stomp of “Maker” makes its point ahead of the 17-second “Flavor of the Weak” before Of Wolves dive into more progressively-structured fare on the title-track and “Clear Cutting/Bloodshed/Heart to Hand.” After “Killing Spree” and the aural-WTF that is “Inside (Steve’s Head),” they finish with a sludgecore take on the Misfits‘ “Die, Die My Darling,” which as it turns out was exactly what was missing up to that point.

Of Wolves on Facebook

Trepanation Recordings on Bandcamp

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Pimmit Hills, Heathens & Prophets

Comprised of four-fifths of what was Virginian outfit King Giant, it’s hard to know whether to consider Pimmit Hills a new band or a name-change, or what, but the first offering from vocalist David Hammerly, guitarist Todd “TI” Ingram, bassist Floyd Lee Walters III and drummer Brooks, titled Heathens & Prophets and self-released, hits with a bit of a bluesier feel than did the prior outfit, leaving plenty of room for jamming in each track and even going so far as to bring producer J. Robbins in on keys throughout the four-song/29-minute release. I suppose you could call it an EP or an LP — or a demo? — if so inclined, but any way you cut it, Heathens & Prophets plainly benefits from the band’s experience playing together, and they find a more rocking, less moody vibe in “Baby Blue Eyes” and the harmonica-laced “Beautiful Sadness” that has a feel as classic in substance as it is modern in sound and that is both Southern but refusing to bow entirely to cliché.

Pimmit Hills on Facebook

Pimmit Hills on Bandcamp

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It both is and isn’t a surprise to see Serpents of Secrecy‘s debut album, Ave Vindicta, finally coming out. Already having gone through some shifts in lineup, the band, which ultimately pulled together dudes from Foghound, Borracho and King Giant (now Pimmit Hills), was essentially slammed shut with the late-2017 murder of bassist Rev. Jim Forrester, and that seemed to be the end of the discussion. On the other hand, it’s only fitting given Forrester‘s own persistence and creative attack that they should at last realize the LP in his honor.

Set to issue on Halloween through drummer Chuck Dukehart III‘s own Moving the Earth Records, it will no doubt be a release packed with added emotional context but perhaps cathartic for those involved in making it and perhaps too those who hear it. I look forward to doing precisely that.

Preorders are up through Bandcamp. From the PR wire:

SERPENTS OF SECRECY: Maryland Doom Outfit To Honor The Late Rev. Jim Forrester With Halloween Release Of J. Robbins-Produced Ave Vindicta Album; Audio And Preorders Posted

Preorders: https://serpentsofsecrecy.bandcamp.com/album/ave-vindicta

Baltimore, Maryland doom outfit SERPENTS OF SECRECY – formed by members of Sixty Watt Shaman, King Giant, Foghound, Borracho, and more – presents their long-awaited debut album, Ave Vindicta, confirming it for release this October 31st, Halloween, in homage to the late Rev. Jim Forrester. The band has issued the album’s cover art, preorders, and more, and the tracks “Warbird’s Song” and “The Cheat” are also available for streaming.

Several years in the making, SERPENTS OF SECRECY has been through overwhelming grief creating the Ave Vindicta album. Following a CD single release in 2017, bassist Rev. Jim Forrester (also of Sixty Watt Shaman, Foghound) was murdered on the streets of Baltimore. The band spread the word to help track down the killers while dealing with their own personal loss of their dear friend, while leaving the record to the side as it was just too painful to hear. Finding solace in the fact that Jim would have wanted the album to see completion and release, the band finally forged their way through and locked into the final stages of creating the record. Having completed the record in recent weeks, the band is now extremely proud of the final product and is ready to present Ave Vindicta. The album will see release on Halloween, Forrester’s favorite holiday.

A massive eleven-song recording, SERPENTS OF SECRECY’s Ave Vindicta delivers more than fifty-two minutes of hard rocking classic doom metal. With Rev. Jim Forrester’s bass riding high in the mix, guitarist Todd Ingram (King Giant, Pimmit Hills), drummer Chuck Dukehart III (Foghound, Sixty Watt Shaman), guitarist Steve Fisher (Borracho), and vocalist Mark Lorenzo (Zekiah, Crawler) create an album as inwardly personal as it is thundering to the passing listener. The songs are clearly rooted in and fed by the fertile doom metal their hometown and surrounding area is internationally known for yielding, with an overwhelming bounty of powerful, dynamic, grooves delivered from an intensely soulful core.

Ave Vindicta was engineered by J. Robbins and Matt Redenbo and recorded and mixed by J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios Baltimore, Maryland (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, Government Issue), with the keyboards engineered and recorded for “The Cheat” and “Dealer’s Choice” by Adam Micalczu at Empire Studios in Windsor, Ontario, and mastered by Dan Coutant at Sun Room Audio in New Windsor, New York. The album is completed with cover art by Joe “Joweone” Nasatka, photography by Shane Gardner, and graphics by Bill Kole. Ave Vindicta features guest keyboards on “The Cheat” and “Dealer’s Choice” by Mark Calcott and by J. Robbins on “Bleeding Still.”

Ave Vindicta Track Listing:
1. Ave Vindicta
2. Heel Turn
3. The Cheat
4. Time Crushes All
5. Lament
6. Warbird’s Song
7. Orphan’s Dream
8. Dealer’s Choice
9. Bleeding Still
10. Broke The Key
11. In The Lock

SERPENTS OF SECRECY:
Rev. Jim Forrester – bass
Todd Ingram – guitar
Chuck Dukehart III – drums
Mark Lorenzo – vocals
Steve Fisher – guitar

https://www.facebook.com/serpentsofsecrecy/
https://serpentsofsecrecy.bandcamp.com/

Serpents of Secrecy, Ave Vindicta (2020)

You can definitely hear the modern progressive influences making themselves felt in “Dove,” which is the new streaming track from Marylander post-rockers Cavern. It’s the penultimate cut on the now-trio’s upcoming long-player, Powdered. It is the first album the band have put together since drummer Stephen Schrock and guitarist Zach Harkins were joined by bassist/vocalist Rose Heater, whose presence changes the dynamic twice-over, bringing voice to what was previously instrumental and adding low-end to the rhythm, thereby letting the guitar explore different directions. Which it would seem to be doing if “Dove” is any indication.

That the band traveled to Massachusetts to record with Kurt Ballou of Converge is a significant sign that how they’re thinking about what they do has changed, and perhaps that they’re looking to reach a broader audience than they had previously. Touring would help that too, but you know how that goes.

Album preorders are up, if you want to get on the action, and the track is streaming below:

CAVERN: Maryland Atmospheric Post-Rock Trio To Release Powdered Full-Length Next Month; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available

Maryland-based atmospheric post-rock trio CAVERN will release their fourth full-length, Powdered, August 28th.

The six tracks comprising Powdered were recorded at GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts with the legendary Kurt Ballou (Converge) and Zach Weeks and mastered by Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna). Elaborates drummer Stephen Schrock, “The writing process for CAVERN has always been a very collaborative effort which normally results in [guitarist] Zach Harkins and I getting angry at one another over very minuscule elements of songs. [Bassist/vocalist] Rose [Heater] provided a very cool headed voice and approach when it came to getting the songs finished. We decided to record with Kurt at GodCity while we were driving back from a Canadian tour in 2019. We had already recorded a few songs at a different studio but wanted to take things to the next level. We had talked to Kurt before about recording when we were a two-piece but thought that he could really help us achieve the sound we wanted with this new material… We want our sound to be abrasive and loud but also groovy and bright at times. We all have such different influences and come from different backgrounds musically so we’re constantly trying to keep things interesting and have fun while also remaining thoughtful and heartfelt.”

In advance of the record’s release, CAVERN is pleased to unveil first single, “Dove.” Notes Heater of the track, “‘Dove’ was one of the last songs I wrote lyrics for on the record. The words that kept popping up created images of my own experience with anxiety. The song ended up being my representation of a panic attack.”

Powdered will be released independently on digital and vinyl formats. For preorders and to stream “Dove,” visit the CAVERN Bandcamp page at THIS LOCATION.

Powdered Track Listing:
1. River
2. Grey
3. Powdered
4. Red Moon
5. Dove
6. Fade Before The Flood

CAVERN was forged in 2012 by best friends Zach Harkins and Stephen Schrock. Over the span of eight years they’ve toured North America and recorded four albums.

While the band’s first two offerings — their self-titled 2013 debut and 2014 EP Tales Of Ruin — were a fusion of heavy progressive-leaning instrumentals and abrasive post-hardcore vocals often compared to the early work of Mastodon and Baroness, their third record — 2015’s Outsiders — was the band’s first instrumental effort. Teeth Of The Divine hailed a record that was, “harder than Russian Circles, more energetic than Pelican, and more progressive than anything post-American Don Caballero.”

Following the release of Outsiders, CAVERN spent a few years touring and writing their fourth record, Eater, which was unveiled in 2018. Teeth Of The Divine again weighed in championing the band’s, “untouchable melodies, tough musical turns, and unpredictable songwriting,” that, “wraps its arms around you and take you for the ride.” Shortly thereafter, the band saw the addition of Rose Heater on vocals/bass in late 2018. This updated lineup spent nearly two years writing and touring their newest material. This year welcomes their first full-length as a trio with Powdered. In an ever-changing world, CAVERN continues to challenge themselves and their listeners with a sound that keeps people guessing.

CAVERN:
Rose Heater- bass/vocals
Stephen Schrock – drums
Zach Harkins – guitars

http://www.cavernband.com
https://cavernmd.bandcamp.com/
http://www.facebook.com/cavernmd
http://www.instagram.com/cavernband
http://cavern.bigcartel.com

Cavern, Powdered (2020)

Industrial music has always been about isolation. As peppered as the ’90s were with caricature images of spiky-haired ravers dressed in black engulfed by dark mechanical sounds, the actual processes by which the likes of Nine Inch Nails, The Electric Hellfire Club and others patterned their work were much more singular. Locked in a room in keyboards, synthesizers, recording gear. There’s a romance to it, but even that is the romance of loneliness. Is it any wonder industrial music is swinging back around as hard as it is?

To wit, Revvnant, the new solo vehicle of Elias Schutzman (also of Black Lung, formerly of The Flying Eyes) plus a few others, have a new single: “The Revenant.” With lyrics building from Baudelaire — that most junk-wagging of French poets — and a video that includes an apparently-real human skull, there’s no shortage of theatricality to the clip that accompanies the song, but industrial music always had an eye toward presentation anyway, and so Schutzman and Anne Godoneo are right on target in that regard. The song, though, is more than just a display of affection for Pretty Hate Machine, as its weighted guitar and post-rock/metal sensibility bores through the rhythmic intensity surrounding and an overarching vocal melody floats above the wash.

The video — a product of quarantine and thus all the more fitting the loneliness discussed above — comes with a warning for those who are sensitive to flashing images, and it’s well earned. If that’s you, I might suggest checking out the Bandcamp page instead, where I’m sure the song will show up sooner or later. “The Revenant” has something of a different stylistic feel than either “Automatic” (posted here) or “The Second Coming” (posted here) which preceded it, but as Schutzman builds out the project, one can increasingly get a sense of the richness and scope as it expands, and that’s only becoming more exciting a prospect the farther he goes.

Enjoy:

Revvnant, “The Revenant” official video

WARNING: This video may potentially trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy.

Created by Anne Godoneo
https://www.annegodoneo.com
https://www.instagram.com/annegodoneo

“The Revenant” is the eponymous second single from Revvnant, a musical adaptation of Charles Baudelaire’s darkly sinister poem “Le Revenant”. Set against the backdrop of pulsating drum machines, heavily distorted synths and Schutzman’s haunting vocals, it’s reminiscent of Kraftwerk and Nine Inch Nails, while sounding completely unique. The video, created by Brazilian photographer and video artist Anne Godoneo, is an intense visual experience, equal parts eerie, entrancing and mind melting. Using occult and devilish imagery from classical artwork, as well as a real human skull, Revvnant embraces their identity as a Satanic artist, not afraid to deal in blasphemy. The video was created remotely while both Schutzman and Godoneo were locked down in the Covid-19 pandemic, using the tools they had available at home.

Revvnant is the new creation of songwriter Elias Schutzman (drummer of The Flying Eyes and Black Lung) that finds him leaving percussion behind for analog synthesizers, drum machines and fuzz pedals. Drawing from the realms of trip-hop, dream-pop, industrial and doom, the sound cannot be defined by any one genre. Although Revvnant is Elias’ solo vision, the band is a shape-shifting outfit of collaborators, including Trevor Shipley on keyboards and Sidney Yendis (mem. of Burnpilot) on drums. Revvnant’s first show was a sold out support gig for Orville Peck in 2019, and this year the band was scheduled to make their debut festival performance at Freak Valley Festival with Pelican, Witchcraft and Elder. It’s now been rescheduled to 2021, for obvious reasons. For now, enjoy “The Revenant”… and Hail Satan.

Revvnant on Instagram

Revvnant on Thee Facebooks

Revvnant on Bandcamp

The ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, the varied responses of publics and governments worldwide, and the disruption to lives and livelihoods has reached a scale that is unprecedented. Whatever the month or the month after or the future itself brings, more than one generation will bear the mark of having lived through this time, and art, artists, and those who provide the support system to help uphold them have all been affected.

In continuing the Days of Rona feature, it remains pivotal to give a varied human perspective on these events and these responses. It is important to remind ourselves that whether someone is devastated or untouched, sick or well, we are all thinking, feeling people with lives we want to live again, whatever renewed shape they might take from this point onward. We all have to embrace a new normal. What will that be and how will we get there?

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Willy Rivera of Spiral Grave (Stafford, Virginia)

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How have you been you dealing with this crisis as a band? As an individual? What effect has it had on your plans or creative processes?

At the moment, Spiral Grave is on hold with everyone focusing on their work responsibilities and trying to stay healthy. We had begun writing new material since the debut full-length is already recorded and we had begun talking to labels for an official release but we had to pump the brakes once the restrictions and curfews came down being that I live in Virginia and the rest of the band resides in Maryland. All things considered, everyone’s in good spirits but itching to get back at it since we were making a lot of process and building some serious momentum for the band prior to the pandemic hitting.

How do you feel about the public response to the outbreak where you are? From the government response to the people around you, what have you seen and heard from others?

I’d say piss poor,at best. They were completely unprepared for what we were dealing with and the magnitude of the effect it would have on the citizens of this country. From the medical supplies,their inability to make effective&competent decisions in a timely manner, providing the public with the right information,being more concerned with the economy than the safety of the American public and the mishandling of the stimulus program… not to mention, how is $1,200 supposed to counteract people’s ever mounting financial issues considering most Americans live paycheck to paycheck and probably had little if any money put away?

The media has also played a hand in not providing the public with the pure facts, choosing instead to sensationalize and push an agenda of fear. Don’t get me wrong, you should respect the power and impact of this virus but choosing to focus on the number of dead and having little to almost no coverage of those who’ve recovered from it surely shakes what little faith I already had in corporate media. On the flipside, I do believe that some on the local and state levels have done more to keep their citizens safe than the Federal government by enforcing restrictions,curfews,social distancing,supplying those in the emergency fields with the required PPE and only having “essential” businesses open but some of the public is still choosing to stretch the rules when they can or try to ignore them completely.

There’s a difference between having your rights stripped and having your privilege inconvenienced. Our actions have repercussions and choosing to be flippant about your safety is one thing but when it endangers the health of those around you, that’s a problem. Trust me, I hate wearing the masks and I want my life back but this is our current reality so we just gotta push through it and do the right thing.

What do you think of how the music community specifically has responded? How do you feel during this time? Are you inspired? Discouraged? Bored? Any and all of it?

It was a serious bummer initially because music AND creativity got tossed aside and all I could do was work. I was working crazy hours and I was trying to take as much overtime as possible because we didn’t know if we’d be shut down as well and we’d have the rug pulled out from under us. You can only keep that pace for so long until it starts to wear on you and you don’t have your usual outlet to channel your angst through. Not to mention,not being able to see my friends, express myself or follow through on building something fruitful with a great girl that I’d just met because everything was put on hold besides work. So all of the things that would bring me joy were traded for working a thankless job… but in hindsight, I’m grateful for the paycheck because I know a lot of people who are struggling right now with greater financial responsibilities than I. I’ve started writing again,now that my head is clear again and I’m getting my chops back up so we can hit the ground running when this blows over finally.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything? What is your new normal? What have you learned from this experience, about yourself, your band, or anything?

I would just ask people to have patience and be kind to each other. Unfortunately,this pandemic has shown both the best and the worst in people as is usually the case but I think what we need right now is a little bit of empathy so that we can think of someone other than ourselves. It’s easy to be self-consumed and get bogged down in feeling sorry for yourself. I was incredibly happy with my life right before this pandemic struck. I had started a new position at work, the band was doing great and I had met an amazing girl and then that all went to pot once this thing struck but compared to what others are dealing with, I can’t really complain. I’ve had a steady check coming in,a roof over my head and my health so once this blows over, I’ll be ready to pick where I left off with everything and live life as fully as I can.

https://www.facebook.com/SpiralGrave/
https://spiralgrave.bandcamp.com/
www.facebook.com/SaltOfTheEarthRec
www.saltoftheearthrecords.com

New material from Baltimore’s Foghound is always welcome, and as ‘Turn Off the World’ arrives today it does so not as the first benefit single the four-piece have put out. Come to think of it, in terms of prefacing an album or another kind of release, they could certainly do far worse. In this case, the proceeds from “Turn Off the World” go to Movable Feast, which helps not only feed, but council people on nutrition who are sick with terminal or life-threatening illnesses. Obviously someone with a specific kind of cancer is going to need different kinds of food than someone with HIV, so it’s no minor service and clearly goes beyond buying groceries for people or — in a far-more dickheaded example — just tossing paper towels and other such goods their way.

Adding another level of interest is the fact that “Turn Off the World” unites Foghound with another Marylander powerhouse in producer Noel Mueller. This is a significant pairing, and the results on “Turn Off the World” speak for themselves. The track was recorded in January, and one only wonders if there could possibly be more to come from that session?

Until we find out, the cause is just and the track is righteous and if you need more than that, you’re on the wrong site.

To the info:

FOGHOUND – Turn Off The World

As everyone is very aware, these are strange and extraordinary times we are living in right now.

With the Covid 19 outbreak, subsequent shutdowns, social distancing and quarantines in effect, those already in vulnerable positions find themselves in an even more disadvantaged place than before.

In times like these we have to band together, lend a hand of support and help those less fortunate get through these tough times as well.

While we may not be able to play any benefit shows for the time being, Foghound is proud to release our timely new single “Turn Off The World” as a name your price charity single through Ripple Music, as well as t-shirts featuring the accompanying artwork by Bill Kole, with 100% of the proceeds going to benefit Moveable Feast.

The T-shirt presale order link will be open from Monday April 27th until Monday May 25th. We will then be getting the t-shirts ordered and printed for all those that purchased. We will not be getting extras made, these are being made on a per order, limited edition only.

T-shirts will be available for mail order( + postage), local pickup (maybe a show, if we ever get to have those anytime soon, or through band members as scheduled) and there will also be scheduled local delivery days to be determined in the future.
Please allow us a few weeks after the end of sale date to get them printed, shipped and/ or available for delivery.

The mission of Moveable Feast is to foster a community that cares for men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer, and other life-threatening illnesses by preparing and delivering nutritious meals and groceries and providing nutritional counseling and other services.

100% of the proceeds will go directly to Moveable Feast to enable them to keep providing their much needed services to the community.

This single was recorded back in January of this year at Tiny Castle Studio with Noel Mueller at the helm of engineering, mixing and mastering.

We would like to thank all at Ripple Music for releasing and hosting via their site, Bill Kole for the awesome artwork, Sage Printing, and we thank you all for your help and support.

Please share the link and donate what you can.

For more information on Moveable Feast: https://www.mfeast.org/

T-shirt link here: https://foghound.bandcamp.com/merch/turn-off-the-world-benefit-t-shirt-shipped

Foghound are:
Chuck Dukeheart, III – Drums, Vocals
Dee Settar – Guitar, Vocals
Bob Sipes – Guitar, Vocals
Adam Heinzmann – Bass

https://www.facebook.com/foghoundbaltimore
http://foghound.net/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic
http://www.ripple-music.com/

I do my best to not talk about politics on this site, and I’m not always successful. I am of the firm belief that everything — even the decision not to talk about politics on this site — is political. So as Revvnant, which is the post-The Flying Eyes project helmed by that band’s drummer Elias Schutzman (here cast as a multi-instrumentalist/vocalist), unveil the new single “The Second Coming” with lyrics derived from Yeats‘ poem of the same name — “what rough beast” and all that — it’s harder than usual not to engage with the political moment in which we’re living. As much as COVID-19 would seem to be the plague of our times — or at least until the next one hits — perhaps too one might consider the persistent spread of the schism between sides of humanity that might lead some people not to care as others are dying. I know that’s nothing new, but it sure is stark these days.

If you’re not considering radical labor action, you probably don’t work at a grocery store right now. I know the young woman who scanned my blueberries at Shop-Rite yesterday was thinking about putting a bullet in my brain, and I can’t fault her for that.

Capitalism. Symptoms and causes.

Enjoy the track:

Elias Schutzman on “The Second Coming”:

Shortly after the 2016 election I came across the apocalyptic poem “The Second Coming” by William Butler Yeats… It perfectly expressed the existential dread I was feeling so I decided to put it to music, enlisting the help of Adam Bufano (my long time bandmate in The Flying Eyes) on guitar. I wasn’t really planning to release it, but in this moment it feels so relevant. This song isn’t the “feel good jam” people probably wanna hear right now. But for me music is supposed to express truth, no matter how dark and ugly that is. And the truth here is we are in deep shit. We have a “leader” who cannot, or will not adequately protect us in this time of crisis, instead feeding us incessant lies and looking out for his own self interest. If we don’t remove this human virus from office, we will truly reap the whirlwind…if we haven’t already.

Lyrics adapted from William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming”…

“Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.

The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?”

released March 24, 2020

Elias Schutzman- Vocals, Synthesizers, Programming
Adam Bufano- Guitar
Stella- Backing Vocals

Produced and mixed by Elias Schutzman

https://www.facebook.com/revvnantmusic
https://www.instagram.com/revvnant
https://revvnant.bandcamp.com/

Revvnant, “The Second Coming”