Maryland acousti-metal singer-songwriter, author and vocalist Dee Calhoun — known for his work in Iron Man and Spiral Grave, among others, in addition to the solo material released under his own name or as “Screaming Mad Dee” — will release his new album, Angry Old Man, on July 18. The first single, “A Last Cold Kiss,” has been posted from the record, which continues Calhoun‘s penchant for hard strums and soaring vibrato. These are the root aspects of his particular take on blues and unplugged metal, and it’s interesting that he’s moved into producing himself as well as handling all the instruments. Past releases have featured Iron Man/Spiral Grave bandmate Louis Strachan on bass and Dee‘s son, Rob Calhoun, on vocals and percussion, as well as others.

Track follows the PR wire info below. You know how we do:

DEE CALHOUN (aka Screaming Mad Dee) Releases Haunting New Single “A Last Cold Kiss” — New Album ‘Angry Old Man’ Out July 18 via Black Doomba Records

Veteran doom metal vocalist and acclaimed solo artist Dee Calhoun — best known to fans as Screaming Mad Dee — emerges once again with a soul-crushing new single, “A Last Cold Kiss,” out now on all major streaming platforms. The track serves as a harrowing preview of his upcoming solo album, ‘Angry Old Man,’ set for release July 18, 2025 via Black Doomba Records .

🎧 Listen to “A Last Cold Kiss” now:

👉 https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/deecalhoun1/a-last-cold-kiss

💿 Pre-order ‘Angry Old Man’ starting June 27:

👉 https://deecalhoun2.bandcamp.com/album/angry-old-man

Raw, reflective, and thunderously intimate, “A Last Cold Kiss” plunges listeners into the heart of Calhoun’s Americana Acoustic Doom sound—a dark, stripped-down landscape where sorrow meets storytelling. With resonant acoustic guitars and his unmistakably powerful vocals, Calhoun channels the spirit of Wino , Neil Young , and Johnny Cash , while carving a deeply personal path all his own.

The full-length album ‘Angry Old Man’ drops July 18 , offering a potent mix of dark folk, haunting confessionals, and the swampy grit fans have come to expect from Calhoun’s solo work.

‘Angry Old Man’ Album Credits:
All songs written, performed, produced, and engineered by Dee Calhoun
Recorded at The Dustbuster , Walkersville, MD
Mastered by Doug Benson at Commodore Recording Studio, Thurmont, MD
Spoken intro to “The Damned Human Race” from On the Damned Human Race by Mark Twain
Photography by April Sandi
Package concept, design, and layout by Dee Calhoun

https://www.screamingmaddee.com/
https://www.facebook.com/screamingmaddee
https://www.instagram.com/screamingmaddee/
https://screamingmaddee.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/screamingmaddee

https://www.blackdoomba.com/
https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blackdoombarecords/
https://linktr.ee/BlackDoomba

Dee Calhoun, “A Last Cold Kiss”

Heads up on Black Moon Cult‘s impending debut album, which the Ohio rockers will release through Black Doomba Records in the coming months. June will see the three-piece out and about in the Midwest and along the East Coast as they herald that record and promote the general kicking of ass in the company of Cleveland’s Megaton Communion, whose debut came out in 2024.

That album is called Red Sky Warning and you can stream it at the bottom of this post, where you’ll also find Black Moon Cult‘s single “Supernova.” I’ll hope to have more to come on their first LP as we get closer to the release. For now, shows:

BLACK MOON CULT and MEGATON COMMUNION Announce June 2025 Midwest/East Coast Tour

May 9, 2025 — Get ready for a summer of crushing riffs and unrelenting energy as Ohio Heavy Psych/ Desert rock acts (and Black Doomba Records labelmates) Black Moon Cult and Megaton Communion join forces for a highly anticipated co-headlining tour through the Midwest and East Coast this June.

Black Moon Cult, who previously released their debut single “Supernova” on Tee Pee Records, is currently promoting the release of their upcoming debut album, due out on Black Doomba Records late Summer/early Fall. Meanwhile, Megaton Communion is touring in support of their debut album, “Red Sky Warning,” which came out in November of last year.

The upcoming tour includes notable stops in Grand Rapids, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Raleigh, and will feature local support from acts such as Chokesetter, Shadow of Jupiter, Thunderbird Divine, Lie Heavy, and Bloodshot.

DATES:
6/6- Corktown Tavern – Detroit, MI
6/7- Mulligan’s- Grand Rapids, MI
6/8- Liar’s Club- Chicago, IL
6/10- Century Bar- Philadelphia, PA
6/11- T’s Kitchen- Stamford, CT
6/13- Cafe Nola- Frederick, MD
6/14- Chapel of Bones- Raleigh, NC
6/15- Al’s Bar- Lexington, KY

Black Moon Cult:
Kaleb Riser- Guitar/Synth/Vox
Kevin Lewis- Bass/Synth/Vox
Evan Scott- Drums

https://www.facebook.com/PsychedelicBlackMoonCult/
https://www.instagram.com/blackmooncult
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5D5iLfunYONp4hSAvAmn5z
https://psychedelicblackmooncult.com/

https://www.blackdoomba.com/
https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blackdoombarecords/
https://linktr.ee/BlackDoomba

Black Moon Cult, “Supernova”

Megaton Communion, Red Sky Warning (2024)

A 42-minute masterclass in the righteousness of doing your own thing, Thunderbird Divine‘s Little Wars arrives as a five-years-later sequel to the Philly soul-sludge-rocking four-piece’s 2019 debut, Magnasonic — they’ve had singles and an EP out between — with nine tracks varied in intent and course united by the sense of scope overarching the entire affair. And like any good literature, Little Wars teaches you how to read it. The opening intro “Pony Express,” with far-off Western harmonica complemented by keys, leads into a Morricone build of snare roll and steady train-engine rhythm, and when the backing vocals start, you know they’re all-in.

The piece continues to swell, but for a record that hasn’t been on two minutes and which one might take on thinking ‘this is going to be rock and roll,’ they’ve begun decidedly outside the normal sphere of what that means, and the many subsequent divergences that take place all stem from that first one as they move toward “Times Gone Bad” and “Last Laugh,” a pairing that seems purposeful in pairing life’s ups and downs and highlighting the persistence to get through both. That “Black Rhino Mantra” follows immediately also feels like no coincidence.

But “Pony Express” tells you a lot of what you need to know about just how open the setting is, with a short burst of feedback and manipulated noise before they cut to the organ that starts out “Times Gone Bad.” Thunderbird Divine‘s Erik Caplan seems to be driving a lot of the arrangement choices — he adds not only theremin, guitar and vocals as usual throughout, but also sitar, the banjo on “Old Black Crow,” the aforementioned harmonica, various synths and drones and, I’m just copying the album credits here, “weird stuff,” which when you listen to the record, is a fair assessment of what you’re getting at times — but he’s hardly alone in his cause.

The band’s lineup has changed since 2019, with Michael Stuart returning on drums and the near-minstrel throaty vocals of “Old Black Crow” as well as new bassist Joshua Adam Solomon (also guitar, vocals, synth and percussion) and keyboardist Jack Falkenbach (also vocals, violin, melodica) making their presence felt in the material. If “Pony Express” subtly does the job of introducing some of the “weird stuff” so that listeners aren’t caught off-guard as Little Wars progresses, then “Times Gone Bad” works to establish the songwriting context that will serve as the backdrop and complementarity-object of all that revelry.

Above all else, Thunderbird Divine sound free. They’re plenty heavy in the tumult of “Times Gone Bad,” and I won’t take away from the ’60s-psych-informed organ and general Monster Magnetry of “Black Rhino Mantra” or the rhythmic urgency brought beneath the laid-over Hammond in “Highway Dawn,” with more backing vocals and a bluesy vocal from Caplan with a hook about driving into the sky. But more than ‘heavy’ as a central ideological goal toward its own ends, Thunderbird Divine craft their own definition of what heaviness is and does in music, and that’s as likely to be the later-Iommi riff that anchors “These Eyes” as the backing vocals and keys that build the song around it. The songs are thought through and fluidly arranged in the tracklisting — which is to say “Times Gone Bad” into “Last Laugh” makes sense musically as well as conceptually — but a strong sense of fuck-around-and-find-out in terms of studio experimentation remains.

They’re not the first in heavy rock to bring a theremin like that topping the start of “Tides” or the flutey sounds that follow, or to switch up between sundry synthesizer and keyboard sounds, but they do it especially well across the span Little Wars, and it’s a major factor in what makes the record feel like such a journey and such a victory for the band. More over, they’re not just throwing in that theremin (a longstanding feature in Caplan‘s arrangements going back to his days fronting the more outwardly-sludged Wizard Eye) for the hell of it. Whatever the “weird stuff” in question, it’s in the finished product of the recording because it serves the interest, impact and/or atmosphere of the song, and that’s true from “Pony Express” through “Old Black Crow” and into the creepy post-script vibe of the subsequent outro “Carousel,” which is less directly Morricone than the lead-in, meditating through a waltz with effects before, at about 1:47, stopping and resuming with the sounds more Tim Burton than Sergio Leone.

Because it’s been five years, this second full-length from Thunderbird Divine feels something like a culmination. “These Eyes” has a doomly majesty to its procession, and that’s probably part of it, but the band are no less at home in the funkified swing and stomp of “Last Laugh” or the psychedelic lean of “Black Rhino Mantra,” and somehow even “Times Gone Bad” feels celebratory on some level. But the freedom? That’s everywhere and in everything, and while there are structures in the songs and patterns of verses and choruses are followed where applicable, between the shifts in approach from one piece to the next and the goes-where-it-needs-to-regardless-of-genre sensibility overlaid across the tracklisting when taken front-t0-back, Thunderbird Divine have struck a rare balance between pursuing their own creative whims and creating a record that’s accessible for a genre audience.

It’s not that they’re unhinged. Hearing Little Wars, it’s just the opposite. Each cut sounds like it’s been hammered out and purposefully made into what it is. When and how that happened, whether it was through pandemic years or in the studio while they were waiting for somebody to come back from the bathroom, is secondary to the ultimate vibe the album casts, which is rich and encompassing without either getting lost in pretense or giving up a sense of ‘classic’ influence, however one might want to define that. Maybe they just have more to offer than the standard heavy band. They sure sound like it here. Little Wars is a record that justifies anticipation easily, and its meld of scope and space, grounded pieces allowed to soar — looking at you, second-half guitar solo and backing vocals in “Last Laugh” — isn’t going to speak to everyone, but will resonate that much deeper for the right kind of head for that. For whatever it’s worth, I’ll count myself in that number.

Thunderbird Divine on Facebook

Thunderbird Divine on Instagram

Thunderbird Divine on Bandcamp

Black Doomba Records website

Black Doomba Records on Bandcamp

Black Doomba Records on Facebook

Black Doomba Records Linktr.ee

Thunderbird Divine‘s awaited second full-length, Little Wars, was floated for Fall when they were announced as signing to Black Doomba Records a couple months back, but I gotta tell you, listening to the first single, “Last Laugh,” that’s a summertime party all the way. The backing vocals, the hard-swing, the funk, the heavy, sludgy grit and classic swagger — it all hits a mark that is so much the Philly rockers’ own.

That kind of individuality of approach is the kind of thing that’s led them last year to take on tracks from The Osmonds (premiered here) and Barry White (premiered here), and fun as those singles were, it’s even more satisfying to hear a new batch of originals. I just put the album on for the first time while helping my daughter build a Lego excavator in the Budapest apartment where we’ll live for the next month. Constructing sentimental attachment immediately, I guess. It’s been five years since 2019’s Magnasonic (review here) after all, so maybe that was bound to happen.

The PR wire brought info and art. Count me in:

THUNDERBIRD DIVINE Deliver A Cautionary Tale In “Last Laugh”, Announce New Album Little Wars

Drawing predominantly from the worlds of stoner rock and psychedelic, THUNDERBIRD DIVINE provide a heavy fuzz-filled sound in “Last Laugh”. The new single is taken from their forthcoming album, Little Wars, set for release on August 30th, 2024 via Black Doomba Records. Pre-sale begins August 16th.

The band comments on “Last Laugh”:

“‘Last Laugh’ is one of our older songs, written in the pre-Covid era,” says Erik Caplan, Thunderbird Divine’s guitarist/vocalist. “Lyrically, it examines how two friends in a disagreement can both think they’re correct, and when neither will budge on the issue, it becomes a stalemate. Nobody wants to admit they’re wrong. Both are stubborn. Neither will budge. When one party in the argument dies, the argument itself is dead by default. The reality is that nobody ever really wins in these situations. They both lose. And neither has the other anymore. It could be considered a cautionary tale, and the situation described here is absolutely autobiographical. And I’m definitely not laughing.”

“We certainly knew it should be a rocker, so we aimed for big, brash sounds overall, but we also wanted to introduce some possibly unexpected elements in order to keep it interesting beyond the first two verses,” Caplan explains. “For us, that could mean the addition of virtually anything from sitar to didgeridoo, but, in this case, we decided on sweeping backing vocals, lap steel guitar and piano in addition to our usual stew of guitars, bass, drums, organ and vocals. The feel from the bridge through the guitar solo has a triumphant feel, but the last statement in the song belies the idea of any kind of true resolution.

We demoed all of the songs in order to identify any potentially difficult areas, and Josh (Solomon, bass/vocals/recordist) really took the reins with scheduling and organization. Once we had a decent sketch of each track, we booked time at Retro City Studios in order to capture Mike (Stuart’s) drums and Jack’s (Falkenbach) B3 and Farfisa. The rest of the instrumentation and vocals were tracked at Josh’s East Airy Recordings. We took our time, so, for better or worse, what you hear on this record is very much where our heads were at the time of the recording.”

“Last Laugh” Credits:
Video was shot at The Reservoir by Sirius Cinema.
Recorded at East Airy Recordings with the exception of drums which were recorded at Philadelphia’s Retro City Studios.

Track Listing:
1. Pony Express
2. Times Gone Bad
3. Last Laugh
4. Black Rhino Mantra
5. These Eyes
6. Tides
7. Highway Dawn
8. Old Black Crow
9. Carousel

THUNDERBIRD DIVINE is:
Erik Caplan: Vocals, Guitar, Theremin, Sitar, Banjo, Harmonica, Synth, Drones, Weird Stuff
Micheal Stuart: Vocals, Drums, Percussion
Joshua Adam Solomon: Vocals, Bass, Guitars, Synth, Percussion
Jack Falkenbach: Vocals, Keys, Violin, Melodica

https://www.facebook.com/thunderbirddivine
https://www.instagram.com/thunderbird_divine/
https://thunderbirddivine.bandcamp.com/

https://www.blackdoomba.com/
https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blackdoombarecords/
https://linktr.ee/BlackDoomba

Thunderbird Divine, “Last Laugh”

The news that Philadelphia heavy rockers Thunderbird Divine have been picked up by Black Doomba Records for their next album is already a win even before you get to the manner of their delivery, which is with the charm-drenched video below filmed on what seems to have been a day like any other in the rehearsal space until it wasn’t pizza at the door. Good fun, and a Pulp Fiction reference at the end to boot.

Early last year, Thunderbird Divine unveiled standalone covers of The Osmonds‘ “Crazy Horses” (premiered here) and Barry White‘s “I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Babe” (premiered here), following on from their take on The Yardbirds‘ “Happenings Ten Years Time Ago” that featured among the originals on 2020’s The Hand of Man EP (review here). 2024 puts us at five years and at least a partial lineup swap’s remove from their debut full-length, 2019’s Magnasonic (review here), so even seeing mention of “Fall of 2024” as a potential arrival date for their sophomore LP is welcome. I haven’t heard it yet, but I hear good things about it and the stretch after the first has only found them growing funkier, so here’s looking forward.

The PR wire makes it official, but don’t forget to watch the clip as well for a highlight 90 seconds of your day:

THUNDERBIRD DIVINE Rocks the Scene: Signs with Black Doomba Records for Explosive Fall 2024 Album Release

In an electrifying new partnership, the esteemed Philadelphia-based band THUNDERBIRD DIVINE has inked a deal with Black Doomba Records, signaling a bold new chapter in their already illustrious journey. This collaboration promises to unleash an album in the fall of 2024 that will further cement THUNDERBIRD DIVINE’s place in the pantheon of riff-heavy psychedelic/stoner/doom music.

Since their formation in March 2017, THUNDERBIRD DIVINE has captivated audiences with their unique blend of sonic textures and musical experimentation, drawing inspiration from the likes of Monster Magnet, Hawkwind, and The MC5. Their journey has seen them release critically acclaimed albums such as Magnasonic and The Hand of Man, alongside memorable singles and covers that showcase their versatility and creative prowess.

The upcoming album, set for release in the fall of 2024, is eagerly anticipated by fans and critics alike. It promises to be a testament to the band’s relentless pursuit of musical innovation, featuring compositions that are both emotionally compelling and sonically adventurous. This new project will not only highlight THUNDERBIRD DIVINE’s mastery of traditional rock songwriting but will also delve into complex textures and sounds, further pushing the boundaries of their genre.

THUNDERBIRD DIVINE comprises Erik Caplan, Michael Stuart, Joshua Adam Solomon, and Jack Falkenbach – a lineup of multi-instrumentalists known for their musical virtuosity and experimental approach. The band’s dedication to in-house recording and embracing technological advancements in search of the perfect sound has set them apart in the music world.

The partnership with Black Doomba Records, a label renowned for its dedication to the heavy music scene, marks a significant milestone for THUNDERBIRD DIVINE. This alliance is set to amplify the band’s reach and introduce their groundbreaking music to a wider audience.

Stay tuned for more updates on THUNDERBIRD DIVINE’s forthcoming album and their journey with Black Doomba Records. In the meantime, fans can connect with the band through their official social media pages and Bandcamp profile.

https://www.facebook.com/thunderbirddivine
https://www.instagram.com/thunderbird_divine/
https://thunderbirddivine.bandcamp.com/

https://www.blackdoomba.com/
https://blackdoombarecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blackdoombarecords/
https://linktr.ee/BlackDoomba

Thunderbird Divine, Black Doomba Records signing announcement

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 (Mastodon, Atheist, Elder, etc.) assures that tonal heft is not lost to atmospheric breadth.

Layered 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

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Jay Ovittore of Holyroller

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

Music is life for me. Playing, discovering, learning or listening to music. Music has always been in my blood. I started playing drums around 6 years old. My Dad was a Bass Player before I was born and was always supportive of me and my music, so maybe it was in my genes. I was lucky to have that supportz most aren’t as lucky.

As far as defining what I do, me personally, I beat the shit out of my drums to express emotions I am feeling. It is the best stress relief. The band gets a lot of labels, Doom, Stoner, Psych,etc…I like to think we are a rock n roll band, and if it fits into a niche that you enjoy then great, but the reality is we strive to write good rock n roll songs.

Describe your first musical memory.

I used to spend summers in Mount Vernon, NY (home of Lou Albano and Denzel Washington) with my grandparents. My Uncle Ronnie lived there too. We would hang out and he would play me some of his vinyl. The one that changed my life was The Police- Reggatta de Blanc. I was air drumming to Stewart Copeland and my Uncle caught that and called my Dad and said, “You have to get this boy a drum kit”. Rest is history.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I got to open for Clutch on their Robot Hive/Exodus tour on New Year’s Eve here in NC. I would describe more but I was in the moment and not so sober.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

Religion seems to be a good one…I am an Atheist and it seems a challenge to some who do have different beliefs to test my “lack of faith”. I believe in those I surround myself with and they believe in me….I do good things and treat folks like I want to be treated. I don’t need organized religion to justify who I am or what I do. I’m also not going to judge you if you need it your life, because it’s really none of my business.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I think artists are always growing, or they should be. It seems that most bands debuts are always golden, but those follow up albums always seem to lack. We strive to not jump off the cliff with our writing. We changed a lot from our self titled EP to our debut label release Swimming Witches. I feel like we push each other to be better, write better and I just wish the world could see the magic when it happens, because sometimes it’s hard for me to believe that we just wrote that. It’s natural to mature as an artist, experiment and explore. It’s healthy for you.

How do you define success?

Some define success in dollars or album sales. As those would be nice, I see it a bit different. Not every band can go out and make a living doing this thing. So for me it is those moments with fans we make…when they tell us how they feel because of what we play. If I change one person’s life with the music we put out, I am successful.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

Can I just list our some of my ex’s here?

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

A solution to all this hatred in the world. People of different political beliefs, religions, color, lifestyle just flat out hating each other and there is no room to discuss things like adults and get shit done. Smoke some weed and have a conversation. Maybe if weed was legal in more places we would have as many fucked up mass shootings that seem like just every day normal events now because we have become numb. I certainly don’t have the answer to solve all of it, but violence and hatred has to stop.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

Art is a historical document of the time we live in. It tells a story of a certain time and be it music or paintings or tattoos, the story lies within.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

This is the toughest question here, because everything in my life is musical in some way. I guess I can say eventually going to Italy (but I’m really hoping that it is part of a tour). It’s the one place on the world I want to see more then any other. Hell, I might not come back.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100047348095331
https://www.instagram.com/holyrollerrocknroller/
https://twitter.com/HolyRollerband
https://holyrollernc.bandcamp.com/

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

Holyroller, Swimming Witches (2022)

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:

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)