Posted in Whathaveyou on April 28th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Cheers to whoever brought the synth and/or Echoplex to the studio that day. Later this year, Washington D.C. heavy rockers Borracho will release their next album. I’ve heard it and it’s some of their best work to-date, but believe it or not, that actually doesn’t matter right now, because today the three-piece who in 2023 mark 15 years of the band release a new instrumental two-songer called Kozmic Safari + The Deep Unknown ahead of appearing at this weekend’s Grim Reefer Fest in Baltimore with Bongzilla and Ilsa and other assorted excellent company.
The pair of cuts were recorded, of course, with Frank “The Punisher” Marchand, and given the extent of his prior work with the band, it’s no surprise the foundation of swing is as solid as one could possibly ask while the guitar and effects, keyboard and synth space the songs out. Listen to the layering in the mix of “The Deep Unknown” and the way the guitar seems to cut through the surrounding expanse. These aren’t throw away pieces, and as they wouldn’t necessarily fit with the general approach of the album to come, which is more in line with their standard approach vis a vis hooks, riffs, nod, all that fun stuff, having them as a standalone offering makes sense all the more when you listen. You might consider doing so presently.
If you’re headed to that all-dayer this weekend — hope to see you there — you probably shouldn’t expect Borracho to play either of these songs live. “Kozmic Safari,” which is not to be confused with their label, Kozmik Artifactz, and “The Deep Unknown” are departures for sure from Borracho‘s standard methodology — I’ll say as well it’s been a long time since I saw them last — but they’re not the first time the band have rooted around territory outside wheelhouse walls. This suits them. I’d be interested to hear it with vocals at some point — Steve Fisher has a good voice for asking what the hell is going on lyrically, and I think this would suit that — but they may or may not ever get there, honestly.
Still, a little something special to herald the LP to come and maybe inject a bit of urgency into your Saturday plans if you’re within driving distance to Baltimore. More on Grim Reefer Fest is here, by the way. Also worth noting they’ll be at Maryland Doom Fest in June:
Hoisted from Bandcamp:
This pair of instrumentals showcases the band’s psychedelic side, taking listeners on a trip through spacey soundscapes.
The tracks were recorded during the sessions for the band’s upcoming new album with longtime engineer/producer Frank Marchand, and feature heavy use of theremin, synthesizers, and old school analog effects.
Tracklisting: 1. Kozmic Safari 03:45 2. The Deep Unknown 03:58
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 10th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Good one, Grim Reefer Fest. The 2023 edition of the Baltimorean all-dayer is the biggest lineup yet, showing some geographic reach in bringing Bongzilla and Wizard Rifle to proceedings — the former being in Wisconsin and the latter Oregon; one suspects they’ll be announcing a tour together any minute now, and if they do, they make a complementary pair — and rounding out with a sonically diverse cast of locals and regional acts, from natives Haze Mage and Holy Fingers to Borracho and Ilsa from D.C., Sun Voyager heading down from New York, and so on.
I’m gonna go ahead and put this one in my calendar. Seems like a pretty cool way to spend a Saturday. Drive down in the morning, see the show, find a spot to crash, leave Sunday AM after coffee and be home in time for lunch? That’s doable, right? I’ll talk to The Patient Mrs. before I start bugging the fest about it, but yeah, this looks like a good time and I’ve wanted to get down to one of these for a couple years now. In a universe of infinite possibilities, maybe 2023 is my year.
From the PR wire:
Grim Reefer Fest returns to the Legendary Ottobar on Saturday April 29th with our biggest and best lineup to date! Join us for the annual celebration of the high holidays, good vibes, and all your favorite variations of heavy music!
Bongzilla Ilsa Borracho Haze Mage Wizard Rifle False Gods Sun Voyager Faith in Jane Holy Fingers Blightbeast
And as always we will have a food truck parked right outside the venue throughout the duration of the event to take care of all of your munchie needs!
Tickets are $35 in adv and $50 at the door.
Tickets can be purchased here starting 1/13/23 at 10am https://www.etix.com/ticket/p/6831820 Doors at 2pm – Music starts at 3pm and runs all day and night
Poster by GhostBat.
We will not be live streaming this time around but we do hope to have all of the sets recorded and eventually uploaded to our YouTube Channel (where you can currently see all of our GRF 2022 performers).
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 31st, 2022 by JJ Koczan
It’s a big ‘un. And if you’re like me, there are a couple names that stick out from the poster below, particularly Earthride and The Skull. Both are tribute sets, of course. The Skull frontman Eric Wagner passed away in 2021 after complications from a covid-19 infection and the loss of Earthride‘s Dave Sherman just a couple months ago continues to be keenly felt in and beyond the confines of the scene he called home. Karl Agell (ex-C.O.C.) will step in for The Skull, while Scott Angelacos of Hollow Leg is set to front a rotating cast of players for Earthride. You would be hard-pressed to find a more fitting occasion for honoring one’s own, except perhaps this gig in a couple weeks.
Plenty of familiar, returning acts as well as newcomers. Hippie Death Cult and will travel from the Pacific Northwest, Switchblade Jesus and Doomstress make an appearance (not the first for either) from Texas, and Red Mesa come straight out of the capital-‘desert’ Desert. Meanwhile, Faith in Jane, Black Lung, Bloodshot, Mangog, Mythosphere, Thonian Horde, Spiral Grave and plenty of others represent the Maryland home team, High Leaf and Thunderbird Divine trip down from Philly, Curse the Son (CT) and Guhts (NY) come from farther north, Hollow Leg make the trip out from Florida, and Lo-Pan, Doctor Smoke and Brimstone Coven head over from the Midwest. That’s just off the top of my head. I’m not sure there’s ever been a MDDF pulling so many bands from different parts of the country, though of course international bands have featured in the past as well.
There are always some shakeup between the first announcement and the final lineup, but so far so good here. Any way it works out, Maryland Doom Fest has nothing to prove at this point. Guaranteed banger.
Here’s the poster (oy) and the lineup, the latter in alphabetical order:
Maryland Doom Fest 2023
June 22-25 – Frederick, MD
We are proud to present to you The Maryland DooM Fest 2023 lineup roster and 2023 promotional art!!!!
We showcase over 50 kickass bands bringing you heavy riffs over these #4daysofdoom!!
The centerpiece art was created by Joshua Adam Hart (Earthride, Unorthodox, Revelation, Chowder, Stout, to name a few).
Josh is a career tattoo artist and is currently scheduling appointments at Triple Crown Towson Tattoo. Schedule to get ink from him at info@triplecrowntowson.com
The incredible flyer layout, coloring, and design is by our very talented Bill Kole (make sure to check out his band Ol’ Time Moonshine)!!
Above the Treachery, Akris, Black Lung, Bloodshot, Bonded by Darkness, Borracho, Brimstone Coven, Cobra Whip, Conclave, Crowhunter, Curse the Son, DeathCAVE, Doctor Smoke, Doomstress, Double Planet, Dust Prophet, Earthride, Faith in Jane, False Gods, Flummox, Fox 45, Future Projektor, Gallowglas, Grim Reefer, Guhts, Helgamite, High Leaf, Hippie Death Cult, Hog, Hollow Leg, Hot Ram, Las Cruces, Leather Lung, Lo-Pan, Mangog, Mythosphere, Orodruin, Red Mesa, Severed Satellites, Shadow Witch, Smoke the Light, Spiral Grave, Switchblade Jesus, The Skull, Thonian Horde, Thousand Vision Mist, Thunderbird Divine, Unity Reggae, VRSA, Weed Coughin, Wizzerd
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 14th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
All kidding aside, if Maryland Doom Fest wanted to rebrand as Sherman Fest, I feel like event-organizer JB Matson (also of Bloodshot, War Injun, Outside Truth, etc.) would be well within rights. There is no overstating the impact Dave Sherman — generally “Sherm” if you were saying hey at a show — of Earthride, Spirit Caravan, Weed is Weed and so many others had on Maryland’s ever-vital doom underground, and the tributes continue to come through in the wake of his passing on Sept. 4.
A benefit has been expected. This is what Maryland doom does. In the long tradition of the American working class looking out for its own because, well, it’s not like anyone else is stepping up to help, the underground based around Frederick — now with a home at Cafe 611 where the aforementioned Maryland Doom Fest is held; formerly centered at Krug’s Place down across the way from the 7-Eleven, where Stoner Hands of Doom resided for a few editions — a benefit festival for Sherman‘s family is well in character for that scene. They’ve done a ton of them over the years, from Evil Fanny to Rev. Jim Forrester to Adam Heinzmann of Foghound — who’ll play Sherman Fest — to any number of others. It’s part of the mourning process, and like the poster says in this case, part of celebrating the life and music of Dave Sherman.
And in the last week, having seen some of Sherm-stories these bands have told — Borracho, Thousand Vision Mist, even Place of Skulls — it’s clear this lineup is hand-picked for the purpose. I don’t know how you could play a benefit in this dude’s honor and not have the show of your life. Emotion and volume will flow in kind.
Poster and info follow. Doom bless Dave Sherman:
Sherman Fest – Live at Cafe 611
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022
611 N. Market St., Frederick, MD
This is a unique music scene and this get together is a tribute to Dave Sherman’s legacy.
All proceeds are in Dave’s name to support his mother through this tragedy.
Lineup: Place of Skulls Foghound Mangog Alex Wickham & Johnny Wretched Bloodshot Pimmit Hills Bonded by Darkness Borracho Thousand Vision Mist The Crows Eye Faith in Jane Born of Plagues
Washington, D.C. riff-rollers Borracho issued their fourth full-length, Pound of Flesh (review here), in Aug. 2021 with the vinyl backing of the respected purveyors at Kozmik Artifactz. They have reportedly started work on the next one, and given the outward-looking bent of the lyrics throughout Pound of Flesh as showcased in “Caravan” and the prior single “It Came From the Sky” (premiered here; hey, I’m allowed to like bands), I have significant doubts the three-piece will have run out of topics for discussion.
The lyrics are a focal point for “Caravan” enough for there to be a lyric video, but one ignores the stretch of keyboard running alongside the nodder riff in the song’s second half at one’s own peril. As guitarist Steve Fisher belts out the hook “All hope is gone/Still we travel on” to cut straight to the heart of a refugee’s plight — as relevant to Ukraine now as to Syria, Mexico, Uyghurs in China, and so on, as it was when the song was written, human beings drowning in the Mediterranean, the Rio Grande, the Gulf of Mexico, fleeing violence and dying from exposure in an empty expanse or freezing on cold ground — yes, it’s a downer. This is not an uplifting track, not party rock. Grim ideas on a grim subject.
But it’s not doom, despite that, or exploiting this horror to serve its own ends. Rather, Borracho find a sonic context in which to tell the story — bassist Tim Martin and drummer Mario Trubiano so fluid in delivering on the band’s ongoing stated promise of ‘repetitive heavy grooves’ (which they should really copyright by now) — that’s not too overblown in its heft but backs the lyrics and vocals an engrossing fuzz and roll such that the nine-minute track feels decidedly shorter as the various effects-manipulated landscapes of “Caravan” proceed past, emphasizing the feeling of journeying, maybe being lost.
I don’t know if “Caravan” is the last single Borracho will highlight from Pound of Flesh, but if so, it’s welcome news to see confirmed below that they’re putting together ideas to move forward with a next outing. “Caravan” is a song that brings to mind the work Borracho have put in over the last decade-plus to become the band they are, and the immersive power their songs can have while remaining largely straightforward in structure.
Enjoy the clip:
Borracho, “Caravan” lyric video premiere
A cold desert. A stormy sea. A mountain range. A strange land. Violence. Conflict. Terrorism. Economic crisis. They flee for many reasons and brave many dangers for a better life. Wherever they come from, stand with refugees.
Caravan is the third single from the Borracho LP Pound of Flesh, out now on Kozmik Artifactz.
We haven’t seen too many stages lately, but we’ve been hard at work writing and recording our next album. Most of it has already been tracked, and it’ll be wrapped up in the next few months. No projected release info yet, but stay tuned! We may have a couple other tricks up our sleeve between now and then.
Borracho is: Steve Fisher – Lead Guitar & Vocals Tim Martin – Bass Mario Trubiano – Drums
[Click play above to stream Borracho’s Pound of Flesh in its entirety. Album is out Friday, Aug. 6 on Kozmik Artifactz.]
Though the band has been around longer, this year is a decade since the first Borracho full-length, Splitting Sky (review here), came out from D.C. to lobby listeners in favor of their particular take on heavy roll, marked out by a distinctive feel of riding their own grooves and doing so on a conveyance of dense-packed fuzz tone. Pound of Flesh follows a collaborative 2020 single with vocalist Jake Starr, formerly of Adam West — of which Borracho drummer Mario Trubiano was also a member — and is comprised of material and recordings dating back to late 2019, recorded and mixed as ever by Frank “The Punisher” Marchand (Foghound, Iron Man, Life Beyond, so many others) across three sessions then and across subsequent months (Tony Reed mastered). Trubiano, guitarist/vocalist Steve Fisher — who also adds keys on three of the nine tracks — and bassist/backing vocalist Tim Martin (who also painted the album’s cover) work within a style and elements that should be well familiar to their established audience base.
They’ve never been a band to radically shift approach from one outing to the next, but it’s also been half a decade since 2016’s Atacama(review here) — the band also celebrated their 10-year anniversary with the collection Riffography (review here) in 2017 — and a significant half-decade at that, and that time has wrought some shifts in their approach, whether it’s that flourish of keyboard/organ sounds introduced on opener “Holy Roller” and spread throughout “Caravan” and the 11-minute pre-outro finale “Burn it Down,” wherein Floyd-via-YOB contemplative guitar also pervades early with proggy melancholy as a precedent to the combination of aggression, breadth and thematic summary that follows, or the use of transitional samples like those between “Judgement Day” and “Dirty Money,” or those that conclude the album in “Foaming at the Mouth,” some spoken word in the second half of “Caravan,” or even just the blatant focus on social and political issues, which one imagines have been nigh on impossible to avoid in the US capitol throughout the years since Atacama, since they’ve certainly been impossible to avoid everywhere else.
Borracho tackle the subject with characteristic boldness and bruiser riffing across three vinyl sides — side D of the 2LP is an etching — as Fisher‘s vocals working with a well-established burl that’s been their hallmark since he took over those duties on 2013’s Oculus (review here). His easing into more of a frontman role is a big part of the narrative arc of the band’s career to-date, and the launch of Pound of Flesh in “Holy Roller” and the more melodically fluid “It Came From the Sky” (premiered here) is crucial in marking out the ground that the rest of what follows will cover; strong hooks, weighted groove, and the by-now-a-given chemistry in the performance of the trio as a whole that underscores the more complex structure presented in “Caravan.” It’s hard to think of a band who’ve spent the past 14 years actively working to foster a lack of pretense as being atmospheric, but Borracho are that on “Caravan,” and certainly too on the acoustic “Dreamer” that follows, serving as an interlude before “Judgement Day,” “Dirty Money” and “Year of the Swine” push further into the heart of the matter in their construction and lyrical schematic, which isn’t so much partisan as roundly disgusted.
Following the open keys, shouts, and fuzzy careening that marks the peak of “Caravan” and the stretch of Eastern-tinged noodling and percussion that follows to end the song, and the plucked acoustic strings of “Dreamer,” “Judgement Day” slams in to crack the hypnosis in half, with a riff and rhythm that is definitively Borrachoan, and a hook less immediate than “Holy Roller” or “It Came From the Sky,” but still a notable presence, and a surge of momentum that “Dirty Money” continues at a faster tempo, repeating the pattern of the opening duo but, instead of turning right away into the longer reach that showed itself on “Caravan,” the path twists and brings about “Year of the Swine,” which is willfully lumbering and gnashing in its frustration, bolstered in that regard by a guest solo from Scott “Wino” Weinrich.
It is the peak the three-piece hit before they hit before that frustration boils into what emerges on “Burn it Down,” the tension in the beginning building over the first 3:44 of the song’s total 11:24 in order to set up the first verse, which only ups the stakes further en route to gang-style shouts of “rise up!” and “tear down!” offsetting the chorus lines “Rise up and fight” and “Burn it to the ground.”
Well, okay. One has to note, of course, that “Burn it Down” was written and recorded prior to this past Jan. 6, when an attempted putsch in Washington, D.C., tried in its way to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. I’ll add as well that I haven’t had the benefit of a lyric sheet, but it’s hard not to place “Burn it Down” in that context. And no, I don’t think Fisher is calling for insurrection — or at least not that particular insurrection. Lines like, “Time to settle debts/We’re taking a pound of flesh,” certainly have an aspect of threat, never mind that they serve as the inspiration for the title, but the message, again, never comes through in favor of one side over the other so much as disaffected with a corrupted entirety. And fair enough. Twice through the chorus again, and “Burn it Down” jams out a solo en route to its bookending more subdued guitar, crying baby and evil cackle samples starting “Foaming at the Mouth” in beginning a sample onslaught — “Here comes the money!” from the beginning of “Dirty Money” makes a return — and the feeling of being overwhelmed is palpable.
Conspiracy theories, chemtrails, that crying baby and of course a riff-led groove all come to a finish just after two minutes in, and Pound of Flesh concludes with a sampling of the apex speech of Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 anti-fascist “talkie” film The Great Dictator, wrapping with the repositioned line that begins that famous monologue: “I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business.” The message is clear and relevant and gives depth and context not only to the purposefully overwhelming barrage meant to represent the overwhelming barrage of noise one faces in any given day, but also to “Burn it Down,” to “Judgement Day,” “It Came From the Sky” and the rest of what surrounds. Borracho could hardly have picked a more suitable or relevant capstone for the album they made.
And what impresses about Pound of Flesh on the whole isn’t just that Fisher, Martin and Trubiano made it, but that they pulled it off while still holding to that central sans-pretense ethic. Remember, this is the band whose slogan has only ever been ‘Repetitive Heavy Grooves,’ and yet they dig deeper here to offer much more than that on every level, from shifts in structure and tempo to new arrangement elements. In the span of the last decade, all Borracho have ever done is exceed expectation. It is the manner in which they are most reliable, and on Pound of Flesh, they deliver once more.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 28th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
I know, I know, a double-LP is all cool and stuff, and two vinyl versions and that’s pretty special. But a jewel case CD with a four-panel insert? That’s got me grinning like the Drake meme. My jam. And a jewel case feels like a novelty at this point, so yeah, I’m on board for that.
Aug. 6 is the release date for Borracho‘s fourth album, Pound of Flesh, and considering the fact that it marks a decade since their debut, you almost have to sit back and look at the career they’ve put together. Especially since they didn’t end up being the band they started as, losing their frontman after that first record, their accomplishments are all the more impressive. And you know what? They’ve earned everything they’ve gotten, working with labels like Ripple Music, Cursed Tongue and Kozmik Artifactz, shows at home and abroad, fest appearances, wide-ranging accolades and all of it. Solid heavy rock and roll band. I’ve heard the new record. It’s long, but they earn that too. It’s awesome, and it’s another step forward for them.
I guess what I’m saying is “fucking a, new Borracho.” I’m gonna try to get one of these dudes on board for a video interview before the record’s out too, and there’ll be a review and all that whatnot, so keep an eye out. We’ve got time.
Here’s preorder info:
BORRACHO – New LP Pound of Flesh available August 6. Pre-order NOW!
Our 4th record Pound of Flesh officially drops August 6th and is available for pre-order on CD, digital, and vinyl now on our Bandcamp page: https://borracho.bandcamp.com/
Nine new tracks running more than 50 minutes will take you on a heavy trip from beginning to end. Here’s the first glimpse at the cover art and packaging, all designed by TMD – AKA our very own Tim Martin.
CDs are presented in jewel cases with full color 4-panel insert. But the stars of the show are the two vinyl versions. Two limited edition gatefold 2LP versions are available – Black & Blue, and special edition Multicolor Splatterburst. Side 4 includes a custom etching capturing various elements of the album’s theme. It’s a package you don’t want to miss in your collection. Pre-order NOW!
Pound of Flesh arrives nearly five years after its predecessor Atacama, and just on time for the tenth anniversary of our debut album Splitting Sky. It has been a labor of love, being largely written over a three year period when the band was geographically separated, and mostly recorded ahead of the onset of a global pandemic. The events of the past 16 months delayed its completion and release even further. We couldn’t be happier to finally bring you this amazing package, presented by the always on-point Kozmik Artifactz.
NOTE: if you are located in Europe we highly recommend you place your pre-order directly with Kozmik Artifactz for faster and cheaper delivery.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 7th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Two days, part-outdoors, everybody vaxxed, the Shadow Woods Metal Fest continues to push aesthetic forward while doing so in plague-safe fashion. Shadow Woods Metal Fest V brings campers, cabin-renters and whoever else can find a place to stay together in celebration of anti-genre noisemaking of the sort that might put Borracho and Panopticon on the bill together because screw it life is short and see everything you can while you can. Two days here, really a day and a half, and this might be the last time the fest is held. 200 acres out in the woods. Who could argue? Ever?
Righteous in purpose and execution, fest organizer Mary Spiro sent the following down the PR wire:
Panopticon to headline Shadow Woods Metal Fest V
The fifth edition of Shadow Woods Metal Fest (also sometimes simply SWMF or Shadow Woods Music Fest, since it’s not all metal music) will happen Aug 27-29, 2021 in White Hall, Maryland. Bands announced so far include Panopticon, Destroyer of Light, Borracho, Neolithic, Voarm, Witchcryer, Traitor, Altar and the Bull, and Queen Wolf with about 10 more acts to be confirmed.
Performance times will be Friday between 6 pm and 11 pm and Saturday between noon and 11 pm. There are no bands on Sunday. Although not officially announced, it is has been rumored that ticket sales will be cut off August 13 and no ticket will be sold at the gate. So, plan ahead.
The fest will take place at its traditional location, Camp Hidden Valley, a wooded, 200-acre property about 45 minutes north of Baltimore that hosts everything from weddings to children’s summer camps. There will be two covered stages – one outdoors and one inside the venue’s large, well-ventilated dining hall. This is the layout used during the 2018 fest – the last time the fest was held. Attendees may drive from home, camp, or stay in nearby hotels or private rentals. Most cabin options are already sold out.
Organizers are taking COVID-19 precautions seriously. There will be emergency medical techs and rapid COVID testing available throughout the weekend. They have issued this statement to attendees:
Masking, hand washing, and physical distancing protocols will be in effect during the fest. At this time, we are asking that every participant be fully vaccinated two weeks prior (by August 13) and show your vaccination card upon entry. We are working with an organization to have rapid COVID testing available onsite for a low fee at entry. If anyone tests positive for COVID or has any indicative symptoms such as a fever, coughing, chills, extreme fatigue, etc., we ask that you STAY HOME or leave the fest immediately, even if it is last minute. Everyone will be required to sign the typical camp liability waiver that we have used every year, but it will also include additional language related to COVID. We will be following all the federal and local recommended protocols and guidelines for COVID safety. All this is subject to change based on the current situation with the pandemic
Event organizer M. A. Spiro said that this really will be the last time she will do the fest, although she has admittedly said that before. “This last year without live music has been brutal on everyone and economically devastating,” she said. “I hope people come out for it. The bands need it. The fans need it. The production people need it. But one thing I learned after this last year is that I personally do not have to be the one to do these events any more. It’s a ton of work, a lot of risk financially and emotionally, and I am just not interested in carrying that mantle forward any longer. I would love it if someone created a new camping music fest nearby that I could go to and enjoy. But Shadow Woods as people have come to know it will be laid to rest after 2021. I might continue to do smaller shows in brick-and-mortar venues, but that remains to be seen since we really are not there yet with those locations.”
