Posted in Whathaveyou on September 16th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
An interesting spot The Wounded Kings are in, and one that’s really as much new for them as it is old. They’ve been through lineups, multiple, around guitarist Steve Mills over their now-nine tumultuous years, but to my knowledge this is the first time they’ve ever brought anyone back who’s been in the band before. Original vocalist George Birch appeared on the first two The Wounded Kings albums — as a duo with Mills — and the 2010 split with Cough, but then was out. Now, a few years later, he’s back and about to go on tour with the band for the first time. A strange circumstance, I’m sure, being the new guy as well as an original member, but The Wounded Kings have always benefited from an otherworldly sensibility, and I’m sure a little weirdness will only bolster that.
The tour starts Oct. 24 at the venerable The Black Heartin Camden Town, and will include stops at the Into the Void and Dutch Doom Days festivals. Full announcement of the run follows:
This will be our first European jaunt in 2 and half years and our first ever with George back at the helm…it’s the heaviest the band has ever been and it’s so great to be able to play for the first time some of the older classics like Melanthos and Baptism of Atlantis!
We are also heading up to London and Birmingham at the beginning of October (4th and 5th) to play both Candlefest and Fearfest respectively.
Oct. 24 The Black Heart London UK Oct. 25 Into the Void Festival Leeuwarden NL Oct. 26 Helevete Oberhausen DE Oct. 27 Zentralcafe Nurnberg DE Oct. 28 TBC Oct. 29 Trafik Klub Budapest HU Oct. 30 Rockhaus Salzburg AT Oct. 31 Falkendom Bielefeld DE Nov. 1 Dutch Doom Days Festival Boroeg Rotterdam NL Nov. 2 Glazart Paris FR
This one’s a couple minutes shorter than the last few have been, but lacks nothing for substance, and particularly after YOB‘s “Marrow,” anything I put at the end would’ve just been filler to meet some imaginary obligation on my part. If you feel like you’re lacking the four minutes, give me a call and we’ll chat about records for the rest of that time. It’ll be a hoot. In any case, I think there’s plenty here to sink into — stuff that for a lot of people, myself included, will be on year-end lists and albums for which 2014 will be remembered when all is said and done. Two of my four current contenders for Album of the Year are featured, first and last.
Parts of this podcast are gorgeous, parts are ugly, but I think everything here holds up in terms of quality and listening back, I like the way this one gets immersive with a mix of longer tracks and shorter ones, slower and faster, etc. As always, I hope you enjoy, and I thank you sincerely for taking the time to check it out.
First Hour:
Lo-Pan, “Regulus” from Colossus (2014)
Steak, “Liquid Gold” from Slab City (2014)
The Well, “Mortal Bones” from Samsara (2014)
Orange Goblin, “The Devil’s Whip” from Back from the Abyss (2014)
Kvlthammer, “Hesh Trip” from Kvlthammer (2014)
Snailking, “To Wonder” from Storm (2014)
Earth, “From the Zodiacal Light” from Primitive and Deadly (2014)
Pallbearer, “Watcher in the Dark” from Foundations of Burden (2014)
Sorxe, “Her Majesty” from Surrounded by Shadows (2014)
Second Hour:
Humo del Cairo, “Tres” from Preludio EP (2014)
Joy, “Miles Away” from Under the Spell Of… (2014)
Megaton Leviathan, “Past 21” from Past 21: Beyond the Arctic Cell (2014)
Bong, “Blue at Noon” from Haikai No Ku – Ultra High Dimensionality LP (2014)
YOB, “Marrow” from Clearing the Path to Ascend (2014)
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 15th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Well, one of the few remaining questions I had about releases in 2014 was whether or not the new Orange Goblin was going to arrive before the end of the year, and it looks like Candlelight Records has taken care of answering that. London’s heavy rock forerunning stalwarts will have Back from the Abyss— I’ll just assume that’s not their statement on touring in the US — out this October, gunning for an autumnal addition to the year-end best-of lists and, I’m sure, getting it. I know I’ll be keeping a slot open. There’s a new track posted at Loudwire that I haven’t listened to yet, but I wanted to get the news posted right away because, well, it’s new Orange Goblin, and that’s kind of a big deal.
They’ll head out on tour in Europe with Saint Vitus immediately following the release. No doubt much boozy destruction will ensue.
The PR wire has it like this:
ORANGE GOBLIN’s New Album Coming This October
Candlelight Records today confirms October 7th as the North American release date for ORANGE GOBLIN’s new album, Back From The Abyss. Recorded earlier this year in London, the album reunites the band with producer Jamie Dodd. It was mastered at Turan Audio in late July. Back From The Abyss will be available for preorder via iTunes and Amazon beginning August 26th. Fans can begin to preorder the CD today via Candlelight’s official webstore and Bandcamp page.
Loudwire.com is celebrating the announcement with an exclusive North American stream of the album’s first single, “The Devil’s Whip.” Vocalist Ben Ward says, “This song is a real old-school banger stuffed full of riffs, sleaze, filth, and speed… just like the best metal should be! It’s Motörhead-style, outlaw-biker rock in all its glory, destined to get heads banging, fists pumping, drinks flowing and asses shaking. If you don’t find yourself breaking the speed limit to this song, desperate to find the roughest bar in town, start a fight and spending the night in a cell, then you are quite clearly already dead. Let’s ride, let loose, let’s rip… that’s right, you can’t escape ‘The Devil’s Whip.'”
Back From The Abyss follows the band’s most successful release, 2012’s A Eulogy For The Damned, and the recent reissue of their 2007 album Healing Through Fire. Featuring twelve new songs, it delivers the quartets now internationally respected heavy metal. Decibel Magazine calls the band’s sound, “maximum riffage and turbo doom.” Blabbermouth dubs them, “a big burly bag of rock goodness.” Rocking hard as fans have come expect, Back From The Abyss shows not only the band’s tried-and-true blues and doom but the high caliber of their musicianship.
ORANGE GOBLIN will kick off the Autumn with a European tour alongside doom legends St. Vitus. Set to begin in France on October 9th, the tour will work its way through thirteen countries before concluding in Germany on November 14th. On the tour’s announcement Ward said, “We are extremely excited to be going on tour with our good friends and long-time heroes St. Vitus. Vitus are one of the bands that inspired us to form ORANGE GOBLIN all those years ago and to be able to promote our new album and celebrate their thirty-fifth anniversary at the same time just blows my mind.”
American dates in support of Back From The Abyss are anticipated to start early in the new year. Details to be announced shortly.
Together since 1995, ORANGE GOBLIN has released seven full-length studio albums. A Eulogy For The Damned was the band’s first for Candlelight Records and closed a five year recording hiatus. The album was supported with the most live dates by the band in their history; touring that saw the band on North America soil first alongside Clutch then on a full-scale headline tour that found them on thirty-eight stages across the US and Canada. Two videos were filmed and released for the album, including “Red Tide Rising” and the special Scion A/V video for “Acid Trials.”
Back From The Abyss Track Listing: 1. Sabbath Hex 2. Ubermensch 3. The Devil’s Whip 4. Demon Blues 5. Heavy Lies The Crown 6. Into the Arms of Morpheus 7. Mythical Knives 8. Bloodzilla 9. The Abyss 10. Titan 11. Blood Of Them 12. The Shadow Over Innsmouth
ORANGE GOBLIN is vocalist Ben Ward, guitartist Joe Hoare, bassist Martyn Millard, and drummer Christopher Turner. The band are endorsed by Marshall Amplification, Orange Amplification, Fender Bass Guitars, Natal Drums, Meinl Cymbals, Vater Sticks, Remo Skins, Vans, Volcom, Boss Pedals, Rotosound Strings, and Jagermeister.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 30th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Now, if you read the interview that went up last Tuesday with C.O.C. bassist/vocalist Mike Dean, or at least took a look at the comments, you probably figured out it was Bl’ast and Brant Bjork that Corrosion of Conformity would be touring with on the West Coast, but it’s always nice to have confirmation anyway, and as the PR wire informs, Portland death-sludgers Lord Dying will be opening for the trek. C.O.C.‘s new album, IX(short review here), is out tomorrow on Candlelight after a manufacturing delay pushed back the original June 25 release date.
The legendary North Carolinian trio also head to Australia and New Zealand in July. All dates and info below:
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY: North Carolina Crossover Icons Announce North American Live Assault
With the official release of their new full-length, fittingly titled IX, now just days away, North Carolina crossover icons, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, are very pleased to announce their first North American live assaults in support of the offering. The near two-week run will commence on August 20th in Spokane, and come to a close in Vancouver on September 1st. The band will be joined by Bl’ast!, Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band and Lord Dying!
The trek follows the band’s live takeovers next month in New Zealand and Australia. “We are really fired up to bring COC back to New Zealand and Australia for the first time in over a decade,” says vocalist/bassist Mike Dean. “I’ve been with Vista Chino and had a great experience on Soundwave and the shows on the side. Our set is shaping up to include songs from IX, Deliverance, the self-titled, and Animosity.”
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY: 7/18/2014 Kings Arms – Auckland, NZ 7/19/2014 Valhalla – Wellington, NZ 7/20/2014 Churchills – NZ 7/24/2014 Crowbar – Brisbane, AUS 7/25/2014 NSC – Sydney AUS 7/26/2014 Reverence Hotel – Melbourne AUS 7/27/2014 Enigma Bar – Adelaide AUS
w/ Bl’ast!, Brant Bjork & The Low Desert Punk Band, Lord Dying 8/20/2014 The Hop – Spokane, WA 8/21/2014 In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT 8/22/2014 Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO 8/23/2014 Sister – Albuquerque, NM 8/24/2014 Club Red – Mesa, AZ 8/26/2014 Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA 8/27/2014 The Roxy – Los Angeles, CA 8/28/2014 DNA – San Francisco, CA 8/29/2014 Catalyst – Santa Cruz CA 8/30/2014 Dante’s – Portland, OR 8/31/2014 El Corazon – Seattle, WA 9/01/2014 The Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC
Captured by the band alongside long-time friend and colleague John Custer, writing for IX commenced in the early months of 2013 with demoing and recording starting by Summer’s end. Completed in January, IX clocks in at nearly forty-five minutes. Sludge, doom, punk… it’s all in the grooves that fans have come to expect from CORROSION OF CONFORMITY.
The planned June 24th release date of IX was moved to July 1st with the 180-gram vinyl pressing expected later in the month. Fans that preordered the CD directly from Candlelight should be finding their copy in post boxes now as the eleven-song digipak continues to garner glowing reviews critics nationally.
Northern England trio Coltsblood launched last summer with the Beyond the Lake of Madness demo tape (review here) and immediately demanded attention via their crushingly slow, excruciatingly heavy, thoroughly doomed approach. That two track release, as though eaten by a larger undersea monster, has been subsumed into the three-piece’s Candlelight Records debut full-length, Into the Unfathomable Abyss, which furthers the brutal largesse of the demo, stretching out to nearly an hour’s runtime and finding some variety — in sound if not overall mood — by incorporating a few faster parts here and there. The album, which was recorded at Skyhammer Studios with Chris Fielding (Electric Wizard, Conan, Primordial, etc.) and features nightmarishly detailed cover art by former Grief bassist/vocalist Eric Harrison, pits longer pieces like “Beneath Black Skies” (14:09) and “Abyss of Aching Insanity” (12:29) from the demo against shorter ones, those two together with the penultimate “Ulfeonar” (a paltry 11:31) forming an unholy trio of slow-cooking heft that provides atmosphere the way one thinks of water filling lungs. Shorter cuts are interspersed around them, though by the end of the record, the timing works out that even the “shorter cuts” have topped eight minutes, as the closer “Return to the Lake of Madness” (8:31) rounds out no less grueling than “Ulfeonar” before it. Still, earlier on, the noisy intro “Valhalla Awaits” (2:17) the faster “Blood” (2:20) and the building instrumental “Grievous Molestation” (6:52) are well placed to give a breath of air before the next dive back into the heart of the titular abyss, which at its grimmest could rival anything put forth by Ahab, but seems bent toward more sonic diversity. Comprised at the time of bassist/vocalist John McNulty (ex-Conan, ex-Black Magician), guitarist Jemma McNulty and drummer Steve Primeau — the latter since replaced by Jay Plested, also of Black Magician — Coltsblood affirm the potential of their demo while distinguishing themselves among the more extreme end of doom’s practitioners.
Play slow enough and things just start to sound like they’re falling apart. Nothing against that, but Coltsblood never quite get there, even as John‘s throaty shouts echo over the crawling earlier stretches of “Ulfeonar.” The intent is vicious, tectonic heaviness, but Into the Unfathomable Abyssstill has a groove to it. One can hear shades of Conan‘s tonal dominance in the quicker parts of that song or “Blood” earlier on, but as the blackened scream about halfway through “Beneath Black Skies” and the bulk of Coltsblood‘s lumbering rollout shows, they’re on a different trip, even if they do manage to sneak a shuffle riff in there every now and again. The McNultys make a devastating pair, tonally, and when Jemma‘s guitar takes an airy solo over the steady rumble, the effect is more mournful than psychedelic, a noisy chaos emerging in the last two minutes of “Beneath Black Skies” to set up the blastbeaten charge of “Blood,” which is in and out in nearly one-seventh of the time but no less wretched-sounding — and yes, I mean that as a compliment. Even here, Coltsblood aren’t void of melody, but even that seems to have been twisted into something dark, a drawn out, plotted lead reminding of some of Nile‘s grandiose soloing. As a centerpiece, “Abyss of Aching Insanity” provides the album’s least compromised lurch, feedback and crash working in tandem to seer the consciousness before the next measure cycles through, Primeau more or less taking the opposite approach from “Blood” and playing as slow and open as possible. About halfway through, everything drops out but the bass, and for a moment, the album leaves you alone in the desolation, presumably to ponder how on earth you ever went so deep to start with. Jemma takes a layered solo when the guitars and drums return, but there isn’t really meant to be any release of the tension, and there isn’t.
Posted in Features on June 24th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Next Tuesday, July 1, is the release date for Corrosion of Conformity‘s aptly-titled ninth album, IX, which also serves as the band’s second full-length through Candlelight Records since their reboot with the trio lineup of bassist/vocalist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin, following on the heels of their 2012 self-titled (review here) and subsequent, Scion A/V-sponsored Megalodon EP. The latter, which was also released in 2012, seemed to solidify many of the ideas of the former, and helped to affirm the grooves and the varied approach that C.O.C., now 30 years on from their first album, Eye for an Eye, would present. IX(short review here), is consistent in progressing this roughness of sound and steady, rolling feel, but as cuts like “Denmark Vesey” and “Tarquinius Superbus” show, C.O.C. never completely let go of their roots in hardcore punk. Knowing that at any point they could immediately take off at top speed adds an element of danger to the proceedings, and Dean, Weatherman and Mullin sound only too happy to revel in it.
The latter track, which appears deep into IX‘s side B sandwiched between the high-grade Southern heavy rock of “The Hanged Man” and “Who You Need to Blame,” is particularly interesting for how directly it plays one side off the other, its five-and-a-half-minute runtime split between raging forward motion and righteous nod. It serves to summarize what C.O.C. have done best since coming back as a trio, which is to foster an approach simple enough in its elements but based around a quality of songwriting that speaks to the band’s legacy both in albums like 1985’s Animosityand 1996’s Wisebloodwhile still forming something new from them. In both their style and how they’re developing within it, Corrosion of Conformity circa 2014 are geared toward a natural sound and focused on capturing a live feel in their recordings. As an album, IXnot only succeeds in this, but shows the band sounding more comfortable and confident in their approach as well.
We were on a bit of a rough line in terms of connection, but in the interview that follows, Dean discusses how they’ve arrived where they are, including their longtime collaboration with producer John Custer, with whom Dean worked on this album as an audio engineer, the progression they’ve undertaken since the self-titled was put together, touring, and how finalizing material in the studio as it’s being recorded can help give a record a sense of spontaneity. Also discussed at the end is Dean‘s time in Kyuss-offshoot Vista Chino and what the future might hold there. After some drama with the booking, Corrosion of Conformity will head to Australia this summer, and they have plans in the works for a West Coast tour this fall and will no doubt continue to support IXfor the foreseeable future, keeping their momentum going at a clip to match their speediest riffing.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 23rd, 2014 by JJ Koczan
The tenure of UK doomers The Wounded Kings — now approaching the decade mark — has been tumultuous to say the least. Multi-instrumentalist and founder Steve Mills has gone from working in a duo, to a full band, to a completely different full band, to being the lone founder, and today, to welcoming back his co-founder, vocalist George Birch, who sang on the band’s earliest studio recordings, including their 2008 Embrace of the Narrow House debut.
If I mention that album specifically, it’s because that album is specifically worth mentioning. It was the foundation point for the often bizarre, murky and cultish progression The Wounded Kings would subsequently undertake. Now, Birch rejoins the band as a replacement for frontwoman Sharie Neyland, whose eerie croon was key to the atmospheric complexities of 2011’s In the Chapel of the Black Hand(review here) and earlier-2014’s excellent Consolamentum(review here) full-lengths.
The Wounded Kings are slated to headline Dutch Doom Days at the end of October and have other touring commitments in the works, so it looks like Birch has his work cut out for him in coming back. The band announced Neyland‘s departure and his return thusly:
BAND STATEMENT:
As of now, Sharie Neyland is no longer a member of the band. She has left for personal reasons. Obviously this came as a shock as we have show commitments and a European tour with dates to honour. With all this in mind we knew we had to bring out the big guns…
ORIGINAL TWK VOCALIST GEORGE BIRCH IS BACK! (Embrace of the Narrow House, Shadow over Atlantis and An introduction to the Black Arts Split 12”with COUGH)
If you wondered what George would have sounded like, what his take would have been on the new material, or you never got to see tracks like ‘The Baptism of Atlantis’ performed live… Well this is your chance!!!
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER…. OUR LIVE SET WILL FEATURE SONGS FROM ALL 4 OF OUR ALBUMS…….
SEE YOU THERE…………
Please share this with anyone you feel will be interested to know.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 8th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
Presumably it’s Orange Goblin‘s plan to have their new album ready to roll out by the time they hit the road with Saint Vitus on the latter’s European tour celebrating their 35th anniversary. The kings of London’s heavy scene are currently in the studio making said album (as the pic above proves), and in the meantime, they’ve announced that Candlelight will reissue their 2007 outing, Healing through Fire, with bonus tracks on June 10 in North America and May 26 everywhere else.
Makes sense. Healing through Fire was a brilliant record that never got its due Stateside, considering its release was just around the time Sanctuary Records was imploding. After coming to the US to support 2004’s Thieving from the House of God, the four-piece never got back to support it either beyond an appearance at the 2009 Planet Caravan festival in North Carolina, and by then the album was already two years old. It’s been more or less begging for a reissue since, despite having been included in Orange Goblin‘s 5CD box set in 2011.
Nice to be mentioned in the press release below, so thanks to Candlelight for that, even though I’m not at The Aquarian anymore and the noted interview with Ben Ward appeared here in its full, unabridged form. I’ll take what I can get, I guess. Ward had some interesting stuff to say about Healing through Firein that interview, so if you get the chance, it might be worth a look ahead of this reissue.
The PR wire takes it from here:
‘HEALING THROUGH FIRE’ TO BE RE-ISSUED!!
While fans await the new album from England’s ORANGE GOBLIN, Candlelight is set to reissue the misisng piece from the band’s stateside catalog. Originally released in 2007, the Mark Daghorn produced Healing Through Fire was issued via Sanctuary Records. The album closed a 3 year recording gap for the band (previous album Thieving From The House of God released 2004 via Rise Above Records) and would be the only album the quartet would release for Sanctuary.
Talking with The Aquarian Weekly’s JJ Koczan in 2011, vocalist Ben Ward noted, “it would have been nice to play for our US fans and promote Healing Through Fire, but for some reason or another, it just never materialized.” ORANGE GOBLIN would not return to America until 2011; the tour put together to promote the release of a limited 5-cd box set released by Rise Above/Metal Blade Records. It was during The Aquarian Weekly interview that Ward enthusiastically said, “we’re finally going to get the opportunity to play the material from Healing Through Fire for American audiences. We’re going to go out and play four or five songs off that record for the crowd.”
Lyrically inspired by The Great Plague and London ’s Great Fire of 1666, the band still considers it to be one of their best albums. Ward says, “this album has been very hard to find in recent times. We are glad that people can once again hear what I consider to be one of our finest albums. Songs like “The Ballad of Solomon Eagle,” They Come Back,” “Vagrant Stomp,” and many more that are regularly featured in our live set can now be heard again. As a band, we are delighted.”
Currently recording the follow-up to the mega-successful A Eulogy For The Damned, ORANGE GOBLIN are expected to return to the US to tear up clubs later this year. Working again with Jamie Dodd, bass guitar and drums have been tracked with guitars and vocals expected to be completed by May 17. The final mix is anticipated by early June . The band announced last week a full European tour with doom legend Saint Vitus. Set to begin in France on October 9, the tour will work its way through 13 countries before concluding in Germany on November 14. On the tour’s announcement Ward said, “we are extremely excited to be going on tour with our good friends and long-time heroes Saint Vitus. Vitus are one of the bands that inspired us to form ORANGE GOBLIN all those years ago and to be able to promote our new album and celebrate their 35th Anniversary at the same time just blows my mind. This tour is going to be awesome.”
The reissue of Healing Through Fire includes two live bonus tracks taken from the band’s studio performance at BBC’s famous Maida Vale studio in London for the Radio One Rock Show in August 2007.
ORANGE GOBLIN’s still untitled new album is anticipated for release in October.
Band Ben Ward – vocals Joe Hoare – guitar Martyn Millard – bass Chris Turner – drums
Tracklisting 1. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle 2. Vagrant Stomp 3. The Ale House Braves 4. Cities of Frost 5. Hot Knives And Open Sores 6. Hounds Ditch 7. Mortlake (Dead Water) 8. They Come Back (Harvest of Skulls) 9. Beginners Guide to Suicide 10. The Ballad of Solomon Eagle (live at the BBC, bonus) 11. The Come Back (Harvest of Skulls) (live at the BBC, bonus)
