Posted in Whathaveyou on March 28th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
London-based groove-conjurors Stonus will return to Cyprus, where they originally formed in 2015, to support Sweden’s Truckfighters in the coastal city of Larnaca. Don’t be surprised if they end up putting some new material in the set, since as of at least a few weeks ago, they were planning to record this summer and make a follow-up to their debut LP, Aphasia, which was released in 2020 and followed the next year by their Séance EP (review here). In the presumed interim time between now and the arrival of that yet-unrecorded full-length, Stonus will offer Live in Zen, for which you can see a brief teaser below.
Zen Production Studios is also located in Cyprus, and honestly I don’t know how much of the band lives there versus in the UK, etc., but you can see in the clip it looks like a classy establishment to showcase Stonus‘ riffery. Details are short at this point as regards things like a tracklisting — possible there could be new material on Live in Zen too, depending on when it was recorded and apparently filmed — and a release date, artwork, and so on, but if the repeating undulations of heavy rock and doom have taught anything in the last five decades-plus, it’s patience. So be patient.
And yes, I’m talking to myself there.
The following was cobbled together from social media:
Stonus – Live in Zen (TEASER)
“We have been waiting for a while for this one and we are super-excited to finally start sharing it with you all!”
Out soon on youtube and on vinyl via Electric Valley Records and Ouga Booga and the Mighty Oug!!
We are currently working on our sophomore album which we are aiming to record this summer!
Couldn’t be more excited and we are eager to share with you some of our new material but till then we got work to do.
Recorded at Zen Production Studios in Nicosia, Cyprus Filmed by SevenSouled Photography Recorded & Engineered by Alexis Yiangoullis Mastered by Billy Anderson Lights by Nikolas Karatzas Artwork by Seven souled Photography & Rafael Marquetto
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 6th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Hey, that’s what it’s all about, right? Getting out there, seeing new things, playing fuzz rock as loud as you can for as many people as there are in whatever place. That’s the dream, right? And then you stay somewhere for the night and get breakfast in the morning, take a few pics for the socials maybe if it isn’t too awkward the next day, and roll out to the next one. Good on yas, Stonus.
Weekenders, man. I wholly support that model of touring. There is precious little that says ‘I do this because I love it’ as much as someone taking an entire weekend of their life — which invariably has any number of other facets to it besides a given band — and going to play shows. Think about it for a minute. What are you willing to do for an entire weekend?
Because you go on tour for like four weeks, well, that’s not a tour anymore, it’s a lifestyle. Probably a smelly one. But to do shows like Stonus are next month, hitting new ground in France and Belgium for the first time, and then just turning around and going home, that takes heart. Commitment. Thanatos. I could go on here. Better perhaps I don’t.
They’re calling it a mini-tour of the EU, which I also love. It’s been a minute, but if you recall their 2021 LP, Séance (review here), they certainly weren’t short on charm then. Some things do not change:
STONUS – Mini EU tour Announcement️
“We are super excited to share with you our upcoming European tour dates for this fall and we can’t wait to make some new awesome experiences with you all!!!
Lets get fuzzed up!!!(#127988#)☠️(#127988#)☠️(#127988#)☠️”
15.11 Open Slot 16.11 Kinky Star – Ghent (BE)* 17.11 L’International – Paris (FR)** 19.11 Westill – Nantes (FR)
with: *High Trail (FREE ENTRANCE) **Last Quarter, Oda
Posted in Questionnaire on February 10th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
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: Nicky Ray from Stonus
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
First of all thank you for this interview and this opportunity.
Since young kids me and my brother Kyriacos (lead singer) always felt the pull to create music and thus it all started from our bedroom to where it is now and who knows where it will go. Personally I am not a musician but a chemical engineer, although that’s another story… From a young age I was always attracted to music, poetry and art and I constantly felt the urge to create. With time, me and my brother started sharing our creations and along the way we found the rest of the group, Kotsios, Pavlos and Alaa, and formed STONUS which gives us the opportunity to not only create our own material but also share it around in stages all over Europe. In reality we are just five friends jamming around and creating music which by the end of the day is living our childhood dreams and we have to thank all of our supporters and the heavy rock community for allowing this to happen.
Describe your first musical memory.
My first musical memory, that at least I can remember, is finding this old CD player at my parents’ house at the age of 10 together with a dusty CD of Elton John’s “Sleeping with the past” that I kept playing on repeat every night for a whole year! That’s when I truly realized the power of music and the impact it can have on people and since then, I am in constant exploration.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
The best musical memory so far is having the opportunity to tour Europe for the first time with STONUS last September/October. It was a dream come true, especially coming from a small island in the Mediterranean where the chances of playing abroad are extremely low. Nevertheless, we are here to prove that people can achieve their dreams no matter how hard it is, as long as they believe in their selves and they are willing to give everything they’ve got.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
When you are on the journey to achieve something, often obstacles tend to appear to test your will and endurance. For example back in the day, we were invited to take part in a unity event for peace in Cyprus, which is still a divided country unfortunately. Since as individuals we believe in equal human rights we decided that it was right to play the gig although it was emotionally heavy as most of our families are refugees of the same war that caused this division of the island.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I feel that artistic progression leads to beauty and completeness. The ability to translate your feelings and emotions into art is kind of an alchemy and it requires skill and intuition to put the pieces together.
How do you define success?
Success is being able to do what you love freely, being able to be who you truly are and waking up every day with a smile on your face.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
When I was still an undergraduate at a university, after a club night, I was in the unfortunate position to see a student getting run over by a car and dying. This was one of the strongest experiences that occurred to me and made me realize that every moment is precious and needs to be cherished because you never know if you will be here on the next.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Our new album! We are actually in the process of writing the first drafts and we are more than excited to see how this new side of our selves looks like.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Art has several functions such as to entertain, to uplift and emotionally support and to even start a revolution if necessary. What I believe, is that art is a form of language, a collective of signals and symbols coming from the core of the universe to enter our subconscious. By translating these signals into artistic creations we allow the universe to experience its own “thoughts” guiding us to the single purpose of unity and bliss, evolving us along the way.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Since outside music I am an engineer, in the renewable energy field; I am really looking forward to see how these new technologies will unfold in a try to make earth a more sustainable and supporting place. Personally it is another dream coming true, seeing people uniting and fighting for a single goal, to save the planet…and who knows maybe it is the start of a new era in society where love could finally replace greed.
To whoever is reading I want to thank you for your time and wish you success in your dreams and of course keep being heavy!
Quality bands doing the thing is always a win as far as I’m concerned. Cypriot sludgers Stonus and Germany’s Swan Valley Heights have a stretch of dates lined up together for the bulk of September. The former reached out to me, asked if I’d like to be included among presenters for the tour, and while I’ve said no plenty of times in the past to that kind of thing, this was an easy yes.
First of all, I’ve never seen either of these bands but I wish I had. Second, it’s not a huge tour, there’s no major corporate push behind it, and when it’s over, I assume at least most of those involved will go back to their jobs and regular day to day lives. But doing a tour like this means you believe in what you do enough to put your ass out there and do it for real, and if you can’t support that idea, you can’t support music. At least not in any way that involves actually showing up.
Since I can’t show up, I’ll do this instead. Stonus sent the below info over about the tour, and I’m sure I’ll be plugging it again before they launch the proceedings, but I want to make it clear how killer I think these shows will be, even before you factor in the whole two-years-no-shows thing between 2020-2022 thing. If you’re in their path, go:
Stonus in collaboration with DAREDEVIL RECORDS and Fuzzorama Records’ psychedelic heavy rockers Swan Valley Heights are proud to present the European Co-headline Tour: Portals To the Sun
This time the five piratonauts join forces with the three amigos from Swan Valley Heights on a mission to spread their Sunny fuzzy riffs around Europe!!! Germany, Austria, Czech republic, Cyprus and UK are you ready for the most fuzzed-up mediterranean party?
3 September: Larnaca, Cyprus 13 September: London, UK 16 September: Berlin, GER 17 September: Dresden, GER 18 September: Lubbenau, GER 20 September: Salzburg, AUS 21 September: Munich, GER 22 September: Prague, CZ 24 September: Backnang, GER
More dates to be announced soon! art by the one and only Soares Artwork
Few words from the band: “It’s been a rough couple of years, forced to be isolated, desolated and alone. We would never have imagined that the release of our debut album would be followed by a pandemic… But that didn’t stop us from dreaming and we are finally touring Europe for the first time, with fuzzed-up tunes from “Aphasia”, “Seance” as well as older favourites! It’s a dream coming true and we are looking forward to sharing these experiences and connecting on a more personal level with all of you, who keep pushing and supporting us no matter what! See you all on the road…
STONUS “Mediterranean Fuzzed Up Heavy Rock” Stonus are a desert heavy rock quintet originating from Nicosia, Cyprus since 2015 and currently based in London. Their sound can be described as a mixture of desert, psychedelic, alternative and doom rock with pyrotechnic guitars, fuel firing solos, powerful drumming and raw dirty riffs held together by the melodic vocals and coloured by analogue equipment, complimented by high-energy live performances. To date Stonus have released three extended plays, building up to their debut album ‘Aphasia’ released in 2020 which made it into several AOYT lists and getting them a deal with Electric Valley Records and Daredevil Records . Stonus have shared the stage with bands including Conan, Elephant Tree, Riverside, Sunnata, Planet of Zeus and Nightstalker and participated in festivals such as Riffolution Fest in Manchester UK and Soundart Fest in Roumania.
SWAN VALLEY HEIGHTS A fat baby is born in Germany: The Heavy Seed, second album of Munich and Berlin based three-piece Swan Valley Heights. Ranging from three-minute-long instrumental bangers with no other intention than smashing heads to massive psych journeys that almost reach the quarter-hour mark; from big, ugly dissonances to acoustic guitar driven beach vibes – this eclectic piece of fuzzrock found its right home on Fuzzorama Records, even being mixed and mastered by no other than Truckfighters’ Mr. Dango. Releasing their debut album back in 2016, Swan Valley Heights quickly found their booth within the scene. Heavy, unique riffing and a semi-serious take on stoner rock’s clichés are fusing with a fascination for the psychedelic aesthetics and big spaces of the many branches the genre has to offer. Swan Valley Heights has been labeled progressive stoner, psychedelic fuzzrock and space grunge, birthing music that is far away from simply riding standard patterns into oblivion.
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 22nd, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Looks like a busy Spring season for bassist Tas Danazoglou. The debut album from Friends of Hell is being released through Rise Above in March, and in April he’ll follow that with Mirror‘s The Day Bastard Leaders Die on Cruz Del Sur. The two acts share in common an affinity for heavy and dark sounds of old, but Mirror have shown in the past a willingness to embrace not only more melody, but progressive songwriting aspects to go with their emergent NWOBHM influence. Oh yeah and dude also plays in Satan’s Wrath, so, you know, keeping busy.
There’s a lot of metal bandying about its “trueness” these days. Fine. I’ll be interested to hear how much Mirror work to bend that trueness to their own purposes, since when last they left off, that seemed to be where they were headed. One way or the other, as with much of Cruz Del Sur‘s output these days, it’s a piece of well curated aesthetic that’s bound to at least live up to the PR wire’s description. Some labels earn your trust. Cruz Del Sur has mine.
Here’s to “Demon Candles”:
Multi-National Metal Band MIRROR to Release The Day Bastard Leaders Die in April on Cruz Del Sur Music
Multi-national metallers Mirror return with The Day Bastard Leaders Die, nine stirring, melody-driven numbers that catch the true spirit of NWOBHM and 70s proto-rock! The album will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital formats April 22 via Cruz Del Sur Music.
On The Day Bastard Leaders Die, Mirror wields the mighty sword of unbreakable true metal laced with spirit, speed and heaviness across nine songs of sheer triumph!
The 2015 creation of Greek multi-instrumentalist, former Electric Wizard and current Satan’s Wrath bassist Tas (full name: Tasos Danazoglou), Mirror was formed to faithfully pay homage and reinvigorate the long, worn body of classic heavy metal. Their eponymous 2015 debut featured the likes of in-demand producer Jaime Gomez Arellano (Cathedral, Ghost, Paradise Lost) on drums and underground mainstay Matt Olivo (Repulsion) on guitar alongside vocalist Jimmy Mavrommatis and Stamos Koliousis on guitar. That lineup soon gave way to new guitarist Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis and drummer Daniel Georgiou, who, alongside Tas and Mavrommatis, released the resplendent and firebrand Pyramid of Terror in 2019. With a new record contract in hand with Cruz Del Sur Music, Mirror has emerged even more energized and out for blood with their third studio album, The Day Bastard Leaders Die.
In lockstep with the hallowed sounds of NWOBHM and 1970s proto-rock, Mirror has buckled down on The Day Bastard Leaders Die for songs that are heavier and faster than anything the band has done before. Behind Mavrommatis’s multi-tiered vocal escapades and fervent melodic joyrides, the album’s nine cuts are coated with a sharp, angular degree of songwriting, where twists and turns abound at every corner. Through it all, though, Mirror continually keeps the focus on the unyielding spirit of true metal. Whether it’s the barn-burning opener “Infernal Deceiver,” the fist-banging “Souls of Megiddo,” the raw, raucous, gutter-ready “All Streets Are Evil,” the up-tempo “Sleepy Eyes of Death” and the exploratory, near-progressive title track, Mirror has unleashed an album that brims with purpose and might.
Recorded in Athens, Greece, with producer/engineer Costa Costopoulous, The Day Bastard Leaders Die is every bit the authentic, rousing album that metal die-hards flock to. It’s ultimately a reminder that metal’s future is often rooted in the past. On The Day Bastard Leaders Die, Mirror set out to drive that point home once and for all.
Track Listing:
1. Infernal Deceiver 2. Souls of Megiddo 3. Savage Tales 4. All Streets Are Evil 5. Fire and Hell 6. Stand Fight Victory 7. Sleepy Eyes of Death 8. Demon Candles 9. The Day Bastard Leaders Die
Line-up: Jimmy Mavrommatis – Vocals Nikolas “Sprits” Moutafis – Guitar Dino – Guitar Tas – Bass Daniel Georgiou – Drums
Posted in audiObelisk on March 23rd, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Cyprus rockers Stonus will release their new three-song EP, Séance, this Friday, March 26, on Electric Valley Records. Actually, I’m not about to commit 100 percent to that geography since they’re recording in Cyprus (maybe they went back? I don’t know), but wherever they are, Stonus follow-up their 2020 debut album, Aphasia, with this third EP release that takes a mere 18 minutes out of your day and rewards with vibrant heavy fuzz and spacey push. In “Evil Woman,” “Messianism” and “El Rata,” the five-piece’s sound is only suited to its live recording process, and there’s a palpable flow between the tracks that comes through despite the EP format. That is, cuts are individualized, they’d work on their own as singles, but there’s plenty of fluidity tying them together as well.
Channeling their inner mid-period Monster Magnet, they start with “Evil Woman” and shift easily into “Messianism” before the willfully chuggier and more aggressive “El Rata,” bringing Mediterranean folk elements along for the ride into the farther-out. “Evil Woman” brakes from its thrust in its midsection with Kyriakos Frangoulis‘ vocals no less a part of the swirl than the guitars of Pavlos Demetriou and Nicky Ray (the latter also bass), who bring the riff back around circa 4:20 and are joined by drummer Kotsios Demetriades for the renewed push that culminates, underscoring the songwriting that lurks beneath the wash. “Messianism” pulls its riff early with some spoken word and drumroll for an intro. I haven’t seen a lyric sheet but there’s certainly plenty of subject matter around which they might explore the title’s theme, and they do so in a range shortly under seven minutes that’s engaging and adventurous in kind, whispers dug into the mix, room for rhythmic changes and a progressivism that, if nothing else, speaks to the obvious craft gone into putting these tracks together before they hit the studio to play them live. These are not half-baked pandemic-era tossoffs, and this is not a band without purpose.
Weightier thud and more spacious reach collide in the second half of “Messianism,” and it becomes no mystery why the band positioned it as the centerpiece of the outing. Is that a plugged-in tzouras (like a bouzouki, but smaller) I hear, or a guitar with effects? No clue, but that’s part of the fun as the second of three hits its peak and subsequently rumbles to its close. “El Rata” rounds out with Stonus‘ most effective heavy psychedelic elemental blend, bringing the heft of the prior cut and the wash of the opener together in succinct and deceptively efficient fashion until its long fade leads the way into whatever beyond the band are heading toward. In an uncool universe, these songs wear sunglasses at night, and for those who slept on the LP last year (like me), they represent a hand of outreach on the part of the band, bidding warm welcome as they chart their particular course through the void. It’s not too late to get on board.
So be it. If you think you’re up for what Stonus are delivering throughout Séance, to be honest, you’re probably right. There’s a bit of preaching to the converted, but that doesn’t make their communication with the ethereal any less switched on. They’re willing to leave the world behind for 18 minutes. Maybe you are too.
Séance is streaming in its entirety below, and under the player you’ll find preorder and bundle info.
Enjoy:
We are proud to announce that the Pre-orders of our new EP “Séance” are now Live! Pressed on a 140g Side A Black Vinyl/side B picture Disk including a poster, all designed by Petros Voulgaris / Design, Illustration & Screenprinting ??
‘Seance’ is the 3rd EP of the Cypriot Heavy Rock band Stonus, a fully analogue 18:24 minute EP recorded live at Hot Soap Studios in Larnaca, Cyprus under the supervision of Andreas Matteou and mastered by George Leodis. The delicate artwork, perfectly translating the visualisation of Seance was crafted by Petros Voulgaris.
In this trip, Stonus take a more experimental approach seeking into tradition, experiencing folk sounds, gypsy sceneries and expose themselves into the darkest side of nature. In some parts they are raw and heavy, while in others lost in a psychedelic trance, filled with roaring basslines, heavy riffs and dreamy melodies, always bloodthirsty for revolution and change. Whether you’re bound by the evil chains of pretentious love, feeling disconnected from your dreams or being chained to the system, Seance is a kind reminder that you are not alone…
-35 x “The Ritual Bundle” Signed Vinyl, Séance T-shirt available in Red, Gray and White, poster, stickers and an ultra-limited edition Séance card oracle deck and a game board delicately hand-drawn by Rafael Marquetto with garments designed by the young talented designers Eleni Oronti and Apocahlipse
-35 x “Evil Woman Bundle” Signed Vinyl & Evil Woman T-shirt Bundle. Includes poster and sticker
-10 x “Mystery Bundle” Seance and Aphasia signed Vinyls, random T-shirt, poster and stickers
It was a hard year for all of us, away from gigs, bars, friends and family and we are hoping that our music helped you pass through some of those hard times the same way your warm support and love keeps us alive!
Posted in Reviews on December 16th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
With their third album, Protopsycho, Cypriot four-piece Arcadian Child enter a new stage of realization. Their progression has been quick in terms of productive turnaround from one album to the next, with 2017’s Afterglow (review here) getting picked up by Ripple Music‘s imprint Rebel Waves for release in 2018 ahead of the band’s second album, Superfonica (review here), that same year. Lockdown 2020 brought the live album From Far, For the Wild (review here) and word of Protopsycho in the making, and its arrival through Ripple, Kozmik Artifactz and the band’s own Bitter Tea Records finds Arcadian Child at a pivotal moment of their progression in terms of finding their sound. As in, they have.
They do so amid a swath of cultural and aesthetic influences. Cyprus’ position as an island nation finds it situated near the Middle East, Mediterranean Europe and Northern Africa, and Arcadian Child dig into melodies and rhythmic progressions endemic to the region. Early on Protopsycho, the second half of opener “Snakecharm” unfolds a groove that feels born of classic Greek psychedelia, and the winding melody of the subsequent “Wave High” builds on that feel in terms of style, as guitarists StathisHadjicharalambous and Panagiotis Georgiou (the latter also vocals), bassist/backing vocalist Andreas Kerveros and newly-arrived drummer Constantinos Pavlides purposefully bring together such traditionalism with a modern edge, not just as regards their own tonality or the production — the album was recorded, mixed and co-produced with Andreas Trachonitis in Nicosia — but on a deeper level of composition as well.
Perhaps most of all, Protopsycho is conscious of what it’s doing sound-wise without necessarily being restrained by that. It is the tightest core of songwriting Arcadian Child has yet brought to bear — which is saying something — and its eight tracks and 37 minutes play through with an unhurried but consistent motion, heavy but fluid thanks in no small part to the intricacy of their rhythms throughout and the apparent ease with which they tie together their verses and choruses. “Snakecharm” and “Wave High” are joined on side A by the more lumbering “Sour Grapes” and the apropos finale “The Well,” which begins at a drift and solidifies in its second half around a classic fuzz rock riff transmuted tonally and in tuning to suit the band’s purposes. In both, there is an emerging current of modern heavy influence, particularly centered around Nashville heavy psych/blues rockers All Them Witches.
It is telling that Mikey Allred at Dark Art Studio mastered Protopsycho, as the former member of Across Tundras has also worked engineering and mastering several All Them Witches albums. Something about the shimmer in the guitar on “The Well” and in “Bitter Tea,” which follows, leading off side B, speaks directly to that. There’s a blend of meditative spaciousness and creative spark that comes to bear feeling like a signature. And yet there’s no denying Arcadian Child make this their own as well, and in purposeful form as “Bitter Tea” begins with a Dying Surfer Meets His Maker-style guitar progression and unfolds with a fuzzy gracefulness and confidence born of a mature band who know what they’re doing. Again, this is Arcadian Child being aware of their choices as a group but not held back by that conscious.
“Bitter Tea” and the subsequent “Bodies of Men” are the two shortest cuts on Protopsycho at a respective 3:52 and 3:38, but the tone they set for the second half of the tracklisting isn’t to be understated, as the latter cut picks up with Dead Meadow-style roll in its brief excursion of verse and hook, letting the fuzzy tones of the two guitars lead the way as the vocals push further out in echo, bass and drums providing the solid foundation on which the quirky but structurally sound bounce takes place. The penultimate “Raising Fire” is something of a slower and more ritualized psych burn, vocals following the guitar pattern before fuller tonality kicks in as part of the call-and-response chorus’ thrust. All the while, the abiding atmosphere of “Raising Fire” is patient and built around a tempo that refuses to move at anything other than its own pace for the first four minutes of the track’s 5:35, drums signaling the shift thereafter into a more uptempo instrumental progression that carries the song to its finish.
The splashing crash cymbal deep in the mix of the title-track signals some of the tension Arcadian Child are building as the finale plays out, but though they hit a payoff sure enough, “Protopsycho” never takes off to such a degree as to feel cheap or especially predictable. Rather, it emphasizes just how much the band have been able to set a mood throughout Protopsycho and how far especially side B has worked to bring together the different sides of their sound, the varied folk and psychedelic and heavy influences, not forsaking one for the other, but creating something fresh from pieces of all of them. This is, as noted above, the work Arcadian Child has undertaken in answering the potential of Superfonica and Afterglow, finding both a niche for themselves sound-wise that listeners can hear and readily identify, but pairing that with memorable and well-composed songs.
In essence, this is what Arcadian Child have been building toward for the last three-plus years, and as such it is all the more an injustice they can’t get out and support Protopsycho live, as it represents a special moment for the band. However, what’s perhaps most comforting in terms of listening to these songs and understanding their place in Arcadian Child‘s overarching progression is that there’s still plenty of forward potential on display. How might they move the impulses driving “Snakecharm” forward next time out? Or “Bitter Tea?” Or “Raising Fire?” What shifts might they undertake to continue to bring ideas from multiple sources together under their own banner, while also still pushing themselves on the root levels of performance and craft? As much as Protopsycho manifests Arcadian Child‘s mission up to this point, and achieves what seem to be its goals, it could just as easily be another step in their ongoing evolution.
Posted in Features on August 12th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Bands and festivals have begun to announce 2021 dates and all that, but let’s be realistic: it’s going to be years before live music is what it once was. Especially in the United States, which is the country in the world hardest hit by the ol’ firelung in no small part because of the ineptitude of its federal leadership, an entire economic system of live music — not to mention the venues, promotions and other cultural institutions that support it on all levels — needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. It isn’t going to be just as simple as “social distancing is over and we can all crowd into the bar again.” Maybe not ever.
You’ve likely seen a band do a live stream at this point, even if after the fact, and I have too. Not the same as a real-life gig, duh, but if it helps raise some funds and keeps creative people working on something and gives an act a way to connect with its audience, you can’t call it bad. I’ve found, though, that with the dearth of live music happening and the nil potential that “going to a show” will happen anytime soon, I’ve been listening to more and more live albums.
This, in no small part, is because there are plenty to listen to. Some groups attempting to bring in cash either for themselves or relevant causes have put out live records in the last few months and made use of the downtime that would’ve otherwise been given to actually being on a stage or writing together in a room or whatever it might be. It’s been a way for a band to not just sit on its collective hands and wonder what the future will bring. When so much is out of your own control, you make the most of what you’ve got.
In that spirit, here’s a quick rundown of 10 recent live outings that I’ve been digging. If you’ve found you’re in the need of finding comfort in live music and whatever act you want to see isn’t doing a stream just this second, maybe you can put one of these on, close your eyes, and be affected a bit by the on-stage energy that comes through.
Thanks as always for reading, and thanks to Tim Burke, Vania Yosifova, and Chris Pojama Pearson for adding their suggestions when I asked on social media. Here we go, ordered by date of release:
Arcadian Child, From Far, for the Wild (Live in Linz)
Released Jan. 24.
Granted, this one came out before the real impact of COVID-19 was being felt worldwide, but with the recent announcement of Arcadian Child‘s next studio album coming out this Fall, including From Far, for the Wild (Live in Linz) (discussed here) on this list seems only fair. The Cyprus-based four-piece even went so far as to include a couple new songs in the set that’ll show up on Protopsycho as well this October, so it’s a chance to get a preview of that material as well. Bonus for a bonus. Take the win.
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Kadavar, Studio Live Session Vol. 1
Released March 25.
Germany began imposing curfews in six of its states on March 22. At that point, tours were already being canceled, including Kadavar‘s European run after two shows, and the band hit Blue Wall Studio in Berlin for a set that was streamed through Facebook and in no small part helped set the pattern of streams in motion. With shows canceled in Australia/New Zealand and North America as well, Kadavar were hoping to recover some of the momentum they’d lost, and their turning it into a live record is also a part of that, as is their upcoming studio release, The Isolation Tapes.
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Øresund Space Collective, Sonic Rock Solstice 2019
Released April 3.
Of course, I’m perfectly willing to grant that Sonic Rock Solstice 2019 (review here) wasn’t something Øresund Space Collective specifically put out because of the pandemic, but hell, it still exists and that enough, as far as I’m concerned. As ever, they proliferate top notch psychedelic improv, and though I’ve never seen them and it seems increasingly likely I won’t at the fest I was supposed to this year, their vitality is always infectious.
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Pelican, Live at the Grog Shop
Released April 15.
Let’s be frank — if you don’t love Pelican‘s music to a familial degree, it’s not that I think less of you as a person, but I definitely feel bad for you in a way that, if I told you face-to-face, you won’t find almost entirely condescending. The Chicago instrumentalists are high on my list of golly-I-wish-they’d-do-a-livestream, and if you need an argument to support that, this set from Ohio should do the trick nicely. It’s from September 2019, which was just nearly a year ago. If your mind isn’t blown by their chugging progressive riffs, certainly that thought should do the trick.
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SEA, Live at ONCE
Released June 19.
Also captured on video, this set from Boston’s SEA finds them supporting 2020’s debut album, Impermanence (review here) and pushing beyond at ONCE Ballroom in their hometown. The band’s blend of post-metallic atmosphere and spacious melody-making comes through as they alternate between lumbering riffs and more subdued ambience, and it makes a fitting complement to the record in underscoring their progressive potential. The sound is raw but I’d want nothing less.
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Sumac, St Vitus 09/07/2018
Released July 3.
Issued as a benefit to Black Lives Matter Seattle and a host of other causes, among them the Philadelphia Womanist Working Collective, this Sumac set is precisely what it promises in the title — a live show from 2018 at Brooklyn’s famed Saint Vitus Bar. I wasn’t at this show, but it does make me a little wistful to think of that particular venue in the current concert-less climate. Sumac aren’t big on healing when it comes to the raw sonics, but there’s certainly enough spaciousness here to get lost in should you wish to do so.
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YOB, Pickathon 2019 – Live From the Galaxy Barn
Released July 3.
They’ve since taken down the Bandcamp stream, but YOB’s Pickathon 2019 – Live From the Galaxy Barn (review here) was released as a benefit for Navajo Nation COVID-19 relief, and is an hour-long set that paired the restlessness of “The Lie that is Sin” next to the ever-resonant “Marrow.” Of all the live records on this list, this is probably the one that’s brought me the most joy, and it also inspired the most recent episode of The Obelisk Show on Gimme Metal, which jumped headfirst into YOB‘s catalog. More YOB please. Also, if you haven’t seen the videos of Mike Scheidt playing his guitar around the house, you should probably hook into that too.
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Dirty Streets, Rough and Tumble
Released July 31.
If you’re not all the way down with the realization that Justin Toland is the man when it comes to heavy soul and blues guitar, Dirty Streets‘ new live record, Rough and Tumble, will set you straight, and it won’t even take that long. With the all-killer bass and drums of Thomas Storz and Andrew Denham behind, Toland reminds of what a true virtuoso player can accomplish when put in a room with a crowd to watch. That’s an important message for any time, let alone right now. These cats always deliver.
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Amenra, Mass VI Live
Released Aug. 7
Look, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I’m the biggest Amenra fan in the world. I’m not. Sometimes I feel like they follow too many of their own rules for their own good, but there’s no question that live they’re well served by the spectacle they create, and their atmospherics are genuinely affecting. And I know that I’m in the minority in my position, so for anyone who digs them hard, they put up this stream-turned-record wherein they play a goodly portion of 2017’s Mass VI, and even as the self-professed not-biggest-fan-in-the-world, I can appreciate their effort and the screamy-scream-crushy-crush/open-spaced ambience that ensues.
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Electric Moon, Live at Freak Valley Festival 2019
Releasing Sept. 4.
Yeah, okay, this one’s not out yet, but sometimes I’m lucky enough to get things early for review and sometimes (on good days) those things happen to be new live records from Germany psychonauts Electric Moon. The Always-Out-There-Sula-Komets are in top form on Live at Freak Valley Festival 2019 as one would have to expect, and they’re streaming a 22-minute version of “777” now that rips so hard it sounds like it’s about to tear a hole into an alternate dimension where shows are still going on so yes please everyone go and listen to it and maybe we’ll get lucky and it’ll really happen. The magic was in you all along.
