Click Here to Download

[mp3player width=480 height=200 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=aot55.xml]

Before we get to all the tracks and this and that, I have to say, this double-size year-end podcast was an absolute pleasure to put together. Fun. Actual fun. I don’t know if it was the preponderance of excellent songs to work from that came out in 2015 or what, but I had a really good time making my way through the near-four-hour run, and I hope you feel that way too as you listen.

It should go without mentioning, but I’ll give the disclaimer anyway that this is in no way, shape or form a complete rundown of everything awesome produced this year. My own Top 10 has bands on it who aren’t represented here, so if you don’t see something you think belongs in the mix below — looking at you, Baroness fans — please keep in mind that it’s not my intent to offer anything more than a partial summary. Otherwise, I’d have to make it a year long.

Thanks for listening if you get the chance to do so, and if there’s something here you haven’t yet checked out, I hope you dig it. The flow is pretty easy front to back, but we get into some more extreme stuff in the third hour for a bit before going grand with Elder and the “Digestive Raga” from Øresund Space Collective, which seemed an appropriate way to end off giving everyone a chance to process what’s just been heard. Please enjoy.

Track details follow:

First Hour:
0:00:00 Acid King, “Red River” from Middle of Nowhere, Center of Everywhere
0:08:24 Clutch, “Firebirds” from Psychic Warfare
0:11:23 Bloodcow, “Crystals and Lasers” from Crystals and Lasers
0:14:28 Stoned Jesus, “Rituals of the Sun” from The Harvest
0:21:25 Ufomammut, “Plouton” from Ecate
0:24:33 Geezer, “So Tired” from The Second Coming of Heavy: Chapter One Split w/ Borracho
0:32:36 Wizard Eye, “Thunderbird Divine” from Wizard Eye
0:37:40 Mondo Drag, “Crystal Visions Open Eye” from Mondo Drag
0:42:08 Fogg, “Seasons” from High Testament
0:48:26 Goatsnake, “Grandpa Jones” from Black Age Blues
0:53:02 Snail, “Thou Art That” from Feral

Second Hour:
1:03:17 Sergio Ch., “Las Piedras” from 1974
1:06:40 All Them Witches, “Blood and Sand – Milk and Endless Waters” from Dying Surfer Meets His Maker
1:13:54 Death Hawks, “Ripe Fruits” from Sun Future Moon
1:18:45 Colour Haze, “Call” from To the Highest Gods We Know
1:26:46 Kadavar, “Last Living Dinosaur” from Berlin
1:30:50 Spidergawd, “Fixing to Die Blues” from Spidergawd II
1:35:02 The Machine, “Dry End” from Offblast!
1:38:01 The Midnight Ghost Train, “Straight to the North” from Cold was the Ground
1:42:00 Kind, “Pastrami Blaster” from Rocket Science
1:48:29 Valley, “Dream Shooter, Golden!” from Sunburst
1:54:22 Graveyard, “From a Hole in the Wall” from Innocence and Decadence
1:58:09 Demon Head, “Book of Changes” from Ride the Wilderness

Third Hour:
2:02:50 Egypt, “Endless Flight” from Endless Flight
2:12:29 Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, “Empires of Dust” from Brothers of the Sonic Cloth
2:20:09 With the Dead, “I am Your Virus” from With the Dead
2:25:45 Ahab, “Red Foam (The Great Storm)” from The Boats of the Glen Carrig
2:32:08 Kings Destroy, “Mr. O” from Kings Destroy
2:36:37 Sun and Sail Club, “Dresden Firebird Freakout” from The Great White Dope
2:38:33 Sunder, “Wings of the Sun” from Sunder
2:42:41 Weedpecker, “Into the Woods” from Weedpecker II
2:50:50 Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, “Pusher Man” from The Night Creeper
2:56:26 Eggnogg, “Slugworth” from Sludgy Erna Bastard split w/ Borracho

Fourth Hour:
3:02:48 Golden Void, “Astral Plane” from Berkana
3:09:34 Elder, “Lore” from Lore
3:25:24 Øresund Space Collective, “Digestive Raga” from Different Creatures

Total running time: 3:55:26

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 055

Finnish psychedelic progressives Death Hawks will release their third full-length, Sun Future Moon, Nov. 13 on Svart Records. I’ll readily admit to being Johnny Comelately to the Riihimäki four-piece. While I’ll be endeavoring to dig into 2012’s Death and Decay debut and 2013’s self-titled follow-up (both on GAEA Records), Sun Future Moon is my first exposure to the band, whose 10 gorgeously textured tracks offer a distinctive look at the shape of retroism to come, songs like “Ripe Fruits” and “Behind Thyme” (video here) casting out resonant catchiness in piano lines and sweetly melodic shuffle, respectively, as later cuts “Wing Wah” and “Future Moon” delve into a landscape of synth and spacious, “Planet Caravan”-style guitar minimalism. It is a record varied but universally impeccable in its execution, and while psychedelia is often hyperbolized as being able to affect mental states, Sun Future Moon eschews over-the-top effects barrage in favor of classy, organic, patient but never still songwriting in individual songs that feed into an overarching atmosphere that does genuinely seem geared toward bringing about a more peaceful state. And it gets there.

From the verse chants in opener “Hey Ya Sun Ra” to the space-folk acoustics, vocal harmonies and cymbal washes of closer “Friend of Joy,” Death Hawks — the lineup of vocalist/guitarist Teemu Markkula, bassist/vocalist Riku Pirttiniemi, keyboardist/saxophoinist Tenho Mattila and drummer Miikka Heikkinen — do not shy away in the face of beauty, instead embracing it in inviting tones and an unflinchingly positive spin. That’s not to say Sun Future Moon doesn’t have its moodier moments. Side A’s “Dream Machine” basks in a richly-toned fuzz but is less brightly hued than, say, the airy instrumental “Seaweed,” and “Dream Life, Waking Life” broods out spoken vocals from within a contemplative blend of piano and synth, its drums adding to the nighttime feel that continues to develop on “Heed the Calling,” “Wing Wah” and “Future Moon.” But even these stretches aren’t casting a needless darkness across what “Hey Ya Sun Ra,” “Ripe Fruits” or “Friend of Joy” are celebrating. Instead, they deepen and enhance the emotional crux of Sun Future Moon, so that one aspect becomes more engaging for the way it plays off the other, and the album is more expansive in its scope rather than disjointed as it would be in less capable hands.

I’ve jumped around a bit in describing the tracks, but it’s worth noting that the album is best approached taking its 43 minutes in their entirety, so that the sense of ritualism that arises in “Hey Ya Sun Ra” can grow and change over the course of “Behind Thyme,” “Dream Life, Waking Life” and “Heed the Calling” so that by the time they get around to the repetitions of “Send our message clear across the universe!” in “Friend of Joy,” there’s little doubt as to the naturalism and serenity at the heart of that message itself. Taken in their entirety, the two halves of Sun Future Moon shape not only a day/night duality, but a vast creative scope given to themes drawn from a cosmos within and without as it basks in a style that’s lush but never overdone. On repeat listens, it sinks into the consciousness further and seems to echo fragments into each other so that the experience of hearing it becomes even more malleable to what the hearer invariably brings to it, and Death Hawks‘ creativity proves correspondingly more vital and encompassing. I’ve yet to put on Sun Future Moon and not hear something new, and that has made it among the more satisfying surprises encountered this year. They’re by no means the first to revel in the kraut and kosmiche, but the range and fullness with which they do so is on a wavelength entirely their own.

As if to tease what might follow after, I’m fortunate today to be able to premiere “Hey Ya Sun Ra” for your streaming pleasure. Please let it kickstart your imagination via the player below and enjoy:

Death Hawks, the psychedelic rock group with the intoxicating concoction of modern music and aquarian era aesthetics have signed to Finland-based Svart Records. The group’s third studio album, Sun Future Moon, is set for release on November 13th 2015.

“Our upcoming album sounds even bigger, more diverse and more beautiful. The band has succeeded in broadening its expression in every element, be it in composition, instrumentation or thematics. The songs explore ancient mythical astrology and the cosmos within the modern man. These themes line up organically with the expanding Death Hawks discography, while simultaneously ushering in a new time, a concept of new age even, for the band. To put it simply, we strived to create a melodic, fascinating gem of an album,” vocalist/guitarist Teemu Markkula describes.

Death Hawks website

Death Hawks on Thee Facebooks

Svart Records

Svart Records on Thee Facebooks

Yes, I understand it’s done with blacklight-responsive paint and contact lenses and whatever else, but if you were to ask just how psychedelic Finland’s Death Hawks are, as an answer, “So psychedelic their eyes glow” doesn’t seem like an incorrect response. The four-piece are gearing up to issue their third album, Sun Future Moon, Nov. 13 and I’ll confess that it’s my first exposure to the band, whose natural vibes seem to belong to the future as much as to the past.

My own fault for missing out, as ever. They played Roadburn earlier this year — though in my defense, they were on against the best Enslaved set I’ve ever seen — and their set is streaming here. Sun Future Moon will be their first offering through Svart Records, and to mark its arrival they’ll head out on a tour of Finland with their much-heralded countrymen in Circle, playing shows starting this week and then periodically through the end of next month both before and after the record comes out. As to the album itself, their new video for “Behind Thyme” tells at least a portion of the story — glowing eyes, rolling naked in paint and all — but by no means the whole thing, other pieces throughout given to variations in mood and theme while still based around a sort of classic sunset-orange feel, analog in presentation and melodically engrossing.

I’ll hope to have more to come on Sun Future Moon leading up to the release, and obviously if I’m ever afforded another chance to catch them live it’s not something I’ll let slip if possible, but if you, like me, are just being introduced to the band (and I have Bucky Brown to thank for the tip), then “Behind Thyme” makes for a welcoming opening statement on their part and one that’s both warm enough and freaked out enough to be sure to pique interest in further investigation. You can find the video below, followed by more info on the album from the PR wire.

Enjoy:

Death Hawks, “Behind Thyme” official video

Today, the psychedelic circus known as Death Hawks – known for their innovative brand of modern rock music that’s coated with Aquarian aesthetics – premiere a mind-bending new video for “Behind Thyme.” The track hails from the band’s forthcoming third album, Sun Future Moon, set for international release on November 13th via Svart Records.

“The new album’s sound is even larger, more beautiful and diverse than before,” says vocalist and guitarist Teemu Markkula. “As a band, we’ve strived for a much wider palette in every part of the process, from compositions to instrumentation and themes, and find the results satisfying. The songs deal with, for example, astrological myths of antiquity and the cosmos inside modern man. We consider the album both a logical continuation of the Death Hawks discography and also a step into a new age, in both meanings of the term. But, looking at the album from a simple point of view, we just tried to create a fascinating, melodic, and dignified album.”

Death Hawks are currently working on an European tour, but first, they’ll join legendary Finnish experimentalists Circle on a Finnish tour during November. “Our live experience will be updated, as well,” says Teemu Markkula. “Largely, we’ll concentrate on the new album but with a few older cuts here and there. We’re traveling with our very own visualist and a sound technician wherever possible to give people the best possible show.” Dates are as follows:

Death Hawks & Circle – Finnish tour 2015
31.10.2015 Suistoklubi, Hämeenlinna
06.11.2015 Bar Kino, Pori
07.11.2015 Rytmikorjaamo, Seinäjoki
13.11.2015 Rokumentti, Kerubi, Joensuu
14.11.2015 Rock House Kulma, Kajaani
20.11.2015 Lutakko, Jyväskylä
21.11.2015 Tavastia, Helsinki
26.11.2015 Klubi, Tampere
27.11.2015 Dynamo, Turku
28.11.2015 Torvi, Lahti

Death Hawks website

Death Hawks on Thee Facebooks

Svart Records

Svart Records on Thee Facebooks

I was especially eager to see Bongripper at the Afterburner at this year’s Roadburn. They had played a couple nights before as well (that set is streaming here), performing their 2014 album, Miserable (review here), in its entirety, but I’d had to miss that set and knew going into the fest that I wanted to see them one way or another follow-up on the performance they gave in 2012, which had been chest-shakingly heavy.

No regrets, of course. They proved to be devastating and I’m anxious to revisit the set today via the newly released live stream. Also included in this latest of the four-so-far batches is a bunch of stuff I missed, including two of the most-talked-about bands of the entirety of Roadburn 2015: SubRosa and Thou. The former outfit played the first day and I continued to hear about them through to Sunday, while Thou‘s atmosludge devastated the crowd at Het Patronaat and were bandied about as one of the highlights of the whole fest.

Along with performances by Acid Witch, Death Hawks, Mugstar (another one whose name I kept hearing), Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and KEN mode, this makes for a pretty diverse round of streams. If you get to dig into any or all of them, I hope you enjoy:

Acid Witch – Live at Roadburn 2015

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell – Live at Roadburn 2015

Bongripper – Live at Roadburn 2015 (Afterburner)

Death Hawks – Live at Roadburn 2015

Der Weg Einer Freiheit – Live at Roadburn 2015

Kenmode – Live at Roadburn 2015

Mugstar- Live at Roadburn 2015

Subrosa – Live at Roadburn 2015

Thou – Live at Roadburn 2015

Special thanks to Walter as always for letting me host the streams. To read all of this year’s Roadburn coverage, click here. For the first, second and third batches of streams, click here and then click here and then click here.

Roadburn’s website

Marcel Van De Vondervoort on Thee Facebooks

It’s been hours, days even, since the last round of Roadburn 2015 lineup additions, so obviously we’re due. This time around, the venerable Netherlands-based fest adds two sets from volatile New Orleans sludge legends Eyehategod, proggers Focus, Brooklyn genre-twisters Tombs, their Relapse labelmates in Black Anvil and more in Death Hawks and Pekko Käppi and K:H:H:L, who are the kinds of acts who play Roadburn and then I hear them like two months later and really, really wish I’d gotten to see them. Happens every year. It’s part of the thing.

The Roadburn 2015 lineup, as you can see in the flyer above, is wildly diverse but masterfully concocted all the same, and tickets aren’t even on sale yet. The presale — during which they’ll sell out almost immediately, as they always do — starts on Thursday.

Info follows:

Nola’s Eyehategod To Inflict Double The Anguish And Pain On Roadburn 2015

Dutch prog rock legends Focus confirmed for Ivar Bjørnson’s and Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik’s Houses of the Holistic at Roadburn Festival 2015

Tombs, Black Anvil, Death Hawks and Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L have also been confirmed for Roadburn 2015.

We’re beyond excited to welcome seminal New Orleans, Louisana sluge-legends Eyehategod back to the 20th edition of Roadburn Festival at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands, with two sets of their unique, Southern hardcore-blues-sludge-and-doom on Thursday, April 9 at the main stage, and in Het Patronaat, Friday, April 10.

With its hateful, hopeless, anguished vocals set against extra-slow Iommi-inspired riffing, Eyehategod are credited with founding sludge-core, one of the most vital new genres of metal to emerge from the 1990’s. Countless bands have followed their footsteps, and after more than 20 years of creating some of the most corrosive, vile music known to man, Eyehategod still hasn’t lost the piss and vinegar, propaganda, and despair that fueled them back in 1988.

Over the years, Eyehategod have had more than their fair share of hardship, and recently suffered the tragic loss of drummer and founding member, Joey LaCaze. The new, self titled release from Eyehategod, the follow up to 2000’s Confederacy Of Ruined Lives, sees LaCaze’s drum tracks appear posthumously on this classic of the genre.

The album personifies desperation and addiction in the various backwaters of forgotten America, punctuated by the N’awlins sound of rebellion and pollution resulting in triumph over adversity. Come experience transcendence through malevolence as Eyehategod deface Roadburn 2015.

We’re equally excited to announce that Dutch prog rock legends Focus have been confirmed for Houses of the Holistic, Ivar Bjørnson‘s (Enslaved) and Wardruna’s Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik‘s curated Roadburn event on Friday, April 10 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

With their unique brand of progressive rock, Focus established themselves at the start of the 70s as the most successful and appreciated of all the Dutch pop-rock exports. Fronted by founding member Thijs Van Leer, and best known for their hits “Hocus Pocus”, “House of The King” and “Sylvia”, as well as critically acclaimed albums Moving Waves, Focus 3 and Hamburger Concerto, Focus regrouped with a fantastic new line up in the early 2000s, which resulted in several well received albums, like Focus 9 / New Skin and Focus X.

Focus today consists of Thijs van Leer on vocals, flute and keyboards, and famed Focus drummer Pierre van der Linden, who joined the group on their second album Moving Waves in 1972. Internationally renowned for his rhythmic skills, Pierre remains a defining factor in the Focus sound. Bassist Bobby Jacobs, who comes from an acclaimed Dutch musical family and guitarist Menno Gootjes, who participated in Focus at an earlier stage, complete the band’s current line-up.

“If you know anything about prog beyond “old Genesis, not the new stuff”, you know Focus – an extremely influential band for any band in the progressive tradition that came after them; whether its progressive Metal like we try to fool around with, or purer retro-prog (a funny combination of concepts, by the way)”, says Enslaved’s Ivar Bjørnson. “Focus embodies everything that is true “Prog” for me: the incorporation of the classical elements, the tongue-in-cheek playfulness across times, genres and geography – and of course extraordinary musicianship. These highly vital legends has also shown amazing form live these days, so having freakin’ FOCUS accepting our invitation for our curated day. To put it simple, straight-forward and un-proggy: a dream come through!!!”

Pekko Käppi & K:H:H:L and Death Hawks have also been confirmed for Ivar Bjørnson’s and Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik’s Houses of the Holistic on Friday, April 10.

As huge admirers of Tombs blackened ferocity, we simply couldn’t resist bringing this primordial killing machine back to the 20th edition of Roadburn on Saturday, April 11.

Straight from the filthy sewers of New York City, Black Anvil will hail death at Roadburn 2015 on Saturday, April 11.

In related news: Tickets for the 20th edition of Roadburn Festival, set for April 9 – 12 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands, will go on sale on Thursday, October 16, 2014.

Set your alarm and get ready to score your tickets at 21:00 CET! (20:00 UK | 22:00 Finland, Greece | 3pm East coast | 12pm West coast).

Ticket info: http://www.ticketmaster.nl/artist/roadburn-festival-tickets/875833

For everyone in the Netherlands and Belgium: we are aware that your local ticket outlets will not be open when pre-sales start, which is why we are throwing another pre-sales party at the 013 venue in Tilburg (NL). From 19:00 CET – 20:30 CET you will be able to purchase a maximum of four paper tickets for Roadburn Festival 2015. Guaranteed!

In addition to making it easy to get tickets, the pre-sales party is going to be a blast! This year, we have invited The Machine and Radar Men From The Moon to provide the soundtrack. More info HERE.

Curated by Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Wardruna‘s Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik, Roadburn Festival 2015 (including Fields of the Nephilim, Skuggsjá, Enslaved, Wardruna, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin performing Dawn of The Dead and Susperia in its entirety, Zombi, Sólstafir, White Hills, Bongipper, Floor, Eyehategod and The Heads as Artist In Residence among others) will run for four days from Thursday, April 9 to Sunday, April 12 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

http://www.roadburn.com/roadburn-2015/tickets/
https://www.facebook.com/roadburnfestival
https://twitter.com/roadburnfest
roadburn.com

Eyehategod, Live in Brooklyn, June 7, 2014