Arizona heavy rockers Fuzz Evil — led as ever by guitarist/vocalist Wayne Rudell and bassist/vocalist Joey Rudell — will release their fourth album, Smear Merchants, on March 21 through Desert Records. And more than two months is early for a review of the thing, admittedly, but I’m not sure I can let this post go live without telling you it’s the best and farthest-reaching work the band have done. In the 10-plus years since their first split 7″ (review here), the Rudell brothers have steered through a number of sonic shifts, trying out ideas in persona and style. The preceding 2023 outing, New Blood (review here), pushed their prior good-times desert-style aesthetic forth with a bit more of an edge, and as the revamped four-piece of Wayne, Joey, baritone guitarist Preston Jennings and drummer Cajun Adams take off on the 10-song/45-minute plunge, they sound like they’ve thrown off some of the shackles of writing to genre and are a freer in their expression. It would seem Fuzz Evil have hit the point of bring able to let their music become whatever the hell they think it wants to be.

Considering they’ve been skillful songwriters all along, Smear Merchants comes across like an organic arrival at a moment of realization and self-reflection. It gets darker than one might think of as ‘refreshing,’ but it is the most individual they’ve sounded. Some of it is outwardly aggressive, more than the band has been before, as with the screams in the charged “Wanderer’s Wake” and some of it is quieter and more hypnotic. Those who got down to the dancey side of New Blood might be surprised at the noisy aural context “Smear Merchants” (premiering below) sets for the album that shares its name with its wailing-wah solo and tonal crunch.

But the brash punker thrust in the first half of the two-minute “Sermons of the Defiant” (where the repeated line sounds like, “I wanna fight the pope, I wanna fight the pope,” and if it’s not that, I’m not sure I want to know) just prior and the uptick in scope for the subsequent eight-minute sprawl of “Progression of the Black Sun”, languid swing hinting at doom in its twists and use of organ, but unmistakably desert-born, paint a more complex picture. And in truth, that’s the story of the whole record: it’s a more complex picture of who you thought Fuzz Evil were as a band. They’re still heavy, they’re still writing memorable pieces like the aforementioned “Wanderer’s Wake,” which picks up from the 17-second intro “The Fraile Mourning of Eternity” — weightier in its title than acoustic strum, but fair enough — and gives over to the shorter instrumental blast “Doomsayer’s Lament,” setting up a back-and-forth that plays out into the shuffling highlight “The Juice is Loosh,” the aforementioned “Sermons of the Defiant” and the title-track across side A with “Progression of the Black Sun” waiting to immerse the listener after the (perhaps virtual) LP platter flip.

The longest cut on Smear Merchants is a highlight as well for what it encompasses while still shining through with purpose for its comparatively extended run, but Fuzz Evil aren’t finished yet, and they flesh out side B with the ultra-hooky “Starlight Grave” and “How to Vibe Alone,” the latter of which brings a marked focus on fuzzal density and a right-on grooving lead and sludgy shouts later on, echoing back to “Wanderer’s Wake,” giving the record a sense of symmetry, and still leaving room for one final turn toward the unexpected with the patient drone intro that picks up from the residual crashes of “How to Vibe Alone” and moves fluidly into the instrumental finale “Whispers From the Abyss.” This last inclusion makes its way to a last nod, but for the first 3:45 of its total 5:11, it explores a guitar-effects drone, and so gives one more new look from Fuzz Evil before they turn their audience back over to the real world with no less intent than they started out in “The Fraile Mourning of Eternity” at the start.

…Well, so much for not reviewing it. I knew that was gonna happen.

Maybe you skipped to the audio here. Enough blah blah, give me the song. Fair.

What you really need to know, even two months ahead of the release, is that Fuzz Evil have found something new in this material and set themselves to exploring it with the same vitality they’ve always brought to their work. Take a listen to “Smear Merchants” on the player below and I think you’ll agree that defying expectation suits them quite well.

A quote and PR wire info follow. Please enjoy:

Fuzz Evil on Smear Merchants:

“This album is a journey, designed to be experienced in one sitting, with each track seamlessly transitioning into the next through wild time-signature shifts, key changes, and an intricate use of effects that add a whole new dimension to our sound.”

“Smear Merchants” is the title track of Fuzz Evil’s 4th studio record “Smear Merchants” to be released on March 21st, 2025 on Desert Records. The band evolves their music each record and with “Smear Merchants” it will be their take on more doom metal/stoner.

Smear Merchants marks a transformative moment for Fuzz Evil. Expanding from a 3-piece to a 4-piece lineup, the band’s sound is bigger, heavier, and more dynamic than ever before. Written, recorded, and produced entirely DIY, this album gave Fuzz Evil the freedom to push boundaries and experiment—and it shows. Every riff, transition, and effect reflects the band’s uncompromising vision and creative exploration.

While staying true to their signature driving energy, Smear Merchants ventures into bold new territory. Preston Jennings’ love for ambient textures and psychedelic soundscapes adds depth and atmosphere, while Kenneth “Cajun” Adam’s screaming vocals introduce a raw intensity that amplifies the band’s doom/metal elements. Together, these additions create a powerful blend of storytelling, instrumental exploration, and crushing riffs that redefine what Fuzz Evil can do.

From hypnotic breakdowns to blistering highs, Smear Merchants captures the full spectrum of sound, layered with effects that pull listeners deeper into the experience. This is Fuzz Evil at their most ambitious and innovative, delivering an album meant to take you on an unforgettable sonic journey. Experience the raw creativity and limitless energy of Smear Merchants, where DIY ingenuity meets heavy, transformative soundscapes.

Fuzz Evil is:
Vocals & Guitar: Wayne Rudell
Bass & Backing Vocals: Joseph Rudell
Baritone Guitars: Preston Jennings
Drums: Cajun Adams

Fuzz Evil, “Wanderer’s Wake” (2024)

Fuzz Evil on Facebook

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Fuzz Evil on Bandcamp

Fuzz Evil merch

Fuzz Evil Linktr.ee

Desert Records on Facebook

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Desert Records webstore

Desert Records Linktr.ee

Heavy drone duo Droni Eye Omi will make their debut on March 7 with the two-song full-length, Liminal Mass. Carving a place for itself with mountainous tonality and a drumless, often-howling expanse, it’s being released through Desert Records, whose Brad Frye (also Red Mesa) comprises half the lineup alongside flamenco guitarist Ronaldo Baca, and as you’ll see in the release info below, they go so far as to call it a “migration to thyself.”

Anybody remember Inner Space? Go look it up if you’re under 40. Or better, don’t.

“Chromosphere” (29:53) and “Black Flare” (14:13) make up the record, and as a new project, it drones hard. Very definitely self-aware in the Earth 2 nod, and I mean, we’re talking about interwoven layers of guitar noise as a genre, so a given listener might hear all kinds of things in the reaches of the material. I can’t say I’m all the way on board with the band’s decision to keep the release 100-percent free of flamenco guitar (not even a little?), but they’re just getting started and have a clear and expressive purpose as showcased in these initial audio slabs. Both tracks are hypnotic and meditative, but not actually still.

The opener and longer of the two (immediate points) is of course awash in distortion, but it writhes in that, one guitar howling and feeding back as they push toward the 10-minute mark while the other sets a foreboding backing ambience, soon to join a building fray. There are notes, held, distinct, but Baca (who also mixed and mastered) and Frye are exploring here as well, and the sense of improv — a palpable ethic of “let’s try this” overarching the songs — adds to the motion of the listening experience. As destinations go, “thyself” may or may not be a place you want to end up, but terms of being transportive in sound, Liminal Mass is no lightweight.

And this gets us a little closer to understanding what the mission behind the instrumentalist search here actually is. “Black Flare” feels stately and is a little more patient in its unfolding, changing less but still oozing into a resonant wail before letting go to a more subdued ending, but it’s heavy, and that’s a distinguishing feature. Droni Eye Omi are of course not the first to make drone feel oppressive, but Liminal Mass feels like a counterpoint to trends toward floatier sounds. Just because it’s ethereal doesn’t mean it can’t feel like it’s collapsing your sternum.

One more distinguishing feature? No pretense about it. Frye and Baca made the thing in a day, recorded live — they even had a light show to ritualize the mood — and clearly aren’t going for the SunnO)))-style drone metal avant-garde positioning in naming the project like they were a bong metal band. This character is something one doesn’t often encounter with drone: fun. And in the context of the tube-burning noise Droni Eye Omi are making throughout what might be the beginning of a broader journey with heft to spare in terms of style, somehow the admission that they might actually have enjoyed the process of putting the album together feels daring. Drone is weird. So is life. If you’re still reading, so is thyself in all likelihood. Might as well have a good time with it.

“Chromosphere” — duly scorching — premieres on the player below, followed by the PR wire background on the project as mentioned above.

Take a breath, open your mind, and enjoy:

DRONI EYE OMI – Debut album ‘Liminal Mass’ releases via Desert Records on March 7th, 2025.

Two guitars, one from Brad Frye (Red Mesa and Desert Records founder) and a second one from Ronaldo Baca (renowned New Mexican gypsy jazz band Swing Magique and flamenco guitarist) bring you a dense electric guitar drone mixed with psych and space minimalism, and meditative heaviness.

However, desert/stoner rock or gypsy jazz/flamenco this is not!

This is true drone and minimalism inspired by Lamonte Young’s “Composition 1960 No. 7” and Earth’s “Earth 2”.

The band takes these primary influences and sends them straight to the cosmos.

Take a journey to the outer realms of your inner thoughts and sentiments. Droni Eye Omi are the cosmopilots that steer the celestial cruiser of sound into the vast universe of your mind.

Fear not of uncertainty, for nothing is certain with the settling of souls, here and beyond. Hear not the redundant questions of man, but experience the answers known to sound and vibration. Let the high voltage guitars rumble your chest and rattle your ears to an intoxicating sphere of bliss and realization.

You are on a migration to thyself!

CREDITS
Recorded by Droni Eye Omi with a Tascam Model 12 on 5/31/2024 at Bingo Studios in Albuquerque, NM.
Mixed and Mastered by Ronaldo Baca at Orange Cat Studios
Album cover by Diogo Soares

Droni Eye Omi:
Brad Frye (Guitar One)
Ronaldo Baca (Guitar Two)

Droni Eye Omi on Facebook

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Droni Eye Omi on Bandcamp

Desert Records on Facebook

Desert Records on Instagram

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Desert Records webstore

Desert Records Linktr.ee

[Click play above to stream Legends of the Desert Vol. 4 by Eagle Twin and The Otolith in its entirety. The split LP is out this Friday, Sept. 20, on Desert Records.]

With two different visions of ‘heavy’ meeting an expanded definition of ‘desert’ on Legends of the Desert Vol. 4, the ongoing Desert Records split series is something of a heady affair in concept, but once you put it on, I promise you none of that matters. Instead, where the listener’s focus is likely to be is on the tense, roiling crush of Eagle Twin‘s “Horn vs. Halo,” the first of just four tracks on the 39-minute LP shared with fellow Salt Lake City denizens The Otolith.

Each band presents two songs — one on either side of 11 minutes and one between eight and nine; neither is a stranger to working in longer forms — and the arrangement of them has it that the 11:39 “Horn vs. Halo” (both longest inclusion and opener; immediate points) and The Otolith‘s “Phosphene Dream” (10:49) both bookend the proceedings and provide the bulk of the outing itself, though that’s not to say either Eagle Twin‘s “Qasida of the Dark Dove” (8:28) or The Otolith‘s “Crossway” (8:53) is somehow lacking in presence or impact. Indeed, “Qasida of the Dark Dove” in its second half ends up in a twisting, writhing solo section that seems to be trying to pull itself free as it splits into angles and crash, guitarist Gentry Densley departing the central nod set to march by drummer Tyler Smith only to return with another gutted-out verse after, engrossing in volume and tone.

Eagle Twin‘s mountainous doom blues and The Otolith‘s violin-laced post-metallic expanses make a resounding pair. For the duo, it’s their first studio offering since 2018’s third full-length, The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn) (review here), while The Otolith — the lineup of vocalist/violinist Sarah Pendleton, violinist/vocalist Kim Cordray, guitarist/vocalist Levi Hanna, bassist/vocalist Matt Brotherton and drummer Andy Patterson, the latter of whom also recorded both bands at his The Boar’s Nest studio in SLC — arrive to the Legends series on the heels of their stunning 2022 debut LP, Folium Limina (review here), having emerged in 2019 following the breakup of members’ former outfit, SubRosa.

As a result of the fact that both bands recorded in the same place with the same producer, again, Patterson, the stark, vocal-topped crashes near the beginning of “Phosphene Dream,” given texture through the violins wistful, evocative melodies echoing out, feel kin to Eagle Twin in the setting of the split here, and though there marked differences between the guitar/drums duo and the string-inclusive five-piece, they share a penchant for massive underlying groove, and Legends of the Desert Vol. 4 takes shape around that center. As much as the differences in aesthetic and playing style between The Otolith and Eagle Twin are highlighted in the material, there’s a sense of joint intention throughout that would seem to be rare given that most splits don’t happen between acts from the same place or working in the same studio.

This only makes Legends of the Desert Vol. 4 more fluid as “Qasida of the Dark Dove” lumbers to its finish of low riffs and full-sounding crash and The Otolith‘s “Crossway” picks up with an initial shove before unfolding its rolling verse likewise leant flow and tension by the bowed strings as it moves through its early verses. The five-piece are well in their element as they move steadily through a quieter midsection and later explosive return, arranging melodic vocals from Pendleton and Cordray against the growls of Hanna and/or Brotherton, stately and consuming, somewhat in contrast to the rawer burl of Eagle Twin, but again, drawn together by the production and the general will toward aural heft. That is to say, each band is given a showcase for their craft and though they share some aspects, they also each make their own impression on the listener, whether that’s through arrangement or atmosphere.

Hearing it front to back — and it’s 2024, I think we can admit that while vinyl may be a dominant physical media, most people’s actual-listening happens digitally; if that’s saying the quiet part loud, fine — Eagle Twin and The Otolith complement each other more than they juxtapose, as the latter take ambience born out of Densely and Smith‘s guttural undulations and expand upon as though surfacing from underground and taking flight. Eagle Twin, then, are dug in, and their tracks offer the audience a chance to position themselves likewise, righteous stops and thuds in “Horn vs. Halo” topped by Densely‘s characteristically throaty vocals and wrought to a self-aware effect en route to a nod and stop at 5:15 from which the song resumes in furious fashion.

For their just-two-dudes makeup and the comparatively minimal guitar and drums in “Horn vs. Halo” and “Qasida of the Dark Dove,” their dynamic resonates through changes in volume and tempo, and the linear course they follow is a further parallel to The Otolith. As “Phosphene Dream” rises from its rumbling beginning of synth and bass or guitar (whichever it is) before the violins enter ahead of the first drum crashes, it too makes a stop in the middle, holding for a stretch of minimalist standalone guitar and backing wisps behind harmonized vocals. That this moment’s pause is (a:) not actually a pause, (b:) gorgeous and (c:) sad, won’t be a surprise to anyone who took on Folium Limina — if that’s not you, it’s not too late to do so — but the weight thrown in the crescendo, growls included, precedes the melancholic string-led finish with a grace that one can only hope foreshadows further progression to come as The Otolith continue their path and distinguish themselves from members’ previous work together as they inevitably will and already are.

So what do we learn? One might take comfort in finding out that six years after their last album, Eagle Twin have lost none of the force behind their take, and that two years on from their debut, The Otolith remain vivid and forward-thinking in their approach to steamrolling their listenership. There’s an entire separate essay to be (probably not) written as to the interplay of gender happening across the two sides, but these are welcome lessons, and Legends of the Desert Vol. 4 is not only a striking entry into the series that has already featured the likes of desert rock progenitors Fatso Jetson as well as Lord Buffalo, Dali’s Llama and others, but a new level for it in terms of conceptualism and profile, writing a new and increasingly complex legend and ultimately broadening what ‘desert’ means in a sonic context.

Eagle Twin website

Eagle Twin on Facebook

Eagle Twin on Instagram

The Otolith on Facebook

The Otolith on Instagram

The Otolith on Bandcamp

Desert Records on Facebook

Desert Records on Instagram

Desert Records on Bandcamp

Desert Records webstore

Desert Records Linktr.ee

Desert Records comes back strong with the next installment of its ongoing Legends of the Desert split series, going high-desert with the mountainous sounds of The Otolith and Eagle Twin, both based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The pairing, well, rules. Eagle Twin‘s last album, The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn) (review here), came out in 2018, while The Otolith‘s debut, Folium Limina (review here), showed up in 2022, through Southern Lord and Blues Funeral, respectively. But neither is an album-a-year-type outfit, so the fact that they’ve joined forces for Legends of the Desert Vol. 4 is pretty special even before you get to the music. Not the kind of thing that would happen every day, is what I’m saying.

Preorders will run through Kickstarter starting on Friday (July 26), and while there’s no audio yet, the release date of Sept. 20 has been set. Glad to have an excuse to revisit records from both Eagle Twin and The Otolith today (see the bottom of the post) in the meantime, and looking forward to what’s coming.

The text and images are courtesy of Desert Records:

LEGENDS of the DESERT: Volume 4 Featuring EAGLE TWIN and THE OTOLITH

We couldn’t be more honored and excited to announce that our flagship split series is back 🌵This time with two of Utah’s heavyweights!

🏜️On Friday, July 26th the Kickstarter campaign begins.

PRE-SAVE: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/desertrecords/legends-of-the-desert-vol-4

Eagle Twin is an American metal band formed in Salt Lake City, Utah by singer/guitarist Gentry Densley and drummer Tyler Smith. Eagle Twin’s music could be broadly classified as doom metal or sludge metal, but also touches on progressive rock, blues rock, jazz fusion and psychedelic rock, featuring lengthy instrumental passages and Densley’s gruff, half-chanted vocals, which occasionally veer into overtone singing.

When celebrated Salt Lake City band SubRosa announced its breakup in 2019, the heavy music community felt the loss of their uniquely elegant and intensely heavy atmospheric doom devotionals. Rather than wonder what velvet darkness might still await, however, four of SubRosa’s members swiftly emerged as a new entity called The Otolith. Following the same muse of cataclysmic melancholy, The Otolith is here to encircle you in the fire of their passion for heavy music.

Album Art and Layout by Joshua Mathus @joshuamathusart
Eagle Twin photo by Russel Albert Daniels
The Otolith photo by the band

Eagle Twin – Side A
“Horn Vs. Halo” (11:39)
“Qasida of the Dark Dove” (8:28)

The Otolith – Side B
“Crossway” (8:53)
“Phosphene Dream” (10:49)

LIMITED EDITION VINYL LPs
100 Copper Nugget
100 Side A / Side B Orange and Baby Blue
100 Jade Green

20 Test Pressings
30 12×12 Screen Prints
50 Limited Edition CD’s
10 ZLATOROG: The Golden Horn Fuzz “Gentry Densley Signature” from Black Harbor Sounds. Built by Fowl Sounds.

Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Andy Patterson at The Boar’s Nest Studio, Salt Lake City, UT

EAGLE TWIN:
Gentry Densley – guitar/vocals
Tyler Smith – drums

THE OTOLITH:
Kim Cordray – Violin, Vocals
Levi Hanna – Guitar, Vocals
Andy Patterson – Drums, Percussion
Matt Brotherton – Bass Guitar, Vocals
Sarah Pendleton – Violin, Lead Vocals

https://eagletwin.com
https://www.facebook.com/eagletwinmusic
https://www.instagram.com/eagletwinmusic

https://www.facebook.com/otolithic/
https://www.instagram.com/theotolithband/
https://theotolith.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/desertrecordslabel/
https://www.instagram.com/desertrecords/
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://linktr.ee/desertrecords

Eagle Twin, The Thundering Heard (Songs of Hoof and Horn) (2018)

The Otolith, Folium Limina (2022)

Ruben Romano will release The Imaginary Soundtrack to the Imaginary Western Twenty Graves Per Mile (review here) — which, rest assured, actually exists despite all the imagination — through Desert Records on Aug. 9. It is the first solo outing for Romano, also known for fronting The Freeks on vocals and guitar and whose pedigree includes having drummed in the initial incarnations of both Fu Manchu and Nebula, and might at first seem like a striking stylistic turn as Romano taps into Western atmospheres and ramble, wagons loaded and headed out Californey way across 10 homecooked tracks of unfolding landscapes.

Romano tells the story of the record himself below, and I don’t want to keep you from that, but as you dig into the premiere of “Not Any More” below — and the album was self-released in February, so it was out there, though it’s been taken down from Bandcamp now; I have no idea about Spotify and the rest, it could be streaming all over the place and honestly, if it is, fine — don’t go into it thinking “rock record,” because that’s not what’s happening here. Nuanced percussion around subdued acoustic guitar arrangements, some slide here and there; the priority isn’t necessarily all-volume-all-the-time, and it wouldn’t really work as a ‘soundtrack,’ imaginary or otherwise, if it were. You can hear the casual roots in the strum of “Controversy Follows” or “Chuck Wagon Sorrow,” but the songs are fleshed out well in terms of arrangement, and though it’s positioned as instrumental, you’ll hear some watery whispers in amid the Morricone stretches and snippets of country-tinged meander, given just an edge of weirdo-psych through effects and an exploratory sense in the making as much as the material.

That is, The Imaginary Soundtrack to the Imaginary Western Twenty Graves Per Mile — you might be forgiven for just calling it Twenty Graves Per Mile — is Romano‘s first public foray into the style, and comes through as somewhat experimental as a result, but there’s nothing tentative about it as the rhythm of “The Trail is Long” evokes the hooves walking that same trail or the penultimate “Jump Off Town (From Everywhere)” hints at an almost post-rock float brought to the proceedings that, if there’s a next time, might be something to listen for in terms of the project’s development. I won’t speculate on that, but one way or the other, Romano‘s dive is headfirst throughout what’s still only a 27-minute LP, utterly manageable even for the most modern of attention spans and at no risk of overstaying its welcome.

You’ll find “Not Any More” on the player below, followed by some background on putting it all together from Romano himself, the preorder link, and so on.

Please enjoy:

Ruben Romano on Twenty Graves Per Mile:

I actually never set out to do this project, by that I mean, it was not preconceived, not yet anyway. What happened first was that I came to realize that I had acquired enough musical gear to satisfy all points needed to complete an ensemble. The urge is great, I know, but why did I need to buy another guitar or amplifier when I have several of every variety already. So I switched my collecting tendencies towards recording gear. I’m a…“Let’s see what happens..” kind of person.

I enjoy sitting on my porch with an acoustic guitar, noodling, jumping from this major chord to that minor chord, adding a 7th and a 9th, or maybe sus it. I have always enjoyed playing with sounds, if something makes a sound I’m in, I’ll tinker until I figure something out. This leaves me wide open to whatever. I may be lumped into a certain genre that creates expectations but I can’t really be so loyal to just one type of music when it’s just too vast to not enjoy everything that’s out there. So, it’s to figure out some sounds, put some chords together and let’s see what happens…. I love doing things like this and it’s the same approach I used for “Twenty Graves Per Mile” as I do for my main rock band The Freeks. All of this leads me to enjoy late nights in the garage, now with the ability to record the idea, and further expand it. I sacrifice sleep as I can’t really stop once I get started, and I’m ok with that. A lot, if not all, of these songs were constructed this way but really it’s thanks to Les Paul for inventing multitrack recording.

I live in a Condominium with my wife and daughter and also two cats. I’m smack dab in the middle of the building with neighbors on both sides and also above, so volume is an issue. Acoustic guitar and a really sensitive condenser mic are my main tools. I also did a lot of direct line-in recording when it came to adding electric instruments here at my home. I’m ok with this because at the same time I’m still learning my recording process, instrument modeling is a part of that. When I have something going and it’s ready for even more, I also have a full mobile recording unit that The Freeks use at our rehearsal room. So I am able to record acoustic drums as well as loud guitar amplifiers, my latest gem is a new Fender Vibro Champ Reverb amp.

Reverb and Vibrato have always been my favorite tones, Chorus is my least favorite. So I bounce from one studio to the other, transferring and importing tracks as I go along. I have already been tracking these songs with no intentions for them, just doing what I like to do, it’s a hobby. So when Covid hit me, an opportunity kind of fell into place. As I quarantined at home, I fell into a TV binge, watching different series about our Great Frontiers Men, Westward Expansion and The Oregon Trail. It all just blended in my head. They expanded west, I expanded my ideas and I got reverb to prove it. I just kept recording little tunes more and more, and my computer filled up very quickly. I began transferring them to external drives to create space for even more to come.

So I started to sift through them and I started finding songs that I totally forgot about. Late nights in that garage produced some fun and even silly things as well as some rather deep things. For example, the song “The Trail Is Long ” must have happened really late with a fine smoke, some good bourbon and a sad memory. I totally forgot about it and now it’s probably my favorite song on the record. However, all the songs have a place in my heart, of course, there is a joy in taking a little acoustic guitar lick conceived on the porch that eventually becomes a completed song like “Sweet Dreams Cowboy”. There is a great sense of pride in that.

The Imaginary Soundtrack To The Imaginary Western “Twenty Graves Per Mile”
Releases on August 9th, 2024
Desert Records
CD, Cassette Tape, Digital Download

Bandcamp:
https://rubenaromano.bandcamp.com/album/the-imaginary-soundtrack-to-the-imaginary-western-twenty-graves-per-mile-2

Tracklist
1. Load the Wagon
2. About to Bloom
3. Sweet Dreams Cowboy
4. Chuck Wagon Sorrow
5. Not Any More
6. Ode to Fallen Oxen
7. The Trail is Long
8. Controversy Follows
9. Jump Off Town (from everywhere)
10. Load the Wagon (reprise)

Ruben Romano on Instagram

Ruben Romano on Facebook

Ruben Romano on Bandcamp

Desert Records on Facebook

Desert Records on Bandcamp

Desert Records store

The information you want — i.e., the tour dates — is in the tour posters, but as you can see there, what’s happening is that Desert Records denizens Red Mesa (from Albuquerque) and Sorcia (from Seattle) are both going on tour in August, and for part of each run, the tours will combine.

Got it? So they’re not touring the entire time together, but they’re hooking up for a leg as part of each’s broader stint up and down the West Coast/inland. Lacking a good word for it is how you get to “intertwining” in the headline. I could’ve gone with “conjoined” or “joint,” but I felt like either of those would mean it’d be the two of them the whole time — you can see in the images Sorcia actually have more shows with Tigers on Opium, and both they and Red Mesa will share the stage with a bunch of others in the sphere of Desert Records along the way — whereas “intertwining” at least in my head implies joining with something else from a more solitary state.

And I’m sorry to get sidetracked on language here — I should be dropping review links, right? isn’t that how it goes? like someone’s gonna click that? — but I find words interesting and it’s nice to have an idea what to call a thing when it happens. If you have any other suggestions, hit the comments and please let me know.

Otherwise, the tour(s) announcement(s) follow here, courtesy of the reliably-paradigm-shifting PR wire:

RED MESA / SORCIA TOUR

Two of Desert Record’s power trios RED MESA and SORCIA, have announced their respective Western U.S. tours for August 2024. The bands will support each other on a leg from ALBUQUERQUE-SEATTLE.

A multitude of Desert Records bands will support including Nebula Drag, Dali’s Llama, The Penitent Man, Spliffripper, Grim Earth, Droneroom, Breath, Doors to No Where, and Fuzz Evil.

“We’ve been talking about doing a full Western US tour for years…and it is FINALLY happening! We couldn’t be more stoked to do the Albuquerque to Seattle leg with our dear friends Sorcia. As we support our latest album, ‘Partial Distortions’ we will be bringing the heavy desert rock to your city!” – Red Mesa

“We are very excited to announce that we are getting back on the road for another Western US Tour this August! For the first half we will be hitting the West Coast joined by our dear friends, Portland rippers Tigers On Opium. For the second half we will be linking up with our amazing Desert Records labelmates Red Mesa as we make our way through the desert and up through the Rockies, where we will end the tour by hosting them in Seattle for our tour homecoming. We are looking forward to hitting some new towns on this tour, and we have some killer bands lined up to support these shows, so stay tuned for individual show details. See you on the road!” – Sorcia

Red Mesa tour poster by Joey Rudell of Fuzz Evil / Sorcia tour poster art by Misanthropic-Art (poster layout by Jessica Brasch).

Red Mesa is:
Brad Frye – Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Lead and Backing Vocals
Roman Barham – Drums, Lead and Backing Vocals
Alex Cantwell – Bass Guitar, Lead and Backing Vocals, Additional Rhythm Guitars, Piano

SORCIA
Neal De Atley – Guitar, Vocals
Jessica Brasch – Bass, Vocals
Bryson Marcey – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/redmesaband/
https://www.instagram.com/redmesaband/
https://redmesarock.bandcamp.com/

https://www.facebook.com/SorciaBand/
https://www.instagram.com/sorciaband/
sorcia.bandcamp.com
https://sorciaband.com/
http://linktr.ee/sorciaband

https://www.facebook.com/desertrecordslabel/
https://www.instagram.com/desertrecords/
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://linktr.ee/desertrecords

Red Mesa, Partial Distortions (2024)

Sorcia, Lost Season (2023)

What do we know about Arizona’s Fuzz Evil? They’re songwriters. No matter what the Sierra Vista-based troupe led by brothers Joey and Wayne Rudell get up to on a given release — whether it’s their new single “Wanderer’s Wake” below, issued ahead of their Desert Records label-debut, Smear Merchants, or the 2023 full-length that preceded it, New Blood (review here), or anything else they’ve done over the eight years since their 2016 self-titled debut (review here) — they have songs. They’ve never been an overly self-indulgent band, never left their audience behind, and their catalog is that much stronger for it.

Even as they pivot to heavier fare with “Wanderer’s Wake” and introduce the lineup they revealed in January alongside their cover of The Cars‘ “Just What I Needed” (speaking of songwriters…), the song remains the priority, and that’s also what lets them pull off the dive into gruff vocals and harder-hitting tones without losing the plot. It’s a less friendly sound on the surface, but still very much Fuzz Evil in the underlying groove and structure. I would say it meets the stated intention toward more of a stoner-doomed feel, and not that I wasn’t already keeping an eye for Smear Merchants — not sure if it’s an EP or LP at this point, but it’s a title, which is more than you sometimes get — but I hear all the more reason to do so in the single’s sub-five-minute stretch.

TL;DR: New Fuzz Evil track mixes it up with a little bit o’ nasty to go around. Dig it:

“Wanderer’s Wake” is the first single from Fuzz Evil’s fourth studio record “Smear Merchants” to be released in late 2024 on Desert Records.

“We are always trying to evolve our music each record and with “Smear Merchants” it will be our take on more doom metal/stoner.” -FUZZ EVIL

As purveyors of chug-heavy, fuzz-laden riffs, this heavy rock ensemble unleashes a monolithic fuzzpocalypse that reverberates through your ears and straight to your soul. With raw, gritty Fuzz and unique tones, FUZZ EVIL combines baritone fuzz, extraordinary riffs, and heavy bass tones to create a sound that’s as soulful as it is earth-shattering.

To stay updated on Fuzz Evil’s latest releases and upcoming shows, follow them on handles here: https://linktr.ee/fuzzevil

Song written by Fuzz Evil
Song Recorded, Produced, and Mixed by: Joseph Rudell
Art by: Joseph Rudell

Fuzz Evil is:
Vocals & Guitar: Wayne Rudell
Bass & Backing Vocals: Joseph Rudell
Baritone Guitars: Preston Jennings
Drums: Cajun Adams

https://www.facebook.com/FuzzEvil/
https://www.instagram.com/fuzzevilaz/
https://fuzzevil.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/fuzzevil
https://www.fuzzevil.com/

https://www.facebook.com/desertrecordslabel/
https://www.instagram.com/desertrecords/
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/
https://linktr.ee/desertrecords

Fuzz Evil, “Wanderer’s Wake” (2024)

Based in Austin but generally found rambling through one open-highway tour or another, Cortége encapsulate a particular vista with their latest EP, Under the Endless Sky. Out May 10 as a self-release from the avant heavy post-Americana outfit — who in 2021 had two offerings on Desert Records in featured in the Legends of the Desert: Vol. 2 (review here) split with The Penitent Man and the prior short release Chasing Daylight (review here) — it resides very much in the band’s sphere of sounds that resonate traditionalism in their cinematic Westernism while also serving as the studio introduction for multi-instrumentalist April Schupmann, whose trumpet is a standout high-end complement to founder Mike Swarbrick‘s low frequency bass VI and the cymbal wash from drummer Adrian Voorhies as “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 2” sweeps in following the two-minute sounds-of-outside-plus-synth opener “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 1” in a near-immediate showcase of the dynamic that’s manifest in the band’s sound since Schupmann joined in 2021.

Those first notes resonating from “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 2” are presented with a starkness that calls to mind Angelo Badalamenti‘s work on the tv show Twin Peaks, which is also in the wheelhouse of alt-universe Americana, so fair enough. Eight years on from their debut EP, Cortége for sure have a defined modus they’re working from, but Under the Endless Sky emphasizes what the true appeal of the band has become, which is their evolution toward that ideal. The process of becoming. “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 1” is barely there at the start, with some rustling and wind chimes on a neighbor’s porch, layers of drone, a rattle, a vague threat looming before piano emerges to clear the air, soon joined by keyboard in the transition to the second part. One might wonder why Cortége would bother including an intro at all to an 18-minute release, but the easy answer is because it matters, especially when mood is so much of the point.

The tubular bells in “The Relentless Sun” — premiering below, and the only one of the included pieces not titled as part of the “Under the Endless Sky” procession, which I’d call a ‘cycle’ were it not so god damned pretentious to do so — will be familiar to those who’ve encountered Cortége throughout their tenure, but what emerges from that churchy beginning, bolstered by melodica from Schupmann as well as the drums and surrounding percussion, is a klezmer-esque bounce. With a bassline you could liken to Fugazi more than Morricone (gotta change it up, right?), what sound like handchimes for melodic flourish and choral keyboard, “The Relentless Sun” is only a little over three minutes long, but it brings new ideas to Cortége and finds a playful moment as it passes through its middle en route to the sharp turn at 2:24 when the bass returns. Tone and crash echo in the stops, and the drum fills between are tense, but Cortége have bigger fish to fry, aesthetically speaking, than just a volume-burst payoff.

Waiting on the other end of the final crash and wash of “The Relentless Sun,” an image of which you’ll recognize if you’ve ever driven across the Great Plains surrounded by the titular ‘endless sky’ itself that seems to touch the ground on all sides of you, deep blue with maybe some high clouds mercifully breaking up a monotone in which one just might drown — ironic since the ocean’s promise of escape is so far away — is “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 3,” which embarks on a lumbering roll in the drums and bass. Punctuated by tolling bells, synth and a melody that’s there in layers of keys and maybe-piano, it is most evocative for being somewhat vague and unknowable, and made huge by virtue of the bass, drums and its depth of mix.

That Cortége could construct such a feeling of place isn’t a surprise given what they’ve done over the course of their two albums and various other offerings — I think they’ve discovered the EP format suits them, and it does, but there’s nothing to say a third full-length couldn’t or wouldn’t happen — but the mature grace with which they execute the eight-minute focal-point of the release isn’t to be understated, and neither is the breadth of the arrangement as horns and keys harness grandiosity with the rumble of bass still beneath like gravity stopping it all from floating away. As “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 3” rolls into its second half, some flourish of keyboard circa 4:30 steps out as more X-Files than Gunsmoke — not a complaint; I want to believe… in an expanded sonic palette — and over the course of the next minute, shift toward a droning stretch with the bells and thud/crash/wash of drums holding out. It becomes increasingly obvious they’re not coming back.

And just in case you thought they forgot or that they’d leave a plot thread unresolved in the otherwise so mindfully immersive sprawl, “Under the Endless Sky, Pt. 3” caps by fading out that last crash-laced synth/bass drone and returning briefly to a reprise of the EP’s intro, going so far as to include the windchimes again, which I swear to you I’m not imagining, however much that breeze seems to keep blowing after the track has actually stopped. There’s a lot to take in for a release that’s under 20 minutes long, but Cortége are that much more able to let the listener process what they’re hearing by conveying a sense of overwhelm — as surely the state of being Under the Endless Sky will do — without actually being too much or doing more than the songs seem to call for. More textured and progressive than they’ve yet been, and maybe more patient, which is saying something, Under the Endless Sky establishes this semi-new incarnation of Cortége in the band’s oeuvre while expanding the conceptual parameters there included.

In its overarching atmosphere and in the adventurous courses of its individual pieces, it shows Cortége‘s commitment to ongoing creative growth and leaves a trail behind of hints as to where that may be headed. Hitting play again to go back through Under the Endless Sky for another round, I can only look forward to discovering where it leads.

“The Relentless Sun” premieres below, followed by more info from the PR wire including your dates Swarbrick will do with Destroyer of Light, for good measure.

Enjoy:

CORTÉGE IS SET TO RELEASE THEIR INSTRUMENTAL POST-WESTERN CINEMATIC OPUS TITLED, UNDER THE ENDLESS SKY, ON MAY 10, 2024

Preorder: https://cortege.bandcamp.com/album/under-the-endless-sky

Instrumental, post-western, retro-futurism innovators Cortége will release their new album titled, Under The Endless Sky, worldwide on May 10, 2024.

Cortége (pronounced kor-‘tezh) is the French word for funeral procession. The band was co-founded in 2012 by Mike Swarbrick, who holds a degree in Mortuary Science. Originally rooted in doom, Cortége expanded into the realms of drone and electronic soundscapes. Drawing from early electronic composers, progressive rock icons of the ’70s, instrumental music, film score elements and the cowboy psychedelia-drenched guitar twang of famed Lee Hazelwood discovery Duane Eddy, the band’s sound continued to evolve and draw influence from the aesthetic of the old West. A hallmark of the trio’s sound is their use of tubular bells both in the studio and live.

Austin-based drummer Adrian Voorhies (Humut Tabal, Canyon of the Skull) joined the band in the fall of 2017. By 2021 April Schupmann (Sniper 66) joined on trumpet and percussion. Cortége will appeal to fans of Bell Witch, Earth, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Spindrift and Federale.

Under The Endless Sky was recorded at Red Star Mule Barn Sound Studio in Austin, Texas, and engineered by Sam Whips Allison. “The name of the album, came from touring and driving across the plains in ‘big sky country,'” says Mike Swarbrick.

The band has shared the stage with acts such as Mdou Moctar, Rezn, Hippie Death Cult, The Well, Duel, The Schisms and Dead Register. Cortége plans to tour and perform frequently in 2024. They are confirmed to play Surf by Surf East in Austin, Texas on March 2, 2024 at Hi Sign Brewing.

Under The Endless Sky track listing:
1. Under The Endless Sky part 1
2. Under The Endless Sky part 2
3. The Relentless Sun
4. Under The Endless Sky part 3

Sam Whips Allison: Engineering
Matthew Barnhart: Mastering
John Pesina, Bryan Haile: Photography
David Paul Seymour: Logo
April Schupmann: Layout
Rosie Armstrong: Saxophone
Kurt Armstrong: Trombone

Mike Swarbrick of Cortége on tour with Destoryer of Light:
4/10 – El Paso @ Rosewood
4/11 – Tempe, AZ @ Yucca Tap Room
4/12 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Usual Place
4/13 – Oceanside, CA @ The Pourhouse
4/14 – Palmdale, CA @ Transplant Brewing
4/16 – San Francisco, CA @ Knockout
4/17 – Portland, OR @ High Water Mark
4/18 – Seattle, WA @ Substation
4/19 – Boise, ID @ Realms
4/20 – Salt Lake City @ Aces High
4/21 – Denver – @ Black Buzzard
4/23 – Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge
4/24 – Oklahoma City, OK/Wichita, KS @ TBA
4/25 – Tulsa, OK @ Whittier Bar
4/26 – Van Buren, AR @ Iron Horse Records
4/27 – Little Rock, AR @ White Water Tavern
4/28 – Arlington, TX @ Growl

Cortége is:
Mike Swarbrick: bass VI, synthesizers, tubular bells, piano
Adrian Voorhies: drums
April Schupmann: trumpet, melodica, percussion

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