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Groan and Vinum Sabbatum Split CD: Two Sounds, One Heavy

Posted in Reviews on October 11th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

Nestled right in between the touring Groan did for last year’s The Sleeping Wizard debut (review here) and the dissolution of what future generations will no doubt re(e)fer to as their “Mk. I” lineup, the UK four-piece put to tape the final two tracks of their initial incarnation for a Doomanoid Records split with laudable Finnish doomly Hammond-philes Vinum Sabbatum. Groan’s young, brash and just-slightly doomed take on stoner rock was presented on The Sleeping Wizard with a rehearsal room rawness that fit the songs perfectly. They’ve hardly cleaned up their act on the Vinum Sabbatum split, but I wouldn’t call it lacking fidelity either. The guitars of Dan “The Riff Wizard” Wainwright sound full and are lent extra thickness by their interplay with Leigh “Forest Dwelling Fuzz Creature” Jones. It’s fortunate that they play so well together, since they’re the two members left in the band after the departure of vocalist Andrew “Mazzereth” Maslen and drummer Steve “Thor’s Hammer” Burnett, but then, locking in a solid groove has never been a problem for Groan since the start. The divide between bands time-wise is uneven — with Groan’s two songs totaling about six and a half minutes while Vinum Sabbatum’s two songs are about twice that and half again – but both acts use the space they’re given on the CD well, and seem to embody in their own way the stonerly art that American artist Ralph Walters has concocted for the Eden-evoking cover.

Their approaches vary. Groan are more modern-sounding if not actually more modernly influenced. Their two songs, “Cosmic Boogie” and “Throne of Weed,” feel short, upbeat and about as straightforward as you can get. They are stoned with the sort of abandon that only youth and a genuine love of the riff can bring, and where Vinum Sabbatum injects elements like acoustic guitars, the aforementioned Hammond, mellotron and a more mournful flow to closer “Disillusioned Pilgrims,” even the catchy “Sinister Sister” (the ‘70s backing vocals are a must-hear) which precedes feels more grown up. Part of that could be that the Finns – who released their full-length debut, Songs From the Convent, on Eyes Like Snow last year to a positive response – have an older presentation. They hone in not so much on the relatively-updated ‘70s methodology that comes through the filter of 21st century stoner rock, but unabashedly take on the original sound as a retro ethic. It works well for Vinum Sabbatum, who one could probably concoct in a petri dish by melding the methods and influences of Witchcraft and their countrymen in Reverend Bizarre, but probably have the record collection to back up their aesthetic. That inevitably plays into their favor, as does the analog-sounding production and the patience with which they execute the material. Neither they nor Groan are “intense” sounding, at least not as the word might apply to heavy music, but there is something immediate in the overall atmosphere of the split.

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Groan to Record New Album in August

Posted in Whathaveyou on April 20th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

I dug the hell out of The Sleeping Wizard, the first album from UK über-stoners Groan (review here, if you doubt me), so it’s good news come in that they’re going to record the follow-up, the name of which you can see below, toward the end of this summer, and tour in the meantime before its release. The band sent this info in while I was away at Roadburn, but I wanted to make sure it got put up anyhow, in case anyone missed it.

The PR wire has it like this:

UK doom ‘n’ rollers Groan are scheduled to record their second album in mid-August. The four-piece, based in different parts of the UK, will record their second album, tentatively titled The Divine Right of Kings, in Mid-Wales’ Foel Studios with Chris Fielding (Electric Wizard, Napalm Death, Serpent Venom) with an anticipated release towards the end of 2011. Among curren t tracks being worked on for the album are “Gods of Fire,” “Sacrificial Virgins” and “Dissolution.”

Bass player, Forest-Dwelling Fuzz Creature says: “We’re trying to get a good balance between classic hard rock and traditional doom for the songs we record for this album. In writing these new songs, I think we’ve really found our voice. We hope to emulate our heroes by recording and releasing an album which is meant to be played from start to finish as opposed to today’s culture of disposable, individual mp3 files; all whilst off our tits.”

Groan’s debut album, The Sleeping Wizard, was released in October 2010 through Doomanoid Records to vast critical praise. A split EP with Finnish doom rockers Vinum Sabbatum is to be released this summer through Doomanoid Records (release date TBC).

After recording The Divine Right of Kings, Groan will hit the road for a short co-headlining tour of the UK with another highly-regarded up-and-coming English band. Details of this tour to be announced at a later date.

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Groan, The Sleeping Wizard: In the Forest with the Fuzz and Magic

Posted in Reviews on December 20th, 2010 by JJ Koczan

With a binding self-awareness and unashamed worship of the riff, young UK doom rockers Groan make their Doomanoid Records debut on The Sleeping Wizard. At 26 minutes, it’s a record whose green and purple artwork is not misplaced, earning every bit of its psychedelic edge and pushing it through a screen of driving metallic riffs. More Sabbath than Sleep in their song structures, Groan make short work of neo-proto metal right away with “Ride of the Antichrist,” which revels in its use of cliché in a manner that cheekier acts like The Sword never could. It’s not original, and it doesn’t want to be, and I don’t even think The Sleeping Wizard cares whether you call it an EP or a full-length (my vote’s for full-length, whatever that’s worth), so long as you riff out. That part they make easy.

What The Sleeping Wizard lacks in revolutionizing, it more than makes up for in charm. The short, 2:52 cut “Witchy Woman,” which follows “Ride of the Antichrist” stops in its middle to deliver its title line with such gusto that it’s hard not to be sucked in. Likewise for the catchy “Psychedelic Demons” or “The Martyr King,” which rocks like mid-period Cathedral and aspires to doing little more than that. Guitarist The Riff Wizard (fake names only add to the appeal) leads the way in unmired simplicity, often stumbling on the kinds of progressions that are head-slappingly obvious but still killer, and drummer Thor’s Hammer (what else to call a drummer?) and bassist The Forest-Dwelling Fuzz Creature have no problem keeping up. The production of The Sleeping Wizard is raw and live-feeling, but not lacking clarity, and especially in Thor’s Hammer’s drum sound, is just crisp enough to give the album an underlying sense of professionalism. Clearly Groan aren’t in danger of taking themselves too seriously, but neither are they just jerking around. Vocalist Mazzereth keeps his effects on for the duration, but is well balanced with the music behind him, his approach linking Groan to a lineage of British heavy psych that started well before anyone in this band was born.

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Groan Post Preview of The Sleeping Wizard

Posted in Bootleg Theater on May 6th, 2010 by JJ Koczan

UK stoner/doom rockers Groan have put up a preview of their new collection of psych-soaked rituals, The Sleeping Wizard, which you’ll find for viewing below. Vocalist Mazzareth (who introduces the clip) reached out to me via StonerRock.com bmail — if you want to do the same, my I.D. on there is h.p. taskmaster. The Sleeping Wizard is due out this summer on Doomanoid Records.

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