Safe to say that the debut full-length from Austin, Texas, heavy rockers From Beyond has been a while in the making. Six years at least. The four-piece, who signed to Candlelight/Spinefarm last summer with word of getting the album out in the Fall, have set an April 20 release for what’s been dubbed The Band From Beyond with a clever sense of deceptiveness in that they are both actually called From Beyond and throughout the album they show an affinity for classic horror and sci-fi, and so the title works on that level as well, like some grainy black and white horror flick you end up watching in the middle of the night on a tube television during your formative years after everyone else has gone to bed, forever warping your young mind and REM patterns as you fall asleep on the couch with the flashing lights and screams peppering their way into your subconscious.

By the way, any band that starts calling out Coffin Joe titles — see “At Midnght” — is cool by me.

All told, The Band From Beyond teems with vibrancy at a vinyl-ready 42-minutes and 14 tracks, and while the band has put an obvious focus on getting the most out of individual songs — there are times where the record reads like a choose-your-adventure book as it moves from track to track, especially early on through direct-standout cuts like “The Fall to Earth,” “Blooming Sun” and “The Slip.” But intro pieces like “11:59,” which precedes the particularly Uncle Acidic (though one also gets shades of fellow Texans Venomous Maximus) “At Midnight,” the opening “Invocation” that leads into “The Fall to Earth,” the acoustic “White Marble” ahead of the pre-outro finale “Black Mirror” — as well, of course, as the John–Carpenter-horror-cinema synth that follows and rounds out on “Synthetic Skin Pt. 1,” mirroring the earlier “The Color into Space,” which complements and flows into “The Color out of Space, — and so on, serve a critical function in not only tying together with whichever cut they happen to lead into or out of, but also adding complexity to the some more straightforward arrangements from Rob (guitar, vocals, synth), Dave (guitar), Brooks (bass, vocals, synth) and Anthony (drums, vocals) and giving The Band From Beyond a more resonant full-album flow.

As the record careens through the Queens of the Stone Age-plus-synth-style “The Slip” or the later “Machine Gun,” which adds gang shouts to the mix, From Beyond‘s intentions toward sonic individualism become all the more palpable, and though they again seem to reference Uncle Acid on “Blooming Sun” (the repeated lyric “I’ll cut you down” arrives amid further QOTSA elements), taken in context of the larger riffing of “The Color out of Space,” the Nine Inch Nails-with-better-melody-style brooding early on “Lost Way” that leads to a largesse of chug and synth drama that foreshadows some of the the lumbering roll and Alice in Chainsian low-in-the-mouth vocals of “Black Mirror” later on, the album is varied through straightforward hooks like that of the desert rocking “Laura Palmer” but no less memorable or based around quality songcraft in “The Slip” or “The Fall to Earth,” which culls together various impulses between grunge, heavy rock and progressive doom in order to make the first of The Band From Beyond‘s crater-worthy impacts.

Though arrangements prove complex and diverse throughout as From Beyond work in a range of moods, styles and tempos, ultimately their debut album holds itself together with a surprising fluidity considering the amount of ground actually being covered. It’s hard to get a full sense of that in one track, whether it’s the melancholy heft that emerges in “Lost Way” or the pure thrust of “Machine Gun” or the flourish that the interludes bring to the surrounding material. I’m thrilled today to be able to host the premiere of “The Fall to Earth” ahead of the album’s release in April, and you’ll find the track below, followed by a quote from the band and more info from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

From Beyond on “The Fall to Earth”:

I wrote “The Fall to Earth” on keys, with what was originally just the progression, and then the melody. I loved the way it felt to play, but when I plugged it into my Juno-106, it turned into something more than I could have expected. I wanted this song to be heavier than gravity. I think we achieved that in spades.

From Beyond are otherworldly and ominous. The music on their Candlelight debut lives up to the implications of the Texas band’s moniker. Sonically, the quartet-Rob [guitars, vocals, synthesizers], Dave [guitar, effects], Brooks [bass, synthesizers, vocals], and Anthony [drums, vocals]-gracefully resemble an orchestra of Kyuss, Soundgarden, and Rush, as if they were conducted by John Carpenter.

The band will release its full-length debut The Band From Beyond on April 20 via Candlelight Records.

On their debut, From Beyond wanted to do something that was steeped in psychedelic horror. They did so by fusing movie elements from the late ’60s and early ’70s. “Films like Simon King of the Witches, Psychomania, and the work of Coffin Joe come to mind. At the same time, I love the scores for Escape from New York and Halloween. I got really into that sparse and minimal approach to synthesis. I wanted to bring those elements to music inspired by Queens of the Stone Age, Sleep, and the writing of H.P. Lovecraft,” frontman Rob McCarthy explains.

In order to capture that combination, the band hunkered down in an Austin, Texas studio with The Sword bassist Bryan Richie in the producer’s chair. Over the course of seven days, they tracked the 14 songs comprising The Band From Beyond, utilizing everything from guitars to vintage analog synths and mellotron.

THE BAND FROM BEYOND TRACK LISTING:
1. Invocation
2. The Fall to Earth
3. Blooming Sun
4. The Slip
5. Lost Way
6. The Color Into Space
7. The Color Out of Space
8. 11:59
9. At Midnight
10. Laura
11. Machine Gun
12. White Marble
13. Black Mirror
14. Synthetic Skin Pt. 1

The Band From Beyond preorders

From Beyond on Thee Faceboks

From Beyond on Bandcamp

Spinefarm Records on The Facebooks

Spinefarm Records on Twitter

Spinefarm Records website

Been a minute since last we heard from Austin four-piece From Beyond, and by that I mean three years since they release their split single with ASG (premiered here) as a free download via Scion A/V. Remember those? Alas, the Scion era may be over, but From Beyond have apparently been working toward a bright future all the while, as the news arrives they’ve inked a deal to put out what will be their debut long-player this Fall via the combined efforts of Candlelight Records and Spinefarm Records. Not too shabby.

As it has been so long, I’m going to make the narrow-minded assumption the record — whatever it winds up being called — is already in the can and that it was duly shopped before being picked up, in part causing a delay. I don’t know any of that, of course, but it’s a narrative that fits. Could just be From Beyond took their time writing, or it’s still in progress. I know nothing about nothing.

Either way, it’s great news for the band, whose grim, suitably candlelit visages you can peep below, courtesy of the PR wire:

Austin’s From Beyond have signed to Candlelight/Spinefarm.

With several EPs, including a split with ASG in their repertoire, the band is ready to take things to the next level by linking up with the label and releasing their debut album this fall.

With a tour history that includes gigs with The Sword, Purson, Truckfighters, and Saint Vitus, From Beyond make new fans and believers the minute they step on any stage.

Blending thundering amplifier stacks and massive drums with synthesizers and effects, the band create something hauntingly familiar in unexplored sonic territory.

Everything you love about horror and all things strange, dark, and heavy find their way into their music in a something-for-everyone approach that leaves no stone unturned — no matter how heavy.

From Beyond is:
Rob McCarthy – Guitar, Vocals, Synthesizers
Dave Grooman – Guitars
Anthony Vallejo – Drums
Brooks Willhoite- Bass

https://www.facebook.com/FromBeyondBand/
https://musicfrombeyond.bandcamp.com/
http://bandfrombeyond.com/
http://www.spinefarmrecords.com/usa/
https://www.facebook.com/spinefarm
https://twitter.com/Spinefarm

From Beyond, “The Fall to Earth”

The formidable likes of Pentagram, Weedeater, Bongzilla, Black Cobra, Kings Destroy, Lo-Pan, Mondo Drag, Venomous Maximus, Today is the Day and many more will take part in Heavy Metal Parking Lot 3 this March in Austin, Texas, as part of SXSW. A two-day event clustered in the madness that is the Texan capitol that week, Heavy Metal Parking Lot 3 is set for March 18 and 19 at The Lost Well, just north of 7th St., and far enough off 6th that if you happen to be in town for SXSW, it’s an easily-enough justified walk (stumble) by the righteousness of those on the bill. You might as well just camp outside the venue to be sure you get back there on the second day.

Or, you know, fall asleep in the gutter, because that’s kind of how it goes at SXSW, or at least it was the last time I was there. Though you can’t deny the wide reach of Heavy Metal Parking Lot 3 in bringing in its headliners from around the Midwest and East and West Coasts, it’s worth pointing out the particular attention paid to supporting local acts, among them Texan outfits like Venomous Maximus — who reportedly have a new album coming this year — as well as Banquet, Sweat Lodge, Destroyer of Light, From Beyond and so on. Cheers to American Icon Presents for making sure all sides are represented.

Lineup follows here, in case you’d like to drool or book a flight or book me a flight, you know, whatever:

HEAVY METAL PARKING LOT 3

Day 1 -Fri Mar 18
WEEDEATER ( Exclusive Performance )
BONGZILLA
Kings Destroy
Black Cobra
Author and Punisher
Today is the Day
Lord Dying
Lo Pan
Against the Grain
Widower
Slurr
Thunderkief

Day 2 – Sat Mar 19
PENTAGRAM ( Exclusive Performance)
Mondo Drag
Venomous Maximus
Sweat Lodge
The Blood Royale
Tower
Sabbath Crow

SPECIAL GUESTS
Destroyer of Light
Banquet
From Beyond
Greenbeard

Day 1 and Day 2 tickets Purchased Separately
Sponsored by American Icon Records (A.I.R)

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heavy-metal-parking-lot-3-day-1-weedeater-bongzilla-tickets-20491750377
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/heavy-metal-parking-lot-3-day-2-pentagram-tickets-19813562900
https://www.facebook.com/events/430113890521968/
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanIconpresents/
https://www.facebook.com/AmericanIconRecords/

Pentagram, “When the Screams Come” live at A.I.R. Expo

Once, a very, very long time ago — okay, it was last December — thoroughly-synthed doom rockers From Beyond traveled from their native Houston to a much different land, Los Angeles. There, they met head to head in riffy combat with North Carolina’s ASG. Alright, so maybe it was less “riffy combat” and more of a Scion Rock Show, but either way, it happened. The date was Dec. 4, the show was free with an RSVP, and to continue their Rock Show series of releases that’s already resulted in the pairings of Fu Manchu/Moab and The Dirty Streets/Indian Handcrafts, Scion A/V is set to issue a split between ASG and From Beyond, and I’m happy to be able to present the latter’s “The Fall to Earth” as a streaming debut to mark the occasion.

That gig, held at the Satellite, was From Beyond‘s first in L.A. and their first as a four-piece. When they put out their 2012 The Color out of Space EP (track stream here), they were a trio, but it was the lineup of Robert McCarthy (guitar/vocals/synth), David Grooman (guitar), Dick Beeman (drums/vocals) and Stephen Finley (bass, Moog Taurus) that landed in Silver Lake, and their Moogery and theatrical atmospherics obviously made an impression. “The Fall to Earth” makes the most of both of these, but that doesn’t take away from the crunching largesse of the rolling riff itself once it gets going. Shades of Electric Wizard give way to spaced-out vocal harmonies, creating a strong hook and a rare balance of emotional resonance, lyrical narrative and doomly engagement.

Structurally, “The Fall to Earth” is pretty simple, setting an ambient bed with its intro before launching into verse/chorus tradeoffs and finally marching out on its fuzzy central figure, but From Beyond remain cohesive in the atmosphere and make the track more than just a meandering freakout while also keeping a decidedly open feel. The Color out of Space was an impressive release from a band who knew where they wanted to be in terms of aesthetic, but we may have only seen the beginnings of From Beyond.

Please find “The Fall to Earth” on the player below, courtesy of Scion A/V, and please enjoy:

The ASG track is set to release March 25. Scion A/V announced yesterday that this year’s Scion Rock Fest will take place in Pomona, CA, on May 17. More info at the links.

Scion A/V Releases

From Beyond on Thee Facebooks

@ScionAV

ASG on Thee Facebooks

Houston-based doom classicists From Beyond will start taking orders for their new The Color Out of Space EP on Halloween. When could be better? The newcomer trio have a pretty strong sense of their aesthetic, blending the brash swagger of the heavy ’70s with American doom’s longstanding horror fetish. Their One Year EP was a solid introductory collection, and it’s no surprise they’re in a hurry to follow it up with The Color Out of Space. Momentum is as momentum does.

The track “The Dead Still Ride” leans more toward heavy biker rock than some of their slower, more atmospheric material, but From Beyond — who seem to have recorded The Color Out of Space with just the duo lineup of guitarist/vocalist Robert McCarthy and drummer/vocalist Richard Beeman, adding bassist/vocalist Tony Kaelin at some point afterwards — remain cohesive in their approach and it’s a fine enough line stylistically that, if you’ve never encountered the band before, you should still be able to get some sense of what they’re about sound-wise.

The band took it upon themselves to release the track yesterday via their Bandcamp, where it follows the previously-unveiled “Hexagram” in advancing The Color Out of Space, but as we had talked about streaming the track over the last week, I’m happy to feature it below, followed by a history contributed by the trio themselves. Please enjoy:

[mp3player width=460 height=150 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=from-beyond.xml]

From Beyond was started in Houston, TX, about a year ago.

Our debut EP, One Year, was released in May of 2012. We played a show with Saint Vitus to celebrate the release of the EP. Saint Vitus loved the EP. Dave and Wino both said that One Year was “killer, man”. We loved hearing that, since One Year wouldn’t have happened without their influence.

We are very much a D.I.Y. band, and this upcoming EP is no exception. We have pulled together all of our resources to produce and release The Color Out of Space EP on 12″ vinyl. Due to the fact that we are putting all of this together without the help of a label or even a Kickstarter, we are only able to release 300 copies of the 12″ EP, but we have made certain that these will be very special editions, with high emphasis on artwork and packaging.

We will have a preorder for The Color Out of Space EP starting on Halloween. The preorder will include some gifts from us, but will be extremely limited.

“The Dead Still Ride” is a pre-release to The Color Out of Space EP. The song is available now to stream or purchase online for only one dollar from our Bandcamp. “The Dead Still Ride” is a departure from some of the music we have made in the past, but showcases our love for biker metal, vocal harmonies, the movie Psychomania, and fits in well with the themes of the upcoming EP.

The artwork for “The Dead Still Ride” was designed by Goatess Dommwych, who also designed the artwork for “Hexagram.”

The record was recorded in a cavernous, dark warehouse, and we put all the songs on tape. In our opinion, tape brings out the warmth of our instruments, and will sound even better once it gets on your turntable.