And so it begins again. It had been my original intention to launch this latest Quarterly Review last week, but as that would’ve had me basically walking out on the holidays with my family, it seemed somehow prickish to be like, “Uh, sorry dudes, riffs call” and split, particularly when there are hours of driving involved. Still, though it’s already running late by the arbitrary calendar in my mind, I’m glad to be able to tackle a batch of releases that both looks back on the last part of 2015 and to the New Year we’ve just entered. As ever, there is a lot, a lot, a lot of ground to cover, so I won’t delay except to remind of what the Quarterly Review actually is:

Between now and this Friday, I will post 10 reviews a day in a single batch grouped like this one. The order is pretty much random, though something higher profile is usually first. It is my intention that each post covers a range of styles, and hopefully within that, you’re able to find something that speaks to you. Many of these releases were sent to me as physical product, and before I start, I want to extend thanks to those groups for undertaking the time and expense of giving me the full representation of their work to hopefully better do mine.

Quarterly Review #1-10:

Jess and the Ancient Ones, Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes

Finnish six-piece Jess and the Ancient Ones pay homage to psych cultistry on their sophomore full-length, Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes (on Svart), and while one might argue with the band marking this out as the “second coming” of psych – I’d say the third, generationally-speaking – the paean to late-‘60s sonic spaciousness in “In Levitating Secret Dreams” is unmistakable, the songwriting of guitarist Thomas Corpse conjuring fervent swirl behind the soulful Grace Slick-isms of vocalist Jess. At 65 minutes, it’s a classic double-LP, but Second Psychedelic Coming seems most engaged in its longer pieces, the eight-minute “Crossroad Lightning,” which pulls back from the urgency of earlier cuts “”The Flying Man” or the opening “Samhain,” and the 22-minute closer “Goodbye to Virgin Grounds Forever,” which has an arrangement to match its scope that unfolds no less gracefully. Some of the more frenetic parts seem to be arguing with themselves, but the overarching vibe remains satisfyingly tripped out and that closer is their to-date masterpiece.

Jess and the Ancient Ones on Thee Facebooks

Jess and the Ancient Ones at Svart Records

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Iguana, Cult of Helios

No big surprise that a record called Cult of Helios would seem to so unabashedly bask in sunshine. The four-track/32-minute sophomore full-length from German heavy psych four-piece Iguana has its driving moments, some in opener “Josiah” but more in the subsequent melodic thriller “Albedo,” but the prevailing sensibility is toward tonal warmth and steady groove. The band – vocalist/guitarist Alexander Lörinczy, guitarist Thomas May, bassist Alexander May and drummer Robert Meier – debuted in 2012 with Get the City Love You (review here), but Cult of Helios is a more cohesive, individualized release, whether it’s the hook of “Albedo,” the Beatles-gone-fuzz of “A Deadlock Situation” or the lush, flowing 15-minute jam of the closing title-track. Iguana’s propensity for blending underlying structure with a wide-open, welcoming atmosphere is writ large over Cult of Helios, and the album shines in a manner befitting its inspiration. A sleeper that begs waking.

Iguana on Thee Facebooks

Iguana website

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Seamount, V: Nitro Jesus

Most long-distance projects fizzle out after a record or two. With a lineup split between Bavaria and Connecticut, doom rockers Seamount have managed to sustain a remote collaboration, the German band of bassist Markus Ströhlein, guitarist Tim Schmidt and drummer Jens Hofmann working with New England-based vocalist Phil Swanson (ex-Earthlord, ex-Hour of 13, Vestal Claret, etc.). The excellently-titled Nitro Jesus (on The Church Within) is their fifth full-length since 2007, and boasts a refined blend of doom, NWOBHM and dark thematics common to Swanson’s lyrics. Tonally crisp but immersive, slow crawlers like “Can’t Escape the Pain” are offset by the ‘80s metal swing of “Beautiful Sadness,” and each side caps with a longer track, whether that’s the seven-minute “Scars of the Emotional Stuntman,” the most singularly sweeping movement here, or the closer “No One Knows,” which has a moodier feel, the guitar recalling Don Henley accompanied by piano as the finale hits its apex. For those who like their metal of tried and true spirit and individual presentation, Nitro Jesus delivers in more than just its name.

Seamount on Thee Facebooks

The Church Within Records

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Gentlemans Pistols, Hustler’s Row

Every now and then you hear a record that reminds you what you love about rock and roll in the first place. It doesn’t need to be the most complicated thing in the world, or the most expressive, or the heaviest or the most whatever of anything else, but like Gentlemans Pistols’ third LP, Hustler’s Row (on Nuclear Blast), if it locks in a special chemistry between its players, that’s more than enough to carry it through. That the UK four-piece are ace songwriters and bolstered by the lead guitar chops of Bill Steer (Firebird, Carcass) for the Thin Lizzy dual-solos – vocalist/guitarist James Atkinson on the other end – helps plenty as well, but with the tight, classic-style grooves brought to across Hustler’s Row by bassist Robert Threapleton and drummer Stuart Dobbins, Gentlemans Pistols give essential heavy rock a non-retro modern interpretation that might leave one wondering why so many people try to ape a ‘70s production to start with.

Gentlemans Pistols on Thee Facebooks

Gentlemans Pistols at Nuclear Blast

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Wired Mind, Mindstate: Dreamscape

Each side of Wired Mind’s Mindstate: Dreamscape LP (on HeviSike Records) gracefully unfolds a lushly-toned, warm, engaging heavy psychedelic sprawl. The chief influence for the Hannover two-piece of guitarist/vocalist Mikey and drummer Chris is their countrymen godfathers Colour Haze, but the duo make their presence felt early on “Road,” the opener and longest-track at 11:01, which balances serene and spaced exploration with post-Kyuss “Thumb” shuffle, all the more enticing for having been recorded live, conjuring Echoplex spaciousness around the repeated line, “All we gotta do is love.” Both sides work on the same structure of a longer track feeding into a shorter one, “Road”’s considerable amassed thickness giving way to the winding groove of “Jennifer’s Dream of a Switchblade” while the Duna Jam-ready vibes permeating from “Wired Dream” finding a moving complement in closer “Woman,” which effectively captures desert rock rhythmic propulsion. As their debut, Mindstate: Dreamscape feels conceptually and stylistically cohesive, and sets Wired Mind up with a sonic breadth on which to continue to build.

Wired Mind on Thee Facebooks

Wired Mind at HeviSike Records

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Automaton, Echoes of Mount Ida

Greek heavy rollers Automaton revisit their 2013 debut full-length, Echoes of Mount Ida, for a limited vinyl release. The four-track offering initially surfaced coated in burl and massive riffing, but a remix adds psychedelic edge to the lumbering fervor of “Fear,” on which the Athenian five-piece are joined by Scott “Dr. Space” Heller of Øresund Space Collective for added synth and swirl. He delivers, and the opener also adds guest vocals from Nancy Simeonidou, but the remix keeps things consistent as Automaton transition into the chugging “Beast of War,” a complex near-djent rhythm (which will find complement in the end of “Echoes of Mount Ida” itself) smoothly met by drummer Lykourgos to finish side A of the LP while the locked-in nod of “Breathe in Stone” bleeds into the closing title-track as Automaton offer riffy largesse set in a spacious backdrop like mountains in the distance. Interesting to see if the semi-reboot of their debut is indicative of some overall shift in direction, but at least on the vinyl offering, it makes their sound that much broader.

Automaton on Thee Facebooks

Sound Effect Records

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Sideburn, Evil or Divine

Between Martin Karlsson’s keys (also bass) and vocalist Dimitri Keiski’s propensity to soar, the mood turns epic pretty quick on Sideburn’s fifth album, Evil or Divine (on Metalville Records). The Swedish foursome’s latest shares more than just its titular reference in common with Dio — who, in addition to the lyric from “The Last in Line” had a live record with the same title – but keep a foot in doom territory throughout, drummer Fredrik Haake playing with metallic precision and an edge of swing as Morgan Zocek pulls out leads over “Sea of Sins.” The later “The Day the Sun Died” is particularly post-Ozzy Iommic, but Evil or Divine benefits from the kick in the ass that the penultimate “Evil Ways” seems only too happy to provide before “Presence” finishes on a hopeful note. Definitely more fist-pump than nod, Evil or Divine cries out to legions of the brave who want a thicker groove than modern metal is willing to provide without giving up the occasional cause to headbang.

Sideburn on Thee Facebooks

Metalville Records

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Year of the Cobra, The Black Sun

Seattle-based bass/drum duo Year of the Cobra had two labels pick up their debut EP, The Black Sun, between Devil’s Child Records and DHU Records, and they’ve signed to STB Records for the follow-up, so it seems safe to say their three-track outing has gotten a solid response. The songs make a compelling argument for why. With vocals that recall Soph Day from Alunah on opener “White Wizard” before delving into faster, more punkish fare on “The Black Sun” itself, Year of the Cobra serve immediate notice of a breadth in their sound, and the seven-minute wah-bass finale “Wasteland” enacts a low-end swirl that pushes even further out while keeping hold of itself via steady, tense drumming. That finisher is a particular high point, with bassist/vocalist Amy Tung Barrysmith self-harmonizing in layers over the steady build and drummer Johanes Barrysmith making sure the considerable tone keeps moving forward. Easy to hear why they’ve found such support in such a short time.

Year of the Cobra on Thee Facebooks

Dark Hedonistic Union Records

Devil’s Child Records

STB Records

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Drive by Wire, The Whole Shebang

The third long-player from Dutch four-maybe-five-piece Drive by Wire, The Whole Shebang gets more complex as it goes. Its first couple tracks, “Kerosine Dreams” [sic], “Woodlands,” “The Whole Shebang” and “Five Ft. High” are deeply indebted to desert rock circa Songs for the Deaf, tonally and even in some of Simone Holsbeek’s sing/talk call and responses on “Woodlands.” From there, “Rituals,” “In This Moment” and the moody “River Run” and “Promised the Night” push into more individual ground, and even though they tie it back together in the album’s third and final movement with “Rotor Motor,” “All Around” and “Voodoo You Do,” the context has changed, and by the time guitarist Alwin Wubben swells lead lines behind the verse of the closer, the fuzz of “Kerosine Dreams” is a distant memory. Completed by bassist Marcel Zerb and drummer Jerome Miedendorp de Bie, Drive by Wire wind up on a considerable journey, and while the title at first seems off-the-cuff, it works out to be a whole shebang indeed.

Drive by Wire on Thee Facebooks

Drive by Wire webstore

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Akris, Fall EP

Relaunched as a trio in the first half of 2015, Virginia trio Akris made a studio return with the four-song/32-minute Fall EP, which probably should’ve been called a full-length and probably should’ve been pressed to vinyl (paging Tony Reed to master and STB Records to release…), but the digital-only offering finds Akris and particularly founding bassist/vocalist Helena Goldberg anything but apprehensive as she, guitarist/vocalist Paul Cogle (Nagato, Black Blizzard) and drummer Tim Otis (Admiral Browning) follow-up the band’s raucous sans-guitar 2013 self-titled full-length debut (review here), balancing plodding grooves, melody and abrasion deftly atop rumble and riffs in “Forgiven” as Goldberg swaps between screams and grunge-styled croons. The subsequent “People in the Sky” is less patient, and caps its nine-minute run with a barrage of noise rock synth that continues at the start of closer “Alley Doorway” but ultimately recedes (momentarily) to let that song establish its own course of loud/quiet tradeoffs and resonant exploration. Unless Akris are planning a series of seasonal short releases, I see no reason why Fall EP shouldn’t be characterized as a second long-player and heralded for the bold expansion of the band’s approach it represents.

Akris on Thee Facebooks

Akris on Bandcamp

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Click Here to Download

 

[mp3player width=480 height=200 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=aot53.xml]

Yeah, it hasn’t been that long since the last podcast, I know, but my thinking on it was like this: Doesn’t matter. First off, not like anybody’s keeping tabs to see how long it’s been between one and the next. Second, I had the time to do it and I never really know these days when that’s going to happen, so I figured better to take advantage while I could. Third, screw it, it’s music. Who’s gonna complain?

I won’t say I never know what to expect when I put a podcast together like this, but sometimes these things take unexpected turns, and that definitely happened this time. Things got pretty heavy, pretty quickly, and while there are a couple sharp cuts between sounds, I kind of wanted to make that happen to offset how far things got. Noisy, thrashy, doomy, and that’s really all in the first hour, because in the second, it’s pretty much all space. I very much enjoy the second-hour-is-psych-as-hell thing, and I gotta say, this might be the best one I’ve arranged. I’m willing to wager that as you make your way through you won’t be able to tell where one song ends and the next one starts without looking at the time stamps below. Obviously, that’s the whole idea.

Enjoy:

First Hour:
0:00:00 Gentlemans Pistols, “Time Wasters” from Hustler’s Row
0:05:46 Irata, “March by Tens” from Sweet Loris
0:10:25 Skraeckoedlan, “Gigantos” from Sagor
0:17:47 Tombstones, “Barren Fields” from Vargariis
0:27:05 With the Dead, “Crown of Burning Stars” from With the Dead
0:33:23 All Them Witches, “Open Passageways” from Dying Surfer Meets His Maker
0:36:35 Vhöl, “Red Chaos” from Deeper than Sky
0:41:37 Saviours, “Hell’s Floor” from Palace of Vision
0:45:49 Jess and the Ancient Ones, “In Levitating Secret Dreams” from Second Psychedelic Coming: The Aquarius Tapes
0:49:01 King Dead, “The Firmament of Heaven Opened, and the Flood Waters Were upon Them,” from Woe and Judgment
0:57:35 Dave Heumann, “Switchback” from Here in the Deep

Second Hour:
1:01:26 Mammatus, “Sparkling Waters Pt. One” from Sparkling Waters
1:23:19 Valley, “Picture Puzzle Pattern Door” from Sunburst
1:33:16 Humulus, “Red Star, Winter Orbit” from Electric Walrus
1:44:29 Shabda, “Pharmakos” from Pharmakon/Pharmakos

Total running time: 2:04:54

 

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 053

 

We’re just 10 days from Leeds-based heavy rockers Gentlemans Pistols releasing their third long-player, Hustler’s Row, which will also serve as their label debut on Nuclear Blast. If that doesn’t feel like an occasion worth marking, you probably haven’t heard the band yet. Their second album, At Her Majesty’s Pleasure, came out in 2011, and they join the classic-heavy-rocking ranks of labelmates Graveyard and Kadavar in proffering natural tones and groovy vibes throughout their boogie-prone tracks, bolstered by the guitar work of Bill Steer, also of Firebird and grind-fiends Carcass, also now labelmates to Gentlemans Pistols.

If you’d like to get introduced to what the four-piece, who were also recently confirmed for an appearance at Roadburn 2016, have to offer on Hustler’s Row, they’ve made it easy with a new video for “Devil’s Advocate on Call.” I’m not entirely sure who the hitman in the video is working for, but he’s pretty clearly intended to be the titular advocate, so take from that what you will and, more importantly, dig into the track itself, which has ’70s swing and bounce down pat in league quality-wise with modern practitioners Spidergawd, which if you know how much I dig that band, you know isn’t a comparison I’m likely to toss around without due provocation.

I’ll admit that the This is England reference is lost on me, but the video follows anyhow, complete with PR wire whathaveyou afterwards, and if you’re down with George Newton, then all the better:

Gentlemans Pistols, “Devil’s Advocate on Call” official video

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS: new video feat. “This Is England” actor premieres online

Retro-infused melodic groovers GENTLEMANS PISTOLS may sound reminiscent of many of the great unsung bands of the seventies, but they present their music with a completely original and organic freshness all of it’s own. This is evident in a new track that the band have just revealed online in the form of an official video. Watch and listen to ‘Devil’s Advocate On Call’ in all its swagger and glory.

Fans of the Shane Meadows British drama This Is England should recognise the knife-wielding moustachioed Banjo playing a lead in the video too! Actor George Newton appears as the hard man who is hunting down the band.

Gents commented on the new track: “It’s a harmony laden boogie about being disillusioned. The performance was shot at Staincross Working Man’s Club just outside of Barnsley and then the other scenes were done in the surrounding area. David Pickering directed the video and did a fantastic job. It’s basically an updated take on the Sweeney and programs of that ilk in which we are wanted, much like the A-Team, for a crime that we didn’t commit.”

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS have been causing a stir on the underground for a while now with their debauched lyrics, killer melodies and general Northern rock ‘n’ roll bravado. Speaking about the new release, James Atkinson comments: “With this album, we tried to make a record that we would want to listen to; one that was heavy but melodic, intense but catchy, thoughtful but unruly. A record for reprobates and romantics, for gentlemen and hustlers.?

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS are:
James Atkinson – vocals/guitars
Bill Steer – guitars
Stuart Dobbins – drums
Robert Threapleton – bass

Gentlemans Pistols website

Gentlemans Pistols on Thee Facebooks

Gentlemans Pistols at Nuclear Blast

I know that Hexvessel‘s return to Roadburn and Skepticism playing a fan-picked set of favorites from out of their groundbreaking catalog are probably more likely to grab the headlines, and I get it. I saw Hexvessel there in 2012 and it’s still a pleasant memory, and the thought of hearing Skepticism play something from Stormcrowfleet is enough to get the doomer in me to lift his depressive head from where it’s resting on his arms. That said, what’s really kicked my ass in this latest batch of announcements from Roadburn 2016, the much-venerable fest geared up for next April in its ritual home of Tilburg, the Netherlands, is the thought of seeing wildly underrated, largely inactive and unflinchingly badass rockers Astrosoniq play a set.

It’s been a hot minute since the last time I wrote about the band, and even longer since their latest album, Quadrant (review here), was released in 2009, but even more than half a decade later I can still hear “Downfall Lover” and “As Soon as They Got Airborne” ringing in my head, and I made my way back through their catalog after that album — with some thoroughly appreciated help from the band — and interviewed drummer Marcel van de Vondervoort, also known for helming the audio recordings from each Roadburn, and have considered myself a fan ever since. And it’s even more of a killer prospect since Roadburn‘s artistic directer, Walter, will provide live visuals while they play. Anyone who watched The Heads this year on the Main Stage of the 013 and was hypnotized by the oozing colors and ’70s hotties knows that’s a special treat and not something that happens for just anybody.

So yeah, fucking Astrosoniq. Way down at the bottom of the post is the YouTube clip with Quadrant in its entirety if you’ve never had the chance to check it out. Consider it a win that they’re even playing again, whether or not you get to see it:

SKEPTICISM

Finnish funeral doom pioneers SKEPTICISM have been long over due for a Roadburn appearance, so we’re excited to announce that the band will not only play on Saturday, April 16, along with Neurosis and Amenra, but that they will play a fan-favorite set exclusively for the festival to celebrate their oeuvre.

Over the next few weeks we will keep you informed about how to vote for your picks; whether it’s tracks from Stormcrowfleet – a genuine underground classic and the band’s innovative funeral doom touchstone; the stunning Alloy; or SKEPTICISM’s latest album, the much lauded, Ordeal. You can take your pick from their entire back catalogue.

To find out more about Skepticism at Roadburn, click HERE.

HEXVESSEL

Enigmatic “spirit-trafficking” Finnish forest-psych weirdos HEXVESSEL will play the main stage at Roadburn Festival 2016 on Thursday 14 April. They will be performing material from their forthcoming, folk-tinged, acid-rock opus, alongside selections from their last three seminal releases.

HEXVESSEL’s main man Mat McNerney comments: “We are so honoured to have been invited to play the main stage at 013 on Thursday at Roadburn 2016. We couldn’t think of a more fitting place to debut the new material from our forthcoming album. Releasing our third album just before our third visit to Roadburn feels like a cosmic sign, it was meant to be!”

Renowned Romanian artist, Costin Chioreanu, will be providing bespoke visuals to accompany HEXVESSEL’s Roadburn set.

To find out more about Hexvessel at Roadburn, click HERE.

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS

GENTLEMAN’S PISTOLS bring with them the promise of a good old fashioned Yorkshire knees up; a party long into the night, with the drink free-flowing and the riffs a-plenty. The raucous four piece have been packing out sweaty venues around Europe for years now, honing their rock’n’roll swagger into a not-to-be-missed, electrifying performance. We’re thrilled to have the retro-infused four piece bring their melodic grooves to Roadburn, on Sunday April 17. Gentlemen, hustlers – and everybody in between – are more than welcome.

To find out more about Gentleman’s Pistols at Roadburn, click HERE.

THE POISONED GLASS

Four-string subsonic drone wizard G Stuart Dahlquist and black-lunged banshee Edgy 59 surely need no introduction at this point – need we mention Burning Witch, Sunn O))) and Asva? – so you can imagine exactly how excited we were to discover that the gruesome twosome were once more working on music together under the name THE POISONED GLASS. With a debut album out via Ritual Productions in early 2016, we’re already looking forward to drinking deep from THE POISONED GLASS at Roadburn 2016 on Thursday, April 14.

To find out more about The Poisoned Glass at Roadburn, click HERE.

ASTROSONIQ

Cleverly named the “Wizards of Oss” after their hometown, ASTROSONIQ have the musical prowess to blend genres and easily transcend any given sound, as captured on their four stunning and much-lauded albums.

It was heartbreaking to witness ASTROSONIQ’s inactivity over the past few years, but being able to announce the band’s return to Roadburn 2016 for a very rare performance on Saturday, April 16, is more than we could ever hope to do. The fact that the band will plunge deep into full blown space-rock territory is beyond our comprehension.

To find out more about Astrosoniq at Roadburn, click HERE.

KLONE

In keeping with the tradition of treading a fine line between progressive rock and (post-)metal, we’re excited to announce that French quintet metallers KLONE will be playing on Sunday, April 17. The band’s latest, seventh, full-length albumHere Comes The Sun, the follow up, to 2012’s Dreamer’s Hideaway, heads in a more progressive direction – KLONE excels at pairing prog-rock with atmospheric metal and bringing in a delicate ambience to create an ethereal yet visceral sound.

The band’s rich, passionate and accessible tapestry is brilliantly executed, and those who enjoyed Opeth and Anathema at previous editions of Roadburn, will be sure to find a new favorite band in Klone.

To find out more about Klone at Roadburn, click HERE.

YODOK III

Primarily a study in avant-garde, YODOK III, comprised of guitarist Dirk Serries, drummer Tomas Järmyr and Kristoffer Lo (tuba), is bridging genres like ambient, free jazz, drone, shoegaze, post-rock, and even classical into a mind bending tapestry. YODOK III is certainly from the jazz school of thought, but jazz this is not! We can’t wait for the band to discard all musical boundaries at Roadburn 2016.

To find out more about Yodok III at Roadburn, click HERE.

NIBIRU

Transformative, terrifying and a journey to the most unstable shores of consciousness, Turin, Italy’s NIBIRU are the sonic equivalent of the sense-overload torture scene in A Clockwork Orange, only meted out to your third eye. “Harmony, sacrifice, fury, passion. Music is our life expression. Playing at Roadburn will give us an incomparable emotive force. It’s a truly honour to be part of a huge and intense event like this”, declares NIBIRU frontman Ardath.

To find out more about Nibiru at Roadburn, click HERE.

FURTHER TICKETING INFORMATION
In addition to the information sent out last week regarding the Roadburn 2016 ticket on sale date – October 2 for those who missed it – we have some additional information for people who wish to buy their tickets in person. Sounds in Tilburg will be open for you to purchase tickets in person from 18.30 – 20.30, and showing your Roadburn ticket at the door will get you entry to two Roadburn-approved gigs in the city that evening. Click HERE for all the details.

Roadburn Festival takes place at the 013 venue, Tilburg, The Netherlands, between 14 – 17 April 2016. The line up this year includes Neurosis (30th anniversary), Paradise Lost (performing Gothic in full), curation by Lee Dorrian, Amenra, The Skull, La Muerte, Of The Wand And The Moon, and Green Carnation.

Roadburn Festival takes place at the 013 venue, Tilburg, The Netherlands, between 14 – 17 April 2016.

Tickets for the festival will be on sale from October 2 2015

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

Astrosoniq, Quadrant (2009)

When the announcement came out a week ago that Leeds heavy rockers had signed to Nuclear Blast for the release of their next album, Hustler’s Row, it was a little unclear to me whether the album was coming this or next year. I’m sure everyone else got it. I’m just a little slow. Either way, we have our answer. Oct. 16, 2015, is the release date for Hustler’s Row, the cover art and tracklisting for which have been revealed today.

The PR wire has it like this:

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS announce track listing and unveil the artwork for “Hustler’s Row”

“Hustler’s Row is a cathartic journey through the last five years of my life. The album begins with questions of where my life is going and ends with me heading straight down Hustler’s Row; on a turbulent voyage of the sweetest sufferings and the most inexpensive of thrills.” says vocalist and guitarist James Atkinson on the band’s third album released worldwide via Nuclear Blast on 16th October.

“The artwork is by John Pearson and it encapsulates everything I put across in the title track, that Hustler’s Row is a place for freaks, losers, lovers and those searching for something more from life. So we invite you to join us on the Row.. “

The artwork shows a grisly dystopian vision of a British street, overflowing with violence, gloom and insanity. Rabid dogs and Hitchcock-esque ominous birds loom over the flailing limbs and blood red lettering spelling out ‘Hustler’s Row’.

“Our old guitarist, Chris Rogers, lived on a street called Hustler’s Row in Leeds…” comments Atkinson “…it’s actually a really nice place, but to me, the name evoked an image of a place of desolation and despair, so the lyrics I wrote have no connection to that street at all. It was Bill that thought it would make a good album title and it seemed to make sense as it is the final song on the album too.”

Hustler’s Row formats and tracklistings are as follows:
CD
1. The Searcher
2. Devil’s Advocate On Call
3. Time Wasters
4. Private Rendezvous
5. Stress And Confusion
6. Personal Fantasy Wonderland
7. Lady Teaser
8. Dazzle Drizzler
9. Coz Of You
10. Hustler’s Row

Limited Edition Gatefold Vinyl
Side A
1. The Searcher
2. Devil’s Advocate On Call
3. Time Wasters
4. Private Rendezvous
5. Stress And Confusion
Side B
1. Personal Fantasy Wonderland
2. Lady Teaser
3. Dazzle Drizzler
4. Coz Of You
5. Hustler’s Row

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS’ last album At Her Majesty’s Pleasure was released to great acclaim in 2011, the band has performed at UK and international festivals such as Desertfest, Hammerfest, Long Division and Fuji Rock festival in Japan previously toured with the likes of WITCHCRAFT, LEAF HOUND and PENTAGRAM.

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS are:
James Atkinson – vocals/guitars
Bill Steer – guitars
Stuart Dobbins – drums
Robert Threapleton – bass

www.gentlemanspistols.co.uk
www.facebook.com/Gentlemans-Pistols
www.nuclearblast.de/gentlemanspistols
https://www.facebook.com/nuclearblastusa

My prevailing association with Leeds four-piece Gentlemans Pistols is the phrase, “the best band in Britain.” That’s what I was told about them prior to seeing them play at Desertfest London in 2012, and while I don’t know if I could really be a judge of that kind of thing at all, not living there, they definitely kicked all kinds of ass on stage that night at The Underworld. At the time, their second full-length, At Her Majesty’s Pleasure, was still pretty new. It’s been four years now since it was released, so to call them due seems fair — it was a similar pause between their 2007 self-titled debut and that album — and the news has come down the PR wire that, whenever it arrives, their third offering, Hustler’s Row, will be issued via Nuclear Blast as part of that label’s ever-expanding heavy rock portfolio.

Here’s the announcement:

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS sign global deal with Nuclear Blast!

Leeds based riffers GENTLEMANS PISTOLS have been causing a stir on the underground for a while now with their debauched lyrics, melodic groove and general Yorkshire rock ‘n’ roll swagger.

Formed as a three-piece back in 2003, the band has gone through a variety of line-up changes throughout their career and has now stabilized as a four-piece and is prepared to unleash their magnum opus through Nuclear Blast next autumn.

The band comments: “GENTLEMANS PISTOLS are very pleased to announce the upcoming release of their third album, Hustler‘s Row, on Nuclear Blast. The album was recorded by singer/guitarist James Atkinson at Mutiny Studios in Bradford and reflects nearly five years of experience for the band: good times, bad times, boredom, exhilaration, heartache, frustration and wonder. With this album, we tried to make a record that we would want to listen to; one that was heavy but melodic, intense but catchy, thoughtful but unruly. A record for reprobates and romantics, for gentlemen and hustlers.?

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS‘ last album At Her Majesty’s Pleasure was released to great acclaim in 2011, the band has performed at UK and international festivals such as Desertfest, Hammerfest, Long Division and Fuji Rock festival in Japan previously toured with the likes of WITCHCRAFT, LEAF HOUND and PENTAGRAM.

GENTLEMANS PISTOLS are:
James Atkinson – vocals/guitars
Bill Steer – guitars
Stuart Dobbins – drums
Robert Threapleton – bass

Visit GENTLEMANS PISTOLS online:
www.gentlemanspistols.co.uk
www.facebook.com/pages/Gentlemans-Pistols/340601796105
www.nuclearblast.de/gentlemanspistols

Gentlemans Pistols, “Your Majesty”

At this point, Orange Goblin‘s holiday shows and tours are the stuff of legend. Like rehab in reverse. I’ve never been fortunate enough to attend one myself, but my understanding is they keep a cooler nearby with a few spare livers, just in case anyone’s should give out before the night is through.

It’s a little bittersweet this year, though, since as a semi-proud Jersey Boy, I’m used to seeing Solace taking part in the debauchery. Nonetheless, the show must go on, and joining Orange Goblin at the Underworld in Camden, are Gentlemans Pistols and Sigiriya, who’ve also confirmed a September release for their recently-reviewed album, Return to Earth. More to come on that, but in the meantime, here’s the flier for the show: