Posted in Whathaveyou on March 4th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Based in Miami and Atlanta, the Southeastern two-piece of Juan Montoya (ex-Torche) and Evan DiPrima (ex-Royal Thunder) form the core of Moon Destroys, and their mission, at least judging by the bit of their aptly-titled debut EP, Maiden Voyage, that I’ve had the chance to hear, would seem to be to further blur the line between heavy and prog, which is a barrier that over the last several years has only become increasingly obscure. Inevitably that will lead to a snap-back/regression sooner or later, but that’s years away, frankly, and in the interim, an outfit like Moon Destroys, which brings shades of Montoya‘s brighter-tinged guitar work along with guest vocals from Cynic‘s Paul Masvidal and Mastodon‘s Troy Sanders — working that prog angle — makes for a fascinating as well as head-spinning listen. You can stream “Blue Giant” below, which is the cut with Sanders, and it’s one to keep up with, but it proves worth the effort to do so.
Something cool to check out that doesn’t sound like everything else? Yeah, I’ll give that upwards of four minutes out of my day, thanks. Preorders are also a thing.
Dig:
MOON DESTROYS (ex-TORCHE, ex-ROYAL THUNDER): Announce Debut EP Maiden Voyage coming March 27th
MOON DESTROYS is the brainchild of guitarist Juan Montoya (ex-Torche) and drummer Evan Diprima ( Brother Hawk, ex-Royal Thunder). Having written together in various configurations for over a decade, they now come together under the auspices of celestial forces with a new project to unveil their mesmerizing debut EP Maiden Voyage.
An experiment of truly galactic proportions, MOON DESTROYS blend heavy riffage with psychedelic flourishes and vivid imagery across two intricately designed centerpiece tracks; “Blue Giant” along with “Stormbringer” featuring the gorgeous vocals of Paul Masvidal (Cynic) and layers of synths from Bryan Richie (The Sword). Three instrumental bursts connect the pieces together to create one mind-melting trip across the cosmic highway! Maiden Voyage is an absorbing, dynamic and forward-thinking debut that explores the new frontiers of heavy music in the 21st century.
Maiden Voyage will be released on March 27th on LP/Digital via Brutal Panda Records and is available for pre-order at this LOCATION.
Tracklisting: 1. At The End Of Time 2. Blue Giant (feat. Troy Sanders) 3. The Shores Of The Cosmic Ocean 4. Stormbringer (feat. Paul Masvidal) 5. The Edge Of Forever
Later this summer will mark 15 years since the release of Mastodon‘s second album, Leviathan. No doubt there will be something down to celebrate the anniversary, either by the band itself or by the label, Relapse Records, who put it out, and one could hardly argue. What was one of the best heavy albums of the aughts remains infectious in its energy right from the outset of “Blood and Thunder,” the tense riff paying off in a guest vocal appearance from Clutch‘s Neil Fallon as the Atlanta four-piece of Troy Sanders (bass, vocals), Brent Hinds (guitar, vocals), Bill Kelliher (guitar) and Brann Dailor (drums) crafted a tempest befitting the song and album’s seafaring, Moby Dick-derived theme. “White whale, holy grail,” and so on. Across 10 tracks and 46 minutes, Mastodon demonstrated a dynamic approach that not only took a leap forward from their 2002 debut, Remission, but was essentially a leap forward for heavy metal, striking out in a direction that saw no reason to compromise between impact and progressivism, driven by Dailor‘s snare-overload mania on drums to conjure an urgency that by then was lacking in the dominant creative staleness of metalcore, and that hit with a diversity of songwriting, a balance of melody and burl, and a winding course that every bit sounded like the future. Leviathan‘s impact was immediate and a decade and a half later, it is ongoing.
I got married in a Leviathan t-shirt. Relapse still sells it — it’s the one with the whale from the incredible Paul A. Romano cover art on front — and it felt classy enough to with a tuxedo. Like Metallica before them and Conan after, Mastodon had their time as a band who, when you saw someone else wearing their shirt, it said something about them. Around the time of Leviathan, it was safe to assume that person knew what was up. Radio had largely abandoned metal unless you had a satellite account. Social media existed if you were willing to sit in front of a computer to get it — and plenty people were — and file-sharing had largely gone underground from the Napster fallout. Print media existed but was unmistakably in decline, and the sphere of digital outlets was nowhere near as broad as it was today. Still everyone, seemed to agree on this record. Granted, Mastodon were a big enough band to divide opinion — people either actively liked or actively disliked them — but consensus generally was Mastodon had created something special in the furies of “Ísland,” “Iron Tusk” and “I am Ahab,” the surprising Southern rock departure in “Megalodon,” the sprawling crescendo of the 13-minute “Hearts Alive” and the more melodic and catchy “Naked Burn” and the righteous preach of the second guest vocal spot, this one from Neurosis‘ Scott Kelly — who’d join Mastodon in the studio and tour with them on more than one occasion — and it was their ability to control it that truly made their sound so powerful. Yeah, they were absolutely putting on a clinic in terms of technicality, but whether it was the throaty moans of “I am Ahab” or the acoustic comedown in closer “Joseph Merrick,” there was nothing Mastodon did that loosened their grasp on the material. I once heard Tom Araya or Kerry King from Slayer — can’t remember which — describe Dave Lombardo‘s drumming by saying that it sounds like the whole song is going to crash and come flying apart at all times, but it never does. With Mastodon during the Leviathan era, that was the whole band. They struck at the perfect generational moment to spearhead a new wave of progressive metal, and the impact of their work in doing that is continuing to flesh out. At this point, they’re a band other bands grew up listening to.
Was Leviathan the Millennial Master of Puppets? I don’t know, but it was definitely the Leviathan, and that seems like enough.
There have been continual vinyl pressings done since the release, and my only issue with that would be it would preclude listening at such a volume as to vibrate the stylus over the platter, but for me, Leviathan has always worked best in linear form. A 46-minute CD, front to back. I won’t discount the appeal of a side flip as a moment to catch one’s breath — arguably necessary after “Aqua Dementia” — but the way the songs tie together while still providing standout moments, and the breadth of the album as a whole, it just seems to function as one larger piece. Even the way “Ísland” ends and “Iron Tusk” picks up on the next beat, or the way “Blood and Thunder” seems to cut with just the slightest stutter into “I am Ahab.” With the recording of Matt Bayles, Mastodon were able to capture a blend of nuance and pummel that, no matter how many others would try to pick up on what they were doing, remains largely unmatched by whatever measurement you care to use.
Before Blood Mountain surfaced in 2006, Mastodon departed Relapse for Warner Bros. subsidiary Reprise Records. I remember their statement about the signing was almost apologetic. They’d go on to do what many consider their greatest work in 2008’s Crack the Skye, but to be honest, by then they’d pretty much lost me. I’ve still never really sat with that record or anything they’ve done since, though I’ve seen them live on several occasions between then and now. The Hunter in 2011 and Once More ‘Round the Sun in 2014 garnered mixed reviews, but 2017’s Emperor of Sand seemed to do well for them, which is fine. They always have a good showing in the year-end polls here. Once Blood Mountain came out, the balance of impact and intensity against melody and progginess shifted, and once that happens on such a scale, there’s no real going back. I’m sure I’ve missed out, but somehow I don’t think Mastodon are exactly hurting without my ultra-fandom. I continue to appreciate Leviathan and Remission, and even the earlier Lifesblood EP and split with American Heritage — plus that time they covered Thin Lizzy‘s “Emerald”; that was fun — to a lesser extent, for the landmark accomplishments they were. Are. Will continue to be. That’s probably enough.
As always, I hope you enjoy.
—
I have a cold. Fuckers. The baby gave it to me, which, yes, I take personally. No doubt he meant to do it. Malicious intent behind it and all that. He’s been letting me know via boogers all week what he thinks of my pitiful attempts at parenting. Can’t say I’d do different were I in his position. I am pretty awful at being a dad.
Next week we’re down in Jersey for a good portion of the time. Kind of a surprise jaunt south, but we’ll be there long enough for me to go see YOB, Voivod and Amenra in Brooklyn and that’ll be fun assuming I can remember to bring my camera. The show is at Warsaw, which I’m not sure I’ve ever actually been to, but has been doing shows for a long time. Keeping my fingers crossed for a photo pit so I can actually go and both take pictures and enjoy the show. We’ll see.
This weekend is a new episode of The Obelisk Show on Gimme Radio. Sunday, 7PM EDT. Listen at http://gimmeradio.com. Please. It covers some cool stuff from the Quarterly Review and other odds and ends that have been kicking my ass lately, like the new Valley of the Sun, which is easily their best work to-date.
Notes for next week? Yeah, I’ve got some. Hang on.
Okay Subject to change, of course:
MON 04/01 THE DRUIDS REVIEW; CEGVERA VIDEO PREMIERE; KANDODO VIDEO
TUE 04/02 THE DEVIL AND THE ALMIGHTY BLUES REVIEW; MORASS OF MOLASSES PREMIERE
WED 04/03 STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC VIDEO PREMIERE
THU 04/04 THE DRY MOUTHS ALBUM STREAM
FRI 04/05 YOB LIVE REVIEW
Busy busy. Probably for the best. Even with this cold, which I’m very much hoping will dissipate over the weekend and both I and the baby can leave bastard-mode go back to our non-boogery selves. We shall see.
In the meantime, slept poorly last night. I went to bed after picking The Patient Mrs. up at work, circa 5PM, but was reading a Deep Space Nine book (Ascendance, if you’re curious) and didn’t get to sleep, so came back downstairs for Pecan bedtime ritual and subsequent delicious leftovers dinner, then did my own futz ritual and went back to bed. I was asleep around 8PM maybe, or before that, and the alarm went off at 4AM to get up and come do this. Was up around 10:30 though, my head reeling and congested. Always forget about that with colds. You have to find just the right angle so the mucus drains and doesn’t drown you while you sleep. Shit is difficult.
And yet there are people who believe humans were intelligently designed, like your snot was made in the image of god. Even if you want to believe humans were “designed,” intelligence would not seem to have been a factor in the slightest. If it were, people probably wouldn’t believe in things like intelligent design.
But hey, how ’bout that Mueller report though, huh? Turns out no one’s coming to save us.
At least it’s baseball season.
I hope you have a great and safe weekend. I’m gonna go grab the baby, who’s awake, and start the day. Please check out Forum, Radio and merch at Dropout.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 6th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
As to just how many decades ahead of her time Jarboe remains, science is still unclear. A new study published in the journal Physics postulates that in fact her work doesn’t emanate from this timeline at all, and is rather an import from another dimension. Certainly there are arguments to be made in favor of such theories, but the inarguable fact of her massive catalog speaks to more localized cosmic origins. Her work is, however, consistently unique unto itself, and she’ll add to the aforementioned discography next month by issuing The Cut of the Warrior via Translation Loss. Comprised of four songs and three remixes — a certain amount of manipulation in the material is to be expected, no? — it’s the first Jarboe outing since… last year, when she released the 4CD Artbox, which easily lived up to its title.
We go now live to the PR wire at the portal between universes:
Jarboe announces “The Cut of the Warrior”
Translation Loss Records December 14, 2018
Jarboe offers a spiritually enlightened work titled “The Cut of the Warrior”. Four gorgeous compositions that pull inspiration from Jarboe’s kinship to buddhism are meticulously crafted and presented. The album is armed with three alternative mixes/collaborations with Byla (featuring members of Gorguts, Dysrhythmia), End Christian and Kris Force (Amber Asylum) while being housed in a stunning layout by Dehn Sora.
“The Cut of the Warrior refers to the practice of Chöd by illustrating repeated attempts to cut through the ego”, explains Jarboe. “The Chöd practitioner seeks to tap the power of fear through activities such as rituals set in graveyards and visualizations of offering their bodies in a tantric feast in order to put their understanding of emptiness to the ultimate test.”
“The Cut of the Warrior” will be released on December 14, 2018.
Track Listing: 1. Wayfaring Stranger In The Bardo 2. GodGoddess 3. Feast 4. Karuna 5. Karuna (Byla mix) 6. Wayfaring Stranger In The Bardo (End Christian mix) 7. GodGoddess reprise (Kris Force mix)
Album credits: Written, performed, recorded by Jarboe Mastered by Kris Force
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 21st, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Preorders are up now for Reborn of Dead Light, the second album from Georgian four-piece Dead Hand. The record is out Sept. 7 through Divine Mother Recordings and features the artwork of Jean Saiz, also known as the guitarist/vocalist of Floridian dark-sludgers Shroud Eater, with whom Dead Hand shared a split release (review here) late in 2016. That was the last time Dead Hand were heard from, but the band have the opening track “Alabaster and Bone” streaming right now as well as the CD bonus track “Them Bones,” a cover of the opener from Alice in Chains‘ classic Dirt album which, indeed, may never have sounded dirtier than it does with Dead Hand‘s take.
Both of those cuts are streaming below for your perusal. Before you get there, the PR wire has info, tour dates and links, all of which looks like this:
Sludge/Post-Metal DEAD HAND’s upcoming album ‘REBORN OF DEAD LIGHT’ set for release Sept. 7th via Divine Mother Recordings; Pre-orders available now!
Dead Hand is a full widescreen sludge experience. With keyboard-expanded instrumentation and the panorama of post-metal, they’re a truly doomed, sonic horizon whose bleak beauty deliberately unfurls a slow-rolling tsunami to sweep oceanic ruin over fallen kingdoms.
‘Their second full-length, ‘Reborn Of Dead Light’ is set for release on September 7, 2018, via Divine Mother Recordings. The album was recorded and mixed between February and September 2017, with mastering completed in January 2018, all by Matt Washburn at Ledbelly Sound Studios in Dawnsonville, GA. The striking album cover artwork and design is by Jean Saiz.
Reborn Of Dead Light – Track List:
1. Alabaster and Bone 2. Reborn of Dead Light 3. Parapraxis 4. Amaranthine 5. Them Bones (**bonus track, CD only)
– Vinyl press is limited to 250 copies on Green and Black Merge, with full color jackets and insert. Includes digital download code.
– Compact Disc (CD) is limited to 50 copies on full color disc, with two-panel insert on Black Arigato Pak jackets. Includes digital download code. **The CD version includes the bonus track “Them Bones”, a Dead Hand cover originally recorded by Alice in Chains, and featuring Eric Crowe of Crawl on guest vocals.
Upcoming Live Dates: Sep. 07 – Macon, GA @ Grants Lounge (w/ Hexxus, Crawl, Soul Abuse) – Album Release Show Sep. 08 – Birmingham, AL @ Nick Rocks (w/ Mother’s Keeper, Hexxus, Inclination Of Direction) Sep. 14 – Asheville, NC Sep. 15 – Jacksonville, FL Sep. 16 – Gainesville, FL Sep. 17 – Valdosta, GA
DEAD HAND is: C. Carr – Guitar, Vocals S. Williams – Bass S. Harris – Synth, Vocals, Trumpet C. Harper – Drums
A full 170 years after their last release, Atlanta heavy space rockers Telestrion return with a new one worthy of the distance from its predecessor. Okay, so maybe not 170 years, but Telestrion issued the vinyl-only EP, Molecule (review here), in 2012, and that certainly feels like two lifetimes ago. To the four-piece’s credit, they began recording the double-LP Blazing in the Sky way back when, it’s just only now coming to fruition. What sort of temporal loop may have occurred between then and now to cause the delay, I don’t know, but with a brisk 90-minute stretch its two platters, one can hardly accuse them of lacking productivity. Led by guitarist/vocalists Andy Samford and Brian Holcomb, who also handle a variety of other instruments from synth and theremin to sitar and Mellotron and “wind” between them, Blazing in the Sky features bassists Jonathan Lee and Stephen Carrington (the latter also guitar), synthesist/backing vocalist Karl Kendrick, percussionist Billy Reeves and drummer Ric Parnell, best known for his portrayal of Mick Shrimpton in This is Spinal Tap — an incendiary performance if ever there was one.
This assemblage and their purposes vary from track to track throughout the 15-song release, and while the format of a 2LP is necessary for the extended runtime, it also feeds into the concept behind the release, which is comprised of traditionally structured songs on its first 12″ and five mostly-extended jams on its second. As to which end of the offering might be more spaced out, it’s a judgment call, of course, but listening to the 15-minute penultimate cut “Midnight Never Ends,” freakery certainly abounds in a way that makes earlier three-minute hooks like “The Peak” and “Paperclip” seem positively straightforward. And to a degree, they are. The album begins with the more than slightly funky vibe of “Electric Ball” and embarks on a space-rock-via-grunge mission of aesthetic purpose that’s smoothly produced but still natural sounding. If some of the recordings are six years old — Telestrion went back into the studio in 2017 — they hardly show their age, and along with some decided Rush fandom, Telestrion show an affinity for the cosmic things in life that coincides with their still-weighted tonality and classic Sabbathian spirit.
That spirit perhaps shows itself most in the vocal cadence of “The Peak,” but it hardly departs on the slower, longer “Manifestations,” which follows, and it comes to a head on the seven-minute “A Storm is Comin'” later on, dosed as well with a good hit of psychedelia also at the forefront for “Oasis” of souls while “Paperslip” and “Nothing Left” speak more to the grunge side of Telestrion‘s sound, “Out in the Hills” seems to directly call to Spirit Caravan and the title-track is left to pull in a variety of elements — percussion among them — in some form of summary of the scope of the release. That’s a challenge in itself, but as side B closer “I Ain’t Got Time for Time” wraps with an upbeat kick following the space-doom conclusion of “A Storm is Comin’,” the vibe has long since been set for such turns. What allows Telestrion to make these turns as they go is an underlying foundation of songwriting. Their material is strong enough to support the stylistic shifts and still come across as catchy as intended and as strong in performance as it is in structure. LP1 is tight to such a degree as to be making a point of it, and accordingly it’s all the more of a surprise when they depart onto the second LP of all-out jamming.
Blazing in the Sky isn’t really just a double-album. It’s two albums. One follows one tradition, the other another. They’re connected via “I Ain’t Got Time for Time,” a reprise of which opens the second platter, but by and large, sides C and D are on their own wavelength as compares to the material before them. Whether it’s the Mellotron-soaked “Kykeon” or the theremin swirl of “What’s Not On” or the bass and drum pulsations beneath them both holding them together, the jams are of marked and distinct personality, and they tell a different story of who Telestrion as a band. To wit, if they had actually released Blazing in the Sky as two separate LPs over the course of however long, one might simply say, “Oh yeah, this is the record where they jam. Fine.” As it is, with the two methods positioned right next to each other, one experiences the scope of Blazing in the Sky different context. There’s no ignoring the band’s vision and tease with which they move from tight-knit pieces to wide-open, go-where-they-will jams.
I don’t know how much of “What’s Not On,” “Kykeon,” “Midnight Never Ends” and closer “The Law of Averages” — which would seem to be titled in homage to Parnell — is improvised versus being plotted out beforehand, but a sense of spontaneity pervades anyhow thanks to the inclusion of various percussive elements, keys, synth, Mellotron, etc., giving a progressive edge to the longer-form works and allowing Telestrion to convey and exploratory sensibility, resulting in an unwavering commitment to reverb and echo and a spaciousness that, as far out as they went, the earlier tracks on Blazing in the Sky could hardly hope to approach. As someone who’s a persistent sucker for heavy jams, the drift that Telestrion bring to “Kykeon” and the proggy sprawl of “Midnight Never Ends” are boons ahead of the heavier, fuzzy freakout in “The Law of Averages,” which ends the record on its most chaotic note. However it was recorded, whenever it was recorded, Blazing in the Sky marks Telestrion as a band that still has plenty to offer not just in content, but in method, and the departure from accomplished songcraft into the jams from whence that songcraft emerges is an admirable one not only for what it says about their process, but for their knowing when a song is finished and needs to be what it is. The life they breathe into these tracks is only a part of their appeal, but it’s a big one, and if it’s another half-decade-plus until they give a follow-up, there’s plenty here to chew on for the interim.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 23rd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Kind of hard to argue with the melodic noise rock Dead Now bring forth with their new single, particularly for anyone who’s ever shown concussion symptoms following a bout with the riffing of Torche. That band’s former guitarist, Andrew Elstner, features in Dead Now as the frontman alongside bassist Derek Schulz and drummer Bobby Theberge, who double as the exploratory duo Day Old Man, also based in Atlanta, Georgia. And while they may join the family tree of Cavity/Floor/Torche that seems to stem upward from Miami, they do so with their own take on noise rock and melodic vocals, pulling back on some of the poppier elements in favor of more crunching fare, catchy as it is.
Dead Now will be on tour with Red Fang and Big Business in September, which, frankly, is about the best place I can think of them to be, and you can stream the song “Ritchie Blackmourning” at the bottom of this post. Info follows courtesy of the PR wire:
DEAD NOW: Announce Debut Album; Premiere First Single “Ritchie Blackmourning”
Self-Titled Debut coming Sept 7th via Brutal Panda Records
See them on tour with Red Fang and Big Business 9/7 – 9/28
Brutal Panda Records is proud to announce the signing of Atlanta, GA’s DEAD NOW. Consisting of current and former members of Torche, Riddle of Steel, Tilts and Day Old Man, DEAD NOW are a veritable power-trio who play dynamic, melodic heavy rock that is best enjoyed LOUD!
The group recently recorded their self-titled debut with Who Cares at None Of Your Business with album art designed by Orion Landau (Red Fang, YOB). The self-titled debut will see a September 7th release on LP/Digital formats via Brutal Panda just in time for their upcoming tour with Red Fang, Big Business and Monolord. Additionally, a record release show in Atlanta with noise rockers Metz has been announced. A complete listing of dates is available below.
Physical pre-orders are available at this LOCATION with digital pre-orders at Bandcamp HERE. The song can be heard via all streaming outlets HERE.
DEAD NOW frontman Andrew Elstner commented on the signing and new material:
“Myself, Derek and Bobby couldn’t be more hyped for this. Killer label, amazing people and now we’re desperate to get the jams in front of some faces and just crush. Things came together so quickly, it feels like the Gods are pleased.”
Stay tuned for more info and music from DEAD NOW.
DEAD NOW TOUR DATES: — All Dates Sep 11 – 28 w/ Red Fang & Big Business — Sep 07 Raleigh, NC Hopscotch Music Hall * Sep 08 Richmond, VA Capital Ale House * Sep 09 Washington, DC Rock & Roll Hotel Sep 11 Pittsburgh, PA Spirit Hall Sep 12 Columbus, OH A&R Music Bar Sep 13 St. Louis, MO Firebird Sep 14 Omaha, NE The Waiting Room Sep 15 St. Paul, MN Turf Club + Sep 16 Madison, WI High Noon Saloon Sep 18 Harrisburg, PA Stage on Herr @ HMAC Sep 19 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg Sep 20 Hamden, CT Space Ballroom Sep 21 Boston, MA The Sinclair Sep 22 Philadelphia, PA Underground Arts Sep 24 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom Sep 25 Grand Rapids, MI Pyramid Scheme Sep 26 Detroit, MI El Club Sep 27 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle Sep 28 Indianapolis, IN The Hi-Fi Sep 30 Atlanta, GA 529^
* w/ Monolord, No Big Business + w/ Cro-Mags, Dillinger Four, Blind Approach; No Big Business & Dead Now ^w/ Metz
DEAD NOW IS: Bobby Theberge – Drums (Day Old Man) Derek Schulz – Bass (Day Old Man) Andrew Elstner – Vocals / Guitar (Ex-Torche, Tilts, Riddle of Steel)
Dead Now Tracklist: 1. Brunette 2. Ritchie Blackmourning 3. Bird Leaf 4. Powershapes 5. Motorekt
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 11th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Okay, so Telestrion‘s Blazing in the Sky has been out for a minute or two. Sometimes a thing comes to my attention after it’s been a while. It’s not like the record’s a year old, so, you know, stuff it. The span of the thing is more important than time anyway — though while we’re quibbling dates, I’ll note it’s been six years since the Atlanta natives released their last EP, Molecule (review here) — and maybe making up for lost time is part of the reason they’ve gone to a double-LP with Blazing in the Sky, though listening to the four jams that would comprise the second platter of a vinyl release, they don’t really need any justification for being included. They’re there, and awesome. That should be and is enough.
Blazing in the Skyis Telestrion‘s second full-length behind 2007’s self-titled debut, though the band also trace their roots back to the lone 2004 outing from another outfit called Qualone. I still have my CD of that record. Cool stuff. It’s on Telestrion‘s Bandcamp if you get through the new album and are up for digging back. Ah hell, you’ve got time. You know you do.
I don’t know if they’re doing a physical pressing at this time or waiting to get a label involved in such an endeavor, but either way, Blazing in the Sky is certainly lit up. Details follow from the PR wire:
Atlanta Cosmic Rockers Telestrion release “Blazing in the Sky” featuring Spinal Tap/Atomic Rooster Drummer, Ric Parnell
The music of Telestrion is an assault on the senses with their brand of own brand psychedelic acid fuzz rock. Think Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Hawkwind and you’ll be in the ballpark, however Telestrion have a sound that is uniquely their own. Telestrion’s performances meander back and forth between tightly rehearsed songs and loose free form improvisational jams, depending on the state of the players and the moment.
In April of 2018, Telestrion released their long awaited double album, Blazing in the Sky. The album was produced by Telestrion and Jeff Tomei and features legendary Spinal Tap/Atomic Rooster drummer Ric Parnell. Blazing in the Sky is a 15 song cosmic journey that covers all of the bases from the short and sweet “Nothing Left” to the 15 minute epic “Midnight Never Ends.” Telestrion’s music is definitely food for the mind and is something to not just be heard but to be experienced as well.
Founding member/singer/guitarist/songwriter Andy Samford had this to say about working with the legendary Ric Parnell (aka. Mick Shrimpton in Spinal Tap):
“He was amazing, he would listen to a demo, I’d walk him through the arrangement and then he’d create and perform a perfect part in one or two takes. Genius, really. We’d give him some direction and I’d call out changes but other than that it was pretty spontaneous and in the moment. Sides 3 and 4 are all improv and were made up on the spot with zero discussion.” – Andy Samford
Tracklisting: 1. Electric Ball 03:08 2. The Peak 03:15 3. Manifestations 04:55 4. Oasis Of Souls 05:23 5. Paperclip 03:38 6. Blazing In The Sky 05:15 7. Nothing Left 02:37 8. Out In The Hills 04:39 9. A Storm Is Comin 07:22 10. I Ain’t Got Time For Time 04:03 11. I Ain’t Got Time For Time (Reprise) 03:59 12. What’s Not On 08:02 13. Kykeon 10:22 14. Midnight Never Ends 15:33 15. The Law Of Averages 07:44
Telestrion is: Andy Samford – Guitar, Vocals, Synth, Piano, M-Tron, Percussion Brian Holcomb – Guitar, Vocals, Theremin, Vocoder, Sitar, Maracas, Wind, Arpanoid Ric Parnell – Drums Stephen Carrington – Bass, Guitar Jonathan Lee – Bass Karl Kendrick – Synth, Backing Vocals Billy Reeves – Percussion Allen Beaver – Allen Holcomb’s Dragster
This is the part of each Quarterly Review when I begin to question my life choices. Otherwise known as ‘the beginning.’ I still haven’t decided if this is going to be a five-dayer or a six-dayer, but one way or another, between now and whenever it ends, at least 50 records will be reviewed in batches of 10 per day. It’s completely insane. Completely. Every three months or so I remind myself of this by doing it again, and every time it ends up being worth the insanity. I’ve no doubt that will be the case here as well, but looking across the next five days at placeholders where reviews need to be, well, yeah. It’s pretty insane.
So let’s go.
Quarterly Review #1-10:
Avon, Dave’s Dungeon
Dave’s Dungeon is the second full-length from Californian desert rockers Avon, and with it they make their debut on Heavy Psych Sounds. Peppered with varied songwriting across alternately garage rocking cuts like “Yello,” “On Fire” and “Red Barn” (video premiere here), languid psychedelic excursions in “Space Native” and the subtly proggy “Hero with a Gun,” and the classic desert crunch of “Dungeon Dave,” “Mace Face” and “Terraformations,” the three-piece of vocalist/guitarist James Childs, bassist Charles Pasarell (also Waxy) and drummer Alfredo Hernández (ex-Kyuss, Yawning Man, etc.) have no doubt garnered attention due to the participation of the latter, but all three manage to leave their mark across the 10 tracks, particularly Childs. His English-accented vocals become a defining element in “Hero with a Gun” and “Yello,” and whether fast or slow, the rhythm section offers air-tight accompaniment. Straightforward in their approach but not without some flourish, Avon bring their own touch to the classic desert style and offer memorable songs in the process. Nobody loses.
Issued to coincide with an initial string of Fall 2017 European shows, the aptly-titled Tour EP serves as the debut offering from The Discussion, and its five tracks mark the return of guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants, not heard from since the end of her prior outfit, Kylesa. With “A Gesture/Other Side,” Pleasants and company commune with post-rock and atmospheric stretch, where “Like Rain” and “Surf Jesus” channel New Wave and Blondie pop with an underlying heft of low end to add presence. Through it all, Pleasants’ vocals prove a patient and melodic element, and as “Before We’re Gone” brings in a moody krautrock sensibility and finale “Cuts Like a Knife” engages louder and more forward riffing in its final minute payoff, the message that The Discussion has only begun comes through loud and clear. Tour EP sounds like the beginning stages of a larger process of experimentation and creative growth, and one hopes it proves to be precisely that.
Modern heavy rock groove meets classic metal guitar on Alms’ Demo Vol. 1, which, as it turns out, is more of a sampler than an actual demo, comprised as it is of two rough mixes from the band’s forthcoming debut album. The result of this mesh on “The Offering” and “Dead Water” is somewhere between Uncle Acid swing and Iron Maiden twin lead work, and the five-piece do well immediately to own the combination and make it cohesive sonically. Traditional doom play more of a role in “Dead Water,” and the keys of vocalist Jess Kamen – joined by guitarist/vocalist Bob Sweeney, guitarist Danny McDonald, bassist Andrew Harris and drummer Derrick Hans – and while I don’t know what label it is that’s going to pick them up (I’d believe anyone from Ripple to Shadow Kingdom to Season of Mist, depending on how much they want to tour), but if these two songs are anything to go by, they’ll be lucky to get them.
Collaborating between Ohio and New Jersey, Vessel of Light brings together vocalist Nathan Opposition of Ancient VVisdom and guitarist Dan Lorenzo of Hades. Their self-titled five-tracker EP (on Argonauta) melds bluesy metallic riffing with tales of murder and drugs on cuts like “Dead Flesh and Bones” (video premiere here) and its eponymous closer, which emphasizes a hook based around the lines, “LSD has got a hold on me/I wanna show you all the things that I’ve seen.” It goes like that. For Lorenzo, parts recall the groove he brought to short-lived heavy rock outfit The Cursed, but with Opposition’s lyrics and the periodic delving into harsher vocals, there’s a moodier and more aggressive edge to the songs that helps define the personality of the duo as a band. How often they’ll work together remains to be seen, they make a murderous introduction with this EP and there’s plenty of fodder here for further exploration should they get there.
German trio Enojado was founded by guitarist/vocalist Stephan Kieserling circa 2002, and though he’s been through numerous lineups since, with bassist/vocalist Thomas Schnaube and drummer Till Junker, he’s put together the band’s first release since their 2014 The Chain is Loose LP was issued by Setalight. At under half an hour and six tracks plus an intro, late 2017’s Mist and Thunder offers solid heavy rock songwriting with a straightforward approach bordering on the metallic in its tone but never quite departing a heavy rock context in rhythm, even in the starts and stops of “Notorious.” The obvious standout in heft is the seven-minute “Coma,” which seems to add weight to everything around it, from “The Truth About Gold” earlier to “I Saw the Sun,” which follows, and the finale in “Queen of Heaven,” which brings a quick payoff to the release and leaves a residual echo and drone/guitar minimalism for its last two minutes. Less derivative than it at first seems, Mist and Thunder might take multiple rounds to sink in, but proves worth the effort of a dedicated listen.
It’s kind of rare for a band to sound like they’re making fun of their own music as they play it, and yet, “Lost Planet Airmen” from Mother Mars’ fourth full-length, On Lunar Highlands, does precisely that. The Aussie trio led by multi-instrumentalists Frank (drums, synth, Clavinet) and Paul (guitar, bass, synth, banjo-mandolin, keys) Attard – who also produced together – and featuring the bluesy stylings of vocalist Dave Schembri, did not make the 11-tracker a minor undertaking. Rather, at 69 minutes, it pushes through stoner boogie on “Thought it Best to Cut You Loose” and still has room for heady jams on extended pieces like “The Stalwarts of Stalwart Castle” (9:31), “Woodhollow Green” (12:55) and the penultimate title-track (8:35), which leads to the far-out banjo shenanigans of closer “The Heavy Hand of the Destroyer.” Needless to say, madness ensues. Interludes like “Bean Stalkin’” and “Bean Stalkin’ Again” and the experimental “The Working Mind of the Creator” add anything-can-happen flair, and the weirder On Lunar Highlands gets, the more it satisfies. It gets very, very weird.
Two decades after their founding in 1997, Stockholm’s Southfork returned late last year with their first album since 2001’s Straight Ahead, the seven-track Through a Dark Lens, which itself is nearly five years in the making. Opening with its longest cut (immediate points) in the 7:59 “Already Gone,” the bass-heavy approach the band takes is indeed emblematic of an era now easily thought of as classic, but one could hardly call it dated for that. Rather, tracks like “Into the Deep” and “Tomb of the Mirror Men” flow easily from one to the next and the record reveals in the strut of “Seventosix” and the answer-back closer “Nowhere Gone” just why someone might put almost half a decade of effort into realizing it. Whether you remember Southfork’s original run or not, Through a Dark Lens offers immersive tone and songwriting and as Southfork have already followed it up with what seems to be a compilation release, it may signal a return to fuller activity on their part.
Production by Kent Stump (Wo Fat). Mastering by John McBain (ex-Monster Magnet). Released through Nasoni Records. Sure enough, the second album from Texas heavy psych rockers Gypsy Sun Revival, Journey Outside of Time, wants nothing for the quality of its associations and with the Hendrixian guitar work of Will Weise and the bluesy classic frontman approach of vocalist Mario Rodriguez, they earn that pedigree through and through. Tyler Gene Davis’ contributions on organ only further the ‘70s vibes on “To the Sky” before Weise takes a wah-soaked solo backed by Lee Ryan on bass and drummer Ben H., and the later two-part “Pisces” combines with closer “Departure” to create a thrilling jammed-out side B that takes the more structured craft of “Indigo” and catchy opener “Cadillac to Mexico” earlier and pulls them through an interdimensional haze that only does more to evoke the album’s title. Between Journey Outside of Time and Gypsy Sun Revival’s 2016 self-titled debut (review here), one is left wondering how long we’ll be able to think of them as a well-kept secret of Texas’ fertile heavy underground.
There’s a commercial sense of clarity to Valhalla Lights’ My Gracious Highway, which seems to have been originally issued by the band in 2016 but is being given a renewed international push. It’s a crisp 13-track/45-minute long-player, marked by solid songcraft and the forward performance of vocalist Ange Saul, who takes the place of departed original singer Phoebe Black, who passed away in 2015 just prior to guitarist George Christie, bassist Brent “Badger” Crysell and drummer Deon Driver – all formerly of heavy rockers FORT – entered the studio to record their debut release. Songs veer toward Queens of the Stone Age-style groove on “Hammer the Witch” and closer “Punk,” and there’s enough variety of mood between the brooding “Beautiful,” showcase centerpiece “The One” and “Darker Side of Love” and the all-go rockers “Rise Above,” “Crucify” and “Someday” to carry the listener through smoothly with an abiding sense of professionalism. Will be too clean for some listeners, but is largely inarguable in its execution.
Located in the northwest of Poland, the acronymic four-piece L.o.W. debut with the Bones EP, which hurls forth three extended works of extreme sludge led into by an atmospheric intro. The band – the lineup of vocalist Adam, guitarist Marek, drummer Witold and bassist Micha? belong to the post-Primitive Man sphere of viciousness, but “Tear Me Open” offers some respite in its closing moments, pulling back on the massive plunder and switching from guttural growls to spoken vocals. With just a touch of Electric Wizard swirl, “Almost Like God’s,” renews the onslaught, offering a break in its middle from the Eyehategod-style sway while saving its most brutal growl for last, and at just under 10 minutes long, the title-track rounds out Bones with bass and drums unfolding a progression soon topped by guitar noise that lets the listener know they’ve just entered another level of punishment. There are moments of impulse toward stonerism that show themselves in Marek’s guitar work, but the primary mission onBones seems to be assault, and the band has no problem living up to that intent.
