Oviedo, Spain, heavy rockers Green Desert Water released their third album, Black Harvest, last month on Small Stone Records and Kozmik Artifactz, celebrating fuzzy songcraft and a vision of groove that manages to sound like “nothin’ too fancy” while bridging decades of influence as only quality heavy can. In their ’70s-meets’90s riff-driven heavy blues vibe, they are the quintessential Small Stone act; it is an international stock and trade the label has engaged since Halfway to Gone and Dixie Witch roamed the land — not to mention Kozmik Artifactz with more than a decade under its belt in Europe — and certainly Green Desert Water‘s 2018 offering, The Deepest Sea (review here), fit that bill as well. If anything, the steady AC/DC roll of “The Whale” and the catchier hook of “Too Many Wizards” (video premiering below) and the too-clearheaded-in-structure-to-be-psychedelic-but-still-kind-of-trippy pairing of “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree” at the record’s outset only show the trip of guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís, bassist Juan Arias García and drummer Dani Barcena as having refined their approach and songwriting.
That’s true of Black Harvest‘s shorter and longer songs alike. In total, the album runs seven tracks and 38 minutes — a tidy LP length — but it divides that almost on a per-track basis between longer and shorter pieces, gradually evening out as side B closes. “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree” — which run directly one into the other — are both about four minutes long, but if one takes them as a single entity as they’d essentially be on vinyl, then the shift to “Too Many Wizards” becomes even more striking, even though “Dead Sacred Tree” works just fine on its own anyhow, bringing its weighted riff to a post-Sabbath shuffle with organic ’70s shove. “Too Many Wizards” is the shortest inclusion at 3:36, but has fuzz and swagger both in supply to last much longer, and gives itself over to the more methodical title-track, which tops seven minutes and caps side A with due ebbs and flows, a guest-spot on guitar from Wo Fat‘s Kent Stump doing nothing to hurt their deceptively patient cause.
“The Whale,” “Shelter of Guru” and “Soul Blind” — five, eight and six minutes long, respectively — continue the pattern somewhat, but by the time the first of them picks up from the drop at the end of “Black Harvest,” Green Desert Water are long since locked into the full-album flow that carries them through the remainder of the outing. Without making a show of largesse, “The Whale” brings a plodding first half into a shuffling second marked by highlight basswork from García beneath Sanchís‘ guitar and a quick flash of cowbell from Barcena snuck in there as well. The drums begin “Shelter of Guru” as well, but it’s the riff that ultimately leads the procession into its nod and extended solo section, finding gallop late but making the speed count for something in selling the energy built up over the course of the song prior, leaving “Soul Blind” a natural place to start mellow and work its way into its own thrusts of volume, one, then another, before closing out the proceedings with a last lick of guitar and some residual lower hum.
Which is as fitting as anything, because like the rest of Black Harvest before it, “Soul Blind” makes complex songwriting ideas sound easy. Some bands just know how to put together a record. Green Desert Water sound utterly natural doing so, as if it could not and would not be something other than it is. All the more fortunate, then, for anyone who’d take the record on.
The clip for “Too Many Wizards” premieres below, and the full album stream for Black Harvest is down near the bottom of the post. You’ll find it above all the copious links. You know the way.
Enjoy:
Green Desert Water, “Too Many Wizards” video premiere
“Too Many Wizards” is the third track from Green Desert Water’s 2021 LP called Black Harvest.
Black Harvest is available on CD and digital formats via Small Stone and limited edition LP (deluxe gatefold) via Kozmik Artifactz. Find ordering options HERE where the record can be streamed in full:https://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/black-harvest
GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – fuzz bass Dani Barcena – drums, percussion Kike Sanchís – guitars, vocals
Guests: Kent Stump – additional guitar on “Black Harvest” Alvaro Barcena – backing vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 30th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Spanish heavy psych blues rockers Green Desert Water have set a Nov. 5 release for their new album, Black Harvest. To herald the opening of preorders, Small Stone is streaming “Too Many Wizards” from the record now, which will also see vinyl release in Kozmik Artifactz in the continuing partnership between the two labels. Not to be confused with the Green Lung record of the same name due in October on Svart, this Black Harvest is the follow-up to the band’s 2018 offering, Solar Plexus (review here), and rocks in an entirely different way.
“Too Many Wizards” has more in common sonically with All Them Witches, for example, and you know there’s nothing wrong with that either, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you. Note also the guest appearance on the record from Kent Stump of Small Stone alums Wo Fat, should you require further enticement.
The PR wire sent the following the other day and I’m late on it because I suck at this, even though I did the update for the band’s bio:
GREEN DESERT WATER: Black Harvest Full-Length From Spanish Psychedelic Blues Rock Trio To See Release November 5th Via Small Stone Records; “Too Many Wizards” Now Playing + Preorders Available
Oviedo, Spain-based psychedelic blues rock trio GREEN DESERT WATER will release their third full-length, Black Harvest, on November 5th via Small Stone Records!
Black Harvest is inarguably the band’s most cohesive, classic, and vibe-ready work yet. With the introduction of new drummer Dani Barcena, guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís and bassist Juan Arias García unite in classic power trio fashion, building upon the significant accomplishments of 2018’s Solar Plexus with even more flash of heavy blues, psychedelia, and weighted riffery. Can you hang? Of course you can!
Wo Fat’s own Kent Stump sits in on the title-track, which is a fitting centerpiece rife with AC/DC-vs.- Sabbath vitality, following behind the opening salvo of “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree,” which set a tone figuratively and literally for what follows with a focus on melody and songwriting – the catchy “Too Many Wizards” could easily be a state-of-the-union for the heavy rock underground – tempos no less comfortable careening than they are crashing, and a classic sensibility filtered through modern production that leaves the songs full and engaging for the most fickle of attention spans. Later, to be snared by “Shelter Of Guru” is to take a ride in a traditionalist caravan, and both journey and destination satisfy ahead of the capper boogie in “Soul Blind.” Rest assured, you’re about to spend 38 minutes in the presence of masters. Roll with it and be glad you did.
In advance of the release of Black Harvest, GREEN DESERT WATER is streaming “Too Many Wizards” noting, “when the old masters speak, the apprentice wizards must shup up, close their eyes, and open their minds…”
Black Harvest will be available on CD and digital formats via Small Stone and limited edition LP (deluxe gatefold) via Kozmik Artifactz.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 17th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
One might think of Sounds of the Heavy next weekend in Yucca Valley, California, as a complement to the Planet Desert Rock Weekend that kicked off last night in Las Vegas and runs until this coming Sunday. Sure enough, the international contingent of bands — Saturna, Kaiser, Omega Sun and Green Desert Water — will I guess be hanging out in the desert for a week in between the two events. Could be worse, I’m sure. They’re joined by House of Broken Promises — whose guitarist, Arthur Seay, is among the organizing principals of the seven-band lineup, along with Vegas Rock Revolution — as well as Here Lies Man, Diesel Boots out on the patio and The Battery Electric who hail from my beloved Garden State, which might as well be on the other side of the planet from Yucca Valley.
I’m not certain how it all came together, but if you’ve got the capacity to get yourself to the desert next weekend, it seems like a no-brainer good time will ensue.
Here’s the info and ticket links:
Vegas Rock Revolution & Arthur Seay Presents: Sounds of the Heavy
Vegas Rock Revolution & Arthur Seay Presents: Sounds of the Heavy on Friday May 24th at Gadi’s Bar & Grill in Yucca Valley
House of Broken Promises from Indio featuring both Arthur Seay and Mike Cancino (Both with Unida / DEATH in Pretty Wrapping) along with frontman Joe Mora (Street Drugs DTLA) will be melting faces.
Here Lies Man / RidingEasy Records comes over from L.A. with their fuzzy psych afrobeat style. Super exciting to have them as part of the event!
The Battery Electric from Asbury Park New Jersey drops in as well as 4 up and coming European heavy rock bands.
SATURNA- -Spain Kaiser —Finland OMEGA SUN — Slovenia Green Desert Water — Spain
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 30th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
John Gist, who is the gentleman behind the promotional company Vegas Rock Revolution and the Planet Desert Rock Weekend festival getting ready to hold its second edition this May, has passion to spare. Passion enough to spread around and have plenty leftover. There’s a little bit of that guy-who-runs-a-fest urgency about him as well — as one would hope for such an event to be successful — but he’s someone who knows his rock and wants everyone else to know it too. The primary driver is passion.
Planet Desert Rock Weekend 2 ups its predecessor this past November in terms of ambition. With a third headliner still to be announced, Gist will bring John Garcia back for a headlining spot and see the other go to Radio Moscow, who will play the first night at Count’s Vamp’d. In addition to this, he’s already got four — one, two, three, four — European bands on the bill in the form of Mr. Bison, Kaiser, Monsternaut and Green Desert Water, and to my knowledge none have played the US before. That’s a significant risk from a booking standpoint — those are good bands, but recall it took Truckfighters half a decade of laying groundwork for their first US tour — but there may indeed be more import acts added as well, since one way or the other, the lineup isn’t done.
Passion rarely is.
Info and links:
The time is near to start announcing Vegas Rock Revolution’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend 2 for May 16-19….
Desert legend John Garcia and 17 bands from all over the country …..very tightly selected lineups to showcase top bands from the long storied history of rock of heavy rock melded with hot younger acts. Oh yeah and cannabis is legal in Vegas !
The Lineup for Planet Desert Rock Weekend v2 so far is: John Garcia and the Band of Gold — Friday Radio Moscow — Thurs at Count’s Vamp’d Nebula Black Water Rising Ape Machine Thurs at Count’s Vamp’d The Watchers – Friday Red Stone Souls Sundrifter RIFFLORD Shotgun Sawyer Jason Walker and the Majestic 12
European Showcase Bands: MR.BISON Kaiser Monsternaut Green Desert Water
Only 300 tickets will be sold to this intimate show in one of the most premier rock clubs in the country. Count’s Vamp’d is owned by Danny “The Count” Koker from Counting Cars on the History Channel. All rock all the time and very good food also. Unique cool environment!
If your ears don’t automatically perk up on hearing the phrases ‘classic-style heavy rockers’ and ‘on Small Stone Records‘ in the same sentence, well, to put it mildly they should. Thus we find Spanish classic-style heavy rockers Green Desert Water making their debut on Small Stone Records with their second album overall, Solar Plexus. Quick to make an impression and earn immediate points with the opener and longest track “Open Your Wings,” the band trio channels earliest AC/DC on the swinging heavy blues of “Souls of the Woodland,” and offers a fluid dose of fuzz in “Chaman,” demonstrating a propensity both for hooks and for adding modern flair to the core heavy ’70s influence. The shuffle that emerges near the midsection of “Chaman,” for example, or the tambourine-laced jam in the penultimate “Mother Moon.” These are well-established methods, but as Small Stone has endeavored in recent years to demonstrate, a balance can surely be struck between the classic and the modern. Green Desert Water do this exceptionally well.
Solar Plexus breaks neatly into two vinyl halves, with three cuts on either side: two longer and one shorter to finish. Side B concludes with the title-track, only about a minute shorter than “Souls of the Woodland” or “Mother Moon” before it, but the difference is more striking on Side A, where “The Deepest Sea,” which is the shortest inclusion overall at 4:44, follows “Open Your Wings” and “Chaman,” both of which are more extended. “The Deepest Sea,” however, is an effective condensation of many of the record’s other impulses, with a strong hook, a perfect tempo, and an easy rhythmic swing that’s neither forced nor overstated. It engages quickly and asks little of the listener in terms of indulgences. These traits it shares in common with its surroundings, and while it may not be as long as “Open Your Wings” or “Mother Moon,” there’s no question the song accomplishes its task and represents the album well for its natural-sounding structure, modern production style and energetic delivery.
The three-piece is comprised of guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís, bassist Juan Arias García and drummer/backing vocalist Javi Gonzalez and Solar Plexus is out April 27, once again on Small Stone, which has preorders up now. Below, you can see the video premiere for “The Deepest Sea” and get some more background on the band from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Green Desert Water, “The Deepest Sea” official video premiere
After getting their feet wet in a molten pool of heavy blues on their 2012 self-titled debut EP, GREEN DESERT WATER is ready for their next conquest. The Oviedo, Spain-based three-piece have been making a name for themselves as one of the best-kept-secrets of the Iberian heavy underground, and with Solar Plexus – their second LP – they’ve never sounded readier to let the cat out of the proverbial bag. And by “cat out of the bag,” we mean unleashing classic power trio grooves – all primo, all soul, but heavier and thicker and more modern than the first record.
Solar Plexus was recorded and mixed by Pablo Martínez Pérez at Ovni Estudio, mastered by Kike Sanchís at Green Desert Mastering and comes wrapped in the cover art of Héctor Castañón. The six-track offering will see release on CD, digital, and limited edition vinyl formats on April 27th via Small Stone.
GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – fuzz bass Javi González – drums, percussion, backing vocals Kike Sanchís – guitars, vocals Additional guitar on “The Deepest Sea” by Pablo Martínez Pérez.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 13th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
The eight-minute psychedelic swirly ‘Open Your Wings’ is the leadoff cut on Green Desert Water‘s second long-player and first for Small Stone Records, April’s gonna-be-here-before-you-know-it Solar Plexus. Not that I’ve heard it or anything — actually, I don’t think it matters in this case, since I also wrote the bio below, so yeah, I’ve heard it — but the record is an excellent blend of classic rock and psychedelic impulses, and like the best of what Small Stone over the label’s many years, its sound is modern nonetheless. Pretense is nowhere to be found, the basstone is gotta-hear-it, and there’s a resonant sense of soul that comes through from vocalist Kike Sanchís that recalls a heavy blues spirit without being directly attributable to one influence or another.
That’s my little take, anyhow. Again, I also wrote the bio below, but here it is circled back through the PR wire:
GREEN DESERT WATER: Iberian Stoner Rockers To Release Solar Plexus Via Small Stone; New Track Streaming + Preorders Available
With the purple sun, the hermit was introduced into the wild, through the mountains and the long desert to back home….
After getting their feet wet in a molten pool of heavy blues on their 2012 self-titled debut EP, GREEN DESERT WATER is ready for their next conquest. The Oviedo, Spain-based three-piece have been making a name for themselves as one of the best-kept-secrets of the Iberian heavy underground, and with Solar Plexus – their second LP – they’ve never sounded readier to let the cat out of the proverbial bag. And by “cat out of the bag,” we mean unleashing classic power trio grooves – all primo, all soul, but heavier and thicker and more modern than the first record.
Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Kike Sanchís, bassist Juan Arias García, and drummer/backing vocalist Javi González, GREEN DESERT WATER sinks its teeth into hellacious boogie on songs like “Open Your Wings” and find the place where Black Sabbath and Mountain could’ve met on “Souls Of The Woodland” – and when it comes to the title-track? Well, at least you know where they’re going to hit you. With six songs split up over two glorious vinyl sides, GREEN DESERT WATER’s Solar Plexus indeed puts itself right in the center of attention – refusing to commit to one single vibe or another as it captures the best energy of classic heavy rock and brings it forward to a modern era where it’s so desperately needed.
Solar Plexus was recorded and mixed by Pablo Martínez Pérez at Ovni Estudio, mastered by Kike Sanchís at Green Desert Mastering and comes wrapped in the cover art of Héctor Castañón. The six-track offering will see release on CD, digital, and limited edition vinyl formats on April 27th via Small Stone.
Solar Plexus Track Listing: 1. Open Your Wings 2. Chaman 3. The Deepest Sea 4. Souls Of The Woodland 5. Mother Moon 6. Solar Plexus
GREEN DESERT WATER: Juan Arias García – fuzz bass Javi González – drums, percussion, backing vocals Kike Sanchís – guitars, vocals Additional guitar on “The Deepest Sea” by Pablo Martínez Pérez.
Posted in Features on January 23rd, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Looks like it’s going to be another busy 12 months ahead. It’s been a busy better-part-of-a-month already, so that stands to reason, but you should know that of the several years now that I’ve done these ‘Tomorrow’s Dream’ posts, this is the biggest one yet, with over 150 upcoming releases that — one hopes — will be out between today and the end of 2017.
Actually, at last count, the list tops 180. Do I really expect you to listen to all of them? Nope. Will I? Well, it would be nice. But what I’ve done is gone through and highlighted 35 picks and then built lists off that in order of likelihood of arrival. You’ll note the categories are ‘Gonna Happen and/or Likely Candidates,’ ‘Definitely Could Happen’ and ‘Would be Awfully Nice.’
Beyond that last one, anything else just seems like speculation — one might as well go “new Sabbath this year!” with zero info backing it up. The idea here is that no matter where a given band is placed, there has been some talk of a new release. In some cases, it’s been years, but I think they’re still worth keeping in mind.
Another caveat: You can expect additions to this list over the next week — probably album titles, band names people (fingers crossed) suggest in the comments, and so on — so it will grow. It always does. The idea is to build as complete a document as possible, not to get it all nailed down immediately, so please, if you have something to contribute and you’re able to do so in a non-prickish, “You didn’t include Band X and therefore don’t deserve to breathe the same air as me,” kind of way, please contribute.
Other than that, I think it’s pretty straightforward what’s going on here and I’ll explain the category parameters as we go, so by all means, let’s jump in.
— Tomorrow’s Dream 2017 —
Presented Alphabetically
1. Abrahma, TBA
Late last year, Paris heavy progressives Abrahma announced a new lineup and third full-length in progress. No reason to think it won’t come to fruition, and a follow-up to 2015’s Reflections in the Bowels of a Bird (review here) is an easy pick to look forward to. Even with the shift in personnel, it seems likely the band will continue their creative development, driven as they are by founding guitarist Seb Bismuth.
2. All Them Witches, Sleeping Through the War
If 2017 ended today, Sleeping Through the War would be my Album of the Year. Of course, there’s a lot of year to go, but for now, Nashville’s All Them Witches have set the standard with their second album for New West Records behind 2015’s Dying Surfer Meets His Maker (review here) and fourth overall outing. They’ve got videos up so far for “3-5-7” (posted here) and “Bruce Lee” (posted here). Both are most definitely worth your time. Out Feb. 24. Full review should be later this week.
3. Alunah, Solennial
Seems like UK forest riffers Alunah are on this list every year. Wishful thinking on my part. Nonetheless, their fourth LP and Svart Records debut, Solennial, is out March 17, and if the tease they gave already with the clip for “Fire of Thornborough Henge” (posted here) is anything to go from, its Chris Fielding-produced expanses might just be Alunah‘s most immersive yet.
4. Arbouretum, TBA
I asked the Baltimore folk fuzzers a while back on Thee Facebooks if they had a new record coming in 2017 and they said yes, so that’s what I’m going on here. The last Arbouretum album was 2013’s Coming out of the Fog (review here), and even with frontman Dave Heumann‘s 2015 solo outing, Here in the Deep (review here), factored in, you’d have to say they’re due. Keep an eye on Thrill Jockey for word and I’ll do the same.
5. Atavismo, Inerte
This is another one that already has a spot reserved for it on my Best-of-2017 year-end list. Spanish heavy psych rockers Atavismo up the progressive bliss level with their second full-length, Inerte, without losing the depth of style that made 2014’s Desintegración (review here) so utterly glorious. It probably won’t have the biggest marketing budget of 2017, but if you let Atavismo fly under your radar, you are 100 percent missing out on something special.
6. Bison Machine, TBA
In addition to the video for new track “Cloak and Bones” that premiered here, when Michigan raucousness-purveyors Bison Machine put out the dates for their fall 2016 tour, they included further hints of new material in progress. As much as I dug their earlier-2016 split with SLO and Wild Savages (review here) and 2015’s Hoarfrost (review here), that’s more than enough for me to include them on this list. Killer next-gen heavy rock.
7. Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, TBA
News of a follow-up to Brothers of the Sonic Cloth‘s 2015 Neurot Recordings self-titled debut (review here) came through in October, and it remains some of the best news I’ve heard about 2017 doings. Took them a while to get the first record out, so we’ll see what happens, but it kind of feels like looking forward to a comet about to smash into the planet and cause a mass extinction, and by that I mean awesome. Can’t get here soon enough.
8. Cloud Catcher, Trails of Kosmic Dust
Okay, so maybe I jumped the gun and did a super-early review of Denver trio Cloud Catcher‘s second long-player and Totem Cat Records debut, Trails of Kosmic Dust, but hell, no regrets. Some albums require an early-warning system. Their 2015 debut, Enlightened Beyond Existence (discussed here), was a gem as well, but this is a band in the process of upping their game on every level, and the songwriting and momentum they hone isn’t to be missed.
9. Colour Haze, TBA
I’ve gotten some details on the upcoming full-length from Colour Haze. They do not include a title, artwork, audio, song titles or general direction. Less details, I guess, than word that the CD version of this answer to 2015’s To the Highest Gods We Know (review here) is set to come out next month, as ever, on Elektrohasch. That puts it out in time for Colour Haze‘s upcoming tour with My Sleeping Karma (announced here). Fingers crossed it happens. Colour Haze are perpetual top-albums candidates in my book.
10. Corrosion of Conformity, TBA
Signed to Nuclear Blast after being rejoined by guitarist/vocalist Pepper Keenan, North Carolina’s C.O.C. have been in the studio since last year. The lineup of Keenan, bassist/vocalist Mike Dean and guitarist Woody Weatherman and Reed Mullin on drums is the stuff of legend and last worked together on 2000’s America’s Volume Dealer, so no question this reunion makes for one of 2017’s most anticipated heavy rock records. They nailed the nostalgia factor on tour. Can they now add to their legacy?
11. Elder, TBA
I was incredibly fortunate about a month ago to visit progressive heavy rockers Elder at Sonelab in Easthampton, MA, during the recording process for their upcoming fourth album. I heard a couple of the tracks, and of course it was all raw form, but the movement forward from 2015’s Lore (review here) was palpable. That LP (on Stickman) brought them to a wider audience, and I expect no less from this one as well, since the farther out Elder go sound-wise, the deeper the level of connection with their listeners they seem to engage.
12. Electric Wizard, TBA
Could happen, could not happen. That’s how it goes. Announced for last Halloween. That date came and went. Word of trouble building their own studio surfaced somewhere along the line. That was the last I heard. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if it showed up tomorrow, if it showed up in 2018, or if the band broke up and never put it out. They’re Electric Wizard. Anything’s possible.
13. John Garcia, The Coyote Who Spoke in Tongues
Out Jan. 28 on Napalm, The Coyote Who Spoke in Tongues (review here) is the first-ever acoustic album from former Kyuss frontman John Garcia, also of Unida, the reunited Slo Burn, Hermano, Vista Chino, Zun, etc. — basically the voice of desert rock. He does a couple Kyuss classics for good measure, but shines as well on the new/original tracks, and while it’s a piece for fans more than newcomers — that is, it helps if you know the original version of “Green Machine” — his presence remains as powerful as ever despite this new context.
14. Goya, Harvester of Bongloads
Riffs, dude. Goya seem to have them to spare. The Arizona-based wizard doomers have set a pretty prolific clip for themselves at this point, with at least two short releases out in 2016, one a 7″ of Nirvana covers (review here), and the The Enemy EP (review here). Set for a March 3 release through their own Opoponax Records imprint, Harvester of Bongloads continues the march into the abyss that 2015’s Obelisk (review here) and 2013’s 777 set in motion, finding the band coming more into their own as well. Creative growth — and bongloads! The best of both worlds.
15. Ides of Gemini, TBA
Ides of Gemini are set to record their yet-untitled third album with Sanford Parker early this year, and it will also mark their debut on Rise Above Records upon its release. They’ve also got a new lineup around vocalist Sera Timms and guitarist J. Bennett, so as they look to move forward from 2014’s Old World New Wave (review here), one can’t help but wonder what to expect, but to be honest, not knowing is part of the appeal, especially from a band who so readily specialize in the ethereal.
16. Kind, TBA
Three-fourths of Kind feature elsewhere on this list. Bassist Tom Corino plays in Rozamov. Drummer Matt Couto is in Elder. Vocalist Craig Riggs is in Roadsaw. And for what it’s worth, guitarist Darryl Shepherd has a new band coming together called Test Meat. How likely does that make Kind to release a second LP in 2017? I don’t know, but their 2015 Ripple Music debut, Rocket Science (review here), deserves a follow-up, and I know they’ve demoed some new songs. If it happens, great. If it’s 2018, at least these dudes will be plenty busy besides.
17. Lo-Pan, In Tensions
Yes, Lo-Pan‘s In Tensions (review here) has already been released — CD/LP with an artbook on Aqualamb. It’s out. Limited numbers. You can get it now. Why include it on a list of most anticipated releases? Because that’s how strongly I feel about your need to hear it. The fruit of a shortlived lineup with guitarist Adrian Zambrano, it distinguishes itself from everything they’ve done before in style while still keeping to the core righteousness that one hopes the Ohio outfit will continue to carry forward. It’s more than a stopgap between albums. Listen to it.
18. The Midnight Ghost Train, TBA
It seems to have been a rough ride for hard-boogie specialists The Midnight Ghost Train since their 2015 Napalm debut and third album overall, Cold was the Ground (review here). They’ve never taken it easy on the road or in terms of physicality on stage, and between injuries and who knows what else, their intensity at this point veers toward the directly confrontational. Nonetheless, they’ve been writing for album number four, may or may not have started the recording process, and I expect that confrontationalism to suit them well in their new material.
19. Monster Magnet, TBA
I have it on decent authority that NJ heavy psych innovators Monster Magnet were in the studio this past autumn. I’ve seen no concrete word of a new album in progress from Dave Wyndorf and company, and I wouldn’t necessarily expect to until it was time to start hyping the release, but after their two redux releases, 2015’s Cobras and Fire (review here) and 2014’s Milking the Stars (review here), their range feels broader than ever and I can’t wait to hear what they come up with next.
20. Mothership, High Strangeness
A pivotal moment for Mothership arrives with High Strangeness, and the heavy-touring, heavy-riffing Texas power trio seem to know it. Their third record on Ripple Music pushes into new avenues of expression and keeps the energy of 2014’s Mothership II (review here) and 2012’s Mothership (review here), but thus far into their career, it’s been about their potential and what they might accomplish going forward. 2017 might be the year for Mothership to declare a definitive place in the sphere of American heavy rock.
21. The Obsessed, Sacred
On Halloween 2016, founding The Obsessed guitarist/vocalist and doom icon Scott “Wino” Weinrich announced a new lineup for the band, with his former The Hidden Hand bandmate Bruce Falkinburg on bass/vocals, Sara Seraphim on guitar and Brian Costantino continuing on drums. A genuine surprise. Their first album since 1994, Sacred (due on Relapse) was tracked as the trio of Weinrich, Costantino and bassist/vocalist Dave Sherman, but clearly they’ve moved into a new era already. Wouldn’t even guess what the future holds, but hopefully Sacred still comes out.
22. Orange Goblin, TBA
When it was announced that London’s Orange Goblin were picked up by Spinefarm as part of that label’s acquisition of Candlelight Records last Spring, the subheadline from the PR wire was “Working on Ninth Studio Album.” I haven’t heard much since then, but even as 2014’s Back from the Abyss (review here) pushed them deeper into metallic territory than ever before, their songs retained the character that’s made the band the institution they are. Always look forward to new Orange Goblin.
23. Pallbearer, Heartless
Doomers, this is your whole year right here. I haven’t heard Pallbearer‘s third album, Heartless (out March 24 on Profound Lore), but I have to think even those who haven’t yet been won over by the Arkansas four-piece’s emotive, deep-running style have to be curious about what they’ve come up with this time around. I know I am. These guys have been making a mark on the genre since their 2012 debut, Sorrow and Extinction (review here), and there’s little doubt Heartless will continue that thread upon its arrival.
24. Radio Moscow, TBA
Fact: Radio Moscow stand among the best classic heavy rock live acts in the US. They’re the kind of band you can watch upwards of 15 gigs in a row — I’ve done it — and find them putting on a better show night after night, in defiance of science, logic and sobriety. Word of their signing to Century Media came just this past week and brought with it confirmation of a follow-up to 2014’s stellar Magical Dirt (review here), and for me to say hell yes, I’m absolutely on board, seems like the no-brainer to end all no-brainers. Can’t wait.
25. Roadsaw, TBA
Nearly six full years later, it’s only fair to call Boston scene godfathers Roadsaw due for a follow-up to their 2011 self-titled (review here). Granted, members have been busy in Kind, White Dynomite, and other projects, but still. Their upcoming outing finds them on Ripple Music after years under the banner of Small Stone Records, and though I haven’t seen a solid release date yet, my understanding is they hit Mad Oak Studio in Allston, MA, this past fall to track it, so seems likely for sooner or later. Sooner, preferably.
26. Rozamov, This Mortal Road
Speaking of albums by Boston bands a while in the making, This Mortal Road (out March 3 on Battleground Records and Dullest Records) is the debut full-length from Boston atmospheric extremists Rozamov. Haven’t heard it yet, but I got a taste of some of the material when I visited the band at New Alliance Audio in Aug. 2015, and the bleak expanses of what I heard seem primed to turn heads. I’m a fan of these guys, but in addition, they’ve found a niche for themselves sound-wise and I’m curious to hear how they bring it to fruition.
27. Samsara Blues Experiment, TBA
It’s been a pleasure over the last couple months to watch a resurgence of Berlin heavy psych trio Samsara Blues Experiment take shape, first with the announcement of a fourth album in October, then with subsequent confirmations for Desertfest, Riff Ritual in Barcelona, and a South American tour. Reportedly due in Spring, which fits with the timing on shows, etc., the record will follow 2013’s righteous Waiting for the Flood (review here) and as much as I’m looking forward to hearing it, I’m kind of just glad to have these guys back.
28. Seedy Jeezus, TBA
Work finished earlier this month on Melbourne trio Seedy Jeezus‘ second full-length. As with their 2015 self-titled debut, the band brought Tony Reed of Mos Generator to Australia to produce, and after their blissed-out 2016 collaboration with Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell, Tranquonauts (review here), it’s hard not to wonder what experimentalist tendencies might show in the trio’s style this time out, and likewise difficult not to anticipate what guitarist Lex “Mr. Frumpy” Wattereus comes up with for the cover art.
29. Shroud Eater, Strike the Sun
Not to spoil the surprise, but Feb. 1 I’ll host a track premiere from Florida’s Shroud Eater that finds them working in a different context from everything we’ve heard from them to this point in their rightly-celebrated tenure. They also recently had a split out with Dead Hand, and their second long-player, Strike the Sun, will be their debut through STB Records. It’s been since 2011’s ThunderNoise (review here) that we last got a Shroud Eater album, so you bet your ass I’m dying to know what the last six years have wrought.
30. Sleep, TBA
If Sleep were any other band, they’d probably be in the “Would be Awfully Nice” category. But they’re Sleep, so even the thought of a new record is enough to put them here. The lords of all things coated in THC are reissuing their 2014 single, The Clarity (review here), on Southern Lord next month, but rumors have been swirling about a proper album, which of course would be their first since the now-legendary Dopesmoker. If it happens, it’ll automatically be a heavy underground landmark for 2017, but it’s one I’m going to have in my ears before I really believe it.
31. Stoned Jesus, TBA
Even as they tour playing their second album, 2012’s Seven Thunders Roar (review here), to mark its fifth anniversary and continued impact, Ukrainian trio Stoned Jesus are forging ahead with a fourth record behind 2015’s The Harvest (review here). The capital-‘q’ Question is whether or not looking back at Seven Thunders Roar and engaging that big-riffing side of their sound will have an impact on the new material, and if so, how it will meld with the push of The Harvest. Won’t speculate, but look forward to finding out.
32. Stubb, TBA
Since reveling in the soul of 2015’s Cry of the Ocean (review here) on Ripple, London trio Stubb have swapped out bassists, and they were in Skyhammer Studio this month recording a single that may be an extended psychedelic jam. I’ll take that happily, but I’m even more intrigued at the prospect of a third LP and what guitarist/vocalist Jack Dickinson, bassist/vocalist Tom Hobson and drummer Tom Fyfe might have in store as the band moves forward on multiple levels. Might be 2017, might not.
33. Sun Blood Stories, It Runs Around the Room with Us
It Runs around the Room with Us seems to find peace in its resonant experimentalist drones, loops, open, subdued spaces, but there’s always some underlying sense of foreboding to its drift, as if Boise’s Sun Blood Stories could anticipate the moment before it happened. Toward the end of the follow-up to 2015’s Twilight Midnight Morning (review here), they execute the 90-second assault “Burn” and turn serenity to ash. Look for it in April and look for it again on my best of 2017 list in December.
34. Ufomammut, TBA
Any new offering from the Italian cosmic doom magnates is worth looking forward to, and while Ufomammut have left the 15-year mark behind, they’ve never stopped progressing in style and form. To wit, 2015’s Ecate (review here) was a stunner after 2012’s two-part LP, Oro (review here and review here), tightening the approach but assuring the vibe was no less expansive than ever. They started recording last summer, finished mixing in November, so I’m hoping for word of a release date soon.
35. Vokonis, The Sunken Djinn
Born out of Creedsmen Arise, whose 2015 demo, Temple (review here), offered formative thrills, Swedish trio Vokonis debuted with last year’s Olde One Ascending (review here) and proved there’s still life in post-Sleep riffing when it’s wielded properly. They signed to Ripple in November and confirmed the title of their sophomore effort as The Sunken Djinn, as well as a reissue for the first album, which will probably arrive first. I don’t know how that will affect the timing on this one, but keep an eye out anyway.
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Gonna Happen and/or Likely Candidates
Obviously some of these are more likely than others. Some have solidified, announced release dates — Dopelord‘s out this month, Demon Head‘s out in April, etc. — and others come from social media posts of bands in studios and hints at upcoming releases and so on. A big tell is whether or not a band has an album title with their listing, but even some of those without have their new albums done, like Atala and Royal Thunder, so it’s not necessarily absolute.
Either way, while I’m spending your money, you might want to look into:
36. Against the Grain
37. Amenra
38. Atala
39. Attalla, Glacial Rule
40. Ayahuasca Dark Trip, II
41. Beastmaker
42. Beaten Back to Pure
43. Blackout
44. Bretus
45. Buried Feather, Mind of the Swarm
46. The Clamps
47. Cold Stares
48. Coltsblood, Ascending into the Shimmering Darkness
49. Come to Grief, The Worst of Times EP
50. Cortez
51. Cruthu, The Angle of Eternity
52. The Dead-End Alley Band, Storms
53. Dead Witches, Dead Witches
54. Dealer
55. Death Alley, Live at Roadburn
56. Demon Head, Thunder on the Fields
57. The Devil and the Almighty Blues, II
58. Devil Electric
59. Doctor Cyclops, Local Dogs
60. Dool, Here Now There Then
61. Dopelord, Children of the Haze
62. Doublestone, Devil’s Own/Djævlens Egn
63. Dread Sovereign, For Doom the Bell Tolls
64. Drive by Wire
65. Elbrus, Elbrus
66. Electric Age
67. Electric Moon, Stardust Rituals
68. Endless Floods, II
69. Five Horse Johnson
70. Forming the Void, Relic
71. Funeral Horse
72. Greenbeard
73. Green Desert Water
74. Greenleaf
75. Grifter / Suns of Thunder, Split
76. Hair of the Dog, This World Turns
77. Heavy Temple, Chassit
78. Here Lies Man, Here Lies Man
79. Hollow Leg, Murder EP
80. Holy Mount, The Drought
81. Hooded Menace
82. Horisont, About Time
83. Hymn, Perish
84. Lecherous Gaze
85. Magnet, Feel Your Fire
86. Mastodon
87. Merlin, The Wizard
88. Merchant
89. Mindkult, Lucifer’s Dream
90. Mirror Queen
91. Moonbow, War Bear
92. Mos Generator
93. The Moth
94. MotherSloth
95. Mouth, Vortex
96. My Sleeping Karma, Mela Ananda – Live
97. Orango
98. Papir
99. PH, Eternal Hayden
100. Psychedelic Witchcraft, Magick Rites and Spells
101. Royal Thunder
102. Saturn, Beyond Spectra
103. Season of Arrows, Give it to the Mountain
104. Siena Root
105. Six Organs of Admittance, Burning the Threshold
106. Six Sigma, Tuxedo Brown
107. Sólstafir
108. The Sonic Dawn, Into the Long Night
109. Spelljammer
110. Spidergawd, IV
111. Steak
112. Stinking Lizaveta, Journey to the Underworld
113. Sula Bassana, Organ Accumulator
114. Summoner
115. Sun Voyager, Sun Voyager
116. Sweat Lodge, Tokens for Hell EP
117. Thera Roya, Stone and Skin
118. Toke
119. Troubled Horse, Revelation on Repeat
120. VA, Brown Acid The Third Trip
121. Weedpecker
122. Youngblood Supercult, The Great American Death Rattle
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Definitely Could Happen
Maybe a recording process is upcoming (Gozu, Cities of Mars, YOB), or a band is looking for a label (The Flying Eyes), or they’ve said new stuff is in the works but the circumstances of an actual release aren’t known (Arc of Ascent, Dead Meadow, High on Fire), or I’ve just seen rumors of their hitting the studio (Freedom Hawk, La Chinga, Ruby the Hatchet). We’ve entered the realm of the entirely possible but not 100 percent.
So, you know, life.
Dig it:
123. The Age of Truth
124. Ape Machine
125. Arc of Ascent
126. At Devil Dirt
127. Bantoriak
128. Bask
129. BCAD
130. BoneHawk
131. La Chinga
132. Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters
133. Cities of Mars
134. Crypt Sermon
135. Dead Meadow
136. Death Alley (Studio LP)
137. Dee Calhoun
138. Destroyer of Light
139. Devil
140. Devil Worshipper
141. Duel
142. Dustrider
143. Egypt
144. Electric Moon
145. Elephant Tree
146. Farflung
147. The Flying Eyes
148. Freedom Hawk
149. Gozu
150. The Great Electric Quest
151. Green Meteor, Consumed by a Dying Sun
152. High on Fire
153. Horrendous
154. Insect Ark
155. In the Company of Serpents
156. Iron Monkey
157. Jeremy Irons and the Ratgang Malibus
158. The Judge
159. Killer Boogie
160. King Dead
161. The Kings of Frog Island
162. Lords of Beacon House, Recreational Sorcery
163. Mangoo
164. Mondo Drag
165. Monolord
166. Mountain God
167. The Munsens
168. Naxatras
169. Never Got Caught
170. Ommadon
171. Orchid
172. Ordos
173. Pilgrim
174. Poseidon
175. Purple Hill Witch
176. Ruby the Hatchet
177. Sasquatch
178. Satan’s Satyrs
179. Serpents of Secrecy
180. Shabda
181. Shooting Guns
182. Sleepy Sun
183. Slow Season
184. Snowy Dunes, Atlantis
185. Spectral Haze
186. The Sweet Heat
187. Switchblade Jesus
188. Superchief
189. Tÿburn
190. YOB
191. Zone Six
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Would be Awfully Nice
This last category is basically as close as I’m willing to come to rampant speculation. Endless Boogie have hinted at new material, and Queens of the Stone Age have talked about hitting the studio for the last two years. There were rumors about Om, and though Kings Destroy just put out an EP, they have new songs as well, though I doubt we’ll hear them before the end of 2017. I’ll admit that Across Tundras, Fever Dog, Lord Fowl, Lowrider and Hour of 13 are just wishful thinking on my part. A boy can hope:
192. Across Tundras
193. Eggnogg
194. Elephant Tree
195. Endless Boogie
196. Fever Dog
197. Fu Manchu
198. Halfway to Gone
199. Hour of 13
200. Kadavar
201. Kings Destroy
202. Lord Fowl
203. Lowrider
204. Masters of Reality
205. Om
206. Orodruin
207. Queens of the Stone Age
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If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading. Whatever this year brings, I hope it’s been great so far for you and I hope it continues to be so as we proceed inexorably to 2018 and all the also-futuristic-sounding numbers thereafter. At least we know we’ll have plenty of good music to keep us company on that voyage.
As always, comments section is open if there’s anything I’ve left out. I’m happy to add, adjust, etc., as need be, so really, have at it, and thanks in advance.
per-track basis between longer and shorter pieces, gradually evening out as side B closes. “Sacred Tree” and “Dead Sacred Tree” — which run directly one into the other — are both about four minutes long, but if one takes them as a single entity as they’d essentially be on vinyl, then the shift to “Too Many Wizards” becomes even more striking, even though “Dead Sacred Tree” works just fine on its own anyhow, bringing its weighted riff to a post-Sabbath shuffle with organic ’70s shove. “Too Many Wizards” is the shortest inclusion at 3:36, but has fuzz and swagger both in supply to last much longer, and gives itself over to the more methodical title-track, which tops seven minutes and caps side A with due ebbs and flows, a guest-spot on guitar from Wo Fat‘s Kent Stump doing nothing to hurt their deceptively patient cause.
