The seventh installment of Ripple Music‘s Turned to Stone split series, featuring Windsor, Ontario’s Gypsy Chief Goliath and Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s End of Age, will be released this Friday, Jan. 20. Curated this time by Bucky Brown of Doom Charts fam, the coming together of the two acts represents roads taken and arrivals in unexpected places, drawn around a 39-minute listening experience that’s more like two coinciding EPs than either a front-to-back linear outing or the hodgepodge sampler platter that splits sometimes are. That it isn’t haphazard should be no grand surprise — it is the seventh chapter of Turned to Stone, and Turned to Stone is Ripple‘s second split series — but both bands are newer embodiments for some familiar players, be it Gypsy Chief Goliath‘s Al “The Yeti” Bones, of Mister Bones, Georgian Skull and The Mighty Nimbus, or End of Age‘s Ben McGuire and Mark Hanna, who used to play together in a called Black Cowgirl.
Gypsy Chief Goliath bookend their five tracks with an intro and outro, starting with “Loup Garou” and ending with a mellow figure at the close of “Shadows of a Solar Love.” Between those, they’re likely to fill any quota you’ve got for piss and vinegar with “Demons Suffer” and the hard-hitting instrumental “Black Dwarf,” while “High Priest” takes a less gutted-out approach vocally and “Shadows of a Solar Love” ties it all together with force and groove, the five-piece making the most of their opportunity to showcase some variety in their take on heavy, be it the Sabbathian initial rollout of “Demons Suffer” or the bruiser dudeliness that follows, the band who were last heard from studio-wise with 2019’s Masters of Space and Time (discussed here) finding an organic sense of breadth without sacrificing traditional songwriting for atmosphere.
It just so happens they’re an act who can write more than one kind of song. Tense in its chug, “High Priest” is less metal ultimately than either the lead lines atop the beginning of “Demons Suffer” before or the nodding impact of “Black Dwarf” after, and even if the combination of the intro “Loup Garou,” “Black Dwarf” and the final stretch of “Shadows of a Solar Love” — dig that fuzz, kids — makes the band seem less grounded than they otherwise might be, it’s a ruse. Whatever else they have going on, Gypsy Chief Goliath are songwriters, and the variety is on purpose. In just 19 minutes, they present a style that’s classically heavy but not beholden to any single notion of what that means. Bones is a distinct frontman presence, but the band behind him are more than able to hold their own for the instrumentals and in standing up to the challenge of the verse/chorus tunes. Solid band. Hard-hitting, no pretense, no bullshit. Rock for rockers.
Over on side B, End of Age also present five songs, and while one can listen to Hanna‘s snare on “Want to Go” and “Yelling Tree” and hear roots in self-titled Queens of the Stone Age, there’s a decided punk rock undercurrent to the band on the whole. Not so much in McGuire‘s vocals, which in themselves are more clenched-throat and would fit just as well over sludge, but in the combination of riffs and grooves on “Cat’s Blood,” I just can’t escape a hint toward Social Distortion or maybe even Bad Religion — that kind of punk that the metal kids liked in high school. True to Gypsy Chief Goliath on side A, End of Age don’t just do one thing for 19 minutes and punch out, but their sound is more united by McGuire‘s vocals at least until they get around to “Aestivation,” which builds on the psychedelic emergence later in the penultimate “Dormant Hibernation” with acoustic and far-back electrics, synth, and a higher-register voice that, if it’s McGuire at all, is a pointed departure from some of the shout-derived-but-not-shouting prior.
Respect for that, either way. In addition to the previous ’90s allusions, there’s some Thin Lizzy swing to “Cat’s Blood” as well, while “Want to Go” is more forward push, poppy in its backing vocals (there they are; that’s the setup to “Aestivation”), and “Yelling Tree” makes a rawer, in-the-room studio feel part of its direct listening experience. According to the narrative (blessings and peace upon it), part of the reason this is End of Age‘s first outing after Black Cowgirl‘s final release in 2014 is because McGuire and Hanna spent years building their own recording space, and if this is the level of output they’re able to hone there, then their time has not been wasted. The chemistry throughout, the spaciousness and psychedelic lean in the back half of “Dormant Hibernation” and the shift between that and “Aestivation” are all emblematic of the duo’s past playing together, and while I don’t know what their next step is or how many songs they might already have in the can after so many years, they sure as shit sound ready to make a record. Hopefully sooner than later.
So, like I said at the outset, “unexpected places.” Keep that in mind as you dig into the tracklisting below, and take some time with each half of Turned to Stone Ch. 7. The release earns that, I think, through the quality of its songwriting from both groups, from the differences between them, and the fluidity of style they share without actually sharing much in terms of style beyond basics like, “have riffs, have songs,” and so on. In the interest of straightforwardness, this is a worthy inclusion in a series that’s already produced a few gems, and will surely help put Gypsy Chief Goliath and End of Age‘s music into the ears of those most likely to appreciate it being there.
North American heavy rock units GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and END OF AGE join forces for the release of the ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split album, to be issued this January 20th on Ripple Music. Listen to a gritty first track now with GCG’s “Demons Suffer”!
Get ready to welcome the seventh chapter of Ripple Music’s ‘Turned To Stone’ series of thematic split releases, curated here by Bucky Brown (Doom Charts). Combining the multi-faceted talents of Ontario-based heavy mongers GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and Pennsylvania’s proto-metal duo END OF AGE, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ offers a generous 10-track journey through the ages of heavy. GCG effortlessly sprinkle their loud stoner metal assaults with adventurous 70s hard rock, in a rowdy Corrosion Of Conformity-meets-Thin Lizzy approach. On side B, END OF AGE delivers a frenzy of 70s-infused heavy drenched in unforgettable melodies and exquisitely progressive at times.
TRACKLIST: 1. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Loup Garou 2. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Demons Suffer 3. Gypsy Chief Goliath – High Priest 4. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Black Dwarf 5. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Shadows Of A Solar Love ——————– 6. End Of Age – Want To Go 7. End Of Age – Yelling Tree 8. End Of Age – Cat’s Blood 9. End Of Age – Dormant Hibernation 10. End Of Age – Aestivation
Gypsy Chief Goliath: Al “The Yeti” Bones (The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones) – vocals/guitar Adam Saitti (Georgian Skull, Ol Time Moonshine) – drums John Serio – lead guitar Jeff Phillips (Thine Eyes Bleed, Kittie) – lead guitar Jagger Benham – Bass
End of Age: Ben McGuire – vocals/guitar Mark Hanna – drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 17th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
I like that John Gist‘s curated Ripple splits — this’ll be the third I know of, though if you told me he’s helmed the whole series to-date, I’d only be able to say job well done — work in themes. The theme that brings together Windsor, Ontario’s Gypsy Chief Goliath and Pennsylvania’s End of Age? ‘Dudes you might know from other bands.’ In the case of Gypsy Chief Goliath, that’s frontman Al “Yeti” Bones, formerly of Mister Bones, as well as The Mighty Nimbus and Georgian Skull. For End of Age, it’s Ben McGuire and Mark Hanna, who stopped operating as Black Cowgirl in the middle of the last decade — probably a good idea — and have apparently spent the last few years building a studio in which to create.
Both outfits are proven in my mind as regards songwriting, and if you managed to read that review today of Turned to Stone Ch. 6, you already know I hold this series in pretty high esteem. I expect this to be nothing of cool and encourage you to do the same. Gypsy Chief Goliath have a song streaming at the bottom of this post, as though to prove the case outright.
From the PR wire:
Gypsy Chief Goliath and End Of Age to release ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split on Ripple Music; stream first track “Demons Suffer” now!
North American heavy rock units GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and END OF AGE join forces for the release of the ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split album, to be issued this January 20th on Ripple Music. Listen to a gritty first track now with GCG’s “Demons Suffer”!
Get ready to welcome the seventh chapter of Ripple Music’s ‘Turned To Stone’ series, the thematic split releases curated by John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution, Doomed & Stoned Show). Combining the multi-faceted talents of Ontario-based heavy mongers GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and Pennsylvania’s proto-metal duo END OF AGE, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ offers a generous 10-track journey through the ages of heavy. GCG effortlessly sprinkle their loud stoner metal assaults with adventurous 70s hard rock, in a rowdy Corrosion Of Conformity-meets-Thin Lizzy approach. On side B, END OF AGE delivers a frenzy of 70s-infused heavy drenched in unforgettable melodies and exquisitely progressive at times.
‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ will be available on January 20th in two limited vinyl editions as well as on digital, with preorders available now through Ripple Music.
TRACKLIST: 1. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Loup Garou 2. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Demons Suffer 3. Gypsy Chief Goliath – High Priest 4. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Black Dwarf 5 – Gypsy Chief Goliath – Shadows Of A Solar Love ——————– 6. End Of Age – Want To Go 7. End Of Age – Yelling Tree 8. End Of Age – Cat’s Blood 9. End Of Age – Dormant Hibernation 10. End Of Age – Aestivation
Among the most bizarre names in Rock & Roll, GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH has much more dynamic chemistry, fused with pure electric potency and enough volume to make the eardrums crumble. This Canadian five-piece has been ripping stages apart since 2009. Often described as a stoner metal band, there are simply too many layers to classify them as such, when with each year that passes, G.C.G seem to evolve into a greater beast than the last inception. Charged by the creative forces of soulful meets primal vocals, dual harmony guitar lines, a massively heavy rhythm section, and rustic keys from time to time, the band showcases their brand of hard rock, heavy metal, and blues all rolled into one masterful delivery. Fronted by Canadian stoner rock notable, vocalist/guitarist AL The Yeti Bones (The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones), the band also consists of Adam Saitti on drums (Georgian Skull, Ol Time Moonshine), John Serio lead guitar, Jeff Phillips lead guitar (Thine Eyes Bleed, Kittie) and Jagger Benham on Bass.
END OF AGE was formed by vocalist/guitarist Ben McGuire and drummer Mark Hanna formerly of the band Black Cowgirl. Soon after Black Cowgirl ceased to exist in 2015, McGuire began construction of a recording studio within a 150-year-old barn in Lancaster County Pennsylvania with the sole purpose of having a place to record without the time constraints of a traditionally paid studio session. Unfortunately on the first day of renovations the barn was discovered to be structurally unsound and needed to be entirely torn down. Distraught and defeated McGuire briefly considered using gasoline to solve the problem after finding a newspaper article dated 1885 under the floorboards that detailed a local arson from 130 years prior but wisely ignored the “sign” and decided against it making the decision to disassemble the cursed barn and immediately start the slow process of collecting material to build a new structure. This unforeseen obstacle coupled with multiple other unexpected life events delayed End of Age from recording and playing more than a few shows for a couple of years while the new studio took shape. The pair recorded 5 songs for Ripple Music with a makeshift studio set up in 2020 during lockdown as construction continued on the permanent location.
Finally, to the elation of Hanna and McGuire the final studio they are calling Wilderness Exile was completed in early 2022. What first appeared to be a crippling misfortune proved to be a blessing in disguise. McGuire and Hanna now have a place that provides limitless experimentation and creativity for their projects as well as other musicians. END OF AGE already knew they could lay the musical foundation for a tune and construct a real doozy of a ditty. Now they know they can literally lay the foundation for a physical building and construct the piss out of one as well. They temporarily traded their drums and guitars for hammers and nails assuming the role of blue-collar warriors on the warpath for riffcraft. Now that their fortress of sonic excess has been realized auditory experimentation can begin.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on January 10th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
When one thinks of Gypsy Chief Goliath, one thinks of Al ‘Yeti’ Bones, and when one thinks of Al ‘Yeti’ Bones, one thinks of burl. Across two decades of work in bands like Mister Bones, The Georgian Skull, The Mighty Nimbus and, briefly, Serpents of Secrecy, Bones has been the dude bringing the dudeliness to maximum burl factor. And yet, in “Stranger Desires” from Gypsy Chief Goliath‘s fourth album, Masters of Space and Time — due out Feb. 22 on Kozmik Artifactz — he takes a more melodic approach rather than bellowing out with the gruffness he’s shown in the past. A softer side? Not really with those riffs behind him, but what the band are doing with “Stranger Desires” is taking on more of a classic heavy rock sound than they’ve had in the past — even 2016’s Citizens of Nowhere (review here) kept up the thread — and as one can hear in the track below, it suits them well.
Of course, with six dudes listed in the lineup — curiously, only five appear in the photo above; an invisible keyboardist would also be a nod to classic heavy rock — as guitarists Dustin Black and John Serio, bassist Darren Brush, drummer Adam Saitti and key-specialist Mark Calcott join Bones in this revamped mission, it’s not just about the guitarist/vocalist positioned in the center of the stage. Gypsy Chief Goliath seem to be making this semi-departure as a group. On “Stranger Desires,” with organ running alongside the guitar, they tap into proto-metal in style while keeping to a modernist impact in terms of the production, and ’70s rock and ’80s metal collide with a fervent rhythmic push through a chorus that edges close to poppy in its affect. Make your way through the song two or three times and you’re going to start to hear some of the depth to it. The first listen? All about the change. The second? All about the hook. But one or two more and you start to hear weird things going on that are both exciting and new for the band.
I haven’t heard all of Masters of Space and Time, just this track, so I can’t comment on how well it might showcase the album as a whole, but Bones says in the quote below it’s a “fitting introduction,” so it may well be that this evolution is playing out across the entire offering. If so, right on. It certainly works here.
Please find “Stranger Desires” premiering in the lyric video below, followed by more info from the PR wire.
And please enjoy:
Gypsy Chief Goliath, “Stranger Desires” lyric video premiere
GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH’s Al Yeti Bones offers of the single, “’Stranger Desires’ is a tune about strange times. Simple. Lyrically, without getting political, because that is not my forte, it’s just to be interpreted loosely as weird times we live in, and that’s it. What we seem to appreciate on a global scale in terms of needs; entertainment and mainstream media and how the two have been cross-pollinated to unglue a lot of information and dirty the lines between fact and fiction. Realistically speaking I guess it’s always been this way. Nothing is new there. The lyrics are vague regarding specific topics, as I would hate to offend anyone, as I’m Canadian and too nice of a guy. But the tune itself, is the first thing we’ve put out in a few years and I felt this would be a fitting introduction to the new album. It’s different than previous work, but I hope people dig it! Crank it!”
Kozmik Artifactz will release Masters Of Space And Time on LP, CD, and all digital services worldwide on February 22nd.
GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH Live:
1/12/2019 Call The Office – London, ON w/ White Swan 1/25/2019 Dominion House – Windsor, ON 3/02/2019 Willie Johns Big Easy – Niagara Falls, ON 3/16/2019 Dominion House – Windsor, ON *record release show
GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH: Al Yeti Bones – vocals, guitars Adam Saitti – drums Darren Brush – bass Dustin Black – guitars John Serio – guitars Mark Calcott – keyboards
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 25th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Cheers to Al ‘Yeti’ Bones and his cohorts in Gypsy Chief Goliath on signing to Kozmik Artifactz to release their impending fourth album, Masters of Space and Time. I haven’t yet seen a precise release date for the outing, and it’s entirely possible it could be up for early 2019 at this point. That’d be my bet, but I’ve certainly been wrong before. Either way, Masters of Space and Timewill serve as Gypsy Chief Goliath‘s 2016 album, Citizens of Nowhere (review here), which you can hear streaming at the bottom of this post, should you be inclined to dig in. That’s what it’s there for.
The PR wire brings word of the signing and the new LP to come, and it looks an awful lot like this:
Kozmik Artifactz Sign Canadian Stoner Metal Heavyweights – Gypsy Chief Goliath
It is with great pride that we welcome Gypsy Chief Goliath to the Kozmik Family!
Canadian stoner metal heavyweights, Gypsy Chief Goliath are at it again, getting set to release their fourth album entitled Masters Of Space & Time via legendary German based record label, Kozmik Artifactz.
Originally established in 2009 by AL “The Yeti” Bones (formerly of The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones), this five piece, sonic wrecking crew have been building quite the name for themselves in the last decade. Not just in Canada, but globally throughout the underground music scene.
The band can be best described as a blend of 70’s Classic Rock/Heavy Metal with elements of 90’s Stoner Rock and Grunge.
The new album is quite different from previous work as the band seems to be more diverse in song writing and have strayed away from the wall of sound style, in exchange for a much more dynamic story telling roller coaster.
Gypsy Chief Goliath are: Al “the Yeti” Bones Adam Saitti Darren Brush Dustin Black John Serio Nick Angelini
Who’s ready for another round of 10 reviews in The Obelisk’s Quarterly Review? I know I am. We gotta hit 50 by Friday, and there’s still a lot — a lot — of ground to cover. Yesterday was all over the place style-wise and today has some of that going as well, but there’s a lot of quality in both, so hopefully you get to check some of it out. Today is the all important QR Hump Day, wherein we pass the halfway mark on our way to the total 50 reviews. If you’re wondering, it’s Lord Vicar who do the honors this time around at #25. Just kind of worked out that way, but I’ll take it. Down to business.
Quarterly Review #21-30:
Mirrors for Psychic Warfare, Mirrors for Psychic Warfare
Probably fair to call Mirrors for Psychic Warfare an offshoot of Corrections House, since its two members – Scott Kelly (also Neurosis) and Sanford Parker (producer extraordinaire/also Buried at Sea) – are also in that group, but the feel of their Neurot Recordings self-titled debut is substantially different, rawer and at times harsher. Parker handles beats and electronics, creating at times a wash of abrasive noise as in the culmination of “CNN WTZ,” the centerpiece of the five tracks, and elsewhere providing an industrial backdrop for Kelly’s voice for a gothic feel, as on “A Thorn to See.” Unsurprisingly, nothing about Mirrors for Psychic Warfare makes for particularly easy listening – though opener “Oracles Hex” has some commonality with Kelly’s solo work and his voice is resonant as ever – but as they round out the album with “43,” the keys, synth and guitar find some common ground, which leaves distorted shouts from Kelly to do the work of taking listeners to task. We already knew these two worked well together, and the partnership once again bears fruit here.
The four-song Death Thy Lover EP (on Napalm) is the first new studio offering of original material from Swedish doom legends Candlemass since their 2012 album, Psalms for the Dead (review here), marked the end of the tenure of vocalist Robert Lowe, also of Solitude Aeturnus. His replacement is the person who nearly had the job in the first place, Mats Levén (formerly Therion), who has a kind of stateliness to his presence in opener “Death Thy Lover” but suits the plod of “Sleeping Giant” well. Of course, at the center of the band is bassist/songwriter Leif Edling, whose style is unmistakable in these tracks, whether it’s the late-Iommi-style riffing of “Sinister ‘n’ Sweet” or “Death Thy Lover”’s chugging its way toward the hook. Candlemass save the most grueling for last with “The Goose,” as guitarists Mats “Mappe” Björkman and Lars “Lasse” Johansson intertwine a chugging rhythm and extended soloing over dirge-march drums from Jan Lindh to give the short release a darkened instrumental finale.
Talk about scope. Oh, only a country’s entire cultural history is fair game for Skuggsjá, the brainchild of Norwegian artists Ivar Bjørnson (also Enslaved) and Einar Selvik (also Wardruna) that crosses the line between black metal and Norse traditionalism probably better than anyone has ever done it before. A Piece for Mind and Mirror is the studio incarnation of the work the two composers and a host of others did as commissioned for the 200th anniversary of the Norwegian constitution, and though it’s broken into 10 movements for the album, it flows together as one orchestral entirety, the gurgle of Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved) recognizable in the eponymous track amid choral backing and a richly textured blend of traditional folk instruments and metallic thrust. The lyrics are Norwegian, but whether it’s the blowing horn of “Makta Og Vanæra (I All Tid)” or the lush melodies in the march of “Bøn Om Ending – Bøn Om Byrjing,” the sense of pride and the creative accomplishment of A Piece for Mind and Mirror ring through loud and clear.
Two years after making their self-titled debut, Baltimore heavy bluesfuzz trio Black Lung come swaggering back with the spacious vibes of See the Enemy (on Noisolution), which takes the establishing steps the first album laid out and builds on them fluidly and with a clear direction in mind. At eight tracks/45 minutes produced by J. Robbins, the album was clearly structured for vinyl, each half ending with a longer cut, the psych-jamming “Nerve” on side A, which resounds in an ending of scorching guitar from Adam Bufano atop the drums of Elias Schutzman (both of The Flying Eyes), and the closer “8MM,” on which Bufano, Schutzman, guitarist/vocalist Dave Cavalier and Robbins (who also contributes bass) roll out the record’s most massive groove and cap it with an impenetrable wall of noise. While the songs are striking in their cohesion and poise, there are moments where one wants Black Lung to really let loose, as after Trevor Shipley’s keyboard stretch in “Priestess,” but they have other ideas, feeding the title-track directly into “8MM” with no less a firm sense of control than shown earlier. All told, an excellent follow-up that deserves broader consideration among 2016’s finer offerings.
Offered through The Church Within Records as a paean to classic doom, Lord Vicar’s third LP, Gates of Flesh, nonetheless almost can’t help but put its own mark on the style. The Turku, Finland, outfit’s first album in five years, it finds guitarist Kimi Kärki (ex-Reverend Bizarre, Orne, E-Musikgruppe Lux Ohr, etc.), vocalist Chritus (also Goatess, ex-Saint Vitus, Count Raven, etc.), and drummer Gareth Millsted (ex-Centurions Ghost) — who, along with Kärki, also contributed bass after the band parted ways with Jussi Myllykoski and prior to adding Sami Hynninen as a temporary replacement — bold enough to shift into minimalist spaciousness on “A Shadow of Myself,” and really, they’re not through opener “Birth of Wine” before Kärki executes a gorgeous dual-layered solo. Trace those roots back to Trouble if you must, but there’s no question to whom the lurch of centerpiece “Breaking the Circle” or the sorrowful 10-minute closer “Leper, Leper” belongs, and the same holds true for everything that follows, be it the quiet start of “A Woman out of Snow” or the swinging second half of “Accidents.” Lord Vicar enact the doom of ages and take complete ownership of the sound, thus only adding to the canon as they go.
Like the stench of rotting, Dakessian’s The Poisoned Chalice provokes a visceral and physical response. The long-in-the-making debut release from the Portland-based duo of vocalist Kenny Snarzyk (also Fister) and multi-instrumentalist Aaron D.C. Edge (Lumbar, Roareth, so many others) had its music recorded back in 2013, and the vocals were added earlier this year, throat-searing screams and growls that top the noisy, claustrophobically weighted tones from Edge’s guitar. The onslaught is unrelenting, both longer songs like “Demons” and “Ten Double Zero” and shorter cuts “Nothing Forever” and the sample-laced opener “Choose Hate” brim with aggressive misanthropy, the will against. Even the penultimate “Baerial,” which offers a glimmer of melody, continues to crush, and starting with a slow drum progression, closer “Cosmic Dissolution” barely tops two and a half minutes, but it brings thorough reassurance of the project’s destructive force before its final drone rounds out. One never knows with Edge if a given band will ever have a follow-up, but as ever, the quality is consistent. In this case, brutally so.
Actually, if you want to get technical about it, Gypsy Chief Goliath are citizens of Ontario, but you’d never know it from listening to their third album, Citizens of Nowhere, which if you had to pin a geographic locale on it might be more of a fit for New Orleans than Canada. The Pitch Black Records release sees the triple-guitar-plus-harmonica six-piece outfit dug deep in Southern metal grooves, marked out by the burl-bringing vocals of frontman/guitarist Al “The Yeti” Bones, formerly of Mister Bones, Serpents of Secrecy and The Mighty Nimbus and the chug-and-churn of cuts like “Black Samurai” and the shuffle of “We Died for This.” The title-track winds its central riff with thickened-up ‘70s boogie, while “Elephant in the Room” and “The Return” space out a bit more, and the closing Black Sabbath cover “Killing Yourself to Live” (a CD bonus track) plays it loyal structurally while dude’ing up the original like it was on hormone therapy.
Hard-touring Richmond genre-benders Inter Arma are due for a landmark release. Their 2014 single-song EP, The Cavern, was wildly well received and earned every bit of praise it got. Their follow-up to that is Paradise Gallows, their third album and second for Relapse behind 2013’s Sky Burial (track stream here). Is Paradise Gallows that landmark? Hell if I know. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Mikey Allred, who also guests on trombone, bass violin, organ and noise, Inter Arma’s third brings an expansive 70 minutes of bleak progressivism, conceptually and sonically broad enough to be considered brilliant and still weighted enough that the prevailing vibe is extremity in their blend of sludge, doom, black metal, post-metal, atmospherics, and a moody acoustic closer. The only real danger is that it might take listeners time to digest – because it’s a lot to take in, all those twists and turns in “Violent Constellations,” particularly after the plod of the title-track – but I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to find Inter Arma inhabiting any number of year-end lists for 2016. Once again, they earn it.
Virginian bruisers Helgamite manage to cover a deceptive amount of sonic ground on their second LP, Hypnagogia (on CD through Lost Apparitions with vinyl soon on Flesh Vessel), spending plenty of time in dense-toned sludge metal but using that as a foundation for a wider range of explorations, winding up in blastbeats by the time 13-minute side B finale “The Secret” comes around, but by then having torn through the aggro-thrash of “Origins,” lumbered through the mosher “Æstrosion” and topped off “Shaman’s Veil” with math-metal guitar fits melded to a saxophone arrangement. Growls from vocalist William Breeden and Jonah Butler’s drums tie it all together as guitarist Casey Firkin (also sax) and bassist Matthew Beahm pull off intermittently jazzy runs, but impressively, Helgamite never sound in danger of losing sight of the songs they’re serving, and Hypnogogia is stronger for its unwillingness to waste a second of its runtime, even in the aforementioned “The Secret” or its 10-minute side A counterpart, “Snowdrifter.”
Get it? Children of the Chron? I’ll admit it took me a second. While I was thinking about it, Allston, Massachusetts, duo Mollusk doled out sludge-punk-metal beatings via raw tones and shouts and a general sense of checked-out attitude, “Glacier” reminding of earliest, least-poppy Floor, but cuts like “Demon Queen” and “When You’re Gone” finding guitarist Hank Rose using a purposefully monotone vocal approach that works well over slower parts. Rose is joined in Mollusk by drummer Adam O’Day, and though I’ve already noted that the 11-track album is raw, their sound wants nothing for impact in the low end or any other end for that matter. Rather, the harsher aspects become part of the aesthetic throughout Children of the Chron and the band successfully navigates its own mire without getting lost in either its own “Torture Chamber” or “Zombie Apocalypse,” which like opener “Ride the #9,” is almost certainly a song about life in the Boston area.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 21st, 2016 by JJ Koczan
Ontario bruisers Gypsy Chief Goliath will release their third full-length, Citizens of Nowhere, on April 15 via Pitch Black Records. The band is fronted by Al ‘The Yeti’ Bones, also currently involved in Serpents of Secrecy with a formidable pedigree as a vocalist that also includes Mr. Bones and The Mighty Nimbus, and have left by now a trail of injured ribs behind each of their offerings. I’d expect no less of Citizens of Nowhere upon its arrival, and the preview track “Holding Grace,” with its twin-guitar feats, classic chug and Bones‘ own burly-as-hell delivery, would seem to reinforce the gut punch due out next month.
The PR wire offers the following:
GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH Returns For Release Of Third Album Through Pitch Black Records This April; New Tracks Streaming
Pitch Black Records is thrilled to announce the return of one of Canada’s premier stoner metal acts, GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH, with their new, third album, Citizens Of Nowhere, set for release this April.
The main driving force behind GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH, vocalist/guitarist Al “The Yeti” Bones (also of Serpents Of Secrecy, The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones) comments: “It’s been awesome working with such a flagship independent metal label like Pitch Black Records. It’s so important to form an alliance with a label that believes in what you do as much as you do. Our new album is a smoke riff masterpiece that tells tales of the apocalypse, death, space, time travel, and the almighty highway!”
Proudly (and rightly so) declaring their affection for that good old warm sound, GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH has gone completely analogue on this one, recording on reel to reel tape at Sharktank Studios in Windsor, Ontario. The album includes eleven tracks, with a cover of the Sabbath classic “Killing Yourself To Live” as a CD bonus. Clocking in at just under an hour, this is an album that truly “reels” the listener in right from the start and the band’s unique style of bluesy stoner rock/metal, which includes three guitars and a harmonica, is set to captivate audiences once again.
Citizens Of Nowhere is scheduled for release on April 15th on CD and digital download. Preorders are liveHEREandHERE.
Citizens Of Nowhere Tracklisting: 1. The Sting 2. Holding Grace 3. Citizens Of Nowhere 4. Black Samurai 5. Elephant In The Room 6. Gloomy Tombs 7. Odyssey 8. We Died For This 9. The Return 10. Witchcraft For The Ages 11. Killing Yourself To Live (CD Bonus)
GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH: AL Yeti Bones – Vocals/Guitar Adam Saitti – Drums Dustin Black – Guitar John Serio – Guitar Darren Brush – Bass Rev. Brodie Stevenson – Harmonica
Posted in audiObelisk on April 16th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
It’s a busy few months ahead for Canadian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Al “The Yeti” Bones. His main outfit, Gypsy Chief Goliath, are doing shows throughout the beginning and course of the summer in their homebase of Windsor as well as Montreal and London, Ontario. In addition to this, Bones has a debut solo release in the works dubbed Audio-Biography from which the first audio is available now.
For anyone who may know Bones‘ work through Gypsy Chief Goliath, The Mighty Nimbus, The Georgian Skull or even his past outfit, Mister Bones, the new song “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” will carry with it a familiar sense of burl. That comes through all the more on the solo offering thanks in part to a guest vocal appearance by Gideon Smith of Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned. What most distinguishes the new cut, however, is a clear classic rock feel in the guitar. You’d have a pretty easy time making the argument that some of Bones‘ other bands have covered that ground before, but where Gypsy Chief Goliath is thicker in its tone, The Mighty Nimbus was always more aggressive, and Mister Bones more purely stoner-rocking, “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” has stretches where it runs a Thin Lizzy influence through a grinder of clenched teeth, and that coupled with the hook on which Bones is backed by Smith and vice versa, the song as a way of working into your head while keeping to a classic structure, shirking off indulgence, and not overstaying its welcome.
Not sure when Audio-Biography will see release betweenBones‘ work in Gypsy Chief Goliath, and when it does surface, also not sure how representative “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” is of the record in full, but it’s catchy, well-written and — fittingly — heavy, so you won’t hear me complain. With the caveat of more to come on Audio-Biography, please enjoy “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” on the player below:
Posted in Features on September 2nd, 2012 by JJ Koczan
How surprised was I to win the Stoner Hands of Doom XII raffle last night? Well, I’m not exactly the guy who never wins anything, but I am the guy who says he never wins anything when he wins something once every eight to 10 years, so yeah, I was pretty blown away. I didn’t even really get the chance to go through the box of goodies last night — Pale Divine had just played and The Skull was about to take the stage — but the loot is plentiful.
My ticket won me a bounty of doomly goods, from Iron Man vinyl to CDs from Kin of Ettins, Beelzefuzz, Faces of Bayon, Black Cowgirl, Ichabod, One Inch Giant, and so on, plus posters for the last several SHoD fests, including one for SHoD VII in Arizona, when Acid King played. There are ones in there for SHoD X and SHoDXI as well, both of which I played in different bands, so it’s kind of special to have them, and an assortment of doomly patches and stickers — not to mention an entire wardrobe of t-shirts — but the highlight of the whole package has to be the official Stoner Hands of Doom XII pedal, which has the Skillit-designed skull artwork of this year’s fest painted right on. I can’t wait to get it home and hook it up to my ukulele. I’m dead serious.
Thanks obviously go out to Rob and the whole SHoD crew. One of the great things about being here the last several days has been seeing all the familiar faces. Today is the final day of the fest. When I came out of the El ‘n’ Gee last night, the entire town of New London appeared to be smashed, so it’s not such a surprise that it’s kind of sleepy and quiet now as I write this in a shady corner in the parking lot across from the venue, but soon enough, Minneapolis sludgers Witchden will start another full day of excellent heaviness that I’ll once more be documenting as we go along.
If you’ve been reading these posts, thank you for that. I hope you’ve enjoyed it as much as I have. It’s kind of a trip to be reviewing a band’s set and then have them come over and say hi, as happened a few times yesterday, but it’s been a lot of fun. More to come in a bit for day four of SHoD XII.
Witchden
UPDATE 2:02PM: They had a hell of a trip to get here and a first-band-on crowd to play to, but Minneapolis sludgers Witchden were tight enough to show they had a little road time along their way. The two-guitar five-piece boasts Jeff “Kong”Moen, now apparently formerly of Sourvein on drums, and he provided both energy and crash behind vocalist Jason Micah, whose vicious screams came across with an almost hip-hop style presence. Maybe it was the upturned hat, but everyone else was pretty much headbanging, and his stage moves just gave off that kind of vibe. On the other hand, the riffs of guitarists were straight out of the sludge playbook, heavy enough to transcend the stoner and really get into some muddy nastiness. I bought the CD, and they were also selling handmade dugouts, which are apparently a thing that exist. They were $20 a pop, and as much as I like to support independent woodworking, I stuck with the album and think it was probably the right idea. A heavy start, and the first fog machine of the whole fest (surprised the hell out of me, like, “Oh yeah! Fog!” — it’s been a long weekend), but we’re underway for sure now.
Insano Vision
UPDATE 2:46PM: They were a lot of fun, because they were literally kids — their parents were here — but Insano Vision also seriously brought it to SHoD XII, and by “it” I mean the inimitable vitality of rock and roll youth. They were fast and heavy and jumping around the stage, and it gives what I’ve been calling “energetic” all weekend an entirely different touchstone. A double-guitar four-piece from North Haven, I’d be amazed if a single one of them could gain entry to the bar area at the El ‘n’ Gee, but heavy is heavy. Lead guitarist Doug Glaser (above) tapped through a couple killer solos, jumping around the stage during set highlight “Unknown,” and while they still have their kinks to work out, they have plenty of time to do it. Very cool, very metal, and great to see some youngins kicking ass. As they’re local, I don’t know that I’d put them on after Witchden, but I think they surprised everyone here with both their chops and their presence. They tore through their set quickly, leaving a strong impression in their wake. Will be interesting to see how they develop, but it was more than pleasant to be caught off-guard as I was and I think a lot of others were as well.
Infernal Overdrive
UPDATE 3:39PM: I think I pulled my rock muscle. It was a pretty bold choice on New Jersey four-piece Infernal Overdrive‘s part to throw in the 12-minute jam (which was shortened, but still) “Motor” so early into the set, but they pulled it off, ranging far into psychedelic moodiness and then bringing it back into their own brand of classic-type riff rock. Brothers Keith (bass) and Marc Schleicher (guitar/vocals) held down cuts like “Viking” — which I’m dying to hear the final version of — the former with his customized Captain America bass, now featuring blue knobs. They’re always a show, huge on personality, but the songwriting backs it up. “I-95,” from their Small Stone debut, Last Rays of the Dying Sun (review here) is maddeningly catchy, and though Marc didn’t jump off the stage in his James Brown boogie routine, he and guitarist Rich Miele both sounded excellent and drummer Mike Bennett pushed a big rock finish over the top, the band’s logo proudly blazing off the front of his kick bass. For a band that doesn’t tour six or seven months each year, Infernal Overdrive always throw down, and every time I see them, I manage to enjoy it more than the last. Word is Hovel‘s brakes went out, and while they’re reportedly okay, they’re also reportedly not coming. Bummer, as it would’ve been cool to catch their set, but at least nobody got hurt.
Fire Faithful
UPDATE 5:OOPM: Some more familiar faces in Richmond, Virginia, SHoD veterans Fire Faithful. Their most recent full-length, Please Accept this Invocation (review here), was fit to please, if somewhat under-recorded, but like last year, the four-piece delivered in a live setting. As expected they called for backup (vocals) well into the proceedings, but the earlier “Wonton Lavey,” and “Dollar Bottomed Out” also stood out. The Ladies Faithful joined in for “Harvest Moon,” “A Devil in London” and the finale “King Macabre,” helping Fire Faithful do Virginia proud. Their Southern-style metal/doom is definitely traceable to its geography, with guitarist Shane Rippey‘s Pepper Keenan-style riffs and the post-Dave Sherman/Phil Anselmo vocal approach of Brandon Malone, but the band is clearly also working to come into their own more in terms of sound, and just going by this set, it seems to be worth their effort. There’s growth yet to be had, but they’re closer even than they were at SHoD XI. We’ll see when their next release drops how their development translates to the studio, but they’re getting there.
Skrogg
UPDATE 6:01PM: Near as I can tell, New Hampshire trio Skrogg only played four songs — “The Cajun Lady” and “Anita Ride” from their 2011 self-titled debut EP (review here) and two new ones — but man, that set was full. Low end permeated guitar and bass alike, and drummer Felix Starr had a floor tom mounted as his rack for extra thunder to stand up to Reverend Maxfield and Jasper Gloom. Maxfield handled vocals in addition to the guitar, delivering classic-rock-style lyrics with a dudely burl that seemed less like a put-on than some I’ve heard. Helps the authenticity cause that he spoke the same way. They cracked jokes between songs, with Starr referencing Wayne’s World (“I like to play”) and Dumb and Dumber(“the beer flows like wine”), among others, in the process. The two newer songs were both longer and more expansive instrumentally than the EP material, the first a wide-berth blues number and the second blending familiarly thickened fuzz into a twisted biker metal groove. They brought their own crowd to go with that already present at the El ‘n’ Gee, and I’d gladly wager that when Skrogg plays locally in New Hampshire, it’s a fucking rager of a party. I wouldn’t mind seeing it, but the export version was pretty killer as well. This is one of those bands who are just too dead on to not get picked up by some label sooner or later. I’ll look forward to hearing the new stuff put to tape.
Borracho
UPDATE 7:02PM: Kind of a hard-luck set for Doom Capitol quality heavy rockers Borracho, who played SHoD XII as a trio sans guitarist/vocalist Noah. They made the best of it. Most of the set was instrumental — the midsection of “Grab the Reins” recognizable anyway — but guitarist Steve Fisher took the front position on “Concentric Circles.” Add to Noah‘s absence Fisher’s own technical problems with his Model T, and it’s probably not how they’d want to be remembered, but they still grooved the shit out of the El ‘n’ Gee, bassist Tim Martin also having his say vocally and filling the gaps in tone left by the lack of second guitar, the warmth of Martin‘s tone all the more audibly locked in with Mario Trubiano’s drumming. It was kind of an oddly-constructed set, with most of the instrumental material up front and then a last couple songs with vocals, but they made it work with what they had as a trio, though I think if they’d opened with “Concentric Circles” and then gone into the extended instrumental stuff, it might have flowed more easily. I don’t know for sure and so don’t want to conjecture, but I don’t think Noah is actually out of the band, just not here, so it doesn’t seem like something that was really planned for. Hopefully everything’s cool and Borracho can get back to four-piece form soon, and if for whatever reason that doesn’t happen, they still showed promise as a trio keeping the riffs at the fore.
Negative Reaction
UPDATE 8:04PM: This is a band about whom I can’t even really hope to feign impartiality. I’ve known frontman Ken-E Bones of Long Island sludge mainstays Negative Reaction for about a decade at this point if not longer, and drummer Joe Wood is my touchstone for awesome when it comes to human beings. Like you meet someone and go, “Wow, this seems like a really cool person.” My next step is to wonder if they’re as good a person as Joe Wood, and in every instance so far, the answer as been no. It was a thrill just to see these dudes, let alone watch them play a set. Of note, however, is that Bones and Wood have a new bass player in Jaime (pronounced hi-may), who replaces Damon Lippy. Not sure what’s the situation there, but as ever, Negative Reaction made for a strong trio, hitting up “Docking Bay 94” and “Dopamine” from their 2011 outing, Frequencies from Montauk(review here) amid classics like “Go Die” and rousing opener “Loathing.” They got a good response from the crowd and seemed to be genuinely enjoying each other’s company and that of the audience, so right on. Add to that Bones flopping around on stage during the finale of “A Bit of Numb,” and you’ve got good times all the way through.
Summoner
UPDATE 8:56PM: I’m starting to drag, and not a little, but Boston double-guitar foursome Summoner (né Riff Cannon, which if nothing else was a more descriptive name) were definitely not. Once upon a time — last year — I was in talks with the band to release their full-length, Phoenix, on The Maple Forum. That didn’t work out, but the band remains killer, vocalist/bassist Chris Johnson jumping up on drummer Scott Smith‘s kit early in the set and only getting more into it from there as guitarists Joe Richner and AJ Peters alternated between post-metal noodling and sludged-out crunch. I’d never actually seen them before, either as Summoner or their prior incarnation, but it was like they were trying to drive their music directly into the skull, no need for soundwaves or anything. They played in the dark, as some bands will do, but were a treat to watch, and if I was just a little bit more the vinyl-buying type, I’d be walking out of here tonight with a copy of Phoenix. Nonetheless, I’ll be revisiting my download of the record this week for sure. Their builds and crashes warrant yet another in an ongoing series of listens. Good band, and they seem like they’re only going to get better as they keep pushing themselves.
Black Pyramid
UPDATE 9:45PM: So here’s a bit of breaking news for you on a Sunday night: Massachusetts trio Black Pyramid just finished recording a new album — today. Apparently right before the three of them — guitarist/vocalist Darryl Shepard, bassist Gein and drummer Clay Neely — got in the car to come to New London. How badass is that? “Yeah, so we just finished our album, whaddya wanna do now?” “Let’s go play SHoD.” “Okay.” They rolled into the El ‘n’ Gee like the riff marauders they are and from there it was all battle axes and scimitars and bloodspurts. Most of what they played was off that new album, including a ripping instrumental that only served to emphasize how quickly they’ve come together as a unit and how tight they are performance-wise. Shepard brings a lot of personality to the band, and I don’t know the names of the songs, because they’re new and I’ve only just heard them here, right now, but there was one start-stop part where I feared for the lives of his strings he was hitting it so hard. I didn’t even know they were recording as of yet, so it’s awesome to hear that’s on the way, and gives me something to look forward to in 2013 as well as hopes of catching Black Pyramid again soon.
Elder
UPDATE 10:52PM: Holy shit. I finally got to fucking see Elder. You know those bands that every single time you would otherwise be in the same place on the same night — them on a stage, you probably drunk and awkward at a bar — it never works out? That’s me and Elder. It’s been years at this point. They’re in New York, I’m in Boston. They’re in Boston, I’m in Jersey. I’m in Boston, they’re in Germany. But here’s the thing. There’s not a chance I’d trade seeing Elder tonight for seeing them ever before, because right now, they’re at their absolute best yet. I don’t know if you heard the Spires Burn/Release12″ that was streamed here not too long ago, but it’s been nearly half a decade and Elder — guitarist/vocalist Nick DiSalvo, mulletted bassist Jack Donovan and drummer Matt Couto — just keep getting better. They slammed into “Release” from that 12″ and it was glorious, no shit, and capped an already fantastic set with the title-track from Dead Roots Stirring. My only mistake was opening the laptop too early, so I had to stay back by the bar longer than I would’ve wanted to and not go up front, but other than that, it was perfect. I’m trying really hard lately to guard myself against hyperbole, because while it’s great for having bands use your quotes in their promotional materials, it’s shitty criticism and every act has things that work and things that don’t. That said, Elder fucking made my night. I mean it. Of all the really, really cool shit I’ve already seen today — from old friends to bands I’ve never even heard of — to finally see Elder was incredible. Might be some of the best American heavy psych I’ve ever seen.
Iron Man
UPDATE 12:25AM: This was the first time I’d seen Iron Man since they acquired vocalist Dee Calhoun. In that time, they’ve put out two EPs — last year’s Dominance (review here) and the new Att hålla dig över, which I picked up tonight at the merch table. Calhoun‘s singing is pure Halford, right down to the face-ripping screams and the double-hand clutch on the mic, but god damn can he pull it off. If you want to compare to former Iron Man vocalists, he’s a better Halford than Joe Donnelly was an Ozzy, and Joe Donnelly did a pretty mean Ozzy. Decked out in bandanna, beard and doomly black duster, Calhoun gave Iron Man a presence of up front like I’ve never seen them have before, raw talent blended with performance edge, and it seemed more than ever like guitarist “Iron” Alfred Morris III has finally met his match in a singer. Morris is the walking embodiment of all that is Maryland doom (at very least, he makes up half and Earthride‘s Dave Sherman comprises the rest), so it goes without saying that he killed it, and watching them run through “Ruler” and other songs off the EPs and Iron Man‘s last full-length, 2009’s I Have Returned, like opener “I Have Returned” and “Run from the Light” gave me a new appreciation for the dynamic between Morris and bassist Louis Strachan, whose fills added both raw groove and vitality in playing off Morris‘ riffing. If there’s a more perfect way to cap off a Stoner Hands of Doom fest, I can’t think of it. For the finishing touch, they brought up SHoD organizer Rob Levey (above, with Calhoun) to sing the title-track from 1993’s Black Night, noting as they did that he fronted the band at that time. Before Iron Man started, Levey was on stage after they picked the raffle winner (I didn’t go two for two), and he said this was the best lineup of the band he’d seen in the last 15 years. I don’t have the same kind of experience with them, obviously, but they’re definitely in a new class, and well deserved. They brought the house down, and when they finished, I said a crazy amount of goodbyes and adjourned to the same parking lot where I posted from this morning. Seemed only fitting to round out the day in the same spot. As anyone who saw me move into the same corner and plug in my laptop during almost every band’s last song over the course of the last three days might be able to tell you, I’m a creature of habit. I’m going to get in the car in just another minute or so and drive back to where I’m staying, but unless some of the adrenaline in me from the end of SHoD XII dies down, I’ll add a conclusion to this when I land, so stay tuned. Not quite done yet.
of breadth without sacrificing traditional songwriting for atmosphere.
pointed departure from some of the shout-derived-but-not-shouting prior.
