Posted in audiObelisk on July 2nd, 2019 by JJ Koczan
German six-piece Daal Dazed release their self-titled debut EP on Aug. 9 through H42 Records. “Invisible Prison” is the leadoff cut on the three-song outing, and it quickly nestles into a comfortable heavy blues vibe, organ and two guitars interweaving melodic lines behind the vocals of Philipp Staab, who makes his presence felt early in soulfully belting out the lyrics, and in the course of an efficient 4:41, the song sets the Aschaffenburg outfit apart for their clarity of sound amid a horde of fuzz-overloaders, and the subsequent “Freedom” follows suit despite a jammier vibe, ebbing and flowing through semi-psychedelic liquidity, shuffling drums and percussion adding movement all the while. A more weighted groove persists in the chorus of closer “Angel Babe,” though that’s accompanied by a driving punctuation of snare in the verse, so there’s a balance between the build and release of tension as it plays out.
There’s nothing overly fancy happening in Daal Dazed, but the straightforward tack of the songwriting isn’t to be discounted just because it’s not a wash of tone. Rather, Daal Dazed have an all the more classic sound for their to-the-point aspects. “Freedom” is under four minutes long and “Angel Babe” is under three, so there isn’t really much messing around anywhere you look. That’s fitting enough for a debut EP — they’ll grow into their sound and flesh it out over time — but even an early emphasis on crafting their material bodes well for wherever they might be headed next. Nothing against those who want to jam or fuzz themselves into oblivion, but for Daal Dazed, they seem to be shooting for something else, and the focus on songwriting is what’s allowing and what will continue to allow them to get there.
Would that I could be as efficient in language as they are in music. What it rounds out to is the EP is a rocker by rockers and for rockers. You’ll hear classic elements at play with modern production methods and a bluesy spirit throughout. If you need anything more than that to get you through the track, well, the cover artwork also rules, and there’s that organ too.
So have at it, and enjoy:
DAAL DAZED announced their debut release, a self-titled 3-song 12” EP! It’s a raw and bluesy hard rocker featuring bottleneck guitars and a percussion heavy rhythm section.
Available as: 12″-vinyl on clear vinyl with silkscreened ‘Moon’ b-side (ltd. 100) 12″-vinyl on universe black with handsigned b-side (ltd. 120) download/stream on all platforms
Release will be August 9th 2019! Presale starts July 9th 2019 via H42 Records.
Invisible Prison starts out as a smooth opener before climaxing into an organ-driven, heavy finale. Freedom combines funky drumming with Hendrix-esque guitars & vocal delivery! And lastly, Angel Babe closes the EP with a bang!
Daal Dazed is: Philipp Bergmann: Drums Philipp Staab: Vocals Michael Imhof: Percussion Julian Kaatz: Bass Simon Steigerwald: Guitar Kim Steigerwald: Guitar
Posted in audiObelisk on March 4th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
German Hammond-soaked heavy rockers Mount Atlas will release their Mistress EP on May 10 through H42 Records. The four-songer runs a crisp 15 minutes, and while the keys provided by Christoph Ramke bring an inevitable classic flair to the proceedings, neither the production nor the style of the band is outwardly retro in the “vintage” sense of analog worship. Rather, the opening title-track and subsequent “Pace,” “Evil Side” and “The Unknown” are presented with pro-shop clarity and fullness, and the guitars of Jonas Willenbrink (also vocals) and Lars Rempe, the bass of Florian Eckey, Hendrik Kurre‘s drums and the aforementioned organ come through with an energy fitting for a band getting their start — having come together in 2016 — but still plainly moving ahead of their 2017 debut, Titan, in terms of reach and structure, “Pace” tapping into NWOBHM style classic metallurgy as “Evil Side” tap more of a swing, the latter being the only song over four minutes long and accounting for that differential with a still-relatively-quick midsection break.
The point, I guess, is it’s straight-ahead classic-derived-but-not-classic-imitating heavy rock and roll, but that alone does little to note the emphasis Mount Atlas put on clarity of performance and on songwriting. “Evil Side”‘s hook is catchy and delivered with an ’80s arena-metal spirit, and “The Unknown” would seem to follow-suit in its general base of influence. Classic rock meets classic metal meets modern riffing — Mistress has no trouble drawing strength from multiple sides, and Mount Atlas seem to be perfectly comfortable in going over the top sound-wise. Titan was a little bit rougher around its edges, but the ensuing cohesiveness of these songs is another unmistakable sign of the band’s growth. They may or may not still be maturing as a group, but even if that’s the case, a foundation of craft only ever serves well, and it does throughout this EP too. Mount Atlas are well comfortable interweaving guitar and organ on “Mistress” itself, and with that, they set the tone for a mini-showcase of their wares; a bit of a sampler for those who either did or didn’t catch the first offering when it came out to let all concerned parties know where they might be heading. A choice EP, in other words.
And a bit of unpretentious little-of-this-little-of-that-and-a-lot-of-melody heavy rock never hurts, so I’m happy today to host the premiere of “The Unknown” from the EP. You’ll find it below, followed by more from the PR wire.
Mount Atlas’s bubbling sound of the Hammond organ, their rough guitar riffs as well as the floating melodies will bring you back to the 70s and 80s. At the same time, they manage to maintain their individual sonority. They alternate between spherical sounds and heavy doom riffs, which sound as if played whilst wearing equally heavy leather jackets.
Their first record “Titan” has been leaving its marks on the international rock and metal scenes since April 2017. The new EP “Mistress” will be released on Vinyl, CD and digitally May 10, 2019.
Mount Atlas is: Jonas Willenbrink (Vocals / Guitar) Christoph Ramke (Organ / Synth) Hendrik Kurre (Drums) Florian Eckey (Bass) Lars Rempe (Guitar)
Stomping through classic heavy rock vibes like they’re wearing bottoms thoroughly belled, Swedish four-piece nonetheless cut the cutting edge when it comes to their production sound and progressive tendencies. The Stenungsund outfit will release their new album, As Time Slowly Passes By…, in March through H42 Records, and to advance its coming, they’ll have the new single “Sweet Oblivion” out on Jan. 24. The band’s last release was late-2014’s Electric Escapism (review here), but it’s been since 2012’s debut, Into the Sun (discussed here), that they last put out a long-player, so they’re well due.
The single, which seems to break midstride in order to embark on a proggy adventure in melody, is still just three and a half minutes long, so tight enough to be an earworm, but broad in its reach nonetheless. They bring it back to a full-sounding rush before they’re done, no worries, and make it plain that whatever else might happen with As Time Slowly Passes By…, Molior Superum have the songcraft well under control.
Some more info follows. Enjoy the track at the bottom of this post:
Molior Superum – Sweet Oblivion
Molior Superum is back with their new track “Sweet Oblivion”! Released on the major digital platforms the 14th of January it’s a teaser for our upcoming full length album “As time slowly passes by…” that will be out on vinyl through H42 Records in March 2019.
The making of this album has been quite a roller coaster; the recording was fun and ran like a clockwork. The phases after have been dragging on though, and made us wonder if these songs ever would be released before we lost interest altogether. The title of the album quite clearly describes the process in making this album, and all that can happen along the way. Sometimes time flies fast, and so much happens in just a few months. Or nothing at all.
Sweet Oblivion is a natural single track, with the high tempo groovy riffing that we love so much, we really hope you will dig it as well! It was recorded and mixed in Welfare Sounds Studios by Kalle Lilja (Långfinger/Wolves in Haze). Mastered by Magnus Lindberg and artwork by Hanna Haraldsson. Its B-side will feature an outtake from Into the Sun called “Our Lady Above the Stars.”
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 15th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Stone Cold Shaky Bones b/w Midnight Charmer is the first offering from Swedish traditionalist heavy rockers Kamchatka. Set for release this October, it follows behind 2015’s full-length, Long Road Made of Gold (review here), which found the band out supporting it at Desertfest Berlin and elsewhere. They’ve got a string of German dates announced for October and a festival weekender in November as well, leading to December’s Sankt Hell fest, where they’ll take the stage with Colour Haze, Mustasch, Horisont and many more.
There isn’t an exact release date listed beyond October — I’d assume it’s whenever they’re back from the press and ready to be shipped — but with the timing of the tour and whatnot that seems pretty firm. The PR wire updates on all the doings and gives some history on the band:
New Kamchatka 7″ vinyl after a three years break from H42 Records
KAMCHATKA is finally back on the boards of the European stages. Close to a compulsory break of almost 3 years, they will release new songs on a 7″ this October and do a small tour through germany.
Kamchatka are no strangers to the Swedish hard rock/heavy metal scene; having begun well over a decade ago, they released their first album in 2004, and have rubbed shoulders with the legendary Clutch on multiple tours and and have recently taken on new bassist Per Wiberg (ex-keys player for Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Candlemass), who also produced their latest album. Rounding out the line-up is Tobias Strandvik on drums and Thomas ‘Juneor’ Andersson on guitar and vocals.
Their sound is a mix of stoner rock (very similar to Clutch and Kyuss) and a very traditional blues-based hard rock sound that pays homage to such classic groups as Uriah Heep, Cream, and The Allman Brothers.
Growing up in Varberg, a small town on the west coast of Sweden, Roger, Thomas and Tobias were all rehearsing at the same place,though in different bands, except for the occasional weekend jamsession. In their mid teens, Roger and Thomas moved to pursue their musical career elsewhere,Roger to the east and Thomas to the north, while Tobias continued his back home. Some learnful years of touring and recording albums with all kinds of different acts later,they met up again in Varberg for a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert in 2001, and after a successful performance the guys simply came to the conclusion that they should start a band.Roger came up with the name Kamchatka, and the band was formed.
KAMCHATKA live: 23.08 DE-Duisburg, Steinbruch 24.08 CH-Herzogenbuchsee, Kreuz 25.08 DE-Sirzenich, Rebel Run Festival
Germany w/ Basement Saints 05.10 DE-Düsseldorf, Pitcher 06.10 DE-Cottbus, Zum Faulen August 07.10 DE-Weinheim, Cafe Central 09.10 DE-Stuttgart, Keller Club 10.10 DE-Frankfurt, Das Bett 11.10 DE-Erfurt, Museumskeller 12.10 DE-Oldenburg, Cadillac 13.10 DE-Münster, Hot Jazz Club 16.11 DE-Marsberg, Diemelkult Festival 17.11 DE-Passau, Blackwood Music Fest 27-28.12 DE-Hamburg, Sankt Hell, Gruenspan
KAMCHATKA Per Wiberg – Bass & Vocals Thomas Juneor Andersson – Guitar & Vocals Tobias Strandvik – Drums
So there’s this submarine. And it’s in a lake. And it’s huge. And the video starts out and there’s all this movement and driving and going through different scenes and where are we going I don’t know but it works really well with the riff so just roll with it and so on. Eventually, we get up to the lake. Maybe a pond? A relatively small-ish body of water. We get there and Sons of Alpha Centauri arrive and there’s no way they all came in the same car because there isn’t enough room for all their gear but whatever that’s not the point. All the while “Solar Storm” is playing and it’s got this crazy kind of tension to it and the band walk out to a spot by the water on what seems to be some pretty nice farmland.
It’s all in black and white until they start playing. And then like purple and orange lasers come out of their guitars and whatnot and start to hit the submarine like they’re rerouting power from the auxiliary systems to feed through the dilithium core — am I right? — and then the submarine shoots into space at what looks an awful lot like warp six. If I had to guess. And then the submarine careens through outer space like it’s the dude in 2001: A Space Odyssey for a while, it breaks through water and then the clip cuts back to the band, who pack up their gear — I still think it’s studio magic to think they fit two guitars, a bass, a full drum kit and themselves in that car, but maybe they’re Tetris pros — and split. The end.
Video of the year? Maybe.
“Solar Storm” comes from Sons of Alpha Centauri‘s new album, Continuum (review here), on H42 Records and Cobraside Distribution and it’s produced by Aaron Harris, who was in Isis when they were a band. Sons of Alpha Centauri recently shared stages with Yawning Man in the UK and have other stuff going on, but quite frankly I’ve delayed enough. You should just dig in here and enjoy:
Sons of Alpha Centauri, “Solar Storm” official video
The journey into instrumental progressive rockers SONS OF ALPHA CENTAURI’s new album “Continuum” progresses, as the video for “Solar Storm” lands today on all channels. “Solar Storm is the cumulative blend of fast, slow, heavy, progressive styles of SOAC all encapsulated within a five minute adrenaline shot. Working with Simon Risbridger on this video was awesome as he completely understands our visual aesthetic and secluded introspective approach. We wanted the video to represent the different segments and styles within the track as part of the journey – it has been highly stylised with multiple references and subliminal messages. Embark the journey and embrace the storm!’ states SOAC bassist Nick Hannon.
The video starts a black and white fine art epic shot in and around the spiritual home of SOAC, Swale and the Isle of Sheppey and the story progresses into a cinematic visual feast of intergalactic travel through space and time. The introspective journey of ‘Solar Storm’ has been directed by long term collaborator Simon Risbridger who worked with Sons of Alpha Centauri on visuals including live performances with A Storm of Light.
SOAC IS Marlon King – Guitars Nick Hannon – Bass Stevie B. – Drums Blake – Textures
[Click play above to stream Continuum by Sons of Alpha Centauri in full. Album is out June 1 via H42 Records and Cobraside Distribution.]
Much as one hesitates to use the word ‘unique’ generally, I can’t think of anything quite so fitting to describe the path that’s led UK instrumental four-piece Sons of Alpha Centauri to Continuum, their second album. Released through Cobraside Distribution in the US and Canada and H42 Records in the rest of the world, the eight-track/39-minute sophomore offering — the sophmoffering? — arrives some 11 years after Sons of Alpha Centauri made their self-titled debut (discussed here) and follows a period of multiple collaborations with US-based acts Karma to Burn and Yawning Man — I still regard Yawning Sons‘ 2009 album, Ceremony to the Sunset (review here), as one of the finest atmospheric desert rock albums ever made — as well as splits with A Death Cinematic and Hotel Wrecking City Traders/WaterWays (review here). They also played Desertfest London in 2013 (review here) and have regularly played out, so as I’ve said before, it’s not like the four-piece have been sitting on their ass for the last decade plus.
They just haven’t been putting out Continuum, which is something that guitarist Marlon King, bassist Nick Hannon, drummer Stevie B. and keyboardist/synthesist Blake — actually credited with “textures” — at last correct, bringing together a slow motion whirlwind of patient and progressive instrumentalist execution under the direction of producer/mixer Aaron Harris, formerly of Isis. In returning to work in the context of a full-length, Sons of Alpha Centauri don’t see unaffected by how they spent their intervening years, and one can hear the reach of Gary Arce‘s desert-setting guitar tone from King on “Interstellar” and the A-to-B straightforward heavy rock of Karma to Burn on “Solar Storm” and intermittently early on in 11-minute closer “Return Voyage.” The missing link, then, would seem to be Isis, but with Blake‘s textures on keys, synth, loops and presumably somewhere in there a laptop permeating so much of the record and giving King time to breathe on guitar, there’s plenty of post-metal vibe as well.
Sons of Alpha Centauri, then, would seem to draw from the environments in which they place themselves, and that’s kind of the ideal purpose of collaboration in the first place. More importantly, they sound comfortable shifting the balance from one side to the other and the other, which gives Continuuman all the more multifaceted style. At the same time, there’s a marked sense of momentum that takes hold as intro/opener “Into the Abyss” patiently takes hold, part Vangelis, part Isis, leading directly into the starting drum roll of the subsequent “Jupiter,” which in turn will give over to the more straightforward “Solar Storm.” Even here, the fuzzy, careening central “verse” riff is backed by a consistent layer of synth — not quite a drone, but an ever-present ambient melody — that fills out the sound and adds to the proceedings what the band are ultimately right to call texture.
There are many ways an instrumental band compensates for a lack of vocals. Lead guitar is one. Not compensating at all has arguably worked for Karma to Burn since, well, since they nixed the idea of a vocalist after their first record. Some others fill out arrangements with varying instrumentation. Sons of Alpha Centauri‘s approach, I suppose, is most like the latter, but the four-piece are more subtle about it than many. Blake‘s work on Continuum might be the factor that ties the tracks’ varying moods together, from the side A intro “Into the Abyss” to the side B intro “Surfacing for Air” and all along as each half of the record that unfurls from there, he enhances the ambience of “Interstellar” and brings progressive flair to “Jupiter” and “Solar Storm” at the record’s heavier post-intro outset. Though even this portion of the record is fairy dynamic, as King leads the way through loud/quiet tradeoffs in “Jupiter” that seem to mirror what will unfold on a grander scale with “Return Voyage” at the end of the record. They’re not quite going back the way they came, but one can read some symmetry there anyhow.
And it’s worth noting that the balance of Continuum, which takes its audience on this journey to Jupiter that the band seems to be making, is on the outward. “Return Voyage,” as the final statement they offer, certainly has its impact and fittingly provides a musical summary to coincide with being the final chapter of the narrative, but with one song about getting back to earth and seven about leaving or having left — the penultimate 2:47 piano piece “Orbiting Jupiter” is about having arrived — there’s little question as to which direction is the band’s priority when it comes to evoking a sense of story. Sons of Alpha Centauri are about the going and having gone. And the results of that, while grounded in their structure and presentation thanks to the foundation of Hannon‘s bass and Stevie‘s drumming, are more directed than your standard everything-hang-loose psychedelia, space is obviously still a factor sonically as well as thematically. The final build in “Return Voyage” as it crosses its midpoint might be the most Isis-reminiscent moment on Continuum, but like the rest of their discernible influences, this too is recontextualized in a sound that is the band’s own.
As, frankly, one would hope for a record having been a decade-plus in the making. I won’t say Sons of Alpha Centauri wasted their years, because they’ve clearly been able to enrich their own style by collaborating with those outside the confines of their own lineup. Rather, the fact that Continuumis their second full-length is somewhat deceptive given all the experience and sense of purpose they’ve been able to garner since their debut, which even then had a fervent progressive streak at its foundation. What Continuum represents, though, is significant growth on multiple fronts for the band, and an awaited moment of declaration of who they are and who they can be in aesthetic and performance terms. Will it be another decade before album number three? I don’t know, but if it is, it will still be worth keeping track of how and with whom Sons of Alpha Centauri choose to spend that time, since invariably they’ll continue to learn lessons that will feed into their own work later. That process has unquestionably worked to their advantage here.
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 16th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Space is the apparent theme of Sons of Alpha Centauri‘s sophomore long-player. Continuum is set to release on June 1 through H42 Records and Cobraside, and it follows 11 years after the band made their self-titled debut (discussed here). What have they been doing in all that time? Mostly releasing splits and collaborations. They took part in Yawning Sons with Yawning Man and Alpha Cat with Karma to Burn offshoot Treasure Cat, put out no fewer than three splits with Karma to Burn proper, as well as a split with WaterWays and Hotel Wrecking City Traders and a split with A Death Cinematic.
So they’ve been keeping plenty busy, in other words, just not putting out an album. Well, the eight-track/39 minute Continuum changes that with graceful progressive flourish and more weighted stretches to match its breadth of atmosphere in cuts like “Solar Storm” and “Interstellar.” A science-driven post-rock pulses through “Io” while the penultimate “Orbiting Jupiter” offers reflective piano ahead of the 11-minute closer “Return Voyage.”
Not saying I’ve heard it yet or anything, but it’s an album that covers a lot of ground and well earns its voyaging aspects. Here’s info from the PR wire:
Sons of Alpha Centauri announce details from upcoming album “Continuum”
Over a decade since the release of their debut album, UK’s stoner/progressive metallers Sons of Alpha Centauri return for their sophomore album – an epic introspective journey of abrasive and ambient progressive electronic alt rock entitled Continuum.
Over a decade in development, Continuum is driven with a raw infusion of power that only Aaron Harris from ISIS and Palms (which features members from Deftones) could deliver from the producing and mixing helm. Harris has driven his unique and deep understanding of the genre to channel the album to compare against contemporaries such as the debut Palms album and the ISIS masterpiece Panopticon.
This raw and cathartic performance further reinforces that this is Sons of Alpha Centauri at their heaviest with Continuum wrought with dark anthems, intense textures, introspective interludes and tidal waves of immersive distortion.
Having just recently released a boxset of their collaborations with Karma to Burn and their partnership with Yawning Man known as Yawning Sons being widely regarded as a cult act the return of Sons of Alpha Centauri is something to really watch in 2018.
Continuum sees a development of the heavier blended concepts expressed on the debut album and Sons of Alpha Centauri re-emerge with Aaron Harris as the instrumental electronic alt rock titans!
New Sons of Alpha Centauri album Continuum will be released on 1 June 2018. H42 Records – Worldwide and on Cobraside Records – United States & Canada
Aaron Harris from post metal band ISIS and Palms (featuring members of Deftones) has engineered and produced the Continuum.
Posted in audiObelisk on March 22nd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
In a collaboration between In for the Kill Records and H42 Records, newcomer New Yorker classic-style Southern rockers Rattlesnake will issue their debut seven-inch in May. The two-tracker boasts brand new material from the four-piece-maybe-turned-trio which features the likes of Adam Kriney of The Golden Grass and La Otracina on drums/vocals, J.P. Gilbert of JP and the Gilberts on guitar/vocals as well as bassist Don Berger, and comes in three different vinyl incarnations, all of course subject to limited pressings. Because that’s how it goes. If you don’t get it, it’s gone.
Rattlesnake made a not-at-all-quiet entry last year, playing their first show in May and offering the three-song cassette demo, Outlaw Boogie (review here), that served as one of 2017’s best short releases. Its aesthetic seemed locked in, its presentation was professional, and the songwriting was ace in its structure and execution. “Dirt in My Eyes,” the premiere of which you can listen to via the YouTube player below, is no different but takes a step forward in its melodic reach and its meld of boogie and harder-edged impulses. It shares a brightness of perspective with The Golden Grass, but has an edge of its own in its harmonies and uptempo pulse. And yes, if you’re wondering, it’s maddeningly catchy.
In my experience, Kriney isn’t someone who embarks on a new project lightly. It could well be that Rattlesnake was started on a whim after a night of boozing among friends, but I doubt it. The Golden Grass had a plan, a timeline, goals, and given how much effort Rattlesnake puts into “Dirt in My Eyes,” I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they do as well. Fair enough as far as I’m concerned. All that means is we’re likely to hear from them again soon, which I think as you dig into the interplay of bass and airy guitar in the second half of the track before the final “woo!” is delivered, you’ll agree isn’t a negative in the slightest.
You can read more about the three versions of Dirt in My Eyes / Picture Perfect and head to the preorders via the PR wire info below — the test pressing is signed and limited to 20, if that piques your interest– and of course get a preview of “Dirt in My Eyes” via the player immediately following.
Please enjoy:
Rattlesnake, “Dirt in My Eyes” official premiere
Rattlesnake “Dirt In My Eyes” A-side of the Rattlesnake “Dirt In My Eyes”/”Picture Perfect” 7″ issued on H42 Records/In For The Kill Records May 2018.
For those who dig the heavy strut of Classic Southern Rock, when it dipped it’s country shufflin’ toes into the sweet honey of Progressive Rock & early-Heavy Metal, well you’re gonna find a real treat in this debut 7” from RATTLESNAKE. A rock-solid display, both earnest & creative, overflowing with killer vocal harmonies, powerful guitar solos, tough riffs, devastating bass runs, & tasty drum fills (featuring Adam Kriney of THE GOLDEN GRASS on vocals/drums, JP GILBERT of J.A.C.K. on vocals/guitar & Don Berger on bass/vocals).
*Available in black or yellow or green vinyl. Black vinyl comes in the brown sleeve. Yellow & Green vinyl comes in the green sleeve. Please specify vinyl colour choice in the comments section on the order form!
*Also available in a limited edition of 20 test pressings, with special signed and numbered “skull” sleeves!
because it’s not a wash of tone. Rather, Daal Dazed have an all the more classic sound for their to-the-point aspects. “Freedom” is under four minutes long and “Angel Babe” is under three, so there isn’t really much messing around anywhere you look. That’s fitting enough for a debut EP — they’ll grow into their sound and flesh it out over time — but even an early emphasis on crafting their material bodes well for wherever they might be headed next. Nothing against those who want to jam or fuzz themselves into oblivion, but for Daal Dazed, they seem to be shooting for something else, and the focus on songwriting is what’s allowing and what will continue to allow them to get there.
