https://www.high-endrolex.com/18

Album Review: Valkyrie, Fear

Posted in Reviews on August 12th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

Valkyrie Fear

Valkyrie have been a band in waiting for a long time. Founded circa 2002 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, by brothers Jake and Pete Adams — both on guitar/vocals — the band made their self-titled debut (discussed here) in 2006 and followed it with Man of Two Visions (discussed here) in 2008. Both records readily ingratiated them to the Chesapeake heavy underground, and as Harrisonburg is located farther west, out in the Shenandoah Valley just east of the Monongahela National Forest, the organic feel of their sound in those early days seemed especially well earned and was a distinguishing factor from the harder disillusioned edge of working class D.C. doom. Valkyrie took a back seat as Pete Adams joined Baroness in 2008 and set about full-time touring/recording, etc., but they signed to Relapse Records ahead of 2015’s Shadows (review here) and with that awaited third outing gave listeners a reminder of the dynamic between the two brothers that helped make them such a distinct outfit in the first place.

With Alan Fary (Earthling) on bass and Warren Hawkins drumming as a returning rhythm section, the four-piece set about Fear as the first Valkyrie long-player to arrive following the end of Pete‘s tenure in the aforementioned Baroness — he still plays in Samhain and Razors in the Night, so far as I know — and a decidedly mature dual-guitar take on heavy rock worthy of Valkyrie‘s near 20 years as a group. The album runs a manageable eight tracks/43 minutes and represents its questioning/exploring mortality well visually with its cover, songs like the opener “Feeling So Low,” “Afraid to Live,” “Fear and Sacrifice” and “The Choice” taking a contemplative and somewhat wistful position that suits the natural sound of Valkyrie‘s particular take on doom rock and brings out a new kind of resonance within their work as well as highlights the human spirit that’s made them so resonant over the longer term — because while they’ve never hit the road for two months at a time or put out records on a regular 18-month cycle, each Valkyrie LP brims with a sincerity and heart all its own, Fear included.

On first hearing, a given listener might be struck by the roll of “Feeling So Low” at the outset, and how, with Jake Adams‘ vocals patterned over the kind of bounding riff as they are, Valkyrie reminds of earlier Kadavar, but actually what’s coming through are the roots in classic heavy rock that have always been central to their efforts. If Fear is Valkyrie laying claim to that aspect of their sound, one would be hard-pressed to think of a better unit to stand as inheritor of the foundation set by the likes of Pentagram in the mid-Atlantic region of the US. That’s not the kind of thing a band is likely to purposefully decide as they’re writing a song, but putting “Feeling So Low” at the beginning of Fear does more than just start the record with a quality hook and the first of many, many, many guitar solos — it establishes the atmosphere and context from which the rest of the songs will branch out.

Valkyrie

It shouldn’t be a surprise at this point that Valkyrie can structure a fluid LP, as they’ve certainly done it before, but in pairing “Feeling So Low” and “Afraid to Live” — the longest inclusion at 6:45 — right next to each other, the band bring their audience with them readily and present a deceptive immersion in side A of the release while remaining largely grounded in terms of structure and songwriting. Likewise, it should shock nobody who’s heard them before that the guitar work is stellar, but as ever, credit has to go to Hawkins and Fary in the rhythm section has holding down the sleek groove of “Feeling So Low” or third track “Loveblind” and keeping the Adams brothers in check when it comes time to launch into the next lead. Fary, who delves into more extreme territory with Earthling, plays with well enough class to hold his own against the higher-end strings, and Hawkins — who’s been with the band since at least 2008 — skillfully changes drum patterns to feed the energy behind solos, not only in “Loveblind” but all across Fear, his chemistry with the two guitarists well evident in the fluidity and swing of his technique. Valkyrie are, to put it another way, more than just a guitar band.

Side A rolls to its finish with “The Choice,” a nodding groove taking hold with the arrival of the verse peppered with leads that emerge as the foundation for a rousing final charge, and the semi-title-track “Fear and Sacrifice” begins side B with a more progressive turn that hints at some of the departures to come. Again, classic form, but it’s still well in line with where Valkyrie have been up to that point, and even as the guitars intertwine with an added touch of intricacy to the between-verses noodling, there’s the solid rock foundation beneath. A quick moment of quiet precedes the launch of a second solo section building on the first, and that carries “Fear and Sacrifice” to its finish ahead of the closing salvo in “Brings You Down,” “Evil Eye” and “Exasperator,” each of which gets successively shorter as they move to round out the album.

That’s an interesting, almost humble, choice on the part of the band, but it coincides as well with an uptick in sonic breadth, as “Brings You Down” taps more mellow blues vibes before taking off as it does, while “Evil Eye” might be the best hook Valkyrie has ever written — a shimmering proto-metal highlight somewhat buried on the album but that serves well in its position as a last energy charge before the instrumental “Exasperator” closes. The guitars again weave themselves together in a way that echoes “Fear and Sacrifice” and some of Fear‘s other classic-heavy-prog flourishes, but the pastoralism in their work remains firm and, as it has only ever done, makes Valkyrie an all the more distinguished and engaging band. They’ve been underrated for over 15 years, and, well, they’ll probably continue to be underrated for as long as they go — such is in the finest tradition of mid-Atlantic heavy — but for those who give Fear a chance to sink in, the rewards are three-dimensional, and in performance and craft, Valkyrie offer their most complete work to-date.

Valkyrie, Fear (2020)

Valkyrie on Thee Facebooks

Valkyrie on Bandcamp

Relapse Records website

Relapse Records on Thee Facebooks

Tags: , , , , ,

Oven Escape to Space with “Dark Matter” Video

Posted in Bootleg Theater on August 5th, 2020 by JJ Koczan

oven

As I type this, my laptop battery is dying all too quickly and the reason it matters — other than because said battery isn’t replaceable without opening the case of my computer — is because the power is out. North Jersey is getting hit by whatever tropical storm it is. It has a name, as they all do now that there’s marketing involved, but I can’t be bothered to take the time or the bandwidth to look it up. Sorry to whatever future archaeologist unearths the ruins of my laptop 1,000 years from now. You’ll have to do your own legwork.

Anyway, before the power to do so is gone, I wanted to put together this post for Oven‘s “Dark Matter” video. Clocked in at nine minutes, the track is the penultimate feature — really it’s the closer, but they finish with a cover of Nebula‘s “To the Center” — on the trio’s 2019 Couch Lock EP (review here), and if you heard that or you didn’t, I’m posting the video because Oven remind me of going to local shows and seeing cool regional bands who probably aren’t all that unknown beyond their locality, but maybe come through on a weekender or something like that. A band for whom playing a gig is something special, not just another stop on a tour. Dudes — and in this case, it is all dudes — with jobs and a “real life” outside of the creative endeavor. The things you take for granted until a pandemic makes you appreciate them.

Oven aren’t changing the world, or changing heavy rock, but their video has killer 4K space footage and what would appear to be common-use animations and rocket launch stuff, and there are some clips of them playing as well. I don’t know, maybe I’d see them in some small bar in Brooklyn, or be rewarded for showing up early at one of those 13-band days Maryland Doom Fest puts on that are likewise completely overwhelming and once-a-year glorious. What it comes down to either way: The EP was cool and the video is cool. Believe it or not, that’s actually enough for me.

Info follows the clip below, and the Bandcamp stream of Couch Lock is down there too. Enjoy:

Oven, “Dark Matter” official video


OVEN – DARK MATTER

OVEN’s official music video for the song, Dark Matter, from the album Couch Lock which released on 4/20/2019.

©2020 Hi Way Recordings

Produced by OVEN

Couch Lock recorded by James Patton at Evergreen Recorders in Mount Joy, PA. The album was mixed by OVEN and James Patton at Evergreen Recorders. Mastered by James Patton at Evergreen Recorders.

Couch Lock is the first release from OVEN, recorded during the year 2018. Recorded live with minimal overdubs with live mixing of tracks.

OVEN is:
Randy Siders – Bass/Vocals
Chris Paradise – Guitars
Robert Gallagher Jr – Drums/Vocals

Oven, Couch Lock (2019)

Oven on Bandcamp

Oven on Thee Facebooks

Tags: , , , , ,

Valkyrie Announce Fear LP out July 24

Posted in Whathaveyou on June 1st, 2020 by JJ Koczan

Valkyrie

I had a moment of genuine surprise realizing that it has been five years since Harrisonburg, Virginia’s Valkyrie released their last LP, Shadows (review here). That was also their first album for Relapse Records — the forthcoming Fear will be their second when it arrives on July 24 — and if half a decade seems like a long time between records, you’re not wrong, but for Valkyrie, it’s actually an increase in frequency. It was seven years between 08’s Man of Two Visions (discussed here) and its follow-up. So it goes when one of your founding guitarists splits his time between this and Baroness.

Nonetheless, Fear will most likely see Valkyrie past the 20-year mark, which they’ll hit in 2022, so there’s something to be said there even if the band has never really been full-time. When a new Valkyrie comes around though, it’s not to be missed.

They’re streaming the opening track now, and here’s PR wire info:

Valkyrie Fear

VALKYRIE: Announce 4th Full-Length Album Fear Coming July 24th

Share New Song “Feeling so Low”

Virginia heavy rockers VALKYRIE return with their anthemic, riff-driven new album, Fear, coming July 24th! Their first new album in 5 years, Fear finds VALKYRIE sounding more progressive and diverse than ever before.

Fear is due out July 24th on CD/LP/Digital. Physical packages are available for pre-order via Relapse.com HERE. Digital Downloads / Streaming Services are available HERE.

Recorded at Earth Analog in Illinois, Fear showcases the tone-rich, organic songwriting process VALKYRIE has honed in on over the course of their career. A warm analog sound permeates each of the album’s 8 tracks, as blistering twin leads, soaring guitar harmonies by Pete and Jake Adams, poignant lyrics, and a relentless rhythm section results in a highly textured and timeless collection of heavy rock. With Fear, VALKYRIE takes the next step in their evolution as one of the most creative and dynamic forces in the hard rock scene today. Tracks such as “Feeling so Low,” “The Choice,” and “Evil Eye” showcase VALKYRIE expanding their sound, infusing their take on classic hard rock with a penchant for remarkable melodies and creative hooks.

Photo Credit: Savo

Fear Tracklist:
Feeling so Low
Afraid to Live
Loveblind
The Choice
Fear and Sacrifice
Brings you Down
Evil Eye
Exasperator

VALKYRIE Is:
Jake Adams – Guitar/Vocals
Pete Adams – Guitar/Vocals
Alan Fary – Bass Guitar
Warren Hawkins – Drums/Percussion

https://www.facebook.com/thevalkyrierides
https://www.instagram.com/valkyrie_va/
http://thevalkyrierides.bandcamp.com/
http://www.relapse.com/valkyrie/

Valkyrie, “Feeling So Low”

Tags: , , , , ,

Friday Full-Length: Valkyrie, Valkyrie

Posted in Bootleg Theater on October 25th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

Based in Harrisonburg, Virginia, Valkyrie came up around the same time as a kind of underground next-generation local boom in the Virginia/Maryland scene. Bands like Ol’ ScratchVOG (with whom Valkyrie released a split in 2005), Admiral BrowningLord, and a host of others seemed to solidify if not simultaneously then at least concurrently, and though their sounds varied from extreme sludge and thrash to instrumental progressive heavy rock to Valkyrie‘s earthy take on neo-classic dual guitar-ism, there was the sort of camaraderie between them that can only emerge when it’s a group of bands who’ve played shows basically for each other. That entire scene was and remains undervalued, and though most of those bands are gone and/or morphed into other acts like FoehammerSpiral GraveEarthling, the last incarnation of Akris, etc., and Valkyrie were put on the proverbial backburner for years following their second album, Man of Two Visions (discussed here), being picked up by MeteorCity in 2010 after its initial release in 2008 on Noble Origins (Kreation Records also put it out on vinyl in 2009), the quality of their 2006 self-titled still remains in its unpretentious melodies, proto-progressive groove and the weighted tones of its brotherly team of guitarist/vocalists, Jake and Pete Adams.

It’s arguable that among their cohort, Valkyrie had the most potential. Their sound was different from everyone else’s, and as heavy rock consciousness was filled with two-guitar antics and fleet rhythmic turns thanks to the ascent of MastodonValkyrie came across as not-uninformed of that, but able to be a tie between that style, heavy Southern rock, the classic doom of Pentagram, and even a touch of Spirit Caravan — whose drummer Gary Isom, would join them at some point around the second record. They were an immediate standout, in other words, and the material on Valkyrie‘s Valkyrie — released by Twin Earth after that VOG split and a couple of demos — was much the same, with Jake and Pete effectively trading vocals atop winding riffs and a welcoming sense of overarching groove to the bass of Nick Crabill and Nic McInturff‘s drumming. At eight tracks and 40 minutes, the release feels prescient of the vinyl boom to come, and though it’s fair to call its Chris Kozlowski production organic, it’s still rich enough to properly convey the surge of energy with the solo in finale “Lost in the Darkness,” which is perhaps the most singularly Wino-derived moment as it moves back into its The Obsessed-style central riff heading toward the midpoint of the song.

valkyrie self titledOf course, that’s hardly the first uptempo kick on Valkyrie. Beginning with “Withered Tree” at the outset, the four-piece construct a heavy rolling fluidity that allows for as much nuance as is warranted without taking away from impact at the most basic level. Witness the stop and subsequent intertwining of guitars in the second half of the opener. There’s a gracefulness to the execution of that build that undercuts the idea of the self-titled being the band’s first record — no doubt the fact that the guitarists were brothers helped — and as they moved through the hazier riffs of “Sunlight Shines” and the full-on thrust of pace that emerges there, it becomes clear just how central to the proceedings the musical conversation between the Adams brothers truly is. Not to take away from Crabill or McInturff in the rhythm section — though both would be gone by the time the follow-up came along — but Valkyrie were always a guitar-minded outfit, and they earned that through their stage presence and technique alike, tapping into epic heavy rock elements on “Endless Crusade” ahead of the acoustic interlude “Wolf Hollow” and the push into the second half of the tracklisting via “Secrets of the Mind.”

The hooky fuzz there seems to straighten out some of the more winding aspects of earlier cuts, but in truth it’s no less complex than anything before, and much the same applies to “Heralds of the Dawn,” which follows. Perhaps most of all the songs on Valkyrie feels made for the stage. Ready to dominate at Krug’s Place in Frederick or some other Chesapeake-region outlet on a bill maybe with Earthride and cheap beer spilled as much on the floor as down the gullets of patrons who somehow are drunk anyway. On such a guitar-centric record, it might be Jake Adams‘ best vocal performance, and it successfully blends the progressive and proto-metal aspects of the earlier songs with a fuller-sounding distorted roll all the while executing an efficient structure. If you want an example of the potential at root in their sound, that’s where you go. They follow it with longest cut “Eternally There,” which brings in Internal Void‘s Kelly Carmichael for a guest solo — I love the thought at the Adams brothers listened to anything on this record and were like, “You know, I think this could use another guitar”; it’s like the most guitarist thought ever — and prefaces the galloping last build in “Lost in the Darkness” with its own energetic thrust.

They end, as noted, by riding off at top speed into the sunset, which is a fair enough way to go out and certainly earned by the prior proceedings. I’ve always thought of Man of Two Visions as a superior record in that it took a lot of what Valkyrie established as their sound and pushed it forward, opened up the production some and further integrated the natural vibe into the songwriting, but going back and revisiting the self-titled is a refresher of how strong this band was at the outset. No mystery as to “what happened” to them. Jake Adams started a family and in 2008 Pete joined Baroness, where he’d remain until 2017. He currently plays in Samhain and Razors in the Night. In the meantime, Valkyrie released a third LP, Shadows (review here), through Relapse in 2015 and have done periodic shows and fest appearances to support it, remaining underrated all the while.

That release came as a surprise but was certainly welcome, and whatever, whenever Valkyrie do next, if anything, it’ll be much the same. They may not have gotten in the last 15-plus years the recognition they’ve deserved, but the sonic conversation happening between the Adamses remains something special and any outlet it finds is worth hearing.

As always, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.

The Pecan turns two today. Toddlerian. Human Hurricane. “Daddy is not for kicking.” “We don’t bite.” “We don’t hit.” “If you hit me again, I’m leaving. Okay, good night. I love you. See you in the morning.”

Two years ago, I watched as, after, what, 38? hours of labor they pulled him out of my wife’s belly in an emergency C-section. Her guts, blue, on a table that I wasn’t supposed to see but saw anyway before they stuffed them back into her and closed her up with all the barbarity of human medicine at its most basic. The kind of thing the future will judge us for, provided, you know, a future.

While we’re here: Sorry about that, Pecan.

But anyway, Duder is two. And awake. And probably with a dirty diaper from the sound of him, so yeah, I better head upstairs and get the day started. It’s 6AM. Yesterday, his nap got cut short by like an hour I think because my wife and I used the bathroom one after the other and the sound of the running water was enough to wake him — he has a white noise machine but turns it off after we leave him and it plugs in so we can’t move it out of his reach; it’s a whole fucking complicated thing — and he was miserable, but eventually I gave him some of the wheat crackers he likes and he chilled out. But that was my afternoon, pretty much. I got to finish the posts for today, this one aside, and read half a section of a chapter of the Star Trek book I’m working through, and that was it. Back to daddy-time.

I’d say something about pretending to have a real life, but I think probably the proper thing to do is consider daddy-time as real life. There are arguments to be made on either side of that, I guess, and various cruel narratives that play out in my head on any given day as I watch the minutes slowly tick by until I can sit with The Patient Mrs., have dinner, watch the end of News Hour or more Trek and maybe chat for a minute over dessert before I complete the futz ritual — prepare coffee for the morning, etc. — pop half a container of sugar-free Rolaids and go to bed somewhere around 8-8:30, depending on how miserably tired I am. Real life. Maybe I’ll go back to bed this morning.

Yeah.

This post is long enough anyway. I’m gonna go grab him, change him, deliver him to my wife for morning nursing, saying happy birthday and properly doting in special you’re-gonna-have-ice-cream-today fashion, then crash out for a little bit. I’ll put up another post first though, because if I don’t, I won’t sleep. It’s like that.

How about those Astros though, huh?

Next week? I don’t know. It’s Halloween, but I don’t much care except it means the holidays are encroaching and I frickin’ hate the holidays. I think I’m going to put up a poll though for the best albums of the decade next week and that should be fun. I’m interested to see what people pick. And with my plans for 2020 in Sweden having fallen through, I’ve floated an Obelisk All-Dayer in Brazil in July 2021 maybe. That’s a ways off, but we’ll see. Would be fun.

Oh and there’ll be premieres and reviews and other stuff. It’s all in my notes, which frankly I’m too tired to look at at just this moment.

Have a great and safe weekend. Rock and roll and all that. We’re having a big party for The Pecan tomorrow with family and a few close friends. If you’re in the neighborhood, we’d love to have you come by. Email me for the address. We’ll have a bouncy house, so bring the kids. I’m completely serious.

Forum, merch, radio.

The Obelisk Forum

The Obelisk Radio

The Obelisk shirts & hoodies

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Valkyrie, Shadows: A New Golden Age

Posted in Reviews on June 17th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

valkyrie-shadows

It has been seven years since Virginia dual-guitar rockers Valkyrie issued their second album, Man of Two Visions, which was a record that never got its due. The core of the band has been and remains brothers Jake and Peter Adams, and with that second full-length following up their 2006 self-titled debut, they delivered a harmonized-lead kick in the ass to the traditions of Maryland-style doom, marking what seemed at the time like a generational shift in approach. The tones were organic, the vibe schooled but dipping back to ’70s rock in a way that, particularly at the time, was refreshing and exciting for an American band, and with just a touch of Southern heavy at its roots it seemed to hold promise that Valkyrie were bound to turn heads in the years to come.

In 2015, they make their debut on Relapse Records with Shadows, a 42-minute heavy-groover that boasts a track for its year of Valkyrie‘s absence — notable that opener “Mountain Stomp” was featured on a 2012 split with Earthling, whose Alan Fary here plays bass — and finds them no less ready than they were to be commended for their exploration of Pentagram-meets-Thin Lizzy vibes with the occasional flourish of Spirit Caravan‘s irresistible roll. With Warren Hawkins‘ drums setting the pace, Jake and Pete — the latter of whom joined Baroness on lead guitar in 2008 and also features in the latest live incarnation of Samhain — are at the fore as ever in Valkyrie, and Shadows is a guitar-lover’s guitar album, “Temple” showing off swirling leads while the aforementioned and aptly-titled “Mountain Stomp” and subsequent “Golden Age” reaffirm both the guitarists’ harmonic tendencies and the memorable songwriting that made the band such a standout during their initial run.

The heavy rock climate having shifted as greatly as it has in the last decade, and Baroness having ascended to the fore of progressive metal, it seems likely that Valkyrie‘s methods will garner more attention with Shadows than they had previously, and fair enough. It is a mature album, steady in its pace and naturalist in its intent, as “Golden Age” demonstrates in following and developing the nod of “Mountain Stop” with one of Shadows‘ more resonant hooks, and “Temple” affirms with a greater sense of spaciousness and sure-footed shuffle to bridge the lines of its verse. More than either of the opening two, “Temple” feels like a guitar showcase in its second half, but the simple fact is that the Adams brothers can pull that kind of thing off — easily, or at least easily-sounding — and emerge on the other end of six and a half minutes having long since departed the structure of a track without blisters either existential or on their already well-calloused hands.

valkyrie-photo-by-nicole-butler

Centerpiece “Shadow of Reality” refreshes a doomier spirit with peppered-in lead work and pushes through a midsection offsetting weightier impulses with airy tones on the way to a sun-soaked pastoral instrumental burst in its second half, the guitars locking step harmonically for a run no less memorable than the chorus subsequently referenced prior to the rumbling finish that leads the way into “Wintry Plains,” the longest track at 6:49 and a singular highlight for its patient feel, strong hook and rhythmic fluidity. That hook is reinforced, which makes a big difference compared to “Temple” or “Shadow of Reality” before it, the song moving into a jam and returning to the chorus before departing again at the close. One wouldn’t ask Valkyrie to do the same thing all the time, but even if it makes “Wintry Plains” the longest cut here — not by much; songs range on either side of six minutes — the extra seconds are well spent and go toward making the song a landmark for the band, which it is.

And the album is classic enough in its construction that “Wintry Plains” isn’t the last landmark to come, either. “Echoes (of the Way We Lived)” moves at a speedier clip than more relaxed earlier cuts like “Mountain Stomp” or “Golden Age” — though I wouldn’t go so far as to call anything on Shadows languid — and the effect it has is to sustain the momentum from the end of “Wintry Plains” over to closer “Carry On,” which leaves an impression that lasts much longer than the song’s six minutes, its theme and the repeated line, “Our voice will carry on,” as appropriate for a finishing track as it is for the story of Valkyrie in particular. With seven years between Man of Two Visions and their third, one can’t help but wonder if either or both of the Adams brothers are questioning if Shadows will be the last chapter in Valkyrie‘s story. It may well be, or it may be a new beginning, but whatever context time gives, it’s a worthy follow-up to their second album and a look at some of what the band might’ve been able to accomplish had they kept going the first time around.

To be perfectly honest, it’s a somewhat bittersweet listen on that level, since it’s easy to imagine that, had their circumstances not worked out the way they did, Valkyrie would probably be two or three records beyond their third offering by now, and there are points in making my way through Shadows where I ask what those could-have-been moments would sound like, where the obvious chemistry between Jake and Pete might have taken their songwriting. We may yet find that out — and better late than never, of course — and while it’s hard to hear these tracks and wonder if this is Valkyrie‘s shining moment or if that might still come, it’s worth remembering that in the intervening seven years they’ve been (mostly) gone, a new generation of American heavy rock fans has emerged, and for them, it’s just as likely Shadows will be a first exposure. On that level, it is nothing if not welcoming.

Valkyrie, Shadows (2015)

Valkyrie on Thee Facebooks

Valkyrie on Bandcamp

Valkyrie at Relapse Records

Relapse Records on Thee Facebooks

Tags: , , , , ,

Valkyrie’s Shadows Due May 19; Album Trailer and Details Posted

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 13th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

valkyrie

As a first taste of the forthcoming third Valkyrie LP and first in seven years, the sampler clip of opener “Mountain Stomp” serves notice of classic rock intent and the double-guitar antics one expects from brothers Jake and Pete Adams. The record, titled Shadows, is out May 19 on Relapse, and along with the trailer and the tracklisting, the cover art by Jeremy Hush has been revealed. After so long an absence, though, it’s mostly just good to have Valkyrie up and kicking again. They’ll play the Maryland Doom Fest in June at Cafe 611 with Sixty Watt ShamanSpirit CaravanApostle of Solitude and many more (info here).

The PR wire has details:

valkyrie shadows

Relapse Records Details Valkyrie “Shadows” LP

Relapse Records, who is celebrating its 25th anniversary, has announced that they will be releasing a new LP from Valkyrie called Shadows on May 19th. The label is teasing the release with a trailer….

Propelled by the stunning guitar heroics of brothers Pete and Jake Adams, Virginia’s Valkyrie return with their third full length Shadows, one of the year’s best guitar-driven, heavy rock records. Jam packed with harmonized leads, rich solos and melodic, blues-based riffs, Valkyrie sound like the perfect blend of American style doom rock bands like Pentagram or Spirit Caravan and classic hard rock like Thin Lizzy, Wishbone Ash, and Deep Purple. Where Pete Adams’ other band Baroness focuses more on the modern proggy and poppy side of metal, Valkyrie looks to proto metal trailblazers for influence while injecting plenty of current day inspiration. Produced by Sanford Parker (Pelican, Leviathan, YOB), Shadows is the perfect summer heavy rock record!

Check out the cover art by Jeremy Hush and track listing below…

Track Listing:
1. Mountain Stomp
2. Golden Age
3. Temple
4. Shadow of Reality
5. Wintry Plains
6. Echoes (Of The Way We Lived)
7. Carry On

http://www.relapse.com/label/
http://www.relapse.com/valkyrie/
https://www.facebook.com/thevalkyrierides
http://thevalkyrierides.bandcamp.com/

Valkyrie, Shadows album trailer

Tags: , , , , ,

Earthling to Release Dark Path on May 7

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 26th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

I was fortunate enough to catch a set from Harrisonburg, Virginia’s Earthling at SHoD in 2011, and was impressed with them then. There was a split single with Valkyrie last year, but beyond that, not much has been heard from Earthling‘s camp until now. Their debut album, Dark Path, is set for release on Forcefield Records May 7, and next month, they’ll be touring alongside Inter Arma. One imagines that will go well.

Earthling are on Thee Facebooks here. Here’s info off the PR wire:

EARTHLING Prepares To Release Debut LP Via Forcefield Records

Richmond, Virginia-based Forcefield Records confirms the pending Springtime release of the debut LP from local hellbrigade, EARTHLING.

Formed in early 2009 as a project between Harrisonburg natives Alan Fary (guitar/vocals) and Brently Hilliard (drums), following several member shifts solidified the EARTHLING lineup with Praveen Chhetri (guitar) and Jordan Brunk (bass). Having released a pair of three-song demos, a split 7” with the mighty Valkyrie, and having extensively inundated their local DIY music circuit, the band has crafted a crusty, blackened, thrashing hybrid of metal drawing influences from across the spectrum of extreme music.

Now on the heels of their split 7″ with Valkyrie (a band who shares guitarist, Alan Fary), Earthling has finally captured their corrosive sound on record, and now prepares to unleash hell upon its own kind with their ominous Dark Path on CD, LP and digital May 7th, 2013. A diverse, premier debut offering which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of all things ripping, Dark Path is a coarse display of the band’s terrorizing spirit; a ravenous force that has guided the group through countless shows, relentless demo recordings, and over five years of sheer sacrifice. Recorded by Garret Morris (Windhand, Cough, Parasytic, Bastard Sapling) and mastered by Mikey Allred (Inter Arma, Hellbender, Across Tundras), one can rest assured that this album is well versed in sonic mayhem. Earthling naturally teamed-up with seasoned local label, Forcefield Records, who now boasts the album as one of its most gripping releases, and EARTHLING as one of its most promising bands.

The future is clearly vast for EARTHLING, who will be attacking the road this spring with a string of dates already confirmed and many more to be confirmed over the coming weeks, including supporting Absu, ten shows alongside bros Inter Arma, and a MACRoCk showcase with Drugs of Faith, A Life Once Lost, Zoroaster and a bunch of others. View the confirmed roster of dates below and stay tuned for more info and tunes from Dark Path are revealed in the coming weeks.

EARTHLING Live Invasions:
4/05/2013 Blue Nile – Harrisonburg, VA @ MACRoCk
4/07/2013 Strange Matter – Richmond, VA w/ Absu
4/19/2013 Reggies – Wilmington, NC w/ Inter Arma
4/20/2013 TBA – North Carolina w/ Inter Arma
4/21/2013 Slims – Raleigh, NC w/ Inter Arma
4/22/2013 Blue Nile – Harrisonburg, VA w/ Inter Arma
4/23/2013 The Lab – Washington, DC w/ Inter Arma
4/24/2013 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA w/ Inter Arma
4/25/2013 TBA – Providence, RI w/ Inter Arma
4/26/2013 Democracy Center – Boston, MA w/ Inter Arma
4/27/2013 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY w/ Inter Arma
4/28/2013 Golden West – Baltimore, MD w/ Inter Arma

Dark Path Track Listing:
1. Dark Path
2. Resent
3. Losing Sight
4. Soldier Of The Fortunate
5. Wilderness Throne
6. Pass Into Beyond

Earthling, Live at the Nile, Jan. 15, 2013

Tags: , , , , ,

Taking the Buck Gooter Challenge

Posted in Reviews on January 7th, 2011 by JJ Koczan

Some music just isn’t made for mass consumption. That’s not the intent of the band or the result of the output. Harrisonburg, Virginia, duo Buck Gooter are a band who seem to delight in the aurally unpleasant, teaming jangly guitars with abrasive electronics as the two alliterative members, Billy Brat and six-stringer Terry Turtle, take turns yelling into the microphone. The self-released Beyond the Rotting Leaf is Buck Gooter’s 12th (!) album, and at 10 tracks/32 minutes, I find in listening that while the songs have a certain demented charm, that doesn’t exactly make the record fun to listen to.

But hey, it’s not supposed to be fun to listen to. That’s the fun of it!

One might liken some of the nonsense Buck Gooter get up to on a song like “I Wait for the Eagle” to the earliest Assjack demos, at least in terms of raw performance and production, but Buck Gooter is a duo that sounds like a duo. Even when the drum machine is in full swing and the vocals are screaming the madness of “A Million Years,” the listener is still well aware of the minimalism in the sound. Beyond the Rotting Leaf doesn’t sound fleshed out sonically. It doesn’t sound complete. It sounds post-modern, and angry, and unfriendly. It sounds like it wants to annoy you, even the cleaner vocals of earlier cut “Holy Water” seeming to poke and antagonize the eardrum.

Read more »

Tags: , , ,