Texas two-piece Stone Machine Electric are getting ready to release their new full-length album, Sollicitus es Veritatem, in May. The release show is set for May 27 at The Grotto in Fort Worth, where Stone Machine Electric will be joined by Texas outfits FTW, Thinman Conspiracy and Fogg.
If the album artwork (posted here) and the translated title “nightmares are reality” are anything to go by, it seems more and more like Stone Machine Electric are commenting on the times in which we live. If that’s so, then all the better have their jam-prone bizarro rock as the soundtrack, since if our ultra-self-aware-yet-utterly-blind post-post-modernism has taught anyone anything at all, it’s that it’s not like we’re going to turn a corner and have existence suddenly make sense. We, as a species, might as well get down with some heavy exploratory grooves and vibe out while we wait for that comet to hit.
Guitarist William “Dub” Irvin and drummer/thereminist Mark Kitchens offered a glimpse at the record to come in late-2015’s The Awesome Terror (review here), and they’ll release Sollicitus es Veritatem officially on May 17 as nearly an hour of forward-thinking output captured by Kent Stump of Texas fuzz forerunners Wo Fat. Fogg, who offered up their self-titled debut (review here) last year on Tee Pee Records, have a new improv jam EP out called Pinko, and between that and the burly rock of FTW and Thinman Conspiracy‘s progressive methods, it should be a night worthy of ringing in the arrival of Stone Machine Electric‘s latest opus. I’m proud to be involved and thank the band for letting me be a part of it in the small way I am.
Show particulars and links follow:
Live at The Grotto: The Obelisk Presents – Stone Machine Electric Album Release Party featuring FTW, FOGG & Thinman Conspiracy
The Grotto 517 University Dr. Fort Worth, TX 76107
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 17th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
How’s your Latin? I ask because Tejas twosome Stone Machine Electric are calling their new record Sollicitus es Veritatem, and the title translates to “nightmares are reality,” which if you’re paying attention, is even more ominous than what they called their last EP, which was The Amazing Terror (review here). At least that had some kind of element of spectacle to it — the terror was amazing! — but Sollicitus Es Veritatem sounds more purely dark, and given the band’s jammy nature, I’m interested to hear how that pans out in their sound, or if it does at all.
That most recent offering came out in November, and its material was a root precursor for the impending LP, but just how much so, I’m not sure. The duo of guitarist William “Dub” Irvin and drummer/thereminist Mark Kitchens recorded once again with Wo Fat‘s Kent Stump, so we know for sure that whatever comes, the tones will be right on. As to the rest, it’s fun to speculate.
They sent the following cover and info down the PR wire:
STONE MACHINE ELECTRIC – Sollicitus Es Veritatem
Texas heavy duo, Stone Machine Electric, have finished recording their next full-length release. Recorded at Crystal Clear Sound in Dallas, TX with none other than Kent Stump of Wo Fat manning the controls, the band has taken this release a step further into their weird realm.
Sollicitus Es Veritatem (Latin translation of “nightmares are reality”) takes the extended jam feel of The Garage Tape and twists them into five tracks of heady goodness. Clocking in around sixty minutes, this release brings in the listener and holds them until the end.
Track Listing: I Am Fire Dreaming PorR Demons I Am Fire (Slightly Burned)
Sollicitus Es Veritatem will be self-released digitally and on CD May 17, 2016. If you’d like it released on vinyl, please contact the band or favorite label.
Posted in Reviews on January 5th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
Pushing through the first batch of reviews and into the second. Always seems easier on the downhill somehow, but if the worst thing that ever happens is I have to put on 10 records a day, you aren’t likely to hear me complain. Today we get deeper into the round, and that while I’ll note that the context for today’s first review has changed decidedly for the unfortunate since it was slated for inclusion in this roundup, I’m trying still to take it on its own level, which is what any record deserves, regardless of its circumstances. No sense in delaying. Let’s go.
Quarterly review #11-20:
Motörhead, Bad Magic
The four ‘X’es on the cover of Motörhead’s 23rd album, Bad Magic (on UDR Music) are placed there each to represent a decade of the band’s existence, and while the context of the 13-track/42-minute offering will be forever changed due to the recent passing of iconic frontman/bassist Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister and because the remaining members – guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee – have said it will be their final new studio release, it goes to show that one of metal and punk’s most landmark acts came in raging and went out raging. To wit, barnburners like “Thunder and Lightning” and “Teach Them How to Bleed” are quintessential Motörhead, and the propulsive “Shoot out All of Your Lights” is a blueprint for both their righteousness and relentlessness. A closing Rolling Stones cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” borders on poignant in hindsight, but on cuts like “Evil Eye,” “Electricity” and “Tell Me Who to Kill,” Bad Magic is basically Motörhead being Motörhead, which was of course what they did best.
Topped off with some of the least-pleasant cover art one might (n)ever ask to see, the Aeon Cult EP is the third from German progressive sludge outfit Owl in two years’ time after two initial full-lengths. It comprises three songs that span genres from the slow-motion lurch of “The Abyss” to deathly intricacy – preceded by a groove that doesn’t so much roll as slam – on “Ravage” to an atmospheric extremity of purpose on “Mollusk Prince,” and is over in a whopping eight and a half minutes. Seriously, that’s it. At the center of the tempest are multi-instrumentalis/vocalist Christian Kolf, also of Valborg, and drummer Patrick Schroeder, formerly of Valborg, who elicit inhuman heft and bleakness across a relatively brief but nonetheless challenging span, and who seem to revel in the melted-plastic consistency of the sounds they create. Creative rhythms and ambience-enhancing keyboard work give Aeon Cult a futuristic edge, and if this is the world into which we’re headed, we should all be terrified.
The self-titled debut from Vancouver trio Waingro (review here) was a half-hour affair brimming with intensity and forward motion, and while the band’s second outing, Mt. Hood, follows suit tonally and in its neo-progressive thrust, the 11-track outing also provides a richer all-around experience and shows marked growth on the part of the band. “Desert Son” opens the album with an expansive solo section and intricate vocal layering to go with its metallic crunch, and while Waingro keep a short, efficient songwriting process at their core, that track and the slower, seven-minute “Mt. Hood” show their process has become more malleable as well. Likewise, while the methods don’t ultimately change much, shorter instrumental pieces like “Raleigh” on the first half of the album and the rolling “Frontera” on the second add variety of structure and make Mt. Hood as a whole feel more widespread, which, of course, it is. Waingro still have plenty of intensity on offer throughout, but their sophomore LP proves there’s more to them than unipolar drive.
A self-titled debut full-length that breaks down into two subsections – the first is tracks one through five and is titled Emerald Mass and the second is tracks six through 12 and is titled The Quétu – clearly the intentions behind Frank Sabbath’s opening statement are complex. All well and good, but more importantly, the work of the Parisian trio of guitarist/vocalist Jude Mas, bassist Guillaume Jankowski and bassist Baptiste Reig is cohesive across the record’s 12-track span, and those two parts not only meld the songs that make them up together fluidly, but work set one into the next to bring a full-album flow to the proceedings, spanning classic progressive (the kind that’s not afraid to let the guitars get jazzy) rock and psychedelic mind-meld into a sometimes-strange, sometimes-in-Spanish brew of potent lysergics. The three-piece set a vast range from “Waves in Your Brain” onward and wind up delivering the “Fucking Moral,” which seems to be “Never be afraid of who you are/Never be ashamed of what you are.” Clearly, while their moniker might be playing off acts who came before, Frank Sabbath are not afraid to stand on their own sonically.
Sweet soul and classic psychedelic methods pervade The Sonic Dawn’s Perception (on respected purveyor Nasoni Records) debut album, and the Copenhagen trio of guitarist/vocalist Emil Bureau, bassist Neil Bird and drummer Jonas Waaben find an easy, spacious flow through songs that, despite being relatively straightforward, retain an expansive feel. Shades of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors make themselves felt early on, but Bureau’s voice shifts smoothly into and out of falsetto and the tonally The Sonic Dawn seem immediately in search of their own identity. The effects-soaked finish of “All the Ghosts I Know” and the apex of “Wild at Heart” would seem to indicate success in that process, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they push the psychedelic impulses of “Watching Dust Fall” even further their next time out, and if they can do so while holding onto the accessible foundation of Perception, all the better. An impressive debut from a three-piece who do right in making a show of their potential.
Ancient of Days follows two impressive EPs from Swedish tonal constructionists Spelljammer (on RidingEasy), and is the trio’s full-length debut, a pretense-less 39-minute offering that basks in post-Sleep riff idolatry while leaving room in a cut like the 12-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Meadow” for nodding atmospherics as well. “Meadow” and the 11-minute closer “Borlung” sandwich the rest of Ancient of Days, which moves between the acoustic minimalism of the quick “Laelia” to the already-gone centerpiece “From Slumber,” which rises gradually, swells in its midsection, and recedes again – beautifully – and the eight-minute groove-roller “The Pathfiner,” which would be the apex of the record if not for the crashing finale of “Borlung,” which churns and plods and caps the record – how else? – with a swirl into empty space. Following a cult response to 2012’s Vol. II EP, that Spelljammer would deliver big on their debut album isn’t necessarily a surprise, but it remains striking just how easy it is to get lost in the morass of riffs and outward vibes they present in these five cuts. Should’ve been on my Best Debuts of 2015 list.
This doomy twofer from Hydro-Phonic Records plants a veritable garden of unearthly delights in bringing together Brazilian doom outfits Witching Altar and Necro and highlighting the similarities and the differences between them. Pressed to CD late in 2015 with vinyl impending, it offers four cuts from Witching Altar, whose take on doom is ultra-traditional to the point of working in a Sabbathian “All right now!” for “She Rides the Seventh Beast,” and three from Necro (shortened from Necronomicon), a yet-unheralded trio of ‘70s progressive traditionalists who offer up the new single “Contact” and two tracks revisited from their two to-date full-lengths. Both prove immersive in their own right, Witching Altar setting a course for weird quickly on “The Monolith” which some theremin that reappears later, and Necro vibing out on the warm bassline of “Holy Planet Yamoth,” but each has their own ideas about what makes classic doom so classic, and the arguments on both sides are persuasive.
One never knows quite what to expect from Texas two-piece Stone Machine Electric, and that seems to be precisely how the duo of guitarist William “Dub” Irvin and drummer/thereminist Mark Kitchens like it. The Amazing Terroris something of a stopgap EP, released on CDR by the band as a follow-up to late-2014’s Garage Tape (review here) and a lead-in for their next full-length, reportedly recorded last month with Wo Fat’s Kent Stump at the helm. Taken from the Garage Tape sessions, The Amazing Terror makes a standout of its languid, jammy title-track and surrounds it by three more instances of the band’s exploratory ideology, delving into the quietly cosmic on “Before the Dream” and feeding a cyclical delay expanse on closer “Passage of Fire,” a likely companion-piece to the opening “Becoming Fire,” which may or may not play thematically into where Stone Machine Electric are headed with their next record. As always with these guys, I wouldn’t dare place a bet either way and look like a fool on the other side.
Chicago post-sludgers Pale Horseman featured a remix by Justin K. Broadrick (Godflesh/Jesu), originally on their 2013 self-titled debut, on their second outing, 2014’s Mourn the Black Lotus (review here), and their third full-length, Bless the Destroyer, boasts a mixing job by Noah Landis of Neurosis. All three records were also recorded by Bongripper guitarist Dennis Pleckham, so it seems fair to say that Pale Horseman know who they want to work with and why. The results on Bless the Destroyer speak for themselves. With the 15-minute penultimate cut “Bastard Child” as an obvious focal point, the four-piece give a clear sense of progression in terms of their patience and overall range. The earlier “Caverns of the Templar” still boasts plenty of post-Godflesh chugging intensity – elements of death metal, see also centerpiece “Pineal Awakening” – but closer “Olduvai Gorge” sleeks along with a poise that even in 2013 Pale Horseman would’ve driven into the ground on their way to doing the same to everything else in their path. Their growth has made their approach more individual, and it suits them well.
A self-titled four-track debut EP from Argentina heavy rockers Yo, Moreno finds the band coming out swinging. The San Miguel de Tucumán-based four-piece of vocalist Marcos Martín, guitarist Lucas Bejar, bassist Noel Bejar and drummer Omar Bejar elicit a surprisingly aggro mood on “A Lot of Pot,” the opener, but groove remains paramount, and fuzz abounds. “Noelazarte” is more adventurous all around, an early build setting a tone with prevalent bass before Martín comes in after the halfway mark. Since “Para Noico” returns to the angrier spirit of “A Lot of Pot” and closer “3,000” heads outward on an instrumental exploration that blends grounded, weighted tones with spacier impulses, it seems easy to think that someone, somewhere would pick Yo, Moreno up for a 10” release. Especially as their first offering, it skillfully blends doomier atmospheres with fuzz-heavy nods, and stakes its claim in a niche that’s never completely one side or the other. Even formative as it is, it’s an intriguing blend.
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 12th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Reliably weird and heavy in kind, Stone Machine Electric will be releasing a new EP later this month called The Amazing Terror. As I understand the info below, the tracks on the new EP were recorded at the same time as late-2014’s Garage Tape (review here), but they also serve as the foundations for what the Texas-based two-piece of guitarist William “Dub” Irvin and drummer/Thereminist Mark Kitchens will be recording for their next full-length in December as they hit the studio with Kent Stump of Wo Fat once again at the helm.
I could have that wrong, but I don’t think I do. Either way, if you heard Garage Tape, you know that when these two cats jam, they do it right. They have a new video for “The Amazing Terror” that reinforces my stated position as regards their chemistry, and while I wouldn’t dare predict what their next full-length might hold for them sound-wise, I’m looking forward to it:
Stone Machine Electric – EP Release and Studio News
Texas heavy duo, Stone Machine Electric, is planning to head into the studio this December to record their next full-length release. This go around, Dub and Kitchens will be back at Crystal Clear sound in Dallas, TX with none other than Kent Stump of Wo Fat manning the controls.
This next album will combine the raw, live feel that was presented in the Garage Tape, and mix it with the warmth and fuzzy layers present in their self-titled release.
As a way to mark this next jaunt into creation, Stone Machine Electric is releasing an EP entitled The Amazing Terror. This release contains fuzzy gobs culled from the recording session of the Garage Tape. These little chunks offer the listener a small glimpse of what is to be laid down when the band hits the studio in December.
The Amazing Terror will be release digitally and a limited run on CD on November 24, 2015. A video for the title track has been released online already, so please enjoy The Amazing Terror!
