Italian heavy rockers Isaak will release their new album, Sermonize, in November. Their third outing overall, it will be issued in international collusion with Heavy Psych Sounds and Small Stone. The former, countryman imprint is set for the vinyl release, whereas the Detroit label will look to have a CD out come early 2016. The band mark it as their first release under the Isaak moniker, which is fair enough, though their 2012 sophomore outing, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound (streamed here), also got issued as Isaak‘s Small Stone debut in 2013.

Either way, the art for the new one looks righteous, and the four-piece announced its arrival by unveiling that and the tracklisting. Isaak toured earlier this year in Spain and Portugal, and they’ll look to head out again come Feb. 2016. They also released a split with Mos Generator way back in January through Heavy Psych Sounds that I’ve pretty much been meaning to pick up since then. One of these days.

Album info follows:

Our new album SERMONIZE, the very first full length as Isaak, will be released later in November thanks to the amazing collaboration between the Italian HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records (for the vinyl release with a limited coloured version and a black one) and the american Small Stone Records (which will follow the CD release, expected in the very early 2016), a collaboration that will bring also several other tasty news!

Here below you can admire the cover painting by Richey Beckett (yes, THAT Richey Beckett! www.richeybeckett.com).

As always, our brother from another mother Luca SoloMacello contributed to this radness looking after the design layout.

Isaak will start an European Tour to promote Sermonize from February 2016.

There’s nothing more to say, this record will be your summer obsession even if we’re gonna release it in November, hands down!

ISAAK – SERMONIZE Official Tracklist
1 – Whore Horse
2 – The Peak
3 – Fountainhead
4 – Almonds & Glasses
5 – Soar
6 – Showdown
7 – Yeah (Kyuss)
8 – Lucifer’s Road (White Ash)
9 – Lesson n.1
10 – The Frown Reloaded
11 – The Phil’s Theorem
12 – Sermonize

Vinyl version :
Recorded and Mixed at Greenfog Genova by Mattia Cominotto
Mastered at JD Studio by Pino Santamaria

ARTWORK:
Cover Painting by Richey Beckett
Design/Layout by Luca SoloMacello

www.isaakband.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
www.smallstone.com
www.richeybeckett.com
www.cargocollective.com/solomacello

Isaak, Live at Riviera Summerfest 2015

Who the hell doesn’t want to take some time off and go spend eight days kicking around Spain and Portugal? I can’t really fault Italian heavy rocking foursome Isaak for pausing work on their next record in order to tour the Iberian Peninsula later this month, nor would I attempt to try. They’ve done plenty of touring throughout Europe, but seriously, what, they’re going to regret going to Barcelona as Spring is starting to kick in? Somehow I doubt it.

Noteworthy that Isaak say they’ll be performing material from their recent split with Mos Generator — a 12″ was released in January on Heavy Psych Sounds — since their inclusion on that split was one 15-minute psychedelic exploration they dubbed “The Choice,” and represented something of a turn from the more straightforward fare one heard on their prior Small Stone label debut, 2013’s The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound (streamed here). Should make for an interesting blend on stage, and one can’t help but wonder how “The Choice” might influence Isaak‘s next work, which will presumably also be out on Small Stone later this year once they finish it when they get back from the tour.

The band sent this update down the PR wire, along with the tour poster by the venerable and increasingly ubiquitous David Paul Seymour:

ISAAK IBERIAN TOUR 2015

Isaak is hitting the road again, this time for a Spain and Portugal tour. The band is having a break from recording their new album, that will be out this year via Small Stone Records.

The guys will perform their last album as well as their fresh released 12″ split shared with Mos Generator and unleashed via Heavy Psych Sound.

Tour poster made by David Paul Seymour and printed at The Giant’s Lab. Tour promoted by Red Sound Barcellona.

20/03 – BARCELONA ( Rocksound Almogavers)
21/03 – MADRID ( Sala Barracudas)
22/03 – ESTEPONA (Louie Louie)
23/03 – CALDAS DA RAINHA (tbc)
24/03 – LISBOA ( Sabotage Club)
25/03 – VIANA DO CASTELO ( BAR Kommix)
26/03 – VIGO ( Distrito 09)
27/03 – OURENSE (el sótano)
28/03 – GORLIZ ( Xurrut)

http://www.isaakband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/isaakband
http://smallstone.bandcamp.com/
http://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mos-generator-isaak-split-album

Isaak, “The Choice” from Split with Mos Generator (2015)

I guess with San Francisco’s Wild Eyes rolling through town, Rome’s Heavy Psych Sounds imprint decided to make an event of it. Label head Gabriele Fiori has done so in style, with a two-night showcase bringing in Ufomammut — fresh off the recording of their new album — to headline one night with his own band, Black Rainbows, as well as Isaak on the bill, while Wild Eyes themselves will headline the second night, with Ape Skull and The Wisdoom supporting. Kind of a mini-fest, but a solid showing of Heavy Psych Sounds‘ acts, plus Ufomammut, and if nothing else, it’s bound to make Wild Eyes‘ trip through Rome a memorable one.

Wild Eyes kicks off their European tour tomorrow. All the dates can be found under the label showcase info, as well as the stream of their new release, Above Becomes Below. Rock and roll:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records is proud to present the first Showcase ever with all the bands of the label Wild Eyes from San Francisco, with their last show of the European tour, Isaak introducing the upcoming split record with Mos Generator, the mighty UFOMAMMUT will headline as guests the 4 december day, and last but not least, Black Rainbows, The Wisdoom and Ape Skull

INIT CLUB, Rome, Italy
INIT CLUB – ROMA
Via della stazione tuscolana 133
00182 – ROMA (IT)

04/12/2014:
UFOMAMMUT
Black Rainbows
Isaak

h 10:00 – 10 euro

05/12/2014:
WILD EYES
The Wisdoom
Ape Skull

h 10:00 – 7 euro

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records&Booking is proud to present  the European Tour of Great Cali Acid Rock n’ Roll Band:

***WILD EYES***
14/11/2014 IT Milano-Lo Fi
15/11/2014 IT Piacenza-Sound Bonico
16/11/2014 IT Erba-Centrale Rock
17/11/2014 CH La Chaux de Fonds-Café al Entre Deux
18/11/2014 CH Ins-Shuxenhaus
19/11/2014 CH Whinthertur-Gaswerk
20/11/2014 CH Luzern-Bruch Bros
21/11/2014 CH Olten-Coq D’or
22/11/2014 DE Augsburg-Ballonfabrik
23/11/2014 AU Graz-club wakuum
24/11/2014 AU Wien-Arena
25/11/2014 D Erfurt-Cafè Tiko
26/11/2014 D Leipzieg-Liwi
27/11/2014 D Berlin-Cortina Bob
28/11/2014 D Siegen-Vortex Club
29/11/2014 N Schoonhoven-De Bastille
30/11/2014 N Den Haag-Dystopia
01/12/2014 F
02/12/2014 F Nancy-Le Quai’Son
03/12/2014 CH St Gallen-Rumpeltum
04/12/2014 D Freiburg-White Rabbit
05/12/2014 IT Rome-Init Club “HPS Showcase”
06/12/2014 IT Pescara-Orange Rock

www.heavypsychsounds.com
www.initroma.com

Wild Eyes, Above Becomes Below (2014)

Washington rock purveyors Mos Generator and Italian four-piece Isaak have set a Jan. 12, 2015, release date for a new split 12″. Heavy Psych Sounds will be handling the release. Earlier this year, the label got together Naam, White Hills, Black Rainbows and The Flying Eyes for a split that was promised as the first in a series, but I’m not sure if this is a continuation of that same idea — it’s half as many bands, for one thing — or a whole new deal. Either way, new Mos Generator and Isaak is nothing to complain about, however it might be positioned in the label’s catalog.

Mos Generator already have a couple recent releases under their collective belt, between their 2014 Listenable Records label debut, Electric Mountain Majesty (review here) and the self-released demo compilation Electric Nomads covering material from their last two full-lengths (review here). For Isaak, they’ve spent much of the year supporting their 2013 Small Stone release, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound, and they’ll hit the road in December once again, this time with copies of the new split in tow.

Some preliminaries on the pressing from Heavy Psych Sounds:

Mos Generator/Isaak Split Album is the new Heavy Psych Sounds Records release printed in Black Vinyl and 150 copies

LTD Red Splatter Black Vinyl Awesome Album Artwork by SoloMacello

release date 12/01/2015

Says Isaak:

We are proud and honored to announce our upcoming new split album with the amazing Mos Generator!

It will be released on a very limited edition 12″ vinyl by the great HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records on January 12, 2015 but you can grab a copy during our European Tour in December.
Here you can find a sneakpeek of the stunning artwork made by our brother SoloMacello.

We really can’t wait to let you ear it, we’re sure you’re gonna dig it.
SEE YOU SOON ON TOUR, STAY HEAVY! \M/

www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/MosGenerator
https://www.facebook.com/isaakband

Isaak, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound (2013)

Italian heavy rock four-piece Isaak are getting ready to tour in Europe once again. They released their Small Stone label debut, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound, last year, and are currently working on a follow-up, though what stage it’s actually in remains a mystery. Still, if you, say, had a post-it note with impending 2015 releases on it so you could remember them for later when you wanted to put together some kind of larger list/feature on the subject, Isaak‘s next record would be another one to add.

Not that such a post-it note exists or is already becoming overcrowded or anything. I can neither confirm nor deny, and so on.

Here’s the news:

*ISAAK* on tour ( Small Stone Records / HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS)

Isaak , born from the ashes of Gandhi’s Gunn, immediately signed a worldwide contract for two albums with the American label Small Stone Records: the critically acclaimed debut “The Longer The Beard The Harder The Sound” released in 2013 and a second one that is going to be recorded very soon. “Having the chance to release two albums for an American label and reaching metal fans all over the world it’s a great honor but also a confirmation: we always thought we had an international sound since the beginning. And you will hear it even more in the new album.”

We also managed to tour in Europe for the first time this year. Thanks to this growth and to our love for bands like Clutch, Big Business, Torche, Red Fang the sound of our next album will be something really special. With the first single “The Frown” from the imminent new album, we tested the reaction of our fans receiving amazing responses. So we realized this was the right direction to follow”.

Isaak, who developed from a stoner rock into a promising international power sound band, are ready for the challenge, determined and strong just like their music. Are you ready?

04/12/2014 IT Rome-Init “HPS Rec Label Party”
06/12/2014 IT Milano-LoFi
07/12/2014 CH
08/12/2014 D
09/12/2014 D Augsburg-Blue Box Skate Park
10/12/2014 CH Winterthur-Gaswerk
11/12/2014 CH
12/12/2014 CH Mühledorf Niedergösgen-No Mute Bandraum
27/12/2014 IT Savona- Officine Solimano Christmas Show

www.heavypsychsounds.com
www.facebook.com/isaakband
https://www.facebook.com/events/577755778996510/
https://smallstone.bandcamp.com/album/the-longer-the-beard-the-harder-the-sound

Isaak, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound (2013)

Boldly declaring they won’t be defeated, Italian heavy rock four-piece Isaak have begun efforts to recover after a recent rehearsal space robbery reportedly stripped them of a good amount of their amps and other equipment. And by “good amount,” I mean all of it. Amps, computers, instruments, cables, mics. Name it and it’s gone.

For any band unfortunate enough to have it happen to them, it’s positively devastating, but even more so for a group like Isaak, who released their The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound album on Small Stone this summer and aren’t millionaire rockstars who can just go out and replace all their shit. I’ve said it many, many times: Only assholes steal from bands. Steal from corporations instead. They’ve got computers too, and no matter what anyone tells you, they’re not actually people.

If you’ve got a couple extra bucks, Isaak have a crowdfunding-type fundraiser going on now to help them raise money for new gear, including some nifty thank-you gifts for those who donate. Info and links follow:

NO ONE DEFEATS ISAAK

Try to imagine going to rehearsals, thinking about the riffs, building the songs of your new record…. but feeling something bad in the air, getting there and discovering nothing more has left…Doors damaged, locks broken. It’s something you won’t wish to anybody… like your whole life suddenly disappears.

Now we are here, asking you for some help… participating to our fundraising will support us to keep on with our adventure!

We want to thank you in advance for every kind of help you give us..

THANKS by heart..

Andre, Giacomo, Francesco, Maso

And don’t forget to check out what you can get in our crowdfunding!

http://www.kapipal.com/16650d8743124667a71d338d88022191
https://www.facebook.com/events/652825014741767/

Isaak, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound (2013)

It’s a proposition that has beguiled scientists for decades now, but Italian stoner metallers Isaak have finally aligned the proportion data and determined that The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound. So proud was the Genoa foursome of this discovery that they took their central theorem as the title of their 2012 record. The band, who went by the name Gandhi’s Gunn at the time, released their debut full-length, Thirtyyeahs (semi-review here), in 2010.

Needless to say, the reverberations through the scientific community since Isaak‘s discovery have been rippling outward ever since. Word reached the ears of Small Stone Records, who added the band — vocalist Giacomo H Boeddu, guitarist Francesco Raimondi, bassist Massimo Perasso and drummer Andrea Tabbì De Bernardi — to its ever-increasing roster of European heavy rockers, so that their riffy, burly jams might enlighten others to the complex mathematics within the driving grooves of “Breaking Balance,” the moody ’90s stomp of “Flood,” or the final resonant psychedelic proof of the 10-minute closer “Hypothesis,” on which Isaak add further distinction via balancing sitar lines and massive, modern riffery.

This new version of The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound is set for a June release and includes four bonus tracks: The Pink Floyd cover “Fearless,” the Iron Maiden cover “Wrathchild,” and two more originals, “The Right Time” and “Isolation 2.0.” You’ll find those as well as the rest of the original album ready for consumption on the player following. Please enjoy.

Full stream ahead:

Isaak, The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound

[mp3player width=480 height=400 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=isaak-the-longer.xml]

Small Stone will release Isaak‘s The Longer the Beard the Harder the Sound this summer. More info at the links below.

Isaak on Thee Facebooks

Small Stone Records

I guess when you get on a roll, you get on a roll. Small Stone, who’ve already signed a buttload-and-a-half of bands this year including Asteroid, Deville, Larman Clamor and Lord Fowl, continues its worldwide scour for the best in heavy rock, this time stumbling on Italian rockers Gandhi’s Gunn. Having just switched their name to Isaak, the four-piece (previously On the Radar-ized here) issued The Longer the Beard, The Harder the Sound earlier in 2012 and will make their label debut next year, with US touring reportedly to follow.

Congrats to the band and kudos to the label on its continued expansion. Get yourself informed:

ISAAK & SMALL STONE RECORDS: A NEW ERA

“The Newer the Name, the Cooler the Label”

Gandhi’s Gunn change their name and become ISAAK.

It’s a new course, full of important choices starting with a very great news: a two-album WORLDWIDE contract with an American label.

Scott Hamilton, founder and owner of Small Stone Records, the undisputed leader of worldwide stoner scene (responsible for the release of many albums by authentic icons as Acid King, Dozer, Los Natas, Sons of Otis, Solace, Might Could, Wo Fat, Five Horse Johnson, Skanska Mord and Dixie Witch among others), was enthusiastic about the project and sound of ex-Gandhi’s Gunn and wanted the Genoese band in its roster.

“We are very proud to become part of the Small Stone family” the Ligurian band members say. “This label doesn’t need any introduction and will surely provide us a worldwide visibility” continues the band “and this can only be the best possible start for a project that will give us huge satisfaction, for sure. We are proud of our hard work and progress so far. We are so pleased to have achieved such an important record recognition”.

ISAAK have signed a contract that will provide for the remastered reissue of “The Longer The Beard, The Harder The Sound” including some unreleased bonus tracks, and a new full length planned for the end of 2013. “We’re going to be able to announce our first European tour supporting an important American band” the members of ex-Gandhi’s Gunn also reveal “and we’re also planning our first U.S. tour during 2013 under the aegis of Small Stone. In the meanwhile we’ve started writing the songs for our new album, that will hopefully be considered a starting point for a new era in our history.. so, after celebrating the record deal, the time has come to give life to ISAAK, a band born to win a place of honor in the Heavy Rock world.”

Gandhi’s dead. Isaak was born.