I have zero problem admitting that I don’t know what’s going on with the following update from Texan bizzaro-rockers Linus Pauling Quartet. It is a mystery. From the headline and the last couple paragraphs, I’ve gleaned that guitarist/vocalist Clinton Heider seems to be on his way out of the band and plans are nebulous as to whether or not they’ll continue or reform under another name or who knows what. In the meantime, their perhaps-last outing will be released this weekend in the form of Psychedelic Battles Vol. 3, a new split with Colt .38. The update though is 1,000 words and tells its story well enough, so if you can figure it out, good luck to you. There’s info in there somewhere.

Have at you:

Could this be the final LP4 release? Linus Pauling Quartet / Colt .38: Psychedelic Battles Volume Three – Available 10 July 2017

Linus Pauling Quartet/ Colt .38
Psychedelic Battles Volume Three
Available 10 July 2017 (Split LP)
10 October 2017 (LP4 Side – Digital)
Vincebus Eruptum Records, ITALY

PSYCHEDELIC BATTLES: MISSION REPORT
URGENT
From: Viperfish Command Vessel – S. Finley, Linus Pauling Quartet Central Command
To: Vincebus Eruptum Deep Sea Exploration HQ – Davide Pansolin for his eyes only
RE: Psychedelic Battles Volume Three – final report
Ref. No. 869492 03 July 2017

Davide,
I am well aware that it has been quite a while since our last communique and I apologize for our long silence. As Ti Ying informed you, our recent mission to seek out the sacred Eightfold Tube of Sa?s?ra met with great difficulty thanks in no small part to her misunderstanding of our motives. Yet, thanks to her timely delivery of our message to you, disaster was averted and we thank you for your decisive actions to, once again, save the universe.

Unfortunately, we write to you in dark times. It seems we have encountered a rogue faction, one that calls itself “Colt .38” who follows the words and deeds of a mysterious leader who simply goes by the moniker “Claudio C.” Their ruthlessness and cunning is like none we have ever encountered and while their motives are shrouded in mystery, the object of their obsession is quite clear – the work of one Doctor Daniel Franklin. His most recent creation – a hand made PIG 100 based on the fabled Mick Ronson Marshall PIG used in the Spiders from Mars era but scaled down to 100 watts (dual KT 88 tubes in the power section) – was like nothing anyone had seen or heard in recent memory. Dr. Franklin’s scholarship of the old ones and skills in the laboratory are without equal so it came as no surprize to us when we intercepted a message expressing Colt .38’s interest in placing his skills at the service of their nefarious goals.

We therefore, made our way to Dr. Franklin’s laboratory deep inside the West Rota submarine volcano as hastily as our submarine would take us. Unfortunately, we arrived to a ransacked laboratory and no sign of Dr. Franklin. It is at this stage where we found a set of portal controls, clearly of Dr. Franklin’s design, that had been beaten badly with some implement to hinder ours or anyone else’s ability to follow. This posed little resistance against the savvy skills of our own engineer, Larry Liska, and repairs were made in less than a day.

After the repairs, we entered the portal and soon found ourselves in a dimension much like our own but quite different. Dr. Carol Sandin Cooley surmised it to be in parallel to our own but simply resonating at a different frequency where color and sound are both vibrant and disorienting. It is in this dimension where we finally encountered Colt .38. Upon a ridge with a wary Dr. Franklin at his side, Claudio C. cast various incantations shouting, “Persona! Chrismagic! Happy! Amplesso in DO m!” that conjured up such beasts as we have never dreamt. In response, Charlie Naked used his powers to call upon the powerful “Jólakötturinn” to our side while Clinton Heider drew upon the resolute force of “Trees” to aid us. There, in that dimension, we engaged for many months in Psychedelic Battle with Colt .38 of which we have provided you with this audio log.

I cannot say whether or not our mission was successful for, while we were able to rescue Dr. Franklin, Colt .38 was able to escape with many volumes of his notes and, worse yet, it appears as if this mission may perhaps be the last for our First Lieutenant Clinton Heider. Upon looking at the carnage in the killing fields – the many guitars and tubes senselessly butchered over these many months – he turned to us is a low and weary voice,”You’re seeing now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars! My energy is spent at last, and my armor is destroyed. I have used up all my weapons, and I’m helpless and bereaved. Wounds are all I’m made of! Did I hear you say that this is victory? Don’t let these shakes go on! It’s time we had a break from it!” And with those words, he removed his dog tags, discarded them upon the ground before us, and walked away towards the “Hearts of Animals.” Asked if he would return he, paused with his back to us and simply shrugged his shoulders before continuing on his path.

With his departure from the Linus Pauling Quartet, this could very well be the last transmission sent under that name. The rest of us, of course, will soldier onward to other adventures albeit under a different name as without Clinton’s contributions, it would be a disservice to our decades of work together to continue on under that title. We hope that you can understand our wished in this matter. Naturally, we will soon send you word on our latest expeditions but, for now, we ask that you simply review the audio log.

Keep on rockin’ in the free world.
CDR S.F.
Viperfish Command Vessel

PSYCHEDELIC BATTLES: TECHNICAL DETAILS (SIDE A)
Italy’s Vincebus Eruptum Records Presents:
The third volume of the Psychedelic Battles series…

Linus Pauling Quartet/ Colt .38
Psychedelic Battles Volume Three
Release date (ltd. ed. 300 LP): 10th of July 2017
Release Date (side A – Digital): 10 October 2017
Limited edition vinyl (VELP018): 300 copies on coloured vinyl
Track-list:
A1 -Linus Pauling Quartet- Jólaköttur
A2 -Linus Pauling Quartet – Trees
B1 -Colt .38- Persona
B2 -Colt .38 – Chrismagic
B3 -Colt .38- Happy
B4 -Colt .38- Amplesso in DO m

Side A Notes
Linus Pauling Quartet – Jólaköttur/Trees

Carol Sandin Cooley: electronics, light theremin, vocals, Weapon of Annihilation
Stephen Finley: bass, Taurus pedals, Hammond B3, Bow of the High Forest
Clinton Heider: vocals, guitars, Life Drinker
Larry Liska: batterie, gong, Doomhammer
Ramon Medina: electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals, Morne’s Great Hammer
Charlie Naked: guitars, backing vocals, Wand of Misplaced Objects
Flip Osman- PolyMoog, backing vocals, Axe of Hurling

Recorded at Digital Warehaus Productions Houston, TX
Stephen Finley – Recording and Mixing engineer
Andrew King – Asst engineer

Mastered by Mark Kidney at The Stone Sound

www.digitalwarehausproductions.com
All music side A
(c) 2015 The Linus Pauling Quartet, BMI
Music & Lyrics by the Linus Pauling Quartet
Dedicato alla memoria di Enrico Ramunni.

http://vincebuseruptum.bigcartel.com/product/the-linus-pauling-quartet-colt38-psychedelic-battles-volume-three
https://www.facebook.com/VincebusEruptumHeadquarter/

Linus Pauling Quartet, “Jólaköttur”

Colt .38, “Persona” official video

Next weekend in Houston, Rudyard’s Pub hosts Doomsgiving IV – The Krampus Hunt, and while I have no idea what a Doomsgiving might entail as regards the traditional meal — turkeys made of riffs! — it’s a killer lineup with Project Armageddon, Linus Pauling Quartet, The Dirty Seeds and Serpent Sun, and that’s usually enough to pique my interest.

Linus Pauling Quartet, if you missed the news, had the Jan. 15 release date for their new album, Ampalanche, confirmed earlier this week by Vincebus Eruptum Recordings. Meantime, Project Armageddon will headline the evening in support of their earlier-2015 offering, Cosmic Oblivion (review here), which was a Doomsgiving feast unto itself.

Show details and whathaveyou:

Doomsgiving IV – The Krampus Hunt

December 5th at Rudyard’s Pub, Houston, TX.

Lineup:
Project Armageddon
Linus Pauling Quartet
The Dirty Seeds
Serpent Sun
Doors at 8:00 $8

Spawned of Doom Metal, with open minds & experimentation; Hailing from the northern outskirts of Houston, TX-Project Armageddon consists of members: Brandon Johnson – guitar, Raymond Matthews – drums, and Doomstress Alexis – bass and vocals. February 2010 saw the release of Project Armageddon’s debut full length cd “Departure”: a self released, 45 minute record that stays true to P.A.’s no holds barred stylistic approach, running the gamut from straight out doom to somber acoustic tracks to full out effects laden psychedelic guitar tracks, dealing with super-genetic beings, nuclear holocaust, natural devastation, and religious intolerances.

Project Armageddon continued on an extensive show schedule from 2010 to mid-2011 both in the local clubs and around Texas. In the summer of 2011, Project Armageddon returned to Dungeon Manor studios to record their 2nd full length record: “Tides of Doom”. This was then sent out to be mixed by Supernatural Sound in Kultland, OH. “Tides of Doom” was released in March of 2012 followed the “Tides of Doom – Texas Tour” to support & promote the record. Demo work resumed after touring the Summer of 2012, and amidst a slew of many local shows supporting the local metal scene and touring acts both national and international. Project Armageddon rocked Austin during the SXSW festival and plans additional shows in Dallas/Ft. Worth and San Antonio. The touring schedule has recently been set taking Project Armageddon around the state and to some new areas as well as supporting more international acts.

Pure guitar muscle and Texas Stoner Metal Psych insanity with universal themes like drugs, beer, sci-fi/fantasy, and Bongs of Power. If you like your riffs heavy, the solos unyielding, and the smell of the bong to billow out of your stereo, the LP4 is your band.

The Dirty Seeds. No gimmicks, just four strangers gathered together by an ape-like stoner prophet from the future to save humanity with loud rock n roll. Face melting stoner rock with enough of a groove to trick white people into thinking they know how to dance.

Event will feature the traditional Doomsgiving table set w/club decor by artist Chuyz Beard. Also photo gallery display by Goon73 Photography.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1619457394970452/
http://projectarmageddon.com/
http://www.worshipguitars.org/LP4/
https://www.facebook.com/thedirtyseeds
https://www.facebook.com/SerpentSunHT

Project Armageddon, “Vortex to Oblivion”

Houston five-piece the Linus Pauling Quartet signed with Vincebus Eruptum Recordings — the label arm of the ultra-respected Italian ‘zine of the same name — earlier this year, and at the time, it was announced that their next full-length, Ampalanche, would be out this summer. Well, here we are talking about preorders, so obviously that didn’t happen. As usual of late, seems likely there was some delay in pressing the thing on the plant’s end. Turns out the only bummer about the vinyl resurgence has been the complete lack of infrastructure to sustain it. Whoops.

Doesn’t matter though, at least in this instance, because Linus Pauling Quartet‘s Ampalanche will be out on Jan. 15 as one to look forward to early in the New Year. Vincebus Eruptum cover artist Kabuto has helmed the thematically-appropriate piece that will adorn the front of the LP, and of course there will be multiple color editions of the platter itself, all of which will be available to order soon.

Editor of Vincebus Eruptum and head of the label Davide Pansolin — who also had a fascinating interview with the band in the ‘zine’s most recent issue that gave much insight into their origins and the Houston noise rock scene in the ’90s — shared his excitement about the release thusly:

I’m really proud, glad, excited, … to announce the official details about the new masterpiece by Houston’s band THE LINUS PAULING QUARTET!

The new awesome artwork by Kabuto is the best way to present “Ampalanche”, six tracks of rock’n’roll…no stoner-rock, no psychedelic music, no folk, no labels…it’s the best musical synthesis we ever listened!!!

The album will be officially released on the 15th of January 2016.

Limited edition vinyl (VELP010)

Ultra-limited edition of 100 hand-numbered (001/100) copies on coloured (colour #1 TBA) vinyl + inner + exclusive poster
Limited edition of 200 hand-numbered (101/300) copies on coloured (colour #2 TBA) vinyl + inner
Standard edition of 200 copies on black vinyl

Track-list:
A1 – Ampalanche
A2 – Slave-Sometimes
B1 – Planck
B2 – Brisket
B3 – Nico
B4 – Alive

A MASTERPIECE!

http://www.worshipguitars.org/LP4/
https://www.facebook.com/LinusPaulingQuartet/
https://www.facebook.com/vincebuseruptumassociation/
http://vincebuseruptum.bigcartel.com/products

Linus Pauling Quartet, “Space Truckin'” live at Novembeerfest 2015

Underrated Texan heavy rockers The Linus Pauling Quartet have a persistent tendency to fascinate. Whether they’re delving into cult nerd ideology writing a single about Cthulhu (review here) or partnering with a writer publishing under the Oxford Press — which is no small shakes as far as academic publishing goes — to pay homage to theoretical physicist Max Planck, or just riffing out stoner for stoner’s sake, there always seems to be a purpose behind what they do.

It was recently revealed that this fall, their new album, Ampalanche, will be released by Italian imprint Vincebus Eruptum Recordings, the label wing of the long-running print ‘zine of the same name — someone whose tastes it’s safe to say you can trust, in other words — and “Planck” is the first single to come from that outing. It will be released digitally May 26, and is set to be accompanied by a new video, as the band explains in the info below, sent down the PR wire:

Linus Pauling Quartet to release single/video this 26 May celebrating theoretical physicist Max Planck. (Wait, WHAT?!!! … is there going to be a test at the end of this?)

If there is one thing the Linus Pauling Quartet knows how to do, it’s to defy expectations. After a drop-C, gut punching, metal riffage anthem celebrating Cthulhu in 2014, the lads return this month with “Planck” – a song that veers more to the band’s melodic psych sensibilities and celebrates the work of Max Planck. While the song is to be featured in the forthcoming album “Ampalanche” later this year, this track is being released early as a digital single and a video to coincide with the release of the book Planck: Driven by Vision, Broken by War on Oxford University Press. The author of the book, Brandon R. Brown, also happens to be the main lyricist for the song (we like to say he’s Michael Moorcock to our B.O.C.). Below are the full details of the song, a link to the audio file, temporary press preview video link, lyrics, links to the book’s publisher as well as other stuff.

“The same thrill, the same awe and mystery, comes again and again when we look at any question deeply enough. With more knowledge comes a deeper, more wonderful mystery, luring one on to penetrate deeper still. Never concerned that the answer may prove disappointing, with pleasure and confidence we turn over each new stone to find unimagined strangeness leading on to more wonderful questions and mysteries – certainly a grand adventure!

It is true that few unscientific people have this particular type of religious experience. Our poets do not write about it; our artists do not try to portray this remarkable thing. I don’t know why. Is nobody inspired by our present picture of the universe? This value of science remains unsung by singers. You are reduced to hearing not a song or a poem, but an evening lecture about it. This is not yet a scientific age.” – Richard Feynman, The Value of Science (1955)

A curious thing happened after I finished reading this essay at the end of a Feynman anthology; an old friend of ours, Brandon Brown, mentioned that he was completing a book on Max Planck. Intrigued, I asked Brandon if he’d be so good as to pass along to me a draft and he did just that. Almost immediately I was sucked into the book. It’s with a bit of shame that I admit that I wasn’t very familiar with Planck before reading the book but Brandon’s style was fluid and accessible for a dope such as myself. I discovered that not only a new world of science opened up before me, but that I had also gained a better understanding of Planck and the world he lived in.

Perhaps with Feynman’s words still echoing in my brain, I took to the idea of writing a song about Planck to accompany the book. I asked Brandon if he wanted to collaborate on the lyrics and Brandon, the kind of person who isn’t afraid to take a chance, was more than happy to have a go at it with us. A few months of work later, Brandon, Clinton, and I had the song completed. In the studio, each member of the band added their own little flair to the song as well. The result of all this now lays before you.

The words reflect a mixture of Max’s scientific work as well a meditation on the great loss to history of his correspondence and scientific records under allied bombing during World War II. The lyrics are largely Brandon’s with contributions by myself and Clinton though we do take Planck’s own words during the bridge when we sing “Du musst glauben.”

Planck is the first single from the Linus Pauling Quartet’s forthcoming album, “Ampalache,” which will be available Winter 2015 on Vincebus Eruptum Recordings.

This early digital release coincides with the publication of the book “Planck: Driven by Vision, Broken by War” by Brandon R. Brown who also penned the vast majority of the song’s lyrics.

Video Premiere Date: 26 May 2015
Digital Single Edition Available: 26 May 2015

© 2015 The Linus Pauling Quartet/Brandon R. Brown (BMI)
Music & Lyrics by the Linus Pauling Quartet and Brandon R. Brown

https://www.facebook.com/LinusPaulingQuartet
http://www.worshipguitars.org/LP4/LP4_WordPress
http://www.vincebuseruptum.it
https://www.facebook.com/vincebuseruptumassociation

The Linus Pauling Quartet, C is for Cthulhu (2014)

Cheers to Texas heavy rockers Linus Pauling Quartet, all five of them, on signing a deal to release a new album later this year on Vincebus Eruptum Recordings, the imprint of much-respected Italian ‘zine, Vincebus Eruptum — whose 19th issue is on my desk now awaiting a soon-to-be-realized review. Linus Pauling Quartet are due to release their first LP through the label this November, so stay tuned for more info as we get closer to that and whatever may lay beyond. You never really know with these guys.

Here’s the announcement from the band, which also just happens to conveniently contain the announcement from the label. Nice:

We are pleased to announce that we are now on a new label – Italy’s Vincebus Eruptum!!!!

We said we had some big news and today it’s official, Italian Psych label Vincebus Eruptum has been kind enough to take us aboard their fine flagship.

This all came about not long after we did that interview for their zine. You see, in that interview, we mentioned how vinyl here in the states was, for various reasons, just becoming too costly and time consuming. Essentially it was becoming a game for the big labels and it just didn’t make sense for us to release vinyl ourselves. I guess this struck a nerve with Davide as, not long after the interview, he offered to have us aboard his lovely label and release our albums on, yes, LP!!! We gratefully accepted his offer and the first of these releases will be “Ampalanche” which was already in the works. In fact, we sent Davide the demos and he gave us a thumbs up so “Hoist the sails, lads!”

Over the summer, we’ll be working on tracks and videos and you’ll even be able to hear a preview of the album soon as we will be releasing one track online – a song we wrote for the book “Planck – Driven by Vision, Broken by War” by Brandon R. Brown – to coincide with Oxford University Press’ release of the book. As mentioned before we wrote the song with the author (who penned most of the lyrics) and we’re trying to see if we can do some kind of small release show for the book/single this summer though, as we mentioned in an earlier post, live shows will be especially tricky over the next few months so any release show will be a cross our fingers kind of thing.

Anyhow, thanks to Davide and Vincebus Eruptum. Stay tuned, we have many more rabbits to pull out of our hat soon. In the meantime, here is the announcement from posted by VE this morning:

VINCEBUS ERUPTUM is REALLY proud to announce that the new album, “Ampalanche”, by our heroes THE LINUS PAULING QUARTET will be published on vinyl on VE Recordings!!!

The Texas based band is currently exploring psych regions of their home planet, collecting new and mysterious sonic specimens, and recording its findings as new audio tracks for the album…

Release date is planned for November 2015.

Stay tuned for more details!!!

https://www.facebook.com/LinusPaulingQuartet
http://www.worshipguitars.org/LP4/LP4_WordPress/
http://www.vincebuseruptum.it/
https://www.facebook.com/vincebuseruptumassociation

Linus Pauling Quartet, “Assault on the Vault of the Ancient Bonglords” official video