I cannot imagine what it’s like to press a record right now, other than ‘pain in the ass.’ I mean, the vinyl resurgence has been going on long enough now that there are certainly more than the three people in the universe making it that there were like six years ago or whatever, but still, like everything else, it’s gotta be even more complicated in 2020, and there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of stuff coming out despite the fact that touring is barely happening anywhere in any context. I would think even normally-backed-up plants and manufacturers are abnormally backed up.

That doesn’t preclude preorders, though. Cursed Tongue Records has new LPs on the way from Sumokem — whose Prajnaparadha is already streaming in full — and Switchblade Jesus, who recently premiered the single “Red Plains” from their upcoming album, Death Hymns. Both are out Jan. 29 in that increasingly dim future known as 2021, and both are going live with preorders on Friday at 6PM CET, which is noon Eastern US.

Info came down the PR wire:

SUMOKEM – ‘PRAJNAPARADHA’ AND SWITCHBLADE JESUS – ‘DEATH HYMNS’ DOUBLE VINYL PRE-ORDER LAUNCHES THIS FRIDAY OCTOBER 30, 2020

Cursed Tongue Records is stoked to announce the launching one of this autumn’s most anticipated double vinyl pre-orders going down on October 30, 6PM CET (Central European Time) from their Big Cartel Store LINK HERE: http://cursedtonguerecords.bigcartel.com/products

With honor can we disclose the vinyl releases of ‘Prajnaparadha’ from Sumokem and ‘Death Hymns’ from Switchblade Jesus and with confidence state that this is truly two smashing albums that’s being offered up.

Both bands have outdone themselves and have definitively delivered some of their most creative, crushing, diverse and intriguing material to date. We are very proud to be presenting both vinyl releases and thank the bands for their trust in Cursed Tongue Records on bringing the HEAVY goods.

CTR-034: SUMOKEM (LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS) THIRD ALBUM ‘PRAJNAPARADHA’ VINYL RELEASE OUT JANUARY 29, 2021 [VINYL PRE-ORDER OCTOBER 30]

SUMOKEM hailing from the melting doom-hot-spot pot that is Little Rock, AR are back with their best and most focused effort to date. Their new album ‘Prajnaparadha’ (once again a concept album) comes almost three years after their last giant ‘The Guardian of Yosemite’ (released by Cursed Tongue Records on vinyl January 2018) and the time in between releases has been well spent mining their unique sound and style.

SUMOKEM’s third album ‘Prajnaparadha’ was released digitally on Bandcamp and all major streaming outlets on September 4, 2020. On January 29, 2021, the world sees the release of the album on, the optimal of all tangible formats, 180 grams vinyl via Cursed Tongue Records – Come take the journey with us and discover why SUMOKEM right now is one of the bands out there, doing what they do!

CTR-035: SWITCHBLADE JESUS (CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS) SOPHOMORE ALBUM ‘DEATH HYMNS’ VINYL RELEASE OUT JANUARY 29, 2021 [VINYL PRE-ORDER OCTOBER 30]

On ‘Death Hymns’ the Texan trio has turned every knob well passed 11, tuning down, speeding-up, getting noisy as fuck and more heavy than a convoy of lead-loaded lorries. Switchblade Jesus has decided to throw away the whisky-soaked, southern-blues stoner doom swagger that so gloriously served them well on their 2015 debut in favor of a way more aggressive, contemporary sludgy-thrash noise metal approach – and it freaking works. Not even a wee bit farfetched ‘Death Hymns’, sounds like the evil amalgamation of High On Fire, Kylesa and Black Sabbath with a few proggy and industrial elements tossed in the mix to create a deadly brew all of their own.

Switchblade Jesus’ second full-length album ‘Death Hymns’ releases digitally on Bandcamp and all major streaming outlets on November 20, 2020. On January 29, 2021, the world sees the release of the album on, the optimal of all tangible formats, 180 grams vinyl via Cursed Tongue Records – Prepare yourself for the heavy impact!

https://www.facebook.com/SUMOKEM/
https://www.instagram.com/sumokem/
https://sumokem.bandcamp.com/album/the-guardian-of-yosemite

https://www.facebook.com/SwitchbladeJesus
https://www.instagram.com/switchbladejesus/
http://switchbladejesus.bandcamp.com/
https://switchbladejesus.net/

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Sumokem, Prajnaparadha (2020)

You know what? It looks better. There wasn’t anything wrong with the first version of Pallbearer‘s video for the title-track of their upcoming album, Forgotten Days, but putting it in a wider-screen ratio and making it black and white with some darker contrast moments — yeah, it looks a little artsier and a little more mysterious. The first clip, being so centered around the story as it was, wasn’t at all under-served by the color, but with the CGI elements that comprise so much of it, pushing a little less clarity works pretty well with the material. Still reminds me of Solaris.

It’s pretty rare a band puts out two videos for the same song. I wonder if there was some issue with the original, either on the part of the band or the director. The full-color version is still posted, so it’s not like the new one is replacing the old, just kind of a weird thing to run into, which I guess is why I’m posting it in the end. You’ll note the new clip is about 30 seconds longer than the first — that’s because of an intro added to the front that gives the titles in opening-credits fashion. That works well, and the song still aligns with the clip well otherwise. And the song’s still cool.

Shrug, I guess?

Whatever. More Pallbeaer don’t hurt. Forgotten Days is out Oct. 23 on Nuclear Blast, so there you go.

Enjoy:

Pallbearer, “Forgotten Days” cinema edition video

Pallbearer, who recently announced the Oct. 23 release of their highly-anticipated fourth album, Forgotten Days (Nuclear Blast), have shared a black and white, cinematic version of the video for title track “Forgotten Days” (https://youtu.be/FV1oaYgktvo).

The clip, which stands in stark contrast to the original version that was released earlier this month, has echoes of classic science fiction films such as “Solaris,” “Silent Running,” and “Stalker.”

“When Ben sent us this alternate version of the ‘Forgotten Days’ video, we were instantly taken aback at how a simple color shift and change to aspect ratio transformed the feeling of the narrative,” explains singer/guitar player Brett Campbell of the Ben Meredith directed video. “This cinematic edition is dripping with oppressive claustrophobia, and in being stripped of color, deepens the sense of the unknown lurking in the shadows of the mind. We’re happy to share it with you today.”

Pallbearer, “Forgotten Days” official video

Pallbearer on Thee Facebooks

Pallbearer on Instagram

Pallbearer website

Nuclear Blast website

Nuclear Blast on Thee Facebooks

Echoes of Solaris in the new Pallbearer video, but that’s fair enough for the song’s spacious sound. It’s got a hook though, does “Forgotten Days,” which is the title-track of the Arkansas-based doomers’ fourth long-player, set to release Oct. 23 on Nuclear Blast. With a break in its second half that shows off some progressive vocal stylings in keeping with 2017’s Heartless (review here), the band nonetheless bring the track back to a huge and echoing slowdown before the chorus returns. Check out the edge of classic metal in that chorus too. A little Ozzy in the phrasing, maybe? Or maybe it’s just how guitarist Brett Campbell pronounces the word “insanity?” Either way, that vibe comes through amid all the tonal and melodic depth that surrounds.

Preorders and all that are up now, as the PR wire tells it:

Pallbearer Announce New Album, Forgotten Days (Oct. 23, Nuclear Blast); Release “Forgotten Days” Video

PALLBEARER’S EAGERLY-AWAITED NEW ALBUM, FORGOTTEN DAYS, ARRIVES OCT. 23 VIA NUCLEAR BLAST

https://www.pallbearerdoom.com/forgotten-days

Pallbearer’s highly-anticipated fourth album, Forgotten Days, arrives Oct. 23 via Nuclear Blast.

The band has simultaneously released the eight-song album’s first single, leading with a video for the title track. “I’m extremely stoked to finally share this song with everyone,” says singer/guitar player Brett Campbell. Commenting on the Ben Meredith directed clip, Campbell continues: “The video for ‘Forgotten Days’ tells the story of an unfortunate traveler who journeys too far, and becomes lost in the depths of both inner, and outer, space. What is real when you cannot trust your own mind?“

“Forgotten Days is us exploring what is natural to us,” says bass player/songwriter Joseph Rowland. “The songs tell me where I need to go when I write. We wanted to focus on songs that were visceral and enjoyable to play live – that our audiences would enjoy experiencing. We’re also getting back to more of the groovier and heavier elements of Pallbearer. Heartless is fairly uptempo and technical. This one is a little more open, it hammers you.”

“This record has a lot of thematic ties to our first record,” Rowland continues. “When we were writing Sorrow and Extinction, my mother was terminally ill. It’s been 10 years since she passed. It’s taken me all of this time to take a really good look at myself. While we were writing Forgotten Days, I knew, ‘Now is the time to sit down and begin to understand who I have become.’”

“Joe and I have always written lyrics separately,” adds Campbell. “But we always end up with lyrics that are connected by threads. I’m not sure why that is. Maybe it’s because we’ve been in close proximity for a long while. Between Heartless and Forgotten Days, we were home for an extended period of time. I think we finally had time to reflect. Memory is a big aspect of the new record. The passage of time. How things change as perspective changes. Was the past truly the way that you remember it at all?”

The Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Earth, Johan Johannson) produced album was recorded at Sonic Ranch Studios in West Texas. Michael Lierly, drummer Mark Lierly’s brother, once again created the album’s artwork, crafting images that were roughly hewn yet heartbreaking in their expressive heft. The striking cover is the ideal foil to Pallbearer’s thick musical and lyrical melancholia.

Forgotten Days track list:
Forgotten Days
Riverbed
Stasis
Silver Wings
The Quicksand of Existing
Vengeance & Ruination
Rite of Passage
Caledonia

Forgotten Days pre-orders are available now (https://www.pallbearerdoom.com/forgotten-days). The eight-song album is available in a number of limited edition vinyl variants with physical bundles available via both the Nuclear Blast and Pallbearer webstores, as well as digitally and on CD/cassette. The title track “Forgotten Days” is offered as an immediate download with digital pre-orders on iTunes, Amazon Music and Bandcamp. Listeners can pre-save the album and listen to the title track on all DSPs: https://nblast.de/PallbearerFD.

Pallbearer is Brett Campbell (vocals/guitar), Devin Holt (guitar), Joseph D. Rowland (bass/vocals), and Mark Lierly (drums).

https://www.facebook.com/pallbearerdoom
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Pallbearer, “Forgotten Days” official video

Is it really even necessarily at this point to mention that Pallbearer are among the most important American doom acts of their generation? Isn’t it kind of a given? I don’t know. Whatever. If you don’t know that, it’s probably because your taste dictates otherwise. That is, if you’re reading this, it’s not like you haven’t heard of them. Especially after last year’s Warning-gone-prog LP Heartless (review here), they’re about as close to household names as doom gets without being Black Sabbath.

It’s not a mistake either. They didn’t just happen into success. They’ve broken their collective ass on the road for the last half-decade-plus, and the thread continues this weekend as they begin yet another European tour. Copious festival dates will round out on Aug. 16 in Germany at Summer Breeze — is it the same Summer Breeze you got all those 1996 bootlegs from? I don’t know, go to Radio Shack and spend $100 on like five CD-Rs and I’ll take two hours trying to burn you copies on my 1x CD-RW drive and we’ll find out. After that, they’ll take it to the streets in the western half of the US and also north up into Canada, this time in the company of Tribulation. Much to do.

And as if that didn’t count as busy enough, they’ve got a new video for “Thorns” at the bottom of this post, and keep an eye out. In the band’s quote below, they talk about “revisiting and adding new dimension” to stuff from their whole discography. True enough they’ve undertaken significant growth in their sound, but to me, that sounds like the kind of thing they might want to represent on a live album somewhere down the line. That’s speculation, of course, but you never know.

Unless they say something. Then you know. But they haven’t said anything. So there.

PR wire, take me away:

PALLBEARER ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR, PREMIERE MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘THORNS’

See them on the road with Tribulation in September & October

Ascending Arkansas progressive doom quartet Pallbearer will head to European + UK shores next week for a run of shows and festival appearances and today, the band has announced a North American tour with Sweden’s finest metal exports Tribulation this Fall. In anticipation of their forthcoming tour dates, Pallbearer has unleashed a live music video for the track “Thorns”, taken from their recent release, Heartless. The live video was shot during part of the band’s U.S. tour back in February; watch the video for “Thorns” here: https://youtu.be/ooKeykeDsHQ

In regard to the upcoming tours, Pallbearer commented: “After a long period of constant touring behind Heartless, it’s almost time for us to settle in to the cold season and begin crafting our next musical endeavor. But before that, we are heading out once more across North America to bring this chapter to its conclusion. We look forward to stretching out our sets each night on this double bill with Tribulation, revisiting and adding new dimension to material across our entire catalogue.” See all Pallbearer tour dates below.

PALLBEARER, ON TOUR:
July 13 DE Hamburg – Molotow Club
July 14 BE Dour – Dour Festival
July 15 NL Nijmegen – Valkhof Festival
July 16 UK London – Islington Assembly Hall
July 17 UK Glasgow – Stereo
July 18 UK Leeds – Brudenell Social Club
July 19 UK Bristol – The Fleece
July 21 DE Crispendorf – Chaos Descends Festival
July 23 IT Milan – Circolo Magnolia
July 24 SL Tolmin – Metaldays festival
August 3 DK Copenhagen – Vega
August 4 DE Beelen – Krach am Bach Festival
August 5 DE Cottbus – Zum Faulen August
August 7 HR Primosten – SuperUho Festival
August 8 HU Budapest – A38
August 9 CZ Josefov – Brutal Assault Festival
August 10 DE Bad Kotzting – Void Fest
August 12 UK Derbyshire – Bloodstock Festival
August 14 DE Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
August 15 CH Winterthur – Gaswerk
August 16 DE Dinkelsbuhl – Summer Breeze Festival

September 15 – Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace *
September 16 – Detroit MI – Magic Stick *
September 18 – Chicago IL – Bottom Lounge *
September 19 – Minneapolis MN – Turf Club *
September 21 – Denver CO – Bluebird *
September 22 – Salt Lake City UT – Metro *
September 24 – Calgary AB – Dickens *
September 25 – Edmonton AB – Starlite *
September 27 – Vancouver BC – Rickshaw *
September 28 – Seattle WA – El Corazon *
September 29 – Portland OR – Hawthorne *
October 1 – San Francisco CA – Slim’s *
October 3 – Phoenix AZ – Rebel Lounge *
October 5 – Austin TX – Barracuda *
October 6 – Dallas TX – Trees *
October 7 – Houston TX – White Oak *
* w/ Tribulation

Buy tickets: http://pallbearerdoom.com/tour

Pallbearer are:
Brett Campbell | lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, synthesizers
Devin Holt | electric & acoustic guitars, vocals
Joseph D. Rowland | electric bass, vocals, synthesizers
Mark Lierly | percussion

https://www.facebook.com/pallbearerdoom
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https://profoundlorerecords.com/
https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/

Pallbearer, “Thorns” official video

I’m assuming that the new Iron Tongue three-songer single, Pallbearer’s Blues, isn’t, you know, about the band’s fellow Arkansas doom brethren in the band Pallbearer. Certainly anything’s possible, but far more likely the title and proximity is a coincidence. Nonetheless, as Iron Tongue follow-up 2016’s long-player, Witches (review here), they show an increasing diversity of sound with vocalist Stephanie Smittle taking lead vocals on “Pallbearer’s Blues” itself and bassist Andy Warr both starting third cut “Darker Still” with an automatically swinging low end groove and stepping up for lead vocals there, while erstwhile frontman Christopher Farris Terry (see also: Rwake) moves to a backing position in both pieces. CT was the one who alerted me to the tracks, which are out now through Spotify and iTunes, where both Witches and the band’s Neurot Recordings-issued 2013 debut, The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown (review here). Hard to believe that record’s five years old already. Time, flying and all that.

As to whether the new single precedes a third full-length, I’m not sure, but Iron Tongue would be just about on pace with a release sometime next year, so it’s worth keeping an eye out, and worth checking out the single in the meantime to hear how the band is continually coming into their own. I don’t know if you need a Spotify account to stream the tracks, but since I have a Spotify account, I’d imagine that’s not a problem anyway, since I’m generally the last person on the planet to sign onto that kind of thing after everyone else.

In any case, have at it:

Iron Tongue is releasing a single for 2 songs, with art from Nate Powell. For the songs Pallbearer’s Blues and Darker Still.

Nate Powell did the art. Come Again, March books 1-3, Any Empire, Swallow Me Whole…

Also, Stephanie Smittle takes lead on the first song, and our bass player Andy is doing lead vocals on the 2nd song. I [CT] sing back up all over it.

Tracklisting:
1. Pallbearer’s Blues
2. Mark’s Diddy
3. Darker Still

Iron Tongue is:
Mark Chiaro – Guitar
Andy Warr – Bass
Stephanie Smittle – Vocals
Stan James – Drums
Chris Terry – Vocals
Adam Faucett – Guitar
JR Top – Keys

https://www.facebook.com/Irontongue/
https://irontongue.bandcamp.com/
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2Ow4SVdhK4jN8jsxX4HmWU

Arkansas doomers Pallbearer head out on a month-long tour tonight in the company of classic death metallers Obituary, darkthrashers Skeletonwitch and Dust Bolt. They’ve got dates booked as well for July and August — yes, they’ll be at Psycho Las Vegas — as they continue to support last year’s Heartless (review here) full-length, and a new single issued through the Adult Swim Singles Program called “Dropout” that pushes them into some new and surprisingly psychedelic sonic territory.

Not that Pallbearer‘s tones haven’t always been spacious, just that they’ve never been used in quite this way. Could be a one-off or could be portentous of future stylistic evolution, but the song is cool either way and the band have a short documentary up about its making that you can see below. No reason not to get on that.

From the PR wire:

Ruminant progressive doom quartet Pallbearer recently premiered a new track entitled ‘Dropout’ as the 53rd installment of the Adult Swim Singles Program. The song, which is available digitally, represents a subtle expansion of the singular doom-prog metal sound the quartet is known for.

To coincide with this release, the band have also made an accompanying mini documentary which gives a behind the scenes look at the recording of ‘Dropout’ – recorded at Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Pallbearer comments on the single: “We have almost always written music intended to exist as part of an album, with common musical and lyrical threads that tie many elements together into one release. Being freed from those confines in recording this song allowed us to explore themes and immediacy that might not have been uncovered in our more typical “large format” composition process.”

Pallbearer are undoubtedly road warriors, and they will continue to uphold that titled with their forthcoming North American tour dates. Along with a freshly announced batch of headlining gigs, the group is gearing up to support Obituary on an expansive U.S. tour in the coming month.

PALLBEARER, ON TOUR:
May 2 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade *
May 3 Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger *
May 4 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts *
May 5 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre *
May 6 Boston, MA @ Sinclair *
May 8 Toronto, ON @ Opera House *
May 9 Montreal, QB @ Club Soda *
May 10 Rochester, NY @ Main Street Armory *
May 11 Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom *
May 12 Detroit, MI @ Majestic *
May 13 Chicago, IL @ Metro *
May 15 Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s *
May 16 Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room *
May 18 Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre *
May 19 Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro Music Hall *
May 21 Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre *
May 22 Seattle, WA @ El Corazon *
May 23 Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theatre *
May 25 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge *
May 26 Pomona, CA @ Glasshouse *
May 27 Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red *
May 29 Austin, TX @ Barracuda *
May 30 Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Bar & Grill *
May 31 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar *
Jun 1 Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall *
Jun 2 Orlando, FL @ The Haven Lounge *
Jun 3 Miami, FL @ The Ground *
Jun 17 Little Rock, AR @ Mutants of the Monster Festival
June 22 Tulsa, OK @ Guthrie Green
July 26 Hamden, CT @ The Space
July 27 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
July 28 Montreal, QC @ Heavy Montreal
July 29 Bangor, ME @ Impact Festival
July 30 Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus +
July 31 Amityville, NY @ Amityville Music Hall
Aug 18 Las Vegas, NV @ Psycho Las Vegas
Oct 13 San Bernardino, CA @ Glen Helen Amphitheater ^

* w/ Obituary, Skeletonwitch, Dust Bolt
^ w/ System Of A Down, Incubus
+ Kerrang! presents

PALLBEARER is:
Brett Campbell | lead vocals, electric & acoustic guitars, synthesizers
Devin Holt | electric & acoustic guitars, vocals
Joseph D. Rowland | electric bass, vocals, synthesizers
Mark Lierly | percussion

Pallbearer, “Dropout”

Pallbearer, The Making of “Dropout”

This Friday, Little Rock, Arkansas, sludge-doomers celebrate the release of their sophomore full-length, The Guardian of Yosemite, at a hometown show at The Rev Room with Napalm Christ, Auric and Headcold. Before they even get there, however, the four-piece announce today that they’ve inked a deal for a vinyl issue for the album through Cursed Tongue Records. Booking your next release before the first release party? I think once you get a load of the track “Ogama” below, you might come to understand how that kind of thing can happen.

Sumokem make short work of a number of different genre barriers throughout the seven-song offering — the digital version of which pushes into eight tracks/61 minutes when one adds the bonus cover of Thin Lizzy’s “Emerald” — and from opener “Attack of the Mammoth,” there’s little between epic metal, doom and sludge that isn’t in their grasp. Grooves unfold fluidly from the outset, and as “Warning” is the shortest inclusion at just under seven minutes, there’s plenty of time for them to do so. CT from Rwake steps in for a guest spot on “War Pipe / Rite of the Calumet,” which adds bite and allows “Ogama” to earn its place as the centerpiece of the album proper with its gracefully progressive rollout offering a melodic highlight even with a peaceful stretch between onslaughts still to come in “Tisayac,” a soaring crescendo of lead guitar in “Mescalito / Meeting of the Half Moon” and a resolved post-Pallbearer expressiveness in 10-minute closer “Nantucket.” There are twists and turns a-plenty even before Sumokem get around to thickening up a classic Phil Lynott progression, and though one wonders how they might all fit on a 12″ platter, there’s no doubt as to the worthiness of the cause.

Speaking of: next Spring has been set as the ballpark release date for Cursed Tongue‘s vinyl. The label sent over the following announcement about picking up the band and provided further background, which you can see below, as well as the cover art by Adam Burke, track and lineup info, and links to the release show’s event page and more besides — as well of course as the premiere of “Ogama” itself, which I hope you enjoy.

So yeah. Enjoy:

SUMOKEM SIGNS TO CURSED TONGUE RECORDS FOR WORLD WIDE RELEASE OF ‘THE GUARDIAN OF YOSEMITE’

It’s with utmost pleasure that we can reveal the signing of Little Rock, Arkansas progressive sludge/doom rock titans in SUMOKEM. Follower of Cursed Tongue Records will find it of little surprise to see this collaboration as we hold this band in really high regard and are long time fans of this unique and hard hitting doom metal ensemble. Ever since the digital release of The Madness Of Lung Shen Ti: Vol 1 back in early 2015 we have been keeping a watchful eye out for this band as we new instantly that they would have the format and ideas to take it far and high.

This is exactly what SUMOKEM have done with The Guardian Of Yosemite, that in our opinion arm-wrestles with all the worn-out, tried-to-death, conformist monotony that most modern doom and stoner releases these days suffer from. SUMOKEM serve up seven mammoth sized tracks drawing from influences ranging from sludge rock, death metal, classic doom, progressive metal and grunge. How is that even possible you may ask, well it’s been quite some time since we have laid ears to such a vast and complex album both musically and emotionally. Especially emotions and feelings is something that The Guardian Of Yosemite is strong on – you can literally feel the story told on this conceptual album.

We recommend The Guardian of Yosemite to all stoner and doom heads that want their music to stand out from the normal and who are willing to invest time in a more demanding album that in return will pay you back with hours and hours of unwaning musical bliss. Fans of Pallbearer, Khemmis and Yob will find plenty to enjoy here, but rest a sure this band can not be confined within the realm of these comparisons.

SUMOKEM was founded by vocalist/rhythm guitarist Jacob Sawrie in January of 2013, with Josh Ingram (lead guitar) and Drew Skarda (drums), later adding Alan Wells (Shitfire, Napalm Christ) on bass guitar.

SUMOKEM have released a digital single as part of the Mutants of the Monster/Handshake Inc/Alternative Tentacles 2013/2014 Compilation, as well The Madness of Lu Shen Ti: Vol. 1 EP on Handshake, Inc, and received attention from Steel for Brains, Meat Mead & Metal, and Gaffa Magazine (Sweden).

Founding lead guitarist Josh Ingram passed away on May 9, 2015. Shortly after, SUMOKEM parted ways with Alan Wells. In June 2015, Tyler Weaver and Dustin Weddle (Snakedriver/Seahag) joined the band, and SUOMEKM are now ready to drop their first full length, The Guardian of Yosemite, on the unprepared World. The album is set to release digitally and on CD October 6th, 2017 with a full blown 2LP vinyl worldwide release slated for early spring 2018 via Cursed Tongue Records.

CTR-006, SUMOKEM – The Guardian Of Yosemite, official release date: Spring 2018

The Guardian of Yosemite is dedicated to Josh Ingram.

SUMOKEM is:
Jacob Sawrie – Rhythm/Vox
Drew Skarda – Percussion
Tyler Weaver – Lead
Dustin Weddle – Bass

Engineered/Mixed by Mark Colbert at Fellowship Hall Sound and Capitol View Studios
Mastered by Brad Boatright at AUDIOSIEGE
Cover art by Adam Burke
Guest vocals on War Pipe by C.T. (Rwake)
Music and Lyrics by Sawrie
All songs arranged by SUMOKEM

Track listing:
1. Attack of the Mammoth
2. Warning
3. War Pipe/Rite of the Calumet
4. Ogama
5. Tisayac
6. Mescalito/Meeting of the Half-Moon
7. Nantucket

https://www.facebook.com/events/124466121507962/
https://sumokem.bandcamp.com/album/the-guardian-of-yosemite
https://www.facebook.com/SUMOKEM/
https://www.facebook.com/CursedTongueRecords/
https://www.instagram.com/cursedtongue
http://cursedtonguerecords.bigcartel.com/

Sumokem, “Ogama” official premiere

Arkansas doom forerunners Pallbearer begin a European tour tomorrow supporting their new album, Heartless (review here). That tour will culminate with a stop April 23 at Roadburn 2017 in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and the band will follow it with a US headlining run. You can go ahead and be surprised by this news if you want, but frankly, Pallbearer touring is about as shocking as the sun coming up and going back down. It happens, is what I’m saying. Dudes get around.

The difference? Well, to see the band headline in spaces like Union Transfer in Philly — last time I was there, it was to see High on Fire — is something that shows how far they’ve come in moving to the head of the class in the current generation of doom, and they’re certainly showing some range in the bands with whom they’re sharing the stage. I took the dates out because they already happened, but in addition to the acts listed below, they recently did some shows with Marissa Nadler and others in the Midwest and on the Eastern Seaboard.

You know what I enjoy? Seeing a good band who work really hard get popular and then continue to work really hard.

From the PR wire:

PALLBEARER ANNOUNCE U.S. HEADLINE TOUR IN MAY & JUNE 2017

In support of their newly released magnum opus Heartless, genre-defying giants Pallbearer will canvas North America in May and June on a headline tour featuring support from Gatecreeper, Pinkish Black, Venomous Maximum, and Inter Arma on select dates. This run will follow Pallbearer’s late-March U.S. jaunt and their forthcoming European tour in April. Pallbearer’s full tour routing can be found below.

Released last Friday on Profound Lore in North America (and Nuclear Blast in Europe), Heartless is a 7-song album grander in scope than anything Pallbearer have released prior, showcasing a natural progression that melds higher technicality and more ambitious structures. Heartless was recorded straight-to-tape with Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool, Melvins, Soundgarden) manning the board, making for the band’s most pummeling, ambitious, and virtuosic work to date.

“Instead of staring into to the void—both above and within—Heartless concentrates its power on a grim reality,” the band explains. “Our lives, our homes and our world are all plumbing the depths of utter darkness, as we seek to find any shred of hope we can.”

See Pallbearer on the road through June 2017:
April 5 Brussels, Belgium @ Botanique !
April 6 London, UK @ Underworld !
April 8 Bristol, UK @ Thekla !
April 9 Manchester, UK @ Ruby Lounge !
April 11 Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang !
April 12 Goteborg, Sweden @ Sticky Fingers !
April 13 Stockholm, Sweden @ Kraken STHLM !
April 14 Aarhus, Denmark @ Atlas !
April 15 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Pumpehuset !
April 16 Hanover, Germany @ Cafe Glocksee !
April 18 Köln, Germany @ Underground !
April 19 Berlin, Germany @ Musik & Frieden
April 20 Leipzig, Germany @ Doom Over Leipzig
April 21 Zurich, Switzerland @ Rote Fabrik
April 22 Karlsruhe, Germany @ Dudefest
April 23 Tilburg, Netherlands @ Roadburn
May 11 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live — Studio ^
May 12 Dallas, TX @ Curtain Club ^
May 13 Austin, TX @ Barracuda ^
May 15 Phoenix AZ @ The Rebel Lounge %
May 16 San Diego, CA @ Casbah #
May 18 Los Angeles, CA @ The EchoPlex #
May 19 Oakland, CA @ The New Parish #
May 20 Reno, NV @ Jub Jub’s Thirst Parlor #
May 22 Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge #
May 23 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater #
May 25 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room ^^
May 26 Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry ^^
May 27 Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews ^^
May 28 Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon ^^
May 30 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups ^^
May 31 Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater ^^
June 1 Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel ^^
June 2 Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer **
June 5 Harrisonburg, VA @ The Gameolden Pony ^^
June 6 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar ^^
June 7 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar ^^

! w/ Pinkish Black
^ w/ Gatecreeper, Pinkish Black
% w/ Gatecreeper, Spirit Adrift
# w/ Gatecreeper, Venomous Maximus
^^ w/ Gatecreeper, Inter Arma
** w/ Baroness, Nothing

Pallbearer is:
Brett Campbell – guitar, vocals
Devin Holt – guitar, vocals
Mark Lierly – drums
Joseph D. Rowland – bass, vocals

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https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/

Pallbearer, “I Saw the End” official video