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Lowburn to Release Phantasma Oct. 25

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 11th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

Finnish heavy rockers Lowburn have been trickling out info and audio for their second album, Phantasma, for a while now, including a lyric video for the single “Cloud Valley” that you can stream below, but getting the release date, tracklisting and album art is obviously a big step along the way to the actual arrival. Phantasma will see release on Oct. 25 through Argonauta Records — no preorders yet, but they’ll get there — and boasts eight tracks, one of which has the honor of being called “Urban Funk Campaign.” I don’t know what it sounds like, as I haven’t heard the record yet, but I know I want to find out.

Until then, the cover art is striking in its vague orbital iconography and big-eyes skeleton whatnot, so yeah, dig in. The PR wire sent all all the everything:

lowburn phantasma

Fuzz Doom collective LOWBURN, featuring ex-members of Battlelore, reveals full album details!

Phantasma coming this October on Argonauta Records!

After Battlelore went on hiatus, Tomi Mykkänen and Henkka Vahvanen formed a heavy fuzz rock and doom fusion, Lowburn, in 2012. The Finnish music collective and heavy sounds veterans have been hard at work for their forthcoming and hotly anticipated full length, which will be seeing the light of day on October 25th with Argonauta Records!

Phantasma is featuring eight fuzzy, hard rocking, punkish to heavily psychedelic tracks, that will invite you to a trip into a universe of diverse soundspheres. Earlier this summer, Lowburn shared a first single to the track Cloud Valley, listen HERE!

Phantasma tracklisting:
1. My Doom Dealer
2. Freaks
3. Cloud Valley
4. Walking on Thirds
5. Song of a Preacher
6. Ghosts
7. Urban Funk Campaign
8. Hypnopomp

With a pre-order to start soon with Argonauta Records, Lowburn have announced to not only share many more details plus tunes, but also upcoming live dates with us soon. The band released a critically acclaimed debut EP back in 2013, followed by a split-7″ with fellow band Church of Void to date, live shows of Lowburn have been rare so far. Finally, the Fall of 2019 will see them return to the scene, a news that will surely make every stoner punk and doom rock- heart beat faster. Stay tuned for many more news to be revealed in the days ahead!

Lowburn is:
Henkka Vahvanen – drums
Antti Vesikko – bass
Tomi Mykkänen – guitar and vocals
Tommi Lintunen – guitar

https://www.facebook.com/lowburnband
http://www.lowburn.net/
http://lowburn.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/
http://www.argonautarecords.com/

Lowburn, “Cloud Valley” lyric video

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Lowburn Post Lyric Video; New Album Phantasma Coming Soon

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 7th, 2019 by JJ Koczan

lowburn

Finnish bruisers Lowburn announced last year that their second record would be out earlier in 2019. Well, so maybe not. But there’s plenty of year left, as the calendar tells us, so they’ve still got time to issue what has been dubbed Phantasma, the follow-up to their 2015 debut album, Doomsayer. The full-length, still in progress, it would seem, will see release through Argonauta Records, whenever they get there, and though specifics on that are sparse, new music is better than release dates, and Lowburn have some of that to show off and no fooling. The track is called “Cloud Valley” and they’ve got it up on Bandcamp and as a lyric video on the YouTubes. They’re also promising tour dates in the works, though it’s hard to imagine that won’t be a 2020 kind of deal by the time they get there. I might speculate the same for the album at this point, but one never knows, I guess. Especially when the one is me. I never know.

At least not until the PR wire tells me:

lowburn cloud valley

LOWBURN (feat. ex-members of BATTLORE) return with brand new record during 2019 & unleash lyric video!

Finland’s fuzz rock doom fusion, music veterans Lowburn, have announced to return with a brand new album during 2019 with powerhouse label Argonauta Records. Formed in 2012 by Tomi Mykkänen and Henkka Vahvane after Battlelore went on hiatus, Lowburn are currently putting the final touches on their upcoming, hotly anticipated full length. The band released a critically debut EP back in 2013, followed by a split-7″ with fellow band Church of Void, finally the doom and stoner rock scene will see their long-awaited comeback!

Today the band is already sharing with us a first glimpse, and released a lyric video for the song Cloud Valley. Dive into some new Lowburn tunes right HERE!

“Cloud Valley was the first song done for the new album.“ Guitarist and vocalist Tomi explains. “It’s a part of the “punk”-series of our songs with Running On Fumes (first LOWBURN song ever) and The Last One meaning that the working title had punk in it. Using Cloud Valley as the first single will give the fans a feeling of familarity but it still it showcases the overall sounds for the album. It has the rocking, the psychedelia and heavier parts. Overall it’s a good first single and an invitation to listen to the diverse musical journey PHANTASMA is.”

While Lowburn are currently hard at work to finish their upcoming album, the band has announced to get on the road in support of Phantasma,too. Stay tuned for further news, a touring schedule and more new sounds to be revealed in the days ahead!

Lowburn is:
Henkka Vahvanen – drums
Antti Vesikko – bass
Tomi Mykkänen – guitar and vocals
Tommi Lintunen – guitar

https://www.facebook.com/lowburnband
http://www.lowburn.net/
http://lowburn.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/
http://www.argonautarecords.com/

Lowburn, “Cloud Valley” lyric video

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Lowburn Announce New Album Due Early Next Year

Posted in Whathaveyou on September 6th, 2018 by JJ Koczan

Finnish heavy rockers Lowburn are in the midst of preparing their second album — the title of which hasn’t yet been made public — for an early 2019 release through Argonauta Records. The same label handled the issue of their 2018 EP, Sleeping Giant (review here), as well as their 2015 debut, Doomsayer. As the EP saw an uptick in the quality of songwriting and the overall development in the band’s sound, and as they’ve already reportedly taken much of the new stuff to the stage, one has no reason to expect a backwards step from the Lappeenranta four-piece, who were pretty on point to start with, frankly.

Seems like we’ve got a little bit before it’s out — going by the below I don’t think it’s actually done yet — but it’ll be worth keeping an eye out and when I see something, I’ll say something, like the posters in the train stations say.

Argonauta posted the following:

lowburn

After 2 singles, 2 EPs and the debut album “Doomsayer”, Finnish Stoner Rockers Lowburn have been working on their anticipated full-length album number 2. The 8 new songs of fuzzy heaviness is forming up nicely. These new songs show more of the heavier side of the band but of course there will be some psychedelia included!

Almost all of the new songs have already been gig-proved as well in couple of selected gigs around Finland. The cover-art and the album name are already decided and all the info will be revealed drop by drop before the album release early 2019!

After a short hiatus from music Tomi Mykkänen and Henkka Vahvanen from Battlelore started jamming again together. Miika Kokkola (founding member and original bass player from Battlelore) was contacted and asked if he wants to jam with the guys. He did. Miika said that he had already talked with Tommi Havo (another original Battlelore member) about the project and that he was very interested. So, enter Tommi and on the first rehearsal together the first real song was made. On the second rehearsal the second song was made and then it was realized that the band had been born.

Listen to their killer stuff here:
DOOMSAYER https://spoti.fi/2wtYkHV
SLEEPING GIANT https://spoti.fi/2nBqBVS

Lowburn is:
Henkka Vahvanen – drums
Miika Kokkola – bass
Tomi Mykkänen – guitar and vocals
Tommi Lintunen – guitar

https://www.facebook.com/lowburnband
http://www.lowburn.net/
http://lowburn.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
https://www.instagram.com/argonautarecords/
https://twitter.com/argonautarex
http://www.argonautarecords.com/

Lowburn, Sleeping Giant EP (2018)

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Review & EP Stream: Lowburn, Sleeping Giant

Posted in audiObelisk, Reviews on February 1st, 2018 by JJ Koczan

lowburn sleeping giant

[Click play above to stream Lowburn’s Sleeping Giant EP in full. It’s out Feb. 2 on Argonauta Records.]

With four tracks and four distinct takes between them, Lowburn‘s Sleeping Giant is an EP in the truest sense of the form. It is a formidable sampling of range within the sphere of heavy rock — especially for an outing half the duration of its predecessor — and even for those who experienced the Finnish four-piece’s 2015 full-length debut, Doomsayer, or any of their prior, shorter releases, it should make an impression with its efficiency and level of songcraft alike.

Delivering once again through Argonauta Records, the lineup of guitarist/vocalist Tomi Mykkänen (also Battlelore), guitarist Tommi Lintunen, bassist Miika Kokkola and drummer Henkka Vahvanen find their niche right on either side of the dividing line between heavy rock and more aggressive metal, and where a song like “Do Mi Ti” from the long-player had its element of grunge-style melody, even the melancholy closer here “Lost Control,” seems to have grown outward melodically from this impulse.

That’s an encouraging sign on a performance level, but what really distinguishes Sleeping Giant from Doomsayer or Lowburn‘s previous 2014 split with Church of Void or 2013 debut EP, Soaring High, is in the efficiency of the band’s work in executing the material. Whether it’s the forward charge of opener “All Life Long” or the more rolling groove of the subsequent “The Power it Holds” and “Sleeping Giant” itself — which, rest assured, awakes before it’s done — Lowburn do not spare a moment on Sleeping Giant, and they sound all the more assured coming off their debut of the kind of band they want to be and how they want to get where they’re going in terms of sound.

Interestingly, in doing so on Sleeping Giant, they start at more or less at the beginning. While there’s no question “All Life Long” gives Sleeping Giant a somewhat ironic launch with its full-boar energetic take, all-out from the drum lead-in through the sped-up Kyuss-style riffing that propels it through its four minutes to the burly delivery of Mykkänen, slowing only to catch its breath in the midsection before resuming its rush at the ending payoff. I’m not sure it’s the same recorded version — it’s close if not — but the song originates in 2013 and was initially released as a digital single around the time of Soaring High. Whether redone or not, the form is essentially the same, and it makes a somewhat sneakily appropriate lead-in for the three tracks that follow and expand the dynamic of the release overall.

lowburn

Lead guitar shines throughout “The Power it Holds,” which has plenty of room for soloing as it nears a seven-minute runtime, but it’s the slower, rolling groove that most stands the song out, and a better balance in the mix between the vocals and surrounding instruments that makes the tones sound larger and adds depth on the whole. Give the origin story of “All Life Long,” I’ll note that I don’t know when “The Power it Holds,” “Sleeping Giant” or closer “Lost Control” were recorded — they could well be from the same session; universe of infinite possibilities and all that — but in context they sound newer, more developed stylistically, and speak to that level of assuredness one can sense in Lowburn post-Doomsayer.

“Sleeping Giant” pushes this notion even further with a more immersive nod and a willingness to ride its groove that departs even further from “All Life Long” at the outset. Patience? Yeah, patience. It wasn’t entirely absent from Lowburn on Doomsayer by any means, but it serves the title-track particularly well and shifts smoothly into the low-key harmonies of “Lost Control” in a way that gives even this sampling-of-wares-style short release a sense of full-album flow.

Likewise, the closer’s subdued beginning feels very much like a mirror held up to the initial push of “All Life Long,” and in that draws attention once more to the growth undertaken on the part of Lowburn — not just to where they can write effective trades between verses and choruses without unneeded flourish or structural variance, but to where their material has evolved in range while holding onto that sense of purpose and drive regardless of the actual tempo in which they’re working. What their plans might be after this relatively quick offering, I don’t know, but the message comes through clearly in these tracks that while on the surface Lowburn‘s attack can seem at times to be more about boozy burl and dudely riffing that willful creative progression, there’s obviously plenty of both at play in their sound.

Lowburn on Thee Facebooks

Lowburn website

Lowburn on Bandcamp

Argonauta Records on Thee Facebooks

Argonauta Records website

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GIVEAWAY: Win an Argonauta Records Prize Pack Featuring Suma, Dee Calhoun, Komatsu and More!

Posted in Features on December 28th, 2016 by JJ Koczan

A WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN AND THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED.

[TO ENTER GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment on this post with your email address in the form. You’ll be contacted at that address if you win. Winner is chosen one week from today.]

Enter now to win an Argonauta Records CD prize pack featuring releases from Hollow LegDee CalhounSumaKomatsuVaregoIndiviaMountain TamerObeseLowburn and Beneath the Storm. When the label hit me up last week and asked if I wanted to do a giveaway, I kind of assumed it would be one, maybe two records tops, but I guess when you’ve built up a catalog like the Italian imprint has over the last few years, things like “prize packs” become much easier to assemble. A lot of these releases have been reviewed (and others I’m still catching up to this week — hello, Komatsu), so hopefully the names will be familiar, but either way, free music. Free music sells itself.

Hey, by the way, free music.

I’ve tried to be pretty assiduous in covering Argonauta‘s stuff the last couple years, since I believe that Gero, who runs the label and plays in Varego, is doing good work and for the right reasons. If you’ve hemmed and hawed on checking any of it out, consider this your opportunity to do so with no investment. As always, let me just say I don’t keep anyone’s emails, have no interest in your data, and wouldn’t know what to do with it if I did. So there.

Thanks to Gero and Argonauta for ponying up the prize. Here’s a pic and a list of what you get:

argonauta records

Argonauta Records prize pack – 10 CDs:

INDIVIA – Horta
KOMATSU – Recipe for Murder One
VAREGO – Epoch
DEE CALHOUN – Rotgut
MOUNTAIN TAMER – Mountain Tamer
BENEATH THE STORM – Lucid Nightmare
SUMA – Ashes
LOWBURN – Doomsayer
OBESE – Kali Yuga
HOLLOW LEG – Instinct

[TO ENTER GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment on this post with your email address in the form. You’ll be contacted at that address if you win. Winner is chosen one week from today.]

Argonauta Records on Thee Facebooks

Argonauta Records website

A WINNER HAS BEEN CHOSEN AND THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THANKS TO ALL WHO ENTERED.

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Lowburn Sign to Argonauta Records

Posted in Whathaveyou on March 20th, 2015 by JJ Koczan

lowburn

After an initial EP and a follow-up digital single and split, Finnish heavy rock four-piece Lowburn have inked a deal to make their full-length debut through Argonauta Records. No exact release date for the album yet, but so far as I can glean from perusing their Thee Facebooks page, the record is done and ready to roll, so I can’t imagine it’ll be all that long, though Argonauta certainly likes to keep busy. Maybe “later this year” works? Anyway, sooner or later. Lowburn‘s latest outing was their 2014 split with countrymen rockers Church of Void that you can hear below.

But first, to the PR wire:

lowburn art

ARGONAUTA Records signs Finnish Stoner Rockers LOWBURN!

A new stunning name is now part of the Argonauta family! Hailing from Finland, LOWBURN are an impressive band able to blend the pure stoner rock frenzy to the doomier as well as more psychedelic fields. Formed by BATTLELORE members Tomi Mykkänen and Henkka Vahvanen, LOWBURN born as a band since the very first jams, recruiting Miika Kokkola and Tommi Havo (replaced by Tommi Lintunen in the beginning of 2015). After a couple of EPs, the guys are now giving the final touches to their debut full length, highly anticipated as a massive energy of fuzzy groove!

“Showing the appreciation and gratidude to such bands as Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer, ZZ Top, Kyuss, Acid King, Sleep, Monster Magnet and Cathedral, these four guys are delivering the Rock as it’s supposed to be!”

After a short hiatus from music Tomi Mykkänen and Henkka Vahvanen from Battlelore started jamming again together. Soon it was decided that they needed to form a band for the jams. Miika Kokkola (founding member and original bass player from Battlelore) was contacted and asked if he wants to jam with the guys. He did. They played and jammed a few times and then it was decided that second guitarist would not hurt. Miika said that he had already talked with Tommi Havo (another original Battlelore member) about the project and that he was very interested. So, enter Tommi and on the first rehearsal together the first real song was made. On the second rehearsal the second song was made and then it was realized that the band had born.

In January 2013 “Soaring High EP” was released as a limited CD-release. The EP showcases quite well the versatility and the musicianship of the band. It shows their sides from the pure stoner rock frenzy to the more doomier fields. The EP sold out in couple of weeks after the release. The feedback and the buzz has been awesome-lly great and the band is very humbled about it. The EP is digitally available at the Bandcamp-site.

The song “All Life Long” was released as a video and digi-single late summer 2013.

A split-7″ with fellow band CHURCH OF VOID was released in May 2014. LOWBURN song on the split is called “Dope Is a Pope”.

https://www.facebook.com/ArgonautaRecords
https://www.facebook.com/lowburnband
http://www.lowburn.net/
http://lowburn.bandcamp.com/

Lowburn & Church of Void, Split (2014)

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Lowburn Release New Single “All Life Long”

Posted in Whathaveyou on August 8th, 2013 by JJ Koczan

Having already sold out their 2013 debut EP, Soaring High, Finnish heavy riffing four-piece Lowburn have a burly new digital single out as a prelude to a series of singles and EPs called “All Life Long.” The band, which is comprised entirely of current and former members of Napalm Records warrior metallers Battlelore — guitarist/vocalist Tomi Mykkänen, guitarist Tommi Havo, bassist Miika Kokkola and drummer Henkka Vahvanen — began playing out in January and are in the process of putting more together for a live setting in addition to their studio work, which also seems to be ongoing.

The band sent the following update down the PR wire, and for anyone who missed the EP, they’ll apparently be re-recording the tracks as well. In the meantime, you can hear the new single below:

LOWBURN news!

Lowburn have released a new digisingle @ http://lowburn.bandcamp.com Feel free to spread the word. :)

This is a digi-single. All the incomes from this will be put into release of a 7″ with “All Life Long” on the A-side and “Do-Mi-Ti” on the B-side. “Do-Mi-Ti” is more psychedelic, calmer song recorded at the “Soaring High EP” sessions as well.

NOTE: If you pay 6€ or more for this download you will receive the 7″ if and when it will be printed. If the 7″ will not be released you will be refunded.

The other news are that we are currently recording 12-13 news songs to be used on forthcoming LP/EP/7″ releases. The recording will feature the songs from the “Soaring High EP” but they will be re-recorded and arranged for the new releases. Other songs will be totally new ones.

We have also played a few gigs and more are coming up. Hoping for some possibilities in mainland Europe as well after the album release.

We are also seeking for partners to work with with the release(s)/booking/promotion/etc.

Lowburn, “All Life Long”

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