Posted in Whathaveyou on January 13th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
It’s fascinating to read in the PR wire info below that Droids Attack‘s new album, Sci-Fi or Die, is the product of copious remaking and rerecording and remixing and all that sort of whatnot. To put a point on it, it sounds like making the thing was a pain in the ass, but in listening through — and through again, and again — I can’t say all that work didn’t pay dividends for the Madison, Wisconsin, trio. Their first outing since 2010’s Must Destroy (review here) and fourth full-length overall, it’s also their most professional-sounding record to tight. The band comes across as tight as they are live and with a full impact that stomps along the line of heavy rock, thrash and punk while maintaining an attitude suitable to its title. I’ll hold off saying more for now, but I think it’s a record that could surprise a lot of people — even those familiar with Droids Attack‘s past work.
To get introduced, they’re streaming the track “Brahma Astra” now, and you can check that out under the art and other details, which follow here:
DROIDS ATTACK To Release Sci-Fi or Die February 26th
Artwork and Track Listing Revealed, First Song Streaming
February 26, 2016 will see the release of Sci-Fi or Die, the 4th full length offering from DROIDS ATTACK. The journey towards the completion of this masterpiece reads a tad like science fiction…..Today sees the release of the first single from Sci-Fi or Die, entitled “Brahma Astra”. Listen to the song HERE. Sci-Fi or Die is available for pre-order physically HERE and digitally HERE.
Madison impresario and retro arcade game fanatic Brad Van started DROIDS ATTACK back in 2000 and has been its driving force ever since. Obsessed with tone, great riffs and a cohesive vision, Van created the music that is Sci-Fi or Die after being courted by an independent label on the heels of their 2011 release, “Must Destroy.” After a few tours and some amazing opportunities, Van was determined to continue the band’s forward momentum into the next release, and began the writing process in earnest. In a little over a year’s time, a body of work was amassed. It was 2013.
Sci-Fi or Die was demoed shortly thereafter with the expertise of Jon Terrones (The Suit, The Book-Burners) at his Internet chat room-famous basement studio, Chez Woo. As fate would have it, this would be DROID’s last session with beloved long time bassist Nate Bush (Bongzilla, The Garza). Not to be deterred, the band acquired their old friend, Dennis Ponozzo (Below The Sound, Sinking Suns) to fill in, and the bass tracks were re-demoed with great success. However, after a short national tour, and a slew of regional shows Dennis could no longer make time for DROIDS, and the search for a replacement was on once again. Van, at a crossroads, needed someone solid to handle bass duties, so he set his sights on another good friend. Local legend, Darwin Sampson, owner of one of Madison’s most well known and much respected music venues, The Frequency.
Mark Whitcomb (Things Fall Apart, Last Crack) was chosen to engineer and record Sci-Fi or Die,and in February of 2014 DROIDS ATTACK laid down the majority of the disc’s foundation at DNA Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. Immediately following the sessions, the guitars were re-recorded, vocals done and redone, heaping layers of percussion, keyboards, and obligatory sax solos added. Songs were mixed, new studio gear was purchased, and new sonic avenues were discovered. Songs were re-evaluated and more guitars were re-recorded before being remixed. It was all scrutinized down to the last note before being sent off to Masterdisk to be mastered by Roger Lian (Slayer, Pantera), who mastered and remastered it a couple of times before everything… felt… right.
Brad Van’s uncompromising vision has borne a rich landscape of titanic riffs and an apocalyptic alien landscape. At long last, the CD is no longer science fiction. DROIDS ATTACK have plans to tour and support Sci-Fi or Die in 2016.
Sci-Fi or Die Track Listing: 1. Die Glocke 2. New Plague 3. Clawhammer Suicide 4. Brahma Astra 5. Mashenomak 6. Mashenomak Strikes Again 7. The Maze 8. Rebirth 9. The Annunaki 10. Enoch
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 4th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
In the wee beginning hours of 2016, Madison, Wisconsin, duo Dos Malés (also stylized as one word) offered up their self-titled debut EP, a five-tracker that melds sludge and heavy rock grooves with oozing, bone-rattling tonality. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Michael “Peewee” Makela and drummer/vocalist Nick “Stix66” Zumm, the band draw immediate attention owing to Makela‘s doubling in the again-active Bongzilla (not to mention the seemingly less-active Aquilonian), and hold it with the Floor-gone-raw melody and air-push low-end of “Giants” from the EP. It’s definitely a demo, but not hard to hear where Dos Malés are headed sound-wise on “Stars,” and it’s very clearly the right direction.
They’ve pressed up 100 tapes of the demo, and while one never knows where a project might end up in the longer run, they’ve made an encouraging start. New Year, new band. Seems fair enough:
DOSMALÉS (TWO EVILS) formed in the late Summer/early Fall 2014 when Peewee (Bongzilla) ran into Stix (Panther/Pyroklast) @ The Wisco Pub. Knowing each other years prior but out of touch for some time, Peewee asks Stix to start a 2-piece. Together only almost a month, the songs poured out, playing their 1st show opening for Child Bite & Zebras. After a slew of diy & club shows comes their debut EP.
We have been taking a break from posting & playing shows the last couple of months but are now proud to announce the release of our new 5 Song EP for the new year! We recorded it this last Spring @ The Lions Den in Madison, tracked & mixed by Paul O’Donnell & recently mastered by Brad Boatwright @ AUDIOSIEGE. Songs will be up for download on our new Bandcamp page on New Year’s Eve and cassette tapes out soon after! Also, watch for a tape release show coming in the near future, more info soon!
Mikey (Peewee) – Guitar/Vox Nick (Stix66) – Drums/Backing Vox
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 13th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
I’ll admit, I’m deeply interested to see what comes of the current Bongzilla reunion. Not just if the long-underappreciated Wisconsin stoner-sludgers put out another record — though certainly that too — but also what kind of response they’re able to glean from their audience as a resurgent band. I haven’t had the chance to see them live yet, but I want to know how people liking the idea of Bongzilla as the embodiment of this ultra-reefered sludge ethos translates into making them a sustainable group. One way or another, I think 2016 will be a fascinating year for them.
Today, they reissue their 1999 debut, Stash, on Hydro-Phonic Records. It is by no means the first time the band and label have worked together, Hydro-Phonic having also put out the 15th anniversary edition of Bongzilla‘s Methods for Obtaining Extreme Altitudes EP in 2013, as well as the 10th anniversary edition of their second album, Gateway, in 2012.
If you know Hydro-Phonic‘s work, then you know their packaging is always creative and something special to behold, and from the fuzzy nuggets on the cover of the test pressings to the glow-in-the-dark slipmat and foil cover on the deluxe, Stash is clearly no exception.
As it would almost have to, the sale begins at 4:20PM Eastern.
Click any of the images below to enlarge for a better look:
Bongzilla – Stash LP
BONGZILLA: Stash LP first time ever on vinyl from Hydro-Phonic Records Friday the 13th at 4:20pm EST. Versions for every budget available.
100 Deluxe Edition on Ultra Clear with glow-in-dark slip-mat, foil-stamped cover and poster….Handmade numbered Test Press with four-color “fuzzy nugs” (like black-light posters or The Scimitar Test Press you may have) in a “Cadillac” style cover… 50 made, less than 30 for sale. Also 200 Gold, 300 Black and 200 Green with purple/gold splatter! …every copy comes with some “hidden stash” as well…if you find it!
Don’t be late!
100 Deluxe on Ultra Clear wax with a glow-in-dark slipmat and poster, housed in a foil stamped cover 50 handmade “Fuzzy” test pressings 200 Green Splatter 200 Gold 300 Black
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 9th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
I remember listening to Bongzilla‘s Amerijuanican when it came out, and the only question I had was, “How much crustier can it possibly get?” And the answer is none. None more crusty. The Madison, Wisconsin, masters of weedian crunch riffing will reissue Amerijuanican Nov. 27 on vinyl through Relapse Records, and they’ve been playing shows sporadically through most of this year. I don’t know if they’re back together — as in, going to put out a new record — but if you’re like me and still waiting on some more Aquilonian as well, you already know holding out for new material, it might be a bit before they get around to it.
Bongzilla have announced a quick run of shows in the Midwest for next month, and that stint will follow the Amerijuanican reissue, which should sell out on the strength of their “Champagne and Reefer” cover alone if the universe has any justice. I’ll be interested to see if the label follows this one up with any other reissues. I wouldn’t mind an excuse to re-buy Apogee, but maybe that’s me.
Preorder links, info and dates below:
Bongzilla’s most recent full-length ‘Amerijuanican’ is being re-pressed on deluxe vinyl for the first time in ten years! You can preorder your copy of this dank Purple Kush Splatter LP exclusively via Relapse Mailorder – the reissue drops 11/27 on Relapse Records! Get it atbit.ly/Amerijuanican
We’re not done yet this year. Come get elevated.
Bongzilla December 2015 Tour 12/09 Chicago IL Chop Shop 12/10 Minneapolis MN 7th St. Entry 12/11 Rock Island IL Rock Island Brew Co. 12/12 Cudahy WI The Metal Grill 12/13 Indianapolis IN 5th Quarter Lounge
First Reissue Press 1250 x Black Standard Gram 500 x Purple Kush Standard Gram *Mailorder Exclusive* 250 x Relapse 25th Anniversary Silver Standard Gram *Mailorder Exclusive*
Bongzilla’s fourth and final full-length repressed for the first time in ten years! Weed-infested stoner doom at its finest.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 26th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Madison, Wisconsin, four-piece Poney are heading out on tour next month to herald the arrival of their new outing, Pagan Nouveau, which is the follow-up to 2013’s Rorschach. The run heads out from Wisconsin and hits the West Coast before turning inland again, looping back through Denver, Kansas City and the Quad Cities area in Iowa and Illinois, marking something of a return to activity for the band, whose drummer/vocalist Ben Brooks spent the last couple years with Romero.
Announcement of Pagan Nouveau and tour dates follow, as seen on the PR wire:
PONEY ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM AND U.S. TOUR
Poney (ex-ROMERO, Dead Hookers) is celebrating their 10th anniversary with a new full length record and a U.S. Tour starting July 8th.
Following their 2013 West Coast run in support of the well recieved “Rorschach” LP and a short jaunt to hang with Kylesa on their “Spiral Shadow” route, Poney took a break from the road to settle up with the judge and write a new full length album.
Titled “Pagan Nouveau,” Poney’s fifth album is in production, and is set to release at the end of the Summer of 2015 on vinyl. The record displays shades of Cave In, Boris, Torche, Melvins, and Baroness.
Head over to the band’s Facebook page for a full listing of tour dates as well as updates on new merchandise, and teasers for the full length film they’ll be showing as a backdrop to their live show on tour!
7/8: The dmV, Madison 7/9: Big V’s Saloon, St. Paul 7/10: VFW Post 1273, Rapid City 7/11: AstroLokiLabs, Missoula 7/12: Victory Lounge, Seattle 7/13: The Voodoo Lounge, Astoria 7/14: The Know, Portland 7/15: Golden Bull, Oakland 7/16: Hemlock Tavern, SF 7/17: TBA, Santa Barbara 7/18: TBA, San Luis Obispo 7/19: Bunkhouse, Las Vegas 7/20: 7th Circle Collective, Denver 7/21: TBA, Kansas City 7/22: Thee Death Tower, Champaign 7/23: TBA, Quad Cities
Usually I approach doing a batch of radio adds with some trepidation — after all, I’m basically writing five (or, in this week’s case, six) short reviews — but after doing that Last Licks series last week, this honestly feels like a breeze. Perspective is everything, and to add to yours and mine, I’ve got 18 records joining The Obelisk Radio playlist this afternoon, and it’s a widely varied bunch, both in what’s written up here and the actual makeup of the stuff.
Full-lengths, EPs, splits, a live release, a single, some doom, some black metal, some heavy rock, sludge, psych, you name it. I had the radio going for a while yesterday and heard a few really satisfying changes in style. I like that and I hope you do too, because I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon. Full list of adds is on the Updates and Playlist Page.
The Obelisk Radio adds for Jan. 9, 2015:
Formes, Dysphoria Part 1
For an album that starts “Through this Hole” and finishes in “Dead Ends,” Formes‘ Dypsphoria Part 1 is a resoundingly progressive and diverse outing that, at its core, works primarily in playing shoegaze psych and extreme metal off each other. Somewhere between Dead Meadow and Akercocke, a song like “Dead Ends” finds a way to mesh wub-chug riffing with the crooning vocals of guitarist/bassist Steve McNamara with the responding death growls of his brother, drummer/guitarist Jordan. The UK three-piece is rounded out by Rob “The Alchemist” Hemingway, whose synths feature heavily in songs like “I am Nothing” and “Tumult,” which atmospherically expand on the ideas the opener presents, thrusting these two sides into the same place and, in defiance of what are generally thought of as the physics of genre, making it work. Formes‘ most effective moments are when they ram one into the other, as on the acoustic-to-doom-pummeling “Smile Club,” which follows quietly seething brooder “I Will Make You Ill” and rounds out with an extended whistle of harsh feedback, but I won’t discount the value they clearly place on structural variety either. Together, they make Dysphoria Part 1 as satisfying as it is unpredictable, and while I don’t know when one might expect Part 2 or just how many installments of Dysphoria there might be, I look forward to when I can next encounter the fruits of Formes‘ stylistic restlessness. Formes on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Romero, Gold for the Hunt
Madison, Wisconsin, sludge poppers Romero made a New Year’s present out of “Gold for the Hunt” by offering the song as a free download on Jan. 1, but it’s also the first new studio material to come from the four-piece since their early 2013 full-length, Take the Potion (review here). Like that album, the single revels in a Floor/Torche influence, but seems to delight even more in its fuzzy tone and burly edge in the vocals of guitarist Jeffrey Mundt and drummer Ben Brooks. With the foundation of Patrick Hotlen‘s bass rumbling beneath, the guitar and vocals push through a tension-release chorus and into a well-layered chugging bridge that further highlights Romero‘s penchant for melodic bellowing. Guitarist/percussionist/organist Tim Consequence seems all but absent initially, but in the final movement, a sustained current of organ winds up as one of “Gold for the Hunt”‘s most distinguishing factors. Well, that and the brutal growing, anyway. Glad to hear from Romero, even in so abbreviated a manner. If you’ve never encountered them before, “Gold for the Hunt” provides a quick, efficient summary of their approach, and if you heard Take the Potion, the new song will only make you further anticipate the follow-up. Romero on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Bellringer, Bellringer EP
Based in the weirdo haven of Austin, Texas, newcomer trio Bellringer — for whom this untitled/self-titled, self-released EP is the first outing — boast a familiar face (or at least a familiar cowboy hat) in guitarist/vocalist Mark Deutrom (Clown Alley, peak-era Melvins), who’s joined by bassist Corey Cottrell (ex-Megazilla) and drummer Craig Nichols (Guided by Voices, The Breeders) on these four tracks. The sound, while adventurous stylistically and in terms of the construction of individual parts, is rooted in heavy rock, opener “Vapor Lock,” a catchy number like “Wait” and the instrumental chorus of “Von Fledermaus” reminding some that, yes, Deutrom was the bass player on Stoner Witch, but particularly in the latter an even more resonant impression comes across like Masters of Reality‘s blend of pop and heavy rock oddness. That vibe continues on the nine-minute psych-jam closer “The Burning Gift,” which brings Deutrom‘s vocals forward and works in keyboard arrangement flourish, bell sounds, string sounds and various melodic volume swells to underscore the point that, even on Bellringer‘s introduction, pretty much anything goes if it works. So be it. The world needs more experimental rock that doesn’t forget there are two sides to that equation, and Bellringer seem to come out of the gate ready to gleefully tip the scales one way or the other. Bellringer on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Wizard Eye, Riff Occult Live
If, like me, you’ve been itching to get a handle on some new music from Philly’s theremin-laced, golly-these-guys-need-to-get-a-new-record-out stoner doom trio Wizard Eye, Riff Occult Live should do the trick. All but two of the tracks — “On the Banks of a River” and the meshed-together “Gravebreath/Say No More” — come from the riffy three-piece’s forthcoming sophomore outing, and while it’s definitely a live record, the dense fuzz and nod-ready roll that guitarist/thereminist/vocalist Erik Caplan, on-a-first-name-bassist Dave and drummer Mike Scarpone conjure wins out anyway on cuts like “Drowning Daydream” and “Flying/Falling,” Scarpone‘s kick drum a pop in the low end while Wizard Eye ooze their way through one Sabbathian jam into the next. Opener “Eye of the Deep” sets a tone for extended solos and thick groove, and Wizard Eye do not falter from that path as the set makes its way to the 11-minute final jam, each riff arriving, kicking ass, and moving on in well-purposed succession. Riff Occult Live doesn’t entirely sate the anticipation for a new album, but it certainly doesn’t hurt either. Wizard Eye on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Lewd Flesh, Op I Røven, Dø I Smerte
Marked out immediately by the echoing, over-the-top bluesy vocals of Malene Pedersen, Copenhagen heavy rockers Lewd Flesh make their Spaghetti Casetti Records debut with the Op I Røven, Dø I Smerte 7″, bringing together the two songs “Acid Rider” and “Lewd Troves” to give a professional, crisp first impression across two sides and about 11 minutes. Guitarists Nanna Braunschweig Hansen and Casper Nilsson, bassist John Madsen and drummer Jakob provide the backdrop for Pedersen‘s rocked-out vocal thrust on “Acid Rider,” and more ’90s-style cues are taken on “Lewd Troves,” the wailing guitars offering a flourish of noise influence to coincide with the band’s straightforward production. It is their first outing, and two songs, and it’s a raucous start to make, but there’s room to grow as well in Lewd Flesh‘s hammering out their balance of grunge, noise and heavy rock impulses and figuring out where to place the vocals in the mix. To the credit of both the band and the release, Op I Røven, Dø I Smerte sounds both smoothly produced and on-stage energetic, and hopefully they can keep that spirit intact as they continue to grow. Lewd Flesh on Thee Facebooks, on Bandcamp.
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Red Mess, Crimson EP
Familiar riffs abound on Red Mess‘ debut EP, Crimson, and the Brazilian trio give due reverence to the likes of Sabbath and Goatsnake, but it’s the rougher, semi-retro presentation that draws the listener into the atmosphere created by guitarist/vocalist Thiago Franzim, bassist Lucas Klepa and drummer Douglas Labigalini over the four tracks/22 minutes. There’s something theatrical in Franzim‘s vocals to opener “Trapped in My Mind” that also give a classic Alice Cooper Band feel to the proceedings as well, and that’s really just one element of heavy ’70s worship that continues on “Hole” and the subsequent, motor-ready “Stoneage Coopers,” but they save the best for last in 5:30 closer “Through the Trees,” which offsets Graveyard-style subdued blues noodling with heavy rock thrust, a highlight performance from Klepa alongside Labigalini‘s swinging cymbal and tom work, and an engaging build throughout. They’re feeling their way through developing their sound, and that’s exciting to hear since the three-piece already has some considerable chemistry between them. Hopefully they’re able to take lessons from Crimson — named, apparently, in homage to a classic prog influence — and move forward as they discover where they want to go and how they want their songs to take them there. Red Mess on YouTube, on Bandcamp.
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Had to get that sixth one in there, and not just because it frees up another space on my desktop. The idea behind doing adds like this isn’t just to remind people there’s a radio component to this site. That’s part of it, sure, but the bigger agenda here is to hopefully give you another opportunity to check out music you might dig. That’s why the audio is right there under each review. I sincerely hope something above piques your interest and that you also share it with someone you think will enjoy.
Posted in Reviews on January 2nd, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Yesterday was pretty rough. Some excellent stuff in that batch of 10 discs, but man, by the end of it I don’t mind telling you I was dragging more than a bit of ass. I guess that’s to be expected. Still, I think that, as a project, this was worthwhile. There was a lot of stuff — too much — sitting around that was going to go undiscussed coming out of 2014, and now here we are, it’s the New Year, and I feel like at least a small percentage of what came my way got its due. Small victories.
So this is it. Reviews 41-50. After this, there isn’t much from 2014 that I’ll be looking back on; it’s mostly stuff to come, which is a different matter entirely. I’m sure we won’t be out of Jan. before I’m behind again in a major way, but what the hell, at least I’m trying, and at least there’s 50 discs that showed up on my desk that can be put on the shelf instead. Yes, it’s a very complex filing system. Ask me sometime and I’ll tell you all about it. Until then, let’s finish it like the final battle from Highlander. There can be only… 10… more…?
Okay maybe not.
Thanks for reading.
The Re-Stoned, Totems
Helmed since 2008 by the multifaceted Ilya Lipkin, Moscow mostly-instrumentalists The Re-Stoned release their fourth album in the form of Totems on R.A.I.G., a 58-minute wide-breadth journey into heavy rock groove with touches of psychedelia, plotted jazz-jamming and a raw tonal sensibility. Wo Fat guitarist/vocalist Kent Stump contributes a noteworthy solo to “Old Times,” and along with bassist Alexander Romanov, Lipkin (who himself handles the artwork design, guitar, bass, shaman drum, jew’s harp, mandala and some voice work) employs a guest drummer, percussionist and didgeridoo player, so there’s a measure of variety to the proceedings, be it the jerky pauses in “Shaman” or the earlier effects-laden exploration of “Chakras.” “Old Times” has a bit of funk to it even before Stump’s arrival, and the acoustics of “Melting Stones,” which follows, border on cowboy Americana. They’ve never had the most vibrant production, but The Re-Stoned manage to convey a natural feel and confidence as they progress, the creative growth of Lipkin always at the center of what they do.
For his second album under the moniker Anthroprophh, guitarist/vocalist Paul Allen (also of The Heads) brings in a rhythm section to aid him in his time-to-get-really-weird purposes. Thus, bassist Gareth Turner and drummer Jesse Webb, who together form the duo Big Naturals, add to the strangeness of songs like “2013 and She Told Me I was Die” on Anthroprophh’s Outside the Circle, a 45-minute excursion into warped sensibilities and things meant to go awry. Songs are made to be broken, and that happens with drones, sudden shifts in atmosphere, some smooth transitions, some jagged, all designed to transport and ignite stagnation. It does not get any less bizarre as Outside the Circle moves toward its nine-minute title-track, but one doesn’t imagine Allen would have it any other way, and one wouldn’t have it any other way from him. I call a fair amount of music adventurous for deviating from the norm. Anthroprophh makes most of that sound silly in comparison with its buzzsaw guitar and raw experimental display.
Saskatoon four-piece Lavagoat continue to challenge themselves even as they bludgeon eardrums. Their single-track CD EP, Weird Menace, pulls together six individual songs recorded mostly live in their rehearsal space with a purposeful drive toward rawness and a horror thematic. Sure enough, where their 2012 LP, Monoliths of Mars (review here) and 2010 self-titled debut (review here) offered increasing stylistic complexity, Weird Menace steps forward atmospherically by pulling back on the production value. Murky screams permeate “Ectoplasm” only to be immediately offset by the low growls and deathly groove of “Creature from the Black Lagoon,” presented as nasty as possible. There are still some touches of flourish in the guitar – one can’t completely cast off a creative development, even when trying really, really hard – but to call Weird Menace’s regressive experimentalism anything but a success would be undervaluing the turn they’ve made and how smoothly they’ve made it. Note: a follow-up LP, Ageless Nonsense (actually recorded earlier than this EP), has already been released.
Limited to 50 CD copies and presented in an oversize sleeve, soon-to-be-picked-up-by-somebody Colorado five-piece Ketch’s self-titled debut demo/EP is death-doom brutal and doom-death grooving. Vocalist Zach Salmans and guitarist Clay Cushman (who also recorded) trade off growls and screams over plus-sized, malevolent riffs and guitarist Jeremy Winters, bassist Dave Borrusch and drummer David Csicsely (also of The Flight of Sleipnir) only add to the pummel, which hits a particularly vicious moment in the grueling second half of “Counting Sunsets,” a dirge of low growls giving way to churning, nodding despair. Beginning with 9:18 longest cut “Shimmering Lights” (immediate points), Ketch deliver a precision extremity that even on this initial offering makes its villainous intent plain with volume and overarching drear. The midsection stomp of “Chemical Despondency” and the gurgle in closer “13 Coils” affirm that Ketch have found their stylistic niche and are ready to begin developing their sound from it. One looks forward to the growth of this already maddening approach. Bonus points for no obvious Lovecraft references.
Somewhere between death, black and doom metals, one finds Rhode Island three-piece Eternal Khan exploring cosmic, existential, literary and mythological themes on their self-released debut full-length, A Poisoned Psalm, the jewel case edition of which includes both lyrics and liner note explanations of each of its seven tracks. It’s an ambitious take from a trio who seem destined at some point to write a concept album – maybe based on Faust, maybe not – but the actual songs live up to the lofty presentation, be it the suitable gallop of “Raging Host,” despondent push of centerpiece “The Tower” or double-kick bleakness of “Void of Light and Reconciliation.” Guitarist/vocalist N. Wood, guitarist T. Phrathep and drummer D. Murphy mash their various styles well, but there’s room to grow here too, and I’d wonder how “The Black Stork” might work with an element of drone brought into the mix to add to the atmosphere and provide contrast to the various sides of Eternal Khan’s extremity. Even without, A Poisoned Psalm serves vigorous notice.
Rife with ‘70s swagger and easy-rolling blues grooves, Get Pure is the third record from Columbus, Ohio trio Mount Carmel, and it goes down as smooth as one could ask, the guitar work of Matthew Reed, bass of his brother, Patrick Reed (since out of the band and replaced by Nick Tolford) and drums of James McCain meshing with a natural, classic power trio dynamic only furthered by the vocals, as laid back as Leaf Hound but with an underlying bluesiness on cuts like “One More Morning” and “No Pot to Piss.” At 11 tracks and a vinyl-minded 35 minutes, neither the album as a whole nor its component tracks overstay their welcome, and late pushers like “Hangin’ On” and “Fear Me Now” leave the listener wanting more while closer “Yeah You Mama” bookends with opener “Gold” in hey-baby-ism and irrefutable rhythmic swing. Comfortable in its mid-pace boogie, Get Pure offers a party vibe without being needlessly raucous, and its laid back mood becomes one of its greatest assets.
One could hardly accuse Stockholm classic proggers Pocket Size of living up to their name on Exposed Undercurrents, their second album. Even putting aside the expansive fullness of their sound itself, there are nine people in the lineup. It would have to be some pocket. The group is led by guitarist Peder Pedersen, whose own contributions are met by arrangements of saxophone, Hammond B-3, flute, theremin and so on as the 11 tracks of Exposed Undercurrents play off intricately-conceived purposes to engaging ends. One is reminded some of Hypnos 69’s takes on elder King Crimson, but Pocket Size have less of a heavy rock stylistic base and are more purely prog. A clean production – this is clearly a band that wants you to hear everything happening at any given moment – serves the 54-minute offering well, and though it’s by no means free of indulgence, Exposed Undercurrents is imaginative in both the paths it follows and those it creates, the joy of craftsmanship clearly at the core of its process.
Though it’s actually only about 41 minutes, I doubt if Zoltan’s Sixty Minute Zoom would benefit from the extra time in terms of getting its point across. The instrumental London trio of keyboardist Andy Thompson, bassist/keyboardist Matt Thompson and drummer/keyboardist Andrew Prestidge revel in ‘70s synth soundtrack stylizations. For good measure I’ll name-check Goblin as a central influence on “Uzumaki,” the second of Sixty Minute Zoom’s five inclusions, but John Carpenter’s clearly had a hand as well in brazenly cinematic texturing of synth and the late-‘70s/early-‘80s vibe. The various washes culminate in the side B-consuming 21-minute stretch of “The Integral,” which is broken into separate movements but flows smoothly between them, pulsations and drones interweaving for a classic atmosphere of tension and balance of the chemistry between the Thompsons and Prestidge and the progressive, immersive sound they create. Fans of earlier Zombi will find much to chew on, but Zoltan dive even further into soundtrack-style ambience. All that’s missing is Lori Cardille running down a dimly lit hallway.
Offered as a nine-track full-length plus a four-song bonus EP, the self-titled debut from Madison, Wisconsin’s The Garza meters out noise rock punishment with sludgy ferocity. A trio of notable pedigree – drummer/vocalist Magma (Bongzilla, Aquilonian), guitarist Shawn Blackler (Brainerd, Striking Irwin), and bassist Nate Bush (ex-Droids Attack, ex-Bongzilla) – they fluidly pull together post-hardcore elements and Crowbar-esque turns while retaining a core of punk rock. “Rage” is a solid example of this, but it’s true of just about all of the album proper, which largely holds to its approach, adding some melody to the seven-minute pre-bonus-tracks closer “Kingdoms End” and varying tempo here and there around its destructive central ideology. The four bonus tracks are of a similar mind as well, Magma switching up his vocals every now and then to add variety to proceedings that otherwise prove vehemently assured of their position. I’m not sure if the extra cuts help reinforce the album’s rawness or detract from the closer, but The Garza aren’t exactly light on impact either way.
Dot Legacy’s self-titled Setalight Records debut, particularly for a green-backed CD with vinyl-style grooves on front, is not nearly as stoned as one might think. The Parisian foursome of Damien Quintard (vocals/bass/recording), Arnaud Merckling (guitar/keys/vocals), John Defontaine (guitar/vocals) and Romain Mottier (drums/vocals) employ a broad range on the 46-minute album’s nine tracks, from the shoegaze post-rock of “The Passage” to the driving heavy psych of “Gorilla Train Station,” all the while holding firm to a creative reasoning geared toward individuality. If they wound up adopting “The Midnight Weirdos” as a nom de guerre, I wouldn’t be surprised, but in fact there’s little sense that at any point Dot Legacy aren’t in full command of where their material is headed. All the better for the surprising opening duo of “Kennedy” and “Think of a Name,” which shift between reverb-soaked meditation and vibrant, hook-laden heavy rock. A fascinating and original-ish debut that could be the start of something special. They should hit the festival circuit hard and not look back.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on October 13th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
This one hit me like a punch directly in the demographic. I remember well playing Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for NES, and having no idea of what was actually happening in the game. Back in the day, an RPG would just basically tell you “go here and get this thing and try not to die on the way” and that was the game. Turn-based battle was the shit, and Final Fantasy always had that over Zelda in my book, but no question the Zelda series has some of the best games ever made in it, between A Link to the Past for SNES and The Ocarina of Time for N64. Classic stuff.
Much to the credit of Wisconsin heavy rockers Romero, who released their debut LP, Take the Potion (review here), last year, the plotline of their 8-bit-style video for the title-track actually makes more sense than did the actual plotline of Zelda II. Drummer/vocalist Ben Brooks goes on an adventure with zombies and a stash of reefer and gradually builds an army of the undead — whose sole purpose, by the look of it, is to party — and eventually saves the Princess with a magic potion made of the last of his stash and whatever else, thus becoming “a real hero.” All the while we cut periodically back to the band — Brooks, guitarist/vocalist Jeffrey Mundt, bassist Patrick Hotlen and guitarist/organist Tim Consequence — who are rocking out “Take the Potion” in, what else?, a dungeon.
As videos go, “Take the Potion” is a lot more fun and a lot more creative than four dudes rocking out in a room, and it goes a long way in conveying Romero‘s unpretentious vibe, the band not taking themselves too seriously as they bust out what’s still a killer track from the album that shares its name. The clip comes with a promise of new music soon, so that’ll definitely be one to watch for. In the meantime, enjoy:
