Posted in Whathaveyou on July 30th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
My little dog Dio had cancer eating her alive in 2018 when we put her down, and I’ll be honest, I’m not over it. I’ve got a new puppy sleeping snuggling my leg right now as I type this and I’m still not over it. Grief is real and takes many forms, and as Crippled Black Phoenix explore this particular one in the new single “Cry of Love,” their atmospheric and emotional weight is no less affecting than ever. Their new album, titled Ellengæst, is out Oct. 9 on Season of Mist, and features the likes of Vincent Cavanaugh from Anathema, which is kind of like, “okay, you got me,” when it comes to the simple concept. I’ll look forward to hearing that and probably being sad afterward.
The PR wire brings art, info and audio:
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX Announces New Album, Premieres New Single
Dark Progressive rock outfit CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX will be releasing the full-length ‘Ellengæst’ on October 9 via Season of Mist! The band has shared the emotional first single, “Cry of Love,” which features guest vocals from Ryan Michael Patterson (FOTOCRIME, ex-COLISEUM.) The song is available along with an official music video, which is created by Guilherme Henriques, at THIS LOCATION.
Several prominent guest vocalists lend their considerable talents to Ellengæst: ANATHEMA’s Vincent Cavanagh, GAAHLS WYRD’s Kristian “Gaahl” Espedal, COLISEUM/FOTOCRIME/one-time Crippled Black Phoenix touring bassist Ryan Patterson, up-and-coming U.K. solo artist Suzie Stapleton and TRIBULATION’s Jonathan Hultén. The album art and tracklist can be found below.
Mastermind Justin Greaves comments on the track: “This is a song about losing a loved family member, but not a human one, it’s about our feline companions. Ryan [Patterson] came back with the words and vocals after I sent him the song and it blew us away. We already connected with Ryan when on tour and being fellow animal lovers and vegans, he, Belinda and myself have a deep appreciation for speaking out about our animal friends.
“The song lyrics are about Ryan’s cat Willie who sadly passed away. Coincidentally, at the same time we (Belinda and myself) lost two of our cat family, Nell and Tigger (the old three-legged dude who starred on the cover of Horrific Honorifics). So this song is like a coming together to celebrate the love we have for the cats, how we miss them and how they influence our lives.
“Joining Ryan on ‘Cry Of Love’ is our friend and previous collaborator Suzie Stapleton. Putting her distinctive voice on, giving it another dimension. The video for this fried my brain, I love it so much and so do the rest of the band; Guilherme [Henriques] totally understood what the feelings of the song are about, and he made a beautiful and simple narrative which will touch even the coldest heart. If you love your cat, or lost one you love, then be prepared to grab the tissues.”
Track-list 1. House Of Fools (7:52) 2. Lost (8:11) 3. In The Night (8:38) 4. Cry Of Love (5:46) 5. Everything I Say (7:21) 6. (-) (1:51) 7. The Invisible Past (11:26) 8. She’s In Parties (3:51)
Manchester, UK, groove rockers Ten Foot Wizard will release their third full-length, Get Out of Your Mind, on July 10 through their own Beard of Zeus imprint. If so inclined, one could easily spend the better part of an afternoon sitting down and dissecting the eight tracks of the 42-minute offering for their component influence, be it the prominence of Clutch-style funk-informed riffing in starts and stops throughout, the harsh sludge bite that surprises in the screaming chorus of opener “Namaste Dickhead,” a little flash of Asteroid in the vocals for the verse of the subsequent “Broken Man,” the Queens-y desert thrust of “Noble Lie,” the surf mania in the apex of “Summer Love,” the deft turn between the angular bridge of “Get Out of Your Mind” and its post-C.O.C. hook, the Motörhead-via-Orange–Goblin burl and speed of “How Low Can You Go?,” the manner in which the UK-style sludge metal of “Working Towards a Bitter Future” gives way to Sleep-y drift-riffing en route to an uptempo boogie-nod finish or the keyboard-laced sum-it-all-up closer that is the eight-minute “King Shit of Fuck Mountain.” As I say, in could spend an afternoon engaged in such an activity.
It’s far more fun, however, to follow the shenanigans-fueled bounce riffing wherever the band might let it lead, because whatever else Ten Foot Wizard are as they move into their third album, they’re well in control of the proceedings. This generation of UK heavy underground acts isn’t at all shy about having a good time, and certainly that applies across Get Out of Your Mind as well, but as with some other of that very populated national scene — Manchester is north of the epicenter in London, but still — there’s no sacrifice in terms of craft being made. “Namaste Dickhead?” The song’s a blast, and the same holds for the record front-to-back, whether it’s the push in “Broken Man,” the catchy callout of the title-cut or the bed of ultra-fuzz guitarists Gary Harkin (also vocals) and Adam Henry put down as the foundation for “King Shit of Fuck Mountain,” but they aren’t just screwing around, and more over, it’s not like one impulse works against the other. Harkin, Henry, drummer Jonny Banyard and bassist Emlyn Spiers make the album itself the party, instead of just having a party instead of an album. That’s a huge difference when it comes to the final listening experience, and it’s basically the difference between a band putting together a quality full-length and a band fucking around. Ten Foot Wizard position themselves decisively in the former category.
Is that a gong in “King Shit of Fuck Mountain?” I don’t know, but it sounds cool over the slow part that consumes the second half of the song and that’s good enough for me. Get Out of Your Mind, in following the band’s 2017 split with Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters (review here) and prior 2015 sophomore outing, Sleeping Volcanoes, has any number of accomplishments to its credit, not the least of which are the tonal presence brought to bear in the guitars and bass, the percussive variety Banyard uses to complement the riffs, and the diversity in Harkin‘s vocals, but it is in bringing the different sides together around memorable songs that Ten Foot Wizard‘s third long-player makes its greatest mark. If this is the band realizing their potential, then it’s been worth the five-year wait since their second album, and if there’s more to come as they continue to move forward, then all the better. Let the party roll on. In that sense, Get Out of Your Mind only seems like an open invitation.
Preorders are up now for Get Out of Your Mind through Ten Foot Wizard‘s Bandcamp, and all proceeds from said preorders are going to Black Lives Matter. In light of that, here’s the direct link: https://tenfootwizard.bandcamp.com/album/get-out-of-your-mind
It’s my pleasure to host “Broken Man” premiering on the player below. Gary Harkin offers some comment on the track and there’s more PR wire info beneath that.
I hope you enjoy:
Gary Harkin on “Broken Man”:
The song started with Jonny bringing the chorus riff to the band, and we wrote the song collaboratively from there. This is actually the first song we’ll have released that’s been written by the whole band.
The lyrics are about being pushed to the edge, being taken to breaking point, and finally snapping. Similar to the protagonists in Taxi Driver and Falling Down. Everyone has their limit, and when you find it, it can be scary. We live in time in which a lot of people are marginalised, and the frustration and anger are palpable. Broken Man speaks of the mental and emotional deterioration of someone who’s been pushed too far, and that desperate state where a person can be capable of doing just about anything.
Manchester’s cheeky heavy rock unit TEN FOOT WIZARD announce the release of their juggernaut third album ‘Get Out Of Your Mind’ on July 10th, which isavailable right now for preorder.
Blending the classic sounds of Sabbath and ZZ Top with the grooves of contemporary luminaries such as Clutch, and the funk of Parliament/Funkadelic, Manchester’s tropical riff storm TEN FOOT WIZARD are set to raise the bar for fans of swaggering rock anthems with the release of their gigantic third album ‘Get Out Of Your Mind’.
Mixed by Grammy Award-winning producer Nic Hard (Snarky Puppy/The Bravery/Bokante) in Brooklyn, the follow-up to 2015’s ‘Sleeping Volcanoes’ truly ups the ante of the foursome’s groove-infused formula. Its juggernaut riffs and sexy grooves are taking no prisoners, as TEN FOOT WIZARD go harder and stronger than ever, elevated by the deep-toned vocals — when they’re not turning into a monastic growl coming from the depths of the universe — from frontman Gary Harkin. ‘Get Out Of Your Mind’ creates its own path of glorious and highly entertaining brand of rock’n’roll, embarking in its wake all those eager to celebrate the end of the world the right way. With a special appearance from Snarky Puppy’s keyboard genius Justin Stanton on final track “King Shit Of Fuck Mountain”, TEN FOOT WIZARD spread their sonic wings wider and let their creativity flow through this 8-minute epic of pace-shifting psychedelic heaviness. Another TFW track for the books!
The album will be available on July 10th via the band’s Beard Of Zeus label, and available to preorder via Bandcamp on LTD orange vinyl, CD and digital. All vinyl preorders will be shipped with a free TFW patch!
TEN FOOT WIZARD is: Gary Harkin – Vocals/Guitar Adam Henry – Guitar Jonny Banyard – Drums/Percussion Emlyn Spiers – Bass Guitar
Posted in Features on April 3rd, 2020 by JJ Koczan
The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.
Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.
Thanks to all who participate. — JJ Koczan
Days of Rona: Andrew Field of APF Records (Manchester, UK)
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How are you dealing with this crisis as a label? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?
As the owner of a small label which is largely dependent on sales of LPs and CDs, COVID-19 has presented a few challenges. First of all, there’s the fact my next big release (Desert Storm’s Omens album on 1st May) is being manufactured right now and I don’t know whether I’ll get the stock in time. Then there’s the fact our distributor has shut their offices, and online retailers like Amazon aren’t taking receipt of-third party items at the moment. Plus, with lots of people so sadly losing their jobs or being furloughed at present LPs are becoming an item many people don’t need or can’t afford just now.
Then there’s the daily question about whether or not we should still be shipping LPs, which involves a trip to the Post Office. How I’ve handed that thus far is by only going to mail records out when I have to go food shopping, as the Post Office is next to the supermarket. But I can see a time real soon where that won’t be an appropriate or safe thing to do.
A lot of our album sales come from APF’s 26 bands playing gigs. None of them are playing live at the moment, so that income stream has gone. Many people think a record label can survive on streaming income, but the reality is that we get no income from Bandcamp streams and just 0.004p per track play from Spotify.
On the upside, I’ve suddenly got lots of time to make plans for the future. Usually it’s seat of your pants running APF. This amount of free time is quite useful.
What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?
I live in Manchester, England where we are in a semi-lockdown. We haven’t got anywhere near the peak infection period yet so I anticipate that lockdown becoming more robust over the next week or so.
How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?
I like to accentuate the positives rather than focus too much on the negatives. It’s been great watching bands create original content online, with the recent Kurokuma / Friendship live stream on YouTube being a fine example. And people are rediscovering their record collections and seeking out new tunes to fill their time.
What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?
I’m staying indoors unless I have to go buy food. And if you find music helps you through these difficult times, APF has got your back.
Posted in Reviews on March 26th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Thursday. Everyone doing well? Healthy? Kicking ass? Working from home? There seems to be a lot of that going around, at least among the lucky. New Jersey, where I live, is on lockdown with non-essential businesses shuttered, roads largely empty and all that. It can be grim and apocalyptic feeling, but I’m finding this Quarterly Review to be pretty therapeutic or at least helpfully distracting at a moment when I very much need something to be that. I hope that if you’re reading this, whether you’ve been following along or not, it’s done or can do the same for you if that’s what you need. I’ll leave it at that.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
Slift, Ummon
The second album from French space/psych trio Slift is a 72-minute blowout echoshred epic — too aware not to be prog but too cosmic not to be space rock. Delivered through Stolen Body Records and Vicious Circle, Ummon is not only long, it speaks to a longer term. It’s not an album for this year, or for this decade, or for any other decade, for that matter. It’s for the ongoing fluid now. You want to lose yourself in the depths of buzz and dreamy synth? Yeah, you can do that. You want to dig into the underlying punk and maybe a bit of Elder influence in the vocal bark and lead guitar shimmer of “Thousand Helmets of Gold?” Well hell’s bells, do that. The mega-sprawling 2LP is a gorgeous blast of distortion, backed by jazzy, organic drum wud-dum-tap and the bass, oh, the bass; the stuff of low end sensory displacement. Amid swirls and casts of melodic light in “Dark Was Space, Cold Were the Stars,” Slift dilate universal energy and push beyond the noise wash reaches of “Son Dong’s Cavern” and through the final build, liftoff and roll of 13-minute closer “Lions, Tigers and Bears” with the deft touch of those dancing on prior conceptions. We’d be lucky to have Ummon as the shape of space rock to come.
Two LPs telling two different stories released at the same time, Grinding Teeth/Zero Sleep (on Consouling Sounds) brings Josh Graham‘s aural storytelling to new cinematic reaches. The composer, guitarist, synthesist, programmer, visual artist, etc., is joined along the way by the likes of Jo Quail, Ben Weinman (ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan), Dana Schecter (Insect Ark), Sarah Pendleton (ex-SubRosa) and Kim Thayil (Soundgarden) — among others — but across about 90 minutes of fluidity, Graham/IIVII soundtracks two narratives through alternatingly vast and crushing drone. The latter work is actually an adaptation from a short sci-fi film about, yes, humanity losing its ability to sleep — I feel you on that one — but the former, which tells a kind of meth-fueled story of love and death, brings due chaos and heft to go with its massive synthesized scope. Josh Graham wants to score your movie. You should let him. And you should pay him well. And you should let him design the poster. And you should pay him well for that too. End of story.
Following the initial sax-laden prog-rock burst and chase that is opener “Gadfly,” Berlin’s Coogans Bluff bring a ’70s pastoralia to “Sincerely Yours,” and that atmosphere ends up staying with Metronopolis — their fifth album — for the duration, no matter where else they might steer the sound. And they do steer the sound. Sax returns (as it will) in the jabbing “Zephyr,” a manic shred taking hold in the second half accompanied by no-less-manic bass, and “Creature of the Light” reimagines pop rock of the original vinyl era in the image of its own weirdness, undeniably rock but also something more. Organ-inclusive highlight “Soft Focus” doesn’t so much touch on psychedelics as dunk its head under their warm waters, and “The Turn I” brings an almost Beatlesian horn arrangement to fruition ahead of the closer “The Turn II.” But in that finale, and in “Hit and Run,” and way back in “Sincerely Yours,” Coogans Bluff hold that Southern-style in their back pocket as one of several of Metronopolis‘ recurring themes, and it becomes one more element among the many at their disposal.
An underlying current of social commentary comes coated in Rough Spells‘ mysticism on Ruins at Midday, the Toronto unit’s second LP. Recorded by Ian Blurton and presented by Fuzzed and Buzzed and DHU Records, the eight-track LP has, as the lyrics of “Chance Magic” say, “No bad intentions.” Indeed, it seems geared only toward eliciting your participation in its ceremony of classic groove, hooks and melodies, even the mellow “Die Before You Die” presenting an atmosphere that’s heavy but still melodic and accessible. “Grise Fiord” addresses Canada’s history of mistreating its native population, while “Pay Your Dues” pits guitar and vocal harmonics against each other in a shove of proto-metallic energy to rush momentum through side B and into the closing pair of the swaggering “Nothing Left” and the title-track, which is the longest single cut at five minutes, but still keeps its songwriting taut with no time to spare for indulgences. In this, and on several fronts, Ruins at Midday basks in multifaceted righteousness.
Upside the head extreme sludgeoning! UK trio Goblinsmoker take on the more vicious and brutal end of sludge with the stench of death on A Throne in Haze, A World Ablaze (on Sludgelord Records), calling to mind the weedian punishment of Belzebong and others of their decrepit ilk. Offered as part two of a trilogy, A Throne in Haze, A World Ablaze is comprised of three tracks running a caustic 26 minutes thick enough such that even its faster parts feel slow, a churning volatility coming to the crash of “Smoked in Darkness” at the outset only to grow more menacing in the lurch of centerpiece “Let Them Rot” — which of course shifts into blastbeats later on — and falling apart into noise and echoing residual feedback after the last crashes of “The Forest Mourns” recede. Beautifully disgusting, the release reportedly furthers the story of the Toad King depicted on its cover and for which the band’s prior 2018 EP was named, and so be it. The lyrics, largely indecipherable in screams, are vague enough that if you’re not caught up, you’ll be fine. Except you won’t be fine. You’ll be dead. But it’ll be awesome.
Progressive metal underpins French trio Homecoming‘s aptly-titled first record, LP01, with the guitars of second cut “Rivers of Crystal” leading the way through a meandering quiet part and subsequent rhythmic figure that reminds of later Opeth, though there’s still a strong heavy rock presence in their tones and grooves generally. It’s an interesting combination, and all the more so because I think part of what’s giving off such a metal vibe is the snare sound. You don’t normally think of a snare drum determining that kind of thing, but here we are. Certainly the vocal arrangements between gruff melodies, backing screams and growls, etc., the odd bit of blastbeating here and there, bring it all into line as well — LP01 is very much the kind of album that would title its six-minute instrumental centerpiece “Interlude” — but the intricacy in how the nine-minute “Return” develops and the harmonies that emerge early in closer “Five” tell the tale clearly of Homecoming‘s ambitions as they move forward from this already-ambitious debut.
Tracked in the same sessions as the Budapest outfit’s 2019 album, Ima (review here), it should not come as a major surprise that the six-track/49-minute Logos from Lemurian Folk Songs follows a not entirely dissimilar course, bringing together dream-drift of tones and melodies with subtle but coherent rhythmic motion in a fashion not necessarily revolutionary for heavy psych, but certainly well done and engaging across its tracks. The tones of guitar and bass offer a warmth rivaled only by the echoing vocals on opener/longest cut (immediate points) “Logos,” and the shimmering “Sierra Tejada” and progressively building “Calcination” follow that pattern while adding a drift that is both of heavy psych and outside of it in terms of the character of how it’s played. None of the last three tracks is less than eight minutes long — closer “Firelake” tops nine in a mirror to “Logos” at the outset, but if that’s the band pushing further out I hear, then yes, I want to go along for that trip.
Progressive heavy rockers Ritual King display a striking amount of grace and patience across their Ripple Music-issued self-titled long-player. Tapping modern influences like Elder and bringing their own sense of melodic nuance to the proceedings across a tightly-constructed seven songs and 42 minutes, the three-piece of vocalist/guitarist Jordan Leppitt, bassist Dan Godwin — whose tone is every bit worthy of gotta-hear-it classification — and drummer/backing vocalist Gareth Hodges string together linear movements in “Headspace” and “Dead Roads” that flow one into the next, return at unexpected moments or don’t, and follow a direction not so much to the next chorus but to the next statement the band want to make, whatever that might be. “Restrain” begins with a sweet proggy soundscape and unfolds two verses over a swaying riff, then is gone, where at the outset, “Valleys” offers grandeur the likes of which few bands would dare to embody on their third or fourth records, let alone their first. Easily one of 2020’s best debuts.
You know what? Never mind. You ain’t weird enough for this shit. Nobody’s weird enough for this shit. I have a hard time believing the two souls from Portugal who made it are weird enough for this shit. Think I’m wrong? Think you’re up for it and you’re gonna put on Sunflowers‘ Endless Voyage and be like, “oh yeah, turns out mega-extreme krautrock blasted into outer space was my wavelength all along?” Cool. Bandcamp player’s right there. Have at it. I dare you.
Italian heavy rockers Maya Mountains formed in 2005 and issued their debut album, Hash and Pornography, through Go Down Records in 2008. Era, which follows a narrative about the title-character whose name is given in lead cut “Enrique Dominguez,” who apparently travels through space after being lost in the desert — as one does — and on that basis alone is clearly a more complex offering than its predecessor. As to where Maya Mountains have been all the time in between records — here and there, in other bands, etc. But Era, at 10 tracks and 44 minutes, is the summation of five years of work on their part and its blend of scope and straight-ahead heavy riffing is welcome in its more heads-down moments like “Vibromatic” or in the purposefully weirder finale “El Toro” later on. Something like a second debut for the band after being away for so long, Era at very least marks the beginning of a new one for them, and one hopes it continues in perhaps more productive fashion than the last.
Posted in Reviews on March 25th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Ah, the Wednesday of a Quarterly Review. Always a special day in my mind. We hit and pass the halfway point today, and I like the fact that the marker is right in the middle of things, like that sign you pass in Pennsylvania on Rt. 80 that says, “this is the highest point east of the Mississippi,” or whatever it is. Just a kind of, “oh, by the way, in case you didn’t know, there’s this but you’re on your way somewhere else.” And so we are, en route to 50 reviews by Friday. Will we get there? Yeah, of course. I’ve done this like 100 times now, it’s not really in doubt. Sleeping, eating, living: these things are expendable. The Quarterly Review will get done. So let’s do it.
Quarterly Review #21-30:
The Cult of Dom Keller, Ascend!
They’re not going quietly, that’s for sure. Except for when they are, at least. The Cult of Dom Keller send their listeners — and, it would seem, themselves — into the howling ether on the exclamatory-titular Ascend!, their fifth LP. Issued through Cardinal Fuzz and Little Cloud records it brings a bevvy of freakouts in psych-o-slabs like “I Hear the Messiah” and the early-arriving “Hello Hanging Rope” and the building-in-thickness “The Blood Donor Wants His Blood Back,” and the foreboding buzz of “We’re All Fucked (Up),” peppering in effective ambient interludes ahead of what might be some resolution in the closing “Jam for the Sun.” Or maybe that’s just narrative I’m putting to it. Does it matter? Does anything matter? And what is matter? And what is energy? And is there a line between the two or are we all just playing pretend at existence like I-think-therefore-I-am might actually hold water in a universe bigger than our own pea-sized brains. Where do we go from here? Or maybe it’s just the going and not the where? Okay.
Brooklynite trio Grandpa Jack are working toward mastery of the thickened midtempo groove on their second EP, Trash Can Boogie. Led by guitarist/vocalist Johnny Strom with backing shouts from drummer Matt C. White and a suitable flow provided by bassist Jared Schapker, the band present a classic-tinged four tracks, showing some jammier psych range in the 7:47 second cut “Untold” but never straying too far from the next hook, as opener “Ride On, Right On” and the almost-proto-metal “Imitation” show. Finishing with “Curmudgeon,” Grandpa Jack ride a fine line between modern fuzz, ’90s melody and ’70s groove idolatry, and part of the fun is trying to figure out which side they’re on at any given point and which side they’ll want to ultimately end up on, or if they’ll decide at all. They have one LP under their collective belt already. I’d be surprised if their next one didn’t garner them more significant attention, let alone label backing, should they want it.
There’s metal in the foundation of what Woven Man are doing on their 2019 debut, Revelry (In Our Arms). And there’s paganism. But they’re by no means “pagan metal” at least in the understood genre terms. The Welsh outfit — featuring guitarist Lee Roy Davies, formerly of Acrimony — cast out soundscapes in their vocal melodies and have no lack of tonal crunch at their disposal when they want it, but as eight-minute opener/longest track (immediate points) shows, they’re not going to be rigidly defined as one thing or another. One can hear C.O.C. in the riffs during their moments of sneer on “I am Mountain” or the centerpiece highlight “With Willow,” but they never quite embrace the shimmer outright Though they come right to the cusp of doing so on the subsequent “Makers Mark,” but closer “Of Land and Sky” revives a more aggressive push and sets them toward worshiping different idols. Psychedelic metal is a tough, nearly impossible, balance to pull off. I’m not entirely convinced it’s what Woven Man are going for on this first outing, but it’s where they might end up.
Whether drifting mildly through the likes of drone-laden pieces “Down by the Water,” the CD-only title-track or “Alexandria” as they make their way toward the harsh bite at the end of the 11-minute closer “Scavengers of the Wind,” Bath, UK, heavy post-rockers Charivari hold a firm sense of presence and tonal fullness. They’re prone to a wash from leadoff “When Leviathan Dreams” onward, but it’s satisfying to course along with the four-piece for the duration of their journey. Rough spots? Oh, to be sure. “Aphotic” seethes with noisy force, and certainly the aforementioned ending is intended to jar, but that only makes a work like “Lotus Eater,” which ably balances Cure-esque initial lead lines with emergent distortion-crush, that much richer to behold. The moves they make are natural, unforced, and whether they’re trading back and forth in volume or fluidly, willfully losing themselves in a trance of effects, the organic and ethereal aspects of their sound never fail to come through in terms of melody even as a human presence is maintained on vocals. When “Down by the Water” hits its mark, it is positively encompassing. Headphones were built for this.
Bit of a supergroup here, at least in the underrated-New-York-art-noise sphere of things. Vocals and riffy crunch provided by the masterful Chris Spencer (formerly of Unsane), while Cop Shoot Cop‘s Jim Coleman adds much-welcome electronic flourish, Swans/Xiu Xiu bassist Chris Pravdica provides low end and the well-if-he-can-handle-drumming-for-Swans-he-can-handle-anything Phil Puleo (also Cop Shoot Cop) grounds the rhythm. Presented through Ipecac, the four-piece’s declarative self-titled debut arrives through Ipecac very much as a combination of the elements of which it is comprised, but the atmosphere brought to the proceedings by Coleman set against Spencer‘s guitar isn’t to be understated. The two challenge each other in “E605” and the off-to-drone “Consequences” and the results are to everyone’s benefit, despite the underlying theme of planetary desolation. Whoops on that one, but at least we get the roiling chaos and artful noise of “This Dead Sea” out of it, and that’s not nothing. Predictable? In parts, but so was climate change if anyone would’ve fucking listened.
The nautically-themed follow-up to Bellingham, Washington, progressive heavy/noise/post-hardcore rockers Dryland‘s 2017 self-titled debut album, the four-song Dances with Waves EP finds the thoughtful and melodic riffers working alongside producer/engineer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, etc.) on a recording that loses none of its edge for its deft changes of rhythm and shifts in vocals. There’s some influence from Elder maybe in terms of the guitar on “No Celestial Hope” and the finale “Between the Testaments,” but by the time the seven-minute capper is done, it’s full-on Pacific Northwest noise crunch, crashing its waves of riffs and stomp against the shore of your eardrums in demand of as much volume as you’ll give it. Between those two, “Exalted Mystics” moves unsuspectingly through its first half and seems to delve into semi-emo-if-emo-was-about-sailing-and-death theatrics in its second, while “The Sound a Sword Adores” distills the alternating drive and sway down to its barest form, a slowdown later setting up the madness soon to arrive in “Between the Testaments.”
Brass Owl foster on their self-released debut full-length, State of Mind, a brand of heavy rock that maintains a decidedly straightforward face while veering at the same time into influences from grunge, ’70s rock, the better end of ’80s metal and probably one or two current hard or heavy rock bands. You might catch a tinge of Five Horse Johnson-style blues on “No Filter – Stay Trendy” or the particularly barroom-ready “Jive Turkey,” which itself follows the funkier unfolding jam-into-shredfest of “The Legend of FUJIMO,” and the earlier “Hook, Line & Sinker” has trucker-rock all over it, but through it all, the defining aspect of the work is its absolute lack of pretense. These guys — there would seem to have been three when they recorded, there are two now; so it goes — aren’t trying to convince you of their intelligence, or their deep-running stylistic nuance. They’re not picking out riffs from obscure ’80s indie records or even ’70s private press LPs. They’re having a good time putting traditionalist-style rock songs together, messing around stylistically a bit, and they’ve got nine songs across 43 minutes ready to roll for anyone looking for that particular kind of company. If that’s you, great. If it ain’t, off you go to the next one.
From even before you press play on Press Start, the 22-minute debut release from South Africa’s Battle City, the instrumental duo make their love of gaming readily apparent. Given that they went so far as to call one song “Ram Man” and that it seems just as likely as not that “Ignition” and “Ghost Dimension” are video game references as well, it’s notable that guitarist/bassist Stian “Lightning Fingers Van Tonder” Maritz and drummer Wayne “Thunder Flakes” Hendrikz didn’t succumb to the temptation of bringing any electronic sounds to the six-song offering. Even in “Ghost Dimension,” which is the closer and longest track by about three minutes, they keep it decidedly straightforward in terms of arrangements and resist any sort of chiptune elements, sticking purely to guitar, bass and drums. There’s a touch of the progressive to the leadoff title-track and to the soaring lead “Ignotion,” but Press Start does likewise in setting the band’s foundation in a steady course of heavy rock and metal, to the point that if you didn’t know they were gaming-inspired by looking at the cover art or the titles, there’d be little to indicate that’s where they were coming from. I wouldn’t count myself among them, but those clamoring for beeps and boops and other 8-bit nonsense will be surprised. For me, the riffs’ll do just fine, thanks.
Spacious, varied and progressive without losing their heft either of tone or presence, Manchester, UK, trio Astral Bodies debut on Surviving Sounds with Escape Death, working mostly instrumentally — they do sneak some vocals into the penultimate “Pale Horse” — to affect an atmosphere of cosmic heavy that’s neither indebted to nor entirely separate from post-metal. Droning pieces like the introductory “Neptune,” or the joyous key-laced wash of the centerpiece “Orchidaeae,” or even “Pale Horse,” act as spacers between longer cuts, and they’re purposefully placed not to overdo symmetry so as to make Escape Death‘s deceptively-efficient 36-minute runtime predictable. It’s one more thing the three-piece do right, added to the sense of rawness that comes through in the guitar tone even as effects and synth seem to surround and provide a context that would be lush if it still weren’t essentially noise rock. Cosmic noise? The push of “Oumuamua” sure is, if anything might be. Classify it however you want — it’s fun when it’s difficult! — but it’s a striking record either way, and engages all the more as a first long-player.
Following its three-minute chanting intro, Satyrus let opener and longest track (immediate points) “Black Satyrus” unfold its cultish nod across an eight minutes that leads the way into the rest of their debut album, Rites, perhaps more suitably than the intro ever could. The building blocks that the Italian unit are working from are familiar enough — Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Electric Wizard, maybe even some Slayer in the faster soloing of second cut “Shovel” — but that doesn’t make the graveyard-dirt-covered fuzz of “Swirl” or the noisefest that ensues in “Stigma” or subsequent “Electric Funeral”-ist swing any less satisfying, or the dug-in chug of bookending nine-minute closer “Trailblazer.” Hell, if it’s a retread, at least they’re leaving footprints, and it’s not like Satyrus are trying to tell anyone they invented Tony Iommi‘s riff. It’s a mass by the converted for the converted. I’d ask nothing more of it than that and neither should you.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 18th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Whatever you’ve got going on, just pause it and check out the Atavist track below. I don’t know what you’re listening to, but chances are this is darker and heavier than what you’ve got going, so yeah, go ahead and dig in if you dare. I was thinking it had been a while since I heard anything about the UK death-doomers, and yeah, apparently their last record was in 2007 on Profound Lore, so that qualifies as a while for sure. The new one is called III: Absolution and the song you should already be listening to is “Self-Realisation,” with the king’s ‘s’ where American savages would otherwise put a raucous and uncalled-for ‘z.’ It is suitably classy.
Also you’ll note it was recorded by Chris Fielding from Conan. Because frickin’ of course it was. Who else would you trust to handle this kind of weight?
Be doomed:
BRITISH DOOM COLLECTIVE ATAVIST ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM III: ABSOLUTION OUT JUNE 19 VIA CANDLELIGHT RECORDS
DROP NEW SINGLE “SELF-REALISATION”
Reformed in 2017 after a 10-year hiatus, the UK’s most devastating death/doom stalwarts, ATAVIST, triumphantly return in 2020 with the brand new studio album III: Absolution. The record will be released via Candlelight Records on June 19 and is the band’s third full length. It arrives almost 13 years after their highly acclaimed 2007 release II: Ruined (Profound Lore Records).
III: Absolution comprises four mammoth new tracks of heavy, emotive and atmospheric death/doom metal reminiscent of the ATAVIST’s early history, but also incorporating the progression of a band who have grown as musicians and writers over the last decade; in a variety of other extreme metal projects.
Featuring Winterfylleth guitarist and vocalist, C. Naughton, along with bassist S. Ryan, drummer C. Cox and vocalist T. Bradshaw, their creative forces meld once again on III: Absolution. ATAVIST present something otherworldly, unique and sonically powerful on this album; highlighting, even after so long, a band capable of creating uncompromising and essential music that can still rival its peers at the top of the genre.
Guitarist C. Naughton comments, “This is a soundtrack that travels through the depths of human emotion, from losing everything, mourning loss, realizing your own mind, right through to finding your way again. Ultimately finding absolution at the end of that journey. There is no joy here, only relief at the end of an arduous voyage.”
III: Absolution also features the haunting string performances of prominent solo artist Jo Quail on Cello (Mono/My Dying Bride), as well as the exceptional talents of Bianca Blezard on viola/violin (Winterfylleth). The album furthermore incorporates some new twists and turns along the way, featuring a number of moving, atmospheric, synth landscapes from the ever talented Winterfylleth/ARD keyboardist Mark Deeks, to complement the doom.
Recorded and produced by the legendary Chris Fielding (Primordial/Napalm Death/Winterfylleth/Electric Wizard) at Skyhammer & Foel Studios, and mastered by James Plotkin (Khanate/Jodis/Old Lady Drivers), this album is a true essential for all fans of the genre.
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 12th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
There’s no audio from the album available to the public yet — [EDIT: Except for the song streaming below; ha] — but Astral Bodies make their full-length debut April 3 with Escape Death on Surviving Sounds, and whether you’re taking the album from a heavy post-rock angle thinking of Pelican on a bit more of a psych kick, or you’re examining some of the blend of space and crunch in the instrumental Manchester, UK, outfit’s sound, the answer to the question you’re probably asking is still a yes. The trio had a 12-minute two-songer out in 2018 that you can hear below, and that’ll give you some sense of the variety, but the record of course is much broader, even though it keeps to a tidy 36-minute runtime. I’m digging it. Right now, actually. I’ve got “Orchidaceae” on and for the keyboard/guitar blend alone, it’s well worth your time to check out when you can.
Here’s album info from the PR wire and the Axial Tilt stream from the band’s Bandcamp:
SURVIVING SOUNDS proudly present the debut full length album release of Manchester, UK based post-metal, space rock, doom pop power trio ASTRAL BODIES, titled Escape Death, which will be released on CD, Tape and Digital formats on April 3rd 2020.
This largely instrumental powerhouse of a record is a triumph of colossal tones and shifting dynamics, as the trio explore compositions that ebb and flow through the cosmos. Astral Bodies take the atmospheric and textural sonics inspired by the likes of Pelican and Russian Circles, but provide their own unique spin on this sound, adding an extra dosage of spacey synthesizers, providing a dreamy undercurrent as their versatile performances range all the way from bold sleepy melodies to full on rocket propelled riffage.
Escape Death was passionately captured by Joe Clayton (Pijn, Leeched) at No Studio, Manchester and mastered by Rich Steve Beck, resulting in a powerful and enriching listening experience full of dynamics, details and enormous riffs laced with deep, resonating tones. Escape Death is a concise record just shy of 40 minutes and full of twists and turns that will throw in surprises from the first track to the last. Astral Bodies have created the perfect aural companion to leaving behind your earthly vessel and transcending space and time.
Astral Bodies have made a strong name for themselves across the UK, with two EP releases prior to Escape Death, and their energetic live performances. The trio have played shows with the likes of Dawn Ray’d, Dark Mother, Nasdaq, Aiming For Enrike and She The Throne. Now with their full length album behind them, Astral Bodies look destined for bigger and brighter horizons.
ESCAPE DEATH 1. Neptune [2:14] 2. Europa [7:50] 3. Oumuamua [6:19] 4. Orchidaceae [3:34] 5. Equinox [6:13] 6. Pale Horse [2:10] 7. Mythic Phantoms [8:03]
CREDITS Written and performed by Astral Bodies. Captured by Joe Clayton at No Studio, Manchester. Mixed by Joe Clayton. Mastered by Rich Steve Beck at Not Just A Plugin. Saxophone on ‘Mythic Phantoms’ by Ed Bottomley. Album cover designed by Ben Cooney.
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 14th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
You had me at the bassline, which, since the bassline (plus some hi-hat) is the first thing you hear in the track means you pretty much had me immediately. New Hampshire newcomers Dust Prophet have made public their second single following up on this past Fall’s “The Big Lie” (posted here), and “Revolutionary Suicide” touches on cultish themes via lyrics delivered through catchy rhythm and rampant melody that seems only to indicate their readiness to take on a broader release, be it a debut EP or album. The production on “Revolutionary Suicide” is clean to a point almost asking for some muck for its doomly vibe to wallow in, but I wouldn’t hold a band being clear in their delivery against them, especially on a self-released single — let alone their second — and the song remains rooted in the quality of the band’s performance, which wants for nothing.
Likewise too their social media presence. They’re all over the place. I always have to admire that kind of thing, because I suck at it so very, very much — duh, here’s a picture of my baby; duh, here’s a review I posted; duh — but Dust Prophet have it down when it comes to engaging their audience, and as I think you can hear in the track below, that extends to their songwriting. Good to hit ’em on multiple levels.
Dig it:
Dust Prophet is proud to release: Revolutionary Suicide
We are very proud to bring you our newest single, Revolutionary Suicide. You have a few different options for listening and downloading it:
You can listen & download Revolutionary Suicide for FREE by one of the following options:
By using our Bandcamp page. In addition to downloading Revolutionary Suicide can also subscribe to our Bandcamp page and stay up-to-date on our new releases and newsworthy events.
(Although it’s a free download, you can choose to pay $1 or so if you want to support us by using the “Name Your Own Price” option).
You can also stream Revolutionary Suicide on our YouTube channel. You can access that by going HERE. Please “Like” the video and feel free to subscribe to our channel, as we’ll be adding much more content and music in the upcoming weeks.
Dust Prophet is: Heather Lynn- Vocals. Otto Kinzel- Guitar. Sarah Wappler- Bass; Keyboards. Marc Brennan- Drums.
