Next week, Mythosphere will play their first gig Maryland Doom Fest 2022 as part of a packed lineup, and part of what they’ll be celebrating as they do is not only their advent as a new project working secretly in the shadows on putting together a debut full-length — and apparently having completed one — but also their signing to Cruz Del Sur Music to release said album. The band, which unites Pale Divine members Dana Ortt (also ex-Beelzefuzz), Darin McCloskey (also also ex-Beelzefuzz) and Ron “Fezzy” McGinnis (also Admiral Browning, etc.) with lead guitarist Victor Arduini of Fates Warning, Entierro and Arduini/Balich — bridging a geographical divide from the Chesapeake Watershed to New England in the doing — will have a limited number of self-made CDs on hand to share at the fest.

That I want one goes without saying. Gonna keep my finger on the trigger for when they launch a merch page and hopefully have a couple leftovers.

In any case, those familiar with Beelzefuzz‘s run — which began about about 13 years ago and ended seemingly for good at Maryland Doom Fest 2019 (review here) after two LPs — or who were made familiar with Pale Divine‘s most recent outing, 2020’s righteous Consequence of Time (review here), will recognize Ortt‘s stepping back into a frontman-ish role for Mythosphere on “King’s Call to Arms.” The song has a sweeping melody and a rhythmic foundation of swing that’s classic as much as defined by what Ortt, McGinnis and McCloskey have done in the past, but I also get the sense in listening that Mythosphere isn’t necessarily a redux of Beelzefuzz with Arduini‘s ripper solos over top so much as a new collaboration between parties familiar with each other that is in the process of setting out to find its own path. Can you hang with it? Oh most definitely.

If you’re heading to Maryland Doom Fest, and you go to the merch table, tell them I sent you, or at least that I said hi. Truth be told, I’ve done a near-embarrassing level of premieres and unveilings and streams around these players over the last decade-plus between their various bands, but I am still excited to find out where Mythosphere and this upcoming first collection of songs might take them. I like what I like — same as everyone — but this first impression is resoundingly positive. And kudos on the band signing to Cruz Del Sur.

Dig:

Mythosphere, “King’s Call to Arms” video premiere

MYTHOSPHERE Feat. PALE DIVINE and Ex-FATES WARNING Members Signs With CRUZ DEL SUR MUSIC; Debut Live Appearance Scheduled for MARYLAND DOOM FEST

Cruz Del Sur Music is proud to announce the signing of MYTHOSPHERE, the band founded by PALE DIVINE guitarist/vocalist Dana Ortt and drummer Darin McCloskey. The pair are joined by their PALE DIVINE bandmate Ron McGinnis (bass) and none other than former FATES WARNING guitarist Victor Arduini. Their debut album will be released in 2023.

MYTHOSPHERE’s origins began in 2020 when Ortt and McCloskey started working on material intended to be the continuation of BEELZEFUZZ. Their songs came to fruition in 2021 once the pandemic subsided, prompting Ortt to reach out to Arduini to lend his identifiable brand of lead guitar playing. McGinnis was the natural choice for bass, thus completing MYTHOSPHERE, an outfit steeped in traditional metal and doom history that promises to live up to its lofty billing.

“I see it as Dana’s project,” says Arduini. “He is the primary songwriter and instrumentalist. I get to interpret the songs and come up with my own ideas and sounds. It’s great to see the merging of our two unique playing styles and how it forms something new. I’ve learned that when you do a project on your own, it will only represent your musical approach which is cool for a solo project. But Dana allowed an outside influence and I think we are both very pleased with how this came out. I can’t say enough about the band. Darin and Ron are both very passionate and committed to the music. They are very involved in the writing process and are great musicians. It allows me to focus on what I enjoy doing and not have to put the weight of the entire project on my shoulders.”

“From my perspective, I’m just reacting to what Dana presents,” adds McCloskey. “We will work off the basic ideas he presents and sometimes work out the arrangements together. Other times, Dana will have everything pretty well mapped out. I think there’s a bit of nuance from previous bands, but there’s also a progression into some uncharted territory which makes things really exciting!”

MYTHOSPHERE recorded their as-yet-titled debut album at Tiny Castle Studio in Towson, Maryland, with producer/engineer Noel Mueller. Arduini tracked at his home studio and delivered his parts to the rest of the band. “The music would be best described as an expansion of where BEELZEFUZZ left off,” says McCloskey. “A bit less doom as the songs have deeper progressions with soundscapes and melodic overtones which were brought into the mix by Victor creating a whole new vibe and listening experience.”

For the here and now, MYTHOSPHERE will make its live debut on June 24 at the Maryland Doom Fest. That gig will be followed by an appearance at the New England Stoner and Doom Fest on October 7. Fans will be given a sneak preview of MYTHOSPHERE’s debut album and will also be treated to some surprises from their past.

“We’ll be playing the songs we’ve recently recorded for the album and experimenting with the setlist and finding out what songs will go over the best in a live setting,” closes McCloskey. “We are also looking to include a bit of BEELZEFUZZ into the set that matches the vibe of our new music and Victor’s signature guitar playing. He brings a new element of depth and color to the songs.”

The lineup is:
Dana Ortt – Guitar/Vocals
Victor Arduini – Lead guitar
Darin McCloskey – Drums
Ron “FeZZy” McGinnis -Bass

https://www.facebook.com/Mythosphere-103752001922863
https://mythosphere.bandcamp.com/

cruzdelsurmusic.com
facebook.com/cruzdelsurmusic
cruzdelsurmusic.bandcamp.com

Mythosphere, “King’s Call to Arms”

Says new The Obsessed guitarist Jason Taylor (also of Sierra) about joining the band, “Very excited to announce that I’m playing guitar for The Obsessed! One of my favourite bands on the planet. A dream come true. Jamming with them this past week has been unreal.”

According to a post from the doom stalwarts’ founding guitarist/vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich, Taylor has been added on second guitar and Chris Angleberger will join on bass, a slot that had been handled previously by Reid Raley, also of Rwake. I have no idea what’s behind the change, but this isn’t the first time Weinrich and drummer Brian Constantino have shifted the other players involved, and it’s not the first incarnation of The Obsessed by a longshot to feature two guitars. I’m not too sure about my man’s rebel flag patch, but I suppose you get what you get. And if you would tell me “history not racism,” I’ll handily reply, “history of racism” and leave it at that, trying and failing not to come off as a smug Northeastern prick. I support anyone’s right to free speech, including my own. We can disagree on stuff. If you want to argue, run your own shitheel blog for 13 years and take me down a peg. I could use it.

I got off track trying to preempt BS. The news here is there’s a new version of The Obsessed and apparently they’ll look to hit the road to and from Ripplefest Texas in July. The band’s 2017 comeback LP, Sacred (review here), turned five years old last month, which is just about long enough to make one wonder if they have any plans for a follow-up.

From social media:

Hello friends, I am proud to announce the new The Obsessed lineup! On bass Chris Angleberger (Tranquilizer), on 2nd guitar Jason Taylor (Sierra, Witches of God), Brian Costantino on drums, Wino on guitar and vocals.

We will be doing a string of shows en route to Ripplefest in Austin, and back. We look forward to seeing you out on the road! Tour dates coming soon.

Check out patreon.com/theobsessed for music, mischief, and original content.

Check out wino-art.com for more wino art.

Thank you,
WINO
5-11-22

http://www.facebook.com/TheObsessedOfficial
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https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/

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The Obsessed, Live in Houston, Texas, Aug. 9, 2021

I’m not going to attempt to invalidate anyone’s feelings about Pentagram or their founding frontman Bobby Liebling. Not gonna do it. Although it seemed to be the reports of his having punched his mother that actually got him the most flack over recent years, there were prior allegations of sexual harassment on tour and while doom as a genre is pretty conservative, he’s about as close as I’ve seen anyone come to being ‘canceled’ in any form of underground heavy, with maybe one or two exceptions.

So I’m not looking for drama in posting about the band. If you think dude is a scumbag, maybe you’re right. I don’t really know him beyond his reputation as an addict, his undeniable charisma on stage. We’ve never hung out, in other words. But Pentagram are a band whose influence spans generations and continues to set riffers on a doomly course, and that’s not nothing. Lots of famous artists who’ve made significant aesthetic contributions are arguably unworthy of public adoration. If you put Liebling in that category or you don’t, to be perfectly honest I don’t have the energy to fight you either way.

I’ve had a chat or two with Greg Turley though over the years, and “Minnesota” Pete Campbell is a good guy. I don’t really know Matt Goldsborough, but he can sure play. So whatever. Not trying to trigger anybody here — and yeah, I mean that — but a 50th anniversary of a band’s existence, even if that band is long, long, long removed from its original incarnation and has had long, long, long periods of inactivity in that time, isn’t nothing. This is me noting it.

Dates came from social media:

In honor of the band’s 50th Anniversary, heavy metal pioneers PENTAGRAM return to the stage for a handful of select live performances!

You are cordially invited to come celebrate over a Half A Century of doom, hard rock and heavy metal alongside these living legends. The first string of performances break the band’s two and a half year hiatus and pledge to cover fan favorites from the past five decades.

Conceived on All Hallows Eve of 1971 by vocalist / songwriter Bobby Liebling and fellow hard rocker and horror fan Geof O’Keefe, the band had their first rehearsal on Christmas Night of the same year.

Secure your attendance now and partake in this historic soiree in one or more of the fine cities below. Further details and appearances will be revealed over the next days and weeks. Tickets may be obtained on our “Events” page: https://www.facebook.com/pentagramusa/events/

US Dates:
June 7 – Mechanicsburg PA @ Lovedraft’s brewing
June 8 – Boston MA @ Brighton music hall
June 9 – Portland ME @ Genos
June 10 – Brooklyn NY @ Sovereign
June 11 – New Haven CT @ State House
June 12 – Frederick MD @ cafe 611 w/ Bloodshot

Pentagram: Bobby Liebling, Greg Turley, Pete Campbell, Matt Goldsborough

http://www.PentagramOfficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/pentagramusa

Pentagram, “The Diver” 2022 Rehearsal

The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Willy Rivera of Spiral Grave

—

How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

I’m Will Rivera and I’m the guitarist for Spiral Grave as well as a principal songwriter. Spiral Grave came together after both Iron Man and Lord had ended with the basic idea behind the band being to write great heavy songs w/strong hooks and powerful vocals in the vein of Dio-era Sabbath, Candlemass, Mercyful Fate, Trouble and Metal Church.

Describe your first musical memory.

My first musical memory would probably be my mother always having music on in the house. She has very broad taste so you would hear anything from Santana and Miami Sound Machine to Van Halen or The Bee Gees. She’d also have MTV on all the time so a lot of my initial musical exposure was from ’80s music videos and back then it wasn’t a foreign concept to have Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Quiet Riot and Culture Club played in the same hour so it was incredibly eye opening and influential.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

I have so many great musical memories but the most recent would have to be playing to a packed room at this year’s Maryland Doomfest and having the crowd sing along to a guitar melody that I wrote on my beat up couch at home on an acoustic guitar. Nothing can prepare you for that feeling, you couldn’t knock the smile from my face that night, haha. It was truly vindicating after all the hard work we’d put in to get this band going.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

A firmly held belief was tested? Oooh, that’s a tough one… I guess the best example I can come up with to fit this scenario would be my life pretty much unraveling midway through 2018 when my relationship at the time had dissolved, Lord ended acrimoniously after 13 years, I needed a place to live and I had transferred to a new store… all in the span of two months. There was a lot of upheaval going on that was testing my conviction but when it seemed to be easier to just give up, I moved forward with a new band and in a matter of months, the other facets of my life fell into place. Taking the road less traveled really paid off and I was going off the hope and intuition that this new project would actually pan out. It was all about maintaining faith in the vision and not giving up on it despite distance, lack of convenience or anything else…

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

I feel artistic progression always leads to expanding your palette of tastes and adding to your musical arsenal. You should always be in a state of challenging yourself and gradually improving or striving for something uniquely your own.

How do you define success?

I define success as being satisfied with yourself and your work. You can’t put a price on vision and the need to follow your muse. Most of my heroes are cult artists at best so it’s not much of a stretch to see that future for myself but as long as you’re satisfied with your output or are heading in the right direction, that’s success to me.

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

The utter disregard for empathy, common courtesy or just plain decency in people’s behavior these days. It’s not everyone, I’ve seen many instances that have given me hope but it was disheartening to see so many people turn on each other or treat each other horribly due to difference of opinion. It was also disappointing to see people with access to all the information in the world at their fingertips, be so willfully ignorant.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

The next song… it sounds so cliche but I love to see ideas come to fruition. We’ve already written our second album and I’m a bit bummed cos the most exciting part was the writing for me but I look forward to watching these take shape in the studio and take on a life of their own.

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

The most essential function of art to me is expression. To give a voice or an outlet to things that you can’t express through speaking or the written word. I’d be lost without it. Music, art and film has saved my life and sanity at so many points of my existence that I consider it my true savior. I’m not a religious man but I believe that art and sound can have a profound, lasting and almost spiritual impact on a person who allows themselves to be affected in a way that frees their consciousness and opens them up to a feeling of a elation… like touching the universe with your soul. It can be otherworldly.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Most of my life revolves around music but I’ve been very excited to be able to go see movies in a theater again. It seems so trivial but after not being able to do so for a year, I cherish the experience that much more. I love being able to lose myself in the experience and get sucked into a whole other world for two hours…

https://www.facebook.com/SpiralGrave/
https://spiralgrave.bandcamp.com/
www.argonautarecords.com
www.facebook.com/argonautarecords

Spiral Grave, “Out of My Head” official video

With veins pumping the dense blood of Maryland doom itself, Spiral Grave released their awaited debut album, Legacy of the Anointed, on July 16 through Argonauta Records. It is the culmination of two-plus years of work and a collaboration that goes back over a decade, as guitarist Will Rivera, formerly of Virginia chaos-conjurors Lord, joined together with the three remaining members of MD doom mainstays/elementals Iron Man following the passing in early 2018 of that band’s founding songwriter and guitarist, Alfred Morris III. As one might expect, Morris and Iron Man are a significant presence in the Noel Mueller of Grimoire Records-helmed Legacy of the Anointed, the very title of which acknowledges the band’s origins and the sense of duty they feel in carrying forward in the way they do across these eight songs.

Fair enough. Vocalist “Screaming Mad” Dee Calhoun, bassist “Iron” Louis Strachan, and drummer Jason “Mot” Waldmann, together with Rivera, form a presence of their own in bringing together classic metal and doomly traditionalism, offering some speedier moments that Iron Man likely wouldn’t dare in the early cut “Out of My Head” (video premiering below) as well as “Walking Talking Dead Man” and the closing salvo of “Tanglefoot” and “Abgrund,” though there’s plenty of nestled-in groove to coincide, whether it’s prior singles “Nothing” and “Walking Talking Dead Man,” or the opener “Nightmare on May Eve (Dunwich Pt. 1)” — a song with its own thrashier moments and no shortage of context to suit a band of whom the same could easily be said.

The crucial work Spiral Grave do, however — and however they do it in a given track — is to move forward from the foundation of the members’ prior work. Due homage is paid, but Rivera is a much different guitarist than was Morris, and Lord (who also broke up in 2018) have a worthy back catalog to prove that along with the merit of his songwriting and aggression-tinged approach, well suited to a lyric like “Modern Day Golden Calf,” and the brooding bleakness of “Nothing” and “Your Enemy’s Enemy,” to say nothing of “Walking Talking Dead Man.”

It’s hard to know the timing on which songs were first and which were later, since even “Nothing,” which Salt of the Earth Records released as the band’s first single in 2019, arrives with some progressive flourish in the midsection instrumental stretch, but definitely by the time the four-piece are into “Tanglefoot” there’s a sense of the progress they’ve undertaken, Calhoun, Waldmann and Strachan pushing themselves to keep pace with the riffs in a way that isn’t struggling or conflicting, but gives a sense of undertaking a new style just the same. “Abgrund,” the longest cut at 8:15, has a similar metal-of-doom vibe, and hits its payoff — you’ll note the mad screaming from Calhoun — after about five minutes in, not just in answer to the two six-minute-plus songs that led off in “Nightmare on May Eve (Dunwich Pt. 1)” and “Modern Day Golden Calf,” but for the momentum of Legacy of the Anointed as a whole. The swing of “Out of My Head,” the hook and bass punch of “Nothing,” the shove of “Your Enemy’s Enemy”; all seem to find representation and summary in the final going of the album, and the flow from one to the next is palpable despite the purposeful bumps left in the road in the shifts from one part to the next.

The duality of Legacy of the Anointed becomes a defining feature, both stylistically and in terms of the band itself, these being experienced players embarking on something new together. One would not ask more of Spiral Grave than they give here, and in terms of giving that legacy of Iron Man its due while at the same time moving ahead to something willfully ‘else,’ these songs look forward more than back. As they should.

Calhoun offers a quote to go with the premiere of “Out of My Head” below. To it, I’ll just add that given the vitality of the band’s performances throughout the record, it’s fair enough to have the video represent them on stage.

Enjoy:

Spiral Grave, “Out of My Head” video premiere

Dee Calhoun on “Out of My Head”:

I think the cool thing about the video is we shot it at The Depot in Baltimore, which is where Spiral Grave played our first show, and where we did our single release when “Nothing” came out. So it just seemed like a cool thing to shoot that video in the same spot, and we were real happy with how it turned out. Had a real fun day that day.

Produced and engineered by Noel Mueller
Recorded at Tiny Castle Recording, Towson MD
Mastered by Doug Benson at Commodore Recording Studio, Thurmont MD

Spiral Grave are:
“Screaming Mad” Dee Calhoun – vocals
Willy Rivera – guitar
“Iron” Louis Strachan – bass
Jason “Mot” Waldmann – drums

Spiral Grave on Facebook

Spiral Grave on Bandcamp

Argonauta Records website

Argonauta Records on Facebook

What started out in 2009 as a limited CDR from Bobby Liebling’s Ram Family is now being given the moniker Bobby Liebling & Dave Sherman Basement Chronicles and released under the title Nite Owl on LP and CD through Svart Records. If you recall the Liebling documentary Last Days Here (review here), some of this music was featured. It was pretty raw then and is now as well, but you know, you bring together two of Maryland/D.C. doom’s most celebrated figures in Sherman and Liebling — not to mention Gary Isom and Russ Strahan, who both also add guitar and songwriting — there’s going to be some manner of continued interest.

Liebling earlier this year released the debut from The Limit, also through Svart. He’s about as close to ‘canceled’ as I’ve seen anyone in the doom community come — if the sexual-harassment-on-tour allegations didn’t do it, the assault on his mother seemed to — but remains a figurehead in Chesapeake heavy, and so yeah, putting this stuff out makes sense. Don’t be surprised if Pentagram makes a comeback either. That’s how it goes.

Release here is Oct. 29. Info follows:

Nite Owl by Bobby Liebling and Dave Sherman Basement Chronicles

Preorder LP: https://svartrecords.com/product/bobby-liebling-dave-sherman-nite-owl-album/

Nite Owl by Bobby Liebling and Dave Sherman Basement Chronicles is a set of doom bangers, fuzz rockers and meditative late night boogie finally made available to a wider audience.

In the early years of the new millennium doom metal legend Bobby Liebling was going through a quieter period after the Pentagram lineup that had brought us the album Show ‘Em How had disbanded. Dave Sherman, Liebling’s longtime friend and a renowned doom metal musician (Earthride, Spirit Caravan) started hanging out with Bobby more regularly and eventually the duo decided it’s time to record something and see what it would bring. “After having crashed my car”, Sherman recounts, “I was regularly packing my 4 track into a backpack, saddling up on my iron horse and riding over in the dead of night to visit Bobby. He was in sore spirits and solitary at the time so I’d started going over to keep him company, thumb through his record collection, talk music and party. These hang sessions inspired us both, so I ended up writing some riffs. With the lights of the recorder lit, these night songs effortlessly flowed out of us and were chronicled in one take.”

The Nite Owl album is the first time these recordings, a snippet of which can be heard in the cult classic documentary Last Days Here, are made available officially apart from CD-r “I Plead The Fifth” of which just a handful of copies were made by the artists. The Svart version is also remastered and partially remixed at Noise For Fiction studios, for a slightly more amplified and less lo-fi experience.

Tracklisting:
I’m Takin’ No More (Liebling / Isom)
Drop The Gun (Liebling / Sherman)
You’re Like The Wind (Liebling)
All Lit Up (Liebling / Sherman)
Last Call (Liebling / Sherman)
Space Marshall (Liebling / Sherman)
Sweet Street Cheater (Liebling / Sherman)
Nite Owl (Liebling / Sherman)
South Of The Swamp (Liebling / Strahan)

Lineup:
Russ Strahan – Guitars (lead, slide)
Dave Sherman – Guitars (rhythm), Bass, Drums, Percussion
Gary Isom – Guitars (rhythm, harmony)
Bobby Liebling – Vocals, Guitars (lead, rhythm), Bass, Percussion

www.svartrecords.com
www.facebook.com/svartrecords

Bobby Liebling & Dave Sherman Basement Chronicles, “South of the Swamp”

Perennial in a way few albums are, Spirit Caravan‘s Jug Fulla Sun was first issued by Tolotta Records in 1999. The same label, owned by Fugazi‘s Joe Lally, had released the debut 7″ from Shine in 1997, which was the band that would become Spirit Caravan — guitarist/vocalist Scott “Wino” Weinrich, bassist Dave Sherman and drummer Gary Isom. Shine came together after Weinrich‘s time in The Obsessed ended following 1994’s The Church Within, and while of course there were carryover elements in tone and songwriting approach, Jug Fulla Sun retains an identity of its own because of the players involved and because of the spirit of the material itself.

Did ever a Maryland doom rhythm section sound so sleek as Isom and Sherman on do here on “Cosmic Artifact?” And “Powertime,” just a couple tracks later, is the quintessential MD doom riff, with the kind of crunch one could hear not only from The Obsessed, but also in acts like Iron Man, Unorthodox, Internal Void, and so on. 22 years after the fact, there are still bands doing that thing. What continues to separate Spirit Caravan from the bunch is the worship-worthy tone captured in the recording by Chris Kozlowski and the warmth of the album overall.

Someone asks you the difference between doom and heavy rock. You could put on The Obsessed and Spirit Caravan to illustrate it. There are times where the line is fine, but even in “Courage” or the biker-rock-chugging “Chaw,” there’s a bounce to Spirit Caravan‘s groove that is, for me at least, pivotal in making Jug Fulla Sun the classic it is. And even the title is a positive image. A jug full of sun. Well, there are storms on the sun sometimes and yes, it’s a giant ball of turbulent atomic reaction that one day will swell to such a size as to obliterate the earth, but it’s also the reason there’s any life in this planetary system at all. And the jug is full. It’s not half-full, or half-empty. It’s a spirit of positivity, and even “Melancholy Grey” picks up its tempo in its second half to get on board.

There are examples more through the earlier tracks than later, perhaps, but in looking to the lyrics for an example of Jug Fulla Sun‘s overarching point of view and what makes it so special, the title-cut might say it best:

Say, hey! How you feelin’ now?
Have you come alive?
The golden rays of day will be clearin’ out
All your poison jive
It won’t be long before we’re all put to the test
To praise with song
Creation’s life we’re blessed

It’s not about blinding yourself to reality, but being willing to change the shape of the reality you see. “Dead Love/Jug Fulla Sun,” at eight minutes, is the longest inclusion on Spirit Caravan‘s first LP, with a mellower unfolding in its initial stretch that leads to dead-on roll in the verses and the opening to that chorus above, singularly memorable as it is, and it’s followed by “Fang,” the chug and howl of which is immediately more severe, and which brings Sherman to the fore on vocals. “Prince of evil — that’s right” atop pure Sabbath lumbering, loyal to that first chug and plodding despite an ultimately middling pace.

“Fang” is the centerpiece of the CD, with six songs on either side, and a standout in marking a turning point to the second half of the record, with “Chaw” picking up instrumentally as a kind of intro to the rest of what follows, quick at just two minutes long, but “Melancholy Grey” answers with a moodier first half and it’s not until the solo section near the end that it seems to come out of it. That’s still in time for “Sea Legs” to answer the bikerism of “Chaw” in its lyrics — that is to say, in actually be about riding; “I’ve got a two-wheeled sled of molten chrome/A well done iguana and a real heavy gnome,” etc., the iguana and gnome being references by Wino to Isom and Sherman, respectively — and for the punker blast of “Kill Ugly Naked,” originally by The Obsessed.

That song dates back at least to The Obsessed‘s 1985 demo, but is a fit nonetheless with what surrounds owing to the richness of its tonality. By the time it gives way to the penultimate “Lost Sun Dance,” that richness becomes lush and methodically grooved, a highlight buried down near the end of the 13-track progression, but welcome just the same ahead of the acoustic intro to “No Hope Goat Farm,” which continues to flesh out layered in among the familiar fuzz in the otherwise unassuming, leave-’em-wanting-more finish, backed by a few seconds of silence not unlike those that preceded the entry of “Healing Tongue” back at the outset.

At 54 minutes, it’s fair to call Jug Fulla Sun a relic of the CD era. When Exile on Mainstream did a 15th anniversary vinyl issue in 2014, it was three-sided, so yeah. But, in light of the fact that this, the subsequent 1999 Dreamwheel EP (discussed here), 2001’s Elusive Truth and the 2002 So Mortal Be single were all the band put out in their time — MeteorCity‘s 2003 compilation, The Last Embrace, put it all together nicely — I’m more inclined to be grateful that the disc is packed than I am to think of it as a slog. The quality of the material helps there too.

Spirit Caravan were briefly revived in the middle of the last decade and I was fortunate enough to see them in 2015. That lineup, with Weinrich, Sherman and drummer Brian Costantino, would rebrand as The Obsessed for a time before bringing in bassist Reid Raley in place of Sherman, who by then was fronting Weed is Weed in addition to Earthride and who last year made a right on debut with Galactic Cross‘ self-titled LP (review here). The Obsessed, meanwhile, released Sacred (review here) on Relapse in 2017, and have continued to tour regularly, up to and including the co-headlining dates with The Skull that were announced yesterday. How’s that for timing?

Maybe their unsustainability is part of what makes Spirit Caravan so special, among the Wino oeuvre and otherwise. It’s a hard universe to live in and hard not to feel beaten down by it, but every now and again, the jug feels full.

This is must-have summer listening for me. As always, I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for reading.

—

I was done with this week by Tuesday. Not in terms of productivity — it’s Friday morning and I’m still writing — but emotionally, existentially done. The rest of it has been little more than slog through mediocre Crock Pot chicken leftovers and do-what-you-can parenting. We got two afternoon naps this week, which was something, though it only emphasized how much The Pecan is still healing. Still mostly in the boot. The orthopedist said on Monday to ween him off over the course of this week, so that’s what we’ve been doing. Still on for school, speech, etc.

Stress. The Patient Mrs. bought some THC gummies. They have sugar in them so I won’t have any, but I do feel like I’m missing out in that. Xanax instead isn’t exactly slumming it, when I feel the need. Yesterday, for example.

Laundry to do.

I don’t know what’s up for this weekend. I’m keeping it in the back of my head to maybe go to Connecticut tomorrow to see The Patient Mrs.’ family and come back in the afternoon to be here for Sunday morning, but honestly I’m so beat that all I really want to do is go to bed. Doing that won’t eat up the day in the same way, and it’ll never happen, but ideally I’d be in bed for like a week or 10 and then at some point emerge a new person. Probably with atrophied legs, but all the spirit in the world.

The Patient Mrs. and I were on the couch the other day and I had a good eating disorder joke. The Pecan was holding in his poop, had been for days, because he doesn’t want to go in his diaper but is still to scared to drop it in the toilet (we’ll get there, but we’re not there yet). Of course he was wailing about it, because that kind of thing gets uncomfortable after a while — like five minutes — and I said to her, “I never would’ve thought that bulimia wouldn’t be the most dramatic thing about shit in my life.” She laughed. It was probably my best line of the week.

He had a decent morning this morning before we sent him off to school. Hopefully he gives them an easy time there as well. Everyone’s tired.

Raising a kid is easily the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I worked hard at jobs, from retail through magazines through corporate. But this is a different level of investment in purpose. It’s everything. It’s up, it’s down, it’s all around in between, and you feel all of it. There’s no way to disconnect, to shut down the computer and go home. Work/life balance? Fuck you. Most days I get about 45 minutes a day watching Star Trek and even after that I usually run the dishwasher before going to bed so I can empty it in the morning. And the kid is not easy. He’s just not. This morning was like a gift. He’s been fighting me on everything. As soon as The Patient Mrs. comes in the room, he’s up her ass and any attempt to get him to do anything is countered by “mommy do it” or “daddy leave.” He won’t even sit on the toilet for me. I’m in the next room telling him good job while the two of them are in there sharing M&Ms. My experience as a father in a nutshell, or at very least a candy one that, contrary to marketing, indeed melts in your hands.

It’s been a rough few weeks. Months. I don’t see it getting easier anytime soon. I look at my nephews, who are 13, 10 and nine, and I know it’s only going to be harder. To think there will come a time when I’ll look back on his fractured skull and his broken leg and be like, “Ah, simpler days.” And at the end of it, what? Me dead? I don’t get it.

Absolute best case scenario for me as a parent is that I’m still the source of his emotional baggage for his entire life. That’s just a result of my own infertility, let alone anything I might actually have control over, like teaching him how to cope with or express emotions, which, frankly, he might as well go live in the woods and try to learn from the squirrels. More likely, I’m someone’s asshole dad. He’ll go and tell stories about his crazy shithead father and blow me off and that’ll be my life and that’s what I get because somewhere in me is some trauma and self-loathing that I’ve never gotten past and I’m accordingly a broken wreck of a person. Failure is the best I can do.

Then I do this shit on top of that, and for what exactly?

So yes, if you’d like to invest in my sugar-free cannabis edibles company, hit me up.

Maybe I could make weed-infused nut-butter while I’m at it.

On the other side of things, I heard four records this week — Delving, Lammping, Judas Knife and one I can’t talk about yet — that will be on my year-end list, and since “does music still sound good?” is my metric for life being worthwhile, I guess it must still be.

And I’m going to review the Colour Haze Los Sounds de Krauts reissue on Monday as an act of self-care. Sometimes you need that.

New Gimme show today at 5PM. Takk for listening if you do. https://gimmemetal.com

You go ahead and have yourself a great and safe weekend. Thanks for letting me rant. Have fun, watch your head, hydrate, enjoy the weather if it’s nice.

And thanks too if you’ve bought or are planning to buy Obelisk merch. That shit helps me keep my head up, for real. Validation beyond the couple bucks per item. So thanks.

FRM.

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The Obelisk merch

Hot damn, The Obsessed and The Skull, co-headlining at what could’ve easily been dubbed the ‘Champions of Doom Tour’ but sadly was not. Neither are expected to have a new record out by the end of July — The Skull‘s The Endless Road Turns Dark (review here) came out in 2018, and The Obsessed released the bootleg-style Live at Big Dipper (review here) last year — but hell, at least they’re both getting out. The dates arrive with a stopover for The Obsessed‘s Wino to play a solo set at Ripplefest Texas 2021, and there are a couple shows where the two bands part ways for the night.

You’ll also note on Aug. 1 they have matinee and evening shows in Indianapolis and Louisville. That’s about an hour and 45 minutes down I-65 from one town to the other. Oldschool in more than just sound here, it would seem.

The PR wire brought dates and I didn’t even have to type them out myself! Amazing:

THE OBSESSED And THE SKULL: Doom Rock Icons Announce US Co-Headlining Tour; Tickets On Sale Now!

THE OBSESSED and THE SKULL will join forces for a US co-headlining tour this Summer. Set to commence July 29th in Cleveland, Ohio, the doom rock caravan will wind its way through nearly two-dozen cities, drawing to a close on August 16th in Rochester, New York. Tickets are on sale now. See all confirmed dates below.

THE OBSESSED/THE SKULL:
7/29/2021 Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH **
7/30/2021 Club Garibaldi – Milwaukee WI
7/31/2021 Cobra Lounge – Chicago IL
8/01/2021 Black Circle – Indianapolis, IN (matinee show)
8/01/2021 Diamond Pub – Louisville, KY (evening show)
8/02/2021 Brickyard Bar – Knoxville, TN
8/03/2021 Growlers – Memphis, TN
8/04/2021 George’s Majestic – Fayetteville, AR
8/05/2021 Bears – Shreveport, LA
8/06/2021 Division Brewery/Grrowl – Arlington, TX
8/07/2021 White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX ##
8/07/2021 Ripple Fest @ Texas Ski Ranch – New Braunfels, TX ^^
8/08/2021 Lost Well – Austin, TX
8/09/2021 White Oak Music Hall – Houston, TX **
8/10/2021 Freetown Boom Boom Room – Lafayette, LA **
8/10/2021 Santos – New Orleans, LA ##
8/11/2021 The Earl – Atlanta, GA
8/12/2021 Pour House – Raleigh, NC
8/13/2021 Cafe 611 – Frederick, MD
8/14/2021 GoldSounds – Brooklyn, NY
8/15/2021 Alchemy – Providence, RI
8/16/2021 Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
** THE OBSESSED only
## THE SKULL only
^^ WINO Solo

[poster by Gary Mader]

https://www.facebook.com/TheObsessedOfficial
http://relapse.com/the-obsessed-sacred/
https://theobsessed.bandcamp.com/
http://www.relapse.com
http://www.relapserecords.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords

https://www.facebook.com/troubletheskull/
https://twitter.com/theskullusa
http://theskullusa.com/
https://teepeerecords.com/

The Obsessed, Sacred (2017)

The Skull, “Ravenswood” official lyric video