The funny thing about Riotgod is that while the band is from my home state of New Jersey, I think their second album, Invisible Empire, has more of a European rock style to it. Compared to their self-titled debut, which came out on Metalville last year, Invisible Empire is more outwardly stoner rock. The four-piece throw down unabashed love for ’90s heavy rock greats Kyuss and Soundgarden, and tinge it every now again with something more moody à la Alice in Chains.

Those shifts serve them well on Invisible Empire. Garrett Sweeny‘s riffs feel more prominent, and the band’s time on the road in Europe did them well in terms of nailing down their aesthetic. Vocalist Mark Sunshine is restrained but not repressed, maintaining the classic rock frontman sensibility he brought to the first record while also refining his approach to the rhythms of drummer Bob Pantella and bassist Jim Baglino — both also of Monster Magnet.

And if that band’s stamp shows up anywhere on Invisible Empire, it’s in the straightforward quality of the songwriting Riotgod is able to make sound easy and natural. There isn’t much psychedelia to what they do — some — but instead, the album drives home the notion of the classic working rock band. One hopes they tour again for it, as that clearly seems to be the root of their growth.

I’m lucky enough today to be able to host the track “Fool” for your streaming pleasure, which you’ll find on the player below. Hope you enjoy:

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As previously reported, Riotgod‘s Invisible Empire will be released on Metalville on Jan. 31 — it’s already out in Europe. If you like “Fool,” hit the band up on Thee Facebooks or their ReverbNation page, where they have the rest of the album streaming.

New Jersey rockers Riotgod released their first album last year via Metalville Records. As the PR wire informs today, the four-piece will return Jan. 31 with the follow-up, Invisible Empire, which between bassist Jim Baglino and drummer Bob Pantella‘s affiliation with Monster Magnet and Pantella‘s further responsibilities kicking ass in The Atomic Bitchwax, I have no idea when they would’ve had the time to record. But so it goes.

Abridged from the PR wire:

Riotgod began in spirit through the conversations of Monster Magnet‘s Bob Pantella and Jim Baglino while out on tour as early as 2006. While touring with Monster Magnet provided them with some great times and afforded them the opportunity to perform around the world, each communicated a desire to express their own musical ideas.  

Riotgod did its first mini-tour in 2009, hitting the road with fellow NJ rockers The Friends of Bill Wilson. Riotgod would visit the US Midwest and Canada, playing venues such as Chicago‘s Double Door, Detroit‘s Blondies, Toronto‘s Bovine Sex Club as well as some lesser known colorful establishments along the way.

Invisible Empire Track Listing:
1. Breed
2. Fool
3. Crossfade
4. Slow Death
5. Firebrand
6. Gas Station Roses
7. Tomorrow’s Today
8. Saving it Up
9. Loosily Bound
10. Lost
11. Hollow Mirror
12. Rebirth

They called the album Full Circle, but really, long-running Swedish rockers The Quill are charging boldly into new ground. Their first outing in half a decade and first for Metalville Records (Riotgod, Astral Doors), Full Circle also marks the debut of talented vocalist Magz Arnar (he of the pierced septum), who came aboard to replace the departed Magnus Ekwall. Since the release of In Triumph in 2006, drummer and founding member Jolle Atlagic had also joined Hanoi Rocks, so all around, The Quill coming back is something they’ve never had to do before.

You could call it “starting over,” and I don’t think you’d be wrong — that certainly seems to be what the band had in mind with the title Full Circle — but The Quill, apart from the lineup changes, also aren’t the same people they used to be. Family men with jobs and concerns outside the band, members can’t just get together and jam whenever they feel like it. They’ve had to streamline their songwriting process, tighten everything up to get the most out of what time they have. The result is that, as well structured as past efforts from the band have been, Full Circle might be the most of all in their six-album discography.

And while some of the “let’s jam this out” spontaneity of their earlier records has gone, the crispness of presentation and quality of songwriting on Full Circle are impossible to ignore. As such, with the chance to have a back and forth with guitarist/founder Christian Carlsson via email, it wasn’t so much the rebirth I wanted to learn about, but the forging ahead. It’s short compared to some of the interviews that get posted around here, but Carlsson was both accommodating and forthcoming in the interview about everything The Quill — which is rounded out by bassist Robert Triches — have been through since the days of In Triumph.

As always, the complete Q&A is after the jump. Please enjoy.

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Set for release July 26 via the German imprint Metalville Records (Riotgod, Astral Doors), the new studio album from Swedish heavy rockers The Quill — dubbed Full Circle — marks the debut of headbanging four-piece’s new frontman, Magz Arnar. Arnar, who came aboard to replace Magnus Ekwall, had a sizable task ahead of him in carrying forward the signature wail that’s become so much a part of the band’s sound over the course of their five previous albums. One listen to the straightforward punch of Full Circle, and fans will know The Quill picked the right guy for the job.

To that end (the listening end), The Obelisk is happy to be able to premiere the title cut from Full Circle, which you can stream on the player below. It’s been five years since The Quill released a record, and though they’ve gone through one of the hardest changes a band can have to make, the song shows their rock is still as vibrant and direct as ever. Here’s the track, followed by The Quill‘s bio from Thee Facebooks:

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The Quill is back! Four years after the most recent studio album the band is ready to once again spread its musical gospel. We are talking heavy rock firmly rooted in the ‘70s but vibrant and updated rather than retro.

With the touring cycle for [2006’s In Triumph] completed, in 2008, the band and singer Magnus Ekwall parted ways and The Quill was put on the backburner. Drummer Jolle Atlagic joined now defunct Finnish glam legends Hanoi Rocks – touring Europe and Japan in the process – and also did a stint in The Real McCoy band alongside Foo Fighters guitarist Chris Shiflett. Christian Carlsson (guitar) and Robert Triches (bass) also kept busy with other projects.

In early 2010, it was The Quill time again. Songs were written and Magz Arnar filled the vacant vocalist spot. It was a perfect match. The versatile singer has heaps of energy and a powerful voice that fits The Quill like a glove. Magz has the required range to sing the old stuff but also a rawness that the band was looking for.