Posted in Whathaveyou on October 28th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
You’ll note up front the presence of Robert Lowe on vocals in Grief Collector, as the former Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass and current Tyrant singer lends his rather significant pipes to the trio who have now signed to Petrichor to issue their full-length debut early next year. Petrichor, of course, is the recently launched imprint of Hammerheart Records, and it’s worth pointing out that the label itself has signed a worldwide distribution deal with Napalm Records, which means that a band like Grief Collector, in issuing their forthcoming March 2021 debut full-length, En Delirium, can be assured it will exist anywhere it’s supposed to.
There’s no music on their Bandcamp as of now, but they released the From Dissention to Avowal EP in 2019 and they’ve got a lyric video for “Of Misery nd Woe” on YouTube that you can steam at the bottom of this post. It’s right down there. You’ll find it.
From the PR wire:
Petrichor announces the signing of US Doom/Heavy Metal band Grief Collector!
Petrichor is proud to announce the addition of Grief Collector to its’ rapidly expanding roster! Grief Collector is a Heavy/Doom Metal band from the U.S. and formed around the charismatic vocalist Robert Lowe, famous for his unmistakable, high-quality vocal contributions to bands such as Solitude Aeturnus, Candlemass and more recently Tyrant. In Brad Miller and Matt Johnson Grief Collector has the skilled and experienced Metal musicians on board to create high-quality Heavy Metal with Doom Metal touches that can stand the test of time (past, present and future).
Grief Collector was founded in 2017 and released an EP called “From Dissension To Avowal” in 2019. This EP showcased references to the more recent Candlemass work and the Heavier/Doom approach of bands such as Trouble. Hints of Solitude Aeturnus are present, of course, as well.
March 2021 is set as the release month for Grief Collector’s new album “En Delirium”. Expect high-quality Heavy/Doom Metal, performed with passion!
Grief Collector are: Brad Miller – Drums Matt Johnson – Guitars/Bass Robert Lowe – Vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 30th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Alright, here’s me spending your money. Dig it. From Philly and Minneapolis, respectively, come Heavy Temple and Wolf Blood with the new Split From the Black Hole on Riff Merchant Records. The fact that such a thing exists should probably be enough reason for you to shell out $10 for a 7″. Right? Heavy Temple? Wolf Blood? Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.
But wait — they’re also both covering Funkadelic on here, with Heavy Temple adopting the nom de guerre Funky Temple and meeting up with Wolf Blood as Atomic Wolf and yeah, that’s even cooler. All the money goes to Black Lives Matter — if you’ve been paying attention to demonstrations around the US, you’ll note Minneapolis is where George Floyd was killed and Philadelphia has a long history of resistance going back to the rich white guys who decided they didn’t want to be British anymore because the taxes were too high. The vinyl’s supposed to be ready in August, and plague-willing, it will be, but preorders are up as of today, so just go ahead and make that happen.
In other words, I want you to hit it. Hit and quit it. Also, I got a thing, you got a thing, and both our things are heavy. Fucking a.
Info:
HEAVY TEMPLE & WOLF BLOOD – Split from the Black Hole
Heavy Temple and Wolf Blood have teamed up to pay homage to George Clinton and Funkadelic on this mind-melting split 7″. Without the influences of Black musicians the world of heavy metal wouldn’t exist, and our record shelves would be empty. Get ready to shake your groove thing and tear the roof off the mother on this sick reinterpretation.
The records are being pressed at Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland Ohio, with an anticipated completion date of mid-August. Heavy Temple side recorded and mastered by Red Water Recording. Heavy Temple guest appearance on the keys by the Ace of Cups (Sean Hur) from Ruby the Hatchet. Wolf Blood side recorded and mastered by Adam Tucker at Signaturetone. Cover art by Matt Guack.
Side A: Heavy Temple – Hit it and Quit it
Side B: Wolf Blood – I got a Thing, You got a Thing, Everybody’s got a Thing.
The idea for this split came before the murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of protests calling for the dismantling of white supremacy and racist institutions that still plague the US. In light of this, I recognize that it is not enough to simply “pay homage” to the Black community with words. Therefore, we are donating 100% of the sales (all of it, not some “net-profit” bullshit) of the Wax Mage Variants to Syracuse Youth Black Lives Matter. I’m working with Wax Mage to make these variants positively INTERSTELLAR.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 8th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
One can only imagine the emotional experience Buffalo Fuzz guitarist Jared Zachary underwent going back into the studio to mix the tracks for the band’s second album, Volume II, months after the suicide of drummer Jake Allan. There’s heavy and then there’s heavy. While I’m not sure what Zachary‘s plans are going forward for Buffalo Fuzz, the band is at least continuing in its present form long enough to get the record out two years after it was put to tape, so that’s something. They have preorders up for it now and there’s a video for “Too Young to Die” streaming at the bottom of this post.
It’s a sad story, obviously, but rock is rock. Have at it:
Two years after the loss of drummer Jake Allan, heavy blues duo Buffalo Fuzz is set to release Buffalo Fuzz Volume II on June 5th 2020. Following the success of their 2016 debut, their sophomore album marks Allan’s final musical work before his death.
“I said I needed love, I said I needed life — I need a token from some measure of the divine.” Buffalo Fuzz wrote their second album to dig deeper into the themes presented in their debut, and they turned the energy up to eleven. The band tracked the album at Pearl Recording Studio to the very same Studer tape machine used to track Nirvana’s In Utero. In June of 2018, just a month after recording the 11 tracks for this album, drummer Jake Allan died by suicide at the age of 24. The album sat on the shelf for months before singer/guitarist Jared Zachary could return and finalize the mixes for the songs. Jared and Jake’s final work will be available to ears worldwide on June 5th 2020, more than two years after it was recorded.
A music video for “Too Young To Die” was released Tuesday, April 21st as a taste of what’s to come. Filmed by Altvra Company, the video thematically and sonically encapsulates feel of the album. At your convenience, please preview the video and album via the above links. Listeners are being directed to Buffalofuzz.com to pre-order the album.
Tracklisting: 1. The Reaper 2. Black Sheep Blues 3. I’m On Fire 4. Bad Circulation 5. Buffalo Stomp 6. Can’t Find My Home 7. Too Young To Die 8. Sunshine Of Your Love 9. Hole In My Heart 10. My Cosmic Love 11. Reaper Reprise
Buffalo Fuzz are: Jared Zachary – vocals, guitar Jake Allan – drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 22nd, 2019 by JJ Koczan
It’s a markedly outside-genre approach that Wolf Blood seem to be taking on their second album, II, and the only question one is left with when they’re done is who’s going to sign them. Because especially if they tour at all, it’s going to need to be someone, as their work is simply too engaging in its individualism to leave hanging out there on Bandcamp with the limited self-pressings it’s gotten. At times reminiscent of Kylesa, as in the dual vocals between guitarist Mindy Johnson and bassist Adam Rucinski — drummer Jake Paulsrud also contributes — during “Kumate,” their winding moments are able to conjure modern prog or even out to the straight-ahead drive of black metal as they will, with Johnson and fellow guitarist Mike Messina leading arrangements like that of the penultimate “Drowning Man,” which doesn’t offer much beyond the assumed guitar, bass, drums and vocals and yet manifests a resonant sense of atmosphere thanks to the patience of the delivery and the richness of the tones involved, the echoes seeming to rise from the guitar and bass lines like so much distant smoke.
With a pervasive sense of melody to coincide, Wolf Blood emerge five years after their self-titled debut (review here) with a six-song/41-minute LP that refuses to do anything other than stand on its own. The Duluth, Minnesota-based four-piece have clearly worked to discover who they are as players in the intervening half-decade from one release to the next — they also brought in Rucinski as a new member — but the manner in which they succeed across II‘s varied-of-intent-but-united-in-mood span is thrilling and immersive at the same time, even unto the post-Sleep march of 11-minute closer “Tsunami,” the louder parts of which live up to the name in tidal undulations of riffing ahead of quieter verses, creating a push-pull tension that, as one would hope, pays off in a fervent thrust to cap the album as a whole. That is just one more example of the ways in which Wolf Blood‘s II feels strikingly complete, as that last push carries some reminder of the outset of “Lesion” back at the start of the record.
Indeed, those opening seconds that introduce the opener and return as a bridge between verses at the beginning of II are a crucial nod to extreme metal that add an element of danger to everything Wolf Blood do subsequent to them, an undercurrent of volatility belying even the calmest of stretches. With Paulsrud blasting away on drums, “Lesion” revels in that elemental extremity, and that only makes the swinging groove of “Slaughterhouse” all the more satisfying as the vocal harmonies arrive in thoughtfully composed fashion over a push that’s more subtle than that of the opener but finds Rucinski — or Paulsrud — stepping forward in order to take a soaring chorus in an effective changeup of their approach to that point. A guitar solo leads to full-on instrumental charge as “Slaughterhouse” pushes into the aforementioned “Kumate” (a misspelled Bloodsport reference, perhaps?), the finisher for side A and the longest and most outwardly dynamic song yet, though frankly, neither of the preceding tracks wanted anything for dynamic.
The fluidity with which Wolf Blood are able to shift from churn to charge isn’t to be understated, and it’s almost before the listener realizes what has happened that a given song has taken off in one direction or the other. Like the blastbeats in “Lesion” the effect this has is to make the album overall less predictable and more exciting, and as the four-piece leave a trail of memorable parts behind, whether that’s the chorus in “Kumate” or the more rocking two-minute “Opium” that follows at the start of side B, topped with growls amid a cacophonous assault that would be post-metal were it not essentially a transmogrified desert rock riff put to inventive use. It’s not that Wolf Blood are doing anything at a given moment that’s willfully weird or over the top in terms of making a show of their “unique” aspects — there’s no check-us-out-we’re-weird-and-hyper-performative happening here — but the way they combine stylistic pieces to create the ambience of “Drowning Man” or “Slaughterhouse,” or even “Lesion” and “Opium,” is unquestionably their own.
And the thoughtfulness of their composition extends to the arrangement of the album itself, with each side running from its shortest track to its longest, though admittedly this is more noticeable on side B, where the difference is more stark. That Wolf Blood should so thrive in the longer “Drowning Man” and “Tsunami” isn’t necessarily a surprise, but the manner in which Wolf Blood execute the end of II reinforces the engagement that’s been happening all along and affirms their clearheadedness about who they are and what they want to be doing, be that the interplay of screams and clean vocals in “Drowning Man” or the already-noted rousing all-go at the end of “Tsunami.” With these moments and a full record’s worth of others, Wolf Blood seem to be skirting the line of sonic progressivism, not really willing to be so indulgent as to fully dive in, but neither content to simplify their impulses.
It’s hard to tell in II if this is a balance finding its way or the output of competing ideologies of craft, one of which will win out over the other in the longer term. And what does the longer term mean when a band takes five years between their first and second LPs, anyway? I said at the outset that some label or other needs to get behind II for wider release, and I genuinely believe it, but I don’t think Wolf Blood are finished growing, either. This, ultimately, makes them all the more vital as they continue to develop their approach, but the big question that needs to be answered is where they’ll take that from here and what their intentions are for all the potential shown in these tracks, because as much as they represent a realization of the band’s collective aesthetic ideals, they seem to speak to a forward-thinking mentality that will require its own manifestation. They have work to do, but that shouldn’t take away from the important steps made throughout II, which no matter what Wolf Blood come up with next will continue to stand as the moment they first hinted how much they truly had to offer.
Posted in audiObelisk on March 27th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Chalice of Suffering release their second album, Lost Eternally, April 19 on Transcending Obscurity Records. Even before the bagpipes kick in on opening track “In the Mist of Once Was,” the morose spirit of the recording makes itself plain, and the ensuing seven-song/62-minute outing is a duly downerist plunge of Midwestern-style death-doom, rending its melancholy soul in thick tones, dramatic turns and a blend of spoken and growled vocals from frontman John McGovern. Keyboards play a large role, with guitarists Will Maravelas and Nikoley Velev providing, and the steady punctuation of Aaron Lanik‘s kick drum and the low-end murk from bassist Neal Pruett assure that the songs are a due slog to suit their atmosphere of misery. The core Minneapolis-based five-piece welcome a range of guests throughout on cuts like Danny Woe (Woebegone Obscured) on “Emancipation of Pain” and Sahil “The Demonstealer” Makhija of Mumbai’s Demonic Resurrection on the penultimate “Miss Me, But Let Me Go,” and all seem to contribute to the central sense of inward-looking wretchedness that marches outward in dirge form from the beginning of the record and doesn’t let up until the final payoff gallop in closer “Whispers of Madness.”
The gradual unfolding of “Forever Winter” shows some My Dying Bride-style theatricality, but by and large what Chalice of Suffering offer is less concerned with the loss of grace than the root of loss itself. There is something grittier in the guitar tones, rawer in McGovern‘s forward-in-the-mix vocals that even in his spoken parts comes through with a human presence, and especially on the songs where no one else joins in, “Forever Winter,” “In the Mist of Once Was” — Kevin Murphy‘s aforementioned bagpipes notwithstanding — and “Whispers of Madness,” that comes through in forward fashion with a production that seems to take part of its death metal influence from the production as well, not necessarily that it’s rudimentary, but it’s far from the grandiose indulgences one sometimes encounters in the style. Chalice of Suffering thrive in this dirt. The sweeping motion that leads into the centerpiece title-track, a highlight, and subsequent “The Hurt” is somewhat jarring as compared to the crashes of “Miss Me, But Let Me Go” and “Whispers of Madness” that follow, but the hopelessness that seems to endure across the hour-plus of the offering is much more the point of focus, an emotionalism brought to bear not only in McGovern‘s vocals, but the keys, guitar and lurching progressions as well. Slow death, in the tradition thereof.
“Miss Me, But Let Me Go” uses an especially prevalent keyboard line to convey its emotional state, and the raspy, guttural contribution from Demonstealer is a standout even from those of Giovanni Vigliotti on “Lost Eternally” or Justin Buller on “The Hurt.” Accordingly, there’s little letup in atmospheric heft even when the guitars seem to recede in favor of ambient melody, and that stands in well to represent the album as a whole, which as one would expect for a work in its style uses an expressive range while remaining united in its grim, burdened purpose.
I have the pleasure today of hosting the premiere of “Miss Me, But Let Me Go” ahead of the release of Lost Eternally next month. Please find it on the player below, followed by more info from the PR wire on who does what and where.
Enjoy:
Chalice of Suffering, “Miss Me, But Let Me Go” official track premiere
US band CHALICE OF SUFFERING put out a remarkable debut that was very well received the world over and they’ve followed it up with what’s possibly one of the best albums in the doom/death metal style. Where this kind of style goes, it’s more about the emotions than the heaviness, and that’s where this band excels. ‘Lost Eternally’ perfectly encapsulates the grief, the stinging loneliness and its bleak outlook. It’s a well-rounded album that exudes the right feelings and it’s something that’s perfect for this time of the year, while being strangely palpable. The album plods on powerfully despite the weight, showing moments of melodic respite and even contributions from several guest musicians and vocalists to further enhance the proceedings. This is as genuine as it gets right from the underground. Delve into this heart-wrenching slab of doleful, atmospheric death/doom metal music and experience life at its cruelest.
Album line up – John McGovern – Vocals Will Maravelas – Guitars/Keyboards Aaron Lanik – Drums Nikoley Velev – Guitars/Keys/Drums (on The Hurt, Lost Eternally, Emancipation of Pain) Neal Pruett – Bass Kevin Murphy – Bagpipes (on In the Mist of Once Was)
Guest vocals – Danny Woe of WOEBEGONE OBSCURED (on Emancipation of Pain) Demonstealer of DEMONIC RESURRECTION (on Miss Me, But Let Me Go with John) Giovanni Antonio Vigliotti of SOMNENT (on Lost Eternally with John) Justin Buller of WOLVENGUARD/IN OBLIVION (on The Hurt)
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 18th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
I only have one question when it comes to Wolf Blood releasing their second album, Wolf Blood II, and it’s this: How much does the title of that album sound like an ’80s action movie? Like, “Dude, I saw Wolf Blood I and it was totally gnarly but Wolf Blood II is beyond rad!” Who stars in that movie? It’s gotta be Van Damme, right? And somehow he does a completely nonsequitor split that allows him to, I guess, take a human life without any consequence? Let’s face it, if that movie existed — and I’m not 100 percent sure it doesn’t — you would call it a classic.
You may well do the same when Wolf Blood II — the album — arrives on June 1 through Riff Merchant Records. Preorders start May 1 and the band will be at Chicago Doomed & Stoned and Maryland Doom Fest around the release.
As the PR wire informs:
WOLF BLOOD “II” release, Festival dates & East Coast Tour
Minneapolis, MN band WOLF BLOOD announce the release of their long awaited sophomore LP titled “II” out June 1st. “II” will be the first release on Syracuse, NY label Riff Merchant Records. Pre-orders start May 1st at wolfblood666.bandcamp.com. As a thank you to supportive fans “II” includes the crushing song “Tsunami” from their 2018 digital only release.
In support of the release they will make their debut at the CHICAGO DOOMED & STONED festival June 1st and will hit the road for a week culminating in a performance at the MARYLAND DOOMFEST on June 23rd.
June Tour Dates June 1st Chicago, IL @ Chicago Doomed & Stoned June 13th Minneapolis, MN @ Mortimers Vinyl Release June 18th Chicago, IL @ Live Wire w/Sacred Monster June 19th Cleveland, OH @ Symposium W/Frayle June 20th Montclair, NJ @ Meatlocker June 21st Philadelphia, PA @ TBA June 22nd Lancaster, PA @ Lizard Lounge June 23rd Frederick, MD @ Maryland Doomfest Mon. 24th. Louisville, KY @Highland Taproom Metal Monday’s
Formed in a dank basement during one of the coldest winters on record in Duluth, Minnesota, guitarist Mike Messina and drummer Jakob Paulsrud (Dad’s Acid) started writing psycho-sludge experiments that sounded too stoned to be metal, and too baneful to be indie-rock. They recruited local renown hard-core guitar sorceress Mindy Johnson (The Keep Aways) and the newest addition of vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Adam Rucinski (STRANGE) to flesh-out their menacing sound.
Their first album sold out within days, and caught the attention of Burning World Records who reissued it on Vinyl. After multiple cross country tours they settled in to record their long awaited follow up . “II” will be released June 1st 2019 on Riff Merchant Records, followed by a East Coast tour with appearances at CHICAGO DOOMED & STONED festival and The MARYLAND DOOMFEST.
Wolf Blood is: Mike Messina – guitar Jake Paulsrud – drums/vocals Mindy Johnson – guitar/vocals Adam Rucinski – bass/vocals
Minneapolis two-piece Buffalo Fuzz made their self-titled debut in 2016 and next Spring, they’ll look to follow it up with an already-recorded sophomore outing. They do so under the most tragic of circumstances. At the end of June, drummer/vocalist Jake Allan passed away, leaving guitarist/vocalist Jared Zachary as the sole remaining member of the band. Any loss of life so young is terrible, but to grieve as half a dup seems especially hard. Hence the delay in the album. As of now, it doesn’t seem Zachary is even sure if he’ll continue as Buffalo Fuzz or start a new band altogether after this release, which of course will be in homage to Allan‘s memory as well as his final recorded performance.
The video below for the two-and-a-half-minute hookfest “I’m on Fire” was filmed shortly before Allan‘s death, and though obviously the circumstances are terrible, it’s an upbeat, straightforward classic rocker with an urgency that lives up to its title. As for the clip, it’s no less dead-ahead than the song itself: There’s the band. There’s a girl. There’s fire. And there you have it. Any other day, it’d be business as usual, but with the context of the band’s loss and uncertain future, the sheer freshness of that wound, it’s important to remind oneself to celebrate the life and creativity that was rather than fill time with sadness at the ending of it.
I’ll hope to have more on the second Buffalo Fuzz LP as we get closer to the release and the plan for it solidifies. We’re simply not there yet. Still, the single bodes well in its crisp, professional production and clarity of songwriting. It’s the kind of song you should probably be prepared to have in your head for the rest of the day, and if you do, then all the more, I hope you enjoy it.
Zachary offered some background and comment, which you’ll find under the clip below.
Dig:
Buffalo Fuzz, “I’m on Fire” official video premiere
Buffalo Fuzz is releasing our first single of our sophomore album via music video this Friday entitled “I’m On Fire”.
This comes at a difficult time for me, as Jake Allan, my best friend and drummer, passed away a little over a month ago — just a couple weeks after finishing 10 tracks to make up our second album, and filming our first music video. He lost his battle with depression, but left us with one last series of work of incredible high-energy drumming.
I can only look forward, and although I can’t imagine Buffalo Fuzz without Jake, I can’t imagine continuing life without music. Our second album is planned for release in Spring 2019. “I’m On Fire” is the first single from the album.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 11th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Don’t you kind of have to wonder how a band winds up calling itself Porno Wolves? Like, what else was in contention that they passed over? How do you get four dudes to agree on that? The Minneapolis unit have two studio records out — the latest of them, 2017’s Renegades, is both strikingly professional-sounding and streaming at the bottom of this post — and they’re about to go play their first European shows on a stint presented by Total Volume Agency, so they must be doing something right, but yeah. They’re definitely called Porno Wolves. Sorry folks, the name is taken.
In all seriousness, whatever they’re called, good for them getting out to do shows in Europe. That’s not an easy feat for an independent band — yes, believe it or not, Porno Wolves are without major corporate backing — and even though it’s not a month-long run or anything, an initial incursion across the Atlantic is way farther than many bands get. Safe travels and thanks for not putting any cartoon tits on your tour poster.
Background and dates follow:
Porno Wolves Euro Tour
The Porno Wolves are a premium blend of blues, psychedelia, sex appeal and rock ‘n’ roll. The four-piece has erected their authentic sound on a foundation of musicianship and the classic rock canon. Fuzzed out leads, complex riffs, thought provoking lyrics, dense harmonies, and driving beats.
Brought together by their mutual love for rock ‘n’ roll the band began putting together material for their first record. Shine Like Gold, released in 2015, was the first concentrated effort by the Porno Wolves that not only solidifed the group’s artistic direction but also put them on the local map. Musically, the album plays with the idea of light and dark moving from up-tempo rock ‘n’ roll to stoner rock and heartfelt ballads. Skipping the studio the Porno Wolves second album Young Moon Rising: Live was recorded live at the intimate 331 Club in Minneapolis. Showcasing the band’s live presence the album contains live versions of tracks from Shine Like Gold as well as new material.
Creating some serious local buzz after the release of Young Moon Rising: Live the band garnered strong local support in the Twin Cities, from fans and local radio. Less than six months later the Porno Wolves were back in the studio working on their third album Renegades. The album was produced by producer and engineer Tim Barbeau and mastered with Ed Ackerson at Flowers Studio in Minneapolis. Renegades is a refinement of the Porno Wolves sound. The album is a collection of danceable tracks featuring striking guitar riffs and thunderous drums. Recommended listening at peak volume.
Porno Wolves live: 25-May Lucky’s Luke Trier, DE 26-May Aggern! Bruchsal, DE 27-May Cafe Amelie Giessen, DE 30-May La Machine Brussels, BE 31-May Kinky Star Ghent, BE
Porno Wolves: Ryan Bachman – vocals/ guitars/ keys Anthony Gore- drums/ vocals Steven Schwartz – guitars/ saxophones Shea Drenkow – bass/ percussion
