The story here couldn’t be simpler, so don’t let me keep you from streaming the premiere of The Living Sky‘s ‘Cooling it Down’ at the bottom of this post. The song is the lead single and opening track of the Minneapolis make-a-space-with-sound-and-see-what-happens duo’s debut album, Enter the Sky, and stay with it through the drones and the reaches and you’ll find yourself in a time loop of echoing vocals and strummy ’70s singer-songwriter guitar, far back everything as the two-piece of Jason Millard and Matthew Himes signal the high grade drift-psych to come, peppered with keys, folk melodies and a full sense of being all the way gone.

At seven songs and 28 minutes, The Living Sky don’t waste their time or yours, and in that, avoid the trap of pretense that might otherwise consume a release like this, but more than that, it’s the feeling of serene exploration in “Running Lights,” or the way in which the cavernous title-track bursts out with howling guitar noise-fuzz like an old Six Organs of Admittance experiment, emphasizing both how quiet much of the record has been and how they’re no less capable of breaking that particular vibe in half if called to do so. Right on.

Dudes with a record reached out through the contact form and I dug it. Told you it was a simple story:

THE LIVING SKY – “Enter the Sky” (H&G-1012)

Seven new sunset rides through morphing mirage, fading fast into forever.

First round from the new high mileage vapor trail unit THE LIVING SKY, delivering cosmic rock & roll knowledge from the lesser known highways.

We’re pleased to finally unleash the debut album from new duo project of Jason Millard and Matthew Himes.

The boys have worked together closely in various capacities for years, and THE LIVING SKY is the latest strange form, a blasted blend of smeared astral boogie, garage fuzz drift, and bleary eyed groove from the frozen Midwest.

“The world is a cylinder inside me,
on these unleaded wings I’ve learned to fly.
Two globes spinning in feline eyes.
On beams I ride, till freedom fried.”

With elements of wispy commune rock, deep fried drone, and an almost tropical left-field funk, the tunes are guitar heavy, quasi-rural, with accents of Farfisa, hand drums, flute, wailing feedback, and mystery ocean tone.

Horizons expanding slowly, new music for today’s tomorrow.

Available on limited edition c30 cassette / digital download on 4/29 – http://home-and-garden.bandcamp.com/album/enter-the-sky

Tapes are real time duplicated to hi-bias Type II Chrome, clear shell cassette with printed b/w labels and stamped ink details. Featuring artwork by Levi Haga, each element is individually hand-stamped in bright sky blue ink to acid free Bristol board. Includes double-sided art paper insert with duo tone band photo and info. Limited numbered edition of 50 copies.

MORE: https://linktr.ee/HomeAndGardenMusic

TRACK LISTING:
1. Cooling It Down (4:01)
2. Running Lights (3:38)
3. Wishing Well (3:30)
4. Blurred Horizons (3:28)
5. Cylinder (3:33)
6. Enter the Sky (8:43)
7. Evening Wheels (1:52)

https://instagram.com/homeandgardenmusic
https://home-and-garden.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/HomeAndGardenMusic

The Living Sky, “Cooling it Down”

With an immediately thick tone and a quickly-established moody groove, “Free Your Mind” makes a sound argument for Minneapolis-based troupe Red Desert, whose Horizon EP came out in March 2020 as their first offering since 2012’s debut long-player, Damned by Fate and their contribution to Ripple Music‘s The Second Coming of Heavy (review here) in 2016. The rolling hook and Sabbathy turn ahead of its solo are on ready display in the new video for the track, which you’ll find below. And yeah, Emily Easton, who plays the lady on the motorcycle throughout the clip, should probably have a helmet on. You’re absolutely right.

My knowledge of the laws concerning such things in Minnesota are, let’s say, minimal. However, digging into Horizon for the first time — yeah, I missed it when it came out; can anyone think of something happening around March 2020 that might’ve distracted attention elsewhere? — provides a welcome immersion in straightforward heavy rock fare, unpretentious and not trying to change the world so much as kick ass, blow off steam and, presumably, have a good time doing it. There’s some ’90s attitude in the noise of EP opener “Downside,” but that bassline under the two guitars is pure heavy rock and roll and that suits me just fine. “Freedom Machine” janga-jangas a little quicker than the leadoff initially, but works its way into a C.O.C. chug in the middle and some more melodic vocals near the finish before “Free Your Mind” begins its own rollout, so if you’ve found anything to complain about thus far, it’s probably not the music.

Side B — as it were — is shorter and quicker, as none of “Horizon,” “Boozed Again” and “Desert Dream” touches five minutes long and none of the first three tracks 5:05. I guess it’s an arbitrary line, since “Boozed Again” is at 4:49, but it, the title-track and “Desert Dream” legitimately feel speedier in tempo, and as Red Desert work to sludge the start and then run it out, it’s never really a challenge to keep up with where they’re headed. “Boozed Again” is mid-paced and keeps an impressive solo in its pocket for its back half, and “Desert Dream” builds on that sharper execution, teasing a more aggro turn with its opening riff but ultimately keeping things in the spirit of good times previously established, chunky-style nod and all.

Which is all just I suppose a long way of saying, well heck, I’m glad these guys decided to make a video. That and the full stream of Horizon follow here.

Please enjoy:

Red Desert, “Free Your Mind” official video

Official video for “Free Your Mind” off the 2020 album Horizon

Merch, stream/purchase, social media:
https://linktr.ee/reddesert

“Red Desert conjure the spirit of the barren wasteland by way of low-end groove, high octane fuzz and riff wielding hook. Going strong for almost two decades, Red Desert remain a vital contributor to the modern era of heavy rock and roll with a steady flow of fiery records and countless live shows alongside acts such as Sasquatch, Nebula, Freedom Hawk, Wo-Fat, Truckfighters, Mondo Generator and Kadavar. Their loaded discography consisting of, 18 Wheels (2008), Damned By Fate (2012), Chapter 2 on Ripple Music’s Second Coming of Heavy (2016), and Horizon (2020) lay to waste our ears with sultry, psychedelic melodicism. THIS IS desert rock from The Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

Red Desert, Horizon (2020)

Red Desert on Facebook

Red Desert on Instagram

Red Desert on Bandcamp

Red Desert store

Couple cool tunes for your switched-on ears, that’s all. It’s a seven-minute seven-inch bringing two new tracks from the Cali/Minnesota-based four-piece Black Satori, but with the backing of Echodelick Records — see also: Lammping, Chino Burga, Mike Vest, etc. — diving in was an all the more enticing prospect, and I don’t regret it. With ’60s garage jangle and original-era blues-rock fuzz, psychedelia and purposefully stripped-down structure, there’s a lot being delivered in “Electric Kiss” than is being asked of the listener. Same holds true of “3 Minutes,” which, yes, is three minutes long (3:20, actually) and shifts to artsier rock with jazzy drums and howling guitar noise in the verse but but offsets this with a classic, near-rockabilly churn that’s answered later through a make-it-sing solo.

Black Satori released their debut album, Lucy Lane, in Jan. 2020. It was about 26 minutes long with four tracks on it, only one of them under six minutes on its own, and that song, “Comet Overdrive,” was a freakout instrumental. Clearly I have some digging back to do, but preliminary investigations find it to be delightfully jammed out. I guess if you need me, I’ll be on Bandcamp. Big change. Ha.

The new single is limited to 200 copies on 7″. Here’s info from the PR wire:

BLACK SATORI – Electric Kiss / 3 Minutes 7″ – Echodelick Records

Vinyl Release : August 6th, 2021

Black Satori is an eclectic rock band playing krautrock, stoner rock, psychedelic garage rock with confinement vocals, vintage vibes, and heavy space rock. They are a four-piece band with two guitars, expansive reverb, delicious fuzz tones, driving bass lines, steady drumming, and dual vocals that are energized and catchy. The band combines improvisational in-the-moment music with structured songwriting and vocals. Their music is about opening the door of perception and touches on political themes, contemplative musings, and storytelling.

Black Satori’s latest offering to be released in early November 2021 is the 7″ vinyl titled Electric Kiss from Echodelick Records. It features two new songs ‘Electric Kiss’ and ‘3 Minutes’. ‘Electric Kiss” is an early Jimi Hendrix rock styled psychedelic rock song with a catchy chorus. It is all about the tingly joy of meeting a new lover. The guitars are excited with vintage fuzz and echo, the vocals have an upbeat sing along chorus with exuberant backing vocals. The combination of vintage tones and contemporary rock is infectious with cosmic flair and popular appeal. ‘3 Minutes’ is a dystopian flower power punk song with powerful bass lines and far-out guitar effects. It stays true to the band’s desire for dark underground psych rock with lyrics about drones, political lies and how “hate will lose to love.” The charged guitar riffs, wonderful bass lines and stop and pop drumming are a rhythmic delight that will have the listener moving.

Black Satori started in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2018 and now is partially located in San Francisco. Guitarist Joseph Holbrook started the band as a project for a course in audio recording and engineering. His longtime collaborator Michael Stubbe was recruited for drums and vocals. Nathan Rose joined the party on guitar and vocals after responding to a Craigslist ad following the departure from his band Cosmic Dream. Later the talented Alex Lode, who is a skilled guitarist, joined the band on bass. Black Satori set out to make psychedelic rock music that combined all the various branches of the contemporary rock and classic psychedelic rock genres. They all connected with a love of bands like Black Angels, Pink Floyd, King Gizzard, and various heavy metal music.

The band quickly hit the stage with their original music and opened for bands like Acid Mothers Temple, The Well, and Acid Dad. They released their first singles in 2019 on limited CD-R followed by Black Satori Live at the 7th St Entry which quickly sold out. They became known for their ability to perform on stage with the ethos of responding to the energy of the audience and leaving space for improvisation for inspired live performances.

Their first studio album Lucy Lane was released in 2020 and featured energized psychedelic rock with classic blues, punk, surf and experimental krautrock. This album features their first single and music video for ‘Listless’ a surfy song with open skies reverb, soaring guitar solos and California vocals. The opener ‘Another Dimension’ is an 8-minute song with a krautrock backend and punk verse chorus opening. The album was well received especially in Europe and hit the airways on underground radio and podcasts.

Music By Black Satori
Mastered By Arlen Thompson
Mixed by Joe Holbrook
Artwork by Joe Holbrook and Heart Of The Sun Light Shows
Design and Layout By Nathan Rose
Recorded at Essential Sessions
Produced by Black Satori
Engineered by Joe Holbrook and Brad Matala

Black Satori Is:
Nathan Rose – Guitar
Joe Holbrook – Guitar & Vocals
Alex Lode – Bass
Michael Stubbe – Drums & Vocals

https://www.facebook.com/BLACKSATORI/
https://www.instagram.com/blacksatori/
https://blacksatori.bandcamp.com/
https://blacksatori.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/ERECORDSATL
https://www.instagram.com/echodelickrecords/
https://echodelickrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://www.echodelickrecords.com/
http://visualvolume-mikevest.bandcamp.com/

Black Satori, Electric Kiss / 3 Minutes (2021)

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: James Benson of Chrome Waves, Comatose & Amiensus

—

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

I simply describe myself as a musician. I grew up with some music around me but wasn’t interested until my early teen years when I was introduced to Led Zeppelin and hardcore/metal of the early 2000s.

Describe your first musical memory.

My friends and I, around age 15, joined in and pressed record on a single Logitech mic with a few instruments and tried to put together a song. It was horrible.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

Being stranded in Kelowna, BC, at the end of a tour because the head in our bus was stripped. Beautiful place, very hospitable.

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

I went to two private colleges, and have a degree in Biblical Theology. That education helped me firmly cement my leaving religion.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Escapism.

How do you define success?

Feeling content.

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

Arkansas.

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

A live album.

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

Escapism.

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

Growing peppers and making hot sauce during the summer/fall and camping with my four dogs.

http://www.facebook.com/comatoseminnesota
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUNpxQDG1DSbsApt8ZScVGw
http://www.instagram.com/comatose507/
https://www.facebook.com/chromewavesofficial
http://chromewaves.bandcamp.com
http://www.instagram.com/chromewavesofficial
http://www.facebook.com/Amiensus
http://www.instagram.com/amiensus
http://twitter.com/AmiensusMn
http://www.transcendingrecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/transcendingrecords
http://www.instagram.com/transcendingrecs
http://www.twitter.com/transcendingrec

Comatose, “Circles” official video

Chrome Waves, Where We Live (2020)

Amiensus, Abreaction (2020)

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

https://www.facebook.com/GriefCollector/
https://griefcollector1.bandcamp.com/
www.ochtenddauw.com
www.facebook.com/petrichorochtenddauw
www.instagram.com/petrichorochtenddauw
www.petrichorochtenddauw.bandcamp.com

Grief Collector, “Of Misery and Woe” official lyric video

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.

Variants:
Black: 200 copies
Random Color: 100 copies
Wax Mage Edition: 25 copies

Each comes with a DL card.

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.

https://www.facebook.com/HeavyTemple/
https://www.instagram.com/heavytemple
https://heavytemple.bandcamp.com
Wolfblood666.bandcamp.com
Facebook.com/wbminneapolis
instagram.com/wolfbloodmn
https://www.facebook.com/riffmerchant/
https://www.riffmerchant.com/

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

https://www.facebook.com/buffalofuzz/
https://www.instagram.com/buffalofuzz
https://buffalofuzz.bandcamp.com/
https://www.buffalofuzz.com/

Buffalo Fuzz, “Too Young to Die” official video

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.

Wolf Blood, II (2019)

Wolf Blood on Bandcamp

Wolf Blood on Thee Facebooks

Wolf Blood on Instagram