Posted in Whathaveyou on October 10th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
The year was 1998 and the band stomping all over hearts and minds in the most righteous fashion possible was Monster Magnet. The great heavy rock hope. A band who, over the next year-plus, would find commercial viability in a way that just about no one had before and just about no one has since. Powertrip may have been the NJ outfit’s fourth record, but it’s an unquestionable landmark. It put their home state and mine on the map for heavy rock and roll in a way that still ripples out, and it brought them not only fame, but to a new place stylistically where they turned pop culture back on its own head and delighted as it ate both itself and what they were feeding it. That record was something else.
They’ll tour Europe for a month-plus this coming winter playing it in full. Yeah, you’re gonna hear “Space Lord,” which you probably were anyhow at a Monster Magnet gig, but you’re also gonna hear “Goliath and the Vampires,” and that’s some shit that doesn’t happen every day. I don’t know if they’re doing it in order or what, but whatever, it’s a celebration worth celebrating.
Dates follow, as dutifully transcribed from the Chris Smith poster by yours truly and probably all screwed up:
Monster Magnet is back!! We are stoked to announce Monster Magnet Europe 2020! A Celebration of the Record “Powertrip” plus much more! Stay tuned for ticket links!
Monster Magnet live: Jan 22 Glasgow UK The Garage Jan 23 Leeds UK O2 Academy Leeds Jan 24 London UK The Forum Jan 25 Utrecht NL Tivoliredenburg Jan 27 Oslo NO John Dee Jan 28 Gothenburg SWE Pustervikbaren Jan 29 Malmo SWE Kulturbolaget (KB) Jan 31 Leuven BE Het Depot V2W Feb 01 Berlin DE Metropol Feb 03 Cologne DE Essigfabrik & Sensor Club Feb 04 Munich DE Muffathalle Feb 05 Hamburg DE Markthalle Feb 07 Bremen DE Schlachthof Feb 08 Dresden DE Reithalle Feb 09 Stuttgart DE LKA Longhorn Feb 10 Dortmund DE FZW Feb 12 Antwerp BE Trix Feb 13 Wiesbaden DE Schlacthof Feb 15 Zagreb CR Mochvara Feb 16 Vienna AT Simm City Feb 17 Zurich CH Dynamo Feb 18 Trezzo Sull’Adda IT Live Club Feb 20 Pamplona Navarra ES Sala Zentral Feb 21 Santiago de Compostela ES Sala Capitol Feb 22 Madrid ES Sala Mon Feb 23 Barcelona ES Razzmatazz
MONSTER MAGNET line up: Dave Wyndorf (vocals, guitar) Garrett Sweeny (guitar) Phil Caivano (guitar) Chris Kosnik (bass) Bob Pantella (drums)
Posted in Reviews on September 30th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Call two friends and tell them to tell two friends to tell two friends, because the Quarterly Review has returned. This time around, it’s 50 records front to back for Fall 2019 and there are some big names and some smaller names and a whole lot of in between which is just how I like it. Between today and Friday, each day 10 album reviews will be posted in a single batch like this one, and although by Wednesday this always means I’m totally out of my mind, it’s always, always, always worth it to be able to write about so much cool stuff. So sit tight, because there’s a lot to get through and, as ever, time’s at a premium.
Thanks in advance for keeping up, and I hope you find something you dig.
Quarterly Review #1-10:
Monkey3, Sphere
It’s a full-on Keanu Reeves “whoa” when opening track “Spirals” kicks in on Monkey3‘s sixth album, Sphere (released by Napalm), and that’s by no means the last one on the cinematic six-tracker. The long-running Swiss mostly-instrumentalists have been consistently, persistently underappreciated throughout their career, but whether it’s the aural scope of guitar and keys in “Axis” or the swaps between intensity and sprawl in 14-minute closer “Ellipsis,” their latest work is consuming in its sense of triumph. Even the four-minute “Ida,” which seems at first like it’s barely going to be more than an interlude, finds a thread of majestic cosmic groove and rides it for the duration, while the proggy immersion of “Prism” and the harder drive of “Mass” — not to mention that shredding solo — make the middle of the record anything but a post-hypnosis dip. I won’t pretend to know if Sphere is the record that finally gets the Lausanne four-piece the respect they’ve already well deserved, but if it was, one could only say it was for good reason. Blends of heft, progressive craft, and breadth are rarely so resonant.
When you call your record Mount Crushmore, you need to bring it, and much to their credit, Baltimorean sludge-rocking five-piece Asthma Castle do precisely that on their debut full-length. Issued through Hellmistress Records, the 37-minute/six-track outing is a wordplay-laced pummeler that shows as much persona in its riffing and massive groove as it does in titles like “The Incline of Western Civilization” and “The Book of Duderonomy.” Trades between early-Mastodonic twists and lumbering sludge crash add a frenetic and unpredictable feel to pieces like the title-track, while “Methlehem” trades its plod for dual-guitar antics punctuated by metallic double-kick, all the while the vocals trade back and forth between growls, shouts, cleaner shouts, the odd scream, etc., because basically if you can keep up with it, Asthma Castle wouldn’t be doing their job. One shudders to think of the amount of Natty Bo consumed during its making, but Mount Crushmore is a wild and cacophonous enough time to live up to the outright righteousness of its title. If I graded reviews, it would get a “Fuckin’ A+,” with emphasis on “fuckin’ a.”
Some day the world will wake up and realize the rock and roll powerhouse it had in Brooklyn’s The Giraffes, but by then it’ll be too late. The apocalypse will have happened long ago, and it’ll be Burgess Meredith putting on a vinyl of Flower of the Cosmos in the New York Library as “FAKS” echoes out through the stacks of now-meaningless tomes and the dust of nuclear winter falls like snow outside the windows. The band’s tumultuous history is mirrored in the energy of their output, and yet to hear the melody and gentle fuzz at the outset of “Golden Door,” there’s something soothing about their work as well that, admittedly, “Raising Kids in the End Times” is gleeful in undercutting. Cute as well they pair that one with “Dorito Dreams” on this, their seventh record in a 20-plus-year run, which has now seen them find their footing, lose it, find it again, and in this record and songs like the masterfully frenetic “Fill up Glass” and the air-tight-tense “Like Hate” and “Romance,” weave a document every bit worthy of Mr. Meredith’s attention as he mourns for the potential of this godforsaken wasteland. Oh, what we’ll leave behind. Such pretty ruins.
In the fine tradition of heavy rock as grown-up punk, North Carolina’s Bask bring progressive edge and rolling-Appalachian atmospherics to the underlying energy of III, their aptly-titled and Season of Mist-issued third album. Their foot is in any number of styles, from Baroness-style noodling to a hard twang that shows up throughout and features prominently on the penultimate “Noble Daughters II – The Bow,” but the great triumph of III, and really the reason it works at all, is because the band find cohesion in this swath of influences. They’re a band who obviously put thought into what they do, making it all the more appropriate to think of them as prog, but as “Three White Feet” and “New Dominion” show at the outset, they don’t serve any aesthetic master so much as the song itself. Closing with banjo and harmonies and a build of crash cymbal on “Maiden Mother Crone” nails the point home in a not-understated way, but at no point does III come across as hyper-theatrical so as to undercut the value of what Bask are doing. It’s a more patient album than it at first seems, but given time to breathe, III indeed comes to life.
Listening to the weighty rollout of opening cut “Bite the Ash” on Faerie Ring‘s debut album, The Clearing (on King Volume Records), one is reminded of the energy that once-upon-a-time came out of Houston’s Venomous Maximus. There’s a similar feeling of dark energy surging through the riffs and echoing vocals, but the Evansville, Indiana, four-piece wind up on a different trip. Their take is more distinctly Sabbathian on “Lost Wind” and even the swinging “Heavy Trip” lives up to its stated purpose ahead of the chugging largesse of finisher “Heaven’s End.” They find brash ground on “The Ring” and the slower march of “Somnium,” but there’s metal beneath the lumbering and it comes out on “Miracle” in a way that the drums late in “Lost Wind” seem to hint toward on subsequent listens. It’s a mix of riff-led elements that should be readily familiar to many listeners, but the sheer size and clarity of presentation Faerie Ring make throughout The Clearing makes me think they’ll look to distinguish themselves going forward, and so their first record holds all the more potential for that.
Begun as the solo-project of London-based multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Mark Walker and presently a trio including Louis Kinder and Jonathan Walker as well, Desert Sands make their recorded debut through A Records with the three-song/half-hour The Ascent EP, a work of psychedelic existentialism that conveys its cosmic questioning even before the lyrics start, with an opening riff and rhythmic lurch to “Are You There” that seems to throw its central query into a void that either will or won’t answer. Does it? The hell should I know, but The Ascent proves duly transcendent in its pulsations as “Head Towards the Light” and 11:45 closer “Yahweh” — yeah, I guess we get there — bring drifting, languid enlightenment to these spiritual musings. The finale is, of course, a jam in excelsis and if drop-acid-find-god is the narrative we’re working with, then Desert Sands are off to a hell of a start as a project. Regardless of how one might ultimately come down (and it is, by my estimation at least, a comedown) on the question of human spirituality, there’s no denying the power and ethereal force of the kind of creativity on display in The Ascent. One will wait impatiently to see what comes next.
Say what you want about New Orleans or North Carolina or wherever the hell else, Midwestern sludge is another level of filth. To wit, the Carcass-style vocals that slice through the raw, dense riffing on “Aspirate on Aspirations” feel like the very embodiment of modern disillusion, and there’s some flourish of melodic guitar pluck there, but that only seems to give the ensuing crunch more impact, and likewise the far-back char of “Freezing in Fire” as it relates to the subsequent “Dead Idles,” as Cavalcade refute the trappings of genre in tempo while still seeming to burrow a hole for themselves in the skull of the converted. “Noose Tie” and “We Dig Our Own Graves” tell the story, but while the recording itself is barebones, Cavalcade aren’t now and never really have been so simple as to be a one-trick band. For more than a decade, they’ve provided a multifaceted and trickily complex downer extremity, and Sonic Euthanasia does this as well, bringing their sound to new places and new levels of abrasion along its punishing way. Easy listening? Shit. You see that eye on the cover? That’s the lizard people staring back at you. Have fun with that.
Long Island chug-rockers Restless Spirit would seem to have been developing the material for their self-released debut album, Lord of the New Depression, over the last couple years on a series of short releases, but the songs still sound fresh and electrified in their vitality. If this was 1992 or ’93, they’d be signed already to RoadRacer Records and put on tour with Life of Agony, whose River Runs Red would seem to be a key influence in the vocals of the nine-track/39-minute offering, but even on their own, the metal-tinged five-piece seem to do just fine. Their tracks are atmospheric and aggressive and kind, and sincere in their roll, capturing the spirit of a band like Down with somewhat drawn-back chestbeating, “Dominion” aside. They seem to be challenging themselves to push outside those confines though in “Deep Fathom Hours,” the longest track at 7:35 with more complexity in the melody of the vocals and guitar, and that suits them remarkably well as they dig into this doomly take on LOA and Type O Negative and others from the early ’90s NYC underground — they seem to pass on Biohazard, which is fine — made legendary with the passage of time. As a gentleman of a certain age, I find it exceptionally easy to get on board.
An eight-piece outfit based in Arvika, Sweden, which is far enough west to be closer to Oslo than Stockholm, Children of the Sün blend the classic heavy rock stylizations of MaidaVale, first-LP Blues Pills and others with a decidedly folkish bent. Including an intro, their The Sign Records debut album, Flowers, is eight track and 34 minutes interweaving organ and guitar, upbeat vibes and bluesier melodies, taking cues from choral-style vocals on “Emmy” in such a way as to remind of Church of the Cosmic Skull, though the aesthetic here is more hippie than cult. The singing on “Sunschild” soars in that fashion as well, epitomizing the lush melody found across Flowers as the keys, guitar, bass and drums work to match in energy and presence. For a highlight, I’d pick the more subdued title-track, which still has its sense of movement thanks to percussion deep in the mix but comes arguably closest to the flower-child folk Children of the Sün seem to be claiming for their own, though the subsequent closing duo of “Like a Sound” and “Beyond the Sun” aren’t far off either. They’re onto something. One hopes they continue to explore in such sünshiny fashion.
Having made their debut with 2016’s There is Nothing (discussed here), Indianapolis downtrodden heavy rock four-piece Void King come back for a second go with Barren Dominion (on Off the Record Label), a title of similar theme that finds them doom riffing through massive tonality on “Burnt at Both Ends,” asking what if Soundgarden played atmospheric doom rock on “Crippled Chameleon” — uh, it would be awesome? yup — and opening each side with its longest track (double immediate points) in a clearly intended vinyl structure hell bent on immersing the listener as much as possible in the lumber and weight the band emit. Frontman Jason Kindred adds extra burl to his already-plenty-dudely approach on “Crippled Chameleon” and closer “The Longest Winter,” the latter with some harmonies to mirror those of opener “A Lucid Omega,” and the band around him — bassist Chris Carroll, drummer Derek Felix and guitarist Tommy Miller — seem to have no trouble whatsoever in keeping up, there or anywhere else on the eight-song/46-minute outing. Topped with striking cover art from Diogo Soares, Barren Dominion is deceptively nuanced and full-sounding. Not at all empty.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 25th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
You know why I like Stoned Jesus? Because they rock. But also because of stuff like this: You’re about to dig into the PR wire info for an early demo collection Napalm is putting out from the Ukrainian heavy rockers on Nov. 8 called From the Outer Space. It brings together the band’s original first two demos as a limited LP and hey, that’s fun. It’s the band’s 10th anniversary, so great. Preorders are up now, etc., etc.
But in “unveiling” the first track from the release — such as it is an unveiling when something was already put out like a decade ago — the first thing guitarist/vocalist Igor Sidorenko notes in an evaluation of the song itself is that it’s, “hardly a masterpiece.” Way to sell it, dude. But what that tells you is just how important progression is for this band. Yeah, “I’m the Mountain” may have all those YouTube hits, but this is a band whose collective heart is always on the next thing, on pushing themselves forward to the next tour, the next batch of new songs. A release like this is cool for fans and those (like me) who didn’t hear the demos when they came out, and actually the gnarly-as-fuck tone on “The Sweet Whore of Babylon” is pretty rad, even if not nearly as developed as the band has obviously become on subsequent offerings. Has its appeal, is all I’m saying.
Anyway, here’s that PR wire info with the choice quote and much more:
STONED JESUS To Release Early Demos ‘From The Outer Space’ + Premiere Music Video!
Limited Vinyl Edition Due Out November 8th via Napalm Records!
2019 marks the 10th anniversary of Ukrainian stoner rock masters, Stoned Jesus. Tracks such as I’m The Mountain, with millions of hits on YouTube, are ultimate fuzz rock anthems. While Stoned Jesus started as a one-man project back in 2009, formed by frontman and band mastermind Igor Sydorenko, it would later become one of the most distinctive heavy stoner and doom rock bands the current scene has to offer. To celebrate 10 great years of Stoned Jesus, the band has a very special surprise and gift for their fans, as they release the first two demos in a compilation – From The Outer Space – available on November 8th via Napalm Records, and for the first time, as a limited Vinyl edition!
“We’ve been around for a whole decade now, so I figured it would be great to give something really cool to all our fans,” comments Igor, Stoned Jesus vocalist and guitarist. “But “From the Outer Space” is not a sign of things to come obviously, more like a snapshot of a memory. This is a page of our history for you to own”.
Remastered from the original demo recordings by Igor, these five long tracks retain the uncompromising rawness of material while adding some new, previously unheard nuances to the overall mix. Celebrate with Stoned Jesus in style, and watch this cool behind-the-scenes music video for the track The Sweet Whore of Babylon HERE!
“Being the first Stoned Jesus track ever written, “The Sweet Whore of Babylon” is hardly a masterpiece.“ Igor says. “Yet its relentless nature and raw sound perfectly show the beginnings of one-man-project-then/full-band-later. The video, carefully compiled and edited by me and Nastya Homenko from hours of archival footage, shows you the first ten years of Stoned Jesus in (almost) chronological order. Here’s to many more years to come!”
The tracklist From The Outer Space reads as follows:
1. The Sweet Whore of Babylon 2. Insatiable King 3. Eastern Magic 4. Occult 5. Black Woods
Better be quick, since this rare demo compilation by Stoned Jesus is limited to only 300 Vinyl copies! The pre-sale has just started at THIS LOCATION!
Stoned Jesus on Xth Anniversary Tour: 26.09.19 RO – Cluj- Napoca / Flying Circus 27.09.19 BG – Sofia / Mixtape 5 28.09.19 RO – Bucharest / Quantic Club 29.09.19 SRB – Belgrade / Bozidarac 01.10.19 BIH – Sarajevo / Club AG 02.10.19 CR – Zagreb / Vintage Industrial Bar 03.10.19 IT – Treviso / Altroquando Zerobranco 04.10.19 IT – Mezzago / Bloom 05.10.19 CH – Pratteln / Up In Smoke 07.10.19 DE – Passau / Zauberberg 08.10.19 PL – Sosnowiec / KOMin
15.11.19 DE – Cologne / Live Music Hall 16.11.19 DE – Neunkirchen / Gloomaar Festival 17.11.19 BE – Brussels / Botanique 18.11.19 FR – Paris / Alhambra 19.11.19 FR – Rennes / Antipode MJC 20.11.19 FR Toulouse / Rex 21.11.19 CH Geneva / L’Usine 22.11.19 IT Bologna / Freakout Club 23.11.19 AT – Salzburg / Rockhouse 24.1119 HU – Budapest / A38 25.11.19 DE – Munich / Feierwerk 26.11.19 AT – Vienna / Arena 27.11.19 DE Leipzig / Werk2 28.11.19 DE Hamburg / Markthalle 29.11.19 DE – Berlin / Festsaal Kreuzberg 30.11.19 DE – Stuttgart / JH Hallschlag
Stoned Jesus is: Igor Sydorenko – Vocals & Guitars Serhij Sljussar – Bass Dmytro Zinchenko – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 23rd, 2019 by JJ Koczan
So Mammoth Mammoth toured Europe I think twice for their last record, they recorded their new album in Germany, it has a German title, is being put out by an Austrian label, and I’m pretty sure half their lineup at this point is European. Safe to say they’ve maybe been adopted from their native Australia? As they go into their fifth LP, the ever-ready-for-festival-season four-piece seem to know where their heart lies more than ever as they look down the barrel of another string of tour dates booked for Germany. That’s right. It’s 11 shows, and they’re all in Germany. They’re even playing Rockpalast, where I have no doubt their high-energy drive will be captured on a video soon to feature in my YouTube recommends. You keep an eye out for it and I’ll do the same.
Kreuzung is the new album, and it was recorded by former Samsara Blues Experiment member Richard Behrens — also known for Heat and his work with Kadavar — and there’s a video streaming now for the title-track that you can check out at the bottom of this post if you’re up for it.
From the PR wire:
Australian High Voltage Rockers MAMMOTH MAMMOTH Reveal Album Details + Release Brand New Music Video!
Kreuzung coming November 8th on Napalm Records!
Australia’s high voltage outfit, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH, are proud to announce their, highly anticipated 5th studio album titled, Kreuzung, which is set for a release on November 8th with leading rock and metal label Napalm Records.
Recorded and produced by Richard Behrens in the winter of 2018/19 at Big Snuff Studio, Berlin, it is the first album with the new line-up consisting of original members, Mikey Tucker (vocalist) and Frank Trobbiani (drums) and introducing new members, Marco Gennaro (guitarist) and Kris Fiore (bass). The Rock`n`Roll juggernaut seized the opportunity to refine their hard-rock formula since the release of Mount The Mountain two years ago. The result is an electrifying sledgehammer that cements their name MAMMOTH MAMMOTH. Kreuzung’s (German for crossroads) hypnotic title track could crush a beer can with it’s sheer soundwave force, try it out and watch their brand new video for the album title track HERE!
In January 2017, the band found themselves at a crossroads. Already committed to two European tours, including their first visit to Spain and Portugal plus a large number of shows on the summer festival circuit, original guitarist Ben Couzens and bassist Pete Bell were unable to perform those ongoing commitments. In order for MAMMOTH MAMMOTH to honour those shows, Tucker and Trobbiani needed to find replacement musicians to continue to bring the high-energy, beer- soaked, dirty-rock shows to their loyal fan base.
Inspired by new surroundings, Tucker, Trobbiani, Gennaro and Fiore holed themselves up in Rock Haus, Berlin in 2018 and crafted the new album together whilst searching for a new producer. Someone who would both challenge and nurture their new line-up. Tucker says on working with Richard, “I wanted to introduce a new sound, something a little more vintage sounding. I was tired of listening to rock albums that were so overly produced they’d lost all their soul. I stumbled upon Big Snuff Studio and really liked the work they were doing with Kadavar.” Trobbiani adds, “Writing and recording ‘Kreuzung’ in Berlin has been a refreshing change, the collaborative process made the whole experience killer and we can’t wait to play it live to everyone.” Kreuzung, signifies where the band had found themselves in 2017, somewhere between the past, the present and the future. This album proves that the gritty Rock`n`Roll manifesto of MAMMOTH MAMMOTH has truly evolved and they know exactly where they’re heading next.
Kreuzung Tracklisting: 1. I’m Ready 2. Wanted Man 3. Motherf@cker 4. Screamin´ 5. Kreuzung 6. Tear it Down 7. Tonight 8. Mad World 9. Let Go 10. Lead Boots 11. God´s Gonna Hate Me
Kreuzung will be available on LP, CD and in Digital formats, the pre-sale has just started at THIS LOCATION!
Known for their intense high-energy and beer-soaked Rock`n`Roll live shows, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH will be hitting the road again this Fall, with a heavy touring schedule to follow: 14.11.2019 DE Köln – MTC 15.11.2019 DE Frankfurt – Das Bett 17.11.2019 DE Weinheim- Café Central 18.11.2019 DE Nürnberg – Hirsch 19.11.2019 DE Bochum – Rockpalast 20.11.2019 DE Hamburg – HeadCrash 21.11.2019 DE Berlin – Musik & Frieden 22.11.2019 DE Erfurt – Museumskeller 23.11.2019 DE Leipzig – Bandhaus 26.11.2019 DE München – Backstage Club 27.11.2019 DE Stuttgart – Goldmarks
MAMMOTH MAMMOTH is: Mikey Tucker – Vocals Frank Trobbiani – Drums Marco Gennaro – Guitar Kris Sinister – Bass
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 26th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
It’s a big world out there, I know, and not everyone can be huge, but Monkey3 strike me as being particularly undervalued. With origins that stretch back to the pre-social media heavy rock of the turn of the century, the Swiss instrumentalist progressive heavy psych rockers have six albums to their name and have thereby amassed a catalog of persistently forward-thinking material that I’d gladly argue puts them in the conversation with acts like 35007 when it comes to bands who’ve helped paved the way for the European underground’s space-jam boom. They’re the kind of band who, if they broke up five years ago, would probably be a big deal if they were getting back together now. So why not cut out the middle-man and just appreciate them while they’re here?
They toured in Spring around the release of Sphere, their latest outing for Napalm Records, and they’ll do likewise this Fall on a tour presented by Sound of Liberation that includes not one, but two sets at Desertfest Belgium 2019 as well as stops along the way a numerous other festivals. Come to think of it, maybe I’m too America-centered in my thinking about them being underrated. I wonder what I’d find if I went to a Monkey3 show in Europe. Probably a good time, at very least.
Sound of Liberation announced the tour thusly:
Monkey3 – “Sphere Fall Tour 2019”
Guys, we are pleased to tell you today that the Swiss quartet monkey3 will hit the road again next October!
Still promoting their 6th album “Sphere” (released last Spring via Napalm Records), they will stop at Desertfest Belgium for 2 different shows!
18.10.19 Zürich / Bergmal Festival 20.10.19 Antwerp / Desertfest Antwerp 21.10.19 Hamburg / Molotow (Sky Bar) 22.10.19 Frankfurt am Main / Nachtleben 23.10.19 Strasbourg / La Maison Bleue 25.10.19 La Mezière (Rennes) / Samain Fest 26.10.19 Beaune / Les Ateliers du Cinema 28.10.19 Saarbrücken / Kleiner Klub (Garage) 29.10.19 Leipzig / Werk 2 30.10.19 Leifers / Jugend/Kulturzentrum Fly 31.10.19 Passau / Zauberberg 02.11.19 Münster / Golden Silence Festival (@ Skaters Palace)
MONKEY3 are: Walter – drums Kevin – bass Boris – guitar dB – keys
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 16th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
How’s your Latin? Mine stinks. Sweden’s Year of the Goat seem to have a handle on the grammar though, and that’s fortunate as regards the cult rockers naming their new album Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis. The offering will be made with the backing of Napalm Records on Sept. 6, and preorders and a new video for the song “Avaritia” are both up right now. The tracklisting is duly ending-in-vowels (opener “Subortus” aside), and one imagines the release itself carries no shortage of ensuing drama as the line between what’s cult and what’s goth seems to be blurring generally. These guys haven’t had the same hype as some plying their trade in the dark arts, but they’ve got that aesthetic pretty much down, as the video shows. I guess some people on the internets said the art looks like something Batushka did? I’m gonna go with “yeah not really” on that one, at least going by my immediate search results for that band’s album covers.
Here’s info from the PR wire:
Occult rock masters YEAR OF THE GOAT reveal album details, brand new video + kick off pre-order!
Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis coming this September on Napalm Records!
September 6th will see Swedish occult rock masters YEAR OF THE GOAT return with their brand new opus, Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis, on Napalm Records. Today the band is not only sharing the initial album details, spectacular album artwork, but also a brand new music video for the hard-hitting rock juggernaut Avaritia!
“Four years of neverending lust for creativity. For years of gluttony and decadence within our most sacred temple. For years of unspeakable boiling wrath. For years of greed filled wastefulness. Now, envy us in our moment of pride.” the band states.
Evoking a musically, sinister reality that surrounds us in this world with the majestic sound by YEAR OF THE GOAT, the occult rock collective adds a fire to the chaos with the band’s third studio album. In these times of global upheaval, the band’s upcoming record will celebrate your sins “[…] and rejoice in the perverseness of evil”, but one is definitely clear: The YEAR OF THE GOAT is now! Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis showcases YEAR OF THE GOAT’s roots in the darker sounds of the 60’s and 70’s, while they have never sounded so bracing before. Captivating tracks such as the just released Avaritia indulge in the finest occult rock full of blackened heart`s blood and elegiac melody lines that will haunt your dreams!
Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis Tracklisting: 1. Subortus 2. Acedia 3. Luxuria 4. Ira 5. Superbia 6. Gula 7. Avaritia 8. Invidia 9. Subicio
Coming September 6th 2019 with Napalm Records and available as LP, CD and digital formats, the pre-order has just started at THIS LOCATION!
YEAR OF THE GOAT is: Thomas Sabbathi – vocals, guitar Jonas Mattsson – guitar Linus Lundgren – guitar Daniel Melo – drums Joona Hassinen – bass Pope – mellotron, vocals
This one makes me happy. Australia’s Your Mate Bookings is bringing Greenleaf all the way from Sweden to do a nine-day tour Down Under and this humble site is among the presenters for the run. I’ve been lucky enough to have The Obelisk present some killer shows and tours at this point, but Greenleaf going to Australia? And doing so on the heels of last year’s Hear the Rivers (review here)? Yeah, that’s something special. And if you read the album’s title in that sentence just now and didn’t hear the chorus of the title-track in your head, I’m going to guess you haven’t yet properly dug into the record itself, which I can only heartily suggest you do at the next available moment. Now works. I’ll wait.
The ascension of Greenleaf this decade has been remarkable. From being a Dozer side-project to a full-time band, to a full-time touring band, they’ve lived up to and surpassed what I think most people expected of them, establishing a solidified lineup and embarking on a creative growth that has helped push heavy blues as a whole forward in Europe’s underground. Even as someone who’s never seen their current incarnation, their reputation precedes them, and as they continue to push ahead stylistically and in their chemistry and dynamic, I’m flat-out honored to be involved in presenting this tour in the small way I am, seeing them expand their geographic reach as well.
Tickets are on sale Monday. Go to the show if you can.
Here are the dates:
GREENLEAF – AUSTRALIAN HEAR THE RIVERS TOUR 2019
Supported by Jack Harlon & The Dead Crows
Thursday 31/10 Bendigo Hotel Collingwood VIC Friday 1/11 @Altar Hobart TAS Saturday 2/11 Northcote Social Club Northcote VIC Sunday 3/11 Enigma Bar Adelaide SA Wednesday 6/11 Heritage Hotel Bulli NSW Thursday 7/11 Transit Bar Canberra ACT Friday 8/11 The Vanguard Newtown NSW Saturday 9/11 Crowbar Brisbane Fortitude Valley QLD Sunday 10/11 Vinnies Dive Gold Coast QLD
Presented by YOUR MATE Bookings Get On The Stage The Bong Shop and The Obelisk
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 5th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Conan have already hit the road hard this year, mostly the US where they’ve shared stages with Black Label Society, The Atomic Bitchwax and I don’t know how many others along the way. They’ll continue that thread starting in about two weeks at the Maryland Doom Fest — where I’m looking forward to seeing them — and they’ll do a run of headlining shows with Witchkiss after that, and now they’re announcing a headlining run with Un and Sixes for Europe this Fall that will begin at Desertfest Belgium on Oct. 20 and run through mid-November as they tear ass across the continent for the better part of a month.
My only question is whether they’ll have a new album out by the time that tour hits. You’ll recall at the start of the year they talked about a new release in 2019. I’ve no idea when they would have had time to record such a thing, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t yet or won’t after this next tour. I don’t know. Maybe their plans have changed. I hear plans do that sometimes.
Either way, the more eardrum decimation, the merrier, so here are the dates:
CONAN – !!!EUROPEAN TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER SHOWS.
We are delighted to head out into the mainland with two of the USA’s finest and heaviest bands.
Un and Sixes join us for what will be a very heavy run of shows…..
Conan Live: June 23 Frederick, MD – Maryland Doom Fest June 27 Portland, ME – Geno’s ^ June 28 Montreal, QC – Turbo Haus ^ June 30 Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class ^ July 01 Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups ^ July 02 Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle ^ July 05 Omaha, NE – Slowdown July 06 Rapid City, SD – Haycamp Brewery ^ = w/Witchkiss
Conan Fall Tour w/ Un & Sixes: 20.10 Desertfest Antwerpen, Antwerpen, BE 21.10 Magasin 4, Brussels, BE 22.10 Schlachthof, Wiesbaden, DE 23.10 Junkyard, Dortmund, DE 24.10 Funbureau, Hamburg, DE 25.10 Alte Meierei, Kiel, DE 26.10 1000 Fryd, Aalborg, DK 27.10 Truckstop Alaska, Gotenborg, SE 28.10 Vega, Copenhague, DK 29.10 Zukunft Am Ostkreuz, Berlin, DE 31.10 Gazwerk, Winterthur, CH 01.11 Bad Bonn, Dudingen, CH 02.11 Heavy Psych Sounds Fest, Innbruck, AT 03.11 Legend Club, Milano, IT 04.11 Gala Hala, Ljubjlana, SL 05.11 Cluc Mocvara, Zagreb, HR 06.11 Arena, Vienna, AT 07.11 Durer kert, Budapest, HU 08.11 Kulturak, Bratislava, SK 09.11 Kabinet Muz, Brno, CZ 10.11 Soulstone Gathering Festival, Kravow, PL 11.11 Chemiefabrik, Dresden, DE 12.11 Underdogs, Praha, CZ 14.11 Baroeg, Rotterdam, NL 15.11 Gibus, Paris, FR
Lineup: Jon Davis – vocals, guitar (2006-present) Chris Fielding – bass (2013-present) Johnny King – drums (2017-present)
