Posted in Whathaveyou on July 22nd, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Okay, so I’ll readily admit that this isn’t so much a release announcement as it is information I swiped from Sun Blood Stories‘ Bandcamp page — no audio yet, hence the video at the bottom, which cuts the visual feed but resumes it a short while later — but the point stands that what seems to be coming is a new studio full-length from the Portland-via-Boise transplant heavy-psych/experimentalist-indie outfit, and it will be their first since 2019’s Haunt Yourself (review here), as well as their first since the aforementioned relocation. I have no further details than what’s below, but if you remember the band from the Before Times, I hope you’re as stoked to find out what they’ve been up to as I am.
And if not, well, okay. Maybe take a look at that clip, which was filmed at a radio station and captures the band’s noise-infused, immersive and emotionally-fueled live set. It’s 24 minutes, and that’s not a little ask out of your day, I know, but once you start it, it’s easy to keep going, and that’s kind of been the tale of Sun Blood Stories all along. If you’re adventurous enough to take them on in the first place, the rewards for doing so are manifold.
Here’s that info:
SBS is still here after 12 years. We are fueled by paranoia & hope, wonder & rage, & we do what we do like it’s the last time we’ll do it because one day, it will be.
Over the years the band has taken on many forms. We are now in the sixth chapter of the Sun Blood story.
Tracklisting: 1. All You’ve Got Is Time 2. Fossil Family 3. Blood Memory 4. Secret Cathedral 5. Falling In Feelings 6. Brand New Ghost Town 7. Tear You Apart 8. No One’s Blessed 9. Echoes All Lost 10. Lost In Red
Releases October 4, 2024.
Mixed and Mastered by Z.V. House at Rabbit Brush Audio Engineered by Ben Kirby Produced by Sun Blood Stories Artwork by Kirsten Furlong
Sun Blood Stories: Vocals, Slide Guitar – Amber Pollard Vocals, Guitar, Slide Guitar, Bass, Keys, Percussion – Ben Kirby Bass, Guitar – Nik Kososik Drums, Percussion – Wade Ronsse Tape Effects – Matt Stone Vocal Sample – Anna Wiley
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 18th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
On July 20, which is Saturday, Portland, Oregon’s Young Hunter will play their 10th anniversary show at the World Famous Kenton Club, sharing the bill with Sun Blood Stories and The Black Door. Plus a psychedelic light show. That’s a nifty enough occasion to mark, but the dark atmospheric heavy outfit — whose Stone Tools (discussed here) I date back to 2012, but what is time anyway; 10 years in Portland, perhaps — have issued their first new music in seven years as well, the new single “Loudness Wars” that you’ll find streaming at the bottom of this post.
Their last outing, 2017’s Dayhiker (review here), basked in similar dual-vocal-and-grim-assessment,of-reality vibing, but time has not made Young Hunter any less textural in terms of sound. It’s the same lineup that was behind the record, which certainly isn’t going to be points against it, and while I have no idea to what if anything it might be leading — yes, of course I’m talking about a new album; what else would I ever mean? — that there’s any new Young Hunter at all falls under a category of pleasant enough surprise that I’m glad to just take it at face value. If you get the chance to listen to the song, perhaps you’ll also agree that’s plenty, especially after more than half a decade of outward studio silence.
Info snagged from old-man social media and Bandcamp, which I think might count as the same at this point. Fine:
Come celebrate our 10 year anniversary at the same place we had our first show World Famous Kenton Club with Sun Blood Stories and the Black Doors. We’ll also be releasing our first new music in years with our (cas)single “Loudness Wars”.
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Brandon Eggleston at Ice Cream Party Studios, Portland, Oregon 2023
Artwork by Sara Pinnell Layout by Christopher Walberg
Young Hunter: Benjamin Ford-Sala – Guitar, vocals Erik Wells – Guitar, synthesizer Grant Pierce – Drums Sam Dean – Bass Sara Pinnell – Vocals, synthesizer, percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 13th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I like this band, and I like this record. I like that since 2020’s Cadets (review here) and the subsequent 2021 livestream and live album, Live in the Mojave Desert (review here), the band have grown audibly and taken on atmosphere and character in addition to that with which their sound was already rife. I liked seeing them live last year at SonicBlast in Portugal (review here), was stoked to premiere the single “Locust//Dead Cells” just before doing so, and was happy to do a bit of bio-ish writing for the upcoming LP, Trails, which will be out Sept. 13 as Spirit Mother‘s first (studio) release through Heavy Psych Sounds.
That’s it. As the album announcement comes through, that is the bulk if not the sum-total of what I want to say about it: I dig the band. Also, they don’t seem like assholes, which also always helps. I’ll be curious to see how the album is received and how they do at Desertfest New York that same weekend, with the somewhat darker vibe they bring to desert-style tone and flow, but nothing I’ve seen or heard from them yet has put me off, and while those celebrating a genre’s roots are certainly welcome in my ears, a band like this who bring new ideas and methods to established genre norms is both rarer and more prone to innovating the styles in which they reside.
First song streaming now. It’s “Wolves,” which is the closer and an awesome choice for a single, and the PR wire sent the following:
SPIRIT MOTHER to release sophomore album “Trails” on Heavy Psych Sounds this fall; stream debut single “Wolves” now!
US heavy rockers SPIRIT MOTHER have signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the release of their sophomore album “Trails” this September 13th, and unveil a compelling first track with “Wolves” exclusively on Doomed & Stoned!
Spirit Mother’s forthcoming album “Trails” brings the energy of the band’s visceral, all-in live performances while expanding on the sensibilities of their debut album “Cadets”. It is the undeniable next chapter in the band’s creative process. The darker tonality, heavier, fuzz-fueled riffs, and relentless rhythm section accompany prolific structures and arrangement. The violin summons a brooding, atmospheric pedestal for the remaining power trio to wield with fervor. Lance’s haunting vocals and stark lyricism intersperse the instrumentals with a melody as dynamic as it is accessible. It is the culmination of road-worn years in pursuit of the art, and the moment-to-moment adrenaline of studio exploration.
About “Wolves”, bassist and vocalist Armand Lance says: “Lyrically, Wolves is a questioning. An interrogation of the world around us, and our concept of face value. Our daily pill. What does it take to free your mind from influence? To form a truly original thought or perspective? Would you even know it if you did? Sonically, Wolves paints the full picture of Spirit Mother – so it only makes sense as the first single off “Trails”. All our songs are first written as folk songs on acoustic guitar – focusing on the lyrics, the chords, and the song structure. It’s our foundation and it gives us the direction before the fuzz hits.”
Produced by Eddie Brnabic & Jonny Bell Recorded by Eddie Brnabic at Level 8-4 Studios in Portland, OR Mixed by Jonny Bell at Jazzcats Studios in Long Beach, CA Mastered by John McBain
Cover art by Mike McKenney Photo by Eddie Brnabic Design by Matthew Franco Vinyl Insert by Chloe Owen
With special thanks to Ryan Jones & Kevin Blumeyer, and touring violinists Camille Getz, Kaitlin Wolfberg & Mia Nardi-Huffman.
Spirit Mother are: Armand Lance: Vocals, Bass, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars SJ: Violin & Vocals Sean McCormick: Electric Guitar Landon Cisneros: Drums & Percussion
Is it me or is Nirvana everywhere now? I’m not quite talking Star Wars-level pop cIultural infiltration, but it’s not far off. Their ascent to classic rock reminds me distinctly of what happened around Led Zeppelin in the 1990s, but the two could hardly be more different bands and still both be rock and roll, at least in terms of how anti-mainstream Nirvana‘s music seemed when it was coming out. They sell the shirts at Target now. My mom had a hoodie on the other day. I’m pretty sure she took it from my nephew.
But, you know, retrospect makes the music pretty inarguable. “Aneurysm,” here covered by Portland, Oregon, trio Hippie Death Cult — wait, didn’t I just put up a post about their Fall tour plans? yes; sometimes the timing on these announcements plays out like that — is a pop tune in everything but attitude. It’s catchy, listenable, uptempo and fun, despite the outward disaffection, and Hippie Death Cult do justice to both the bounce and the punker intensity that birthed it while retaining their own style as well. You can see in the video in the instrument swapping and jumping around from bassist/vocalist Laura Phillips, guitarist Eddie Brnabic (who looks like he genuinely enjoys drumming) and drummer Harry Silvers, at no point are they treating the source material with anything other than the irreverence it deserves. Nirvana just happened to make really fun songs about being miserable. Pop was a vehicle for their expression. I wonder if they were bending to it or bending it to them.
Not sure I have the time or inclination to go back, put those records on and answer that question for myself, but I am sure that at this point I’ve now overthought what for Hippie Death Cult was a fun cover they played at shows that they put to tape at the end of a tour, with Armand Lance from tourmates Spirit Mother — whose new record is a burner; keep an eye out — throwing down a guest vocal spot for an added bonus and then made a video to (just about) coincide with a different tour. It’s apparently not the only cover they recorded. You’ll recall they also did a clip for their live take on Black Sabbath‘s “Rat Salad.” One would hardly hold having a thing for lesser-known hits from legendary bands against them.
Just for completion’s sake, I’ve included the tour dates again under the video below and accompanying info/credits. As always, I hope you enjoy:
Eddie quotes: “Laura and I grew up listening to Nirvana a ton back in the 90’s and had recently enjoyed revisiting their catalog, which sparked a renewed appreciation for them and their ethics as a band. When tinkering with cover song ideas for our live set last year, the idea of doing “Aneurysm” came up. It felt fun to play, so we didn’t overthink it and started adding it to our live set over the past year. We had a blast playing it live, often inviting friends up to sing with us and it always went over well with the audience. Once we got home from touring at the beginning of the 2024, we headed right in to the studio to track a version of it just for the hell of it while it was still kinda fresh in our minds. Right after that I had gone into the studio to produce the new Spirit Mother album, so we had Armand (vocalist of Spirit Mother) track some backing vocals for it as he had frequently jumped on stage with us to perform it live when we were on the road together in 2023. It was real fun to do, hopefully that comes across. We tracked a couple of other covers that we’d been playing recently along with it that will also likely come out at some point.”
“We shot this video after a long day of photo and video shoots in the wee hours of the night in our rehearsal room. We had shot two other music videos that day and did a photo shoot in a local cemetery. We just just had fun with it. Credit to Laura for making us do silly takes on each others instruments at 3am. It was real fun to do and off the cuff, I hope that comes across”
Credits: Written by Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic. Originally recorded by Nirvana. Performed by Hippie Death Cult.
Laura Phillips ~ Vocals / Bass Eddie Brnabic ~ Guitars Harry Silvers ~ Drums Armand Lance ~ Guest Backing Vox
Audio: Produced by : Eddie Brnabic Assistant Producer : Ben Barnett Engineered by : Jeremy Romagna, Eddie Brnabic. Mixed by : Eddie Brnabic, Jeremy Romagna. Recorded & Mixed at 8-4 Studios – Portland, Oregon Mastered by : Eddie Brnabic Graphics : Eddie Brnabic Recorded in January 2024.
Video: Shot by : Eddy Vazquez Edited by : Eddie Brnabic
Hippie Death Cult w/ Kadabra: 9/2 Boise, ID – @neurolux 9/3 Salt Lake City, UT – @urbanloungeslc 9/4 Denver, CO – @hqdenver 9/5 Omaha, NE – @theslowdown 9/6 Milwaukee, WI – @clubgaribaldi 9/7 Chicago, IL – @cobralounge 9/8 Grand Rapids, MI – @pyramidschemegr 9/9 Newport, KY – @sghrevival 9/10 Youngstown, OH – @westsidebowl 9/11 Philadelphia, PA – @milkboyphilly 9/12 Providence, RI – @alchemy_providence 9/14 Queens, NY – @desertfest_nyc @knockdowncenter Center 9/16 Québec QC – @lasourcedelamartiniere 9/17 Ottawa, ON – @dominiontavern 9/19 Toronto, ON – @bovinesexclub 9/20 Detroit, MI – @sanctuarydetroit 9/21 Louisville, KY – @portal_louisville 9/22 Atlanta, GA – @masquerade_atl 9/23 Pensacola, FL – @thehandlebar850 9/24 Lafayette, LA – @freetown_boomboomroom Boom 9/25 Dallas, TX – @ruinsdeepellum 9/26 Houston, TX – @blackmagicsocialclub 9/27 Austin, TX – @thelostwell 9/28 Las Cruces, NM – @amadorbar 9/29 Albuquerque, NM – @sisterbar 9/30 Scottsdale, AZ – @pubrocklive 10/2 San Diego, CA – @brickbybricksd 10/3 Long Beach, CA – @alexsbarlbc 10/4 Los Angeles, CA – @permanentrecordsroadhouse 10/5 Oakland, CA – @elismilehighclub 10/6 Reno, NV – @lobarsocial 11/1 Vancouver, BC – @greenautomusic 11/2 Kelowna, BC – @jackknifebrewing 11/3 Calgary, AB – @palominosmokehouse 11/6 Spokane, WA – @thebigdipperspokane 11/7 Yakima, WA – @beardedmonkeymusic 11/8 Bend, OR – @volcanictheatrepub
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 7th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
My first thought when I saw the poster below for Hippie Death Cult‘s upcoming tour alongside fellow Pacific Northwestern heavy rockers Kadabra? “Oh man, Europe gets all the cool shit.”
Of course, the good news is I was wrong about that. It’s a US tour. You could argue the occasion that brings the two bands to the Eastern Seaboard is their slated appearances at Desertfest New York — a festival brand that got its start in Europe and still mostly happens there, but not in this case — but the run itself covers much more ground than would a straight-shot to Brooklyn, turn around and go home.
The two bands both operate under the banner of Heavy Psych Sounds, which issued Hippie Death Cult‘s Helichrysum (review here) and Kadabra‘s Umbra (review here, also discussed here) last October, and it’s worth noting that both will have completed 2024 European tours before this September US stint takes place. Kadabra were there April into May, and Hippie Death Cult head abroad later this month (dates here). Lest anyone think they’re not hitting all the stops.
And as regards stops, maybe one of these is yours:
📣 We are 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 excited to announce our upcoming tour across North America with @kadabra_band !!!
🎫 Tickets go on sale today at 10am PST! 🔗 in bio.
ɴᴏʀᴛʜ ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱᴄᴇɴᴅᴇɴᴛᴀʟ ᴛʀɪᴘ 2024👁️
9/2 Boise, ID – @neurolux 9/3 Salt Lake City, UT – @urbanloungeslc 9/4 Denver, CO – @hqdenver 9/5 Omaha, NE – @theslowdown 9/6 Milwaukee, WI – @clubgaribaldi 9/7 Chicago, IL – @cobralounge 9/8 Grand Rapids, MI – @pyramidschemegr 9/9 Newport, KY – @sghrevival 9/10 Youngstown, OH – @westsidebowl 9/11 Philadelphia, PA – @milkboyphilly 9/12 Providence, RI – @alchemy_providence 9/14 Queens, NY – @desertfest_nyc @knockdowncenter Center 9/16 Québec QC – @lasourcedelamartiniere 9/17 Ottawa, ON – @dominiontavern 9/19 Toronto, ON – @bovinesexclub 9/20 Detroit, MI – @sanctuarydetroit 9/21 Louisville, KY – @portal_louisville 9/22 Atlanta, GA – @masquerade_atl 9/23 Pensacola, FL – @thehandlebar850 9/24 Lafayette, LA – @freetown_boomboomroom Boom 9/25 Dallas, TX – @ruinsdeepellum 9/26 Houston, TX – @blackmagicsocialclub 9/27 Austin, TX – @thelostwell 9/28 Las Cruces, NM – @amadorbar 9/29 Albuquerque, NM – @sisterbar 9/30 Scottsdale, AZ – @pubrocklive 10/2 San Diego, CA – @brickbybricksd 10/3 Long Beach, CA – @alexsbarlbc 10/4 Los Angeles, CA – @permanentrecordsroadhouse 10/5 Oakland, CA – @elismilehighclub 10/6 Reno, NV – @lobarsocial 11/1 Vancouver, BC – @greenautomusic 11/2 Kelowna, BC – @jackknifebrewing 11/3 Calgary, AB – @palominosmokehouse 11/6 Spokane, WA – @thebigdipperspokane 11/7 Yakima, WA – @beardedmonkeymusic 11/8 Bend, OR – @volcanictheatrepub
More dates TBA.
Poster by : @fandydarisman Presented by : @atomicmusicgroup & @heavypsychsounds_records
HIPPIE DEATH CULT is: Laura Phillips – Bass/Vocals Eddie Brnabic – Guitar Harry Silvers – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 6th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I did some bio-ish writing recently for the upcoming Spirit Mother album, so as the announcement comes through that they’ll release it through Heavy Psych Sounds — arguably the world’s foremost purveyor of, well, sounds that are heavy and/or psychedelic — I’ll tell you that the atmospheric desert-heavy troupe’s follow-up to 2020’s Cadets (review here) greatly expands the breadth of their sound. If you caught wind of their 2023 single “Locust//Dead Cells” (premiered here), that might be considered something of a preview of some of the impending-LP’s brooding vibe, but more of a teaser than an encapsulation.
After that single, Spirit Mother went on tour in Europe, where I was fortunate enough to catch them at SonicBlast Fest 2023 (review here) alongside Heavy Psych Sounds mainstays Black Rainbows, among others, and did a Fall stint in the US alongside Hippie Death Cult, now also labelmates. So maybe they’ve been going in this direction for a bit at this point, but it makes sense either way. They’ll be at Desertfest NYC this September and I look forward to catching them again. More to come, in other words.
From the PR wire:
Heavy Psych Sounds to announce SPIRIT MOTHER signing for their upcoming new album !!!
We’re incredibly stoked to announce that the US heavy rock band SPIRIT MOTHER is now part of the Heavy Psych Sounds Family !!!
NEW ALBUM PRESALE + FIRST TRACK PREMIERE
June 13th
SAYS THE BAND: “We are honored to sign with Heavy Psych Sounds and bring our sophomore album to life!”
BIOGRAPHY
Spirit Mother is a heavy rock band with their sound anthologized through a folk-informed and classical lens. Their dynamic and imposing wall of sound, coupled with a driving backbeat, grips through atmospheric strings and haunting vocals. Initially from Long Beach, CA, the band relocated across the United States residing in Buffalo, Los Angeles, and the high-desert of Eastern Oregon. Originally formed by vocalist and bassist, Armand Lance, and violinist, SJ, their line-up has since solidified with the addition of their guitarist, Sean McCormick, and Drummer, Landon Cisneros providing a striking sound. Lead singer and songwriter, Armand Lance, creates the bones of the music in the attic of his rural ranch between cattle working and mustang wrangling – a likeness to his father’s upbringing as an Ecuadorian cowboy. The group convenes at this cabin to write and develop their repertoire before hitting the road for tour nationally and abroad. Spirit Mother received critical praise for their first album, Cadets.
In 2020 Spirit Mother was tapped for a pandemic project to create a live record/concert film in the style of Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii. Fans and critics worldwide revered the band’s performance in Live In The Mojave Desert Volume 3 which was released by Giant Rock Records and Heavy Psych Sounds Records.
In 2023, the band released their latest single “Locust//Dead Cells” and embarked on their debut European tour summer of 2023 with festival appearances at Metal Days, PALP, and Sonic Blast followed by a Full US Tour Fall 2023. Most recently the band signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records while in studio for their sophomore album in between with regional west coast tours throughout the winter and spring of 2024. They eagerly await its release along with another coast-to-coast US tour this fall with stops at Desert Fest NYC and Levitation Fest in Austin, Tx.
SPIRIT MOTHER is Armand Lance – Bass, Vocals SJ – Violin, Vocals Landon Cisneros – Drums Sean McCormick – Guitar
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 4th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Underrated Oregonian progressive extreme metallers Eight Bells have announced a new lineup around founding guitarist/vocalist Melynda Jackson, expanded from the trio that released Legacy of Ruin (review here) in 2022 through Prophecy Productions to a four-piece with a Joy Von Spain on keyboard and vocals in addition to Evelyn Holland and Andrew Eguchi, who step in on bass and drums, respectively. The previous lineup, pictured above, obviously didn’t have the full-time keys/vocals, so if there’s new material in the works — and maybe there is — it should be interesting to hear how the arrangements of their already markedly complex material shift, if they do.
There are dates booked for this month and next, and I’ll note that there’s probably not a ton of crossover between Cascadian Midsummer Fest and NW Postrock Fest, but that’s the kind of band Eight Bells are. The PR wire brought the info below:
EIGHT BELLS announce North American summer dates 2024
EIGHT BELLS have announced four shows for the US this summer. Mastermind Melynda Jackson will bring a new live line-up on the road that features EYE OF NIX frontwoman Joy Von Spain among others.
Please see below for all currently confirmed dates.
EIGHT BELLS comment: “These shows will be the first for Eight Bells since last summer”, singer and guitarist Melynda Jackson writes. “I will be joined by Joy Von Spain on keys and vocals, Andrew Eguchi on Drums, and Evelyn Holland on bass. I am thrilled to re-acquaint myself with our latest album ‘Legacy of Ruin’, and to have a chance to enjoy these songs again. We will include a few tracks from 2016’s ‘Landless’, which have only ever been performed by the recording line-up so far. These songs are deeply meaningful to me and they span the band’s progress from 2016 to the present. In these times, we should hold our dearest close and find new hope in music.”
EIGHT BELLS will be touring in support of their latest album “Legacy of Ruin”, which hit the stores on February 25, 2022.
EIGHT BELLS live US 2024 21-23 JUN 2024 Pe Ell, WA (US) Red Hawk Avalon, Cascadian Midsummer Fest 29 JUN 2024 Eugene, OR (US) John Henry’s 06 JUL 2024 Seattle, WA (US) Belltown Yacht Club 12/13 JUL 2024 Portland, OR (US) Polaris Hall, NW Postrock Fest
Eight Bells: Melynda Jackson – guitar/vocals Joy Von Spain – keys/vocals, Andrew Eguchi – drums Evelyn Holland – bass
It is an age of plenty as regards the underground. Between bands being able to form with members on different continents, to being able to record basically anything anywhere anywhen, the barriers have never been lower. I heard an all-AI stoner rock record the other day. It wasn’t great, but did it need to be?
The point is there’s gotta be a reason so many people are doing the thing, and a reason it happens just about everywhere, more than just working/middle class disaffection and/or dadstalgia. There’s a lot of documentary research about bands, but so far I don’t think anyone’s done a study, book, bio-doc, whatever about the proliferation of heavy sounds across geographies and cultures. No, that won’t be me. “Face made for radio,” as the fellow once said, and little time to write a book. But perhaps some riff-loving anthropologist will get there one day — get everywhere, that is — and explore it with artists and fans. Maybe that’s you.
Happy Thursday.
Quarterly Review #31-40:
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Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Nell’ Ora Blu
My favorite part of the press release for Uncle Acid‘s Nell’ Ora Blu was when founding guitarist/vocalist and apparent-auteur Kevin Starrs said, “I know something like this might have limited appeal, but who cares?” Though it was initially billed as an instrumental record and in fact features Starrs‘ trademark creeper vocal melodies in a few of its 19 tracks, the early “Giustizia di Strada/Lavora Fino Alla Morte” and pretty-Uncle–Acidic-feeling “La Vipera,” and the later march of the seven-minute “Pomeriggio di Novembre Nel Parco – Occhi Che Osservano,” catchy and still obscure enough in its psychedelia to fit, and “Solo la Morte Ti Ammanetta,” though most of the words throughout are spoken — genre cinephiles will recognize the names Edwige French and Franco Nero; there’s a lot of talking on the phone, all in Italian — as Starrs pays homage to giallo stylization in soundtracking an imaginary film. It’s true to an extent about the limited appeal, but this isn’t the first time Uncle Acid have chosen against expanding their commercial reach either, and while I imagine the effect is somewhat different if you speak Italian, Starrs‘ songwriting has never been so open or multifaceted in mood. Nell’ Ora Blu isn’t the studio follow-up to 2018’s Wasteland (review here) one might have expected, but it takes some of those aspects and builds a whole world out of them. They should tour it and do a live soundtrack, but then I guess someone would also have to make the movie.
If “fuck you” were a band, it might be Dopethrone. With six new tracks spread across a sample-laced (pretty sure Joe Don Baker is in there somewhere; maybe “Truckstop Warlock?”) and mostly-crushing-of-spirit-and-tone 39 minutes, the crusty Montreal trio of guitarist/vocalist Vince, bassist Vyk and drummer Shawn pound at the door of your wellness with their scum-sludge extremity, living up to their reputation in gnash and nastiness for the duration. The penultimate “Uniworse” brings in Weedeater‘s “Dixie” Dave Collins for a guest spot, but by the time they get there, the three-piece have already bludgeoned your bones with album-centerpiece “Shlaghammer” and loosed the grueling breadth of “Rock Slock,” so really, Collins is the gravy on the pill-based bottom-hitting binge. From opening single “Life Kills You” through the final punishing moments of “Sultans of Sins” — presumably a side B mirror in terms of heft to “Slaghammer” — and the choice Billy Madison sample that follows, Dopethrone offer a singular unkindness of purpose. I feel like I need a shower.
Where even the melancholy progression of “Song of Greed” is marked by the gorgeousness of its dual-vocal melody and flowing arrangement of strings, guitar, and strings, Eura is the second full-length and Sulatron Records label-debut for Parisian psych-folkies Anandammide. At the core of the diverse arrangements is songwriter Michele Moschini (vocals, synth, organ, guitar, drums), who brings purposefully Canterburyian pastoralia together with prog rock tendencies on “Phantom Limb” and the title-track while maintaining the light-touch gentility of the start of “Carmilla,” the later flow between “Lullaby No. 2” and “Dream No. 1,” or the gracefully undrummed “I Am a Flower,” with synth and strings side-by-side. Though somewhat mournful in its subject matter, Eura is filled with life and longing, and the way the lyrics of “Phantom Limb” feel out of place in the world suits the aural anachronism and the escapist drive that seems to manifest in “The Orange Flood.” Patient, immersive, and lovely, it sees ruin and would give solace.
An awaited first full-length from Portland, Oregon’s Tigers on Opium, the 10-song/44-minute Psychodrama builds on the semi-sleazed accomplishments of the four-piece’s prior EPs while presenting a refreshingly varied sound. The album begins as “Ride or Die” unfolds with Juan Carlos Caceres‘ vocals echoing in layers over quiet guitar — more of an intro, it is reprised to deliver the title line as a post-finale epilogue — and directly dives into garage-doom strut with “Black Mass” before a Styx reference worked into “Diabolique” makes for an immediate, plus-charm highlight. The parade doesn’t stop there. The Nirvana-ish beginning of “Retrovertigo” soft-boogies and drifts into Jerry Cantrell-style melody backed by handclaps, while Thin Lizzy leads show up in “Sky Below My Feet” and the more desert rocking “Paradise Lost” ahead of the farther-back, open swing and push of “Radioactive” giving over to “Wall of Silence”‘s ’70s singer-songwriterism, communing with the “Ride or Die” bookend but expanded in its arrangement; capper-caper “Separation of the Mind” paying it all off like Queens of the Stone Age finding the Big Riff and making it dance, too. On vocals, guitar and keys, Caceres is a big presence in the persona, but don’t let that undercut the contributions of guitarist Jeanot Lewis-Rolland, bassist Charles Hodge or drummer Nate Wright, all of whom also sing. As complex in intent as Psychodrama is, its underlying cohesion requires everybody to be on board, and as they are, the resulting songs supersede expectation and comprise one of 2024’s best debut albums.
Self-identifying as “yacht doom,” How to Think Like a Billionaire is the third solo full-length from Church of the Cosmic Skull‘s Bill Fisher, and while “Consume the Heart” and “Yell of the Ringman” tinge toward darkness and, in the case of the latter, a pointedly doomly plog, what the “yacht” translates to is a swath of ’80s-pop keyboard sounds and piano rock accompanying Fisher‘s guitar, vocals, bass and drums, a song like “Xanadu” sending up tech-culture hubris after “Ride On, Unicorn” has given a faux-encouraging push in its chorus, rhyming “Ride on, unicorn” with “In the valley of Silicon.” Elsewhere, “Overview Effect” brings the cover to life in imagining the apocalypse from the comfort of a private spaceship, while “Lead Us Into Fire” idolizes a lack of accountability in self-harmonizing layers with the thud that complements “Intranaut” deeper in the mix and the sense that, if you were a big enough asshole and on enough cocaine, it might just be possible Fisher means it when he sings in praise of capitalist hyperexploitation. A satire much needed and a perspective to be valued, if likely not by venture capital.
While one could liken the echo-born space that coincides with the gallop of opening cut “Greenland” to any number of other outfits, and the concluding title-track branches out both in terms of tempo and melodic reach, Ascia‘s debut long-player, The Wandering Warrior follows on from the project’s demoes in counting earliest High on Fire as a defining influence. Fair enough, since the aforementioned two are both the most recent included here and the only songs not culled from the three prior demos issued by Fabrizio Monni (also Black Capricorn) under the Ascia name. With the languid fluidity and impact of “Mother of the Wendol” and the outright thrust of “Blood Bridge Battle,” “Ruins of War” and “Dhul Qarnayn” set next to the bombastic crash ‘n’ riff of “Serpent of Fire,” Monni has no trouble harnessing a flow from the repurposed, remastered material, and picking and choosing from among three shorter releases lets him portray Ascia‘s range in a new light. That may not be able to happen in the same way next time around (or it could), but for those who did or didn’t catch the demos, The Wandering Warrior summarizes well the band’s progression to this point and gives hope for more to come.
Indianapolis-based solo-project Cloud of Souls — aka Chris Latta (ex-Spirit Division, Lavaborne, etc.) — diverges from the progressive metallurgy of 2023’s A Fate Decided (review here) in favor of a more generally subdued, contemplative presentation. Beginning with its title-track, the five-song/36-minute outing marks out the spaces it will occupy and seems to dwell there as the individual cuts play out, whether that’s “A Constant State of Flux” holding to its piano-and-voice, the melancholic procession of the nine-minute “Better Than I Was,” or the sax that accompanies the downerism of the penultimate “Love to Forgive Wish to Forget.” Each song brings something different either in instrumentation or vibe — “Homewrecker Blues” harmonizes en route to a momentary tempo pickup laced with organ, closer “Break Down the Door” offers hope in its later guitar and crash, etc. — but it can be a fine line when conveying monotony or low-key depressivism, and there are times where A Constant State of Flux feels stuck in its own verses, despite Latta‘s strength of craft and the band’s exploratory nature.
Not Today, Satan, in either its 52-minute runtime or in the range of its songcraft around a central influence from Queens of the Stone Age circa 2002-2005, is not a minor undertaking. The ambitious debut full-length from Berlin trio Deaf Wolf — guitarist/vocalist Christian Rottstock (also theremin on “Silence is Golden”), bassist/vocalist Hagen Walther and Alexander Dümont on drums and other percussion — adds periodic lead-vocal tradeoffs between Rottstock and Walther to further broaden the scope of the material, with (I believe) the latter handling the declarations of “Survivor” and the gurgle-voice on “S.M.T.P.” and “Beast in Me,” which arrive in succession before “The End” closes with emphasis on self-awareness. The earlier “Sulphur” becomes a standout for its locked-in groove, fuzz tones and balanced mix, while “See You in Hell” finds its own direction and potential in strut and fullness of sound. There’s room to refine some of what’s being attempted, but Not Today, Satan sets Deaf Wolf off to an encouraging start.
Five years on from their also-newly-reissued 2019 debut, We Are Just Floating in Space, French instrumentalist heavy space rock two-piece Alber Jupiter — bassist Nicolas Terroitin, drummer Jonathan Sonney, and both of them on what would seem to be all the synth until Steven Michel guests in that regard on “Captain Captain” and the title-track — make a cosmic return with Puis Vient la Nuit, the bulk of which is unfurled through four cuts between seven and 10 minutes long after a droning buildup in “Intro.” If you’re waiting for the Slift comparison somewhat inevitable these days anywhere near the words “French” and “space,” keep waiting. There’s some shuffle in the groove of “Daddy’s Spaceship” and “Captain Captain” before it departs for a final minute-plus of residual cosmic background, sure, but the gradual way “Pas de Bol Pour Peter” hits its midpoint apex and the wash brought to fruition in “Daddy’s Spaceship” and “Puis Vient la Nuit” itself is digging in on a different kind of vibe, almost cinematic in its vocal-less drama, broad in dynamic and encompassing on headphones as it gracefully sweeps into the farther reaches of far out, slow in escape velocity but with depth in three dimensions. It is a journey not to be missed.
There’s something of a narrative happening in at least most of the 10 tracks of Cleen‘s impressive debut album, Excursion, as the character speaking in the lyrics drifts through space and eventually meets a perhaps gruesome end, but by the time they’re closing with “A Means to an End” (get it?), the Flint, Michigan, trio of guitarist/vocalist Patrick, bassist Cooley and drummer Jordan are content to leave it at, “I just wanna worship satan and go the fuck to sleep.” Not arguing. Their sound boasts an oozing cosmic ethereality that might remind a given listener of Rezn here and there, but in the post-grunge-meets-post-punk-oh-and-there’s-a-scream movement of “No One Remembers but You,” the punkier shove in the first half of “Year of the Reaper,” the dirt-fuzz jangle of “Aroya” and the sheer heft of “Menticidal Betrayal,” “Sultane of Sand” and “Fatal Blow,” Cleen blend elements in a manner that’s modern but well on its way to being their own in addition to being a nodding clarion for the converted.
