The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.

Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.

Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan

Days of Rona: Adam Kriney of The Golden Grass & Rattlesnake (New York, New York)

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How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?

Well the situation has been quite upsetting for my two main groups, The Golden Grass and Rattlesnake. The nature of being collaboratively artistic and practicing regularly are very core to our collective life paths, and so the loss of the regular creative commitments left us with a void. The being said, it is not lost on me whatsoever just how privileged we were to be able to engage in this world of music/subculture/records/touring/festivals etc.

There was a global underground infrastructure that we were both a part of and that supported what we do, but every single element of that infrastructure has been shaken, halted and possibly even shut down, in the worst cases, due to the pandemic. It is surreal, devastating and quite traumatic what we are going through, and I mean ALL of us. It especially pricks deeply in our little subcultural world though because as outsiders to the populace, there is an amazing feeling to be part of this living, breathing, exciting and functioning world of ours, and it was a safe place of sorts, that even when the regular world was falling apart and full of garbage, we AT LEAST had this…but now, everything is frozen, and the delicate fragility of our little world has been revealed, and I don’t have any idea what the future will hold for us weirdos and this secret universe we loved so much…

On a personal level, I am very fortunate the both bands had a very light schedule of live performances planned so far this year, so the cancellations of tours/gigs etc has barely affected us, but i can’t even imagine what all my buddies are feeling, on all sides of the live music world such as bands/booking agencies/promoters/logistics, who’ve had to cancel their plans, especially those whose incomes are significantly connected to the underground music industry, it’s really awful.

And then there is the record labels/album release situation that also affects many friends, and this connects with me a bit more. The Golden Grass was about halfway done writing our new album and Rattlesnake was already about 20 percent done with recording/mixing our debut LP when we had to quarantine, so both of those projects are frozen at the moment. And the Marmalade Knives LP that I produced has just been given a delayed release date on Electric Valley Records due to vinyl plant closures. But these are all slight inconveniences, the situation at large is a bit more worrisome, and last but not least, it really puts in to perspective that maybe all this privileged stuff we do is merely a luxury, and can we really bitch about it when tens or hundreds of thousands of people are about to innocently die because of this? What a mess…

Beyond that, everyone is healthy in the bands but about half of us are unemployed by the situation.

What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?

We are all based in NYC so we’ve been hit first and hardest by this and have been in quarantine on various levels for about three weeks [as of April 5]. Obviously there have been no rehearsals, no hangs, and everyone is just focusing on their own little worlds taking care of their situations. Everyone is in touch on various social media platforms all the time, so we’re all staying connected but the overall mood is solemn.

How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?

As far as my neighborhood, it’s eerily quiet, and to be in NYC and see this level of constant non-activity only adds to the weird vibe. We’ve been social distancing for weeks now, and for the past week everyone has masks and gloves on, it’s being taken quite seriously here.

The NYC music scene is obviously devastated. I had so many friends active and working in nightlife, as DJs, bartenders, promoters, performers, etc, I can’t even think about what the outcome will be for venues that were already fighting for life in this town, it’s terrifying.

What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?

I’m frightened. I’m confused. I’m exhausted. I’m getting better with keeping a schedule, and giving myself a plan every day to stay focused. Some days I am super upbeat and others i go very low. I allow myself to go through all of these emotions. This is an absolutely alien traumatic experience. No reaction to this is normal or abnormal, and to be honest I think as a species we’re kinda doin’ OK, so far anyway….

So (mostly) every day I do my stretching and yoga, I eat super well, mostly vegetarian, and am not doing any substances except smoking grass through this. I know it’s LITERALLY a matter of survival, this is the reality sci-fi movie we get, it’s here and now, and wow holy shit, will I be a survivor on this show? will I thrive?!

What about my music? Since the bands are all mostly at a standstill, I am going hard with practicing drum techniques and rudiments every day and actually developing a pretty cool community of drummers who are sharing exercises, posting videos and tips with each other and that’s been a nice warm twist in this chaos. I miss my bandmates and my drum kit (I can only play my pad in my NYC apt) but I just try to stay in musical shape and use the time to get better at things I never had time for before. I’m also trying to use this time for a massive archival digital release schedule, as there are dozens of unfinished, unmixed, or just never finalized albums I’ve made with various bands/projects over the past 10-15 years that I can finally find the time to clean up and issue. This archival project actually started with the release of a 2013 album from Zoned Out, my since-disbanded jazzy, proggy Krautrock group. There’s so much more to come (you can follow my label page at http://www.facebook.com/inforthekillrecords to see the action).

But at the same time, I am constantly faced with the insignificance of this all. Such privilege and luxury to have even in this moment. Is it pointless? Who cares if I finish the album or get really good at flam rudiments? Will there be an other side? what will it look like, are there bands there, or shows, gigs, a scene? Or are we going to be living in bombed out bunkers in some post-WW3-like dystopia, ready to kill anyone/thing that comes near us?! Are all my friends going to die? Is everything going to be fine in two months, one year, 10 years?

I do get momentarily paralyzed by these thoughts throughout every day lately. But then somehow this energy comes to me from somewhere, I pack my bong, grab my sticks and run through my drum rudiment exercises yet again, taking great care to feel and learn deeper, maybe just to be hot and ready for the next gig when the world is reborn…

http://www.facebook.com/thegoldengrass
http://www.thegoldengrass.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/RattlesnakeBoogie69
https://rattlesnakeboogie69.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/InForTheKillRecords
http://inforthekillrecords.bigcartel.com

Brooklyn’s Rattlesnake get pretty raw on their new EP, Time is Come, as you can hear in the title-track streaming at the bottom of this post. The song itself starts off with howling guitar and a chugging bassline, but opens up soon to a full-on strut riff with swinging drums behind leading to bluesy verses and a brash chorus. Given the Southern heavy ’70s aesthetic, the barebones production value reminds of a soundboard bootleg of some lost live show you’d buy on tape at the flea market — the setlist typed out on the Maxell cover with a typewriter — but it still showcases what’s paramount in the track itself, which is the melodic vocals of guitarist JP Gilbert, bassist Don Berger and drummer Adam Kriney. The interweaving lines and harmonies are elements carried over from the band’s 2017 mission-statement debut EP, Outlaw Boogie (review here), as well as from their earlier-2018 single Dirt in My Eyes/Picture Perfect (discussed here), as well as from Kriney‘s other current outfit, The Golden Grass. It works in context here as well.

The new release is pressed to CD-R with the tracks from the prior two EPs included, and Rattlesnake have shows booked in Brooklyn and Philly this month, as the PR wire informs:

RATTLESNAKE “Time Is Come” EP

In For The Kill Records is proud to announce the release of “Time Is Come”, the 3rd EP released by Brooklyn based heavy rockers RATTLESNAKE! Incorporating elements of Southern Rock, Proto-Metal, Progressive Rock, and a classic American 70’s hard boogie strut, the power trio harnesses an earnest and honest energy that soars with harmonious vocals and glides through dexterous musical passages evoking the timeless dusty echoes of their musical forefathers! This three song EP emits a warm analogue feel, capturing the group laying down their contemporary vision, without referencing modernity or the slickness of over-produced digital gloss; it’s real, rough and raw! Featuring two original cuts, the EP also shows their American boogie take on the ROSE TATTOO classic “Rock ‘N’ Roll Outlaw”!

Released in an edition of 100 pro-printed CD-Rs, the EP also features 5 bonus tracks comprising their 2 earlier EPs, which includes the 3 song “Outlaw Boogie” cassette (2017) and the 2 songs from their recently issued “Dirt In My Eyes”/”Picture Perfect” 7” (2018). Highly recommended for fans of BLACKFOOT, THE OUTLAWS, POINT BLANK, MOLLY HATCHET, WISHBONE ASH & HYDRA!

Upcoming RATTLESNAKE performances:
Thur Oct 25 at Coney Island Baby/NY/NY w/ Mick’s Jaguar + Black Magic Flower Power (https://www.facebook.com/events/1977317558992360/)

Sat Oct 27 at Ortleibs/Philadelphia/PA w/ Green Meteor (https://www.facebook.com/events/2173828045985012/)

Rattlesnake is:
Adam Kriney – drums/lead & backing vocals
JP Gilbert – guitar/lead & backing vocals
Don Berger – bass guitar/backing vocals

https://www.facebook.com/RattlesnakeBoogie69
https://rattlesnakeboogie69.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/InForTheKillRecords
http://inforthekillrecords.bigcartel.com

Rattlesnake, “Time is Come”

Three bucks! Three American dollars! I’ve had the pleasure of presenting a good number of shows at this point with The Obelisk, and it’s something I’m almost always happy to do and promote people doing good work, but five bands for three bucks on a night that offers heavy psych, classic boogie, doom and synth-prog weirdness — I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t especially honored to see this site’s logo on this poster.

The first-ever Electric Dragon Festival is set for July 28 at The Depot in York, PA, and the lineup reads like a tour of Mid-Atlantic heavy. There’s St. James & the Apostles, from Philly, as well as Brooklyn’s Rattlesnake, Baltimore’s Alms and Witch Hazel and What’s Her Face, both from PA. Did I mention it was three bucks to get in?

That’s a pretty special kind of night, which of course is the whole idea. There’s some more info about the bands below, courtesy of the fest itself, for which, once again, I’m thrilled to have The Obelisk stand among the presenters.

Dig this:

The Electric Dragon Festival is a one-day, five-band celebration of Hard and Heavy Rock ‘N’ Roll featuring some killer groups from the Northeast/Mid-Atlantic US underground!
The event will take place on Saturday July 28 at The Depot in York, PA. Doors are at 7pm and entrance is only $3!

www.theyorkdepot.com

A little about the bands:

St. James & The Apostles: A Heavy Psychedelic Soul Family Trio based out of Philadelphia, PA, (and yeah, they’re actually all cousins!), and they’ve been on the scene performing and releasing albums for over eight years now! They are the esteemed headliners of the festival!

https://stjamestheapostles.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/stjamesandtheapostles

Witch Hazel: York, PA’s own Doom/Occult Rock ‘N’ Roll hometown heroes! For this special festival occasion, they’ll be performing their brand new album “Otherworldly” in its entirety with special guest Mike Kiker from St. James & The Apostles on keys!

http://witchhazeldoom.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/witchhazelyork

Rattlesnake: Hard Southern Rock Boogie coming out of Brooklyn, NY, yeah, you read that correct! Having just released their debut 7” on In For The Kill Records/H42 Records, this up and coming trio, featuring Adam Kriney of The Golden Grass, will make their York debut at the festival!

http://rattlesnakeboogie69.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/RattlesnakeBoogie69

Alms: Traditional Doom-Rock/Heavy Metal group out of Baltimore, MD! They’re just about to release their highly anticipated debut LP on Shadow Kingdom Records!

https://almsbaltimore.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.facebook.com/almsbaltimore/

What’s Her Face: A synthesizer driven outer-space rock ‘n’ roll band from Lancaster, PA! Word on the street is that they’ve upped the ante and now have two synth players, they’ll be kicking off the festivities and taking it to the cosmos!

https://whatsherface1.bandcamp.com/

Electric Dragon Festival event page

In a collaboration between In for the Kill Records and H42 Records, newcomer New Yorker classic-style Southern rockers Rattlesnake will issue their debut seven-inch in May. The two-tracker boasts brand new material from the four-piece-maybe-turned-trio which features the likes of Adam Kriney of The Golden Grass and La Otracina on drums/vocals, J.P. Gilbert of JP and the Gilberts on guitar/vocals as well as bassist Don Berger, and comes in three different vinyl incarnations, all of course subject to limited pressings. Because that’s how it goes. If you don’t get it, it’s gone.

Rattlesnake made a not-at-all-quiet entry last year, playing their first show in May and offering the three-song cassette demo, Outlaw Boogie (review here), that served as one of 2017’s best short releases. Its aesthetic seemed locked in, its presentation was professional, and the songwriting was ace in its structure and execution. “Dirt in My Eyes,” the premiere of which you can listen to via the YouTube player below, is no different but takes a step forward in its melodic reach and its meld of boogie and harder-edged impulses. It shares a brightness of perspective with The Golden Grass, but has an edge of its own in its harmonies and uptempo pulse. And yes, if you’re wondering, it’s maddeningly catchy.

In my experience, Kriney isn’t someone who embarks on a new project lightly. It could well be that Rattlesnake was started on a whim after a night of boozing among friends, but I doubt it. The Golden Grass had a plan, a timeline, goals, and given how much effort Rattlesnake puts into “Dirt in My Eyes,” I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if they do as well. Fair enough as far as I’m concerned. All that means is we’re likely to hear from them again soon, which I think as you dig into the interplay of bass and airy guitar in the second half of the track before the final “woo!” is delivered, you’ll agree isn’t a negative in the slightest.

You can read more about the three versions of Dirt in My Eyes / Picture Perfect and head to the preorders via the PR wire info below — the test pressing is signed and limited to 20, if that piques your interest– and of course get a preview of “Dirt in My Eyes” via the player immediately following.

Please enjoy:

Rattlesnake, “Dirt in My Eyes” official premiere

Rattlesnake “Dirt In My Eyes”
A-side of the Rattlesnake “Dirt In My Eyes”/”Picture Perfect” 7″ issued on H42 Records/In For The Kill Records May 2018.

For those who dig the heavy strut of Classic Southern Rock, when it dipped it’s country shufflin’ toes into the sweet honey of Progressive Rock & early-Heavy Metal, well you’re gonna find a real treat in this debut 7” from RATTLESNAKE. A rock-solid display, both earnest & creative, overflowing with killer vocal harmonies, powerful guitar solos, tough riffs, devastating bass runs, & tasty drum fills (featuring Adam Kriney of THE GOLDEN GRASS on vocals/drums, JP GILBERT of J.A.C.K. on vocals/guitar & Don Berger on bass/vocals).

*Available in black or yellow or green vinyl. Black vinyl comes in the brown sleeve. Yellow & Green vinyl comes in the green sleeve. Please specify vinyl colour choice in the comments section on the order form!

*Also available in a limited edition of 20 test pressings, with special signed and numbered “skull” sleeves!

*Comes with digital download card.

North American Preorder available via: http://www.goo.gl/GdCuoC

Rest of the World Preorder available via: http://www.h42records.8merch.com/services/store

Rattlesnake on Thee Facebooks

Rattlesnake on Bandcamp

H42 Records website

H42 Records on Thee Facebooks

In for the Kill Records on Thee Faceboks

In for the Kill Records webstore

Day Three of the Quarterly Review! I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling great. Plowing through, hearing a ton of good stuff. The week is rolling and though it’s most definitely caused me to be a neglectful husband and father for the last 72 hours (so far!), at very least the music is killer. That’s something, right? I didn’t really have a theme in picking today’s batch, but there are some commonalities between some of the inclusions all the same. See if you can find them, like one of those old puzzles in a Highlights magazine in your orthodontist’s wood-paneled office. Ready? Okay, let’s go.

Quarterly Review #21-30:

Gruntruck, Gruntruck

Held back due to legal issues with their original label, Roadrunner, the self-titled third album from Seattle groove-grungers Gruntruck hits like an open time-capsule nearly two decades after the fact of its recording: a little dusty but full of vitality and potential for what could’ve been. With a tad more crunch than the likes of Soundgarden and a crunch less TAD than TAD, Gruntruck found a middle-space between the melodies of their age and scene and heavier impulses, and if songs like “Trip,” the post-Nirvana “Build a Hole,” and the later “Spy” sound dated, well, they should. They are dated. It’s an album that was recorded over 20 years ago. That does nothing to take away from the quality of the songwriting, however, as closer “Flang” shows by demonstrating how thin the line between grunge and heavy rock has always been in the first place, let alone how fluidly Gruntruck were able to cross from one side to the other.

Gruntruck on Thee Facebooks

Found Recordings website

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The Dead Ends, Deeper the Dark the Brighter We Shine

This warm and psychedelically charmed debut from Kavala, Greece’s The Dead Ends works quickly to deliver its cumbersome title-line in opener “Memory Ship (Sails at Dawn)” amid a build of organ-laced Doors-style drama, but the overarching spirit of the Sound Effect Records release is nonetheless patient and fluid. The keyboard work of vocalist Giorgos Sechlidis proves to be a major standout factor on the playful “Narri-E Narri-O” as rhythms and melodic elements out of Greek folk rear their head, and as guitarist Serios Savvaidis and drummer Dimitris Apostolidis provide vocal support throughout, the nine tracks of Deeper the Dark, the Brighter We Shine envelop with a depth that corresponds to their outward reach, still based around pop structures practically and conceptually, but feeling open and resolved to remain that way all the same. The jangly “Peter 2:18” closes out by building into a melodic wash, as if to underscore the potential within this exciting outfit’s budding stylistic nuance.

The Dead Ends on Thee Facebooks

Sound Effect Records website

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Albatross Overdrive, Keep it Running

Issued in 2016, Albatross Overdrive’s second full-length pulls together a sans-pretense 31 minutes of barroom-style heavy rock born of the California desert but not necessarily indebted solely to its aesthetic so much as to boozy swing and chug and meaner, engine-revving impulses. “Fire Dancer” and “Higher” make impressions early with catchy choruses and hard-delivered riffs, a touch of metal to the latter particularly, and the later “Preaching Love Not War” boasts a highlight performance from bassist Mark Abshire, formerly of Fu Manchu, while gritty vocalist Art Campos leads the five-piece – completed by guitarists Andrew Luddy and Derek Phillips and drummer Rodney Peralta – through the grunge-chug of “Earth Mother,” recalling Alice in Chains’ “Again” in its cadence momentarily, though ultimately driven along its own course, headed into closer “Neva,” which finishes the album in top form just as it might cap a raucous live set on any given and much-improved Friday evening.

Albatross Overdrive on Thee Facebooks

Albatross Overdrive website

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High Priestess, Demo

Los Angeles trio High Priestess were recently snagged by Ripple Music for the release of their impending debut album this year, and on the strength of this five-track demo, one could hardly argue. Tonally rich, perfectly paced in its rollout, melodically centered and meditative with surprising flashes of metallic noise, cuts like 10-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Firefly” offer psychedelic immersion and a sense of worldmaking rare in a band’s first long-player, let alone their initial demo. Weighted low end gives Demo an earthy sensibility, and there’s definitely a desert-style aspect to “Take the Blame” and “Mother Forgive Me,” but the intertwining vocal melodies of guitarist/organist Katie Gilchrest and bassist Mariana Fiel atop Megan Mullins’ drums provide a spaciousness well across the line of transcendent into ethereal psychedelia. Likewise, after the salvo of “Firefly” and its nine-minute companion “Despise,” the peaceful, organ-laced closer “Earth Dive” draws emphasis on sonic diversity with its patient build and underlying command. Especially as demos go, High Priestess’ is dangerously coherent.

High Priestess on Thee Facebooks

High Priestess on Instagram

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Monolith Cult, Gospel of Despair

From the first listen onward, the hardest thing about putting on Monolith Cult’s second full-length, Gospel of Despair, is actually letting the seven tracks play without constantly interrupting them by saying “hell yes.” Whether it’s the hook of opener “Disconnection Syndrome,” the subsequent plod of the title-track that follows, the massive slowdown that hits about a minute into “Sympathy for the Living” as it moves into its chorus, or the Candlemassian finale chug and stomp of “Death Means Nothing,” the Bradford, UK, five-piece’s follow-up to their 2013 debut, Run from the Light (review here), dwells in similar terrain between righteous classic metal and doom as Cruz del Sur denizens Argus, and the band are likewise firm in their purposes and assured in their delivery. “King of all that’s Lost” feels exceptionally weighted in its impact, but set next to the faster motion in the first half of the penultimate “Complicit in Your Abuse,” it feeds into an overarching flow and sense of leather-on-fistpump-or-headbang-take-your-pick-ready audience response. Hell yes? Oh, hell yes.

Monolith Cult on Thee Facebooks

Transcending Records

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Kayleth & Favequaid, The Second Coming of Heavy – Chapter Six

In bringing together Verona’s Kayleth and Palermo’s Favequaid, The Second Coming of Heavy – Chapter Six works more on a direct theme than some of the other installments in the impressive and impactful series from Ripple Music. But if there’s a particularly nation’s scene worth highlighting in the heavy rock underground, the emergent riffy movement in Italy makes a riotous case for itself as Favequaid bull-in-a-china-shop their way through the nine-minute “Hypochondria” on side B or Kayleth unfold the highlight nod and melody of “The Survivor” earlier, hitting a mark of spatial weight that’s as much about its crash as reach. Starting with the atmospheric pulse of “Desert Caravan” and following up “The Survivor” with the melodic push of “Magnetar,” Kayleth come across as the more progressive of the two outfits, but with the brash finale of “First” rounding out, Favequaid help put emphasis on the underrated diversity within Italian heavy rock on the whole, and maybe that was the idea in the first place.

Kayleth on Thee Facebooks

Favequaid on Thee Facebooks

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Black Wail, Chromium Homes

Though it gradually comes to life around an intro of Hendrixian noodling at the start of “They,” its opener and longest track (immediate points), the third EP from New Jersey’s Black Wail, Chromium Homes, isn’t through that same song before a decidedly Dio-esque “lookout!” is tossed into the pot. Abrasive, sludgy screaming follows. So yeah, it gets weird pretty quick, but that turns out to be the fun of the 27-minute six-tracker, since it just as easily digs back into languid wah-led groove or lets its keyboards flesh out classic heavy rocking melodies. “Thee Ghost” chugs metallic before stepping back to a harmonized a capella midsection and swinging to its finish, and the title-track basks in heavy blues rock like nothing ever happened – the perfect setup for the nastier “The Dead Man’s Hand,” and weirdo bounce-into-punk-thrust of “Radioactive Mutation” that follow. And because why the hell not: a closing doomed-out cover of “Norwegian Wood.” Somehow that was the only thing missing. Black Wail are getting strange and daring you to do the same. If you think you’re up for it, maybe you are.

Black Wail on Bandcamp

Rhyme and Reason Records

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Psychic Lemon, Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay

Prepare for spacedelic immersion. Somewhere there’s a countdown happening and waiting on the other end of it is Psychic Lemon’s sophomore LP, Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay, the title of which reads like the recipe from which its five tracks have been constructed. The 41-minute sprawler from the London-based trio sets itself to the task of atmospheric breakout with 8:31 opener “Exit to the Death Lane,” and while it’s hard not to be drawn immediately to a track called “International Fuzz Star” – let alone one that’s almost 10 minutes long – one skips the cosmic-grunge shuffle of “Hey Droog!” and the sped-up Sonic Youthism of centerpiece “You’re No Good” at one’s own peril. They tease tension in the kick drum but ultimately end up soothing in meandering closer “Satori Disko,” but the progressive threat has been laid all the same, and it says something about their accomplishment overall that even in the final moments of Frequency Rhythm Distortion Delay, one can’t be certain where Psychic Lemon might be headed next.

Psychic Lemon on Thee Facebooks

Tonzonen Records webstore

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Ixion, Return

Brittany, France-based Ixion is a project spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist/growler/recording engineer/cover artist Julien Prat, and Return (on Finisterian Dead End) is the band’s third full-length. With clean vocals contributed by Yannick Dilly (who also mixed), it captures a contemplative and majestic balance of hope and sorrow, woeful in its extremity but bright-toned in its sprawling lead guitar figures in pieces like “Into Her Light” and the later “Stranger.” This meld fascinates throughout the nine-song/47-minute run, but it’s the poise of execution of all these ideas that make cuts like “Back Home” and the electronics-infused “Contact” stand out and recall some of the best moments of mid-period Katatonia, and from opener/longest track (immediate points) “Out of the Dark” onward, Return makes plain its self-awareness and resilience in capturing its formidable stylistic intention in the reality of the recording. It is a true work of beauty-in-darkness and affecting in both its scope and raw emotionalism.

Ixion on Thee Facebooks

Finisterian Dead End website

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Rattlesnake, Outlaw Boogie

It’s just three songs, but Rattlesnake’s debut demo, Outlaw Boogie (also discussed here), was enough of an aesthetic mission statement all the same to wind up on my list of 2017’s best short releases, and with the swing and swagger provided by drummer/vocalist Adam Kriney of The Golden Grass, the classic-style riffing of guitarists Blake Charlton (Ramming Speed) and JP Gilbert (also vocals) and the wah bass Don Berger brings to “The Reason Why,” well, the reason why is frickin’ obvious. The New York-based newcomers capture a bright ‘70s vibe not dissimilar from The Golden Grass’ self-titled debut, but less serene and more urgent, more charged in its purposes on the whole, and dudelier in that okay-now-it’s-time-to-grow-a-mustache kind of way. Unsurprisingly, Outlaw Boogie is almost maddeningly catchy and cohesive and clear in its direction and intent, and the band seem to arrive in their conceptual foundation ready to move forward onto the next stage of their development. The only reason I call the three-tracker a demo at all and not an EP is because the band does. Otherwise there’s very little about it that doesn’t already denote it as a professional-grade work.

Rattlesnake on Thee Facebooks

In for the Kill Records webstore

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Please note: This post is not culled in any way from the Year-End Poll, which is ongoing. If you haven’t yet contributed your favorites of 2017 to that, please do.

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This is the hardest list to put together, no question. Don’t get me wrong, I put way too much thought into all of them, but this one is damn near impossible to keep up with. Every digital single, every demo, every EP, every 7″, 10″ one-sided 12″, whatever it is. There’s just too much. I’m not going to claim to have heard everything. Hell, that’s what the comments are for. Let me know what I missed. Invariably, something.

So while the headers might look similar, assuming I can ever remember which fonts I use from one to the next, this list has a much different personality than, say, the one that went up earlier this week with the top 20 debuts of 2017. Not that I heard everyone’s first record either, but we’re talking relative ratios here. The bottom line is please just understand I’ve done my best to hear as much as possible. I’m only one person, and there are only so many hours in the day. Eventually your brain turns into riffy mush.

With that caveat out of the way, I’m happy to present the following roundup of some of what I thought were 2017’s best short releases. That’s EPs, singles, demos, splits — pretty much anything that wasn’t a full-length album, and maybe one or two things that were right on the border of being one. As between genres, the lines are blurry these days. That’s part of what makes it fun.

Okay, enough dawdling. Here we go:

The Obelisk Presents: The Top 20 Short Releases of 2017

1. Lo-Pan, In Tensions
2. Godhunter, Codex Narco
3. Year of the Cobra, Burn Your Dead
4. Shroud Eater, Three Curses
5. Stubb, Burning Moon
6. Canyon, Canyon
7. Solace, Bird of Ill Omen
8. Kings Destroy, None More
9. Tarpit Boogie, Couldn’t Handle… The Heavy Jam
10. Supersonic Blues, Supersonic Blues Theme
11. Come to Grief, The Worst of Times EP
12. Rope Trick, Red Tape
13. Eternal Black, Live at WFMU
14. IAH, IAH
15. Bong Wish, Bong Wish EP
16. Rattlesnake, Outlaw Boogie Demo
17. Hollow Leg, Murder
18. Mars Red Sky, Myramyd
19. Avon, Six Wheeled Action Man Tank 7″
20. Wretch, Bastards Born

Honorable Mention

Across Tundras, Blood for the Sun / Hearts for the Rain
The Discussion, Tour EP
Fungus Hill, Creatures
Switchblade Jesus & Fuzz Evil, The Second Coming of Heavy – Chapter Seven
The Grand Astoria, The Fuzz of Destiny
Test Meat, Demo
Blood Mist, Blood Mist
Sweat Lodge, Tokens for Hell
Dautha, Den Foerste
Scuzzy Yeti, Scuzzy Yeti
Howling Giant, Black Hole Space Wizard Part 2
Decasia, The Lord is Gone
Bible of the Devil/Leeches of Lore, Split 7″

I can’t imagine I won’t add a name or two or five to this section over the next few days as I think of other things and people remind me of stuff and so on, so keep an eye out, but the point is there’s way more than just what made the top 20. That Across Tundras single would probably be on the list proper just on principle, but I heard it like a week ago and it doesn’t seem fair. Speaking of unfair, The Discussion, Howling Giant, The Grand Astoria and the Bible of the Devil/Leeches of Lore split all deserve numbered placement easily. I might have to make this a top 30 in 2018, just to assuage my own guilt at not being able to include everything I want to include. For now though, yeah, this is just the tip of the doomberg.

Notes

To be totally honest with you, that Lo-Pan EP came out Jan. 13 and pretty much had the year wrapped up in my head from that point on. It was going to be hard for anything to top In Tensions, and the Godhunter swansong EP came close for the sense of stylistic adventurousness it wrought alone, and ditto that for Year of the Cobra’s bold aesthetic expansions on Burn Your Dead and Shroud Eater’s droning Three Cvrses, but every time I heard Jeff Martin singing “Pathfinder,” I knew it was Lo-Pan’s year and all doubt left my mind. Of course, for the Ohio four-piece, In Tensions is something of a one-off with the departure already of guitarist Adrian Zambrano, but I still have high hopes for their next record. It would be hard not to.

The top five is rounded out by Stubb’s extended jam/single “Burning Moon,” which was a spacey delight and new ground for them to cover. The self-titled debut EP from Philly psych rockers Canyon, which they’ve already followed up, is next. I haven’t had the chance to hear the new one yet, but Canyon hit a sweet spot of psychedelia and heavy garage that made me look forward to how they might develop, so I’ll get there sooner or later. Solace’s return was nothing to balk at with their cassingle “Bird of Ill Omen” and the Sabbath cover with which they paired it, and though Kings Destroy weirded out suitably on the 14-minute single-song EP None More, I hear even greater departures are in store with their impending fourth LP, currently in progress.

A couple former bandmates of mine feature in Tarpit Boogie in guitarist George Pierro and bassist John Eager, and both are top dudes to be sure, but even if we didn’t have that history, it would be hard to ignore the tonal statement they made on their Couldn’t Handle… The Heavy Jam EP. If you didn’t hear it, go chase it down on Bandcamp. Speaking of statements, Supersonic Blues’ Supersonic Blues Theme 7″ was a hell of an opening salvo of classic boogie that I considered to be one of the most potential-laden offerings of the year. Really. Such warmth to their sound, but still brimming with energy in the most encouraging of ways. Another one that has to be heard to be believed.

The dudes are hardly newcomers, but Grief offshoot Come to Grief sounded pretty fresh — and raw — on their The Worst of Times EP, and the Massachusetts extremists check in right ahead of fellow New Englangers Rope Trick, who are an offshoot themselves of drone experimentalists Queen Elephantine. Red Tape was a demo in the demo tradition, and pretty formative sounding, but seemed to give them plenty of ground on which to develop their aesthetic going forward, and I wouldn’t ask more of it than that.

Eternal Black gave a much-appreciated preview of their Bleed the Days debut long-player with Live at WFMU and earned bonus points for recording it at my favorite radio station, while Argentine trio IAH probably went under a lot of people’s radar with their self-titled EP but sent a fervent reminder that that country’s heavy scene is as vibrant as ever. Boston-based psych/indie folk outfit Bong Wish were just the right combination of strange, melodic and acid-washed to keep me coming back to their self-titled EP on Beyond Beyond is Beyond, and as Adam Kriney of The Golden Grass debuted his new project Rattlesnake with the Outlaw Boogie demo, the consistency of his songcraft continued to deliver a classic feel. Another one to watch out for going into the New Year.

I wasn’t sure if it was fair to include Hollow Leg’s Murder or not since it wound up getting paired with a special release of their latest album, but figured screw it, dudes do good work and no one’s likely to yell about their inclusion here. If you want to quibble, shoot me a comment and quibble away. Mars Red Sky only released Myramyd on vinyl — no CD, no digital — and I never got one, but heard a private stream at one point and dug that enough to include them here anyway. They remain perennial favorites.

Avon, who have a new record out early in 2018 on Heavy Psych Sounds, delivered one of the year’s catchiest tracks with the “Six Wheeled Action Man Tank” single. I feel like I’ve had that song stuck in my head for the last two months, mostly because I have. And Wretch may or may not be defunct at this point — I saw word that drummer Chris Gordon was leaving the band but post that seems to have disappeared now, so the situation may be in flux — but their three-songer Bastards Born EP was a welcome arrival either way. They round out the top 20 because, well, doom. Would be awesome to get another LP out of them, but we’ll see I guess.

—

One hopes that nothing too egregious was left off, but one again, if there’s something you feel like should be here that isn’t, please consider the invitation to leave a comment open and let me know about it. Hell, you know what? Give me your favorites either way, whether you agree with this list or not. It’s list season, do it up. I know there’s the Year-End Poll going, and you should definitely contribute to that if you haven’t, but what was your favorite EP of the year? The top five? Top 10? I’m genuinely curious. Let’s talk about it.

Whether you have a pick or not (and I hope you do), thanks as always for reading. May the assault of short releases continue unabated in 2018 and beyond.

May 25 will mark the live debut of Brooklyn-based four-piece Rattlesnake. With members of The Golden Grass, Ramming Speed and J.A.C.K., the band announces their first time on stage will be at Union Pool in the company of psychblasters Ecstatic Vision and resurgent, native Brooklynite post-doomers Unearthly Trance. Pretty good way to kickoff a new band, if you ask me.

By way of advance notice, Rattlesnake have posted their initial three-song demo. Dubbed Outlaw Boogie — which seems as much a mission statement as a title — the short offering finds them well sure of where they want to be aesthetically, and fans of The Golden Grass will recognize the lead vocals of drummer Adam Kriney (also ex-La Otracina), here in harmony with guitarists J.P. Gilbert and Blake Charlton on “BWOL (Burning Way of Life)” while Ian Anderson (since replaced by Don Berger) holds down a classic-rocking bassline to go with the riffs somewhere between NWOBHM, Southern pastoralia and classic swagger.

That territory seems to be where it’s Rattlesnake‘s intention to dwell, and Outlaw Boogie finds them comfortable there for its entire 16-minute duration. The promise of guitar scorch is telegraphed early on “The Reason Why,” but there’s a funky wah-soaked stomp to the lead cut as well, and before it’s even made it to the halfway point, the band has careened through a winding bridge and established the hook to be built off of upon return from a lengthy, righteous solo section.

It’s a fluidity backed by the gritty, motoring push of “Wicked Man,” the middle cut that seems to have taken a couple key lessons from Death Alley‘s straddling the line between classic metal and post-Motörhead biker riffing, though again it’s the melody of the chorus that sets it apart, as well as a distinctly Southern feel in the soloing, which “BWOL (Burning Way of Life)” reinforces as well, paying off the foreshadow at the beginning of “The Reason Why” as it leads the way out of Outlaw Boogie‘s smooth-flowing, unpretentious run.

Below, you can read more background about Rattlesnake, where they’re from and where they might be headed, and dig into the stream of Outlaw Boogie. First show is May 25. Safe bet is it won’t be the last.

Dig it:

Rattlesnake – Outlaw Boogie

The true sound of Outlaw Boogie! It’s heavy, loud, swinging & tough! And it’s coming at you spittin’ venom!

Between the mid-70’s and mid-80’s, the worlds of Southern/Country Rock, Hard/Heavy Rock, Prog, Proto-Metal and NWOBHM collided in a brief but stellar shining moment that was sonically crystallized by cult & legendary groups such as POINT BLANK, BLACKFOOT, OUTLAWS, MOLLY HATCHET, ALKANA, HYDRA, ASHBURY & BLACKHORSE! And like a bolt of lightning out of the dark and desolate sky, a new group has exploded on the underground heavy music scene to carry on the torch of those legendary pioneers, and that band is RATTLESNAKE! Hailing from Brooklyn NY, this 4-piece craft classic, epic & breathtaking tunes, powered by dazzling twin guitar melodies/harmonies/solos, and an earnest delivery of soulfully tough vocals, all served up greasy and swampy! You’re gonna love the way it BITES!

Now they say “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”, well then RATTLESNAKE’s sound and swagger should come as no surprise to those familiar with the band members’ other/previous musical groups, and this fact only strengthens their creative forces! However, RATTLESNSAKE is without a doubt, its own unique musical vision! It’s a colossally focused synergy, and quite possibly some of the best darn rock n roll any of these underground heavyweights have ever made!

RATTLESNAKE is Outlaw Boogie! Blazing hard, riding high & swinging low on that lonesome road! Across the dusty desert on up through the mountain high! It’s the thunderous sound of hard working rock n roll lifers! They’ve got enough fire & power to share the stage with any modern rock/metal band out there and the classic/timeless feel to warm an old bluesman’s heart.

Rattlesnake first show!
Thursday May 25 at Union Pool with ECSTATIC VISION and UNEARTHLY TRANCE

The group is comprised of:
Adam Kriney – drums/lead vocals (THE GOLDEN GRASS/LA OTRACINA)
Blake Charlton – electric guitar/backing vocals (RAMMING SPEED/SLASHERS/HELLBENT HOOKER)
JP Gilbert – electric guitar/lead vocals (J.A.C.K./JP & THE GILBERTS)
Don Berger – electric bass

https://www.facebook.com/RattlesnakeBoogie69/
https://rattlesnakeboogie69.bandcamp.com/album/outlaw-boogie
https://www.facebook.com/In-For-The-Kill-Records-415384318840806/

Rattlesnake, Outlaw Boogie Demo (2017)