I can’t really say it’s much of a surprise that Denver, Colorado, three-piece Abrams went back into the studio with Andy Patterson at the helm. Patterson, who also tracked their 2015 debut full-length, Lust. Love. Loss. (review here), and has worked with the likes of SubRosa, Iota, Gaza, Black Sleep of Kali, etc., in one or multiple capacities, produces the forthcoming Morning in league with Dave Otero (whom I’ll forever associate with the stellar presence he brought to Cephalic Carnage), and one can hear in the title-track streaming below that production isn’t a minor factor in the trio’s ultra-clear, crisp and progressive delivery.

Getting a sound like that of Abrams to sound as clean as it does and still be heavy is no easy feat, but “Morning” — which also boasts a guest vocal spot from Khemmis‘ Phil Pendergast — bodes well for the rest of the record to come. One looks forward to digging in.

Cover art by Samantha Muljat, album info and audio follow, all courtesy of the PR wire:

ABRAMS: Khemmis frontman guests on track off Denver trio’s sophomore album “Morning”

Denver, Colorado trio Abrams announces new full-length album Morning, to be released June 9th on Sailor Records.

The sophomore album by Abrams, Morning perfects the sound put forth on the 2015 debut, Lust. Love. Loss. Yearning, driving, and hook-laden, the ten songs on Morning summon a soulful version of heavy rock that dwells in the same mountain range as later Mastodon, Baroness, and Mark Lanegan.

Tracks like “Worlds Away,” “18 Weeks,” “Rivers,” “Burned,” and “Morning” (featuring guest vocals by Phil Pendergast of hometown Denver pals Khemmis) are earth-shakers that veer from bittersweetness to defiance to rage. Guitarist Zachary Amster’s simple leads shine majestically over bassist Taylor Iversen’s fuzz and crunch, and drummer Geoffrey Cotton’s tom-heavy propulsion. Amster and Iversen both sing – world-weary yet full of fire. Iversen describes the lyrical themes:

“The concept we put forth with this album is one of duality. Morning and mourning. The songs represent to us a realization that all good things come with eventual bad things. There’s that morning where the sun is bright and the birds are chirping and everything seems possible. At the end of the day, it wasn’t what you hoped it would be. Every day you wake up and hope, and every night you go to sleep and mourn.”

Morning was recorded by Andy Patterson (SubRosa, Cult Leader) and Dave Otero (Cobalt, Cattle Decapitation), and was mixed and mastered by Otero.

The cover art and layout are by Samantha Muljat (Earth, Goatsnake).

Look for Abrams on tour all summer.

Tracklist:
1) Worlds Away
2) At the End
3) 18 Weeks
4) Rivers
5) Can’t Sleep
6) Burned
7) Mourning
8) Die in Love
9) In this Mask
10) Morning

Lineup:
Taylor Iversen – bass, vocals
Zachary Amster – guitar, vocals
Geoffrey Cotton – drums

https://www.facebook.com/abramsrock
https://abramsrock.bandcamp.com/releases
https://www.sailorrecords.com/
https://sailor-records.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sailor-Records/359148970778780

Hey, if you’re gonna be in Seattle, you might as well stop through the studio and record an album with Matt Bayles, right? That would seem to be the message put forth by Austin, Texas, heavy rockers Greenbeard as regards their new full-length due out this June on Sailor Records. They’ve yet to unveil any audio or the title of the follow-up to 2015’s Stoned at the Throne, but the plan is to do so next month, and before they get there, they’re saying goodbye to the debut with a new video for the track “Sativa Wizardia,” which opened the record. Heads up on this one, it’s a riffer.

It makes that plain from its first measure, and the five minutes that follow only underscore the point. With heavy rock shuffle, tonal density and cut-through vocals belting through a welcome hook, Greenbeard are part post-Uncle Acid strut and part classic stonerized blowout, and in that, it set up six tracks of dug-in riffing and heavy roll. It’s little surprise that the album received acclaim enough that the band can already count themselves veterans of SXSW, Psycho Las Vegas and Electric Funeral Fest, among others. Seems likely they could walk into just about any venue with electricity enough to handle their output and start turning at least a few heads in their direction on any given night.

To support their new one, they’ve got live dates booked before and after the June release, but it’s only fair to give Stoned at the Throne its due sendoff before they start gearing up to put their focus on moving forward with that record, for which, indeed, they traveled to Seattle to record with Matt Bayles, whose reputation of recording with Isis and Mastodon, etc., precedes him. Listening back to Stoned at the Throne, I’m intrigued to hear what Bayles brings to Greenbeard‘s sound. If you want a preliminary guess, mine is more volume and more depth, as both are specialties of the house in Bayles‘ work.

Please find the Tony Moser-directed clip for “Sativa Wizardia” below, followed by more info on the impending sophomore long-player and the band’s live dates.

And enjoy:

Greenbeard, “Sativa Wizardia” official video

“Sativa Wizardia” is the newest music video from Greenbeard’s current album, “Stoned at the Throne”. Directed by Tony Moser. Vinyl for “Stoned at the Throne” available at: https://www.sailorrecords.com/product-page/greenbeard-180g-blood-red-vinyl

Greenbeard has a new record completed and ready to go. The album name and artwork will be revealed on May 1. Additionally, the band will be announcing tour dates for the summer of 2017. On their 2016 tour, Greenbeard spent time in Seattle, recording their newest album with Matt Bayles (Minus the Bear, Isis, Botch, The Sword, Mastodon, A Storm of Light, Mono, etc.). This new album will be released on Sailor Records in June of 2017.

Greenbeard live:
May 12 Dirty Dog Bar Austin, TX w/ Zed & Wasted Theory
May 27 Smokestock All-Star Rock Bar Kansas City, MO
Jun 14 Leftwoods Amarillo, TX
Jun 15 Sister Bar Albuquerque, NM
Jun 16 Electric Funeral Fest 2017 Hi-Dive Denver, CO
Jun 21 Reggie’s Chicago, IL
Jun 23 Cafe Berlin Columbia, MO
Jun 26 Blue Note Oklahoma City, OK
Jun 27 Curtain Club Dallas, TX

Greenbeard is:
Chance Parker – guitar/vocals
Dan Alvarez – bass
Buddy Hachar – drums

Greenbeard on Thee Facebooks

Greenbeard on Bandcamp

Sailor Records website

Sailor Records on Thee Facebooks

Having already shown their riffly wares at Heavy Metal Parking Lot 3 at SXSW in their native Austin, Texas, and traveled north to Colorado for the Denver Electric Funeral fest, heavy rock trio Greenbeard have announced intentions to show up in further illustrious spaces — Psycho Las Vegas, Northwest Hesh Fest, Stoned Meadow of Doom — throughout the next month-plus. They’ll reportedly also be recording a new album with Matt Bayles to follow-up their well-received Stoned at the Throne for Sailor Records, which is an action preceded by the new single “Love Has Passed by Me,” for which they also happen to have a new video.

Bottom line? No shortage of news from these cats. By all means, dig in below:

Greenbeard announces video release, tour schedule, and recording of new album.

Sailor Records band, Greenbeard, agrees to upcoming studio session with Matt Bayles in Seattle, WA. Greenbeard is also releasing a music video for their upcoming single, “Love has Passed By Me” with Washington based video production company, The Dead Suits. In addition, the band will be playing a string of high profile shows in the upcoming months. Further action includes a live video/lighting theater tour featuring the visual artwork of Federico Moreno.

Matt Bayles is a Seattle based producer operating his studio, Red Room Recording. Bayles has recorded and produced bands including Isis, Soundgarden, Minus the Bear, Mastadon, Botch, and Fall of Troy. Bayles will be working with Greenbeard on recording their upcoming record (title TBD) which will be released in mid 2017 on Sailor Records.

The Dead Suits is a Washington based video production company helmed by Editor/Videographer, Tony Moser. Greenbeard collaborated with Austin videographers, Jay Conlon and Andrew Simonds, to shoot local footage with the band, which was sent over to Moser to combine with his footage shot in Kennewick, WA. Greenbeard met Tony while on tour, playing a show at Ray’s Golden Lion in Eugene, Oregon. Months later, Tony reached out to the band proposing his interest in producing a music video with them. Coincidentally, Greenbeard was in search of a videographer to produce a music video for their recently recorded single, “Love Has Passed By Me”.

“Love Has Passed By Me” is the new single released by Greenbeard recorded and mixed by Miles Randall in Austin, TX. Eric Wofford of Cacophany Recorders mastered the track. Wofford is an esteemed contributor to Austin’s recording scene. Notable works include The Black Angels, Ume, White Denim, Okkervil River, and Lord Buffalo.

Federico Moreno is a filmmaker, live video projectionist, and lighting artist residing in Austin, TX. Federico has worked with Bob Mustachio, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Dead Meadow, and Austin’s Levitation festival helping to produce living and fluid lightscapes interlaced with video. Moreno and Greenbeard are working together on producing a theatrical video performance to be housed in theaters across the country for late 2017.

Greenbeard’s upcoming show schedule is filled with exciting festivals, and the band will be rubbing shoulders with a number of class acts.
– 08/24/16. Psycho Las Vegas (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV) — w/ Fatso Jetson, Mac Sabbath, Electric Citizen, Mothership, and Mudhoney…
– 09/02/16. Stoned Meadow of Doom (The Slowdown, Omaha, NE) — w/ Weedeater, Egypt, Wofat…
– 09/09/16. Video collaboration with Federico Moreno (Texas Theater – Dallas, TX)
– 09/24/16. Northwest Heshfest (Dante’s, Portland, OR) — w/ Red Fang, Deafheaven, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, American Sharks…

https://www.facebook.com/greenbeardtheband/
https://greenbeard.bandcamp.com/album/stoned-at-the-throne

Greenbeard, “Love Has Passed by Me” official video

I’m not sure if Greenbeard‘s Stoned at the Throne vinyl is out now or impending. Below, Sailor Records — the Colorado-based label that just picked up the Texas-based band — says that Oct. 30 marked the preorder date. The band says they’ll play a release show in January, and if you order it on Bandcamp, it says it ships in two weeks, so your guess is as good as mine. Either way, cool for the band getting picked up for an LP pressing. Initially released over the summer, that record was catchy as hell and they seem to be willing to get out and support it, so all the better.

The PR wire had this to say on the subject:

Austin desert rockers Greenbeard sign with Denver’s Sailor Records and release “Stoned at the Throne” on vinyl!

Denver based record label, Sailor Records has added Greenbeard to their quickly expanding roster.

Greenbeard is a desert rock trio from Austin, TX created in the spring of 2014. Greenbeard’s sound is a sonic conjuring of early British heavy metal, psychedelia, desert guitar riffs, & stoner rock. In one year, the band has seen major tours, supported big bands like Dead Meadow,Pentagram, Red Fang, The Shrine, and Spirit Caravan. Greenbeard has also been official artists at Austin’s 2015 SXSW, Denver’s 2015 UMS, and played in 2015 Denver Psychfest; Synesthesia.

Sailor Records is a fresh up and coming label operating out of Denver, Colorado. Label owner, Oscar Ross, has spent decades working in Denver’s premier studios, with top notch talent. With catalogs upon catalogs of excellent studio sessions helmed by Ross himself, the birth of Sailor Records only seemed like the next logical move. Sailor Records is also homebase for bands like Plastic Daggers, Chingaso, Lords of Fuzz, Dreadnought, Native Daughters, and many more!

“Stoned at the Throne” is Greenbeard’s debut full length release. This 8 track record is packed full of blistering drum grooves, blasting riffs, heavy bass lines, and sexy vocals. This record was recorded in Austin, TX at OHM Recording Facility and engineered by the talented Chico Jones. Chico Jones’ vanguard of records includes “Samsara’ by The Well, Tia Carrera, White Denim, and many more. Adam Hamilton (Brian Jonestown Massacre/Counting Crows) mixed the record, and Paul Tavenner(Cleopatra Records/Big City Recording Studios) laid the finishing touches down with his mastering. Artwork for SATT was conceptualized by Greenbeard, and illustrated by French rock & roll poster and album cover artist, Headbang Design. Headbang Design’s portfolio includes artwork for Orange Goblin, Freak Valley Festival, and much more. Stoned at the Throne is produced by Alfonso Gonzalez.

Sailor Records will be opening presale for “Stoned at the Throne” on Friday, October 30. This release will include 150 copies on black 180g vinyl, and 100 special edition 180g blood red colored vinyl. Copies will be available for sale on Greenbeard’s bandcamp site. Greenbeard plans on having a vinyl release party in Austin, TX in early January, followed by a spring tour.

http://www.greenbeard.bandcamp.com
http://www.sailorrecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/greenbeardtheband
http://www.ohmrecordingfacility.com
http://www.headbangdesign.com

Greenbeard, Stoned at the Throne (2015)