The Elven will release their debut album, Solstice, this week through Spinda Records, Clostridium Records and Echodelick Records. If that seems like a mighty consortium for a newcomer outfit, it’s worth noting that the band is comprised of members of Spain’s Saturna — bassist Rod Tirado and guitarist/vocalist James Vieco — collaborating with Earthless guitarist Isaiah Mitchell. With the lineup completed by keyboardist Tabatha Puig and drummer Javi Gómez, the full band came together as a pandemic-era divergence on the part of Tirado and Vieco, and while I don’t know the timing on at what point in the last five years it was actually put to tape — which really only matters if you’re curious how long it took the songs to come together and how long they’ve been sitting on the release, which I am — the sound of the band speaks to a timeless encapsulation of classic and heavy rock. Suddenly three labels to cover different geographic regions doesn’t seem like too much.

Opener “Shine” begins with a stretch of standalone guitar and vocals, offering immediately organic tonality and a recognizably strong, ’70s-style vocal from Vieco that will continue to mesh well with the proceedings throughout. There are flashes of proggier effects, synthy flashes from Puig‘s keys and leans into psychedelia amid the low-end warmth of the underlying riffing, varying in fuzz and tone and of course every now and then taking off on an ace solo or two — unavoidable given personnel and not a thing about which to complain — but what’s most striking about it is the cohesiveness of character. “Shine” resolves in a purposeful, soulful chorus and lets the listener loose on the rest of the album with high expectations that the strum and circa-’68 bottom-of-mouth-style verse and subsequent classy scorch of “Far Beyond” begins to meet.

Whatever the original impetus might’ve been — one assumes plague restlessness — behind the formation of The Elven, the band remain striking in their blend of influences from a span of decades, letting “Closer to Freedom” follow “Far Beyond” as a slower, drumless melodic divergence before the shuffle renews in “New Pair of Wings,” which answers the textural elements of hte songs preceding with a purposefully light, airy pastoralia of tone. Even the solo sounds nostalgic, and it’s supposed to, so that’s a win. Further to the purposeful nature of the entire affair, Solistice‘s eight tracks/34 minutes play out in a back and forth of longer and shorter songs, the longest of which is side B opener “Stand Right Next to Me” at 6:20.

There’s a sax, or what sounds like one, in “Stand Right Next to Me,” and that adds to the fullness of the jam that follows the earlier verse, which sets the vocals deeper in the mix for a broader sound. The band are well comfortable in the swing and the finish is classic enough that it sounds like they’re ending the intro to a late-night talk show, by which I of course mean they’re both pro-shop and on-fire, and the realignment toward the shorter and more straight-ahead “Out the Door” does nothing to lessen that impression. Somewhat crunchier in tone — nothing here comes close to aggression; for context, there’s still room for a honky-tonk sound from the keys — it recalls early ’70s blues-boogie without aping either structure or production, conveying a clarity of sound as well as an aesthetic of humility despite the arrangement outreach. The abiding lack of pretense and/or extraneous bullshit serves them well throughout.

The last longer-shorter pairing is “Wherever I Go,” duly rambling and Joe Cocker-esque in its throaty melody and sway, and the 2:23 “All of a Sudden,” which is a quieter outro based around the guitar with flourish of keys to complement. A subdued ending to a record that’s never quite let it all loose but that instead has skillfully and gracefully carried the listener from one end to the other, still remaining balanced between intention and execution, by which I mean nothing is overwritten or overplayed for what they’re trying to do. Again, pro-shop. Those who come into Solstice with the context in mind of who these players are and their prior work will probably get their hopes up going into it, but regardless of where you think the music might go because you know Saturna or Earthless, part of what The Elven accomplish on this first album is to create a vibrant persona of the band’s own.

The album is out April 3, which is Thursday,  and can be ordered now. You’ll find it in full on the player below, followed by more info from the PR wire. I didn’t mention it in the review proper, but credit to Jondix for the badass art.

Enjoy the stream:

‘Solstice’ will be available on April 3, 2025, and will be released exclusively in digital format and on vinyl; in a limited edition of 300 copies in marbled yellow, which can already be pre-ordered at spindarecords.com.

What began at the end of 2020 as an irrational need to compose music by Rod Tirado and James Vieco from Saturna soon took on a different identity when they brought in their friends Isaiah Mitchell (Earthless) on lead guitar, Tabatha Puig on keyboards, and Javi Gómez on drums. In just one month, they wrote the 8 songs that make up this debut album, titled ‘Solstice’, which they recorded with all the freshness and spontaneity of the moment at the Analog Drive-in Studios, alongside Christian A. Korn at the controls and Dani Pernas as co-producer. Pernas would later handle the mixing before passing the project on to Estanis Elorza for mastering.

For the graphic design, they once again enlisted an illustration by Jondix (Tool, Black Sabbath, High on Fire, Electric Wizard) and the design by Jalón de Aquiles for a vinyl edition that will be released by Spinda Records (ES), in a new collaboration with Clostridium Records (DE) and Echodelick Records (US), who previously worked together on the debut album by Loma Baja.

Solstice
1. Shine
2. Far beyond
3. Closer to freedom
4. New pair of wings
5. Stand right next to me
6. Out the door
7. Wherever I go
8. All of a sudden

THE ELVEN is:
Rod Tirado: bass
James Vieco: guitars, vocals
Isaiah Mitchell: guitars
Tabatha Puig: keys
Javi Gómez: drums

The Elven, “Shine” official video

Saturna on Facebook

Saturna on Instagram

Saturna on YouTube

Saturna on Bandcamp

Spinda Records on Facebook

Spinda Records on Instagram

Spinda Records on Bandcamp

Spinda Records website

Clostridium Records on Facebook

Clostridium Records on Instagram

Clostridium Records website

Echodelick Records on Facebook

Echodelick Records on Instagram

Echodelick Records on Bandcamp

Echodelick Records website

Being at just a couple weeks’ remove from this year’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend, I can tell you outright that the comedown is real. Even putting aside mindboggling performances from the likes of Iota, Luna Sol, Solace, Valley of the Sun and a host of others, the people and place, the vibe and heart of the event, and the sense of curation were excellent. It was a great, great time, and it was accordingly something of a challenge to get back to regular life.

The good news as regards daydreaming is that the first lineup reveals for Planet Desert Rock Weekend VI are happening today. The Atomic Bitchwax and Freedom Hawk top the thus-far bill, with The Heavy Eyes and High Desert Queen also making return appearances and Throttlerod traveling the farthest I’ve seen them go for a show since Small Stone was at SXSW. Also, Montreal’s Mooch, Sweden’s Huanastone, Saturna from Spain and Italian heavy rockers Isaak are slated to appear as imports, all apparently coming to the US for the first time.

Already the specificity of the picks — these aren’t just bands who’ll be on tour for new records stopping through town, I mean — speaks to the depth brought to putting together Planet Desert Rock Weekend by curator John Gist who heads the promotional company Vegas Rock Revolution, and I look forward to learning more about the stories these nights will tell over the better part of the nex year, in addition to hoping I make it back to Vegas next January.

From the PR wire:

This year’s Planet Desert Rock Weekend V was an amazing success as we had outstanding performances from all 20 of the bands who came to play. This included a rare performance from Fireball Ministry at the Ripple Music Showcase along with ripping sets by legacy bands like Unida, Mos Generator and Solace as well as 8 international groups came out that included Sergeant Thunderhoof, JIRM, Sons of Arrakis, Mr. Bison, Samavayo, Fire Down Below, Omega Sun and Green Desert Water. Our turnout was simply a magnificent set of fans who love the heavy underground, enjoy the killer party & music each evening and want to give all the positive energy into the experience. PDRW does not exist without the feedback and love that our fans give.

So PDRW VI has its work cut out as the curation of the event’s bar has been set high. Happy to announce 10 bands to get the lineup rolling. Speaking of legacy bands, we are super excited to have The Atomic Bitchwax coming to Sin City! This New Jersey band has been rocking since 1992 and always delivers a massive energy to their presence. The band features two active members of Monster Magnet.

We return 4 PDRW players that have put on top notch performances and are super cool people. We have Freedom Hawk flying back to Sin City to rock the stage. They performed not only PDRW IV but also the 1st PDRW back in 2018. They are one of the best bands musically in the scene. The Heavy Eyes returns to PDRW after playing the debut of Planet Desert Rock. This Memphis band knows how to get the crowd moving! High Desert Queen who played a high octane set at PDRW III which was our basic reboot of PDRW. Vocalist Ryan Garney is a great friend to Vegas Rock Revolution and of course the man with the plan behind our other favorite fest Ripplefest. High Desert Queen’s 2024 album “Palm Reader” landed #2 for May on the Doom Charts. Spain’s Saturna returns to PDRW after playing at PDRW v2 and we can’t wait to hear some of the tracks of their highly regarded album “The Reset” that was Vegas Rock Revolution’s #4 album of 2023. They create songs so good that if rock radio was an actual thing still they would be on it. Vocalist James Vieco is one of the top singers in the scene.

Three more international bands from three more countries are next as each of the bands will be playing their USA debuts. Italy’s Isaak who is on the well-respected Heavy Psych Sounds label cruises out to pummel concert goers. They have been rocking the European stages since 2011 and are a high energy band sure to get your blood pumping! This will make 3 years in a row of Italian bands following in the footsteps of Black Elephant and Mr. Bison. From Sweden we have one of the best kept secrets in the scene Huanastone. Many in the know are very familiar with them due to their last two releases that includes 2024 release “Son of Juno” that landed #9 on the Doom Charts for June. They have a silky smooth style and sound that will be cool to hear live. From Montreal Canada as we continue the legacy of 3 straight French Canadian bands(Sandveiss+Sons of Arrakis) we have Mooch. Likely the most unknown of this batch of bands but we have had our eye and ears on them since their 2020 releases Hounds which was produced by Brant Bjork. Their style harkens back to some classic rock influences and a dash of Masters of Reality. Mooch is a younger band and all 3 members sing. Their tracks can stick in your ears for days at a time. Their 2024 release Visions landed #14 on the Doom Charts for June.

Lastly we got a righteous legacy band and a newer band. Throttlerod has been pretty dormant for a bit but they will be firing on all cylinders at PDRW VI . They started blazing stages back in 1999. Frontman Matt Whitehead has been busy with another stellar band Shun which is on Small Stone Records. The band’s sound has wide ranging influences sure to keep us on our toes! Oakland’s Phantom Hound rounds out the announcements for this grouping. VRR has been a big champion of them since the beginning and their recent album “From Boomtown to Ghost Town” on Glory or Death Records landed #5 on the Doom Charts. This power trio has lots of bluesy elements and stroytelling in their stuff.

Already in chats with 10 other very good bands and will release the names as we gather commitments. The list of who we are targeting is close to done and now it’s a matter of who gets the spots. We will have a Last Call Show again and will get a ticket link out for that soon! Some of these bands will be playing that night.

Thanks so much to everyone who has been amazing in their support and love for Planet Desert Rock Weekend. We can’t wait to see you again and party! We won’t let you down.

Ticket Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/planet-desert-rock-weekend-vi-in-las-vegas-jan-29-31-2026-tickets-1254021715709

Event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1890287758376482/

https://www.facebook.com/VRRProductions/
https://www.facebook.com/vegasrockrevolution/

Freedom Hawk, Take All You Can (2022)

Throttlerod, Turncoat (2016)

Barcelona classic-progressive heavy rockers Saturna released their fifth full-length, The Reset, last month through Spinda Records and Discos Macarras. A big gallop, an immediate sense of melodic mastery, and the listener is swept into “Your Whimsical Selfishness,” an oddly phrased but welcome hook that is the initial salvo from Saturna‘s latest offering, which in its digital edition runs 14 tracks and 66 minutes with the addition of four bonus live covers to the standard 10 originals. If you’ve heard the record already, great. As well written and produced heavy rock albums will, it snagged scene attention last month; a word of mouth hype spreading through shared links in a manner that it feels strange to think of as organic, because digital reality, but is that anyway.

Brightly fuzzed and putting Toni del Amo‘s guest keys to use with the organ sounds on that opener, Saturna‘s sound brings together decades of rock and heavy influences to feed into its construction. Of course, you get a ’70s-via-’90s feel at the root that one could argue is the foundation for the modern genre, but more pointedly, “Your Whimsical Selfishness” incorporates a stretch of folkish acoustic guitar to ease the transition into “The Never Ending Star,” which also tops five minutes (three songs do, including the first two, which feels purposeful), and has some light touch of Thin Lizzy in the guitars of James Vieco (also vocals) and Alexandre Sánchez, but its verse moves into a light-strum Zeppelin build back to its gentle push of a chorus. The four-piece — Vieco, Sánchez, bassist Rod Tirado and drummer Enric Verdaguer — trade between later Sabbathian largesse and subdued liquefaction on “Smile” and build off the earlier folkishness in the harmonized acoustic cut “December’s Dust” before “Into the Sun” surges forth with admirably Spidergawdy verve. So yes, more Thin Lizzy influence.

This is the part where I tell you Saturna bring their persona to that, and frankly, five albums deep into their tenure, as well they should. But part of what they do is to be in conversation with classics — and I think including not only four bonus covers, but covers of well known songs in Black Sabbath‘s “A National Acrobat,” The Beatles‘ “Come Together” (which nothing against the band’s version but I don’t think anyone should cover, ever; Soundgarden didn’t need to do it either; it’s not a song that should be touched; take on “Oh! Darling” instead if you’re feeling brave or “Yer Blues” if you wanna go dark), The Doors‘ “Five to One” and Jimi Hendrix‘s “Who Knows,” is intentional in its communion aspect — in their original songwriting as well, and that comes through in the proggy surge of “A Few Words to Say,” which feels like a continuation of the dialogue from “Your Whimsical Selfishness” on some level, maybe thematic, and captures an exciting push coming off the speedier “Into the Sun” that serves as a shift to the slower, more willfully expansive “The Sign,” rife with clearheaded ethereality and sunshiny heft.

“Made of Stone,” the longest song at 7:50, is a full-on classic heavy blues jam. It brings a return of the keys in a prominent role and dual vocals from Vieco and Sánchez as if to emphasize command even at what’s arguably The Reset‘s loosest moment. It builds to a classy apex but never wants to go over the top, so doesn’t, leaving the boogie “On Fire” — Priest via Motörhead is a winning combination — to give a landmark hook before the semi-titular closer “A Way to Reset” finishes along similarly straightforward lines structurally, but pulls back on tempo in favor of a nodding groove and intricate call and response bounce of guitar in its verse, almost Graveyard-esque, but the melody and the takeoff solo are Saturna‘s to be sure. They don’t blow it out at the finish, but the last chorus wants nothing for vibrance as a setup for the quiet finish and, on the download, immediate transition to the start of “A National Acrobat.”

Saturna did a covers night at some point, and apparently recorded it. Fair. Not every band would be malleable enough to shift from the sleek prot0-heavy blues wordplay of “Come Together” to the guttural stomp of “Five to One,” but Saturna make it work, with the vocals no less malleable. “Who Knows” comes across particularly funky, and that’s as reasonable an ending as one could ask for The Reset, which might be related as a title to some sense of starting over for the band — they were on one of Ripple‘s Turned to Stone splits in 2022 with Electric Monolith (review here), and one would not describe their sound at that point as broken or needing resetting, but you never know — or could just as easily be a broader call or something as simple as trying to fix the Super Nintendo they found in the garage. I don’t know, but taken on its own level and merits, The Reset stands up to the mighty forebears of its influences with a strength of craft and performance that are undeniable and a vitally engaging construction. There’s no real room for argument.

The band’s video for “A Few Words to Say,” which includes the shift to new guitarist Max Eriksson, premieres below. Please enjoy:

Saturna, “A Few Words to Say” video premiere

More than 4 years had passed since the Barcelona-based band Saturna released ‘Atlantis’, which was their latest full-length album until now. Much had happened since then, and their members had evolved musically, a fact evident from the first listening of “Your whimsical selfishness” and “The never ending star”, the two advance singles from ‘The reset’, their recently released new studio album.

This new offering from Saturna arrives through Spinda Records and Discos Macarras – who also co-released their previous album – and immediately positions itself as their best album to date , and also the most varied in terms of compositions. It explores a musical landscape that is a blend of hard rock, psychedelia, post-grunge, and heavy rock, as the band pointed out in recent interviews with Bienvenidos a los 90 and Siete Barbas Estudio, where they performed a live session, including “Smile” and “The never ending star”, both tracks from their new album.

Recorded at Analog Drive-in Studios, mixed by their regular collaborator Dani Pernas and mastered at Doctor Master, ‘The reset’ is now officially available in both physical formats (compact disc and vinyl) and digital. The Bandcamp edition includees 4 bonus live tracks featuring covers of Black Sabbath, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix y The Doors.

First tour dates announced:
Jan 20 in Barcelona (ES) @ Sala Wolf
Feb 17 in Vitoria-Gasteiz (ES) @ Errekaleor Ouzo Askea
Mar 10 in Torredembarra (ES) @ La Travi
Jul 5 in Tenerife (ES) @ Teatro Leal La Laguna

THE RESET
1. Your whimsical selfishness
2. The never ending star
3. Smile
4. December’s dust
5. Into the sun
6. A few words to say
7. The sign
8. Made of stone
9. On fire
10. A way to reset

All songs have been written and produced by Saturna.
Lyrics by James Vieco and Saturna.

Recorded by Christian A.Korn at Analog Drive-in.
Mixed by Dani Pernas.
Mastered by Estanislao Elorza at Doctor Master.
Artwork and cover by Jondix.
Design and layout by Marta Ramon.

Additional musician:
Toni del Amo – Keyboards

SATURNA is:
Rod Tirado – Bass
James Vieco – Vocals, guitars
Alexandre Sánchez – Guitars, backing vocals
Enric Verdaguer – Drums

Saturna, The Reset (2023)

Saturna on Facebook

Saturna on Instagram

Saturna on YouTube

Saturna on Bandcamp

Discos Macarras on Instagram

Discos Macarras on Facebook

Discos Macarras on Bandcamp

Discos Macarras website

Spinda Records on Facebook

Spinda Records on Instagram

Spinda Records on Bandcamp

Spinda Records website

Tomorrow, April 15, marks the release of the latest installment of Ripple Music‘s split LP series, Turned to Stone. Bringing together two acts out of Barcelona’s underground in Saturna and Electric Monolith, Turned to Stone Ch. 4: Higher Selves, boasts four new tracks from the former and five from the latter, and though one doesn’t necessarily know it yet the first time pressing (clicking, tapping, etc.) play on Saturna‘s “Keep Me Trying,” which opens the proceedings with riffing born of Kyuss and Goatsnake as delivered through fuzz-boogie post-Sabbath-blues tonality, the two bands are more than suitable company for each other, Electric Monolith answering back later with the psychedelic hints at the outset of “By My Side” before they start the Uncle Acid shuffle and dig into a verse that reinvents Led Zeppelin‘s “Dazed & Confused” lumber as a vocal melody and go on to present their own vision of then-meets-now heavy in complement to Saturna earlier. I don’t know if these two bands hang out or what, but if not, they should probably be friends in real life.

The exceptional ease of the transition between one band and the other — and no, that does not mean they sound the same, because they don’t — makes Turned to Stone Ch. 4: Higher Selves a surprisingly smooth listen front-to-back, and while the striking cover art might catch the eye, it’s the hints toward Sabbath Bloody Sabbath in “Keep Me Trying” that lock the brain in place. Saturna‘s guitars are thick but not ridiculously so, and neither they nor Electric Monolith are aiming for largesse of sound as much as dynamic and the ability to physically move, a live energy captured on tape for parts active or mellow. “Following the Sun” offers pastoral vibes via electric and acoustic guitar and a melody that vaguely calls out to Blind Melon while foreshadowing the Zeppelinism to come on side B, and “Drowning” makes full use of the deceptive amount of space in the mix for start-stop riffing that is effective both loud and quiet before a highlight climbing solo and a swinging finish. “Don’t Run” rounds out Saturna‘s half of the LP and is a little more theatrical with the organ and piano behind the vocals, almost leaving one to expect a choral backing, but the lead tone later is dead on ’70s and the vocal melodies that cap are sincere and memorable. That track is somewhat buried in the transition, but would well earn a place either on Saturna‘s next full-length or its own 7″. A band doesn’t write a song like that every day.

A quick hum of fading in guitar noise, a drum fill, and Electric Monolith are on their way into “By My Side” with an immediate deftness of rhythm that serves them well throughout their five inclusions. Someone needs to mention Hendrix here, so it might as well be me, but “By My Side”‘s wah heroics give over to the much-more-Eddie–Hazel “I Hope You Feel Better,” which is a sub-two-minute interlude offering with percussive backing and drifting into the boogie at the outset of “Hold Me Again.” If you have a quota for catchy, “Hold Me Again” will see it met, but in its sharp 2:55 execution there’s still room for a bit of prog-rock chase in the middle, which is bookended after by more repetitions of the title lyric and the groove that’s been so reliably locked in all the while. It comes all the way to a close before the drift of “So Lonely Drying” and backing hand drums, watery vocals and soft-noodle guitar does for “Planet Caravan” what “I Hope You Feel Better” did for “Maggot Brain” — namely incorporating it into Electric Monolith‘s own context of songwriting and performance as they make it their own. There’s a 10-seconds-or-so stretch of quiet before “Nightmares” kicks in to put the final stamp on the split and strut out Iommic blues with appropriate showiness as the vocals match the guitar line. The longest track from either band at 6:49, “Nightmares” summarizes Electric Monolith‘s portion well, with a fleet sense of movement and by ending not with a huge crescendo, but a classy kind of drifting out.

In that finish, Electric Monolith tie their half of Turned to Stone Ch. 4: Higher Selves together with a fluidity and a sense of bigger-thinking that mirrors Saturna before them. Neither band here is just throwing tracks on tape to see what sticks. There’s a clear intention to establish a flow such that each side is like a mini-album that ultimately complements the entirety of the release taken together. You’re not going to hear a ton of hype about this one, most likely. For those who’ve followed Ripple‘s splits since the days of The Second Coming of Heavy, that they’d offer a product with such a sense of curation behind it — credit apparently to John Gist of Vegas Rock Revolution — shouldn’t be a surprise, but it is a stirring reminder that these releases aren’t to be taken for granted just because there’s a back catalog of them at this point, and that while the title of the split might be cumbersome, the actual barriers to entry are minimal if not nil and the passion behind the work these two bands from Barcelona are doing more than justifies the showcase.

Speaking of, the entirety of Turned to Stone Ch. 4: Higher Selves can be streamed here on the player below.

Please enjoy:

SATURNA / ELECTRIC MONOLITH
‘Turned To Stone Chapter 4: Higher Selves’
Out April 15th on Ripple Music

PREORDER: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-4-higher-selves

TRACKLIST:
Side A – Saturna
1. Keep Me Trying
2. Following The Sun
3. Drowning
4. Don’t Run
Side B – Electric Monolith
5. By My Side
6. I Hope You Feel Better
7. Hold Me Again
8. So Lonely Drying
9. Nightmares

Saturna on Facebook

Saturna on Instagram

Saturna on Bandcamp

Electric Monolith on Facebook

Electric Monolith on Instagram

Electric Monolith on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

Pairing up two cool bands from Barcelona on a split makes sense, and glad to see Ripple Music continuing the Turned to Stone thread. That’s all well and good. But damn, get a load of the art for Turned to Stone Chapter 4, which is subtitled Higher Selves and out April 15. Unless I missed it — certainly possible — I don’t see the name of the artist behind the work, but goodness gracious, it’s awesome. Of the genre in terms of theme, but the way it’s shaped out like a movie poster with the lines drawing it to the orange background — to say it’s working for me would be an understatement. I’d both see this film and put the poster on my wall, freaking out my kid forever.

I imagine it’s hard deciding on a first single from a split. Difficult enough with one band on a release, let alone two, but Saturna‘s “Drowning,” which calls out a classic Colour Haze progression in its pattern (think “Fire” for a direct comparison point), brings engaging and warm heavy psychedelic vibing that, if Electric Monolith are gonna come along and turn it to stone, that’ll be just fine from one side to the next. Note as well that Saturna recently took part in Spinda Records‘ Grados. Minutos. Segundos. split series (discussed here), and recently took on Soundgarden‘s “Outshined,” which is a braver move than you’ll ever see me make, ever, ever, ever.

Here’s that art and the tale to be told from the PR wire:

SATURNA and ELECTRIC MONOLITH team up for ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 4’ split album on Ripple Music; first track and preorder available!

The fourth chapter of Ripple Music’s acclaimed ‘Turned to Stone’ split 12″ series features Saturna and Electric Monolith. The ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 4: Higher Selves’ album will be released worldwide on April 15th, with preorder and a first single “Drowning” available now.

Ripple Music treats heavy rock fans to yet another exciting collaboration on the fourth installment of the ‘Turned To Stone’ split series, with two outstanding bands from the Barcelona rock scene: SATURNA and ELECTRIC MONOLITH. Both bands have specialized in perpetuating the spirit of rock’n’roll in its truest, most boundary-free expression: when Saturna plays a soulful, Southern-infused classic hard rock with gripping, soulful vocals, Electric Monolith operates on the edgier, more psych-laden side of the 70s rock spectrum. A raucous, epic pairing that will skyrocket listeners through a riff-walled time-tunnel to vintage heavy music heaven!

Ripple Music CEO Todd Severin comments: “Saturna and Electric Monolith are two bands that John Gist (from Vegas Rock Revolution) was pimping tirelessly, for good reason. They rock. And the fact that they’re both from Spain just made it a natural fit for a Turned to Stone split. Each band put their own spin on their side, with Saturna aiming for a slightly slower, Chris Cornell-inspired rock, and Electric Monolith simply putting the pedal down. Both sides are completely engaging. I hope the listeners dig these two bands as much as we do.”

SATURNA / ELECTRIC MONOLITH
‘Turned To Stone Chapter 4: Higher Selves’
Out April 15th on Ripple Music

PREORDER: https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-4-higher-selves

TRACKLIST:
Side A – Saturna
1. Keep Me Trying
2. Following The Sun
3. Drowning
4. Don’t Run
Side B – Electric Monolith
5. By My Side
6. I Hope You Feel Better
7. Hold Me Again
8. So Lonely Drying
9. Nightmares

https://www.facebook.com/Saturna777/
https://www.instagram.com/saturnaband/
https://saturna777.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/electricmonolithband
https://www.instagram.com/electricmonolith/
https://electric-monolith.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Saturna, “Drowning”

Way back in June, in this space, Spinda Records brought forth a track-by-track to coincide with the first chapter of its encompassing split-series 7″ compilation box set, Grados. Minutos. Segundos., the second shipment for which reportedly has gone out, bearing new material from Habitar la Mar and Acid Mess, Cró! and The Dry Mouths, and Saturna and Laverge, paired together across three new splits.

If all of this sounds familiar, you might be thinking of last week when The Dry Mouths‘ video for “More Oo Less Fluid” premiered here.

Spain is short neither on heavy nor passion for it, but a project like this comes along once in a generation, maybe, and even as I feel like I can’t hope to keep up with it, I find it deeply admirable. All the more so for the unforeseen circumstances of the world into which it’s being manifest. If you’re one of the lucky 240 who’ve bought in, enjoy it forever. For me, I’m just happy to have an excuse to post the links and note the bands involved and I’ll continue to do so as long as Spinda will have me. My hope is that will be all four parts, 12 splits total with 24 bands.

Huge. With the promise of more to come and continued thanks to Berto Cáceres, here’s the track-by-track for part two, as well as the full release stream:

Purchase here: https://spindarecords.com/grados-minutos-segundos

After the First 6 Stops, This Trip Around the Indie Music Scene Called ‘grados. Minutos. Segundos.’ Continues Now with 6 New Bands: Habitar la Mar, Acid Mess, Cró!, The Dry Mouths, Saturna and Laverge.

‘Grados. Minutos. Segundos.’ is a no-return trip around the four cardinal points of the deepest underground music scenes in Spain. Thanks to a boxset full of previously unreleased tracks of 24 indie Spanish bands you’ll have the chance to understand how’s the sound of this new generation of independent musicians. You don’t want to be told about it, you want to be part of it.

Grados. Minutos. Segundos. Track-by-Track Pt. 2

HABITAR LA MAR – “Enrea” & “Ruina”

“[…] in both tracks we wanted to experiment a bit more with weird and dark sounds; we even broke some cymbals in order to get different sounds… we thought it might be stupid but the final result was interesting with new cool textures. Regarding lyrics, it talks about different people I met in the past in the area where I grow up… you know those guys who wanted to move forward and go out of streets for a better life, but the place sometimes made things difficult and they could even end up being worse than those others who complicated their life at first. It is also a tribute to Madrid rapper Darmo, a nice fella I respect and who’s very close to this idea of going out of the streets “[…]”

This was the first track to be written. Both guitarists Kike and Frego came up with it during the first part of the pandemic, and it was surprising ’cause we could see other musical areas to be explored by the band from now on. The text here is quite depressing… it’s about the idea that the end will be exactly the same for all of us… In fact, the first demo was initially called “Mictlantecuhtli” and it was covering all this stuff about King Mictlan, the dead in Mexican culture and this kind of things. I finished changing a little bit the concept so it was closer to the other track “Enrea” and that’s how I finished writing some lyrics in “calé” (language spoken by gypsies in Spain, similar to Romani) “[..]”

ACID MESS – “Algo grita”

“[…]” this is a song about toxic relationships happening on a daily basis, no matter the context. Do you know when you desperately need to get rid of something which causes you tons of anxiety but you do not know how to? That’s it, but also about the impotence of seeing someone close to you going through a difficult time and not being able to do anything as your advice or opinion won’t be accepted “[…]”

CRÓ! – “Buah”

‘Buah is a spanish word to express astonish, some kind of mesmerizing WTF. “Buah!” describes a laughing psychedelic trip during one (maybe several?) nights with different stops and feels that fit the music and vice versa. The music represents quite well the moment of the band where the multiple influences appear everywhere supporting the band own creativity; everything seems possible from Classical or Electronic to Forest Doom or Constructive Laughing. We would resume this in Galician language saying: “Buah, qué movida neno!”‘

THE DRY MOUTHS – “More Oo No Fluid”

“[…] Similar to our previous instrumental album ‘Memories from Pines Bridge’, this song is based on experimentation and jams, in this case heavily influenced by Middle-East melodies. “More Oo No Fluid” creates that tensed atmosphere in which you can get trapped forever whilst you wait for a storm which is coming but you don’t know when […]

SATURNA – “Volver a empezar”

“[…] “Volver al Final” was an idea conceived by Rod (bassist) some years ago while we were writing our last album ‘Atlantis’. As there were only a few riffs to jam with, the song was kept out because of its Andalusian Rock feel. But when Spinda Records offered us the chance to include just one song for the split series “Grados. Minutos. Segundos”, we began to see it as a particularly suitable track for the project, as well as a chance for the band to record something in Spanish. Actually, we took the chance to explore and pay tribute to all those great Spanish bands from the ’70s, such as Triana.

Based on a 6/8 time signature, we chose softer rhythm guitars to create more layers and breadth for a more open and psychedelic sound, exploring with reverse instrument signals and effects. We also counted with the participation of the amazing Tabatha Puig, whose keyboard sounds helped to achieve that vibe we were looking for.

Vocally, we added some dark poetic lyrics and flamenco influenced melodies and harmonies for a final touch that, for us, keeps the spirit of Saturna, as well having that freedom to to keep exploring “[..]”

LAVERGE – “Y.D.H.A.S.”

“[…] “Y.D.H.A.S.” (You don’t have a soul) exposes what lies under the skin. True intentions are often hidden under flags, signs of identity, social groups, political ideologies, images or simple kind phrases. Authenticity is an expensive thing today. To show happiness when you are sad is to lose your soul. Becoming a star by saying what you know you have to say at every moment with no regard for your own thoughts or emotions reduces your soul. To use anger for no true purpose other than to fit in with the angry people around you because without any ability to see beyond, is to have no soul. The 21st century seems to have been designed to be soulless. “Y.D.H.A.S.” sounds like a knife and hurts like reality [..]”

The Dry Mouths, “More Oo Less Fluid” official video

Spinda Records on Facebook

Spinda Records on Instagram

Spinda Records on Bandcamp

Spinda Records website

One might think of Sounds of the Heavy next weekend in Yucca Valley, California, as a complement to the Planet Desert Rock Weekend that kicked off last night in Las Vegas and runs until this coming Sunday. Sure enough, the international contingent of bands — Saturna, Kaiser, Omega Sun and Green Desert Water — will I guess be hanging out in the desert for a week in between the two events. Could be worse, I’m sure. They’re joined by House of Broken Promises — whose guitarist, Arthur Seay, is among the organizing principals of the seven-band lineup, along with Vegas Rock Revolution — as well as Here Lies Man, Diesel Boots out on the patio and The Battery Electric who hail from my beloved Garden State, which might as well be on the other side of the planet from Yucca Valley.

I’m not certain how it all came together, but if you’ve got the capacity to get yourself to the desert next weekend, it seems like a no-brainer good time will ensue.

Here’s the info and ticket links:

Vegas Rock Revolution & Arthur Seay Presents: Sounds of the Heavy

Vegas Rock Revolution & Arthur Seay Presents: Sounds of the Heavy on Friday May 24th at Gadi’s Bar & Grill in Yucca Valley

House of Broken Promises from Indio featuring both Arthur Seay and Mike Cancino (Both with Unida / DEATH in Pretty Wrapping) along with frontman Joe Mora (Street Drugs DTLA) will be melting faces.

Here Lies Man / RidingEasy Records comes over from L.A. with their fuzzy psych afrobeat style. Super exciting to have them as part of the event!

The Battery Electric from Asbury Park New Jersey drops in as well as 4 up and coming European heavy rock bands.

SATURNA- -Spain
Kaiser —Finland
OMEGA SUN — Slovenia
Green Desert Water — Spain

Just might add 1 more band…….

Party starts around Happy Hour !

$12 now / $20 Door

A Vegas Rock Revolution Production

https://www.facebook.com/events/723191784763530/
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/vrr-presents-arthur-seays-desert-metal-meltdown-tickets-60915311336

House of Broken Promises, “Tornado” official video

2016 ends and 2017 starts off on the right foot with a brand new Quarterly Review roundup. The first time I ever did one of these was at the end of 2014 and I called the feature ‘Last Licks.’ Fortunately, I’ve moved on from that name, but that is kind of how I’m thinking about this particular Quarterly Review. You’ll find stuff that came out spread all across 2016, early, middle, late, but basically what I’m trying to do here is get to a point where it’s not March and I’m still reviewing albums from November. Will it work? Probably not, but in order to try my damnedest to make it do so anyway, I’m making this Quarterly Review six full days. Monday to Monday instead of Monday to Friday. 60 reviews in six posts. Sounds like madness because it is madness. Let’s get started.

Quarterly Review #1-10:

Hornss, Telepath

San Francisco trio Hornss debuted on RidingEasy Records with 2014’s No Blood No Sympathy (review here) and further their raw genre blend on Telepath, their half-hour follow-up LP delivered via STB, melding heavy punk and metallic impulses to a noisy, thick-toned thrust on songs like “Atrophic” and the bouncing “Sargasso Heart” while opener “St. Genevieve” and the penultimate “Old Ghosts” dig into more stonerly nod. The latter track is the longest inclusion on the record at 3:26, and with 11 cuts there’s plenty of jumping between impulses to be done, but the trio of guitarist/vocalist Mike Moracha, bassist/vocalist Nick Nava – both formerly of desert punkers Solarfeast – and drummer Bil Bowman (ex-Zodiac Killers) work effectively and efficiently to cast an identity for themselves within the tumult. It’s one that finds them reveling in the absence of pretense and the sometimes-caustic vibes of songs like “Leaving Thermal,” which nonetheless boast an underlying catchiness, speaking to a progression from the first album.

Hornss on Thee Facebooks

STB Records store

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Khemmis, Hunted

Easily justifiable decision on the part of Denver’s Khemmis to return to Flatline Audio and producer Dave Otero (Cephalic Carnage, etc.) for their second album, Hunted. No reason to fix what clearly wasn’t broken about their 2015 debut, Absolution (review here), and on the 20 Buck Spin Records release, they don’t. A year later, the four-piece instead build on the doomly grandeur of the first outing and push forward in aesthetic, confidence and purpose, whether that’s shown in mournful opener “Above the Water,” the darker “Candlelight” that follows, or the centerpiece “Three Gates,” which opens as muddied death metal before shifting into a cleaner chorus, creating a rare bridge between doom and modern metal. Khemmis save the most resonant crush for side B, however, with the nine-minute “Beyond the Door” capping with vicious stomp before the 13-minute title-track, which closes the album with an urgency that bleeds even into spacious and melodic break that sets up the final apex to come, as emotionally charged as it is pummeling.

Khemmis on Thee Facebooks

20 Buck Spin on Bandcamp

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Fox 45, Ashes of Man

In addition to the outright charm of titles like “Doominati,” “Coup d’étwat,” “Murdercycle” and “Urinal Acid” (the latter a bonus track), Rochester, New York’s Fox 45 offer fuzzy roll on their Twin Earth Records debut full-length, Ashes of Man, the three-piece of Amanda Rampe, Vicky Tee and Casey Learch finding space for themselves between the post-Acid King nod of “Necromancing the Stone” and more swing-prone movements like the relatively brief “Soul Gourmandizer.” Playing back and forth between longer and shorter tracks gives Ashes of Man a depth of character – particularly encouraging since it’s Fox 45’s first record – and the low-end push that leads “Phoenix Tongue” alone is worth the price of admission, let alone the familiar-in-the-right-ways straightforward heavy riffing of “Narcissister” a short while later. Very much a debut, but one that sets up a grunge-style songwriting foundation on which to build as they move forward, and Fox 45 seem to have an eye toward doing precisely that.

Fox 45 on Thee Facebooks

Twin Earth Records on Bandcamp

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Monolith Wielder, Monolith Wielder

Double-guitar Pittsburgh four-piece Monolith Wielder make their self-titled debut through Italian imprint Argonauta Records, bringing together Molasses Barge guitarist Justin Gizzi and Zom guitarist/vocalist Gero von Dehn with bassist Ray Ward (since replaced by Amy Bianco) and drummer Ben Zerbe (also Mandrake Project) for 10 straightforward tracks that draw together classic Sabbathian doom with post-grunge heavy rock roll. There’s a workingman’s sensibility to the riffing of “No Hope No Fear” and the earlier, more ‘90s moodiness of “Angels Hide” – von Dehn’s vocals over the thick tones almost brings to mind Sevendust on that particularly catchy chorus – but Monolith Wielder’s Monolith Wielder isn’t shy about bringing atmospherics to the Iommic thrust of its eponymous cut or the penultimate “King Under Fire,” which recalls the self-titled Alice in Chains in its unfolding bleakness before closer “Electric Hessian” finishes with a slight uptick in pace and a fade out and back in (and a last sample) that hints at more to come.

Monolith Wielder on Thee Facebooks

Argonauta Records website

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No Man’s Valley, Time Travel

The stomp and clap intro “The Man Who Would be King” casts an immediately bluesy hue on No Man’s Valley’s debut album, Time Travel (LP release on Nasoni), and the Netherlands-based five-piece seem only too happy to build on that from there. It’s a blend outfits like The Flying Eyes and Suns of Thyme have proffered for several years now between heavy psychedelia and blues, but No Man’s Valley find a niche for themselves in the dreamy and patient execution of “Sinking the Lifeboat,” a highlight of the eight-track/33-minute LP, and bring due personality to the classic-style jangle-and-swing of “The Wolves are Coming” as well, so that Time Travel winds up more textured than redundant as it makes its way toward six-minute piano-laden finale “Goon.” Once there, they follow a linear course with a post-All Them Witches looseness that solidifies into a resonant and deeply engaging apex, underscoring the impressive reach No Man’s Valley have brought to bear across this first LP of hopefully many to come.

No Man’s Valley on Thee Facebooks

Nasoni Records website

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Saturna, III/Lost in Time

Barcelona classic rocking four-piece Saturna seem to avoid the boogie trap when they want to, as on the more rolling, modern heavy groove of “Five Fools,” and that keeps their World in Sound/PRC Music third album, III/Lost in Time, from being too predictable after the opening “Tired to Fight” seems to set up Thin Lizzy idolatry. They dip into more complex fare on “Leave it All,” somewhere between Skynyrd leads, Deep Purple organ-isms topped with a rousing hook, but keep some shuffle on songs like “Disease” and the earlier “All Has Been Great.” Highlight/closer “Place for Our Soul” seems to be literal in its title, with a more subdued approach and harmonized vocal delivery, and listening to its more patient delivery one can’t help but wonder why that soul should be relegated to the end of the album instead of featured throughout, but the songwriting is solid and the delivery confident, so while familiar, there’s ultimately little to complain about with what III/Lost in Time offers.

Saturna on Thee Facebooks

World in Sound website

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MØLK, Hate from the Bong

Especially with the title of their second EP set as Hate from the Bong, one might be tempted to put Belgian outfit MØLK immediately in the same category of malevolent stoner/sludge metal as the likes of Bongripper, but frankly they sound like they’re having too much fun for that on the five-tracker, reveling in lyrical shenanigans on the politically suspect “Stonefish” and opener “Methamphetamine.” Make no mistake, they’re suitably druggy, but even Hate from the Bong’s title-track seems to keep its tongue in cheek as it unfolds its post-Electric Wizard echoes and tonal morass. That gives the five-piece an honest vibe – they’re a relatively new band, having released their first EP in 2016 as well; why shouldn’t they be having a good time? – to coincide with all that thickened low end and vocal reverb, and though they’re obviously growing, there isn’t much more I’d ask of them from a debut full-length, which is a task they sound ready to take on in these songs.

MØLK on Thee Facebooks

MØLK on Bandcamp

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Psychedelic Witchcraft, The Vision

Italian cult rock outfit Psychedelic Witchcraft have proven somewhat difficult to keep up with over the last year-plus. As they’ve hooked up with Soulseller Records and reissued their Black Magic Man EP (review here), their full-length debut, The Vision, and already announced a follow-up compilation in 2017’s Magick Rites and Spells, the band consistently work to feature the vocals of Virginia Monti (also Dead Witches) amid semi-retro ‘70s-style boogie, as heard on the debut in cuts like “Witches Arise” and “Wicked Ways.” At nine tracks/34 minutes, however, The Vision is deceptively efficient, and though they’re unquestionably playing to style, Psychedelic Witchcraft find room to vary moods on “The Night” and the subdued strum of “The Only One Who Knows,” keeping some sonic diversity while staying largely on-theme lyrically. To call the album cohesive is underselling its purposefulness, but the question is how the band will build on the bluesy soulfulness of “Magic Hour Blues” now that they’ve set this progression in motion. Doesn’t seem like it will be all that long before we find out.

Psychedelic Witchcraft on Thee Facebooks

Soulseller Records website

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Spotlights, Spiders EP

Following the heavy post-rock wash of their 2016 debut album, Tidals, Brooklynite two-piece Spotlights – bassist/guitarist/vocalist Sarah Quintero and guitarist/synthesis/vocalist Mario Quintero – return on the quick with a three-track EP, Spiders, and set themselves toward further sonic expansion. The centerpiece “She Spider” is a Mew cover, electronic beats back opener “A Box of Talking Heads V2” and the spacious closer “Joseph” is a track from Tidals remixed by former Isis drummer Aaron Harris. So, perhaps needless to say, they hit that “expansion” mark pretty head-on. The finale turns out to be the high point, more cinematic in its ambience, but still moving through with an underlying rhythm to the wash of what one might otherwise call drones before becoming more deeply post-Nine Inch Nails in its back half. How many of these elements might show up on Spotlights’ next record, I wouldn’t guess, but the band takes an important step by letting listeners know the potential is there, adding three wings onto their wheelhouse in three tracks, which is as efficient conceptually as it is sonically immersive.

Spotlights on Thee Facebooks

Spotlights on Bandcamp

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Moon Coven, Moon Coven

This self-titled second full-length from Malmö, Sweden-based Moon Coven begins with its longest track (immediate points) in “Storm” and works quickly to nail down a far-reaching meld between heavy psych and riffy density. Issued through the much-respected Transubstans Records, it’s a nine-track/50-minute push that can feel unipolar on an initial listen, but largely avoids that trap through tonal hypnosis and fluid shifts into and out of jams on cuts like “The Third Eye,” while centerpiece “Haramukh High” provides a solidified moment before the organ interlude “The Ice Temple” leads into the mega-roll of finisher “White Sun.” What seems to be a brooding sensibility from the artwork – a striking departure from their 2014 debut, Amanita Kingdom – is actually a far more colorful affair than it might at first appear, and well justifies the investment of repeat visits in the far-out nod of “Conspiracy” and the swirling “Winter,” which goes so far as to add melodic texture in the vocals and notably fuzzed guitar, doing much to bolster the proceedings and overarching groove.

Moon Coven on Thee Facebooks

Transubstans Records

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