Posted in Whathaveyou on October 6th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Hey, that’s what it’s all about, right? Getting out there, seeing new things, playing fuzz rock as loud as you can for as many people as there are in whatever place. That’s the dream, right? And then you stay somewhere for the night and get breakfast in the morning, take a few pics for the socials maybe if it isn’t too awkward the next day, and roll out to the next one. Good on yas, Stonus.
Weekenders, man. I wholly support that model of touring. There is precious little that says ‘I do this because I love it’ as much as someone taking an entire weekend of their life — which invariably has any number of other facets to it besides a given band — and going to play shows. Think about it for a minute. What are you willing to do for an entire weekend?
Because you go on tour for like four weeks, well, that’s not a tour anymore, it’s a lifestyle. Probably a smelly one. But to do shows like Stonus are next month, hitting new ground in France and Belgium for the first time, and then just turning around and going home, that takes heart. Commitment. Thanatos. I could go on here. Better perhaps I don’t.
They’re calling it a mini-tour of the EU, which I also love. It’s been a minute, but if you recall their 2021 LP, Séance (review here), they certainly weren’t short on charm then. Some things do not change:
STONUS – Mini EU tour Announcement️
“We are super excited to share with you our upcoming European tour dates for this fall and we can’t wait to make some new awesome experiences with you all!!!
Lets get fuzzed up!!!(#127988#)☠️(#127988#)☠️(#127988#)☠️”
15.11 Open Slot 16.11 Kinky Star – Ghent (BE)* 17.11 L’International – Paris (FR)** 19.11 Westill – Nantes (FR)
with: *High Trail (FREE ENTRANCE) **Last Quarter, Oda
Posted in Questionnaire on February 10th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Nicky Ray from Stonus
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
First of all thank you for this interview and this opportunity.
Since young kids me and my brother Kyriacos (lead singer) always felt the pull to create music and thus it all started from our bedroom to where it is now and who knows where it will go. Personally I am not a musician but a chemical engineer, although that’s another story… From a young age I was always attracted to music, poetry and art and I constantly felt the urge to create. With time, me and my brother started sharing our creations and along the way we found the rest of the group, Kotsios, Pavlos and Alaa, and formed STONUS which gives us the opportunity to not only create our own material but also share it around in stages all over Europe. In reality we are just five friends jamming around and creating music which by the end of the day is living our childhood dreams and we have to thank all of our supporters and the heavy rock community for allowing this to happen.
Describe your first musical memory.
My first musical memory, that at least I can remember, is finding this old CD player at my parents’ house at the age of 10 together with a dusty CD of Elton John’s “Sleeping with the past” that I kept playing on repeat every night for a whole year! That’s when I truly realized the power of music and the impact it can have on people and since then, I am in constant exploration.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
The best musical memory so far is having the opportunity to tour Europe for the first time with STONUS last September/October. It was a dream come true, especially coming from a small island in the Mediterranean where the chances of playing abroad are extremely low. Nevertheless, we are here to prove that people can achieve their dreams no matter how hard it is, as long as they believe in their selves and they are willing to give everything they’ve got.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
When you are on the journey to achieve something, often obstacles tend to appear to test your will and endurance. For example back in the day, we were invited to take part in a unity event for peace in Cyprus, which is still a divided country unfortunately. Since as individuals we believe in equal human rights we decided that it was right to play the gig although it was emotionally heavy as most of our families are refugees of the same war that caused this division of the island.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
I feel that artistic progression leads to beauty and completeness. The ability to translate your feelings and emotions into art is kind of an alchemy and it requires skill and intuition to put the pieces together.
How do you define success?
Success is being able to do what you love freely, being able to be who you truly are and waking up every day with a smile on your face.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
When I was still an undergraduate at a university, after a club night, I was in the unfortunate position to see a student getting run over by a car and dying. This was one of the strongest experiences that occurred to me and made me realize that every moment is precious and needs to be cherished because you never know if you will be here on the next.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
Our new album! We are actually in the process of writing the first drafts and we are more than excited to see how this new side of our selves looks like.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
Art has several functions such as to entertain, to uplift and emotionally support and to even start a revolution if necessary. What I believe, is that art is a form of language, a collective of signals and symbols coming from the core of the universe to enter our subconscious. By translating these signals into artistic creations we allow the universe to experience its own “thoughts” guiding us to the single purpose of unity and bliss, evolving us along the way.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
Since outside music I am an engineer, in the renewable energy field; I am really looking forward to see how these new technologies will unfold in a try to make earth a more sustainable and supporting place. Personally it is another dream coming true, seeing people uniting and fighting for a single goal, to save the planet…and who knows maybe it is the start of a new era in society where love could finally replace greed.
To whoever is reading I want to thank you for your time and wish you success in your dreams and of course keep being heavy!
Posted in audiObelisk on March 23rd, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Cyprus rockers Stonus will release their new three-song EP, Séance, this Friday, March 26, on Electric Valley Records. Actually, I’m not about to commit 100 percent to that geography since they’re recording in Cyprus (maybe they went back? I don’t know), but wherever they are, Stonus follow-up their 2020 debut album, Aphasia, with this third EP release that takes a mere 18 minutes out of your day and rewards with vibrant heavy fuzz and spacey push. In “Evil Woman,” “Messianism” and “El Rata,” the five-piece’s sound is only suited to its live recording process, and there’s a palpable flow between the tracks that comes through despite the EP format. That is, cuts are individualized, they’d work on their own as singles, but there’s plenty of fluidity tying them together as well.
Channeling their inner mid-period Monster Magnet, they start with “Evil Woman” and shift easily into “Messianism” before the willfully chuggier and more aggressive “El Rata,” bringing Mediterranean folk elements along for the ride into the farther-out. “Evil Woman” brakes from its thrust in its midsection with Kyriakos Frangoulis‘ vocals no less a part of the swirl than the guitars of Pavlos Demetriou and Nicky Ray (the latter also bass), who bring the riff back around circa 4:20 and are joined by drummer Kotsios Demetriades for the renewed push that culminates, underscoring the songwriting that lurks beneath the wash. “Messianism” pulls its riff early with some spoken word and drumroll for an intro. I haven’t seen a lyric sheet but there’s certainly plenty of subject matter around which they might explore the title’s theme, and they do so in a range shortly under seven minutes that’s engaging and adventurous in kind, whispers dug into the mix, room for rhythmic changes and a progressivism that, if nothing else, speaks to the obvious craft gone into putting these tracks together before they hit the studio to play them live. These are not half-baked pandemic-era tossoffs, and this is not a band without purpose.
Weightier thud and more spacious reach collide in the second half of “Messianism,” and it becomes no mystery why the band positioned it as the centerpiece of the outing. Is that a plugged-in tzouras (like a bouzouki, but smaller) I hear, or a guitar with effects? No clue, but that’s part of the fun as the second of three hits its peak and subsequently rumbles to its close. “El Rata” rounds out with Stonus‘ most effective heavy psychedelic elemental blend, bringing the heft of the prior cut and the wash of the opener together in succinct and deceptively efficient fashion until its long fade leads the way into whatever beyond the band are heading toward. In an uncool universe, these songs wear sunglasses at night, and for those who slept on the LP last year (like me), they represent a hand of outreach on the part of the band, bidding warm welcome as they chart their particular course through the void. It’s not too late to get on board.
So be it. If you think you’re up for what Stonus are delivering throughout Séance, to be honest, you’re probably right. There’s a bit of preaching to the converted, but that doesn’t make their communication with the ethereal any less switched on. They’re willing to leave the world behind for 18 minutes. Maybe you are too.
Séance is streaming in its entirety below, and under the player you’ll find preorder and bundle info.
Enjoy:
We are proud to announce that the Pre-orders of our new EP “Séance” are now Live! Pressed on a 140g Side A Black Vinyl/side B picture Disk including a poster, all designed by Petros Voulgaris / Design, Illustration & Screenprinting ??
‘Seance’ is the 3rd EP of the Cypriot Heavy Rock band Stonus, a fully analogue 18:24 minute EP recorded live at Hot Soap Studios in Larnaca, Cyprus under the supervision of Andreas Matteou and mastered by George Leodis. The delicate artwork, perfectly translating the visualisation of Seance was crafted by Petros Voulgaris.
In this trip, Stonus take a more experimental approach seeking into tradition, experiencing folk sounds, gypsy sceneries and expose themselves into the darkest side of nature. In some parts they are raw and heavy, while in others lost in a psychedelic trance, filled with roaring basslines, heavy riffs and dreamy melodies, always bloodthirsty for revolution and change. Whether you’re bound by the evil chains of pretentious love, feeling disconnected from your dreams or being chained to the system, Seance is a kind reminder that you are not alone…
-35 x “The Ritual Bundle” Signed Vinyl, Séance T-shirt available in Red, Gray and White, poster, stickers and an ultra-limited edition Séance card oracle deck and a game board delicately hand-drawn by Rafael Marquetto with garments designed by the young talented designers Eleni Oronti and Apocahlipse
-35 x “Evil Woman Bundle” Signed Vinyl & Evil Woman T-shirt Bundle. Includes poster and sticker
-10 x “Mystery Bundle” Seance and Aphasia signed Vinyls, random T-shirt, poster and stickers
It was a hard year for all of us, away from gigs, bars, friends and family and we are hoping that our music helped you pass through some of those hard times the same way your warm support and love keeps us alive!
Posted in Reviews on March 27th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Here we are, on the precipice looking out over a spread that will include 50 reviews by the week’s end. Somehow when it comes around to a Quarterly Review Monday I always end up taking a moment to ask myself if I’ve truly lost my mind, if I really expect to be able to do this and not fall completely flat on my face, and just where the hell this terrible idea came from in the first place. But you know what? I haven’t flubbed one yet. We get through it. There’s a lot to go through, for me and you both, but sometimes it’s fun to be completely overwhelmed by music. I hope you agree, and I hope you find something this week that hits you in that oh-yeah-that’s-why-I-love-this kind of way. Time’s wasting. Let’s get started.
Quarterly Review #1-10:
Pallbearer, Heartless
Three albums and nearly a decade into their tenure, Pallbearer stand at the forefront of American doom, and their third outing, Heartless (on Profound Lore), only reinforces this position while at the same time expanding beyond genre lines in ways that even their 2014 sophomore effort, Foundations of Burden, simply couldn’t have done. A seven-song/hour-long sprawl is marked out by resonant melodies, soulful melancholy conveyed by guitarist/vocalist Brett Campbell – the returning lineup completed by guitarist Devin Holt, bassist Joseph D. Rowland and drummer Mark Lierly – and tonal weight set to a mix by Joe Barresi, who from opener “I Saw the End” onward arranges layers gorgeously so that extended pieces like “Dancing in Madness” (11:48) and closer “A Plea for Understanding” (12:40) become even more consuming. What comes through most resolute on Heartless, though, is that it’s time to stop thinking of Pallbearer as belonging to some established notion of doom or any other subgenre. With these songs, they make it clear they’ve arrived at their own wavelength and are ready to stand up to the influence they’ve already begun to have on other acts. A significant achievement.
With the considerable frontman presence of Primordial’s Alan Averill on vocals and bass, the considerable riffing of guitarist Bones (also of Wizards of Firetop Mountain) and the considerable lumber in the drumming of Johnny King (ex-Altar of Plagues), Dread Sovereign make some considerable fucking doom indeed. Their second album, For Doom the Bell Tolls (on Ván Records), follows three years behind their debut, 2014’s All Hell’s Martyrs (review here), and wastes no time giving the devil his due – or his doom, if you prefer – in the span of its six tracks and 37 minutes. Atmospheric and seemingly on an endless downward plod, the 13-minute “Twelve Bells Toll in Salem” is a defining moment, but the trad metallurgy of “This World is Doomed” rounds out side A with some welcome thrust, and after the intro “Draped in Sepulchral Fog,” “The Spines of Saturn” and the thrashing “Live Like and Angel, Die Like a Devil” play dramatic and furious intensities off each other in a manner that would seem to truly represent the fine art of not giving a shit what anyone thinks about what you do or what box you’re supposed to fit into. Righteous. Considerably so.
Noise, largesse of riffs and shouted vocals that distinctly remind of Souls at Zero-era Neurosis pervade the near-hour-long run of Lizzard Wizzard’s Total War Power Bastard, but as much as the Brisbane four-piece willfully give themselves over to fuckall – to wit, the title “Medusa but She Gets You Stoned Instead of Turning You to Stone, Instead of Snakes She has Vaporizers on His Head… Drugs” – songs like “Shithead Nihilism,” “Pizza” and the droning “Snake Arrow” brim with purpose and prove affecting in their atmosphere and heft alike. Yes, they have a song called “Nerd Smasher,” and they deserve all credit for that as they follow-up their 2013 self-titled (review here), but by the time they get down to the roll-happy “Crystal Balls” and the feedback-caked “Megaflora” at the record’s end, guitarists Michael Clarke and Nick McKeon, bassist Stef Roselli and drummer Luke Osborne end up having done something original with a Sleep influence, and that’s even more commendable.
Should mention two things outright about Oulu Space Jam Collective’s EP1. First and foremost, its three songs run over 95 minutes long, so if it’s an EP, one can only imagine what qualifies as a “full-length.” Second, the Finnish outfit releasing EP1 on limited tape through Eggs in Aspic isn’t to be confused with Denmark’s Øresund Space Collective. Oulu is someplace else entirely, and likewise, Oulu Space Jam Collective have their own intentions as they show in the 57-minute opener “Renegade Spaceman,” recorded live in the studio in 2014 (they’ve since made two sequels) and presented in six movements including samples, drones, enough swirl for, well, 57 minutes, and a hypnotism that’s nigh on inescapable. I won’t take away from the space rock thrust of 14-minute closer “Artistic Supplies for Moon Paint Mafia” (also tracked in 2014), but the smooth progressive edge of three-part 24-minute centerpiece “Approaching Beast Moon of Baxool” is where it’s at for me – though if you want a whole galaxy to explore, hit up their Bandcamp.
They freak out a bit toward the end of 12-minute opener “Ascendant” and in the second half of the subsequent “Supersaturation,” but for the most part, Aussie three-piece Frozen Planet…. 1969 play it weirdo-cool on their fourth full-length, the excellently-titled Electric Smokehouse (on Pepper Shaker Records). From those jams to the dreamy beachside drift of “Shores of Oblivion” to the funky-fuzz bass of “Sonic Egg Factory” to the quick noise finish of “Pretty Blown Fuse” – which may or may not be the sound of malfunctioning equipment run through an oscillator or some other effects-whatnot, the instrumentalist Sydney/Canberra trio seem to improv a healthy percentage of their fare, if not all of it, and that spirit of spontaneity feeds into the easygoing atmosphere only enhanced by the cover art. On a superficial level, you know you’re getting psych jams going into it, but once you put on Electric Smokehouse, the urge to get lost in the tracks is nigh on overwhelming, and that proves greatly to their credit. Wake up someplace else.
Ananda Mida make their debut on Go Down Records with Anodnatius, fluidly working their way around heavy psychedelic and more driving rock influences propelled by drummer Massimo “Max Ear” Recchia, also of underrated Italian forebears OJM. Here, Recchia anchors a seven-piece lineup including two vocalists in Oscar de Bertoldi and Filippo Leonardi, two guitarists in Matteo Scolaro and Alessandro Tedesco, as well as bassist Davide Bressan and organist Stefano Pasqualetto, so suffice it to say songs like the subtly grungy “Passvas,” the dreamy highlight “Heropas” or the vaguely progressive “Askokinn” want nothing for fullness, but there seem to be moments throughout Anodnatius as on “Lunia” and the shuffling “Kondur” early into the proceedings where the band wants to break out and push toward something heavier. Their restraint is to be commended since it serves the interests of songcraft, but part of me can’t help but wonder what might happen if these guys really let loose on some boogie jams. Keep an ear open to find out, as I have a feeling they might be headed in just that direction.
The heart of Séance – The Satanic Sounds of Strange Broue might come in the 11-minute sample dump that is “Cults and Crimes,” late into the second half of the 52-minute album. Capturing meticulously compiled news and talk-show clips from the late ‘80s, some of which talk about the Satanic roots of heavy metal, it gets to the ritualism that Quebec four-piece Strange Broue proliferate elsewhere on the record in the lo-fi post-Electric Wizard doom of “Satan’s Slaves,” “Kill What’s Inside of You” and the rolling opener “Ritualize” (video here). These pieces offset by other interludes of noise and drone and samples like “Satanic Panic,” “In Nomine Dei Nostri Satanis, Luciferi Excelsis,” the acoustic-until-it-gets-shot-in-the-woods “Las Bas,” the John Carpenter-esque “Séance IV – L’Invocation” and the extended penultimate drone of “Séance V – The Mystifying Oracle with Bells” ahead of the countrified pop gospel of “Satan is Real,” which finishes in subversive fashion, interrupted by more news reports and a finishing assault of noise. Like an arts project in the dark arts, Séance crosses some familiar terrain but finds Strange Broue on their own trip through cultish immersion, as psychological as it is psychedelic.
Not much to argue with in the sixth long-player from Helge Kanck, Trond Slåke and Hallvard Gaardløs, collectively known as Orango. As they make their way onto Stickman Records (which also handled Euro distro for their last album, 2014’s Battles) with The Mules of Nana, the Norwegian trio deep-dive into harmony-topped ‘70s-style vibing that, well, leaves the bulk of “retro” bands in their V8-crafted dust. Mind you they do so by not being a retro band. True, the fuzz on “The Honeymoon Song” and “Head on Down” is as organic as if you happened on it in some forest where all the trees were wearing bellbottoms, but if you told me it was true, I’d believe Orango recorded The Mules of Nana onto – gasp! – a computer. I don’t know if that’s the case or not, but “Heirs,” the sweetly acoustic “Give Me a Hundred” and motoring “Hazy Chain of Mountains” find Orango making no attempt to cloak a lack of songwriting or performance chops in a production aesthetic. Rather, in the tradition of hi-fi greats, they sound as full and rich as possible and utterly live up to the high standard they set for themselves. Pure win in classic, dynamic fashion.
There’s an undercurrent of metal that’s quick to show itself on Set and Setting’s Reflectionless. The instrumentalist Floridian five-piece delve plenty deep into heavy post-rock on cuts like the shoegazing “Incandescent Gleam” and subsequent “Specular Wavefront Of…” but they’re not through opener “Saudade” before harder-edged chug emerges, and “…The Idyllic Realm”’s blastbeating nods at black metal while the churning endgame build of closer “Ephemerality” holds tight to a progressive execution. While its textural foundation will likely ring familiar to followers of Russian Circles ultimately, Reflectionless finds distinction in aligning the various paths it walks as it goes, creating an overarching flow that draws strength from its diversity of approach rather than sounding choppy, confused or in conflict with itself. Not revolutionary by any means, but engaging throughout and with a residual warmth to complement what might seem at first to be a purely cerebral approach. It offers more on repeat listens, so let it sink in.
Primo short offering of pure, fistpump-ready, violin-infused doom traditionalism. I don’t know what Norrköping, Sweden’s Dautha – the five-piece of vocalist Lars Palmqvist, guitarists Erik Öquist and Ola Blomkvist, bassist Emil Åström and drummer Micael Zetterberg – are planning to do for a follow-up, but this Den Foerste (or Den Förste) two-tracker recalls glory-era Candlemass and willfully soars with no sense of irony on “Benandanti” and “In Between Two Floods” after the intro “Horkarlar Skall Slås Ihjäl,” and having already sold out a self-released pressing leaves little to wonder what would’ve caught the esteemed tastes of Ván Records. And by that I mean it’s fucking awesome. I’m ready for a full-length whenever they are, and from the poise with which Palmqvist carries the melodies of these tracks, the quality of the riffing and the depth of arrangement the violin adds to the overarching mournfulness, they definitely sound ready. So get on it. 15 minutes of dirge-making this gorgeous simply isn’t enough.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on January 30th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
If you have a second, go take a look at the merch page on Canadian wizard doom four-piece Strange Broue‘s Bandcamp site. It’s linked below and I don’t think it’ll take you long to notice the pattern I want you to see: Every piece of music, in every iteration, that the band has released is sold out. Gone. Granted we’re not talking about a massive, 100-album, Hawkwind-style discography, but still, it’s a considerable track record, and it means that if you check out the video below for “Ritualize” and maybe say to yourself, “Gee, I might like to pick up a copy of their forthcoming second LP, Seance, which is out Feb. 6 on Sunmask Records” (good on you for knowing the release details), you’ll want to get on that sooner rather than later. Because Seance, too, will likely disappear.
Little mystery why, what with the band’s cultish weedian leanings, VHS horror imagery and post-Oborn bouncing groove. “Ritualize” opens Seance, which runs 44 minutes and is very much a full-length album despite being billed as an EP. I’ve marked the clip as NSFW because it’s got all kinds of harvested footage of religious-themed violence, ’70s boobage, blood, crosses, fire — kind of what you’d expect to go with the song itself, but nothing you’d want your boss to walk by while you were watching. Of course, if we all just quit our jobs and spent our day worshiping the devil, it wouldn’t be an issue. Would it? No. Clearly not.
Until that happens, we’ll have to live vicariously through the Quebecois doomers and make do with that. Their debut, either self-titled or called The Mystifying Oracle, depending on whom you ask, came out in early 2016 also through Sunmask, so they’ve worked at a pretty good clip on the follow-up. We’ll see if they hold the pace and how their sound continues to develop as a result of that, but from listening to “Ritualize,” they come across as a group with a pretty clear idea of where they want to be, and again, if you go and look at that empty merch page (they do have a shirt still on sale as of this post), you’ll see it’s working for them.
Enjoy:
Strange Broue, “Ritualize” official video (NSFW)
Taken from the album Seance – The Satanic Sounds of Strange Broue out on February 6, 2017
Visual direction and editing by Hugo Bertacchi Special thanks to Marc-Antoine Guérin for source footage and movie selection
Strange Broue are a psychedelic stoner/doom band from Quebec City, Canada. The spirits of Electric Wizard and Amicus frolic in diabolical rituals in the dark backwoods of Quebec.
The brouemaster and crew once again summon up the infernal spirits and the usual cast of Satanic panic suspects for their sophomore release Seance out this spring on Sunmask.
Limited release of 75 cassettes in VHS shell case with inserts. Die-hard edition of 35 cassettes direct from the band.
