Posted in Whathaveyou on March 22nd, 2024 by JJ Koczan
While it’s unclear at this time how many clergy members they’ll actually run into on the tour, Cardinals Folly make clear their blasphemous intent in their first US run of shows, which they’re calling ‘Deranging Priests Across the US 2024.’ Steeped in the doomly traditions of their Finnish homeland and the broader underground universe of classic metal, the band will travel to the States in support of 2023’s Live by the Sword, released through Soulseller Records. It looks like a DIY tour — at least there isn’t a booking company’s name on the poster — and so it’s all the more imperative to help out if you can. Richmond, VA, New York, NY, etc., take note.
It’s comforting to know that while the tour takes place about a month ahead of Maryland Doom Fest 2024 — inarguably the best foot the US Eastern Seaboard has to put forward as regards the doomedest of doom — they will still get to see the town of Frederick, where it’s held, and play at Cafe Nola. I hope someone down there shows them around or some such, but I probably don’t even need to say that. Maryland doom wants nothing for hospitality.
Cheers to the band on making the voyage. Here’s the announcement they put out on socials:
CARDINALS FOLLY – “DERANGING PRIESTS ACROSS THE US 2024” TOUR
THIS MAY – A FINNISH DOOM METAL SHOCKWAVE ALL THE WAY FROM MIDWEST TO THE EAST COAST – FUELED BY THE NEW ALBUM “LIVE BY THE SWORD” WITH AN UNHOLIER-THAN-THOU HEAVY METAL SPIRIT !!!!
Some help is still needed with a few dates, as you can see. And any is appreciated. So let us know.
Live dates: 05.18 Madison WI The Wisco 05.19 Indianapolis IN Black Circle Brewing 05.20 Chicago IL Reggies 05.21 Ypsilanti MI The Regal Beagle 05.22 Youngstown OH Westside Bowl 05.23 Rochester NY Bug Jar 05.24 Providence RI Wes’ Rib House 05.25 Frederick MD Cafe Nola 05.26 Help 05.27 Help 05.28 Washington D.C. Pie Shop 05.29 Help 05.31 St. Paul MN White Rock Lounge 06.01 Milwaukee WI Sabbatic
LINE-UP Mikko “Count Karnstein” Kääriäinen – Bass, Vocals Juho “Nordic Wrath” Kilpelä – Guitars Joni “Battle Ram” Takkunen – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 7th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The sixth full-length from Helsinki-based trio Cardinals Folly is called Live by the Sword, and it is being released as the band’s first outing through Soulseller Records on Oct. 27. Those are the basics you need to know. To that, I’ll add that the track they’re streaming in advance, “Luciferian,” is representative of their take on dirtied-up classic metal and riff-led doom rock. Metal played with a punker ethic and a doomed mindset, maybe? Something like that on “Innsmouth Royalty” anyhow, but either way, Cardinals Folly manage to find their way into obscure aural nichery once again, having carved their path presumably in ancient times in a cave somewhere, all appropriate sacrifices made, and so on.
And I don’t know if they’re the ‘last bastions of doom’ or not — there’s an awful lot of doom out there — but let the assertion stand as testament to the band’s commitment toward what they believe in stylistically and the manner in which their songs are so methodical and still able to come across as raw in form.
Soulseller is a solid fit for a label as well, since the imprint likewise often stands between styles and carries an underlying severity born of extreme metal. Give ear to “Luciferian” and you’ll get what I mean.
From the PR wire:
CARDINALS FOLLY – Deal with Soulseller Records – New Album ‘Live By The Sword’ coming on October 27th 2023
The Last Bastion of Doom. Those Finnish witchfinders. The ones that won’t let go. The truest of the true. The stubbornest of the stubborn. CARDINALS FOLLY. A groovy trio of which name has been echoing distantly in the metal underground for more than a decade. A wild uncontrollable force moving onwards to another record or another adventure. With relentless riffs, heavy metal hails, ride-or-die attitude and true love for the old school doom and metal.
Hailing from Helsinki, Finland and formed in 2007 by Mikko “Count Karnstein” Kääriäinen (Bass, Vocals) and his back-then compatriots, CARDINALS FOLLY has been captained by Mikko ever since then towards new conquests. After several albums, line-up changes, dramas, label disappointments and tours around the world, the current stellar constellation of “Deranged Pagan Sons” with Juho Kilpelä (Guitar) and Joni Takkunen (Drums) has been ongoing since 2014.
On the upcoming new album “Live By The Sword”, the band takes almost all that it finds good in metal and molds it into a tighter mass of unholy riffs, blasphemous pagan chants & choruses, luciferian & lovecraftian depravity and all in all a fearless ride to where the witching cauldrons boil hot and the brews are cool. Ranging from slow epic doom to galloping heavy metal and apocalyptic rock ‘n’ roll, the band loves to murder the listener with all their might. These past few years of plague and uncertainty have only made them angrier and more determined, resulting in this 42-minute onslaught of doomed heavy metal.
Band leader Mikko comments: “After these past few slightly chaotic years, it’s nice to sign with a professional powerhouse like Soulseller Records. We’re ready to go, ready to put this powerful bastard of an album out and show the world what we can do. We’ve done now six albums, and not many bands do six albums. Recently we toured in Norway, USA, Finland, Germany and Italy. It’s true love towards this deranged craft and evolving it that keeps us going. I honestly believe we’re also one of the few bands to steadily improve from day 1 onwards so far. That’s not common either. And right now it seems we’re in good hands. In a world under turmoil, I’m proud of what me, Juho and Joni have now created. This is our best album. There’s no more to tell, and real action beats all words anyway. Crank it up and blast it as loud as you can. The doomed ones ride out again! Our Cult Continues!”
Tracklist: 1. Life Eternal 2. Ride Or Die 666 3. Luciferian 4. Priesthood of Darkness 5. Innsmouth Royalty 6. Live By The Sword 7. Ludovico 8. Last Bastions of Doom
LINE-UP Mikko “Count Karnstein” Kääriäinen – Bass, Vocals Juho “Nordic Wrath” Kilpelä – Guitars Joni “Battle Ram” Takkunen – Drums
Komodor are set to release their self-titled debut EP tomorrow, Jan. 11, through Soulseller Records. It’s the French band’s first offering of any kind, and yeah, there are certainly no shortage of enticing associations, what with the fact that Blues Pills bassist Zack Anderson recorded and that he and his entire group put in guest appearances on it, with vocalist Elin Larsson sitting in on three of the four songs — what, you’re gonna just have her on one? no way — and guitarist Dorian Sorriaux sits in as well on “Nasty Habits” with André Kvarnström and Rickard Nygren adding further boogie to the classic garage fuzz of that piece, which follows the particularly Grand Funky “Join the Band.” The core four-piece of guitarist/vocalist Slyde Barnett, guitarist Ronnie Calva, bassist Goudzou and drummer Elrik Monroe reserve closer “1984” for themselves, and fair enough for that track’s relatively straightforward arrangement, but of course by the time they get there in rounding out their brisk 17-minute offering, Komodor have already well established their put-on-your-shuffle-shoes penchant for heavy ’10s boogie as filtered through post-Kadavar naturalist production and live-feeling performance.
That finale in “1984” is also the shortest cut on the EP, so perhaps its guest-less arrangement is meant to further convey an idea on the part of the band of something simpler and more direct musically. Though Komodor aren’t exactly lacking efficiency in the rest of the material either, as opener “Still the Same” launches with analog-warmth and an earworm hook to lead the way through, and if initial EPs are intended to showcase what a band has to offer, Komodor come ready to dance. They’ve got their aesthetic nailed down and their songcraft wants nothing for organics in terms either of construction or execution. As Larsson backs Barnett in “Still the Same,” Calva‘s fuzzy lead seems to join the chorus and Goudzou and Monroe offer rhythmic propulsion that sets the tone for the rest of the release to come. There’s a definite sense of flow to what Komodor have on offer here — with so much groove around, there would almost have to be — and that carries right into “Join the Band,” which veers from its thrusting verse and suitably inviting chorus into an extended guitar solo before ending cleanly with a last run through the chorus. “Nasty Habits” makes good use of the guest piano for a honky-tonk boogie vibe, mellowing out in the second half, but only to set up the party explosion that soon follows, leading to the going-it-alone capper “1984,” which shows that even left to their own devices, Komodor have no problem letting their songs speak well for them.
The question that remains after listening to Komodor‘s Komodor is just how much over the long term the EP will represent their sound. I’m not just talking about vintage-style bands evolving a more modern sound as they move forward — as Blues Pills have done — but how a full-length would come across with the band on their own. Either way, if this collection is helping the four-piece get to the point of running on their own legs, it’s an encouraging first step, and their collaboration with Anderson and the rest of his band is just one of the songs’ appeals. In the end, their songs have to hold up as they are, and they do, so something tells me Komodor will be just fine.
You can hear Komodor‘s Komodor a day early on the player below. More info from the PR wire info follows.
Please enjoy:
KOMODOR’s first release, a self-titled mini album, will be published on 11th January 2019 on CD, 12” LP and in digital formats.
It features guest appearances by the entire BLUES PILLS band, whose bassist Zack Anderson even recorded the four songs. Inspired by MC5, James Gang, Grand Funk Railroad and many more, KOMODOR invites you to their journey through rock’n’roll!
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 31st, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Boogie rock newcomers Komodor have set a Jan. 11, 2019, release for their self-titled debut EP. Respected purveyor Soulseller Records will handle the pressing of the French four-piece’s first offering, which is a rousing endorsement in itself, and there’s a teaser for the EP that you can stream at the bottom of this post. Those experienced in the modern interpretations of classic forms that the heavy ’10s have brought will find the ground familiar enough, but being a new band, Komodor seem to bring a good amount of energy to what they’re playing.
Also significant, the entirety of Blues Pills appears on the EP and their bassist, Zack Anderson, handled recording duties. I know Blues Pills guitarist Dorian Sorriaux is based in France, so maybe that’s the connection, but it’s something of a surprise to have the whole band Blues Pills involved. “Join the Band” indeed. I’d also wonder whether the recording took place in France or Sweden, but either way, an organic vibe persists.
The PR wire has the art and release details:
KOMODOR – Debut EP announcement
Do you wanna have a good time? Are you ready to rumble? Back from the 70’s, here we are!
Soulseller Records is proud to announce the signing of French psychedelic rockers KOMODOR!
Their first release, a self-titled mini album, will be published on 11th January 2019 on CD, 12” LP and in digital formats.
It features guest appearances by the entire BLUES PILLS band, whose bassist Zack Anderson even recorded the four songs. Inspired by MC5, James Gang, Grand Funk Railroad and many more, KOMODOR invites you to their journey through rock’n’roll!
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 3rd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Mist will round out their 2018 with a select handful of shows that include a December weekender in Austria. There are dates this month as well in Austria as well as Denmark, and the gigs are in support of their 2018 debut album, Free Me of the Sun (review here), which was issued via Soulseller Records. The record can be streamed in its entirety on the Bandcamp player below, which comes courtesy of the label.
They’ve been playing sporadic live dates since the release, but aren’t strangers either to travel. One assumes Austria has been particularly kind to them, and hence the focus there, but sometimes a quick run just comes together in a certain way and that’s all there is to it. In any case, I’d be surprised if more shows didn’t follow in 2019 as Mist continue to cover ground and herald Free Me of the Sun to distinguishing European doom heads.
From the PR wire:
Mist – Live Shows
Slovenian female-fronted doom metal band Mist announce some shows in Austria. First they will support Canadian heavy metal masters Cauldron this Friday in Linz and for December they have confirmed shows in Graz, Klagenfurt and Vienna. By the end of October they will also play their first show ever in Denmark.
Live dates: 05.10. KAPU, Linz (Austria) w/ Cauldron (CAN), Eisenhand (AT) 20.10. Train, Aarhus (Denmark) w/ Corpsessed (FIN), Balmog (E), Woebegone Obscured (DK), Beneath The Silence (DK) 06.12. Orto Bar, Ljubljana (Slovenia) w/ Deep Down Bellow (SLO), Mutism (SLO) 14.12. Music-House, Graz (Austria) w/ Dark Nativity (AT), Deumus (AT) 15.12. Kwadrat, Klagenfurt (Austria) w/ Vu Garde (AT), Dusk (AT), The Stolen Goose Project (AT) 16.12. Weberknecht, Vienna (Austria)
Mist release their debut full-length, Free Me of the Sun, June 1 via Soulseller Records. Thus far, the Ljubljana, Slovenia-based five-piece have unveiled two songs from the follow-up to 2015’s EP, Inan’ (discussed here) and the prior Demo 2013 (review here) in the form of “Disembody Me” and album opener “The Ghoul.” Both exceedingly doomly outings, “The Ghoul” touched on a post-Candlemass sense of the epic in its chorus riffing and the echoing vocals of Nina Spruk, while “Disembody Me” dug into a lumbering march that was pure Sabbath in its origins. As they have all along, Mist evoke a sense of classic doom and give the listener the fervent impression that they know exactly what the hell it is they’re doing. Nothing to complain about in either case.
With the reveal of “The Offering,” the band — Spruk alongside guitarists Blaz Tansek (lead) and Ema Babosek (rhythm, also backing vocals), bassist Neza Pecan and drummer Mihaela Zitko [Please note: accent marks removed from names with apologies because the characters wouldn’t show up in WordPress] — allow listeners to dig a little deeper into Free Me of the Sun, and show something of a different face on the way. Departing from the lurch of “Disembody Me” and the grandiosity of “The Ghoul,” “The Offering” brings a more uptempo kick to its verse riff, a heavy ’70s swing and stomp in its verse calling to mind a modern take on proto-metal and the early NWOBHM doomism of Pagan Altar while trading between faster and slower pacing as it makes its way fluidly through its relatively quick sub-four-minute runtime, retaining the essential tonality and doomed vibe of the other cuts as it goes.
That last factor is perhaps the most significant info one can glean from “The Offering” as it relates to Free Me of the Sun as a whole, because it tells us that Mist, five years on from their demo but still making their debut, are able to capture a varied sound while still retaining the melody and atmosphere central to what they do. I’d tell you more about the record, but my promo was on my recently stolen laptop, so I’m in the same boat as you may be in terms of just having these three tracks to go by ahead of the release. Nonetheless, I think you can hear significant promise in the sound of “The Offering” — dig that solo just before the end — for some of the diversity of approach that Mist are bringing to the 10-track long-player.
One more time, Free Me of the Sun is out June 1 on Soulseller Records. You’ll find “The Offering” on the player below, followed by more info from the PR wire.
Please enjoy:
Mist, “The Offering” official track premiere
When MIST first released their 2013 Demo as an all-female band they never dreamed it would become recognized around the globe for its unique dark harmonies contrasted by powerful feminine vocals. Their music is natural, raw and the riffs reflect the themes of their lyrics – nature, spells, death – which are more often than not deeply inspired by the occult. MIST’s traditional doom sound builds on the legacy of legendary bands like Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Candlemass, Coven, Saint Vitus and others.
In 2014 the band signed with Soulseller Records and released the »Inan’« EP in 2015, as well as their 2013 Demo which had previously been sold-out twice. They have since performed with a number of legendary artists, such as Manilla Road, Jex Thoth, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats and have owned the stage at Bloodstock, Hammer Of Doom, MetalDays, Malta Doom Festival and more.
This year, MIST will release ten brand new songs on their first full-length album titled »Free Me Of The Sun«. Staying true to their traditional doom roots the band builds upon strong riffs with bright female vocals and epic guitar solos. The album was recorded in Studio Ork, produced and mixed by Benjamin Kic and mastered by Patrick W. Engel – Temple of Disharmony. With this release MIST are starting a new chapter on their path in the depths of doom. They are eternally grateful to fans for all their support and vow to spread the word of doom ’till death do them part.
Line-up: Lead vocals : Nina Spruk Rhythm guitar & backing vocals: Ema Babosek Lead guitar : Blaz Tansek Bass : Neza Pecan Drums : Mihaela Zitko
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 16th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Slovenian doomers Mist are three years out from their Inan’ EP that marked their first release on Soulseller Records. It’s been half a decade since their Demo 2013 (review here) first turned ears in their direction, and the five-piece have set June 1 as the issue date for their debut full-length, Free Me of the Sun, from which you can stream the track “Disembody Me” at the bottom of this post.
While they may work at a pace we’ll call “doomed” and leave it at that, it doesn’t at all appear Mist have been wasting their time. Even from Inan’ and certainly from the demo, one can hear progression in their sound and songwriting. It seems easy to imagine they’ll work with classic textures throughout Free Me of the Sun — at least, that’s what “Disembody Me” hints toward — but I wouldn’t be surprised either if Mist have a few tricks up their collective sleeve. A mostly straightforward tack with some added nuance seems to be their modus so far.
The following album details came down the PR wire for human consumption:
MIST – Debut Full-Length in June – Details and First Song released
MIST, the Slovenian priestesses of doom, return with their debut full-length!
“Free Me Of The Sun” will be released through Soulseller Records on 1st June 2018 on CD, vinyl and in digital formats.
Staying true to their traditional Doom Metal roots, the band builds upon strong riffs with bright female vocals and epic guitar solos. The album was recorded in Studio Ork, produced and mixed by Benjamin Kic and mastered by Patrick W. Engel (Temple of Disharmony).
With this release MIST are starting a new chapter on their path in the depths of doom!
Tracklist: 1. The Ghoul 2. Ora Pro Nobis 3. White Torch 4. December 5. Altar Of You 6. Disembody Me 7. The Offering 8. Demonized 9. Delirium 10. Free Me Of The Sun
[Click play above to stream the premiere of ‘Out of My Home’ from Lewis and the Strange Magics’ Evade Your Soul. Album is out Oct. 20 via Soulseller Records.]
Somewhere in the vast multiverse of alternate timelines and fluid realities, there’s a late ’60s death disco stage that’s just perfect for Lewis and the Strange Magics. The three-piece — who in this reality are based in Barcelona, Spain — stand on that stage in orange and purple paisley-patterned shirts that seem to be moving even when the band is standing still and run through songs like “Ugly Face” and “Lisa Melts the Wax” and “RMS” from their second album, Evade Your Soul, with twisted smiles on their faces that hint at the cultish spirits lurking beneath the pop bounce and easy, fun-loving melodies. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Lewis P., guitarist/vocalist Javi Bono and drummer Ivan Miguel, Lewis and the Strange Magics marked their arrival with the aptly-titled Demo (review here) in 2014 and were picked up by Soulseller Records for the debut full-length, Velvet Skin (review here), which came out in 2015.
The current of quirk and pop classicism has been a running theme throughout their work all along, and in searching for modern comparison points, one might turn to the garage rock aspects of Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats and the production and songwriting clarity of Ghost, the latter of whom would also seem to be an influence on vocal arrangements for cuts like “You’ll be Free Forever” (video posted here) and album centerpiece “Out of My Home,” the guitars of which play clean and fuzzy tones off each other directly in strummed chords and riffs and leads before turning to the sanctuary of yet another of Evade Your Soul‘s landmark hooks. Those, too, are a running theme for Lewis and the Strange Magics, and as a keystone of their output to-date, they’ve never been so prevalent as they are across this nine-track/38-minute vinyl-ready span.
And as familiar as some elements with which Lewis and the Strange Magics are working might be — the Beatlesian jive of “RMS” is instantly recognizable in the post-McCartney sphere, for example — the band effectively craft an identity of their own from the entire swath, such that while the organ-topped proto-prog of opener/longest track “Leaving Myself” (immediate points) purposefully leans into early ’70s vibes, the rolling groove that emerges, the flowing rhythm, the patience of tempo with which it’s played, and the subtle Satano-sleaze of the lyrics belong to Lewis and company more than they ever have. That’s one sign of the band having grown since Velvet Skin as songwriters, but it’s by no means the only one. An overarching aesthetic awareness pervades Evade Your Soul that can be heard in the vocal balance of “Ugly Face,” which is a highlight not only for its memorable chorus and dueling keyboard/organ solos, but for the arrangement of Bono and Lewis‘ singing and the bounce over which that arrangement appears.
Though they were raw when they started out, Lewis and the Strange Magics have always had a plan as regards style. With Evade Your Soul, they seem to have hit the point of bringing that plan to fruition, and in so doing, carved a niche for themselves that’s as much at home introducing a Mellotron in third cut “TV Monsters” as they are riding that texture along a languid proggy drift in the later instrumental “Escape,” where it cuts in and out among xylophone (or a synthesized approximation thereof), a steady low end tumble and a post-midpoint turn of guitar jangle that brings about a build to a final wash of fuzzy noise that leads the way into closer “Another Lonely Soul (on the Road).” Their songwriting proves varied in mood but is unafraid to have what sounds like genuine fun on “Lisa Melts the Wax,” with its falsetto vampire vocals — another Ghost connection there — and uptempo strum before shifting into a dreamy lead that maintains an underlying oddness worthy of Ween, but once again, decidedly Lewis and the Strange Magics‘ own.
Oh yeah, and then they go ahead and gallop their way into a fuzzed-out ending to lead the way into “Out of My Home,” because obviously by that point — right in the middle of the record — they’ve established they’re free to go wherever the hell they want and make it work. That confidence of execution is a boon to Evade Your Soul front-to-back, no question, and though moments like the verses of “Out of My Home” and the second-half push in “You’ll be Free Forever” are heavier than it might seem on first listen, there are points throughout these songs in which Lewis and the Strange Magics might lose control of their direction or performance in terms of meter or arrangement, where they might get caught up in their own riffing to the detriment of the song, or forget the structure in favor of drifting out more than they want to, etc. — but the truth is they simply don’t.
It still feels appropriate to think of them as a young band, if only because they formed three years ago, but whether it’s the swing that leads into the record in such right-on-let’s-go fashion throughout “Leaving Myself” or the Revolver-style melodicism brought forth for “RMS,” Evade Your Soul shows a burgeoning maturity in Lewis and the Strange Magics in the level of command they show throughout and the completeness and the complexity of their ideas. This is, in other words, the sound of a band beginning to pay off their potential. As they wrap with the tambourine-inclusive boogie of “Another Lonely Soul (on the Road),” Lewis and the Strange Magics reinforce the somewhat unspoken tightness at root in these songs, and as Lewis delivers the last line “nevermore” at the end of the song, he does so over a quick, cold finish that leaves one feeling the trio has much more to say.
That may well be the case, and one can only hope they keep moving forward along the delightfully bizarre path that Evade Your Soul sees them as having chosen, but whatever road they might ultimately take to get them to that late-’60s death-disco somewhere in the vast multiverse, they’re sure to continue to make an impression on their journey. Open up your skull and dance.
Lewis and the Strange Magics, “You’ll be Free Forever” official video
