Posted in Whathaveyou on December 5th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I’m with Hoflärm on this one. After 24 years of writing out the full year all the time — it was worst in the aughts, admittedly, but I’m still more inclined to type 2024 instead of just ’24 — it’s time to admit that we’re probably talking about this century rather than the previous one when it comes to a festival announcing a lineup for, say, months in the future. So, as you can see on the poster below, Hoflärm ’25 is not only doing this, but doing it with a banger of a lineup to support its argument. Plus, my understanding is the fest has a pretty casual vibe anyhow — I’ve never heard a bad word about it from either anyone who has attended or played — so the ’25 fits. Wait until the ’40s.
Graveyard and Monolord at the top of the bill is a winning opening salvo from the German three-dayer, but that’s really just the tip of the riffberg, with Rezn and Elephant Tree, MaidaVale, The Warlocks and Mexico’s Vinnum Sabbathi taking part, Khan coming from Australia, Annie Taylor and her band from Switzerland, Spirit Mother making a return to Europe, Coltaine supporting their new album, plus Vug, Piece and Lurch and more to come. Nothing to complain about as they put tickets on sale for those who might be fortunate enough to make the trip from wherever. I expect a few of these will have tours around them — Khan, Spirit Mother, Rezn, Vinnum Sabbathi — so that will be worth keeping an eye on, but whatever shakes out in that regard, Hoflärm looks sweet as hell.
From social media, which was a thing back in the ’20s:
⚡️ Hoflärm 2025 – Satan‘s Finest ⚡️
The goat cult continues – First Bands + Presale Start 🪦
We thrilled to announce that we are back – 14. – 16.08.2025 – Tickets are now an sale. Link in Bio 🐐
Please welcome the first bands for 2025:
@graveyardmusic and @monolordofficial will headline Friday and Saturday of @hoflaerm 2025!
We are more than happy to welcome Monolord again after their cancellation in 2022!
We are proud to announce Graveyard as festival headliner! This band has been an elementary companion since the first idea for this festival.
@rezzzn , @elephant_tree_band and @pieceismetal are going to open the fields of doom!
@thewarlocks , @maidavaleband @khanbandofficial and @lurch.band are here to trip with you through the cosmic clouds above!
Shake your knees to @annietaylorband , @vug.band and @spiritmotherband while you walk through the dark woods around Hoflärm with @vinnumsabbathiband and @coltaine !
Posted in Reviews on September 14th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Before Show
Doors aren’t for a while yet, and I’m sitting out the back of the Knockdown Center as far out of the way as I can put myself and still be here. It’s good to be here. I crashed hard after the pre-show last night, and it wasn’t painful when the alarm went off at 8AM, unless of course you count the various old-rocker ailments that hit me alongside consciousness. There’s a reason I bring ibuprofen to these things.
I’m staying with Tim Bugbee — a photographer and one of those people who proves you can be both insanely talented and kind — in an AirBNB down the way, and it was about five minutes by car from a to b. Coming into town, I did not travel light. Big suitcase, laptop bag, camera bag; I felt as though all my belongings were compressed to a maximum extent coming back from Budapest last month. This is hardly the same kind of trip, but I wanted to spread out a little. I brought a pack of seltzer, some leftover chicken. I can be comfortable while doing a thing. It’s allowed. I stopped short of bringing a coffee pot, but should have. I’m not usually much for Keurigs, but it was functional. My grinds can come home with me.
This was basically the mellow morning before two days of go. Fine. I sat in my car for an hour and a half from 11:30AM-1:00PM so it didn’t get ticketed or towed because alternate side parking — it didn’t — and hung around in air conditioning because it’s hot in the sun. The whole weekend is supposed to be gorgeous weather, warm and sunny, but the light is Fall. Can’t climate change the Earth’s orbit, I guess. Angles of the light and all that.
Seemingly random, but sitting off to the side in the main venue space, I just saw Amy Tung Barrysmith from Year of the Cobra checking bass and vocals with Amenra. It was a surprise; wouldn’t have been if I kept up with the band’s social media. No drama. Their bassist couldn’t make the trip, so she’s filling in. They announced it a few days ago. I wonder what the connection is there, but I’ll take it either way. I’ve never been huge on Amenra on a personal-listening level, but I’ve yet to hear Amy Tung Barrysmith play on a thing and not like it more for her involvement. Should be an interesting set. Cool. It will be the eighth one of the total 10 sets played today. I hope to see at least part of everybody. Will keep you posted how it goes.
To that end:
Guhts
My first time seeing Guhts, which is a thing worth remembering. Their first album, Regeneration (review here), is my one to beat for best debut of 2024, if that matters. More to the point, they were fucking great. Obviously I dig the record too, but at full volume and assault, it was just the right combination of expansive and oppressive. They had the laptop going the whole time with keyboard parts and various electronic atmospherics, and with the four of them up there, it was pretty clear ever were giving 100 percent of everything to the performance. The passion came through raw, and actually, having the backdrop and transitional drones happening apart from the band, emphasizing the ferocity of the delivery when they let loose. As they did. Righteously. If that had been the end of the night, the day would be a win.
Blackwater Holylight
It had been a couple years and, admittedly, there was the contextual weirdness of it being Psycho Las Vegas — that’s not a dig; their whole thing was absurdity — last time I saw Blackwater Holylight, but the sinister sound of 2021’s Silence/Motion (review here) came to life as part of an ambient pastiche. It was more immersive than a lot of heavy bands are willing to be, and I guess you could call that ‘gaze of some variety or other, but that almost implied a kind of laziness and Blackwater Holylight were as much fuzzy progressive grunge metal as they were languid nod, with keyboards adding to the texture of the melodies, some toward psychedelic but clearly mindful of place and time. And maybe they riff out for a while too. How is that anything but awesome?
Abrams
Among the bands I haven’t seen before, I was most curious and what Abrams would bring. The Denver heavy rockers are ultra-reliable somgwriters, and they’ve always had a clarity of purpose in their arrangements and structures that is underrated by exponents, but in the Texas room it was more about hitting hard and representing the scope of their craft. Some emo in there, or at least the punk of the aughts. In any case, they were dynamic and leaned into the impact of their heavier stretches. At the same time, they weren’t void of mood at all, and guitarist/vocalist Zach Amster is the charismatic frontman he has always seemed to be. Dude can sing. I stood in the back for most of the set, and I could feel my earplugs shaking in my ears. People had their fists up. I’m not shitting you. And seeing them live, maybe part of why they’re undervalued is they’re a bit between styles. They’re a heavy rock band, but that’s not it. They’re metal, prog, punk and a few besides. Practiced but not at all dry in their delivery, I have to wonder if Abrams ever plays a show without making a new fan.
Primitive Man
Brutal turn of vibe. You know on paper what you’re getting with also-Danver’s Primitive Man — punishment; sounds no less likely to consume you having just bludgeoned you into oblivion — but the reality of the thing is even more destructive. Caustic doom as a genre? Crushing doom? Those sound like words that could be things. Doesn’t matter. Also from Denver, the trio were a vision of aural misanthropy, extremist in purpose and volume. There have only been like three bands today, so it doesn’t mean a ton to call them the heaviest as even their quiet parts had a rumble beneath that you could feel in your chest, but they were the heaviest of the fest so far and it would take a lot of noise to beat. Frequencies as weapons. Malevolence and probably a truckload of dry ice. I wouldn’t call myself well adjusted by any measure — if I was, I’d have stopped doing this years ago — but even on a level of catharsis, Primitive Man are a lot to take. Which, wait for it, is the point of the thing. If dystopia’s coming, they’re ready. And brutally sad. I didn’t know any of the songs. Mostly they were terrifying. And it was astonishing that it could still be daylight while they played. If Khanate are hacking you to pieces, Primitive Man are pulling concrete blocks on your chest until you can’t breathe anymore.
Spirit Mother
About as fresh in my mind as they possibly could be since the album they put out today was streamed here yesterday. They played a good deal of Trails, and brought a heap of noise to the prior single “Locust,” and were thick in vibe while still keeping the songs moving. A fill-in violinist/vocalist held down that role without question, and Armand Lance pushed his vocals into screams and was still able to carry the melody alongside said violinist when the guitar and bass dropped out and it was vocals and ride cymbal only for a few measures in “Wolves.” Some aspects of Young Hunter, All Them Witches, but Spirit Mother are very much their own thing on the balance, and their songs are getting darker, more expansive, and better. My second time seeing them, and I’m extra glad to have seen them play the Trails material. I’ll look forward to the next one.
Belzebong
Riff-forward instrumental stoner sludge metallers Belzebong came all the way from Poland to elicit crusty vibes in fog that I couldn’t tell if it was theirs or leftover from Primitive Man. Surely they’re used to haze, one way or the other. Big nod, ‘Bong Fire Death’ — because Bathory, god damnit! — in the backs of the bass and guitars, amd an absolute lock on tone, there was precious little to not like. You would not call them subtle and neither are they trying to be. Doom. Fucking. Riffs. Black. Fucking. Sabbath. You get the idea. Like their countrymen worshipers in Dopelord, they wear their love of weed on their collective sleeve, and I get it. And “it” in this circumstance means stoned. But the reason it works is because the music and their performance of it is as much a celebration as anything else, and they’re not trying to convince anyone they invented Sleep riffs. They’re the kind of band that, if you’re in this thing, make complete sense, and would confuse the shit out of normal people. It’s a very specific idea of fun. Always a pleasure to see them.
Deathchant
I crossed paths with Deathchant in June at Freak Valley (review here), so not quite topping Spirit Mother for being in my head, but not terribly far off either. They were going to be a ripper on stage and they were. Thin Lizzy and Motörhead and Sabbath and DRI or whoever; they own records. But volume and energy and shove were the order of things, however much the two guitars might veer into NWOBHM-type harmony on the way. I was late getting in to take pictures, but that’s okay. I don’t really like taking pictures most of the time, and I do like talking to friends, so if I’m not in front of the stage for everything, fine. I was on the side. Still enough perspective to know Deathchant were the start of the party for a lot of the heads in the room, which was later-in-evening crowded, and fair enough. The West Coast skate thing doesn’t always translate in New York, but some things hit just right. I’d never seen them before last August at SonicBlast (review here) — to which they returned this year — now it’s three times in 13 months. Maybe I’m a fan.
Amenra
Sure enough, Amy Tung Barrysmith on bass. They’re not a casual band, Amenra. They’re not the kind of thing one might put on in the background of an otherwise quiet afternoon. And it’s all so very important-feeling, very solemn, whether a given part is loud and screamy or subdued and melodic. It’s a genre trope — partly in Amenra’s wake, I think — for pprt-metal to take itself seriously. So they do the thing where Colin H. Van Eeckhout bangs the sticks together while kneeling at the start, and there’s the strobe matching the heft of tone and emotional immediacy with its own kind of sensory overload. They have a lurch and an undulating waves of distortion that’s their own, and it’s not a hot take they’re incredible at what they do, but I’ve never managed to get fully on board. My loss. It was a blast to watch Amy from Year of the Cobra playing with them, though, and just because they may not be a band I put on all the time doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate what they do and the influence they’ve had. It just means I’m probably going to be early for Domkraft.
Domkraft
And so I was. A band worth being early for. I spent most of the set right in the front, obnoxiously so, I’m sure, and kind of let go and nodded out for a bit. I didn’t fall asleep while Domkraft were playing or anything close to it. But it’s not a conscious thing when that riff hits you just right anyhow. I have to think the moshers know what I’m talking about. Starting out on a nine-day US run, the Swedish three-piece indeed were a culminating force from the Texas Stage, riffs bouncing off concrete walls and back again, creating that much more presence in the sound. There was a technical issue with the guitar, but it wasn’t actually that long in fixing, and they were right to restart “Whispers.” They’re are a lesson in the difference a great drummer can make, but they’re also a lesson in the difference a great everything can make. The lesson I learned was that I don’t appreciate their guitar solos enough, and the way I learned it was by being fortunate enough to be on the planet at the same time as the band.
High on Fire
The band who taught the world to shred riffs. Last met at the beginning of July in Croatia for Bear Stone (review here), though certainly they’ve been elsewhere since then, and they continue to hold their own standard. There was some not-fun-kind feedback intermittent early on, but it was a High on Fire set, like they wouldn’t deliver? They’re returning headliners at Desertfest New York, having played in 2022 (review here), and I don’t have a ton to say about them that didn’t apply two months ago, but to sum up they’re one of the best heavy-anything bands of their generation. I continue to dig the way they’re able to vary tempo in the live show while keeping the balance toward intensity on an LP. Of course they’re headlining. Hopefully it won’t be the last time they do. This forever will be the time that somebody was blowing bubbles during “Rumors of War,” however.
Unless they want to make it tradition or something. Which would be okay too, for sure. Hashtag Bubbles of War.
—
On that happy note, good night. I’ve been writing all day at the fest, and I’m ready to call it an evening. Tomorrow brings Dozer, Spaceslug and sundry other delights. There are more pics after the jump, and as always, thank you for reading.
Dark desert psych rockers Spirit Mother are playing three shows on the Eastern Seaboard this week, including Desertfest New York, coinciding with the anticipated release tomorrow, Sept. 13, of their second album and first studio outing through Heavy Psych Sounds, Trails. If you recall, the now-mostly-West-Coast-I-think outfit made their debut with 2020’s Cadets (review here) and took part the next year in the ‘Live in the Mojave Desert’ pandemic-era streaming series.
The resultant live album, Live in the Mojave Desert (review here), was issued via Heavy Psych Sounds, and gave the then-Cali-based outfit a showcase next to the likes of Earthless, Nebula and Stöner, as well as Mountain Tamer. Spirit Mother met that moment with a richly textured sound based in scrub-bush sprawl but nascent in the pursuit of ideas beyond the bounds of microgenre. The Eddie Brnabic-produced Trails, as one would have hoped, sees the potential Spirit Mother demonstrated on that evening at Giant Rock beginning to come to fruition in their sound. Across 10 tracks and 38 minutes, the band explore aural nightcraft, setting a creepy atmosphere in the quick intro “Passage” before the title-track takes hold with stark standalone guitar.
It’s not about violence, or at least not specifically — maybe Uncle Acid are a subtle influence, but so far as I can tell nobody’s sexualizing murder — but between the various guitars woven through “Trails” and the subsequent pieces from Armand Lance (electric, acoustic, baritone, bass) and Sean McCormick, the violin and backing vocal contributions of SJ and the fluidity Landon Cisneros brings to the drums holding the arrangements together, the band are able to bring a cinematic atmosphere to songs that are pointedly concise; the longest of the bunch is forebodingly catchy closer “Wolves” at 5:29 and nothing else touches the five-minute mark. Depth and brevity, impact and sprawl.
There are shades of Americana in the warnings being issued amid the sinewy grooves of “Veins” or even the string-anchored drone and crashes of “Tonic,” and volatility to match the attitudinal sneer as Lance‘s vocals don’t shy away from screaming when the song calls for it. If we’re out in the desert, we’re out there alone, at night, huddled in the surprising cold and vastness, waiting to be eaten. There’s some respite to be had as “Below” weaves acoustic guitar strum into the suitably expansive mix and paces itself to highlight flow leading into Trails‘ second half, and “Vessel” has a sense of breakout as it shoves uptempo to its finish, one of the more propulsive stretches on a record that’s plenty brash and accordingly brooding.
But, in part because Spirit Mother never dwell too long in one song or arrangement, Trails puts momentum on its side early and holds it there for the duration. The swing in “Emerald,” or the dug-in cycles of “Vessel,” or even the penultimate “Given,” where the drums sit out and acoustic guitar, ambient drone and atmospheric vocals set up the arrival of “Wolves” with the last and maybe most memorable of Trails‘ hooks, taking the warning of the title-track — “You should’ve stayed/Back where you came/This city is a grave” — to a place of more direct threat with the lines, “You have no idea/Who is wolf and who is deer/All around you.”
If you’ve been following the band’s course across the record in all its dynamic shifts and immersive, consuming arrangements, that’s a hell of a place to end up, but it’s not a record about safety, and at least in terms of style, Spirit Mother aren’t playing it safe either. Cadets had no shortage of mood, but these songs portray a different side of the heavy Americana proffered by the likes of Lord Buffalo or All Them Witches, and they distinguish Spirit Mother as a band more about their own creative impulses than one playing to style. I don’t think it’s a coincidence they called it Trails. As a group, they’re out there too, walking a path into the unknown, and as much as Trails builds up the world in which that path resides, the essence of the thing is the movement through it and the way the band carry the listener from front-to-back.
As the cover art attests, there is more happening dimensionally in the material that comprises Trails than it might first appear, and to be sure, it’s a record that reveals more of its methods and ideologies on repeat listens, but without exception, even in “Given” where the balance is most tipped toward impressionism over impact, the song is paramount. That’s evident from the way “Passage” leaves off and “Trails” picks up from the silence — not what one would expect in terms of transition, but it works — through the nonetheless hypnotic push of “Wolves,” and even more than the heft or severity of a given moment, it’s how it all feeds into the overarching reach of Trails as a whole where Spirit Mother seem to find themselves.
And by that I don’t just mean where they end up, but where they discover who they are as a band. I won’t hazard to predict how their development will play out from here — a third full-length always tells you a lot about who a band are, and Spirit Mother will get there — but if there’s a plot, it’s only made thicker by the progression evident in their approach to this point and the individualism stemming from it. Approach it with an open mind and it’s a record that might just speak to you in unanticipated ways.
Trails streams in its entirety below, followed by the preorder links and Spirit Mother‘s upcoming tour dates, the bulk of which are supporting the freak-legendary Acid Mothers Temple.
The undeniable next chapter in the band’s creative process, “Trails” brings the energy of the US foursome’s visceral, all-in live performances while expanding on the sensibilities of their debut album “Cadets”. The darker tonality, heavier, fuzz-fueled riffs, and relentless rhythm section accompany prolific structures and arrangement. The violin summons a brooding, atmospheric pedestal for the remaining power trio to wield with fervor. Lance’s haunting vocals and stark lyricism intersperse the instrumentals with a melody as dynamic as it is accessible.
Spirit Mother with Acid Mothers Temple (except *): 9/12 @bugjar Rochester NY* 9/13 @desertfest_nyc * 9/14 @33golden New London CT* 9/27 @casbahsandiego San Diego CA 9/28 @lodgeroom LA CA 9/29 @moesalley Santa Cruz CA 9/30 @theestorkcluboakland Oakland CA 10/1 @harlowsnightclub Sacramento CA 10/2 @johnhenryseugene Eugene OR 10/3 @tractortavern Seattle WA 10/4 @aladdintheater Portland OR 10/5 @silvermoonbrewing Bend OR 10/6 @realms.7 Boise ID 10/7 @urbanloungeslc Salt Lake City UT 10/8 @bluebirdtheater Denver CO 10/9 @recordbar Kansas City MO 10/10 @turfclubmn St. Paul MN 10/11 @cactusclubmke Milwaukee WI 10/12 @sl33pingvillag3 Chicago IL 10/13 @highnoonmadison Madison WI 10/14 @portal_louisville Louisville KY 10/15 @sghrevival Newport KY 10/16 @thegrogshop Cleveland Heights OH 10/17 @buffaloironworks Buffalo NY 10/18 @alchemy_providence Providence RI 10/19 @tveyenyc Queens NY 10/20 @milkboyphilly Philadelphia PA 10/21 @metro_baltimore Baltimore MD 10/22 @thepourhouse Raleigh NC 10/23 @masquerade_atl Atlanta GA 10/25 @the_merrywidow Mobile AL 10/26 @siberianeworleans New Orleans LA 10/27 @freetown_boomboomroom Lafayette LA 10/29 @thehitonecafe Memphis TN 10/30 @mercuryloungetulsa Tulsa OK 10/31 @levitation Austin TX 11/1 @resonant_head Oklahoma City OK 11/2 @sisterbar Albuquerque NM 11/3 @therebelphx Phoenix AZ 11/4 @wayfarercm Costa Mesa CA
Spirit Mother are: Armand Lance: Vocals, Bass, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars SJ: Violin & Vocals Sean McCormick: Electric Guitar Landon Cisneros: Drums & Percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 7th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
Portland, Oregon’s Spirit Mother will play an acoustic show in Maine (or maybe New York? check local listings) this month, and if that seems random for a group who are based on paper on the opposite side of the country, I agree. I’m assuming someone in the band has roots there or lives somewhere in the Northeast, as I believe they’re spread out to some degree or other. In any case, good for you if you’re up in New England, and get to catch an unplugged version of their set, which I have no trouble believing will work well.
That gig, however, is the tip of the riffberg when it comes to the road time the band are about to put in corresponding to the Sept. 17 release of their Heavy Psych Sounds label debut, Trails. As you can see below, in a post that very obviously came from Instagram (actually I took it off Facebook because they don’t make you feel like a criminal for cutting and pasting a thing; an ironic veneer of personal data protection considering you can’t say a name brand out loud anymore without subsequently seeing an ad for that thing on your phone), Spirit Mother will be out across both coasts, coming east again for Desertfest NYC and a couple shows around that before they begin an expansive stint playing as support for freakpsych legends Acid Mothers Temple. Can the human psyche survive seeing that band melt club shows every night for more than a month solid? Kudos to Spirit Mother for being brave enough to find out. Not every band would be, and no doubt the experience will change them in unexpected ways.
Dates follow for calendar-marking purposes:
Dates on dates on dates on dates!! Join us on our marathon across the US with @acidmotherstempleofficial
New dates added to the front end and coming up quick! We have a very special acoustic set at the @theboneorchardcycles barn in Oxford, ME and our east coast @desertfest_nyc run quickly approaches.
See y’all out there 👽
Poster: @chlointhedarkdesigns
*w/o AMT 8/17 @boneorchardcycles Oxford ME (acoustic) * 9/12 @bugjar Rochester NY* 9/13 @desertfest_nyc * 9/14 @33golden New London CT* 9/27 @casbahsandiego San Diego CA 9/28 @lodgeroom LA CA 9/29 @moesalley Santa Cruz CA 9/30 @theestorkcluboakland Oakland CA 10/1 @harlowsnightclub Sacramento CA 10/2 @johnhenryseugene Eugene OR 10/3 @tractortavern Seattle WA 10/4 @aladdintheater Portland OR 10/5 @silvermoonbrewing Bend OR 10/6 @realms.7 Boise ID 10/7 @urbanloungeslc Salt Lake City UT 10/8 @bluebirdtheater Denver CO 10/9 @recordbar Kansas City MO 10/10 @turfclubmn St. Paul MN 10/11 @cactusclubmke Milwaukee WI 10/12 @sl33pingvillag3 Chicago IL 10/13 @highnoonmadison Madison WI 10/14 @portal_louisville Louisville KY 10/15 @sghrevival Newport KY 10/16 @thegrogshop Cleveland Heights OH 10/17 @buffaloironworks Buffalo NY 10/18 @alchemy_providence Providence RI 10/19 @tveyenyc Queens NY 10/20 @milkboyphilly Philadelphia PA 10/21 @metro_baltimore Baltimore MD 10/22 @thepourhouse Raleigh NC 10/23 @masquerade_atl Atlanta GA 10/25 @the_merrywidow Mobile AL 10/26 @siberianeworleans New Orleans LA 10/27 @freetown_boomboomroom Lafayette LA 10/29 @thehitonecafe Memphis TN 10/30 @mercuryloungetulsa Tulsa OK 10/31 @levitation Austin TX 11/1 @resonant_head Oklahoma City OK 11/2 @sisterbar Albuquerque NM 11/3 @therebelphx Phoenix AZ 11/4 @wayfarercm Costa Mesa CA
Spirit Mother are: Armand Lance: Vocals, Bass, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars SJ: Violin & Vocals Sean McCormick: Electric Guitar Landon Cisneros: Drums & Percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 13th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I like this band, and I like this record. I like that since 2020’s Cadets (review here) and the subsequent 2021 livestream and live album, Live in the Mojave Desert (review here), the band have grown audibly and taken on atmosphere and character in addition to that with which their sound was already rife. I liked seeing them live last year at SonicBlast in Portugal (review here), was stoked to premiere the single “Locust//Dead Cells” just before doing so, and was happy to do a bit of bio-ish writing for the upcoming LP, Trails, which will be out Sept. 13 as Spirit Mother‘s first (studio) release through Heavy Psych Sounds.
That’s it. As the album announcement comes through, that is the bulk if not the sum-total of what I want to say about it: I dig the band. Also, they don’t seem like assholes, which also always helps. I’ll be curious to see how the album is received and how they do at Desertfest New York that same weekend, with the somewhat darker vibe they bring to desert-style tone and flow, but nothing I’ve seen or heard from them yet has put me off, and while those celebrating a genre’s roots are certainly welcome in my ears, a band like this who bring new ideas and methods to established genre norms is both rarer and more prone to innovating the styles in which they reside.
First song streaming now. It’s “Wolves,” which is the closer and an awesome choice for a single, and the PR wire sent the following:
SPIRIT MOTHER to release sophomore album “Trails” on Heavy Psych Sounds this fall; stream debut single “Wolves” now!
US heavy rockers SPIRIT MOTHER have signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records for the release of their sophomore album “Trails” this September 13th, and unveil a compelling first track with “Wolves” exclusively on Doomed & Stoned!
Spirit Mother’s forthcoming album “Trails” brings the energy of the band’s visceral, all-in live performances while expanding on the sensibilities of their debut album “Cadets”. It is the undeniable next chapter in the band’s creative process. The darker tonality, heavier, fuzz-fueled riffs, and relentless rhythm section accompany prolific structures and arrangement. The violin summons a brooding, atmospheric pedestal for the remaining power trio to wield with fervor. Lance’s haunting vocals and stark lyricism intersperse the instrumentals with a melody as dynamic as it is accessible. It is the culmination of road-worn years in pursuit of the art, and the moment-to-moment adrenaline of studio exploration.
About “Wolves”, bassist and vocalist Armand Lance says: “Lyrically, Wolves is a questioning. An interrogation of the world around us, and our concept of face value. Our daily pill. What does it take to free your mind from influence? To form a truly original thought or perspective? Would you even know it if you did? Sonically, Wolves paints the full picture of Spirit Mother – so it only makes sense as the first single off “Trails”. All our songs are first written as folk songs on acoustic guitar – focusing on the lyrics, the chords, and the song structure. It’s our foundation and it gives us the direction before the fuzz hits.”
Produced by Eddie Brnabic & Jonny Bell Recorded by Eddie Brnabic at Level 8-4 Studios in Portland, OR Mixed by Jonny Bell at Jazzcats Studios in Long Beach, CA Mastered by John McBain
Cover art by Mike McKenney Photo by Eddie Brnabic Design by Matthew Franco Vinyl Insert by Chloe Owen
With special thanks to Ryan Jones & Kevin Blumeyer, and touring violinists Camille Getz, Kaitlin Wolfberg & Mia Nardi-Huffman.
Spirit Mother are: Armand Lance: Vocals, Bass, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars SJ: Violin & Vocals Sean McCormick: Electric Guitar Landon Cisneros: Drums & Percussion
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 7th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
A righteous dose of lineup additions to Desertfest NYC 2024 today puts High on Fire and Amenra at the top of the bill thus far along with the previously announced Russian Circles, and unveils the bands who’ll play the pre-party as The Skull-offshoot Legions of Doom, Tee Pee Records‘ house classic heavy proggers Mirror Queen, the revamped Satan’s Satyrs, and Mustafina.
All well and good, don’t get me wrong. Killer, all the way through. For me though, the personal highlight here is Spaceslug coming from Poland to play, hopefully on the main stage at the Knockdown Center. Not only is their new album the latest in a string of immersive heavy psych semi-metal explorations, but right around the end of last year, I was angling trying to get myself out to Vegas to see them at Planet Desert Rock Weekend, where they featured this past January. The thought of seeing them in Brooklyn takes some of the sting out of missing their first US appearance, and as that will occur among the likes of Primitive Man, Blackwater Holylight and Spirit Mother, so much the better.
If you’re not from New York and have ever thought about traveling there, take a gander at the following:
DESERTFEST NEW YORK ANNOUNCES HIGH ON FIRE, AMENRA, PRIMITIVE MAN, BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT, SPACESLUG + MORE FOR 2024 EDITION
Performing at the Knockdown Center please welcome… ↠ High On Fire ↠ Amenra ↠ PRIMITIVE MAN ↠ Blackwater Holylight ↠ Spaceslug ↠ Spirit Mother
Who will all be joining the likes of Russian Circles, Acid King, GREEN LUNG, Truckfighters, Dozer, BelzebonG for the 4th edition of our independent East Coast venture, celebrating the best in underground heavy music! With more still to announce, including day splits – which will be released in July.
We are extremely proud of this line-up and the amount of EU bands we are able to bring over to you! Plus we are thrilled to welcome doom metal super-group Legions of Doom (ft. members of Trouble, Saint Vitus, The Skull & COC) to headline our SOLD OUT pre-party, hosted by TeePee Records alongside the return of Satan’s Satyrs, plus local heroes Mirror Queen & Mustafina!
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 6th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I did some bio-ish writing recently for the upcoming Spirit Mother album, so as the announcement comes through that they’ll release it through Heavy Psych Sounds — arguably the world’s foremost purveyor of, well, sounds that are heavy and/or psychedelic — I’ll tell you that the atmospheric desert-heavy troupe’s follow-up to 2020’s Cadets (review here) greatly expands the breadth of their sound. If you caught wind of their 2023 single “Locust//Dead Cells” (premiered here), that might be considered something of a preview of some of the impending-LP’s brooding vibe, but more of a teaser than an encapsulation.
After that single, Spirit Mother went on tour in Europe, where I was fortunate enough to catch them at SonicBlast Fest 2023 (review here) alongside Heavy Psych Sounds mainstays Black Rainbows, among others, and did a Fall stint in the US alongside Hippie Death Cult, now also labelmates. So maybe they’ve been going in this direction for a bit at this point, but it makes sense either way. They’ll be at Desertfest NYC this September and I look forward to catching them again. More to come, in other words.
From the PR wire:
Heavy Psych Sounds to announce SPIRIT MOTHER signing for their upcoming new album !!!
We’re incredibly stoked to announce that the US heavy rock band SPIRIT MOTHER is now part of the Heavy Psych Sounds Family !!!
NEW ALBUM PRESALE + FIRST TRACK PREMIERE
June 13th
SAYS THE BAND: “We are honored to sign with Heavy Psych Sounds and bring our sophomore album to life!”
BIOGRAPHY
Spirit Mother is a heavy rock band with their sound anthologized through a folk-informed and classical lens. Their dynamic and imposing wall of sound, coupled with a driving backbeat, grips through atmospheric strings and haunting vocals. Initially from Long Beach, CA, the band relocated across the United States residing in Buffalo, Los Angeles, and the high-desert of Eastern Oregon. Originally formed by vocalist and bassist, Armand Lance, and violinist, SJ, their line-up has since solidified with the addition of their guitarist, Sean McCormick, and Drummer, Landon Cisneros providing a striking sound. Lead singer and songwriter, Armand Lance, creates the bones of the music in the attic of his rural ranch between cattle working and mustang wrangling – a likeness to his father’s upbringing as an Ecuadorian cowboy. The group convenes at this cabin to write and develop their repertoire before hitting the road for tour nationally and abroad. Spirit Mother received critical praise for their first album, Cadets.
In 2020 Spirit Mother was tapped for a pandemic project to create a live record/concert film in the style of Pink Floyd’s Live at Pompeii. Fans and critics worldwide revered the band’s performance in Live In The Mojave Desert Volume 3 which was released by Giant Rock Records and Heavy Psych Sounds Records.
In 2023, the band released their latest single “Locust//Dead Cells” and embarked on their debut European tour summer of 2023 with festival appearances at Metal Days, PALP, and Sonic Blast followed by a Full US Tour Fall 2023. Most recently the band signed to Heavy Psych Sounds Records while in studio for their sophomore album in between with regional west coast tours throughout the winter and spring of 2024. They eagerly await its release along with another coast-to-coast US tour this fall with stops at Desert Fest NYC and Levitation Fest in Austin, Tx.
SPIRIT MOTHER is Armand Lance – Bass, Vocals SJ – Violin, Vocals Landon Cisneros – Drums Sean McCormick – Guitar
Posted in Features, Reviews on August 13th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
08.12.23 – Sat. – Fest site
Before show
Found a shady spot and got here in time to catch some of Earthless’ soundcheck. The haze of yesterday and mist/rain of last night have been replaced by a bit of wind and blue skies clear enough to see neighborhoods on Mars. It is a little cooler than yesterday, about which I will not complain. If it holds till tonight, I’ll be glad I have my wizard flannel.
To get here today I took the beach route, rather than going by the river as Church of the Cosmic Skull once advised, and the waves looked like something off a wall calendar. They sell shirts here that say “beach and riffs,” and I’ll tip my goofy wide-brimmed hat to whoever decided to roll that out. Marketing making the world go around.
I’ve done a fair amount of writing the last couple days, which has felt good, seen wonderful people and heard great music at consuming volumes, which as far as I’m concerned is the stuff of life. Traveling alone can feel weird sometimes — like anything — but the truth is that once I get where I’m going, I’m never alone except when I want to be, to work or sleep, and so on. It’s been busy, and I think it’ll be a few days home before I really process any of it beyond the initial impressions conveyed in the notes I’ve been taking as it’s taken place — check in Friday — but I feel good about the work and the experience, and I’m glad I came.
This is the last day, and I expect by six or seven this evening my head will start to move back into travel-mode thinking about getting on the plane tomorrow — the airport in Porto is beautiful, as it would invariably be — and I don’t know if I’ll get to write again before I’m back in the US. Accordingly, thank you again to Ricardo, Thelma and all here at SonicBlast. I have been treated better than I probably needed to be, and am on awe of the passion and drive that has built this festival up to what it is over the last 11 years. As I listen to Kanaan line-checking before they open the day on the third stage — that’s four-for-four on kickoffs, if you’re keeping score — and look over the now-empty-but-soon-to-be-slammed main stage(s) area, it’s a little surreal, but as realities go, I’m happy to dwell in it while I can. Thank you for reading. Thanks to the bands and everyone I’ve spoken to or hung out with. Thanks to my family and obviously, thanks to Wendy, through whom all things are possible.
Getting close now. I can feel it. Here’s the day:
Kanaan
Noting from the stage that it was their first time in Portugal, Norwegian instrumentalist trio Kanaan did not look back after a 15-or-so-minute delayed start owing to a fence blowing over outside as doors were supposed to open. So yes, the wind is a factor. Or at least it was until they put the fence back up and Kanaan came out to lock into the hypnojazz of “Downpour” from the 2022 album of the same name (review here), bass, guitar and drums coming together, seeming to each split its own direction, meeting up later on as one might with friends, only with riffs instead. This was my second time seeing them. The first was Høstsabbat last Fall in Oslo, which is about as different a setting as you can get from SonicBlast, and it’s to the band’s credit that their sound holds up to either context. Maybe it was the sun, or the wind, or the last-day blues, but the spacey, patient unfolding of “Pink Riff” felt extra resonant, as did the synth-laced fuzz that followed to underscore the upward launch in progress. Working against gravity, they rode that groove for a while and did a few orbital laps in circles and twists of rhythm, and resolved in a noisy freakout before coalescing again around the guitar, but the message was clear and the controls were set to ‘far out.’ If they were bummed at cutting their set short, they didn’t show it as they finished with “Return to the Tundrasphere,” having saved the thickest nod for last. Right on. I’ll take seeing them at any opportunity. Wound up chatting with them later on and let it spill that I thought they were onto something really special and they talked about some of their plans for future records. This is a band with the potential to be very good for a long time. A band that can grow with its players. Fingers crossed.
—
Black Rainbows
Space hippies of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your dayjobs! I’d been looking forward to Black Rainbows, as they always seem to find a line between more straightforward heavy rock, classic cosmodelia, and hooks, hooks, hooks, and wouldn’t you know, that’s precisely what they delivered to open the main stage. They covered MC5’s “Black to Comm” and gave it due urgency, and with their new album, Superskull (review here), relatively fresh in mind, I dug the crap out of it. I think they get overshadowed in a weird way by the work founding guitarist/vocalist Gabriele Fiori does in running the Heavy Psych Sounds label/booking company, but god damn, if you actually listen to their records, they’re spot on heavy psych rock, taking some of the energy and enthusiasm that I forever associate with the Italian underground and making it theirs through performance and a strong stylistic foundation. I dig this band, is what I’m saying. If you haven’t been introduced, hit up the latest album and work your way back to the desert idolatry of their earliest stuff and I sincerely doubt you’ll regret it. They’re like a one-stop shop for everything you could ask modern stoner rock to be, while also being able to occasionally blow it out or loose a riff like “Grindstone,” and hold another level of thrust in reserve for a multi-tiered finish. First band on the big stage and people were already dancing. This place is amazing, this band way undervalued.
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Spirit Mother
The only reason I wasn’t absolutely blindsided by how heavy Sprit Mother’s thud landed in-person was because of being fortunate enough to premiere their “Dead Cells/Locust” two-songer last month. Both those songs were aired, and it was likewise a pleasure to hear their rawer, more all-in sensibility extended to tracks from their 2020 debut, Cadets (review here). They played as a double-guitar, double-violin five-piece. One violin? Well that’s interesting. Outside the heavy norm. Respect to that, especially since the songs are good. Two? That’s downright individual. Maybe by their fourth record they’ll be doling out fuzz accompanied by a string quartet — and I’m not trying to be a smartass; I think that’d rule — but the takeaway is that the Los Angeles band are growing. Growing heavier, growing in depth and texture, and looking for ways to distinguish themselves. They’re on their way. This tour and the upcoming US run with Hippie Death Cult will help, but there’s nothing they should be doing that they’re not already doing. I’ll look forward to remembering seeing them here for the first time, including that laugh shared by the band and the front row when guitarist/vocalist Armand Lance attempted to throw his bandana out to the crowd but it hit a wall of wind and didn’t travel more than a meter before landing unceremoniously in the photo pit. Sometimes it’s the little things.
—
Earthless
It’s safe by now to call Earthless legends, right? A fully-earned reputation two decades running that precedes them by miles, the quintessential heavy trio released Night Parade of 100 Demons (review here) in January, and even though I knew what was coming, it was hard not to feel physically overwhelmed as they built up the characteristically extended, vinyl-side-consuming title-track to its full breadth. And I saw them like a month and a half ago. Shit, I heard their soundcheck today! Nonetheless, when guitarist/sometimes-vocalist Isaiah Mitchell, bassist Mike Eginton and drummer Mario Rubalcaba dug in, you had no real choice but to bodily sense it. Sure, it’s been loud all weekend, but with Earthless it’s never quite just about any one thing — even Mitchell’s guitar, which feels like sacrilege to say somehow — but about the full combination of all of it working at a scale that belongs solely to the band. Maybe that’s how you get to be legendary to start with. There’s just something intangible there, and as much as it feels like they’re plunging headfirst into the unknown, you always know that they’re in control, hand-on-the-wheel, and so forth. As spacey as they got at SonicBlast, that was still true, and while I’m not so far removed from my last exposure, it’s a testament to the power of what they do that they could be so affecting. Rest assured, I went back after refilling my water bottle and taking a minute to write this, in more than enough time to catch the burner ending, the next outbound excursion, and the staple cover of The Groundhogs’ “Cherry Red” that capped the set.
—
A Place to Bury Strangers
Today I learned that the dude from A Place to Bury Strangers — multi-instrumentalist/live guitarist and vocalist Oliver Ackermann — really hates his guitar. Before the first song was done, he’d launched it in the air multiple times and let it hit the stage, swung it over his shoulder like he was trying to split wood, and run the strings along the front edge of the stage. Then he tuned up, which I think might’ve been my favorite part. I haven’t seen them before, but by all accounts that’s kind of how it goes. Not arguing. True to their New York roots, their sound is a kind of no-wave indie noise punk, but without atmosphere, but trying to crawl out of its own skin anyhow. Restless movement in the bass of John Fedowitz and drummer Sandra Fedowitz was fitting company for all that fucked up amp-noise wash, and I don’t know if Thurston Moore is still hanging around today — let’s figure probably not, but you never know — but it’s easy to imagine him smiling, wherever he may be. Intermittently caustic, light on accessibility and thick on fuckall, they sounded the way my brain feels when I think about the climate crisis, and soon enough, Ackermann left the stage to bring the shenanigans directly to the people out front, but he and maybe Sandra (?) got back up eventually and hit it on the next song, leaving half the crowd slackjawed and a whole other portion smiling knowingly. I guess they’re not really my thing sound-wise, otherwise I might have driven into NYC from Jersey to see them at some point in the last 20 years, but you have to appreciate the expression and the sheer physical effort in it. And the fact that they played after Earthless. I’m glad nobody got hurt, with the exception of that guitar, which, admirably, somehow made it through the whole set, Ackermann handing it behind the drum kit to free his hands so he could swing one of the stage strobes around by the cable — you know, like you do — before taking it back to finish the song, getting a couple more high-arc tosses in in the meantime. There was more as Fedowitz came out from the kit to the front of the stage for vocal duties, bringing the floor tom and snare along and playing while standing up. I have to think you get the point. A spectacle.
—
Eyehategod
I don’t know how long it’s been since I saw Eyehategod, and in the spirit of the band, I don’t really give a shit. The New Orleans sludge originators — they didn’t do it on their own, but there’s sludgers the world over who should be calling them Uncle — came out and jammed for a couple minutes before the set actually started, and from there it was feedback abrasion, raw-throated gnash from vocalist Mike IX Williams, the somehow-bouncing riffs of Jimmy Bower and bassist Gary Mader’s tonal density like the dirt from which their mud is made, while drummer Aaron Hill — who’s been in the band a decade now — managed to make it go. I was off them for a few years, but they’ve stood up to the years with middle fingers ever raised, and I can’t think of another band who can come across as both completely professional and unhinged at the same time, as when Williams started the faux-prayer “dear god, please forgive us,” before seeming to think better of the whole idea and end with a quick “fuck you” as the next song slammed in. In a crowd with this many people, it was most likely somebody’s first Eyehategod show, and while I’m no expert on the subject, when I think of Eyehategod, I think of precisely the kind of omnidirectional aggro disaffection they tore into. “How many people have to go to work tomorrow?” Some hands. I have to think more would be up if tomorrow was Monday. Right into “Every Thing, Every Day.” They’re a band who’ve been underestimated for over 30 years, and much more than most, they make it believable that they don’t care. And probably by now they don’t, if they ever did. That, plus riffs.
—
Imarhan
Today’s Tuareg contingent, Imarhan come from Algeria and followed suit in rhythmic style and resultant danceability from Bombino and Etran de L’Aïr, both of whom also had the crowd moving yesterday and the day before, which is starting to feel like a very, very long time ago. Whatever focus might be on the guitar, Imarhan kept the theme running of bass I could happily spend an evening listening to, as well as clearing the slate after the aural violence of Eyehategod and the actual violence of A Place to Bury Strangers to transition into the evening ahead. I know little about Tuareg culture or the plight of the people who are part of it, but the music as an outlet for that reinforces the communicative nature of art, and the more Imarhan jammed, the more they got their point across. Their latest album is called Aboogi, and the connection between desert rock and, well, desert rock, should be plain to anyone who encounters it. Mellow, warm boogie gave over to sweet psych instrumental melody, spirals of engaging guitar noodling, vocals and hand-percussion going right along, as if they wouldn’t, and the flow held. In America, everything is political and everything is race, and I’d be more than happy to go on about the long history of white producers “discovering” and recording music from around the world, from Lead Belly to Bombino — aesthetic colonialism — and I noted in reading up that Aboogi was recorded by Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, but this isn’t the time or place for that rant. I’m not looking to be misunderstood, and frankly, the music felt more about erasing lines than drawing them. Probably that makes me chickenshit. A privilege afforded by my own culture. As the sundown act for the final day of SonicBlast 2023, Imarhan invited all to dance, and many took them up on it.
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The Black Angels
I’ve dabbled in the work of Austin psych rockers The Black Angels, but not much more than that. Most of what I know is people like them and they’re well regarded critically. Big mags that go to SXSW write about them, though that’s hardly their fault. There were times when it seemed like the kick drum was the only thing keeping the whole set from turning into a puddle of goo, but obviously that’s on purpose, and with the keys and the two guitars, bass, more keys, multiple vocalists, one drummer — more two-drummer psych bands now! — all seeming to go at once, they were full in sound and heavier live than I would have expected them to be, which I guess is a compliment since they also had that languid sway speaking to some notion of coolness that is timeless if you believe the Baby Boomers invented time or that anyone in mainstream culture knows psych rock still exists, or cares, for that matter. You could call it indie crossover if you want — it’s the internet; the stakes couldn’t be lower — but they were plenty lysergic, and parts felt like a grown-up version of what Spirit Mother were up to this afternoon, rockin’ out in Reverb City. But the crowd knew them more than I did and they put out a record last year called Wilderness of Mirrors that was probably genius and if I bothered to listen would change my life, so there you go. I guess they left me a little cold, but I’ll take that on myself since I’m both waiting for Dozer and half thinking about packing and flying out tomorrow. Did I say “last day blues” yet? Fair enough. Throbbing, they were.
—
Church of Misery
It would be fun to put together a list of the best riff writers of all time — I’m not going to; no fun — but any such endeavor would be bullshit without the inclusion of Tatsu Mikami from Church of Misery. The low-slung founding bassist of Japan’s leading doom rock export has been through entire lineups of singers, guitarists and drummers, but the guitar of Yukito Okazaki, the drums of Toshiaki Umemura and returning vocalist Kazuhiro Asaeda marked themselves out as a version of Church of Misery to see, making the case strongly on this year’s Born Under a Mad Sign (review here) for showing up. Certainly Church of Misery fucking did. And oh, when that bass tone hit, I could feel it like a rumbly in my tumbly and all of a sudden I didn’t care if the lyrics were about the dude feeding his cat, it was that groove that had me. They were on fire. Kazuhiro waving his hands around swimming through the fog of the riffs — also the actual fog — absolutely nailing “Born to Raise Hell,” and Yukito might be a generation younger but he also might be the best guitarist I’ve seen with this band, and by this time in my life I’ve seen a few. For a new incarnation of the band, everybody owned the material, Toshiaki with the oh-so-essential swing to make that doom boogie, and Tatsu on the far side of the stage, an absolute master at this thing he does. As the photographers were getting kicked out of the pit — not complaining; that time/song limit is useful every now and again to keep you in check and handling your shit — I put my body in front of the P.A., just for a second, so I could feel it in my bones. Incredible how a band so obsessed with mass murder can be so life-affirming. I’m glad they’re back, and I’m lucky to have seen this version of the band. They finished with “Beltway Sniper” and “Freeway Madness Boogie,” both from the new record, and the place went off like the songs were 20 years old. It was a celebration.
—
Dozer
Life affords you very few — none to date, in my case — to get on stage and watch while Dozer are playing. Did I dare? It was now or never. And as experience-making as that was, I’m glad I went out front again in time to see Arvid from Greenleaf come out for a guest spot on “Rings of Saturn.” I’d heard before they went on that was going to happen, and it was quick but great, no less because they followed it with “Supersoul” and man, I just went nuts. It was so great. So great. Chills the entire time, not even exaggerating. Well maybe a little bit fucking hell give me a break Dozer were so god damned amazing I was headbanging in the photo pit. Maybe the pics will suck. Who cares? Arvid back out: “this is Monster Truck. That big thing that pushes stuff.” A bit of standup “Always eat spinach.” My friend, I have been trying for three days to find some to no avail. If you got the hookup don’t hold out. Yes, I saw Dozer last December. Again, who cares? If I saw them yesterday this would’ve still been incredible. Shit, I DID see Greenleaf yesterday. Unreal. Culmination of the weekend. “Born a Legend.” Existential high point I feel like I’ve been chasing for the last two and a half years. The payoff for my pandemic. Sebastian Olsson on drums. Holy shit. Fredrik Nordin’s vocals coming through those giant speakers. That shout. Those riffs. Johan Rockner’s bass not only keeping up with Tommi Holappa’s twists and punches and shred but doing so with a singular immediacy. Dozer is the band who taught me heavy rock could be explosive, propulsive, volcanic, and still beautiful. They went to their first album in 15 years, Drifting in the Endless Void (review here), to close out with “Missing 13,” Olsson knocking over a cymbal and Arvid picking it up en route to Dozer riding that riff and Holappa soloing away. There was some mic feedback toward the end, but it didn’t matter. I stopped writing. I stopped worrying. I put my phone down and banged my fucking head and threw my fist in the air, and for a few gorgeous minutes I hope I never forget that’s what life was.
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Lunavieja
An occult epilogue to my evening and my SonicBlast, Lunavieja had skulls, reeds, incense and centuries of Iberian heathenism to draw from, and with a sound that was vibrant and a theatricality unlike anything else I’ve seen this weekend, they built an atmosphere of malevolent, writhing doom, psychedelic post-metal, some rock, and meditative, dark folk. I said a few goodbyes and made my way out during their set, stopped up on the boardwalk to sit on a little bench there in the mostly dark — the town is right there, so there is ambient light — and look at the stars and listen to the music and the waves together. “Beach and riffs,” right? It wasn’t planned, and it was only a few minutes, maybe five, but just stopping, sitting for a breath, it was like taking a huge drink of water. I was already on my way out mentally and physicality — got my ride to the airport tomorrow confirmed and everything — so this was just about being there, putting myself in that moment, to be, just to be, in that place one more time. Lunavieja’s grim mass behind, the anticipation of returning to my family ahead, I allowed for the appreciation of being in the middle, not existing in either world yet. Not thinking about the travel, the writing, the to-do list that awaits. I doubt Lunavieja will ever know they were a part of that, that they helped make it happen in a weird kind of way — ‘weird’ suiting them quite well, generally — but they were. It meant something to me. I learned a lot here. They were a part of that, too.
—
Thank you. If your eyes are on these words, thank you. The list of names is so long. Everybody I spoke to, everyone who came up and said hi, the fucking Sasquatch guys shouting me out, being onstage while Dozer are playing. Meeting Berto, seeing Claire after a decade, hanging out with Dr. Space, chatting music with Daniel and Bruno in the photo pit, taking pictures of bands, pictures with people, trying to cram as many memories into my head as I possibly could because I’m just so god damned lucky to be here. The flight, the nerves. It was all worth it, easily. For Dozer alone, never mind Acid King, Ruff Majik, Greenleaf, Kanaan, Church of Misery, Spirit Mother, Temple Fang, Naxatras (now I get to say I’ve seen Naxatras forever!), Weedpecker, Kadavar, all the way back to Plastic Woods, the first band at the pre-show, absolutely schooling me on where I was and what it meant to be here. Thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you Ricardo and Telma. Thank you for inviting me, for welcoming me, for the music and the place. The reality of what you’ve built is so much more than just the beach and riffs. Thank you.
I fly out tomorrow evening, 6PM-ish. I don’t know that I will or won’t write again before then, so one more time, thank you for reading, thanks to Wendy, The Pecan, my mother, my sister. I don’t know that I’ll be invited back to SonicBlast again, and that’s not what matters. What matters is how fortunate I was to be here at all. Thank you. Thank you.
