You gotta watch out for these. They’re sneaky. Label samplers can be tricky in general — sometimes it’s nothing but rehashed tracks from years ago with one or two new songs from a band somebody’s trying to push, but with Heavy Psych Sounds, their annual sampler series has been a way of sneaking new tracks out for first public showcases. Last year, new Black Rainbows showed up, and sure enough they appear here as well, and there also seems to be some new stuff from The Freeks included, which as far as I’m concerned is reason enough on its own to chase the thing down. Also Tons will have a track on there ahead of their album release in April, and new Killer Boogie, so yeah, plenty to grab onto, and even the stuff that’s already out — Mother Engine, Fvzz Popvli, The Lords of Altamont, Nick Oliveri — is all still current, and righteous. That “Kyuss Dies” song is hilarious.

Full tracklisting follows here, courtesy of the PR wire:

As every Year, my little dear, what we have here is: HPS074 ***HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS SAMPLER VOL.3***

We’re so proud to announce the new Sampler, is the third year we are going to release this, and tracklist look awesome!

You will find it in your HPS boxes when you will purchase from the site, or at some good festival in Europe for free at the merch table, or on tour with HPS bands…

RELEASE DATE:
16th MARCH 2018

PRESALE:
8th FEBRUARY 2018

Enjoy the tracklist!

Avon – Red Barn
Black Rainbows – High To Hell
Deadsmoke – Emperor Of Shame
Fvzz Popvli – Lost In Time
High Reeper – Die Slow
House Of Broken Promises – Toranado
Killer Boogie – Atomic Race
Monsternaut – Landslide
Mother Engine – Tokamak
Nebula – Between Time
Nick Oliveri (Kyuss Lives) – Kyuss Dies
The Freeks – American Lighning
The Lords Of Altamont – Going Downtown
Tons – 99 Weed Balloons
Turn Me On Dead Man – Vimana
Wedge – Lucid

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com/

VA, Heavy Psych Sounds Records Sampler Vol. II

Man, who’s gonna argue with a new record from The Freeks? Details are just about nil as yet, but all that’ll come soon enough, and in the meantime, Heavy Psych Sounds brings word that the Los Angeles heavy punk rockers will head back to tour Europe once more support the impending release, whatever it’s called and whenever it’s out. These preliminary announcements have kind of become a pattern for the Italian imprint, and they’re kind of exciting in a way, even if they’re light on actual info, which tends to trickle out in subsequent press releases. What does that mean to you? Probably not a lot. For me it just means a longer time anticipating the record.

Preorders, art, details, tour dates, all that stuff. We’ll get there. Just not there yet.

From the PR wire:

HPS NEW ANNOUNCEMENT: coming back of the screaming fuzzed psychedelic rockers The Freeks with the NEW ALBUM !!!

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is really proud to announce the coming back of the screaming fuzzed psychedelic rockers The Freeks!!!

The band has a new record ready to be released via Heavy Psych Sounds and will tour Europe this spring.

More info coming soon!!!

BIOGRAPHY
Everything has a beginning, whether it by accident or by design. A journey consists of trials and errors until finally reaching a full circle…ever evolving, revolving over and over again. Set in constant motion, the gathering of speed reaching ultimate vibrations until it’s all “SHATTERED!” This can also be said in regards to Los Angeles, CA based quintet “The FREEKS” as they return from yet another complete orbit with their third full length LP, “SHATTERED”. What started as an accident, brought on a thought, which then began a project that grew into a solidified unit of sonic purification! The FREEKS, led by Ruben Romano, has consistently moved upward since its conception in 2007 and have gracefully matured since their first Self-Titled LP release in 2008 on CARGO GERMANY RECORDS. While the initial project collaborated with players from around world, in 2010 Romano gathered together a more local unit of musicians, all baked under the L.A. heat, to achieve a consistent flow of creation. This was followed by The FREEKS critically acclaimed 2013 Sophomore LP “FULL ON”, released on the band’s very own label “FREEK FLAG RECORDS”.

In 2016,The FREEKS prepared to sling shot and extend the trajectory of their already existing orbital path by joining forces with “HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS RECORDS” and released this latest revolution! The FREEKS are fully ready to shake it until it’s all “SHATTERED.”

THE FREEKS are
Ruben Romano – guitar/vocals
Bob Lee – drums
Esteban Chavez – keys
Jonathan Hall – guitars

https://www.facebook.com/TheFreeks/
https://twitter.com/The_Freeks
http://www.thefreeks.com/
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS044

The Freeks, Shattered (2016)

The label compilation is kind of a lost art in this age of digital whathaveyou. Used to be imprints put together comps on the regular. Some had rough mixes, some had exclusive tracks or things that wound up getting dropped off albums, and they kind of became a place where you might find something special once and then not run into it again. Italy’s Heavy Psych Sounds, with an ever-expanding roster and an already-full slate of releases as a result, seems intent on reviving the tradition. In addition to the label, booking agency, four-way split series and now two organized festivals under its belt, last year saw the release of Heavy Psych Sounds Volume I, and it seems that, indeed, it was the beginning of a series.

Heavy Psych Sounds Volume II will feature exclusive tracks from Black Rainbows and Killer Boogie and will be released on March 24. The same day, Black Rainbows will release their “The Red Sky Above” as a digital single following-up on last year’s Stellar Prophecy (review here) and leading to speculation of a sixth long-player in the works from them.

From the PR wire:

Heavy Psych Sounds Records presents: HPS CD SAMPLER VOL II (2017)

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records & Booking is stoked to announce: The HPS Records Sampler Vol 2

Europe’s ever-growing riff powerhouse HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS is set to release the second chapter of its “Heavy Psych Sounds Sampler”, featuring 15 bands of the roster among which two exclusive new songs!

This new compilation features 15 tracks taken off the label’s most recent releases (Fatso Jetson, Nick Oliveri, The Freeks…) as well as a nice preview of some upcoming gems from The Sonic Dawn, Farflung, Duel or Cachemira. As an icing on this rifftastic cake, “Heavy Psych Sounds Sampler Vol. 2” offers two exclusive new singles from the mighty Black Rainbows and Killer Boogie.

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS VOLUME II TRACK LISTING:
Black Rainbows “The Red Sky Above” (exclusive track!)
Cachemira “Overpopulation”
Doctor Cyclops “Lonely Devil”
Duel “Witchbanger”
Farflung “You Will Kill For Me”
Fatso Jetson “Wire Wheels And Robots”
Giöbia “This World Was Being Watched Closely”
Glitter Wizard-Mycelia
Killer Boogie “Eight Ball” (exclusive track!)
Mothership “Crown Of Lies”
Nick Oliveri “Anything And Everything”
The Clamps “Must Destroy”
The Golden Grass “Flashing Out Of Sight”
The Freeks “Uncle Jack’s Truck”
The Sonic Dawn “Summer Voyage”

Heavy Psych Sounds Sampler Vol. 2
Out March 24th on Heavy Psych Sounds

Black Rainbows, “The Red Sky Above”

Unreleased dope track for the Italian fuzzsters, 6 minutes of Doomy, Stoner, Sabbathty groove stuff, recorded specifically for the new HPS Sampler. Recorded during their last tour in a cool studio surrounded by white snow mountains in the north of Italy last January 2017. You can taste the change of direction for the band with a monolithic style, more dark, more heavy, more straight in your face!

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS is an ever-growing European record label and booking agency specialized in stoner, hard, psychedelic, fuzzy, doomy rock and more largely, all kinds of blazing retro riffage. Since its creation in Roma in 2007, HPS has released projects for Black Rainbows, Nick Oliveri, Karma To Burn, Naam, White Hills, Farflung, Fatso Jetson, Deville, Hot Lunch, Killer Boogie, Mos Generator, Isaak, The Sonic Dawn, Mothership and many more.

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/

Black Rainbows, “The Red Sky Above”

We’ve known for a while now that Californian heavy psych/punk rockers The Freeks would be heading abroad to support their 2016 album, Shattered (review here), and with the release out through Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds, it’s even more reasonable to have that label’s booking wing presenting the shows. All makes a lot of sense, I guess is the point, including the significant stretch of the tour that takes place in Italy before hitting Switzerland, France, Austria and Germany, starting Feb. 28 in Rome and going from there. Looks like an awesome run, and no doubt The Freeks will kill it along the way.

They go in the company of Netherlands-based Komatsu, who released their debut full-length, Recipe for Murder One (review here), on Argonauta, and between some of the expanse The Freeks offer and the at times intense tonal weight brought forth by Komatsu, they should make for a fitting and complementary lineup. I won’t get to see the shows, of course, but I’ll look forward at least to the customary tour-end picture of both bands in front of a van or empty stage celebrating the end of a successful time together.

Heavy Psych Sounds announced it like this:

THE FREEKS + Komatsu European Dates Announced!

Heavy Psych Sounds Booking is proud to announce the EU dates for the Californian 70’s fuzzsters The Freeks! The band is just out with their last record “Shattered.” Supporting the entire tour, the heavy rockers from Netherlands, Komatsu!

The Freeks feature Ruben Romano former drummer of Fu Manchu and Nebula as well as Tom Davies, bass player of Nebula.

HAVE FUN!

The Freeks & Komatsu live:
28.02.2017 IT Roma-Traffic
01.03.2017 IT Torino-Café Liber
02.03.2017 IT Erba-Centrale Rock
03.03.2017 IT Bologna-Freak Out
04.03.2017 IT Fidenza-Arci Taun
05.03.2017 IT Castel D’Ario-Hostaria
06.03.2017 IT Zerobranco-Altroquando
07.03.2017 IT Trieste-Tetris
08.03.2017 IT Savignano-Sidro
09.03.2017 CH Basel-Hirschneck
10.03.2017 FR Ensisheim-Woodstock Guitar Shop
11.03.2017 CH Luzern-Bruch Bros
12.03.2017 AT Feldkirch-Graf Hugo
13.03.2017 Looking for a show!
14.03.2017 AT Leipzig-Zoro
15.03.2017 DE Halle-Huhnermanhattan
16.03.2017 DE Berlin
17.03.2017 DE Dresden-Sabotage
18.03.2017 DE Erfurt-Tiko
19.03.2017 DE Munster-Rare Guitar Shop

https://www.facebook.com/TheFreeks/
https://www.facebook.com/komatsurock/
www.heavypsychsounds.com

Click Here to Download

I’ve listened to it front to back and I can honestly say this is the best podcast I’ve made in the last five months. Truth be told, I know there are plenty of people who do podcasts as their primary outlet, talk on them and whatnot (hey, I tried it once and reserve the right to do it again at some point), but if it’s between crossfading feedback from one song to another and writing a review of a new record, well, crossfading falls into the same category as just about everything else: Write first.

Fortunately, a longer span of time between casts makes it that much easier to pick tracks. Existence does not hand you a 45-minute Øresund Space Collective jam every day, so I thought that was worth featuring, and I just got Megaritual’s new vinyl for review, so I thought featuring their more recent single-song EP would work well too.

I’m happy with the blend overall, and with Asteroid setting the tone. Be patient with it. Let it unfold. Even with a rocking start, it gets pretty psychedelic pretty quickly, and only continues to move further out. My advice is go with it and see where you end up.

As always, I hope you enjoy.

Track details follow:

First Hour:

0:00:00 Asteroid, “Them Calling” from III
0:05:02 Stinkeye, “Orange Man” from Llantera Demos
0:08:31 Hornss, “Prince of a Thousand Enemies” from Telepath
0:11:36 Ice Dragon, “Broken Life” from Broken Life
0:16:08 Wasted Theory, “Odyssey of the Electric Warlock” from Defenders of the Riff
0:20:59 Pelander, “True Colour” from Time
0:29:41 The Freeks, “Blow Time Away” from Shattered
0:34:26 Baby Woodrose, “Freedom” from Freedom
0:37:27 Comacozer, “The Mind that Feeds the Eye” from Astra Planeta
0:45:21 Mos Generator, “Outlander” from The Firmament
0:51:13 Megaritual, “Eclipse” from Eclipse

Second Hour:

1:16:25 Øresund Space Collective, “Visions Of…” from Visions Of…

Total running time: 1:58:36

Thank you for listening.

Download audiObelisk Transmission 059

Los Angeles five-piece heavy rock punkstompers The Freeks released their third album, Shattered (review here), less than a week ago, and yet here they are wasting no time announcing their intention to support the offering by teaming up with the booking wing of their label, Italy’s Heavy Psych Sounds, in order to tour Europe from the end of February through much of March. Though the actual routing, i.e. cities and venues, has yet to be revealed, the poster gives the span from Feb. 28 through March 20, and the label has said that they’ll hit Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France and Austria on their way. If other recent goings are anything to judge by, I’d expect multiple dates throughout Germany and Italy as well. Maybe even France.

They’ll be joined by Dutch riffers Komatsu, who released their new album, Recipe for Murder One, in Sept. on Argonauta Records.

More to come once the actual dates and such show up, but the poster’s cool until then and if you haven’t checked out Shattered yet, the full stream is below:

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS Records & Booking is incredibly happy to announce the European tour of ***The Freeks***

The US riffers will be supported for the entire tour by another great band Komatsu from the Netherlands.

DATES: 28.02.2017 to 20.03.2017

Californian Fuzzsters THE FREEKS are just out with their new record “SHATTERED” out on Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

Tour will touch countries as Italy, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria. Dates will be announced soon!! Stay tuned!

Prepare for an unprecedented earthquake, world! Los Angeles explosive rock’n’rollers THE FREEKS released their new album “Shattered” November 11th on Heavy Psych Sounds.

With an inextinguishable fire, Californian five-piece THE FREEKS brilliantly fuses high-octane rock’n’roll, the raw energy of punk rock and hints of psychedelic bizarrerie. Just as if The Stooges had met Hawkwind. With former members of Fu Manchu and Nebula in its ranks, the band is anything but a newbie in the US rock scene. After two albums (“The Freeks” in 2008 and the widely acclaimed “Full On” in 2013), THE FREEKS are back with a blazing new effort released on Heavy Psych Sounds on November 11.

THE FREEKS ARE
Ruben Romano – Guitar & Lead Vocals
Jonathan Hall – Guitar & Vocals
Tom Davies – Bass & Vocals
Esteban Chavez – Synths, organs, electric pianos
Bob Lee – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/TheFreeks/
https://twitter.com/The_Freeks
http://www.thefreeks.com/
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS044

The Freeks, Shattered (2016)

[Click play above to stream The Freeks’ Shattered in its entirety. Album is out Friday, Nov. 11 via Heavy Psych Sounds.]

The Freeks‘ third album, Shattered, reads like a blueprint for how to blend punker and psychedelic impulses. Or at least how to revel in the competition between them. Also the Los Angeles five-piece’s debut on Heavy Psych Sounds, it expands on the ideas of 2013’s Full On (review here) as well as the runtime — going from 34 then to 48 minutes here — and leans on the fantastic and classy key work of Esteban Chavez to carry a vintage vibe into songs like the ultra-Stoogesian “Where Did You Go,” the band trying to find that moment when heavy rock got just dirty enough to be called punk for the first time while still keeping a modern production.

This drive has been there since their 2008 self-titled debut, but finds its deepest manifestation yet on Shattered, and while one doubts the title is a reference the group’s penchant for jumping styles, there are songs that present a solid break from one genre to the next, perhaps best exemplified in the turn from the speedy rawness of “Uncle Jack’s Truck” (“Uncle Jack” also made an appearance on the self-titled) to the more sprawling, jammy, lysergic “Sylvia” at what one assumes is the end of side A. Granted, some of these moves come across pretty clearly telegraphed — particularly when one can look at the comparative track lengths — but The Freeks are an experienced band and know how to set up a flow so that “Strange Mind” can make one recall that vocalist/guitarist Ruben Romano‘s pedigree goes back to Nebula‘s days as a Fu Manchu offshoot.

Bassist/vocalist Tom Davies also did time in the much-missed heavy psych rockers, and together with him, guitarist/vocalist Jonathan Hall (Backbiter), Chavez on synth, organ and electric piano, and drummer Bob Lee, who makes his debut here in place of Hari Hassin, Romano leads the fervent charge that The Freeks ignite early with feedback and piano intensity on opener “Tiny Pieces.” The hook in that track revolves around the line, “No one’s gonna take me alive,” and that proves telling as regards the attitude of Shattered, which like its predecessor reminds at its meanest moments, as with the late-arriving and particularly blown-out “Ivana,” of Mondo Generator, but three records deep, The Freeks are less willing to be defined by their influences than by their songwriting.

They have more than enough stylistic command to establish fluidity to carry them through the swinging “Where Did You Go” and into the emergent swirl of “Strange Mind” — the first of Shattered‘s several really psychedelic tracks, joined later by “Sylvia” and much of side B, and maybe still the catchiest, though I’m partial to the gone-and-not-coming-back, dream-state sensibility of closer “Blow Time Away” — and while there are times listening to the effects churn later in “Sylvia” or “Strange Mind” or “Fast Forward” or indeed “Blow Time Away” when one has to step back and wonder how it is The Freeks can resist the impulse to just make a record of half-hour-long jams, since they so clearly could and probably put out three full-lengths a year of space rock mastery, the fact that they don’t makes them a more powerful group in terms of craft and gives their sound a dimension that even deep-field mixing can’t necessarily convey.

Though it certainly doesn’t hurt. Pulling out of the atmosphere of earlier cuts like the post-grunge strum of “I’m a Mess” and the fittingly motor-ready thrust of “Uncle Jack’s Truck,” the consciously-titled “There’s No Turning back Now” is only 1:48, but it serves as a trippy synth/effects introduction to Shattered‘s second half from which “La Tumba” directly feeds and expands, more patient in pace and rolling out to engaging heavy psych liquefaction. It’s not that structure disappears entirely, but the stylistic lean definitely changes its direction, and an experimental edge even works its way into the hard cosmic surf of “The Space Bar,” broadening The Freeks‘ established reach leading into the fade-in of “Fast Forward”‘s languid grandeur. Once again, there’s an underlying hook — “Just keep moving forward” feels a long way removed from “No one’s gonna take me alive,” even if the root message is similar — but it comes paired with Shattered‘s most hypnotic groove, and the pairing of guitar solo and organ at the end make it a high point of the album as a whole.

Naturally, the smash-into-ground of “Ivana” follows. I said the band telegraphed some of their moves, and they do, but it still works in terms of the aforementioned revelry, and as stark as “Fast Forward” into “Ivana” is, “Ivana” into the penultimate “Blue Shoes” — more of a middle-ground strut-rocker complementing “Where Did You Go” earlier — sets up the shift back into the ethereal for “Blow Time Away” to close out, and those final three songs summarize well the scope presented across the entire span, essentially a condensed version of what brings Shattered so smoothly together. “Blow Time Away” ends cold, with just a quick shot of feedback mirroring “Tiny Pieces,” and The Freeks make their way out of their sprawling-but-still-driven third offering with a resounding lack of pretense intact despite having married styles rarely bridged. There’s no doubt they benefit from the past experience of their component members, but as The Freeks hit maturity on their own as a band, their personality has only become more multi-faceted.

The Freeks on Thee Facebooks

The Freeks on Twitter

The Freeks website

The Freeks at Heavy Psych Sounds

Haven’t heard this one yet, but I’m looking forward to it. The Freeks‘ last outing, 2013’s Full On (review here), was a barnburner of heavy rock righteousness and I’d expect no less from the Los Angeles five-piece’s Heavy Psych Sounds debut (third album overall), Shattered. No tracklisting or audio yet, but the cover art for the CD/LP has been unveiled, a Nov. 11 release has been announced, and preorders have been made available for those who like to take care of these things early.

If that’s you, you’ll find the link below, as graciously sent along the PR wire:

California’s blazing hot punk’n’rollers THE FREEKS to release third album on Heavy Psych Sounds this fall!

Prepare for an unprecedented earthquake, world! Los Angeles explosive rock’n’rollers THE FREEKS have announced the release of their new album “Shattered” this November 11th on Heavy Psych Sounds.

With an inextinguishable fire, Californian five-piece THE FREEKS brilliantly fuses high-octane rock’n’roll, the raw energy of punk rock and hints of psychedelic bizarrerie. Just as if The Stooges had met Hawkwind. With former members of Fu Manchu or Nebula in its ranks, the band is anything but a newbie in the US rock scene. After two albums (“The Freeks” in 2008 and the widely acclaimed “Full On” in 2013), THE FREEKS are back with a blazing new effort to be released on Heavy Psych Sounds this November.

THE FREEKS – New album “Shattered”
Out November 11th on Heavy Psych Sounds // Pre-order

Everything has a beginning, whether it is by accident or design. A journey consists of trials and errors until finally reaching a full circle… ever evolving, revolving over and over again. Set in constant motion, the gathering of speed reaching ultimate vibrations until it’s all “Shattered” This can also be said in regards to Los Angeles, CA based quintet THE FREEKS, as they return from yet another complete orbit with their third full-length “Shattered”. What started as an accident brought on a thought, which then began a project that grew into a solidified unit of sonic purification! Led by Ruben Romano, the band has consistently moved upward since their formation in 2007 and have gracefully matured since their first self-titled LP released in 2008 on Cargo Records Germany. While the initial project collaborated with players from around the world, in 2010 Romano gathered together a more local unit of musicians, all baked under the L.A. heat, to achieve a consistent flow of creation. This was followed by their critically acclaimed sophomore LP “Full On” (2013) released on the band’s own label Freek Flag Records.

Now in 2016, THE FREEKS prepare to sling shot and extend the trajectory of their already existing orbital path by joining forces with Heavy Psych Sounds to release this latest revolution, fully ready to shake it until it’s all shattered!

THE FREEKS ARE
Ruben Romano – Guitar & Lead Vocals
Jonathan Hall – Guitar & Vocals
Tom Davies – Bass & Vocals
Esteban Chavez – Synths, organs, electric pianos
Bob Lee – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/TheFreeks/
https://twitter.com/The_Freeks
http://www.thefreeks.com/
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com/shop.htm#HPS044

The Freeks, “Weirdness” Live at Pappy & Harriet’s, Oct. 23, 2015