Posted in Whathaveyou on December 2nd, 2022 by JJ Koczan
I mean, what can you say to this other than ‘can I come?’ I’ve known this festival was capable of some real-deal shit over the last decade, but this is absolutely epic, which is a word I do my best to avoid. And they end it by saying there’s more to come. God damn. Really. God damn.
Wow.
Here:
Desertfest London announce over 40 bands for 2023
Friday 5th May – Sunday 7th May 2023 | Weekend Tickets on sale now
Desertfest London is rounding off the year with an ear-shattering bang, announcing a mammoth 43 artists to their 2023 line-up. Joining the likes of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Graveyard, Kadavar and Church of Misery, the Camden-based festival also welcomes back Corrosion of Conformity as headliners.
Pioneers of a groove-laden sound that is undeniably their own, Corrosion of Conformity have not been back on UK soil since 2018 so expect big, loud and memorable things from their appearance at Desertfest next year. Corrosion of Conformity have been due to play the event since 2020 – making their return one of the most widely requested in the event’s history.
Japan’s own avant-garde maestros of down-tuned psychedelia Boris leap over to London alongside the crushingly loud tones of NOLA’s own Crowbar. One of the most exciting bands in recent memory King Buffalo, make their long-awaited debut plus Desertfest favourites, Weedeater are back after five long years of chugging whiskey lord-knows-where.
The pace moves up a notch with New York City’s noise-rock guru’s Unsane and British punk-legends Discharge, all of whom bring a detour from the slow’n’low sounds the festival is best recognised for. Montreal’s Big | Brave will play the festival for the first time showcasing their experimental and minimalist take on the notion of ‘heavy’, whilst the doors to the Church of The Cosmic Skull are open, as they ask Desertfest revellers to join them in a union unlike any other.
Desertfest also warmly welcomes noise from STAKE, British anti-fascist black metallers Dawn Ray’d and London’s loudest duo Tuskar as well as some of the best recent stoner acts in the form of Telekinetic Yeti, Weedpecker & Great Electric Quest. Elsewhere the weekend will also see Wren, The Necromancers, Dommengang, Samavayo, Morass of Molasses, Sum of R & GNOB offer up unique live performances.
Rounding off this beast of an announcement are Acid Mammoth, Deatchant, Zetra, Trevor’s Head, Our Man in The Bronze Age, Wyatt E., Iron Jinn, Mr Bison, Troy The Band, Oreyeon, Warren Schoenbright, Early Moods, Longheads, Terror Cosmico, Thunder Horse, TONS, Vinnum Sabbathi, Bloodswamp, The Age of Truth, Earl of Hell and Black Groove.
Weekend Tickets for Desertfest London 2023 are on-sale now via www.desertfest.co.uk with more acts still to be announced.
Day splits and day tickets will be on sale from January.
Full Line-Up for Desertfest London 2023: UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS | GRAVEYARD | CORROSION OF CONFORMITY | KADAVAR | BORIS | CROWBAR | CHURCH OF MISERY | WEEDEATER | KING BUFFALO | BLOOD CEREMONY | DISCHARGE | SOMALI YACHT CLUB | UNSANE | BIG|BRAVE | INTER ARMA | CHURCH OF THE COSMIC SKULL | VALLEY OF THE SUN | STAKE | MARS RED SKY | SPACESLUG | GRAVE LINES | GAUPA | TUSKAR | TELEKINETIC YETI | WEEDPECKER | DAWN RAY’D | WREN | GREAT ELECTRIC QUEST | THE NECROMANCERS | DOMMENGANG | ECSTATIC VISION | SAMAVAYO | MORASS OF MOLASSES | SUM OF R | HIGH DESERT QUEEN | GNOB | EVEREST QUEEN | ACID MAMMOTH | DEATHCHANT | ZETRA | CELESTIAL SANCTUARY | TREVOR’S HEAD | OUR MAN IN THE BRONZE AGE | WYATT E. | MR BISON | TROY THE BAND | PLAINRIDE | IRON JINN | OREYEON | WARREN SCHOENBRIGHT | EARLY MOODS | LONGHEADS | TERROR COSMICO | THUNDER HORSE | TONS | VINNUM SABBATHI | BLOODSWAMP | VENOMWOLF | THE AGE OF TRUTH | EARL OF HELL | BLACK GROOVE | MARGARITA WITCH CULT
Posted in Reviews on September 23rd, 2022 by JJ Koczan
See you back here Monday, huh? Yeah. If onslaughts of new music are your thing and you’ve been following along throughout this week — first, thank you — and second, we’ll pick up after the weekend with another 50 albums in this double-wide Fall 2022 Quarterly Review. This was a good week though. Yesterday had some genuine killers, and I’ve added a few to my best-of lists for the end-of-year stuff to come. There’ll be another Quarterly Review then too. Never any trouble filling slots with new releases. I’ve already started, in fact.
Madness. Didn’t I say something yesterday about one thing at a time? Ha.
Quarterly Review #41-50:
Crippled Black Phoenix, Banefyre
There are times where I wonder if Crippled Black Phoenix aren’t just making fun of other bands, their audience, themselves, and everything, and then there are times when I’m pretty sure they are. To wit, their latest outing for Season of Mist, Banefyre, is nearly an hour into its 90-plus-minute runtime before they offer up the 10-minute “Down the Rabbit Hole,” and, well, if we’re not down it by then, where the hell are we? See also “Wyches and Basterdz” near the outset. Whatever else they may be, the long-running, dynamic, progressive, dark heavy rock troupe surrounding founding songwriter and guitarist Justin Greaves are like nothing else. They offer shades of influences, discernable elements from this or that style, this or that band — “The Reckoning” has a bit of The Cure, “Blackout77” filters that through Katatonia, etc. — but are never working to be anyone but themselves. Accordingly, the thoroughly British depressive triumphs throughout Banefyre — looking at you, “I’m OK, Just Not Alright” — are part of an ongoing narrative of creative development that will hit its 20th year in 2024 and has offered listeners an arc of emotive and stylistic depth that, in whatever genre you want to try to confine it, is only ever going to escape. The only real tragedy of Banefyre is that they’ll probably have another record out before this one can be properly digested. That’ll take a few years at least.
An Oklahoma hardcore-born circus of sludge-toned tragedies personal, cultural and socioeconomic played out across nine songs/42 minutes held together at times seemingly most of all by their disenchantment, Chat Pile‘s debut album, God’s Country is arthouse angularity, raw aggression and omnidirectional intensity. As the UK’s post-industrial waste once birth’d Godflesh, so now come vocalist Raygun Busch, guitarist Luther Manhole, bassist Stin and electronic-drummer Cap’n Ron with brilliantly constructed tales of drugs, murder, suicide, loss, violence, misery, and general wretchedness of spirit, presented instrumentally with quick turns that draw from hardcore as noted, but also death metal, sludge, industrial doom, and so on. The lyrics are masterful drug poetry and delivered as such, semi-spoken, shouted, some singing, some acting out, such that you never know from what direction the next punch is coming. “Why” tackles homelessness, “Pamela” demonstrates the impossibility of coping with loss, “Slaughterhouse” is what it says, and closer “Grimace_Smoking_Weed.jpeg” resolves its nine minutes in long-held feedback and crashes as Busch frantically screams with decreasing intelligibility until it’s even words anymore. A perfect finish to a stunning, terrifying, moving first album. Don’t go into it expecting listenability. Even as “I Don’t Care if I Burn” offers some respite, it does so while describing a murder fantasy. It’s not the only one.
Fuck yes Gen-Z doom. Yes. Yes. Yes. Show the old men how it’s done. Please. Not a gray hair in the bunch, or a bullshit riff, or a lazy groove. Early Moods got their influences in line with their 2020 debut EP, Spellbound (review here), and you can still hear some Candlemass in “Broken,” but their self-titled debut LP stamps its foot to mark their arrival as something new and a fresh take on classic ideas. Vocalist Alberto Alcaraz is a distinct presence atop the hard-distorted guitars of Eddie Andrade and Oscar Hernandez, while Elix Feliciano‘s bass fuzz-rumbles through the interlude “Memento Mori” and Chris Flores‘ big-room-ready kick counts in the Trouble‘d early highlight “Live to Suffer.” Later on, “Curse of the Light” leans into the metal end of classic doom metal ahead of the chugging roll of “Damnation” and the finisher “Funeral Macabre,” but Early Moods have already put these things in play by then, as demonstrated with the eponymous title-track. Songs are tight, crisply produced, and executed to style with a promise of more growth to come. It’s an easy record to get excited about, and one of 2022’s best albums. I might just buy the tape and the CD.
Less than a year after a return born of celebrating the project’s 10th anniversary with the Ink fo’ Blood (review here) full-length, prolific visual artist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and singer Alexander von Wieding returns with Larman Clamor‘s latest, With a Deadly Hiss. As ever, formalities are dispensed with in favor of deceptively intricate arrangements of slide acoustic and electric guitar, whatever’s-around-style percussion and von Wieding‘s telltale throaty vocals, which on “Swamp Jive” and even a bit of the six-minute finale “Eleventh Spell to Cast” draw back the throaty grit in favor of a more melodic, somewhat less performative delivery that suits the material well. Songs are mostly short — there are 11 of them and the aforementioned closer is the longest by about three minutes — but each is a blinking glimpse into the humid, climbing-vine world of von Wieding‘s creation, and in instrumentals like the manic percussion of “Monkey and the Trash Goblins” and the distortion-backed algae-delica of “Iguana at the Fountain,” the brashness of “Tortuga” and the playful falsetto of the leadoff title-track are expanded in such a way as to hint of future paths to be explored. One way or the other, Larman Clamor remains an entity unto itself in concept, craft and delivery, and if With a Deadly Hiss is just another forward step en route to the next stop on down the road, even better.
Recorded in 2021, The Necromancers‘ third album would seem to have a mind toward picking up where the Poitiers, France-based four-piece left off pre-pandemic with 2018’s Of Blood and Wine (review here). Can hardly blame them, frankly. Now self-releasing (their first two albums were on Ripple), the semi-cult heavy rockers bring an air of classic metal to the proceedings but are remarkably cohesive in their craft, with guitarist/vocalist Basile Chevalier-Coudrain fronting the band even in the studio as demonstrated on the ’80s metal roller “The Needle,” which follows the eight-minute doom-adjacent unfolding of “Crimson Hour” — and that “adjacent” is a compliment, by the way; The Necromancers are less concerned with playing to genre than with it — wherein guitarist Robin Genais adds a short but classy solo to underscore the willful grandiosity. Bassist Simon Evariste and drummer Benjamin Rousseau underscore the grooves, prominent in the verse of the title-track, and while it’s guitars up front in traditionalist fashion, the truth is all four players are critical here, and it’s the overarching affect of the whole that makes When the Void Rose such an engaging listen, rather than the individual parts. That is to say, listen front to back for best results.
Though instrumental across its vast stretches, Les Lekin‘s Limbus — their first full-length since 2017’s Died with Fear, also on Tonzonen, and third overall — begins with a verbal message of hope, lyrics in German, in the beginning intro “Licht.” That gives a specifically covid-era context to the proceedings, but as the subsequent three massive sans-vocal pieces “Ascent” (14:14), “Unknown” (8:18) and closer “Return” (22:00), unfold, they do so with a decidedly otherworldly, deeply-weighted psychedelic verve. The narrative writes itself in the titles, so I’ll spare you the pretense of insight (on my part there), but note that if it was escapism through music being sought on the part of the meditative Salzburg three-piece, the richness of what’s on offer throughout Limbus is generous enough to share that experience with the audience as well. “Ascent” swells and builds as it moves duly upward, and in “Unknown,” the trio explores post-metallic atmospherics in a crunching midsection without ever losing sight of the ambience so central to what they’re doing, while it would be hard for “Return” not to be the highlight, drums and initial bass rumble giving way to a huge sounding, engrossing procession of atmospheric density. Les Lekin have been a critical favorite for a while now, and it’s easy to hear why, but their work here holds far more than academic appeal or to-genre conformity. They embody the release they would seem to have sought and still carry an exploratory spirit despite the clearly charted course of their songs.
LightShower is the fourth session from Hungarian jammers Highbay to see release in the last year-plus, and it arrives with the immediately noteworthy backing of Psychedelic Source Records. In the vein of many of that collective’s offerings, it is live recorded, probably improvised, and wholly instrumental, the trio vibing their way into a groove early on “Walking on Bubbles” and holding gently to that locked-in, entranced feel across the following five jams. The shimmering guitar tone, particuly as “Miracle Under Water” moves into the more extended “Spaceship” and the pleasantly funky “FunKing Dragons Above Fissure Mountains,” is a highlight, but the intention here is a full set, and I won’t take away from the fuzzier, riffier emergence later on in “FunKing Dragons” either, or, for that matter, the ready-to-wander post-rock float of closer “3D(ays) Trippin’.” It’s a big universe, and Highbay have their work cut out for them if they want to feel their way through all of it, but “Spaceship” mellows its way off into a greater beyond, and even “Hungover Sadness (’90s Romance)” manages to not be a drag as filtered through the trio’s chemistry. Maybe it will, maybe it won’t be the last time Highbay are heard from this year, but they’re yet another name to add to the list of Psychedelic Source-associated acts whose jammy sensibilities are helping manifest a new generation of Eastern European lysergic rock and roll.
Think of this as less of a review and more of a general reminder to throw a follow in the direction of Berkeley, California’s dug-in-as-hell Sound Animal, or at very least let your ears pay a visit every now and again to soak up some of the weirdo drone, dance, psych electronics and whatever else might be had on any given afternoon from the prolific solo-project. “Yes, Yes, You” is the latest single, but likely not for long, and it plays out across 3:33 of keyboardian ambience and recitations of the titular reassurance that would be soul-pop were they not so definitively experimental and part of such an ongoing creative splurge. Tucked away in a corner of the Bandcamp dimension, Sound Animal comes across as an outlet for ideas as much as sonics, and with the persistent thud of a beat beneath, one, two, three, four, the melodic serenity of the wash feels like direct conversation, with the listener, the self, or, more likely, both. It is beautiful and brief, as I’m told life also is, and it may just be the thing that came after one thing and before the next, but if you stop for a minute or three and let it sink in, you just might find a more substantial place to reside. Not gonna be for everyone, but the fact that “Yes, Yes, You” is so vague and yet so clearly encouraging rather than accusatory speaks to the artistic purpose writ large throughout Sound Animal‘s e’er expanding catalog. Wouldn’t be surprised or sad to find a subsequent single going somewhere else entirely, but again, just a reminder that it’s worth finding that out.
Somewhere between classic metal and doom, heavy rock’s riff-led impulses and cultish atmospheres there resides the Pesaro, Italy, trio Warcoe and their debut album, The Giant’s Dream. Led by guitarist/vocalist Stefano — who also plays bass on some of the later tracks — with bassist Carlo and drummer Francesco proffering thickened roll and punctuating rhythm all the while save for the early acoustic interlude “Omega Sunrise,” the band nestle smoothly into a modern-via-not-at-all-modern sphere, yet neither are they retro or aping ’70s methodologies. Maybe that moment has passed and it’s the ascent of the ’80s metal and doom we’re seeing here — or maybe I just slated Warcoe and Early Moods the same day and both bands dig Trouble and Death Row/Pentagram, I won’t pretend to know — but the bass in “Fire and Snow” is more of a presence than bass was pretty much ever 40 years ago, so to call The Giant’s Dream anything but ‘now’ is inaccurate. They lean into rock on “Thieves, Heretics and Whores” and manifest grim but stately lurch before the fade of the penultimate “Scars Will Remain,” but wherever each piece might end up, the impression is abidingly dark and offers a reminder that Italy’s history of cult doom goes farther back than most. Paul Chain, Steve Sylvester, your legacy is in good hands.
Hard to find info on the Boston or Boston-adjacent extreme-metal-inflected, sludge-toned dark hardcore outfit DONE — and that may just as well be anti-social-media mystique creation as the fact that their name is ungooglable — but the tape slays. Aged and Untreated hammers 15 scathing tracks into its 28 minutes, and dies on a hill of wintry black metal and barking hardcore mostly but not completely summarized in the turns of “Soulsplitter.” The fun part is when they bounce back and forth, throw in some grind on “To Curt on Waverly,” scratch your eyes out with “Dance for Them” — the second cut behind says-it-all-in-a-minute opener “Nah” — and willfully crash into a wall on the comparatively sprawling 2:35 “I Fucking Hate Thinking About You.” Haven’t seen a lyric sheet and probably won’t if my success rate in tracking down relevant factoids is anything to go by, but shit, I lived on the South Shore for seven years, including the record-breaking winter of 2014, and it sure felt a lot like this. Maybe they’re from Arizona, and if they are, I’m sure some hack would say the same thing, but hell’s bells Aged and Untreated is an intense listen, and its wreck-your-shit violence is meted out such that even the slightly-slower punch in the first half of “Hope Trickle” makes the song feel sarcastic. I wouldn’t put it on every day, but yeah. Righteously pissed.
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 25th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
This is a good show. It’s telling that Ripple Music can pick out a spot in a country like France, Germany or Sweden — not to mention any number of US locales — and say, yeah, let’s do a festival there, and have enough bands in the area to fill out a lineup. And I guess what it tells you is the label has a lot of bands associated with it, but also that Cali-based Ripple‘s international reach has continued to grow, and as much as it seems like they got a package deal at Costco on bands from Texas, they can still piece together a two-dayer like this and have it be a killer and diverse-sounding group of acts playing.
Incidentally, the Costco Texas-band unit pricing is sick. Just kidding, Texas. But they do breed ’em riffy down there.
Also in France, it seems. Also pretty much everywhere. Whatever else you might say about this time — plenty — never doubt you’re living in a golden age of heavy rock. Ripple Music has become a big part of why.
From the PR wire:
First edition of stoner and doom festival RIPPLEFEST FRANCE announced on March 18-19th in Nantes; tickets available now!
Ripple Music presents the first edition of RippleFest France, the stoner and doom festival to take place on March 18-19th at Le Michelet in Nantes, with Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel, The Necromancers, Stonebirds, Kabbalah, Appalooza, Tremor Ama, Fire Down Below, Electric Jaguar Baby and Birds Of Nazca.
After California, England, Germany and Sweden, US stoner and doom powerhouse Ripple Music is treating French heavy rock aficionados with the first edition of RippleFest France. This celebration of the genre will feature bands from the Ripple roster, as well as a fine selection of French and European acts. On site, festival-goers will be able to enjoy local artists, homemade catering as well as merchandising throughout the weekend. The stunning artwork designed by Wild Horse Artwork will also be available for purchase!
RippleFest France 18-19th March 2022 at Le Michelet 1 boulevard Henry Orrion, Nantes (FR) Day pass: 15€ // Weekend pass: 28€
FRIDAY 18th MARCH Los Disidentes Del Sucio Motel – (post-rock/prog rock – Strasbourg) Appalooza (heavy rock – Brest) Tremor Ama (stoner rock – Paris) Electric Jaguar Baby (fuzz duo – Paris)
SATURDAY 19th MARCH The Necromancers (heavy rock – Poitiers) Fire Down Below (stoner rock – Ghent) Kabbalah (doom rock – Pampelune) Stonebirds (sludge/post-metal – Brest) Birds Of Nazca (heavy psych rock – Nantes)
Posted in Features on April 21st, 2020 by JJ Koczan
The statistics of COVID-19 change with every news cycle, and with growing numbers, stay-at-home isolation and a near-universal disruption to society on a global scale, it is ever more important to consider the human aspect of this coronavirus. Amid the sad surrealism of living through social distancing, quarantines and bans on gatherings of groups of any size, creative professionals — artists, musicians, promoters, club owners, techs, producers, and more — are seeing an effect like nothing witnessed in the last century, and as humanity as a whole deals with this calamity, some perspective on who, what, where, when and how we’re all getting through is a needed reminder of why we’re doing so in the first place.
Thus, Days of Rona, in some attempt to help document the state of things as they are now, both so help can be asked for and given where needed, and so that when this is over it can be remembered.
Thanks to all who participate. To read all the Days of Rona coverage, click here. — JJ Koczan
Days of Rona: Benjamin Rousseau of The Necromancers (Poitiers, France)
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How are you dealing with this crisis as a band? Have you had to rework plans at all? How is everyone’s health so far?
Each of us is at home, in good health and well surrounded. We are currently into composition and pre-production of our next album and we’ve had to postpone certain deadlines, including studio recording. For the moment, we are working remotely.
Luckily we didn’t have big tours scheduled, but obviously the few shows we had are now cancelled or postponed.
What are the quarantine/isolation rules where you are?
In France, we were hit quite quickly by the pandemic and the measures taken are drastic. Of course, we are not allowed to go outside unless absolutely necessary. A curfew has been put in place in most cities, including Poitiers, where I live. The streets are deserted and silent, it gives a special and new atmosphere, not unpleasant to compose.
How have you seen the virus affecting the community around you and in music?
Fortunately, neither my friends nor my family were affected. The first ones affected in France are the hospitals and their staff.
As for the musical world, it is suspended, as everywhere. However, a lot of support and projects arise from this situation, and artists redouble their imagination to maintain a musical activity on social networks. I’m sure we’d all like to see more online Kadavar concerts.
What is the one thing you want people to know about your situation, either as a band, or personally, or anything?
We are doing well and working every day to write our next obscure chapter.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones, stay home.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 27th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Hey, if it works, don’t mess with it. Poland’s Belzebong and France’s The Necromancers toured together this past Fall and they’ll head out once more in March on an apparent second leg of their run together. The shows are presented by Sound of Liberation, and with Belzebong having released Light the Dankness (review here) in the meantime as The Necromancers continue to support their second LP, Of Blood and Wine (review here), it’s all the more an occasion. One assumes the bands must have gotten along pretty well or the tour wouldn’t be happening after the first one, so that’s kind of an awesome atmosphere to think of. Shows are better when the bands playing are having a good time. Thus spake science.
Sound of Liberation posted the following dates before breaking for the holidays:
We couldn’t leave for our little x-mas/new year’s break without giving you one more tour set for the spring!
Just back from the road 3 weeks ago, BelzebonG & The Necromancers will team up again in March/April for the second leg of their “Purveyors of Dankness” Tour!
Still some dates missing, but most of the tour is here: 19.03.19 (D) Dresden / Chemiefabrik (Belzebong Only) 20.03.19 (D) Osnabrück / Westwerk (Belzebong Only) 21.03.19 (NL) Nijmegen / Merleyn 23.03.19 (FR) Le Havre / CEM (Belzebong Only) 25.03.19 (UK) Bristol / The Lanes 27.03.19 (UK) Glasgow / Nice N Sleazy 29.03.19 (UK) Cardiff / TBC 30.03.19 (UK) Manchester / Riffolution Festival 31.03.19 (UK) London / The Underworld 03.04.19 (D) Hamburg / Molotow 04.04.19 (DK) Copenhagen / Stengade 05.04.19 (D) Cottbus / Zum Faulen August 06.04.19 (CZ) Prag / 007
Polish heavy-doomfuzz-metal outfit BELZEBONG started in 2008, and since then they bring tons of evil weedian riffage for persistent ones. The band drowns themselves in a sea of distortion and fuzz, and after their appearances at prestigious festivals such as Stoned From The Underground, Desertfest Berlin & London, fans of Doom Metal have found a new hero in the scene!
From Progressive Rock to Doom Metal, THE NECROMANCERS’ music is a condensed hybrid of muddy influences emerging from fuzzy and mesmerising witchy riffs, metallic passion, and thickened doom. Think of an unhappy encounter between dark gods at the corner of a foggy street and you’ll get a feeling.
[Click play above to hear the premiere of ‘The Gathering’ from The Necromancers’ Of Blood and Wine. Album is out Oct. 5 on Ripple Music.]
Of Blood and Wine is the second full-length from The Necromancers in as many years, and among its accomplishments of songwriting and aesthetic craft, what it does is to bring into focus the direction of the band. Their Ripple Music-issued debut, Servants of the Salem Girl (review here), utilized many of the same stylistic elements — it’s only been a year, after all — but in hindsight was only hinting at the start of a development underway, and while it was easy to get caught up in the blend of cult rock, doom, heavy vibes and ’70s-style boogie that underscored the work of the Poitiers, France, four-piece, with the six tracks and 44 minutes of Of Blood and Wine, they showcase another aspect of their sound that was very much there all along: its forward potential. In some cases, like the swaying groove and bluesy leads in the first-half buildup of the 10-minute penultimate “Lust,” it’s a question of patience and production.
While there’s still an urgency and a tension at work, particularly in its later reaches, “Lust” is emblematic of the development in both, but from the uptempo boogie of opener “Join the Dead Ones” — adding a bit of Ghost in guitarist Tom Cornière‘s vocals during the verse before the gruff chorus takes hold, fueled by his own riffs and the deft rhythmic turns of bassist Simon Evariste and drummer Benjamin Rousseau while Robin Genais‘ leads mark the transition back to the verse afterward — to the consuming fullness of tone brought forth in closer “The Gathering,” The Necromancers hone an engrossing fluidity through a graceful two-sided offering that, even more than the debut, makes their approach their own. To wit, the post-Iron Maiden gallop and “Heaven and Hell” bassline in second track and longest cut “Erzebeth” (12:41) combine with Cornière‘s melodic and shouted vocals and the general warmth of tone in the recording to create something classic in its root but thoroughly modern in presentation.
One gets the sense that these will only continue to become key elements The Necromancers‘ collective sonic persona, but rather than let the listener speculate on where they might go, Of Blood and Wine demands attention in the now, “Erzebeth” stomping toward its midsection beneath a switched-on plotted solo from Genais that leads to proggy shuffle in an instrumental jam and one of the record’s more fervent thrusts. It’s not until nearly 10 minutes in that the vocals return, and from their spoken comeback, The Necromancers cleverly make their way back to the hook to close out and give way to the quiet 2:39 brooder of a title-track, a showcase for Cornière‘s emergence as a frontman — a not insignificant subplot to the album — and a demonstration of the diversity of approach in the core of their songwriting. It is much to their credit that Of Blood and Wine flows as easily as it does, and that they never seem out of place through their stylistic changes or to lose the overarching atmosphere that’s so crucial in tying the songs together.
To an extent, side A and B mirror each other. Both begin with an upbeat 5:44 kick in “Join the Dead Ones” and “Secular Lord,” though the latter dispenses with the first-minute album-intro-style riff in favor of a more immediate push, and then move into longer fare with “Erzebeth” on side A and “Lust” on side B. It’s in the third cut on each side that the real departure happens, since side A rounds out with “Of Blood and Wine” and side B caps with “The Gathering”‘s seven-minute doomery, making its way with due moodiness and a bit of subtlety to the final payoff of the entirety, with extra impact seeming to come from Rousseau‘s bassdrum and Evariste‘s low end as they stomp noisily out, ending with a horror sample of chains and screams and a ringing bell. Witch burning? It would be on theme, if nothing else. Either way, that conclusion comes after The Necromancers find their most active swing on “Secular Lord,” with its catchy central riff and adrenaline-fueled build in the second half, the band leaving behind some of their ’70s-ism in favor of harder-hitting push.
There’s room in “Lust” for both sides to come together, but it’s important again to consider the fluidity with which the band execute their material. They’re not in a rush, and they’re never really still, even on the title-track, but with an excellent sense of tempo and rhythmic motion, they build a momentum in fast and slow, loud and quiet movements that allows for the exploration in the middle third of “Lust” to have a context beyond itself, so that it’s not necessarily about indulgence so much as expanding the atmosphere of the album as a whole. It also serves in its emergent and fleeting heft as a precursor to what the closer has on offer, and one can hear again how the pieces tie to each other as “Lust” hits its climax with a last chorus and “The Gathering” creeps its way in with a first minute not entirely dissimilar from what started “Join the Dead Ones” before its full nod unfurls, topped with chants and turning to a spacious verse that trades back to the full-boar riff and chanting as a kind of semi-hook.
Much of the second half of the finale is given to the capstone movement, and rightly so. When one considers Of Blood and Wine as a whole work, its end in the final three or four minutes of “The Gathering” is nothing if not earned, and it underscores just how clearly The Necromancers intend that the album should be taken in its entirety. I said earlier that one doesn’t want to speculate about where they’ll go sonically their next time out, and I stick by that as they could develop in any number of directions, but a central achievement of their sophomore offering is that it brings their influences together into a cohesive, malleable oneness that is theirs almost entirely, while also highlighting the potential unfolding in their craft. That one should think of their future prospects while hearing these songs is something in itself, but more important is the realization that The Necromancers are already beginning to bring that potential to fruition.
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 19th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Multi-pronged update from busy French four-piece The Necromancers. They’ll follow-up their 2017 Ripple Music debut, Servants of the Salem Girl (review here), and the copious touring they did thereby, with Of Blood and Wine, from which a new single is streaming now. The album is out Oct. 5 and the band will begin their next road stint with a release show in their hometown of Poitiers, France, from where they’re set to head out to Germany, Poland, Croatia and beyond to mark the record’s arrival. The tour, naturally, is presented by Sound of Liberation.
You can hear the cult rock elements still present in “Secular Lord” — the new single streaming at the bottom of this post — but The Necromancers sound more confident overall. Listen to how they give the lead guitar room to work in the second half of the track and how easily the crash behind the winding, stomping apex seems to flow with the soaring solo overtop before they turn back to the last verse. These guys had some potential in the debut, and I haven’t heard the whole record yet, but it’s possible they’re starting to bring it to fruition on Of Blood and Wine. We’ll see in less than a month, I guess.
From the PR wire:
French heavy psych quartet THE NECROMANCERS return with new album + European tour dates | Stream and share new single ‘Secular Lord’ now!
Drawing on antiquated inspirations in mythology, religion, fantastical tales from European literature and an obsession for classic horror cinema, The Necromancers are a curious alliance of musicians, and together are a strange beast to behold.
Following on from the release of their debut album last year on Ripple Music, the French quartet return with the first taste of their eagerly awaited follow up, Of Blood and Wine, with ‘Secular Lord’; a song about which explores the legend of Vlad ‘The Empalor’ Tepes. Experimenting with progressive rock, heavy psych and the 70s pagan/proto-metal of bands like Black Sabbath and Coven, they take these influences, throw in the urgency of NWOBHM and douse the entire lot in lysergic illusions. All with a mind to create an album a sound for ages.
After a very successful tour last winter with Swiss psych rock legends Monkey 3, The Necromancers take to the road for a European tour with Belzebong, kicking off with an album release show at Le Cluricaume in their hometown of Poitiers. (For the full list of dates see below.)
“The band is still young,” explains vocalist and guitar player Tom Cornie?re. “We never would have thought of signing with a label like Ripple. We could hardly have hoped for better. It’s an honour and a surprise. Now, we are looking forward to the tour and to be able to share our album wherever we can.”
Of Blood and Wine by The Necromancers is released on 5th October 2018 on Ripple Music.
TRACK LISTING: 1. Join The Dead Ones 2. Erzebeth 3. Of Blood And Wine 4. Secular Lord 5. Lust 6. The Gathering
TOUR DATES: 24.10.2018 – Poitiers – Le Cluricaume (Release Show), FR 26.10.2018 – Montpellier – Le Black Sheep, FR 27.10.2018 – Lyon – Le Grand Incendie #3, FR 28.10.2018 – Altkirch – Le Domaine, FR 08.11.2018 – Dresden – Beatpol, D 10.11.2018 – Krakow – Soulstone Gathering, PL 12.11.2018 – Budapest – Dürer Kert, HUN 13.11.2018 – Zagreb – Vintage Industrial Bar, CRO 14.11.2018 – Ljubljana – Koncertna Dvorana Rog, SI 15.11.2018 – Innsbruck – Heavy Psych Sounds Fest, A 16.11.2018 – Leipzig – Werk 2, D 17.11.2018 – Strasbourg – La Laiterie, FR 18.11.2018 – Paris – La Maroquinerie, FR 19.11.2018 – Rennes – Le Mondo Bizarro, FR 20.11.2018 – Bordeaux – Make It Sabbathy 50th, FR 21.11.2018 – Barcelona – Rocksound, SP 22.11.2018 – Toulouse – Les Pavillons Sauvages, FR 24.11.2018 – Bologna – Freakout, IT 25.11.2018 – Milano – VVitch Festival, IT 26.11.2018 – Munich – Feierwerk, D 27.11.2018 – Utrecht – DB’s, NL 28.11.2018 – Brussels – Magasin 4, B 29.11.2018 – Cologne – Helios 37, D 30.11.2018 – Berlin – Zukunft Am Ostkreuz, D 01.12.2018 – Osnabrück – Westwerk, D 02.12.2018 – Freiburg – Slow Club, D
THE NECROMANCERS: Tom Cornière – Vocals, Guitar Robin Genais – Lead Guitar Simon Evariste – Bass Guitar Benjamin Rousseau – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 22nd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Set in Milan across four nights and three different venues taking place over the course of two months, the full VVitch Festival is a season-long experience. It draws bands from multiple regions in Europe, the US and Canada, and is no less eclectic in its sound than in the geography. Each show has a different theme that feeds into the larger entirety of the experience, and VVitch Festival proper will be held as the last night, with Frizzi 2 Fulci, Celeste, KENmode, Belzebong and The Necromancers (who are touring together and also making a stop in Austria at the Heavy Psych Sounds Fest), Birds in Row and Coilguns. Seems like a pretty sick night and all over the place, but again, it’s just the last of four in the series.
Full lineups follow here, along with event links as per the PR wire:
-VVITCH-
Inspired by witchcraft and horror movies themes, between doom, sludge, black, grind, death and post metal, it?s coming soon in Milano, Italy, a new event for metal maniacs called “VVITCH FESTIVAL”. A trilogy of events plus a fourth one, the festival. Three different venues in Milano, 17 bands, some of them for the first time in Italy, some for exclusive Italian shows.
“..dark forces are going to cross the walls of the city, after the Sacrifice and the Ritual, the Evocation..”
VVITCH I – Sacrifice September 19th 2018, Spazio Ligera, Milano DEMILICH (FIN) exclusive Italian show SPECTRAL VOICE (USA) exclusive Italian show CARDIAC ARREST (USA) exclusive Italian show FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1568544103256273
VVITCH III – Evocation November 3rd 2018, Spazio Ligera, Milano BOLOGNA VIOLENTA (IT) “Uno Bianca” full album set FISTULA (USA) exclusive Italian show GRIME (IT) DEATH HAS GONE (IT) FB event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2063352060550129
VVITCH FESTIVAL November 25th 2018, Circolo Magnolia, Milano FRIZZI 2 FULCI (IT) (live soundtracks by Fabio Frizzi, of Lucio Fulci’s horror cult movies, for the first time in Milano) CELESTE (FR) exclusive Italian show KEN MODE (CAN) exclusive Italian show BELZEBONG (PL) BIRDS IN ROW (FR) COILGUNS (CH) THE NECROMANCERS (FR) FB event:https://www.facebook.com/events/172227866788138
