This Friday, Oct. 20, marks the release of the third Bismut album, Ausdauer (premiere streaming above). A five-tracker being issued through Lay Bare Recordings in the band’s native Netherlands and Spinda Records in Spain, its title translates as ‘endurance’ and in that could be speaking to any number of subjects, from the instrumentalist trio of guitarist Nik Linders, bassist Huibert der Weduwen and drummer Peter Dragt having done the recordings themselves, live, which surely requires more than a bit of stamina, to processing the years since 2020’s Retrocausality (review here), to the war in Europe, now spread to Israel and Palestine. Surely there are no shortage of hardships and tasks and slogs to endure, but from the slow swing in the finishing moments of “Mendalir” through the shoving insistence of closer “Euphoria,” Bismut find places for themselves between ideas of structured heavy rock and more open, at least partially improvised rock-as-jazz jamming, between crunch and stretch, atmosphere and impact.
Retrocausality and their 2018 debut, Schwerpunkt (review here), functioned along similar lines, and a return from esteemed engineer Pieter Kloos (7Zuma7, 35007, The Devil’s Blood, so many more) on mixing and mastering further assures sonic consistency, but while Bismut highlight a sun-reflecting shimmer in the early soloing of “Mendalir” — the first of many of Linders‘ leads that feels exploratory on solid footing — something they’ve never done is to forget about their audience. The live experience — sorry to say I haven’t seen the band — may be central to what Bismut do generally, not the least since they record that way, but they’re still writing songs. Ausdauer isn’t a collection of jams. “Mendalir” coalesces around a riff out of progressive metal delivered with all due force, and moves fleetly through its turn-laced midsection into its final roll and comedown with a sense of plot that makes it that much easier to follow, the opening of “Fuan” — also the shortest cut at 5:55 — sounding like a raw noise rock riff from 1994, because of course.
There are some spacey effects worked in, but “Fuan” builds itself around a grounded-feeling procession that comes to a maddeningly tense head at about the halfway mark before unfolding itself again ahead of a dreamier-echoing solo and a clear turn to improv and percussion from which they make a smooth return a short while later. Effects top a chugging finish like something later Karma to Burn might’ve called an indulgence (it’s not, really) and momentum carries into centerpiece “Despotisme” with a swagger that seems to know what’s coming when the full tonality of the riff kicks in, which is a for-the-stage bounce soon met by an adventure into solo-topped tripping, chug and build and shred and go all sort of slamming together and the math somehow working. Again, the shift from structure to not is discernible — or at least one can be interpreted — but it’s the later ambience/drone of “Despotisme” complementing that relative rush that is affecting, a final note held out perhaps in consideration for the liberal order as the band reinforce the atmospheric thread that’s been subtly woven through Ausdauer from the progressively brooding opening moments of “Mendalir” onward.
Its last echoes fading, “Despotisme” gives over to Dragt‘s drums to start “Mašta,” cycling through a riff with off-the-cuff-sounding flourish before winding through a tense ‘verse’ that even when the guitar disappears holds its anxiety in the low end before they dig into head-down jazzy runs, never actually holding still or even coming close to it, but bringing the song down to near-silence before they gradually raise the volume, coming back up at around six minutes in and hitting decisively into a heavier thrust of riff with the snare punctuating, bass rumbling and guitar spacious in the lead as the bass does some of the melodic work in its place. Stylistically, “Mašta” might be post-post-rock because it’s actually willing to have fun, but its psychedelia is earthly however broad the guitar tone might be, and between that and the organic chemistry of the rhythm section — der Weduwen and Dragt also double in DUNDDW; and indeed, if you had a heavy instrumental psych band, you might want them in it as well — Bismut set up their bookending finale to burst to life over the end of “”Mašta,” an immediate mathiness twisting about 45 seconds in to denser riffing recalling earlier Karma to Burn-ism without actually beings so religiously straightforward.
To wit, “Euphoria” funks out at around 1:30 before returning to its bouncing starts and stops, then moves into a wash of noise before a grand mellowing moves past the halfway mark with quiet brooding in the bass and sparse guitar. You know they’re going to bring it back around. Bismut know they’re going to bring it around. But before they do, the band put themselves in conversation with the likes of early ’00s European instrumentalists and adventurers, Dutch outfits like the already-noted (if parenthetically) 35007 or Astrosoniq, or even Monkey3 from Switzerland; bands whose tenures are marked by a distinctive growth along a charted course. With the caveat of living in a universe of infinite possibility, one would not expect Bismut after Ausdauer to go thrash metal after Ausdauer, but where they reside between heavy rock, jamming, heavy psych and prog, there is plenty of room for them to continue to grow and explore as they’re plainly committed to doing or they wouldn’t improvise at all, let alone on the finished product of an album.
After twisting itself in various sailing knots for the better part of its nine minutes — “Mendalir” (8:59) and “Euphoria” (9:09) bookend as the two longest songs — “Euphoria” caps with a predictable-but-satisfying stop that feels like it’s underlining the purpose behind so much of the material before it, emphasizing the natural meld between songwriting and instrumentalist conversation in their sound and the way Bismut are able to pull the different sides together in a malleable, engaging blend. Whether one might lose oneself in the fluidity of their play, nod to the riffs as they roll by, dwell in its open spaces or grit teeth in its builds, Ausdauer accounts for a range of experiences and, in part through its scope, serves as a defining effort on the part of Bismut to-date. They don’t sound like they’re done finding new reaches and/or refining their approach, but in terms of methodology, they have very obviously learned from their first two LPs and put those lessons to use here.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on October 12th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The slow-roiling noise cauldron “Postcript on the Societies of Control” first appeared on mostly-anonymous industrial duo All Are to Return‘s second EP, II (review here, late in 2021. Surely you’ll find it no less festering for the passing of time as it digs into your brain as the minimalist video premiering below plays out alongside. It is harsh, caustic in its presentation. Sparse but not still. Unkind in a way that feels like it needs to be.
And as regards the theme, I guess my only response is, “Wouldn’t that be nice?” Like if this really was the aftermath of capitalism — as in, it ended — and that oppressive powerstructres were somehow pulled apart, maybe violently, and the bright future offered through mid-20th century science-fiction could at last be brought to bear. Oh we’d be writing fucking poetry on a terraformed Mars by now if it weren’t for this pesky internet making it so easy to fill our days with buying or otherwise engaging with stupid, needless bullshit. Happy birthday. My condolences. So cute! Fucking kill me.
But the boxes we live in, literal and figurative, persist. The spread of communications technology has allowed for the illusion of a democratizing effect while reinforcing traditional power structures. Facebook knows when you shit? Does it matter? I don’t know, and if it ever did, it probably doesn’t anymore, because part of this whole thing is human thanatos actively working to kill our native habitat. Circling the drain, people jerk each other off for agreeing about minute garbage while overhead the same five white shitheads who’ve controlled humanity for the last 2,000 years decide to slice the throat of another brown baby to drink the blood. Cha-ching. Cash in the bank. Happy war, Israel and Palestine! You’re pawns too!
No answers here, just noise, and maybe that is the fucking answer. I like “windows without sky” below. Seems like a metaphor born in an apartment. Oh yeah, and the rent’s too damn high too.
Fuck it. Enjoy.
All Are to Return, “Postcript on the Societies of Control” video premiere
All Are to Return on “Postscript on the Societies of Control”:
Spaces of work and habitation – enclosed, yet open to the decentered power of capital and its handmaiden the state. Enclosures are molds, controls are modulation. Networked feedback controls operating through our devices of connection, endlessly tracking behavior, feeding correcting algorithms in the data-flows of intimacy – desire coupled to market logics of infinite demand and controlled scarcity. Windows without sky.
These are the Societies of Control.
All Are To Return is: F: Bass, Drums, Guitars, Vocals, FXs N: Synths, FXs
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 3rd, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Yes, in fact the universe did collapse in on itself this past Spring when the long-defunct chasm of hate-filled drear that is Khanate returned from the spike-filled abyss in which one imagines they were perfectly comfortable in order to release their first record since 2009, the title-as-mission-statement To Be Cruel (review here), through Sacred Bones Records. The label — home to Zola Jesus, Thou, Boris, Marissa Nadler, Moon Duo, John Carpenter and David Lynch, among many others — has featured prominently in Roadburn lineups over recent years, so one might’ve anticipated Khanate making an appearance as well. That is, if one had anticipated Khanate making live appearances at all, which is something I genuinely didn’t expect them to do.
But, here we are, still picking up surgically removed teeth and bits of skin to reassemble ourselves in the wake of the album, and a Roadburn set has been announced. The band will also have physical reissues of their first two LPs — the self-titled and Things Viral (discussed here) out Dec. 1 on Sacred Bones. You’ll recall they originally came out on Southern Lord, which tells you Khanate have been very nasty for a very long time.
What to expect? Well, I recall seeing Khanate what was apparently the better part of two decades ago, and it’s a big universe, so let’s think for a second. You know that scene in Caddyshack where Rodney Dangerfield shouts, “Hey everybody we’re all gonna get laid!” and then the music starts and it’s a big party? Start with the opposite of that, add a supermassive black hole, and scratch your fingernails into your own face until you bleed. There you go. That’s Khanate live. Memento mori.
Here’s a picture of dudes and words from Roadburn on socials:
Roadburn will host the long awaited live return of Khanate at the 2024 edition of the festival.
In the years since Khanate were last active there have been many heavy bands that followed in their footsteps. Some are able to emulate the abject bleakness, some capture the low-end rumble, a lot of them are undoubtedly extremely heavy. But none quite capture the grotesque combination of all three components quite like Khanate. We urge all worshippers of the low and the slow to brace for impact come April. This is going to be one for the history books.
“As a collective, Khanate has been silent during our dormancy, but now we will get loud; very loud. We’ll be returning to the stage, to explore tension and the elasticity of time – at Roadburn 2024. Get dead.” – Khanate
Roadburn 2024 will take place between April 18-21 in Tilburg, The Netherlands. 4-day tickets for Roadburn 2024 are now on sale. Other ticket options – including single day tickets and accommodation – will follow on November 3.
Khanate is Alan Dubin (vocals), Stephen O’Malley (guitar), James Plotkin (bass) and Tim Wyskida (drums).
Posted in Bootleg Theater on September 29th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
It is difficult, especially now that they’re not a band anymore and won’t likely be again (though one never knows), to speak about Orange Sunshine in terms other than the superlative. Oh they’re the most fraaked out buncha freaks who ever freaked their way onto an 8-track recording machine! They’re the biggest garage psych cosmic blown-mind mushroom rock secret ever kept by Den Haag! Although I guess at least the latter is demonstrably true.
Nonetheless, 2007’s Bullseye of Being — which is not to be confused with 2006’s Ruler of the Universe — absolutely is the same thing. Five songs, four of them covers and one an older demo. Kind of a hodge-podge where a third full-length proper might have been. But it’s Orange Sunshine, whose acid-drenched take on early-heavy rock was groundbreaking in itself, and so even if it is four covers, it’s a ripper. And I’m willing to bet you weren’t just listening to Terry Brooks & Strange‘s “Ruler of the Universe” anyhow, and even if you were, Orange Sunshine push the 11-minute original into a 15-minute jamadelic opening track that even as a cover demonstrates clearly how ahead of their time Orange Sunshine were in how they took it on.
Again, four of the five tracks are covers on the 37-minute Bullseye of Being — which I guess is what Leaf Hound Records decided to call it for the 2007 release; the band streams it as the later title, so that’s how I’m writing about it — and the first of them is a 15-minute take on an 11-minute obscurity from 1973? With sitar and tabla? Well of course it is. “Demonise” is a play on Deep Purple‘s “Demon’s Eye” from 1971’s Fireball that ups the swing to a delightfully over the top degree that’s all raw fuzzy blues strut in the guitar of Arthur Van Berkel with the vocals of drummer Guy Tavares cutting through set to his own march, bassist Thomas Van Slooten underscoring the bopping groove on which the song is based and within which the entirety of Orange Sunshine feels ready to reside at least on a time-share basis, if not permanently.
There is one copy of Orange Sunshine‘s 2001 self-titled four-song CD-R demo for sale on Discogs, and it’s about $70 after shipping. “Demonise” and the Cream cover “Sunshine of Your Love” appear on there as well as on Bullseye of Being, but I’m not sure if it’s the same versions or not, as the band has said that these tracks were put together at the same time as their 2001 debut, Homo Erectus (review here), so it’s possible they were sitting around, ready to be included with “Ruler of the Universe” and the subsequent “Speed,” first by Ron Wray Light Show. The original version of that track, from 1970, is a two-minute lysergic wahfuzz blaster that only doesn’t realize how stoned it is because it’s also on acid, and, well, Orange Sunshine add about another 40 seconds to that ethic to make the song three minutes, like Monster Magnet screwing around with Hawkwind tracks — making it their own and retaining loyalty to the original as part of that.
“Sunshine of Your Love” is one of those generation-defining hooks — you just know it whether you own a Cream record or not — and so the challenge there is for Orange Sunshine to basically do the same thing they did with “Speed” and pull it off with a song that’s going to be almost universally previously known to their audience. As the centerpiece, it has familiar ‘brump’ in its chugging chorus riff, but doesn’t sound exactly like Cream or like it wants to. Orange Sunshine often walked the line between psychedelia and garage rock, and they could freely draw from either in a way that gives them flexibility with the source material that others might not have. That is to say, Orange Sunshine was a pretty casual kind of band. You never know somebody until you’re in the rehearsal space with them — and I never was — but they always seemed like fairly laid back cats, even if they clearly knew what they were about as a band.
Inevitably, “Ruler of the Universe” is a lot of the draw on Bullseye of Being, and well it should be. It is expansive and encompassing, a triumphant head-jam that’s not only the opener and longest track (immediate points) but that effectively puts the listener in the hypnotic state the band wants just so they can turn around and deliver the slap of “Speed” that follows. Especially for being ostensibly a covers collection, the entire affair drips with personality, and that’s not at all limited to the scorch of lead guitar and feedback burning around the riff of “Balls Knocking.” The curious lone original — if it is — is a classic heavy blues rocker that mashes two channels of dirty-toned soloing together only to emerge clean in the second verse after like what might’ve inspired Radio Moscow ever to get the blues in the first place. It was reportedly also an older recording than its 2006/2007 release would indicate, and it closes here, but I honestly don’t know where it comes from. All I know is that its tones are covered in hair and by the time it’s halfway done it feels like it’s melted the sky.
But if you can vibe with stretches of LSD-drenched noise and heavy vibes pulled right out of 1968, but like, an alternate 1968 where 1968 already happened, Orange Sunshine are already on that astral plane and they already have the volume all the way up, which you probably know because you can feel it in your capillaries. This wasn’t the last Orange Sunshine studio output, but it was pretty close to it. Motorwolf, and the accompanying recording concern that puts Tavares at the helm, still ostensibly operates, and Tavares is currently in Mercury Boys and a few others, as Van Berkel passed away in 2018. Orange Sunshine‘s last release to-date was the 2014 live album, Live at Freak Valley 2013 (review here). The story I will tell about them forever is that when I saw them at Roadburn 2010, they covered Blue Cheer three times. It was one of the most honest and ballsiest things I’ve ever seen happen on any stage anywhere.
As always, I hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading.
—
I’m changing meds. It has not been a clean process. It’s been a pain in the ass. I have a new hole in the wall. I was alone when I put it there.
School is hard. We had a meeting with The Pecan’s kindergarten crew. Behavioral plans, etc. It’s just hard. I think that’s how it’s gonna be. Like, forever.
The dog is good.
We’re having brunch on Sunday, you should come.
Next week is Quarterly Review. I’m telling you, but really I’m telling The Patient Mrs., whom I’ve not been brave enough to inform in-person yet. She’s right next to me on the couch as I write this. 50 records. Solid week.
That’s about the long and short of what I’ve got. It’s raining today. I’m looking forward to picking The Pecan up at school and hopefully not needing to leave the house again after that.
Whatever you’re up to this weekend, have fun, be safe. Make sure you implement your behavior action plan in ways that are clear, measurable and malleable, and don’t forget to hydrate. See you back here on Monday for the Quarterly Review and more.
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 25th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Believe me, I understand that Europe is not exactly lacking in instrumental psych bands. Free-range and free-jazz trios roam in the wilds Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK even, Italy, Scandinavia, on and on. We know this. What I’m saying is that Nijmegen’s Bismut are on something of a different trip. Yeah, when you read about it, you’re going to hear ‘instrumental psych’ and think, “okay, this is one of those post-Earthless or maybe post-Colour Haze jam bands” and know what you’re getting. And by the way, if that was what Bismut were doing, fine. I love that shit.
But Bismut are more progressive in their sound on their third LP behind 2020’s Retrocausality (review here) and their 2018 debut, Schwerpunkt (review here). I can hear Tool and Karma to Burn both in opening track “Mendalir” and the subsequent “Faun” backs that up with surprisingly earthy riffing. However much Bismut‘s beginnings may have been in improv, these are composed pieces. There’s genuine crunch in the tone on “Despotisme” and the closer “Euphoria,” and “Masta” spaces out a bit, but as much as a band without vocals could, Bismut sound like they’re trying to capture an audience. A live crowd. And these songs sound like they were written for the stage, which they may well have been.
So yeah, I’ve heard it and it’s not worth pretending otherwise. I’m currently slated to stream [title redacted] on Oct. 18 ahead of its Oct. 20 release (don’t tell the internet, but the day between is my birthday). Mark your calendars for that. It feels far in the future with September between here and there, but it’ll come eventually.
The PR wire sent words. I made theM blue and put them here because it is important to see the narrative an artist/band/anybody is telling you about their own work:
BISMUT – NEW LP – RELEASE DATE 20th OCTOBER 2023
Hailing from the city of Nijmegen in the Netherlands, Bismut is a dynamic heavy psych trio that has been carving their unique path since forming in 2016. Drawing influences from an eclectic blend of genres including progressive rock, doom, metal, stoner, heavy psych, and classic hard rock, their music is an intense and mesmerizing fusion that transcends traditional boundaries. Their distinctive sound has earned them a dedicated fanbase, and their performances on stages across Europe have solidified their reputation as a force to be reckoned with.
New album [title redacted] marks the triumphant return of the band, following the success of their sold-out (on vinyl) previous releases, Schwerpunkt in 2018, and Retrocausality in 2020, released via Lay Bare Recordings. This album promises to be a sonic journey that delves even deeper into the band’s diverse influences while pushing their sound to new heights. From thunderous, doom-laden riffs to mind-bending psychedelic explorations, the album seamlessly weaves together a tapestry of textures that will resonate with long-time fans and newcomers alike.
[Title redacted] is a joint effort between the band’s current Dutch label Lay Bare Recordings and the Spanish label Spinda Records. This collaboration brings together a diverse range of expertise, amplifying the album’s potential for international recognition and success. The partnership aims to introduce the band’s electrifying sound to a wider global audience, leveraging the strengths of both labels in their respective regions.
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 24th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Hey, I like good news. That’s part of the reason you see so many album announcements around here. Most of life is nasty, brutish, short, really really hard and/or affected in some detrimental way by climate change, so if you can put yourself into a position of looking forward to something, how is that not worth it? Dutch imprint Lay Bare Recordings in celebrating its 10th anniversary has new preorders up for Mojo and the Kitchen Brothers, and that’s kind of cool on the thing-coming-up tip, and there’s a sale and a new Rrrags coming, but the point here is really to celebrate the passing of a decade since Désirée Hanssen founded the label in 2013.
Not an easy decade for a record label to survive, and that’s before you get to the two-plus plague years worked into it. In a crowded, one might argue saturated, market, a label has to be flexible, to promote all the time, to always be working on the next thing, and to try to capture fickle attentions of a listenership while still keeping one’s passion in check and releasing something you love. I don’t envy the task, and I wake up at four o’clock every morning to write about riffs. Take that little bit of context and sit with it a while.
Heartfelt congratulations to Hanssen on the milestone, and here’s hoping for many more to come. 52 releases in 10 years is an accomplishment.
From the PR wire:
Celebrating a Decade of Sonic Power: Independent Dutch Record Label Lay Bare Recordings Marks 10 Years and 52 Album Releases
In a world dominated by digital streams and fleeting trends, independent Dutch record label Lay Bare Recordings stands as a steadfast champion of authentic music experiences. As they proudly celebrate their 10th anniversary, the label has achieved an impressive milestone of 52 album releases, showcasing an unwavering commitment to musical diversity and quality.
Founded in 2013, Lay Bare Recordings has carved a distinctive niche in the music industry by focusing on the artistry of vinyl releases across a vast spectrum of genres from the rock and metal world, from the low and slow to the hard and heavy, Lay Bare Recordings has solidified its reputation as a champion of diversity and musical excellence.
Over the past decade, the label has curated a collection that transcends mere sonic creations. Each album, meticulously crafted and pressed on high-quality vinyl, becomes a tangible embodiment of the artists’ vision. The label recognizes the significance of preserving the analog warmth and intimate connection that only vinyl can offer, and they have consistently upheld this tradition throughout their journey.
” Today, 10 years later and working on the 52nd release, I still feel truly humbled to continue releasing such great music from bands all over the world. This can only happen by the support of you, the music aficionados, music fans from everywhere.” says Désirée Hanssen, the founder of Lay Bare Recordings.
The label’s 52 album releases span an impressive range of genres, showcasing the label’s dedication to promoting artistic diversity. With each release, Lay Bare Recordings has not only celebrated the musicians’ creativity but has also offered music enthusiasts a chance to experience music as a multisensory journey, combining stunning album artwork, meticulously designed packaging, and the tactile pleasure of spinning vinyl.
To commemorate their 10th anniversary in style, Lay Bare Recordings have launched a “Killer Classics Sale” that promises to enthrall music enthusiasts. With discounted prices on select vinyl releases. In addition to the Killer Classics Sale, Lay Bare Recordings is excited to offer exclusive pre-orders for upcoming releases. This unique opportunity allows fans to secure their copies of eagerly anticipated albums before they hit the shelves.
KILLER CLASSICS SALE IS ON!
TREASURES FROM THE VAULT & RELICS FROM THE PAST
Killer classics for €15, €10, or less! A celebration offer especially for vinyl lovers for a limited time. Hurry up the stock is limited!
As the party goes on Lay Bare is thrilled to launch the pre-orders for Mojo & the Kitchen Brothers – Flaming Tiger Lizard EP and debut full length Mojo’s Heavy Cream.
“Mojo & the Kitchen Brothers is a 5-headed omnium gatherum of eclectically inspired music freaks from Belgium cooking up a late 60’s early 70’s mix of heavy progrock soaked in psychedelia. Catchy tunes, proggy riffs, deafening drums, roaring basslines and spacy, triple-guitar jams take you on a journey through the limbo between past and present.”
Dive into the captivating world of sound crafted by this dynamic Belgian group, and seize the opportunity to pre-order their albums ‘Flaming Tiger Lizard EP’ and ‘Mojo’s Heavy Cream’ individually or as an attractively priced bundle.
As the label looks toward the next decade, their unwavering dedication to the soulful spirit of music remains their guiding principle. The label’s commitment to nurturing artistic innovation and fostering a genuine connection between musicians and listeners continues to drive their endeavors, ensuring that the timeless allure of vinyl will thrive for generations to come.
For more information about Lay Bare Recordings and their 10th-anniversary celebrations, please visit their official website atwww.laybarerecordings.com
Watch this space for news about the upcoming releases from Sister May, RRRags, Bismut, Modder, Ghorot & Severant.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 27th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
Amsterdam glam-informed classic-heavy semi-punk other-hyphenated-words rockers Splinter have signed to Noisolution and announced that their second full-length, Role Models, will be out next month. You might recall their debut, Filthy Pleasures (review here), came out in 2021 through Robotor Records, the label run by members of Kadavar. That endorsement was a boon to the uptempo purveyors of hook fronted by Douwe Truijens, best known for his time in Death Alley.
The band issued the single “Velvet Scam” in a new video a couple months back, and if you didn’t catch it, that’s below along with an unboxing video — those are strangely entertaining; it’s amazing what humans will watch; ‘here’s a person opening a thing’ — for the record itself. A release show has been lined up for Sept. 1 in Leiden, the Netherlands, at Studio Klaplong, and of course more info on that is below, culled from the band’s socials and included amid the promo text for the record, which came through the PR wire.
Dig that cover:
Splinter – “Role Models” Out 25th August via Noisolution
Cheeky and snotty, the Dutch fourpiece dances between the styles. And sort themselves between punk, rock, pop and they give the guitars back to the dancefloor. A contemporary and fresh retro rock album that is danceable and catchy through and through – but most of all fun!
BIRTH OF JOY and DEATH ALLEY, two of the best Dutch live bands, played one last tour together and fell apart. How close “birth” and “death” are sometimes, is also shown here. After the tour, parts of both bands found each other again in the rehearsal room and formed SPLINTER. The debut album was released via Robotor Record, the label of Kadavar, who then found too little time besides their own band activities and thankfully recommended the band to Noisolution. We did not have to think long…
The album will be released on August 25th via NOISOLUTION!
RELEASE SHOW: Friday 1 September in a very special venue in Leiden with special guests The sha-la-lee’s and Skallebieter. Tickets are strictly limited: only 120 available. Order yours right away via https://lastnightonearth.stager.nl/web/tickets
SPLINTER question everything musically and throw their preferences and influences together. Danceable, sleazy, full of pop and yet a feisty heavy rock album. Much reminds of the late 80s, when rock flew apart disoriented but full of ideas in all directions. Punk was over, wave was over, metal was coming up, alternative rock was knocking on the door… SPLINTER have a bit of everything. “Heavy rock ‘n’ roll” is pretty accurate. Sometimes I also refer to the punk foundations of the band, because it’s cheeky, defiant and unorthodox” says singer Douwe Truijens.
The biggest difference to the debut album is that they were able to get Mario Goossens (drummer of Triggerfinger) as producer for the new record and that they took a lot of time to write and record. “Unique is the punk sound with Hammond organ and the energy and dance moves of the singer,” Douwe says with a smile, “for me it’s very important that the songs are catchy and danceable. I always like bands that have that. It doesn’t have to be mellow music to be poppy, it can still rock hard and make your hips swing.”
Songs like “Velvet Scam” or “Bottom” let the disco ball rotate, whereas “Every Circus needs A Clown” rather leaves room for duels between guitar and organ. Cheeky, defiant and unorthodox they dance between the styles. And sorts itself between Blondie and Iggy, Viagra Boys and The Who, Hanoi Rocks and Killing Joke. A contemporary and fresh retro rock album that is danceable, that grooves, rocks but above all is fun and announces a fantastic live band!
And the artwork is also a clear nod to Pop, reminiscent of Warhol or Lichtenstein, who liked to pick up trivial motifs from everyday culture. The Banana Man shows what today’s role models of the world are: “just fruits in suits.” Political leaders and so-called influencers are “role models,” smartly dressed but empty and disposable. Everything plastic, everything fake, image instead of message and appearance instead of content. Superficially colorful, but still with depth and message.
Welcome back to the Summer 2023 Quarterly Review. I hope you enjoyed the weekend. Today we dig in on the penultimate — somehow my using the word “penultimate” became a running gag for me in Quarterly Reviews; I don’t know how or why, but I think it’s funny — round of 10 albums and tomorrow we’ll close out as we hit the total of 70. Could easily have kept it going through the week, but so it goes. I’ll have more QR in September or October, I’m not sure yet which. It’s a pretty busy Fall.
Today’s a wild mix and that’s what I was hoping for. Let’s go.
Quarterly Review #51-60:
Weite, Assemblage
Founded by bassist Ingwer Boysen (also High Fighter) as an offshoot of the live incarnation of Delving, of which he’s part, Weite release the instrumental Assemblage as a semi-improv-sounding collection of marked progressive fluidity. With Delving and Elder‘s Nick DiSalvo and Mike Risberg in the lineup along with Ben Lubin (Lawns), the story goes that the four-piece got to the studio with nothing/very little, spent a few days writing and recording with the venerable Richard Behrens helming, and Assemblage‘s four component pieces are what came out of it. The album begins with the nine-minutes-each pair of the zazzy-jazzy mover “Neuland,” while “Entzündet” grows somewhat more open, a lead guitar refrain like built around drum-backed drone and keys, swelling in piano-inclusive volume like Crippled Black Phoenix, darker prog shifting into a wash and more freaked-out psych rock. I’m not sure those are real drums on “Rope,” or if they are I’d love to know how the snare was treated, but the song’s a groover just the same, and the 14-minute “Murmuration” is where the styles unite under an umbrella of warm tonality and low key but somehow cordial atmosphere. If these guys want to get together every couple years into perpetuity and bang out a record like this, that’d be fine.
The fourth album from Portland, Oregon’s Mizmor — the solo-project of multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, vocalist, etc.-ist A.L.N. — arrives riding a tsunami of hype and delivers on the band’s long-stated promise of ‘wholly doomed black metal.’ With consuming distortion at its heart from opener/longest track (immediate points) “Only an Expanse” onward, the record recalls the promise of American black metal as looser in its to-tenet conformity than the bulk of Europe’s adherents — of course these are generalizations and I’m no expert — by contrasting it rhythmically with doom, which instead of fully releasing the tension amassed by the scream-topped tremolo riffing just makes it sound more miserable. Doom! “No Place to Arrive” is admirably thick, like noisy YOB on charred ambience, and “Anything But” draws those two sides together in more concise and driving style, vicious and brutal until it cuts in the last minute to quiet minimalism that makes the slam-in crush of 13-minute closer “Acceptance” all the more punishing, with plenty of time left for trades between all-out thrust and grueling plod. Hard to call which side wins the day — and that’s to Mizmor‘s credit, ultimately — but by the end of “Acceptance,” the raging gnash has collapsed into a caldera of harsh sludge, and it no longer matters. In context, that’s a success.
With a couple quick drum taps and a clearheaded strum that invokes the impossible nostalgia of Bruce Springsteen via ’90s alt rock, Netherlands-based The Whims of the Great Magnet strolls casually into “Same New,” the project’s first outing since 2021’s Share My Sun EP. Working in a post-grunge style seems to suit Sander Haagmans, formerly the bassist of Sungrazer and, for a bit, The Machine, as he single-track/double-tracks through the song’s initial verse and blossoms melodically in the chorus, dwelling in an atmosphere sun-coated enough that Haagmans‘ calls it “your new summer soundtrack.” Not arguing, if a one-track soundtrack is a little short. After a second verse/chorus trade, some acoustic weaves in at the end to underscore the laid back feel, and as it moves into the last minute, “Same New” brings back the hook not to drive it into your head — it’s catchy enough that such things aren’t necessary — but to speak to a traditional structure born out of classic rock. It does this organically, with moderate tempo and a warm, engaging spirit that, indeed, evokes the ideal images of the stated season and will no doubt prove comforting even removed from such long, hot and sunny days.
German instrumentalists Sarkh follow their 2020 full-length, Kaskade, with the four-song/31-minute Helios EP, issued through Worst Bassist Records. As with that album, the short-ish offering has a current of progressive metal to coincide with its heavier post-rock affect; “Zyklon” leading off with due charge before the title-track finds stretches of Yawning Man-esque drift, particularly as it builds toward a hard-hitting crescendo in its second half. Chiaroscuro, then. Working shortest to longest in runtime, the procession continues with “Kanagawa” making stark volume trades, growing ferocious but not uncontrolled in its louder moments, the late low end particularly satisfying as it plays off the guitar in the final push, a sudden stop giving 11-minute closer “Cape Wrath” due space to flesh out its middle-ground hypothesis after some initial intensity, the trio of guitarist Ralph Brachtendorf, bassist Falko Schneider and drummer Johannes Dose rearing back to let the EP end with a wash but dropping the payoff with about a minute left to let the guitar finish on its own. Germany, the world, and the universe: none of it is short on instrumental heavy bands, but the purposeful aesthetic mash of Sarkh‘s sound is distinguishing and Helios showcases it well to make the argument.
A 2LP second long-player from mostly-traditionalist doom metallers Spiritual Void, Wayfare seems immediately geared toward surpassing their 2017 debut, White Mountain, in opening with “Beyond the White Mountain.” With a stretch of harsher vocals to go along with the cleaner-sung verses through its 8:48 and the metal-of-eld wail that meets the crescendo before the nodding final verse, they might’ve done it. The subsequent “Die Alone” (11:48) recalls Candlemass and Death without losing the nod of its rhythm, and “Old” (12:33) reaffirms the position, taking Hellhound Records-style methodologies of European trad doom and pulling them across longer-form structures. Following “Dungeon of Nerthus” (10:24) the shorter “Wandering Doom” (5:31) chugs with a swing that feels schooled by Reverend Bizarre, while “Wandersmann” (13:11) tolls a mournful bell at its outset as though to let you know that the warm-up is over and now it’s time to really doom out. So be it. At a little over an hour long, Wayfare is no minor undertaking, but for what they’re doing stylistically, it shouldn’t be. Morose without melodrama, Wayfare sees Spiritual Void continuing to find their niche in doom, and rest assured, it’s on the doomier end. Of doom.
Even when The River make the trade of tossing out the aural weight of doom — the heavy guitar and bass, the expansive largesse, and so on — they keep the underlying structure. The nod. At least mostly. To explain: the long-running UK four-piece — vocalist Jenny Newton, guitarist Christian Leitch (formerly of 40 Watt Sun), bassist Stephen Morrissey and drummer Jason Ludwig — offer a folkish interpretation of doom and a doomed folk on their fourth long-player, the five-song/40-minute A Hollow Full of Hope taking the acoustic prioritizing of a song like “Open” from 2019’s Vessels into White Tides (review here) and bringing it to the stylistic fore on songs like the graceful opener “Fading,” the lightly electric “Tiny Ticking Clocks” rife with strings and gorgeous self-harmonizing from Newton set to an utterly doomed march, or the four-minute instrumental closer “Hollowful,” which is more than an outro if not a completely built song in relation to the preceding pieces. Melodic, flowing, intentional in arrangement, meter, melody. Sad. Beautiful. “Exits” (9:56) and “A Vignette” (10:26) — also the two longest cuts, though not by a ton — are where one finds that heft and the other side of the doom-folk/folk-doom divide, though it is admirable how thin they make that line. Marked progression. This album will take them past their 25th anniversary, and they greet it hitting a stride. That’s an occasion worth celebrating.
Sons of Froglord is the fourth full-length in three years from UK amphibian conceptualist storytellers Froglord, and there’s just about no way they’re not making fun of space rock on “Road Raisin.” “Collapse” grows burly in its hook in the vein of a more rumbling Clutch — and oh, the shenanigans abound! — and there’s a kind of ever-present undercurrent sludgy threat in the more forward push of the glorious anthem to the inanity of career life in “Wednesday” (it doesn’t materialize, but there is a tambourine on “A Swamp of My Own,” so that’s something), but the bulk of the latest chapter in the Froglord tale delivers ’70s-by-way-of-’10s classic heavy blues rock, distinct in its willingness to go elsewhere from and around the boogie swing of “Wizard Gonk” and the fuzzy shuffling foundation of “Garden” at the outset and pull from different eras and subsets of heavy to serve their purposes. “Froglady” is on that beat. On it. And the way “A Swamp of My Own” opens to its chorus is a stirring reminder of the difference drumming can make in elevating a band. After a quick “Closing Ceremony,” they tack on a presumably-not-narrative-related-but-fitting-anyway cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival‘s “Born on the Bayou,” which complements a crash-laced highlight like “The Sage” well and seems to say a bit about where Froglord are coming from as well, i.e., the swamp.
Released digitally with the backing of Abraxas and on CD through Smolder Brains Records, the Cult of Devil Sounds split EP offers two new tracks each from São Paulo, Brazil’s Weedevil and Veraruz, Mexico’s Electric Cult. The former take the A side and fade in on the guitar line “Darkness Inside” with due drama, gradually unfurling the seven-minute doom roller that’s ostensibly working around Electric Wizard-style riffing, but has its own persona in tone, atmosphere and the vocals of Maureen McGee, who makes her first appearance here with the band. The swagger of “Burn It” follows, somewhat speedier and sharper in delivery, with a scorcher solo in its back half, witchy proclamations and satisfying slowdown at the end. Weedevil. All boxes ticked, no question. Check. Electric Cult are rawer in production and revel in that, bringing “Rising From Hell” and “Esoteric Madness” with a more uptempo, rock-ish swing, but moving through sludge and doom by the time the seven minutes of the first of those is done. “Rising From Hell” finishes with ambient guitar, then feedback, which “Esoteric Madness” cuts off to begin with bass; a clever turn. Quickly “Esoteric Madness” grows dark from its outset, pushing into harsh vocals over a slogging march that turns harder-driving with ’70s-via-Church–of–Misery hard-boogie rounding out. That faster finish is a contrast to Weedevil‘s ending slow, and complements it accordingly. An enticing sampler from both.
When I read some article about how the James Webb Space Telescope has looked billions of years into the past chasing down ancient light and seen further toward the creation of the universe than humankind ever before has, I look at some video or other, I should be hearing Dr. Space. I don’t know if the Portugal-based solo artist, synthesist, bandleader, Renaissance man Scott “Dr. Space” Heller (also Øresund Space Collective, Black Moon Circle, etc.) has been in touch with the European Space Agency (ESA) or what their response has been, but even with its organ solo and stated watery purpose, amid sundry pulsations it’s safe to assume the 20-minute title-track “Suite for Orchestra of Marine Mammals” is happening with an orchestra of semi-robot aliens on, indeed, some impossibly distant exoplanet. Heller has long dwelt at the heart of psychedelic improv and the three pieces across the 39 minutes of Suite for Orchestra of Marine Mammals recall classic krautrock ambience while remaining purposefully exploratory. “Going for the Nun” pairs church organ with keyboard before shimmering into proto-techno blips and bloops recalling the Space Age that should’ve had humans on Mars by now, while the relatively brief capper “No Space for Time” — perhaps titled to note the limitations of the vinyl format — still finds room in its six minutes to work in two stages, with introductory chimes shifting toward more kosmiche synth travels yet farther out.
The debut from Santa Fe-based solo drone project Ruiner — aka Zac Hogan, also of Dysphotic, ex-Drought — is admirable in its commitment to itself. Hogan unveils the outfit with The Book of Patience (on Desert Records), an 80-minute, mostly-single-note piece called “Liber Patientiae,” which if you’re up on your Latin, you know is the title of the album as well. With a willfully glacial pace that could just as easily be a parody of the style — there is definitely an element of ‘is this for real?’ in the listening process, but yeah, it seems to be — “Liber Patientiae” evolves over its time, growing noisier as it approaches 55 or so minutes, the distortion growing more fervent over the better part of the final 25, the linear trajectory underscoring the idea that there’s a plan at work all along coinciding with the experimental nature of the work. What that plan might manifest from here is secondary to the “Liber Patientiae” as a meditative experience. On headphones, alone, it becomes an inward journey. In a crowded room, at least at the outset it’s almost a melodic white noise, maybe a little tense, but stretched out and changing but somehow still solid and singular, making the adage that ‘what you put into it is what you get out’ especially true in this case. And as it’s a giant wall of noise, it goes without saying that not everybody will be up for getting on board, but it’s difficult to imagine the opaque nature of the work is news to Hogan, who clearly is searching for resonance on his own wavelength.
