Posted in Whathaveyou on July 15th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
I do not know who might be behind the new Hammerheart Records imprint Petrichor — which seems not to be followed by any of the usual “Records” or “Recordings” or “Releases” or “Tapes” or whatever that most labels tack onto their names — but they certainly have their mission statement down, and I can’t argue with their choice of a first signing either. The band in question is Vancouver’s Empress, whose forthcoming debut album, Premonition, was recently written up here. That album, which follows 2017’s Reminiscence EP (review here) and a 2018 split with Piece (review here), was originally set to arrive on July 24.
The Petrichor version of the Premonition has been given an October release. However, what that means is that the originally-stated July 24 arrival of the album is off. “Delays?” you ask, flabbergasted. “In 2020?” I know, but at least it’s for a good reason, and hey, kudos for the band getting their record picked up before it even came out. When it happens at all, some acts wait years for that kind of thing.
So anyway, it’ll be October for Empress. I wouldn’t think it unreasonable if they pulled it down, but for now you can still listen to “Lion’s Blood” on the player below.
Petrichor‘s announcement and background info follows:
First signing for Petrichor: Empress!
It is with great pleasure and pride that we announce Empress to be the first official signing for Petrichor. This amazing sludge/post-metal/doom band from Vancouver, Canada will unleash its debut full length album ‘Premonition’ through Petrichor in early October 2020. The album will be released on vinyl/cd and tape as well as digital. Be prepared, pre-orders will be announced in due time.
Petrichor is a new label manufactured, distributed and marketed by Hammerheart Records. Run by passionate individuals who are defined by their will to bring fresh rain on dried out soil/rock (petra) combined into one label that will deliver the blood of the gods (ichor).
Petrichor will release physical formats of all kinds and digital content as well. Run with dedication, experience and always on the hunt for innovative art and quality. Expect our first releases coming this September.
Vancouver-based trio Empress will release their debut full-length, Premonition, on July 24. The expansive seven-track/49-minute offering is an amalgam of modern influences, drawing from niche microgenres from progressive psych to black metal and running a cohesive line through post-metallic atmospheres and a lurching aggression in their approach. Setting melody against harsh, echoing shouts, the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Peter Sacco, bassist Brenden Gunn — who passed away in 2019 and to whom the album is dedicated — and drummer Chris Doyle make no attempt to hide their stylistic ambition, pulling together influences from the likes of Amenra, Elder, Isis, The Ocean and latter-day Enslaved in an attempt to make something new from the melding.
Premonition sets its course with the eight-minute opener “A Pale Wanderer” and uses the momentum it builds there to unfurl two shorter tracks in “Sepulchre” and “Passage” before the six-minute “Trost” closes out side A. The progression from one piece to the next is essential to the listening experience of the side and the record as a whole, as each cut gracefully complements and expands on the one before it, whether it’s the heavy post-rock air-squibblies and subsequent gallop in the guitar of “A Pale Wanderer” feeding into the immediate angularity that begins “Sepulchre,” or “Passage” building a winding linear movement of riffs edged with psychedelic intent even as they payoff with more aggressive churning — a perfect lead-in for the semi-blackened rush at the start of “Trost,” which holds its melodic statement for the finish in a slower-rolling unfurl that gives way to a silence that feels well earned.
Of course, that’s only half the story, and Premonition takes a noticeable turn for the immersive with “Hiraeth,” the first of the three inclusions on its second half. “Hiraeth” (8:03), “Premonition” (7:05) and “Lion’s Blood” (9:39) seem in form to call back to the outset of the album, but that only makes the journey being undertaken seem all the more purposeful. Like the songs preceding, they are progressive in form and thoughtful in composition, but naturally their increased runtime lends a more patient feel, and that proves especially true in the longest of them, which is the finale. Building up from a quiet line of standalone guitar, “Lion’s Blood” reaches two successive crescendos, the first melodic, the second angrier, and in that, the ending of the record answers back to the preceding title-track’s summary of Empress‘ songcraft with a step forward toward individualism, still based around the root influences noted above, but succeeding in its goal of internalizing and adding to them.
It’s a first step, but a brazen one, even unto its title, which would seem to be telling listeners that Premonition is just the beginning of a longer stylistic evolution on the part of Empress. If that’s the case and that’s the challenge the band are setting for themselves, bring it on. While not a minor undertaking at nearly 50 minutes long, Premonition isn’t trying to be humble, it’s trying to be consuming, and it is that. I don’t know how losing Gunn will ultimately affect this mission, but with this first long-player, the band show a marked potential that not only makes a fitting tribute to what might’ve been for the trio as they wore, but still holds promise for the band Empress might become. Whatever their future brings, the obvious consciousness they bring to their songwriting here will only continue to serve them well as they move forward.
And it’s heavy, too.
Happy to host the premiere of “Lion’s Blood” on the player below, all the more so since it serves as the culmination of Premonition and the inevitable step from which Empress will launch whatever may come next.
More background from the PR wire follows.
Please enjoy:
On July 24th, Canada’s EMPRESS will self-release their highly anticipated debut album, Premonition.
EMPRESS are a three-headed beast from Vancouver, B.C., born after guitarist/vocalist Peter Sacco (Seer) and drummer Chris Doyle attended a show headlined by doom mavens Elder. Inspired by the massive wall of sound and psychedelia they encountered on that fateful night, the pair enlisted bassist Brenden Gunn (Craters) and set out to create their own brand of stoner/sludge metal.
Above all, EMPRESS is not a vehicle for entertainment or flashy showmanship. Rather, it is an emotionally driven, abstract band, and meant to serve as an artistic experience which has a culmination of life experiences, doubts, and growth from what life has brought each member.
EMPRESS boldly and (daresay) beautifully display that across their long-awaited debut album, Premonition. As befitting a first full-length, Premonition took years to write, and was made with excitement and, most especially, a newfound purpose and meaning for driving the songwriting. Once again laying it all on the line, arguably more so than ever, the album’s lyrics are about the mental health of Sacco, his family members, and the experiences he has had with them – the traumas he deals with as payment for being there for someone mentally ill, and accepting loved ones, strangers, and anyone else with mental health issues. But, Sacco stresses, “No one should be pushing people that come forward with their mental health issues and leave them secluded with those issues.”
Comprising seven shape-shifting songs in an all-enveloping 49 minutes, Premonition is the unleashing of emotions from trauma. It is an outlet for each member of the band to deal with whatever it is they need to deal with. Each person writes their parts with whatever intention they would like. That culmination led to the most accomplished album any of them have written, and they are grateful for the support of their loved ones, friends, and strangers who listen to their music and feel that connection EMPRESS want to have come across.
The album is in loving memory of Brenden Gunn, who passed away Oct 31st, 2019. Artwork by Orion Landau and Robin Harris.
Posted in audiObelisk on May 1st, 2020 by JJ Koczan
If you’ve ever taken part in any kind of group endeavor — and, since you’re alive and reading this, yes, you have — you already know that there are times when it works and times when it doesn’t. With their new EP, Unchained, Vancouver-based heavy rockers Getaway Van are representing a time when it does. Particularly for bands, there is a mythical moment of “locking in” that’s often spoken of with reverence, when all the pieces of which the group is assembled — whether it’s guitar, bass, drums, vocals or some other configuration — come together in the creative process and, wham, the song seems to write itself. I’ve heard it said on more than one occasion that these are the moments a band lives for, and of course they don’t happen every day, every record, or in every career.
Getaway Van, then can hardly be blamed for wanting to bottle that lightning, as it were.
The situation was that guitarist/vocalist Derek Lionas and drummer Devon Sutherland had newly come together with guitarist Tanner Reid and bassist Fernando Cilento after parting ways with the former half of their band, it, apparently, it worked. They locked in while sharing vocal duties between Lionas, Reid and Cilento and decided to get the tracks on tape while they were feeling the right kind of energy.
That’s precisely the vibe — “right kind of energy” — that comes through on “Unchained,” the title-track of the resultant three-song EP due out May 28. The song careens with post-Kyuss riffing and certainly its gruff vocals are up front in a manner that’s striking at first, but soon it all seems to smooth out and by the end of the sub-four-minute track, it’s the hook itself that’s making the most vital impression. In following up their 2019 self-titled debut (review here), Getaway Van harness that electricity of being a new band — so new they don’t even have a promo pic yet, though social-distancing guidelines might’ve put the brakes to that as well — and make the most of their still forming dynamic.
As to where they’ll go next, that’s up to them. The point is they’re going.
You can hear “Unchained” on the player below and Lionas tells the tale from his perspective thereafter.
Please enjoy:
Derek Lionas on Unchained EP:
The band underwent a change in members due to life in late 2019. We found Tanner Reid (lead guitar) and Fernando Cilento (bass, vocals) and the band had this wickid new energy. We figured we should pump out a new EP to capture it. We went into the studio with three songs written and sung by three different strings players. We’ve always attempted to be a collective, because I’m a big believer in “if you got something to say, I wanna hear it.” So we went in and recorded three songs. Tanner wrote “Unchained,” and we recorded it. After hearing it back, we decided to rewrite the lyrics and have me sing it. It really brought out the sound, and were all super happy with it. Mike Slater (who recorded our self-titled album) had us back again, and for this one we absolutely cranked a Traynor Iron Horse thru a Marshall 1960b cab. Then Tanner’s main gain stage is a little Big Muff, plus a couple cool modulation and delays to support (keeping secrets on those). I ran my telecaster through a green Russian Big Muff clone that I hand-soldered myself, I think the tone sounds siiick on that thing. Fernando has this cool 1960s Epiphone reissue guitar he recorded with. We’re stoked on how this song came out — we envisioned driving super fast down a winding road, foot to the floor! — and can’t wait to share the other two off the EP. Keep safe, keep riffin’.
Getaway Van is: Devon Sutherland – Drums Fernando Cilento – Bass/vocals Derek Lionas – Guitar/vocals Tanner Reid – Lead Guitar/vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on February 3rd, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Safe to say Seven Nines and Tens are about to shake hands with an entirely new audience. The Vancouver-based post-whatever-you-got anti-genre purveyors have inked a deal to release their cumbersomely-titled third full-length — deep breath in — Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers, through Western Pennsylvania imprint Willowtip Records, who are more known for doling out grind and various other forms of extreme metal than heavy or experimentalist rock, but have always had an ear for the forward-thinking. Certainly that tag would apply to Seven Nines and Tens, at least as much as any.
And their music does tend toward extremes, if not blastbeats, in its sonic pursuit. To-date five tracks are recorded and there are two more to put down, and as it’s the band’s first record in four years since Set the Controls for the Heart of the Slums (review here), they seem to be justifiably looking forward to getting it out.
So okay, interesting band signs to interesting label. Why should you be interested? Because I’ve heard the five tracks that are recorded. I recognize that different people like different things, but the basic fact of the matter is if I didn’t think Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers was worth my time writing about and worth your time reading about, I wouldn’t be writing about it. That’s the best I’ve got, and since we’re likely a ways away from the record coming out — as it’s not technically done and all — it’s probably best if I reserve further comment, lest I spoil the Boris-style tonal glories or fleet, purposeful stylistic maneuvers too soon.
More to come. Here’s what the band has to say at this point:
Seven Nines & Tens’ third record “Over Opiated in a Forest of Whispering Speakers” will be released on vinyl by Willowtip records in 2020, date tba. Over Opiated is produced by vocalist/guitarist Dave Cotton along with Adam Vee, and Matt Roach. It was recorded at Raincity Recorders in the band’s home of Vancouver. The album artwork was created by award-winning African designer Ahmed Emad Eldin. Emad Eldin designed the artwork for Pink Floyd’s final album “The Endless River” as well. We are currently recording two more songs to add to the album before it’s pressed on vinyl. These two new songs would’ve been on our fourth record, so you can hear the future now.
“We spent about a year recording the songs and doing pre-production at our rehearsal space in North Vancouver leading up to going into the studio,” says Dave Cotton. “When we finally recorded the songs in the actual studio there was a definite air of excitement. Myself and the guys had never been that immersed in pre-producing an album before and it seemed to add to the overall quality of the finished product. We are excited to a join Willowtip’s legendary roster and for them to take a bit of a stylistic risk with our music. 13 years into my career of writing music for Seven Nines & Tens, I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of what we are going to accomplish.”
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 5th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
I always feel compelled whenever I write about these guys — and it’s been a couple times now — to say that I don’t think they really hunt buffalo. Not the least because they’re from Vancouver and I don’t think there are any buffalo in Vancouver, as many as there are anywhere. Nonetheless, even as the B.C. trio We Hunt Buffalo continue to support 2018’s Head Smashed In (review here) as they did earlier this year for a trip abroad that included a stop at Desertfest London, the Fuzzorama Records (Sweden) signees continue to make international headway, hooking up with Greek imprint The Lab Records for a vinyl edition of their long-sold-out early-2012 self-titled debut. The platter, which includes a take on King Crimson‘s “21st Century Schizoid Man,” will be pressed up in an edition of 300 copies and released to the public on Sept. 20, but of course since the record’s been out for seven years, it’s streaming now. You can hear it courtesy of We Hunt Buffalo‘s Bandcamp at the bottom of this post.
The PR wire brings word of the reissue:
WE HUNT BUFFALO – We Hunt Buffalo ( LAB040 )
Canadian fuzz rockers We Hunt Buffalo to reprint self titled debut on white vinyl (limited edition of 300) with Greece’s The Lab Records.
The 2011 LP has been out of print for some time now and as demand grows for vinyl copies of the album, the band is thrilled to be teaming up with The Lab Records.
“I think it’s so cool how a collaboration like this can happen” says Ryan Forsythe (Vocals/Guitar). “Here we have a band and record label on separate sides of the world coming together to release this record. We really like what The Lab Records is doing and are stoked to be part of the roster.”
Since the self titled LP, We Hunt Buffalo have gone on to release two additional full lengths and an EP. They’ve spent much time touring Europe, supporting Monolord & Truckfighters. Their first headlining Euro tour was a success in spring 2019 so expect to see them back soon (with hopefully, appearances in Greece! ).
When you’ve got a hook, use it. That lesson would not seem to be lost on Vancouver four-piece Getaway Van, whose recently-issued self-titled debut has a bunch to go around, from the bloodshot repetitions of “Branches” down through the catchy mid-paced sway of “So Long” at the record’s pre-outro conclusion. “Lord I’ve Been Running” might be the most infectious of them, however — though I wouldn’t take away from “Ugh” or the prior “Follow Me,” either — though it’s certainly in resonant company, and though it’s the means by which Getaway Van are making their debut, having formed in 2017, the interplay of vocal arrangements between guitarists Derek Lionas and Charlie Cole and bassist Zach Fox show a care in composition that speaks directly to intentional songcraft. That is, it’s not just verses and choruses piled on top of each other. There’s thought behind what they’re doing, and in listening to the album, it sounds like the work of multiple songwriters, or at least multiple contributors around a central idea for each track. Drummer Devon Sutherland, accordingly, provides the restlessness at the foundation to keep everything moving while still tying the songs together.
Somehow, because it’s in Canada and not Portland, Oregon, or Seattle, Washington, Vancouver seems to be often-unconsidered when it comes to the thriving Pacific Northwest heavy underground. That’s a mistake, obviously. On a song like “Blacktop Mistress,” Getaway Van tap into Red Fang-style forward momentum while the earlier “Comin’ Back” demonstrates more melodic complexity in straightforward, Ripple-style heavy rock, but what makes it all work together is the focus on songwriting at root in what they do. While “Lord I’ve Been Running” takes its central theme from the blues, it makes its impression with its sharply-executed bounce of rhythm and, indeed, its hook.
They are not shy with it, and neither should they be. The video (with videography by Matej Ceska) finds them arriving, loading in and playing a gig at The Bourbon in Gastown, Vancouver, as well as in the rehearsal space where Fox professes, “Somebody’s been practicing,” when complimented on his play. That’s a fun moment in a fun song with a kind of dark theme presented in a manner that borders on maddeningly catchy and appears on an album that functions much the same. “Lord I’ve Been Running” inherently can’t convey the entire scope of Getaway Van‘s songcraft — you know, being one song and all — but in the vocal swaps and its pristine construction, it represents the self-titled well. Probably why they chose it as a single, and further proof these cats know what they’re up to.
Some quick comment from the band follows. Dig in and have fun:
Getaway Van, “Lord I’ve Been Running” official video premiere
Getaway Van on “Lord I’ve Been Running”:
“‘Lord I’ve Been Running’ is the second single from our debut full-length album. Written by bassist Zack Fox, this is a song about the tribulations of life, and the toll it can take on a person. We’ve all always loved this song due to the high energy and its almost desperate nature. The powerful vocals and incessantly running guitars really seem to get people moving, and help make it a memorable track. It’s certainly a song that everyone can find a connection to on a personal level, and as such, it was the natural choice for our first music video to come from this album.”
Getaway Van is: Devon Sutherland – Drums Zach Fox – Bass/vocals Derek Lionas – Guitar/vocals Charlie Cole – Guitar/vocals
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 4th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Tonight in Vancouver, Seven Nines and Tens and Heron will play the release show for a new split tape on Coup Sur Coup Records that’s been given the title, Passages of the Pacific Northwest. The label’s Bandcamp page has 10 handmade copies available, at least one of which was gone before this morning. The bands will each also have 10 copies for sale at the show, which is to be held at Astoria Hastings, and that seems to be it for the pressing. Well, you know I’m a sucker for a ultra-limited tape, so here we are. 30 copies definitely hits that standard.
Fortunately, even if you’re not the Walkman type, the label — which also released a varied noise/ambient comp called Feedback Through a Magnifying Glass Volume I that boasted a few familiar names — is streaming the release in full, and you can make your own passage at the bottom of this post.
The show is put on by The Collective Agency. Info follows:
Vancouver Avantgarde-Jazz-Stoner Metal Masters Seven Nines and Tens return to Astoria Hastings on January 4th with HERON, Lucia, and The Ship Of.
Doors @ 8pm Bands @ 9pm $10 in ADV at Red Cat Records or from the bands $13 at the Door
Split is: High-bias cassette tape, of random colours, dubbed one by one in Castlegar, BC. Includes unreleased material and songs never released on physical format. Only 10 copiesavailable here, and both bands will have 10 copies at their joint show January 4th 2019!
1. Heron – Tears of the Sun 05:57 2. Heron – Parallels of a Knife 07:03 3. Heron – Uncomfortable Silences 07:38 4. Seven Nines And Tens – Castles on St-Clair’s Beach ( Unreleased song ) 05:06 5. Seven Nines And Tens – Rave Up (Live) 06:11 6. Seven Nines And Tens – Kemptville (Live) 02:55
Coup Sur Coup also recently issued the compilation “Feedback Through A Magnifying Glass Volume I” featuring Kevin Hugnagel, J.D. Pinkus, Vision Eternel and others.Available here.
Posted in audiObelisk on November 1st, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Canadian trio Empress and German foursome Piece are hitting the road together in Germany and the Czech Republic starting this weekend. The final show of the tour, Nov. 9 in Piece‘s hometown of Berlin, will mark the release of a split 12″ they’re sharing to mark the occasion. It’s heavy. And it’s metal. So what else to call it? The sense of severity doesn’t take long to grab the throat with Empress‘ tracks arranged as the initial assault, as though Piece were telling them “it’s okay, guests first.” Both bands conjure a decent sense of barrage, make no mistake, but there’s no lack of distinguishing character between them and they’re by no means chasing after the same goals. Empress, who call Vancouver, British Columbia, home, tap into Pacific Coastal extremity ever so slightly in “At Peace to Burn the Gathering,” and while I wouldn’t necessarily call the track subtle on any level if only for the inherent volume of its execution, the fact that in the first 90 seconds it goes from crashing sludge riffs to Cascadian-style black metal and then turns again to a kind of post-metallic atmosphere is not to be overlooked just for the fluidity for which it’s done.
“At Peace to Burn the Gathering” and the accompanying “Zwölf” are both well over six minutes long, so there’s plenty of time to flesh out such genre interplay, and Empress demonstrate that malleability plainly en route to the gradual deconstruction of the first cut and into the chug that begins “Zwölf,” which does well in bringing the varying sides together ahead of a midsection break to drum-pushed ambience that introduces clean vocals put to effective use as the full force of tone returns. Is it right to think of a two-song release having an apex? I don’t know, but it does, and like their first track, Empress gradually bring down “Zwölf” before Piece take hold with the suitably introductory “Oblivion.”
All told, the split is 27 minutes long, and that’s pretty evenly divided between Empress (a little shorter) and Piece (a little longer). While both bands should be noted for the flow they conjure during their time, Piece take the extra step of using “Oblivion” to set the stage for side B of the vinyl, which makes gives a glimpse at the tonal foundation and riffy grandstanding at play before “Blood Eagle” (no relation to the Conan album of the same name) gallops in with a marked, defining High on Fire influence. I mean, it’s prevalent, and Piece aren’t trying to hide it. Their black wings are blessed and their communion is with death. No complaints. Blown-out vocals help disassociate, and the ease with which they work their way into a slowdown later — still over double-kick drumming — helps them make an impression of their own before “Blood Eagle” ends cold and leads to the near-eight-minute “Primordial Void.”
A more distinctly sludged opening riff rolls out there during the initial couple minutes topped with echoing barks of vocals and pushed with a rhythmic fervency that foreshadows the gallop soon to resume. That conversation between tempos plays out again before “Primordial Void” opens up to a more spacious solo just past its halfway point, and though brief, it has the effect of adding a new context for the song, which is soon to hit into an even bigger slowdown that sneakily introduces the organ that will be the last remaining element after the final march recedes into residual amp noise and feedback.
Both acts released debut EPs in 2017, and each approaches their half of the outing with suitable intensity. The tour is eight shows — seven in Germany, one in the Czech Republic — and I expect by the end of it there will be a couple raw throats and a couple tired drummers, but there’s no way that Berlin gig won’t be a good time. You can stream the entire split below courtesy of SoulWrecked Records, which is handling the release, and see all the dates and more info thereafter.
Please enjoy:
SoulWrecked Records will be Putting out this release on November 2nd 2018 on Digital and 12” Vinyl formats. This will be Empress’s first time touring Europe.
Drawn by the call of Cthulhu, PIECE have created a concept EP that sounds more Bayou than Berlin, more Swamps than Spree and unlike anything else that made it out of a dusty rehearsal room in Germany?s capital city. Deeply rooted in the DIY Hardcore Punk scene, Piece prove that they are able to create a sound that resembles Crowbar or High On Fire and wanders far off the respective sub-genres of their members? previous or still active bands such as Demonwomb, Scarred Mind, Sleep Routine, Soulground, Trapjaw and Waterlvngs.
The three-headed beast EMPRESS from Vancouver, B.C. was born after guitarist/vocalist Peter Sacco (SEER) and drummer Chris Doyle attended a show headlined by doom mavens ELDER. Inspired by the massive wall of sound and psychedelia they encountered on that fateful night, the pair enlisted bassist Brenden Gunn (CRATERS) and set out to create their own brand of stoner/sludge metal. The trio, whose collective history dates back nearly a decade, went immediately to work. Within two months EMPRESS wrote and recorded the five tracks now collectively known as Reminiscence. With this debut EP, EMPRESS harvests a hybrid strain of monolithic groove, over-amped sludge and mutant prog.
