Noise and doom converge throughout Deadly Algorithm, the awaited full-length debut from Finnish atmospheric crushers Gangrened. The follow-up to their 2014 EP, We Are Nothing (review here), is set to issue on April 9 through an entire squadron of record labels, among them Trepanation Records and Odio Sonoro, and though art and a tracklisting don’t appear here, you can check out copious descriptive info on the record below. If you’d like me to save you the trouble, it is fucking massive and fucking heavy. Yes, the lyrics are in Finnish. Rest assured, they get the point across in any language.

April 9 is the release date, and since audio is starting to come out from the record, I assume preorders will begin in short order through one or 50 of the imprints involved. Keep an eye on the ol’ social media and hope, somewhat ironically, that the algorithm lets you find the information with ease.

The band sent this through the PR wire:

GANGRENED releases “Deadly Algorithm” on 9th April through different labels across Europe

Gangrened returns with their first full length finally after a hiatus that started precisely right after a bunch of dates around Finland with Bongzilla in 2015. The process of composing and recording has been extremely long but this circumstance unexpectedly has contributed to extend the palette of sounds included in the album to an extend that it became the rendering of a wide 20+ years musical background into the record showing a more restless creative flow than the average in these genres. Making it, this way, an album that is deeper than ever before and goes beyond the genres the band fitted just right in in previous releases. This is not a straight up sludge record, not at all. heaviness is there, but in many ways and along genres like noise rock, drone, noise no-wave, psyched out sounds or even ambient, converging through the record. The album process was finalized (mixed and mastered) by Tom Brooke (Oranssi Pazuzu, Hebosagil, Throat) in summer of 2020 at Tonehaven studios close to Jyväskylä in Finland.

“Deadly Algorithm” kicks off with “Harrbåda” as a quiet intro, where chords as beautiful as dark are dropped through the song. Then comes “Triptaani”, with its kind of Unsane-ish mean riffing blending heavyness and noise rock at the beginning of the song to end really atmospheric, intense and filthy at same time. “Hologrammi” is an old song from first Gangrened´s release that deserved to be taken back and get the right studio treatment. Next is “Kuningatar”, after an epic intro definitely goes into an acid trip through heaviness, darkness and psyched out and noisy sounds. Last is “Triangeli”, with its heavy repetitive and obsessive bass line/riff, and maybe the most eclectic song of the album, heaviness gets into noise-no wave territory with a bass synth under, for ending the song, and the album, fading into pure ambient sounds.

Vocals deserve a separate mention, all lyrics are in Finnish and the output of putting a vampire-like goth musical background to work on the vocals for this record has been extremely interesting and creative, do not expect dry regular growling cause there is no much of that, better expect for example, to hear things like how a really raw vocal line can have a a little bit hip-hop oriented and be laid down over a obsessive heavy riffing, like happens in “Triangeli” or the really mind bending sounding vocals in the middle part of “Kuningatar”, for example.

“Deadly Algorithm” title, cover and concept verses about a subject that was used in the previous release “We are nothing”. how the world economic elites manipulate mass population. In this case, sneaking up, orienting the development of new technologies like algorithms of artificial intelligence for massive data and attention extraction. Persuasive technology to keep users as long as possible connected. Unfortunately, in the rising attention extraction digital economy, and data extraction also, that the new technologies are at the right moment immersed in, a human is worth more when we are depressed, outraged, polarized, and addicted. Parallel to this, is growing a massive surveillance by governments and big companies with the purpose of basically implement what seemed a dystopia till a little while ago: Living in the “1984” novel of George Orwell, or even worse. . . “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product”.

“Deadly Algorithm” is coming out the next 9th April in one single LP through the following labels: Violence In The Veins (Spain), Kohina Records (Finland) Odio Sonoro (Spain), Burial Records (Spain), Domestic System (Spain), Noizeland Records (Spain) and Quebranta Records (Spain). The CD edition will come out through Trepanation records from U.K.

LPs will be black (200 copies) and transparent (100 copies), CDs will be a 6 pannels digipack (50 copies). Soon we will publish info about pre-orders.

https://www.facebook.com/Gangrened
https://www.instagram.com/gangrened_band/
https://gangrened.bandcamp.com/
http://www.gangrened.org/
https://www.facebook.com/violenceintheveins/
https://www.facebook.com/kohinarecords/
https://www.facebook.com/Odio-Sonoro-255423944500267/
https://www.facebook.com/Burial-Records-100574988598784/
https://www.facebook.com/domestic.system.01/
https://www.facebook.com/NoizelandRecords/
https://www.facebook.com/QuebrantaRecords/
https://www.facebook.com/TrepRec/

Gangrened, Deadly Algorithm (2021)

Gangrened, We are Nothing (2014)

Hard-edged heavy rock and roll would seem to be the order of the day from Madrid-based outfit Space Deer, and the band’s debut album, The Forest, has plenty of it to offer. Issued through Nooirax, Bandera Records, Gato Encerrado and Violence in the Veins — no shortage of support, then — the record has a familiar foundation in the straight-ahead and desert-hued branch of heavy, which of course makes its association with a forest an all the more interesting prospect. What do they do with that? Mostly they rock and roll, and that’s just fine.

They’re not reinventing the style or anything, but they’re putting out an album during a pandemic and they sound like they have a good idea of what they want to sound like as a band. To be perfectly honest, asking anything more of them just seems like a prick move. So I won’t.

Album’s out now and streaming at the bottom of this post. Nooirax sent the following down the PR wire:

Space Deer releases their first LP “The Forest”

The young stoner rock trio from Madrid (Spain) presents their debut album, showcasing a fresh and dynamic approach

Following the first two self-edited EPs, Space Deer released on September 18 their first LP ‘The Forest’, supported by the labels Nooirax Producciones, Bandera Records, Gato Encerrado and Violence In The Veins.

Andrés, Carlos and Robert make sure to let us know what moves them: dirty desert rock. Moreover, while exploring this genre, they are willing to display their ability to create some direct and addictive cuts. After performing most of Madrid’s greatest venues, they feel excited to expand their numerous sound far beyond their known limits and fill with undergrowth every possible place.

The Forest contains 9 tracks, each of which has their own personality: some feel direct and energizing, whilst others remain intimate and ambient. This is an album full of shades and nuances, dense riffs and catchy melodies, often led by the vocals of the three members of the band. This tasty blend will for sure catch anyone’s attention if they gravitate towards bands like Kyuss, Red Fang or Sasquatch.

Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Carlos Muñoz, the own bassist of the band, in Space Deer’s rehearsal space in Parla, Madrid.

The artwork has been created by Tumulus Design and the limited purple-transparent vinyl can be acquired via the band’s Bandcamp, the labels that supported the album and various vinyl-specialised record stores.

Furthermore, the artist Buba Viedma has designed the T-shirt that celebrates the releasing of this very first album.

Hopefully very soon they will be able to present their record in a live situation, as this eclectic catalogue of songs deserves.

http://www.facebook.com/spacedeerband
https://spacedeer.bandcamp.com/
http://www.instagram.com/spacedeerband/
https://nooirax.bandcamp.com/

Space Deer, The Forest (2020)

Based in Cádiz on Spain’s southern coast, the heavy psychedelic four-piece Surya make their debut through Spinda Records, Surnia Records, Odio Sonoro and a host of others — Spanish labels should form a conglomerate and take over the world or at very least the heavy underground — with the eight-track/40-minute LP, Overthrown. Set to release Nov. 20 (which, holy shit, is tomorrow), the unpretentiously atmospheric outing works smoothly to make itself comfortable in a balance between harder-pushing rhythms and tonal warmth, an overarching shimmer of melody coming through the lead work on tracks like “Golden Tower” that reminds some of their countryfolk to the east in Algeciras in groups like Híbrido and Atavismo, though their aims for the most part aren’t so directly progressive at this point. Rather, while “Crystal Gate” is the longest inclusion at 7:29, it uses most of that time in developing a jammy flow, and even the decidedly linear, post-Elder sway of “Turtle Shaman,” which would seem to be side B’s answer back to “Crystal Gate” in terms of soundscaping reach, manages not to overindulge in its own lushness.

I’m not sure if I’d call their approach measured in the sense of being overly controlled, but the songs have an organic, carved-from-jams feel, and whether it’s a SoCal riffer like opener “Tales of the Great Fharats” and the subsequent echoer “Sundazed” or the from-the-ground-up build of the finale in “No Further,” they once again make a noble drive toward finding their identity in a sense of balance between sides. The four-piece of guitarist/vocalist Antonio Hierro, guitarist/synthesist José Moares, bassist José María Zapata (also percussion) and drummer/acoustic guitarist/vocalist Carlos Camisón (also also percussion) do well in setting and attaining this goal for themselves on Overthrown, recounting a narrative across the record’s span but not sacrificing the impressions made by individual tracks in order to do so — not taking away from the songs for the story, in other words, as “concept records” sometimes do.

Instead, whether it’s the boogie in the penultimate “Begone” or the dreamy acid-strum of side A capper “Thousand Year Bridge,” which though it’s just four and a half minutes long does much to bolster a kind of Floydian pastoralism that only adds to the overall tally of their breadth of sound. “Golden Tower” is a fine example of how they bring these different sides together — the acoustic guitar notwithstanding — but wherever Surya end up on their first full-length, they get there with a remarkable sense of awareness for what they’re doing and a style that’s all the more engaging for that. It’s that much easier to go along with the fluidity they conjure because they seem to present it with such confidence.

As to what their future might hold, it’s hard to surmise where the mix of sound might take them or, likewise, where they might take it. But that too is part of what makes Overthrown an exciting listening experience, as their prospects seem to unfold with each careening riff or each patiently-delivered turn. And whatever they do, one can only hope that the current of songwriting they bring to these eight tracks continues to develop along with their aesthetic, since it’s what ultimately works to tie the material together, long with Hierro‘s vocals and a quickly-earned sense of trust that they pay back in kind with laudable effort for the converted and open-minded alike.

Happy to host the stream of the full album below. Dig in and enjoy:

Surya is a 4-piece Heavy Rock/ Heavy Psych band based in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. After an EP (Vol. 1) released in 2017, Overthrown is their first full length album, culmination of almost one year of work. Although they are all in their early 20s, Surya takes influence from 70s dual guitars with plenty of harmonies, classic sounds and powerful vocals, but with a 90s twist to spice it all up. Recorded at Estudio 79 in April 2019 by Rafa Camisón (G.A.S Drummers, Gentemayor), Overthrown tells us the story of an banished prince and his revenge on his father with roaring guitars, earth-shattering bass and huge drums. A very limited 300 copy vinyl (released between Spinda Records, Odio Sonoro, Monasterio de Cultura, Surnia Records, Bandera Records, Violence in the Veins, Sacramento Records, Noizeland Records, Discosxmil and Gato Encerrado Records) is also available for purchase in their bandcamp. Enjoy!

Releases November 20, 2019

Surya:
Antonio Hierro – guitar & vocals
Carlos Camisón – drums, percussion, acoustic guitar & vocals
José Moares – guitars and synth
José María Zapata – bass and percussion

Recorded, produced and mixed at Estudio 79 by Rafa Camisón.
Mastered at Kadifornia by Mario G. Alberni.
Artwork by Nacho Fernández-Trujillo (@nachoooft).

Edited by Spinda Records, Surnia Records, Monasterio de Cultura, Violence In The Veins, Bandera Records, Sacramento Records, Odio Sonoro, Gato Encerrado Records, Discos X Mil and Noizeland Records.

Surya on Thee Facebooks

Surya on Instagram

Surya on Bandcamp

Spinda Records on Thee Facebooks

Spinda Records website

Barcelona-based progressive noisemakers Thermic Boogie will release their new EP, Fracture, on Feb. 6. That’s a digital arrival date, and one can’t help but wonder if part of the reason they’re putting the songs out first into the interweb-ether is because the 12″ vinyl edition is being done in partnership with no fewer than six independent record labels. Six! That’s a conglomerate! It’s hard enough to coordinate one band and one label, let alone one band and five. But hey, that’s part of the adventure, and Fracture — so titled no doubt to convey its intentions toward audience expectation — is nothing if not an adventure. Comprised of three tracks — “Coup de Grâce,” “Grey Gardens” and “Ocean” — the EP runs a blunt 18 minutes that largely takes the noise rock elements that factored into the band’s early 2016 debut album, Vastness and Matter (review here), and ups the aggression level while adding vocals to their once-instrumental arsenal.

That’s a significant change both on paper and in the reality of listening to what guitarist Albert Martínez-López and drummer Baptiste Gautier-Lorenzo bring to the material in terms of character. Handled by Gautier-Lorenzo, the vocals are shouts and occasionally harsher takes that add to the aggressive feel of the songs, and while Martínez-López still puts a bit of space in his solo late into the opener, the focus has notably shifted to a crush ‘n’ crunch mentality driven forward with marked precision. Again, this side was there when Thermic Boogie did the album, but as the sharp-edged riffing of “Grey Gardens” takes hold, the two-piece sound like Akimbo or other acolytes of US West Coast noise rock, a biting wah worked into the thrust alongside dips into extremity and ferocious percussiveness and chug. “Ocean” follows the pattern laid out by the first two, but with more sway in the rhythm and nuance to Martínez-López‘s winding guitar, calling to mind earliest Mastodon with a punker mindset, the line between metal and rock and noise and punk blurring until it disappears or, to give another image, bring stomped into oblivion.

All the while — vocals. I won’t pretend to know what’s behind the shift in approach or whether Thermic Boogie are testing the waters for future exploration along the same lines or just trying something for a one-off release, but what they’re doing here works, and especially as the longer two tracks at 7:19 and 6:53, respectively, “Coup de Grâce” and “Ocean” demonstrate that plainly. While “Grey Gardens,” which is just over four minutes, is more intense, and that is a purpose unto itself, “Ocean” in particular shows a noteworthy move into noise as more than just an assault of volume, melody creeping into the guitar in a way that holds promise moving forward. And if Fracture does anything, it’s that. Again, it’s under 20 minutes long — shorter, indeed, than was the track “Quadratonic Magnitude” from the LP — but even more than its brevity, it’s the turn of approach that makes its run more of a sprint than a slog.

Maybe Thermic Boogie will move forward directly from here, or maybe they’ll do something completely different again the next time out. Maybe their next release will be space rock. Who knows? The important thing is Martínez-López and Gautier-Lorenzo have put themselves in a position to be more pointed in their delivery while leaving their audience guessing as to what they might do next. That’s a damn good place to be for a band, and if you’ve got any brains left unmelted after the slamming crash of “Coup de Grâce,” there’s a good chance they’ll be telling you to look forward to finding out where Thermic Boogie end up.

If nothing else, it’s easy to see why they’d want to get the release out as soon as possible. Look for the vinyl on Big Ground Records, Aloud Music, Solo Bongs Records, Woooaaaaargh, The Brave Records and Violence in the Veins, and the digital release at the start of next month. In the meantime, I’m happy to host the premiere of “Ocean” on the player below, followed by more info about the EP.

Please enjoy:

The EP is going to be out soon on 12″ vinyl disc. There are 6 different labels cooperating for this edition:
– Big Ground Records (SP)
– Aloud Music (SP)
– Solo Bongs Records (SP)
– Woooaaaaargh (DE)
– The Brave Records (SP)
– Violence in the veins (SP)

# VINYL #
BGLP001, ALOUD027LP, SLBNGS420, WRG191, TBR30/04-18, VIO28

# CD #
BGCD004

Recorded in December 2017 in Sabadell (Barcelona)
Sound takes and mixes by Baptiste Gautier-Lorenzo
Master audio by Victor Garcia (Ultramarinos)
Photography by Domingo Escidero
Graphic designs by Albert Martinez-Lopez

Thermic Boogie is:
Albert Martinez-Lopez – Kramer guitars and throats
Baptiste Gautier-Lorenzo – Ludwig drums and throats

Thermic Boogie on Thee Facebooks

Thermic Boogie on Bandcamp

Big Ground Records webstore

Aloud Music webstore

Solo Bongs Records on Bandcamp

Wooaaargh webstore

The Brave Records webstore

Violence in the Veins on Bandcamp