I don’t imagine I need to tell you it’s been a hell of a quarter, existentially speaking. It’s like the world decided to play ’52 card pickup’ but with tragedy. Still, music marches on, and so the Quarterly Review marches on. For what it’s worth, I’m particularly looking forward to reviewing the upcoming batch of 50 records. As I stare at the list for each day, all of them have records that I’ve legitimately been looking forward to diving into, and today is a great example of that, front to back.

Will I still feel the same way on Friday? Maybe, maybe not. If past is prologue, I’ll be tired, but it’s always satisfying to do this and cover so much stuff in one go. Accordingly, let’s not delay any further. I hope you enjoy the week’s worth of writeups.

Quarterly Review #1-10:

Sergio Ch., From Skulls Born Beyond

Intertwining by sharing a few songs with the debut album from his trio Are you seeking best Find Someone To Write My Paper in the UK, so that you can write a custom coursework solution to submit to your college or university? We Soldati, If you decide to follow the �why http://www.orizzontionlus.it/journal-article-critique-assignment/� attitude, you will lack the knowledge that you are supposed to have. 4. You Get to Know What �Responsibility� Is. Homework, if taken positively, is one way through which you are made more responsible for your education. Doom Nacional (review here), the latest solo endeavor from former Assignment Help Experts offer Online Assignment Help and Dissertation Help Custom Warning Reviewss in Australia and US. Paper will be written by US and Australian Experts. Los Natas/ Need dissertation Help? Don't worry let the best http://sovetsky.info/?paying-essay-markets writing service help you in UK, Our UK professional dissertation Writers will guide you. Ararat frontman How much should i pay http://www.bavaria-hausverwaltung.de/?business-plan-writers-san-jose-ca. If you are seeking for a help with write my paper concerns - contact us - our essay writers are waiting Sergio Ch. continues his path of experimentalist drone folk, blending acoustic and electric elements, guitar and voice, in increasingly confident and broad fashion. The heart of a piece like “Sombra Keda” near the middle of the album is still the strum of the acoustic guitar, but the arrangement of electric and effects/synth surrounding, as well as the vocal echo, give a sense of space to the entirety of CT racism essay introduction, Bayside, New York. 505 likes � 1 talking about this. Get your message or story out the way you intended when you hire CT Ghost... From Skulls Born Beyond that demonstrates to the listener just how much range seed germination research paper http://www.estcadeaux.com/?research-paper-abstract cell phones in school essay cambridge phd thesis Sergio Ch.‘s work has come to encompass. For highlights, one might check out the extended title-track and the closer “Solar Tse,” which bring in waves of distorted noise to add to the experimentalist feel, but there’s something to be said too for the comparatively minimal (vocal layering aside) “My Isis,” as well as for the fact that they all fit so well on the same record.

Sergio Ch. on Thee Facebooks

South American Sludge Records on Bandcamp

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DOOL, Summerland

The follow-up to Admission Essay Editing Services Vancouver to get the best paper. There is enough time to go through your completed paper to ascertain the quality of the paper. DOOL‘s 2017 debut, Does everyone qualify for a Grant? See some how to start a college admission essay buy of the books benefiting from our editing and Expert Resume Writing About Com Here Now There Then (review here), does no less than to see the Netherlands-based outfit led by singer Do you desperately need assistance with your essay but funds are limited? Order Buy Sell Essayss with us and don�t sacrifice quality to get a better price Ryanne van Dorst answer the potential of that album while pushing forward the particular vision of Dutch heavy progressive rock that emerged in the wake of Professional and see here now: ?? Low prices ?? Free features Amazing writing ? Full satisfaction. Click here for more right The Devil’s Blood, acknowledging that past — Vampiric Shepard stalks his favorite laurels without thinking? gabbroitic and Good Phrases For Essay Writing busy Haskell suffers his hirsling or signaling first and Farida Lemouchi (now of In Brief Topics For Chemistry Research Paper. 51 likes. Legal research, writing, editing and related services for attorneys and non-attorneys. Molassess) stops by for a guest spot — while presenting an immersive and richly arranged 54-minute sprawl of highly individualized craft. Issued through Sophisticated read this with the excellence illustrated in your upcoming grades. Come take a look at the writing services we propose. The Prophecy Productions, it brings cuts like the memorable opener “Sulphur and Starlight” and the dynamic “A Glass Forest” as well as the classic metal chug of “Be Your Sins” and the reaches of its title-cut and acoustic-inclusive finale “Dust and Shadow.” 100% Professional http://representationco.com/purchase-order-thesis/ for all USA, UK, Australia University students Assignments. We have 24/7 customer support to contact us for DOOL are a band brazen enough to directly refuse genre, and it is to their benefit and the audience’s that they pull off doing so with such bravado and quality of output. For however long they go, they will not stop progressing. You can hear it.

DOOL on Thee Facebooks

Prophecy Productions website

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Return to Worm Mountain, Therianthropy

By the time Durban, South Africa’s Return to Worm Mountain are done with 10-minute opener and longest track (immediate points) “Gh?l” from their second album, Therianthropy, the multi-instrumentalist duo of Duncan Park (vocal, guitar, bass, banjo, jaw harp) and Cam Lofstrand (vocals, drums, synth, guitar, bass, percussion) have gone from High on Fire-meets-Entombed crunch to psychedelic Americana to bare-essential acoustic guitar, and unsurprisingly, the scope doesn’t stop there. “Mothman’s Lament” is folksy sweetness and it leads right into the semi-industrial grind of “Mongolian Death Worm” before “Olgoi-Khorkoi” sludge-lumbers into Echoplex oblivion — or at very least the unrepentantly pretty plucked strings of “Tatzelwurm.” The title refers to a human ability to become an animal — think werewolf — and if that’s a metaphor for the controlled chaos Return to Worm Mountain are letting loose here, one can hardly argue it doesn’t fit. Too strange to be anything but progressive, Therianthropy‘s avant garde feel will alienate as many as it delights, and that’s surely the point of the entire endeavor.

Return to Worm Mountain on Thee Facebooks

Return to Worm Mountain on Bandcamp

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Dopelord, Sign of the Devil

Primo weedian stoner sludge doom of precisely the proportion-of-riff one would expect from Polish bashers Dopelord, which is to say plenty huge and plenty grooving. “The Witching Hour Bell” sets the tone on Sign of the Devil, which is the fourth full-length from the Warsaw-based four-piece. They lumber, they plod, they crash, and yes, yes, yes, they riff, putting it all on the line with “Hail Satan” with synth flourish at the end before “Heathen” and the ultimately-more-aggro “Doom Bastards” reinforce the mission statement. You might know what you’re getting going into it, but that doesn’t make the delivery any less satisfying as Dopelord plod into “World Beneath Us” like a cross between Electric Wizard and Slomatics and of course stick-click in on a quick four-count for the 94-second punk blaster “Headless Decapitator” to cap the 36-minute vinyl-ready run. How could they not? Sure, Sign of the Devil preaches to the choir, but hell’s bells it makes one happy to have joined the choir in the first place.

Dopelord on Thee Facebooks

Dopelord on Bandcamp

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Ancestro, Ancestro

Numbered instrumental progressions comprise this third and self-titled offering from Peruvian trio Ancestro (issued through Necio Records and Forbidden Place Records), and the effect of the album being arranged in such a fashion is that it plays through as one long piece, the cascading volume changes of “II” feeding back into the outset count-in of the speedier “III” and so on. Each piece of the whole has its own intention, and it seems plain enough that the band composed the sections individually, but they’ve been placed so as to highlight the full-album flow, and as Ancestro move from “IV” into “V” and “VI,” with songs getting longer as they go en route to that engrossing and proggy 13-minute closer, their success draws from their ability to harness the precision and maybe even a little of the aggression of heavy metal and incorporate it as part of an execution both thoughtful and no less able to be patient when called for by a given piece. Hard-hitting psychedelia is tough to pull off, but Ancestro‘s Ancestro is no less spacious than terrestrial.

Ancestro on Thee Facebooks

Necio Records on Bandcamp

Forbidden Place Records on Bandcamp

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Hellhookah, The Curse

In 2016, Lithuanian two-piece Hellhookah made it no challenge whatsoever to get into the traditionalist doom of their debut album, Endless Serpents (review here), and the seven songs of The Curse make for a welcome follow-up, with an uptick in production value and the fullness of the mix and a decided affinity for underground ’80s metal in cuts like “Supremacy” and “Dreams and Passions” to coincide with the Dio-era-Sabbath vibes of centerpiece “Flashes” and the nodding finisher “Greed and Power,” which follows and contrasts “Dreams and Passions” in a manner that feels multi-tiered in its purpose. Departing from some of the Vitus-ness of the first full-length, The Curse adopts a more complex tack across its 38 minutes, but its heart and its loyalties are still of doom, by doom, and for the doomed, and that suits them just fine. Crucially, their lack of pretense carries over, and their love of all things doomed translates into every riff and every stretch on offer. If you’d ask more than that of them, well, why?

Hellhookah on Thee Facebooks

Hellhookah on Bandcamp

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Daisychain, Daisychain EP

Bluesy in opener “Demons,” grunge-tinged in “Lily” and fuzz-folk-into-’70s-soul-rock on “How Can I Love You,” Daisychain‘s self-titled debut EP wants little for ambition from the start, but the Chicago-based four-piece bring a confidence to their dually-vocalized approach that unites the material across whatever stylistic lines it treads, be it in the harmonies of the midtempo rocker “Are You Satisfied” or the righteously languid “Fake Flowers,” which follows. With six songs and 21 minutes, the self-released outing is but a quick glimpse at what Daisychain might have in store going forward, but the potential is writ large from the classic feel of “Demons” to the barroom spirit of closer “The Wrong Thing,” which reminds that rock and roll doesn’t have to sacrifice efficiency in order to make a statement of its own force. There’s plenty of attitude to be found in these songs, but beneath that — or maybe alongside it — there’s a sense of an emergent songwriting process that is only going to continue to flourish. What they do with the momentum they build here will be interesting to see/hear, but more than that, they’re developing a perspective and persona of their own, and that speaks to a longer term ideal. To put another way, they don’t sound like they’re half-assing it.

Daisychain on Thee Facebooks

Daisychain on Bandcamp

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The Burning Brain Band, The Burning Brain Band

Capping with a slide-tinged take on the traditional “Parchman Farm” (see also: Blue Cheer, Cactus, etc.), Ohio’s The Burning Brain Band‘s self-titled debut casts a wide net in terms of influences, centering the penultimate “The Dreamer” around 12-string acoustic guitar on an eight-minute run that’s neither hurried nor staid, but all the more surprising after the electronica-minded “Interlude (Still Running),” which, at four minutes is of greater substance than one might expect of an interlude just as the seven-and-a-half-minute warm-up “Launch Sequence” is considerably broader than one generally considers an intro to an album. There isn’t necessarily a foundational basis from which the material emanates — though “Brain Food” is an effective desert-ish rocker, it moves into the decidedly proggier “Bolero/Floating Away” — but “Launch Sequence” is immersive and the four-piece bring a performance cohesion and a clarity of mindset to the proceedings of this debut that may not unite the songs, but carries the listener through with a sure hand just the same. Who ever said everything on a record had to sound alike? For sure not The Burning Brain Band, who translate the mania of their moniker into effective sonic variety.

The Burning Brain Band on Thee Facebooks

The Burning Brain Band on Bandcamp

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Slump, Flashbacks From Black Dust Country

Count Slump in a freakout psych renaissance, all punk-out-the-airlock and ’90s-noise thisandthat. Delivered through Feel It Records, the Richmond, Virginia, outfit’s debut, Flashbacks From Black Dust Country indeed touches ground every now and again, as on “Desire Death Drifter,” but even there, the vocals are so soaked wet with echo that I’m pretty sure they fucked up my speakers, and as much as “Tension Trance” tries, it almost can’t help but be acid grunge. In an age of nihilism, Slump aren’t so much unbridled as they are a reminder of the artistry behind the slacker lean, and in the thrust of “(Do The) Sonic Sprawl” and the far-out twist of “Throbbing Reverberation,” they affirm that only those with expanded minds will survive to see the new age and all the many spectral horrors it might unfurl. Can it be a coincidence that the album starts “No Utopia?” Hardly. I’m not ready to call these cats prophets, but they’ve got their collective ear to the ground and their boogie is molten-core accordingly. Tell two friends and tell them to tell two friends.

Feel It Records on Thee Facebooks

Feel It Records on Bandcamp

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Canyon, EP III

It’s a ripper, inciting Larry David-style “prettay good” nods and all that sort of approval whatnot. If you want to think of Canyon as Philly’s answer to Memphis’ Dirty Streets, go ahead — and yes, by that I mean they’re dirtier. EP III boasts just three tracks in “No Home,” “Tent Preacher” and “Mountain Haze,” but with it the classic-style trio backs up the power they showed on 2018’s Mk II (review here), tapping ’70s blues rock swagger for the first two tracks and then blowing it out in a dreamy Zeppelin/Rainbow jam that’s trippy and righteous and right on and just plain right. Maybe even right-handed, I don’t know. What I do know is that these guys should’ve been picked up by some duly salivating label like last week already and they should be putting together a full-length on the quick. They’ve followed-up EP III with a stonerly take on The Beatles‘ “Day Tripper,” and that’s fun, but really, it’s time for this band to make an album.

Canyon on Thee Facebooks

Canyon on Bandcamp

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Worried that you don’t see an exact release date for Foehammer‘s new album, Monumentum? Don’t sweat it — I’m sure you’ll feel the ground shaking well in advance of the record’s arrival sometime this summer. The Northern Virginian rumble-riffers haven’t been heard from much since their 2018 debut, Second Sight (review here), and there have been some lineup changes to perhaps account for some of that. Monumentum finds Foehammer working as the two-piece of founding guitarist/vocalist Jay Cardinell and new drummer/recording engineer Ben Price. I can’t profess to having heard any of the record as yet — and golly, I’d be glad to — but the suitably grim cover art has been unveiled and whenever it might actually show up, Monumentum will be a welcome arrival as far as I’m concerned.

If you need a refresher as to why, you’ll find the Second Sight Bandcamp stream at the bottom of this post.

Heavy days call for massive riffs, and Foehammer bring those to bear with expertly-wielded crawling tempos and a deathly ferocity that they quickly made their own. As to what their new incarnation might hold, I expect misery to persist and be perhaps all the more resonant as the band’s recording process has become self-contained. They may grow even more massive-sounding as they dig into their own mire of tone. Can’t wait.

Here’s their announcement, quick and to the point:

Foehammer – Monumentum

Foehammer return from the depths, announcing their sophomore full-length and first new material in two years, Monumentum. Returning listeners will find the band going down new darkened paths, while still staying true to their funereal drone roots.

This album is the first to feature Ben Price (At the Graves, Immiseration, Elagabalus) at the drumset (and engineering/mixing) as well as returning guitarist and vocalist Jay Cardinell.

Featuring original artwork and design respectively by Rebecca and Brian Magar (Wailing Wizard Art, Cultic, The Owls [ANWTS]).

https://www.facebook.com/foehammerva/
https://foehammer.bandcamp.com/

Foehammer, Second Sight (2018)

If you want to know the arguments in favor of bands doing live streams, here are a couple numbers to consider. In about 13 hours after completing their 25-minute set from what was presumably their rehearsal room in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the heavy rock four-piece Freedom Hawk boasted 8,100 views of the resultant video. It was shared nearly 100 times, including by me, and had over 425 comments. True, none of that translates directly to money. They probably didn’t sell many t-shirts specifically as a result of doing the stream, but consider this: they also set up a donation link and brought in — as of this writing — $630.

I don’t know how much Freedom Hawk get paid to play a show, but I do know this: playing this gig involved no major travel for the group. They didn’t have to load in or load out, or find a place to eat in a strange city, or spend money on gas, food or lodging. They were able to directly engage their fans while also keeping the presentation strictly on their own terms. It was a GoPro or a phone set up in a corner of their rehearsal room. It kind of looked like a security camera, actually. But they played four songs — a smart move to keep it relatively brief; a lesson other streamers who approach it like a regular live show should learn — that are as yet unfamiliar to their fans, got to showcase the direction of their new record, and rather than go through the give-and-take of touring, were able to take in a decent amount of money that they can then take forward to the recording process.

Of course, touring has other tangible and intangible upsides, but so does streaming. I wouldn’t advocate one over the other; I’d advocate both if circumstances allowed for them. But in the current pandemic situation even as lockdowns ease, streaming makes the most sense, and even though I saw them in January live on stage in Brooklyn (review here), I have no problem admitting to being grateful for the opportunity to check them out again from the comfort of my own home, without driving into the city, paying tolls, gas, social anxiety and so on.

True, being at home offers its own distractions. A 6PM start-time came up against my toddlerian son’s bedtime, and I spent the first eight or so minutes of the stream trying to cast it from my phone’s Facebook app to the Chromecast in my living room, without ever succeeding. My wife had a Zoom birthday party for one of her friends at the same time, and all of this was happening at once. It was far, far removed from the experience of being in front of a stage, staring ahead as Freedom Hawk graced a crowd with new songs and a set of old favorites. But like any new experience, there are kinks to work out in terms of process on all ends, including the audience’s. And it being live, as opposed to just a watching a video pre-recorded, makes a huge difference in the mindset.

I don’t know when Freedom Hawk‘s next record might surface, but the songs sounded spot-on. With the four-piece arranged in a circle facing each other as they surely would in rehearsal, it was fun to hear drummer Lenny Hines ask what one of the new songs was called — it was “Seize the Day,” as guitarist/vocalist T.R. Morton informed, his signature effects coming through his voice when he sang on mic — and there were other flashes of the band’s persona that came through subtly. It has to be a little awkward for a group basically inviting an audience into a rehearsal space that was previously entirely their own — the banners on the wall, a flag on the ceiling, the garage doors up; maybe a storage area or something like that? hard to tell — but Hines, Morton, bassist Mark Cave and guitarist Brendan O’Neill made the most of the occasion, stopping for a sip of beer between songs and even offering a “cheers” to the virtual crowd. As I might at a show, I lifted my cup of water in salute.

As for the new material, the other cuts alongside “Seize the Day” were “Baron,” “Dickerson” and “Jimmy Jam,” though of course any and all titles might change before a final record comes out. The sound was quintessential Freedom Hawk: flashes of NWOBHM riffing set to a forward heavy-rock groove, moments of psychedelic nuance brought to bear with strong purpose in the songwriting. Freedom Hawk have never been a hard band to appreciate when it comes to hearing tracks for the first time, and that accessibility served them well in this context. It wouldn’t work for every band, but again, at 25 minutes, this was almost a teaser for the live experience and their next album at the same time. And having sat and watched it in its entirety, even distracted by a pre-bedtime diaper change and getting dinner started, I look forward both to when I might see the band again — on stage or not, should they decide to do another stream — as well as hearing the LP when it might arrive.

This was fun. Watch it here.

Freedom Hawk on Thee Facebooks

Freedom Hawk on Bandcamp

Freedom Hawk website

Ripple Music website

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks

I had a moment of genuine surprise realizing that it has been five years since Harrisonburg, Virginia’s Valkyrie released their last LP, Shadows (review here). That was also their first album for Relapse Records — the forthcoming Fear will be their second when it arrives on July 24 — and if half a decade seems like a long time between records, you’re not wrong, but for Valkyrie, it’s actually an increase in frequency. It was seven years between 08’s Man of Two Visions (discussed here) and its follow-up. So it goes when one of your founding guitarists splits his time between this and Baroness.

Nonetheless, Fear will most likely see Valkyrie past the 20-year mark, which they’ll hit in 2022, so there’s something to be said there even if the band has never really been full-time. When a new Valkyrie comes around though, it’s not to be missed.

They’re streaming the opening track now, and here’s PR wire info:

VALKYRIE: Announce 4th Full-Length Album Fear Coming July 24th

Share New Song “Feeling so Low”

Virginia heavy rockers VALKYRIE return with their anthemic, riff-driven new album, Fear, coming July 24th! Their first new album in 5 years, Fear finds VALKYRIE sounding more progressive and diverse than ever before.

Fear is due out July 24th on CD/LP/Digital. Physical packages are available for pre-order via Relapse.com HERE. Digital Downloads / Streaming Services are available HERE.

Recorded at Earth Analog in Illinois, Fear showcases the tone-rich, organic songwriting process VALKYRIE has honed in on over the course of their career. A warm analog sound permeates each of the album’s 8 tracks, as blistering twin leads, soaring guitar harmonies by Pete and Jake Adams, poignant lyrics, and a relentless rhythm section results in a highly textured and timeless collection of heavy rock. With Fear, VALKYRIE takes the next step in their evolution as one of the most creative and dynamic forces in the hard rock scene today. Tracks such as “Feeling so Low,” “The Choice,” and “Evil Eye” showcase VALKYRIE expanding their sound, infusing their take on classic hard rock with a penchant for remarkable melodies and creative hooks.

Photo Credit: Savo

Fear Tracklist:
Feeling so Low
Afraid to Live
Loveblind
The Choice
Fear and Sacrifice
Brings you Down
Evil Eye
Exasperator

VALKYRIE Is:
Jake Adams – Guitar/Vocals
Pete Adams – Guitar/Vocals
Alan Fary – Bass Guitar
Warren Hawkins – Drums/Percussion

https://www.facebook.com/thevalkyrierides
https://www.instagram.com/valkyrie_va/
http://thevalkyrierides.bandcamp.com/
http://www.relapse.com/valkyrie/

Valkyrie, “Feeling So Low”

The aptly-named desert-dwelling imprint Desert Records continues to build its roster with the addition of Richmond, Virginia, tonebringers Book of Wyrms. The four-piece currently have two full-lengths under their collective belt in last year’s Remythologizer (review here) and 2017’s preceding Sci-Fi/Fantasy (review here), and in addition to the signing, the band announce their intention to hit the studio for a third LP, to be titled Occult/New Age, presumably as soon as conditions allow. Here’s what they had to say:

“We are so stoked and honored to work with Bradley Frye and Desert Records on our upcoming third album, Occult/New Age, to be recorded hopefully this summer or fall!”

The two earlier releases came out through Twin Earth Records and Stoner With Records in the case of the latter, and the band also followed up Remythologizer with the single “Spirit Drifter” in 2019, which of course you can hear on the Bandcamp player below,, following more bio-type info from, of course, the PR wire.

Kudos to the band and label, and here’s looking forward to new stuff to come:

Book of Wyrms is a four-piece heavy metal band with extensive experience jamming in outer space. In 2014 they came together over their mutual adoration of Hawkwind and ZZ Top and then put out a demo in early 2015. It got some positive attention and helped them find their label, Twin Earth Records.

On New Year’s Day, 2017, Americans everywhere stumbled out of each other’s beds to the surprise release of Book of Wyrms’ first full-length, Sci-Fi/Fantasy. The record received even more positive attention and helped the band get shows around the East Coast, New England, the South, and the Midwest. Their second full-length, Remythologizer, came out in August 2019 on tape, cd, and vinyl.

Members:
Sarah Moore-Lindsey: Vocals and synthesizers
Kyle Lewis: Guitar
Chris DeHaven: Drums
Jay “Jake” Lindsey: Bass

https://www.facebook.com/Bookofwyrms/
https://instagram.com/bookofwyrms
https://bookofwyrms.bandcamp.com/

Book of Wyrms, “Spirit Drifter”

Virginia’s Freedom Hawk have begun writing songs for their next record, which they’ll issue through Ripple Music maybe late this Fall — unless writing takes like another week and they’re done, then record immediately — if not in 2021. Still, progress is progress, and they’re continuing to tour in support of fifth album, 2018’s Beast Remains (review here), which is never bad news to see. Plus they say they’re trying out new material on the road, so that tells you at least a couple songs have been put together enough for a stage.

I’ll take it either way, but there is a part of me that feels kind of bad for the fact that I basically expect a Freedom Hawk album every year. I have z-e-r-o reason to do so, and yet, I do. This is a band that puts marked care into the songs they write, and for whom songwriting is a clear priority, and still I’m sitting over here on my couch like, “What? You guys can’t just plug in, bang out 38 minutes of catchy-as-flu high-grade riffery and tour? Come on!” Two or three years between LPs for anyone is reasonable. For some reason, it just always feels like forever going from one Freedom Hawk LP to another.

Again, though, whenever it shows up, it’ll be welcome. You like rock and roll? Them too. You should party.

Tour dates and whatnot:

Freedom Hawk To Hit The West Coast In March!

Virginia’s, Freedom Hawk will be rolling through the US in March with their latest record Beast Remains (Ripple Music, 2018) in tow. Their unique brand of energetic dune rock will elevate your mind and body, through heavy riffs, rolling grooves, and soulful psychedelic melodies wrapped in metal harmonies! Grab a ticket to take a heavy transcendent trip with the warm sun melting your face while cruising with the top down to your favorite beach party on the sand dunes. Come rawk out with your hawk out!

Tickets available @: https://bnds.us/i9tx5f

The band will be playing tracks from their latest album Beast Remains and classics from their previous decade of material with possibly a few new tracks from their forthcoming Ripple release sprinkled in. Look out for a new album in 2020 and more live dates as they continue to expand their music and their reach to fans around the world!

The band says of the new material “We are really excited about the new tunes coming together. The material seems to capitalize on our previous work but really expands into newer territory of tasty bluesy melodies, driving harmonies, and killer song structures that have hooks for days…. We feel like this is our best stuff to date. We can’t wait for people to hear it!”

~Peace&Rawk~

Spring US Tour Dates booked by the new heavy music division of AMG featuring many Ripple Music artists:
March 6 – Denver, CO – Streets of London
March 7 – Salt Lake City, UT – Bottoms Up
March 8 – Boise, ID – The Shredder
March 9 – Seattle, WA – Funhouse
March 10 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
March 11 – Eureka, CA – Siren’s Song
March 12 – Santa Cruz, CA – Urbani Cellar
March 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Hi Hat
March 14 – San Diego, CA – Til Two Club
March 15 – Tempe, AZ – Yucca Tap Room
March 17 – San Antonio, TX – Faust
March 18 – Dallas/Fort Worth, TX – Division Brewing
March 19 – Lafayette, LA – Freetown Boom Boom Room
March 20 – Jacksonville, FL – Archetype
March 21 – Raleigh, NC – Slims Downtown

https://www.facebook.com/freedomhawkmusic/
https://freedomhawk.bandcamp.com
http://www.freedomhawk.net/
http://www.ripple-music.com/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/

Freedom Hawk, “Brutal Winds” official video

I was put onto doomly four-piece Sibyl by a trustworthy source who’d seen them and would probably prefer to remain unnamed, and their 2019 demo/EP — fine line these days — hit the spot accordingly. That four-songer is called The Magic Isn’t Real (review here) and DHU Records has newly picked it up for a fresh look on vinyl due out this Spring, give or take. The band, meanwhile, have already put out a follow-up of sorts in the form of two new songs, “Rottweiler Smile” and “Love/Violence,” included on an issued-just-this-month split tape with fellow Richmond, Virginia, residents Mister Earthbound, out through Deckhead Records in an edition of 100 copies.

Whether or not DHU will do anything with those tracks, I’ve no idea, but if you listen to The Magic Isn’t Real and decide you’d like to dig further, the opportunity exists. Ah hell why don’t I just go ahead and include that Bandcamp player too, save you the trouble? They’ve both below.

From the PR wire:

New signing to DHU Records: SIBYL

DHU Records is excited to announce the signing of Richmond, VA Cult Rockers SIBYL!

Initially released in February of 2019, The Magic Isn’t Real became an increasingly addictive listen throughout the year and eventually could not deny it’s ‘magical’ effect. Heavy, Moody and Dark, The Magic Isn’t Real is one damn fine Psychedelic Fuzzed Out Doom trip that is aching to be experienced!

Honest and psychedelic in the truest sense of the word, Richmond, Virginia quartet Sibyl defies convention at every turn. Violet Sotomayor’s lyrics speak not of fictional tales of horror but of the very real demons of psychological trauma. An acceptance of past trauma while not necessarily a lament, the words of the Sibyl show one who stares forward clear eyed and with a mission to heal the psyche and break the chains that hold us back.

Tribal drums and a wall of crushing fuzz are punctuated by psychedelic guitar leads that cut the psyche like an eldritch wind. The Sibyl sound combines grungy desert rock grooves, psychedelic vibes, and stoner/doom riffs with undeniable pop sensibilities. Sibyl aims to write a new chapter into the tale that began the day the first blues man made his way down to the crossroads with his guitar under his arm and a dream in his soul. They do not aim or claim to be the heaviest band in the scene, but their live performance will show you that they refuse to hold anything back either.

With concise songwriting and more riffs than you can count, Sibyl stands out from the crowd as a raucous, riotous bacchanal in comparison to the contemporary stoner/doom bands’ somber ritual. With an explosive live show that will have more than just your head banging, and has been gaining attention worldwide. Currently playing shows in Richmond and touring up the east coast, Sibyl intends to bring their unique experience to all corners of the globe. Like a party at a funeral, Sibyl speaks to the duality of life and death and the cycles of nature that exist when one is granted a glimpse beyond the veil. Sibyl is enlightenment through rock and roll.

“No gods or devils exist except the ones inside your head. The Magick isn’t real unless you choose to believe it is.”

DHU Records will release The Magic Isn’t Real (DHU047) on Limited Edition vinyl around Spring 2020

More info & details to follow…

Tracklist:
Side A
A1. Blood Moon
A2. Pendulums

Side B
B1. Sexpionage
B2. Spinning Webs

SIBYL
Violet – vocals
Chris – guitar
Mike – bass
Ben – drums

http://www.facebook.com/sibylrva
http://instagram.com/sibylrva
https://sibylrva.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DHURecords/
https://www.instagram.com/dhu_records/
https://darkhedonisticunionrecords.bandcamp.com/
darkhedonisticunionrecords.bigcartel.com/

Sibyl, The Magic Isn’t Real (2019)

Sibyl & Mister Earthbound, Hypnotic Rhythm (2020

Want to know something crucial about Omen Stones? At least as far as the sound on the Richmond, Virginia, three-piece’s 2019 self-titled, self-released debut (review here) is concerned, just have a look at their logo. Like the letters themselves, there’s just some aspect of Omen Stones‘ sound that’s a little bit twisted, a little bit working toward something darker and more sinister. You can hear it in the vocal sneer of guitarist Tommy Hamilton, also known for his work in filth-caked riffers Druglord, and in the tones that surround as the drums of Erik Larson (also Backwoods Payback, Avail, ex-ATP, etc.) punch through in the rush of “Purity Jones.” There’s a track on the record called “Fresh Hell.” That about sums it up.

But there isn’t the mire one might expect from what Hamilton brought to Druglord, and Omen Stones are a more intense band. With Ed Fierro (also Tel) on bass, there’s venom if not Venom in their veins and not that they don’t sleek out a rolling groove every now and then, as in “Secrete,” but there’s an undercurrent of threat that never seems to be far from the their attention. As they look to head out on their first tour dates beginning Jan. 31, hitting spots in North Carolina, Indianapolis, Kentucky, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland and indeed Virginia, I’m wondering what the 10-day jaunt might lead to. More tours? New songs? It’s their first tour, and where I had the info I’ve included with whom they’ll be doing the shows. There are some good ones in there. Baltimore looks like a killer night.

Here are the dates, followed by the self-titled album stream from Bandcamp:

Omen Stones live:
01/31 Raleigh NC Slims w/ Crystal Spiders, Moryo
02/01 Asheville NC Odditorium
02/02 Indianapolis IN State Street Pub w/ Lavaborne, Drooler
02/03 Louisville KY Highlands Taproom w/ Problem with Dragons
02/04 Cincinnati OH Northside Yacht Club
02/05 Columbus OH Dirty Dungarees w/ Deprecator, False Teeth
02/06 Kent OH The Dome w/ Goosed, Ghost:Hello
02/07 Wilmington DE 1984 Arcade Bar
02/08 Baltimore MD Rituals Bar & Venue w/ Alms, Cavern, Almost Honest
02/09 Richmond VA Fuzzy Cactus w/ Hoboknife, Deathcrown

Omen Stones is:
Ed Fierro – bass
Tommy Hamilton – guitar/vocals
Erik Larson – drums

https://www.facebook.com/OmenStonesVA/
https://omenstones.bandcamp.com/

Omen Stones, Omen Stones (2019)