Posted in Whathaveyou on June 6th, 2024 by JJ Koczan
I’m not taking away from the rest of the press release below — a signing announcement is an important moment in the life of a band; at very least a big deal to those involved in putting names on a line, band and label alike — but if I may direct your weary eyeballs to the band’s lineup text below, it’s pretty magical. “His voice, a conduit for ancient echoes…” and “…imbued with celestial fire” and all that. There’s something to be said for playing it relatively straight while also going completely over-the-top. Take your fun where you can get it.
Void King‘s arrival to the roster of Argonauta Records comes on the heels of the Indianapolis-based element-invoking four-piece’s 2023 album, The Hidden Hymnal (review here), and while they wouldn’t be out of line to press that up with the Italian label’s stamp on back, or dip back further into their catalog, for that matter, the quick-working outfit are already talking about the proverbial “next record.” Moving forward, in the spirit perhaps of pulsing signals to other worlds or something like that.
There’s no timeline on that record listed below, but 2025 doesn’t seem like an unreasonable expectation given that it’s still far enough away in my head to be the distant future — it isn’t, I’m just old — and The Hidden Hymnal was maybe part of a broader conceptual work to which the follow-up was going to tie in. If that remains the case or not, I guess we’ll find out. “Ears to hear,” and all that.
Smile to your face from the PR wire:
US Stoner Doomsters VOID KING Sign to Argonauta Records
US stoner doom metal band VOID KING sign to Argonauta Records; founded in the crucible of Indianapolis, Indiana, Void King blends stoner rock and doom metal in a way that defies earthly boundaries. Led by the resonant voice of Jason Kindred, their sonic pilgrimage began – a quest to channel cosmic energies through their instruments. Void King, a luminary force in the realm of heavy music for more than a decade, transcends mere mortal soundwaves. Their saga unfolds against a backdrop of amplifiers and fog, where the ethereal meets the visceral.
“Working with Argonauta opens many doors for us that might have otherwise been closed, or hard for us to access. Physical media, distro, and getting us into markets that we might not have seen before are all enormous reasons why we are proud to be working with Argonauta on this next release. Putting out a concept record is a risky proposition, but we feel better about that gamble with Gero and his team on our side. It feels good to know that someone sees our vision and wants to support that.” – says the band
The band continues: “At current time, the band is preparing to play live this summer, starting with a supporting slot for the band Whores. This new batch of songs coming out on the next record are not a departure for us, but they are an evolution of who we were. The songs are cohesive and share an origin story. Each one of them has its own universe, as well as sharing a symbiotic relationship with the other songs on the album. We are excited for people to experience this album as a whole. It should be consumed in its entirety for maximum impact. While the individual songs will do just fine on their own, the record really shines when listened to from start to finish.”
Followers gather in dimly lit venues, shrouded in fog. The faithful raise their hands, eyes closed, as if reaching for salvation. Void King’s live rituals are transcendent—an invitation to commune with the numinous. The air vibrates with the collective pulse of believers and the thrum of burning amplifiers. The sudden blast of white, pure light exists to bring the listener to the promised land.
Void King’s mission transcends mere entertainment. Their music is a portal – a gateway to other dimensions. When you listen, you’re not an audience; you’re an initiate. Let the volume compel you forward, into the heart of the riff.
Void King’s journey continues, guided by unseen hands. They traverse the astral highways, seeking new chords, new revelations. Their legacy? Carved in stone and etched in stardust. As long as there are ears to hear, they shall echo across the ages.
Void King are: Jason Kindred (Vocals): His voice, a conduit for ancient echoes, weaves tales of forgotten gods and lost civilizations. His timbre resonates with both sorrow and defiance. Tommy Miller (Electric Guitar): The strings of his guitar are imbued with celestial fire. His riffs – majestic and mournful – speak of cosmic cataclysms and astral wanderings. Chris Carroll (Bass Guitar): The heartbeat of Void King, his basslines pulse like signals to other worlds. Derek Felix (Percussion): His drums are thunderstorms, primal and unyielding. With each beat, he summons tempests and quakes, invoking the very elements.
That’s it. End of the Summer 2023 Quarterly Review and the last round of this kind of thing until, I don’t know, sometime here or there in late September or early October. I feel like I say this every time out — and I readily acknowledge the possibility that I do; I’ve been doing this for a while, and there’s only so much shit to say — but it is my sincere hope you found something in this round of 70 records that hits with you. I did, a couple times over at least. One of the reasons I look forward to the Quarterly Review, apart from clearing off album-promo folders from my desktop, is that my end-of-year lists always look different coming out of one than they did going in. This time is no different.
But, you know, if you didn’t get there this time, that’s okay too. There’s always the next one and one of the fortunate things about living in a time with such an onslaught of recorded music is that there’s always something new to check out. The Quarterly Review is over for a couple months, yeah, but new music happens every day. Every day is another chance to find your new favorite album, band, video, whatever. Enjoy that.
Quarterly Review #61-70:
Monolord, It’s All the Same
After nearly a decade of hard, album-cycle-driven international touring and standing at the forefront in helping to steer a generational wave of lumbering riffage, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think Gothenburg, Sweden’s Monolord might feel stuck, and “Glaive (It’s All the Same)” seems to acknowledge that. Stylistically, though the lead and partial title-track on the roller trio’s new EP, It’s All the Same, is itself a way forward. It is more spacious than crushing, and they fill the single out with guitarist Thomas V. Jäger‘s sorrowful vocal delivery and memorable early lead lines, a steady, organic rhythm from drummer/engineer Esben Willems and bassist Mika Häkki — worth noting that all three have either released solo albums or otherwise explored solo work in the last two years — and Mellotron that adds a classically progressive flair and lets the guitar focus on mood rather than stomp, though there’s still plenty of that in “Glaive (It’s All the Same)” and is more the focus of “The Only Road,” so Monolord aren’t necessarily making radical changes from where they were on 2021’s Your Time to Shine (review here), but as there has been all along, there’s steady growth in balance with the physicality of tone one has come to anticipate from them. After scaling back on road time, It’s All the Same feels reassuring even as it pushes successfully the boundaries of their signature sound.
Raging not at all unthoughtfully for most of its concise-feeling but satisfying 38 minutes, Somnuri‘s third album and MNRK Heavy label debut, the nine-song Desiderium, is a tour de force through metallic strengths. Informed by the likes of Death, (their now-labelmates) High on Fire, Killswitch Engage, Gojira (at whose studio they recorded), thick-toned and swapping between harsh shouts, screams and clean-sung choruses — and yes, that’s just in the first three minutes of opener “Death is the Beginning” — the Brooklynite trio of guitarist/vocalist Justin Sherrell, bassist Mike G. and drummer Phil SanGiacomo brazenly careen and crash through styles, be it the lumbering and impatiently angular doom “Paramnesia,” the rousing sprint “What a Way to Go,” the raw, vocals-rightly-forward and relatively free of effects “Remnants” near the end, or the pairing of the fervent, thrashy shove in “Flesh and Blood” with the release-your-inner-Cave–In “Desiderium,” the overwhelming extremity of “Pale Eyes” or the post-hardcore balladeering that turns to djent sludge largesse in closer “The Way Out” — note the album begins at “…the Beginning” and ends at an exit; happy accident or purposeful choice; it works either way — Somnuri are in the hurricane rather than commanding from the calm center, and that shows in the emotionalism of prior single “Hollow Visions,” but at no point does Desiderium collapse under the weight of its ambitions. After years of touring and the triumph that was 2021’s Nefarious Wave (review here) hinting at what seems in full bloom here, Somnuri sound ready for the next level they’ve reached. Time to spend like the next five years straight on tour, guys. Sorry, but that’s what happens when you’re the kick in the ass heavy metal doesn’t yet know it needs.
Densely distorted Indianapolis heavybringers Void King have stated that their third full-length, the burly but not unatmospheric 36-minute The Hidden Hymnal, is the first of a two-part outing, though it’s unclear whether both parts are a concept record or these six tracks are meant to start a storyline, with opener “Egg of the Sun” (that would happen if it spun really fast) and closer “Drink in the Light” feeling complementary in their increased runtime relative to the four songs between. Maybe it’s an unfinished narrative at this point, or no narrative at all. Fine. Approaching it as a standalone outing, the four-piece follow 2019’s Barren Dominion (review here) with more choice riffing and metal-threatening, weighted doom, “The Grackle” breaking out some rawer-throat gutturalism over its big, big, big tone. The bassline of “Engulfed in Absence” (tell people you love them) caps side A with a highlight, and “When the Pinecones Close Up” (that means it’s going to rain) echoes the volatility of “The Grackle” before “Brother Tried” languidly swings until it’s time for a 100 meter dash at the end, and the aforementioned “Drink in the Light” rounds out mournful and determined. If there’s more to come, so be it, but Void King give their listeners plenty to chew on in the interim.
At the core of ostensibly Switzerland-based Inezona is multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ines Brodbeck, and on Heartbeat — the fourth LP from her band and the follow-up to 2019’s Now, released as INEZ, and last year’s sans-vocals A Self Portrait — the sound is malleable around its folkish melodicism, with Brodbeck, guitarist/vocalist Gabriel Sullivan, bassist/synthesist Fabian Gisler and drummer Eric Gut comfortably fleshing out atmospheric heavy psychedelia more about mood than effects but too active and almost too expressive to be post-rock, though it kind of is anyhow. Mellow throughout, “Sea Soul” caps side A and meanders into/through a jam building on the smoky vibe in “Stardust” before the title-track strolls across a field of more ’60s-derived folk rock. “Veil” charms with fuzz, while “In My Heart” seems intent on finding the place where Scandinavian folk meets kosmiche synthesizer, and “Midnight Circle” brings Zatokrev‘s Fredryk Rotter for a guest duet and guitar spot that is a whole-album crescendo, with the acoustic-based “Leave Me Alone” and the brief “Sunday Mornings” at the end to manage the comedown. The sound spans decades and styles and functions with purpose as its own presence, and the soothing delivery of Brodbeck throughout much of the proceedings draws Heartbeat together as an interpretation of classic pop ideals with deep roots underground. Proof again that ‘heavy’ is about more than which pedals you have on your board.
It’s odd that it’s odd that Hauch‘s songs are in German. The pandemic-born Waltrop, Germany, four-piece present their first release in the recorded-in-2021, five-song Lehmasche, and I guess so much of the material coming out of the German heavy underground — and there’s a lot of it, always — is in English. A distinguishing factor for the 31-minute outing, then, which is further marked by an attitudinal edge in hard-fuzz riffers like “Es Ist” and the closer “Tür,” the aesthetic of the band at this (or that, depending on how present-tense we want to be) moment drawing strongly from ’90s rock — and no, that doesn’t necessarily mean stoner — in structure and affect, but presenting the almost-eight-minute leadoff “Wind” with due fullness of sound and ending up not too far in terms of style from Switzerland’s Carson, who last year likewise proffered a style that was straightforward on its face but, like Hauch, stood out for its level of songwriting and the just-right nature of its grooves. Lehmasche, the title translating to ‘clay ash,’ evokes something that can change shape, and the thrust in “Komm Nach Hause” and the hard-landing kick thud of centerpiece “Quelle” bear that out well enough. Keeping in mind it’s their debut, it seems likely Hauch will continue to grow, but they already sound ready to be picked up by some label or other.
Setting its nod in a manner that seems to have little time to waste on opener “The Mountain and the Feather” before breaking out with the dense, chugging swing of “The Corenne and the Prophecy Fulfilled,” Kentucky heavybringers El Astronauta bring a nuanced sound to what might be familiar progressions, but the mix is set up in three dimensions and the band dwells in all of them, bringing character to the languid reach of the mini-album Snakes and Foxes, bolstered by the everybody-might-sing approach from guitarist/keyboardist Seth Wilson, bassist Dean Collier and pushed-back drummer Cory Link, who debuted in 2021 with High Strangeness and who dude-march through “The Gambler and the General” as if the tempo was impeded by the thickness of the song itself. Through a mere 17 Earth minutes, El Astronauta carve out this indent for themselves in the side of a very large, very heavy style of rock and roll, but “The Axe or the Hammer,” which bookends topping five minutes in answer to “The Mountain and the Feather,” has a more subdued verse to go along with the damn near martial shouts of its impact-minded chorus, and fades out with surprising fluidity to leave off. The one-thing-and-another-thing titles give Snakes and Foxes a thematic feel, but the real theme here is the barebones greed-for-volume El Astronauta display, their material feeling built for beery singalongs.
With their third full-length behind 2021’s Chosen One (review here) and their 2018 self-titled debut (review here), Texan riff rollers Thunder Horse grow accordingly more atmospheric in their presentation and are that much more sure of themselves in leaning into founding guitarist/vocalist Stephen Bishop‘s industrial metal past in Pitbull Daycare. The keys give “Requiem” an epic feel at the finish, and even if the opening title-track is like what Filter might’ve been if they’d been awesome and “New Normal” and “Monolith” push further with semi-aggro metallurgical force, the wall-of-tone remains thusly informed until the two-minute acoustic “The Other Side” tells listeners where to go when it’s over (you flip the record, duh). “Monolith” hinted at a severity that manifests in the doomed “Apocalypse,” a preface in its noise and breadth for the finale “Requiem,” finding a momentum that the layered-vocal hook of “Inner Demon” capitalizes upon with its tense toms and that the howls of the penultimate “Aberdeen” expand on with Thunder Horse‘s version of classic boogie rock. They don’t come across like they’re done exploring the balances of influence in what they do — and I hope they’re not — but Thunder Horse have never sounded more certain as regards the rightness of their path.
The title “Vīrya” is Sanskrit and based on the Hindu concept of vitality or energy, often in a specifically male context. Fair enough ground for Kansas instrumentalists After Nations to explore on their single following last year’s impressive, Buddhism-based concept LP, The Endless Mountain (review here). In the four-minute standalone check-in, the four-piece remind just how granite-slab heavy that offering was as they find a linear path from the warning-siren-esque guitar at the start through the slower groove and into the space where a post-metallic verse could reside but doesn’t and that’s just fine, turning back to the big-bigger-biggest riff before shifting toward controlled-cacophony progressive metal, hints of djent soon to flower as they build tension through the higher guitar frequencies and the intensity of the whole. After three minutes in, they’re charging forward, but it’s a flash and they’re dug into the whatever-time-signature finishing movement, a quick departure to guitar soon consumed by that feeling you get when you listen to Meshuggah that there’s a very large thing rising up very slowly in front of you and surely you’ll never get out alive. Precise in their attack, After Nations reinforce the point The Endless Mountain made that technique is only one part of their overarching brutality.
There’s some incongruity between the intro “Introspection” (I see what you did there) leading into “Weightless Again” as it takes the mood from a quiet buildup to full-bore tonality and only then gives over to the eight-minute second track, but Ockra‘s Argonauta-delivered debut long-player thrives in that contradiction. Melodic vocals float over energetic riffing in “Weightless Again,” but even that is just a hint of the seven-songer’s scope. To wit, the initially acoustic-based “Tree I Planted” is recognizably parental in its point of view with a guest vocal from Stefanie Spielhaupter, and while centerpiece “Acceptance” is more doomed in its introductory lead guitar, the open strum of its early verses and the harmonies in its second half assure an impression is made. The Gothenburg-based trio grow yet more adventurous in the drone-and-voice outset of “We Who Didn’t Know,” which unfolds its own notions of what ‘heavy prog’ means, with guitarist Erik Björnlinger howling at the finish ahead of the start of the more folk-minded strum of “Imorgon Här,” on which drummer Jonas Nyström (who also played that acoustic on “We Who Didn’t Know” and adds Mellotron where applicable) takes over lead vocal duties from bassist Alex Spielhaupter (also more Mellotron). The German-language closer “Tage Wie Dieser” (‘days like these’) boasts a return from Stefanie Spielhaupter and is both quiet grunge and ambient post-rock before the proggy intensity of its final wash takes hold, needing neither a barrage of effects or long stretches of jamming to conjure a sense of the far out.
What’s another 20 minutes of music to Erik Larson, I wonder. The Richmond-based songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist has a career and a discography that goes back to the first Avail record three decades ago, and at no point in those decades has he ever really stopped, moving through outfits like (the now-reunited) Alabama Thunderpussy, Axehandle, The Mighty Nimbus, Hail!Hornet, Birds of Prey, Kilara, Backwoods Payback, Thunderchief, on and on, while building his solo catalog as well. Fortsett, the 20-minute EP in question, follows 2022’s Red Lines and Everything Breaks (both reviewed here), and features Druglord‘s Tommy Hamilton (also Larson‘s bandmate in Omen Stones) on drums and engineer Mark Miley on a variety of instruments and backing vocals. And you know what? It’s a pretty crucial-sounding 20 minutes. Larson leads the charge through his take that helped define Southern heavy in “Cry in the Wind,” the nodder “My Own,” and the sub-two-minute “Electric Burning,” pulls back on the throttle for “Hounder Sistra” and closes backed by drum machine and keys on “Life Shedding,” just in case you dared to think you know what you were getting. So what’s that 20 minutes of music to Erik Larson? Going by the sound of Fortsett, it’s the most important part of the day.
Posted in Questionnaire on June 29th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.
Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.
Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.
The Obelisk Questionnaire: Tommy Miller of Void King
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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?
We’re a loud rock and roll band. But at the end of the day, music is something that has always been a part of our lives. The goal for Void King was always to have fun, drink beer, and really discover what our sound actually was. Our drummer and I are best friends for over 30 years now, and we’ve been playing in bands together forever. Through that whole journey, we really fell into what our sound is. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what “sounding like yourself” means. But once you get there, there’s a real freedom in being able to do what you want with no pressure on yourself.
Describe your first musical memory.
We were driving to Florida and my uncle, who is ten years older than me, made me listen to Back In Black on his headphones. I was six years old at the time and I just remember how it made me feel. I could almost feel my brain rewire itself.
Describe your best musical memory to date.
Void King touring Europe. Not only was it the most fun we’ve ever had playing music, we had the best time ever. Amsterdam on Halloween night in the red light district is a good place to be for a stoner rock band. But yeah, the crowds were great. The other bands were incredible. I’m not sure anything even comes close to be honest. Hanging out with our label dudes, drinking Belgian beer in Belgium, and playing great shows. It might be hard to ever top that.
When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?
Speaking solely for myself, but I’ve always been pretty anti violence. Not a pacifist per se. But I never thought that fighting or physical protests did much. But I think that in the last few years, I’ve been proven wrong. Sometimes you need to punch a Nazi in the face. It isn’t what I want to do. But sometimes it needs to be done.
Where do you feel artistic progression leads?
Honesty. I hear a lot of people compare their art to other people to get an audience. We all do it on some level at some time. “OH yeah, we sound like soundgarden meets the monkees” or whatever. But as you progress, you hopefully learn that none of that means a thing. If you’re really being honest, artistry is about being vulnerable and showing who you really are. If you don’t, people can see through that bullshit. You can get away with faking it for a bit, but people aren’t dumb and they will look right through your facade.
How do you define success?
The age old question. For me, being able to produce songs that someone else can relate to is success. Would I love Void King to get huge and tour forever? Of course I would. But as we get older, you’d be dumb not to readjust the goals and be super frank with yourself. I’m always going to play music in some capacity. On some level, that is success. But we all have day jobs. We all have bills to pay, families to take care of, and a myriad of other responsibilities. Music is going to be there. If someone wants to pay us to get out there full time, we’d go. Until then, our success means that we continue to write meaningful songs and try to create something of a cult.
What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?
I saw a motorcycle pass me going at least 140 mph on the freeway, get the speed wobbles, and get thrown into the overpass. He hit and slid like a cartoon character. But what fucked me up was watching his shoes fly off. I have no idea why that part sticks with me.
Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.
I am working on a solo record and I want to finish it up sooner than later. Void King is my main musical priority, but I have a lot of weird ass ideas with a lot of different instruments and I really want to get those ideas on wax. Some of my work team is in Turkey, and that music has had a big impact on me. I can’t wait to explore it further.
What do you believe is the most essential function of art?
To provoke a reaction. Whether it’s in the consumer or the artist, I love how art makes people feel. Literature, visual arts, music, etc, I love taking in new to me art. The world is a better place when people are arguing over if something is art or not. I actually love that discussion.
Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?
I’m finishing a book called Between Two Fires right now and I can’t wait to read the end. It’s a book about the black plague and a group’s journey through the French countryside. It is absolutely brutal, and every page is terrifying and perfect.
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 28th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
Eight shows, eight nights, no breaks. Cheers to Indianapolis doom-plus-sludge rockers Void King on getting out while the getting’s good to promote their 2019 offering, Barren Dominion (review here), and herald the coming of new music that, as they tell it, will hopefully be available at least digitally before they go. Does that mean a new album? I’d think probably not, if only because if there was a full-length on the way, the “brand new music for you to have digitally” would probably say “brand new album” instead, but as they head through this run of Midwestern and Southeastern tour dates between the end of Sept. and the beginning of Oct., I’m not one to quibble with an independent band doing a stretch on their own terms in 2022. We’re lucky this shit is happening at all.
This past weekend, Void King shared the stage with Wolftooth and Hudson Hill for what was apparently a banger at the Hi-Fi in their hometown, and that would seem to be what they’re talking about below when they reference “one of the best shows we’ve ever played,” just FYI. If they’re in the studio between now and the Sept. 24 start of these shows, one hopes they can carry some of that momentum with them.
From social media:
Void King – Midwest Live Dates
Ladies and gentlemen. To celebrate one of the best shows we’ve ever played, Void King is happy to announce our fall run of dates in the Midwest, west, and south parts of this lovely country.
Our goal is to have some brand new music for you to have digitally, and support that music through this humble tour of our wonderful countryside.
The dates can be found on the flyer. We will post specifics about bands and venues as the dates get nearer. If you live in one of these areas, please keep an eye out for those events.
Couldn’t be more excited to spread the word of the Void once more, and to start our cult in some new towns.
Void King live: 09/24 Tolono, IL 09/25 Lawrence, KS 09/26 Tulsa, OK 09/27 Ruston, LA 09/28 Memphis, TN 09/29 Atlanta, GA 09/30 Lexington, KY 10/01 Lafayette, IN
VOID KING is: Derek Felix – Percussion Chris Carroll – Bass Jason Kindred – Vocals Tommy Miller – Guitar
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 14th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
Good bill here. I assure you, I’m just about the last person you want to ask concerning anything to do with craft beer — even when I drank I was never that cool — but band-wise, you’ve got a lineup for Doom and Brews III that spans a decent portion of the Eastern Seaboard from the Mid-Atlantic up into New England and beyond. Indianapolis’ Void King will travel the farthest, while Yatra, from Maryland, and Book of Wyrms, from Richmond, Virginia, are set to headline, and alongisde Connecticut natives Curse the Son, Pinto Graham, Afghan Haze, Entierro, Bone Church and Mourn the Light, Clamfight, Thunderbird Divine, The Age of Truth and Almost Honest will be up from PA and Mother Iron Horse and Conclave come south from Massachusetts. Mark it a win.
Goes without saying that everything in existence is tentative, but here’s hoping this one happens. If you’ve been sitting on tickets for the affiliated New England Stoner & Doom Fest 3, you get in free here as well, so, you know, bonus.
Tickets on sale Aug. 6. Here’s info:
SCENE PRODUCTIONS and SALT OF THE EARTH RECORDS are extremely excited to announce the full lineup for DOOM & BREWS III
Altones Music Hall (Jewett City, CT)
November 12 & 13 marks the return of the infamous New England tradition DOOM & BREWS, a gathering of heavy riffs and amazing craft beers… this is an event not to be missed!
2 Days of some of the Best Doom bands in the Northeast & some of the Best Beer New England has to offer!
ATTENTION NESDF3 TICKETHOLDERS!!!!!!
If you purchased tickets to NESDF3 before 2021, you will be on guest list at the door as a thank you for your support and patience.
LINEUP: Friday, Nov. 12: Yatra, Bone Church, Mother Iron Horse, Entierro, Thunderbird Divine, Mourn the Light, Almost Honest
Saturday, Nov. 13: Book of Wyrms, Curse the Son, Conclave, Clamfight, The Age of Truth, Void King, Pinto Graham, Afghan Haze
Posted in Reviews on September 30th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Call two friends and tell them to tell two friends to tell two friends, because the Quarterly Review has returned. This time around, it’s 50 records front to back for Fall 2019 and there are some big names and some smaller names and a whole lot of in between which is just how I like it. Between today and Friday, each day 10 album reviews will be posted in a single batch like this one, and although by Wednesday this always means I’m totally out of my mind, it’s always, always, always worth it to be able to write about so much cool stuff. So sit tight, because there’s a lot to get through and, as ever, time’s at a premium.
Thanks in advance for keeping up, and I hope you find something you dig.
Quarterly Review #1-10:
Monkey3, Sphere
It’s a full-on Keanu Reeves “whoa” when opening track “Spirals” kicks in on Monkey3‘s sixth album, Sphere (released by Napalm), and that’s by no means the last one on the cinematic six-tracker. The long-running Swiss mostly-instrumentalists have been consistently, persistently underappreciated throughout their career, but whether it’s the aural scope of guitar and keys in “Axis” or the swaps between intensity and sprawl in 14-minute closer “Ellipsis,” their latest work is consuming in its sense of triumph. Even the four-minute “Ida,” which seems at first like it’s barely going to be more than an interlude, finds a thread of majestic cosmic groove and rides it for the duration, while the proggy immersion of “Prism” and the harder drive of “Mass” — not to mention that shredding solo — make the middle of the record anything but a post-hypnosis dip. I won’t pretend to know if Sphere is the record that finally gets the Lausanne four-piece the respect they’ve already well deserved, but if it was, one could only say it was for good reason. Blends of heft, progressive craft, and breadth are rarely so resonant.
When you call your record Mount Crushmore, you need to bring it, and much to their credit, Baltimorean sludge-rocking five-piece Asthma Castle do precisely that on their debut full-length. Issued through Hellmistress Records, the 37-minute/six-track outing is a wordplay-laced pummeler that shows as much persona in its riffing and massive groove as it does in titles like “The Incline of Western Civilization” and “The Book of Duderonomy.” Trades between early-Mastodonic twists and lumbering sludge crash add a frenetic and unpredictable feel to pieces like the title-track, while “Methlehem” trades its plod for dual-guitar antics punctuated by metallic double-kick, all the while the vocals trade back and forth between growls, shouts, cleaner shouts, the odd scream, etc., because basically if you can keep up with it, Asthma Castle wouldn’t be doing their job. One shudders to think of the amount of Natty Bo consumed during its making, but Mount Crushmore is a wild and cacophonous enough time to live up to the outright righteousness of its title. If I graded reviews, it would get a “Fuckin’ A+,” with emphasis on “fuckin’ a.”
Some day the world will wake up and realize the rock and roll powerhouse it had in Brooklyn’s The Giraffes, but by then it’ll be too late. The apocalypse will have happened long ago, and it’ll be Burgess Meredith putting on a vinyl of Flower of the Cosmos in the New York Library as “FAKS” echoes out through the stacks of now-meaningless tomes and the dust of nuclear winter falls like snow outside the windows. The band’s tumultuous history is mirrored in the energy of their output, and yet to hear the melody and gentle fuzz at the outset of “Golden Door,” there’s something soothing about their work as well that, admittedly, “Raising Kids in the End Times” is gleeful in undercutting. Cute as well they pair that one with “Dorito Dreams” on this, their seventh record in a 20-plus-year run, which has now seen them find their footing, lose it, find it again, and in this record and songs like the masterfully frenetic “Fill up Glass” and the air-tight-tense “Like Hate” and “Romance,” weave a document every bit worthy of Mr. Meredith’s attention as he mourns for the potential of this godforsaken wasteland. Oh, what we’ll leave behind. Such pretty ruins.
In the fine tradition of heavy rock as grown-up punk, North Carolina’s Bask bring progressive edge and rolling-Appalachian atmospherics to the underlying energy of III, their aptly-titled and Season of Mist-issued third album. Their foot is in any number of styles, from Baroness-style noodling to a hard twang that shows up throughout and features prominently on the penultimate “Noble Daughters II – The Bow,” but the great triumph of III, and really the reason it works at all, is because the band find cohesion in this swath of influences. They’re a band who obviously put thought into what they do, making it all the more appropriate to think of them as prog, but as “Three White Feet” and “New Dominion” show at the outset, they don’t serve any aesthetic master so much as the song itself. Closing with banjo and harmonies and a build of crash cymbal on “Maiden Mother Crone” nails the point home in a not-understated way, but at no point does III come across as hyper-theatrical so as to undercut the value of what Bask are doing. It’s a more patient album than it at first seems, but given time to breathe, III indeed comes to life.
Listening to the weighty rollout of opening cut “Bite the Ash” on Faerie Ring‘s debut album, The Clearing (on King Volume Records), one is reminded of the energy that once-upon-a-time came out of Houston’s Venomous Maximus. There’s a similar feeling of dark energy surging through the riffs and echoing vocals, but the Evansville, Indiana, four-piece wind up on a different trip. Their take is more distinctly Sabbathian on “Lost Wind” and even the swinging “Heavy Trip” lives up to its stated purpose ahead of the chugging largesse of finisher “Heaven’s End.” They find brash ground on “The Ring” and the slower march of “Somnium,” but there’s metal beneath the lumbering and it comes out on “Miracle” in a way that the drums late in “Lost Wind” seem to hint toward on subsequent listens. It’s a mix of riff-led elements that should be readily familiar to many listeners, but the sheer size and clarity of presentation Faerie Ring make throughout The Clearing makes me think they’ll look to distinguish themselves going forward, and so their first record holds all the more potential for that.
Begun as the solo-project of London-based multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Mark Walker and presently a trio including Louis Kinder and Jonathan Walker as well, Desert Sands make their recorded debut through A Records with the three-song/half-hour The Ascent EP, a work of psychedelic existentialism that conveys its cosmic questioning even before the lyrics start, with an opening riff and rhythmic lurch to “Are You There” that seems to throw its central query into a void that either will or won’t answer. Does it? The hell should I know, but The Ascent proves duly transcendent in its pulsations as “Head Towards the Light” and 11:45 closer “Yahweh” — yeah, I guess we get there — bring drifting, languid enlightenment to these spiritual musings. The finale is, of course, a jam in excelsis and if drop-acid-find-god is the narrative we’re working with, then Desert Sands are off to a hell of a start as a project. Regardless of how one might ultimately come down (and it is, by my estimation at least, a comedown) on the question of human spirituality, there’s no denying the power and ethereal force of the kind of creativity on display in The Ascent. One will wait impatiently to see what comes next.
Say what you want about New Orleans or North Carolina or wherever the hell else, Midwestern sludge is another level of filth. To wit, the Carcass-style vocals that slice through the raw, dense riffing on “Aspirate on Aspirations” feel like the very embodiment of modern disillusion, and there’s some flourish of melodic guitar pluck there, but that only seems to give the ensuing crunch more impact, and likewise the far-back char of “Freezing in Fire” as it relates to the subsequent “Dead Idles,” as Cavalcade refute the trappings of genre in tempo while still seeming to burrow a hole for themselves in the skull of the converted. “Noose Tie” and “We Dig Our Own Graves” tell the story, but while the recording itself is barebones, Cavalcade aren’t now and never really have been so simple as to be a one-trick band. For more than a decade, they’ve provided a multifaceted and trickily complex downer extremity, and Sonic Euthanasia does this as well, bringing their sound to new places and new levels of abrasion along its punishing way. Easy listening? Shit. You see that eye on the cover? That’s the lizard people staring back at you. Have fun with that.
Long Island chug-rockers Restless Spirit would seem to have been developing the material for their self-released debut album, Lord of the New Depression, over the last couple years on a series of short releases, but the songs still sound fresh and electrified in their vitality. If this was 1992 or ’93, they’d be signed already to RoadRacer Records and put on tour with Life of Agony, whose River Runs Red would seem to be a key influence in the vocals of the nine-track/39-minute offering, but even on their own, the metal-tinged five-piece seem to do just fine. Their tracks are atmospheric and aggressive and kind, and sincere in their roll, capturing the spirit of a band like Down with somewhat drawn-back chestbeating, “Dominion” aside. They seem to be challenging themselves to push outside those confines though in “Deep Fathom Hours,” the longest track at 7:35 with more complexity in the melody of the vocals and guitar, and that suits them remarkably well as they dig into this doomly take on LOA and Type O Negative and others from the early ’90s NYC underground — they seem to pass on Biohazard, which is fine — made legendary with the passage of time. As a gentleman of a certain age, I find it exceptionally easy to get on board.
An eight-piece outfit based in Arvika, Sweden, which is far enough west to be closer to Oslo than Stockholm, Children of the Sün blend the classic heavy rock stylizations of MaidaVale, first-LP Blues Pills and others with a decidedly folkish bent. Including an intro, their The Sign Records debut album, Flowers, is eight track and 34 minutes interweaving organ and guitar, upbeat vibes and bluesier melodies, taking cues from choral-style vocals on “Emmy” in such a way as to remind of Church of the Cosmic Skull, though the aesthetic here is more hippie than cult. The singing on “Sunschild” soars in that fashion as well, epitomizing the lush melody found across Flowers as the keys, guitar, bass and drums work to match in energy and presence. For a highlight, I’d pick the more subdued title-track, which still has its sense of movement thanks to percussion deep in the mix but comes arguably closest to the flower-child folk Children of the Sün seem to be claiming for their own, though the subsequent closing duo of “Like a Sound” and “Beyond the Sun” aren’t far off either. They’re onto something. One hopes they continue to explore in such sünshiny fashion.
Having made their debut with 2016’s There is Nothing (discussed here), Indianapolis downtrodden heavy rock four-piece Void King come back for a second go with Barren Dominion (on Off the Record Label), a title of similar theme that finds them doom riffing through massive tonality on “Burnt at Both Ends,” asking what if Soundgarden played atmospheric doom rock on “Crippled Chameleon” — uh, it would be awesome? yup — and opening each side with its longest track (double immediate points) in a clearly intended vinyl structure hell bent on immersing the listener as much as possible in the lumber and weight the band emit. Frontman Jason Kindred adds extra burl to his already-plenty-dudely approach on “Crippled Chameleon” and closer “The Longest Winter,” the latter with some harmonies to mirror those of opener “A Lucid Omega,” and the band around him — bassist Chris Carroll, drummer Derek Felix and guitarist Tommy Miller — seem to have no trouble whatsoever in keeping up, there or anywhere else on the eight-song/46-minute outing. Topped with striking cover art from Diogo Soares, Barren Dominion is deceptively nuanced and full-sounding. Not at all empty.
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 7th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
Last I heard from Indianapolis’ Void King, they were taking off for Europe to support their first album, There is Nothing (discussed here), alongside Louisiana’s Boudain. Good company. The four-piece will present their second record through Off the Record Label on Sept. 13 and they’re streaming the with-burl-to-spare closing track “The Longest Winter” from it now, showcasing a somewhat darker take on the heavy vibes of the prior offering. They opted to have Bongripper‘s guitarist master the thing, which will no doubt account for some of the inherent volume involved, but one way or the other, it’s a pretty fierce groove they’ve locked in. I haven’t had the chance yet to dig into the full release, but certainly what “The Longest Winter” has to offer is an encouraging argument to do so.
The PR wire brings art, gets informative, rocks out, like this:
U.S. Stoner Doom and Roll Practitioners VOID KING Releasing ‘Barren Dominion’ September 13 on Off The Record
Stoner Doom and Roll practitioners VOID KING are proud to announce the forthcoming release of sophomore album Barren Dominion on Off The Record. On Barren Dominion, the band has harnessed raw emotion and embraced a darker, heavier sound to express three years of personal and group struggles and victories.
Barren Dominion will be available for mass consumption on September 13 via voidking.bandcamp.com/ and all major digital platforms, as well as on CD. A vinyl release is planned to follow at a later date.
“At the heart of it, this record is who we are. Jason and I have been through some pretty trying times in the last couple of years and managed to rise above it all”, says guitar player Tommy Miller. “I wouldn’t go so far to call this a concept record, but there is a theme running through the entire thing.”
Barren Dominion was recorded with Bloomington, IN artist Niko Albanese, and mastered by Dennis Pleckham of Comatose studios and guitarist for the band BONGRIPPER. “We needed people working on this record that understood not just the sound that we were going for, but also the vibe that we wanted to hit. Dennis and Niko really hit that perfectly on both fronts”, says drummer of VOID KING, Derek Felix. “We talked a lot about making sure that this record was massive. Between recording the drums in an empty warehouse and having the guitar player from BONGRIPPER master the record, I would say that this album is exactly what we were looking for.”
Track Listing: 1. A Lucid Omega 2. Leftover Savages 3. Burnt At Both Ends 4. of Whip And Steed 5. Temples Made of Bone 6. Learning From The Ashes 7. Crippled Chameleon 8. The Longest Winter
Album Credits: Recorded/Mixed – Niko Albanese Mastering – Comatose Studios Album Art – Soares Artwork
VOID KING is: Derek Felix – Percussion Chris Carroll – Bass Jason Kindred – Vocals Tommy Miller – Guitar
Posted in Whathaveyou on March 4th, 2019 by JJ Koczan
The first lineup announcement from Pittsburgh-based Descendants of Crom III is a doozy. The headliners are apparently still to be announced — though would anyone complain if Solace or Valkyrie headlined a night? — but between them and the likes of Irata, Argus, Backwoods Payback and Foghound, it’s already shaping up to be a killer three-dayer this September. Awesome to see Sun Voyager on this bill and the likes of Void King and Fox 45 getting a look. Pale Grey Lore might even have their new record out by then — Solace too, for that matter — but either way, there’s a lot here to dig immediately, and of course for this kind of announcement that’s the whole point.
They’re selling early-bird tickets this month, so you know, get out that calendar and add another one to your already-absolutely-slammed festival schedule. It’s madness, but, you know, the good kind of madness. Here’s hoping the universe doesn’t collapse between now and then.
Thus-far confirmations follow, as per social media:
DESCENDANTS OF CROM III – Announces 2019 Event For Sept. 20-22; Bands Incl. VALKYRIE, BACKWOODS PAYBACK + More!
– A GATHERING OF THE HEAVY UNDERGROUND – – SEPTEMBER 20-22, 2019 – – STEEL CITY, USA –
The third annual DESCENDANTS OF CROM will be held once again in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, spanning the weekend of September 20th. The PGH underground scene of heavy rock and metal is healthy and thriving and the location is perfect. Feeding great regional bands to a hungry crowd and serving up internationally legendary fan-favorites to entice music lovers in the door to experience these amazing local artists.
Descendants of Crom came out of the gates running with the first event in 2017, becoming a strong contender among other established regional music festivals. The 2019 events begin on Friday, September 20th, with a Pre-Gala evening at Howlers, followed by two full-day events on Saturday and Sunday at Cattivo.
Shy Kennedy has once again hand-picked and curated a beautiful mixture of acts for Descendants Of Crom III. While a few more updates will complete the lineup for the full schedule of events over the weekend, a most incredible roster of bands is included today. All are invited to become part of the experience at the 2019 Pre-Gala and Weekend Events!
Lineup so far: Solace Valkyrie Argus Irata Backwoods Payback Enhailer Icarus Witch Brimstone Coven Foghound Kingsnake Sun Voyager Witchkiss Leather Lung Frayle Tines Spacelord Pillärs PALE GREY LORE Lightning Born NIGHT VAPOR Pyrithe Riparian Fox 45 Void King Official: COMA Action Camp White Alice Old Dream Motometer
