Posted in Whathaveyou on May 18th, 2023 by JJ Koczan
I don’t feel the need to even really say anything here. The lineup speaks for itself. And those who go to this year’s RippleFest Texas will also speak of it, for years, probably in a similar way people now talk about having been at this or that Emissions From the Monolith when that was going on in Ohio. The stuff of legend, in other words. Yeah, you can put on a fest and try to make it cool and fun, or you can do something like this and make it the highlight of everybody who attends’ year.
Kudos to Lick of My Spoon Productions and Ripple Music on a job well done. This will be something special. Bands have been leaked out one at a time at intermittent daily intervals, but the final lineup is out as of today, and it’s stunning. A blend of generations, a reach from on end of the country to the other, and a swath of the heavy underground all rallied in one place for a few days, pre- and after-parties included. Fucking a. If you’re attending, count yourself lucky.
As seen on socials:
Here it is! The full lineup for RippleFest Texas #3! This will be one for the ages with a stacked lineup and lots of special treats in between. Get your tickets now!
Amazing art by @1horsetown
* playing the Pre-Party + playing the Afterparty
King Buffalo, Acid King, Brant Bjork Trio, Sasquatch, Wo-Fat, Fatso Jetson, Mondo Generator, Unida, The Well+, The Atomic Bitchwax, Telekinetic Yeti*, Duel, Forming the Void, Hippie Death Cult, High Desert Queen*, Avon, War Cloud, Rubber Snake Charmers, Spirit Mother+, Kind, Nick Oliveri, Thunder Horse, Royal Sons+, Restless Spirit*, (Big) Pig, Fostermother, Dead Feathers+, Rainbows Are Free, Warlung*, Sun Voyager, Red Mesa, Dunes, Tia Carrera+, Mr. Plow, The Heroine*, Michael Rudolph Cummings, The Absurd+, GoodEye*, Red Beard Wall, God Damn Good Time Band+
Plus a “Legends of the Desert and Friends” jam session to close out Saturday night!
And as always, the visuals by The Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show
All-Access passes are SOLD OUT! All we have left are 2 Day Passes and Pre/Afterparty tickets available. Many more bands to be announced! Get your tickets now before the full lineup is revealed and the ticket price goes up!
Posted in Whathaveyou on January 31st, 2023 by JJ Koczan
A note to anyone who’s perhaps gone numb with the glut of tour announcements — not to mention Heavy Psych Sounds news — these last couple weeks as the year has begun to unfurl: This tour is happening sooner than most. A lot of what’s come down the PR wire of late has been stuff for Spring, or at least March. One struggles to keep up. This is for February, and it starts this week because — holy shit — so does February. There are still a couple dates TBA, which, hey, happens, and I’ve no doubt Kadabra and WarLung can happen into a gig somewhere between Germany and France over the course of those three days, but if you’ve got access to a show and can help, of course you’re encouraged to do so.
Kadabra will also play Heavy Psych Sounds Fest in California this March (WarLung played last year), and they head abroad supporting their a-little-under-the-radar-but-so-damn-good 2021 debut album, Ultra (review here), a follow-up to which would likely be impending sooner or later because if the band didn’t have any interest in continuing they probably wouldn’t bother going to Europe in the first place. WarLung in 2022 released Vulture’s Paradise (review here), their fourth album and a marked step forward in their blend of immersive breadth and structured, forward-delivered heavy. The two acts will complement each other well on stage. Safe travels to all.
From the PR wire:
Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking is proud to announce *** KADABRA + WARLUNG European Tour ***
– a massive heavy fuzz experience –
03.02.2023 IT Torino-Blah Blah 04.02.2023 IT Trieste-Kulturni Doom Prosek 05.02.2023 IT Bologna-Freakout 06.02.2023 HR Pula-Monte Paradiso 07.02.2023 TBA 08.02.2023 SL Ilirska Bistrica-MKNŽ 09.02.2023 AT Wien-Arena Beisl 10.02.2023 AT Ebensee-Kino 11.02.2023 DE Jena-KuBa 12.02.2023 TBA 13.02.2023 TBA 14.02.2023 TBA 15.02.2023 FR La Clusaz-Namass Pamouss x Le Lion d’Or 16.02.2023 FR Montpellier-Secret Place 17.02.2023 IT Parma-Splinter Club 18.02.2023 TBA 19.02.2023 IT Pescara-Scumm
KADABRA is Garrett Zanol (Vocals/Guitar) Ian Nelson (Bass) Chase Howard (Drums)
WARLUNG is George Baba: Guitar/Vocals Philip Bennett: Guitar/Vocals Chris Tamez: Bass Ethan Tamez: Drums
Houston, Texas, four-piece Warlung will release their fourth album, Vulture’s Paradise, on Nov. 4 through Heavy Psych Sounds. It is the follow-up to later-2020’s Optical Delusions (review here) and brings nine new cuts that have clearly learned some lessons from that prior outing. “Sky Burial” (video premiering below) serves as the first single from the record, and it seems to push further along the lines of the focus on melody and hookmaking that songs like “Sun Eater” from Optical Delusions wrought, the guitars of George Baba and Philip Bennett harmonizing in readily grandiose fashion as a setup for the harmonized vocals of the chorus, resting easily on the midtempo groove from bassist Chris Tamez and drummer Ethan Tamez, whose flow extends even into the dreamy-vocal pickup prior to the solo as the halfway point leads into the back end of the song.
It’s an easy record to get lost in, or at least it would be if Warlung weren’t such skillful songwriters. Immersion and go-go-go rock and roll play out sans conflict in their sound — they do not come across like they’re competing with each other, but all working together to serve the ends of their songs — and like their work more generally, they make tonal largesse a backdrop across Vulture’s Paradise cuts like the edging-on-doom title-track and the Sabbath-meets-Styx-combo-you-know-you-always-wanted-to-hear “Demonocracy,” which follow ahead of the more direct, urgent riffing of “Return of the Warlords,” calling back to opener “Hypatia” while expanding the palette of the album overall. On that backdrop, they dance the swing of “Grave Marauders” with a pop-derived-but-not-pop ethic of craft, downing shots of ’80s metal with a ’70s rock chaser while eating mushrooms from a future that’s brighter whether they want to admit it or not.
Coming across at the outset of “Hypatia” like an American answer to London’s Green Lung, the sense of control and of the band knowing who they are and what they want to do is writ large over Vulture’s Paradise, and so help me gawd, I’ll give bonus points forever to “Caveman Blues” for the lyrics, “I’m a Stone Age stoner/I hunt and gather shrooms,” as well as for the organ that accompanies the memorable start-stop verse riff and what may or may not’ve been an inadvertent Phil Hartman reference (think ‘Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer’). Because there’s no substitute for stoner charm in heavy rock and roll. The penultimate “Worship the Void” goes deeper into guitar-forward stylization, finding the line between airy stretch-out and terrestrial riffing and then setting up shop there for its catchy four-minute duration, while closer “Runes” seems to start with highway sounds before starting a slow, from-the-ground-up linear build that underscores the melodic purpose throughout the songs prior and the progressivism in terms of arrangement that’s made the record likewise intriguing conceptually and utterly listenable.
At the risk of getting to the point, Warlung sound a like a band ready to make their mark. I don’t know what their tour plans are, even within Texas let alone the rest of the USA or beyond, but the material they present on Vulture’s Paradise is their most accomplished work to-date and deserves as much support as they can give it — something that, of course, couldn’t have happened for Optical Delusions given its timing. It’s a big universe and there are infinite possibilities at any given moment, but if you’re still reading this, I have a hard time imagining Vulture’s Paradise not leaving an impression. They could make a single out of any of its tracks and you wouldn’t call them wrong, but there’s still a flow across the 43-minute entirety that serves them gorgeously in highlighting their chemistry and sonic reach.
To wit as regards that flow, I didn’t even intend to review the album right now. This was a news post when I started out. Here we are. I guess I just got pulled in by Vulture’s Paradise. You should know that might happen.
Enjoy “Sky Burial.” Album preorders are up as of today, as per the PR wire below.
Here goes:
Warlung, “Sky Burial” video premiere
Warlung – Vulture’s Paradise
RELEASE DATE : 4TH NOVEMBER 2022 PRESALE STARTS JULY 27TH
“As our forthcoming record, we knew we had to go big on Vulture’s Paradise,” says the band. “These songs found the perfect balance of a raw, live sound and psychedelia. Though the lyrical themes revolve around death and destruction, the music is more alive and creative than ever.”
WARLUNG is a Texas rock band formed by longtime friends and brothers in 2016. Inspired by the sounds of old, they wrote heavy, catchy songs with a psychedelic twist.
By February 2017, they recorded their debut album, Sleepwalker, which was self-released the following fall. Playing festivals such as End Hip End It Fest and opening for acts like Wo Fat and Dead Meadow, they quickly gained a cult following around Texas. Less than a year later, they entered the studio to record their second album, Immortal Portal, released in February 2019. They continued to host various breweries and festivals like SXSW, and quickly became a fan favorite within the local rock community. Their audience grew as they opened for bands such as High Reeper, Forming the Void and King Buffalo.
In February 2020, they began production on their third album, Optical Delusions. They teamed up with Heavy Psych Sounds to release the new album in October 2020.
AVAILABLE IN: 15 TEST PRESS – 12″ VINYL 100 ULTRA LTD COLOR-IN-COLOR TRANSPARENT / RED SPLATTER BLUE – 12″ VINYL 400 LTD ORANGE – 12″ VINYL BLACK – 12″ VINYL DIGIPAK CD 6 PANELS
Tracklisting: 1. Hypatia 2. Sky Burial 3. Vulture’s Paradise 4. Demonocracy 5. Return of the Warlords 6. Grave Marauders 7. Caveman Blues 8. Worship the Void 9. Runes
All music written and performed by WARLUNG. Recorded by Jacob Rodriguez at King Benny’s House of Sound. Mixed by Jeff Henson and assisted by Jeff Klein at Red Nova Ranch. Mastered by Alberto de Icaza. Artwork by Meike Hakkaart (Art of Maquenda).
Warlung are: Guitar/vox – George Baba Guitar /vox – Philip Bennett Bass – Chris Tamez Drums – Ethan Tamez
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 14th, 2022 by JJ Koczan
You don’t need much more here than the list of bands, which is its own excuse for being. Italian label Heavy Psych Sounds returns to the States at the end of next month with Heavy Psych Sounds Fests in Los Angeles and San Francisco. With the day-splits announced, you get a little more sense of how the two nights in two cities will function (it’s not an insignificant drive from one to the other, mind you) and share bands, but any way you go, you don’t lose, whether you’re looking at Dead Meadow and Weedeater headlining, the appearances of long-running acts like 16 and Danava and Nebula, or relative newcomers in Kadabra or Mountain Tamer and others from the label’s ever-expanding roster of talent.
It’s a fucking solid two day lineup. Doesn’t look completely overwhelming. Looks like a party, which is exactly what I expect it will be for those fortunate enough to be in attendance. Maybe that’s you. If so, cheers. I hear Bongzilla like it if you bring them weed.
From the PR wire:
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST CALIFORNIA 2022 – DAY SPLITS LINE UP
– feat. DEAD MEADOW, WEEDEATER, THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, BONGZILLA, NEBULA, DANAVA and many more –
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS in cooperation with SUBLIMINAL SF and SOS BOOKING present:
HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST CALIFORNIA 2022
28 & 29 May
(Memorial Day weekend)
LOS ANGELES @ 1720 Club
SATURDAY, MAY 28th
DEAD MEADOW DANAVA NEBULA HIPPIE DEATH CULT 16 KADABRA MOUNTAIN TAMER
SUNDAY, MAY 29th
WEEDEATER BONGZILLA THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX HIGH REEPER WARLUNG THE FREEKS JD PINKUS HIGH TON SON OF A BITCH
SAN FRANCISCO @ Openair at Thee Parkside
SATURDAY, MAY 28th
WEEDEATER BONGZILLA THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX HOT LUNCH HIGH REEPER WARLUNG JD PINKUS HIGH TON SON OF A BITCH
SUNDAY, MAY 29th
DEAD MEADOW DANAVA NEBULA HIPPIE DEATH CULT 16 KADABRA MOUNTAIN TAMER DISASTROID
Been a while, right? I can’t even remember what the last ‘The Obelisk Presents’ gig might’ve been, and to be honest I’d rather not make myself sad by looking it up. And let’s be clear: No, I’m not 100 percent certain that Heavy Mash Fest 2021 will happen on Oct. 2. I’m not 100 percent certain of the state that Texas, the entire United States, or the world at large will be in by the time October, or September, or a week from now comes around. And further, I’m not advocating you go if you’re uncomfortable entering a public setting. I’m not about to punk-rock-guilt anyone into leaving the house when they don’t want to do so. You need to decide where you stand on all that stuff, and any position you might take, for whatever reason, is valid. Unless you’ve refused a Covid vaccine. Then you’re dumb.
That said, I’ve supported Heavy Mash for years now, and Mark Kitchens (also of Stone Machine Electric and Slow Draw) has put together an awesome lineup with Rainbows are Free coming down from Oklahoma, Hippie Death Cult slated to travel all the way from Portland, Oregon, as well as Texas natives Monte Luna, Warlung, Holy Death Trio, Temptress and Summit. It’s a good show. I wish I could be there for it. I wish a lot of things. One way or the other, I’m happy to continue my association with the event by getting behind it in this admittedly small way. If you can make it — emphasis on “can” — I do not think you’ll come out the other end regretting it.
Full lineup announcement follows. Go with my best wishes, and probably a mask:
Heavy Mash – October 2nd, 2021
We are pleased to announce this year’s Heavy Mash! After a long year of no live show and not having Heavy Mash in 2020, our great friend Wade hosts this event at Division Brewing/Growl Records in Arlington, TX on October 2nd, 2021. Nothing but heavy music and great beer! Here is this year’s line-up:
Rainbows Are Free Warlung Temptress Monte Luna Hippie Death Cult Holy Death Trio Summit
Division Brewing, Growl Records, The Obelisk, Tokemage, and Fistful of Doom podcast sponsor this event. Big thanks to these folks for helping this event to flourish!
Posted in Bootleg Theater on February 4th, 2021 by JJ Koczan
If you’re going to do a departure, then depart. Warlung‘s third LP and second for Heavy Psych Sounds, Optical Delusions (review here), came out in Oct. 2020 and “Sun Eater” closed side A. In so doing, it followed the classic heavy rock/metal stylings of “Phantasmagoria,” the bigger-riffed “The Scorpion in the Sand” and the sub-three-and-a-half-minute catchy run that was “Snake Eyes.” As such, its melody-forward drift, ethereal and semi-progressive unfolding was an immediate left-turn. You kept waiting for the track, which runs just under six minutes long, to burst out in volume and harder-impact fare.
Much to the credit of “Sun Eater” and the Houston-based Warlung as a whole, that never happens. Though the drums telegraph some tension in keeping the proceedings moving, “Sun Eater” nestles itself into that languid groove and remains there for the duration, giving guitarist/vocalists George Baba and Philip Bennett space to develop the richest melodies on Optical Delusions while the brotherly rhythm section of bassist Chris and drummer Ethan Tamez ensure the procession doesn’t fall apart or get lost in its own wash. The lyrics, as noted below, center around Egyptian mythology, and the subtle chant of the chorus, infectious as it is, carries that spirit of reverence as well.
The video was filmed by Bennett and features Baba walking around the desert and singing the song while the two went camping. According to the map, Big Bend National Park, which is on the Mexican border and toward the western side of Texas, is about eight and a half hours from Houston, so yeah, they were out there. Heck of a drive to shoot a video, even in such seeming spontaneous fashion, but you can’t argue with the backdrop Baba‘s walking around in. Some trippy effects on there and flowing rhythmic editing, and it works.
You’ll find the “Sun Eater” clip premiering below, followed by a few words from the band.
Please enjoy:
Warlung, “Sun Eater” official video premiere
SAYS THE BAND: “Sun Eater is about the ancient religion of Atenism. It is sung in the narrative of Pharaoh Akhenaten and describes his adoration of the solar disk…the Aten. Sun Eater was filmed out in Big Bend National park in the Texas desert. George and Phil took a trek to camp out and clear the mind, while out their they decided to film the scenery and take shots of George singing the song. After editing the video we decided to collaborate with Palantir Visuals where they took the kaleidoscope effect to new levels.”
CREDITS: Guitar/vox – George Baba Guitar /vox – Philip Bennett Bass – Chris Tamez Drums – Ethan Tamez
Camera – Philip Bennett Visual effects – Malichi Cull at Palantir Visuals
Posted in audiObelisk on July 29th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
Houston, Texas, four-piece Warlung will make their debut on Heavy Psych Sounds Oct. 9 with Optical Delusions, their third full-length. The follow-up to 2019’s Immortal Portal (review here), it finds the four-piece roaring back with a more developed approach, shades of classic metal’s theatricality blending with a modern heavy rock tonal presence and thrust of groove. It is 39 minutes long and runs eight tracks, so is right in line with current vinyl standards, but there’s a sense of storytelling that grabs the listener from opener “Phantasmagoria” onward and becomes as essential to the proceedings as the riffs and grooves. Primarily, it is tight. Tight in construction, tight in performance, tight in production. There are patient stretches here and there, as in “Sun Eater,” which closes side A ahead of the seemingly-complementary hook of “Order of the Solar Temple” at the outset of the album’s second half, but Warlung bring cuts like “The Scorpion in the Sand,” “Snake Eyes,” “Hell on Earth” (bonus for the bassline circa 2:30) and mega-catchy closer “No Man’s Land” to bear with a sense of urgency that serves the material well, the rhythm section of Chris and Ethan Tamez, on bass and drums, respectively, providing backing gallop behind the twisting riffs and dual-vocals of George Baba and Philip Bennett.
Replete with on-a-dime turns that recall the deceptive intricacy of Sabbath‘s bluesier work, there’s a traditionalism at play behind what Warlung are doing with their songs, but they are by no means bound by a vintage mindset. Some might hear shades of Ghost here and there in the vocal melodies, but I get as much Rush, and either way, Warlung are hitting plenty harder, so take that for whatever it’s worth. Still, Baba and Bennett make a fitting pair vocally when they come together and there’s a sense of arriving at a place of arrangement that drives the apex of “Phantasmagoria” just as the solo in “Devil’s Game” reinforces the first-three-records Ozzy Osbourne impression being made in the midsection by following it with due pull. There are plenty of hallmark solos throughout — “Order of the Solar Temple” seems to nod at Deep Purple — but more than any particular feats of technical acumen, Warlung come across of songwriters, and much the same was true of Immortal Portal, which like their 2017 debut, Sleepwalker, will also see reissue on Heavy Psych Sounds. Currents of organ — or at very least organ-ish — melody run alongside the two guitars in “Sun Eater,” one sharper in tone, one further back, but both careening smoothly, and with the deep-toned bass beneath and the solid punctuation of the drums, Warlung are able to construct a fluidity that coincides with their dynamic changes in volume and/or meter, enhancing the experience of hearing both individual songs and Optical Delusions as a whole.
“Snake Eyes” and “Hell on Earth” — which are also the shortest cuts on each respective side — might be the barn-burners, relatively speaking, but don’t be fooled into thinking Warlung are keeping it so simple as that. It only sounds easy. “Devil’s Game” and “No Man’s Land” might finish out at a more moderate pace, but neither is staid in any way, and the same goes for earlier pieces like “The Scorpion in the Sand” and certainly “Phantasmagoria,” which is responsible for giving Optical Delusions its initial kick, hinting toward a progressive mindset but unwilling to relinquish the edge they might have to give up to fully indulge one. Again, these guys are songwriters. They’re in it for the songs, and if you’re going to get into it, the same applies. It is very much a third record in that the group sounds confident in the studio and aware of who they are as a band, but that their realization comes without any dulling of the basic impact of the material itself. If this is heavy metal, it’s heavy metal that recalls when heavy metal was fun.
You’ll find the premiere of “Phantasmagoria” below, followed by more info from the PR wire. Thanks to band, label and PR for letting me host.
Enjoy:
Warlung, “Phantasmagoria” official premiere
PHANTASMAGORIA is the second single of the Warlung brand new album Optical Delusions. The release will see the light October 9th via Heavy Psych Sounds !!
SAYS THE BAND: “Is it real or in my head? Phantasmagoria is about a man either haunted by a poltergeist or suffering from a serious case of optical delusions. On Optical Delusions, we found a middle ground between the classic horror theme of the first album and the rock n roll aspect of the second. We continued to experiment with song structures and changing tempos to keep the music dynamic and interesting. This album explores everything we have done before while guiding us into something new.”
WARLUNG is: George Baba: Guitar/Vocals Philip Bennett: Guitar/Vocals Chris Tamez: Bass Ethan Tamez: Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 24th, 2020 by JJ Koczan
I don’t know about you, but I take some measure of comfort in the fact that Italian imprint Heavy Psych Sounds has gone back to snag-mode. Last week the venerable label announced it had picked up Mountain Tamer (info here) and they’re following that up with Warlung from Houston, Texas. The four-piece have made a splash with their two records to-date, the latest of which, Immortal Portal (review here), was issued in 2019, and they’ll make their debut on Heavy Psych Sounds with their third overall LP, Optical Delusion, this October. I would expect preorder and album info to follow soon, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Warlung aren’t Heavy Psych Sounds‘ last announcement for the Fall season that seems to be catching up a bit from the last Spring and early Summer. The more the merrier.
News came down the PR wire:
Texas Heavy Rockers WARLUNG Sign Worldwide Deal With HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS!
Italy’s cult and fuzz rock label, Heavy Psych Sounds Records, is proud to welcome Texas heavy rock unit WARLUNG to their eclectic artist roster. Formed by longtime friends and brothers in 2016 and inspired by a vintage sound, WARLUNG create heavy, catchy songs with a psychedelic twist. Following the band’s sophomore, 2019- album Immortal Portal, the band will release their third full-length album titled Optical Delusions via Heavy Psych Sounds in October 2020!
“We are excited and honored to be a part of the Heavy Psych Sounds family.“ The band comments. “We couldn’t think of a better place that represents who we are. A special thanks to Gabe Fiori for giving us the opportunity to expand our music worldwide. We can’t wait to see where this road takes us!”
WARLUNG took the heavy rock world by storm in 2017 with the release of their debut album, Sleepwalker. Playing festivals such as End Hip End It Fest and opening for acts like Wo Fat and Dead Meadow, they quickly gained a cult following and high praise by both fans and critics alike.
Less than a year later, they entered the studio to record their second album, which was released in February 2019. WARLUNG continued to host various breweries and festivals alike SXSW, and quickly became a fan favorite within the local rock community and abroad. Their audience grew as they opened for bands such as High Reeper, Forming the Void or King Buffalo.
Their upcoming, hotly anticipated album, Optical Delusions, is slated for a release in October 2020, with a pre-sale to start on July 2nd with Heavy Psych Sounds. Watch out for many more news and album tunes to follow in the days ahead!
WARLUNG is: George Baba: Guitar/Vocals Philip Bennett: Guitar/Vocals Chris Tamez: Bass Ethan Tamez: Drums
