Today — I think maybe right now — Mos Generator release Forging Behind 2002-2012, a compilation LP of material taken from the decade listed. That covers the era from their 2002 self-titled debut (reissue review here) through 2005’s Nasoni-issued The Late Great Planet Earth, 2007’s Songs for Future Gods (which was on Roadburn Records and Small Stone), and their 2012 Ripple Music post-hiatus resurgence, Nomads (review here). Also included is the harmony-laced “Dyin’ Blues” from the 2007 10″ EP Tales From the Vault, which saw new life in 2021 as The Lantern (review here) on Argonauta Records. Long and winding road, as the fella said.

Its tracks assembled and newly mastered by founding guitarist/vocalist, producer and bandleader Tony Reed, the stated intention of Forging Behind 2002-2012 is to simplify Mos Generator‘s back catalog a bit for people just getting to know their work. In 2020, the Strange Powers comp LP did likewise for 2014’s Electric Mountain Majesty (review here), 2016’s Abyssinia (review here) and 2018’s Shadowlands (review here) — all three of which first came out on Listenable Records — which took them into the Mk. II lineup of Reed, bassist Sean Booth and drummer Jono Garrett. On Forging Behind, it’s all the original trio: Reed, bassist Scooter Haslip and drummer Shawn Johnson.

OKAY… That’s a lot of info. A lot of text in bold. A lot of ‘review here’ links. I get it. Densely packed. But something else you need to know going into Forging Behind is that the original trio lineup — the band that first made these songs; Mk. I — is still active. In the promo info below, Reed says all these songs are in rotation for the current live set. The Mk. II lineup? Also still active. That’s right, kids. Mos Generator have split the timeline. My understanding is both incarnations of Mos Generator are writing for new studio albums, which is a dizzying thought even in the context of Reed‘s generally furious work ethic. Their most recent studio LP, Time//Wounds (review here), came out in Dec. 2022.

So what Forging Behind 2002-2012 is also doing is giving background to whatever it might ultimately be that surfaces from the Reed, Haslip, Johnson three-piece, and providing a gateway for those who discovered the band after they came back in the 2010s to dig into the output from their original run. How it differs from 2008’s 2LP/CD comp Destroy! The Mos Generator 2001-2008 is of course the years it covers — Nomads didn’t exist yet and it’s become a landmark for them — the new master, and the idea of being curated around the songs they play now as a single-LP/DL release. 300 vinyls.

And if you do get the download version, one last thing to note is that it’s Reed‘s own vinyl rip, not a straight digital transfer. Probably took a little longer to get together, but a cool idea that not everybody would think of doing.

They remain a treasure of the American heavy rock underground:

Mos Generator Forging Behind 2002 – 2012

Forging Behind is a compilation of songs released between 2002 and 2012 and is kind of a “young person’s guide” to the early years of the band. Forging Behind can also be considered a companion album to Strange Powers released in 2020. Strange Powers was a compilation of songs from the three albums released on Listenable Records between 2014 and 2018 and together, these two albums make a comprehensive overview of highlights from the band’s career. All of the songs on Forging Behind are still in rotation in the current live set so this makes it easy for fans to choose an album to buy if they liked the set but aren’t familiar with the band.

Label: Music Abuse Records
Units pressed: 300
Vinyl colors: Black (no variants)

All sonic manipulations by Reed at ‘Vault’, Temple Sound, & HeavyHead Recording Co. between 2001 and 2012. Mastered by Reed at HeavyHead January 2024. Front cover art by Lex Waterreus. Artwork layout by #3. All songs written by Reed. Arranged by Mos Generator.

Side A
1. SILVER OLYMPUS (3:58)
(from the album Songs for Future Gods released September 2007)
2. DYIN’ BLUES (4:53)
(from the album Tales from the Vault released May 2007)
3. LONELY ONE KENOBI (single version) (4:28)
(from the album Nomads released October 2012)
4. ON THE EVE (promo edit) (5:44)
(from the album The Late Great Planet Earth released October 2005)

Side B
1. LUMBO ROCK (3:57)
(from the album Mos Generator released April 2002)
2. STEP UP (4:51)
(from the album Nomads released October 2012)
3. NANDV (3:37)
(from the album Songs for Future Gods released September 2007)
4. THIS IS THE GIFT OF NATURE (7:25)
(from the album Nomads released October 2012)

Mos Generator on Forging Behind:
TONY REED – guitar / vocals / keys
SHAWN JOHNSON – drums
SCOOTER HASLIP – bass

http://www.facebook.com/MosGenerator
https://www.instagram.com/mos_generator
http://www.mosgenerator.bandcamp.com
https://heavyheadsuperstore.storenvy.com/

Mos Generator, Forging Behind 2002-2012 promo video

Mos Generator, Forging Behind 2002-2012 (2024)

In addition to the dates the Spokane, Washington-based trio Merlock will do in April — including a stopthrough at Rocky Mountain Riff Fest in Kalispell, Montana — this May tour sees them dig deeper into the Midwestern region and follows a West Coast tour last summer in support of their debut LP, Onward Strides Colossus (review here). They’re calling it the ‘Calamities Tour,’ and as they note below, it’s the longest stretch of road time they’ve yet undertaken. I’m pretty sure that’s how ‘touring bands’ happen — by bands touring — so right on.

The tour is 16 dates with two days off. I don’t know that they have any intention of doing so, but between this and the prior July excursion, they’ll have covered the West Coast and Midwest, which leaves the eastern portion of the US as the last region to cover — unless you want to count Texas as its own region, which I think at least Texas probably does — in heralding their first record. Not a minor trip for a DIY band, even after a tour like this, but if you’re wondering what’s next, that doesn’t seem the least likely among the infinite possibilities.

Their announcement follows, as seen on social media:

Tour Announcement!

Proud to announce our upcoming conquest: The Calamities Tour this May. We’ll be heading through the Mid-US and a bit of the Mountains on our biggest tour to date. We’re also proud to have the support of some of our favorite brands on this one — lots of love and prep went into this and we’re so excited to be venturing forth. Thanks to everyone who has helped get this tour put together and we can’t wait to get out and meet y’all.

We’ve also got some rad stuff in April you won’t wanna miss. We’ve got a weekend with the mighty @empress_bc and an appearance and @rockymtnrifffest

MERLOCK is:
Taylor D. Waring – Guitar / Vox
Andrew Backes – Bass
Lucas Barrey – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/MerlockSpokane/
https://www.instagram.com/merlocklives/
https://merlock.bandcamp.com/
https://www.merlocklives.com/

Merlock, Onward Strides Colossus (2023)

I saw Kadabra one time a couple years ago, and you know what my first thought was when their set was finished? “Wow, I need to see this band again.” That was Psycho Las Vegas, and the Washington trio were supporting their first album, Ultra (review here), which came out on Heavy Psych Sounds in 2021.

Last year’s follow-up, Umbra (review here, also discussed here), outdid its predecessor on just about all fronts, sharpening the songcraft while expanding the sound, touching on garage doom and psych and stoner rock and cult horror and so on with a clarity of purpose in the mood of the material that was even more their own. It was number seven in my 2023 top 10, and it hasn’t gotten any less repeat-listenable since then in my experience.

This tour draws together previously announced confirmations for Maximum Festival, Desertfest Oslo, Desertfest London, and the two-night Heavy Psych Sounds Fest in Trieste and Bologna, Italy, and there are still some open dates if you can help out.

Dates as per the label’s socials:

*** KADABRA – European Tour 2024 ***

Hey all, we are stoked to announce that our fuzznrollerz KADABRA will tour Europe in May !!! STILL FEW OPEN SLOTS

*** KADABRA European Tour 2024 ***
TH. 25.04.24 IT PESCARA – SCUMM
FR. 26.04.24 IT SAVONA – RAINDOGS
SA. 27.04.24 IT ZERO BRANCO – MAXIMUM FESTIVAL
SU. 28.04.24 HR ZAGREB – MOCVARA
TU. 30.04.24 IT BOLZANO – PIPPO STAGE
WE. 01.05.24 IT MANTOVA – ARCI TOM
TH. 02.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT
FR. 03.05.24 IT TRIESTE – HPS FEST
SA. 04.05.24 IT BOLOGNA – HPS FEST
SU. 05.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
MO.06.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
TU. 07.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
WE. 08.05.24 DE MÜNSTER – RARE GUITAR
TH. 09.05.24 NL AMSTERDAM – DE TANKER
FR. 10.05.24 NO OSLO – DESERTFEST
SA. 11.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
SU. 12.05.24 UK SHEFFIELD – YELLOW ARCH STUDIO
MO. 13.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
TU. 14.05.24 UK BRIDGWATER – THE COBBLESTONES
WE. 15.05.24 UK DERBY – THE HAIRY DOG
TH. 16.05.24 UK LEEDS – BOOM
FR. 17.05.24 UK BRISTOL – THE GRYPHONE
SA. 18.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
SU. 19.05.24 UK LONDON – DESERFEST
TU. 21.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
WE. 22.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
TH. 23.05.24 ***OPEN SLOT***
FR. 24.05.24 FR NICE – ALTHERAX MUSIC
SA. 25.05.24 IT TORINO – BLAH BLAH
SU. 26.05.24 IT ROMA – GLITCH

Kadabra formed during the dark days of 2020 and were quickly signed by Heavy Psych Sounds, who released Ultra in the fall of 2021 and established the band’s penchant for delivering crushing doom riffs and haunting vocals accentuated by bursts of psychedelic flair and swampy Americana swagger. And while the chemistry of long-time friends Garrett Zanol (guitar/vocals), Ian Nelson (bass) and Chase Howard (drums) was apparent upon listening to their debut, their bond was further strengthened by relentlessly touring the western United States and completing a month-long tour of Europe.

The trio almost immediately began looking forward, road-testing and crystalizing the songs that would comprise their follow-up, which found the band reuniting with Ultra producer Dawson Scholz. The result is Umbra: a singular statement that is more focused and cohesive than its predecessor, while managing to capture the immersive, free-flowing experience of their live show. Umbra was released on October 6 via Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

KADABRA is:
Garrett Zanol (Vocals/Guitar)
Ian Nelson (Bass)
Chase Howard (Drums)

https://www.instagram.com/kadabra_band/
https://kadabraband.bandcamp.com/

heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS/
https://www.instagram.com/heavypsychsounds_records/

Kadabra, Umbra (2023)

This will be a thing I’ll enjoy owning. The Obelisk All-Dayer was an event I put together starting in 2015 for Aug. 20, 2016. It was held at the Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn. Heavy Temple and King Buffalo opened. Mars Red Sky headlined. Death Alley (now defunct), Kings Destroy and also-disbanded Ohio proggers EYE featured, and it was with a particular personal joy that Snail agreed to make the trek from their respective homes in Washington and Southern California to make their first East Coast appearance(s), playing Boston and Rhode Island as they made their way south to NYC.

I had been lucky enough to see Snail previously, on a 2010 trip to San Francisco (review here), where I also met the then-four-piece-now-trio for the first time, and I could gladly go on about how rad that was, but the bottom line is that even asking Snail to play was something I was doing as a fan of the band, and as they had released their stunning Feral (review here) LP in 2015, the timing couldn’t have been better.

It’s humbling to think it was special for them too. Most of all, I’m glad it happened and I’ll be glad to have this as a document of it. It’s digital-only for now, but I bet you could convince them to make some tapes if the downloads do well enough. We’ll see. Either way, I’m grateful it exists and for the kind thoughts the band express below.

Maybe 2026? I’ll think about it. For now, two tracks from Thou Art There are streaming below to mark the launch of preorders and the band’s 2021 LP, Fractal Altar (review here), is down there too in order to facilitate further digging.

So by all means, dig:

It was early Spring of 2016, and Snail had just come off the long-awaited release of Feral, when they got an email from JJ Koczan of the heavy psych blog The Obelisk. JJ was putting together a festival called ‘The Obelisk All-Dayer’ and wanted to know if they would be into playing. Without a second thought they were on board; this was destined to be a gathering of the tribes that no one wanted to miss!

Fans and bands came from all over – as far away as France – to play and be a part of it. This was Snail’s first tour on the East Coast, and the welcome couldn’t have been warmer. After playing shows in Boston and Rhode Island, Snail arrived at the club, devoured the catered veggie tacos and began meeting fans that they had only interacted with online. Everyone was so genuinely nice and positive, the music was HEAVY, and the energy in the club and city was electric.

Snail was exhilarated being on stage and playing for what felt like their “people.” Having loosened up with previous shows, they was now firing on all cylinders and vibing off the crowd. Seeing JJ head-banging in the front when the riff dropped for set closer ‘Thou Art That’ was like attaining heavy-music realization and the entire room resonated together.

So if you were there, we hope this recording puts you right back to that day and lives up to the memory. And if you weren’t, this is a chance to check out what all the fuss was about.
Thou Art There.

1. Blood (Live) 06:49
2. Cleanliness (Live)
3. Smoke the Deathless (Live)
4. Confessions (Live) 03:06
5. Mustard Seed (Live)
6. Hippy Crack (Live)
7. Mental Models (Live)
8. Thou Art That (Live)

Front of house engineer – Jeff Filmer
Mixing and mastering – Matt Lynch

Cover photo – Adam Donnelly
Additional cover image – Jennifer Hendrix-Johnson
Cover design – Matt Lynch

Snail are:
Marty Dodson – drums
Mark Johnson – guitar, vocals
Matt Lynch – bass, organ, vocals

www.snailhq.com
www.facebook.com/snailhq
https://www.instagram.com/snail_hq/
https://snailhq.bandcamp.com/

Snail, Thou Art There: Live at The Obelisk All-Dayer (2024)

Snail, Fractal Altar (2021)

Seattle sludge rockers Sorcia will hit the road in April to support their Desert Records-issued sophomore LP, Lost Season (review here), on a weekend-to-weekend stint around their appearance at Rocky Mountain Riff Fest in Kalispell, Montana, on April 20. Before they get there, of particular note is the Road to Riff Fest Showcase in Spokane on April 19, at which Sorcia will be joined by Mos Generator and Merlock, both also making their way to Kalispell the next day.

The regional run is certainly welcome news, and it follows a broader West Coast tour the trio undertook last summer around the time of Lost Season‘s July release. Still, Substation aside, it’s at least Sorcia‘s third escape from Seattle (cue a grunge-era Snake Plissken in the best movie the ’90s never made, and not a gritty reboot), and an occasion worth marking all the more with a revisit to the album, which you’ll find streaming below should you want to lose your head again in the lumber of “Entering the Eighth House,” which, yeah, you probably do.

Info from the PR wire:

Sorcia Spring Tour 2024

🚨TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT🚨

We are very excited to announce our Spring Tour 2024! We look forward to shaking walls around the NW with so many amazing bands as we make our trek to Rocky Mountain Riff Fest and back. More details to come, so mark your calendars and stay tuned!

4/18 – Ray’s Golden Lion | Richland, WA
4/19 – Road To Riff Fest Showcase | The District Bar | Spokane, WA
4/20 – Rocky Mountain Riff Fest | Eagles | Kalispell, MT
4/21 – Mikey’s Gyros | Moscow, ID
4/22 – Substation | Seattle, WA
4/26 – High Water Mark | Portland, OR
4/27 – McCoy’s Tavern | Olympia, WA

(Poster by Jessica Brasch)

SORCIA
Neal De Atley – Guitar, Vocals
Jessica Brasch – Bass, Vocals
Bryson Marcey – Drums

https://www.facebook.com/SorciaBand/
https://www.instagram.com/sorciaband/
sorcia.bandcamp.com
https://sorciaband.com/
http://linktr.ee/sorciaband

https://www.facebook.com/desertrecordslabel/
https://desertrecords.bandcamp.com/
https://desertrecords.bigcartel.com/

Sorcia, Lost Season (2023)

Port Orchard, Washington, heavy rockers Kitsa release their debut album, Dead by Dawn, this weekend in collaboration with Music Abuse Records and at a release show joined by Mos Generator and Chameleons. The event page is linked below, should you be in the area, and the eight-track release, which will be on CD and vinyl in addition to the download, is a cause worth supporting, with a direct take on ’90s-style grunge and alt rock put through a filter of modern and heavier tonality. In its melodies, its flashes of Southern-via-Pacific-Northwest semi-twang, with the title-track representing well what the band calls a Nazareth influence (fair enough, not arguing) and feels like the path there came via Jar of Flies era Alice in Chains or how Jerry Cantrell always leaned a little country.

On Dead by Dawn, it’s part of the pastiche, not the whole sound, and if you’re listening to opener “Seeds of Famine,” you might wonder where the hell I’m getting this from. But elements there of crunch in the guitar of Chris Pound (Deepwater) and the groove built around his chugging riff by bassist Jeremy Deede (Teepee Creeper) and drummer Randy Fort (Abused) give vocalist Skot Davis a righteous backdrop for the hookcraft in “Seeds of Famine,” which even before the sun turns sepia on subsequent the title-track gives hints of open spaces in the shift into its chorus. The character of that emerges across the album works across two sides — four cuts per — and saves the outright heaviest moments for cuts deeper into the procession like “Hate” and the penultimate “Journeyman,” which roll out thick and lumbering ahead of the faster, not-a-Misfits-cover finale “She.”

And in “She,” as well as its side-A-capper counterpart “Wasteland,” Kitsa proffer melodies reminiscent of C.O.C.‘s Blind while setting forth on their own take, particularly in the layered guitar work of “She” and the churning movement of a midsection that straightens out to make the record’s last shove before the guitar solo brings the end. The ultra-catchy “Downhill” — which reminds listeners where the shit goes and which is one of those songs Kitsa just might have to play at every show for as long as they’re a band — blends brood and a midtempo groove-rock nod en route back to its next chorus. These familiar aspects are hints more than direct sonic references — at least so far as I can tell — and bolstered though the vocals of Davis, whose low-in-mouth burl on “Dead by Dawn” touches on Chris Cornell in “Dead by Dawn,” taking a route to get there that will be recognizable to fans of Sasquatch, while subverting whoa-momma-hey-yeah-baby frontman caricature in his balance of dudeliness and range.

That same flexibility also adds to the impact on side B, as they pick up from the lighter strum of “Koi” into that brief instrumental’s bluesier stomp before “Hate” announces its arrival with immediate largesse in its riff. The heft subsides in the verse but is never far off, and “Journeyman” — which along with “Downhill” and “Wasteland” was one of three initial live demos re-recorded for the LP — awaits with reinforcement with a fervency of snap to its drums and a tension in its early going that makes most of the second half of the song feel like a payoff. It ends with Davis declaring himself the titular character and gives over to “She,” which is the longest inclusion at 5:31 and in summarizing much of what Kitsa have put forth as their sound on their first proper release, it leaves off with a sustained hum of distortion after one last showcase of dynamic pace and knows-where-it’s-coming-from songwriting.

If you read the first sentence above, there were two hints dropped even before Mos Generator were directly mentioned as regards an association with that band’s founding guitarist/vocalist, Tony Reed (also Big Scenic Nowhere and sundry concurrent projects), in “Port Orchard” and the association with Music Abuse Records. Reed produced Dead by Dawn, and the pro-shop sounds captured are balanced in the mix so that a detail like the headstock strum early in “Hate” can shine through even some of the otherwise most consuming moments. Suited to the ’90s vibe, the recording brings atmosphere and impact alike, and is only one more factor in helping distinguish Kitsa on their debut.

You can stream Dead by Dawn in its entirety on the player below, followed by more info from the PR wire.

Please enjoy:

KITSA is a rousing heavy rock act hailing from the salted aura of Port Orchard, Washington. Launched in 2022, the band’s music is deeply rooted in weighty riffs, spanning various genres over several decades, with a deep nod to Pacific Northwest grunge.

With Elder, The Sword, Down, Alice In Chains, and Nazareth cited as some of their influences, the foursome of KITSA comprises members from eclectic bands, including Devilbilt, YEDD, Teepee Creeper, Pivot Point, Earthwreck, and Abused. In April 2023, KITSA released three incendiary live demo tracks recorded by Jeremy Deede and Tony Reed at Devils Child Records.

Later in 2023, the band set out to record their full-length debut, ‘Dead by Dawn.’ A melting pot of musical forces, the record features an assortment of sweet, sweeping vocal harmonies on the title track “Dead by Dawn,” the live fan favorite “Journeyman,” and a classic rock banger “Seeds of Famine.” Dead by Dawn is transcended by hard-hitting muscled tracks like “She” and “Hate.”

Dead by Dawn – Tracklist:
01. Seeds Of Famine
02. Dead By Dawn
03. Downhill
04. Wasteland
05. Koi
06. Hate
07. Journeyman
08. She

Dead By Dawn was produced by the venerable Tony Reed, with all songs written by KITSA. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Reed at APL and HeavyHead Recording Co. in October and November of 2023. The album’s intimidating artwork was created by the gifted Jerry Padilla and Rob Lorenz.

Upcoming Live Dates:
Feb. 24 – Bremerton, WA @ The Charleston – Record Release Show (w/ Mos Generator, Chameleons)
Apr. 06 – Bremerton, WA @ Redwood Theater (w/ Pike vs The Automaton, Wizzerd)

Release show event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/3690753154473870/

Kitsa are:
Skot Davis: Lead Vocals
Chris Pound: Guitar, Vocals
Randy Fort: Drums
Jeremy Deede: Bass

Kitsa on Facebook

Kitsa on Instagram

Kitsa on Bandcamp

Look, just because I haven’t posted about it in the last 35 seconds doesn’t mean I didn’t have Sandrider‘s 2023 album, Enveletration (review here), on yesterday. So no, I’m not over it yet, and the fact that the Seattle trio of guitarist/vocalist Jon Weisnewski, bassist/vocalist Jesse Roberts and drummer Nat Damm posted up the Aviary/Baleen two-songer in December ahead of a 7″ pressing in January on Alternative Tentacles was like an end-of-year bonus for having made it through another 12 months of the 2020s. Like going around the Monopoly board except you pay $200 every time you pass Go because that’s real capitalism, the years, fleeting.

But yes, Sandrider made a video for “Aviary,” and it’s a hoot and I’m posting it. No, not just because the song dares to ask, “Where do I go when I sleep?,” but that’s of course part of it. Sandrider‘s post-hardcore-informed take on heavy has an energetic shove of its own and that’s readily on display in “Aviary,” which along with its aren’t-whales-creepy-yes-they-are complement “Baleen” was recorded at the same time as Enveletration — which is a boon in my head considering what they got out of that session, not at all their first with producer Matt Bayles who has helmed all their work to-date — and it definitely fits with where the band are at more than a decade on from when they got going following the end of Weisnewski and Damm‘s time in joyously aggro chaotic noisemakers Akimbo (who for a while were on Alternative Tentacles, because it all comes together), while offering something of its own apart from the way the songs on the LP interacted with each other. As I think I probably said in December, they’ll make great bonus tracks on the Enveletration reissue.

I did go ahead and buy the 7″ just now though. It was $16 after shipping and that’s not nothing, but I got paid to write a death metal band’s bio last week (super fun), so I’m treating myself. And having immediate access to the download isn’t the worst either. Maybe I’ll sneak them into the Quarterly Review (hopefully last week of this month) and get to talk about the single more. Or maybe they’ll do a video for “Baleen.” Oh, and if you watch the video, you’ll see big letters behind the band ‘B,’ ‘Y,’ and ‘C.’ I do not know what they stand for, and if it’s something obvious and dumb I do hope you’ll convey the information gently.

Or, perhaps in the spirit of “Aviary” itself, you’ll punch me in the face and knock the glass vase off the table on your way to flipping the chair just for the hell of it. I’ll take it as it comes, I guess.

E-n-j-o-y a life or wit free of toxic positivity:

Sandrider, “Aviary” official video

WHAT’S UP YOU BEAUTIFUL DORKS?

Extremely relevant to your immediate interests will be the hashtag thrilling news that we made a goddamn music video for our assured grammy winning hit “Aviary”.

This is a video for our brand new 7″ single on Alternative Tentacles records. Black vinyl still available so if you love small vinyls and flipping sides as much as we do, go get it.
alternativetentacles.com/collections/releases/products/v517-sandrider-aviary-baleen-7

I have an aunt and she’s great but she’s always had pretty abrupt phone etiquette. She’ll call up and talk to you about things an aunt would need to call you about, like the latest death in the family or christmas, and regardless of how pleasant the chat ends up being she’ll end it with a single “Bye” and hangup that is so ruthless. Absolute savage when it comes to phone calls. As confronting as it can be I always respected her for being so efficient at murdering communication. Bye.

—

AVIARY/BALEEN was recorded by Matt Bayles (Mastodon, ISIS, The Sword) at Studio Litho & ExEx Audio October 2021.
Mixed by Matt Bayles at The Red Room March 2022.
Additional recording by Jeff McNulty at The Kill Room November 2021. Mastered by Ed Brooks at Resonant Mastering April 2022.
Paintings by Jesse Roberts.
Layout by Nat Damm.
Photos by Invisible Hour.

SANDRIDER:
Nat Damm – drums
Jesse Roberts – bass, vocals
Jon Weisnewski – guitar, vocals

Sandrider, Aviary/Baleen (2024)

Sandrider, Enveletration (2023)

Sandrider on Facebook

Sandrider on Instagram

Sandrider on Bandcamp

Alternative Tentacles on Facebook

Alternative Tentacles on Instagram

Alternative Tentacles on TikTok

Alternative Tentacles website

This will be one of two times that at least some of these dates will be posted, as happens from time to time on a run that features more than one killer band with stuff to talk about, but to look at the spread of touring to be taken on by Seattle’s Bell Witch, I’ll just say that there are a lot of ways to say a band is tight, like they’re friends, chosen-family, etc., but making it publicly known that you’re willing to spend upwards of eight weeks in another human being’s close company, in any situation let alone crisscrossing Europe on tour, is a particularly resonant one.

Bell Witch found new grandiose lows in last year’s Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate (review here), and now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to think that at some point on such a tour the inevitable follow-up might manifest. On the other hand maybe they’re just going to go and I don’t know anything, as usual. Flailing at guesses. Rampant speculation.

But it’s an event either way. Check it out:

In March we embark on an 8 week odyssey across Europe. From the frostbitten North to the Hellenic land of myths in the South, the Emerald Isle to the Balkan states we’re playing many cities for the first time ever…

Along the way we’ll be joined for stretches by friends old & new in FVNERALS, Knoll, Esoteric, Thantifaxath & The Keening. We’re excited to share the stage with bands who bring something truly unique & powerful to their music.

Tickets are on sale now from https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/live.

We can’t wait to see new & familiar faces alike.

March
28 – Dresden, DE – Chemiefabrik *
29 – Bremen, DE – Lagerhaus *
30 – Copenhagen, DK – Alice CPH *
31 – Oslo, NO – Inferno Fest
April
1 – Göteborg, SE – Musikens Hus *
2 – Aarhus, DK – Radar *
4 – Oberhausen, DE – Ebertbad *
5 – Diksmuide, BE – 4AD *
6 – Brighton, UK – The Arch ^
7 – Bristol UK – Exchange ^
9 – Dublin, IE – Academy 2
10 – Limerick, IE – Dolan
12 – Glasgow, UK – Room 2 ^
13 – Manchester, UK – Rebellion ^
14 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club ^
15 – London, UK – The Dome ^ +
16 – Namur, BE – Belvedere
17 – Eindhoven, NL – Effenaar
19 – Tours, FR – Le Temps Machine
20 – Paris, FR – Petit Bain =
21 – Nantes, FR – Le Ferrailleur =
22 – Toulouse, FR – Le Rex =
23 – Portugalete, ES – Groove #
24 – Barroselas, PT – SWR Fest
26 – Madrid, ES – Nazca #
27 – Barcelona, ES – Sala Upload #
28 – Grenoble, FR – Le Ciel #
29 – Martigny, CH – Caves Du Manoir #
30 – Luzern, CH – Sedel #
May
2 – Wien, AT – Arena #
3 – Budapest, HU – A38 #
4 – Zagreb, HR – AKC Attack #
6 – Sofia, BG – Club Singles #
7 – Istanbul, TR – Babylon #
9 – Thessalonki, GR – Eightball Club #
10 – Athens, GR – Temple #
11 – Larissa, GR – Skyland #
13 – Caserta, IT – Lizard #
14 – Pescara, IT – Scumm #
15 – Ravenna, IT – Bronson #
16 – Treviso, IT – Altroquando #
17 – Linz, AT – STWST #
18 – Brno, CZ – Kabinet Muz #
* with FVNERALS
^ with Knoll
+ with Esoteric
= with Thantifaxath
# with The Keening

Bell Witch is Bassist Dylan Desmond and Drummer Jesse Shreibman.

https://www.facebook.com/BellWitchDoom/
https://www.instagram.com/bellwitchdoom/
https://www.bellwitchdoom.net/

http://www.profoundlorerecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/profoundlorerecords
http://www.instagram.com/profoundlorerecords
http://www.profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com

Bell Witch, Future’s Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate (2023)