There are a few acts down toward the bottom here that I’ve never heard before, and I like that a lot. Always up for a challenging round of googling, I looked up Monica and found who I’m assuming are the right band, from Belgrade, Serbia. The release I put below came out last Fall — it’s a three-songer and is raw as nails until it spaces way out before you realize it. Cool vibe. How on earth I might go about finding D. is a mystery, but this isn’t my first day on the internet so I’ll get there.

More to the point, Bear Stone Festival looks so god damned good. A Place to Bury Strangers are gonna wreck up the place, to be sure, and whatever’s left will be Monolord‘s to flatten. I am very, very much hoping to be in the crowd for this one — remember hat, remember water, remember… the alamo — and if you see me by that riverside, please be sure to say hey. I gotta get that flight confirmed. Too much daydreaming, but can you blame me?

From the PR wire:

Bear Stone Festival 2025: Second Lineup Announcement

The long awaited second lineup announcement for Bear Stone Festival 2025 is finally here!

Below you will find brand new 16 bands which brings the total number of bands that have been announced so far to 33. We still have 8 more surprises for you that we’ll announce as we get closer to the festival.

Tickets available at bearstonefestival.com or through our ticketing shop: https://eventix.shop/yr63t398

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS

A Place To Bury Strangers, led by Oliver Ackermann, has been pushing sonic boundaries for nearly two decades, fusing Post-Punk, Noise-Rock, Shoegaze, and Psychedelia into an electrifying and unpredictable experience.

With a refreshed lineup featuring John and Sandra Fedowitz and their own label, Dedstrange, the band continues to evolve, delivering their most dynamic and melodically daring work yet. With their latest album, “Synthesizer” (2024), the band continues to explore different fusions on a wide array of genres confirming once again their legendary status in the underground scene.

MONOLORD

Swedish trio Monolord have carved out a dominant place in the Doom Metal scene with their crushingly heavy riffs, hypnotic grooves, and haunting melodies. Since their 2014 debut “Empress Rising”, they have continued to push the boundaries of modern doom, blending psychedelic textures with bone-rattling low-end.

With a reputation for thunderous live performances and critically acclaimed releases like “No Comfort” (2019) and “Your Time to Shine” (2021), Monolord remains a powerhouse of immersive, slow-burning heaviness.

BRANT BJORK TRIO

Brant Bjork Trio is the latest project led by the legendary Brant Bjork, a pioneer of Desert Rock and a founding member of Kyuss and Fu Manchu. Joined by musicians Mario Lalli and Mike Amster, the trio delivers a raw, groove-heavy blend of Stoner Rock, Funk, and Psychedelic sounds. Known for their dynamic live performances and Brant’s signature laid-back vibe, the trio continues to push the boundaries of the Desert Rock genre.

MAIDAVALE

Swedish Psych Rock band MaidaVale captivates audiences for over a decade with their spirited energy and eclectic blend of Neo-Psychedelia, Krautrock, and influences from Post-Punk, Funkadelia, and North African Blues. Their acclaimed debut album “Tales of the Wicked West” (2016) established them on major European rock stages, while their sophomore release “Madness is Too Pure” (2018) solidified their place in the Psych Rock scene with its bold, experimental sound. MaidaVale continues to push boundaries with their latest album “Sun Dog” earning recognition as one of Europe’s most innovative Psych Rock acts.

CIŚNIENIE

Founded in 2017, Ciśnienie (Polish for “pressure”) combines Post-Rock, orchestral music, and Jazz to create intense, mind-bending musical climaxes. Drawing inspiration from Swans, Fire! Orchestra, Mogwai, Arvo Pärt, and H.M. Górecki, their sound blends baritone sax, violin, and piano with distorted bass and frantic drumming, producing dynamic soundscapes ranging from Ambient Psychedelia to rhythm-driven walls of sound. Having performed over 100 concerts across Europe, the band released their latest live-recorded album, “Zwierzakom” in late 2023.

WEDGE

Wedge, a Berlin-based trio, has been a driving force in the European underground Rock scene since 2014, blending Classic Rock, Kraut Rock, 60’s Garage, and Heavy Psychedelia into their high-energy “Fuzz ‘N’ Roll” sound. Known for their dynamic live performances, they’ve played over 350 shows across Europe, gaining a solid reputation and critical acclaim for albums like “Killing Tongue” (2018) and “Like No Tomorrow” (2021).

ACID ROW

Acid Row is a Prague-based Stoner Rock trio known for fusing Punk energy with elements of Doom Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Noise Rock, and ’90s Grunge. Since their formation in 2012, they have undergone several lineup changes but have stayed true to their rebellious spirit. Inspired by the haunting Blues roots of legends like Robert Johnson, Acid Row carries the torch of Rock and Heavy Metal legacies with raw intensity.

EARTH TONGUE

Earth Tongue is a New Zealand-based duo consisting of guitarist/vocalist Gussie Larkin and drummer/vocalist Ezra Simons, known for their raw, fuzz-drenched sound and unconventional song structures. Drawing inspiration from early Psychedelic Rock and Heavy Garage, their music blends heavy riffs, dual vocal harmonies, and a DIY aesthetic that captures the spirit of 70’s Sci-Fi. With captivating live performances and releases like their debut album “Floating Being” (2019), Earth Tongue has earned a reputation as one of the most exciting acts in the underground Psych scene.

SAUTRUS

Sautrus, formed in 2010 in northern Poland, is a Heavy Psychedelic Rock band known for their unique blend of Psychedelic, Stoner Rock, and ritualistic trance, evoking the sound of the 1970’s. With six releases to their name, including the upcoming album “Lazarus Dilemma” (2024), they have performed at numerous festivals and shared stages with iconic acts like Uriah Heep and Wishbone Ash.

WOLVES OF SATURN

Wolves Of Saturn from Dresden, Germany, are a Desert Rock band known for their immersive sound, featuring fuzz-laden guitars and an array of effects like Plasma Coil and Wahs. Their debut LP, “The Deserts Echo and the Peyote Delusion”, born during the pandemic in a WWII bunker, was released on April 01, 2023 and captures the essence of their unique creative process, blending themes of isolation and freedom into a mesmerising sonic journey.

IAH

IAH is an Instrumental Rock band formed in 2016 in Córdoba, Argentina, consisting of guitarist Mauricio Condon, bassist Juan Pablo Lucco Borlera, and drummer José Landín. Blending atmospheric Post-Rock with the heavy, hypnotic riffs of Post-Metal, their versatile sound defies genre categorization, and they have released five studio albums, including their latest, “V” (2023).

THE FLUKES OF SENDINGTON

All the way from Byron Bay, Australia, The Flukes of Sendington deliver a visceral and cathartic blend of Garage Rock, Funk, Psych, and Indie sounds. Formed in 2024, the band quickly gained momentum with a successful DIY European tour, captivating audiences at festivals like Vierdaagsefeesten Nijmegen and Munich Summer Sessions. With their debut album set for release in 2025 and another tour on the horizon, The Flukes of Sendington are a rising force of unforgettable energy.

FROM ANOTHER MOTHER

Blending Prog Rock, Punk Fusion, and Post-Hardcore, this energetic trio creates total madness at their gigs, blurring the line between audience and band in a whirlwind of controlled chaos. With over 200 live shows and a month-long Balkan tour in 2023, they’ve been spreading love and joy across Europe for more than a decade. Their discography includes two EPs and two albums: “Bratebra”, “Epileptir”, “ATATOA” (Kapitän Platte), and “Zest” (Jeboton).

UMOR

Umor emerges from the depths with low tunings, diminished keys, and a sound steeped in sonic doom, crafting a haunting blend of heavy, atmospheric music. Their music resonates like an apocalyptic hymn, weaving verses of despair, salvation, and inevitable darkness into crushing soundscapes. Umor invites listeners into their realm, where The Sound becomes a cleansing force, vibrating through the core and slowing the beat to an otherworldly stillness.

D.

D. is a three-piece band from Zagreb formed in 2022. Their music blends influences from various eras and genres, ranging from 1950’s Jazz to modern acts like King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Their energetic live performances are characterized by spontaneous jam sessions, creating a vibrant and immersive atmosphere.

MONICA

Monica is a band that captures the raw, emotional essence of desert landscapes, blending the sound of a dying engine with moments of unexpected speed and steady rhythm. Their music evokes the melancholic beauty of a desert rainstorm, where moments of dryness are interrupted by a cloud that brings refreshing, lively change. With their unique blend of melancholic and energetic sounds, Monica creates an immersive experience that resonates with both the harshness and serenity of nature’s unpredictable rhythms.

https://www.instagram.com/bearstonefestival
https://www.facebook.com/bearstonefestival
http://www.bearstonefestival.com

Monica, Desert Daze (2024)

Bear Stone Festival 2024 aftermovie

First names are out for Freak Valley 2025, and though I wouldn’t take the invitation for granted, it does warm my heart to think of The Devil and the Almighty Blues bringing their heavy preach to the AWO grounds in Netphen, standing on that stage, introduced by the esteemed Volker Fröhmer with a hearty “viel spaß!” or seeing the horn-laced shenanigans of Pendejo, the classic doom metal roll of Early Moods or the cosmic futurism of Kombynat Robotron, Travo who I never thought I’d ever see, ever, but whose record I very much dug, and Zig Zags, Wedge, Lurch and Scott Hepple and the Sun Band.

Richmond, Virginia’s Windhand — who just released a demo collection on Creep Purple called Songs From the Satan House and whose bassist, Parker Chandler (also Cough), quit the band about a week ago with some less than complimentary things to say about his experience — are the top name thus far on the bill, and aside from their needing new low end representation, it seems likely they’ll be at Freak Valley as part of a tour. Could Early Moods or Zig Zags join? It’s possible but not definite. Seems likely The Devil and the Almighty Blues will be on the road as well from their home in Norway, as they’ve also been confirmed for Desertfest London and Desertfest Berlin 2025, as well as Sonic Whip 2025, after playing Desertfest Oslo and others this year.

If they end up filling the dates between fests with club shows, that’s a fair amount of touring without a new record, so maybe Spring will bring news of a new The Devil and the Almighty Blues as well, or maybe those guys have just hit the point where they can show up for whatever reason and there’s a slot for them. If you’ve ever seen them live, that’s wholly justified.

Either way, a lot to like here in the variety, in the names themselves, and in the thought of taking in another wonderful weekend standing in the grass at Freak Valley, which is starting to feel an awful lot like a home when I get back each year. Hopefully that includes 2025 as well. Here’s the announcement, which I would usually have written, but I whiffed on because of the Quarterly Review. I’ll try and catch the next one if they’ll let me. Text and poster hit socials on Friday:

🌵 Get ready, Freaks! 🌵

The countdown to Freak Valley Festival 2025 has officially begun, and we’re beyond stoked to announce the first wave of bands set to blow your minds and melt your faces!

Brace yourselves for the crushing doom of Windhand, the blues-drenched heaviness of The Devil and the Almighty Blues, and the psychedelic thunder of Wucan! If that wasn’t enough, we’re cranking up the intensity with the raw power of. ¡Pendejo! , the crushing riffs of Early Moods, and the punk/metal chaos of Zig Zags.

But that’s just the beginning! Prepare to lose yourself in the cosmic grooves of Kombynat Robotron, get wild with the retro rock of Wedge, and let Travo, Lurch, and Scott Hepple and The Sun Band take you on mind-bending sonic journeys.

This is just the start, so get ready for more epic announcements soon. Mark your calendars, tune your ears, and prepare for the freakiest weekend of the year. Freak Valley 2025 is coming… and it’s going to be legendary!

See you in the valley! 🤘

Regular Tickets will first be available 14.October at Die Tintenpatrone in Siegen-Weidenau

15. October 18:00 / 6pm CET at online @ https://fvf.ticket.io/

Your Rock Freaks

https://www.facebook.com/freakvalley
https://www.instagram.com/freakvalleyfestival/
https://twitter.com/FreakValley
http://www.rockfreaks.de/
http://www.freakvalley.de/

Wucan, Live at Deutschlandfunk (2023)

In a manner not dissimilar from how its California fests took largely the same expansive lineup from San Francisco to Los Angeles and Los Angeles to San Francisco, Heavy Psych Sounds is bringing a circus to Berlin and Dresden on Oct. 21 and 22. In association with Greyzone and ElbSludgeBooking, the label has assembled a lineup that includes HPS bands and others like 1000mods and Gozu, and that sense of community outreach isn’t to be understated. The synergy between booking and releasing is a big part of what has allowed Heavy Psych Sounds to become the underground nexus it is, able to do more for bands than many other outlets. The festivals in cities across Europe and now in the US as well are another extension of that.

That’s not really an insight as to the lineup here or the label’s ethic or taste — also choice — but the fact is this is Heavy Psych Sounds doing what it does. More power to them, and so on.

From the PR wire:

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST BERLIN & DRESDEN full lineup announcement

Heavy Psych Sounds Records & Booking will smash Berlin and Dresden with their highly acclaimed mini festival-series, the HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST!

In cooperation with Greyzone Concerts and ElbSludgeBooking, Heavy Psych Sounds has revealed the full lineup for the upcoming HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST BERLIN & DRESDEN !!!

The HPS Fest Berlin & Dresden will be taking place 21st and 22nd of October, 2022 at the Festsaal Kreuzberg and Urban Spree in Berlin and Chemiefabrik in Dresden !!!

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS FEST – BERLIN & DRESDEN
@ Festsaal Kreuzberg / Urban Spree, Berlin
@ Chemiefabrik, Dresden
October 21st and 22nd 2022

feat.
1000 MODS
NICK OLIVERI
BELZEBONG
BLACK RAINBOWS
ACID MAMMOTH
THE LORDS OF ALTAMONT
HIGH REEPER
SLEEPWULF
TONS
HIPPIE DEATH CULT
GOZU
OREYEON
WEDGE
MOTHER ENGINE

BERLIN TICKETS PRESALE:
https://www.greyzone-tickets.de/produkte/602

BERLIN FB OFFICIAL EVENT:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1358860387859773/

DRESDEN TICKETS LINK:
https://www.konzertkasse-dresden.de/event/heavy-psych-sounds-fest-dresden-dresden-chemiefabrik-2022-tickets-54749.html

DRESDEN FB OFFICIAL EVENT:
https://www.facebook.com/events/554544359334945

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

1000mods, Youth of Dissent (2020)

You may or may not already know this, but I daydream about these kinds of things all the time. Traveling to a festival someplace I’ve never been, meeting people and seeing music I’d probably never be able to see otherwise, at least not in that kind of setting or situation. Seems strange to think this as I’m about to travel to Europe for another festival, but between Savanah and Wedge and Swan Valley Heights, bands like Cone and Les Lekin and The Strange Seeds, there’s stuff here that I’m not likely to run into anywhere else and even though I can’t go, that’s one of my favorite things to write and think about. Someone will have good hangs and check out cool tunes. Even when it’s not me, the world doesn’t get much better than that.

June 18 is the pre-show, and none other than The Atomic Bitchwax will headline that, which if you’re looking to have your ass handed to you with rock and roll, that’s who you call. I don’t know how open the pre-show is, but with just 400 tickets available for the fest proper, this strikes me as the kings of weekend that everybody is going to come out of with a few new friends.

From the PR wire:

Blackdoor Outdoor Festival 2022

With the Blackdoor music festival we would like to provide live-music-lovers a new opportunity to enjoy some handpicked stoner, blues and psychedelic rock bands in lower Bavaria and our surroundings. The focus of our new in- and outdoor event series lies on providing a comfortable atmosphere to enjoy hand-made music while having some great times together as organizers and audience.

Blackdoor = Vacation, tickets are available here: www.blackdoor-festival.de. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Lineup:
Tides From Nebula
Greenleaf
Valley of the Sun
Wedge
Savanah
Enigma Experience
Swan Valley Heights
Cone
Les Lekin
Scorched Oak
Ozymandias
The Strange Seeds
Bazodee

01.07 – 02.07.2022
Warm-Up Party: 30.6.2022
Wingersdorf 15, 94136 Thyrnau (Bei Passau)

Outdoor Festival Tickets 2022
(Limited 400 Tickets)

Tickets via Eventim: https://www.eventim-light.com/de/a/624addfcee829b03c58a1a47/e/624ae129ee829b03c58a1a7b

Here we go
Pre-Blackdoor-Festival-Concert June 18 at Tabakfabrik Passau with

The Atomic Bitchwax
Mindcrawler
Subridge

Stop by! We’re looking forward! https://www.facebook.com/events/1192844754822177

https://www.facebook.com/blackdoorfestival
https://blackdoor-festival.de/

Greenleaf, “Tides” live at Desertfest London 2022

The end of the week for the Quarterly Review is a special time, even if this particular QR will continue into next Monday and Tuesday. Also apparently today is Xmas? Okay. Whatever, I’ve got writing to do. I hope you’re safe and not, say, traveling out of state to see family against the urging of the CDC. That would be incredibly irresponsible, etc. etc. that’s what I’m doing. Don’t get me started.

However you celebrate or don’t, be safe. Music will help.

Quarterly Review #41-50:

Celestial Season, The Secret Teachings

Like many of the original death-doom set, Dutch masters Celestial Season gave up the style during their original run, departing toward heavy rock after 1995’s Solar Lovers. At an hour’s run spread across 13 tracks including ambient guitar and violin/cello interludes, The Secret Teachings has no time for such flighty fare. Reunited with original vocalist Stefan Ruiters and bassist Lucas van Slegtenhorst, the band return in grand fashion for their first full-length in 20 years, and songs like “Long Forlorn Tears” and “Salt of the Earth” conjure all the expert-grade morose plod one could possibly ask, as each side of the 2LP begins with its own intro and sets its own mood, from the almost-hopeful wistfulness of opener/longest track (immediate points) “The Secret Teachings of All Ages” at the start to the birdsong-laced “Beneath the Temple Mount” that leads the way into “A Veil of Silence” and “Red Water” at the finish, the latter a Type O Negative cover that fits well after the crescendo of the song before it.

Celestial Season on Facebook

Burning World Records website

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Wren, Groundswells

The gift Wren make to post-metal is that even in their quietest stretches, they maintain tension. And sure, the Londoners’ second LP, Groundswells — also stylized all-caps: GROUNDSWELLS — has in “Murmur” its “Stones From the Sky” moment as all works of the genre seemingly must, but the six-cut/44-minute follow-up to 2017’s Auburn Rule (discussed here) casts a scope less about pretense or ambition than largesse and heft, and that serves it well, be it in the shorter “Crossed Out Species” or longer pieces like the opener “Chrome” and the penultimate “Subterranean Messiah,” which injects some melodic vocals into the proceedings and airy string-inclusive prog amid all the surrounding crush. All well and good, but it’s hard to deny the sheer assault of the doomed apex in closer “The Throes,” and you’ll pardon me if I don’t try. Ambience through volume, catharsis through volume, volume all things.

Wren on Facebook

Gizeh Records website

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Sumokem, Prajnaparadha

With strength of performance to fall back on and progressive realization in their songwriting, Little Rock, Arkansas’ Sumokem would seem to come of age on their third long-player, Prajnaparadha, answering the flourish of 2017’s The Guardian of Yosemite (discussed here) with an even more confident stylistic sprawl and an abiding patience that extends even to the album’s most intense moments. Not at all a minor undertaking in dynamic or its run of five long songs following the intro “Prologue,” Prajnaparadha manages not to be dizzying mostly because of the grace with which it’s crafted, tied together by ace guitar work and a propensity for soaring in order to complement and sometimes willfully contrast the tonal weight. When the growls show up in “Fakir” and carry into “Khizer,” Sumokem seem to push the record to its final level, and making that journey with them is richly satisfying.

Sumokem on Facebook

Cursed Tongue Records webstore

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Oginalii, Pendulum

Psychedelia comes poison-tipped with brooding post-grunge atmospheres as Oginalii‘s Pendulum swings this way and that between “Scapegoat” and “Black Hole” and “Pillars” and “Veils” across its too short 24 minutes. The Nashvillainous four-piece explore an inner darkness perfect for these long months of forced-introspection, and though calling something pandemic-appropriate has become a tired compliment to give, the underlying rhythmic restlessness of “Scapegoat” and the crying out overtop, the fuzzy burst of “Veils” and the interweaving drums and guitar noise behind the recited semi-sung poetry of “Pillars” serve the soundtrack cause nonetheless, to say nothing of the two-minute minimalist echoing stretch of “Black Hole” or the oh-okay-it’s-indie-post-rock-but-oh-wait-what-the-hell-now-it’s-furious closer “Stripped the Screw.” Anger suits Oginalii as it comes through here, not in tired chestbeating but in spacious craft that manages to sound intense even in its languid reach. Pretty fucking cool, if you ask me.

Oginalii on Facebook

Devil in the Woods on Bandcamp

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Völur, Death Cult

Toronto’s Völur offer their third album, Death Cult, in cooperation with Prophecy Productions, and it comes in four string-laced tracks that waste little time in pushing genre limits, bringing folk influences in among doom, blackened metallurgy and more ethereal touches. Arrangements of violin, viola, cello, double-bass, keys, and the shared vocals of Laura Bates and Lucas Gadke (the latter also of Blood Ceremony) give a suitably arthouse feel to the proceedings rounded out by the drums and percussion of Justin Ruppel, and it’s far from unearned as the four songs play out across 37 minutes, “Dead Moon” veering into lumbering death-doom in its apex ahead of the jazz-into-choral-into-drone-into-freer-jazz-into-progressive-black-metal of the 11-minute “Freyjan Death Cult,” subsequent closer “Reverend Queen” leaving behind the chaos in its last few minutes for an epilogue of mournful strings and drums; a dirge both unrepentantly beautiful and still in keeping with the atmospheric weight throughout. Bands like this — rare — make other bands better.

Volur on Facebook

Volur at Prophecy Productions

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Wedge, Like No Tomorrow

Bursting with enough energy to make one miss live music, Wedge‘s third album, Like No Tomorrow, transcends vintage-ism in its production if not its overall mindset, bringing clarity to Deep Purple organ-tics on opener “Computer” while keeping the lyrics purposefully modern. Bass leads the way in “Playing a Role” and the spirit is boogie fuzz until the jam hits and, yeah, they make it easy to go along for the ride. “Blood Red Wine” has arena-rock melody down pat while centerpiece and likely side A closer “Across the Water” at last lets itself go to that place, following the guitar until the surge that brings in “Queen of the Night” indulges purer proto-metal impulses, still accomplished in its harmonized chorus amid the charge. Is that the guitar solo in “U’n’I” panning left to right I hear? I certainly hope so. The shortest cut on Like No Tomorrow feels like it’s in a hurry to leave behind a verse, and sets up the surprisingly modestly paced “At the Speed of Life,” which is lent a cinematic feel by the organ and layered choral vocals that bolsters yet another strong hook, while the nine-minute “Soldier” is bluesier but still sounds like it could be the live incarnation of any of these tracks depending on where a given jam takes Wedge on any given night. Here’s hoping, anyhow.

Wedge on Facebook

Heavy Psych Sounds website

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SpellBook, Magick and Mischief

About a year and a half after issuing Otherworldly (review here), their third album under the moniker Witch Hazel, the dukes of York, PA, are back with a new name and a refreshed sound. As SpellBook, vocalist Nate Tyson, guitarist Andy Craven, bassist Seibert Lowe and drummer Nicholas Zinn push through two vinyl sides of classic heavy f’n metal, less concerned with doom than they were but still saving a bit of roll for the longer centerpiece “Not Long for This World” and the airy, dramatic closer “Dead Detectives.” Elsewhere, “Black Shadow” brings a horns-at-the-ready chorus, “Motorcade” reminds that the power of Judas Priest was always in the basslines (that’s right, I said it), and “Ominous Skies” brims with the vitality of the new band that SpellBook are, even as it benefits from the confidence born of these players’ prior experience together.

SpellBook on Facebook

Cruz Del Sur Music website

—

 

Old Blood, Acid Doom

Kudos to L.A.’s Old Blood for at least making the classification part easy when it comes to their debut album, conveniently titled Acid Doom, though that category hardly accounts for, say, the piano stretch of second cut “Bridge to Nowhere,” or the heavy rock theatricality in “Heavy Water” or the horn sounds of “Slothgod” a few songs later, but I suppose one has to start somewhere, and ‘acid doom’ is fair enough when it comes to accounting for the sleekery in the vocals of Lynx, the weight of the riffs of C. Gunner, the roll of bassist Octopus and drummer Diesel and the classic-style organ work of J.F. Stone. But if Old Blood want to unfurl something deceptively complex and stylistically intricate on their debut, that’s certainly cool as far as I’m concerned. Production is a strong presence throughout in a way that pulls a bit from what the impact of the songs might be on stage (remember stages?), but the songwriting is there, and Lynx‘s voice is a noteworthy presence of its own. I’m not sure where they’ll end up sound-wise, but at the same time, Acid Doom comes across like nothing else in the batch of 70 records I’m doing for this Quarterly Review, and that in itself I find admirable.

Old Blood on Facebook

Metal Assault Records on Bandcamp

DHU Records webstore

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Jahbulong, Eclectic Poison Tones

Just because you know the big riff is going to kick in about a minute into opening track “Under the Influence of the Fool” on Jahbulong‘s tarot-inflected stoner doom four-songer Eclectic Poison Tones doesn’t make it any less satisfying when it happens. The deep-rolling three-piece from Verona make their full-length debut with the 45-minute offering through Go Down Records, and the lurching continues in “The Tower of the Broken Bones” and “The Eclipse of the Empress,” which is the only cut under 10 minutes long but still keeps the slow-motion Sabbath rolling into the 15-minute closer “The Eremite Tired Out (Sweed Dreams)” (sic), which plays off some loud/quiet changes fluidly without interrupting the nod that’s so central to the entirety of the album. Look. These guys know the gods they’re worshiping — Sleep, Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard maybe, etc. — and they’re not trying to get away with saying they invented any of this. If you can’t get down with 45 minutes of slower-than-slow grooves, maybe you’re in the wrong microgenre. For me, it’s the lack of pretense that makes it.

Jahbulong on Facebook

Go Down Records website

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Heavy Trip, Heavy Trip

Heavy Trip. Four songs. Two sides. Three dudes. Instrumental. Accurately named. Yeah, you’ve heard this story before, but screw it. They start out nice and spacious on “Hand of Shroom” and they finish with high-speed boogie in the 13-minute “Treespinner,” and all in between Heavy Trip make it nothing less than a joy to go along wherever it is they’re headed. The Vancouver three-piece make earlier Earthless something of an elephant in the room as regards influences, but the unhurried groove in second cut “Lunar Throne” is a distinguishing factor, and even as “Mind Leaf” incorporates a bit more shove, it does so with enough righteousness to carry through. As a debut, Heavy Trip‘s Heavy Trip might come across more San Diego than Vancouver, but screw it. Dudes got jams like Xmas hams, and the chemistry they bring in holding listener attention with tempo changes throughout here speaks to a progressive edge burgeoning in their sound.

Heavy Trip on Facebook

Burning World Records on Bandcamp

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Wedge‘s third album, Like No Tomorrow, will see release on Jan. 15, 2021, through Heavy Psych Sounds. Preorders are up as of today. Any other year, that title would be endearing and maybe somewhat quizzical, or otherwise embodying a rock and roll, live-in-the-moment kind of mentality. In 2020, it’s pretty foreboding because, like, there might not be a tomorrow. Or perhaps even worse — there might be!

But for just about four minutes and 44 seconds, let’s put the overarching special brand of anxiety that this year has produced aside. Difficult, I know. Nigh on impossible. Stay off Twitter. Don’t even glance at the YouTube ads telling you about how Donald Trump is a COVID-beating superhero and Joe Biden is somehow holding a secret socialist agenda (if only!) and simultaneously the most boring person who ever lived. Log out of Facebook. Just log out. It sounds dangerous somehow, doesn’t it? Disconnect for a couple minutes. See what happens.

For all the good knowing-a-thing-with-proven-science sometimes does these days, it is a documented fact that the human relationship to technology has changed the manner in which our brains work, and perhaps that’s where Wedge are coming from in the go-unplugged message of their new single “Computer.” Perhaps suitably, the organ-laced cut hits with a nostalgic feel somewhere between Deep Purple‘s “Strange Kind of Woman” and “Pictures of Home,” but after six years and three records, one shouldn’t be surprised to find guitarist/vocalist Kiryk Drewinski (ex-Liquid Visions), drummer Holger “The Holg” Grosser and bassist/organist Dave Götz working in their own personality as well, as one can hear in the ’60s-inflected winding solo section backed by righteous classic-style shuffle.

Message and groove both come through clearly, and while I can’t speak for the entirety of Like No Tomorrow as I haven’t heard it yet, but at least this lead track sounds like a fitting follow-up to 2018’s Killing Tongue (discussed here) as the band dig into some proggy nuance without losing the well-honed dynamic between the players.

And I guess if you actually disconnected when I urged you to above you wouldn’t still be reading this — oops — but if you are, you can stream “Computer” below.

Please enjoy:

Wedge on “Computer”:

The tune is a straightforward organ-driven boogie rocker with a slightly progressive edge due to ever changing grooves and time signatures. (Hear if you can spot the 11/8 beat ; ). Lyrically it’s a cynical ode to our ubiquitous master, the computer. While on one hand our digital buddies are a portal to the world of knowledge and sweet distraction, they’re also the source of misinformation and… well, sweet distraction. “Computer” is our personal invitation for everybody to log out for once, even if it’s only for just one day or the length of a full album.

New album ‘Like No Tomorrow’ out January 15th, 2021 on Heavy Psych Sounds as:
15 Ultra Ltd Test Press
200 Half Half Black-Red Vinyl
450 Yellow Solid Vinyl
Black Vinyl
Digipak
Digital

Preorder: https://www.heavypsychsounds.com/

WEDGE is:
Kiryk – Vocals/Guitars
The Hog – Drums/Percussion
David – Bass/Organ/Electric Piano/Mellotron

Wedge on Thee Facebooks

Wedge on Instagram

Wedge website

Heavy Psych Sounds on Thee Facebooks

Heavy Psych Sounds on Bandcamp

Heavy Psych Sounds website

Remember like a very, very short time ago — maybe last week? — when I was talking about how Heavy Psych Sounds was taking over the world, one band, tour and festival at a time? Well here we are with the announcements for four nights in Germany this December that one assumes — but never knows for sure — will round out a busy 2019 for the Italian label/booking agency/one-stop-shop. Monolord, The Sonic Dawn, Wedge, Gorilla and 1782 are thus far announced with apparently more to come. No big surprise they’re not done, as it seems increasingly like they’re never done. Did you see the pictures from the West Coast Heavy Psych Sounds package tour? It looked pretty amazing.

I guess that’s what happens when you put everything you have into what you do and what you do kicks ass.

From the PR wire:

HEAVY PSYCH SOUNDS announces BERLIN + DRESDEN FEST; featuring MONOLORD, THE SONIC DAWN & more!

Headquartered in Rome, Italy, Heavy Psych Sounds specializes in presenting the best artists in the global heavy psych, doom, fuzz blues and space rock realms, and their Festival- series will be no exception, spotlighting the ever-growing label’s dedication to its craft. While the first HPS Fests were held in Italy, the label has since extended its live reach into the UK, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria and even the USA: The underground cult label is not only THE address for all heavy rock record collectors, but has also become an important live and festival institution; with a brisk participation from heavy music fans all over the world.

Now, Heavy Psych Sounds is set to bring the ROCK to Germany: Dresden and Berlin with the just-announced special shows taking place this December! Each stop of the traveling festival tour will feature diverse line-ups including both genre leaders and fast-rising acts, all ready to prove their place among the world’s best. In cooperation with Greyzone Concerts and ElbSludgeBooking, Heavy Psych Sounds has just revealed the first bands featuring heavy doom weights MONOLORD, psychedelic rockers THE SONIC DAWN and more:

[ artwork by Branca Studio ]

Taking place December 6th and 7th 2019 in Berlin and Dresden, the tickets are now on sale at:

BERLIN
Event: www.facebook.com/events/328145071206018/

DRESDEN
Event: www.facebook.com/events/658161097944810/

https://www.facebook.com/HEAVYPSYCHSOUNDS
http://www.heavypsychsounds.com
https://heavypsychsoundsrecords.bandcamp.com
www.greyzone-concerts.de
www.facebook.com/Elbsludgebooking

Monolord, Rust (2017)

Brooklyn trio The Golden Grass are headed back to Europe this Spring and will tour in late March and throughout April in the company of German trad-rockers Wedge. Pretty good show, and they’re covering a decent swath of ground in Poland, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Of course, The Golden Grass go supporting their 2018 third album, Absolutely (review here), and they also went to Europe last year, touring in the company of Heat. If nothing else, they know how to find a fit for bands to hit the road with.

The narrative of Absolutely was that it pulled back on some of the more meandering impulses of its predecessor, 2016’s Coming Back Again (review here), but The Golden Grass have a new EP in the works that they’ve posted a couple social media teasers for, and it seems that the boogie remains strong with their upbeat sound. Throw in some of the choicest harmonies in heavy — as they reliably do — and you’re good to go.

To Europe, in this case. I haven’t seen a release date kicked around for the EP, but wouldn’t it make an awful lot of sense if it came out before the tour? Or at least was available for them to sell on the road? Yeah, that seems reasonable to me too. More when I hear it.

Here’s the poster and info in the meantime:

The Golden Grass & Wedge March / April Tour

27.03. (PL) Torun Swa Swiaty
28.03. (PL) Warszawa Chmury
29.03. (PL) Krakow Alchemia
30.03. (PL) Poznan Pog Minoga
31.03. (PL) Wroclaw D.K. Luksus
01.04. (AT) Vienna 3Raum
02.04. (AT) Salzburg Rockhaus
03.04. (DE) Mannheim 7er Club
04.04. (DE) Höxter Toneburg
05.04. (DE) Chemnitz Die Zukunft
06.04. (DE) Berlin Zukunft/Ostkreuz
07.04. (DE) Leipzig Moertelwerk
08.04. (DE) TBA
09.04. (CZ) Bilina Moskva
10.04. (CZ) Brno Kabinet Muz
11.04. (AT) Innsbruck PMK
12.04. (IT) Bologna Freakout
13.04. (IT) Milano COX18
14.04. (CH) Martigny Caves du Manoir
15.04. TBA
16.04. TBA
17.04. TBA
18.04. (CH) Olten Coq d’Or
19.04. (DE) Münster Rare Guitar
20.04. (DE) Oldenburg MTS

http://www.facebook.com/thegoldengrass
http://www.twitter.com/TheeGoldenGrass
http://www.thegoldengrass.bandcamp.com
www.wedgeband.com
www.magnificentmusic.de
www.swampbooking.com
http://www.listenable.net
http://www.facebook.com/listenablerecs
http://www.twitter.com/Listenable

The Golden Grass, Absolutely (2018)