[Click play above to stream Explorer by Seven Planets in full. Album is out Friday on Small Stone Records. Preorders available here.]

Seven Planets‘ third album and first for Small Stone Records, Explorer, is a simple-enough proposition on its face. The West Virginian double-guitar instrumentalist outfit on paper — things like “instrumental” and “West Virginia” — inherently bring to mind Karma to Burn, who are more or less the kings of the form of straightforward, (mostly) sans-vocal heavy rock and roll. But Seven Planets wind up on a different trip with Explorer, and the surface impression is really just the beginning point for what they have to offer on the eight-track/36-minute Explorer, a follow-up to their 2012 self-titled (review here) and 2008’s first LP, Flight of the Ostrich, both self-released. Eight years between records is no minor stretch, but with a recording credited to the band and mix helmed by guitarist Leonard Hanks, joined in the band by guitarist James Way, bassist Mike Williams and drummer Ben Pitt, Explorer‘s tracks by and large carry an easy groove marked by tonal warmth and fluidity between the players.

It may have taken Seven Planets eight years to put a record out, but whatever might’ve been behind that delay — life? — listening to the languid, semi-bluesy nod of the title-track, it’s easy to believe they’ve been jamming all the while. Beginning with “Vanguard,” they bring together elements out of heavy rock riffing and heavy psychedelic immersion, something that, for the first record, I compared to Clutch offshoot The Bakerton Group. The same applies to Explorer at least in the use of Tim Sult-style wah on lead guitar lines, but perhaps to a lesser degree than on the preceding release, since, as Explorer hints in its title, the band seem to be working here to find their own space and sound here in a progressive step forward from where they were those years ago. The drift of “Plain Truth in a Homespun Dress” shows a patience in unfolding its bluesy undercurrent and builds up over its first 90 seconds or so toward a momentary wash before receding again, cycling through with a solo overtop and shifting in its second half to a surprise bit of boogie before, in the last minute, the jam seems to take an improvised turn led by the guitar before coming apart.

That moment is important and feels particularly honest, if somewhat understated. The title-track follows in its own liquefied near-seven-minutes of flow, but the exploratory feeling is palpable at the culmination of “Plain Truth in a Homespun Dress,” and the fact that the band let the song follow its own path organically, even as it dissipates, is admirably honest and speaks to their ethic and lack of outward pretense overall. Not that their material can’t be thoughtful or planned out, as the initial unfurling of “Explorer” itself certainly seems to be, with hints toward prog structures and a spacier thematic as depicted on the Alexander von Wieding album art, but it’s the ability to move in either realm and to subtly shift between mindsets that gives Explorer as a whole its sense of character throughout its relatively brief runtime. As the title cut settles into its funky bounce moving toward the midpoint, with Pitt‘s drums and Williams‘ bass leading the way through the encompassing jam — something backwards layered in — it’s no challenge for the listener to go along with the groove as they make their way to the finish of the album’s longest track.

The spirit of the material is nothing but warm and welcoming throughout, and certainly that’s emphasized in the title-track, which gives way to a quicker, solo-laced boogie in “206,” the presumed end of side A, as the two guitars hold sway over the creation of a swirl of effects and a central riff cutting through. Like “Vanguard” at the outset, “206” feels like something of a snippet, but it moves smoothly into “Seven Seas” — the only piece besides the title-track to reach over six minutes — and provides a buffer between the more psychedelic vibe of the two longer stretches when listening to a linear (CD/DL) format; a well-intentioned pickup in energy and momentum that, like the rest of what surrounds, asks little more of the listener than a nod-along. “Seven Seas” is particularly notable as the beginning point of side B as it leads to “Great Attractor,” which — and not just for the inclusion of organ (or organ sounds) lurking in the mix — makes for the most hypnotic one-two dive on Explorer. With the drums still acting as a grounding factor, Seven Planets are never in any real danger of floating away, but their drive toward meandering here and there in the guitars makes the later moments of “Great Attractor” a mirror for “Plain Truth in a Homespun Dress,” even if the ending works out smoother.

Shuffle blues guitar takes hold in the penultimate “Grissom” with a due sense of space, picking up at the end before dropping out and hitting on the beat into the rush of closer “The Buzzard,” which immediately begins the speediest movement on the record. Feeling more plotted than “Grissom” or some of the other material, the finale works around a winding riff with suitable rhythmic push and a summarizing feel in the interplay of lead and rhythm guitar, resolving itself in a last shove that, as they have at several points throughout, cuts away just as it seems to reach a head. Seven Planets never reach the same kind of jammy elevations as, say, their labelmates in Austin, Texas’ Tia Carrera, but neither do they seem to want to. Rather, their melding together of different styles and plays back and forth between constructed and off-the-cuff material and parts — sometimes, it seems, within individual tracks — is a distinguishing factor for their sound and ends up being the basis for much of Explorer‘s personality. Eight years after the first offering, it probably shouldn’t be a surprise to find that Seven Planets have progressed as a band, but they’ve also managed to hold onto the essential instrumental conversation between them that allows those improvisational stretches to shine through.

Seven Planets on Thee Facebooks

Seven Planets on Bandcamp

Small Stone Records website

Small Stone Records on Thee Facebooks

Small Stone Records on Bandcamp

Ah, February release dates. In the last few years especially, as underground release patterns have reorganized around digitalia and the recentering of common focus on vinyl, there’s been a resurgence of the February/September dynamic that I find fascinating. Big albums come out at the start of the year and the end of the year, and the year starts in February and ends in September. You still get stuff in the months between, of course, but consider the fact that it’s mid-November now and we’re already seeing looks-ahead to what’s arriving in 2020. Similarly, as everyone’s touring in the summer, it’s the early Fall releases that are the focus more than anything coming out at the time. The fact that Seven Planets will make their debut on Small Stone Records on Feb. 7 with their third outing, Explorer, is immediately encouraging.

Preorders are up (because that’s how Small Stone does), and a song is streaming now (ditto), so get to it.

Info came from Bandcamp. I edited the bio but can’t take credit for having written it in the first place:

Seven Planets – Explorer

West Virginia-based heavy instrumentalists Seven Planets will release their third full-length, Explorer, on February 7, 2020, through Detroit’s Small Stone Records. Drawing on classic metal, heavy boogie, and blues rock, the group formed in 2007 and consists of guitarists Leonard Hanks and Jim Way, bassist Mike Williams and drummer Ben Pitt, all of whom have played in bands together in different configurations for over 25 years. Its groove-anchored sound has drawn comparisons to Brant Bjork and Clutch-offshoot The Bakerton Group.

Written and recorded over a period of personal difficulties and individual strife for the four band members, Explorer captures a sense of escapist freedom in its deep grooves, burly riffs, and expansive atmosphere, which further illustrates what Heavy Planet stated in its review of the band’s self-titled 2012 LP: “Seven Planets take you on an amazing journey into another cosmic dimension.”

The new album features artwork by renowned German illustrator Alexander von Wieding (Monster Magnet, Brant Bjork, Karma to Burn, etc.), giving further representation to the idea of escape with a spacebound retro-style rocket headed to the unknown. Exploration in the truest sense.

Tracklisting
1. Vanguard 02:46
2. Plain Truth In A Homespun Dress
3. Explorer
4. 206
5. Seven Seas
6. Great Attractor
7. Grissom
8. The Buzzard

Recorded by Seven Planets at Stonewall Studios, Beckley, WV.
Produced and mixed by Leonard Hanks.
Mastered by Chris Goosman @ Baseline Audio Labs, Ann Arbor, MI.
Album artwork by Alexander von Wieding.
All songs by Seven Planets.
Published by Small Stone Records (ASCAP)

Seven Planets is:
Leonard Hanks: guitar
Ben Pitt: drums
James Way: guitar
Mike Williams: bass

https://www.facebook.com/Seven-Planets-102040383183657/
https://sevenplanets.bandcamp.com/
http://www.smallstone.com
http://www.facebook.com/smallstonerecords
http://www.smallstone.bandcamp.com

Seven Planets, Explorer (2020)

Okay, so I’ll just say that 2016 was three years ago, and early 2016 even longer than that, so if you don’t have immediate recall on Rhin‘s third and most-recent album, Passenger (discussed here). Time passes, life happens, and maybe you remember and maybe you don’t. It’s okay. It’s a big internet and the record is out there waiting for you to dig back in at your leisure. That’s the tradeoff for all that privacy you sold away without knowing about it.

In fact, because I believe in supporting that investment, I’ve included the embed below. Fine.

Before you get there, however, you’ll find the new release Passenger Outtakes, culled from the same sessions — or at least one day thereof — that revisit the album’s sound. Presented name-your-price style by Bandcamp, it’s basically an excuse to pay another visit to a record (and then some) that those who might recall might do so fondly. I do.

So go ahead and have at it and enjoy. Note that two of the three inclusions showed up later on a split, but in different form, with vocals, so this is how they were to start with.

As per Grimoire‘s Bandcamp page:

Passenger Outtakes by Rhin

Three previously unreleased instrumental tracks from the “Passenger” recording session on October 24th, 2015, remixed and remastered for a less roomy, tighter punk-rock vibe. Despite the fact that two of these songs were re-recorded, completed with vocals, and featured on a split with Rat Ship, everyone agreed these takes were too good to not publish!

In 2018, Rhin entered an indefinite hiatus from which they may never return, but these tracks are a reminder of how freaking tight these three guys were. At the time of this recording, Rhin was Dom (bass), Tucker (guitar), and Ben (drums).

All proceeds go to the ACLU.

Released November 1, 2019.

Tracklisting:
1. Awake 05:28
2. Bullshit 03:16
3. Nothing 07:02

http://rhin.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/rhinwv
http://grimoirerecords.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/GrimoireRecords

Rhin, Passenger Outtakes (2019)

Rhin, Passenger (2016)

West Virginia’s Horseburner made a suitably barnstorming label debut on Ripple Music a couple months back with The Thief (review here), and in November, they’ll be heading out westward to support the album, aligning with Boston’s Worshipper and of course a host of others for shows along the way. Sound cool? It is. Horseburner have a few tours under their collective belt at this point, but they go with a new and marked level of accomplishment following the issue of their second album, and increasingly their reputation is preceding them. This is the kind of thing that only continues a band’s forward momentum, and Horseburner have plenty of that, in sound and circumstance alike.

If the style of the poster looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve been staring at Lo-Pan artwork. It’s Pittsburgh-based Chris Smith behind the design, and it rules in such a way as to wonder what it would cost to ask for a t-shirt design for this site. Probably more than I’ve got, but still. Might be worth finding that out.

Anyway, here are the dates:

We are pleased as can be to announce the entirety of our November tour. We’re hitting a ton of places we’ve never played before, so we’re looking forward to getting out there and meeting you. Yes, you.

Even more stoked to be meeting up with our brothers in the mighty Worshipper for the west coast dates!

As always, we’ll see you on the road. Stay dirty.

11-1: Cleveland, OH – Now That’s Class
11-2: Bloomington, IL – Nightshop
11-3: Rock Island, IL – RIBCO
11-5: Lawrence, KS – Replay Lounge
11-6: Denver, CO – HI DIVE
11-7: Cheyenne, WY – Ernie November
11-8: Salt Lake City, UT – The Greek Station
11-9: Seattle, WA – Substation**
11-10: Portland, OR – High Water Mark**
11-11: Eugene, OR – Luckey’s**
11-13: San Francisco, CA – The Elbo Room**
11-14: Las Vegas, NV – Count’s Vampd**
11-15: Los Angeles, CA – The Lexington**
11-16: Oceanside, CA – The Pourhouse**
11-17: Albuquerque, NM – Moonlight Lounge
11-18: El Paso, TX – Neon Rose
11-19: Fort Worth, TX – Main at South Side
11-20: Austin, TX – Lost Well
11-21: Lafayette, LA – Freetown Boom Boom Room
11-23: Nashville, TN – Cobra
11-29: Marietta, OH – The Adelphia

** with Worshipper **

Poster by Chris Smith/Grey Aria Design Studio

Horseburner:
Adam Nohe – Drums/Vocals
Jack Thomas – Guitar/Vocals
Matt Strobel – Guitar
Seth Bostick – Bass

https://www.horseburner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Horseburner/
https://horseburner.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/horseburner/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Horseburner, The Thief (2019)

[Click play above to stream ‘Drowning Bird’ from Horseburner’s The Thief. Album is out Aug. 9 on Ripple Music.]

Though the inherent energy of their material and the fact that they’re newly signed to Ripple Music read otherwise, West Virginia’s Horseburner are not actually a new band. They played their first show just over a decade ago, and released two EPs before making such a splash with their 2016 full-length debut, Dead Seeds, Barren Soil (review here). That album was picked up for release through Hellmistress Records and subsequent touring and response led to the Ripple signing ahead of The Thief, their second LP and label debut. It’s worth mentioning not only for basic background, because when one listens to The Thief front-to-back, Horseburner‘s chemistry is not that of a new band.

While they recently parted ways with guitarist Zach Kaufman and brought in Matt Strobel to take on the role alongside guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist Jack Thomas, drummer/vocalist Adam Nohe and bassist Seth Bostick, the lineup that appears on the nine-song/46-minute The Thief feels wholly solidified in its songwriting approach, taking cues from modern progressive metal, NWOBHM and shades of traditional doom. Thomas‘s vocals remind here and there of Butch Balich‘s work in Argus — thinking of songs like “A Joyless King” and the later “Fathoms,” but it’s a comparison one might make elsewhere too, and not a comparison made lightly — and the winding course of riffing over which he and Nohe harmony-shout is reminiscent of the likes of Leviathan-era Mastodon in its hard edge and obviously considered composition.

Across intense pieces like “Drowning Bird” and “The Fisherman’s Vow,” they manifest crunch and gallop in kind and still set up a smooth-moving flow within and between the songs. It’s fast, and it’s a lot to keep up with, but that’s the idea, and when Horseburner are at a sprint, as on “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone” (premiered here), the effect is righteously head-spinning. Movements within songs mesh well together and take shape as verses and choruses, and as its two-minute titular introduction, and the likewise-timed centerpiece “Seas Between” and closer “Thiefsong” weave an acoustic-based thread throughout all the heft, the feeling of a masterplan at work becomes all the more prevalent.

If Horseburner are telling a story here — and they may or may not be; I haven’t had the benefit of a lyric sheet — then it’s one that sets up across intricately conceived chapters that balance indulgence and creative will against sheer impact of groove, “A Joyless King,” “Drowning Bird” and “The Fisherman’s Vow” separated by “Seas Between” from the side B salvo “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone,” “The Oak” and “Fathoms.” The underlying modus doesn’t necessarily change between the two sections — in fact, I’d argue The Thief is best enjoyed on a linear format so as to get the whole effect of “Seas Between” as the centerpiece without having to worry about a side flip as one would on vinyl — but flourish of proggy guitar interplay and keyboard in “The Oak” and the fact that “Fathoms” is the only song on the record to top eight minutes does speak to a certain amount of branching out, though there’s no question that in the case of the latter, its position as the full-album payoff is purposeful as well.

One imagines that if Horseburner didn’t already know it when they were writing the song, it quickly became clear in the recording process that “Fathoms” would close out ahead of “Thiefsong,” such is the thump with which it lands and the heights to which it soars in its finishing, solo-topped sway. That puts further emphasis on the flow that’s been happening all along throughout The Thief, as all the more it seems “A Joyless King” and “Drowning Bird” are meant to draw the listener into the varied but linear whole-album progression. The short version is it works, and with deceptive subtlety, because as they’re setting up this linear motion, Horseburner are also bashing and crashing through killer chug and hairpin-turn rhythms, stomping through headbang-ready heavy parts and adding more than hints of nuance to deepen the proceedings beyond what might otherwise be “cool riffs, bro.”

Nothing against that, understand, but The Thief is on a different and more complex mission, and the band bear that out in the means by which they maintain both the thoughtfulness of the material and the conversation they’re having with their audience here. Because whatever layering there might be between Thomas‘s keys and guitar, the recording itself is geared toward capturing a live setting. With so much vitality, it could hardly be otherwise. Tracked at Amish Electric Chair Studios and Green Mist Studios respectively by Neil Tuuri (who also mixed) and Thomas himself, there’s no lack of clarity in the offering, and even the most distorted, driving moments have a crispness to them that speaks further to the band’s will to actively engage their listenership, but the balance with raw energy across The Thief‘s span is striking, and it’s exactly that engagement that’s the reason why.

Horseburner want you to get into this album. They make it plain. The Thief is the output of a band who’ve been around for 10 years, have gotten their shit together, built up some momentum and decided to make a real push at having an impact. They sound hungry more than angry, but most of all they sound ready, and that’s true in the brief quiet interlude in “The Fisherman’s Vow” as much as in the fist-pumping early dual-guitar theatrics and subsequent all-out start-stop crunch of “The Oak.” The only question is what that engagement is leading to? If, after 10 years as a band, Horseburner want to hit the road and make a go of selling full-color t-shirts to various US and eventually European cities, I have no doubt in my mind they could pull that off in a fashion that’s at least no more or less sustainable than anyone else doing the same. Time will tell what their goals ultimately are and whether or not they get there, but most importantly, The Thief is a resonant announcement of their arrival, and that is not at all to be missed.

Horseburner website

Horseburner on Thee Facebooks

Horseburner on Bandcamp

Horseburner on Instagram

Ripple Music on Thee Facebooks

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

Yeah, I’ve got it on now and this one’s pretty sick. Like, gonna-be-on-a-lot-of-lists sick. Maybe mine. Horseburner will make their debut on Ripple Music with The Thief and they’ve already got shows booked into November to support it, so that’s nifty, but listening to the album, it’s got stomper riffs and modern prog metal inflection galore in its winding guitar lines and not-at-all-overplayed drums, taking a cue from the Mastodons of the world without, well, sucking, I guess. It can be a fine line to walk, but Horsebuner would seem to have found the balance between nuance and groove and melody in these tracks that, yes, will be very well received. Bandcamp’s gonna go apeshit for this one. I hope Ripple has an ample supply.

I’m gonna try to set up another track premiere — the first one was here back in March — to go with a review a proper review, but in the meantime, here’s some info from the PR wire:

HORSEBURNER: Hard Hitting Road/Riff Merchants Return With New Album + Tour Dates

The Thief by Horseburner is officially released on 9th August on Ripple Music

Pre-order the album now at www.ripple-music.com

Together since 2008 and borne from the wild Appalachian green of West Virginia, Horseburner has never cowered from hard toil. From performing their first live show, self-recording and releasing two EPs (2009’s Dirt City and Strange Giant in 2013), putting on an inaugural tour in 2011 and releasing their debut full-length album, Dead Seeds, Barren Soil in 2016, the band has quite simply, done it all themselves.

Having played hundreds of shows over the past decade, performing alongside acts such as Torche, Weedeater, Goatwhore, Obituary, Corrosion of Conformity, The Obsessed, Karma to Burn and Bell Witch, in 2017 the band reissued their debut album through Hellmistress Records, which quickly reignited that song writing/recording flame, resulting in the gift of new music.

This year, as well as hitting the road for a monster Summer/Fall Tour of the US, the band join forces with Ripple Music, the California-based record label and world leader in Heavy Rock, Stoner, Doom and Heavy Psych to bring you the hard rocking yield of that fruitful and inspired year. The official worldwide release of their brand-new album, The Thief. As the band explains:

“We are thrilled to finally be putting out new music after almost three years and several member changes, and we can’t wait for people to hear, ‘Hand of Gold, Man of Stone’. It was the first song we finished for this new album, and we think it really sets the tone for what’s to come this summer when the full album is released. It’s loud, it’s aggressive, it’s a little weird… It’s also the shortest song. Brevity has never been our strong suit, but there is a much larger story waiting to be told, and this song is just one chapter. We’re even more excited to be teaming up with Ripple Music for the new record. We love so many bands on their roster, it’s such a well curated label. We’re honored to be joining the Ripple Family, and honestly, that’s what it feels like, a family.”

TRACK LISTING:
1. The Thief
2. A Joyless King
3. Drowning Bird
4. The Fisherman’s Vow
5. Seas Between
6. Hand of Gold Man of Stone
7. The Oak
8. Fathoms
9. Thiefsong

LIVE DATES (MORE DATES TBC):
2/8 – Richmond, VA – Wonderland
3/8 – Beckley, WV – Melody’s
23/8 – Athens, OH – Casa
24/8 – Youngstown, OH – Westside Bowl
25/8 – Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
27/8 – Canton, OH – Buzzbin
5/9 – Huntington, WV – V Club
6/9 – Johnson City, TN – Hideaway
7/9 – Charlotte, NC – Skylark
8/9 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits
9/9 – Miami, FL – Las Rosas
11/9 – Savannah, GA – El Rocko
12/9 – Athens, GA – Caledonia Lounge
27/9 – Toronto, ON – Bovine Sex Club
5/10 – Pittsburgh, PA – Gooski’s
6/10 – Buffalo, NY – Electric Avenue
7/10 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Desperate Annie’s
11/10 – Brooklyn, NY – The Well
12/10 – Wilmington, DE – Oddity Bar
13/10 – Baltimore, MD – The Depot
29/11 –Marietta, OH – Adelphia

HORSEBURNER:
Adam Nohe – Drums, Vocals, Percussion
Jack Thomas – Guitar, Vocals, Keys
Seth Bostick – Bass
Zach Kaufman – Guitar

https://www.horseburner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Horseburner/
https://horseburner.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/horseburner/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/

Horseburner, “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone”

This August, West Virginia’s Brimstone Coven and Chicago’s own Spillage will head out on tour together through Texas and various destination points in the Midwest. The run is 10 shows in 10 days, no nights off, and will begin on Aug. 8 as Brimstone Coven head out behind last year’s What Was and What Shall Be, which was their first offering as a three-piece after issuing their second album, Black Magic (review here), through Metal Blade in 2016. They also just appeared this past weekend at the New England Stoner and Doom Fest II in Jewett City, Connecticut, which by all accounts I’ve seen was a win.

Spillage meanwhile appeared at Maryland Doom Fest last year and in January released their second album, Blood of Angels, and their classic Chicago-style deep-dish doom/metal should make a fun pairing with Brimstone Coven‘s harmonies. The tour is presented by Mercyful Mike Management, which is long-since aligned with Spillage, having booked them as well as support for its Sheavy tour and featured the band on Days of the Doomed III way back when in Wisconsin. That was just about six years ago. Time flies and all that.

Texas gets its due here, but there’s plenty of non-TX dates as well for anyone not of a Lone Star persuasion. Cheers to the bands on getting out. An independent tour of 10 shows in a row could easily be a slog, but something tells me these guys will keep good company.

Dates follow:

Happy to officially announce all dates of the “Blood and Hellfire” tour featuring Brimstone Coven and SPILLAGE! See you all in August!

8/8 – Little Rock, Arkansas @ The White Water Tavern
8/9 – San Antonio, Texas @ Limelight
8/10 – Houston, Texas @ Dan Electros
8/11 – Austin, Texas @Beerland
8/12 – Kansas City, Missouri @ TBA
8/13 – Des Moines, Iowa @Lefty’s Live Music
8/14 – Bloomington, Illinois @ NIghtshop
8/15 – Indianapolis, Indiana @ Black Circle Brewing Co.
8/16 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Club Garibaldi
8/17 – Lombard, Illinois @ Brauer House

https://www.facebook.com/brimstonecoven
https://brimstonecoven.bandcamp.com/

http://www.facebook.com/spillagerocks
https://spillage.bandcamp.com/

Brimstone Coven, What Was and What Shall Be (2018)

Spillage, Blood of Angels (2019)

It’s a time of change for West Virginian riffers Horseburner. A decade into their run and after releasing their incredibly well received debut, Dead Seeds, Barren Soil (review here), on their own in 2016 and through Hellmistress Records in 2017, the band are getting ready to bid farewell to guitarist Zach Kaufman following some final dates together as part of their Spring tour, most of which will feature Stonecutters‘ Nick Burks in that role alongside guitarist/vocalist Jack Thomas, bassist Seth Bostick and drummer/vocalist Adam Nohe.

At the same time, Horseburner have signed to Ripple Music and are newly unveiling the single “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone” taken from their upcoming second album, The Thief, which will be their first outing for the label. In a sharply-edged five minutes, the song burns horses and barns alike with heroic guitar lines and vocal harmonies drawn from modern progressive metallurgy, but manages as well to hold tight to an underlying groove and build in energy while touching on vibes as much NWOBHM as they are noise rock, the two-guitar dynamic and two-vocal dynamic working in concert to make the track unpredictable despite the solid rhythmic foundation on which it rests — or, when one considers the tempo, doesn’t at all rest.

Already confirmed for Grim Reefer Fest in Baltimore and New England Stoner & Doom Fest in Jewett City, Connecticut — with 40,000 other bands, apparently — Horseburner bring precise execution and weighted tones to bear with motion and largesse in like measure. Through clear production and intent, they would seem to be poised to bring their stamp to the pastiche of modern heavy, and if the purpose of an advance single is to pique interest, “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone” is mission accomplished.

Kudos to the band and to Ripple on the signing. The PR wire brings a full update and you’ll find the premiere of “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone” at the bottom of this post.

Enjoy:

HORSEBURNER: West Virginian Heavy Stoner Metalists To Release New Album ‘THE THIEF’ with Ripple Music; Share New Song “Hand Of Gold, Man Of Stone” & Announce U.S. Spring Tour

Together since 2008, borne from the wild Appalachian green of West Virginia, HORSEBURNER has never cowered from hard toil. From their first live show performed, a first EP ‘Dirt City’ self-released in 2009, an initial tour in 2011, to a second EP 7” ‘Strange Giant’ in 2013, and right up to a debut full-length ‘Dead Seeds, Barren Soil’ in 2016, it’s all been DIY and self-released.

They’ve played hundreds of shows over the past decade, alongside such acts as Torche, Weedeater, Skeletonwitch, Goatwhore, Obituary, Corrosion of Conformity, The Obsessed, Karma to Burn, Prong, Byzantine, Cough, ASG, Rosetta, and Bell Witch. In 2017, the band altered their DIY stride with a reissue of their full-length through Hellmistress Records and reignited their flame with writing and recording new music during 2018.

Horseburner continues to step up the pace in 2019, with a recent signing with RIPPLE MUSIC to release their sophomore full-length, ‘THE THIEF’, later this year, as well as the announcement of a U.S. Spring Tour. To introduce the upcoming album, a new song is being released today – “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone” off the upcoming album ‘The Thief.’

The band’s reaction to the new venture:
“We are thrilled to finally be putting out new music after almost three years and several member changes, and we can’t wait for people to hear “Hand of Gold, Man of Stone.” It was the first song we finished for this new album, and we think it really sets the tone for what’s to come this summer when the full album is released. It’s loud, it’s aggressive, it’s a little weird… It’s also the shortest song. Brevity has never been our strong suit, but there is a much larger story waiting to be told, and this song is just one chapter. We’re even more excited to be teaming up with Ripple Music for the new record. We love so many bands on their roster, it’s such a well curated label. We’re honored to be joining the Ripple Family, and honestly, that’s what it feels like, a family. “

Some excitement from Todd Severin of Ripple Music:
“It’s not that often that a band comes by and just blows my mind, but Horseburner is one of them. They’re taking the raw soul of stoner and taking it in fresh, exciting new directions. The sky is the limit for where these guys will soar.”

The band also shares some words about the upcoming tour:
“We’re definitely ready to be back on the road, as well. We haven’t been out there as much as we like to this past year, and we’re ready to throw off the rust and see some new faces. We’re hitting a few places for the first time ever, and returning to some old favorites, so this will be a good time.

On top of all that, we’ve got one of our best pals, Nick Burks from Louisville’s Stonecutters, filling in on guitar for the April tour and some of the May dates, it’s going to be killer. Then with Zach’s exit from the band, and him doing a handful of farewell shows before he leaves for good… having Zach’s last show with us in Columbus, Ohio in May – ten years from our first ever show, which was also in Columbus – bittersweet is definitely one way to put it.”

U.S. Spring Tour Dates:
March 22 – Huntington, WV @ V Club (w/ Cavern, Embracer, Signals)
March 23 – Johnson City, TN @ The Hideaway (w/ Indighost, Haal)
*April 12 – Detroit, MI @ The Fireside (w/ Gear Jammer, Black Heiron)
*April 13 – Toronto, ONT @ The Bovine Sex Club (w/ Ol’ Time Moonshine, Jahgernaut, Quiet Earth)
*April 14 – Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place (w/ Malarchuk, Yanari, Tines)
*April 15 – Saratoga Springs, NY @ Desperate Annie’s for Super Dark Monday (w/ Ghastly Sound, The Tenants)
*April 16 – Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House (w/ Ghastly Sound, Wolfhand, Sachem)
*April 17 – Bangor, ME @ Downunder Club (w/ Ghastly Sound, + more)
*April 18 – Boston, MA @ OBrien’s (w/ VOS, Greylock)
*April 19 – Brooklyn, NY @ The Well (w/ Godmaker, + more)
*April 20 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar for Grim Reefer Fest (w/ Ruby the Hatchet, Heavy Temple, Haze Mage, Mountainwolf, Book of Wyrms, YATRA, Tombtoker)
May 3 – Pottsville, PA @ Goodfellas (w/ 44 Mag, Brain Candle, The Hands Resist, Faith in Exile) *Playing as a trio*
*May 4 – Jewett City, CT @ Altone’s for New England Stoner Doom Fest (w/ Stonecutters, Brimstone Coven, + 40,000 bands)
*May 5 – Washington, D.C. @ Atlas Brew Works (w/ Stonecutters, Dirt Eater)
May 17 – Parkersburg, WV @ The Dils Center (w/ Lo-Pan, Louts, + more)
May 18 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups (Zach’s last show!)

*Nick Burks from Stonecutters on Guitar

Horseburner:
Adam Nohe – Drums/Vocals
Jack Thomas – Guitar/Vocals
Seth Bostick – Bass
Zach Kaufman – Guitar

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