Posted in Reviews on October 3rd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
A quick search through the album announcement and tour press releases thus far for Windhand‘s Eternal Return shows that, from either the label or the Richmond, Virginia, natives themselves, the word “doom” appears zero times. Listening to the nine-song/62-minute offering, that hardly feels like a coincidence. Instead, Eternal Return — which stands as Windhand‘s fourth album behind 2015’s Grief’s Infernal Flower (review here), their 2013 Relapse Records debut, Soma (review here), and their 2012 self-titled debut (streamed here) — has been positioned amid heavy psychedelia and seen highlighted an influence from ’90s alternative and grunge rock. Fair. There are definitely some of those elements at work tonally and in the songwriting, but as the group renews its collaboration with producer Jack Endino, who also recorded Grief’s Infernal Flower, and sees further continuity in Eternal Return‘s Arik Roper cover art, there’s still plenty of doom to the proceedings in songs like “First to Die,” “Eyeshine,” in which vocalist Dorthia Cottrell delivers the album’s title line, and “Red Cloud,” which nonetheless stands among the faster pieces here.
The tones of Garrett Morris and Parker Chandler are still molasses thick, and drummer Ryan Wolfe still pushes the atmospheric murk forward with consistent and creative rhythm. But there is a change as well. Between Grief’s Infernal Flower and Eternal Return, Windhand have gone from a five- to a four-piece, losing guitarist Asechiah Bogdan. I don’t know how much Bogdan (also formerly of Alabama Thunderpussy) was involved in the songwriting for Windhand, but even if he wasn’t really at all, a change in dynamic is to be expected with any shift in lineup on the part of a given group, and that might be what’s happening with Windhand as different influences come to the surface. Certainly if the band were “bored” of doom, that would be well enough earned — it’s ground they’ve well covered across their three prior full-lengths and other releases like their earlier 2018 split with tourmates Satan’s Satyrs (discussed here) — and Eternal Return does on the whole play to the psychedelic aspects of their sound, but it’s not as if those aspects are appearing out of nowhere. Windhand‘s otherworldly sensibility has been there all along. It’s part of what’s stood them out from their early influences and helped define them stylistically.
Okay. But to listen to “Grey Garden” (video posted here), or even the eight-minute opener “Halcyon” that directly precedes it, there’s definitely something different happening. And the positioning is correct: it’s derived from grunge. Generationally speaking, the genre feels like fair enough game, and in “Red Cloud,” the mellow acoustic-led “Pilgrim’s Rest” and especially in closer “Feather,” in Cottrell‘s vocals and in the rhythmic lurch, there’s a reinterpretation of early ’90s aesthetics happening, but the key there is it’s reinterpretation. Windhand aren’t simply donning a flannel and tucking their jeans into their Doc Martens — they’re taking the influence of grunge and working it into their own sonic context, just as they’ve always done with their influences. The penultimate “Diablerie” (video posted here) shows this integration well and offers a fair summary of all sides that Eternal Returnhas on offer. Its leads are clean and shine through the low-end murk surrounding with a particularly spacious shimmer, Cottrell‘s voice leads the way through a resonant, said-as-plainly-as-possible hook with some subtly layered-in harmonies, and the overarching groove is fluid en route to a jangly finish that leads the way into “Feather.”
And though it’s relatively buried with 50 minutes of densely-weighted material before it and positioned way down at the end of side D, “Feather” is the truly standout moment on Eternal Return in terms of stylistic progression. It seems to follow directly the lead-in that “Diablerie” gives it, with a hard-strummed guitar line tapping into that particular downerism before a Cantrell-esque lead line enters the mix. Nirvana have been a strong presence throughout, but as “Feather” dips into minimalist atmospherics about four and a half minutes through its total 13, ahead of the full-tonal kick to come, it sets up a middle section of the track that seems especially geared toward Alice in Chains, with Cottrell playing both the Staley and Cantrell roles vocally, self-harmonizing over a lumbering riff. Though the track grows more mournful as it proceeds toward a long-fading noisy washout, I’d gladly argue that midpoint as the culmination of Windhand‘s expansion of style on Eternal Return, and it shows not only how far they’ve come — spoiler: they’ve come pretty far — but how far they can still go should they desire to do so.
And really, that’s the main question as regards Eternal Return: Cool, you can do this? How far are you going to take it? Invariably that’s not something that can be answered at this point or within the next album cycle or even two should they get there, but while the band got their start a decade ago, one of the steadiest aspects of their work has been the fact that it has always seemed to lead one to look ahead to what’s coming next, and in that regard, Eternal Return feels all the more transitional. With the change in lineup behind them and a thus-far busy tour schedule ahead, what will come of Windhand‘s foray into grunge and their retipping the balance toward psychedelia? Will their next album still have the same kind of bottom end one hears in the plodding “First to Die,” or is the swirling centerpiece interlude “Light into Dark” a tell for a continuing shift underway that will make them less immediately recognizable to their fanbase?
Because, if nothing else, Windhand are that, and it’s to their credit how much they’ve taken their early influences from the likes of Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard, etc., and internalized and reshaped them into an identity of their own. That’s never been more the case than it is on Eternal Return, but Windhand don’t sound like they’re finished coming into their own, and ultimately, this record may prove over the longer term to be as much departure as it is an arrival. If that’s the case, so be it. For the moment, these songs legitimately push Windhand onto new ground and move them into a niche all the more their own. There’s still doom in the heart of their sound, but increasingly, they’re defining for themselves just what that means and how it manifests.
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 1st, 2018 by JJ Koczan
This week marks the release of Windhand‘s new album, Eternal Return. It is the Richmond, Virginia, unit’s second full-length with Jack Endino at the board as producer — why go anywhere else? — and it marks something of a shift in their sound toward a more grunge-derived feel to their riffing, melded with a psychedelia born of their always murky approach to doom. They are already slated to supporting the living crap out of the record, with previously announced runs through the US (beginning a week from today) and Europe (beginning March 7), and now they’ve decided to do another short run through the Southeast, hitting D.C., North Carolina, Florida and Georgia on an eight-date stint that I guess amounts to a get-out-of-the-house warmup tour for Windhand but is still longer than many of the tours I post about here. It’s like their version of a weekender and it’s eight dates. Hilarious.
The PR wire has the details of their daunting schedule:
WINDHAND: Announce US Headlining Winter Tour Dates w/ GENOCIDE PACT
Eternal Return is due out October 5th on Relapse Records
Virginia’s WINDHAND announce US headlining tour dates throughout January 2019 with label-mates GENOCIDE PACT. The brief tour begins on January 24 in Washington D.C. and ends January 31 in Charlotte, NC. A full list of tour dates are available below. Tickets are on sale Friday, September 28th at 10am EST.
Stream WINDHAND’s recently released track “Diablerie” now on all streaming services. Embodying the album’s more reflective side, “Diablerie” fully captures the band’s artistic growth and the juxtaposition of genre-bending, heavy psychedelia that’s apparent throughout Eternal Return.
Additionally, watch WINDHAND’s previously released “Grey Garden” video, the lead single off their forthcoming album Eternal Return, AT THIS LOCATION.
WINDHAND’s 4th studio album Eternal Return is due out October 5th on CD/2xLP/CS/Digital on Relapse Records. Physical packages are available for pre-order HERE and Digital Downloads/Streaming AT THIS LOCATION.f
WINDHAND LIVE DATES:
— All Dates Jan 24-31 w/ Genocide Pact — Jan 24 Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall Jan 25 Durham, NC @ Pinhook Jan 26 Jacksonville, FL @ 1904 Music Hall Jan 27 Miami, FL @ Las Rosas Jan 28 Tampa, FL @ The Crowbar Jan 29 Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub Jan 30 Savannah, GA @ The Jinx Jan 31 Charlotte, NC @ Neighborhood Theatre
— 2018 US Tour Dates w/ Satan’s Satyrs — Oct 08 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Oct 09 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Oct 10 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Oct 11 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Oct 12 Austin, TX @ Barracuda Oct 14 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Oct 15 Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Oct 16 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre Oct 17 Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Oct 19 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre Oct 20 Vancouver, BC @ Venue Oct 21 Seattle, WA @ Neumos Oct 23 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Oct 24 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room Nov 01 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Nov 02 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Nov 03 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Nov 04 Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont Nov 05 Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Nov 07 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean Nov 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe Nov 09 Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club Nov 10 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi Nov 11 Nashville, TN @ The Basement East Nov 12 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar Nov 13 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Nov 15 Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
— All Dates March 07-24 w/ Grime — Mar 07 Vienna, AT @ Arena Mar 08 Munich, DE @ Feierwerk Mar 09 Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie Mar 10 Paris, FR @ Boule Noire Mar 12 Bristol, UK @ Exchange Mar 13 Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute Mar 14 Glasgow, UK @ Audio Mar 15 Nottingham, UK @ Bodega Mar 16 London, UK @ Underworld Mar 17 Brussels, BE @ AB Mar 19 Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat Mar 20 Eindhoven, NL @ Effenaar Mar 21 Cologne, DE @ MTC Mar 22 Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Mar 23 Berlin, DE @ Musik & Frieden Mar 24 Leipzig, DE @ Werk 2
Posted in Whathaveyou on August 24th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
I usually try to keep myself distant from the din of new-album hype out there. The promo-speak and hyperbole is as endless as the string of new releases itself, and while I don’t always succeed — hey, we all get excited; that’s part of the fun — I do my best to keep my head on waiting for records to show up. I gotta say though, when it comes to the new Windhand, I’m feeling it. Sure, I’ve dug them all along and been continually intrigued as they’ve become one of the foremost acts in US doom, but with the sonic turn that seems to be heralded in their new one, Eternal Return — out Oct. 5 on Relapse as their second collaboration with producer Jack Endino — I’m really excited to hear where they take their sound.
The video that you can watch below for “Grey Garden” is a big part of the reason why. It’s the first real sampling they’ve given from Eternal Return and its ethereal doom grunge unfolds with a trippy spaciousness that adds even further depth and character to their by-now-trademark miasma. The Richmond outfit previously announced a US run for this Fall and they’ll be in Europe in March — interesting that they’d go before the Spring fest season begins; one wonders if they’ll be back that way in Autumn 2019 — touring with the gleefully filth-caked sludge extremists Grime.
Dates came down the PR wire like so:
WINDHAND: Announce 2019 European March Headlining Tour Dates
Eternal Return is due out October 5th on Relapse Records
Richmond, Virginia’s psychedelic heavyweights WINDHAND announce 2019 European headlining tour dates with Italy’s Grime. The tour begins March 7th in Austria and ends March 24th in Germany. All confirmed tour dates are available below.
WINDHAND’s 4th studio album Eternal Return is due out October 5th on CD/2xLP/CS/Digital on Relapse Records. Physical packages are available for pre-order HERE and Digital Downloads/Streaming AT THIS LOCATION.
Artwork By Arik Roper
WINDHAND LIVE DATES: — All Dates March 07-24 w/ Grime —
Mar 07 Vienna, AT @ Arena Mar 08 Munich, DE @ FeierwerkM Mar 09 Lausanne, CH @ Le Romandie Mar 10 Paris, FR @ Boule Noire Mar 12 Bristol, UK @ Exchange Mar 13 Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute Mar 14 Glasgow, UK @ Audio Mar 15 Nottingham, UK @ Bodega Mar 16 London, UK @ Underworld Mar 17 Brussels, BE @ AB Mar 19 Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat Mar 20 Eindhoven, NL @ Effenaar Mar 21 Cologne, DE @ MTC Mar 22 Hamburg, DE @ Molotow Mar 23 Berlin, DE @ Musik & Frieden Mar 24 Leipzig, DE @ Werk 2
— 2018 US Tour Dates w/ Satan’s Satyrs —
Oct 08 Atlanta, GA @ The Earl Oct 09 New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa Oct 10 Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Oct 11 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada Oct 12 Austin, TX @ Barracuda Oct 14 Albuquerque, NM @ Sister Oct 15 Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar Oct 16 Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre Oct 17 Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club Oct 19 Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre Oct 20 Vancouver, BC @ Venue Oct 21 Seattle, WA @ Neumos Oct 23 Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge Oct 24 Kansas City, MO @ The Riot Room Nov 01 Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts Nov 02 Brooklyn, NY @ Elsewhere Nov 03 Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall Nov 04 Montreal, QC @ Le Belmont Nov 05 Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern Nov 07 Chicago, IL @ Subterranean Nov 08 Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe Nov 09 Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club Nov 10 Indianapolis, IN @ The Hi-Fi Nov 11 Nashville, TN @ The Basement East Nov 12 Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar Nov 13 Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups Nov 15 Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry
It seemed doubtful that Virginia’s Windhand would’ve been lying when they said their upcoming album, Eternal Return, was taking them in a different direction, mostly because, why would they? Still, it’s awfully nice to have an example to go from as we head closer to the record’s Oct. 5 release through Relapse Records. And so, with the creepy-image-barrage of the “Grey Garden” video that some site way cooler than this one premiered last week, we get that example. Immediately, it’s the best vocal performance I’ve heard from Dorthia Cottrell. Hands down. She sounds amazing. And behind her, guitarist Garrett Morris, bassist Parker Chandler and drummer Ryan Wolfe unfurl a vision of psychedelic grunge-doom, putting new meaning to the words “produced by Jack Endino” even than those that applied to their last full-length, 2015’s Grief’s Infernal Flower (review here), which the venerable producer also helmed.
The doom-via-grungegaze suits the Richmond four-piece. And “Grey Garden” seems to hold onto the thick low end tonality that’s been crucial to Windhand‘s approach since their first record. But this doesn’t sound like Electric Wizard. Really at all. And that’s a big difference, since even though Windhand had come into their own, they still had that nod at their foundation, and while I wouldn’t necessarily expect “Grey Garden” to represent the entirety of Eternal Return given past variety in their songwriting, it’s telling that it’s the first track they’re breaking out from the album and letting the public hear. They very obviously are trying something new here, and they very obviously want their audience to be prepared for it. Listening to the drift in the midsection and the reemergence of the more weighted tone that follows beneath the scorching, swirling lead, the potential seems to be there for the band to really make a stylistic mark on the greater sphere of doom itself.
I’d recommend you listen twice to really let the hook sink in, to hear the depth in Wolfe‘s snare, to get a handle on the arrival in murk, the departure from it, and the return. I was looking forward to Eternal Return already. My expectations are even higher now.
PR wire info and tour dates follow the video below.
Please enjoy:
Windhand, “Grey Garden” official video
Eternal Return is a complete life-to-death journey. As unplanned things go, it’s an observation of as well as a reflection on life’s ups and downs, joys and sorrows, beginnings and ends. Between the band’s 2015, highly acclaimed Grief’s Infernal Flower, and 2018’s Eternal Return, WINDHAND welcomed new life, survived lineup changes, and mourned unexpected death. The songs and song ordering are the direct result of those experiences. Where “Halcyon” is assured in its opening, the closing track “Feather” is its funeral march.
WINDHAND wrote Eternal Return all throughout the winter. Out of the sessions, “Halcyon,” “Grey Garden,” “Red Cloud,” and the monstrous “Eyeshine” emerged as the heaviest tracks, while “Pilgrim’s Rest,” “Diablerie,” and “Feather” embodied the more reflective side of WINDHAND. The juxtaposition of heavy, psychedelic and pensive is less like Black Sabbath or Sleep and more like Soundgarden or Veruca Salt. But the name-drops aren’t absolute so much as signals of WINDHAND’s ability to stretch beyond genre confines.
Eternal Return represents a new era for the group, a chrysalis moment that takes them to new and unforeseen heights. Boosted by Garrett Morris’ consistently cool riffs-forged at the crossroads of Iommi’s otherworldly import and Kurt Cobain’s spontaneous precocity-powered by Ryan Wolfe and Parker Chandler’s groove-laden rhythms, and propelled by Dorthia Cottrell’s smoky yet wistful vocals, WINDHAND’s new album is a two-step jump for Richmond’s finest purveyors of the psycho-actively heavy. Adorned by Arik Roper’s (Sleep, High on Fire) impressive cover art, Eternal Return not only looks the part of WINDHAND’s artistic growth but sounds the part.
WINDHAND brought Jack Endino back into the fold. Together, they spent two weeks recording at Soundhouse Recording in Seattle. Described as “smooth” and “intense,” the sessions with the famed producer were just what WINDHAND wanted. Endino also understood the group’s artistic progression, chiefly the admiration of and blending in late ’80s/early ’90s grunge. Out of it all, WINDHAND continued to refactor and refine their vision of heavy. A new era of psychedelic heaviness is upon us with WINDHAND’s genre-blurring Eternal Return. Sweet, fuzzed-out oblivion has never been closer…
WINDHAND LIVE DATES: 10/08: Atlanta, GA – The Earl # 10/09: New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa # 10/10: Houston TX – White Oak Music Hall # 10/11: Dallas, TX – Club Dada # 10/12: Austin, TX – Barracuda # 10/14: Albuquerque, NM – Sister # 10/15: Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar # 10/16: Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre # 10/17: Oakland, CA – Starline Social Club # 10/19: Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre # 10/20: Vancouver, BC – Venue # 10/21: Seattle, WA – Neumos # 10/23: Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge # 10/24: Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room # 11/01: Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts # 11/02: Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere # 11/03: Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall # 11/04: Montreal, QC – Le Belmont # 11/05: Toronto, ON – The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern # 11/07: Chicago, IL – Subterranean # 11/08: Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe # 11/09: Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club # 11/10: Indianapolis, IN – The Hi-Fi # 11/11: Nashville, TN – The Basement East # 11/12: Louisville, KY – Zanzabar # 11/13: Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups # 11/15: Richmond, VA – The Broadberry # # – w/ Satan’s Satyrs
Posted in Whathaveyou on July 12th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
October 5 is the set release date for Windhand‘s new album, Eternal Return. Everyone got their calendars marked? Good. I mean, you probably won’t actually need to mark your calendar unless you’re old as dirt like me and haven’t come around to the notion of preordering things rather than simply being frustrated at yourself later for not having bought them yet — you know I just picked up the Sleep record like two days ago? ridiculous — but even figuratively speaking, it’s a date you’ll want to note. Three days later, the Richmond, Virginia, doom forerunners will hit the road for a month-plus of touring covering bigger markets on both coasts and between as well as a couple stops in Canada, playing alongside their splitmates/past-tourmates and apparent best buds Satan’s Satyrs all the while. That’s pretty much what you’d expect from Windhand around an album release, and it seems likely a European tour won’t be too far off either. Maybe during the Spring 2019 festival season? Or maybe they’ll go to Australia. Not like I know anything. Because I don’t. Actually. Nothing. Really about anything.
Okay. Kind self-talk.
Given the return to Jack Endino for recording, the title, and the on-stylistic-theme art from Arik Roper, I can’t help but wonder how much Eternal Return is intended as a sequel or at least direct follow-up to 2015’s Grief’s Infernal Flower (review here), but even if it is, that would hardly be a strike against it, particularly with a band whose track record for sonic progression is as well established as Windhand‘s. That is, even if they’re responding to the 2015 record, it seems likely they’ll bring something new to the proceedings anyhow.
I look forward to finding out. Calendar is marked.
Note how quick the PR wire is below to designate them a “heavy psychedelic” band. Fascinating. There’s a reason I include these things word-for-word. Check it out. Teaser clip is at the bottom:
WINDHAND: Announce North American Fall Tour; Unveil Artwork & Teaser For New Album Eternal Return
Eternal Return is due out October 5th on Relapse Records
Virginia’s heavy psychedelic quartet WINDHAND have announced a full fall North American tour with Satan’s Satyrs and give us a glimpse of what’s to come on their forthcoming album, Eternal Return, coming October 5th on Relapse.
Eternal Return represents a new era for the group, a chrysalis moment that takes them to new and unforeseen heights. Once again the band have joined forces with producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden) with vivid artwork by Arik Roper (Sleep, High on Fire). Equally informed by heavy, fuzzed-out psych along with the iconic grunge / alternative groups of the 90s, WINDHAND have crafted a record brilliant in scope, powerful in execution, and perfect for an era of increasingly blurry yet still heavy borders.
Check below for a full list of dates, tour poster and stay tuned for more. Listen to WINDHAND’s full discography via Bandcamp.
WINDHAND LIVE DATES: 07/29: Chicago, IL – Wicker Park Fest 10/08: Atlanta, GA – The Earl # 10/09: New Orleans, LA – Gasa Gasa # 10/10: Houston TX – White Oak Music Hall # 10/11: Dallas, TX – Club Dada # 10/12: Austin, TX – Barracuda # 10/14: Albuquerque, NM – Sister # 10/15: Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar # 10/16: Los Angeles, CA – El Rey Theatre # 10/17: Oakland, CA – Starline Social Club # 10/19: Portland, OR – Aladdin Theatre # 10/20: Vancouver, BC – Venue # 10/21: Seattle, WA – Neumos # 10/23: Denver, CO – Larimer Lounge # 10/24: Kansas City, MO – The Riot Room # 11/01: Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts # 11/02: Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere # 11/03: Boston, MA – Brighton Music Hall # 11/04: Montreal, QC – Le Belmont # 11/05: Toronto, ON – The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern # 11/07: Chicago, IL – Subterranean # 11/08: Minneapolis, MN – Fine Line Music Cafe # 11/09: Milwaukee, WI – Cactus Club # 11/10: Indianapolis, IN – The Hi-Fi # 11/11: Nashville, TN – The Basement East # 11/12: Louisville, KY – Zanzabar # 11/13: Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups # # – w/ Satan’s Satyrs
This scene is staggering. In terms of enclaves of hard and heavy, Maryland doom might be rivaled only by Floridian death metal and New York hardcore for longevity, and I’m pretty sure neither of those dates back to the early ’70s. Think about that. For almost as long as there’s been an idea of “heavy,” there’s been Maryland doom. And the number of lifers in bands and out boggles the mind. At best, I’m an interloper here, and I’d never claim otherwise. Every year or two or three, I’m lucky enough to come down for a fest or something like that, poke my head around and be humbled by the spirit that lives in this place. To actually be a part of it? I can’t imagine.
Maryland Doom Fest has taken on the responsibility not only of representing its native creatives, but in providing the scene a bridge to the outside world as well. The second day of Maryland Doom Fest 2018 did like day one and branched out in geography and sound, the scope of the festival increasing each year even as it maintains its ties to the place whose banner it flies. There’d be plenty of doom, but noise and heavy rock as well, metal both tangible and intangible, and more besides. You bet your ass it’s overwhelming. Maryland Doom Fest comes but once a year. Gotta make it count.
Another rainy day in Frederick set the gray-sky tone for a bill that would start out dark and work its way to the murkiest finish of all with Windhand headlining. Here’s how it happened:
Electropathic
As with Unorthodox last night, the new band fronted by Gary Isom, guitarist in Weed is Weed and former drummer in Spirit Caravan, Pentagram, Valkyrie and others, is a cross-generational affair. Along with drummer Ronnie Kalimon (formerly of Asylum, Unorthodox, etc.), Electropathic features young bassist/backing vocalist Zak Suleri and lead guitarist Eli Watson, both of Et Mors, and with Isom in the frontman role, they ran through a set of classic Maryland doom. Defined in no small part by their lack of pretense, they seemed to still be feeling out where they were ultimately headed as a band. They formed in the back half of last year by all appearances, so while none of them is a stranger to the stage, they’re in the process of developing their chemistry and sound. Likewise, Isom was still internalizing his position at the fore — even in Weed is Weed, he’s off to the side of the stage. He held it down though and their riffs resounded like a clarion to the converted still making their way in — time to go to church, school, whatever. Just time to go.
Molasses Barge
Hailing and hauling from Pittsburgh, Molasses Barge reaffirmed the connection between Steel City and Maryland doom that’s been there since the days of Dream Death‘s original run and probably even before that. The five-piece released their self-titled album in 2017 on Blackseed Records and had songs from that and new material in tow, which frontman Brian “Butch” Balich announced from the stage saying drummer Wayne Massey “calls this one ‘Tin Snake,'” or something thereabouts (hard to read the notes, sorry if I’ve got the title wrong). Balich is a formidable presence on his own, as he’s proven over the years in Penance, Argus and most recently Arduini/Balich, and in Molasses Barge he sets his powerful voice the task of cutting through the low end tone rollout from guitarists Justin Gizzi and Chuck Forsythe and bassist Amy Bianco that, presumably is what gives the band its name. Classic heavy riffs and a touch of metal underpinning, they were unsurprisingly met with welcome by the early crowd, and brought out Iron Man frontman Dee Calhoun to co-front a cover of that band’s “On the Mountain” to pay righteous homage to founding guitarist “Iron” Alfred Morris III, who passed away earlier this year.
Shadow Witch
I said as much to vocalist Earl Walker Lundy after their set, but I’ve always sensed something a little weird in Shadow Witch. Across the Kingston, New York, four-piece’s two albums to-date, last year’s Disciples of the Crow (review here) and 2016’s Sun Killer (discussed here), there’s been an edge of something standing them out from the pack. Having now seen them live, I feel like I have a better sense of what it is. In no small part, it’s Lundy himself. He carries across his vocals with utmost conviction and purpose, and backed by bassist David Pannullo, guitarist Jeremy Hall and drummer Doug Thompson, he ran his voice through a range of effects and performed barefoot — a bravery in itself considering the amount of spillage I’ve seen on that stage over the last two days — as free in is movement physically as his voice was to carry across the songs. They dwell in a between-genre space and remaining excitingly difficult to classify, but what matters is they carried their passion over to the audience, who met it with welcome. Good band. Better band than people know. Better band than I knew.
Doomstress
Speaking of bands I should’ve seen already, I went into Doomstress‘ set with the distinct impression that their recorded material to-date has yet to do them proper justice. They tour regularly on week and week-plus runs and had been on the road for four nights already en route to Cafe 611, so it seemed likely the Houston four-piece would be on top of their game. Not to toot my own horn, but I was right. They’re a better band than they’ve shown on either of their short releases. It’s a question of balance in their sound. Not just between tonal heft and aggression/attitude or the commanding stage presence of Doomstress Alexis on bass and vocals with guitarists Brandon Johnson and Matt Taylor and drummer Buddy Hachar (also of Greenbeard), or of between the classic and the modern, but between the actual instruments themselves. The live wash of tone suits them, with Alexis‘ vocals cutting through, where on their recordings thus far there’s more separation of instruments. It’s dirtier live, and for the high quality riffs they play, that dirt fits really well. Especially coupled with the fact that their performance was so tight, it was like they were daring the crowd to match their energy level.
The Age of Truth
Another band it was my first time seeing (that’s five in a row!), Philly four-piece The Age of Truth had been hanging out all weekend and getting down with some shenanigans the first night of Maryland Doom Fest, but when they got on stage, it was all business. Well, mostly business. One seems to recall vocalist Kevin McNamara saying something before they went on about taking his shirt off and rubbing his nipples on the microphone — it didn’t happen, though it might’ve been an interesting bit of performance art; “what do those nipples signify?” and so on — but with the start of the set, he, guitarist Mike DiDonato, bassist Bill Miller and drummer Scott Fressetto launched into the most noise-rocking set the festival has thus far featured. Their blend of heavy rock groove and crunching tones and riffs made their Kozmik Artifactz-delivered debut, Threshold (review here), an aggro joy, and their live interpretation of those songs as well as the new cut “Palace of Rain” was all the more engaging for the ferocity of its realization. The slow-rolling-int0-quicker-shuffle of “Caroline” was a highlight, but I won’t take anything away from the impact of “Honey Pot” or anything else either. With an injection of melody into the newer stuff, they left some intrigue as to where they might be headed — a proper tease of something to watch for. It’ll be worth keeping an eye out.
Switchblade Jesus
Before Switchblade Jesus took the Cafe 611 stage, I was asked by Borgo Pass drummer and all-around-excellent-human-being Joe Wood what they sounded like. The first two words that came out of my mouth were “Texas” and “riffs.” To be fair, that’s not by any means all the three-piece of guitarist/vocalist Eric Calvert, bassist/vocalist Chris Black and drummer Jon Elizondo have to offer, but if you’ve never heard them before, it’s a start. They made an encouraging self-titled debut (review here) in 2013 and followed up last year with a contribution to Ripple Music‘s The Second Coming of Heavy split series (review here), which took the foundation of that initial offering and expanded it significantly, pulling back on some of the burl in favor of a more nuanced approach. Their set in Maryland? With Calvert and Black sharing vocal duties and Elizondo pounding away behind, they rose to the occasion. In front of the stage, the crowd headbanged and raised fists and dug in nearly as much as the band itself, whose set was flawless near as I could tell. I’ve seen them twice now, been impressed both times, and could only expect that trend to continue for the next round, whenever that might be.
Foghound
The weekend’s emcee, Dave Benzotti, choked up in reading his intro to Foghound, which also served as a remembrance of those the Maryland doom scene has lost over the last year, including bassist Rev. Jim Forrester of Foghound (also Serpents of Secrecy, ex-Sixty Watt Shaman, etc.), and reasonably so given the tragedy of the circumstances of his passing. The inevitability of that loss working its way into the current chapter of Foghound‘s life as a band was thick as the Baltimore four-piece got going, but if they were working toward catharsis, they were doing so with volume and intensity as their means. Their third album, Awaken to Destroy,on which Forrester performs bass and new bassist Adam Heinzmann contributes vocals alongside those of drummer Chuck Dukeheart III and guitarists Dee Settar and Bob Sipes, is done and in the can, and they played material from it both during their own set — the title-track — and afterwards through the P.A., which went unnoticed by many by Dukeheart later explained was a way to get Forrester‘s playing heard even if people didn’t realize they were hearing it at the time. As they also played with a portrait of Forrester signed by many with messages of love (I didn’t have the courage), his presence and absence were both deeply felt by the room, but the music was a fitting tribute and a comfort alike.
Cavern
Prog prog prog. Also, prog. It’s fun to watch a band who so delight in being bizarre or outside the norm, and while local instrumentalists Cavern were for sure the odd men out on the bill, that suited them remarkably well and I can only imagine it wasn’t the first time they’ve found themselves in that position. Drummer Stephen Schrock played a kit with his toms out flat before him while Zach Harkins ran his guitar through one of the most elaborate pedal boards I’ve seen this weekend and still had room on stage for a Moog to add atmosphere to the intricate and complex songs they played. Denizens of Grimoire Records, they were a perfectly timed departure. Following Foghound with another straight-up rock band would only be doing said band a disservice, but Cavern were coming from somewhere else completely, so there was no real comparing the two outfits. A jolt to the flow of the night that only served Cavern well, since with all their looped parts, woven-through noise and underlying groove, “jolt” seemed to be the whole idea. It would be all-go riffing from here on out, but whether one considers them on their own merits or in the context of the Maryland Doom Fest 2018 lineup, their efforts toward the bizarre were duly appreciated.
The Watchers
The second Ripple Music act on the bill to have made the trip from the Bay Area behind ZED, four-piece The Watchers delivered one of the most professional sets I’ve seen so far this weekend. I mean, The Obsessed were pro-shop, right? And so were ZED, since they’ve been mentioned, but The Watchers had it all down — from riffs to looks to delivery to vocalist Tim Narducci and guitarist Jeremy Epp working the crowd with natural showmanship while bassist Cornbread and drummer Carter Kennedy locked in groove after groove of rock-solid heavy rock, playing selections from this year’s Black Abyss (review here) as well as the preceding EP, Sabbath Highway (review here). They had a near-commercial level of catchiness, but since that’s not a thing that exists anymore, I’ll just note that as much clear effort as they put into their presentation, the accessibility of the songs came from the songs themselves and the quality of their construction. Were they up there selling it? Absolutely. And kicking ass while doing so, but if the material itself wasn’t so strong the whole thing would’ve fallen flat. The foundation of the entire show was the material itself, and accordingly that show was an utter joy to watch.
Earthride
I actually went back and looked up the last time I saw Earthride. It was at Days of the Doomed in 2012 (review here). I also recalled seeing them in Brooklyn in 2011 sharing the stage with When the Deadbolt Breaks, which was a noteworthy coincidence since that band’s guitarist/vocalist, Aaron Lewis, happened to be playing bass in Earthride, having joined just prior to the Maryland band’s just-ended tour with The Skull. Still, six years (and eight days) of not seeing Earthride? Far too fucking long. Dave Sherman, who’d been hanging out all weekend, took the stage in celebration of the welcome-home party that their set was, and with Lewis, guitarist Greg Ball and drummer Eric Little behind him, he held court for what was an absolute highlight of the fest as a whole. I’d been thinking of them as headliners the whole day, and while they didn’t play last, there was definitely a main-event feel going into their set, which started out with “Earthride,” boasted the new single “Witch Gun” (discussed here), the title-track to 2010’s Something Wicked (review here) and capped with “Fighting the Devils Inside You” from 2005’s sophomore LP, Vampire Circus (discussed here). Sherman held the audience and never relinquished his grasp on their attention, and the crowd was as switched on as I’d seen the whole fest. Like I said, they weren’t the headliners in name, but really, they kind of were. And rightly so.
Castle
Man, I want to hear Castle‘s new album. So bad. The core duo of bassist/vocalist Elizabeth Blackwell and guitarist/vocalist Mat Davis will issue that long-player through a yet-to-be-announced label, but they’re a touring band at their core. They get out. In talking to Davis after their set, he called their current stint a “quick one.” To put that in perspective, it’s a cross-country tour with 12 dates. I’m assuming what he meant was that it was nothing like the weeks-long voyages that will invariably follow the new full-length’s release, and I guess that’s fair, but 12 dates isn’t nothing either. Last time I saw Castle was Maryland Doom Fest 2016 (review here) as they were marking the release of that year’s Welcome to the Graveyard (review here), and though I knew it was coming, I was still blindsided by their intensity. Thrash, doom, classic metal, heavy groove and delighted pummel. Think of them as extreme traditional metal. They bring a classic sound to bear in their material — a number of classic sounds, actually — but have a ferocity to their execution of that which sets them apart from anything that might be considered “retro.” Coupled with the willful eeriness of their atmospheres and cultish themes, they can be all over the place, but that only makes them harder to pin down, and thus, all the more a thrill to watch. As the penultimate act of the evening, they were a last-minute kick in the ass before things got as far out as they would go, and though it had been a long day by then, Castle revived the spirit even as they seemed to herald its demise.
Windhand
Windhand were the night’s headliner. They could’ve slinked in late, hid themselves backstage, got on, done their set, collected whatever there was to collect afterward and been on their way. Instead, the Richmond, Virginia, four-piece, who are arguably the most successful East Coast doom band of their generation and whose influence only continues to spread — trying to come up with another name and can’t; if you have one, I’d love to talk it out — hung around all day. They were back and forth through the venue, watching bands, meeting people, this and that. They had the option to take part or not to take part and they took part. And for a group at their level, on Relapse, having toured the world, etc., that’s not nothing. When they finally got on stage and got going, their fog-drenched riffs were as overwhelming as I remembered, and even though they’ve pared down from a five-piece, there was no discernible gap in volume from vocalist Dorthia Cottrell, guitarist Garrett Morris, bassist Parker Chandler and drummer Ryan Wolfe, who produced a soulful, lurching onslaught the likes of which Maryland Doom Fest had not yet known. Their new album, Eternal Return, was announced in April and will be released by Relapse as the follow-up to 2015’s Grief’s Infernal Flower (review here). No doubt it’s one of the most anticipated doom records for the rest of 2018 and whenever it rears its head will be yet another grueling landmark in a catalog that, at this point, teems with them while also constantly showcasing Windhand‘s progression. It was late, but in front of the stage was a press of humanity, and Windhand justified the urgency with a wash of volume and low end that was on a level all its own. A headlining slot well earned.
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It’s almost 1PM on Sunday as I wrap this up and I still need to sort photos, shower and change clothes before I head out from Sparks to Frederick, so I’ll turn you over quickly to the pics after the jump and just say thanks for reading.
Because really, thanks for reading. More tomorrow, if you can believe it.
Posted in Whathaveyou on April 4th, 2018 by JJ Koczan
Richmond, Virginia, doomers Windhand have announced they’ve begun work on their next full-length, Eternal Return, returning to the studio with producer Jack Endino, who helmed their 2015 album, Grief’s Infernal Flower (review here). The band also released a split with steady tourmates Satan’s Satyrs this past Spring and have spent the last couple years going around the world in support of the last record. Between recording again with Endino and getting Arik Roper, it seems like the five-piece-turned-four-piece aren’t trying to fix what wasn’t broken from Grief’s Infernal Flower, which is fair since, you know, that shit was way not broken.
One expects they’ll start announcing a massive round of tour dates for Eternal Return before the record even comes out, so I’ll go ahead and keep an eye open for that. In the meantime, here’s the latest fresh from the PR wire:
Windhand Enter Studio To Record New Full-Length Album, ‘Eternal Return’ Coming Fall 2018 on Relapse Records
Spring West Coast Tour Approaches
Virginia’s WINDHAND have entered the studio to record their 4th studio album. The album, entitled Eternal Return, is being recorded and engineered at Soundhouse Studios in Seattle, WA with legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High on Fire). Album artwork will once again be handled by Arik Roper (Sleep, High on Fire). The album is expected to be released Fall 2018 via Relapse Records. Stay tuned for more information in the near future.
Additionally, WINDHAND kick off a short West Coast tour with Ruby The Hatchet on April 19th which includes appearances at Stumpfest and Levitation Fest. WINDHAND is also confirmed for Maryland Doom Fest on June 23 in Frederick, MD. A complete list of dates is available below.
WINDHAND LIVE DATES: Apr 19: Neumos – Seattle, WA # Apr 20: Stumpfest – Portland, OR Apr 22: Great American Music Hall – San Francisco, CA # Apr 23: Roxy Theatre – Los Angeles, CA # Apr 26: Levitation at Barracuda – Austin, TX Jun 23: Maryland Doom Fest 2018 – Frederick, MD # w/ Ruby The Hatchet
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 11th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Established: Windhand‘s 2015 long-player, Grief’s Infernal Flower (review here), was pretty rad. Produced by Jack Endino, it featured the band’s most progressive and aesthetically resounding work to-date, building on the established personality of 2013’s Soma (review here) without giving up the dirge-laden weight or overarching sense of murk that defined that record or their 2012 self-titled debut (discussed here) before it. From where I sit, it was also a watershed moment for the Richmond, Virginia, outfit. Not just for working with Endino, but for being their third full-length in general, for following up on years of hard touring, and for arriving at a moment when clearly they were ready to take their approach to another level, primed for wider exposure and being a “bigger” band generally than they were going into it.
Barring some kind of Nirvana-style commercial breakthrough — which the current structure of the music industry almost entirely prohibits at this point — most of the time an album’s success isn’t ultimately judged until the next one arrives. That’s why first-week sales are still relevant; they serve to demonstrate and summarize the reaction to the preceding record. Did Grief’s Infernal Flowerpush Windhand into true headliner status? I don’t know. They certainly seem to have made arguments for it and for themselves in that regard, but it’s not just a question all the time of where a band is on a given tour or festival bill either. Sometimes it can just be down to the songs. Are they memorable? Did they make an impression? Did they connect?
Grief’s Infernal Flower was awesome. It worked with an inspired sense of atmospherics and was consuming in its tonality. It’ll be a while still I think before we know what impact it ultimately had — my touchstone comparison point for it all along has been High on Fire‘s 2007 Endino-helmed offering, Death is this Communion, which led to their signing to eOne from Relapse — but in the meantime, Windhand continue to put in admirable work on the road and in the studio. They toured Europe this Fall and hit fests there, they’ve already been confirmed for Maryland Doom Fest 2018, and they have a new split due in February with fellow Virginian tour-buddies Satan’s Satyrs from whence their new video for the track “Old Evil” comes.
Checking in at a relatively brief six minutes, it may or may not be a preview of where Windhand‘s next album might go coming off of Grief’s Infernal Flower, but either way, you’re not going to hear me complain about new Windhand coming down the line in whatever form it might take.
PR wire info follows the clip below. Please enjoy:
Windhand, “Old Evil” official video
WINDHAND: Announce New Split LP With Satan’s Satyrs; Share “Old Evil” Music Video
Announce 2018 US West Coast Tour Dates
Two of Virginia’s finest heavy bands team up for an amp-worshipping, acid trip from hell! The split includes two brand new songs of smoldering gloom and grief from WINDHAND paired with three tracks of devilish, fuzz-drenched metal/punk from SATAN’S SATYRS.
The band has also announced a quick run down the West Coast next spring; check below for a full list of dates.
WINDHAND and SATAN’S SATYRS Split LP is due out February 16th on CD/LP/Digital. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com HERE and digital downloads HERE
SPLIT TRACKLIST: Side A – Windhand 1 – Old Evil 2 – Three Sisters Side B – Satan’s Satyrs 3 – Alucard AD 2018 4 – Succubus 5 – Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby
WINDHAND Tour Dates: Mar 23 Richmond, VA The Broadberry (Record Release Show) * Apr 19 Seattle, WA Nuemos # Apr 22 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall # Apr 23 Los Angeles, CA Roxy Theatre # Jun 23 Frederick, MD Maryland Doom Fest 2018 * w/ Satan’s Satyrs # w/ Ruby The Hatchet.
