The seventh installment of Ripple Music‘s Turned to Stone split series, featuring Windsor, Ontario’s Gypsy Chief Goliath and Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s End of Age, will be released this Friday, Jan. 20. Curated this time by Bucky Brown of Doom Charts fam, the coming together of the two acts represents roads taken and arrivals in unexpected places, drawn around a 39-minute listening experience that’s more like two coinciding EPs than either a front-to-back linear outing or the hodgepodge sampler platter that splits sometimes are. That it isn’t haphazard should be no grand surprise — it is the seventh chapter of Turned to Stone, and Turned to Stone is Ripple‘s second split series — but both bands are newer embodiments for some familiar players, be it Gypsy Chief Goliath‘s Al “The Yeti” Bones, of Mister Bones, Georgian Skull and The Mighty Nimbus, or End of Age‘s Ben McGuire and Mark Hanna, who used to play together in a called Black Cowgirl.

Gypsy Chief Goliath bookend their five tracks with an intro and outro, starting with “Loup Garou” and ending with a mellow figure at the close of “Shadows of a Solar Love.” Between those, they’re likely to fill any quota you’ve got for piss and vinegar with “Demons Suffer” and the hard-hitting instrumental “Black Dwarf,” while “High Priest” takes a less gutted-out approach vocally and “Shadows of a Solar Love” ties it all together with force and groove, the five-piece making the most of their opportunity to showcase some variety in their take on heavy, be it the Sabbathian initial rollout of “Demons Suffer” or the bruiser dudeliness that follows, the band who were last heard from studio-wise with 2019’s Masters of Space and Time (discussed here) finding an organic sense of breadth without sacrificing traditional songwriting for atmosphere.

It just so happens they’re an act who can write more than one kind of song. Tense in its chug, “High Priest” is less metal ultimately than either the lead lines atop the beginning of “Demons Suffer” before or the nodding impact of “Black Dwarf” after, and even if the combination of the intro “Loup Garou,” “Black Dwarf” and the final stretch of “Shadows of a Solar Love” — dig that fuzz, kids — makes the band seem less grounded than they otherwise might be, it’s a ruse. Whatever else they have going on, Gypsy Chief Goliath are songwriters, and the variety is on purpose. In just 19 minutes, they present a style that’s classically heavy but not beholden to any single notion of what that means. Bones is a distinct frontman presence, but the band behind him are more than able to hold their own for the instrumentals and in standing up to the challenge of the verse/chorus tunes. Solid band. Hard-hitting, no pretense, no bullshit. Rock for rockers.

Over on side B, End of Age also present five songs, and while one can listen to Hanna‘s snare on “Want to Go” and “Yelling Tree” and hear roots in self-titled Queens of the Stone Age, there’s a decided punk rock undercurrent to the band on the whole. Not so much in McGuire‘s vocals, which in themselves are more clenched-throat and would fit just as well over sludge, but in the combination of riffs and grooves on “Cat’s Blood,” I just can’t escape a hint toward Social Distortion or maybe even Bad Religion — that kind of punk that the metal kids liked in high school. True to Gypsy Chief Goliath on side A, End of Age don’t just do one thing for 19 minutes and punch out, but their sound is more united by McGuire‘s vocals at least until they get around to “Aestivation,” which builds on the psychedelic emergence later in the penultimate “Dormant Hibernation” with acoustic and far-back electrics, synth, and a higher-register voice that, if it’s McGuire at all, is a pointed departure from some of the shout-derived-but-not-shouting prior.

Respect for that, either way. In addition to the previous ’90s allusions, there’s some Thin Lizzy swing to “Cat’s Blood” as well, while “Want to Go” is more forward push, poppy in its backing vocals (there they are; that’s the setup to “Aestivation”), and “Yelling Tree” makes a rawer, in-the-room studio feel part of its direct listening experience. According to the narrative (blessings and peace upon it), part of the reason this is End of Age‘s first outing after Black Cowgirl‘s final release in 2014 is because McGuire and Hanna spent years building their own recording space, and if this is the level of output they’re able to hone there, then their time has not been wasted. The chemistry throughout, the spaciousness and psychedelic lean in the back half of “Dormant Hibernation” and the shift between that and “Aestivation” are all emblematic of the duo’s past playing together, and while I don’t know what their next step is or how many songs they might already have in the can after so many years, they sure as shit sound ready to make a record. Hopefully sooner than later.

So, like I said at the outset, “unexpected places.” Keep that in mind as you dig into the tracklisting below, and take some time with each half of Turned to Stone Ch. 7. The release earns that, I think, through the quality of its songwriting from both groups, from the differences between them, and the fluidity of style they share without actually sharing much in terms of style beyond basics like, “have riffs, have songs,” and so on. In the interest of straightforwardness, this is a worthy inclusion in a series that’s already produced a few gems, and will surely help put Gypsy Chief Goliath and End of Age‘s music into the ears of those most likely to appreciate it being there.

Gypsy Chief Goliath / End Of Age ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’
Out January 20th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/product/turned-to-stone-ch-7-gypsy-chief-goliath-and-end-of-age-deluxe-vinyl-editions
World preorder – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-7

North American heavy rock units GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and END OF AGE join forces for the release of the ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split album, to be issued this January 20th on Ripple Music. Listen to a gritty first track now with GCG’s “Demons Suffer”!

Get ready to welcome the seventh chapter of Ripple Music’s ‘Turned To Stone’ series of thematic split releases, curated here by Bucky Brown (Doom Charts). Combining the multi-faceted talents of Ontario-based heavy mongers GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and Pennsylvania’s proto-metal duo END OF AGE, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ offers a generous 10-track journey through the ages of heavy. GCG effortlessly sprinkle their loud stoner metal assaults with adventurous 70s hard rock, in a rowdy Corrosion Of Conformity-meets-Thin Lizzy approach. On side B, END OF AGE delivers a frenzy of 70s-infused heavy drenched in unforgettable melodies and exquisitely progressive at times.

TRACKLIST:
1. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Loup Garou
2. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Demons Suffer
3. Gypsy Chief Goliath – High Priest
4. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Black Dwarf
5. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Shadows Of A Solar Love
——————–
6. End Of Age – Want To Go
7. End Of Age – Yelling Tree
8. End Of Age – Cat’s Blood
9. End Of Age – Dormant Hibernation
10. End Of Age – Aestivation

Gypsy Chief Goliath:
Al “The Yeti” Bones (The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones) – vocals/guitar
Adam Saitti (Georgian Skull, Ol Time Moonshine) – drums
John Serio – lead guitar
Jeff Phillips (Thine Eyes Bleed, Kittie) – lead guitar
Jagger Benham – Bass

End of Age:
Ben McGuire – vocals/guitar
Mark Hanna – drums

Gypsy Chief Goliath on Instagram

Gypsy Chief Goliath on Facebook

Gypsy Chief Goliath on Bandcamp

End of Age on Instagram

End of Age on Facebook

End of Age on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

I like that John Gist‘s curated Ripple splits — this’ll be the third I know of, though if you told me he’s helmed the whole series to-date, I’d only be able to say job well done — work in themes. The theme that brings together Windsor, Ontario’s Gypsy Chief Goliath and Pennsylvania’s End of Age? ‘Dudes you might know from other bands.’ In the case of Gypsy Chief Goliath, that’s frontman Al “Yeti” Bones, formerly of Mister Bones, as well as The Mighty Nimbus and Georgian Skull. For End of Age, it’s Ben McGuire and Mark Hanna, who stopped operating as Black Cowgirl in the middle of the last decade — probably a good idea — and have apparently spent the last few years building a studio in which to create.

Both outfits are proven in my mind as regards songwriting, and if you managed to read that review today of Turned to Stone Ch. 6, you already know I hold this series in pretty high esteem. I expect this to be nothing of cool and encourage you to do the same. Gypsy Chief Goliath have a song streaming at the bottom of this post, as though to prove the case outright.

From the PR wire:

Gypsy Chief Goliath and End Of Age to release ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split on Ripple Music; stream first track “Demons Suffer” now!

North American heavy rock units GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and END OF AGE join forces for the release of the ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ split album, to be issued this January 20th on Ripple Music. Listen to a gritty first track now with GCG’s “Demons Suffer”!

Get ready to welcome the seventh chapter of Ripple Music’s ‘Turned To Stone’ series, the thematic split releases curated by John Gist (Vegas Rock Revolution, Doomed & Stoned Show). Combining the multi-faceted talents of Ontario-based heavy mongers GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH and Pennsylvania’s proto-metal duo END OF AGE, ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ offers a generous 10-track journey through the ages of heavy. GCG effortlessly sprinkle their loud stoner metal assaults with adventurous 70s hard rock, in a rowdy Corrosion Of Conformity-meets-Thin Lizzy approach. On side B, END OF AGE delivers a frenzy of 70s-infused heavy drenched in unforgettable melodies and exquisitely progressive at times.

‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’ will be available on January 20th in two limited vinyl editions as well as on digital, with preorders available now through Ripple Music.

Gypsy Chief Goliath / End Of Age ‘Turned To Stone Chapter 7’
Out January 20th on Ripple Music
US preorder – https://ripplemusic.bigcartel.com/product/turned-to-stone-ch-7-gypsy-chief-goliath-and-end-of-age-deluxe-vinyl-editions
World preorder – https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/album/turned-to-stone-chapter-7

TRACKLIST:
1. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Loup Garou
2. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Demons Suffer
3. Gypsy Chief Goliath – High Priest
4. Gypsy Chief Goliath – Black Dwarf
5 – Gypsy Chief Goliath – Shadows Of A Solar Love
——————–
6. End Of Age – Want To Go
7. End Of Age – Yelling Tree
8. End Of Age – Cat’s Blood
9. End Of Age – Dormant Hibernation
10. End Of Age – Aestivation

Among the most bizarre names in Rock & Roll, GYPSY CHIEF GOLIATH has much more dynamic chemistry, fused with pure electric potency and enough volume to make the eardrums crumble. This Canadian five-piece has been ripping stages apart since 2009. Often described as a stoner metal band, there are simply too many layers to classify them as such, when with each year that passes, G.C.G seem to evolve into a greater beast than the last inception. Charged by the creative forces of soulful meets primal vocals, dual harmony guitar lines, a massively heavy rhythm section, and rustic keys from time to time, the band showcases their brand of hard rock, heavy metal, and blues all rolled into one masterful delivery. Fronted by Canadian stoner rock notable, vocalist/guitarist AL The Yeti Bones (The Mighty Nimbus, Georgian Skull, Mister Bones), the band also consists of Adam Saitti on drums (Georgian Skull, Ol Time Moonshine), John Serio lead guitar, Jeff Phillips lead guitar (Thine Eyes Bleed, Kittie) and Jagger Benham on Bass.

END OF AGE was formed by vocalist/guitarist Ben McGuire and drummer Mark Hanna formerly of the band Black Cowgirl. Soon after Black Cowgirl ceased to exist in 2015, McGuire began construction of a recording studio within a 150-year-old barn in Lancaster County Pennsylvania with the sole purpose of having a place to record without the time constraints of a traditionally paid studio session. Unfortunately on the first day of renovations the barn was discovered to be structurally unsound and needed to be entirely torn down. Distraught and defeated McGuire briefly considered using gasoline to solve the problem after finding a newspaper article dated 1885 under the floorboards that detailed a local arson from 130 years prior but wisely ignored the “sign” and decided against it making the decision to disassemble the cursed barn and immediately start the slow process of collecting material to build a new structure. This unforeseen obstacle coupled with multiple other unexpected life events delayed End of Age from recording and playing more than a few shows for a couple of years while the new studio took shape. The pair recorded 5 songs for Ripple Music with a makeshift studio set up in 2020 during lockdown as construction continued on the permanent location.

Finally, to the elation of Hanna and McGuire the final studio they are calling Wilderness Exile was completed in early 2022. What first appeared to be a crippling misfortune proved to be a blessing in disguise. McGuire and Hanna now have a place that provides limitless experimentation and creativity for their projects as well as other musicians. END OF AGE already knew they could lay the musical foundation for a tune and construct a real doozy of a ditty. Now they know they can literally lay the foundation for a physical building and construct the piss out of one as well. They temporarily traded their drums and guitars for hammers and nails assuming the role of blue-collar warriors on the warpath for riffcraft. Now that their fortress of sonic excess has been realized auditory experimentation can begin.

https://instagram.com/gypsychiefgoliath
https://facebook.com/GypsyChiefGoliath/
https://gypsychiefgoliath1.bandcamp.com/

https://instagram.com/end_of_age_band
https://www.facebook.com/blackcowgirl1989
https://endofage.bandcamp.com/

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

Gypsy Chief Goliath & End of Age, Turned to Stone Ch. 7 (2023)

It’s a busy few months ahead for Canadian guitarist, vocalist and songwriter Al “The Yeti” Bones. His main outfit, Gypsy Chief Goliath, are doing shows throughout the beginning and course of the summer in their homebase of Windsor as well as Montreal and London, Ontario. In addition to this, Bones has a debut solo release in the works dubbed Audio-Biography from which the first audio is available now.

For anyone who may know Bones‘ work through Gypsy Chief Goliath, The Mighty Nimbus, The Georgian Skull or even his past outfit, Mister Bones, the new song “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” will carry with it a familiar sense of burl. That comes through all the more on the solo offering thanks in part to a guest vocal appearance by Gideon Smith of Gideon Smith and the Dixie Damned. What most distinguishes the new cut, however, is a clear classic rock feel in the guitar. You’d have a pretty easy time making the argument that some of Bones‘ other bands have covered that ground before, but where Gypsy Chief Goliath is thicker in its tone, The Mighty Nimbus was always more aggressive, and Mister Bones more purely stoner-rocking, “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” has stretches where it runs a Thin Lizzy influence through a grinder of clenched teeth, and that coupled with the hook on which Bones is backed by Smith and vice versa, the song as a way of working into your head while keeping to a classic structure, shirking off indulgence, and not overstaying its welcome.

Not sure when Audio-Biography will see release between Bones‘ work in Gypsy Chief Goliath, and when it does surface, also not sure how representative “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” is of the record in full, but it’s catchy, well-written and — fittingly — heavy, so you won’t hear me complain. With the caveat of more to come on Audio-Biography, please enjoy “Heavy is the Name of My Soul” on the player below:

[mp3player width=480 height=150 config=fmp_jw_widget_config.xml playlist=al-the-yeti-bones.xml]

Al Yeti Bones on Thee Facebooks

@ALYetiBones on Twitter

Formerly known as Mister Bones and having apparently currently morphed into Gypsy Chief Goliath, Ontario outfit The Georgian Skull released Mother Armageddon, Healing Apocalypse on Scarlet Records in 2008. With the new distribution deal the label has signed with E1 Music, many of their titles are making their way to a North American issue for the first time, and The Georgian Skull‘s debut is one among the hordes.

The primary figure here, as in Mister Bones, is guitarist/vocalist Al “The Yeti” Bones (also of The Mighty Nimbus; no relation to Ken-E Bones of Negative Reaction), and though the album has been available for a while to savvy import-buying types, free songs are free songs. Here are two of them, opener “Final Days of Doom” and “Hearts Burning”:

The Georgian Skull, “Final Days of Doom”
Final Days of Doom

The Georgian Skull, “Hearts Burning”
Hearts Burning