Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson‘s split LP was released on April 26, 2013. That put it roughly concurrent to a performance at Desertfest London 2013 that, in succession at The Underworld in Camden Town, saw Yawning Sons, Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson take the stage. I was fortunate enough to be there to see it, and what I didn’t appreciate 11 years ago was that, for most of those in the room, it was a generational event, a kind of reemergence of the Californian desert underground of the 1990s, being greeted by a crowd by and large too young to have had the experience the first time around. It was easy to appreciate the succession, with UK progressive then-instrumentalists Sons of Alpha Centauri collaborating with Yawning Man‘s Gary Arce in Yawning Sons, Yawning Man finding Arce pulling immediate double-duty, this time next to bassist Mario Lalli, who’d move to guitar for Fatso Jetson‘s banger of a set. And it was a hell of a thing to witness. This split would seem to be what everybody grabbed at the merch table afterward.

In my defense, it was my first time seeing any of those bands too, so I’ll ask you to forgive me for not having at the time an insight so easily come by with 11 years’ hindsight. What kind of outfit is this? You call that perspective? Last time I read this filth. And so on.

I know, huge surprise I’d be too busy living in my own head to see what was going on around me — I get that you’re shocked; me too — and I’m sure that Spring all kinds of people in all kinds of places had their own experiences with Yawning Man and Fatso Jetson on the stage, picking up the split in the meantime, and that’s all valid. Standing there in The Underworld, watching Yawning Sons — to-date, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me — unfurl surreal desert interpretations into Yawning Man having their songs recognized immediately by the crowd waiting for them, into the blues-boogie-blowout offered by Fatso Jetson; it was a thing to behold. I got a copy later, but at the time, didn’t even have a turntable and was bummed out they didn’t make a CD. That happened a lot around then. I got over a turntable and got — maybe just a smidgen — over myself and moved on with my life.

As anyone who left the merch table either at Desertfest or wherever, whenever knew long before I would eventually found out, this split is 21 minutes of pure where-it’s-at. Each side offers two songs, and instead of splitting up A and B sides by band, it’s set as A B B A with Yawning Man as A and Fatso Jetson as B, the LP starts strong with Yawning Man‘s “Dark Meet” and Fatso Jetson‘s “Mono Decay,” then keeps the flow going with Fatso Jetson‘s “Trans World Sleep” and Yawning Man‘s “Underwater Noise.”

Should it be any great surprise that they’re complementary sounds? Mario Lalli has been in Yawning Man intermittently for the last 40-ish years, and was at this time, so there’s shared personnel, but even more than that, both bands emerged out of the California desert of the early and mid-’90s and helped set the pattern that would become ‘desert rock’ as it’s known today — a movement of sound not nearly as tied to landscape as some might posit, however born of it it might be. “Dark Meet” has some prescient proggy edge in its guitar, but the way it rounds out by coming apart gives Fatso Jetson‘s “Mono Decay” — which, like much of their 2010 album, Archaic Volumes (discussed here, review here), features sax from Vince Meghrouni alongside Lalli‘s guitar and vocals, Larry Lalli‘s bass, Dino von Lalli‘s guitar and Tony Tornay‘s drums — a blank slate from which to solidify its intro.

“Mono Decay” is probably the most ‘active’ of the cuts on the split in terms of rhythmic movement, the sax bouncing along with the snare, the solo later on adding a noisy affect to the whole before, seemingly, swallowing it, and letting go to the New Wave strum that begins “Trans World Sleep.” They don’t do it all the time, but Fatso Jetson are well suited to both psychedelic and space rocks, and at 6:51, the longest track of the four here puts emphasis on that; a build that doesn’t lack impact but works well both times they let the tension go. The last one, a howl brought to a quick mute, lets Alfredo Hernandez start “Underwater Noise” on drums before the guitar kicks in to ultimately carry the song.

A mellow bassline from Lalli coincides with Arce‘s signature float, wisping out along a lead line that is melodic in character but works too with the heavier riffing that emerges with a push before the song hits the 90-second mark. The twists give way to an effects-laced middle, but return on the other side and resume the build, which when they hit into the dreamy part again, is where they leave it, riding that sun-coated drift to a longer fade. Like Fatso Jetson‘s inclusions, “Underwater Noise” — and “Dark Meet” for that matter — isn’t not so vastly removed from what Yawning Man were doing a couple years earlier on 2010’s Nomadic Pursuits (discussed here, review here), but for both of these bands, it was an important era. Having more of it beyond the LPs anchoring is a boon. I never gave this split enough credit.

And that stretch of, what, two hours, maybe?, at Desertfest London didn’t just confirm desert legends for the crowd around me — it did for me, too, however much of a convert I may already have been at the time. With enough years after the fact, it’s easy to see that night, this split, as a landmark, with two bands almost educating their listenership about who they are and what they do. If you were hearing either band for the first time, if you caught some Yawning Man in passing and don’t know where to start with Fatso Jetson, and anyway, you heard their stuff could get pretty weird sometimes (true, which is a strength!) — I can’t imagine starting with their 2013 split and going wrong. It’s been doing the job for a generation.

Thanks for reading. As always, I hope you enjoy.

—

Noon! What. the. hell. I like a Friday that ends, if it has to start at all, by 10AM. I also prefer not to wake up with my back so stiff I feel like I can’t move, but, well, one is in one’s 40s.

I actually re-set my alarm twice this morning, at least part in the hope of finding myself in a more favorable position one then two half-hours later, and slept late. The Patient Mrs.’ semester ended this week, and her being home also kind of means that whatever entirely reasonable errand needs to be done that day — in this case it was filing more paperwork for a legal name change for The Pecan with the court in Morristown, which has become something of a rush, alongside a passport change; we have a hearing with a judge in a couple weeks; everything has more forms when you’re doing it on behalf of a minor, and yeah, duh — isn’t get backburnered so I can get back here and bang out a post about somebody’s video. A question of stakes, then.

Hopefully you found something good in the Quarterly Review, perhaps that you hadn’t heard before. I ended up putting at least one thing from every day in the notes for my year-end list, which told me how padded-out it was with stuff I knew I’d dig, more than anything else. Whatever. My Quarterly Review. I’m not obligated to slate anything I don’t want to. Usually. Ha.

This weekend I’ll start actually putting together the year-end coverage. Oof, it’s gonna be a lot. I might not actually get started writing until Monday — we’ve got plans on Sunday with friends — but I’ll do my best to bang through it efficiently. I was hoping to review The Whims of the Great Magnet’s new one before I got there, but it might need to wait after.

Figure Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday — at least — will just be writing the big year-end to-do. I ask your patience if you don’t see anything else around here until then.

And as always, I wish you a great and safe weekend. Have fun, watch your head, take some Advil if you need it. I’m back Monday with maybe nothing. We’ll see how it goes.

FRM.

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…Yeah, I know, 24 is a buttload of records to buy in the span of about a month and a half. To do the division, it would mean buying a new album every 2.04 days. Probably not feasible in terms of time, let alone budget, but hell, it’s a nice thought and seeing the onslaught of new stuff coming between now and the end of April, I thought maybe a list would help keep it all straight. Even if I’m only helping myself, I could probably spend my time in worse ways.

Worth noting that even with 24 albums, presented below in order of release, I feel like there’s stuff I’m forgetting. Frankly, it’s an overwhelming amount of material, so if I’ve missed something or there’s something you’d like to see added to the list, as always, that’s why there’s a comments feature.

Okay. These are numbered just for fun, but listed by date:

1. Orange Goblin, A Eulogy for the Fans (March 12)

My understanding is that London’s foremost doom scoundrels, none other than Orange Goblin, have been selling copies of A Eulogy for the Fans since starting their US tour with Clutch on March 8 in Cincinnati, Ohio, but today is the official release date, and I can think of no better place to start than with the four-piece’s ferocious performance at the 2012 Bloodstock festival, captured audio and video in all its bloodsoaked glory. Not to be missed or taken lightly because it’s a live record. Album review here.

2. Borracho, Mob Gathering 7″ (March 13)

Even though it’s comprised of older tracks, the new Mob Gathering 7″ from Borracho is welcome by me for two reasons: I’ve never heard the songs before and Borracho rocks. The Washington D.C.-based riffers recorded “Mob Gathering” and “Short Ride (When it’s Over)” in 2009 and are set to release the cuts on a limited platter in black and orange swirl through Spain’s Ghost Highway Recordings and Germany’s No Balls Records. They’ve been playing live as a mostly-instrumental outfit while guitarist/vocalist Noah is out of the country on what I can only assume is an awesome spy mission, so if you need a Borracho fix — and it’s obvious from the way your hands are shaking that you do — this might be the way to go. More info here.

3. Inter Arma, Sky Burial (March 15)

Like Windhand below, Inter Arma are recent Relapse Records signees from Richmond, Virginia, and Sky Burial will serve as their first release for the label. Literally and figuratively, the album is expansive, topping 69 minutes and pummeling the whole way through with a genre-transcending concoction of bleakness that’s not so much aligned to any particular heavy aesthetic so much as it is set to its own atmospheric purposes. Through this, Inter Arma emerge terrifyingly cohesive where many others would falter, and their second LP behind 2010’s Sundown (review here) leaves a progressive impression despite an almost complete lack of sonic pretense. Mostly, it’s fucking heavy. Track stream and info here.

4. Clutch, Earth Rocker (March 19)

If 2013 ended tomorrow, Clutch‘s Earth Rocker would be my album of the year. That’s not saying the situation will be the same nine months from now when I actually start putting that list together (already dreading it), but as of March 12, it’s the cat’s pajamas and no foolin’. The long-running Marylanders outdid themselves and put together a surprisingly fast, energetic collection of songs that don’t forsake the bluesy tendencies of their last album, 2009’s Strange Cousins from the West, so much as they put some of the jamming on lockdown in favor of all-out pro-grade heavy rock and roll. The velocity is crucial and the wolfman is out, but it feels like the party’s just starting. Look for them on tour sometime between now and forever. Album review here.

5. Black Mare, Field of the Host (March 20)

Black Math Horseman and Ides of Gemini frontwoman Sera Timms (who’s also recently collaborated with Yawning Man‘s Gary Arce in the new outfit Zun) steps further out on her own with the solo-project Black Mare, from whom Field of the Host is the first album. Due March 20 on LP through The Crossing and on cassette through Breathe Plastic, limited in both cases and sure to be gone shortly after release if they’re not already taken through pre-orders. Fans of Timms‘ past works will be glad to hear the misty wash of melody and dreamy, somehow sad, languid roll of “Blind One,” for starters. Audio and info on the forum.

6. Kvelertak, Meir (March 26)

Short of setting themselves on fire, Norwegian triple-guitar six-piece Kvelertak did just about everything they could to get noticed in support of their 2010 self-titled debut LP (review here), and sure enough, their work paid off in getting signed to Roadrunner Records for all territories outside their native Scandinavia (where Indie Recordings holds sway) and trumpeting up a wave of anticipation for their second full-length, Meir. Their energetic, genre-crossing approach might not be for everybody, but the band have turned a lot of heads and I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find them on bigger tours this year with Roadrunner behind them. More info on the forum.

7. Black Pyramid, Adversarial (April 2)

This is actually the first time the Eli Wood cover art for Black Pyramid‘s Adversarial has been seen in full, so you know. The Hydro-Phonic Records release of the third Black Pyramid album and first to be fronted by guitarist/vocalist Darryl Shepard along with bassist David Gein and drummer Clay Neely punctuates the beginning of a new era for the Massachusetts trio. If the advance listen to closing track “Onyx and Obsidian” is anything to go by, they could very well be at their most potent yet, and though I’d hardly consider myself an impartial observer, as a fan of the band, this is one I’ve been looking forward to for a while now. More to come. Track stream here.

8. Moss, Horrible Night (April 2)

I’ve yet to hear the complete album, but UK trio Moss seem poised to surprise with a cleaner vocal approach on Horrible Night, their first offering since 2008’s impressive Sub Templum LP and two EPs in 2009, so in addition to wondering how they’ll pull it off, the level of the shift remains to be seen. That is, how big a deal is it? Should I call my mom? Is this something grandma needs to know about? Time will tell, but for it having been five years since the last time a Moss record reared its doomly head, it seems only fair to give the band a little breathing room on their evolution. More info and video here.

9. Mars Red Sky, Be My Guide EP (April 8)

How glad am I that French fuzz rockers Mars Red Sky have a new EP coming? Well, I’m not as happy that it’s coming as I am that it’s frickin’ awesome. The trio keep the weighted bass tones that gave so much depth to their 2011 self-titled debut (review here), but they’ve also clearly set to work expanding the formula as well, adding stomp to second track “Seen a Ghost” and an eerie repetitive sense to side B closer “Stranger,” while also broadening their melodic reach and taking claim of whichever side of the line they want between fuzz rock and heavy psychedelia while remaining so much more to the ears than either genre descriptor can offer to the eyes. At half an hour, my only complaint with it is it’s not a full-length album. Video trailer and info here.

10. Blaak Heat Shujaa, The Edge of an Era (April 9)

A sample of the poet Ron Whitehead — who also featured on Blaak Heat Shujaa‘s late-2012 debut EP for Tee Pee Records, The Storm Generation (review here) — comes to clarity just in time for the gonzo Boomer poet to let us all know that, “America is an illusion” (that may be, but it’s an illusion with an army of flying killer robots), and from there, the youngin’ desert transplants embark on a low-end-heavy freakout topped with sweet surf rock guitars and set to use in intricate, sometimes surprisingly jagged, rhythmic dances. Mario Lalli of Fatso Jetson guests, Scott Reeder produced. Review is forthcoming, but till then, there’s more info here.

11. Devil to Pay, Fate is Your Muse (April 9)

Fate is Your Muse serves not only as Indianapolis rockers Devil to Pay‘s Ripple Music debut, but also as the double-guitar foursome’s first outing since 2009’s Heavily Ever After. With tales of lizardmen attacks and the alleged end of the world, it’s got its fair share of personality, and set to the chugging riffs, melodic vocals and straightforward heavy grooves, that personality still goes a long way. I’ll have a review up before this week is out (I hope), but still, I wanted to make sure to include Devil to Pay here too, since their songs command both attention and respect. To wit, I just can’t seem to get “This Train Won’t Stop” out of my head. Video and info here.

12. Cough & Windhand, Reflection of the Negative Split (April 15)

Virginian doomers Cough and Windhand share a hometown in Richmond, a love of volume, a bassist in Parker Chandler and now a label in Relapse Records, so yeah, a split makes sense. Reflection of the Negative will be Windhand‘s first release through Relapse ahead of their sophomore full-length, scheduled for later this year (info here). For Cough, this split marks their first outing since 2010’s An Introduction to the Black Arts split with UK masters The Wounded Kings (review here), and they’ll present the 18-minute “Athame,” while Windhand bring forth “Amaranth” and “Shepherd’s Crook.” More info here.

13. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats, Mind Control (April 15)

What the last Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats album, 2011’s Blood Lust (semi-review here), did so well was capture the atmosphere and the grainy imagery of late ’60s/early ’70s psychedelic horror and put it into audio form. For that, Blood Lust earned massive praise, but I still think that without the central core of songwriting underneath the genre trappings, it would’ve fallen flat. When it comes to Mind Control, the question waiting to be answered is if the band wants to stick to the blueprint they’ve established or go brazenly into uncharted weirdness. I’m not really sure they can lose, either way. Info and music here.

14. Kadavar, Abra Kadavar (April 16)

Their debut on new label Nuclear Blast and the quick-arriving answer to my pick for 2012 debut of the year, Abra Kadavar arrives with plenty of anticipation leading the way. The retro-rocking German trio have their work cut out for them in following that self-titled, but however it turns out in the comparison, it will be fascinating to learn how Kadavar develops the band’s sound and whether or not they prove able to push the boundaries of their aesthetic while simultaneously setting a new standard for promo photos. New video here.

15. Spiritual Beggars, Earth Blues (April 16)

I guess when it comes to these long-running Swedes, everybody’s got their favorite lineup, their favorite tunes, etc., but for me, I’m just impressed that Michael Amott — now more than 20 years on from starting Spiritual Beggars as a side-project while still in grindcore pioneers Carcass — still has any interest in keeping the classic rock Hammond-loving outfit grooving. Their last outing, 2010’s Return to Zero (review here), was the first to feature vocalist Apollo Papathanasio, formerly of Firewind, and though those songs were solid, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re more settled in on Earth Blues when it drops via InsideOut Music on April 16. More info on the forum.

16. Beastwars, Blood Becomes Fire (April 19)

Alternating between periods of brooding intensity and all-out crushing heaviness, the second full-length from New Zealand’s Beastwars, Blood Becomes Fire, is nasty, nasty, nasty. It’s nasty when it’s quiet and it’s nasty when it’s loud. It’s the kind of record you put on and you’re like, “Damn that’s nasty.” And you’re not wrong. The four-piece — touring shortly with Unida — upped their game even from 2011’s self-titled debut (review here), and for anyone who heard that record, you know that’s saying something. I’m still in the “getting to know it” phase, but so far all that nasty feels pretty right on. More info here.

17. Ghost, Infestissumam (April 19)

Man, this one just kind of happened, huh? I suck — and I mean S-U-C-K suck — at keeping up with band hype. I’m the dude who hears the record three months later and goes, “Yeah, I guess that’s cool,” as countless reviews here can attest, including the one for Ghost‘s 2010 debut, Opus Eponymous, but with the Swedish cult heavyweights, all of a sudden I turned around and blamo, major label deal, semi-name change to Ghost B.C., and enough slathering over the impending Infestissumam to make the first album seem like less than the hyperbole it was treated to initially. Funny how that happens. Out in April? I’m sure I’ll review in June and go, “Yeah, I guess that’s cool.” More info on the forum.

18. One Inch Giant, The Great White Beyond (April 19)

Now signed to Soulseller Records, Swedish heavy rockers One Inch Giant will unveil their debut full-length on April 19 and as three of my favorite words in the English language are “Swedish heavy rockers,” I’m excited to find out how this Gothenburg four-piece follow-up their Malva EP, and if they can capture some of the extreme dynamic they brought to their live show when they toured the US last summer — a run of shows that included a stop at SHoD. Hard not to pull for a band after they come over to play club dates. More info and music here.

19. The Heavy Co., Midwest Electric (April 20)

It was actually the other day writing about The Heavy Co.‘s Midwest Electric that I had the idea for this feature, so however high the profile might be for some of these albums — Ghost walks by on their way to cash a check — it was these unpretentious Hoosier rockers and their new outing, Midwest Electric, that started me off. From what I’ve heard so far, the new collection sounds a little more confident in exploring psychedelia than did the trio’s 2011 debut EP, The Heavy (Please Tune In…) (review here), so I’m looking forward to hearing if and how that plays out over the course of the whole thing. Video trailer here.

20. Gozu, The Fury of a Patient Man (April 23)

I have an interview slated for later this week with Gozu guitarist/vocalist Marc Gaffney, and I’m even more excited for this time than I was when we last spoke, around their 2009 Small Stone debut, Locust Season (review here), since in everything but its goofball song titles, the sophomore outing marks a huge developmental step in the band’s melodic reach and songwriting chemistry. Stay tuned for that interview and check out the Bandcamp stream included with the album review here.

21. Yawning Man & Fatso Jetson, European Tour Split 7″ (April 26)

Note: I don’t actually know that April 26 is the day that what’s sure to be 2013’s most desert-rocking split is due to arrive, I just know that it’s Fatso Jetson and Yawning Man‘s European tour split, and that’s the day the Euro dates start — with performances at Desertfests London and Berlin, to be more specific. Given both the greatness of Fatso Jetson‘s last record, 2010’s Archaic Volumes (review here), and of Yawning Man‘s own 2010 outing, Nomadic Pursuits (review here), the bands’ shared lineage and the relative infrequency of their touring, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to hope that, even for a single, they pull out all the stops. And starts. And riffs. More info on the forum.

22. Serpent Throne, Brother Lucifer (April 29)

Philly-based instrumental heavy rockers Serpent Throne will follow-up 2010’s White Summer/Black Winter (review here) with Brother Lucifer, and while no one can ever really know what to expect, it’s a safe bet that the dual-guitar outfit will have the solos front and center once again. Having seen them do a couple new songs back in December, I can’t blame them in the slightest. Looking forward to letting these songs sink in for a while and having those solos stuck in my head. Track stream here.

23. Melvins, Everybody Loves Sausages (April 30)

Hey wow, a Melvins covers album. Finally, an opportunity for the band to let their hair down and go wild a bit, right? I mean, at long last, they can really feel free to indulge a little and explore their musical roots in a free and creative way. Okay, you get the point. In all seriousness, it’s a pretty cool idea and anything that teams the Melvins with Scott Kelly to do a Venom song is probably going to be a worthy cause. The most amazing part of it is they haven’t already done a version of “Black Betty.” More info on the forum.

24. Revelation, Inner Harbor (April 30)

Their most progressive outing yet and their first album since 2009, Revelation‘s Inner Harbor (review here) is bound to surprise some who thought they knew what to expect from the Maryland doom stalwarts who double as the classically rocking Against Nature. Good thing Inner Harbor had a digital release last year through the band’s Bland Hand Records to act as a precursor to this Shadow Kingdom CD issue. Rumor has it vinyl’s on the way as well, so keep an eye out, since John Brenner‘s guitar tone should be heard on as natural-sounding an apparatus as possible. More info here.

—

Okay, so you’re saying to yourself, “Golly, that’s a lot of stuff.” You’re absolutely right. But even as I was typing up this feature, I got word of a new Queen Elephantine full-length coming in April, so even as much as this is, it’s not everything. And that’s not even to mention May, which will bring a new Shroud Eater EP, a new Kylesa record and a new Mark Lanegan collaboration, among however much else. Tons of stuff to keep your ears out for, and like I said way back at the top of this thing, if you have something to add, a comment’s always appreciated.

Thanks for reading.